31 August 2013

Circular No 617







Newsletter for alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.
Caracas, 31 August 2013 No. 617
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Dear Friends,
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From: Glen Mckoy <mckoy43glen@hotmail.com>
Date: 7 September 2013 11:53
Subject: FW: [Limers] Lord Relator Goes Back In Time
Hello Bandit,  
This is a good one for the older boys, many of the younger boys will not even know some of these Calypso.  
Relator have such a smooth voice man, this is good if you want to hear real Calypso. 
Sending this out to Clive & Freddy. 
Thank you Bandit, this one will take dem home for sure.  ha! ha! sweet.
Bandit please find joke below, I got this from Garnet, funny,
Thank You, Garnet.
Cheers, Mis Amigos, have a good one.  Adios, Glen.
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My Dear Don,   
Thank you for stepping forward and injecting such leadership and a positive vibration. 
Your life experience as a Judge, to citizens of many islands, certainly a great asset, you also know Trinidad well. 
With regards to this Reunion.  
You know most of the older boys, you have been in regular attendance of reunions etc. and you do know the younger bunch of brothers, who make up the home grown association. 
You are that link we require and you are doing this in the proper manner.
Your scouting around will certainly make the difference. 
Hopefully a better picture.
It may attract more numbers ?   
Don, I like your ideas, excellent & sensible plan. 
Keep the fire burning, dreaming with our eyes wide open,
Cheers, Glen.
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Don Mitchell
Why, thank you, Tony. 
I am looking forward to it too.
Just to recap, my thinking is that once I have a little free time (early in 2014) I shall go down to Trinidad to scout out a good convention organiser to make a proposal to us for a weekend (or at most a week) of activities. 
I am thinking of the possibility of us getting a good rate from the Hilton Hotel and spreading out from there to spend time on selected activities which will be arranged for us by the conference organiser. 
These might include a visit to the School, a visit to the Abbey, a walk up White Stones, a visit to the Zoo, a boat ride to Bombshell Bay Hotel (if it still exists), a visit to the Caroni Swamp to see the flamingos or whatever those famous red birds are, a picnic at Maracas Bay, a walk up and down Frederick Street, lunches at famous Port of Spain Indian and Chinese restaurants, and other things that may remind us of our childhood in Trinidad 
We could decide when we see prices and possibilities. 
I would particularly like an academic session one half day when we hear a presentation on the role and significance of the Mount (I mean the School, but some may want to include the Abbey or the Seminary, which as you can well imagine hold no interest for me)
Keep well,
Don
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From: vcl28@aol.com
Sent: Thursday, August 15, 2013 10:53 PM
Thanks Glen,
Which is why I really hope that we get together next year and have our last cup of brandy together, before some of us can’t be there any longer to do so.
I know that its far for some people to travel, but I believe that it could act as a reward for those who worked so tirelessly to make this reuniting of the old boys on these sites a reality today,
I know that I would personally like to meet Nigel, Don, Jon the incredible, Ladislao, and you as well, Glen, if they could harness your energy it would power a small city, and all those without whom none of this would have been possible, and tell them thanks personally for making this Mt. Tabor family possible today, so long after we left the college.
I am not sure that anything like this has ever been done before.
It’s unique and we should be proud of our school mates who did it.
Tony Vieira 
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18 August 2013
Applying for Trini Birth Certificate
From Nigel Boos  
For anyone who may need this information, good luck with your application!
I think the advice is def. worthwhile.
Nigel 
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From: "Kathleen and Paul" <macdate@shaw.ca>
Subject: Applying for Trini Birth Certificate
Date: 2 March, 2013 2:44:46 PM EST 
I recently heard from a Trini friend here in Canada who is trying to renew an expired T&T passport that T&T birth certificates are now only available electronically but application has to be in person.  
I’ve looked at the official Trinidad and Tobago government portal but it’s not completely clear to me.
It is a starting place, however. If you have more info let me know and I can spread the word. 
If you or your family members need to renew a T&T passport (it is your only passport or you have dual citizenship but you use a T&T passport for travel) you may want to look into this early. 
In Canada, I believe this can only be done in Toronto and may-be Montreal.
In the US, in Miami and New York I think. 
UK, I don’t know where.
Last year because of the demand in Vancouver, staff were sent out west to deal with applications over a couple of weeks. 
There may be similar services in Houston and elsewhere. 
The worse thing is to get caught with an invalid passport because of changes of which you were unaware. 
