Peter Elias said he has a lot to be thankful for. Fifteen years ago, at age 22, when he decided to “become my own man” and set out on his own in the world of fashion, he hadn’t a clue of what lay ahead of him. Would there be ups, would there be downs? Would there be more ups than downs? “We all have struggles and challenges,” Peter said, the realist that he is.

When he lost his downtown Port-of-Spain fabric store to a fire in 2000, Peter was faced with finding jobs for 20 of his employees. He did. Owing more than he owned at the time, and turning that around was a tough challenge. He decided that ready-made, fashionable wear would be his focus. Peter pointed to Alison Ross, his employee who has stayed on since the birth of the business. But there were highs. His mother, Janet Sabga-Elias, has been his strength. “When I faltered in my formative years she guided me, she lifted me up… She’s a good woman, not perfect,” he said, “and she’s still there.” The framed picture of his mother shot in the 70s, a side profile in black and white, hangs above the entrance to his Ellerslie store. It’s his inspiration. His involvement in the Miss Trinidad and Tobago beauty pageants over the years has brought him overwhelming joy. Miss Universe 1998 Wendy Fitzwilliam was icing on the cake. Beauty queens Margot Bourgeois and Arlene Peterkin attained runner-up status in their respective pageants. After “nurturing” Miss TT like a “child,” he’s throwing in the towel, at least for a while. Now resigned from the Miss TT pageant, Peter has more time on his hands for yet another “child.”

His first-born baby is due late July, early August. After ten months of wedded bliss to his wife Germaine Mouttet Elias, the couple is making final preparations to welcome their little bundle to the Elias clan. He said: “I have resigned because I wanna be a parent. The excitement and anticipation is building because of the approaching weeks.” No name has been decided upon and they’ve resolved to wait until the baby’s delivery to find out its sex. He worked out their career paths though. “If it’s a girl, she’ll be Miss 2026,” he joked. “If it’s a boy — once he’s descent and hardworking.” The pieces of the puzzle are now forming. “I just recognise that this is my main focus and real life now. This falls in line with my goals and preferences. As the time grows closer, more than anything I want is a healthy delivery for the mother and a healthy baby. That’s my wish,” said the expectant Daddy.

The newly-weds have ruled out the traditional colours pink and blue in decorating the baby’s room. It’s khaki and white. “That’s more Caribbean,” Peter said, and certainly a rarity! “The fact that I am becoming a father will make me be more clear… When I married it was about building a future.” No longer a bachelor, he has had to make adjustments. “You’re not thinking of yourself. You’re thinking of someone before you. A simple thing like calling and saying you’ll be late. I’m hoping that parenting will come natural,” he said. Good parenting, he believes, means living by example. “We both come from loving families,” he added. He summed up his wife in one word — “respect.” “I married her because of who she is. She’s dignified, classy, lady-like, lives by her word.”

Germaine and Peter were childhood friends. Germaine was a friend of his cousin who lived a stone’s throw away from his house in Woodbrook. Of course, he’s thankful to his cousin. The two vowed to never leave Trinidad. That’s a walk in the park for Peter, since here is where his heart is. He told People: “Trinidad is a beautiful place to foster a family. It keeps you closer to God. There are many aspects you’d miss if you live abroad. “Here I can serve both the richest and the poorest. People would come into the store and buy an earring for $10 and another a dress for a hundred… Trinidad is a small society and we need everybody.” That stems from his belief in the concept “six degrees of separation” — we’re all linked. All that he has achieved and the choices he has made in life, he said, was by God. “I am lucky. If I didn’t have a strong sense of self, if I didn’t have this thirst for what I do, then we may not have had these results…” However, he changed course. He said: “If I have to do it all over again I’d be a gardener. “I love gardening and landscaping, the beauty and pride. In Trinidad we have absolutely gorgeous flowers. In our garden at home we have a little bit of everything.” He would also love to go into politics. “I think I can be a good leader, and help people.” Maybe he has been influenced by his uncle Emile Elias who is one of the founding members of the Family Planning Association. Despite the ups and downs, he concluded: “The journey has been fruitful. It’s made me humble and wiser. I hope to be in the business at least 30 more years and see where that takes us.”

