Although the administration of local cricket is in good hands, every effort will be made in the New Year to increase the human resources and manpower into making the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (T&TCB) a more efficient unit. This was revealed by chief executive officer of the T&TCB, Suruj Ragoonath at an intimate luncheon hosted for employees of the national cricket organisation at their headquarters at Balmain in Couva on Christmas Eve. Ragoonath, who opened the batting for the West Indies and T&T said that currently there are 21 staff at the NCC but that by February next, this number was expected to increase by at least ten persons in other areas of the board’s operations.

Ragoonath said that the T&TCB was moving in a positive direction and despite operating at a smaller loss than in previous years, it was an organisation in transition and its employees must be prepared to embrace and adapt to change. “It is a change from a purely voluntary national association to one that is professional in outlook and execution. We have to expect growing pains that comes with making the cricket board the best run national sports organisation in the country,” said Ragoonath. He said that everyone in the T&TCB’s employ must be ready to put their shoulders to the wheel and work together as a team in the new year to raise the bar and establish new standards which can redound to the benefit of local and regional cricket.

Ragoonath also told the staff and invited guests that over the year, the T&TCB had to say goodbye to senior administrative assistant Allyson Ali; manager of the North Zone office Ronald Cape; and NCC security officer Vivian Calliste whom he all praised for their long and dedicated service to cricket. The board CEO said he was confident that the T&TCB will continue to make great strides into the New Year as he appealed to all to maintain their commitment to the service and openness that has been the hallmark of their operations over the years. Also making brief remarks was Dudnath Ramkessoon, cricket operations manager of the T&TCB, who said it was indeed a joy to work with the group of people which currently comprise the organisation’s staff.

Ramkessoon, a former West Indies Youth team and T&T captain and star batsman, said there must be no reason for major differences as they prepare for what will be one of their busiest years in local cricket. “We must have a unity of purpose as we prepare for 2015 when the National Cricket Centre will be transformed into a bee-hive of activity with the recent installation of floodlights. “We will have increased bookings for the venue and management of the facility will move into another gear with the West Indies Under-19 team having a live-in camp at the Sir Frank Worrell Development Centre in early January,” said Ramkessoon.

He said the pitches have been relayed at the NCC which will make for more competitive matches and that the hosts must be seen as accommodating the cricketers, patrons and guests using the facility.

The Baskaran Bassawh owned four-year-old colt Bigman In Town atoned for last year’s defeat in the Republic Bank Gold Cup, when he ran away with $300,000 first prize cheque by 6 1/4 lengths at Santa Rosa Park yesterday. Ridden with supreme confidence by Wilmer Galviz, the 1-5 favourite  showed that he was undoubtedly the best thoroughbred in training with a superb seven-length victory.

In front of a large holiday crowd Transpire led early from   Bigman In Town and Lang Amour with Buffalo Soldier close up. Going down the back-stretch Buffalo Soldier emerged with the lead with the David Ojar pair of Transpire and Lang Amour marking Bigman In town which was sandwiched between them. These were followed by Thisoneisforron, and Jouvert with Bergeron Rodeo following as Momentum was now closer last than first.

At the far turn Galviz allowed Bigman In Town to stride on but he was being challenged by a hard ridden Thisoneisforron  as Jouvert came under pressure as did Transpire. At the top of the straight Galviz gave Bigmman In Twon the office and he quickly settled the event by cruising some seven lengths ahead before being erased at the line. Thisoneisforron lugged in with 300 metres left to race and looked like he wanted to pull himself up giving Bergeron Rodeo the opportunity to stray on stoutly to take the second position.

Bigman In Town  galloped his field into submission and showed his supremacy in no mean way when he recorded the time of 2:05.2 for the trip. Owner Baskaran Bassawh was ecstatic as he stated , “This is a champion and he won like one. Galviz rode him well and the trainer prepared him superbly. I was never even worried about this event as I was certain that he was a far superior horse to them.”

A pumped up Bassawh said, “He will be back next year but the winner of the St James Stakes War Maker will be the “triple Crown ‘ champion of 2015. He is getting better and better and will seen to great effect when they go around two turns.” If anyone had any doubt as to the best juvenile in training, that doubt was erased in the Republic Mortgages St Ann’s Stakes for fillies over 1,350 metres on the main track. The Gary Subratie trained Jamaican bred filly was simply fantastic as she powered to a 12 1/2 length victory from the John O’Brien trained Serengiti with Star Sapphire also from the O’Brien barn back in third.

The Tasram Mahraj owned filly could not have been more impressive and never saw another rival. Dillon Khelawan asked her to run ‘a little’ once she straightened for home but Blue Tequilla had all her rivals drunk with her speed and made the good horse Serengeti look woefully pedestrian. The time recorded by by Blue Tequilla which was sent off as the 3-5 favourite was 1:22.00 which is a record for the race. She ran a full second faster than the winner of the St James Stakes War Maker.

In the St James Stakes over 1,350 metres War Maker had Criminal Intent as he swooped at the corner and ran out and impressive winner of the Grade One event. Nobel Abergo who roide the colt for the John O’Brien and Bassawh combination tracked the early pace set by Criminal Intent before pouncing at the corner to win  going away  by 4 1/4 lengths from Royal Pioneer and Charasmatic Groom in the ime of 1:23.00 flat.

Training honours were shared amongst O’Brien, Subratie and Persad who all saddled two winners. Riding honours for the day were also shared amongst champion Brian Boodramsing, apprentice Jovica Boodramsing and Dillon Khelawn. Racing continues on New Year day when the First Citizens Bank will sponsor the opening day of the 2015 racing season at Santa Rosa Park.

ARC DAY 45 RESULTS
R1: 10.30 AM - REPUBLIC TELEBANKER WI BRED 3 YO AND OVER MAIDENS (DIV I) - 1,100M (TURF) - $43,000
1    (1)    Time Tables    S Rodrigo    57    
2    (8)    The Cheerleader    R Ali    54    
3    (5)    Roxanne    P Badrie    53    
4    (6)    Pure Happiness    N Patrick    53.5    
5    (10)    Danceinthepark    R Angnoo    48    
TIME: 1:05.4 DISTANCES: 1 1/2, 1/2, 1 1/2, 2 1/4.
$1PARI: (1) $16.55; $2.45 (8) $1.50  (5) $2.15
$1EXACTA: $79.00 TRIFECTA: $812.20
SUPERFECTA: $2,639.10
WINNER: 4 y.o. B gelding – Adawar/Tribal On Time (Tribal Chieftain)
OWNER: Maniram Maharaj TRAINER: W Debysingh BREEDER: Maniram Maharaj & Ronald Maharaj
ALSO RAN: 6. Dig Deep J Reyes 50; 7. Sweet Shaka R Jadoo 55.5; 8. Natural C Malcolm 54; 9. Gold Is Class R Hasranah 53; 10. Speedile J Millien 56.
 
R2: 11.10 AM - REPUBLIC TELEBANKER WI BRED 3 YO AND OVER MAIDENS (DIV II)- 1,100M (TURF) - $43,000
1    (11)    Ice’D’Gold    K Khelawan    52.5    
2    (3)    Rio Grande    B Boodramsing    54    
3    (9)    Georgia’schoice    J Boodramsing    50    
4    (8)    Poppy Love    N Patrick    53.5    
TIME: 1:05.1 DISTANCES: 2 3/4, Head, 7 1/4, 1 3/4.
$1PARI: (11) $3.00; $1.05; (3)$1.10 (9) $1.35
$1EXACTA: $6.40 TRIFECTA: $23.40
SUPERFECTA: $192.30
WINNER: 3 y.o. B filly – Gold Market/Ice The Puck (Well Decorated)
OWNER: Shivam Maharaj TRAINER: H Gobin
BREEDER: Christopher Glasgow
ALSO RAN: 5. Macho Me D Butcher 53; 6. Living Proof N Flavenney 54.5; 7. Stormin E Ramsammy 55; 8. King Stand S Chadee Jnr 55.5; 9. Half Price D Gopie 55; 10. It Have No Grass L Keizer 54.5. NON-RUNNER: Champagne Affair.

