BWIA flight attendant Stephanie Johnson’s first love, undoubtedly, is her son Aaron of 16 years. Second, it’s her job of 26 years. They’re undeniably two demanding jobs, a single-parent mother and breadwinner, but it was obvious that Stephanie’s hands were not yet filled. There was room for another love. She calls it “social work” — helping unknown artists become recognised. She lingered upon an idea long enough, six years, to see it to fruition. It was mere admiration for her co-workers’ artwork that moved her to pull together a few of their pieces and launch the first of a series of art exhibitions that would eventually give birth to an art gallery known as “Gimpers” in St James. The year-old Gimpers also deals in art supplies and novelty gifts. She is a gimper — one who goes beyond what is required or expected of her. She obtained the name from a prayer book. “So many friends of mine, flight attendants, had their work sitting down at home and I said ‘why don’t you show people your work?’ I knew it was work people should be seeing and should not be hidden at home.” In short time, Stephanie had put things in place. She’d called up the mall where she would showcase the art, arranged for a photographer and invited the media. She also obtained monetary sponsorship to rent the mall. The atrium of West Mall was the venue. “I took the gallery to the people. Let’s say some people come into the mall to buy shoes and on their way they see the art, they say, ‘oh, art, let’s go look at it.’ Now on leaving home those people didn’t set out to go to an art gallery, and that’s how the art gets seen,” said Stephanie. “I started off with 10 artists. Now some of them have solo shows, others have gone off to university and others never painted again. They’re not all success stories but it has been a stepping stone for many.” Her current clientele consists of artists who were recommended by other art galleries. Others walk into the shop or visit the art exhibitions and give their name and number. Stephanie added to her list, Nicholas James, who walked into the store during our interview. He specialised in abstract art of forms and genders. Though he found a market in Tobago for his work, he wanted to test out the Trinidad market.

She was impressed by James’ creative use of crocus bag for framing. Not all art pieces brought in, though, are ready for the market. “Sometimes I feel they need to do a li’l more work so I’d tell them go back and work on your shadowing, lighting or your focal point,” she advised. Stephanie’s not an artist, but has an eye for art. “The Trinidad Art Society president at the time (when she started out) gave me pointers,”  she said now she is able to help new and young artists improve their work. Artist Cassianna Lindsay, 14, is the youngest of the bunch whose work is on display at Gimpers. At age eight she was already marketing her paintings. Some were sold, a few now hang on the walls at Gimpers. “Because she is not recognised, her work wouldn’t go on display with the popular names at other art galleries,” Stephanie said. So, by means of fliers, word of mouth, art exhibits and workshops, art enthusiasts get their chance to view work put out by Gimpers. A small service charge is taken out when a picture is sold, which goes toward the store’s rent and the purchase of art supplies. “I don’t go beyond selling a painting for $2,000,” she said. The paintings are varied and very unique. They range from Paulette Alfred’s abstract work, with its use of recycled paper, to Judith Shaw’s still life paintings which incorporate items in and around her home. At last month’s art exhibit, held at Long Circular Mall, Gimpers sold 21 paintings. “It’s very satisfying to see I’m able to help someone and lift someone up. You know, give someone a fish and they’ll always be hungry, teach them how to fish and they’re fed for life.” The exhibitions are held twice annually. “Of course there are the ‘thank yous’.

Artists tell me if it wasn’t for Gimpers their art would not have been noticed and when the pieces are sold that boosts their ego and gives them encouragement. I tell them this is a stepping stone, you could run with it, you could bury it or you could step on it to see the horizon. You do what you want with it.” When Stephanie takes on the role of flight attendant, her sister holds the fort. “My mother told my sister that she was working for crime, because crime doh pay; running the art shop is charitable.” Stephanie is purser aboard BWIA flights. Her role as purser entails giving speeches over the intercom, assigning flight attendants positions, paperwork and general overview of the flight. She also mans the first class section. She doesn’t view her job as “a glorified servant,” as it’s known by some, but told People: “I’m a professional. My main feature is the safety and welfare of my passengers.” The key to being an efficient flight attendant, she said, “is being pleasant and having a positive outlook on life. I always tell my son he should always have a PMA, a Positive Mental Attitude.” In her 26 years as flight attendant, Stephanie has met with “problem” passengers who have tried to disrupt her peace. She said: “I don’t take the problems as a personal attack. They may have a quarrel with BWIA, but by the time the flight is over we’re best of friends…” Any pre-jitters or fears she has prior to a flight? Stephanie said: “Before I go on a flight I say my personal prayers and at the end I give my thanks. That’s my office we’re talking about. Even at Gimpers I sweep and bless this place. I trust in the Lord 120 percent.” When Stephanie is not on duty, she spends “as much time as I can” at her Diego Martin home with her son. “I like to try to get into his head. We chat a lot about different things. We still rough play.” And, there’s her garden, where she grows just about “everything” — from vegetables to flowers and “I like making pottery.”

