When, boy when?

Feb 27, 2010 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

Guyana had elevators in the seventies. But not many people got to ride on these because they were not located in places in which large numbers of citizens frequented.
Burnham’s blackouts soon decommissioned most of them. It was a huge risk riding in an elevator in the late seventies and early eighties. Should a power failure hit while you were in one, you would have quite an experience.
Elevators have now come back to Guyana and have been a hit in many high rise commercial buildings. Gafoor’s Mall has one and so too does Buddy’s Pool Hall. But the reintroduction of elevators could not compare to the reaction of the escalators when these were introduced at the City Mall a few years ago.
Escalators which have been in existence since just after the Second World War only arrived in Guyana a few years ago and the impact on the Guyanese people was truly astonishing. People trekked by bus, by car and by whatever means necessary to see what they looked like. And this, mind you, was the in 21st century.
The escalators were quite a hit. Hundreds of Guyanese would each day stand in the foyer of the City Mall and watch in amazement at the escalators. Some would even enjoy the thrill of both riding on them, as well as watching others ride.
News of how these escalators took Guyana by storm soon reached the Guyanese community in North America and evoked smiles of embarrassment since the people of North America have for decades now taken these things for granted. Some persons even found amusing all the fuss about these escalators. But the fact remained that escalators were a belated development in Guyana, just as so many other things.
The Princess Hotel has opened a casino and the only reason why that location has not been overrun by curious Guyanese is because they know that they will be turned back since only guests of the hotel and foreigners are allowed in the casino.
This is not, however, going to stop some “fast” Guyanese from trying to get a peek at what a casino looks like. Some of them may have already made their way down to the hotel, hoping to get a glimpse of what the inside of these look like. In the 21st century, the vast majority of Guyanese have never seen what a casino looks like.
Most of Guyana had never also seen a military air show. This however was facilitated a few years ago by the Brazilian military in a display that was quite fantastic. If Guyanese had to wait on their military to put on one such display, they would have to wait a lifetime. The best they can hope for is to see some local troops parachuting down to ground. But an air show by the local air corps? Never in my or your lifetime!
The movie Avatar is now available in Guyana. But definitely there is no 3D cinema in Guyana and thus many of the effects of the 3D features will be lost to local movie watchers. The vast majority of Guyana would have so far seen a pirated version without the use of 3D lens and even when the movie is placed in DVD format, most Guyanese will never be able to see it in 3d format. Or will they?
One day the cinema will return to Guyana. Of that you can be assured. The same phase that Guyana is now passing through, other countries have done the same when it comes to the cinema, and in those countries, the cinema has rebounded and is now once again regaining popularity.
Even with the new cable that is being brought in by the government which should drive the price of bandwidth down and facilitate a whole range of entertainment products; even with the advent of cable TV in Guyana, it is still expected that one day the cinema industry will again rise from the rubble. But will the present generation of Guyanese ever see a 3 D movie.
We cannot be sure and it shows how when you get left behind in the world how hard it is to stay afoot with developments.
Right now the average Guyanese has a greater need not for elevators and escalators and 3D movies, but rather for high water pressure through the taps 24 hours a day, uninterrupted electricity supply and an end to the annoying mosquitoes that invade at nights.
If the government can within the next year, assure Guyanese that it can achieve these basic necessities, then perhaps it may be worth the while doing without 3D movie houses for the rest of our existence.

Latest News

When, boy when?

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | November, 6th, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

$1.5M up for grabs at K&S National Futsal Championship

Big Names Ready for Group 4 Showdown at ENET...

West Indies hammer England in series decider

Guyana Amazon Warriors confirm squad for 2024...

Excitement brews ahead of Hamilton Green’s KO...

SAMUEL FOO wins SEN School’s Chess Competition

Features/Columnists

A broad-based movement for the people’s voice on oil

Rising Gun Crimes in the Caribbean: Urgent Action required by all

That ever-present ‘they’

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

When, boy when?

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | November, 6th, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]