"DRINKIN' BACK OME in DE CARIBBEAN."

"DRINKIN' BACK OME in DE CARIBBEAN."

"DRINKIN' BACK OME in DE CARIBBEAN."

“Drinking Scenes in a Home, Bar or Rum Shop.” By L. E. Franklin. B. F. A. Hon’s. September 10, 2004 [“All drunk-man dem got friends, de rum-bottle & a-nader drunk-man.”] “BEER DRINKERS.” Drinking scenes takes place in any restaurant or other shops that sell beer in the Caribbean. When most people (men) enter a liquor shop to have a drink it is a custom that start with the first order of beer during the drinking exercise. It lasts towards the end and no one wants to take a washroom break. The reason for that displayed behaviour is whosoever leaves the table for a washroom break has to buy a round of beers for the friends at the table. So if the group consisted of ten persons including the one that left for the washroom break on his return he had to buy ten beers. I must add that controlling the intake of beer has nothing to do with the age, physical condition or practice with a group of beer-drinkers’ because someone will lose at one time or the other. Once beer goes into the body it has to be let out and once you start you have to continue. Beer drinkers’ know the drill and the feeling of trying to keep that beer in and also experience their repeated trips to the bathroom. Also note that luck will not be friendly to all the drinkers’ in the group every time they meet for their drinking sessions on any day. This ritual is not a good practice but it is done. Another custom is refusing to let the waitress remove the empty bottles from the table after the beer drinking has started. The empties are not removed until the drinking session had finished. Guess they love their artistic creation of empty bottles displayed on the table within their space. When the table is filled with empties the rest now are placed under the table. The major problem with this practice is a fight close to the table or an accidental touch of the table. Any of these occurrences cause a dangerous reaction of bottles falling and breaking. Beer drinkers’ in most cases wants the waitress to open the beer in front of them and never remove the bottles before making sure they are empty. Note when the beer-drinking exercise is over all those who tried to keep the liquid in and did not wish to buy beer for the group run for the washroom. It is fun to see the rush and line-up, then hear voices shouting, “Hurry-up and come out I want to pee.” The ones that can’t wait line-up against the closest wall or along the fence and sounds are heard like showers of rain dangling from the waist down, to the wall or ground. Lastly, if a beer drinker starts drinking one kind of beer, he will not change by order the same until she/he is finished. For example if the choose of beer is “Banks Beer” it would be “Banks Beer” to the end. Sometimes beer drinkers drink brown-run and chase it with Beer, that has a deadly after effect. In most cases an ice-cold beer is better in the Caribbean. A hot beer is mostly used as a recovery drink for a hangover. “RUM-DRINKERS.” Rum-drinkers are in another class by themselves. Liquor is sold in different sizes, “large,” “halves” and “quarters.” Would you believe that this division in sizes sold creates a divided system of specialized rum-drinkers? Yes it does, giving rise to people who drink only from a half bottle, some only from a quarter and the rest from the large bottle. Very rear do they change this habit. The rum-drinkers are so specialized that they have mathematically arrived at a system as to how many drinks and persons engage in the different sizes. GROUP #1. Lets start with the “quarter bottle rum drinkers.” The rational is that a “quarter” is between two people or one person. It is divided into two glasses and shared by the two people or drank by one person. The rum is either drank with - No ice or chaser (pop/soft-drink). - Water & no ice - Ice & no water. Note it is down the hatch one after the other and this depends on the drinking time that can last from two minutes to four hours in a bar. In this exercise the drinkers only buy rum by the “quarter bottles.” GROUP #2. The next is the “half bottle rum drinkers’.” It can be divided between two, three or four persons, no more. In most cases it is drunk between four or two persons or one person. They continue drinking and again only buy “half bottles” until the session is over. They either drink with - No ice or chaser (pop/soft-drink). - Water & no ice. - Ice & no water. Here again it is down the hatch one after the other and this depends on the drinking time that can last from two minutes to four hours in a bar. In this exercise the drinkers only buy rum by the “half bottles.” GROUP #3. The next and last group is the largest of the rum drinkers’. This group drinks the most, makes the most noise and always leaves the bar drunk. They are the “large bottle rum drinkers,” (26 ounces). It could be drunk by one person or can be divided between two persons and as much as eight persons. So if every one in a group of eight persons buys a 26oz. they would have consumed 8 bottles of 26ounces. This is not unusual and they might drink more if others join the table. They either drink with - No ice or chaser (pop/soft-drink). - Water & no ice. - Ice & no water. Here again it is down the hatch one after the other and this depends on the drinking time that can last from two minutes to six hours in a bar. In this exercise the drinkers only buy rum by the “large bottles-26ozs.” Note: A rum drinking spree can last for one day to days depending on the group, the event and the place being consumed other than a “Rum-shop.” For example, My first trip on the Essequibo Coast (Guyana, S.A.) was during the Xmas holidays where I was exposed to males drinking Rum for days. It started on Xmas-eve; a group of ten (10) men would start drinking at one of their friends’ home and continue their visit through the night (early morning/morning/day). They visit each home until the last home is reached. In each home there is food and drinks prepared for the group and there is no time limit for the visit. There is also no limit to the number of persons’ because it is Xmas Season and everyone known each other in the village. The home visits sometimes goes beyond Boxing Day. (So you can have ten friends drinking rum and eating Xmas foods in each other home from Xmas-eve to Boxing Day- 3days). One Xmas season a cousin of mine started drinking with his friends’ non-stop from Xmas-eve to Boxing Day. He had to be taken to the Hospital on Boxing Day for rum poising. 