Guyanese Online
– By Geoff Burrowes
In today’s world he would probably be called an imperialist and an agent and a defendant of imperialism. He was, in fact a soldier who was an original thinker, one prepared to adopt his enemy’s strategies and the lessons of the people indigenous to the region.
His name was Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the Boy Scout Movement.
He was born in 1857. He joined the British Army after school and fought in India and Africa. Continue reading
Musings on being indolent during the pandemic – By Geoff Burrowes
The talking heads on TV are frequently saying that enforced idleness during the pandemic is resulting in mental problems. (See after many years in Canada I can talk like a real Canadian, eh?) People are going nuts not being able to socialise normally and with the threat of a killing disease.
“Dat ehn’ me!” I have developed in my later years a hammock mentality. I could spend hours at a time in a hammock with a good book! Continue reading
FOB (Continued from ‘Ya tink it easy’)
By Geoff Burrowes
When I left school my first job was at B.G. Insurance Agencies. My boss was a friend of my dad’s, a big strapping man called Clarence Hill and my manager was Ayube Khan a kind, gentle young man (we were all young then) who taught me the job. We were an Insurance agency representing, among others, Lloyds of London. We insured shipped cargos and when clients requested insurance we has to calculate the premiums. One of the categories was F.O.B. which meant “Freight On Board”! The FOB I’m telling you about was not that!
It meant Fresh Off the Boat! All immigrants experience this regardless of how they got here! In a new country the food is different, customs are different, the patterns of speech are different and we had to know that yachtins are referred to as sneakers and singlets were wife-beaters or tshirts! Continue reading
Guyana’s Rupununi: Which of us hasn’t wanted to be a cowboy? – By Geoff Burrowes
Ole time ‘tory or livin’ the dream …Which of us hasn’t wanted to be a cowboy or fireman?
All the facts in this yarn are true apart from the ones that have been stretched to make it a better tale!
The beach house perched on tall stilts on the Buxton foreshore. The party was hot and heavy. The rum was rich and dark. Old timers will remember it fondly – it wasn’t from Bookers or Sandbach Parker but was distilled in Robb St by a maverick, Tommy Houston. It caused a warm glow when it hit the stomach and conversation flowed freely.
‘You don’t have to go all the way to Australia. Rupununi Development are looking for staff!’ Clive Bettencourt’s dad was Chairman of Rupununi Development and Monday morning I went to see him. He knew my Dad and I left his office with a job offer. That was how business was done in those days. Continue reading →
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