Before ah start ...... leh meh jus say ..... dat is TT dollars ah talkin bout ...... and not US dollars!

I hear some crap on de TV6 news tonight ...... dat de Government had say some crap .... tuh de effect ...... dat ..... if yuh makin $665 per month ....... yuh livin ....... ABOVE de Poverty Line ....... Grrrrrrr????? ....... who draw dat line ...... a cokey eye man??? ....... and what hat dey pull 665 out of (a joker's) ...... is bess dey did say 666 ...... cuz dat is one evil pronouncement ...... clearly dat was just ah 'line' ...... cuz da'is like sayin it eh have no poverty in Trini ....... but anyway ...... yuh know me ...... I does hear ting skewed ..... and read ting dotish ...... so ah only hopin ....... dat what ah tink ah hear ..... is not really what ah hear ......

But talkin bout poverty ....... which I now know I live ABOVE ....... today ...... while makin some turns in de east ...... ah decide tuh stop off in Grand Bazaar .... tuh grab ah quick bite ..... not tuh sit down and dine eh ...... just tuh fuel up ...... til ah reach back home ...... so ..... after scopin out de food scene there ..... I opted for creole food ....... in ah lil inconspicuous place called Cafe Caribbean ...... well de fact dat dey didn't have no sign outside de place ..... shoulda set off de first alarm!

Anyway ...... altho from de outside de place look lil dark (second alarm) ..... it was pretty decent inside ...... clean(ish) ..... the tables were freshly wiped (i.e. they were all wet) ..... nice lil pictures was on de wall ...... de food was colourful ..... and ah was seein lil steam and ting ...... which was a good sight ...... cuz I like my food STEAMING hot ..... de vibes was OK ...... seemed like a good decision was made ...... so since it was ah quick scene ah was on ..... ah tell de gyul ....... tuh give meh ah bake leg (chicken) ...... and a block of de scallop potato ....... so my gyul organise meh ...... and it was off tuh de Cashier ..... two people were ahead of me ..... so while waiting in the de line ..... ah pull out two ten dollar bills ...... readyin mehself tuh pay ....... so anyway ..... my turn reach ...... de Cashier open de box ...... and start tuh punch on de register ....... so me now ...... I kinda takin eeeen what she doing ....... but not really understanding ....... cuz at first ah see $12 ....... and she pause ....... so ah tell mehself ..... whey, prices nice in dis place bwoy! ........ next ting I see she start tuh punch again ...... and $22 come up on de display ....... well ...... it had people in de line behind meh ...... so ah didn't want tuh make ah scene ...... after meh two eye close back ....... from meh eyeballs almost poppin out ...... I calmly dipped into my handbag ....... and had tuh pull out ah whole $100 ...... cuz ah didn't have no change ........ I couldn't believe that a chicken leg ...... and ah piece of potato pie (dat supposed tuh be 'scalloped') ........ cost me $22 ....... I so wanted to protest ...... but ah just didn't have the balls!!!!

So ...... ah bundle up meh $78 change ...... pick up meh lil box ah food ...... went tuh ah table ...... open up de box ....... freaked again (at the cost/portion ratio) ...... took one forkful out of the scallop potato ...... and immediately pulled out my camera ...... I just had to capture the injustice ....... cuz ah know allyuh does feel ah exaggeratin ....... it eh even taste good ...... it was yuk ....... and it wasn't hot ...... ah couldn't taste no cheese in de potato ...... den de chicken ....... which look more like pigeon ..... was hard ...... and cold ...... and small ....... and apparently my friend's food wasn't good either ...... we judged that book by its cover ..... and get real tie up!!!

Then while we were eating ...... two women ...... came into the place to beg ...... yeah ....... not for money one said ...... but for food ...... they both had children with them ...... don't know if they were connected ....... but it was just so sad! ...... cuz dis woman had tuh be livin ...... ABOVE de poverty line too ...... and still had tuh be beggin!!!

All in all ...... Cafe Caribbean was not a good experience ...... ah doh know if it was ah orf day fuh dem ..... but I do know ...... that I will NOT be risking it again!

Anyway ...... look some shots from today's travels ...... yuh will see why ah was so flabbergasted!!!




So this is Cafe Caribbean ...... a busy lil joint ...... doh know why?! ...... actually ....... comin tuh tink of it ...... is probably cuz of desperation ....... cuz Grand Bazaar only have bout 6-7 food places tuh service de entire mall ..... and hundreds of construction workers who workin on de flyover .....



..... and this is my meal ..... dat cost ....... TT$22!!! ..... no peas ...... no callaloo ...... no salad ...... no gravy self ..... jus ah mirasmeh, dry up chicken leg ..... and some dry ass 'cheese challenged' scallop potato ...... you could tell me ..... what in dat .... coulda possibly cost $22???!!! ..... an' ah put de fork ...... an' meh cell phone nex tuh it ...... so yuh could gauge de size ...... yuh eh see dey mad!!!! .... and I dotish (fuh payin fuh it!!!)




..... look de lady who was beggin (in de red top with the child) ...... she had jus finish beg everybody in de place ...... and then went and stand up by de food ..... tuh look at it ...... she eh buy any ....




Oh gorm ..... and look at what I could see ...... on leaving Grand Bazaar ..... yet another one of those very creative, effective ads/posters ....... advertising ah Chutney Cruise ..... on de Treasure Queen ..... from 9-6 pm ....... Geeeeezan!!! ....... dat rite? ...... cuz if dat rite ...... da'is de whole day!!! ....... 9 minutes of Chutney is so painful ...... worse again 9 hours!!! ...... I really hope de Coast Guard workin dat day yes! ....... cuz real people go want tuh jump off dat boat ...... you know what it is tuh be listenin tuh Chutney fuh 9 hours??!! ....... while yuh stuck on ah boat in de middle of de ocean!!! ...... check out Synergy Chutney Star on TV and yuh will see what ah mean!




....... and what dey mean 'Temporary' ...... de way tings goin in dis place ...... I lookin tuh buy one ah dem ting ....... and make it 'Permanent' ....... poverty line or no poverty line!!! ...... dat lookin like ah pretty viable option fuh me ....... cuz I cyah afford no million dollar house!




and again ...... de way tings goin in dis place ..... grocery carts and all ...... runnin from de grocery!!!