Close your eyes and try to picture an island where everyone is a musician, an artist, a craftsman, a dancer and a singer. Imagine a place where people walk around with smiles on their faces and old shoes on their feet. Imagine a country where making money becomes passe and earning a living is a challenge. This is Cuba, the land of opportunity for foreigners and a virtual prison for its people.  And this is where I spent five days recently on a Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers Association (TTMA) trade mission.

I got more than I bargained for. It was, for me,  a land time forgot. I was astounded at the incredible sights, sites, and the humble people. People travel to Cuba expecting a land overrun with guards and policemen, where the people are oppressed and poverty stricken and crying on the streets. What they find, is a country rich in culture and a people with an abundance of talent, expertise and heart. A ride along the waterfront toward Havana is shocking for a person accustomed to the mostly developed cities of Trinidad. The landscape is populated with once beautifully designed buildings, now dilapidated, having been destroyed during the revolution. It’s amazing that despite this, people still live in these ramshackle buildings, with more than five families to one house. Families live surrounded by rubble and swirling sands, sometimes having to leap over piles of stone to get into and out of their own homes. Almost every building is unpainted and without windows, with the residents using sheets to cover them up. The furniture is mostly old and wooden, in existence before the 1959 revolution.

It is very apparent that material possessions play an insignificant role in the lives of Cubans. In stark contrast to the homes of the Cubans, are the business and state buildings, which are situated along one street in Havana. This is the only area of the city with painted and well maintained buildings, many of them restored to their original state. International business offices operate here along with many governmental offices. But the most beautiful part of Old Havana is Cathedral square, which got its name from the massive cathedral which stands in its centre as one of the symbols of Havana. The square is at the centre of a series of narrow streets lined with apartments and paved with cobbled stones. Here, horse drawn carriages weave their way in and out transporting tourists and their drivers narrate to them the history of Old Havana. Adjoining the square is one of the most lucrative business spots within Havana. It is known as the Cathedral flea market and a magnet for tourists craving a small piece of Cuba to take home with them. The vendors are also the creators, the artists, the craftsmen and tailors behind the wares they peddle. They display their work in the open air for passers by to criticise and bargain for. One entire aisle is devoted to painters, artists with talent far surpassing the tourists expectations – art on human behaviour, political instability and the history of Cuba. The artist stands alongside his work, ready to bargain and willing to give a history on the piece of interest.

Everything within the market is sold in US dollars, since this is the only means by which the Cubans can survive. Paintings sell for between US$20-US$100, but on an average day, a vendor may only sell one piece of artwork. There are also numerous stalls catering to Cuban crafts, jewelry and clothing, all hand made with raw materials readily available to them. Since many of them sell the same items, there is a constant rush and frantic appeal to tourists to patronise them.  Amidst the hustle and bustle of the market, tourists come into contact with Cuba’s black market economy. They are approached, silently, slowly by men and woman selling Cuban cigars and holding samples in their pockets. They ask you, ever so gently, if you want to feel the “real side of Cuba”, following you about the market whispering in your ear. Many of them make more than their artist and craftsman friends in a day. There is also the sad element of beggars roaming the flea markets. They follow you, cry and tell sad tales, asking for money and kissing your hand blessing you if you give in to their needs. At night, the streets turn into a business boiling pot, with prostitutes swarming about and descending on the closest tourist, ready to bargain for a night with him. These women are some of the best dressed in the city at night and they cannot be differentiated from others.

Life as a Cuban

A Cuban will do anything to make an American dollar, which is ironic after the US exclusion of Cuba from the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA). But, the reality is a Cuban cannot survive on pesos and he cannot survive on the mediocre salaries offered by the Government. It is therefore not surprising to find them doing anything possible to make a living. A tourist wanting to take a picture of a Cuban will have to pay for the “honour.” Cubans are prohibited from entering certain places. They are not allowed in hotels, pharmacies and cosmetic stores, unless they work there. But they get around this by asking tourists to make their purchases for them, a task which any tourist would gladly do, after spending time in Cuba.

As for the hotels, Cubans are allowed in if accompanied by foreigners or if they want to play music for the guests during their meals. In this case, they come armed with their violins, guitars and cellos ready to make the tourists’ meal a little more romantic. They approach you with shyness and express their wish to play whatever you request. Once the request is made, they close their eyes and out comes the most beautiful voice and the most beautiful music. This is how a Cuban musician makes money. There is also the off chance a guest staying in the hotel may have connections to the music industry somewhere in the world and will discover the untapped talent of the Cubans.  This many US businessmen try doing.

