A Provocative View from an Unhappy Immigrant’s Window
July 29, 2008
From the very moment we made out entry,
Unto this “Unaccustomed Mother Earth” at birth in our disembark,
Unconsciously we have become a blessed ‘legal’ part of humanity,
With rights that none can take away from us, at that very start.
Who gave us that ‘legal’ entry at that time?
No President! No Prime Minister! No Legislator! No government’s court!
Without Visa, Green-card or Citizenship ever to define,
That status then, but now some seek our very presence to abort.
Imperialists, invaders and smugglers from among us, historically made,
Several illegal immigrants-entries on foreign shores,
For loot, business, trade, and other economic gains of raid,
Sometimes with force, bribery, intrigues and often through other corrupt doors.
They blatantly stole, robbed and exploited weaker human labor,
Often boasting of their unjust labors, as the initiators of human progress,
Which benefit only their exploitative group with undue favor,
Despoiling their weaker counter-part with nothing but retrogress of distress
In this age of Globalization and the Global Village and Market-Place,
Goods, people and services of all kinds selectively and daily move,
At greater speed than ever before and race,
To cash-in with handsome profits and leaving exorbitant groove.
Those who are left-out by way of not earning a living wage,
Live only with discontent that trigger
Immeasurable anger, hate and ruin which stage,
Protests, bitterness, disease and hunger of inevitable inhuman rigor.
Multinational Corporations spread their tentacles,
Cancerously around the world, controlled by one st of fortunate immigrants,
Who overpay themselves, overeat and exploit other immigrants’ receptacles,
With rigid exploitations, hunger, starvation and disease, to become hidden
recalcitrants.
Now we find in this so-called technological age,
Crippled with terrorism, military and guerilla maneuvers,
Competing desperately for the control f political social and economic terrain
that engage,
In open warfare and all sorts of terrorist activities,
Impeding positive economic endeavors.
Thus the world which should have had enough supplies for all humanity,
Now becomes engaged in all kinds of destabilizing fragilities,
With terror, death, squalor and disease among the unfortunate majority,
While the fortunate others dominate with their superior political social
and economic power-gravities.
Robert H. Mahesh
A Former Guyanese School Teacher
Written 4/14/2008
We must document our history
July 28, 2008
If we as Indian Guyanese do not document our history then no one will do it for us since we are living witnesses of our status as immigrants in the United States, Canada and elsewhere. Our whole story which covers a period of 167 years, starting from India in 1838 when our forefathers went to British Guiana as indentured immigrants, that first wave was a north to south movement.
Today their children have become immigrants because of policital, social & economic forces beyond our control. Our movement started from Guyana in 1965 to the present and is a movement in the opposite direction from south to north. We in second movement are fortunate to be educated unlike our forefathers and therefore we are qualified to document our stories from our perspective.
Other ethnic groups in Guyana have their stories too and should document them also. I would like to encourage Indo Guyanese to begin this documentation so as to enrich our young Guyanese Literature and History store houses for furture generations and others who may wish to read same.
Robert Mahesh
GLIMPSES OF LIVING INDO-GUYANESE HISTORY
July 28, 2008
“A Pilgrimage to the Place of his Birth in Guyana.”
By: Robert H. Mahesh
My book tells about my true-to-life Indo-Guyanese story as a seventeen-year-old sugar estate boy from Pln. De-Kinderen, West Coast Demerara, Guyana, South America. It recalls how I found it difficult to get a teaching job, because I was not a Christian although I had passed the Pupil Teachers’ Appointment Examination in nineteen fifty-two. I was turned away by two Christian priests, one being from my own school at De-Willem, West Coast Demerara, where I had brought first of four passes at the Pupil Teachers’ Appointment examination at the age of sixteen. Only sixty passes were allowed in the County of Demerara, when thousands wrote the examination, and you could not write the examination if you were over sixteen years of age.
Eventually, a goodly Catholic priest employed me as a seventeen-year-old Pupil Teacher in the Pomeroon River, Essequibo, Guyana in nineteen fifty-four, far away from my home. I taught for twenty-five years in six schools, and rose from the Pupil Teacher status to that of Deputy Headmaster, before migrating to the United States with my family in nineteen seventy-nine. Deteriorating political, social and economic conditions at home caused me to migrate. The book ends when I returned to the place of my birth in March nineteen ninety-five, as a fifty-nine-year-old man from New York, to participate in a Hindu Memorial service at the Meten-Meer-Zorg Hindu Temple. My illiterate immigrant father used to take me to worship at that temple as a little boy, when the temple was originally located at De-Kinderen.