When the announcer called out her name that night in October 2002 at NBN’s TT Miss World competition, 20-year-old Tiva Lee Samaru was elated to know that she would represent Trinidad and Tobago at this year’s Miss Carival Pageant in St Vincent (come Friday July 4). But she is accustomed to receiving accolades, for the brainy Arima beauty had also copped the Miss Body Beautiful title in that same competition, not to mention sweeping the Miss Physique, Miss Amity and the Best Evening gown titles at the Miss Teen TT show in 2001. Did I also mention that she won that show as well? But Samaru’s life is not just about pageants, for she has a serious head on her shoulders. The former North Eastern College (Sangre Grande) and St Joseph Convent student possesses eight O’ Level subjects and is presently working towards attaining an Associate’s Degree in Hotel Operations at the Hospitality Institute in Chaguaramas. Incidentally, she’s got a twin sister, Taleah. “Being a twin is the closest thing to being a celebrity, because everybody knows both of you,” she said with a laugh. However, their career paths are not as identical as their appearances, as Taleah is serving our country as a member of the TT Coast Guard. “But it was she who ‘forced’ me into entering the pageant, really,” Samaru confessed, laughing all the while. “You see, this is really my first major pageant. Now my sister doesn’t like pageants much, even though at one time she used to model. But after she joined the Coast Guard, she started to enjoy the military life more than civilian life, so modelling doesn’t appeal to her as much. She was the one who suggested that I enter the pageant though. I mean, it wasn’t going to cost me anything  to send the resume, now! (Giggles). So it really was a shocker to get through and to reach this far. But I’m proud and happy about my upcoming trip to St Vincent for the Miss Carival Pageant.”

To date, Trinidad and Tobago has had two Miss Carival Pageant winners one of whom was Brenda Joy Fahey (who represented TT at the 1985 Miss Universe pageant). The pageant started some 15 years ago and originally began as a Carnival pageant in St Vincent, to highlight the various costumes of the Caribbean region. It’s since evolved into a showcase of talents and cultures and it was just within the last six years that Latin American countries have become involved. Interestingly enough, 2002 was the first year that the St Vincent and the Grenadines representative, La Ferne Fraser won the pageant. She will be giving up her crown on July 4. At the pageant, Samaru will compete against representatives from eleven countries (Antigua-Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St Kitts & Nevis, St Martin, French West Indies and Venezuela)… but she’s not worried. For one thing, the Miss Carival Pageant is one of the few where the contestants have to perform a talent besides the standard costume, swimsuit, evening gown and interview sessions. “I guess this will be my first talent-based competition; I’ll be playing the steelpan and doing an interpretive dance,” Samaru said proudly. “I’m going to introduce my song first, so I’m coming out dancing with the pan sticks, and I’ll be making my way to the pan and after I do my pan piece, (there will be a chair centre stage) so I will dance, using the chair. Very interesting! Actually my confidence level is really high right now, not too bad. I guess it’s because I’m still in the preparation stage, so I don’t know about when I do get there. I’ve been getting a lot of help from the team at NBN and having former Miss TT Universe Josie Ann Richards and Pauline Raynor take care of my vocal coaching is absolutely wonderful, because they are both knowledgeable in their respective fields.

