Big up, Guyana!
Khan’s Chronicles
By Sharief Khan
Guyana Chronicle
February 25, 2007
FOR a while last week, I was getting worried about the lack of the usual coverage we accord to the activities in the run-up to Mash Day and was wondering if the biggest annual street event here was going to be a damp squib this year.
It was not for the want of trying, but our photographers couldn’t seem to find the frenetic Mash camps gearing for the Mash Day parade and jam session.
One photographer returned to the office Tuesday afternoon, scratching his head, saying “Chief, nothing doing. I can’t find the camps.”
He scratched his head some more, wondering if Mash was really on this year, but I quickly reminded him what a show the children had put on in Georgetown two Saturdays ago and that brought a wide Mash smile from him.
Well, we needn’t have worried. The Children’s Parade was just a good taste of what was to come.
And what a show it was!
If the gripes in some quarters about how VAT had hit people hard were anything to judge things by, there would have been fewer people out for Mash this year than last year.
But Mash was not about to become a second, third or fourth cousin to Cricket World Cup this year; and it was not going to fade behind the glare of the opening of Buddy’s International Hotel and Resort, or the hype behind the readiness of the stadium and other facilities for the CWC Super Eight matches to be played here.
Mash hit the streets of Georgetown on Mash Day with a crescendo that must have been heard beyond the shores of the country.
The traditional main routes for the Mash Day float parade were jammed with thousands upon thousands of people having fun in fine Guyanese style.
Even the rains, that at one point seemed about to put a damper on the massive celebrations, did not stick around, and night strolled in as fine a style as the day dawned – fine and dandy.
The mood, the spirit (not only the type in bottles) was infectious and Mash fever bit with a vengeance and VAT worries seemed to have been shunted into some dark vat, at least for the day.
Judging from the dirty carpet of garbage – food boxes, beer and other bottles – strewn along the main routes and clearly visible in yesterday’s clear morning light, there was no diminishing spending power on Mash Day.
(Take comfort you don’t care a damn brethren and sistren – you are not alone in your dump where you want and please culture. The Trinidad Guardian newspaper reported yesterday that the Port-of-Spain City Corporation spent a staggering TT$400,000 to remove garbage off the streets of the Trinidad capital after Carnival.)
Bars, food stalls, huge music boxes all around, and an endless stream of people – it was all a wonder to behold and sheer joy to be part of.
The sights and the wondrous delights and the bonding of people of all kinds – it was truly a grand celebration.
I don’t know if it was the sight of all the exposed flesh that brought a church group out in force to be part of the parade to try to put those who had strayed on the right path – but making a grand presence among the revellers was a church group, mashing along with the revellers and spreading their message. Hallelujah!
You know me – I am a man on the righteous path and I don’t stray.
But believe me, people, believe me, it was a huge, mighty, gigantic, mountainous, heavy burden to carry on Mash Day.
I watched and I saw and it wasn’t the heat from the sun that was making me dizzy from seeing hotties.
At times, I was breathless and when someone nearby asked why was I panting so much, my barely uttered response was “It’s da heat, da heat!”
But believe me, people. This was no Mash Day mirage. This was a mighty outpouring of Guyanese womanhood in all their glory. They outnumbered the men by the thousands and that for me was the real float and costume parade.
I missed all the big floats, but I didn’t miss a thing.
Lord, where do these Guyanese beauties come from on days like Mash Day? And they say Guyanese migrating in droves?
Well, if they are, someone’s got a secret factory hidden somewhere churning out lovely Guyanese by the hundreds for Mash and other glory days. Keep on churning secret factory!
There’s no doubt – Mash has come of age and it’s a people affair, no longer dogged by political and other petty considerations.
Mash Day saw people of all colours and creeds mixing freely and easily, out to enjoy a day of celebration, thrusting aside for a while their everyday worries and troubles.
And that’s as it should be.
There’s much that I saw on Mash Day to give the Most High praise and thanks for, and it’s not only that endless stream of Guyanese beauties.
It’s a growing and spreading feeling that Guyanese, like they did at the last August elections, are slowly but surely beginning to feel more proud as a people.
Mash is about attaining a status and Friday was not short in demonstrating how far we as a people have come.
Big up, Guyana!
I can’t wait for Cricket World Cup and I have already booked me a prime spot to watch the action.
What bounce on what pitch you asking me about?
I have got other things in mind.