best:
your eyes like midnight fireflies
Light up the trenches where my heart lies

worst:
Love has made me a fool
It set me on fire and watched as I floundered

The Picture from Gaza may Allah help our brothers on the unjust people

Celebrating our people.
The Iron Lady, Phooljarria Ramnarain

Phooljarria Ramnarain was born in 1854 Basti Faizerbad and arrived in Suriname when she was 28 years old with her son Hurdutt Sital Persaud in 1882. She was placed on the Jaglust plantation. She worked there for 7 years. She then left the plantation and became the first Hindustani woman to own her own rice plantation. She adopted 32 orphans from different ethnic groups and relics. This photo was made in 1905 in Paramaribo.

Did you know that there were people of Chinese descent who played a critical role in the development of the local oil industry? In this article Angelo Bissessarsingh tells of the contribution of John Lee Lum to the development of the Local Oil Industry .

JOHN LEE LUM – OIL PIONEER

Author and Researcher : Angelo Bissessarsingh

John Lee Lum was one of the few Chinese in Trinidad who did not come here directly. Born in Guangdong , China in 1847, he went to California , USA where he worked with thousands of other Chinese coolies to lay the track for the Trans Pacific Railroad which connected the East and West Coasts. In 1885, he came to Trinidad and set up a provision shop on Charlotte St. It prospered since there was a boom in the price of cocoa which meant that he traded provisions for dried cocoa beans which were then exported. Ever the shrewd businessman, he recognized instantly the value of having agencies in the outlying areas of the island and by 1900, owned 60 shops in villages throughout Trinidad, including La Brea, Mayaro, Siparia, Toco, Tunapuna, Sangre Grande, Chaguanas, Pointe-a-Pierre, Moruga, Princes Town and Tabaquite. Lee Lum gave credit and so was able to foreclose on many peasant-owned smallholdings. This is how he was able to acquire vast cocoa estates on the south coast and in the Montserrat Hills near Gran Couva .
Lee Lum was supposed to have been the originator of a catchphrase “Chinee for Chinee” which meant that he sent back to China for labour to staff his shops. At the time (1890s) there was a shortage of coins in the island. At his La Brea shop in particular, Lee Lum issued stamped metal tokens which were square and bore his name as well as the word ‘La Brea’. Perhaps remembering the copper ‘cash’ of his homeland, the tokens had a hole in the middle which meant that they could be strung together. Estates such as those owned by Lee Lum, paid their workers with IOU slips called ‘chits’ which would be taken to the shop to be exchanged for goods. Perhaps John Lee Lum is best remembered for the role he played in the development of the local oil industry.
In the 1880s, a surveyor mapping the southeastern coast noticed seepages of oil in the Guayaguyare forest. By 1893, Major Randolph Rust, a POS merchant who had been bitten by the oil bug, was in the same forest looking at the seepages. The land was owned by Lee Lum. Rust was sufficiently convinced of the commercial possibilities of oil, and undertook to provide financing for his enterprise BEFORE drilling. Backed by Lee Lum, Rust entered into a partnership with the Walkerville Whisky Company of Canada to form the “Canadian Oil Exploration Syndicate in 1901.Erecting a rickety wooden drilling rig, powered by a steam engine Rust and his men struck a rich oilsand at just 2000 feet. The recovery process was even cruder than the drilling apparatus. A large well was dug and a pulley system installed on which drill pipe dippers were dipped in the pooling oil and then dumped into wooden barrels which were then loaded on canoes and taken to the mouth of the river. Although the production of oil had begun in earnest the costs associated with the remote location were huge. Moreover, refining the oil was a problem since it had to be sent to La Brea to be distilled into fuel. In 1913, Trinidad Leaseholds Ltd who had commenced operations at Fyzabad and had opened a refinery at Pointe-a-Pierre took over the Guayaguayare wells of Rust and Lee Lum.
John Lee Lum married and had three sons; Aldrich, Edwin and Oliver who were educated in the USA and England and returned to Trinidad to take over the family business which by the 1920s was one of the largest family-owned firms in Trinidad and diversifying into the importation of Chinese goods and wares. In 1914 he purchased a quantity of land at Pointe Gourde in Chaguaramas where the subsoil was suitable for road metal. A thriving quarry was operated here well into the 1930s before the coming of the Americans in WWII when the entire peninsula was ceded to them under the Bases Agreement. Lee Lum was always a supporter of the local Chinese community and in 1925 established a cooperative business for them called the Canton Trading Company which imported dry goods from China and became one of the best known retailers of Charlotte St. The first Managing Director of the Canton Trading Company was John T. Allum, a local Chinese who later branched off to form the well-known Allum’s supermarket chain which survives today as JTA Supermarkets. Lee Lum retired to Hong Kong to enjoy his wealth and died there in the 1930s.
Copy of photo of John Lee Lum

Mt. St. Benedict 1941.

