The pace at which things change in this country is remarkable, but even more so is the attitude of our people; one month we are bored with the Carifesta ads and the upcoming festival, and in a heartbeat we are suddenly bursting with excitement.
As peeved as I am that a few of the dearest persons I know were unable to get tickets to the opening and closing ceremony, it’s all still good because the whole thing will be televised live.
But if anyone has had the experience of sitting through the opening of a Carifesta or the opening of something as incredible as the Beijing Olympics, then they would know that there is no feeling like that of just being there.
Who knew a 15,000 capacity stadium that was so sparsely occupied at Cricket World Cup (which it was built for) would appear so small for Carifesta’s opening? Guess we had our major events mixed up, and Carifesta certainly is major.
Guyanese pride is something that is always underestimated. We are a proud nation and I and happy to say that I am a proud citizen. We love to be part of national events and to show up when our country is on show.
As unpatriotic as we appear all year we still make our way into the National Park on May 26 and sit through the ceremony; and as uninterested as we appeared since January with respect to Carifesta, look how we are piling up to get into events.
It is no secret that about two months ago or less many persons had no interest in Carifesta and many even questioned why we decided to take on the festival.
“I am not going, don’t have the time,” or “Why bother with that when I got work and school things to buy…” were the famous lines. But get this, they are lining up for tickets now and at times, fighting each other down.
I am just happy Carifesta is back home and that I will have the opportunity to be part of something that means more to Guyana than simply playing host. Carifesta is an institution in the region, and as poorly treated as it was for some time, it still symbolizes Caribbean unity and hope.
We celebrate not just our performers and artistes but we also celebrate our oneness; even in diversity we find that common thread that ties us. The Caribbean can be such a strange place sometimes, when some of us are not welcome in our neighbour’s home and when we shy away from our Caribbean identities but retain our addresses.
What is so different about what we eat and how we speak and dress, among other things? Not much, if you ask me. And what is different about our art and our writers and our day-to-day experiences as Caribbean people? Again, not much if you ask me.
Carifesta reminds us of this, and reinforces that point that we can move forward as one in the region if we choose to. If we can get together for two weeks and share and learn among ourselves for a cultural festival, we can certainly get together for much more.
I plan to mingle and see just about everything there is to see over the next few days, and even wear my Guyana jersey that I pull out on special occasions (if I can find it). There is so much to see and be a part of, and also miss, because we can only be in one place at one time. My last words: Carifesta, glad to have you back.
