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Showing posts with the label 3rd world

Funny story about driving in Trinidad

Driving in a 3rd world country On my last trip to Trinidad, I was finally able to articulate why I am so reluctant to drive there. When I first moved to the U.S I did drive in Trinidad whenever I went back, but after a few years, I would always go back during the summer school vacation and my brother, who is a school teacher, would graciously drive us around. This time, school was in session, and while I could have borrowed the car, I declined, choosing instead to ground my sons and I.  In a hot house. Why? Ahhh.. De Reflexes an' de Roads Long story short - I feel I no longer have the reflexes required to function safely and successfully on the Trinidad roads.  Yes, my reflexes have been dulled by the well-behaved Austin drivers, smooth roads and relatively well-organized transportation system. Also, you drive on the left in Trinidad. So now I move into a little Trini to capture the essence of my adventures. Picture it. Yuh drivin' along, an' yuh busy try...

Mama, who is crap?

Yes, so I said "Crap!" out loud and Lucas, my 7-year old asked me who that was...so I had to explain that I used that term as an expression of frustration. My innocent Lucas. But it reminds me that I need to be careful about what I say in front of my baby parrot, Liam. I will be undertaking, the highly inadvisable, stress-inducing, international-flight-with-lap-child come the end of the month, and I expect that I will be inclined to use much stronger terms as I hustle through 2 airplane changes, customs and immigration. It will be 6 years since I was last in Trinidad and while I am excited to be back home, I cannot help but feel some degree of trepidation about the visit. Don't get me wrong, if it was just me, no problem, but I have a vague sense of unease about exposing my very American-sounding and American-looking children to a third world country in this present climate. It is very difficult to explain to anyone who has not been outside the United States how much...