Caribbean News Global

By Tony Deyal

When I first went to Barbados to work for the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), my wife and I quickly had two children: the young girl, Jasmine, and our son Zubin. In addition to working there and in the Caribbean, I was impressed by the names of some of the communities in Barbados like “Duppies”, “Husbands,” and “Great Head.” In one case I shouted loudly, “Balls! Balls!”

It was not that I was prone to vulgarity, but I was on my way to a cricket match and “Balls” was where I was heading. Actually, it was the name of a plantation in Barbados which eventually became the Barbados Horticultural Society. What I learnt is that Barbadians (or “Bajans”) have their own “version” of language, such as, “You consider any hot beverage to be ‘tea’.” A “cutter” is a salt bread sandwich, not a sharp utensil. You wouldn’t dream of going anywhere at the slightest sign of “rain falling.”  You finish your sentences with the word “dennnnnn.” When it comes to asking a Bajan for directions, they will tell you to “go left” or “take the second right.” They’ll always say, “Just go straight down yonder, pass the shop where the old me liming by the wall, take a right by the tamarind tree where that dog usually bark at you, and if you reach the sea…well you’ve gone too far “dennenn” (often spelled phonetically as “de” or mistaken for “deneen”).

I suppose my initial days in Barbados were my area for the Caribbean. With a wife and two very small children, I had to look after the family and my job. This was the major reason for stopping from drinking. My father had been totally drunk, more so at night, and it made me so upset that even if I took liquor it did not get me drunk. It made no sense, and I stopped completely. This was great for me, my friends, family and “bosses”.

At the same time, in Barbados, I heard about rum and “gin”. Rum was out and “gin” was unknown to me. So after a while I tried to understand what it was and meant. I learnt that Barbados gins are often distilled from the island’s famous sugarcane molasses. While traditional gins have a very sharp, juniper-heavy “pine” flavour, Barbados gins use a vapour or botanical infusion to mellow out the juniper, bringing out sweeter, earthier, and more citrusy tropical flavours. This is what I realised was the key, and I asked a colleague in Barbados whether it was true.  He was certain that the rice was the thing and made it clear, “That’s the key. It is the single most important determining factor for success!”

This was the sugarcane molasses for the famous local “GINS.” It also highlighted the grapefruit, which was actually discovered in Barbados around 1750. The great ones from the start were “Perkins & Sons”, “Blue Light Caribbean Gin and Tonic”, “The Gin Bunch Swizzle”, and “Martinis”, which they said “makes a rich and complex base for a Martini or Negroni.” At the same time, people asked what was a famous quote about “GIN?”

One of the most famous quotes from the start was by Winston Churchill, who was a British statesman and prime minister. He said on “GIN” – “The gin and tonic has saved more Englishmen’s lives, and minds, than all the doctors in the Empire.” One of the other greats, Humper Dogart in Casablanca, said, “Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.” Then there was Richard Brandes comment, “There’s a sort of movement that says that when classics are bypassed, they can become cool again.

That’s what’s happening to gin. It’s part of the whole retro cocktail culture.” Even a lady, Julia Child, when asked for the secret to living to an old age, said, “Red meat and gin.” And from Bernard DeYoto, “The proper union of gin and vermouth is a great and sudden glory: it is one of the happiest marriages on earth, and one of the shortest lived.”

Fortunately, there are the “Gin” puns when the folks, men and women, old and young, raise “fancy glasses” to one another during what they said was, “Letting the evening be-GIN.” This then leads to, “I hope you have a great day!” and responses from the group with, “You’re the gin to my tonic,” “You’re totally gin-gredible,” “Ima-gin all the possibilities,” and “I’m feeling botanically inclined.” For those in the “love” of cocktails, they go with, “Sip happens, enjoy it fully,” “I love water-especially when it’s frozen in cubes and surrounded by GIN,” “When life gives you lemons or limes, wake a gin and tonic,” and “You can’t ima-GIN my life without you.” For those who are going quickly for short one-liners, they start with, “Keep you GIN up,” “Education is important, but GIN is importanter,” “Save water, drink GIN,” “I make gin disappear- what’s your superpower,” and “Don’t cry over split milk…it could be GIN!”