1. Another group I was exposed to that drank a lot was Government workers. They were drinking every day in the evenings or all day. There was no day I could not get a drink because other Government workers always invited me. You see, my father was a Government worker and the children of each worker kept together. We were always known and protected by the workers be it Police Officers,’ Teachers,’ Postmen or other. I remember on Good Friday morning invited to the bar by a Police officer (a friend) after the early morning Church Service. I went home, changed and returned to the Bar. We started drinking Beer and then changed to drinking Rum. Our chaser was beer and the session lasted until the Midday Good Friday Service finished. It was three of us, I was the youngest and we all left the Bar in a drunking state. 2. I started to work on the Essequibo Coast and was employed with the Government Surveyors. This was another group that drank every evening and on weekends.’ We worked form Monday to Friday in the in-lands and return to the main populated area Friday evening. From the time we got settled in the main camp the brown rum drinking started and went on over the weekend- 3days. There would be plenty to eat and drink and other members of different groups’ posted in different areas, stopping for a visit. They will come armed with a 26oz. Bottle or two. 3. I remember once the group in our camp started to drink from Thursday afternoon at six p.m. It went on to two a.m. in the morning. At 2 a.m. we boarded a bus and the drinking continued from Queenstown to Adventure for a trip to Georgetown. The bus stopped at Suddie Police Station. This was the last stop and a stop that the bus always made before going to Adventure where we caught the Boat for Georgetown. An officer from the station informed the driver that the Captain of the Boat was drinking in a bar and the boat cannot leave without him. On hearing this we (Surveyors) left the bus and went to the bar. At the bar (Sonny Lord’s) we met the Captain, some of his sailors’, Police Officers, Teachers and other Government workers drinking so we joined the group. In total we were about 30 people that were on our way to the City. Our drinking session lasted for 1hr before the Captain said, “Let’s go.” The boat left 1hr late for “Parika Stelling” on our way to Georgetown. The Captain took the chance because he knew that he would be travelling with the tide and not against the tide. (Travelling with the tide one gains as opposed to travelling against the tide.) The drinking continued in the cabin of the sailors. Before the boat arrived at “Parika” the Captain arranged with the conductor of the train to arrange a carriage for the Government workers and it was done. We had our private party on the train-no other passenger was allowed in the car. The conductor sent the message ahead and at every stop “Guyana’s X.M brown-rum” was waiting. The drinking continued along the train ride to our last transfer stop (V-en-hoop Stelling) before crossing the “Demerara River” by another boat to Georgetown. NOTE: (The trip from Adventure on the Essequibo Coast to Georgetown took about 7-8 hours depending on the tide along the Essequibo River, the train ride between the two main Rivers’ (Essequibo & Demerara Rivers) and the last boat ride across the Demerara River to the City.) We got to Georgetown about 8.30 a.m. that Saturday morning and the group went to “The Icehouse” a bar on the Eastside of the Street (Water Street) from were the Boat docked. The group left the bar about 6p.m. We meet again at a Fair (“L.C.P”.) Ground later that evening. Between our drinking time at the bar each employee left for their head-office to receive wages and returned. I should also note that at “Icehouse” we bought food also because we never had drinks with eating food. With a few hours rest away from the drinking (for some of us) we looked fresh at the “LPC Fair” that Saturday evening. This gave us more room to “take-in de brown-rum” until the fair was over at about 5.30a.m Sunday. This was a 3.5 days of “non-stop” drinking that was great when it lasted. On our return trip to the Essequibo Coast that Sunday afternoon no one drank any rum. We were all sore & “stale-boozed.” Monday was another workday in the fields so one had to be “in-shape” because as Surveyors’ we did plenty of walking in the Forest. 4. Another place I enjoying visiting was the home of Mr. Garraway along the Pamaroon River on the Essequibo Coast. He owned a large estate and being invited on a visit meant staying 3 days eating food cocked by his wife and drinking. His wife “stayed-up” all night preparing meals for us whenever he called for anything to eat she brought it. His famous statement was, “Why get sober when you have to get drunk again?” The last time I visited his place it was three of us (a Sergeant of the Guyana Police Force, a Senior Employment Officer and I). We drove to Charity in a Police vehicle and were “picked-up” by boat and arrived at his home that Friday afternoon. We left Monday morning after having a great time being entertained all weekend. Judging from Mr. Garraway’s statement one should realize what type of weekend we has (drinking, eating, political discussions, music and little or no sleep). Any one of us that left our seat either went to the washroom or for a shower. After completing nature’s duties returned to the drinking session. I had a group of friends on the Essequibo Coast that drank every weekend. There were six persons in the group and every weekend it was one person’s tern to have the group. Because my father was a Government employee I did not have to entertain the group at our home. When it became my weekend I gave money for the food and one of the group