It was very clear that those working within the tourist sector make the most money, mainly through tips left for chambermaids, bell boys and waiters by the guests. Naturally the service industry offers the most sought after jobs. Outside of the tourist sector, life for a Cuban is much different. From a very young age, it is decided what career path he/she will follow based on an aptitude test. Once this is decided, his entire education follows that path. He/she spends six years in university, paid for by the Government. Many rely on money sent to them by family in the US. Doctors are considered a most valuable asset in Cuba, since the medical industry is one of its strongest. But this reality is a sad fact for a Cuban doctor. He is not allowed to leave the country because he is considered government property.  If a Cuban doctor is married to a foreigner, which is not unusual, he is still not allowed the leave. He is however allowed to travel within Cuban waters which is basically sailing around the island.

University life is very different from Trinidad or the US. The one objective of the Cuban government is to ensure it produces valuable human resource. Cuban students are expected to pass without exception. If you fail you are required to take mutiple exams that get harder with each failure. Students are given a stipend to help them survive, and a meal of rice and beans. Ten years ago they were given chicken stock with a piece of pumpkin for their daily meal. Cuban women are not accustomed to many of the amenities others take for granted. Take sanitary napkins for example, Cuban women grew accustomed to using cotton and bits of cloth as substitutes after the revolution. They buy cotton from the peso groceries and cut up sheets, wash and re-use them. This sad fact is also true for diapers. Many women purchase one good cloth diaper and when the baby uses it once, the cotton from the inside is removed and replaced with cotton purchased, in an attempt to get as much use out of the elastic section of the diaper.

An amazing reality in Cuba is the distribution of ration cards. Each Cuban is allotted one ration book for the year. In it is listed all the goods they allowed to get like sugar, coffee, butter and salt. The book is taken to the Ration market, where the Cuban is given his rations for the month. Items like salt is given every three months.  Many Cubans live on this ration without other forms of income coming in. Cubans are also prohibited from selling or buying real estate. They are only allowed to trade their houses with other households. A Cuban life is a sad thing to think about as a visitor to the country, but it amazing to see the vitality and happiness surrounding the people despite this. I will never forget Cuba and hope one day to return and spend more time.

She is queen in her own right. She steps out royally commanding the respect of the villages in Trinidad and Tobago.

She is the beautiful Ria Reshma Soodeen, 24, of Vessigny Village, La Brea. Ria has been riding the waves of success as the reigning La Reine Rive, Best Village Queen, having taken the crown in September, 2002. Ria represented the Friends Creative Theatre of Point Fortin for the competition. She won Most Original Costume, Best Talent and Best Gown. And her group placed fifth overall. Ria did an East Indian classical dance adapted from the film Takshak in Kuchipuri and Bharat Natyam styles.

After this national win, Ria began a whirlwind of activities traveling to many villages and representing the country in many overseas performances. Speaking from her home in Point Fortin, the pleasant-looking Ria took her time with her words as she spoke about her life. “Ever since I could remember, my life has been centred around dance. My home was always filled with East Indian music and I grew up loving the music and of course the dances. My mother will agree that I began to dance even before I could walk. My dedication to this art form has brought me tremendous success. More than I could ever imagine,” she said.  As a child she attended the Vesssigny Government Secondary School. While at school she was always eager to return home where she would look at her elder sister Lisa Soodeen do East Indian dancing. Lisa was the leader of the Sri Devi Dance Company, a group that entered Mastana Bahar and many other competitions.

When she was just eight years old, she started dance classes with highly acclaimed tutor, Indira Mahatoo at the Point Fortin Hindu Mandir. She learnt Bharat Natyam and Folk Dancing. She later attended classes held at the Naparima Bowl, San Fernando conducted by Sri Pradeep Shankar of India. She was trained in the ancient art of Khatak dancing. During her teenage years Ria accompanied her sister to many venues and occupied the back row of the dance group. Then in 1993 Ria had no choice but to lead the group when her sister received a scholarship to study dance in India. Ria was ready for the position. “At least that is what I thought. I would get off my bed as early as 4 am and start my devotions to Lord Shiva the Hindu God of dance. Then I would do all my routine dances and I would set about creating new steps to incorporate the dances for the group to do. This was a difficult time in my life and I know I must have crossed a lot of people but I learnt from my mistakes as I went along. I know I was forgiven because I was young and inexperienced,” she said. Ria noted that the art of dance dominated her very being and she had little time to even eat food. “Even today my mother would quarrel with me to eat properly. “It is not that I don’t want to eat but it is that the art takes over and there is not room for anything else,” she said. She believes that one must allows oneself  the opportunity to enjoy the great things in life, then you are on the road to success. “Great things like the art of dance, the art of music. Get involved and lose yourself. Then if there is any pain or sorrow, the art comforts you,” she said.