The Inn Collection is giving me swimwear too, and Legends (Big Mike and Ian) are handling my costume, called Trini 2 D Bone. Best of all, my gown is being done by Heather Jones and Anthony Brownie Mc Farlane…and I can’t wait to see the final product!” Samaru admitted that she would like to continue to enter pageants while completing her degree, but she has high expectations for her upcoming appearance in St Vincent and the Grenadines. Her biggest supporters in this venture are her parents, especially her father. And if you’re wondering if she’s single… sorry guys, she’s in a loving relationship with her boyfriend of 18 months. Right now, she’s enjoying the experience and like past pageant winners (who she emulates) like Giselle La Ronde-West, Arlene Peterkin-Alario and Wendy Fitzwilliam, Samaru intends to do her country proud. “In closing I want to say a huge thank you to everyone that has supported me, taught me and helped me to get this far, especially those involved like NBN, Butch Limchoy, the media, everyone who made contributions to my wardrobe, my family and friends. Also, it’s my hope that I will return to Trinidad and Tobago on the 9th of July, with my crown for all of you.” We wish Tiva Lee Samaru much success in her venture.

After three years of serious effort and frustration, the relief that accompanied the thought of graduating (UWI) this year was inexplicable. I will not deny that there was the feeling that “I know… I am out of university.” The feeling of superiority left when a day or two after its arrival, my father — the voice of pragmatism — gave me a reality check. Thousands of persons will graduate from UWI and other tertiary-level institutions this year. In many cases, having a first degree barely gives an individual the cutting edge anymore, especially in areas that have become saturated with experienced, knowledgeable, zealous persons…and yes — those with degrees. I say barely because I think there is a certain kind of discipline and mental preparation that can be found in little else except studies of some kind. However, it is far from being the closing of a book on “How to…” Of course, I am by no means saying that the pursuit of higher education is futile. In fact, it is not always enough. Failing such pursuits, there is the added pressure of finding ways to satisfy a growing demand for rational, intellectual, communicative, well-informed…(the list goes on) individuals. We see a myriad of persons who have attained higher levels of education, who have more skill and are more familiar with the areas that interest many of us, draw from their abilities everyday, proving themselves repeatedly. I began to close the book without giving it a second thought, only to discover that I had only read the preface. University, or any kind of preparatory endeavours that develop proficiency, keep everything in focus. I am not entirely sure that I can quote endless bits of Shakespeare, Donne, Selvon or Naipaul at a moment’s notice. However, I subscribe to the notion that society is very complex in its daily routines though these routines are subject to change. There is very little that can be done except to ensure that attention is now given to stretching myself in many ways. It is a notion that, for me, was revealed after three years of endless reading as an English major and experiencing that microcosm of society existing as the St Augustine campus.

Therefore, the pressure has just begun. I find myself attempting the most difficult book that I will ever have to read. I also find myself reading while demands for alertness and intuitiveness as an individual grow steadily. Thus, the chapters seem long and daunting. Attempting this book requires a keen mind and mastery of talent that can only come when efforts are made to broaden the scope of my vision. Graduates of any quest to achieve higher learning must now ensure that the range of our skills goes beyond the academic, covering as many fields as time and lifestyle permit. It is especially difficult for young adults and those younger than ourselves as there is that constant battle between wants and needs that can often lead to disillusionment of who we are, why we are here and that inevitable question that faces all of us at one point or another — where are we going? The sun gets hotter as morning progresses and we have now begun to feel that mid-morning heat. Degrees are increasing in number and while it is possible to face the heat unprotected, it is crucial to arm oneself with the necessary tools that will prevent us from being burned. Daddy would say: “you just have to keep doing and doing …anything constructive… and life would become easier.”

That never made as much sense as it does now. The more we do, the better prepared we are for the unexpected because “you’ll just have that combination of skills and experience that someone else may not have.” Therein lies the advantage of preparation. If anyone has any doubt, simply look at the requirements for a well-paying job. At the very least, it amounts to experience, communicative skills and tertiary education. We are now faced with the burden of grasping any opportunity and acquiring any qualification not only to get good jobs, but also to become well-rounded individuals. What makes it more difficult is that as we read, we write. We read what is there already and use it to determine the ongoing plot, the characters and ultimately the success of its reading and authorship. Meanwhile, the pressure swells and the beads of our labour form on our shining foreheads as we carry the weight of that stress. For those of us who hate to read, or are unwilling to make the effort, get ready to feel the heat…a high degree of heat.