R3: 11.50 AM - REPUBLIC VISA TRAVEL MONEY 2 YO AND OVER HORSES RATED 70-55 - 1,400M (TURF) - $40,000
1    (3)    The Tactician    B Boodramsing    55    
2    (4)    Against The Odds    D Gopie    53    
3    (15)    Seeker Of Truth    N Flavenney    55.5    
4    (2)    High Octane    K Khelawan    55    
5    (14)    Kodo    W Galviz    56    
TIME: 1:25.3 DISTANCES: 3/4, 3, Neck, Head.
$1PARI: (3) $3.95; $1.70 (4) $1.95 (15) $4.40
$1EXACTA: $20.90 TRIFECTA: $622.50
SUPERFECTA: $59,224.00
WINNER: 4 y.o. CH gelding – Traditional/Glittering Cat (Cat Thief)
OWNER: Stefan Narinesingh TRAINER: A Nunes BREEDER: H.A.M Stables Limited (Jamaica) ALSO RAN: 6. Caro’s Legacy J Stephen 56.5; 7. Potiphar’s Wife P Badrie 56; 8. Painted Buddha N Patrick 56.5; 9. Gold Rush E Ramsammy 57; 10. Ring The Bell J Arneaud 57.
NON-RUNNERS: Officer Ike, A Great Moment, Purple Touch, Atlantica, Cramers Rule.

R4: 12.27 PM - REPUBLIC MORTGAGES ST ANN’S STAKES WI BRED 2 YO FILLIES - 1,350M - $150,000
1    (5)    Blue Tequilla    D Khelawan    55.0    
2    (2)    Serengeti    B Boodramsing    55    
3    (6)    Star Sapphire    E Ramsammy    55    
4    (3)    Orchid Girl    D Butcher    55.0    
TIME: 1:22.0 DISTANCES: 12 1/2, 7, 19 1/2, 15 1/4.
$1PARI: (5) $1.75 $1EXACTA: $2.40 TRIFECTA: $2.20
WINNER: 2 y.o. B filly – Blue Pepsi Lodge/Three Shots (Red Bullet) OWNER: Tasram Maharaj    TRAINER: G Subratie BREEDER: H.A.M Stables Ltd (Jamaica)
ALSO RAN: 5. Lion’s Portion R Jadoo 55.
NON-RUNNERS: Fairyinthewind.

R5: 1.07 PM - REPUBLIC MAKE IT HAPPEN 2 YO AND OVER HORSES RATED 55-40 OPTIONAL CLAIMING $24,000 - $22,000 - 1,100M (TURF) - $36,400
1    (10)    Sweet Genius    J Boodramsing    52.5    
2    (12)    My Ari    B Boodramsing    54.5    
3    (11)    Legacy Of Hope    R Angnoo    49.5    
4    (6)    Loan Shark    D Gopie    51    
5    (1)    Princess Warrior    S Rodrigo    54.5    
TIME: 1:03.4 DISTANCES: 1 3/4, 3/4, 3/4, 1 1/2.
$1PARI: (10) $10.90; $1.90;  (12)$1.50  (11) $1.95
$1EXACTA: $30.40 TRIFECTA: $140.20
SUPERFECTA: $6,341.80
WINNER: 4 y.o. CH filly – Gold Market/Burning Red (Freshly Squeezed) OWNER: Kavita Persad   TRAINER: B Persad BREEDER: Poon Tip Stud Farm Limited
ALSO RAN: 6. Amritsar W Galviz 57; 7. Saynomore J Reyes 50; 8.Copa Glory C Malcolm 53.5; 9. Country Boy E Ramsammy 55; 10. Cafe’s Marque D Blackman 53.5 NON-RUNNER: Central Square, Playthatfunkymusic.

R6: 1.47 PM - REPUBLIC CORPORATE TISP IMPORTED 2 YO & OVER MAIDENS AND WI BRED 3 YO AND OVER HORSES RATED 75-50- 1,250M - $48,500
1    (6)    Sweet Sin City    B Boodramsing    50.5     
2    (1)    Soca Rhapsody    W Galviz    54.5    
3    (8)    Midnight Devil    R Hasranah    57.0    
4    (7)    Anna Be Mine    E Ramsammy    55.0    
TIME: 1:16.1 DISTANCES: 3 3/4, 2, 1, 8 1/2.
$1PARI: (6) $2.40; $1.20;  (1)$1.30 (8) $2.30
$1EXACTA: $4.20 TRIFECTA: $53.00
SUPERFECTA: $388.80
WINNER: 2 y.o. CH gelding – City Zip/Smart Samantha (Smart Strike) OWNER: Shivam Maharaj TRAINER: H Gobin BREEDER: Craig Singer (Texas U.S.A)
ALSO RAN: 5. Sea Of Gdansk J Reyes 54.5; 6. King Of Siberia S Rodrigo 57; 7. Dandridge D Butcher 56; 8. Thays N Abrego 57; 9. Vinalia R Angnoo 52; 10. Reselador R Hernandez 54.
 
R7: 2.27 PM - REPUBLIC EQUITY FUND 2 YO AND OVER HORSES RATED 40-0 OPTIONAL CLAIMING $15,000 - $13,000  - 1,100M (TURF) - $43,000
1    (1)    Rewardsinheaven    J Boodramsing    54    
2    (10)    Seal The Deal    K Khelawan    55.5    
3    (12)    Justmyluck    S Rodrigo    54.5    
4    (13)    Lookin At Lovely    R Hernandez    54.0    
5    (9)    Schyler’s Gold    N Samaroo    57    
TIME: 1:05.1 DISTANCES: 3/4, 1/2, 1 3/4, Neck.
$1PARI: (1)$9.15; $2.80 (10) $2.65 (12) $2.00
$1EXACTA: $107.70 TRIFECTA: $346.40
HI-5: $741.60 
WINNER: 7 y.o. CH horse-  OWNER: Lindsay Webb TRAINER: B Persad
ALSO RAN: 6. Spectacular Return R Ali 56.5; 7. Chelsi Magic N Patrick 57; 8. Advantage Them R Angnoo 48; 9. Who Is The Problem S Chadee Jnr 57; 10. Bas Choice D Gopie 52; 11. Peppermint D Blackman 54; 12. Dream Marshall N Abrego 56.
NON-RUNNERS: Gold Coin, Imagine, Born To Run, Enigmatic, Best Defence, Fire N’ Faith, First Emperor, Super Sonic.
  
R8: 3.07 PM - REPUBLIC ONLINE ST JAMES STAKES WI BRED 2 YO COLTS & GELDINGS - 1,350M - $150,000
1    (7)    War Maker    N Abrego    55.5    
2    (4)    Royal Pioneer    W Galviz    55.0    
3    (8)    Charismatic Groom    P Badrie    55.0    
4    (5)    Blue Oracle    R Ali    55.0    
5    (6)    War Council    J Stephen    55    
TIME: 1:23.0  DISTANCES: 4 1/4, 1/2, 4 1/4, 3/4.
$1PARI: (7) $2.25; $1.75 (4) $1.60 EXACTA: $11.10 TRIFECTA: $66.50
SUPERFEACTA: $106.30
WINNER: 2 y.o CH colt – War Marshall/Money Maker (Royal Minister)
OWNER: Baskaran Bassawh TRAINER: J O’Brien BREEDER: Fitzroy Glipsie & Stenton Neil (Jamaica)
ALSO RAN: 6. Criminal Intent B Boodramsing 55. NON-RUNNER: Beterlatethannever, Root Of Jesse.

 R9: 3.47 PM - REPUBLIC MONEY MARKET FUND 2 YO & OVER HORSES RATED 45-0 OPTIONAL CLAIMING $18,000 - $16,000 - 1,350M - $33,000
1    (11)    Jacob’s Dream    D Khelawan    56    
2    (10)    Dark Knight    S Rodrigo    57    
3    (5)    Uncle Max    P Badrie    57    
4    (7)    Be My Lover    R Jadoo    54.5    
5    (12)    Gold Bead    N Patrick    56.5    
TIME: 1:23.3 DISTANCES: 2 1/4, 4 1/2, 1/2, 1 1/2 
$1PARI: (11) $6.10; $1.75; (10) $1.70 (5) $1.40
EXACTA: $20.00 TRIFECTA: $47.80
HI-5: $1,441.40
WINNER: 3 y.o CH gelding – Big Country/Skippy’s Dream (Freshly Squeezed)
OWNER: Inskip Pollonais TRAINER: J O’Brien
BREEDER: Inskip Pollonais
ALSO RAN: 6. She’s Royal D Butcher 56; 7. Fleet Admiral R Ali 57; 8. Consideritdone K Khelawan 54.5; 9. Cordell Walker R Angnoo 49; 10. Freedomfighter N Samaroo 57; 11. Caspian Sea J Reyes 51; 12. Caipirinha J Boodramsing 53.
NON-RUNNER: Lady Sage.
 