In that service I thanked God for my poor immigrant father and for all His help to my father and to my family and I. I also left a message of hope by telling the congregation that in the same way that my father and I drew strength and courage from our religion and culture, similarly they could also draw strength and courage, from the same religion and culture, no matter what the circumstances and still survive.
My book is a living testimony of a very small part of our ‘Dislocation and Survival’ story, which led to the changing faces of the Lefferts Library and Richmond Hill, Queens, New York. It can be valuable encouragement to all those who are poor and struggling in life. My book also shows how I progressed educationally without a high school education, which my parents could not afford, to become a Fourth Batch History Graduate from the University of Guyana in nineteen seventy. The book is a wonderful lesson in the value of self-effort, determination and perseverance. It is also an example which boldly demonstrates the fact, that if we do not tell and write our story from our perspective, no one will do so for us. I have also called upon the other ethnic groups in Guyana to tell and write their stories as well. I did this in the epilogue of my book.
The beginning of my book has a ‘Prayer for a Pilgrimage to the Place of my Birth,’ and in a note to the reader I made it clear that my story is not about a king or queen, a prince or princess, a superstar or celebrity, but about a poor East Indian sugar estate boy from Guyana. Too many stories I declared have been written about the fore-going listed category, and nothing has been written about us. It is time that we begin to write our own stories. On the back cover of my book I have written a special ‘Tribute to Family Love,’ which showed the great value of father’s love, mother’s love, brother’s love and sister’s love. All these persist from the cradle to the grave. Many have failed to recognize their value only when the hour is too late. I also declared that politicians who dislocate family lives, by their un-Godly misrule, can never conquer or destroy that indomitable family love, which is a gift from God.
That you will read my book and support a budding Indo-Guyanese writer is my fervent hope. For copies of my book write to:
Robert H, Mahesh,
104-32, 108 Street,
Richmond Hill, Queens,
New York, 11419.
Tel: (718) 835 – 4989.
Email: roberthmahesh@yahoo.com
A Mother’s Love For Her Children.
July 28, 2008
The power, grace and blessings that God has placed in the hands of a woman are truly amazing; the power to reproduce and to give birth to life without which mankind would cease to exist. The first teacher of a child is his mother. She is the one who instill the teachings and values a child lives with for the rest of his life.
A mother would wake all hours to breast feed her baby, changing diapers, worry when they get sick, having sleepless nights making sure that all is well, she held onto our little fingers and teach us how to walk and educate us- she is our strength, support and the only family who will always be there for us through the good times and the bad times.
However there are some instances where children refused to help their parents when they are sick and unable to take care of themselves. Most parents want to be independent and do not want to impose on their children when they get old. But sometimes nursing homes are quite expensive and end up costing their life savings. Are we going to forget and abandon our parents because they no longer able to take care of themselves? Are we really that ungrateful to our parents especially after all they had taught us to be a better person?
Some children would complain that its very expensive to live in today’s society but parents had to gave up alot when raising their children also; they couldn’t pursue the career path they wanted, financial strain, with limited amount they had to make sure that their family is fed and educated regardless of the cost. Some parents sacrificed their time by helping us taking care of our kids when they are small and when our kids all grown up we no longer need their help. Is it not our turn to look after our parents now after all that they had done to bring us up? We all need to be thankful for our life and we need to forgive our parents for whatever they couldn’t provide or the mistakes they have made in order for us to be better parents and setting examples for our children to follow.
Financial support is not enough to offer our parents. They also need love and a family to care of them…after all they are humans too. Maybe as we get older and become parents then we will understand why children need to help their parents.
Nadine
Eats: My Review of Better Burger NYC
July 27, 2008
So you decide on Burger and Fries and you see a little joint called Better Burger on 19 St and 8th Ave in Manhattan and it looks cool cause of the bright orange and stainless steal accents all over the joint. You and your buddy decide to have a burger and some fries instead of a salad and some chicken breast. But wait, you have to have the burger that is hormone and antibiotic free and the potatoes that are air cook cause that’s what they serve, hence better burger and better fries on the menu… Two Better Burgers and two Better Fries and two lemonade equals 28 USD and somewhat cents
Damn I said…this Stuff must be good to cost so much cause the Better Burger does not come with Better Fries; they must be purchased separately. What bull? You wait for 15 minutes and the dude comes out with an orange tray and screams my name because the cashier took my name when i paid. You take the first bite and it becomes real; this is crap. I am eating actual crap. The burgers tasted like clay even with a ton of ketchup and you know ketchup fixes all tasteless foods and the fries, well they tasted raw…guess that’s why it is called air cooked fries….…Man I said 28 bucks for this; I might as well has gone to Wendys:, at least the food is cooked for half the price. What a joke for a burger joint. Selling pure crap!
