Yesterday Was International Woman's Day March 8th
Actually every day is a day to celebrate woman. I am going reflect on the role of one special Woman - My Mother
I'll let my poem tell the story.
Pepperpot ….A Caribbean Woman’s Story… Poems for the stage
Copyright © 2007, Fransene Massiah-Headley
Dear Mommy:
Dear Mommy
I’m sitting here in a cold apartment, in this big city
Working hard, hard on my PhD, yet, thinking about the family
For the tutors want me to chronicle, how I was raised.
It’s then I realized that Caribbean women deserved to be praise.
You are my number one nominee
I’m proud to call you my mommy
For I remember on your knees I used to be
Listening to the stories about Annancy.
You walked for miles selling, with heavy load on your head
You did all that, before all nine of us were out of bed.
I remember you were constantly busy
I now know to you, the family was the priority.
When the money for clothes was not enough
You skillfully recreated new ones from the family’s old stuff.
I remember the day when daddy died
You became our strength, you never cried.
I now know of the pain and grief you did hide
To ensure that our pain would quickly subside.
I remember on your plate it was always less
While we all went to bed knowing we were fed the best.
I extol you now as the best nurse, judge, story teller,
Preacher, teacher, history keeper,
Breadwinner, never-ending provider,
Extremely happy to have you as Mother
For you shine brightly as my exemplar.
Take care now we’ll soon be together
Much love! From an honoured daughter.
Those are the Women we should celebrate.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Friday, March 7, 2008
Antiguan Foods! My Heritage ! My Culture Antiguan Foods
Antiguan Foods! My Heritage ! My Culture!
[Photo]
Yummy Roast corn one of my favourite
Food.....Food
Old people say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Antiguans really believe that. Cooking was always promoted as the only path to true happiness. As a matter a fact the older folks thought you were wotliss(worthless) if you can't turn fungi or if your fungi lumpy. lol
Oh I can cook fungi .. I graduated at the fungi academy in All Saints, Mockpond, Antigua.
Serious though, Food has long played an intergral part in the Antiguan culture.
[Photo]
Yummy Roast corn one of my favourite
Food.....Food
Old people say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Antiguans really believe that. Cooking was always promoted as the only path to true happiness. As a matter a fact the older folks thought you were wotliss(worthless) if you can't turn fungi or if your fungi lumpy. lol
Oh I can cook fungi .. I graduated at the fungi academy in All Saints, Mockpond, Antigua.
Serious though, Food has long played an intergral part in the Antiguan culture.
- The Sunday morning breakfast ---- Salt fish stewed down with tomato paste in your granny's special way. Yummy! You can have this with fungi(fungee) ,chap / chap, chap up (mash troba)---- Special Big Sunday bread, boil egg .. Gurl the smell of stay tea will wake you out of any bed ...
- What about when families use to swap Sunday dinner in their favourite pyrex dish. stew chicken was a favourite with browning gravy)
- When cooking the pot must always have exra just incase somebody drops by .
- What about Bumming---- Sticking around a person house until you finish prepare (lunch /dinner) for they knew they'll be invited to eat. However they will leave soon after when they belly full. Wow! I know some bummers in my life time.
- Saturday Night--- the snacks you bought when you were given a little pocket change ---only on Saturday.
- How about when the man of the house got almost all the (meat -kind) meat and he ate from the very best utensils.eg pyrex
- Fighting over food at a wedding . Wow1 This was usually between the family of the bride and groom. Wait a minute! I witnessed one such fight when the brides' family was packing up everything while the guests starved --- Yea starved for people only went to the weddings for the food. that was an angry bride though . She (hice up) raised her gown and gave the group a tongue lashing . Well she really curse them out . Man people start to put back what they did not bring . LoL - Wow! Wedding The Old Antiguan Way.
- If there was no goat water at the wedding it was ranked as poor. Still true in Antigua ................
The list is not exausted .. Yea! There is more. Hey how about using a bull to make goat water .lol ... You remember who which leader said that?
My country! Our Food ! Our Culture!
Enjoy my poem The Sweetest Food ........ use to come from Antigua
The Sweetest Food
Wha you mean wha me cook?
A cook Antigua's national dish'
Fungee and salt fish?'
Child no give me no back chat
Tonight a cook fungee wid pepperpat
You lickle boy come eat de pepperpat and fungee!
