Island Radio

Emily is to be visiting the greater and lesser islands of the Carribean right about now. So, here I am listening to the Voice of Barbados VOB 92.9 to stay abreast of what's happening on my little rock and I tell you the people in Barbados mad, mad, mad. Now the government has made the decision, either rightly or wrongly to shut the island down. Business closed, both government and private. The airport is closed and all public transportation has stopped. The shelters are open and persons are warned to take all necessary precautions with high winds, rains ect expected. OK...all well and good.

You know essential personnel will be expected to be manning things and keeping the peace and calm of the island. Ok.. so listening to the raido, VOB has personnel out and about the island giving the latest update on the weather and road situation. People are calling in on the popular Down to Bass Tacks programme with views, questions and opinions about any and everything. So this person called in to say that a breadfruit tree in their area north of the island had fallen down due to the strong winds. Now for those of you who don't know what a breadfruit is, I can't help yuh describe it so you gonna haffa google it. anyhow, can you imagine the amount of conversation that is happening bout this one fallen breadfruit tree? people calling in asking fuh some ah de breadfruit...wanting to know where de reporter is that he/she can drop off a breadfruit or two when dey pass the area. People calling telling yuh how long it been since they had breadfruit, and how dem want it and want it cooked, boiled, pickled, roasted, fried. Ah mean you cud imagine de people of Barbados. Dem under hurricane/storm watch and all dem thinking bout is de bellies. One man call into the program and say how he got breadfruit, and green banans and all kindsa groud provision ready to boil he soup and ride out the storm. Bajans ein easy yuh know.

Another thing that had me cracking up is the reporter that was reporting from de South-East ah de island.... dat be about de Christ Church /St. Philip area fuh de Bajan readers and the area where I'm from. She reported in that the streets were relatively quiet, people had taken the advise of authorities and bunkered down in their homes or shelters, but wha really had me, is how she said that the skies still had a shade of blue grey in them and that the wind was blowing so sweet and beautiful. You think she serious. I from that area, and let me tell you, the wind does blow up there yuh hear... and that is on a good day wid clear blues skies. So just imagine any kinda weather system coming through and what the winds be like and she talking but wind blowing sweet and beautiful. She musse mad, she would gotta be mad.

Now, people on the radio calling and complaining as to whether it was the right decision of the government to shut the island down. Bajans!!! yuh just can't please dem. damned if you do and damned if you don't. Dem ein seeing or hearing de PM. dem wanna hear something from de AG/Dept PM Mia cause de woman bad fuh days and does stan up tuh any kind pressure/situation/conflict wid ease and confidence. Dem wanna hear from she that things under control. I just recently hear sumbodie sey dat she suh bad dat when she stand up tuh give a speech or respond at a press conference she does talk like she swallow a dictionary. Now that is a complement if ever. Anyow, it seems like de authorities got things under control. the radio programmes keepin the people occupied and content and de island ready fuh Emily and de rest ah she family dat she might bring.

I hope the other island fearing just as well under the circumstances and that your local radio keeping you company and in tuned to brave out this system. Doan worry, the carribean eint doing it alone, we cross hey in Caracas gettin we share. Well de Avila mountain range sheltering we from de kinda winds wunna might get, but it ein sparing we de rain and we getting rain fuh days and the cities along the coast are most vunerable during these times, especially the state of Vargas. We had rain everyday fuh bout a week now, and I talking bukets ah drop. Today I nearmost get wash way as it ketch me while I did outside. and if yuh ever see streets flood so fast? But yuh know what--- It's all Good---- it's all part of the game of life and mother nature. At the end hopefully we'll all still have life and hopefully a roof over our heads. Sty safe and dry everyone.