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Mash Day ain’t what it used to be
Kaieteur News- Once upon a time, people would pitch tent from Thursday fuh see float on Monday. Yuh auntie would guard she spot like she guarding state secret. Yuh cousin would sleep pon cardboard like is Olympic sport. All fuh watch four truck, two dancing group, one confused horse and a brass band that cyah find the key.
Now? Man and woman ain’t camping out fuh nutten.
Mash Day start fuh look like long weekend clearance sale. Soon as people see holiday fall close to weekend, dem boys seh suitcase start to pack. Some heading up river. Some heading down river. Some heading somewhere where phone ain’t ringing and boss cyan call. Easter style relaxation done migrate to Mash.
The adventurous ones piling into car and boat heading fuh interior — creek, trail, resort, anywhere that ain’t Vlissengen Road. Dem seh if dem gon stand up whole day, it gon be in waterfall, not in sun watching one float crawl by like it got traffic ticket.
And the wealthier ones? Dem boys seh dem ain’t even smelling cook-up rice. Dem jetting off to Caribbean island fuh “quick recharge.” By the time parade reach halfway, dem posting beach selfie with caption: “Happy Mash from abroad.” Republic spirit gone regional.
Truth is, people tired standing up five hour fuh see fifteen minute of action. Yuh reach early fuh get good spot. Vendor reach earlier. By time yuh blink, yuh watching parade through a forest of cooler, umbrella, barbecue grill and one man selling socks. Since when socks is a Mashramani essential?
Dem boys seh half the spectators is vendors and half the vendors is spectators. Everybody selling something. Snow cone. Fry fish. Flag. Whistle. Portable fan. One man nearly sell breeze in bottle.
And leh we talk about space. The route small like is alleyway competition. Whole Georgetown trying fuh squeeze into one narrow strip. One tall fella stand up in front of yuh and is over. By the end of the day, road looking like Mash Day had Mash Night and Mash Morning too. Cup, box, plate, spoon — if archaeologist dig up Georgetown 200 years from now, dem gon believe we worship Styrofoam.
Dem boys seh if Mash gon survive, it need makeover. Bigger route. Better spacing. Real viewing zones. Less vendor invasion and more organization. Otherwise next year parade gon have more police than people. Mash is celebration. But if people celebrating in Barbados and St. Lucia instead of GT, somebody got to ask question.
Is either we fix Mash — or Mash go watch we.
Talk half. Leff half.
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