Wash you hand and foot and tank de almighty!
Wha you say you no badda feel hungry,
Only if the national dish a Kentucky?
But coo how this boy so rude,
Soon he will say de national dish is Chinese food
A wha me a hear and a see yaw tarl!
Child eat the pepperpot and fungee before you no ball.
You hear wha dis child just say to me
He say notting sweet ina Pepperpat and fungee.
See long, long, time ago, plenty a are you min small, small,
And dem dey so, no min evens barn
So me no are you dey na go memba,
But de sweetest food does come from Antigua.
Petata dumpling, saltfish and dookuna,
Occro fungi, shad, poopa and anchoba.
Cha-cha just really eat well,
Nyam one bambula, you drink more water dan in a well.
Dem dey, just be some real good dish
Especially stewed chub, doctor or old wife fish.
Den you hab you cabbage, carrot and edda
Yam, roast corn and roast petata.
And if you hab plenty mouth, and you need enough to suit
Man lick up some pepperpot, or some man soup.
And if you want you pickney fu trang, and hab plenty courage
Give dem rice, flour, or cornmeal porridge.
And to meck sure you no hab no lickle sickling
Give dem boil, fry or yabba dumpling.Dem some dey, sweet no man
Green fig and fish water meck you trang.
And when you done nyam all them stuff
You hab sour sop or nounou tea to full you up.
Dat is why I often pray
Please, please bring back dem old time days.
Pepperpot ….A Caribbean Woman's Story… Poems for the stageCopyright © 2007, Fransene Massiah-Headley>>
Agrofest --- Preserving The Barbadian Culture
Well I am so excited about Agrofest .. A unique opportunity for me to get a crash course in my husbands culture.
Wow !!! All in one place . I can't wait. I will be armed with camera and note book.
Now that I am living in Bim This crash course will be ideal for future reference.
Wow !!! All in one place . I can't wait. I will be armed with camera and note book.
Now that I am living in Bim This crash course will be ideal for future reference.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
- Flour is central to we culture but now Water More Dan Flour
Can you believe it ? The price of wheat is threating one of Antigua's culture.
Well to borrow a line from the poem No Culture!(Posted Yesterday)
"Our culture is cooking any ting wid flour.
Our culture is eating bread fu breakfast, lunch or dinner."
We also love our dumplin, either boil, fry, roast or yabba dumpling. Of course my favourite petata dumplin or ducuna. Flour is also use in the droppars - a soft dumpling drop from a spoon- for soups and pepperpot.
Like Nosey Nelly Say 'Flour central to we culcha."
Enjoy the recent poem Water More Dan Flour
Water More Dan Flour
What is dat me a hear in Antigua?
De miggle a February we go be outta flour?
Gyal Bacchanal a go be in Antigua
Cause flour is central to we culchar
For we eat bread, fuh breakfust, lunch and dinna.
Is We feeling the pinch Mr. Importa.
Help us now cause water more dan flour!
Subn go so fuh tru sista
E pan radio and ina news pearpa.
We go soon, soon run outta flour.
Carn meck dumpling, pangcake or duccuna
Wha people go eat ina Easta?
Is We feeling the pinch Mr. Flour Produsa.
Help us now cause Water more dan flour!
True, as a Caricom member,
We haffu support each odder!
Our flour come from St. Vincent and Grenada
Cause dem dey a de O.E.C.S supplier.
But dat price a agony fu all dem Antiguan bayka
Is We feeling the pinch Mr. Trade Coordinator
Help us now cause Water more dan flour!
Good! All governments coming together
Cause E need all heads fu study dis matta
A hope We de people is represented as one stake holder
For this matta goin affect mostly We de consumer
Ah awe feeling de heat, for We in de line of fire
Is We feeling the pinch Mr. Minista
Help us now cause Water more dan flour!
So E say! Awe no ina non danger
For de price na affect February orda.
But dem betta quickly meck one new structure
For ordering flour in Antigua!
By February 14th E ‘ll settle in fava of We and de baker?
I only hope all dem in de meeting remember
E need fu solve now, cause flour is central to we culchar.
Tarl ana true Mr. Radio Announcer!
Carn be! I feel dat man no memba
Dat, dat a de day fu de meeting bout de flour.
