| By Leonard GildarieFrom ever since a little boy recalling anything of significance, there are a couple things that stood out like a sore thumb. I remembered Enmore, an East Coast Demerara village which back in the early ‘80s was truly a sugar estate, with the siren announcing the start of the work shifts and the Friday market a permanent fixture.Life was predictable. The fisherman passed at 11:00 hrs. The beggars came on a particular day, at a particular time. Everybody knew each other by name and knew who was related to whom.At five in the morning, though your body screamed for more sleep, the predictable banging of your neighbours’ doors and incessant talking would be a sure awakener.But perhaps the best time I could recall was Christmas.My grandfather was Chinese, God bless his soul. He was a strict man, despite his diminutive stature. Like clockwork, for as long as I can recall, all my uncles and aunts and cousins would converge on that Enmore home for the holidays. Yes, it was literally, home for holidays.Preparing for the holidays was fun but it did include some pains in the joints for a little boy.My grandmother, a jolly hardworking woman, was relentless in getting you to work. I looked forward to the Friday canecutters’ market but dreaded having to fetch the bags of greens and groceries. My little arms ached.We would shop for ginger, eggs, and all the other things that would come along for the season. Garlic pork, pepperpot, ginger beer, and the fruit cakes laced with rum that would make a little boy giddy from a mouthful, were the constants.Cleaning up was another pain. Weeks before, all the curtains were taken down, and because paint could not immediately be afforded, we had to wash the house inside and out.From the outside toilet to the dwelling area,Cheap Jerseys From China, the area was prepared for the big days ahead.I could never figure out why it became tradition to fix the Christmas tree, prepare the pepperpot, and bake the cake on Christmas Eve. Back in those days, there were no electrical cake mixers.So, it was under the caustic eye of my grandmother that we attempted to help stir the eggs.I loved that part, dipping fingers in the cake mix and savouring the taste in a sly little way.Upstairs, my grandfather would have on his Jim Reeves’ Christmas songs. I still swear that Jim Reeves is probably the only singer to put me in that Christmas mood.But perhaps the highlight for me was fixing the Christmas tree. My grandparents,China NFL Jerseys, whom I spent a number of years with in Enmore going to school, had that small Christmas tree that was in the family for years. Although old, it was stored in a special grip (suitcase) and taken out for the holidays.We had the lights for it too,China Jerseys Cheap, though they must have been decades old. It was a challenge to get them working every year.But it was the Christmas cards that perhaps I can recall for giving us that Christmas feeling.The postman would come days before and to be sure,NFL Cheap Jerseys, there were 10 or more cards for the family.It was laid out in a ring around the foot of the tree. We never threw away old Christmas cards. They were hung on a line next to the tree. Back in those days, it was not unusual to give the postman a little something.Back to the present, the recent years have been ones filled with regrets that those days are gone. In all likelihood, we will be heading there for New Year’s Day.This year,NFL Jerseys Cheap, I have not seen any Christmas cards yet at my new home in La Parfaite Harmonie. I have received tons of Christmas greetings from friends and family, though it is still early.The Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC) is reporting that there has been a steady decline in the quantity of mail over the years. I don’t even know what my postman or postgirl looks like.With the advent of emails, Blackberry chat and other online messenger services, more people have been resorting to these to keep in instant contact. It is what I used to send messages to relatives and others.I have not brought Christmas cards this year to send to anyone. I have no reason to give, except that I can use my phone or email access to get hold of them. And I would have a reply from those relatives and friends within a day or two.With the blossoming of internet cafes and call centres around the country, it is now far cheaper to get hold of relatives. Some 25-30 years back,Jerseys Wholesale, one would have had to book calls with the telephone company or a good neighbour who has the one landline in the street or village.For $15-$20 per minute, one can call the US or Canada now.So yes, I do miss those good old days of the cleaning, the bustle, my grandparents and relatives, Enmore and those Christmas cards. |
