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CARL’S CORNER
IN ENGLISH, FRENCH, SPANISH, AND HAITIAN CREOLE.
FROM JAN MAPOU, "SOSYETE KOUKOUY"
Hi! Carl,
Come and celebrate with Sosyete Koukouy their 40th anniversary and the Creole International Day on Sunday October 30th at 7:00PM at the Gusman Performing Arts Center 174 E Flagler Street (downtown Miami).
<>
is another masterpiece written by Jan Mapou, produced by Sosyete Koukouy of Miami.
Jan
FROM PROSPER "MAKENDAL" SYLVAIN, JR.
Carl,
You know the old expression, "while the cat's away, the mice will play"? Well, while you were on vacation, I took a short drive down to Kendall to visit the PNP band at Jimmy's Cafe at the request of a a friend, Rudy, who has been supporting our poetry venue. I was very happy I made it to PNP because I loved the ambiance and met a lot of friends, even some who came from Boca Raton to "pran plezi yo" (have a good time).
Of course, I said to one of my friends, "I am lucky tonight that The Don is not here to take you from my grasp...he's smooth like that! LOL!"
You were missed that night
but, you shall see me at the Elks Lodge, mask and all. Not only did I enjoy the ambiance, but the band played an excellent set.
See you on the 29th, Carl. It will be a busy night of two performances prior, but I will be there...and as for the suggestions against contracting the flu and staying healthy...
so true! Don't forget the olives!
Prosper "Makendal" Sylvain, Jr.
FROM
VENETTE JEAN-PIERRE, REGARDING AMERICAN AIRLINES IN HAITI
Subject: Jet Blue to Haiti
Hello Carl,
Here we go... A more organized correspondence!
Thank you for doing this, we as a community need individual like yourself...
Venette
*********************************
(My original request)
American Airlines is, had and will continue to treat us unfairly for years and God knows for how long. Based on a response from a reader, we cannot invite any competitive airlines because AA built the airport for us.
My mother and another reader assured me that Francois Duvalier constructed the airport in 1965. American Airlines has done some repairs to it; but did not build it from the ground. Airport or not, this entity does not have any respect for us; the airfare is always ridiculously high. It is cheaper to travel to Europe, South America, any city in the Caribbean except for Haiti - pricy airfare is not the only issue here. The stewardesses are rude, obnoxious and mean; it is very upseting the way this airlines is treating us and yet we put up with it.
The same reader said that we have to pay American Airlines back for the money they have invested and my response was: AA could have built Le Palais National; so far she was the only one saying good things/reviews about AA - every single Haitian has, had and will have bad experience using their services. Good government or bad, AA needs to deliver/give us the proper service that we as a country deserves.
There is no competition for American Airlines, with JetBlue, there will be and am pretty sure AA will change the way it does business in Haiti.
(The response of an Upset Reader who could be an American Employee)
Dear Venette,
I do not know you but I am replying to a message that was passed along to me with regards to AA services in Haiti. It seems that you ignore an important fact behind AA service in Haiti. Before we can invite another airline in Haiti it would be beneficial to clean up our act first as far as demanding and placing a capable government in control of our country. AA will always have the monopole in Haiti because they were the ones who funded the construction of our own airport. The only way to eliminate that monopole would be to pay them back and then only then can we invite the competition in.
Re: email received Tuesday,09/20/05 2:24 PM, Speak Up 1107451
Hello Venette,
Thank you for your interest in new JetBlue cities. We appreciate your request regarding Haiti as a future JetBlue destination.
As a growing airline, JetBlue is continuously evaluating new cities to serve where our low fares and high quality service will be well received. We would love to serve the Haiti area, and share our JetBlue caring and integrity.
We will make your request available to the people who make those decisions. It is input from customers like you that lets us know where the demand is. We know there is a demand for JetBlue!
Although no announcements have been made regarding Haiti, please check our website often for announcements of new routes, new flights, new planes, and new cities.That's where you will hear it first!
VAGUE RESPONSE TO MY REQUEST ON PRICY AIR FARES TO HAITI
September 21, 2005
Dear Ms. Jean-Pierre:
Thank you for contacting Customer Relations. I appreciate the opportunity to respond to your concerns.
