My son's school asked me to present at their Career Day this year.
I was immediately concerned because for one, my robust trini accent perplexes even adult Americans, how would their children cope, and secondly, my job isn't even remotely interesting, not even to me, and probably much less so for a classroom of 8 year olds.
But as the non-custodial parent, I already struggle with limited visibility at his school so I'm always keen on stepping up when an opportunity like this presents itself.
First graders seem to react best to visual stimulation thus my challenge was to formulate a presentation that would keep them engaged with as minimal verbal input as possible from me (pesky accent remember). I thus showed up armed to the teeth with the tools of my trade (land acquisition agent by the way), measuring tape, hard hat, caution vest, measuring wheel for ground distance, etc.
And you know what, I think my presentation went exceedingly well, the kids certainly seemed to like it. They all got a kick out of trying on my hard hat and vest, and running the measuring wheel around the classroom. I'd even go so far as to say daddy was a hit despite not being a policeman, fireman or pilot.
The way these things work, parents come in, talk for ten minutes then take questions. What happened in the latter portion is what threw me for a loop. It began innocently enough with questions ranging from "what hours do you work, or "do you sit behind a desk all day," to "where's Nick's mother" (awkward).
Okay this is getting weird.
But then the weird questions started popping up. (and bear in mind most in the class were age 7)
What did you live in back home? A hut?
How did you move around? Are there cars back there? Y'all have roads?
How was it possible to come to America by plane when planes don't fly to Trinidad?
Are there white people there?
If this all seems familiar to you, it's because I've written about it before.
What foreign policy?
The difference is I was talking about college age adults back then, not young children. Where then are these concepts coming from, these preconceived notions that children as young as six and seven already have of life in the Caribbean?
Are we influencing these views and if so what can we ourselves do to help educate these young minds about us and our culture. Yes, we're classed as developing nations, 3rd world even but I do not think "developing" should be taken to mean "stone age."
Should we be responsible?
But then are we really responsible for how we ourselves are perceived by the American public? Think about it, as expat Trinbagonians, most of us already had a fair idea of what to expect about life in the US PRIOR to moving here. We'd already had an understanding of US culture, habits, standard of living, etc from a very early age. Though one might argue that this is because of the pervasive nature of american entertainment, it should also be considered that we educate ourselves.
Face the facts, our education system strives to give us a global perspective. High schools teach English literature and American history. We are versed on Americans by school age, why is the reverse not the same? There is the internet after all; Wikipedia, Youtube, Nikki frickin Minaj. There really shouldn't be a circumstance like this in the information age. But you know what, I didn't let it bother me. How could it? As far as I was concerned, I was present at the formation of an incorrect notion and I stopped it.
Fifteen years from now, these kids will enter college, meet someone from Trinidad or Barbados and hopefully be able to say "hey, I know about you guys, I know where you come from, come let's grab a doubles."
My work here is done.
DTJ.
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Monday, April 21, 2014
Expatriate Son
Barely a week ago, I sat down to have a burger with my father.
An otherwise unremarkable event notable only for the fact that I probably hadn't done so in twelve years.
It's simple really, I live in Atlanta, the old folks, T&T. The problem is not that I haven't been home, I've seen the old man often enough, I'd made the trip at least three times since '02.
But I've never really taken the time to sit down to spend real time with him.
I suppose I can come up with several reasons for that.
The Freshman Phase
Many Caribbean expats began our US experience as foreign students, our first venture outside the parental sphere of control. Parents simply became a telephone banking service, the family home, a guest house during Christmas/Summer/Spring Break trips home.
Trinbago to us "study abroads" was an 1,800 square mile fete, which after months studying "in the cold," simply meant party, eat, drink, lime then party some more upon our return. My parents started calling me lahgahoo, invisible by day, rampant by night. Come to think of it, they really only got two full days of meaningful interaction, the day I got there and the day I left.
