Greetings from the beautiful Trinidad and Tobago !
This time last night I was stressing over my trip here. First it was whether or not I had everything I needed clothes, shoes that kinda thing. Next it was checking off the requests of everyone who knew I was coming.
“Bring meh dis nah?” or I know yuh rushing to leave but when yuh comin bring some ______ nah?” To top it all off, I had slept a mere two (yes I said TWO) hours. There was a period of about two hours where I SERIOUSLY was considering NOT coming. But then as if out of the V-8 commercial someone appeared and clunked my forehead as if to say, “Yuh mad or what? Is Trinidad yuh going!”
I began to suck up all the worries and continued with the errands I had planned for the night. Fast forward a little and well let’s just say all that is water under the bridge now cuz guess what?????? I am here!!!! I was so excited on the flight because it was then it begin to sink it. Actually the closer I got the better I felt. When the pilot released the landing gear, I felt a little flutter in my heart. It was kind of funny actually because for some reason I began to think of all the times I had been to Trinidad and a little ritual I had always been privy to.
To be honest, I am not sure when this ‘tradition’ began or if you can call it a tradition per se but IT happens EVERYTIME a plane lands in T&T. It goes like this …. when the plane actually lands, passengers (usually locals, foreign-born children of locals like me and those who have been to the island long enough to know the ritualistic behavior of Trinidadians) clap and start tuh cheer. It is almost like saying, “Thank you God for getting us here safe!” I know for a fact this is an island thing because I have traveled internationally to other places and have never experienced this. Anyway back to the story….There was a bit of a delay in the clapping and cheering and I thought, “Ok. Maybe people don’t do this type of thing anymore.” Well, either they were reading my mind or they were just being a LITTLE slow because as soon as the thought left my mind, guess what???? they DID IT! Don’t ask me why but it felt good. I had to bus a lil smile. Fast forward again and I am now at my Dad’s and just had a little dinner. I am sitting here trying to digest all of the things he has said to me about what I am going to be doing over the next couple days. Truthfully, all I REALLY heard was the fact, in between him giving me orders, is that they DON’T have Internet at the house. So that being said I can only post when I get to an Internet Café. I cant wait! That’s all for now
