Friday afternoon thoughtsThe German embassy in Port of Spain has granted travel visas to 2,500 Trinidad and Tobago citizens for the World Cup,
according to the papers today. But that doesn't include Trinis living elsewhere who would have got visas from other embassies. I figure that could be another 2,500. -- Last night I went looking for my old-school Strike Squad jersey, worn just once in 1989 and put away safely ever since. Can you believe I couldn't find it? I thought I knew exactly which cupboard shelf it was folded away on. I found my old St. Bernadette's Prep. and St. Mary's College school shirts, extravagantly autographed by schoolmates on two separate last days of school, and even the old green t-shirt I was wearing when I first heard news of the coup on 27 July, 1990 (why did I keep that?); but not the Strike Squad relic I was planning to resurrect to wear tomorrow. -- These last two weeks, it seems every other car on the roads is flying a little T&T flag clipped to one of the windows. I couldn't figure out where these things were coming from, then someone told me
Hi-Lo was selling them. Sometimes when I'm on my way to the office in the morning I see five or six cars all in a row flying these little flags on their little white plastic flagpoles. I wonder if it's just in Port of Spain, or if it's the same thing all over the country? -- And at least two buildings, one in St. Clair and one in Woodbrook, have been repainted in red, white, and black--not to mention the poor Port of Spain lighthouse which got "decorated" on a patriotic football theme a few months back. I'm surprised they haven't broken out the Independence Day bunting on government buildings. -- No, I can't really say I feel any excitement about the whole thing, but maybe that will change when the first whistle blows tomorrow. Yes, this time around I'll be watching. Missing these three matches would be like missing Minshall crossing the Savannah.