Before I got my Canadian passport this happened to me in Trinidad. 
My T&T passport had not expired but there were new T&T passports with higher security features. 
I had to get a new passport while on vacation there. 
You can imagine the “horrors”. 
Kathleen
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Dear Glen, 
Please do me a favor and call 
Wayne Chan
619-253-8822
[Maybe you can convince him to read the Circulars.
Jajajaja
God bless,
Ladislao] 
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From: Glen Mckoy <mckoy43glen@hotmail.com>
Date: 14 September 2013 20:14 
Dear Tony &  Tribe,  
We led the horse to the water, but it would not drink. 
A master plan was made, all in the benefit of the Church. 
No frills, no attachments, not even trying to buy the place.
A long term lease.
These developments would only pay after it was up and running, the only people taking this risk, would be the investors.  
The plan did look at housing & education in the oil industries, many of the Abbey School students, offered their expertise in all fields to make this an ongoing venture that would be successful, they did look at high end accommodations, condos etc., hanging off the cliffs, all secluded and keeping within this peaceful environment.   
This was no easy venture to take on, for those older brothers, who started this ball rolling, a long time ago, down to the financing; every single detail was calculated to the penny.
Many of the boys who wanted this, was not doing it for money, many already had money, and rich and already living in wonderful places all over the world, this is not a money making venture, this was pure heart & soul, of course a safe investment, for those who were willing to be part of this, wishful dream. 
A place for old Mount boys to stay, if visiting was in the plan. 
Tony, if the power was on that mountain, to take this great leap into the future, we were ready as a collective group, to take on this life challenge, many, many years ago, to help and assist, and support, in doing this with the local authority in charge.  
Unfortunately we were knocking on the wrong door, in the wrong country, ha! ha!
Our conclusion, one must go to Ireland, with millions in hand. 
Everything is for sale, ask the Vatican. 
My brother, we are growing old, one day we will not be able to climb that mountain again. 
So also, is this once upon a time dream. 
The brothers that live far away from this place, feel so much for it, some brothers live with it, right in front their face, and don't even care, ha! ha! So what can I say ?? 
Sorry, I have said too much already, we are a private group, and we already have a place, its right here and its right now, we are the Knights of White Stones, you can take our Castle.
But you will never get rid of the Invisible Tribe, that still lives inside of that building. 
It is said for the harvest moon, in the blue light, you will see, Monks and Knights who have crossed over into the Higher Realm, conversing in a circle by the volley ball court.  
It is written in the book, The King of Hearts, no venture will ever succeed on that mountain, if it does not include a True Mount Boy, and You, whoever is reading this email, can quote me on that. ha! ha!
Listen to the Voices, that still echo's, around the pillars in the corridors, in that place, that once was and always will be, The Abbey School.  Welcome To The Club, Mis Amigos.
Adios, Glen.   
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Subject: Re: A POST CARD FROM THE CLUB.
From: vcl28@aol.com
Date: Sat, 14 Sep 2013 11:03:44 -0400 
Guys,
It’s quite beautiful, but whose idea was it to paint the roof of the college and the new refractory green and no colour respectively when all other roofs are red?
All that much real estate you mean to tell me that they can’t do something about it?
For example can’t they turn it into a place where organizations etc, can take their staff for a retreat and seminars, if we sure that it’s been properly managed? 
Thinking outside the box as to how it should be used, I am aware that it’s been offered as a guest house in the recent past.  But to work it has to be modified to offer a more luxurious inside, which the place was never built to do.  I used to go there to Hildebrand’s room,
He was my math tutor, its Spartan, used to looks like a jail up there in the main Abbey where the monks live.
It will of course take money, but using the place as collateral they could borrow some cash to make the accommodation really nice, also but can’t they make a deal to house students of the UWI which is literally at the bottom of the hill and shuttle them to the accommodations daily?
The possibilities are endless you only have to appreciate the fact that the place is somewhat isolated and offer something which is in harmony with that fact.
Or they could start a corporation and get investors to help them to bring the place alive again.
Tony 
-----Original Message---------------------------------------------------------.---
From: Glen Mckoy <mckoy43glen@hotmail.com>
Sent: Sat, Sep 14, 2013 7:40 am
Subject: FW: A POST CARD FROM THE CLUB.
Thank You, Sir Garnet Diaz-  Excellent Choice.
As a Club, we always try our utmost, to look at the big picture, in all our endeavours.
