Bassy - Love Vine
May 15, 2009
Sea moss is more dan macho

Ah couldn’t help reading last week’s article on “Carts” by Doc Fraser ah second time. Knowing him well, he will want to charge me foh two readings. But he was quite spicey and his experience in Tortola reminded me dat ah had someting ah need to share wid readers and ah few ah my friends in need and indeed: Care-not John, de same Doc Fraser, Andrew Cummings, Junior Back-us, is two ah dem: de I-man and de Eye-man, de list could tek up de whole article.{{more}} Doc Fraser spoke of an Exotic Brew in Tortola dat was supposed to do wonders foh yuh on moonlight nights. He didn’t tell us how he broke de orderly line to get his supply. No wonder he keeps asking me when is Full Moon. All joke aside, we do have dat Exotic Brew in SVG and ah must thank Randy Kirby foh sending me on de “Net” to verify this Wonder Plant. He had seen an interview wid de winner of de Miss World beauty show, where she told dem dat de secret to her beautiful body was her Fasting, during Fast she drank ah lot ah water and Sea Moss. Ah couldn’t wait to get home, straight on de “Caribbean Culture Site” ah went to look foh “de wonder plant, Sea Moss!” Paragraph No 1 reads: “Most Caribbean men are not afraid to admit that Sea Moss is one of their secrets to potency and virility.” Dat is not news to me but de article talks about dis extraordinary plant being used foh centuries by our ancestors, de Arawak and Caribs as ah natural healing supplement. Right now scientists are beginning to tek notice ah dis lickle miracle from de sea.

Sea Moss contains 12 percent Fat, 70 percent carbohydrates and 18 per cent Protein, it’s ah great source ah B vitamins and Omega 3 Fatty Acids. And don’t talk about Minerals: Potassium, Sodium, Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, Copper, Iron, Iodine, Chloride, Sulphur, plus more and more.

Now apart from containing de Moonlight Seranade dat Doc Fraser went looking foh, Sea Moss is ah high Potassium food dat is good foh ADD, dat’s not “add” as in addition, it’s “Attention Deficit Disorder” de disease dat our Polly-trick-hans suffer from. Before getting into office, dey would pat Attention to what de lickliest child got to say, but when dey get in, ADD gets in dem too. So ah done order ah shipment ah Sea Moss from de folks in Union Island to give every man-jack in Cabinet from captain to crook oops, cook. Minister Dr. Thompson thumped his chest and told me to quote him dat “Sea Moss is good!” Ah guess he’s hooked on it, why else would de PM describe him as undoubtedly de brightest man in Cabinet. Strange he ain’t prescribe ah Sea Moss die-at foh all his colleagues too? Don’t believe dat ah supply foh Arm-in and de NDP is not on de way.

Scientists claim dat Algin not Aldrin de poison, (ALGIN) is a great metal detoxifying agent dat has been found to be helpful in suppressing age-related Dementia, so good news again foh those of us potential candidates foh All-timers disease who drink Sea Moss, yes Algin dey in Sea Moss as well as Selenium dat is also good foh de production of Thyroid Hormone, sperm fertility and Reproduction. Dey’s even fresh hope foh my girl, Lie-Za, as some Resorts serve dey guests pumpkin soup and Sea Moss drink to enhance dey chances of getting pregnant. De ting good foh almost everyting, Fibromyalgia (pains all over) depression, insomnia and anxiety.

In de kitchen dried Sea Moss resembles pasta, run it thru ah blender and it wuks well wid salads, cereal, cass-ah-roll and other dishes to boost de body performance. De folks in Union Island does mek I-scream, porridge, sugar-cake and fudge. But de main ting is de drink de Afro-dey-sack; some people does mek it wid condensed milk and spice and rum, but to get de real drink, yuh got to check Ras I-tall or Syble (Green Onion’s Bar) in Paul’s Lot foh de secret ah de res-erection. My secret recipe is simple and cheap, ah don’t boil de Sea Moss, hot water will destroy de nutrients, just leave it overnight in warm water, next day it’s like ah jel, blend it wid say-nah-man, ginger, ripe banana and mango. Dat is ah bad recipe dat could put all dem funeral homes out ah business. So go to de market and buy ah pack ah Sea Moss foh $5.00.

CRAW-POW WILL SMOKE WE PIPE

And while ah dey on Sea Moss ah might as well touch on Fish. Ah few weeks ago ah was told dat we have over fifty thousand pounds ah big fish on ice at de Kingstown Fish Market. Dat’s ah lot ah fish and it says two tings, we not eating nuff steak fish because people can’t afford to buy Big Fish. Chicken leg is two something ah pound, Big Fish is $7.00 to $9.00 ah pound. Millions ah dollars going out ah de country on chicken while ah half ah million dollars ah local fish turning ice at Lickle-Took-Yuh. Clearly we have to find ah way to add value to our fish and Agriculture produce, we have to find outside markets, which means we have to make de product highly irresistible. Dis is not ah project foh Guv-ah-mint. Not too long ago ah did write say dat locals need to invest in Agricultural and Fishing Projects. All dem bright fellars way go way and study and come back wid dey management and econ-nah-mix degrees, should be spear-heading de formation of some well structured private companies, owned by local shareholders. Let us buy into de farmers and de fishermen, from de planting stage to de harvesting, to de processing and de marketing. No doubt de Clico and British American Fee-arse-Co will be ah lesson foh all Vincentians and we will be now willing and ready to invest we money right hey way we could see way going on, create jobs foh our people and bring home far-rain currency dat will pay bonuses just as big as, or even bigger dan dem paper work companies. If not Craw-pow smoke we pipe. And wid dat ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor, folklorist and social commentator.