R10: 4.27 PM - REPUBLIC BANK GOLD CUP WI BRED 3 YO & OVER & IMP 2 YO & OVER - 2,000M - $500,000
1    (5)    Bigman In Town    W Galviz    54    
2    (3)    Bergeron Rodeo    R Jadoo    54    
3    (4)    Thisonesforron    D Khelawan    54    
4    (6)    Lang Amour    N Patrick    57    
5    (1)    Buffalo Soldier    S Chadee Jnr    57.0    
TIME: 2:05.2 DISTANCES: 6 1/4, 2 1/4, 3/4, 2 1/2.
$1PARI: (5) $1.30; $1.25; (3) $3.95 (4) $3.05
EXACTA: $46.50 TRIFECTA: $342.80
SUPERFECTA: $1,587.80
WINNER: 4 y.o CH colt – Cowtown Cat/My Boring Prayer (Buddha)
OWNER: Baskaran Bassawh TRAINER: G Subratie BREEDER: H.A.M Stables Limited (Jamaica)
ALSO RAN: 6. J’ouvert N Abrego 57; 7. Golden Dixie P Badrie 57; 8. Momentum B Boodramsing 51.
 
R11: 5 PM - REPUBLIC TISP 2 YO & OVER HORSES RATED 60-45 OPTIONAL CLAIMING $30,000 - $27,000 - 1,300M - $40,000
1    (8)    Convoy    J Stephen    55.5    
2    (6)    Raise Your Glass    P Badrie    56.0    
3    (10)    Wing Commander    D Butcher    56    
4    (7)    Ten Powers    R Angnoo    51.5    
5    (11)    Red Cloud    D Blackman    53.5    
TIME: 1:19.2  DISTANCES: 1 1/2, 1 3/4, Nose, 2 1/2.
$1PARI: (8) $6.65; $1.80; (6) $1.75 (10) $1.45
EXACTA: $32.60 TRIFECTA: $73.30
HI-5: $4,321.90
WINNER: 4 y.o CH colt – Legal Process/Latin Rhythm (Coriscana)
OWNER: Douglas P Bennett TRAINER: D Bennett  BREEDER: Dr. Patrick Graham (Jamaica)
ALSO RAN: 6. Director Dream N Abrego 57 ; 7. It Is Alleged N Flavenney 54; 8. Hyat Princess E Ramsammy 55.5; 9. Red Howler D Khelawan 55.5; 10. A Great Millennium R Hasranah 50.5.
NON-RUNNER: Rhea’s Toy Soldier.

Christmas has come and gone, we have enjoyed the pastelles, turkey, stuffing, ham, black cake, sorrel and ponche de crème. I wonder how many have had to slacken the waist of your pants or skirts? I hope not too many, because you now go into the New Year with the excess pounds from 2014, and of course your New Year’s resolution becomes: to lose weight and become fitter for the new year. But there is a simple solution to reducing weight gain during the holiday season, moderation during the year and exceptional attention to healthy eating habits and clean food.
Brunches and late lunches are very popular these days, you may still be entertaining this weekend so here are some delightful additions to your brunch table this weekend. Happy New Year, may you all enjoy good health and prosperity throughout 2015 and beyond, cheers!

LAMBIE SOUSE
2 lbs lambie, cleaned, tenderised and chopped
1 onion
1 cucumber
2 large limes, juiced
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped cilantro or chadon beni
1 hot pepper, seeded and chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper.
1 lime, sliced

METHOD
Steam lambie for about 3 to 4 minutes, remove and drain,
Place in a glass bowl, add the rest of the ingredients and cover and refrigerate for about 3 to 4 hours.
Serve cold

Serves 4 to 6

MOST DELICIOUS CINNAMON ROLLS
For the Dough:
1 tablespoon yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter or shortening
1 tsp salt
1 egg
3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:
1/2 cup melted butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp ground cinnamon

Glaze:
4 tbsp butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 to 6 tbsp hot water

METHOD
Heat oven to 350 F. 
In a large bowl mix yeast, milk, water, sugar, melted butter, salt and egg. Add 2 cups of flour and mix until smooth.
Mix in remaining flour until dough is easy to handle. Knead dough on lightly floured surface for 5 to 10 minutes.
Place in well-greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled in size, usually 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
When doubled in size, punch down dough. Roll out on a floured surface into a 15 by 9-inch rectangle.
Spread melted butter all over dough.
Mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over buttered dough.
Beginning at the 15-inch side, role up dough and pinch edge together to seal.
Cut into 12 to 15 slices.
Coat the bottom of baking pan with butter and sprinkle with sugar. Place cinnamon roll slices close together in the pan and let rise until dough is doubled, about 45 minutes.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until nicely browned.
Meanwhile, mix butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Add hot water a little at a time until smooth, spread onto rolls. 

Makes 15

MEXICAN EMPANADAS
For the dough
4 cups flour
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1 cup shortening
1/2 cup water

METHOD
Combine flour with paprika and salt.
Cut in shortening until it’s the size of small peas.
Add water and brig the mixture together.
Refrigerate until ready for use.

Filling
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh herbs
2 pimento peppers
1 onion, chopped
1 lb chicken or beef, ground
1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup sliced green olives
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 hot pepper, chopped
1 beaten egg

METHOD
Heat oil in frying pan, add herbs, garlic, pepper and onion, sauté until tender about 4 minutes, add meat and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
If your meat seems lumpy, then put it into your food processor bowl and process for 30 seconds,  just until fine.
Remove, add raisins and olives, season with salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 400F.
Roll each piece of dough into a 4-inch circle.
Place about one tablespoon of filling in the centre of the lower half.
Fold over and seal using a little water if necessary.
Place on a greased baking sheet, brush with beaten egg.
Repeat until all dough and filling are used up.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden
Serve with spicy tomato salsa.

Makes 20. 

Veteran dramatist, Errol Sitahal and young, promising theatre director Aryanna Mohamad took a shot at August Strindberg’s 19th century Swedish drama, Miss Julie, with a youthful cast a week before Christmas on a Cipriani College stage. It was the significantly absent theatre-goers’ loss. The business risk had always been high, the theatrical risk even more challenging. Here is a play set in the context of post-manorial/feudal Europe focusing on a covert relationship between the daughter of a powerful and wealthy estate owner and a senior servant/driver.

The relationship deepens and is eventually consummated behind the back of the male servant’s fiancée, Christine, who is played by Tishanna Williams. It is finally determined that Miss Julie’s suicide is the only way out of the forbidden relationship. The play has been described as being after the tradition of “naturalistic” theatre which strives for authenticity and resists the temptation of the magical realism and farce now well known on local stages. There is nothing supernatural, no transcendental message—simply a story of two people in love in a situation of inequality and servitude. The play has even borne a “Darwinian” tag to emphasise its theme of survival.

The role of Miss Julie is played by Rebecca Foster while Vedesh Nath plays the male servant, Jean. Here, one more time, is Nath mis-cast in a role that does not appear to sit comfortably with him. He is “acting” all the time and never appears convinced of his character’s pleasurable but deadly dilemma. His lines seem affected and rehearsed. Foster, on the other hand, plays Miss Julie with relative ease. Hers is an outstanding, natural talent. She might not always be perfectly on cue with her lines, unlike the more precise Nath, but her dialogue flows effortless and seamlessly.

Miss Julie has in fact been adapted multiple times to reflect social conflict and inequity in several other countries and Sitahal and Mohamad could have taken the more clichéd road of master/slave relations a la pre-emancipation T&T and converted the dialogue to the vernacular but they kept on the straight and narrow and presented an adaptation of Strindberg’s work more in keeping with the authenticity demanded of the genre.

When Christine finds out about the affair, she confronts the couple and is offered a job as head cook in the hotel Miss Julie and Jean plan to open in Barbados. An angry Christine refuses and says she would make sure they cannot leave the estate. Miss Julie steals her father’s money to facilitate the lovers’ flight and the plan is called off when the master returns before they have the chance to flee. Christine would have by then also sealed off any opportunity for the two to leave in haste.

Miss Julie, chopper in hand, and Jean proceed to a back room where it appears she is prepared to take her own life. Williams brings her usual flare to the role of Christine and Renee King plays Clare the inquisitive servant who learns of the affair and plans to blow the couple’s cover. This Farrukh A Barlas production is deserving of a repeat before much larger audiences. It is certainly theatre with a difference. 

The Miss T&T Universe Organisation launched their partnership with The Children’s Ark on December 4, as the children’s charity’s official charity partner, at a charity event at the Each One Teach One Preschool in Beetham Gardens.

