Former TV6 reporter and producer Charlene Stuart shares her story on living with depression: I grew up in Guyana and the earliest memories of my childhood were that my family was rich! The standard I used was this: my now deceased Dad bought us every single piece of wearable merch …
Read More »Vaneisa: To the lady of the goat; why Franka is an outstanding cuisine ambassador
Last Sunday, my friend, Franka Philip, invited me to pop over to her home to sample the leg of goat we had procured from Ali’s Meats on Pasea Main Road in Tunapuna. We had been talking about how she planned to smoke it, and she had bought some kindling from …
Read More »Dear Editor: Homophobia is pervasive in T&T, Mr Kevin Baldeosingh
“[…] We must not bury our heads in the sand. Bullying based on sexual orientation is real. “Where is the amendment to the Equal Opportunities Act to outlaw discrimination in employment on the basis of sexual orientation?…” The following Letter to the Editor on the reality of bullying of LGBTQI …
Read More »Vaneisa: Musings at 58—safeguard your mental space
I turned 58 last Thursday. Never one for fussing about my birthdays, I didn’t make plans. But it turned memorable of its own accord, starting with a couple of people coming to my home to watch the CPL match the night before. Three, actually. Two of whom I had not …
Read More »Vaneisa: Faith, hope and gloom—are we really haters at heart?
Last Sunday, Queen’s Hall was the venue for Dawad Philip’s Sunday with the Warlord, a play about the calypsonian Lord Blakie (Carlton Joseph). Blakie was perhaps best known for his two Road March wins, “Steelband Clash” (1954) and “Maria” (1962), and the play is a sort of narrative about his …
Read More »Vaneisa: Slow down, you crazy child—family life suffering from excessive job demands
I came across this column I wrote in 1998, and for some reason it felt so relevant that I thought I would share this trimmed version (with a Billy Joel headline). When I quit full-time work, a major factor had been the desire to spend more time with my infant …
Read More »Dr Lutchman: T&T’s high murder rate puts country at risk of mental health emergency
“[…] We are staring at a deeply wounded nation. Many are concerned mainly about the impact on business and the nation’s economy from direct effects of serious crime. But there is a more massive problem lurking. “The mental health implications of the rising homicide rate in Trinidad and Tobago extend …
Read More »Vaneisa: The waiting game—the anxious mental strain of public sector visits
Not long ago, a couple of letters to the editor appeared where the writers complained about extremely long waits at public health institutions. I had immediately thought that this is why I walk with a book whenever I have to go to any institution, public or private. But then I …
Read More »Vaneisa: FLiRTing with Covid—there is more than dengue to worry about
I don’t mean to be harping on health issues, especially given my lack of medical credentials. But as I said, I’ve experienced enough to feel that it is worth sharing information when it relates to the public good. So bear with me. Please. A few weeks ago, my offspring called …
Read More »Orson: How to break chains of mental slavery—including pressure of social media
“[…] The term ‘mental slavery’ suggests that even after physical chains have been broken, the psychological and cultural chains imposed by centuries of oppression can persist. “These chains are manifested in the form of internalized racism, self-doubt, and a sense of inferiority that can be deeply ingrained in the consciousness …
Read More »Vaneisa: If yuh iron bad… my adventures in haemoglobin
If I seem to be cantering down the road of health issues these past few weeks, it is because I have been talking to several sufferers who don’t seem to know what’s going on with them. Of course I have no medical training, but I have had such a diverse …
Read More »Vaneisa: Leading horses to water—do public education campaigns work?
“She have the flu,” he said, when I asked about his daughter, who sounded weak and listless on the phone. Her symptoms? Fever, body aches and headache. I told him it sounded like dengue, and he should probably get her tested. It baffled me that no one in the household …
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