And by "meaningful interaction," I mean the time it took to unpack and hand out the foreign goods, (i.e. Planters peanuts, Oreos, Chips Ahoy, Pringles, etc). Here's the thing I never quite understood about older Trinbagonians; in their minds it is supposedly cheaper to have me transport a tin of Planters Dry Roasted 3000 miles as opposed to maybe a 2 mile drive (if that much) to HILO.
I don't get it.
Life after college
But then college didn't last forever. I eventually traded college classes for Class C office space, I had a job. Trips back home couldn't happen anymore, not when round trip airfare had to compete with rent, the car note, insurance etc. And for those occasions when the old folks came to visit, I still didn't get much time with them because, well, I had a job; American employers don't take too kindly to "I need a few days, my parents are in town."
The funny thing is that making the trip home in recent times, I'd follow the same paradigm from my college days, that is to say, fly in, dish out the foreign goods, eat/party/lime then fly out again; nothing changed.
And by the time the parents got around to traveling to visit me, I had a son; you'll soon realize your own insignificance the instant you grant them grandchildren.
I am envious of my son though, not because of his place in my parents' lives, but because of the place that he has in mine. I take the little rugrat everywhere, there isn't much that he doesn't get to experience with his father, and here I am, not getting time with mine. That burger made me realize how much I missed the old gaffer.
Nostalgic much?
I missed the simple things we shared, like him stopping to buy doubles every Friday afternoon after school. He always bought ten to go (two for everybody), slight pepper in all, and we'd all sit on the front porch eating them, that cool Maracas Valley breeze cooling hot mouths because clearly, Sauce the doubles man never quite understood what "slight" pepper meant.
I missed Sunday mornings in particular, right after church, the old man always took the time to open coconuts for everybody. With five trees on the property, there was always enough to go around every single weekend. I started to remember the frequent Sunday afternoon trips to Tetron barracks; growing up the son of a Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force officer certainly had its perks, sea bathing just off the officers' mess jetty was one of them. I suddenly remembered that pops, hands down, made the absolute best cassava pone on the planet.
I could go on of course, the random Sunday drives, going to watch Defence Force football games, Christmas lights drives, Divali lights tours, etc, all these memories that came flooding back over something as simple as a burger.
Perhaps I am getting older, or maybe subconsciously, I've noticed my parents getting older, that I've suddenly become nostalgic (and very much aware of their mortality). I've made a pledge with myself that on my next trip home, I will actually take the time to interact with the old folks, suck a mango with daddy, perhaps help mommy make a pastelle or two.
..............let's not get carried away, we're still talking Trinidad and Tobago here, after a day or two reminiscing, trust me, ah partying HARD!!
Until next time folks, remember love allyuh parents.
Laters.
~DTJ
An otherwise unremarkable event notable only for the fact that I probably hadn't done so in twelve years.
It's simple really, I live in Atlanta, the old folks, T&T. The problem is not that I haven't been home, I've seen the old man often enough, I'd made the trip at least three times since '02.
But I've never really taken the time to sit down to spend real time with him.
I suppose I can come up with several reasons for that.
The Freshman Phase
Many Caribbean expats began our US experience as foreign students, our first venture outside the parental sphere of control. Parents simply became a telephone banking service, the family home, a guest house during Christmas/Summer/Spring Break trips home.
Trinbago to us "study abroads" was an 1,800 square mile fete, which after months studying "in the cold," simply meant party, eat, drink, lime then party some more upon our return. My parents started calling me lahgahoo, invisible by day, rampant by night. Come to think of it, they really only got two full days of meaningful interaction, the day I got there and the day I left.
And by "meaningful interaction," I mean the time it took to unpack and hand out the foreign goods, (i.e. Planters peanuts, Oreos, Chips Ahoy, Pringles, etc). Here's the thing I never quite understood about older Trinbagonians; in their minds it is supposedly cheaper to have me transport a tin of Planters Dry Roasted 3000 miles as opposed to maybe a 2 mile drive (if that much) to HILO.
I don't get it.
