My column on Basdeo Panday which was recently published seems to have stirred up some interest, particularly when I revealed that the election result of 1986 was called by the team I headed.As was the 1991 election and a number of following elections except in one case, our predictions turned out to be accurate.Since the column on Panday it has been suggested  I stay on the theme and devote this week’s column  to sharing a number of thoughts with you as it relates to Trinidad and Tobago, including election campaigns  I have been following there.The significant political defeat of the PNM in ’86 left that party with just three seats in parliament but provided an opportunity for a number of people, including Lenny Saith, who perhaps is at the level where he should be considered an icon of the PNM,  to focus on a younger Patrick Manning who among his other claims to fame, is a grandson of proud Barbadians. (I believe from the parish of St Thomas.)And, taking advantage of the factions which appeared in the NAR government as early as 1987, Patrick Manning emerged as the leader and won the elections in 1991 as was predicted.I remember understandably that within a day or two of the results being out, I was summonsed to meet with the new Prime Minister and did.  The location we met at in Port of Spain was, I believe, the historic headquarters of the PNM and the invitation to meet was in sufficient time for me to make Piarco Airport to return to Barbados for the Christmas period. Of course, the newly elected prime minister, who was saying thank you to his constituents in the South of Trinidad arrived for the meeting later than scheduled. We met and I was very pleased with his clearly articulated views about the relationship between Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago.When I said goodbye there was an issue whether  I could make it to Piarco for my flight.  On the PM’s instruction we had two motorcycle escorts on the special highway to the airport.For reasons I don’t understand today we arrived at the airport on time and left the police escort behind us.I was very pleased with the relationship between the Manning government and Barbados.Let us go back in the past and recognise icons like Eric Williams and Errol Barrow who were among a small cadre of leaders who saw the Caribbean as one family, a viewpoint that I share.We have a lot in common but what I have observed over the years is that each Caribbean country has its own unique personality, its own rhythm.Trinidad and Tobago of all the Caribbean countries has its own way of life and in this connection, the way they deal with their elections is a good opportunity to see the uniqueness of that country – they will compete right down to the wire and within 24 hours afterwards they return to that rhythm of life.  I am confident that this spirit will be maintained.This general election is going to create challenges that both political groups must face.At the end of the day, all groups must work to end the ethnic divide and recognise that the uniqueness  of our countries suggests that we must always remain brothers and sisters.I am giving serious consideration to attempting  to predict the outcome of the upcoming General Election but I haven’t made up my mind yet.• Frank da Silva is a member of the Democratic Labour party and a former high commissioner.

You’ve seen those TV shows where they separate couples and ask questions to find out how well they know each other? Well I figured I knew my wife backwards and would come out tops. Like, say:Q. What does your wife do first thing on mornings?A. She sweeps the house and leaves the dust in little random piles so that when I step in one, she can quarrel with me.Q. What does she do on reaching home?A. Makes a beeline to inspect the stove for molecules of spattered grease. She then acts like it’s the Lousiana oil spill, only worse, and quarrels with me.Q. What about if she visits anywhere?A. She says how wonderful everything is compared to our shabby surroundings. And quarrels with me.This is true. Earlier this week she went up to St Nicholas and was bowled over: “Everything is so beautiful and perfect. Of course, when you marry a real man like Larry Warren . . .” she sneered in my direction.“Larry Warren has a pony tail,” I hit back feebly. Larry and Anna are two of my favourite people but this is war.“On you it would be a pony tail,” she scoffed, “on him it’s a stallion’s mane!”Getting quarreled with is more or less my role in this relationship. I keep asking, if there’s so much wrong with me, why did she marry me? Only last week I got the answer:“That first time we met in Harrison’s, when was it?” she wanted to know.“Remembrance Day, 1969, I think. I was wearing a poppy”.“Exactly! When I saw that damn poppy in the distance, I thought you were a red dot special. And you know I can’t resist one of those”.Anyway, I figured I had my wife down pat, especially in the matter of finances. She doesn’t waste. Heaven forbid I should use a new piece of dental floss when she’s left hers on the sink for me! Then up came the tractor tyre incident and knocked all my knowing for six.We needed a new tractor tyre. A firm in town had them for about $100 less than a firm in the country. I couldn’t see her spending that extra cash. Yet, unbelievably that’s what she wanted; insisted I buy the more expensive tyre to “avoid the heavy traffic”.However, it turned out I had to go to the town outlet. And the only unsettling traffic I encountered was a young lady passing back and forth. Ms Lashley (if that’s her name) had probably looked into the mirror that morning and the