HOW DID FREDERICK STREET GET ITS NAME?

Credit to Researcher: Angelo Bissessarsingh

In the year 1796, while Trinidad was still under Spanish rule, a group of English sailors on shore leave in Port-of-Spain became involved in a tavern brawl with some French Republicans. The fight turned serious and spread into the street (Calle San Carlos or St. Charles St.) and almost overwhelmed the meager Spanish soldiery housed at Fort San Andres. Thereafter, the street where this infamous encounter occurred became known to the French populace of Trinidad as Rue De Anglais (Street of the English).

However, when the island fell into English hands in 1797, the street was named Fredrick St. in honour of Frederick of Prussia, father of King George III. Frederick St. remained a major thoroughfare in the town and was connected to Clarence St. which ran from the Queen’s Park Savannah. Thus, Frederick St. as we know it was created.

This photo from 1925 shows the electric tram which ran throughout Port-of-Spain from 1895-1950.

Did You Know - The Water Riots in Trinidad

"A characteristic of Trinidad life in the late 19th century was an enormous waste of water. In 1874 with a population of 25,000 people, the delivery of water in Port-of-Spain was 1 ¾ million gallons – averaging 65 to 71 gallons per head, more than twice the allowance of London. It was recommended that meters should be used to prevent waste but this was ignored.

Much of the waste was caused by the well-to-do section of the Port-of-Spain population, mainly the large houses around the Queen’s Park Savannah. One example cited in a report of 1893 was a house where 8,000 gallons were consumed daily. Every well-to-do person constructed not an ordinary Roman bath, but large plunge baths containing as much as 1,000 or 2,000 gallons each – which were filled every day by letting the tap run all night. By the turn of the century there were 1,380 baths in Port-of-Spain exceeding 100 gallons in capacity. The 8,000 people who used them were estimated to consume no less than 1 ½ million gallons daily, an average of 187 gallons per head.

An engineer was called upon to reform the system in the 1890s and recommended the development of more sources of water supply by building reservoirs and introducing water meters. In 1896, all of Port-of-Spain was up in arms at the ordinance authorising meters to be put upon large plunge baths and providing for increased rates. The Port-of-Spain municipality took the lead in this agitation and the Crown Colony Government (controlled by Britain) backed down.

In 1899 the Governor, Sir Hubert Jerningham, didn’t help matters by abolishing the Borough of Port-of-Spain and its council, deemed to be petty and inefficient in the management of its affairs. Henceforth, the affairs of the burgesses were to be managed by central government. In 1902, an ordinance was introduced again – and again public meetings were held against the government and the meter system. The bill was withdrawn but this time people were prosecuted for wasting water. 3

On 5 March 1903, yet another water ordinance was published. The second reading was scheduled for 16 March but because of disorderly behaviour of spectators in the council chamber on that day, the Executive Council was adjourned to 23 March. As soon as the bill appeared on 5 March, violent articles were written against it. This led to aggressive speeches being made by members of a Ratepayers Association at a public meeting at the Racestand on the Savannah (or Public Park), on 14 March. The Ratepayers Association was led by the disenfranchised Mayor of Port-of-Spain, John Cox Newbold, who led ratepayers in the belief that water was a right of existence and not a scarce commodity to be bought and sold.

On 23 March, the Governor, Sir Cornelius Alfred Moloney, added more fuel to the flames by insisting on admission by ticket only into the council chamber at The Red House, the seat of colonial government, to hear the debate. It was this notice – that tickets would be required by the public for admission – that acted as a spark for the water riots.

What happened on 23 March?
The Red House was pelted with stones by a large crowd of people (or those members of the Ratepayers Association gathering in Brunswick Square) and eventually burnt to the ground. The police were called out, two Royal Navy ships, The Pallas and The Rocket landed troops, in addition to the 250 men of the Lancashire Fusiliers already deployed at barracks in Port-of-Spain. The ominous Riot Act was read to the crowd, and then the policemen were given the order to fire on the protestors. As Eric Williams wrote later, ‘It was war between bottles and stones on the one side and bullets on the other’.

The Commission of Enquiry formed after the riot detailed that 471 rounds of ammunition had been discharged. A total of 16 people were killed on the spot or died of their wounds through the use of ‘authorised firing’ and 43 others treated at hospital for injuries received.