Life after college
But then college didn't last forever. I eventually traded college classes for Class C office space, I had a job. Trips back home couldn't happen anymore, not when round trip airfare had to compete with rent, the car note, insurance etc. And for those occasions when the old folks came to visit, I still didn't get much time with them because, well, I had a job; American employers don't take too kindly to "I need a few days, my parents are in town."
The funny thing is that making the trip home in recent times, I'd follow the same paradigm from my college days, that is to say, fly in, dish out the foreign goods, eat/party/lime then fly out again; nothing changed.
And by the time the parents got around to traveling to visit me, I had a son; you'll soon realize your own insignificance the instant you grant them grandchildren.
I am envious of my son though, not because of his place in my parents' lives, but because of the place that he has in mine. I take the little rugrat everywhere, there isn't much that he doesn't get to experience with his father, and here I am, not getting time with mine. That burger made me realize how much I missed the old gaffer.
Nostalgic much?
I missed the simple things we shared, like him stopping to buy doubles every Friday afternoon after school. He always bought ten to go (two for everybody), slight pepper in all, and we'd all sit on the front porch eating them, that cool Maracas Valley breeze cooling hot mouths because clearly, Sauce the doubles man never quite understood what "slight" pepper meant.
I missed Sunday mornings in particular, right after church, the old man always took the time to open coconuts for everybody. With five trees on the property, there was always enough to go around every single weekend. I started to remember the frequent Sunday afternoon trips to Tetron barracks; growing up the son of a Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force officer certainly had its perks, sea bathing just off the officers' mess jetty was one of them. I suddenly remembered that pops, hands down, made the absolute best cassava pone on the planet.
I could go on of course, the random Sunday drives, going to watch Defence Force football games, Christmas lights drives, Divali lights tours, etc, all these memories that came flooding back over something as simple as a burger.
Perhaps I am getting older, or maybe subconsciously, I've noticed my parents getting older, that I've suddenly become nostalgic (and very much aware of their mortality). I've made a pledge with myself that on my next trip home, I will actually take the time to interact with the old folks, suck a mango with daddy, perhaps help mommy make a pastelle or two.
..............let's not get carried away, we're still talking Trinidad and Tobago here, after a day or two reminiscing, trust me, ah partying HARD!!
Until next time folks, remember love allyuh parents.
Laters.
~DTJ
Monday, April 14, 2014
Roti Worries
One would assume that among the items available for sale at a roti shop, that roti would be at the top of the list.
I recently tried to get my hands on a small quantity of paratha skins from a popular local Atlanta establishment only to be informed that "sorry, we don't sell roti skins anymore."
 |
| "buss up shut" |
I'm sorry......what?
As the story goes, this business had just recently opened a new location and thus needed to make enough skins everyday to provide for both venues; roti skins were no longer offered for sale as a result. You know, because why not, we all keep a tawah, ghee and a roti making gnome tied out back right?
A good curry, is by no means hard to make, I think most West Indians are born with that innate ability. But to achieve the supple, verdant, buttery soft, melt in your mouth goodness that characterizes good paratha, a certain level of skill is required that is often out of reach for many of us mere mortals. This is probably why roti shops have always been a permanent fixture in Trinidad and Tobago society.
Could you imagine walking into Patraj, Hoseins or Hotte Shoppe and being told......."we doh sell skins again yuh know boss." You'd shit yourself right? It is thus inconceivable that the standard bearer for trini food in Atlanta would take such a drastic step, especially when the very nature of a roti shop is in fact to sell roti.
But all is not lost, the honorary Trinbagonians in Atlanta (aka the Guyanese), never fail to pick up the slack whenever a trini establishment falters (remember The Roti Place?). International Roti House in Decatur and now Marlies Kitchen in Lithonia have risen up (yet again) to cater to our trini need for dhalpuri and buss up shut. USD$1.75 to $2.50 per skin......yes you read that right.
There is also a trini in Lawrenceville selling skins but only on weekends and when you think about it, who the heck is driving to Lawrenceville for roti? (me obviously, I live ten minutes from there).