mirror cooed: “Y’know, babe, you’re one heck of a gorgeous woman!”I don’t know. We Christians can’t covet. Suffice it to say by the time Ms Lashley walked by a second time it suddenly hit me that the other tractor tyre also needed changing, the sooner the better. And Ms Lashley’s was the best buy around.Okay, so here’s the deal. I sleep with a woman on and off for over 30 years, yet can’t predict her on imdcportant decisions. How can we trust political leaders we know nothing about? Hitler, Stalin, Burnham, Pol Pot (whose regime killed off 2.5 million or 21 per cent of his people in three years) were welcomed with open arms.Owen was one of our best. Did you suspect he would catch CARICOMania and flood the place with foreigners? Thompy pleased our hearts by staunching the influx and keeping out those Jamaican artistes. Now he’s talking casinos which to me spells ‘Russian mafia’.And what about Mia? Would she move Nelson, declare a republic, kowtow to white alien agendas by legalising buggers, abolishing the death penalty? We have a right to know.Is it not utterly disgraceful, bordering on high treason in my opinion, for AG Freundel Stuart to admit that the 2000 BLP government, without consulting us, signed on to some Inter-American Court nonsense which contravenes the Barbados Constitution’s position on the death penalty? And to add insult to injury, instead of un-signing the agreement, he is talking about amending our constitution to please the foreigners! So help me, if the parliament in Britain can be hung, maybe we should do likewise with ours.

A real decision is measured by the fact that you’ve taken  a new action. If there’s no action, you haven’t truly  decided. – Tony RobbinsAGAIN I find myself compelled to comment about what is happening in the tourism industry in Barbados. For years I have heard fellow members in this industry cry out about the issues that are seriously impacting their operation – with little or no action by the authorities empowered to ensure the viability.At the time, I was not directly connected to the industry, and hence did not fully understand their frustrations. That situation has changed and I now fully appreciate the sense of helplessness, shared by these pioneers in tourism.Two articles caught my attention in Tuesday’s Daily Nation of May 11 under the headlines Call To Action and Safety First. In the first instance president of the Barbados Association of Public Secondary Schools, Winston Crichlow, coincidentally a former teacher of mine, was stating his opinion on the non-action of relevant entities in this country.He said: “Our society suffers from inaction, where we look at the causes of problems; but there is no will to take the next step.”I agree with Mr Crichlow. This paralysis has taken root in our society, and primarily in Government agencies, where I fear that the prognosis for improvement is bleak. “This culture of non-action is so ingrained in our being, that I don’t believe we have the will to respond. When this is coupled with the added ingredient of politics, I fear that the issues will never be addressed, except in the form of “think tanks” and “talk shops”.The other article has Acting Prime Minister Freundel Stuart saying that rising crime rates, harassment of visitors and drug trafficking are critical issues threatening the sustainability of Caribbean tourism.Here, Stuart is looking at the issues from a regional perspective. In essence, these situations not only impact tourism in Barbados, but in the wider Caribbean. There is of course a direct link between drug trafficking and beach harassment, as any individual in the industry would be aware. Hence, if we can control one of these problems, we will see a reduction in the other. Thus, I’m in complete agreement with the sentiments expressed by Stuart. What I would like to know now is what are we as a country going to do about it? What plan of action will the Government come up with to stem the rising crime rate, the beach harassment of visitors and the drug trafficking which are adversely affecting our tourism?When will these plans be put into operation? Which agencies are responsible for ensuring that each area gets adequate resources to combat the particular problem? Who will be held accountable to ensure that results are obtained and who will have responsibility for maintenance of these programmes?These are the questions I would like to have answered. But will anyone answer them? I think not.We will continue to analyse the problems, identify the issues and speak glowingly of how we have to control these problems for the sake of our tourism industry. Or we will attempt to take action far too late and be unable to save the industry that is our main source of economic development.Let us put politics aside and truly to understand the impact of our lack of action over the years. Successive governments have failed to support the private sector in its attempts to address pertinent issues like beach harassment, which adversely affect the tourism. Their lack of support is cloaked by the passing of bills in the House of Assembly, but the true nature is revealed when despite these laws, policies and procedures, no agency is held accountable when it is clear that they are not actively enforcing the laws, policies or procedures.However, I do not want to dwell on things in the past; what I’m interested in is the future. Thus, I am asking the Government of this country what are we going to do about the problems identified by the Acting Prime Minister in the aforementioned article. I await your answer. This article was submitted as a letter to The Editor.