In the airline business -- as in almost any other -- how you get from Point A to Point B is just as significant as the fact that you go. On routes where American offers nonstop service while other carriers who serve the market only operate via connections, we believe it makes sense for them to charge a lower fare.
We are reluctant to give away our more valuable product -- nonstop service -- by matching competitors' lower prices for their less convenient service. For many customers, it makes sense and is a good value to pay a slightly higher fare rather than spend time in making a connection.
The next time you make travel arrangements, you may wish to go to AA.com and search for low fares using the 'Shop by Price' functionality. Due to the low cost associated with the Internet as a distribution channel, we can offer special fares on AA.com which may not be available anywhere else. In some cases, you may have to fly on a connecting route to receive the lowest fare. If your schedule is flexible, however, the lower price may be worth the extra travel time.
Ms. Jean-Pierre, we appreciate your inquiry about ticket priced. Most importantly, we appreciate your patronage of American Airlines. We look forward to welcoming you aboard soon. We would consider it a privilege.
This is an "outgoing only" email address. If you 'reply' to this message by simply selecting the reply button, we will not receive your additional comments. Please assist us in providing you with a timely response to any feedback you have for us by always sending us your email messages via AA.com at http://www.aa.com/customerrelations
Sincerely,
Barbara McKay Customer Relations American Airlines
REMARKS FROM CARL
TO VENETTE JEAN-PIERRE
Dear Venette,
I agree with you 100 per cent;
the corporate world, regardless of the valuable services that it provides, is taking over the world without any regard for individuals’ needs or poor countries.
Corporations today are stronger than governments themselves, and unless a balance is imposed worldwide, we are looking to dreadful times which are already here, like an American Supreme Court which has or will become soon a corporate board.
Democracy is certainly not the rule in the corporate world which is mainly represented by the Republican party.
The irony of all this, the more communist China improves in the technical and cost-effective fields, the more successful the corporate world in America and elsewhere becomes.
Democracy, as we know it in the good old USA, regardless of its high principles "of the people and for the people" is actually an arrangement invented by this country’s thinking forefathers to have the people think they are choosing freely, while actually the people always choose or discard "one of the thinking elite." Today, evangelists like Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell would gladly see the fall of Democracy, which is running its course, for Theocracy, naturally with them running the show.
Democracy in tragically poor Haiti is a worthless endeavor,
being that in the US of A where it was invented, it’s often non-operative. All we can do is keep plugging like you do, dear Venette, hopefully for a better tomorrow.
All the best,
Carl
THE GIFT OF INSULTS
(courtesy of Margaret Mitchell Armand to "Carl’s Corner)
A great Samurai warrior, now old, had decided to teach Zen Buddhism to young people. Despite his age, the legend was that he could defeat any adversary.
One afternoon, a young warrior - known for his complete lack of scruples - arrived there. He was famous for using techniques of provocation: he waited until his adversary made the first move and then swiftly counterattacked, skillfully taking advantage of any slightest mistake his adversary made. He had never lost a fight. Hearing of the Samurai's reputation, he had come to defeat him, to increase his fame. All the students were against the idea, but the old master accepted the challenge.
All gathered on the town square, and the young man started insulting the old master. He threw a few rocks in his direction, spat in his face, shouted every insult under the sun - he even insulted his ancestors. For hours, he did everything to provoke him, but the old man remained impassive. At the end of the afternoon, by now feeling exhausted and humiliated, the impetuous warrior left.
Disappointed by the fact that the master had received so many insults and provocations, the students asked: "How could you bear such indignity? Why didn't you use your sword, even knowing you might lose the fight, instead of displaying your cowardice in front of us all?" "If someone comes to you with a gift, and you do not accept it, to whom does the gift belong?" asked the Samurai. "To the one who tried to deliver it," replied one of his disciples. "The same goes for envy, anger and insults," said the master. "When they are not accepted, they continue to belong to the one who brought them."
RECEIVED FROM DUMARSAIS SIMÉUS TO KOFI ANAN, UNITED NATIONS
October 19, 2005
Kofi Annan
Secretary-General, United Nations
Secretary-General:
I write to you today to urge the United Nations to help preserve my candidacy for President of Haiti and protect the growth of democracy and fair and open elections here. The future and the freedom of Haiti are at stake.