The Ark, whose patron is President Anthony Carmona, focuses on children in dire need whether they are abused, abandoned, addicted, challenged, impoverished or otherwise in need. 
The Children’s Ark recently contributed significantly to the upgrade of the school, a release said.

Miss T&T Universe 2014 Jevon King, past delegates from 2013 and 2014 Katrina Laydoo, Amryl Nurse and Melanie George Sharp, along with the franchise owner Dean Ackin and pageant co-ordinator Leah-Mari Guevara, met with The Ark’s president, Simone De La Bastide and other directors of The Children’s Ark, April Bermudez, Carolyn Hart and several other members of the group Friends of the Ark to bring some Christmas cheer to the pupils of Each One Teach One. 

Some of the friends of the Ark who attended the event included Dhisha Moorjani, Karyn Boocock, Fianna Lalla, Heather Doughlin and Susan Maingot. It was a fun-filled morning for the children who got to participate in decorating and lighting up a christmas tree and having fun as they spent time with the Miss Universe delegates and members of the Ark. 

Many present spoke of how fulfilling it was to see how enthusiastic and happy the children were. The Miss T&T Universe team thanked principal Wayne Jordan, students and The Children’s Ark and said they looked forward to working with the Ark’s team in making a positive difference in the lives of the children.

While the T&T Cricket Board (TTCB) looks ahead to another year the staff took time away from their busy schedules to exchange gifts and enjoy each other’s company at a luncheon on Christmas Eve at the National Cricket Centre in Balmain, Couva.

Among those present at the luncheon were board officials Arjoon Ramlal, general secretary; Baldath Mahabir, executive member and T&T representative on the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB); national senior team coach Gus Logie and his assistants Kelvin Williams and David Williams; T&T senior team manager Manohar Ramsaran; and Ian Ramlal, president of the Primary Schools Cricket League, and an executive member of the T&TCB.

Dudnath Ramkessoon, cricket operations manager at the TTCB, said the National Cricket Centre (NCC) will be buzzing with activity in the coming year with the recent installation of floodlights at the venue. The NCC will host four matches in the Nagico Super50 Regional tournament which is being held in T&T from January 15 to 25. Matches will also be played at the Queen’s Park Oval, Port-of-Spain and at Shaw Park, Tobago.

Two of this country’s best trainers Glenn Mendez and John O’Brien will start the New Year keeping their rivalry intact as they vie for top honours to signal the start of the 2015 local acing season which is sponsored by First Citizens Bank. The 11-race card will unfold at the Arima Race Club, in Santa Rosa with 126 horses all seeking to open their accounts on winning notes. 

The days programme includes two feature events on the turf: the Grade Two Sian’s Gold Sprint and the Grade Two First Sprint over 1,200 metres. At yesterday’s launch for the First Citizens Day At The Races, Warren Sookdar, chief information officer, First Citizens, said an exciting day was planned for the traditional opening. Sookdar noted that First Citizens and the Arima Race Club shared a long, prosperous relationship together with the company being sponsor of the New Year’s Day card for the past nine years. “Because of this extensive relationship, it is not just my pleasure, but my honour to announce the sustained union between the ARC and First Citizens in 2015.”

He continued, “The 2015 edition of First Citizens New Year’s Day at the Races will be the eleventh year for us. This milestone has given us as a  sponsor the prime position of now having a decade of varied yet memorable experiences of this event. Trust us, at First Citizens New Year’s Dat at the races, we have seen it all. He asked, ‘Does that include sporting glory? Let’s see. In 2008  right here on these tracks a young apprentice jockey with composure beyond his years, guided locally bred ‘All For Java’ to a three-quarter length victory in the Sian’s Gold Sprint. That was then 18 year old Keishan Balgobin.

How about controversy? He asked. The 1100 metres First Classic is shielded to be run off on the turf course, but jockeys are adamant that the track is slippery and dangerous. The stewards are rejecting and begin to seek replacement jockeys. After a thirty-five minute delay the race is shifted to the main track. “Sweet Alex’ takes home the $90,000 first prize cheque and returns to the winner’s enclosure amidst much jeers. That happened in 2009.

“So we have had glory and controversy but can we boast of being home to any significant career achievement? In 2011 female Canadian jockey , Chantal Sutherland took her very first ride at Santa Rosa Park atop “Honourable Mention” and little did she know that her shouts of success would later be drowned out by defining cheers of the crowd as she pushed “Will Power’ to a clear 3 3/4 length victory in the First Citizens Optional Claiming event. Certainly a moment of joy and I’m sure many of you can recall tragic moments as well. Nonetheless, all of these moments - the good and the not so good form part of the long partnership between First Citizens and the Arima Race Club in staging this event.  Like any other sport, horse racing is dynamic , thrilling and able to produce any or all of life’s varied experiences on and off the track.

Sookdar continued, “Speaking about off the track, we have seen the excitement of parents and children as they line up cheering on their favourite contenders. This event has become an opportunity for bonding and teaching the values of sportsmanship. A social investment we do not regret. Additionally, we are well aware of the economic advantages of investing in the industry but we are also pleased that it is just as financially viable for the many vendors who line the entrance on our raceway eager for a great day of business. That is the beauty of about this event : there is impact on both the larger and smaller end of the spectrum. This partnership with the Arima Race Club has been exciting, fulfilling and beneficial and we thank them for their support over the years. In closing, if you are not convinced about anything else , I hope I have persuaded you that without fail, First Citizens New Year’s Day at the Races is as good as  any or better; for horse racing. You never know what you’ll be missing so plan to be there on Thursday, January 1st,. 2015.”
There is an exciting card planned including the First Citizens Sian’s Gold Sprint, a grade two race for three-year-olds and over, racing over 1,100 metres on the turf for a purse of $150,000, of which the winner will receive $90,000. 
There is also the First Citizens First Sprint run over 1,200 metres open to three-year-olds. This race will also be run for a purse of $150,000.” Champion trainer O’Brien seems to hold the whip hand with DanubeWaltz and AbsolutelyChrome. ControlUnit trained by Mendez is also entered. AmericanRanger which has won its first two starts will make this a very competitive affair.
 In the Sian’s Gold Sprint, a field of eight horses took entry inclusive of Stewards Cup winner CrimeOfPassion which will be ridden by Nobel Abrrego for trainer John O’Brien. Also so entered is Shaffique Khan trained Holyman which will be saddled by Ronald Ali. Glenn Mendez has WildExcitement entered with Wilmer Galviz together with last year’s winner IndianMedicine and SacredTrust which is trained by Jose William Samaroo.
However, record holder and turf specialist Fly Junior will be in the line-up. The Maniram Maharaj-owned and trained speedster and holder of the 1,100 metres track record will be tough to catch if the race stays on the turf. 
 The studfarm Association Trial Stakes over 1,350 metres look an easy target for O’Brien with BetterLateThanNever which will be partnered by Emile Ramsammay. King Ronan and HailTheChief will go after the $75,000 purse in this event.

At the tender age of five, Cheryl Ann Gajadhar was sexually abused by people she trusted. After being placed in an orphanage in east Trinidad, she faced a different level of abuse there. However, she was able to overcome her adversities and today, she is an author and motivational speaker. Gajadhar uses her book Girl in the Cupboard to reach out to the abused and to help them to cope and move on in a positive way.

For her, anger was one of the major emotions she had to deal with. “Being angry is not a sin, it is what we do with the anger. I dealt with my anger by putting words into my book. It has been therapy for me as it was able to help me deal with that anger inside me. I prayed and asked God to put forgiveness in my heart, which is very important in dealing with that inside anger. Eventually, I was able to forgive through prayers and motivation with the things of the Lord. “I wanted healing for myself. Carrying along this burden all the time, it was really affecting me. I had to get this weight off and seeing other people coming to me for help, knowing what I went through, I felt the need to get my testimony out there.”

Gajadhar said she saw her deliverance as somebody else's deliverance. “That is what really motivated me and inspired me, through the help of God, in getting my book out there.” Gajadhar has so far written 15 books but was only able to publish four. She is currently working along with school children and churches as a motivational speaker. With recent cases of sexual abuse among young children coming to the forefront, Gajadhar often have flashbacks of her childhood experience, “Everytime I hear about a case it pains me and hurts me so much. It would bring back awful memories, but I would have to try not to ponder on it.”

Gajadhar is peeved that the relevant authorities isn’t doing much to protect the nation's children. “I personally think that the system is failing. We are supposed to be our children's voices, and I believe that more things need to be put in place to help protect our children. There should be stricter laws and punishments for offenders. Also, offenders should not be put on bail on a charge like that.”