Food Rating Scale: 1 2 3 4 5
1= Soulfully Detrimental
2= Decently Quick Filler
3= Good Enough to Eat Again
4= Must have Again Next Week
5= I am having this Again Tomorrow
Based on this Scale, I give Better Burger NYC a big fat Zero for just serving some seriously tasteless expensive atmosphere.
Adrian
Baiganchoka interviews Albert Baldeo
July 24, 2008
Albert Baldeo, the Democratic nominee for the 15th State senate district in 2006, almost unseated the Republican incumbent Serphin Maltese, who was also the Republican County chairman. Albert intends to finish the job in 2008. Maltese’s near upset forced him to resign that position to focus on keeping his tenuous seat, and when this seat goes democratic, Albert and allies must be credited for his groundbreaking campaign. No one had the vision and commitment to run against Maltese since 1988, but Albert exposed his poor voting record, and advocated for reforms in state government, demonstrating that an independent minded democrat can reform the broken system of “politics as usual” with grass roots support, and without any institutional support from the Queens County Democratic Organization, special interests, rogue unions or elected officials. Read more
Rape 101 in Guyana - The Purpose of this article is to Raise Awareness about Rape and Sexual Assault.
July 23, 2008
Every five minutes somewhere in the America’s/ Caribbean someone is sexually assaulted. If you have a friend who has been a victim please encourage them to report it.
Very often we would read in the Kaieteur News, Guyana Chronicle and Stabroek News that non-stranger, friends, acquaintances and intimate partners perpetrated most sexual assaults. Rape, attempted rape and sexual assault are one of the most under-reported crimes in Guyana and the Caribbean. However, the rapist of-course will walk free due to “high - connections” and bribery; the few women that report a rape chances are: an arrest will never be made, no prosecution, no felony conviction and 15 out of 16 rapist will walk free.
The horrors experienced in Guyana by many young inmates especially those who are convicted of non-violent offences have to undergo the imaginable and currently it’s a major issue in the country. Prison rape is devastating, detrimental and causes health problems such as: HIV/Aids, STD, depression, low self-esteem etc. Meanwhile most sexual victims are more likely to suffer from depression, suffer from traumatic stress disorder, more likely to abuse alcohol and drugs and contemplate suicide.
Students from University of Guyana were caught selling “date-rape” drug on the tarmac, on the streets, lacing other students’ drink until one girl died due to unknown reasons. Until today there has been no proper report from the media, University of Guyana or a post mortem report, assumptions were the girl drink was laced with drugs she bought from the canteen which she drank and passed away shortly after.
Students have access to “date-rape drug” which is legal in Guyana and is being sold as a sleeping aid. Drugs that are used on victims to assist in sexual assault are: GHB [gamma hydroxybutyric acid], Rophypnol [flunitrazepam] and Ketamine [ketamine hydrochloride]. These pills/ powder form drugs have no odor, color, dissolve quickly and take faster effects when served with alcohol. It is harder to think clearly, resist sexual or physical assault or evaluate a potentially dangerous situation when taking these drugs. Some victims claimed that the drug help them to relax and giving them a dream like feeling while others claimed that it causes unconsciousness, seizures, tremors, sweating, slow heart rate, losing sense of time and identity, numbness, aggressive behavior and slurred speech.
Contrary to the fact that rapist are hiding in the bushes and parking lots, more than 70% of the rapes committed by someone who is known to the victim. A sexual crime reported within 24 hours has a much greater chance of providing sufficient evidence and conviction. However without evidence, reporting a crime is extremely important. If you have been a victim of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault…USE YOUR VOICE…SPEAK UP… REPORT IT TODAY AND REMEMBER RAPE IS A CRIME AND ITS NOT YOUR FAULT!!!