Through the art of dance, Ria swears that she learnt to be patient and understanding to people — even the most annoying individual does not irritate her. She has learnt also to apply herself, concentrating on a goal until it is realised. Among the many achievements that Ria has to her credit is the title of Best Dancer in the 2001 series of Scouting for Talent. She was selected to dance in the movie that was filmed in TT, The Mystic Masseur. While in New York she was selected to perform a romantic dance duet with India’s Film star Rahul Roy in the movie Ashiqi. This put Ria in a great position as many promoters from the USA started contracting her for performances on a regular basis. Ria noted that her success came from the fact that she was brought up in a humble home, where prayer was the order of the day and where she had to show respect for everyone around her. “Many children today grow up getting everything they request. Their parents love them to death. They never have to work hard for what they want and this is a major problem because they can only cherish their achievement if they work hard for it. I mean the many kids who study hard through exams — this is admirable — but I believe that parents should not be so eager to buy everything their kids request. “They should give the opportunity to seek the things that money cannot buy. Like working in the temples and the churches or helping the less fortunate,” she said.Ria’s passion for dance landed her in the arms of African drumming. “I got the African moves as easy as that. I only looked at the Malick Folk Performers and started enjoying the dance moves. It is extremely beautiful,” she said.

Ria praised her parents, Krishna and Radha Soodeen for supporting her and sister through the years of dancing. Dance has been a way of life for both Soodeen girls but Ria has accomplished many goals from learning East Indian dancing. She has not stopped there. Instead, she has taken up classes with qualified tutor Rajesh Seenath. She pursues the art of Kuchipuri dancing as she pursues the art of dance and all it has to offer her. Being a devout Hindu, she also sticks to her devotions, attending the temple on a regular basis and also doing devotions at home.

When a brand new school was built a stone’s throw from our home, my mother, being a single parent and a very practical person, did not hesitate to put it down as my first choice for the Common Entrance examination.

The talk at the time was that the school would be equipped with stuff that other schools could only dream of. Furthermore, my mother could not help but capitalise on the idea, that the school being operated on a shift system would allow me the time to help her with her catering business for half of the day. What did I know? Except that I was going on an adventure, an adventure which at the time I didn’t know, I would encounter many characters and capture several opportunities — an experience that would shape the course of my destiny. The most wonderful feeling for me as a Junior Sec student was the feeling of abandon. Learning was fun. We went from English in the northern block to the pigpen at the eastern end of the school; from baking rock buns on the third floor of the southern building to dramatising skits in the Spanish class in the middle block; from jumping over bucks and somersaulting on the western end to the quiet and calm of the centralised library.

It was no lie, that the school had stuff other schools didn’t have. But more than the equipment were the nature and character of the folks I met. Never a dull moment could epitomise my three-year stay. There was always drama — so many stories in the naked city, as the saying goes. And when we were not laughing at the odd behaviour of some, we were quaking at what might be our punishment for some mess others got us into. Together with Neptune and Glenda I began my debating career; “Be it resolved that a decent standard of living is within the reach of the people of Trinidad and Tobago” was the topic and I really didn’t know how or why I was selected to represent the school. But like everything else, I took it in stride. When I wasn’t debating, I was playing netball or somewhere on the field or track, or cooking up a storm, or ushering at some function and there was always so many others engaged in similar activities. And even with a packed schedule, I also had the time to experience my first infatuation — a very foolish one, for the guy I liked couldn’t stand the best bone in my body, yet I was still goggle-eyed over him.

