lime in south london.....

August 21, 2011

Today I attended another party with many of the familiar faces from last week’s party….in the charming neighborhood a short walk from the crystal palace overhead train stop, resides Natasha and Rita…our host for the backyard BBQ…..complete with grilled ribs, chicken sausages, fish and vegetarian fare…..that killer peppa sauce reared it’s spicey head and I was all ovah it……a pinch on my peleau is all I need….I am serious bout this yall….it is some hot stuff…my plate full with food, beer in hand, music in the background and good cheer amongst the crowd…today I spoke about with ________________, I __________

believe that people in education and the arts face global issues that are more common then we imagine….we all want to be appreciated for our contributions as well as respected for contributing….some of us engage in the pursuit of nurturing the next generation….and often find ourselves in similar situations…. the challenges of reaching , inspiring and motivating the next generation….some could say the same thing about my generation 25 years ago……I just wonder, are we simple manifestation of our the previous generation or repeat offenders?

learned that a racial perspective can often time precede who you are…….giving that the color does not seems to be a focal point of what it means to be Trinidadian…

.the island is a melting pot….it blends of indigenous, and transplanted ethnicities allow for a varied view of race….i am still wrapping my head around the ‘articulation’ of this ….but I appreciate that the definition of who you are begins with Trinidadian….where I am often charged with “what are you mixed with?”……is it the common ‘tongue’…..shared verbal articulation….familiar rhythm in speech…..but the same can be said for me as well…I sound like most Americans…..( at least I believe I do)…..but that is not it…….not it at all……I can not put my finger on it properly….i just know that it is quite special when I hear trinis speak with one another……

realized that my research of what I think I am beginning to understand becomes influenced more and more as I begin to meet more and more people during this ‘carnival’ time….personal perspectives of what carnival in Trinidad means to them and what the Notting Hill Carnival represents….for it can not replace or even substitute the pre Lenten season ritual. Although the seasonal reference makes for good times and share interests…..exchange of ideas and thoughts…. It is preservation of a cultural tradition and the retention of ways often times forgotten…. defining the true essence of humanity….and the continuing cycle of life….i am fortunate and blessed to share and witness the ritual.

Listened…. again to the notion that the sound can not be forgotten….or misunderstood…the history of the steel pan….the drum….the sound it makes……different from the sound of wood and skin….the result of opportunity and in essence a recycled moment…..the spoils of a war turned into opportunity…..born is the steel band….. I am looking into the story of how the prevention of music at a point in history resulted from old oil barrels being turned into the ‘drum’, creating a different and specifically identifiable music development characterized by the Trinidadian…I like this story…….more later….

felt welcomed and at ease…..happy and spirited…..engaged and heard……full with food and satisfied with thought…….it was a good day….