Guyanese Christmas chronicles

Guyanese love Christmas. Christmas music is played as early as October and some people will ‘break up’ the house a month or more before they clean and decorate. In the weeks before the holidays, stores, markets, and pavements are crowded with vendors and shoppers. There are those shopping and those walking aimlessly or window shopping. Perhaps the crowds that are seen in places like downtown Georgetown would be smaller if people decided to visit for what they need and not to wander or spend money on things they do not need. Do we need to buy new curtains every year? Or furniture and electronics on hire purchase only to realize in January that we cannot afford to pay? I suppose some people are fine with having a merry Christmas and are not concerned with the embarrassment of issues like their items being repossessed. And perhaps whatever brings the Guyanese people joy during this time should not be critiqued since every day we are dealing with a barrage of misfortunes, injustices, and sorrows.

You know it is Christmas in Guyana when private taxi drivers double and triple their fares. Instead of charging the regular price, there are those who refuse to be fair. They would rather five people refuse to pay their exploitative fares before they get one customer. They not only exploit Guyanese at this time of the year, but everyday some of them exploit foreigners, like the Cubans, Dominicans, and Venezuelans. It was a taxi driver who informed me about this. Some drivers tell foreigners one fare to go to a location and where there are multiple passengers they demand that every person pay separately. Little is done to address xenophobia in Guyana. Certainly, we have a right to be concerned if we feel threatened about eventually being outnumbered or if some of those coming are prejudiced and/or seek to belittle us. The Guyanese people have a right to be concerned when there are some businesses, particularly those owned by Asian immigrants, that exploit Guyanese by paying them poor wages. Some of these business owners are also abusive to their staff. However, many immigrants are ordinary people who are trying to seek a better life as many Guyanese have done and are still doing in other countries. While we exploit the people who have little or nothing, many are turning a blind eye to those coming to make big investments to rob us our resources and, in the process, further damage the environment.

You know it is Christmas in Guyana when on almost every street in the city there is a traffic jam. It is a situation that is worsening with time and there seems to be no solution in sight. With no parking meters or parking garages, illegal parking is a normal part of the downtown scene.

But even though a trip down Regent Street at this time of year could take an hour or more, we are witnessing the construction of huge buildings and in some instances, drains are filled with concrete and other materials while the flooding worsens. Last week after the heavy rains it felt like I was traveling in a boat through flooded streets. I was shocked when I saw that even Square of the Revolution was flooded. In one neighbourhood I watched citizens wading in the waters and the germaphobe in me cringed thinking of the filth, including sewage and garbage, in Georgetown’s floodwaters. But the rich with dreams of becoming richer or those who dream of becoming rich are investing in constructing huge buildings and it seems not much thought is being put into how we will mitigate the flooding.

According to an article published in British magazine Time Out, Georgetown is one of nine cities that could be under water by 2030. Data from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, led to this report. Such a report should concern us, but it seems the average Guyanese are going to face this possibility with hope and prayers. Hopefully there will be mitigation strategies. It reminds us about how foolish it is to engage in activities such as cutting down mangroves in the name of oil, which will not save us.

You know it is Christmas in Guyana when social media is flooded with pictures and announcements about social activities. In this time of COVID-19 with a 12am to 4am curfew (which does not make much sense) there are those who will party through the night. And, though the government has issued a warning to businesses about breaching the COVID regulations, we know a blind eye will be turned when some do.

But it is the Christmas season and for a little while we are permitted to forget our troubles. The music, decorations and food should create warmth. The season should remind those who follow the Christian faith about the hope in their saviour’s birth.

This year for many Guyanese there may be no Christmas bonus, or the 7 per cent increase for public servants will cause some to reflect on how we sit quietly and allow governments to give us the bare minimum with little demands for better. Some will ponder the fact that sugar workers who received their severance pay when they were laid off received an additional $250,000 tax free while the public servants’ 7 per cent increase is being taxed. Some will finally realize that insanity is often unaddressed in this country, such as funding a sugar industry that is not making profits. We are reminded that in Guyana all are supposed to be treated fairly but the reality is that it is not so. Some will accept that the politics in this country continues to hinder our progress and that government and opposition are two wings of the same bird.

May the year 2022 be a year of change. May it be a year in which One Guyana is realized. We hope that there will be no more relatives and friends we must mourn due to the pandemic. Perhaps COVID-19 will finally disappear and once again we can breathe freely. Perhaps the Guyanese people will stand up for themselves. Not just one- or twoday protests before deciding that they have lost or are tired, but a revolution that will lead to freedom, respect, truth, justice, and equality for all. Happy holidays to all.