The loss of her beautiful singing voice a decade ago did not daunt this outstanding woman. Sitting for hours at the piano keyboard, letting her fingers do the singing, something wonderful emerged. Bernadette Laughlin-Scott, a musical child prodigy, undergoing the painful experience of losing her voice, decided to concentrate on evangelising. Her name is synonymous with music and singing. The Love Movement, now with junior and senior choirs, was her brainchild. Years of hard work and devotion are responsible for this group’s tremendous success, both locally and internationally. Passionate about this major aspect of her life, most of her waking moments are spent in planning and preparing for her students. In 1991, she embarked on a Youth Outreach Programme (YOP) and children’s choir, aptly named the Lights of Love. She combines music and spirituality as a medium through which lives are touched and healed. In so doing, Bernadette believes that God is using her for far greater work than could have been achieved had she been performing as a soloist. Recognising the problems facing youth, Bernadette’s YOP was born out of a desire to provide young people with a release for their energies and frustrations, which invariably cause them to succumb to negative peer pressure. To this end, Bernadette has included girls from St Jude’s School for Girls, St Dominic’s Children’s Home and St Michael’s School for Boys, spending tireless hours training, coaxing, and even counselling them when necessary. They have been a part of The Love Movement’s productions for the past ten years. Kristal Quammie, a 17 -year- old from St Jude’s Home, reflects the views of her friends: “Auntie Bernadette shows us so much love and respect. She is truly inspirational and gives us a reason for carrying on. She always has time for us.” She emphasizes spirituality in every aspect, as her main thrust is in presenting Gospel musicals while still including pop, Broadway and calypso music.

Over the years, Bernadette became more and more concerned about the lifestyles of the young people in Trinidad and Tobago, especially their lack of moral standards, increasing use of drugs and alcohol and involvement in early sexual behaviour. She realised that she could use her God given talents to reach out to the youth through the medium of music, thus offering them alternatives to their lifestyle. In July 1990, the group began a series of youth concerts throughout Trinidad. These Outreach concerts were also used as a forum for sharing with the audiences life-changing testimonies of persons who could be role models to young people. The outstanding success of these Outreach concerts was fulfilling to Bernadette and encouraged her to include sessions of prayer, counselling and exposure to the performing arts. The Love Movement Youth Outreach Programme was born out of the public’s staggering response to these concerts and meetings. The unique feature of this programme is the emphasis on using and developing the youth’s natural talents in the field of creative and performing arts. According to Bernadette, “young people love to sing and dance; this comes naturally to them. So when we can channel this energy to make a positive impact on their lives, then we are really doing something for them. They also love to go on stage; our concerts provide them with this opportunity. This of course helps to boost their self esteem.” The very title The Love Movement was coined specifically for the purpose of sharing love amongst its members and by extension, the wider community. Through the unconditional love of Bernadette Scott and The Love Movement’s members, lives are transformed and emotional wounds are healed. The programme is offered free of charge to any young person between the ages of 12 and 21; weekly meetings are held at their centre in St Ann’s. The group goes on hikes and generally enjoys ‘liming’ and sharing their personal experiences in a positive loving atmosphere. 

Bernadette credits her spirituality to her parents. “I grew up in a home where family prayer was a must. My parents, who died in their 80’s, prayed every day of their lives and so we learnt from example. I constantly tell parents that the best investment they can make for their children is to pray for them everyday. It’s time that we realise there’s a spiritual warfare existing….there are other forces lurking everywhere, but God is there for all of us all the time. These forces draw us away from the tunnel of light; we take the easy way and it is only when we find ourselves in darkness that we start looking for Him. Holding onto Jesus carries me all the time.” She has been faced with several setbacks but emphasizes that those tragedies made her more aware of people and their pains. Now at age 57, this livewire starts her day at 6 am, tries to go to Mass every morning “to get the strength and guidance I need to feed others during the day,” and then takes her keep-fit walk. She is one of two full-time organists at the Church of Assumption, plays at funerals on request, teaches music at primary school a few days per week and spends whatever free time she has looking for suitable music, planning materials for costumes and any of the other numerous requirements of managing her YOP and the three choirs that make up The Love Movement. In addition to this, two major concerts are held each year as fund raising events to defray the costs of running her various programmes. She is very hyped about her YOP, which she adds, “provides a positive environment. The youths interact with persons of their age; share the same values, morals and talent. It is an environment of enforcement of spiritual values. Our focus is to be a light to the world. Actually, the first requirement for being a member of the senior group is to want to make a difference in the world. Having a good voice is not all. One must also be prepared to look at oneself, live a good life and spread the love of Christ.”