BY THE time wunnah read this West Indies  fate will be sealed one way or the other so I can only speak of the T20 experience of the weekend just ended. I Market Vendor joined the faithful and long suffering West Indies cricket fans, trekking to the Mecca of cricket in the Caribbean, Kensington Oval, last Friday gone full of doubts and fears; thankful to Mr Lewis and Mr Duckworth for their system of calculating who wins what when the rain fall;  thankful that rain fell in Guyana and that our boys were into the Super Eights part of the revolutionary and truly exciting form of cricket the World T20 Championship. As I was strolling down to the Oval, armed with salt fish, boiled green banana, Cassava, flying fish, coconut bread and water, Mr Walker’s liquid delight to blend with de ice and coconut water, I couldn’t help but feel upbeat and happy even if I didn’t quite understand how Wavel Hinds had risen from the cricketing dead and gotten back into the West Indies team (I thought the man was on pension, after all he was opening for the Windies with Sherwin Campbell!)The volunteers were out in force, the park ’n ride was working, visitors galore, accents unsure, the stands were packed and the oval ground was impeccable, hats off to the team from Barbados  Golf Club led by Eamon McCarthy who changed  the style of cutting and had a circular pattern this time around. And even if things did not go our way there were plenty of other teams to shout for as long as they were not playing against the Windies. there was Sri Lanka, and India and Pakistan and South Africa, what could possibly go wrong, somebody had to win, right? Wrong! By Sunday morning I was asking myself whether I should not be spending the day at St Patrick’s cathedral in mourning, hoping that the Monsignor might not miss me from the proceedings! I felt battered and bruised as everyone  of my teams get beat and beat bad, Pakistan had become for me the Pakistindies, India was beaten and West Indies gave me acid reflux. Catches dropped like we had butter in we hands, batsmen in and out so fast you could no t risk going to the bathroom and then that awful missed catch where two big men, one being the wicketkeeper watched as a ball get skied up  in the air and fall between them like two confused school boys! I nearly pelt way all the food and drink and  walk out, I was hurling the usual threats that  I never supporting West Indies again, never  coming back to Kensington.But 24 hours in cricket is a long time, Sunday was mother’s day and if there is one thing that every West Indian man values it is his mother!  And so it was written that the West Indies  would come out and play with their hearts  for the one woman that no West Indian can  betray, his mother! It was like a new team, Ramdin behind the stumps, men diving and sliding like the Aussies, pace like fire from Roach, Taylor, Sammy and Bravo. Pollard and Bravo brilliant in the field,  off field the winer girls were gyrating till muh  head was giddy and then Chetwyn from party stand bring in two body painted ladies, them did spinning like blenders. Chris Gayle was a beast, the only place he ain’t hit the ball was in the toilet, it was an innings to savour, one of those “I was there moments.” Finally the maroon shirts, hats bandanas and flags were waving in the breeze, West Indians were screaming with delight and all was well on Sunday morning at the Oval as our team delivered big time! I Market Vendor gone fuh now.You have a blessed and a  wonderful day, yuh hearrr!

Dear Nesta,I been walkin’ ’bout dis pas’ week, grinnin’ like Skinners mare, an’ my frien’ Philomena wanta know wha’ gine on, ’cause as far as she concern, dey en neffin to smile at – supermarket prices, ’stead o’ comin’ down, risin’ evah week, light bills higher dan a Easter kite, dem four lanes by Upton still confusin’ yuh head whenevah yuh got de misfortune to be in dah area, now de drought easin’ up ’pon we li’l bit, back come de snails playin’ hide an’ seek wif de bounty hunters, word ’bout de place is dat gangs linin’ up, an’ so it gine – so she now worried dat soon, muh address gine change to Black Rock!  I had to explain to she wha’ got muh in dis mood – min’ yuh, I en know how long it gine las’!’Girl, couple weeks ago, I cyahn tell yuh how please I was to read in de paper dat it seem we cries ‘gainst cars dat let off all dah black smoke, finally reach guvment ears, an’ de Minister o’ Transport  now mekkin’ it a “matter o’ urgency” to change t’ings. Now, you know, my motto is “action speak louder dan words” so I waitin’ to see dese fine words turn into law, an’ not en’ up in dah overcrowded file “Number T’irteen”! Ness, you would believe dah ethuh guvment had a Environmental Management Act ’pon de books fuh years, an’ en do neffin ’bout it, an’ all dis time, we breavin’ in all dah pollution dat en good fuh we healf! ’Sence de present guvment come ’pon de scene, dem admit legislation wasn’ in place to allow dem to intervene to stop dis pollution, but “plans were afoot” to set t’ings right. Well, dem plans seem to tek foot an’ walk right outta duh t’oughts! Imagine, between de two guvments, it tek all dese years befo’ we could get any relief, but, better late dan never!  