Dear Editor,
As the President and his distinguished entourage descended upon New York City for their annual UN pilgrimage to the United Nations General Assembly, one can only wonder: amidst the weighty speeches on climate change and democracy, did they pause to support local content by indulging in Guyanese cuisine? Imagine, if you will, the President and his ministers huddled around a table at a cozy Guyanese restaurant in Queens, fighting over the last piece of pepper pot at Sybil’s, or debating who gets the last dhal puri from Little Guyana Bake Shop. Perhaps they sampled the infamous cassava ball from Pam’s Bakery or engaged in a spirited discussion on sustainable development over a round of black pudding at Singh’s Roti Shop and Bar.
After all, why settle for bland Manhattan banquet dinners when you could be enjoying fried banga from a Little Guyana spot that makes you question whether you’re in Georgetown or Gotham? Sybil’s might not offer a diplomatic immunity discount, but their chicken curry surely would remind them of home more than the overpriced caviar in Midtown. If they indeed ordered from these Guyanese restaurants, we should applaud their commitment to local content—taking it international, even! But the question remains: did the President follow up his lamb curry with a robust debate on the importance of the Natural Resource Fund? Did the oil talk blend with the oxtail stew? Did they, perhaps, in the spirit of transparency, inquire about the vendor’s taxes? One hopes their dedication to local content extended to the tip they left behind—though, given our government’s spending habits, we might be worried about the future of that checkbook.
But I digress. Should they have, instead, opted for fine dining at some soulless, Michelin-starred spot in Midtown, I think we’d be entitled to a national inquiry. After all, if we’re told at every turn to support “local content,” shouldn’t the nation’s leaders lead by example, no matter where they find themselves—be it the corridors of the UN or the streets of Little Guyana? In any case, whether it was chowmein from Kaieteur Restaurant or soup from German’s Soup or foie gras from the Four Seasons on their plates, rest assured, the spectacle of “supporting local content” should have surely followed them, even if only in spirit.
Sincerely,
Keith Bernard