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T h e B a h a m a s W r i t e r - I s s u e # 2
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Release date: Saturday, December 15th, 2001
**Season's Greetings From The Bahamas Writer**
Welcome to the December issue of The Bahamas Writer. Please feel
free to forward it on to anyone you know who's interested in
writing.
Submit your articles, stories or writing tips for consideration
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================== CONTENTS ===========================
1. Article: "Let there be Peace on Earth."
2. Writing Tip: The Write Gear
3. What's New: The Bahamas Writer Forums
Ideas Section
4. Coming Soon: Submissions
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This Newsletter is maintained by Gavin Knowles:
http://www.bahamasb2b.com/bahamasb2b/FastSites/index.html
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1. Article: "Let there be Peace on Earth."
"Let there be peace on earth" - a familiar greeting sung in
churches throughout the Bahamas. It will have a special meaning
this Christmas during these troubled times.
We have a variety of religions in the Bahamas, including
Anglican, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Evangelical,
Salvation Army, Lutheran, Presbyterian and Greek Orthodox, to
name a few.
Bahamians also come from many ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
Those who are not too familiar with our country are often
surprised to learn we have Greek Bahamians, Oriental Bahamians,
Jewish Bahamians, Asian Bahamians and European Bahamians, with
Bahamians hailing from many parts of the world, as well as our
most well known Bahamians, who proudly descend from the African
continent.
Despite the slow down in the economy brought on by the
destruction by fire of our downtown Straw Market, the horrific
events of September 11th, and Hurricane Michelle, most Bahamians
are rushing around, getting ready for Christmas. They're buying
up fir trees shipped down in refrigerated trailers from North
America, and their shopping carts are filled to the brim with
Christmas decorations, turkeys, hams, and gifts for relatives and
friends.
Tourists are flying here again too. Our smart, new (but
temporary) Straw Market is bustling and the hurricane season is
over.
In the "Junkanoo Shacks", many of which had to be rebuilt after
Hurricane Michelle passed through, the Junkanoo groups work
feverishly to replace priceless costumes and floats destroyed in
the storm. The Tribune's popular cartoonist "Sideburns" (Stan
Burnside) is "on Junkanoo leave and will return in January"!
Visitors to the Bahamas shouldn't miss our vibrant drum-beating,
trumpet-heralding, cowbell-jangling, whistle-stopping,
hip-gyrating Junkanoo, with dazzling costumes and floats (the
name "Junkanoo" is said to have originated from that of an
African chief called John Canoe, brought to the Caribbean as a
slave).
"Junior Junkanoo" is also becoming a tradition, with Bahamian
youngsters following in the footsteps of their parents, relatives
or older siblings.
Fish is as much in demand as turkeys during our Holiday Season,
for on Boxing Day (the day after Christmas Day), many Bahamians
enjoy a hearty breakfast of "boiled fish and grits with Johnny
Cake". Now, don't turn up your nose at "boiled fish", as it's
not just "boiled". Heavily spiced with limes, onions and red hot
peppers, this dish is not to be sneezed at!
Of course, those of you from countries that do not observe Boxing
Day might be wondering what on earth it is. Well, it's a
tradition in the U.K. and Commonwealth countries. It's to do
with St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, and the opening of
church "poor boxes". If you go to http://www.google.com and type
in "Boxing Day", a multitude of references come up.
There are many Bahamians feeling the pinch this Holiday Season.
Local charities report a 50% drop in donations resulting from the
string of tragedies in the past few months and at the same time
there are more people in need. Also, this Christmas, the gallant
Salvation Army are not able to give away food vouchers and many
under-privileged children won't receive their usual gifts through
a local charity.
And would you believe that at a time like this, the local branch
of the Red Cross was robbed?! Stolen - Two thousand dollars'
worth of chicken used for the Red Cross Meals on Wheels programme
and a generator which had been on loan to the Red Cross, to help
with the power outages following the hurricane.
Some home owners are still waiting for insurance settlements
before they can do repairs or buy replacement furniture or
appliances, and many employees have been laid off or their hours
cut back to three or four days per week.
Fortunately, on the whole, Bahamian families pull together and
help each other out in times of need. Encouraging stories emerge
from the distress. After a local airline cut an employee's
hours, his wife, who was laid off from her job, struck out in her
own business, serving healthy lunches to airline employees. Now
she can hardly keep up with the demand!
Economic Development Minister Zhivargo Laing has called for
higher standards of service. He says we experienced phenomenal
economic growth over the past few years and inflation was
reduced. Despite the recent setbacks, Mr. Laing is optimistic
about our country's future.
As Christmas Eve draws to a close, the shopping frenzy will cease
and Christmas Day will dawn with an optimism as bright as our
warm, caressing sun, that peace on earth will reign.
Author: Fay Knowles,
http://www.bahamaswriter.com
Copyright © 2001 Fay Knowles
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Note: You may distribute this Newsletter. Feel free to post it
to your website or BBS if you like. However no part of this
Newsletter may be reproduced in whole, or in part, without
keeping the links within this newsletter active.
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2. Writing Tip: The Write Gear
If like me, you hate to run out of pens or write on the reverse
of a sheet of paper, keep a good supply of your favourite writing
gear. I personally like the Sanford Uni-ball Vision pen (fine
point), which is "waterproof/fade proof" and glides smoothly
across the paper.
For writing rough drafts of stories and articles, I use 6" x 9"
steno pads with a blue cover, as blue is my favourite colour and
puts me in the writing mood! I also use the steno pads to jot
down anything else that comes to mind while I'm writing or
reading, e.g. when I discover a new market.
I carry a small 3" x 5" Mead memo pad with me wherever I go, to
jot down ideas; the beginning of a story, article or book;
descriptions of people or places; and sounds or feelings.
- Fay Knowles,
http://www.bahamaswriter.com
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3. What's New: The Bahamas Writer Forums
Ideas Section
The Bahamas Writer Forums:
http://www.bahamaswriter.com/forum/default.asp
Ideas Section:
http://www.bahamaswriter.com/ideas.htm
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4. Coming Soon: Submissions
The Bahamas Writer is currently working on the Submissions
section of BahamasWriter.com
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I hope you've enjoyed this issue of The Bahamas Writer.
If you have any questions or comments relating to this
Newsletter or BahamasWriter.com please feel free to Email
them to me at:
Copyright © 2001 The Bahamas Writer. All rights reserved.
You may distribute this Newsletter. Feel free to post it to
your website or BBS if you like. However no part of this
Newsletter may be reproduced in whole, or in part, without
keeping the links within this newsletter active.
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http://www.bahamaswriter.com/unsubscribe.htm
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