How many help and shelter or crisis hotlines are there in Guyana for battered woman/ victims? Can someone please tell me? What is the government doing? Meanwhile the crime rate keeps on escalating and the so called leaders still believe that there is hope…the truth is there is No Hope For Guyanese. Everyone is trying all ways and means to get out of that country. The fact will always remained that justice will not be served.
Sara Ramlochan
West Indian Women and the Virus
July 22, 2008
HPV (human papillomavirus) is a virus that has many different types. There are about 100 known types and people like me and you can have no idea if they are infected or not. HPV is a STD (sexually transmitted disease). In some cases it may not show any signs or symptoms. Other cases, genital warts may appear. It has been to cause many types of genital cancers. You may see the commercials for females that they should get vaccinated. But, men are also affected the same way. Read more
Review on Love Story 2050
July 21, 2008
Many of us may watch Bollywood movies and enjoy the melodrama. Some of us, like me watch them for sheer humor. Yes, there are a few that are really amazing that I have to watch again but there’s a lot of remakes of American and other cultures’ movies. Love Story 2050 had all the Bollywood-esque themes. Guy meets girl, they fall in love, dance a bit while changing their outfits a few times. The thing is, I thought it was actually pretty interesting how far Indian cinema has come. It was like watching any other action movie. The graphics were awesome and I didn’t see any blemishes and its easy to see those things when your watching a big widescreen at the theater. Read more
I Am Proud To Be A Trinidadian
July 20, 2008
Trinidad and Tobago is one of the most prosperous, diversified and industrialized countries in the Caribbean and has earned an excellent investment site for international businesses. There are proven substantial reserves of petroleum, natural gas and heavy industries such as iron, steel, methanol, nitrogen, and fertilizers. Read more
The Woman I am
July 19, 2008
hello dear friend….dear fellow…
I am boldly being heard today. i don’t know how to take it. i promised to not delete. but then again deleting makes thing better. i don’t have the courage to do it right the first time around… maybe because secretly, I know that i can… and that scares me more than failing. weird. Read more
Happy Birthday Nelson Mandela.
July 18, 2008
Noble Peace Prize Winner and International Symbol of Freedom: Nelson Mandela celebrates his 90th birthday today. Mr. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born in Transskei, South Africa on July 18th, 1918. All across the world today people are celebrating in his honor; they are dancing, flying flags, singing praises and looking back on his remarkable life. Despite being jailed for 27 years for his part in the A.N.C Campaign against the white minority rule Nelson Mandela was freed in 1990 and during 1994 he was elected as South Africa’s First Black President and the Highest Profile Ambassador campaigning in the drive for Peace and against HIV/Aids. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was a born leader with grace and courage of a true aristocrat. His legacy will live on!!!
The grimy truth on West Indian clubs (in the NYC area)
July 16, 2008
Follow me, through my eyes. You’re young, vibrant and full of spunk. You figure you work hard so you’re entitled to party harder on your spare time. You figure hey why not party with people of similar cultural backgrounds, who like music and styles of dancing you do. You get all ready in your best shiniest outfit; you know the one that makes every part of your body feel good in every sly move you make. Your friends decide “hey lets go to -INSERT CRAPPY CLUB NAME HERE-”. You hop in an awesome new car, blasting music to set your adrenaline levels higher while checking your reflection in the rear view mirror. You pull up next to the club with its giant tacky yellow and green palm trees and line up to go in, pay the bouncer and walk into a giant swirling abyss of immense unknown to what will happen the next second. It can go really well or it can entirely ruin your entire thoughts on your West Indian club community. Read more
WHY CARIB ID?
July 15, 2008
While there are several different ways an individual could self identify themselves on the Census form, including, for example Samoan those of us who identify ourselves proudly as West Indian or Caribbean cannot. Read more
i want freshwater
July 15, 2008
dear aiden,
so i am unhappy today. i am mad at you for not doing as i say, when i say it. i don’t want to be the one who jumps at every beckon and call…. cuz i’m not all about being there for u. i wanted to hug u… and u didnt wanna cuddle. fine…. when i’m long gone…. you won’t have to worry. i wanted to stay close…. and i ended up in pain. why does it work out that way? compromise goes both ways?
i dunno. cuz all my compromises were one way streets…. compromising way tooo much or not at all. i want you to compromise also. i want this to work. i know about the two way fountain….. water in- water out… keeping water fresh… i know about the two way street… that enables both directions. i want that. compromise in it’s proper form. how can i get that? Read more