Saturday 25 July 2015

Circular No 716









Newsletter for alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.
Caracas, 25 July 2015 No. 716
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Friends,
Another writer for our school, Jerry Campbell.  Nice prose, nice adventures.
Watch out, may become another Wayne Vincent Brown, my literary classmate who has long left us.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gerry Campbell
18 july 15
The moon was out and illumined the beach, in a soft glow.
We began walking towards the opposite end.
The waves were crashing violently and white foam was spilling over to the far reaches of the high tide mark.
This beach was not for the usual swimming and bathing activities.
There were strong currents, forever changing directions and a lot of riptides along the length.
If ever there was a treacherous beach, this one fit the description perfectly.
Our feet were repeatedly covered with the retreating water, and we found it particularly enjoyable.
Suddenly, we observed a dark object emerging from the water approximately twenty feet ahead of us.
Because of my countless trips to Matura beach for turtle tagging expeditions, I realized that a leatherback turtle was making its way ashore.
She and I stood still for a while observing it's movement ashore.
I pointed out a nearby spot where no waves reached, motioned to her, that we were now involved in a turtle sighting and would be awaiting the reptile's journey ashore where it will soon start laying its eggs.
No other campers were aware of what was taking place.
As we sat on the sand and made ourselves comfortable, the lovely moon lit beach seemed alluring.
Yes, we were all alone and enjoying the scene around us as it unfolded.
I mentioned to her that in the morning I would be accompanying Mr. Greenwell, a visiting marine scientist from Canada, on a dive in this bay.
I was assigned to this task.
I was expected to retrieve specimens for the various scientists and take photos with a Nikons 4 camera. Whenever it was needed to be done.
I expected the dive would be short, because the underwater conditions here caused extremely low visibility.
Not much could be seen or done under those conditions.
The diving here would be classified as dangerous and only experienced divers might consider doing any operation here.
(To read more, please contact Jerry Campbell.  Editor)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------.
Jerry Campbell
4 july 2015-07-04
The day before we were both at the Trinidad Yacht Club for lunch.
It was a Friday and we were excited about the weekend.
As we ate lunch we discussed the hike planned to Paria on Saturday.
The plan was to hike from maracas valley over the mountains down to the beach.
This trip came about because one of the Institute of Marine Affairs scientists, Lori Chu Chung was documenting the distribution off leatherback turtles.
We had done numerous trips to Matura beach, and it was decided to look into what was going on at Paria beach.
On discovering a leatherback we would silently and unobtrusively observe the reptile come ashore and begin digging a hole in which it deposited its eggs.
It was at the moment it started the laying activity that we would measure length and breathe.
We would count the golf ball sized eggs, and finally clip on a metal tag inscribed with serial no. and date.
The group hiking tomorrow consisted of approx. eight people including my girlfriend and myself.
We were all employees at the Institute for more than four years.
So, we were well acquainted with each other.
My girlfriend and I worked together on both the coral reefs and turtle tagging projects respectively.
I would bring data from the field to her and she would write up reports.
We got along well and on a number of occasions I took her on weekends to the various tiny islands with their secluded beaches.
She was surprised about the vast number of secluded beaches I took her to.
I had my own pirogue which I used for diving and fishing .She found me very adventurous.
At the yacht club there were quite a number of guests.
Our meal consisted of wahoo and mashed potatoes, callalooo, plantains, rice, lettuce and tomatoes.
The fish was stewed and it went down real good we drank passion fruit juice.
I remembered sitting at the club enjoying the steelpan music piped through the speakers.
Well I was totally relaxed and decided to be mischievous.
With the toe of my shoe I slightly touched her ankle under the table.
Then I slid it up along the back of her lower calf.
She froze.
Her lungs seized holding her breath.
A shiver moved up her leg to unmentionable places.
Wide eyed she glanced at me.
I winked at her.
Indignation welled up inside her; my tongue traced the curve of my lower lip in a slow sensual glide.
Her breath left her in a rush.
She looked down as my feet withdrew from beneath her skirts.
Instantly and viscerally she recalled the feel of my talented tongue against her lips and in her mouth thrusting deep and sure in imitation of a far more ultimate act.
The beat of her heart quickened and her skin tingled from head to the place where my shoe stroked her.
Suddenly, it struck her that I was deliberately arousing her, in the middle of the day, at the centre of the yacht club, seated inches away from other diners.
Thereafter, I lifted my hand to an unsecured button on my white oxford long sleeved shirt.
Strong masculine hands grasped it.
The pad of my thumb rubbing leisurely against the outer curve.
She watched me mesmerized.
Imagining me touching her skin that way.
Perhaps, on the curve of her shoulders or someplace else.
She instinctively knew, I alone would know the best place to focus that caress.
The thought of my skills, thrilled her.
(To read more, please contact Jerry Campbell.  Editor)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------.
10 July 15
We enjoyed the Wahoo menu at the Yacht club.
They had a reputation for serving appetising sea food.
We had visited the club many times.
I had introduced her to the club.
I began coming here many years before as a boy of 11yrs.I had friends who were members and I went along with them as a guest.
