Dear Editor,
So many negative circumstances have blighted Guyana for so long; so many of them highlighted daily in the media, that I think it is time for us to remember that we have things to be proud about.
I have just returned from a cruise around the West Indies, flying to Barbados and visiting St Kitts, St Maarten, Guadeloupe, St Lucia and Dominica. We took coach tours around each island. In St Lucia, three coachloads of us (all tourists from the UK) were shown around a distillery by a guide who gave a commentary. At one stage, he mentioned the part molasses played in the manufacturing process, and emphasised that the best molasses came from Guyana!
I was so impressed that I said I was from there; the 99.9% UK-born people looked at me questioningly. It seemed most of them did not know what molasses was, and the guide could not think of the British equivalent. I allowed myself a pat on the back when I was able to identify it as dark treacle (Lyle’s) sold in tins in the UK’s larger supermarkets. It goes to show that we still have something to be proud about.
Incidentally, I read the Wayne Brown column headed ‘In the Obama era’ and was struck by the description of Hillary Clinton as “their gal.” Some time ago I saw her described as a “white gal” in an SN blog. Some people may find this offensive and racist, just as Bill Clinton’s reference to Barack Obama as a “kid” was, the equivalent of the put-down term ‘boy.’ As I recall, the terms ‘gal’ and ‘boy’ were used at one time by American whites to belittle even educated, elderly non-white people. And we were all offended by such disrespect. Sauce for the goose…
Yours faithfully,
Geralda Dennison
The best molasses indeed comes from Guyana hence the similarty in our progress. Progress in Guyana is measured by the sweet speed of molasses.
Of course, Guyana makes the best molasses.
And “my daddy is the best, best, best best best best daddy in the whole world.” (Paul Keens Douglas)
……one of the of the products made at high quality in GY ,, nice to have u,, a G’nese to hear the remarks which made u proud ,, and i’m sure all Gy is as proud as u were,, there ,, in the midst of others ,, who knew not what MOLASSES is ,,,,,, that aside ,, i think tho ,, that u should have ended ur comment with just the bit abt us making still ,,, the best molasses !
going off on a tangent ,, abt Hill and my Prseident elect,,, is now in the realm of nit – picking ,,,,, sadly u have taken away the moment of pride for GY ,, with ur bable abt race !
Did you tell them, also, about Guyana’s distilleries? Make the comparison. Or, that was as far you wanted to go with being proud of Guyana.
The best distilleries in the whole wide world “DEMERARA DISTILLERS LIMITED”
where I worked for 10 years manufacturing alcohol.
PROUD TO BE AN EMPLOYEE THERE .
Give Geralda a break. If she is proud of Guyana’s casareep so what? I am proud of Guyana’s bangamary.
We know that. The goats on the Leonora railway line in the 1970’s used to follow the molasses carriage all the way to Uitvlugt.