So what’s new? What’s new is the fact that I didn’t know I was a Junior Sec student until the day I set foot into a so-called “prestigious” school to complete my fourth and fifth year of schooling. The Junior Sec class was hurriedly ushered into what looked like a barbwire corridor classroom on the first floor of a building, on the farthest end of the school. We were told that we were not so bright, were ill disciplined, and ewretreated as though we had leprosy. Pat, Leon and the rest of the “bad boys Junior Sec crew” wouldn’t stand for it. Before long, they had us gather up our belongings and quietly march to the principal’s office and seated on the carpet with the air condition humming in the background. Their mission was to get us a decent classroom, and until then we had to stay put. Did I say “never a dull moment?” Even after we left the Junior Sec building we carried with us a sense of fairness. We did get a decent classroom — next to sixth form on the balcony in the auditorium. It was no surprise that after my fifth year I did the valedictory speech on behalf of the Junior Sec class, but ironically that two years later I was doing that very speech for the students of that “prestigious” school while capping the school’s highest honour, for I carried to that school my love for sports, music and drama. Junior Sec would always be a happy memory for me. I don’t believe I will ever have an experience that is as simple, humble and fulfilling as this one. It was here that I accepted people as people. It was here that I developed an earthiness and inner hardiness for life and it was here that I learnt to laugh at human frailties. It is my Junior Sec experience which inspired me to write this poem:

His mission is to bring about change for the scores of youths of Barrackpore who spend their time just liming and partying. The serious-minded Akash Ragoonanan, 21, spoke with conviction, saying  that he must make a difference in the lives of the people of the rural villages surrounding the Barrackpore Main Road.

Akash who is a Mechanical Process Technician with Blue Waters Products Limited, has been spending endless hours after work devising ways in which to involve the youths in projects that will bring benefit to the community and its people. He is now the chairman of the group, Barrackpore Youth Action Innovators (BYAI). Through this group he has already accomplished many goals, the first being the establishment of extra classes for secondary school students. “There are a number of students who often come to my house for assistant in their school work. I have found that I could not reach out to the students because of the interference of the family and other distractions. This is why I decided to get a venue and reach out to all the students who need help,” he said. He noted that the classes are free and he encourages the students to save their money to buy what they need to pursue their education. Akash was praised by the president of the Sanatan Dharma Mandalli, Rita Seeratan for reaching out to the youths.

Speaking from his humble home, which he shares with his father Chabeeram Ragoonanan, his mother Radha Ragoonanan, his sister Sasha and brothers Nigel, Ryan, and Rishi, he spoke about yet another exciting project that he is now working on. “We have signed up for the Prime Minister’s Best Village competition and tutors were appointed in drama, music and dance. This is financed by the Ministry of Culture and this is one of the most successful projects thus far. There are many children and young adults who are now coming forward for this project and I am so excited about it,” he related with confidence and joy in his voice. He noted that there are many people who are very talented in the field of music and drama and the Best Village is a perfect forum to mobilise the people. After work Akash spends long hours walking to many  homes, meeting parents and explaining why they should support the BYAI. “I found that the parents are reserved and very skeptical about the Best Village and other projects that I have in mind so I decided to visit all the homes and explain my venture to them in the hope of getting their support and in the turn the support of the children,” he said. Akash is a graduate of the Barrackpore Composite School. He received eight O’ Level CXC subjects including, Maths, English, Physics, Information Technology, Social Studies, English Literature, Bio Chemistry and Agricultural Science.

This ambitious young gentleman is a graduate of UWI School of Continuing Studies where he holds diplomas in welding and fabricating. He later pursued courses in Industrial Mechanical Maintenance and Construction Millwright at the National Energy Skills Centre at Ste Madeline and Point Lisas. Akash explained that while he was a young boy growing up, he could not afford any luxury because his father who worked as a labourer at Caroni 1975 Limited, was the sole breadwinner of the family and could not afford any sort of luxury for his five kids. “I promised myself to get a good job and hep my younger brothers so that they could live comfortably and I did everything in my power to get my certificates. Today I am happy that I have a good paying job and I am looking toward bettering my standard at work in hope of getting a promotion,” he said. He noted that he is also excited about the fact that funds are coming in to launch a ‘BYAI Tassa Group’ which will come on the stream on July 10. Many of the corporate sponsors have been assisting young Akash in his many endeavours. He noted that he would like to marry and settle down but there is a greater call right now. “When I look around and see so many youths going astray, do you think I could just think about myself and ignore the ills of society? No, I am bent on bringing change and I will,” he said. Already Akash is gaining a name for himself in the social circles. He noted that he would like to get into politics and really serve the people of Barrackpore. He noted that the people of Barrackpore are now enjoying the service of a million-dollar community complex as well as a new police station and better roads. “There are many other social problems that are now plaguing society. There is the problem of taxi service, and sporting facility that I want to look into,” he noted.

