Culture Box

Why do women do it? I’m talking about the breaking up of the house before Christmas.

The masquerade bands on the streets and the smells in the air; the holidays are the best time of the year!

Gobble Gobble! I hope you enjoyed Thanksgiving Day on Thursday. And how about that hectic shopping day Black Friday?!

Guyanese people: multi-ethnic with mixed and celebrated cultures, united heritage and diversity; one of the most resilient groups of Caribbean people.

The University of Guyana’s main campus in Turkeyen graduated over 1,500 students last week Saturday and many of these graduates will move on to further their education elsewhere, reside in another country or, as the guest speaker Secretary General of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), Irwin LaRocque recommended, apply for the Caribbean Single Market and Economy Recognition of Skills Certificate and enhance the development of their region.

The closing ceremony of the fourth National Drama Festival was truly “The Night of Stars” as it was dubbed and shining brightest of them all for her successful direction of the festival and choreography of the closing ceremony was Colette Jones-Chin.

Hamlet came to a local stage two Fridays ago, brought by the Shakespeare’s Globe which is on a two-year travelling world tour commemorating the playwright’s 450th birth anniversary; a treat for Guyana, or so I thought.

Hospitality is the bedrock of tourism. It drives the industry. Many Caribbean economies depend heavily on tourism, selling their year-round summer, sparkling blue waters, ‘life is a party’ image mainly to people in bleak climes.

Walking around St Cuthbert’s Mission from the Mahaica-Berbice settlement right over to Demerara-Mahaica, through trails to the sandy river banks and the hilly village centre; I scouted the environment stopping to sit and chat with the village folk.

Experiencing a different culture can be both taboo and a thrill.

St Cuthbert’s Mission is an Amerindian settlement 60+ miles down the Mahaica River.

Pardon me for being repetitive, but with the recently concluded graduation of artists across their respective fields under the newly formed Institute of Creative Arts; and the National Drama Festival’s first set of plays to be staged in less than a month, I feel it is my duty to return to arts and its place in our future.

In the month we celebrate the aboriginal people of Guyana the tragic destruction of the Umana Yana by fire on September 9 was an unfortunate blow to the heritage and celebration of Amerindian Heritage Month, Guyanese history and our culture.

September is the month when we celebrate the first peoples of this land; their culture, their heritage, their history and remember why special attention needs to be placed on protecting their livelihoods, and their land.

Listening to Rihanna earlier this week (not on the radio) plead with the DJ to put the song “pon de replay” and also to “turn the music up” because “all the gyal on the dance floor wantin’ some more” suddenly reminded me that I had not listened to the radio in a while.

Over the last few weeks I have been writing reviews on my experiences around the city; the culture, arts and night life.

So where do you go when you want relax and have a few drinks with friends?

Socialising in Georgetown really depends on your disposal income. Your pocket determines or dictates where you hang out.

Take a walk through this city and be amazed by it all.

The city is yours. It’s part of you now. You’re part of it.