Reminiscing on her bittersweet years at the children's home, Gajadhar said she felt the strong urge to give back something to abuse children in an attempt to assist with the healing.  Gajadhar’s latest project is the construction of a safe house for abused children. The home is under construction in the Arouca area. Though she faces a few obstacles, Gajadhar is working feverishly to raise funds for the completion of the building, which will be named “Open Cupboard.”

Anyone willing to assist can contact Gajadhar at 762-5486.

For 81-year-old Tobagonian Whiney Neptune the traditions of Christmas are dying out. Neptune, of Les Couteaux, described a Tobago Christmas as just another day. “The only thing special for a Christmas in Tobago, and I am sure in Trinidad, is the baking of the cakes and preparing of the house for the visit of friends.” 

Neptune, who grew up not knowing her biological mother, was raised by her father and step-mother. She has two sisters and a brother. Although both sisters live in Trinidad, Neptune said she was yet to experience a “Trini Christmas.” “Well the basic tradition here is people baking, changing curtains, and decorating the house. One of the main items to be baked other than the black cake and sponge cake are coconut tarts and coconut drops. Of course, ginger beer is one of the main drinks. “For food, we prepare pork, and (ground) provisions like yellow yam, cassava, sweet potatoes and plantains as part of the main dish.”

Traditionally on Christmas Eve night, Neptune said, church choirs would go from house to house singing Christmas carols and when they were done, they would be offered whatever goodies were available. “But, unfortunately, that was long ago. Nowadays, you don’t see the caroling groups.” Neptune, who sells vegetable produce at the Scarborough market, said the tradition of warmth and friendliness among people in the communities are fading with each passing year.

“All the community love dying out, people are more keeping to themselves. What used to happen long ago is the coming together of organisations who invite children and present them with little gifts, but that don’t happen again.” Neptune’s wish for the New Year is that people seek to be more kind to each other and look out for each other.  “In addition to helping them to get along in life with the help of God, you must not forget God in your affairs or counsels.”

Incest and domestic violence are major challenges which the community of Sangre Grande faces. This was revealed by Pastor Gregory Perreira of the Sangre Grande Open Bible Church, who said the church has provided refuge and counselling for children and young adults who have suffered abuse in the home and sought shelter with his members. “Notwithstanding that Sangre Grande is a safe and sound community, where crime is not so much on the increase, incest and tumultuous common-law relationships are major issues. “The church is about restructuring the whole value of family life, and parishioners wanted to eventually construct a home for the battered and a homework centre for the community. “Part of the challenge is resources but as soon as they become available and we’re in the process of trying to acquire property, we will be able to accomplish these goals.”

Speaking to the Sunday Guardian at his Chop Suey's Chinese Restaurant, in Barataria, Perreira said part of the ministry's function was to help people rehabilitate. Church members, Perreira said, had found a lot of broken lives in the community and sought to bring some structure and value back into them. Perreira said one success story was a young woman, Maria Phillip who was abused as a young child by her father and today, she is the author of a book called God's Mercy Kept Me. He said the church had been able to work together with many young people who had gone on to represent T&T in various sporting disciplines such as cricket, football, tennis and badminton as well as in other fields including academics, law and the arts. Perreira said the church was a holistic ministry and did not just deal with spiritual matters, but encompassed the social and economical aspects as well.  Perreira said that young people, especially if given the opportunity and the direction, could really make a positive contribution to society.  He said adults were not left out of the church's empowerment programmes and were helped to develop their sense of value and self-worth. 
The church members, he said, played an integral role in the restoration and reconcilation of people. 

Challenges faced by young people 
Perreira also said young people in Sangre Grande faced several challenges, including finding meaningful employment. He said while there were OJT (On-the-Job Training) programmes and Cepep (Community-based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme) available for youths in the area, what they needed was gainful employment. A big challenge for the church, he said, was not being able to engage the business community in Sangre Grande. He said the businessmen somehow didn't see the connection or importance between the church and business. Perreira said he wanted to let them know that when church members work with young people and keep them out of a life of crime it was a plus not just for the businessmen, but the community also benefitted. 
He said this meant that the businessmen didn't have to worry about the youths coming to rob and steal from them.  

Perreira said he was looking forward to a more meaningful relationship with the business community that goes beyond the token $30 or $70 contribution they make when the church has a fund-raiser. Although Perreira lives and operates his business in Barataria, he said he takes a portion from his restaurant's profits to contribute to the lives of the needy people and community of Sangre Grande. Perreira said the church members as givers believe in the principle of seed sowing; what they give, they give unto the Kingdom of God. He said God has been gracious to him and his wife, Jacqueline, and this was one of the many blessings that they wanted to share, not just with the Sangre Grande community but with the nation. The couple believes that as long as you have that determination and drive, you can accomplish your goals. Perreira said hard work pays off in the end, and these are the values which he has been inculcating in the members of his church.
He said the church provided the following services: prayer sessions, visiting people in their homes, financial and crisis counselling, family life support, career guidance, and helping people to restructure their lives to be more meaningful citizens in their community. Perreira said the church was also used to hold functions, empowerment classes, craft-work, cooking classes, literacy classes, and adult courses. He said the spanking new church with modern facilities was a one-stop shop where people can come in for marriages, receptions, baby dedications, and even funeral services. 

Giving for Christmas and beyond
In the spirit of giving for the Christmas season, Pastor Perreira and members of the church hosted a party treat for the children in the community, gifting them with toys, goodies and stationery after Sunday School on December 21. The day before, the church carried out its Christmas work with children at two venues in Sangre Grande: Madoosingh Drive in North Eastern Settlement, and Damarie Hill. The church meets with children from these areas on a weekly basis throughout the year. “This is our way of giving back to the community. When these children are left to fend for themselves and single parents are left on their own with no support, some of the women in church act as the children's surrogate mothers feeding and clothing them on Saturday and Sunday evenings. “We want to go further and assist with their homework and other social activities, these are some of the plans we have for 2015.”

Chairman of the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation Terry Rondon said it bothered and concerned him when reports of children being abused reached his office. Rondon who is also the councillor for Toco/Fishing Pond said while cases of incest were troubling, cases of domestic violence were even more frequent. Doing his part to help alleviate the situation, Rondon prepared hampers which he distributed to single mothers in Toco, Valencia, Matelot, Rio Claro, Cumuto and Sangre Grande. Rondon said the lack of concern by fathers also contributed to the single mothers’ plight. He said through the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation’s Helping Hand initiative they prepared a container filled with furniture and appliances to help make the single mothers’ lives a little more comfortable.

Rondon said he was in support of anybody who wanted to help the needy and children in the community. He said while unemployment was high in Sangre Grande, the crime rate was low. “One crime in the community is one too many, and the corporation will be focusing on new programmes and initiatives for the youths in 2015.”

The thwarted ambitions and frustrated sexual scope of a woman’s desire were at the centre of Fab Productions’ presentation of Miss Julie: A Lust Story, staged at the Cipriani College’s CLR James Auditorium on December 21. Men have been writing about, and policing, female expressions of autonomy or their deficit since before 1888, when Swedish playwright August Strindberg composed the one act, naturalistic drama. Produced by Farrukh A Barlas, the play was adapted for the Trinidadian stage and directed by Errol Sitahal and Aryanna Mohamad. On Christmas Eve, while peasants drunkenly revel in the streets outside, Jean (Vedesh Nath), a driver of humble origins but with the aspirations of an arriviste, conducts a dangerous flirtation with Miss Julie (Rebecca Foster), the daughter of his master, and the lady of the grand house. While his fiancée, the house cook Christine (Tishanna Williams), sleeps, Jean and Miss Julie’s flirtations escalate past the point of no return, and they must decide whether to flee or confront the class cataclysm they have wrought into being. 

Following Zola’s tenets of naturalist theatre, Miss Julie’s original script is steeped in affirmations of detailed realism, with a distinctly proletarian worldview. Naturalism was intended to render authentically and without the artifice of pretense the world as it is, stripped bare of the fanciful or mythic. On these working precepts, Sitahal and Mohamad’s adaptation is a dutiful but not cloying rendition of Strindberg’s archetype. Swapping a Swedish count’s estate for a postcolonial Trinidadian manor fallen on financial hard times and steeped in questionable repute, the reframed setting works well in conveying the players’ immediacy and the closeness of their concerns. Jean sits to eat pastelles at Christine’s kitchen table, and local beer is frequently pulled out of a cooler instead of imported brew. It is Barbados, not some tiny European outpost, that Jean and Julie invoke as a possible sanctuary.