For a young girl growing up in the fifties, burrowing earthworms and playing with tadpoles were not the norm. But even more extraordinary was the excitement she felt when she came upon the skeletal remains of a dog.

She gingerly retrieved the jawbone, washed it and proudly took it home. “My mother was so upset — she told me that my hands would rot, and to teach me a lesson never to do such a thing again, she made me rub my hands with lime to scrub it all out! This however did not stop me,” she smiles. Today, Bernadette Coutain-Plair, a scientist in animal and plant physiology, is the Neotropical Conservation Programme Manager at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, USA; her special project currently being the Blue and Yellow Macaw reintroduction programme in the Nariva Swamp, their natural habitat.

Born in Sangre Grande, Bernadette had an inherent love for nature. When she was still very young, her family moved to La Brea to accommodate her father’s employment in the oilfield. She has extremely fond recollections of Saturday morning treks to the Pitch Lake, armed with bucket and shovel, picking mangoes on the way and being allowed to ‘dip’ in one of the many pools in the lake. On the return trip home, she would collect patties of cow manure for her mom’s numerous potted plants! “My mom had a real green thumb; she couldn’t grow plants in the garden because after all, the soil was covered with pitch, so she had lots of pots, gaily painted and decorating our entire yard. “In later years, I realised that I took her botanical skills for granted.” The eldest of seven siblings, Bernadette credits their success to the tremendous love, high values and devotion of her parents, who also provided a spiritual environment while they were growing up in difficult times.

Excellent performance at St Joseph’s Convent in San Fernando secured her a scholarship at the College of Mt St Joseph in Cincinnati where she majored in Biology. After a brief teaching sojourn in Trinidad, Bernadette returned to the USA and worked for years in human reproduction research. Working in the hospital in clinical microbiology, she became interested in human reproductive physiology. “At that time, in vitro fertilisation was new and we used animal models, mice and rats for our experiments.” This proved to be a stepping-stone to her present career in animal reproduction and her current project in Trinidad. Her vast experience includes a behavioural study of the first endangered Sumatran rhinoceros to be conceived and born in captivity in 112 years, at the Cincinnati Zoo in September 2001. Bernadette’s love for Trinidad consumed her work and so, while employed at the Zoo’s Centre for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW), and recalling a magnificent bird (the macaw) with which she was overwhelmed as a child, she decided to initiate a conservation organisation in Trinidad along the same lines as CREW. With the co-operation of local wildlife officials and some concerned citizens in the business and education sectors, the Centre for the Rescue of Endangered Species of Trinidad and Tobago (CREST) was established.

As Director of this organisation, Bernadette embarked on the Blue and Yellow Macaw reintroduction programme in the Nariva Swamp. She set up educational opportunities for local veterinarians, zookeepers and wildlife officials. After years of hard work, the pilot project finally got underway. “We located wild macaws caught in Guyana, where there exist licensed traders. The birds were sexed, tested for various avian diseases and 18 (nine potential pairs) were selected. The macaws were acclimatised in a large pre-release flight cage in the Nariva Swamp for four weeks before being released into the swamp,” Bernadette explains. This was done under constant monitoring by local villagers who are very proud and protective of this project in their community. A second phase of this scheme is currently in progress and 20 more wild macaws are being translocated from Guyana for release. When this phase is complete, captive-bred chicks will be used to supplement the wild population.