Sometimes, we cannot find the right words, to express this great friendship we shared, for so many years, in jest & laughter & a few crocodile tears, ha! ha!  
On a serious note, from all of us at the Club, the part-time-nite-time crew, we send this Post Card out to you.
We would like to thank you all, Oh Great & True Knights. 
For those who See.
Let this be The Light - Welcome To The Club - Long Live The Mount. 
One-Love, Adios Glen.
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Ladislao Kertesz at kertesz11@yahoo.com,
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Photos:
MSBAP08MI6512, Mount Inside
13LK7144NSMGRP, At Norman Smith’s home
59LK0001TERMINAL, Terminal Report Card
09TF0002TFE, Terrence Ferreira and scout´s shirt


24 August 2013

Circular No 616








Newsletter for alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.
Caracas, 24 August 2013 No. 616
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Dear Friends,
I have been travelling, so I am late in getting the Circular out.
Do not forget the emails with news to keep us going.
Also look at the older Circular at:
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10 august 2013
s48bigboxhead traffic report for Friday, December 30, 2011
from: Don Mitchell
Sorry, Ladislao, I don’t get statistics on the latest Blog. 
But, we have always had several visits a day. 
The total visits for the year to date on the 2013 Circulars is visible on the counter on the home page: 2718 visits.
Don
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I have found in life that it is a healthy process to reflect on different aspects in life as our memories dim with time. 
Applying this thought process to the Abbey School, the following comes to mind in no order of importance:
·         Difficult for me to believe that I graduated 51 years ago.....time does fly
·         Do have mostly positive memories of my 6 years there
·         Very thankful for the great job our leaders have accomplished in keeping us informed through the different communication mechanisms
·         Proud that most “boys” have succeeded in their personal lives
·         Sad that some of our friends have had tremendously difficult challenges and faced great personal tragedies
·         The Circle of Life is certainly accelerating to its end – a very few of our teachers are still alive and the number of old boys still with us continues to decrease 
·         We are running out of topics and memories to discuss relating to “the good ole days”
·         My perception is that those interested in our heritage, roots and bonds seems to be a minority based on “visible” evidence
·         We are currently represented in all continents of the world.......an astonishing accomplishment coming from a very small island in the Caribbean
·         Still try to be a good Christian and person based on the religious principles that I gained at the Mount
·         Happy to receive and read the different communications that we receive every week
I invite each person to share with us their personal reflections; love to hear from you.
May God bless you and yours,
George (Yury, Shish)
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From: mckoy43glen@hotmail.com
Subject: FW: UPDATED INFORMATION ON DAVE DECASTRO--"THE BANDIT"
Date: Sat, 25 May 2013 10:20:56 +0000
Dear Sir Calypsobandit, 
They could hide it but they can't deny it, you are a special Trinidadian.
You promoted you country for decades out here, and introducing so many to our culture.
Bandit we love yuh, I hope your contribution will get some kind of recognition, Congratulation on such a superb life you have lived, you are blessed my friend, they can't take that away from yuh. 
A true Knight all the way. 
Best Regards
Glen.
THIS IS FOR ALL TO SEE. YES, HE’S FROM THE ABBEY SCHOOL, TRINIDAD.
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Date: Thu, 23 May 2013 15:57:14 -0500
Subject: Re: UPDATED INFORMATION ON DAVE DECASTRO--"THE BANDIT"
Bandit De Castro, 
Congratulations on all that you have showcased about Trinidad and Tobago.
I remember a conversation one time with Byron Lee, he told me it’s so sad that the government of Trinidad and Tobago, has never done anything for this culture lover who lives and breathes daily sharing his love and talent for tourism abroad for the entire Caribbean.
I was told the same thing on speaking with Sello Gomez PANNIST, Glenn Suzano, Sparrow his friend, yet as he grows old and maintains the same sweet tunes of his caiso and soca love for the land of Iere, where the Humming bird must have sung flying alongside God on his walks there on this sunny isle, it’s with shame for my, our homeland, that I write a long overdue note to all those who care about our culture and those who brought it to astonishing heights around the world .
I dare any one to contradict the achievements of Bandit De Castro on behalf of Calypso in North America.
As too I humbly ask someone among us to request some form of acclamation from the President of Trinidad and Tobago, the Tourist Board in Miami and Toronto, Pan Trinbago, for a man who lived an entire life into his 70's dedicated to advance paving for our cultures in North America.
