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Earthquake, Hurricane and other things we like to brag about
Dem Boys Seh…
(Kaieteur News) – One thing about Guyanese, we like to boast about things that ain’t necessarily true. Ask some people what special about Guyana and one of de first things dem gan tell yuh is, “We don’t get hurricane and we don’t get earthquake.”
Now dem boys ain’t sure if people does believe that because dem hear it from dem grandparents or because somebody tell dem so in school. But de truth is that Guyana does get earthquakes. Is just that we don’t normally get de big, destructive ones that does make international headlines.
Every now and then, a hurricane passing through de Caribbean does brush we with strong winds and heavy rain. Sometimes people wake up and find zinc in one village and de roof in another village. But because de storm centre usually far away, we escape de worst.
Same thing with earthquakes. Guyana sits on a relatively stable part of de continent, but tremors does happen from time to time. Plenty people remember feeling de bed shake or seeing de cupboard rattle and wondering whether dem drink one extra cup of coffee before bedtime.
So when people say Guyana does not get earthquakes, dem boys seh that is like saying Guyana does not get rain because we never see a monsoon. We get them. Just not on de same scale as some other countries.
And that brings dem boys to a more serious point today.
Across de border in Venezuela, families are mourning after a powerful earthquake caused destruction and loss of life. Homes have been damaged, and many people left frightened and grieving.
Today is not a day for jokes about whose country safer than whose. Today is a reminder that nature does not care about borders, politics or nationality. In one moment, lives can change forever.
Dem boys seh that while Guyana may be fortunate to avoid de worst of these disasters most of de time, we should never take that good fortune for granted. And we should spare a thought and a prayer for de people of Venezuela who are now facing hardship and heartbreak because of a tragedy beyond their control.
Talk half. Leff half.
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