Some people write and tell mih how mih story two weeks aback about Caribana, make dem stop and tink. Dey start to realize how unique and important we culture is. Ah glad. Inspite all de commess in de CCC, dey doing someting dat nobody else doing fuh free. Dey trying to keep we culture alive. Is years now Caribana going on. It not perfeck but it have some people in dere who wukking out dey liver string. Doh tink ah doh know.

A lady tell mih ah make she feel shame because she realize she uses to be one of dem who only criticizing and fine'ing fault. Doh mine dat darlin'. Is not shame ah want yuh to feel. Is PRIDE ah want yuh to have. And is not jes we costume makers or calypsonians or pan players dat need respeck. Is also we dancers, we artists, we storytellers, we attaleets. But mark mih words doux doux, dem have to respeck we too.

Many times me and you pay we good money and gorn in a show and we get a six for a nine. Ent troot? I remember some time aback ah went in a place out by Albion Road. De flyer say how de show starting eight oclock. Ah bade and powder up. Chupid me fly up from quite up in Scarborough, like ah going Osiack, to make sure ah reach in time to get a good seat in de club. Ah pay de land rent dey aksing for by de door and ah buy a hundred dollar glass of watery rum punch.

Eight o'clock, no singer, ten o'clock no singer. Midnight come and yuh Queen Macoomeh blue vex! Ah get up and march over by de lady who was STILL taking people money by de door. Mih face set up like rain. Ah akse de lady where so and so. She tell me he coming. Ah tell she Christmas coming too. She tell mih hole some strain. I sitting dere bleaching since eight o'clock and is now one o'clock in de morning and she telling me to hole strain. Yuh see how ruction does start? Is a good ting nobody never hear me cuss. De man reach on de stage two o'clock in de morning, looking like a rum boo-boo and only sing about tree, four chune and gorn. Yuh doh fine dat was highclass nonsense?

Respeck is a two way street not so?

And a nex' ting. My Caribbean Canadian community have money. Doh argue wid mih. But we must have a good reason to come out an' spen' de cahcahdah back in de community. We not schtupid. Advertise yuh ting nice, make it start on time and treat we good when we come inside. We like to dress up in we nice dan-dan and high heel shoe when we coming outside. I am not wearing on my silver lamé dress wid my backless shoe to come in no blinking fowl coob!

As for all yuh shop owners. When we come in yuh parlour, doh boof we nuh. Say morning, akse we how we is. Doh have yuh face push up like yuh smelling yuh top lip. Ah come to spend my money by you! How much does a smile corse? Ah not looking for no stand-pipe laugh but oh gorm man, smile nuh? Ah come by you to make message. Ah akse yuh if yuh have such and such an' yuh sucking yuh teet like yuh doh feel to answer. Ah boddering yuh? Yuh ever hear 'bout customer service? I know is not all shop keepers who does ack so ting up, but some like dey born so. Ah does usually get nice service but dem sourpuss inbetween does spoil tings.

But serious ting doh. I watch outside people an' I get to realize dey have nutting on we. Dey have opera stars, we have dem too. Dey have actors, we have dem too. Dey have presidents and CEOs, we have dem too. Dey have scandal and bacchanal, we have dat too. Nobody could make style on we. Ent troot?

One han' cah clap doh. We need each udda in order to make we community nice. Ah tired tell all yuh dat de Caribbean have een as much talent and skill as anybody else. When it come to talking up my people, I does be a real Good Friday rah-rah.

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