^{Start wid dis:} 

How true is de stories ah used tuh hear about govahment workers leavin home in de mornin an in two twos back home done wuk an lookin tuh start dey real job ah runnin PH? My admiration is not fuh dem buh de true hard wukkin govahment employees. De ones lookin ahead. De ones who doh bodder take no vacation so by de time dey ready tuh retire is endless time-orf dey have.

Why de onlyest ones yuh does hear about in de papers is poleece officers doh? So what eef past members ah de poleece executive went on dat ting call pre-retirement leave? Is dem alone dat committed? Eef I listen tuh de papers ACP Dick is just de latest example ah one who engagin in dis practice. Ah sure regular officers retire de same way.

Ah also sure it have regular poleece wid months an months ah vacation an dey not even close tuh retirin. Dey doh want tuh wait wid all dat time orf bunnin ah hole in dey pocket. What dey does do? Mih mout shut on stories ah hear an mih one job peltin de Guardian in de mornins doh qualify tuh open it.

Use it or lose it.

Dat is de system ah know. It unfair tuh all who hate de alternatives more. Doh take de piddlin time orf an be happy eef de company roll ah few ah de days over into de next year.

Steups. Ah cyar do dis nah.

Ah did start all dis orf tryin tuh be cynical buh de more ah try de more ah realize dat T&T doh have tuh be like udder places, it could be different. People cyar be slaves tuh no wuk.

One tuh two weeks vacation when yuh start ah new job is what I know about. In de years I wukkin ah cyar remember ah time dat ah co-worker take dey two weeks one time. Everybody wid be whisperin about dat brave person:

“Yuh tink de borse know is two weeks he goin for?”

“I wish I was dat brave”.

“Which part she goin tuh be gorn dat long?”

“Trinidad an where? Fuh what?”

“Carnival?”.

“Buh wait. Dey eh ban dat because ah de Ebola?”

Yuh eh hearin nuttin like dat in no T&T poleece station. Dedication nah. Maybe ah trip now an den tuh Tobago arong Easter tuh watch dem goat an dem run? Take een de jazz festival? Outside ah dat nobody eh tinkin vacation nah.

Mih hat orf tuh ASP Dick an udder govahment wukkers who did what he do, an who gettin tuh do it all now.

Mih guts tellin mih de resource management system dat allow tings like dat cyar be efficient. What is de alternative? De American way? Dat doh stand up good tuh udder places.

ACP Dick gorn fuh how long before he officially retire?

Two years?

Daaaaamn.

Den dat:

Ah not sure ah followin de logic ah dis medicine man. He say he goin tuh Africa, West Africa, tuh de countries hit by Ebola.

Why?

Tuh see how dem countries handlin tings.

Tuh which I say again: Dis world full ah dotish people an dey dotish ideas. I eh want tuh meet none ah dem, not on purpose. I interested in de person who hear de dotish idea an who eye get big big an who head only noddin up an dong, fuss dey in agreement wid de idea.

Who tell he, Dr. Colin Furlonge, dis trip is ah good idea, somebody who eh like he head? When he geh asked eef he prepared tuh be quarantined when he reach back tuh Triniland he say yes. Den he say being quarantined eh nuttin like what happen tuh dat nurse in New Jersey.

De way people reactin in de US ah have tuh wonder what Trinilanders go doh eef Ebola even tink ah reachin dey. New Jersey quarantinin fuh 21days any healthcare person who come back from treatin Ebola victims in West Africa. Virus or no virus.

Dis nurse tell dem not she an raise ah big stink. Dey let she go after ah few days oui. She ridin she bike an de poleece followin. De judge say dey cyar touch de woman.

Accordin tuh Dr. Furlonge, gettin quarantined not like how dey do dis nurse at first. He say all it mean is dat yuh gettin monitored tuh make sure yuh doh infect nobody.

Dat is what he medical dictionary say quarantine mean. Like de poleece an de nurse now? He might as well say he have ah herbal cure fuh Ebola.

In case ah fuhget?

Dr. Furlonge is T&T’s chief medical officer.

Doh fuhget de udder:

Dey battle in de short time dey play dem 5 games in.

Dey was even in de one against de US. All dey needed was tuh score once cause de US was cyatchin it nennen.

Dey fight hard in de udder two games dey lorse an should ah beat Mexico. Still, dey eh givin up on dey dream.

Dat is de spirit of warriors, not princesses. So yes, drop de Soca Princesses title an call dem who dey really is—Women Soca Warriors. Dey graduate. I good wid dat. Ah good too wid just namin dem Soca Warriors.

Fuh most people, gettin tuh de top ah dey field is what it all about. Dat said, each one ah dem players deserve what de govahment waltz een at de larse minute sayin each ah dem go get eef de team qualify fuh de World Cup.

Any ah dem was even studyin dat durin de game against Costa Rica? Dey playin fuh love ah country, personal accomplishment an someting dat wid tie de players tuhgedder fuh ever. Give each de money fuh showin all ah we who want ting handed tuh we on ah silver platter what real hard wuk an determination could do. Yes, it doh guarantee success buh it take yuh where ah lack ah commitment cannot.

Ah expect dem tuh beat Ecuador buh dem Ecuadorians want tuh win too. Dat is why dey playin against each udder, ent?

I is more dan ah football fan, especially when it comes tuh goalkeepers.

Ah doh like how goalies dese days does stay on dey line an tink dey reflexes go stop ah header from six yards out.

Goalies in short sleeves? Gloves an short sleeves? Dat supposed tuh be jokey or what? Who savin, Mutt or Jeff?

So ah love we goalie. She must be study me well.

Where mih Tobago people?

Timika?

When yuh come orf yuh line get de ball every time eh.

Yuh have tuh remind de udder team dat de penalty area is yours? Nah, not when de referee watchin yuh.

We match dat day was on de opponents’ field. In de bush. Behind God back.

From early ah realize fdey star forward needed tuh learn who own de penalty area so ah wait fuh him. Finally he rush at mih greedy.

Ah fake . . . . shoot, mih word quota use up? Great story too.

In de meantime Women Soca Warriors, buss goal on Ecuador.