Yes I know you caught that, I sure did call the Guyanese honorary Trinbagonians. I have often found people from Guyana quite difficult to tell apart from the average trini. The way we speak, the racial composition of our nations' populations and more importantly our culinary traditions are so very similar, it's almost scary.
I do not look forward to having to make the long pilgrimage to Lithonia every time I need skins, but I am working on a plan to remedy that, the next person I marry will definitely need to have some competent, roti making ability.
Special Thanks to Marlies Kitchen for providing my roti skins on such short notice, BIG UP.
~bless
DTJ
A good curry, is by no means hard to make, I think most West Indians are born with that innate ability. But to achieve the supple, verdant, buttery soft, melt in your mouth goodness that characterizes good paratha, a certain level of skill is required that is often out of reach for many of us mere mortals. This is probably why roti shops have always been a permanent fixture in Trinidad and Tobago society.
Could you imagine walking into Patraj, Hoseins or Hotte Shoppe and being told......."we doh sell skins again yuh know boss." You'd shit yourself right? It is thus inconceivable that the standard bearer for trini food in Atlanta would take such a drastic step, especially when the very nature of a roti shop is in fact to sell roti.
But all is not lost, the honorary Trinbagonians in Atlanta (aka the Guyanese), never fail to pick up the slack whenever a trini establishment falters (remember The Roti Place?). International Roti House in Decatur and now Marlies Kitchen in Lithonia have risen up (yet again) to cater to our trini need for dhalpuri and buss up shut. USD$1.75 to $2.50 per skin......yes you read that right.
There is also a trini in Lawrenceville selling skins but only on weekends and when you think about it, who the heck is driving to Lawrenceville for roti? (me obviously, I live ten minutes from there).
Yes I know you caught that, I sure did call the Guyanese honorary Trinbagonians. I have often found people from Guyana quite difficult to tell apart from the average trini. The way we speak, the racial composition of our nations' populations and more importantly our culinary traditions are so very similar, it's almost scary.
I do not look forward to having to make the long pilgrimage to Lithonia every time I need skins, but I am working on a plan to remedy that, the next person I marry will definitely need to have some competent, roti making ability.
Special Thanks to Marlies Kitchen for providing my roti skins on such short notice, BIG UP.
Marlies Kitchen
5978 Fairington Road
Lithonia, GA 30038
678-847-3389
(*seriously, check these people out, they also sell some of the best trini chinese food, the best phulourie and a damn good cow heel soup)~bless
DTJ
Friday, February 28, 2014
Soca Monarch Friday 2014
Here is the link for this year's competition, everything starts tonight around 8......or was that 9?
But anyways, it's that time again, it's Carnival Friday, Trinidad and Tobago is abuzz, thoroughly beset by a whirlwind of activity and anticipation as the "Greatest Show On Earth" begins in earnest. For those fortunate enough to be in Trinidad, somebody please jam a rolly polly for me.
Sadly, like many reading this, there is to be no Trinidad Carnival for yet another year, having suffered the misfortune of being stuck abroad for one reason or another. But as usual, thanks mainly to the robust broadband connections available to us and the proliferation of online streaming options, we foreign-based trinbagonians still experience a bit of the bacchanal.
It's just that this "experience" unfortunatley brings it's own unwanted form of bacchanal. Case in point, the aforementioned Soca Monarch finals......yes I can hear you all groaning already.
Those that go through it every year, you know of what I speak, the crashed servers, the broken links, the frozen video feeds and dropped audio; trying to watch Soca Monarch these past few years has often required the patience of Job. I even had a friend who resorted to watching it on Facetime through an ipad setup streaming from a tv in Trinidad.
Last year's experience I think was the absolute worst we'd had in years due in part to the removal of the pay structure previously in place to access the stream. Right on cue, the suddenly free service got slammed (I'm not sure why organizers didn't see that coming) and the servers were down and offline long before the show even got started. By the time we were able to find reliable access some kind soul on Ustream, our crew had already missed all of the Groovy Soca segment.