On many occasions, when there were various events, I simply walked in the club and no one questioned me.
Well in one aspect the entire lunch was...torture.
At times I couldn't remember what we were discussing.
I could only hope that I’d managed at least a semblance of intelligent conversation.
My mind kept wandering to extremely in appropriate ...places..and every time she bit her food and her lips moved or she smiled at me or just breathed, my body tensed until, I was so..."tense" for her I thought, I might explode.
If she had wondered why we remained sitting at the table for so long, after having our lunch, she had not said anything at that point. Thank God!
I didn't really think there was a polite way to say that I needed half an hour to.....settle down to half mast.
(To read more, please contact Jerry Campbell.  Editor)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
27 June
I was not prepared for the impact of her beauty-with only a short space between us...her skin was deep bronzed, her mouth, full and inviting.
Her nose regal and her brows perfectly arched.
But, it was her eyes that stunned me.
Dome shaped, brown deep set, and it seemed shadowed with mystery and perhaps a bit of doubt as well. I wasn't sure.
But, I wasn't sure of anything when I had stared into eyes like that.
I remember thinking at the time, never had before have the consequences of discovery been so irresistibly inviting, so shockingly intimate and totally unexpected.
Well, we were all alone near to the Paria waterfalls, a stone throw away from the beach itself.
Everyone had gathered at the opposite end of the beach and were busily offloading camping gear and supplies from the Bertram cruiser, anchored off the Paria beach.
Everything was first loaded onto the Avon inflatable, then motored over to the beach, above the high water mark.
Evening was fast approaching.
Already, a few people had set about starting a camp fire to cook dinner for that night.
Yes, chadon benni, hot peppers and plenty seasoning to go with, crabs and crayfish, caught earlier on.
Some campers were still gathering more crayfish and crabs for the "cookup.
That dinner that night, was going to be wild!
(To read more, please contact Jerry Campbell.  Editor)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
31 May 15:31
Sundays is ah feast..
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
31 May 11:07
Welcome to the Club's Sunday Brunch.
Members Appreciation Day.
We must thank all for their continuous support to our Brotherhood for over 40 years now.
We thank all for their time and so many contributions, Circulars, Stories & Tales, Reunions, Fetes & Parties, Medals, Trophies & Awards.
To many to list, as why you must be Proud To Be A Mount Boy.
Cheers To All Our Brothers, that have gone before us, As we travel on this road of knowledge in search of wisdom.
Special presentations to Sir Ladislao Kertesz, Sir Nigel Boos, Sir Don Mitchell.
Please Enjoy You Sunday my brothers.
Entertainment by the Club's Band by the Club's Pool, 
LONG LIVE THE MOUNT - LONG LIVE THE CLUB –
ADIOS AMIGOS
GLEN. .
--------------------------------------------------------------------.
From: Glen Mckoy 
mckoy43glen@hotmail.com
Date: 1 July 2015 at 10:21
Mi Hermano & Mi Amigo, Sir Manuel,
Thank you for this email. 
So good to read that you, Sir Pud & Sir Anthony visited our Dear Fathers. 
On behalf of our Club of Knights, we must thank you three gentlemen, for taking this prompt action in visiting Fr. Cuthbert, after reading about his health. 
A blessing also that you were able to visit with Fr. Augustine. 
Thank you very much for this.
The journey to the light is always far and near, may it be easy and peaceful.
Take care my brother, hope you had a good visit with the brothers,
please give them our best regards.   
Long Live Our Brotherhood - 
Your s Faithfully -  
Glen.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------.
From: manjosepra@hotmail.es
Date: Sat, 27 Jun 2015 11:29:09 -0400
Hi Glen:
Went last week to tt.  Met Frs Cuthbert and Augustine.
Ready for their eternal meeting with the Lord.
At peace both of them and gave Pud, Tony Sabga and myself their respective blessings.
God´s speed on their journey when it has to begin.
Keep in touch and regards,
God bless you
Manuel
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
From: mckoy43glen@hotmail.com
Subject: RE: Luncheon.
Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2015 20:41:32 +0000
I will enquire about Fr. Augustine,  
Best regards Glen.
---------------------------------------------------------------------.
From: manjosepra@hotmail.es
Date: Sun, 14 Jun 2015 13:06:50 -0400
Hi Glen:
What about Augustine? Any news about him? Let me know.
Regards.
Manuel
---------------------------------------------------------------------.
From: mckoy43glen@hotmail.com
Date: Sun, 14 Jun 2015 13:52:04 +0000
Cheers Sir Anthony, 
So wonderful to read of the luncheon with Fr. Cuthbert, we wish him all the best.  
Trinidad politics starting to look like Coronation street ha! ha! what a mess.  
Promises & lies, now I see we have a new party, I don't know their agenda yet ha! ha!
Yes Sir Tony, you are older than the 14 that attended, but I would also feel the same, with brothers are under 59, unbelievable the age groups,
I know we have two generation like father and son attended the Mount, but do we have three generations, grand father, son, grand son??  ha! ha!  
You said you had cowheel soup, the last time I had that, my father made it, man that would make you strong like ah bull ha! ha!  
You said my name was mentioned, I hope it was all good ha! ha!  
I have been in hot & cold water with the administration for years.
Anyhow, so good to hear from you and thank you for the update.  
Only God knows the future of Trinidad, I have not seen any positive solutions.
Cheers, my dear brother & friend, keep that smile ha! ha!
Adios, Glen. 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
Photos from the editor Kertesz11@yahoo.com
Bandit p35 The Early Times
12JC4313JCA, Jerry Campbell
07VP9864VPI, Victor Pires
10JK0080JKO, part 2 Jan Koenraadt





