RE: Fwd: MAUSICA WEEKLY EMAILS 2020-NOV-20

2020-NOV-21-1114Hrs

well Andrew Miguel, (second year), Patrick Ali, and sadly Phillip Kendall

Cuthbert Matthews (Clang), Gaston Alleyne, Ho Sing Loy, ....

Theodore Lewis 69

Re: MAUSICA WEEKLY EMAILS 2020-NOV-20

2020-NOV-21-1035Hrs

My brothers, my brothers.....its just a little date.....from over fifty years ago....how come Mausican still in we blood.....my roomate Sto (Selwyn Bethelmy) came to the house last week.....came with a plumber who was going to sort out my water-pump....

Wasn't it yesterday when Tanty Popo and uncle Kyran took me up there from Marabella to that mecca......Mausica.....the best school of all for me.....the biggest imprint on my life....my psyche....

and Sto came up just like that and took my suitcase.....and walked me over to Fairhaven..... that was 53 years ago.....

Memorable people came in with me..with the privilege of becoming Havenites....Carl Salvary......Arthur Hume, ....Peter Pariag......Deodath Maharaj......Anthony Lum.....Noel T,,  Peter Pariag... Victorinus.....Oswald Thompson.......Oswald Murray.....Robin Ramsingh.....Lloyd Nagee...Clyde Maurice....Abraham (from Grenada) "Abree", Hospee.....Victor Wright (Toco),

Mayfair men...Gregory Byrne,...Roy Jagroopsingh.....Wray McBurnie..Kenneth Bobb (KB),

Villa men---Udho Rambaran (DJango), Davis Charles......

Second year men in Haven....Rodney.....Sto. Carlsbury.  Efebo....Miguel, Murrel,  Martin (Braf).....Kent Rennie (Geezmo).......

Then "departure" for the first time.....the sadness....of which Garth speaks....and the first years coming in....at the rebirth.....in into Haven.....Benji, (Ronald Benjamin), Fabian Alverez, Reynold Davis.....

other men of real note....Joe Stephens......Garth.....

I better stop

Theodore Lewis 69

Crossing the street in Varadero 2.JPG, IMG_6790.JPG and IMG_6118.JPG are attachments to this email.

RE: Back ah Yard

2020-NOV-20-1943Hrs

Fellow Mausicans,

If we survive this pandemic in one piece, we should celebrate with the biggest Thanksgiving service on the Mausica campus in...….well, whenever.

What's your opinion?

Carlston A. Gray 74

Re: MAUSICA WEEKLY EMAILS 2020-NOV-13

2020-NOV-14-0905Hrs

I mentioned an incident in the last blog about our last day in Mausica Teacher's College. I made one mistake. This did not happen in 1969, but rather in 1971.

Garth Nicholas 1969 to 1971

RE: Memory Lane

 2020-NOV-12-2336Hrs

My Fellow Mausicans,

Is me again. Aye, hear nah man, I jus get up from ah lil siesta and ah start tuh sing ah Ray Charles classic named after ah southern state. Ah tink Cassanovas use tuh play it. It was ah bound tuh dance tune. Yuh remember dem days?

Name dat tune.

Aye, Big Brother Errol, yuh must know dat song.

All those who shout "Georgia"! Take ah bow.

If yuh hear meh. Ah sing all de parts. Marjorie watchin meh in wonderment.

Ah glidin, ah waltzin, ah fox -trottin, ah two steppin and ah makin ah diagonal tuh de center of HMJ Hall. Wen ah reach de dead center, ah rent ah tile and ah start slow dancin like Joan Braithwaite an she husband from Point. Who say "grinding"? How she name dancin good, boy. She go save de last dance fuh me.

Yes, Yvonne and Pearl. There will be plenty chessin tonite!

On a serious note. I am glad that Marjorie and I  made it back to Stone Mountain, GA. to participate in the recent unprecedented election. Brother Alan Simpson and I took a virtual drink fuh Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and all Democrats. Mausicans in every thing.

