Life in Trinidad: Fragments Of The Week

It has been a busy week, but there are some fragments that I wanted to write about that just wouldn't make a full post. So here they are.

Not-Me-Itis

On Monday, I visited the A.A. Laquis Store in Gulf City, I noticed that there were handwritten stickers on the door leading into the store. On the outside, the sticker reads 'PUSH'. On the inside, the sticker reads 'PUSH'. I joked about this on Monday with the people in the store - that it would become very confusing if people were trying to get in and out at the same time.

The lovely ladies there laughed with me and told me that the last set of employees put them there. I said, "That's probably why they aren't here anymore." Laughter.

The stickers were still there on Thursday.


Fear Culture



On Thursday, I went to the $10 store in Gulf City to pick up any hand soap for an aunt. While looking at the selection, a mother walked in with her son and daughter. The daughter was wearing a surgical mask.

A woman who worked at the store asked the mother why her daughter was wearing the mask. The mother said that her daughter had a cold. I rolled my eyes and bit my tongue.

The woman then asked if the girl could leave the store. I unrolled my eyes and unbit my tongue. "The surgical mask doesn't do anything", was my first sentence.

This was met with vigorous assent from the clerk, the nun nearby (!) and the cashier. I went on. "Dengue, the cold, the seasonal flu and H1N1 all have the same symptoms. What's wrong with you people, scaring the poor child? Sending her out of the store?"

The store clerk responded passionately, but there were no facts in her passion. Just fear.

I'd hate to see her find out that Hepatitis B carriers can be asymptomatic... and they don't wear masks.

Not Double Duty

More than one person this week has told me that customs, as stalled as it has been recently, has started ordering things be re-evaluated. On the surface, this is really not as much of an issue because it could be that they want accuracy. The problem is that the local businesses with goods in customs also pay rent per day - and the re-evaluation translates to higher prices for customers.

Meanwhile, the government makes money off of inefficiency once more. Probably to get another flag...