I now lookin’ forward to seein’ how guvment gine enforce dis law, ’cause we Bajans is a law unto weself nowadays! I was drivin’ behin’ a car de ethuh day dat only God mercy an’ scotch tape hol’in’ it togedduh! De smoke dah car belch out, gine up a incline, had muh wonderin’ ef it was ketchin’ a-fire!  But de law gine tek care o’ all dat – right?      Nex’ t’ing, I onderstan’ people sufferin’ at de han’s o’ any criminal ’bout hey, gine now be able  to get compensation in any o’ de Law Courts!  Befo’, only Magistrates had power to impose anyt’ing, but dis amen’ment to de Ack gine change all dah. Now, Judges from all Courts got dah power to use as duh see fit! Is true criminals get sen’  up to Dodds, or pay a fine, or get bine over to keep de peace, but wha’ ’bout all de sufferin’ victims go t’rough – mental an’ physical? Victims don’ get half de consideration duh deserve. Dis is a good move!’Now, I is one body dat feel airfares fuh travellin’ de Caribbean much too high, so I was glad enuff to read dat Mr Adrian Loveridge from de hotel industry, been suggestin’ dat guvment look at reducin’ de high taxes ’pon airfares to encourage mo’ Caribbean travel! Fares really too high, doh! No wonder some people prefer to put few mo’ dollars to de $800 fuh Trinidad or $1 000 to Guyana an’ go to Miami or New York to shop. I hope guvment look into dis matter, ’cause as you know, I en got no jet, nor I en know nobody wif one to gi’e muh a lif’!’Jes’ imagine! A Orstralian cookbook had to get reprint by de t’ousan’s, ’cause a recipe fuh pasta was callin’ fuh “salt an’ freshly ground black people”!   De publisher say it was jes’ a silly mistake,  but nuff people din’ see it dah way, an’ was blue vex! I cyahn blame dem!                                                     Tek care o’ yuhself,  
 Yuh frien’ Babsie                      

HOPE ALL good mothers enjoyed a happy Mother’s Day. My brother and his son would have visited my mum, as they regularly do, but on such a special day probably gave her flowers and carried her out for ice cream.For all of her friends who ask about her, the situation is still the same. She has some type of senile dementia with memory problems, so it became dangerous for her to live in her own apartment, even with “assisted living” services. Jean is still slim and fit and capable of walking miles and getting lost.So she is living on a “rehab” floor of a controlled building and getting good care. There are no phone facilities in rooms and she is incapable of using or answering a cellphone. The one phone is at the nurses’ station and only one or two next of kin should call – and not frequently.Imagine if you were one of the few, very busy staff running up and down on a floor with geriatrics, the vast majority of them having to be spoon-fed, tubed up, electronically connected to monitors/machines, wiped, diapered, catheter-changed, sponged, medicated, and so on! And friends of a patient kept calling!If by some miracle, the dear lady’s brain improves, she will call relatives, friends and acquaintances. I know all of those who are reasonable will understand and accept what I am sharing.However, there are two demanding, controlling, dictators – one a distant aunt in Trinidad, the other a man my mum once worked with in that country – who keep calling me ad nauseam. This after I have said to both of them: “I never, ever, want to speak with you again. Do not call me. Goodbye!”I have no friendship with this man, although he says “he feels like my uncle”. Very creepy! The aunt rants and raves about our side of the family not being “saved” in her church, in spite of our being believers our whole lives. She told my mum and grandmum when my younger sister was murdered: “You know she is going to hell!”  When my mum had all her marbles in the right slots I begged her to tell these two to stop calling me. I have been staying with Jean when she cried after getting upsetting calls from these two people, or received newspaper clippings of kidnappings and murders in Trinidad!But she was too much of a lady to put her foot down.  I, however, have no such inhibition. I don’t care what auntie not-dearest or mock “uncle” think of me. There is no point badgering me after I have said “no”.One of the claims from this man was that he loved my mum. She replied she loved him too. Yeah, right! She was just being polite and mushy-headed. The last time I told her this man was still calling me, she said: “Oh my God, is he still pestering you?”I wonder what they are going to do when God calls Jean’s number? Jump into the crematorium fire with her corpse à la suttee?Dawn Morgan is a NATION Senior Reporter (Advertising) who thinks people with problems accepting “No” need to call professional help. Phone 430-5495. [email protected]