Aye, allyuh, ah gorn fuh now. Ah have tuh finish some CE courses tuh remain compliant. How much more Ethics dey want?

So long for now. Be safe.

As usual.

Rodney Foster, Original Red Guard and Havenite. 66-68

Rodney Foster 68

Re: MAUSICA WEEKLY EMAILS 2020-NOV-06

2020-NOV-06-1730Hrs

In July 1969 the day when we were graduating from Mausica, Selwyn Ayoung, from Fairhaven came over to Sunsetvilla. We in Sunsetvilla were there for 2 whole years together. We were asking each other for all different things. We were using obsene language in every sentence we said. When Selwyn heard us, his remarks were, "Listen to the love."

That struck me. And I began to think about what Selwyn had said.

We were together for 2 years, this was our last day, and after that day, there was no telling when we would be seeing each other again. I was hearing the cursing, and was part of it. He came in, listened, and realized that much more than cursing was going on. We were expressing our love for each other, and the absence that would follow when we left Mausica.  That was 49 years ago, and I remember it as if it was yesterday.

Selwyn Ayoung died a few years after leaving Mausica, but as a first year, he composed  Mausica's Anthem. I am sure that lecturer June Joseph still has a copy of that anthem.

Garth Nicholas 1969 to 1971

RE: Oct 31, 2020 ZOOM

2020-NOV-03-1048Hrs

Hello famalaay!

We had a 4 hour Zoom get together on October 31.

Based on the post meeting comments, it looks like everyone enjoyed themselves. This time we shared Mausica stories/memories and there were exchanges like - “I didn’t know about that!”, “ah hah now I can connect the dots!”, “initiation was traumatic”,  “no one realised how shy I was”.

We learnt the history of some of the nick names and that Mausica was started as a World Bank/UESCO initiative.

It was an atmosphere in which we felt comfortable not only to share feelings and perceptions, but to clarify misconceptions. There was a lot of laughter and anticipation of the next get together.

There were twentyfive of us from different year groups on the Zoom. Of the group, 4 joined from Trinidad and 4 from the US, the rest were from Canada.

Thanks attendees, your presence contributed to the creation of the most awesome virtual meeting we’ve had so far.

COVID19 will not keep us apart emotionally.

Brenda

"and this too will pass"

Brenda Alexander-Perez 65

Re: Mausica graduates

2020-NOV-02-1537Hrs

Hi Errol,

John Soso is an email address I use sometimes to store material. Sorry, I should have sent it as BCC. John Soso does not exist.

You are doing a great job, please continue.

I have been saying now for decades, that the greatest mistake made in Education in Trinidad, in the latter half of the 20th century, was to close down Mausica Teachers' College. That institution, in addition to educating the teachers of the country, also provided an invaluable service in teaching the young of the country about the people, their lifestyles, by making it possible for people from all parts of the country to associate together, and learn.

of all the things that Mausica did one was to create the calypsonian Happy.

Gilbert O'Connor was in the same year like me. When it was time for the 1st years to put on their concert, Fairhaven's hostel rep. Lennox Lawrence, with the nickname Popeye, called all the 1st years in the hostel for a meeting. He told them that they cannot make Fairhaven shame, and was asking them what could they do for the concert.

He gave to Gilbert O'Connor the task of writing a calypso, even though he knew that Gilbert had NEVER written a calypso before. This meeting was held on the Thursday night. They had until the Sunday night when they returned, to show what they would be doing for the concert. In the meeting on Sunday night, when Gilbert was asked to sing his calypso, half way through the calypso, Popeye stopped him and started cursing, as only Popeye could.   "What the $#%@& I thought you said you never composed a calypso before."

"This is the  first calypso I ever write", was his answer. The rest is history.

For our competition one year, he wrote a calypso, about the behavior of our lecturers, after they smoked marijuana.On the national stage, I remember "Boy George" more than any other calypso that he wrote.

Garth 69 to 71

Garth Nicholas 71