Eh! Eh! you intend fu go de C.C J fuh settle de matter
Sign me Nelly as number one witness fu de Consumer.
Mr. Minista, Coordinator, Producer, Supplier, Importa, Bayka
Solve it now! Cause in Antigua, Water more dan flour!
Fransene Massiah-Headley © ( from de files of Nosey Nelly © )
Well to borrow a line from the poem No Culture!(Posted Yesterday)
"Our culture is cooking any ting wid flour.
Our culture is eating bread fu breakfast, lunch or dinner."
We also love our dumplin, either boil, fry, roast or yabba dumpling. Of course my favourite petata dumplin or ducuna. Flour is also use in the droppars - a soft dumpling drop from a spoon- for soups and pepperpot.
Like Nosey Nelly Say 'Flour central to we culcha."
Enjoy the recent poem Water More Dan Flour
Water More Dan Flour
What is dat me a hear in Antigua?
De miggle a February we go be outta flour?
Gyal Bacchanal a go be in Antigua
Cause flour is central to we culchar
For we eat bread, fuh breakfust, lunch and dinna.
Is We feeling the pinch Mr. Importa.
Help us now cause water more dan flour!
Subn go so fuh tru sista
E pan radio and ina news pearpa.
We go soon, soon run outta flour.
Carn meck dumpling, pangcake or duccuna
Wha people go eat ina Easta?
Is We feeling the pinch Mr. Flour Produsa.
Help us now cause Water more dan flour!
True, as a Caricom member,
We haffu support each odder!
Our flour come from St. Vincent and Grenada
Cause dem dey a de O.E.C.S supplier.
But dat price a agony fu all dem Antiguan bayka
Is We feeling the pinch Mr. Trade Coordinator
Help us now cause Water more dan flour!
Good! All governments coming together
Cause E need all heads fu study dis matta
A hope We de people is represented as one stake holder
For this matta goin affect mostly We de consumer
Ah awe feeling de heat, for We in de line of fire
Is We feeling the pinch Mr. Minista
Help us now cause Water more dan flour!
So E say! Awe no ina non danger
For de price na affect February orda.
But dem betta quickly meck one new structure
For ordering flour in Antigua!
By February 14th E ‘ll settle in fava of We and de baker?
I only hope all dem in de meeting remember
E need fu solve now, cause flour is central to we culchar.
Tarl ana true Mr. Radio Announcer!
Carn be! I feel dat man no memba
Dat, dat a de day fu de meeting bout de flour.
Eh! Eh! you intend fu go de C.C J fuh settle de matter
Sign me Nelly as number one witness fu de Consumer.
Mr. Minista, Coordinator, Producer, Supplier, Importa, Bayka
Solve it now! Cause in Antigua, Water more dan flour!
Fransene Massiah-Headley © ( from de files of Nosey Nelly © )
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
What is Culture?
People seem to get culture and heritage mixed up. There is a definite correlation. However, I see the caribbean youths abandoning their culture...... leaving their heritage -their inheritance for a new culture know as Pop Culture.
What though is Antiguan Culture? Hmm
Enjoy A Poem from my Book ....
Pepperpot… A Caribbean’s Woman’s Story….. Poems for the stage
Enjoy the CULTURAL JOURNEY
NO CULTURE!
We no hab no culture? Well! Well! A yaw e dey.
But look how dem people no kay wha dem say.
First, what is the meaning of culture anyway?
Blackie dat say e look pointus
Say whenever you in doubt
You don’t have to fabricate story to gain clout
Just get one a dem big, helba, bright book and check it out.
So I consulted the oxford dictionary
And den gyal e become clear, clear to me
E say culture is developing de mind and de body.
It’s developing art ,music, and tradition.
Culture is like life’s ongoing education
It is de common behaviour of any nation.
Culture is not de people, but what de people do
So to say we don’t have any culture, is not true.
Yes, culture include our heritage
De food and behaviour from de olden days
Handed down by our grandparents to instill courage.
If you don’t believe me, you don’t have to get bex and cuss
Just check another big, helba, bright book and come to some consensus.
Do like me and consult the Oxford Thesaurus.
It will tell you a few words heritage means
Den it will tell you, check culture if you please
Gyal culture hab plenty, plenty words like rice and peas.
Culture is not de people, but what de people do
So to say we don’t have any culture, is not true.