Beneath the art and design direction of Farrukh Fayyaz, the single setting of the great house’s kitchen was presented in an intricacy of detail sure to delight Strindberg’s long-deceased naturalist’s eye. The warm, domestic comforts of a well-kept estate on Christmas Eve were suggested in minor, moving minutiae: the fold of a patterned kitchen towel; tinsel wrapped around a Yuletide tree; a red bow affixed to a very significant storeroom door. Fayyaz’s embellishments served to ironically underscore the vicious tensions seething between Julie and Jean, thrusting the bonhomie of seasonal cheer against the rancour of long-held grudges.

Foster and Nath faced a tremendous undertaking in delineating the misaligned couple’s overstuffed closet of snarling issues—indicative of the corrupt and censorious divisions that exist between the working poor and the idle rich. For the most part, their efforts shone with the elbow grease of persistent zeal, if not a sliver of alchemical wonder. That transformative laurel belonged to Tishanna Williams alone, who has enjoyed a year of on-stage strength, including her leading roles in Brendon O’Brien’s Body Equals Barrier and Proscenium Theatre’s The Wiz. Williams remained a pleasure to behold, even in the supplementary role of Christine. Her scenes, though brief, resonated with a carefully muted spiritual fervour, and a mindfulness of her class limitations, portrayed through an arsenal of visual registers, facial tics and vocal summons. 

Nath’s Jean was appropriately rigid with repression and voluble with barely-concealed wrath, while Foster’s Julie commanded fleeting yet doughty moments of empathy, wherein the viewer ached for her caged freedoms. The limited range of motion she effectively captured was even less symbolically promising than that of her beloved bird, who meets a brutally sharp end. Despite this, neither principal player steered Sitahal and Mohamad’s adapted script into consistently resonant performances. The lacunae between their moments of evanescent credibility, and the surfeit of their awkwardly-steered ill rapport loomed too large, chopping up what might have been a satisfyingly vitriolic emotional carousel ride. 

Rather like Jean’s dreams of upward mobility, the scope of Fab Productions’ premiere was marked by intemperate desire. Strindberg’s source material is rife with multiple layers of complication, and among these towering strata, its players and production team claimed several, but nowhere near all, possible victories. Miss Julie was a promising, but perhaps inevitably uneven beginning to the production house’s debut.

Miss Julie: A Lust Story
Written by August Strindberg; directed by Errol Sitahal and Aryanna Mohamad 
Featuring Rebecca Foster, Vedesh Nath and Tishanna Williams. Produced by Fab Productions.
CLR James Auditorium, Cipriani College, Valsayn, December 18-21.

Next year will be a “bumper year” for local film, with at least ten feature-length films set for release, the new chair of the T&T Film Company (TTFC) has said. Among those in the works is the film acting debut of soca star Machel Montano in Scandalous. Within the last two months, three films have seen successful runs in local theatres and one has been released on DVD. “This is unprecedented,” said the film company’s chair Robert “Yao” Ramesar about the spate of film releases. Ramesar, a filmmaker himself and head of UWI’s Film Programme, has been chair of the TTFC since August. “I think the time for talking about creating a film industry is past. We’re creating one now.  And we’re consolidating it.”

There’s been some talk of disquiet at the TTFC, which is now a subsidiary of the recently created state company CreativeTT.  CreativeTT, which oversees film, fashion and music development in the country, has seen its own share of controversy, including objections to its establishment. Film Co chair Allison Smith and board member Camille Selvon-Abrahams, both appointed earlier this year, resigned. It was rumoured that CEO Carla Foderingham is also no longer with company. But Ramesar said that as far as he is aware, Foderingham is on vacation leave and expected to return. He said he’s “not sure” why Smith and Selvon-Abrahams resigned. 

Jamil Agard, who had been a production consultant at the company since June 2013, is acting CEO. The board is operating with just three members, said Ramesar, and is putting in a lot of late nights. “It’s a lot of work to be done. We have a lot of plans for 2015,” he said. Ramesar said he hopes that within ten years, film in T&T becomes “a billion-dollar industry” and that the country has one of the highest number of filmmakers per capita in the world. He hopes to make filmmaking 1.5 or two per cent of the country’s GDP. It’s an industry that involves more than just movies, he said. “Film deals with so many areas: it touches on soundtracks; it touches on fashion and costume design,” he said. “There are so many ancillary areas—carpenters, transport, catering, hairdressing, make up. “When people speak about the stakeholders in the film industry I believe it’s not just the practitioners. I believe the whole country is a stakeholder. Every citizen has a stake in it.”

Ramesar said the TTFC plans to more actively seek out and develop film talent.  He wants to find the film equivalent of Olympic gold medallist Keshorn Walcott, he said. “The next genius is out there. We’re going to find them. There’s so much talent out there. We need to mine that talent and bring it to the fore,” he said. Ramesar created more than 120 film and TV productions in a career that has spanned three decades. He won an Anthony N Sabga Caribbean Award for Excellence in 2006 for his contribution to arts and letters. Regarding his ability to steer the film company into the future, he said his accomplishments “speak for themselves.”

The New Year is just around the corner and the Sunday Arts Section (SAS) Book Club has big plans for readers to usher in the new year. For the last two years, the SAS Book Club has featured many books that have inspired popular movies. This year, we’re turning a new page. For the first quarter of the year, we’ll feature books that make readers think about life in a whole new way.
For January, the SAS Book Club will feature The Late Starter’s Orchestra by Ari L Goldman and Your Life Calling by Jane Pauley, two books that examine ways to reinvent yourself after 40, 50, 60 and beyond.

At one time, retirement seemed like the end of the world. Now, according to these two books, retirement offers a whole new world of opportunities. Goldman and Pauley point out that retirees are likely to have 20- 25 good and fruitful years ahead of them. This is the time, they insist, that you can pursue the dreams you always pushed aside. This is the time to take the kinds of chances that can only make your life happier and more exciting. Find out how to plan for the future if you’re under 40 or how to reinvent yourself if you are over 40 and heading for retirement.

This really can be the most exciting time of your life, as you’ll discover in these two books. Don’t confuse these books with condescending self-help books. They are not preachy or condescending but real pieces of literature that offer much food for thought. For February, we’ll tackle The Marshmallow Effect: Mastering Self Control by Walter Mischel. Today’s world is defined by impulsivity, and this book shows the importance of self-control. The author presents the results of studies that show the benefits of self-control and delaying gratification. Those who master this concept of self-control fare far better in life. They have fewer weight and drug problems, and they are happier, more fulfilled individuals. Self-control is most definitely the key to success and happiness in life. 
What makes this book especially interesting and meaningful is that some of Mischel’s work featured in The Marshmallow Effect took place in Trinidad.

In March, the SAS Book Club features Stokely: A Life by Peniel E Joseph.  Stokely is a new biography of the American civil rights activist Stokely Carmichael (later known as Kwame Ture), who was from Port-of-Spain, Trinidad.  Stokely Carmichael founded the Black Panther Party and he is credited with the slogan “Black Power.” He was a key figure in the civil rights movement in the US. This new biography is an exciting read, and it credits his Caribbean roots with much of his personality and political philosophy. Here’s looking forward to an exciting year of the SAS Book Club. We’re heading for a whole new and exciting direction. Happy New Year, readers. Have a year filled with reading.

One of the most poignant memories of a Tobago Christmas I have ever read was written by the tragic poet, Eric M Roach (1915-74) who penned a piece for a sort of anthology of Trinbago, introduced by David Frost. In this recollection of childhood in Mt Pleasant Village in the 1920s, he wrote about the hardships of life, privations felt only in reminiscing for at the time, they were the unanimous circumstances of the working class.

Of Christmas, Roach recalled the slaughtering of a hog by his father and some of the village men, the carcass being scraped clean and the meat quartered amongst them, being carried home wrapped in banana leaves with merry wishes to all. This was their recompense for a season of brute labour in the crop time, clearing land and planting food crops in the communal system of lend-hand. 

Tobago’s Christmases, as I have gleaned from various sources, were based on two very distinct lines—the plantocracy and the working classes who were almost entirely descended from the slaves of the island. This social stratification survived well into the 20th century, even after a powerful coloured landowning class came into being with the bankruptcy of the former white estate owners. One remarkable account of a planter’s party in the 1930s was given by Americans Heath and Jefferson Bowman who had rented Terry Hill Great House for a year or so. They had been invited to a ball by an old, established landowning clan: “At Merchiston Estate, in a spot where the bush has grown thick about an avenue of stately palmettos, lies an old grave upon whose slab has been carved the tragic tale of the young heir who rode to Scarborough Town to a dance, caught a chill and died the following night. 