The tremendous success of this project has encouraged the Cincinnati Zoo to use it as a model for Third World conservation efforts. In 1999, the Zoo sponsored Bernadette to come to Trinidad for a six-week stint to set up a conservation education programme at the Emperor Valley Zoo in Port-of-Spain. Also a plant physiologist, she has collected and frozen several tropical plant species from the CREST land in Chaguaramas. How did this soft spoken, ever-smiling woman achieve so much? Her reply is spontaneous: “with total support and understanding from my husband. We met at university and by the time we graduated he was already sold on Trinidad. He visited and gained quite an appreciation for my culture. I cannot understand how, of all the people in the world, God picked this one person for me, someone who shares such similar values with me. Since his retirement, he has taken charge of everything at home including all the housework I did when our kids were growing up. The amazing thing is that his background although growing up in the United States, is so similar to what I grew up with in Trinidad. To find that one person with such a high level of compatibility is pretty remarkable. We have three wonderful children — all highly accomplished and caring individuals who have given me unstinting support in all my life’s works. I think the world of them, but the apple of my eye is my three-year-old grandchild! Our children love Trinidad; they feel a part of both cultures,” she chuckles.

She considers herself very lucky and cherishes the friendships she has developed over the years. During her visits to Trinidad she tries to keep in contact with these friends who continue to be supportive of her efforts. Family members, too, have rallied around during her many projects lending total support and encouragement. Bernadette considers the people in the villages surrounding the Nariva Swamp as her family also. “They are my substitute family — my heart is out there. I feel very comfortable when I am with them, even if it means sleeping in a hammock. I know that this project could not have succeeded without them. I feel very sympathetic towards these people. They are out in the swamp, even on Christmas day, watching those birds for me. This time I’m releasing the birds in October so these ‘helpers’ won’t have to be away from home and in the swamp at Christmas time.” The warmth she exudes is very genuine. For Bernadette, achieving lifelong friendships comes naturally. Of immense joy is being able to have the better of two worlds viz Trinidad and the USA. She is in a position to utilise the expertise accrued over the years and transfer this knowledge to her still beloved Trinidad. She acknowledges the assistance she got from the Forestry Division, especially the Wildlife Section, CREST members, and friends and private donors in the United States who have supported this programme.

Bernadette’s programme at the Cincinnati Zoo has expanded to allow her the flexibility to work in Costa Rica, Guyana and Trinidad. She has set up an exchange programme where local zookeepers get an opportunity to rotate in different departments at the Cincinnati Zoo, and two zookeepers from there similarly have spent time at our zoo. “The Blue and Gold Macaw is indigenous to the Nariva Swamp in Trinidad because of the habitat and food found specifically in that area. In the late 1960s, they disappeared from the Nariva Swamp, victims of poaching and illegal rice farming. “Since these majestic macaws are so beautiful and can mimic what we say, many people buy them to keep as pets, especially the young ones because they can be trained. My director at CREW really pushed for support of this programme. The Cincinnati Zoo has now committed to this programme, which is my own little project. We are one of only five projects globally chosen by this Zoo. The programme has really evolved and finally, in the last two or three years I have gotten increasing financial support from this Zoo.” CREST recently launched 4,000 copies of a new conservation workbook for young students. The Plum Mitan Presbyterian primary school has dedicated a conservation path behind its premises to Bernadette, aptly naming it the Bernadette Plair Trail. Bernadette, now in Trinidad, is happy that we have the opportunity to restore an almost lost species of the unique biodiversity of species on our island — the Blue and Gold Macaw, to make it remain a part of our eco system. Thanks to her determination and drive, these gorgeous birds will now join their slowly growing new community in the Nariva swamp’s avian landscape.

Don’t call Judy up on stage before an eager audience and introduce her as Mrs Tommy Joseph. “I doh like that kinda thing,” Judy said. Stage fright, perhaps.

Catch her in another setting, just mention Tommy, and see the difference. She lights up. Off the bat she’ll tell you he’s easy-going, not fussy, loving, with a good sense of humour (of course!). “Just how he is on stage, that’s just how he is, no different. Very simple; nothing is a problem,” she said. Case in point: August of last year, when Judy flew in from New York where she had vacationed for two months, Tommy was very punctual and anxiously awaiting her arrival at the airport. What she misread as a tease or another shot at his good humor, was actually the real thing. “He asked me to marry him. I thought it was a joke, it was an impromptu thing because it was on my way from the airport… I don’t know if he miss me too much that year. He just asked. Nothing spectacular.”