De thesaurus say culture mean folklore, folkways, civilize tradition,
Law, instruction and education,
E mean habit, manners and de society,
Custom, inheritance and de family,
E mean study, music and history,
Art, science and poetry,
E mean paintings, dress, and architecture,
Knowledge, religion and literature,
I tell you dat, dat bright book have words in galore.
If you check it, e hab plenty, plenty more
But one ting you will realize for sure
Culture is not de people, but what de people do
So to say we don’t have any culture, is not true.
Antigua’s culture is saying howdy to de older folks you meet
Whether dey sitting in their yard or walking on de street.
Yes, it is our heritage to always say howdy
Even if your parents, and fu dem parents no agree.
Antigua’s culture is dat nosey neighbour
Who is always ready to help out any fire.
Our culture is dem taxi-men waving at us
Only when dey hab plenty tourist in dem bus.
Our culture is announcing what we going to de bathroom to do
Whether it is number one or number two.
Our culture is when we travel one week, big, big city
And come back, speaking and spoking like a fresh water Yankee.
Culture is not de people, but what de people do
So to say we don’t have any culture, is not true.
Our culture is cooking any ting wid flour.
Our culture is eating bread fu breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Our culture is salt fish, mackerel, shad or roast red herring
Wid boil, fry, petata or yabba dumpling.
Our culture is saltfish and choba on a Sunday,
Stewed down wid tomata paste in you granny's special way.
Our culture is fungee wid fish water or pepperpat.
Our culture is de dialect dat all awe chat.
Culture is art de Sea View Farm women display
As dey make flower pot and coal pot from de clay.
Culture is de music, calypso, mass and steel pan
Culture is each village’s orchestrated iron band.
Culture is not de people, but what de people do
So to say we don’t have any culture, is not true.
You know wha happen to dem people who say
Dat Antigua no hab none culture fu display?
Dem just a look fu prominence now a days,
While selling their culture and their heritage,
For de sweet counterfeit life dat dem envision
Dat sell so cheaply pan de cable television.
Den dem a de same ones dat quickly say
Antigua no hab no culture fu display.
Culture is not de people, but what de people do
So to say we don’t have any culture, is Not True!
Pepperpot ….A Caribbean Woman’s Story… Poems for the stage
Copyright © 2007, Fransene Massiah-Headley
Need a copy to experience your own cultural journey
P.s book comes with cd so you will hear Antigua's Nation Language
(More on the Language Later)
Best of Books
1268 562 3198 fax 1268 562 3198
St Mary’s Street, St. Johns Antigua
bestofbooks@yahoo.com
Progress Record Shop
V. C Bird International Airport …. Coolidge , Antigua
1268 4629278 fax 1268 4629278
Cloisters Bookstore
Hincks Street ,Bridgetown Barbados .Tel: 1246 4262662
Email.
cloisterbookstore@caribsurf.com
What though is Antiguan Culture? Hmm
Enjoy A Poem from my Book ....
Pepperpot… A Caribbean’s Woman’s Story….. Poems for the stage
Enjoy the CULTURAL JOURNEY
NO CULTURE!
We no hab no culture? Well! Well! A yaw e dey.
But look how dem people no kay wha dem say.
First, what is the meaning of culture anyway?
Blackie dat say e look pointus
Say whenever you in doubt
You don’t have to fabricate story to gain clout
Just get one a dem big, helba, bright book and check it out.
So I consulted the oxford dictionary
And den gyal e become clear, clear to me
E say culture is developing de mind and de body.
It’s developing art ,music, and tradition.
Culture is like life’s ongoing education
It is de common behaviour of any nation.
Culture is not de people, but what de people do
So to say we don’t have any culture, is not true.
Yes, culture include our heritage
De food and behaviour from de olden days
Handed down by our grandparents to instill courage.
If you don’t believe me, you don’t have to get bex and cuss
Just check another big, helba, bright book and come to some consensus.
Do like me and consult the Oxford Thesaurus.
It will tell you a few words heritage means
Den it will tell you, check culture if you please
Gyal culture hab plenty, plenty words like rice and peas.
Culture is not de people, but what de people do
So to say we don’t have any culture, is not true.