Prime Minister Gerard Latortue seems determined to destroy our crusade for positive change at any cost. As we speak, I am being arbitrarily threatened with arrest. We expect within the next few hours he will use his custom-made ‘Commission on Nationality’ to illegally interfere in these elections despite the unanimous ruling by Haiti’s Supreme Court and, once again, try to remove our pro-democracy reform movement from the Presidential ballot. His negative campaign against democracy must be stopped, for the good of eight million Haitians.
Last week, Haiti won a huge victory at the Supreme Court, our country’s only constitutional body. It was a victory for positive change, democracy and rule of law in a time of chaos and violence. I want to emphasize that we are here because of - and in compliance with - these great legal minds and rule of law in Haiti. Now the anti-democracy forces, who continually manipulate the law to suit their whims, want to take our fair and open elections away so they can continue profiting from the misery of the Haitian people.
You recently stated that, "the credibility of the elections will depend upon the confidence of candidates and their constituencies, that the process is transparent and that a level playing field has been established." I call on the United Nations and the entire international community to unite with us for the future of Haiti. We need your help, your strength and your voice to help us stand tall against these forces that will stop at nothing to derail freedom, democracy, fairness and hope for a better future for all Haitian citizens.
These anti-democracy forces do real harm to Haitians: the mother who can no longer afford milk for her baby, the grandfather who can not find good doctors to keep himself strong, and the children of Cité Soleil and Bel Air who live in desperation unimaginable in the world just outside our shores.
It is clear these status-quo forces are afraid of strong new leadership that has actually created real jobs, built businesses, brought health care and clean water to the people of Haiti, and put food on the table for people around the planet. I vow to uphold the law, to stand up for what is right and fair and true and good for Haiti and to create a new government that works for the people and one that the world community can respect.
It is up to the Haitian people to decide who is best fit to run this country. We need your help to preserve that right.
Sincerely,
Dumarsais Siméus
FROM ABDULLAH BIN, HAITI
Dear Carl,
I too was on vacation, so let me start by saying welcome back. I went to Miami for a week and was able to spend a few days with my brother Jean-Sebastien's family. I was just thinking about the site this past weekend, in other words, thinking of you.
I am happy that you were able to enjoy a little time away from the tides of labor, and as I had to also get back into the swing, I hope that you are well in the mood to once again take on the enormous task of being our community's voice and moderator.
Sincere wishes for continued success.
Peace and love to you,
Abdullah Bin
FROM LORRAINE "LOLO" SILVERA
Nathalie Lallemand Menachem and Lorraine Silvera
Nex Wednesday night at 2100, Lorraine Silvera and Patrick Destin
present Velvet Papaya at Victor’s Café in South Beach, a taste of class
and culture.
I had the pleasure last night of having in "Carl’s Studio" the crew of Caribbean Urban, composed of Eddy Joseph, Lorraine Silvera, Nathalie Menachem Lallemand, and Tatiana Mora-Liautaud.
They are preparing an important book on Caribbean people, and photographer Eddy Joseph took 265 pictures of yours truly. I am honored in being one of the subjects in this book, and looking forward to it.
Exiles from a City and from a Nation.
(By Cornel West, The Observer, UK)
It takes something as big as Hurricane Katrina and the misery we saw among the poor black people of New Orleans to get America to focus on race and poverty. It happens about once every 30 or 40 years.
What we saw unfold in the days after the hurricane was the most naked manifestation of conservative social policy towards the poor, where the message for decades has been: 'You are on your own'. Well, they really were on their own for five days in that Superdome, and it was Darwinism in action - the survival of the fittest. People said: 'It looks like something out of the Third World.' Well, New Orleans was Third World long before the hurricane.
It's not just Katrina, it's "povertina."
People were quick to call them refugees because they looked as if they were from another country.
They are. Exiles in America.
Their humanity had been rendered invisible so they were never given high priority when the well-to-do got out and the helicopters came for the few. Almost everyone stuck on rooftops, in the shelters, and dying by the side of the road was poor black.
In the end George W. Bush has to take responsibility. When [the rapper]Kanye West said the President does not care about black people, he was right, although the effects of his policies are different from what goes on in his soul. You have to distinguish between a racist intent and the racist consequences of his policies. Bush is still a 'frat boy', making jokes and trying to please everyone while the Neanderthals behind him push him more to the right.