What fuels the fire and provides the energy for this passionate woman to go on? What is the driving force that consumes and propels her from one project to another? Bernadette remembers her childhood, when she would go to the chapel and share her pain with Jesus at times of unhappiness. She always felt consoled after speaking to God and gained confidence to go on. It is still so today. Her life has been enhanced by the knowledge that she has touched many people’s lives, especially young people. Her praises are high for her son Damian, now 25, who, in spite of having undergone many difficult times himself, is ever compassionate and understanding “when Mummy is in her bad moods”, invariably as a result of overwork and long hours away from home. Next weekend, The Love Movement celebrates 31 years of love with a production at Queen’s Hall entitled ‘An Incredible Love’. The Lights of Love Children’s Choir, The Youth and The Senior Choir will delight audiences with an interesting repertoire of songs. Countless hours of practice will have gone into these performances, which will undoubtedly be successful. Bernadette’s insistence on perfection is very obvious; I myself can attest to this, having recently attended one of these rehearsals. Bernadette longs for the day when The Love Movement will find a group or corporate sponsor. A loving and compassionate ‘Auntie Bernadette’ has improved and influenced the lives of many youths, offering them a foundation on which their self esteem, discipline, moral principles and holistic development can be built.

HIDDEN away in the back of St Augustine, Mohammed Street to be exact, is a place called Anapausis. What is Anapausis? It means refreshing and serenity. It is owned by husband and wife team of Subesh and Debbie Ramjattan and it deals with ensuring that family life is preserved. The Anapausis Community is a dream come true for the Ramjattans who opened the Centre a few months ago. The state-of-the-art building is now becoming well-known for its activities and according to Ramjattan, he is very proud of what he and his wife have achieved. While thousands of Trinidadians were enjoying the Corpus Christi and Labour Day holidays, either at the beaches, abroad, or at cricket in St Lucia, Anapausis was the venue for more than 150 couples – married and those engaged to be married. Couples came from Venezuela, Guyana and Barbados to hear internationally-acclaimed speakers David and Sande Sunde of Louisville, Colorado. There was also American Gabe Buchholz who attended the two-day conference to train persons to be facilitators in the Home Builders programme. The Sundes, parents of three girls, were instrumental in establishing Family Life International in 1976. The two-day conference was designed to give couples the practical tools to resolve conflict, understand each other, open channels of communication in the home, and bring couples closer to their loved ones.

Based on the response of the 150 couples present, the conference was very successful with many looking forward to the next one on Corpus Christi 2004. The Family Life Center at Anapausis is run by Trinidadian Steve Mohammed and his wife Cecile, a national of the Phillippines. Mohammed said he went to the Phillippines to teach where he met his wife. They were married in 1991 and relocated to Trinidad, where according to Cecile, she was well received. “My in-laws are just fabulous,” Cecile told the 300 participants at the conference. One of the issues at the conference was “Anger Resolution.” Anger is the number one cause of damaged marriages, abused children, and violence in the home, school and workplace. It is the common denominator among juvenile delinquents and the reason that so many youths are running away from home. Many people think they have no problem with anger because they only “blow up once in a while.” According to David Sunde, “how would you like to live next to a volcano that only erupted once in a while?” He added, “you would have continual tension, wondering if today was the day it would erupt.” This obviously brought laughter from the participants. Sunde listed the symptoms of anger — irritability, impatience, raised voice, glaring eyes, hurtful words, explosive actions, argumentation, and clenched teeth.