BUT TRINBAGONIANS ARE THAT WAY, THEY REFUSE TO SUPPORT THOSE OUTSIDE WHO STRIVE DAILY TO ENHANCE AWARENESS OF OUR BEAUTIFUL ISLES, OUR BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE, OUR BEAUTIFUL MUSIC, FROM A DISTANCE ON FAR AWAY SHORES. 
David De Castro, your time of recognition for all that you done for the Caribbean is due , and I hope we the people support a show of gratitude by contacting those who remain at home to enjoy the tourist dollars. Regards, grand Sir.
Truly, SIR, I [k] neil as Desmond Espinet, D' Caribbean pays you this long overdue manifestation and gratitude of our heritage, culture and strumming action on your guitar and cuatro, and the need in our lives for your and others who live daily in support of the Caiso ........
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On 05/23/13, david decastro calypsobandit@live.com wrote:
To whom it may concern- as requested -- "Bandit"- update websites: 
http://www.tunecore.com/widgets/show/55097     Download cd for free at this website.
More info: my band - the fabulous calypso bandits - travelled the US and Canada for 12 yrs.
I was the first calypso king of Canada crowned at the Maple Leaf Gardens in 1969 in Toronto with my song "CARIBANA IS COMING".  As a song writer I wrote over a hundred songs which I sang from town to town.  Some were recorded by the Merrymen- Spice & Co- Byron Lee- Sagaboy- Sello & Teresa and on my cd.  Was M.C. for Sparrow- (calypso king of the world) Natasha (calypso queen of the world at that time) the Baron- Byron Lee- Lord Nelson- Calypso Rose (now calypso queen of the world) and others.
Ladies and gentlemen –I love my culture- I breath calypso air everyday- I have paid my dues.
"THE BANDIT" 
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From: mckoy43glen@hotmail.com
Subject: RE: Update from Salah ('Meh Last Carnival')
Date: Wed, 26 Jun 2013 20:13:35 +0000
Hello David,
This just a demo?  
As you have to do it live with a band. 
I will be glad to record with you live, give me notice for music I will fly.
I cannot put guitar on this. I don't want to cluster what is there.
This is good as is for the voice, as a demo, then the real thing, I would like to sit with you, hear your sing it, jam it with you and get to the bone of the song man.  
If we in a studio, I will put bass, guitar, and brass from a synth. on it for yuh its your Song- Meh Last Carnival, Bandit, if you doing it, let’s do it good. 
Ah feeling it, Glen.   
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From: calypsobandit@live.com
Subject: FW: Update from Salah ('Meh Last Carnival')
Date: Tue, 25 Jun 2013 19:45:02 -0400
Hi Glen,
Salah went and put a whole orchestra to the song --but I cannot use it --I must keep the voice --man just add in between the lines to fill it out –
THAT'S ALL. REPLY ASAP "BANDIT"  
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From: calypsobandit@live.com
Subject: FW: Update from Salah ('Meh Last Carnival')
Date: Fri, 7 Jun 2013 00:29:15 -0400
Hi Ryan,
This is what my steel band friend did to my song the last carnival.
I only wanted him to add to your background.
Now I have no singing with it and don’t know what to do.  Can you pull up some of his music and put it behind my voice??? The first one is the music -- the second one is the music sheet hope you still not mad --I am not.
Leaving Sunday let me know.
Dad
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From: sal_wils@hotmail.com,
Subject: Update from Salah ('Meh Last Carnival')
Date: Thu, 6 Jun 2013 12:33:03 -0300
Good morning Bandit,
I had more or less completed the project "Meh Last Carnival" but wanted to do more.
So I just looked at it this morning and decided to run it off and then get a feedback from you.
I am attaching the Sound file (an MP3 version) and the music scores I have a basic piano (which carries the melody)
(2) Guitar which carries the chords
(3) Bass
(4) Alto Sax
(5) Tenor Sax
(6) Percussion
I heard the song in the key of D and worked from there (Saxophones will have to be transposed accordingly) because everything is in Concert pitch.
Bandit this is just the rough draft (I could do much more) ... but I just wanted to let you know that I did not forget you and like I said more could be done
Regards
Salah
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Ladislao Kertesz at kertesz11@yahoo.com,
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Photos:
MSBAP07MI6512, Mount Inside
13LK7155NSMREC, Norman Smith, Rafael Echeverria
13LK7142RDVLKE, Roger de Verteuil and Ladislao Kertesz
13AL2097ALU, Anthony Lucky