De thesaurus say culture mean folklore, folkways, civilize tradition,
Law, instruction and education,
E mean habit, manners and de society,
Custom, inheritance and de family,
E mean study, music and history,
Art, science and poetry,
E mean paintings, dress, and architecture,
Knowledge, religion and literature,
I tell you dat, dat bright book have words in galore.
If you check it, e hab plenty, plenty more
But one ting you will realize for sure
Culture is not de people, but what de people do
So to say we don’t have any culture, is not true.
Antigua’s culture is saying howdy to de older folks you meet
Whether dey sitting in their yard or walking on de street.
Yes, it is our heritage to always say howdy
Even if your parents, and fu dem parents no agree.
Antigua’s culture is dat nosey neighbour
Who is always ready to help out any fire.
Our culture is dem taxi-men waving at us
Only when dey hab plenty tourist in dem bus.
Our culture is announcing what we going to de bathroom to do
Whether it is number one or number two.
Our culture is when we travel one week, big, big city
And come back, speaking and spoking like a fresh water Yankee.
Culture is not de people, but what de people do
So to say we don’t have any culture, is not true.
Our culture is cooking any ting wid flour.
Our culture is eating bread fu breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Our culture is salt fish, mackerel, shad or roast red herring
Wid boil, fry, petata or yabba dumpling.
Our culture is saltfish and choba on a Sunday,
Stewed down wid tomata paste in you granny's special way.
Our culture is fungee wid fish water or pepperpat.
Our culture is de dialect dat all awe chat.
Culture is art de Sea View Farm women display
As dey make flower pot and coal pot from de clay.
Culture is de music, calypso, mass and steel pan
Culture is each village’s orchestrated iron band.
Culture is not de people, but what de people do
So to say we don’t have any culture, is not true.
You know wha happen to dem people who say
Dat Antigua no hab none culture fu display?
Dem just a look fu prominence now a days,
While selling their culture and their heritage,
For de sweet counterfeit life dat dem envision
Dat sell so cheaply pan de cable television.
Den dem a de same ones dat quickly say
Antigua no hab no culture fu display.
Culture is not de people, but what de people do
So to say we don’t have any culture, is Not True!
Pepperpot ….A Caribbean Woman’s Story… Poems for the stage
Copyright © 2007, Fransene Massiah-Headley
Need a copy to experience your own cultural journeyP.s book comes with cd so you will hear Antigua's Nation Language
(More on the Language Later)
Best of Books
1268 562 3198 fax 1268 562 3198
St Mary’s Street, St. Johns Antigua
bestofbooks@yahoo.com
Progress Record Shop
V. C Bird International Airport …. Coolidge , Antigua
1268 4629278 fax 1268 4629278
Cloisters Bookstore
Hincks Street ,Bridgetown Barbados .Tel: 1246 4262662
Email.
cloisterbookstore@caribsurf.com
Monday, March 3, 2008
Join me on a Cutural Journey - Antiguan Style
Celebrating Women
To All the Women Who Felt It
Honour
Honour the women
Who shook hands with time
Who laid their lives on the line
Who bore the pain
Who received no fame
Honour
Honour the women
Who struggled, laboured and toiled
Who buried tears, sweat and blood
in the Caribbean soil
Who resisted pride and suffered shame
Who worked hard to make a good name
Honour
Honour the women
Whom reality kicked and slapped
Who learnt how to slap it back
Who survived the Caribbean’s History
Who are now our Aunts, Mommies and Grannies
Honour
Honour the women who truly merit
Honour all Women Who Felt It
Honour
Honour
Honour the women
Who shook hands with time
Who laid their lives on the line
Who bore the pain
Who received no fame
Honour
Honour the women
Who struggled, laboured and toiled
Who buried tears, sweat and blood
in the Caribbean soil
Who resisted pride and suffered shame
Who worked hard to make a good name
Honour
Honour the women
Whom reality kicked and slapped
Who learnt how to slap it back
Who survived the Caribbean’s History
Who are now our Aunts, Mommies and Grannies
Honour
Honour the women who truly merit
Honour all Women Who Felt It
Honour
Pepperpot ….A Caribbean Woman’s Story… Poems for the stage
Copyright © 2007, Fransene Massiah-Headley
http//www.antiguasun.com/paper/?as=view&sun=430439099309062006&an=143429057211232007&ac=Special%20Feature
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