Careening…towards Christmas 

As your Eyewitness has pointed out, we don’t start our Christmas “12-days countdown ”AFTER” the big day, but more commonsensically, before!! So in our dear ole Mudland, Christmas has been in the air and on the ground since businesses followed our hallowed custom and paid their workers by the 15th of the month – a week ago!! Even though the Opposition – headed by the LOO-in-waiting with time on his hands – has been bitching and moaning about a Christmas Bonus not handed out, have you noticed how Georgetown’s once again crowded beyond bursting point??
That’s them shoppers blowing their early pay and – any bonus that might’ve come their way!! No investing at this time of the year!!  But now it looks like only our disabled folks – along with the Disciplined Forces – will have an extra top-up to splurge!! Your Eyewitness wondered why our uniformed personnel again hit the jackpot before Christmas – and figured that with the Yanks going after Mad Maduro, they gotta be on the ready!!
Anyhow, Christmas does come early for everyone in Guyana – whatever our means – and we enjoy it lustier than elsewhere. In your Eyewitness’s household, the Christmas Black cakes (plural!!) were “set” months ago and it was the job of yours truly to “season” them periodically with the spirits of the season!! He, of course, was duty bound to ensure that the said spirits were of the requisite proof!! It’s a dirty job, but…!!
So from last week, he’s been distributing Black Cakes from his Missus’s list and he must confess he’s been made welcome as if he were Santa Claus himself!! He had to contain himself from belting out the old geezer’s trademark “ho ho ho’s” – even though there aren’t any chimneys for him to slide down!!! There’s also the ginger beer that had been set – even though your Eyewitness thinks that sadly, that’s a dying tradition!!
But we have some new traditions being created. For one, there’s the “office social” that’s now so de rigueur that boss would be dubbed Scrooge if he didn’t spring for one!! The custom’s now being expanded exponentially by the burgeoning gaggle of trade associations and Chambers of Commerce throwing cocktail parties – so members can expand their networks!! But nothing can beat the good, ole Guyanese “sport” that started way back in rum shops after Christmas. Today, rum shops have become “bars” – from which no one’s barred!!
Now some may think your Eyewitness is overstressing the imbibing of the “spirits”. But he’s only tellin’ it like it is!! It goes back to our history – when during slavery and indentureship, Christmas was one of the few guaranteed holidays.
And liquor was handed out by Massa “to lift the spirits”!!

…towards  order
Your Eyewitness has kvetched enough about the madness typifying  the huckstering culture of Georgetown not to appreciate the government’s intervention to return some sanity. The latest stab was the Stabroek Market Square that had become such a den of iniquity, one would’ve more easily venture into the snake-infested Amazon Jungle!! Labarias have nothing on the thugs frequenting that habitat! The transformation of the square – with a tall Christmas tree in the middle – is a thing of beauty!!
Well…for a few hours at least!! A video crossed your Eyewitness’s feed showing – the very next day – a vagrant violently pulling down decorations put up for the occasion – and dashing them on the tiled (?) ground!! What troubled your Eyewitness – as it did the good citizen videoing it  – was the desecration  of the (newly)  pristine scene was done in full view of the Police!! From the outpost placed there to keep law and order!!
Your Eyewitness gives the square a week to revert to its previous anarchy!!

 …towards equitable PSAs??
The Total-Qatar-Petronas consortium deposited its US$15M bonus for the PSA it signed for a shallow-water oil drilling concession. Your Eyewitness had expressed concerns about the second concession signed with CybeleEnergies – with a US$17M bonus!! He’s awaiting THAT deposit!!