The Donna I first knew was a teenager in shorts and T-shirt, cap turned backwards and sitting in front of a picket fence. What’s up Charlie Brown? was the name of the Belinda Barnes production at Secondary School’s Drama Festival and Donna won the best actor award for her performance as Charlie Brown. That was 1985. The next time I saw Donna, she had flaming red hair and was very enthusiastic about her role in the opera ‘Murder Anyone?’ at Queen’s Hall and maybe it was at this junction that she entered a solitary world of live entertainment. Prior to this red, the colour of my spirit, born to be free and to affirm life era, Donna was an actress in Raymond Choo Kong, Lagniappe and Ragoo Productions — the years before 1998. It was no surprise then, to meet her again in Tobago, 1999, doing a one-man stand-up comedy and boy was it adult! The language and content was x-rated but the issues were very relevant and the diction superb. For some, Donna’s entertainment might be considered “gross” and a turn-off; for others, therapeutic laughter.

“I’m always in awe of people liking me…once a man told me that his father whipped out a chaplet to pray for my condemned soul during a performance; I affected him so much…must have been something rude or blasphemous I said – but it was OK that it wasn’t positive. “Another man came up to me and said that I was ‘very gross’,” Donna went on to say, “but two weeks later, he came back to see the show, this time he wasn’t in the front, he was in the back; so I asked for the houselights on and I went to town on him. I thought it was kind of cute, seeing him again.” She stuck with the colour red, as she now drives a red car but the colour of her hair is presently light blond which is nearer to her natural dark blond tone and she describes herself as “an oddity, pseudo-syrian, a woman and ‘white’ (in quotation marks).” How does such an individual survive in a predominantly male, black comedian world? Simple. You can see for yourself by attending any one of her shows coming up — July 4 at Jean Pierre Complex; July 5 at Guaracara Park and July 6 at Shaw Park. But don’t come expecting it to be a crusade. She’s not working with that standard in her head that says “this is the way I should be.” No sir, Donna is going to give you the issues live and direct in her own naturally clever, witty, raunchy style. What’s the price she pays for her downright honesty to the issues she presents? Loneliness. “I talk to myself a lot. I know that I have taken my family through a gamut of emotions but I don’t live my life to make sure they are proud of me and likewise me of them.” Her father is Lebanese, mother, very conservative and she is the last of seven girl children.
   
It is also difficult for her to pin down a relationship when “men can’t handle what I do” or even their friends, so there is peer pressure. Also, “I have very few female friends since some women are conservative and are not comfortable with my presentation of adult issues while others live vicariously through them.” Donna lives on cod liver oil tablets, multivitamins and a high protein, low carbohydrate diet. Oh yes, and coffee. Also, she pigs out from time to time on junk. This gives her the energy to do her work. I went to see what her work was like and I met Michael Salloum and George Gonzalez. Is this a “white” thing or what, one might ask. But what is “white” in Trinidad? George (a co-host on 105 FM Mixed Nuts and Cork Your Ears, a sexual talk show) is the Iraqi General Isabulla while Michael is performing as Elvis Presley. In comes mini-me Elvis in the form of the midget Cyclop and Priscilla Presley, Donna Hadad, who calls him Lisa Marie. Well, that was a sneak preview of the brainstorming I was privy to on Tuesday. Debra Maillard was also thinking on her car’s steering wheel while reshaping the Bollywood episode I believe, and Louis Antoine was potting around for his script.  A script, which Donna later pledged four hours to an internet caf? in St Augustine to type, at least, the first act. But having dabbled in drama myself, I know too well the last few days rush to get production off the ground. The show promises to be exciting, with a mixture of skits of varying themes. And to add spice to the “bad girl of comedy” segment are Tommy Joseph, John Agitation and the Crazy Catholic among others.

“I know I sound aimless…but I have absolutely no idea what I’m going to do next,” were Donna’s parting words. She’s a great classical singer but doesn’t feel she can sing calypso. Maybe she would continue her home tutored tap dancing, or even start to paint once again. There are also calls to do shows in Canada; the last one in Winnipeg was a resounding success,  “I let it rip” was her feeling of total abandonment into her comedic role. For now, Donna is quite happy getting her show together — “comedy is no joke…it is an art…a science…a rhythm.” With no marketing strategy in terms of manipulating her audience, this brave woman is determined to take you out of the “rat race” and make you laugh for a while before re-entering that “messy” world.