Dear Nesta,
Greetin’s, girl chile, from de lan’ o’ de four “esses” – sea, san’, sun an’ . . . surfin’! You sensible enuff to change dah word ef yuh want!
I hope yuh lookin’ after yuhself an’ tryin’ to do de bes’ yuh could, wid de li’l yuh got, ‘cause from wuh I been readin’, life up dey en too sweet fuh de majority!
I strugglin’ jes’ like you! But all dem drastic changes wunna mekkin’ in yuh lifestyles by cuttin’ out mos’ t’ings dat gi’e li’l pleasure – de cinema, holiders, even eatin’ out – should bear some fruit!
B’looka, don’ worry tummuch wid de holider-cuttin’, ef yuh don’ min’, ’cause dah won’ suit we a-tall! I gine start prayin’ de wevver step in an’ get so cole, yuh would be only too glad to scrape up wuhevuh cash yuh got, an’ head fuh de sun!
Dis recession got mos’ o’ de worl’ in a tight grip, onless yuh livin’ in one o’ de oil-rich countries! Only few days ago, dah big-able international ratin’ agency gi’e we a new warnin’ dat all might not be as rosy as we believe. We creditworthiness awright but de economic outlook get downgrade to “negative”!
Even de “Harbour Master”, de big party ship, en like how t’ings lookin’, an’ settin’ sail fuh “richer” Trinidad waters! My “economic outlook” been negative fuh some while now, an’ all dis news don’ brighten my day a-tall!
Two ex-heads o’ de Central Bank advise we to tek heed, but my Finance Minister don’ seem too worried. He say we been t’rough downgrades befo’, even mo’ when de ethuhs was in power!
He an’ de agency in agreement ’bout de economy, an’ wid discipline, hard wuk an’ “stick-to-it-iveness”, we should win out! I en know when dah gine be, but I reckon he’s de boss, an’ should know!
Chile, de Phoenix bird rise agen, dis time, bringin’ up news, once mo’, ‘bout fixin’ back up de Empire T’eater! Over de years, all we been gettin’ is nuff “long talk” from bofe sides, widout anyt’ing comin’ to pass! De bats an’ rats in dah buildin’ mussee always breave a sigh o’ relief, evuh time duh realize it was jes’ talk, an’ dem livin’ quarters wasn’ gine get disturb!
Well, Guvment change, an’ we had news ‘bout a $15-million-dollar upgradin’ plan fuh all de main buildin’s in Queen’s Park an’ de Empire T’eater! De Steel Shed plans went t’rough!
De ethuh two, de Daphne Joseph Hackett an’ Empire T’eaters, din so lucky – it seem de recession tek care o’ dem – an’ all de talk die down agen ‘til las’ week, when de Minister o’ Culture come out an’ tell we Guvment got befo’ dem major submissions from t’ree parties int’rested in de Empire.
Good news! I hope dis is now action time!
Now, I never did get de impression dat “culture” too high ‘pon de political charts, but sence Bridgetown is now one o’ de two places in Buhbayduss dat UNESCO put ‘pon duh Worl’ Heritage Lis’, it might spur de ministry into high gear to do somet’ing positive dis time, ‘specially when “int’rested parties” offerin’ to help, an’ – dis mo’ impo’tant dan anyt’ing else – dah special year, 2012, jes’ roun’ de corner!
You keep sweet, an’ keep prayin’!
Tek care o’ yuhself
Yuh frien’ Babsie