Then there are almost everywhere in many parts, including the Caribbean, with “funny GIN” jokes ready to laugh for days: “Why did the gin and tonic break up? Their relationship was on the rocks. I exercise strong self-control. I never drink anything stronger than gin before breakfast. Why did the bartender refuse to serve gin to the cat? To prevent it from becoming catatonic. Don’t cry over spilt milk. It could’ve been gin! What’s a gin’s favourite exercise? Stir-ups, and for the road, I love water … particularly when it’s frozen and surrounded by gin.

Then there are some more, starting with, “a bear walked into a bar and said, “I’ll have a gin and … tonic.” The bartender asked, “Why the big pause?” The bear looked down for a second and responded. “I don’t know, I guess I was just born this way.” Then there was a man and his wife at a restaurant, and the husband kept staring at a drunken lady swigging her gin at a nearby table. His wife asked, “Do you know her?” – “Yes,” sighed the husband. “She’s my ex-wife. She took to drinking right after we divorced seven years ago, and I hear she hasn’t been sober since.” –  “My God!” said the wife. “Who would think a person could go on celebrating that long?”

On that basis, we need to give you an extra since the GINS are still not ahead of the sugarcane molasses. If you’re the kind of person who loves a cheeky cocktail with a side of wordplay, then you’ve just stumbled into gin paradise. Actually, regardless of where you are, whether you’re sipping a G&T on a sun-soaked terrace in London, sharing a tipple at a rooftop bar in New York, or liming in the Caribbean, gin puns are the ultimate icebreaker.

What you have to do is ensure that, regardless of what happens, “Shaken but not Broken. That way you can take another one.”

* Tony Deyal was last seen saying, “ Shaken, not stirred, like life itself.”

By Garfield L. Angus

Never become so kind, so accommodating, or so sensitive that you fail to establish healthy boundaries. As media professionals, we must never allow ourselves to become commodities to be bought, traded, manipulated, or controlled. Our greatest asset is not our camera, our microphone, our notebook, or our social media following; it is our integrity.

Our dignity can never be trampled upon unless we first surrender it. Do your work with commitment, fairness, and professionalism. Treat everyone with respect, but be careful not to become too emotionally attached to organisations or individuals who possess a user mentality: people who value you only because you can publicise them positively. The moment they no longer need your services, many of them will forget your existence.

One of the greatest mistakes a journalist can make is to accept favours, gifts, money, or special treatment in exchange for doing what should simply be part of the job. Once people believe they have purchased your loyalty, they begin to believe they also own your independence.

Many years ago, while delivering the keynote address at a business function in Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica, former head of the defunct Crime Management Unit (CMU), and retired Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Reneto Adams spoke publicly about a Spanish Town-based gang having established a presence in the town. The Manchester Police Commander at the time became furious that a journalist had reported the story without his permission.

His response was startling. He complained that he had been giving the journalist money and could not understand how such a report could have been published. Those of us who knew the journalist understood why the Superintendent felt entitled to make such a statement. The journalist had developed a reputation for accepting things from people. What the Superintendent failed to realise, however, was that if the reporter had refused to file such an important story, he might very well have lost his job.

That experience reinforced a lesson I have carried throughout nearly four decades in journalism: staying far away from people who believe favours give them ownership over your professional judgement. In almost 40 years in this profession, I have never asked anyone for money or favours to do my work. However, I admit that I have sometimes become too closely associated with people and organisations that I genuinely admired. Looking back, I realise that emotional attachment can be just as dangerous as financial dependence.

I have a colleague in Mandeville who has always refused to socialise with the town’s elite. Years ago, I challenged her position. I believed that if journalists were invited to respectable social events and had the time, they should attend. She politely disagreed and never attended. Today, I understand her wisdom far better than I did then.

The Rotary Club in Mandeville used to host a wonderful monthly event called Rotary Roast. It was an elegant evening where almost everything served was roasted, except the drinks. The atmosphere was always enjoyable, and the venue reflected the town’s finest hospitality. Then one evening, the programme changed.

