The Last Word

I wouldn’t consider myself a die-hard Beyonce fan but two weeks ago I guess I could have fooled a lot of people into thinking otherwise.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is one of the most debilitating mental illnesses there is.

There are aspects of my life that I hope to always retain despite how it may change over the years.

According to a Forbes report in 2020, Guyana is said to have the largest diaspora population in comparison to the rest of the world (36.4%).

Uncivilised, violent, devil worshipping and a country inherent in bad luck are some of the stereotypes most of us tend to believe of Haiti and Haitians.

Not a single word or words stringed together will ever be able to bring any sense of comfort to the family and friends reeling from pain after learning that they have lost loved ones in the Mahdia dorm fire.

When designers produce accessible collections with leading fast fashion brands or significantly slash prices of their merchandise six months later to clear the way for new collections, I always question the real value of the supposed luxury. 

Examinations and tests have always made me nervous. There is something so definitive about them that sometimes makes it hard for one to divorce one’s self-esteem from the outcome.  

To travel without a visa to a country where you once needed it feels awkward and strange.

According to a Forbes report in 2020, Guyana has the largest diaspora population in comparison to the rest of the world (36.4%).

The land of baguettes, macarons and luxury has caught fire yet again and I don’t say such to gloat or make fun, but rather to serve as a reminder that even the most idealistic places that we tend to romanticise and idealise have their own problems.

Learning to stand up for oneself is a hard skill to develop and even more so when one is navigating this under established power dynamics.

If anyone asked me to roll a spliff or to differentiate between the varying qualities of cannabis, I would fail miserably.

The irony of seeing so many lengthy messages of support for women and the importance of their contribution to society for International Women’s Day when just a mere two days before a woman was murdered by her partner was aggravating.

Privilege is being able to look the other way without batting an eye because you know those problems would never be yours.

For this year’s final column, as we prepare to reflect on 2022 which raced by faster than Usain Bolt, kept and forgotten resolutions, the uncertainty of the new year and the anxiousness to bring this chaotic one to an end, here is an interview with Elsie Harry, who documented a full year of her commitment to no shopping and living more sustainably.

I left Guyana in 2008 for approximately four years to study in Wales.

Greenhouse gases, climate neutral, fossil fuels, rising sea levels, emissions and global warming are not words and phrases one would necessarily associate with clothing and a glamorous lifestyle.

One of my biggest fears about getting pregnant is how much my body will change and how long it might take me to feel like my old self again, if that is even possible.

Annalee Gonsalves. Nirmala Sukhai. Simone Hackett. Kescia Branche. Rosemary Rudder. Mariam Edwards.