It was last Friday, and like Sunday Mass celebrated either Saturday evening or Sunday morning, a time reserved for de spirits.
Friday night, almost a ritual, a time to head to de town of Oistins fuh de best that Bubbadus got to offer and to savour what I argue is the best grilled fish pun planet earth, from Uncle George at the Fishnet restaurant. It does tek something special to get de Vendor outa Oistins Friday night and it must include some FLCS, as in fish, lobster, crab, squid or what me brethren from Guyana does call strimps!
If a fella say, “Market, come and eat some sushi by chef Paul Edwards in Holetown”, and iffing in de next breath I hear, “and I am paying”, then it would tek something of Titanic proportions, sort of like de Vendor’s size, to keep me outa Nishi’s restaurant!
Oistins is like a rite of passage – yuh earn it and nobody must be allowed to tek it from yuh!
I does meet all kinds of big-ups there. I does see the GM from Banks, Akash Ragbir and he wife, de Irish lads from Digicel, de titans of industry and commerce all soaking up de atmosphere (and de Banks too) and inhaling de fish! I meet cricketers from Sri Lanka, India, England and Guyana too, including young Bishoo in Oistins.
So when I hear that Nikki Crosby and Jus Jase from the Caribbean Super Station, the CSS, 97.5FM was going to be in Bubbadus at a place called Gary’s Rum Punch Bar pun Seclusion Road and dat them want me to lime wid dem and de folks from de Chat Room, I had to t’ink carefully ’bout giving up Oistins to meet people I never hear ’bout before de advent of de CSS.
And where de hell is Seclusion Road? Who does come up wid dese names? A place called Mile-and-a-Quarter, fuh example? Why de hell yuh didn’t measure a mile and call dat George? So Gary’s Rum Punch Bar it was, and ah witness something special, like de dawn of a revolution, people from dis Chat Room, who had never met before, coming from all over to be with Nikki and Jase, celebrating de six-month anniversary of the Caribbean Super Station.
It was like family.?They came from all over the region, some live in Bubbadus, others came specially fuh de night. All had a story worth telling! A man came from Lynden in Guyana, de CSS not there yet but he does listen on de ‘Net to your css.net!
A woman lawyer from Trinidad celebrating she birthday at a west coast hotel, leave de luxury of dat to be with the CSS people. A Trini living in Grenada aka Blackstone (see what ah mean ’bout names?) flew in for de night and de energy, de love, de passion, de commitment fuh dis station and de people pun it was something else!
Last Friday night, I witness de start of a movement of Caribbean people, doctors, a very sexy hotelier (I cannot print she bbm name), businessmen and women, a gathering of Caribbean people destined to change de radio landscape and integrate de region.
It was something special, one of those moments when something new and beautiful started, initiated by de people that will brek down barriers and unite de region. The birth of the CSS Chat Room revolution. Caricom, tek note please!
And iffin wunnah hear dat de Vendor was pun Seclusion Road after midnight talking to Seon Howell (aka Mr Pets transportation) who was grazing he eight magnificent rotweilers, it is true!
I booking my ticket to de next Chat Room lime from now!
I, Market Vendor, gone fuh now. You have a blessed and a wonderful day, yuh hearrr!
