Stories about Caribbean from January, 2009
Jamaica, U.S.A.: One Love?
Bob Marley's One Love was played at Barack Obama’s Opening Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial, prompting Abeng New Magazine to say, despite the ironies: “We are proud that the USA can borrow from us at a critical moment when the president-elect sells the idea that ‘anything is possible in...
Guyana: Flooding Controversy
Guyana has been experiencing severe bouts of flooding recently, causing damage to crops and livestock and outrage among bloggers.
St. Vincent & the Grenadines: The Face of HIV
“Sometimes, life in small island societies can have immense drawbacks”: Blogging from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Abeni says that some of them are “the whisperings about persons with HIV and the subsequent ostracism that takes place.”
Jamaica: Praying in Patois
Iriegal shares her thoughts on the production of a Patois Bible: “I just want to say $60 million dollars is a lot to invest…there is so much controversy in translating European English into Patois I really don't know how they are going to do it, even from and audio perspective.”
Anguilla, Bermuda, Turks & Caicos: Good Governance
A couple of regional bloggers have been keeping track of the inquiry into official misconduct and corruption in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Vexed Bermoothes says: “I don’t want to draw the parallels too deeply, but TCI is demonstrating the challenges that many small islands face…this is why Bermuda needs...
Jamaica, U.S.A.: Political Comparisons
As America gears up for the inauguration of President Barack Obama, diaspora blogger Geoffrey Philp is reminded of “the euphoria that many Jamaicans experienced when Michael Manley was elected as Prime Minister in 1972.”
Barbados, U.S.A.: Name Calling
“You going soon be inundated with children name D'Barack and Shabama and LaBama and such. Time to nip that in the bud”: Barbadian diaspora blogger Jdid wants Barack Obama to adjust his government's priorities.
Trinidad & Tobago: Tree Cutting, Belt Tightening
“The airport, which already looks like a sterile wasteland with all the grey paint and icky tiles, now bereft of the softening influence of vegetation. It looks like you've arrived in some place other than the Caribbean”: Coffeewallah thinks Trinidad is more like La La Land these days.
Trinidad & Tobago: The Inferno?
“Somedays I feel that the effort to constantly be watching over my shoulder and worrying about the safety of friends and loved ones in this small country of just over 1Million people will wear me out”: Trin compares T&T to Dante's Inferno.
Barbados: Collapse Caused by Negligence
About a year and a half after this apartment collapse, an earth and atmospheric sciences expert concludes that the tragedy was caused by “gross negligence”. Barbados Free Press is calling for a proper inquest.
Jamaica, U.S.A.: Pre-Inauguration Poem
Jamaican litblogger Geoffrey Philp pens “a simple lyric, for Barack Obama”.
Trinidad & Tobago, Grenada: Farewell to the Duke
Spicewriter (from Grenada) and Trinidad and Tobago News Blog both pay their respects to The Mighty Duke, described as “one of Calypso’s greatest icons.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Commission of Inquiry
As the Commission of Inquiry into Udecott continues in Trinidad and Tobago, Paolo's Blog says: “The only real outcome that one can expect from this latest pappyshow is that lawyers will make out like bandits, taxpayers will make out like paupers and it will be ‘bidness’ as usual in the...
Barbados: Facing the Nation
Barbados Underground reacts to the Prime Minister's first formal interaction with the national media: “We applaud the Prime Minister for making himself available to the PEOPLE, our hope now is for the local media personnel to…[exercise] different strategies to source more meaningful information…”
Bermuda, U.S.A.: The Audacity of Marketing?
The Bermuda Department of Tourism is co-sponsoring a party in Washington, DC over the inaugural weekend, which is costing Bermudian taxpayers $75,000. Vexed Bermoothes is not happy about it, saying: “This has little to do with marketing Bermuda tourism…this is about marketing the Premier.”
Guyana: Speaking Up
“Last August during a Carifesta event, I witnessed what was akin to a public scolding of a young woman who dared to ask a panel of older Caribbean writers and educators why young people were not invited to be panelists for a discussion on the condition of the Caribbean. She...
Trinidad & Tobago: Clear the Way for Carnival
To get into gear for Trinidad and Tobago Carnival, Caribbean Free Radio posts the first in a series of podcasts with rapso group 3 Canal.
Trinidad & Tobago: Dangerous Trees?
As trees surrounding Trinidad's Piarco International Airport are cut down for security purposes, Francomenz and Notes from Port of Spain put in their two cents.
Anguilla, St. Kitts: Financial Confidentiality
“I always thought my correspondence with my bank was supposed to be private”: Corruption-free Anguilla discovers that not every bank is necessarily meeting its confidentiality obligations.
U.S. Virgin Islands: Students to Attend Inauguration
News of St. John reports that “three students from the Gifft Hill School will be on hand when Barack Obama takes the oath of President next Tuesday.”
St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Football Fever
Blogging from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Abeni believes that skill is more important than size when it comes to football.
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