Poverty has increased for the last four or five years.
A million more Americans became poor last year, even as the super-wealthy became much richer. So where is the trickle-down, the equality of opportunity?
Healthcare and education and the social safety net being ripped away
- and that flawed structure was nowhere more evident than in a place such as New Orleans, 68 per cent black. The average adult income in some parishes of the city is under $8,000 (£4,350) a year. The average national income is $33,000, though for African-Americans it is about $24,000. It has one of the highest city murder rates in the US. From slave ships to the Superdome was not that big a journey.
New Orleans has always been a city that lived on the edge.
The White blues man himself, Tennessee Williams, had it down in A Streetcar Named Desire - with Elysian Fields and cemeteries and the quest for paradise. When you live so close to death, behind the levees, you live more intensely, sexually, gastronomically, psychologically.
Louis Armstrong came out of that unbelievable cultural breakthrough unprecedented in the history of American civilization.
The rural blues, the urban jazz. It is the tragi-comic lyricism that gives you the courage to get through the darkest storm.
Charlie Parker would have killed somebody if he had not blown his horn. The history of black people in America is one of unbelievable resilience in the face of crushing white supremacist powers.
This kind of dignity in your struggle cuts both ways, though,because it does not mobilise a collective uprising against the elites.
That was the Black Panther movement. You probably need both. There would have been no Panthers without jazz. If I had been of Martin Luther King's generation I would never have gone to Harvard or Princeton.
They shot brother Martin dead like a dog in 1968 when the mobilisation of the black poor was just getting started. At least one of his surviving legacies was the quadrupling in the size of the black middle class. But Oprah [Winfrey] the billionaire and the black judges and chief executives and movie stars do not mean equality, or even equality of opportunity yet. Black faces in high places does not mean racism is over. Condoleezza Rice has sold her soul.
Now the black bourgeoisie has an even heavier obligation to Fight for the 33 per cent of black children living in poverty - and to alleviate the spiritual crisis of hopelessness among young black men.
Bush talks about God, but he has forgotten the point of prophetic Christianity
is compassion and justice for those who have least.
Hip-hop has the anger that comes out of post-industrial, free-market America, but it lacks the progressiveness that produces organisations that will threaten the status quo. There has not been a giant since King, someone prepared to die and create an insurgency where many are prepared to die to upset the corporate elite. The Democrats are spineless.
There is the danger of nihilism and in the Superdome around the fourth day, there it was - husbands held at gunpoint while their wives were raped, someone stomped to death, people throwing themselves off the
mezzanine floor, dozens of bodies.
It was a war of all against all - 'you're on your own' - in the centre of the American empire.
But now that the aid is pouring in, vital as it is, do not confuse charity with justice. I'm not asking for a revolution, I am asking for reform. A Marshall Plan for the South could be the first step.
LE COIN DE CARL, POUR LE LUNDI 17 OCTOBRE 2005.
La ballade des gens heureux sur LE COIN DE CARL parlant de tout et de rien continue. DERNIÈRE NOUVELLE : Le CDC rejoint la HTN (Haitian Television Network) à Miami.
« THE FOMBRUN VIEW » (Vision Fombrun) (un titre en anglais, avec des sujets superbes, principalement en Français et Créole)
sera bientôt sur l’écran de la HTN.
Les gens heureux n’ont pas d’histoires
…Les gens heureux ils font l’histoire.
CARL FOMBRUN :
Chaque Mardi et Jeudi à 9 heures du soir sur ISLAND TV, canal 19 à Miami Dade et canal 79 à Broward. Chaque dimanche à midi sur Radio Tropicale à New York www.radiotropicale.com et bientôt sur Radio RCH avec un truchement à Kendall 1430 AM. Chaque dimanche à 4 heures 15 p.m. sur l’Antenne 88.9 FM, WDNA, et journellement sur l’internet.
LA PENSÉE DU JOUR
La santé est comme la fortune, elle retire ses faveurs à ceux qui en abusent.
RECU DE GINETTE
Don Carlos,
Tout va bien et la vie poursuit son chemin. Portes-toi bien.
