Rosemary Parkinson, Contributor
Maurison Randall talks to a Honduran carpenter. - PHOTO BY ROSEMARY PARKINSON
WHEN ENA HARVEY, representative of IICA (agri-tourism) Barbados, asked myself and Maurison Randall of New Kingston Farmer's Market (event planner) to present a proposal to build a Caribbean Village for the CHIC show to be held at the Hyatt Regency, downtown Miami, we were elated. Knowing the logistics, we then gave employment to a young Jamaican who at the interview made us believe he could build the Empire State Building if asked.
THE FUN BEGINS
I am in Barbados. IICA sends cheque for expenditures by FedEx to National Commercial Bank (NCB) Falmouth. FedEx promises one working day delivery - Monday 19th at noon.
NCB promises four-hour activation of money to card.
My ticket was booked for Tuesday 20th.
Tuesday, NCB said there was no cheque.
The ticket was cancelled.
A booking was made for Wednesday and non-show fee paid.
I call FedEx and am told it's in Miami. I rant and rave but they. FedEx 'find' envelope in minutes and deliver to NCB Falmouth same night.
It is deposited to credit card with request for activation the following morning.
MIAMI WEDNESDAY
I fly out on Wednesday, the 20th and spend day at airport waiting for Randall, who arrived in the evening with bolts of cloth and several boxes stuffed with Buccaneer Rum Cake (remember this name). Many thanks to Air Jamaica for the much-appreciated overweight sponsorship.
Luggage with Buccaneer that, once in Miami, we hauled from customs to taxi, from taxi to hotel room thrice until we reached our headquarters for the next week - the Fortune House All Suite Hotel.
THURSDAY TO SATURDAY SAGA
Jamaican worker arrives. With no confirmation of product to show, apart from Buccaneer and a few others from Barbados and Antigua, so the contingency plan was to buy Caribbean in Miami - the show must go on. Our design plans changed compliments of FedEx as Internet orders and time factors were no longer feasible. With a 30'x30'x20' area to build a tea garden, cookshop, rum shop and booths by Sunday, we required transport.
We chose Dollar.com and attempted to pay with my credit card. It was denied and I tried to call NCB. The phones of both major companies roam as promised. I returned to the hotel and called NCB customer service. I ranted and raved. Much later, with mission supposedly accomplished, we got transport but would remain wondering daily whether card would work or not.
We head to nearest Home Depot with a confusing map. No one from hotel desk to side roads, gas stations, homes or shops speaks English, knew or could help us find this popular store. We eventually found it and soon discover nobody appears to work except cashiers. If you do find an employee, 'him' only barely know his/her own aisle and also does not speak English. Hello? Where am I? In America? No, downtown Miami. Northern Latin America!
I speak in Spanish, we walk a hundred miles, pressure rising but, prevail by the grace of God and Caribbean humour. This was to literally be the story for the next three days with every person asked a question only acquainted with, "I do not know" in English or "Bueno la verdad es que no se" - a longer version of same thing in yes! Spanish.
SUNDAY PIRATES AHOY!
We discover that the Jamaican worker knows absolutely nothing about carpentry or the Empire State building. Two hours before opening time, in desperation, I pick up a man from Honduras at the side of the road. He claims to be a carpenter who was just out of jail. He works like a beast and builds bar in one hour.
With two hours sleep each night, the Caribbean Village opens barely on time and space must be found for products that suddenly arrive from everywhere but Jamaica. Buccaneer, the rum cake we hauled all over de world for free? I have asked her to explain this: Well, it went like dis: she ent like dis, dat. She want a booth for herself. Dat woman (meaning me) has no concept of organisation putting her next to de competition (afraid of something dear?) and, and, and. Embarrassing to her country to say the least with everybody willing to share, but the one Jamaican in the crowd. But as God above would have it. Placed away from the competition at her request, Tortuga Barbados Rum Cake happily got the garden area with tables and chairs to serve coffee and cake to visitors.
ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL
The Caribbean Village was sweet with people commenting it was the best section in the whole show even 'though our spot was located in the back of the exhibition area. Rum flowing (from Cockspur Barbados, Angostura Trinidad - where's Wray and Nephew?), Angostura Sauces with their jerk seasoned grilled chicken bites prepared on the spot (where's Walkerswood or Busha Browne?), delightful traditional sweets from Barbadian Anne Marie Whittaker's Native Treasures (where's Sonya Dunstan?), Herbal products from Trinidad (where's Glenleigh, Blue Mountain, etc.). In fact where is Jamaica at all?
In an interview with Ena Harvey, IICA's representative for Barbados, she said, "Next year the Caribbean Village should be at the front of this Trade Show. We have set a standard, the village already being invited to other shows. More Caribbean participation under one banner makes for strength - we have to pull together. CHIC will be lobbied to have all chefs and bartenders' Taste of the Caribbean Competitions use only the products showcased.
Agro-processing companies should be sponsoring the Taste of the Caribbean. The President of the CHA, Berthia Parle, emphasised during the session on Linkages here at CHIC that governments have a critical role to play in supporting farmers to produce adequate quantities of products; to provide the mechanisms for moving products from one island to the other without heavy taxes. I agree for, if not, all of the amazing ideas that are being thought out now will go to waste. We also need a Directory of Products and Services of what the Caribbean can provide. Are we asking for too much?"
No Miss Harvey, you are not. When are we going to wake up? CARICOM where are you? We require a united front of food now. We can and should feed ourselves. The hype on Caribbean food is here and if we do not act fast, we might just miss the boat. Is this what we want: our wonderful food disappearing off the map of the earth?
Next week - Jamaica at The Taste of the Caribbean.
