Ah got ah few left overs from 2007 to clear up before going into 2008. First is dat impressive book launch by Dr Richard Cox. Here’s ah humble, selfless, patriotic Vincy who on his big day opted to share his glory by graciously recognizing de contributions to Vincentian society by fellow patriots de late Earlene Horne, Renrick Rose and Oscar Allen, as well as that of Dr Fidel Castro, who in my lickle book would one day be recognized as one of de world’s greatest leaders.

Dey was and still is one problem wid de book dat was lamented by Sir Frederick when he addressed the audience: none available, all 300 were sold out at de launching. People who had de book on dey Christmas shopping list were disappointed. Luckily for me, ah read de transcript and done say what ah had to say bout de book already. Jomo Thomas did an excellent presentation as guest speaker and when it was all over, Lie-Za whispered to me and said, we had three launches, de book “Were Mama’s tears in vain”, Dr Cox and Jomo, Don’t worry, history will tell.

GEE ME AH BOX NAH

And “Yuh know wha does get me vex?” Ah borrow dat cliché from “2 Cool Kris”. Foh so long we been die-in foh ah West Indies victory and couldn’t get it, and now, foh de first time, we winning in South Africa, we can’t get to see dem, not even if we had de money to tek “ ah box” from Karib Cable, none dey. Now here me, Digicel advertising dat dey bringing WI cricket to us at home or away, dat cost millions; Karib Cable is providing de service providing yuh paying foh “ah box”. People begging foh “ ah box” and none available till February, when de cricket done. So don’t pen-ah-lies us Karib Cable, what can prevent you from being a good co-operative provider and let us view de cricket for free until we could get “ah box” from yuh, to rent. Mrs Glass, de boss lady at Karib Cable is ah lady wid ah good community spirit, but she out ah de state, Ah sure if she was around we would ah been watching our boys beat South Africa. Man even though de boss dey way, de mice and dem still can’t come out and play. Apart from dat, ah got no come-plain wid Karib Cable service, it’s good.

ASH HOUSE TOP DEM ALL

Lie-Za ball last year how de town like it had ah black-out foh Christmas. Would yuh believe de building and compound way de Prime Minister office dey was like dark shadows, man dat bad. De only thing worse dan dat was Vinlec de provider of electricity, dey put up two strings ah Christmas lights, all dat is telling us is dat electricity is too high. My girl say it must not happen again in 2008. Vinlec’s whole input into de Community Christmas Lighting needs to be revisited. Wha she say mek cents. Her suggestion is foh de Nine Mornings Committee to hand over de whole lighting competition to Vinlec ley dey organize it.

Everybody who lighting up must register wid Vinlec, as long as de judges think de lights up to ah certain standard, dat house or block will be refunded foh de increase in current used during de Christmas. Dis is a chance foh Vinlec to improve its ugly image.

And ah got to big-up Kenneth Ash foh his contribution dis year, de high electricity bill did not deter him from producing what in my lickle book again, is his best ever, he was kind ah “ looking de same like last year” foh ah few years, but dis year wid sixty thousand lights, he buss de sky. And ah special thank you Mrs Ash, Ken does de wuk but year after year, despite de stress (Kenneth) yuh mek yuh home ah museum and entertain us all, we appreciate it.

FORGET DE WRETCH-AH-RAKE

And so we move from de Ole year dat climaxed wid ah ‘shopping spree’ foh de last four days before Christmas, business dat Kingstown never ever scene. What can one say or do to find inspiration foh 2008, gas prices up ah dollar, lie-sins up, food staying up; wid oil prices now at $100 ah barrel, dat call from Caribbean Leaders to bring down food prices is just another Carry-Come Carry Go joke, wretch-ah-rake.

We at home have had our over dose ah wretch-ah-rake too, De PM is right on target in his Budget Address when he says “we are de owners of dis landscape and seascape…we are not tenants or mere occupants, we are de real owners…. let us lift our productivity and conduct,” Ah lot ah Wretch-or-rake, left to de ULP alone dis country would be run by ULP supporters only, even if it means packing up de Boards wid ah set ah party crow-knees and miss-fitz.” But Mother Priam did say “It wont be always so!”

So it is now time we stop looking elsewhere and look inwards foh solutions. Cultivate new eating habits dat match with our local production, de sooner de better. Just look at de slow demise ah we Dash-in pack-aging, we Arrowroot; Cassava 40 cents ah pound but its bye-product, Farine is now delicately priced at $ 12 ah pound, yuh could get five pounds ah imported corn foh dat money. What ever happen to good ole Cassava Starch? In de ole dispensation before our new Caribbean Civil-lies-ah-say-shun we uses to extract two bye-products from Cassava, starch and farine, are we really going forward? In de meantime ah drinkey is $1.50, is de coconut bottling plant going or coming? And who is looking after our farmers? Eddoes, potatoes and tannias dat bartering and baking in de sun on de side walk floor daily.

Guv-ah-mint has done enough to revitalize d’s projects but, every thing is now stuck in neutral, and de main reason is dat ‘ah man can’t run on one leg, in SVG one set ah people sit on boards.

Couldn’t de failure ah d’s projects be hinged on de fact dat de Guv-ah-mint feel it must be in total control ah everything? Dey need to let go. PM do as yuh say: “We must wuk together and build dis land that we proclaim we love.”

So to-gather we will pull we weight to mek life better in 2008. And wid dat ah gone again.

One Love Bassy.