“Bacolet Estate House, on the outskirts of Scarborough, resounded to the strains of music. The great main room was decorated with the green shoots of bamboo and the scarlet of hibiscus and poinsettia; balloons hung from the rafters. A few of the guests were already dancing. Officials of the island in evening clothes, and their wives in long, sweeping gowns, were talking with the planters. White-coated black boys and starched maids circulated among them with trays of rum punches and whiskies. Everyone was in a rare good humour because it was Christmas Eve. There was a fir tree in one corner of the room hung with shining ornaments and candles; children’s presents lay beneath the branches of this, the only analogy to the northern holiday these people had once known.

A young man from Merchiston Estate came in, he was greeted and a punch placed in his hand, but he and the young one beneath the slab were separated by almost two centuries.”
For those who laboured on what remained of Tobago’s estates following the island’s economic collapse in 1847, very little changed from the time of slavery when masters with a kindlier disposition would give out a largesse of food and clothing at Christmas time. The Bowmans tried to adopt this tradition as well, since they wrote: “Not bothering to dress, we slipped on robes and began tying up our servants’ gifts. Leotha (maid) was to receive two lengths of bright dress material in her favourite shades of red and blue, old Providence (yardman) a khaki shirt and trousers to replace his ancient rags. Martin (valet) was to receive the best present of all—a handsome wrist watch.” The servants of Terry Hill reciprocated the Bowmans’ generosity with simple gifts of their own such as fruit and flowers. 

Tobago also developed a peculiar sharecropping system to ensure the survival of its plantation economy in the 19th century which saw a resilient class of people called the metayer come into being. They provided labour to the estates where they or their parents had once been enslaved in exchange for a percentage of the rum, sugar or molasses produced and often with the privilege of renting provision grounds from the planter. These independent people often celebrated with demijohns of good rum, cooked ground provisions and with possibly a contribution of a pig by the estate proprietor. Scarborough was a sleepy town compared to those in Trinidad which sprang alive with bustling commerce. Along the waterfront and up Main Street around Market Square, there were shops where some of the comforts of the season could be bought, but with a currency shortage on the island, there was little in the way of imported goods within the reach of the agrarian masses.

I am beginning to wonder about the hullabaloo over the Merry Christmas messages from the Prime Minister by members of the public opposed to the PM and the Government. Would someone really and rationally tell me what is wrong with a PM/leader of a nation wishing the citizens a merry Christmas. 

What is very obvious is that there is a lot of worry and also jealousy in the minds of the Opposition as the PM continues to grow in popularity and enjoy the favour of the people. In addition, the work of the Government is beginning to show in no small way. 

With the opening of the Valencia Bye Pass Road which has virtually eliminated traffic in that area, as well as the Diego Martin Extension of the Highway and the speedy re-connection of the Manzanilla/Mayaro roadway, the opportunity to criticise the performance of the PM and her govt has diminished. As a result the critics have snapped onto really unimportant sideline issues.

The leadership of Kamla Persad-Bissessar has seen significant changes in the country. In 2010, with the spectre of a financial crisis looming due to the Clico issue, the Govt successfully managed this situation but further has gone on to achieve growth no matter how small. The most recent report by S&P in terms of an A rating for T&T is not what the critics wanted to hear. Worst of all is the fact that in her fifth year in office the PM is ahead of Keith Rowley in ratings.

The passage of the Procurement Bill supported by civil society and not supported by the PNM has added more problems for the critics. The PNM has shown its true colours when it comes to dealing with corruption as against the PP Govt which has brought to Parliament a Bill which the nation wants. 

Really then, is it surprising that the Opposition is holding on to these “no value” issues? We are experiencing a different level of leadership, one that is competent and courageous but at the same time compassionate, caring and citizen-centred. No leader has combined these qualities like Mrs Bissessar has done.

From day one of her tenure as PM Mrs Bissessar has demonstrated that she will be a people’s leader. She opened up the Diplomatic Center bringing, in a way, government closer to the people.

She has chosen to deal with issues of creating prosperity for all, and caring for the well-being of all. This has been evidenced by the opening of the Teaching Hospital in San Fernando with 218 more beds, the Children’s Life Fund and the construction of the Children’s Hospital among other people-centred projects. Today the physical infrastructure is way better than in 2010. More than this she has held the Government together being the first leader to hold a coalition intact for five years. 

So what is the real issue with the Christmas greetings? It is a reaction to a government growing stronger, a PM who continues to enjoy a positive popularity rating and endorsement and a PNM that is collapsing!

Surujrattan Rambachan
Deputy Political Leader

Shot putter Cleopatra Borel, a three-time First Citizens Sports Foundation Sportswoman of the Year winner, will again be a top contender for the coveted honour when the 2014 edition of the awards takes place next year. The awards presentation is scheduled to take place on March 6, 2015. Ephraim Serrette, president of the National Association of Athletics Administrations (NAAA) confirmed the national sporting organisation’s nominations.

Borel took home the awards in 2002, 2007 and 2010. London 2012 Olympic medallist Keshorn Walcott was the organisation’s male nominee. He was Sportsman of the Year in 2012. The NAAA’s also announced sprinter Akani Hislop and 300-metre hurdle specialist Jeminise Parris as its choices for the Junior Sportsman and Sportsman of the Year titles, which is scheduled to come off on January 30. Borel secured gold for T&T at last month’s 22nd Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in Mexico. It was her second gold at the event in four years. Walcott also competed at the Games. His javelin throws secured silver for T&T.

Other successful CAC Games medallists–bronze–that secured their organisation’s nominations were: taekwondo exponent Dr Dorian Alexander’s in the men’s featherweight division (68kg); cyclist Kwesi Browne (keirin); Christopher George (Judo) and Dexter St Louis (table tennis). The T&T Badminton Association (TTBA) and the T&T Hockey Board (TTHB) announced their nominees at their respective end of year awards ceremonies earlier this month. Naim Mohammed and Jada Renales were the TTBA’s choice for the Junior Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year, while Alistair Espinoza and Nekeisha Blake were candidates for the adult awards.

The TTBA named Renales as its Female Player of the Year, too, at its end of year awards ceremony on December 12, held at the Central Indoor Regional Sporting Arena, Chaguanas.
At the TTHB Awards three weekends ago, forward Akim Toussaint and defender Alanna Lewis of Paragon Hockey Club were recipients of the Male and Female Players of the Year Awards and were announced as the board’s choices for FC honours. West Indies test team captain Denesh Ramdin was the T&T Cricket Board’s choice for Sportsman of the Year. 

The FC Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year awards were bestowed onto outstanding male and female athletes who have contributed to the development and recognition of sport, not only in T&T, but at an international level. Successful athletes in the categories must be nationals of this country and must have established an outstanding benchmark record at international competition and or world competition, particularly among international competitors.

They must have also registered exceptional performances at national competitions that could be considered outstanding among other national athletes. These results must be easily verifiable and achievements attained must have taken place between January to December of the Year under review. In addition to the athlete awards, there were two other awards that favour administrations and administrators respectively.

They were: the Jeffrey Stollmeyer Award and the Lytra D Lewis Award. The former award was given to a national governing sports body which showcased initiatives and made significant improvements, not only in its administration, but towards the development of its athletes, while the latter accolade was given at the discretion of the panel of the Sports Foundation and was presented to an individual, team or group whose performance(s) have impacted significantly on the national sport landscape.

Nominees
Seniors
Track and Field: Cleopatra Borel, Keshorn Walcott
Judo: Christopher George
Table Tennis: Dexter St Louis, Rheann Chung
Badminton: Alistair Espinoza, Nekeisha Blake
Hockey: Alanna Lewis, Akim Toussaint
Rugby: Nicolette Pantor, Agboola Silverthorn
Bodybuilding: Vanessa Hill, Kelton Thomas
Cricket: Denesh Ramdin, Britnay Cooper
Cycling: Kwesi Browne
Taekwondo: Dr Dorian Alexanader
Target Archery: Hasmath Ali, Sonia Thompson
Triathlon: Ancil Greene
Chess: Ryan Harper, Aditi Soondarsingh
Tennis: Yohansey Williams, Olivia Bennett

Juniors 
Track and Field: Akani Hislop, Jeminise Parris
Table Tennis: Aaron Wilson, Brittany Joseph
Badminton: Jada Renales, Naim Mohammed
Rugby: Jade Husbands, Leon Pantor
Cricket: Amir Jangoo
Cycling: Akil Campbell, Kollyn St George
Taekwondo: Jade Persad, Nekisha Sorias
Target Archery: Priyanka Dhanie, Orlando Edwards
Triathlon: Joshua Ho
Chess: Joshua Johnson, Javanna Smith
Tennis: Nabeel Mohammed, Emm-Rose Trestrail
 

Port Elizabeth—Before yesterday, the thirties were troublesome for them. None of them could push beyond that in Centurion but they have put that right in Port Elizabeth, where two of them have already managed sixties. Although gentler conditions have played their part, greater application and the willingness to grind it out have been on display against an attack which remains intimidating in any conditions.