The Red House was completely rebuilt by 1907, it’s most notable addition being the imposing rotunda or dome which is its most recognisable feature today. It was not until 1914 that the local council and municipal ordinance of Port-of-Spain were reinstated. But the Commission did recommend that water management affairs fall under the rule of local rather than central government – a victory for local democracy… eventually."

Rum Journal: In Trinidad and Tobago, the Art of the Rum Shop
Rum shops have offered a lot — a haven for the broken-hearted, a podium for aspiring leaders, and a round table for discussions on current affairs and bacchanals (i.e. gossip). They are the place to be re-energized and the place to simply “have a nice time”.
In Trinidad and Tobago, there are endless rum shops that can be found almost anywhere- by corners, beaches, main roads and back roads.
It is common to hear the terms “bar” and “rum shop” used simultaneously to refer to the same establishments, however, there are a few distinct differences between them.  To put it simply- rum shops are for the grass roots and down-to-earths, whilst bars are for the more, well, refined if you will.
Rum shops are embedded in Caribbean history and culture, first taking shape as English “tippling houses”. Unlike bars, they are characterized by selling alcohol by bottle, a nip/petit quart/PQ (half-pint), or a shot- all of which can be bought without any surprise service charges.
Ambiance and appearance are also distinct in rum shops when compared to bars. Traditional rum shops are simple structures with two or three doorways and often painted with the colours of a rum or beer sponsor brand. The walls are usually pasted with posters and scribbled notices. More than likely, you can also spot the sign “Any day, any time” somewhere, which basically translates to “I am my own boss”. Some shops are mellow places to just sit back, relax and sip. Others can be known for their pounding music, karaoke, All Fours competitions and Friday-night squabbles.
Customers, which mostly consist of men, tend to be from around the area and can easily spot a visitor as one who refers to the shop by its actual name rather than the owner’s nickname (Trinbagonians get creative with these.). This communal closeness can become a burden for an owner though, since many persons use it as license to demand credit. Then there are the other conspirators, called “moppers”, who have perfected the art of assimilating in groups to enjoy free drinks, then aptly disappearing when time for payment draws near.
Like any business place, items on sale vary according to customers’ preferences. While Tequila can be a big seller in one place, in another shop it can be non-existent as the patrons may favour local rums such as the legendary and somewhat infamous “firewater” that is Forres Park Puncheon Rum. Yes, the label “firewater” says it all.  In terms of foodstuff, nuts and fried channa are standard snacks, but many rum shops offer sustenance in the forms of geera or fried chicken, sandwiches, pies, barbecue and souse (pickled meat).
While cruising through Trinidad and Tobago, it would be extremely difficult to not see at least one shop with patrons casually “liming” (hanging out) outside. If you do decide to check one out, here are some common terms you may want to be familiar with to carry on, or even understand, a conversation:
Babash–      Extremely strong home-made rum that is illegal in Trinidad and Tobago;      also known as bush rum, mountain dew, twist or daru
Brian Lara — Fernandes      Black Label Rum (named after the world-renown Trinidadian cricketer)
Carmen Jones — another      name for Fernandes Black Label Rum (based on the movie, Carmen Jones)
Cutters — appetizers      taken while drinking that are preferably salty and spicy; popular choices      include geera pork or chicken, souse (pickled meat with pepper, lime,      onion and cucumber), fried chicken wings and spicy, curried channa
• Double dog/Two dogs– Black and White Scotch      Whiskey
• Fire (v.) — To have a drink of rum e.g. “You      firing one, man?”
• Firewater — A potent, alcoholic drink;      Forres Park Puncheon Rum
• Mopper (v. mop) — someone      whose sole purpose is to get free drinks at a rum shop
• Rum-cork — an alcoholic; someone who drinks      heavily; also called rum jumbie, rum mouth or rum sucker
• Rum talk — saying things when high or      drunk that you wouldn’t usually say when sober
• Steel and Brass — a mixture of Forres      Park Puncheon Rum and Carib beer
P.S. Before drinking from a new bottle, don’t forget to pour a libation of rum on the ground for the ancestors. Have fun, beware the moppers and drink responsibly!

May 9, 1980. Chilly, foggy morning in Tampa Bay area. I was having morning coffee when an urgent news broadcast came on TV. A 600 ft long freighter, Summit Venture had struck the South bound Skyway Bridge knocking down 2 spans. A bus and several cars had plunged into the bay; undetermined number killed. Later, it was announced that 35 had died.