But this year promises to be different. Soca Monarch is now available over pay per view on many of the major US cable providers. The option is also available for paid online streaming; the hope is that this new system would limit the strain on existing infrastructure hopefully leading to a stress free viewing experience later tonight.
Have a Happy Carnival.
...........please Lord don't let them mess this up.
~fin
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Stone Mountain Park - Snow Mountain
I have a unique dysfunction if it's even appropriate to call it that. I am a creature of habit, often settling into a routine from which I do not often stray. But when some force causes me to deviate and in essence, try something new, I tend to binge on that new experience if I happen to like it.
Case in point, Snow Mountain at Stone Mountain Park.
To put things in perspective, I hate snow; I am practically racist when it comes the stuff. I don't mess with it on any level. Georgia is my ideal habitat as the State shares with me an acute aversion to the devil's piss, having only had actual snowfall four times in the last decade, most times barely an inch or two.
The thing is, I hate the cold, I hate to feel cold and in order for there to be snow, a place has to be cold. How does one enjoy something that must be enjoyed in the cold? It is undoubtedly this line of thinking that had kept me from Snow Mountain these eleven long years.
Stone Mountain Park is arguably the State of Georgia's most popular tourist attraction. Snow Mountain is its attempt to bring some of the "joys" of playing in the snow to the people of the south.
For three months each winter, Stone Mountain Park converts their laser show greens area into a winter wonderland of sorts complete with lanes for snow tubing and and a snow play area for making snowmen, snow angels and the occasional snowball fight. Now hold on to your seats northerners while I explain this concept......we pay money to play in the "snow" down here.
I'll give you a moment to let that sink in.
In all my years living here, I'd never considered going but once I actually tried it out last December, I couldn't stop. I must have done Snow Mountain at least four times this past season, even got me an annual park pass to make going easier.
And what's not to love? Georgians get the benefit of experiencing the fun aspects of snowy conditions with none of the downsides. Just think, snow tubing, tobogganing, snowballs and snow angels yet none of the sidewalk shoveling, firewood chopping nonsense that they deal with up north.
As a matter of fact, the only downside to Snow Mountain (other than long lines) is the fact that it's only around for three months each year. If I had my way I'd have them drain that stupid, man-made lake no one goes near to make way for an indoor snow facility like the one in Dubai for year round Snow Mountain excitement......make it happen.
~fin
 |
| Fun without the added insurance premiums. |
The thing is, I hate the cold, I hate to feel cold and in order for there to be snow, a place has to be cold. How does one enjoy something that must be enjoyed in the cold? It is undoubtedly this line of thinking that had kept me from Snow Mountain these eleven long years.
Stone Mountain Park is arguably the State of Georgia's most popular tourist attraction. Snow Mountain is its attempt to bring some of the "joys" of playing in the snow to the people of the south.
For three months each winter, Stone Mountain Park converts their laser show greens area into a winter wonderland of sorts complete with lanes for snow tubing and and a snow play area for making snowmen, snow angels and the occasional snowball fight. Now hold on to your seats northerners while I explain this concept......we pay money to play in the "snow" down here.
I'll give you a moment to let that sink in.
In all my years living here, I'd never considered going but once I actually tried it out last December, I couldn't stop. I must have done Snow Mountain at least four times this past season, even got me an annual park pass to make going easier.
 |
| Quite the backdrop if you ask me, not quite the Poconos but close enough. |
As a matter of fact, the only downside to Snow Mountain (other than long lines) is the fact that it's only around for three months each year. If I had my way I'd have them drain that stupid, man-made lake no one goes near to make way for an indoor snow facility like the one in Dubai for year round Snow Mountain excitement......make it happen.
~fin
 |
| The author attempting to "not have fun" but failing miserably. |
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
New Attractions
Atlanta certainly cannot be accused of being stale or outdated by any measure (except transit).
Many of the popular attractions that have been around for decades, have been busily renovating and expanding their offerings. Zoo Atlanta for instance is in the midst of constructing an entirely new exhibit, Six Flags over Georgia, a new water park due later this year.