gave me permission to entertain the boys at his home. Each person would take a 26oz of rum to the home we were visiting and that person’s family prepared food for the group. There was one person in the group that never took us to his home or never bought food. We developed a plan unknown to him. One of the guys’ that lived close to his home stole two of his chickens, they were cooked in curry and he was invited to eat. He came drank, had a big meal and had fun. One person in the group asked, “How de food eat man?” He said “De chicken-curry taste real good dat I eat two times.” Another said, “Yo sure it taste good?” His reply was, “Me can’t remember when last me eat chicken so sweet.” By this time the rest of us were on the floor laughing our heads-off. He became very quit and said, “What de hell you all laughing at?” Someone then said, “De chicken yo eat is from yo yard.” He “got-up” mad as hell and started to cuss us out with all the “bad-words” that he could find and left. He never again joined the group for another drink. He was “up-set” at the trick that was played on him. By the way one of the guys in the group “grew-up” got married and continued to steal. One night he attempted to steal a neighbour’s sheep; was caught in the act and got shot. He died at the seen of his crime. We had another friend that never bought a drink in the group; so we knew it was his birthday and we also knew that he was planning to leave Guyana. As a gift for his birthday and farewell we all bought him a gallon of rum. We took it to his home and he was surprised. One gallon was placed in his hand with a glass and he was told that it was his. He was also told that when it was finished there is more. All evening he was told to “drink-up” and he did. He had five gallons to drink from that night and drank until he became stupid; he did not even eat the food that his mother prepared. In his “drunk-in” state he started to cry and was on the floor for the rest of the night. In fact we left him on the floor of his home. He was sick for the rest of the week and was the joke of the village. Most of the men knew what had happened to him and we heard that his mother told him that “When you greedy and like to drink rum and don’t buy bad thing can happen to you.” He left the village for North America weeks later. What a “send-off” party that was. There were other drinking sessions that I cannot recall at this time but there are a few things that must be mentioned A. One of our favorite cutters’ while drinking in a Guyanese “Rum-shop” that did not sell food was imported “corn-beef” from a tin and crackers (local biscuits). Finely chopped onions and hot pepper was added to the “corn-beef” (uncooked) then served with the biscuits. B. Other “Rum-shops” would have on sale “fried-shark” or “Banga Mary”, “salt-fish cakes” or “salt-fish & bakes”, “potato-balls” (before it was banned by the Government), “eddo, yam or cassava balls” (1973-74), “hot & spicy chick peas (channa)”, “black-pudding” and “souse” (weekends)”, etc. C. In bars that sold food “fried chicken (chicken-in-the-rough)” was the #1. It came with fries. D. Chinese Restaurants’ sold food and beer. The most favorite food eaten when drinking was Cantonese “Low Mein” or “Chow Mein.” Ones’ choose of order was either to have chicken, beef, pork or a combination of all three with the potion. The next on the list that was ordered (sometimes) is the “fried rice” or “Wonton Soup”. E. In Local Restaurants’ (Guyanese) it was “Cook-up rice” or “chicken-in-the-rough”, etc. F. The person that buys the rum or the first person that “picks-up” the bottle to have the first drink must break the seal and perform a libation. This custom is done in respect for “dead ancestors”-(Three drops are poured on the ground). G. Another practice of rum-drinkers’ is the drinker that is leave must have two more drinks of rum. If that person takes only one drink she/he is told that another drink is required because they cannot leave on one foot (one drink). They have to “balance-it-up”; they have to take another drink (two drinks). H. When there is a death there is always “rum-drinking”. More “brown-rum” is drunk than food is eater; some people try to be kept informed about who has died. They state, “I don’t have to cook food, I will get food at the wake house and I can drink all the liquor I want, I don’t have to buy it when it is free”. If there is no booze it is not a wake. In some situation the family of a dead person has to wait for another relative/s to arrive from North America before the body is buried. In this case a wake can continue for a week or more and “liquor flows like water” all day and night. After the person is buried there is a saying that “One has to wash their hands before returning to their home” or “Taking a last drink for the dead” but it is really having a drink after the funeral at the home of the dead person. Even the “grave-diggers” in the villages’ (it might be different in the City) would not start digging before they have a drink and they continue drinking rum until the job is finished. In most cases if is done at the expense of the dead person’s family. I think that these were all excuses “made-up” by “rum-drinkers” to get a free drink. I. It is also a practice of others’ in the society to have a drink either at the start or ending of their job; - Painters’ claims that a drink of rum before or after the job prevents the smell of the paint from harming their health. - Fish venders’ claims the same story that when they drink rum the smell of the fish does not affect them. - The “brick-layer” also states that “A drink of rum after work keeps the cement dust out of the lung.” One could conclude that for any related job where there is a bad odor (smell) or dusty environment, rum drinking is used as prevention and not a cure. - Rum was also used as an antibiotic for wounds when a person got injured and had miles to travel for medical attention at the hospital. The alcohol was used to stop the bleeding and also given as a sedative to the wounded patient to stabilise the condition. - There is a famous Rum-cake that is made during weddings and Xmas season.