Lifespan of a Chennette

In 1976, Trinidad and Tobago became a Republic, after having gained Independence in 1962. Being a Republic means not having the Queen as our Head of State, and apart from access to the Privy Council, we were on our own henceforth. We still had some other functional linkages – our education system, in that our O and A Level exams were still British administered, for example, and the whole Commonwealth thing – but we had our own Government, from chief cook to bottlewasher. Now, I am not necessarily enamoured of our leaders, our government and our politics, but I am proud of our Republic status. There are only 3 of us in the former British West Indies that made that step – Dominica and Guyana being the others.

I don’t have a Republic Day menu, and in fact I am in the airport right now waiting for a flight so I can’t organise one. But perhaps my location suits the only photos I have to accompany this post, as they are of the patriotic display at the Piarco International Airport in Trinidad. While this was set up and taken for Independence Day, the same display remains in place for Republic Day – the beauty of celebrating the first on August 31st and the second on September 24th!

I wish I was at home, where I would indeed be home for this public holiday, but I will be in Guyana, so I can nonetheless enjoy some measure of Republichood.

Enjoy the day!