Stone Mountain Park, fresh from adding three new attractions last year, continues to seek new ways to entertain as has the Georgia Aquarium which also added several new exhibits recently.
Needless to say I've been forced to add a few already visited items back onto my bucket list.
But expansions aside, a wave of development has begun in Atlanta, promising a dizzying array of brand new attractions to the City, attractions which will serve only to further cement Atlanta as the premier travel destination in the south east. This year alone, Atlantawill hopes to welcome the Atlanta Streetcar, the College Football Hall of Fame and the National Civil Rights History Museum.
But there is no need to wait till the summer to try something new, two recent additions have taken the City by storm: Skyview Atlanta and the Global Winter Wonderland (one of which I'll touch on today) have proven to be exceedingly popular already.
Global Winter Wonderland
With little forewarning, Global Winter Wonderland showed up one day at Turner Field's "Parking Lot C" and took Atlanta by storm. Promising to bring many of the world's Christmas traditions together in one place, the park dazzled patrons with a wide array of lighted displays featuring reproductions of many of the world's wonders, Big Ben, The White House, San Francisco's Bay Bridge and the Taj Mahal, to name a few.
In addition to the light displays, the park featured different cultural shows. On the night I attended, there was soca feature on the main stage, complete with costumes and the obligatory "jump and wave" session. I was thrilled to see my culture represented, though I didn't understand it's appearance at a Christmas focused event especially when parang might have been more appropriate.
To be honest, despite being billed as a Christmas-themed event, I didn't really sense much of a yuletide atmosphere. Apart from the gigantic Christmas tree near the entrance, I'd have easily mistaken the place for an ill advised, winter time carnival complete with the typical assortment of carnival rides, a carousel, bumper cars, funnel cakes, etc.
The carnival rides were an interesting choice for a winter time event because it was freezing that night. Who's riding a carousel in December? There was even a circus on site, Universoul Circus to be exact.
All in all, Global Winter Wonderland turned out to be a smashing success its very first year in Atlanta. By the looks of it, the event will be returning every Christmas, my only hope being that next winter not be nearly as cold as the last, maybe I'd be able to enjoy the event a bit more then.
I'll eventually get around to trying out Skyview Atlanta but it's newness still results in ridiculously long lines. Atlantans are worse that Trinbagonians when it comes to "never see come see," I swear.
~fin
Many of the popular attractions that have been around for decades, have been busily renovating and expanding their offerings. Zoo Atlanta for instance is in the midst of constructing an entirely new exhibit, Six Flags over Georgia, a new water park due later this year.
Stone Mountain Park, fresh from adding three new attractions last year, continues to seek new ways to entertain as has the Georgia Aquarium which also added several new exhibits recently.
Needless to say I've been forced to add a few already visited items back onto my bucket list.
But expansions aside, a wave of development has begun in Atlanta, promising a dizzying array of brand new attractions to the City, attractions which will serve only to further cement Atlanta as the premier travel destination in the south east. This year alone, Atlanta
But there is no need to wait till the summer to try something new, two recent additions have taken the City by storm: Skyview Atlanta and the Global Winter Wonderland (one of which I'll touch on today) have proven to be exceedingly popular already.
Global Winter Wonderland
 |
| Big Ben |
In addition to the light displays, the park featured different cultural shows. On the night I attended, there was soca feature on the main stage, complete with costumes and the obligatory "jump and wave" session. I was thrilled to see my culture represented, though I didn't understand it's appearance at a Christmas focused event especially when parang might have been more appropriate.
To be honest, despite being billed as a Christmas-themed event, I didn't really sense much of a yuletide atmosphere. Apart from the gigantic Christmas tree near the entrance, I'd have easily mistaken the place for an ill advised, winter time carnival complete with the typical assortment of carnival rides, a carousel, bumper cars, funnel cakes, etc.
