No traffic cops, no plantain fries, no country

Dec 29, 2018 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

Whenever prominent citizens are witnesses to my descriptions of unbelievable occurrences in Guyana, the integrity of my journalism is protected. I will name the other witness in the uncivilized descent in Le Repentir Cemetery on December 19.
I indicated to AFC Parliamentarian, Michael Carrington, my reluctance to journey into the heart of the city days before Christmas, because Guyana is Chato’s Land, where nothing is guaranteed. I know my country. I am not a diaspora boy. I am a Guyanese citizen who lived all his years in Chato’s Land. I know traffic shapes would be insane. I had to deliver my wife’s Christmas cakes for his grandchildren and Thursday afternoon (Dec. 20) was the best day for me.
I kept insisting to Carrington that he had to meet me somewhere else where traffic flow would be more civilized. Carrington suggested I drive into Parliament’s compound. I did that. When we were driving out, we saw six (please note, 6) traffic cops dressed out in “Macron’s nemesis.” If you don’t know what “Macron’s nemesis” is, it is the yellow fluorescent jackets that the protestors are wearing in their demonstrations to try and topple French President, Emmanuel Macron.
I didn’t know if I would see Carrington again before Christmas, so I invited him to snack with me at Arapaima; the Banks DIH outlet at the corner of Main and Quamina Streets. It was 5 p.m. This was rush hour. This was what I was afraid of. I turned east into Brickdam from the parliamentary compound then north into Avenue of the Republic. What I saw at the junction of Avenue of the Republic and Croal Street could never (I don’t care to be more careful with words, I say, “never”) happen in a civilized country.
The lights were not working. There were no traffic cops. There are no words to describe that steel jungle we were in the middle of. We were not going to move for a long time. In this insane situation were two container trucks that could not move. Obviously, you ask yourself which country can be so stupid to have these large monstrosities right in the heart of the city during the Christmas traffic hours.
But there was a more pressing question – where were those six policemen in “Macron’s nemesis?” This was a disaster right in front of your eyes and there was no policeman to even attempt to regularize the situation. You had to be in that ocean of metal sharks to see what Guyana has become. This is a really pathetic country. But wait for my column on what happened in Le Repentir Cemetery.
We would never get to Arapaima, and my mind was obsessed with the thoughts of the large cakes in my car for those lovely little children turning into MacArthur’s Park. Remember in the song with that name, the cake melted and all the icing flowed down. Arapaima was impossible to get to.
We decided to make a left turn into the famous DEMICO area and come back to Brickdam and get back into the parliamentary compound, and wait until civilization came back to Guyana. We did that after an irascible wait in the traffic. We crossed over Brickdam to eat at DEMICO Roof Garden, which directly faces Parliament.
Carrington ordered chicken and fries. I opted for fish and fries. I know my country. I know how illogical my county is. Something told me to inquire if the sticks would be plantain. The attendant, with the most pleasant smile you can see on a person’s visage, politically said to me, “we do not serve plantain fries here, only potato.”
Can you imagine, one of Guyana’s largest food chains does not sell our own products? This country is simply unchanging. Rewind the tape exactly one year ago to my column of Wednesday, December 13, 2017 captioned, “Sorry, Mr. Kissoon, we don’t sell plantain fries!” That year it was with David Hinds, and the place was Royal Castle on Sheriff Street. This year, it was with Michael Carrington, and the restaurant was DEMICO Roof Garden.
Can anyone explain this rejection of plantain chips by these two eating houses? I don’t accept the explanation that because Royal Castle is a foreign franchise, it is prevented from serving plantains. Have these two restaurants done a survey to find out if customers would frown on plantain sticks? By the way, the bread that is used for the sandwiches at Royal Castle and DEMICO, is it baked in Guyana?
Malcolm Harripaul, when he was a customs officer, told me that a prominent local, Portuguese business family imported their own bread and water. Do they still?

Latest News

No traffic cops, no plantain fries, no country

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | January, 27th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

GSL 2025 to take place in July

Ken Harvey dominates GBA’s Pepsi/Michael...

Goal is Money survive scare on Opening Night of...

GFF President congratulates Junior Lady Jags

Former Windies captains remember...

Olympic Kremlin crowned Horse-of-the-Year at One...

Features/Columnists

The PPP/C’s greatest liability

OAS Secretary General Election and renewed OAS Consensus

Guyana: violence increasingly seen as solution

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

No traffic cops, no plantain fries, no country

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | January, 27th, 2025

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 […]