In their own words: Memories and Reflections

For my 2023 calendar project, I wanted to share memories and reflections that I captured from 12 individuals who were born before 1956. The knowledge and many interesting stories from their lives are part of the oral history of our country, and they form a small portion of the collective story that makes up T&T.

The video above features a photograph of a scene I captured in Brasso Seco, Trinidad, along with audio snippets from one of the informative conversations for the project.

On Instagram, I've shared similar videos with snippets of the interviews featured in the January and February captions in that calendar, along with those corresponding photographs, offering a glimpse into the fascinating narratives that form the fabric of our society. If you haven't had a chance to listen yet, I encourage you to check them out (January link, February link).

Looking ahead, I'm excited to embark on new interviews for my master's thesis project, eager to unearth even more untold stories and document the rich history of our country. Through projects like these, we have the opportunity to honor the past, celebrate the present, and inspire the future, ensuring that the stories of our ancestors continue to resonate for years to come.

“My family used to plant rice and sell in the market. We used to dry it, carry it in the mill and grind it. The husks come one side and when the rice come one side now, you take that and you bag it. We had a cup, an old salmon tin. It used to be big so and that used to weigh nearly a pound of rice. We lived in a carat house. Carat is a broad leaf and you put a string in the center, and you turn it upside down, and you tie it against the rafter very close together, so when rain fall it go run off and you can catch water to drink too. That roof will last for years! Sometimes it lasts like 10, 15 years! My grandfather had all this land. He used to sit on a bench with his Ramayana book and everybody had to sit around he now to eat and he go sing. Both of my grandparents come from India and had their language with them. Most of the time they cook fire side. In those days they never eat too much of meat. More vegetables, peas, beans, bodi, baigan, tomatoes, chataigne…all these things we eating.”