The carnival rides were an interesting choice for a winter time event because it was freezing that night. Who's riding a carousel in December? There was even a circus on site, Universoul Circus to be exact.
All in all, Global Winter Wonderland turned out to be a smashing success its very first year in Atlanta. By the looks of it, the event will be returning every Christmas, my only hope being that next winter not be nearly as cold as the last, maybe I'd be able to enjoy the event a bit more then.
I'll eventually get around to trying out Skyview Atlanta but it's newness still results in ridiculously long lines. Atlantans are worse that Trinbagonians when it comes to "never see come see," I swear.
~fin
Monday, February 10, 2014
More Yuletide Revelry
Ben Hur, King of Kings, The Ten Commandments, three titles that should be instantly familiar to a Trinbagonian child of the eighties. Harkening back to a time when one television station (TTT) was all we had, one would be hard pressed to find an eighties trini who hadn't been forced to watch all three of these every year on Christmas Day.
Though the venerable Charton Heston's movies did dominate, by the early-nineties, another Christmas classic started to become popular, a Charles Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol. Patrick Stewart's version in particular I grew fond of the most.
A Christmas Carol
The Alliance Theater has clearly made a name for itself. While "The Fox" has The Nutcracker, the Alliance has its very own Christmas classic which it has been running for more than twenty years. For sixteen of those years, the role of Ebeneezer Scrooge had been played Chris Kayser, a gentleman who recently announced his retirement from the role (not from acting altogether mind you) to which Atlanta responded by selling out nearly all this season's shows a month in advance. Seriously, these tickets were harder to find than the Nutcracker.
I understand now why Mr. Kayser was so popular; he not only had the look, but the demeanour as well. The gentleman performed so well as Scrooge that I found myself actually hating the guy. I experienced genuine feelings of pity for him during times of despair and rejoiced at his seemingly remarkable overnight transformation.
Not to be outdone, his supporting cast absolutely impressed. There was a chemistry among the castmates, a near tangible sense of cohesion that made this whole portrayal seem believable. It's not often easy to convincingly emulate a time and place that far removed from your own, but this group pulled it off.
I should mention also, costumes and set design; tasked with creating a mid-nineteenth century, Victorian era English town, the set designers took care to include many elements intrinsic of the time. From furnishings to rugs, bedding and tableware, for two hours I was convinced I'd been roaming 1830s England. The set itself incorporated ingenious hidden trap doors for grand entrances or stealthy departures and rigging that made some characters fly. This was way more "theatrics" than I'd have expected for a stage play, and I loved every minute.
Like I did with the Nutcracker, I am highly recommending A Christmas Carol. Add it to your annual family Christmas rotation, particularly Alliance Theatre's version and be sure to take the younguns. Good stories with morals are often hard to find and morals are just what society needs more of these days.
DTJ
Though the venerable Charton Heston's movies did dominate, by the early-nineties, another Christmas classic started to become popular, a Charles Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol. Patrick Stewart's version in particular I grew fond of the most.
A Christmas Carol
 |
| Chris Kayser reprising his role as Ebeneezer Scrooge |
I understand now why Mr. Kayser was so popular; he not only had the look, but the demeanour as well. The gentleman performed so well as Scrooge that I found myself actually hating the guy. I experienced genuine feelings of pity for him during times of despair and rejoiced at his seemingly remarkable overnight transformation.
Not to be outdone, his supporting cast absolutely impressed. There was a chemistry among the castmates, a near tangible sense of cohesion that made this whole portrayal seem believable. It's not often easy to convincingly emulate a time and place that far removed from your own, but this group pulled it off.
I should mention also, costumes and set design; tasked with creating a mid-nineteenth century, Victorian era English town, the set designers took care to include many elements intrinsic of the time. From furnishings to rugs, bedding and tableware, for two hours I was convinced I'd been roaming 1830s England. The set itself incorporated ingenious hidden trap doors for grand entrances or stealthy departures and rigging that made some characters fly. This was way more "theatrics" than I'd have expected for a stage play, and I loved every minute.
DTJ
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