Ginette
REMARQUES DE CARL
Merci Ginette. C’est toujours un plaisir de te lire. Nous sommes, tous et toutes, en transition ici-bas. Jouissons du moment et vogue la galère.
Carl
DES MOTS SAGES RECUS
AU CDC PAR LE TRUCHEMENT DE MYRIAM NADER
Si tu es pris dans un bouchon de circulation, garde le contrôle de tes émotions. Il y a des humains dans ce monde qui n'ont jamais entendu parler de conduire un véhicule.
Si tu as une mauvaise journée au travail, pense à celui ou celle qui n'a pas de travail depuis des années.
Si tu as une peine d'amour, pense à ceux et celles qui n'ont jamais connus ce que signifie aimer et être aimé.
Si tu es déçu de ta fin de semaine, pense à la pauvre femme qui doit travailler 12 heures par jour, sept jours semaine pour nourrir ses enfants.
Si ton véhicule tombe en panne loin de toute assistance, pense au paraplégique qui aimerait marcher cette distance à ta place.
Si tu devais te trouver un cheveu gris en te regardant dans le miroir, pense à la cancéreuse en chimio qui aimerait bien avoir ses cheveux pour pouvoir les admirer dans le miroir.
Si tu en arrives
à te décourager de la vie et à te demander ce que tu fais ici sur cette terre, sois plutôt reconnaissant, car il y en a qui n'ont pas vécu assez longtemps pour avoir ce privilège.
Si tu deviens la victime d'une autre personne qui a de sérieux problèmes de comportement, rappelle-toi que ça pourrait être pire et que tu pourrais être cette personne.
NOS
VIEUX DÉMONS SONT-ILS DE RETOUR ?
Par E.F. Thébaud (un extrait, Le Matin Octobre 2005)
Les premières réactions d'un Haïtien qui débarque à Port-au-Prince après plusieurs années d'absence se caractérisent par l'incrédulité. Au lieu de cette Haïti chérie tant rêvée, il se retrouve plutôt parmi un peuple aux abois dans un champ de ruines. Ruine des institutions qui n'épargne ni justice, ni banque, ni douanes; désagrégation du milieu urbain; détérioration de l'environnement. Le poète Jean Brière de retour après un long exil se serait écrié : « Je ne reconnais plus ce pays.» Quant à René Depestre, il n'a pu contenir sa colère devant l'état de la place d'armes de Jacmel où il cherchait en vain les vieux arbres et les repères de son enfance.
Je fus sidéré, de retour au pays en 1986 après deux décennies d'absence, de constater par exemple la disparition de la bibliothèque du Lycée Pétion où j'ai fait mes études. Et je n'étais pas au bout de mes surprises. Prenant la route du Nord pour me rendre à la Citadelle, j'anticipais le moment d'admirer à Montrouis cette belle mer bleue; mais au lieu de cela, je ne vis que de minables clôtures qui délimitaient le bout de plage que chacun s'était approprié au mépris du bien public et de toute notion d'esthétique.
Vingt ans plus tard, l'état de délabrement du pays - physique et moral - est indescriptible.
LA HONTE DE L’AFRIQUE DANS LES ENCLAVES ESPAGNOLES
AFRIQUE - Octobre 2005 - par PANAPRESS (quelques extraits)
Les images navrantes de jeunes africains se servant d'échelles de fortune pour franchir des clôtures barbelées dans leurs tentatives d'entrer en Europe ont démontré le désespoir de la génération future d'un continent d'échapper à ce qu'elle considère comme une situation sans issue chez elle.
Mais cette méthode d'émigration peu orthodoxe souligne aussi l'ampleur d'un sérieux malaise africain dans le contexte du tant vanté Nouveau Partenariat pour le développement de l'Afrique (NEPAD) et du peu d'attention accordé par la communauté internationale aux Objectifs du développement du millénaire, particulièrement en ce qui concerne la réduction de la pauvreté.
Jusqu'à présent, les émigrés s'infiltraient par les frontières nord-africaines pour entrer en Europe, particulièrement en Espagne en raison de ses lois plus libérales sur l'immigration, mais ces trois dernières semaines ont a vu des vagues de jeunes Africains, ayant perdu tout espoir dans leurs pays, tenter de s'introduire de force dans les enclaves espagnoles du Maroc.