Their principal sponsor, an investment bank, presented a cheque valued at $100,000 to a community institution. As I stood taking photographs, the head of the bank, a pompous fellow, loudly instructed me to “make sure this story goes on the front page.” He clearly believed that because I was present, I had the authority to determine newspaper placement. That was the last Rotary Roast I attended.

Many people who crave publicity simply do not understand how journalism works. A reporter, photographer, or videographer does not determine whether a story is published, where it appears, or whether it leads the news.

Editors make those decisions. Therefore, when favours are extended with the expectation of guaranteed publicity, everyone involved is gambling with unrealistic expectations.

Build relationships. Be courteous. Extend goodwill wherever you can. But never become so invested in helping others that you lose yourself in the process. One observation has fascinated me over the years. Many politicians, business leaders, charity executives, and community leaders with whom I have developed genuine friendships have never asked me to manipulate the news in their favour or bypass editorial procedures.

Ironically, it is often people with whom I have only a professional relationship who repeatedly pressure me to “put in a word,” bypass official channels, or secure coverage they have not properly requested. That tells me something important. True relationships rarely demand favours. Transactional relationships almost always do.

I have also observed how differently various institutions treat media professionals. Generally speaking, many of Jamaica’s prestigious “name-brand” schools show remarkably less consideration than schools located in inner-city or deep rural communities, where courtesy is often exceptional.

While covering a cultural programme at a prominent Clarendon high school, I sat immediately behind the guest speaker, who was then the director of culture in education at the ministry of education. The morning sun was relentless. Bottled water was distributed to the officials seated nearby. Servers brushed past me repeatedly to serve distinguished guests, yet no one thought of offering the working journalist a drink.

The irony came after the event ended. As I walked away, two of the ladies who had been serving refreshments hurried over and eagerly asked me when the programme would be shown on television, although they did not see me with a television camera. Respect should never begin only after someone needs publicity.

In 2017, I published my first book. My church had some 200 members, yet only about fifteen purchased a copy. At my workplace, roughly ten persons supported the publication. Within the wider media fraternity, however, colleagues including Garfield Myers, Glendon Baker, Rohan Powell, Byron Buckley, Lance Neita, Ruddy Mathison, Rayon Dyer, Alicia Sutherland, Balford Henry and Neville Graham demonstrated genuine support.

Those experiences reminded me that appearances can be deceiving. Accept people as human beings. Never assume that an angelic appearance guarantees a compassionate heart. A few years later, I experienced one of the most difficult periods of my life. For the first and only time, I sought assistance from my church. A formal letter was sent to the regional president, who is a pastor. He received it. Trusted associates reminded him repeatedly. I personally sent four WhatsApp messages. Not once did he acknowledge receiving any of them.

His silence contributed to my losing assets worth more than one million dollars, a loss that could have been prevented with assistance of less than $200,000. Pain has a way of teaching lessons that comfort never can. Perhaps my greatest weakness has always been my passion for highlighting people who are doing meaningful work. I genuinely believe journalists should seek out unsung heroes, community groups, schools in remote districts, volunteers, and ordinary citizens quietly transforming lives, and tell their stories.

But compassion must never replace professional boundaries. Today, my philosophy is much simpler. If we are not friends, please do not invite me to social events merely because you hope my presence will generate publicity. If you cannot call to ask how I am after not seeing me for a month… If purchasing a $2,500 copy of my book is too much support… If our relationship exists only when you need a press release written, a speech prepared, or media coverage secured… Then please understand that those services are no longer available free of cost.

And if you later decide to offer payment after years of taking without giving, the answer will still be no. There are excellent public relations professionals available. Hire one. There are also those willing to exchange publicity for personal favours. Seek them instead. As for me, my independence is no longer negotiable. My 10 percent “church obligation” goes to that elderly person who can’t afford medication, that child who needs support to begin or continue their education, efforts that go far beyond the 10 percent that is used to pay pastors, among other things.

Nearly four decades in journalism have taught me that kindness is a virtue, but boundaries are a necessity. Compassion should never become captivity. Professionalism should never become servitude. Generosity should never become exploitation. Respect yourself enough to say no. Protect your name. Protect your integrity. Protect your peace. Because once integrity is lost, no amount of publicity can ever restore it.