On April 23, 2003 comedian Tommy Joseph and Home Economics/Food and Nutrition teacher Judy Bacchus tied the knot. Judy joined the staff at Carapichaima Junior Secondary School in 1981 and after 11 years, transferred to Gasparillo Composite where she currently teaches. At a quiet Wednesday morning ceremony at Our Lady of Perpetual Help RC Church, followed by a reception at Tree House Restaurant, the couple said their vows before a handful of onlookers. Tommy, who’s accustomed to memorising hundreds of lines for his anecdotes and delivering them with flawless ease had trouble in remembering his vows, up until the wedding day. “He kept saying ‘I shall, I will, I do’ trying to remember his vows in that order, but he eventually got it right,” Judy revealed.

The newly weds treated guests, including entertainers Donna Hadad, Sprangalang and Pink Panther (best man), Randy Glasgow and Frank Martineau and Dana Pierre-Collins (maid of honour), to a West Indian-style breakfast wedding. The menu included sada roti, tomato choka, buljol and coconut bake among other goodies. Although they have been married for two months, the two have known each other for 16 years. “We first met at Royal Castle in Port-of-Spain a Christmas. I went to do shopping. Yuh know, long time when yuh go to Port-of-Spain you must end up in Royal Castle, Henry Street. I was sitting alone at a table eating and Tommy came in. He was looking for a place to sit and asked to sit at my table. “I grasped the opportunity to ask him to do something for Carapichaima, to perform at the school’s Carnival event.” The then “shy” Tommy obliged. “He did come and perform and we maintained off and on contact after that,” said Judy, who stands 5ft 11 inches and turns heads when walking the streets.

Judy, 41, grew up in Cantaro Village, Santa Cruz but moved to Embacadere, where the couple now resides. They also share a home in Maloney. She has two teenage sons, like her husband. When she was upgraded to Technical/Vocational Teacher IV she moved South; geographically, closer to the south-based comedian. There were dinner dates and eventually, Judy grew to love the funny man. She was drawn to his “sense of humour,” a quality she said, that was never of paramount importance in choosing her mate. Surely, she made an exception. She continued: “His fear for God and his relationship with his family — with his mother, and his aunt who is in a wheelchair. He has a nice sense of family that always attracted me to him.” Yes, Tommy tested his wit on Judy but was never offensive, “he was a gentleman.”

While her passion remains teaching which includes “more than getting my students to pass exams but preparing them for life,” she admitted that family life is top of the list. The teacher of 22 years said goodbye to her form five students on Friday. School leavers Arlon Joseph and Marissa Figaro had only good things to say about “Miss.”  “She’s the best. She was our friend, our mother, our teacher. She was a teacher you could communicate with,” they said. Commenting on her marriage to Tommy Joseph, they added: “They look good together.” Judy was just beginning to realise that life has changed, somewhat. She said: “Life is not mine again because people feel I am funny just like him and expect jokes from me.” Judy doesn’t tell jokes but gets her laugh every time Tommy runs one by her — like the teacher/student joke he told her recently while at the dinner table. “He said a teacher asked a student to spell the word CRIX and the student wrote C-R-I and the teacher marked it incorrect. She put an X next to it. He said that’s how that word came about.” Judy laughed. “We have a hectic schedule. Tommy is out of the country almost every weekend and sometimes I travel with him.”

Though her sons help with the cooking, Judy enjoys preparing Tommy’s favourite dishes. Fish broth is one of them. “Tommy loves fish broth. He could eat it for breaskfast, lunch and dinner. He’s a fish broth fanatic.” They love making an entrance in matching outfits, whether it’s at Dionne Warwick’s concert or Gasparillo Composite’s graduation ball, held recently. “I make my clothes to match his suits,” Judy said. “Not all the time we dress like that but sometimes he would say ‘J’, ah putting on meh green suit, yuh putting on yuh green dress?” Judy also sews for Tommy. “People would ask me if I have a problem with Tommy performing in the skits, if I feel he on the “other side” but I don’t have a problem with that. I even sew the skirts for the skit. I don’t have a problem because I know he’s a hundred percent man.” For fun the couple enjoys seeing a movie at Movie Towne, having dinner often and going to the beach. Judy also enjoys mingling with his friends, “calypsonians, and they’re quite nice. I don’t think people know how nice they are. When you meet people like Bomber, Singing Sandra, Shadow, Duke, Explainer, Learie Joseph, and I met Kitchener, even Gypsy in his calypsonian role — they have a nice, warm, unique way about themselves.” She’s now a cricket lover, thanks to her husband who is a big fan of Brian Lara and  she enjoyed her trip to Grenada where she personally met the Aussie players.