Au cours de ce processus, des membres des forces de sécurité marocaine et espagnole ont tiré à balles réelles et tué une dizaine de ces immigrés potentiels.
Alors que les autorités des deux pays enquêtent sur ces fusillades, l'Espagne a dû faire appel à des troupes de l'armée portant des armes automatiques pour patrouiller dans les deux villes de Ceuta et Melilla frontalières avec l'Afrique du Nord.
Selon le dernier décompte, 1.500 nouveaux venus africains s'étaient massés dans ces enclaves espagnoles, alors que 500 d'entre eux auraient été abandonnés dans la partie marocaine du désert du Sahara sans eau ni nourriture.
Le Maroc a depuis lors commencé à expulser des centaines d'émigrés vers le Sénégal et le Mali, les deux pays de l'Afrique de l'Ouest dont sont originaires la plupart de ces candidats à l'émigration.
En fait, c'est le fossé énorme qui existe entre les pays riches et les pays pauvres qui est à l'origine des facteurs de la migration.
A moins que ce fossé ne soit comblé par les deux parties, on verra même les travailleurs qualifiés des pays pauvres devenir aussi déterminés que les personnes sans qualification et les réfugiés économiques à quitter leurs pays quels que soient les obstacles placés sur leur chemin.
Morir en tus brazos
No puedo lograr que los días sean mas cortos te busco para poner fin a mis noches de desvelos no te encuentro, vuelo al cielo a través de mis sueños pregunto a la luna si te ha visto, me dice que busque en los mares
Salgo a tu encuentro en mi barca de amores navego sin horas en el tiempo, no te encuentro quiero decirte que !Te amo, Te necesito! deseo mirar tus ojos, perderme en tu mirada
No te encuentro, ¿Qué hago con mis suspiros y mis besos? Desfallezco por la ausencia de tu amor se escapa mi alma sin vida, se pierde en un adíos sin regreso buscándote y no te encuentro, !Vida mía!
Mi corazón está agonizando, está hecho pedazos ¿Qué hago? Me muero de sed sed de tu cuerpo, tus besos y caricias !Amor!, acompáñame a mi lecho de muerte
Deja que muera en tus brazos envuélveme en el manto de tus caricias aromatiza mi cuerpo con el perfume de tu piel mátame con el néctar de tu boca, !Así moiiré, embriagada por tus besos!
Milina
BON E POU MWEN FINI ZANMI MWEN YO MEN SA Y. MOISE VOYE BAN MWEN
Relijyon afriken yo,pa t jan m sibi pèsikisyon sistematik ke yo sibi ann Ayiti.
Gen yon rezon istorik pou sa. Kiben ,desandan panyòl yo ,te gen abitid viv ak nwa kontrèman ak franse pa ekzanp,anvan ke yo te debake nan amerik lan. Relijyon afriken yo te tèlman aksepte nan Kiba ,ke Pap la limenm te blije emèt de ansiklik pou diminye enfliyans relijyon sa a.
Gen de CABILDO (Ekivalan yo ann Ayiti se SOUKRI ak SOUVENANS),tankou CABILDO CHANGO ,ki la depi anviwon 1550. Te vin gen yon repli relijyon afriken yo nan Kiba ,se apre gè Lendependans Kiben ,ke lame MAMBI an te fè.
Kiben a po klè yo te wè fòs kiltirèl ke relijyon afriken yo te genyen ,e yo te blije konbat li,sitou apre gè sivil 1911 lan ant blan ak nwa. Pandan gè sa a,"la guerra negra",a pe prè 6 mil nèg nwa pèdi la vi yo.
Fòk nou pa bliye sa RANDALL ROBINSON di ke Castro te di l ,nan yon konvèsasyon. Castro di l "Noumenm desandan panyòl ,se pou nou pran prekosyon ,lè n ap di se blan nou ye;pa bliye ke afriken yo te gen yon prezans de plis pase 700 lanne ann Espay,e anpil ladan yo se nan sid sahara ke yo te sòti."
MEZANMI,
se la map rete pou jodi a. Bon weekend tout moun. Na pale lendi si Granmèt la vle.
