The G.A.T.E. question

"The government who gets rid of G.A.T.E. is a government that has decided to retire."

This was my attitude for years, an attitude which time has made me lose confidence in. G.A.T.E. is a government programme in Trinidad and Tobago which funds tertiary education for citizens. This leads to large number of T&T citizens staying in the country for college. On the other hand, this system has invited abuse in past years because of poor regulation. Instead of tightening controls, from what I can tell the programme has just become less accessible to people. Arbitrary rules and regulations have been set up with means students have to jump through hoops in order to receive funding for their education. While there is a need to make sure that G.A.T.E. funds are used appropriately, these regulations have made it harder for students to even get the funding. Students now even have difficulty getting funding if they want to switch programmes, and often G.A.T.E. pays students' tuition late.

While I do not receive G.A.T.E. funding myself, most of my knowledge of the troubles associated with G.A.T.E. come from the experiences of my friends and family. While successive governments have tried to make G.A.T.E. more efficient, their efforts have been like a bull in a china shop. There is huge concern right now that students are abusing G.A.T.E. funds and wasting taxpayers' dollars. The concern is valid, however their approach is worrying.

Suggestions have been made that the programmes and institutions which qualify for G.A.T.E. funding be reviewed, or a 50/50 loan programme be put in place. How do you judge which programmes deserve to get G.A.T.E. funding? Do the sciences and law get prioritised over humanities and the arts? With the rising cost of education, how much can students really provide towards tuition?

As a nation we've decided on certain national priorities, education being one of them. Funding is expensive, but the rewards are greater than the expense. A nation with more educated people is a nation whose citizens are more productive and are more perceptive. Regardless of the degree, when a person is educated that person is empowered. By deciding that education is right, not a privilege we decide that nothing can disqualify a citizen from that right and that systems will be designed to prevent abuse of that right. Delinquency is a huge problem that has to be dealt with. Making access to fund for education creates more problems than it does solutions, It can end up decreasing the number of people who can reap the benefits of the system.

Sunday Lunch

Sunday Lunch  is a Trinbagonian tradition. It's a time where a people who could already cook better than anybody else really bring out their best. It's when a family of two cooks for a family of six (and then has to invite over enough people to eat the food). It's a time where cooks make old favourites ad experiment with new dishes. It's a time to relax, to lime, to explore and to enjoy.

I made the beef and broccoli and the fried rice, mummy made the lasagne. #sundaylunch #daylate #womantohaveinyuhhouse

A photo posted by Anushka Robinson (@nushi.ke) on Jun 15, 2015 at 7:11am PDT

One of my own Sunday lunch experiments with mummy

Sunday lunch is one of my favourite meals because food is one of my favourite things. I love to come up with new dishes to try out and see how they turn out. The come out right for the most part! After leaving church, we usually head to the grocery store then head back home to cook up a storm.

If you enjoy the Sunday lunch tradition I encourage you to share with others. The St. Vincent de Paul Society of Assumption church is always looking for volunteers to donate a boxed lunch to the less fortunate. Outside of this area, enquire with your local charities to see if they have any similar progammes.

"Caribbean" accent

"You're from the Caribbean? Isn't that like Jamaica?"

 If you are from the Caribbean and have ever traveled outside, you have heard some variant of this. The first time you hear it you laugh it off and explain no, the Caribbean is an archipelago, made up of hundreds of islands. Yes some accents sound more similar than other but that's getting into phonetics.

 The reason for this blog is that I just finished reading Americanah by Chimanda Ngozi Adichie.* In it the main character Ifemelu, describes her driver as having a "Caribbean accent". I have no beef with Adichie, throughout the novel she allows her characters, even minor ones, to keep their national identity. This one instance struck me as strange, perhaps because of that. What is the Caribbean accent? It feels like it belongs to members of the Caribbean diaspora. Those who have left band together in voice to remember the lyrical patterns of home.

It certainly is not something Caribbean people agree about. Tell a Trinidadian that they sound like a Jamaican and see the look you get. Most Caribbean people can generally guess where you are by your accent. Of course there is the general "Small islander accent."**

I don't expect anyone outside of the Caribbean to instantly know what island a Caribbean person by accent. I just want it to be known we are not a homogenous society of white sand beaches and palm trees. We are not just a vacation destination. Know who we are.

 Bigger countries have no excuse anymore. America, you call us your backyard. And hey Britain, Spain and France! You colonised us for nearly 500 years, learn our names.

*Spoiler alert: It was fantastic like all her books are , I'll be posting a review later.

** I am so so sorry I am an arrogant Trinidadian bastard.