West Indies’ confidence was given a boost by their bowlers, whose four wickets in the morning session were proof they were not out of the contest. Still, they conceded the fastest fifty at this ground to Dale Steyn, who was given licence to aim for the school across at the road. More worryingly for West Indies was what Steyn would do in the other department, especially as their line-up has been more of a concern than their attack.

Both Steyn and Vernon Philander started in signature style: back of a length, outside off and asking questions. There was a suggestion of movement from Steyn, who sowed uncertainty around Devon Smith’s game. When Steyn offered the slightest width, Smith stayed rooted to his spot and reached. When Steyn pitched it up, Smith was drawn forward but drove limply. When Steyn dished up one that moved away, Smith was beaten. He would have known that any those deliveries could have got him out.

Steyn would have known that too and, thinking his bread was properly buttered, began to apply the jam. The first ball short ball squared Smith up, the second was edged for four. The tension heaved. Smith did not look a likely candidate to convert a start, especially when compared to his partner. Kraigg Brathwaite was less jumpy and more assured. He waited for Vernon Philander to realise he needed to go fuller and then for him to overpitch and when Philander did, he enjoyed a duo of drives. It took what Allan Donald called an “inspired spell” from Morne Morkel to expose the difference between the two openers. Morkel’s natural length is short and that was how he started to Smith. When he erred on the side of too full, Smith cashed in and Morkel corrected, both quickly and dangerously. He struck Smith on the side of his head with a well-directed short ball that met the helmet with a queasy crack. Smith remained smiling but was obviously shaken.

Smith seemed to have gathered himself by the time he next met Morkel, when he pulled him firmly through midwicket but those would be the last runs he scored in this innings. Morkel made him duck with another bouncer, questioned where his off stump was with one that took the edge and reexamined the width needed to cut when he caught the bottom edge before removing Smith with a full delivery.

In the seconds in which Hashim Amla at first slip juggled the catch the edge offered, the discomfort Smith was experiencing at the crease reached its crescendo. 

PORT ELIZABETH—Kraigg Brathwaite and Marlon Samuels stroked enterprising unbeaten half-centuries to rescue West Indies and lift them to a comfortable position on the third day of the second Test against South Africa here yesterday. Floundering at 55 for two after losing two quick wickets just before tea, West Indies were revived by Brathwaite’s top score of 65 and Samuels’s 60, to reach 147 for two when bad light ended play at 5:45 pm at St George’s Park.

The pair have so far added 92 for the third wicket, a partnership that proved critical after opener Devon Smith (22) and Leon Johnson fell in successive deliveries to seamer Morne Morkel, in the third over before the tea interval. However, Brathwaite remained steady, carving out his seventh Test half-century in his 16th match, facing 125 balls and striking eight boundaries. Samuels, meanwhile, took the attack to the South African bowlers, hitting nine fours in an innings that has required just 92 deliveries. Their combined efforts left West Indies 270 runs behind on first innings, after South Africa declared on 417 for eight about half-hour after lunch, following a cameo half-century from Dale Steyn that hurt West Indies momentum.

Resuming at 289 for three, South Africa lost four wickets in the morning session to be 369 for seven at lunch, as West Indies struck telling blows to limit the hosts. Captain Hashim Amla, starting the day on 23, looked ominous when he hammered two boundaries on either side of the wicket in the first over of the day from pacer Jerome Taylor. However, he departed in the fourth over, lbw to fast bowler Jason Holder to one that nipped back and caught him in front. AB de Villiers followed in the next over from Taylor, adding just one to his overnight nine before losing his off-stump to one that seamed away as the batsman looked to play to leg. Debutant Temba Bavuma (10) and Stiaan van Zyl (29) fell cheaply to catches at the wicket to leave South Africa stumbling at 348 for seven before Steyn arrived to change the course of the innings. He smashed a 28-ball 58, which included six fours and five sixes, in a 69-run, eighth wicket stand with Vernon Philander, who was unbeaten on 13 at the end.

Steyn tore into Taylor, smashing the seamer for two sixes and a four in his 29th over which went for 16 and also took a turn in left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn, exacting another 16 runs before holing out to Holder in the deep off the last ball, to trigger the declaration about half-hour before tea. Seamers Kenroy Peters (2-69), Shannon Gabriel (2-80) and Taylor (2-114) all picked up two wickets apiece. Brathwaite and Smith then handed West Indies a steady start, posting 55 for the first wicket, as they easily negotiated the new ball burst from Steyn and Philander. Both batsmen played with assurance against the South Africa new ball attack, gathering boundaries with some sweetly timed drives. Brathwaite opened his account with a push to the cover boundary off Philander in the second over before taking two successive boundaries off the same bowler’s fifth over – the first a delightful straight drive and the second a cover drive off the back foot. Smith got in on the act, twice producing flowing cover drives off Morkel, as West Indies cantered along merrily.

The left-handed Smith had faced 46 balls and struck five fours in 1-1/4 at the crease, when he edged Morkel to second slip where Amla held the chance on the second attempt. Off the very next ball, Leon Johnson sparred unnecessarily at a full length delivery, steering a simple catch to Faf du Plessis at third slip. Crawling to tea on 59 for two with Brathwaite on 37 and Samuels yet to score, West Indies defied the odds to flourish after the break and dominate the final session. The 22-year-old Brathwaite signalled his intentions from as early as the fourth over after the break, twice spanking Steyn to the point boundary, to raise his half-century. On four at the time, Samuels then took over with a lovely exhibition of stroke-play, especially against the leg-spin of Imran Tahir.
Getting off the mark with a streaky boundary through gully off Steyn, Samuels quickly took command. He used his feet against Tahir to gather boundaries in successive overs, clearing mid-off in the bowler’s sixth over before lofting him to the mid-wicket boundary. He moved into the 30s with an off-driven boundary off Tahir and a few overs later, dissected square cover with precision for his sixth four with the same bowler, to ease into the 40s.

When Steyn returned for a final spell late in the day, he greeted the ace bowler with a scintillating cover drive for four and reached his 21st Test half-century in the next over from Tahir with a single to point. West Indies nearly squandered their advantage, however, when Brathwaite drove a return catch to Tahir on 64, but the bowler failed to hold on to a difficult chance.

Scoreboard
South Africa vs West Indies 
South Africa
Dean Elgar c Ramdin b Peters     121
Alviro Petersen c Johnson b Gabriel     17
Faf du Plessis c Ramdin b Taylor     103
Hashim Amla lbw b Holder     33
AB de Villiers b Taylor     10
Temba Bavuma c Ramdin b Gabriel     10
Stiaan van Zyl c Ramdin b Peters     29
Vernon Philander not out     13
Dale Steyn c Holder b Benn     58
Extras: (4b, 5lb, 6w, 8nb)     23
Total: (for 8 wickets dec.)     417
Overs: 122.
Fall of wickets: 1-47, 2-226, 3-274, 4-300, 5-304, 6-325, 7-348, 8-417.
Bowling: Jerome Taylor 30-7-114-2, Kenroy Peters 20-7-69-2, Jason Holder 22-7-43-1, Shannon Gabriel 21-0-80-2, Sulieman Benn 28-4-102-1, Marlon Samuels 1-1-0-0.
West Indies
Kraigg Brathwaite not out     65
Devon Smith c Amla b Morkel     22
Leon Johnson c du Plessis b Morkel     0
Marlon Samuels not out    60
Extras:     0
Total: (for 2 wickets)    147
Overs:     44
Fall of wickets: 1-55, 2-55.
Bowling: Dale Steyn 9-2-36-0, Vernon Philander 11-2-30-0, Morne Morkel 8-1-24-2, Imran Tahir 15-1-52-0, Dean Elgar 1-0-5-0.
Toss: West Indies.
Umpires: Billy Bowden, New Zealand, and Paul Reiffel, Australia.
TV Umpire: Aleem Dar, Pakistan.
Match Referee: Ranjan Madugalle, Sri Lanka.