Saturday 18 July 2015

Circular No 715








Newsletter for alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.
Caracas, 18 July 2015 No. 715
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Friends,
Have a look at: 
This Circular has a very long an interesting account by Jan Koendraat, from Suriname.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Jun 19
I feel obliged to make my contribution too.
- I did indeed go with Atilla on the Lambretta motor scooter in the evening down the hill all the way to the main road in Tunapuna.  I learned it from an older boy as I showed Atilla.
I am still astonished none of the Monks noticed the scooter going down the hill at night.  The scooters went up and down so often, nobody noticed probably.  That was the advantage we used.  I did it about five times, never got caught.  Would have been bad for me if Atilla got expelled, he got lucky!
- Building dens and trying to hide them.  One day Nigel Moffat caught us.  We have to break it down, or old boys would come and get us, he would be back in an hour to check.  In that hour we broke down the whole thing, took the materials over the hill, put the dirt back and covered it with some leaves.  When he came back there was nothing left, no trace at all, and we were gone.  He couldn’t figure it out.  Spoke him later, he was just teasing, never meant that.
- When you go down the hill past the sportsfields, there were some trees with what they called Tonka bean. I ate a lot.
- About form III, went to the first shop down the hill past the swimming pool.  That was out of bounds.  Bought two cigarettes there and smoked them happily.  When pocket money came, there was no pocket money for me.  Couldn’t understand.  A monk had seen me with the telescope from the seminary.  Didn’t get any pocket money the whole rest of the term.  That was hard.  Some boys gave me some money then.
- Every season some new toy was hot.  One whole term it was the spin top.  Man, I looked and looked, older boys spinning them around everywhere.  My eyes popped out, never figured out to do it once myself!
- Blow the horn with your hands.  I think it was Arthur Cumberbatch who taught me.  Hold your hands together, make a hollow space, blow between your thumbs.  He could play a music tune that way, never got that far.  I can still do it, teasing my grandkids.
- To whistle with your fingers.  Some older boys could do it and they whistled very loud.  It took me a whole three weeks practicing how to do it.  Suddenly I made the sound and since then I could do it.  I still can with any two fingers and play lots of music tunes.
- During lunch break some team would play a volleyball match near the toilet building.  On the first floor was the game master who would use a metal whistle like father Cuthbert had to call all of us, one with a rolling bean in it.  Any game mistake he would whistle.  With my two fingers I could copy that whistle exactly that it really sounds for real.  So during the game I whistled a few times for joke and the game would stop while there was nothing wrong.  Never got caught!
- Some other season playing with a piece of rope was hot.  Try to make all sorts of figures with your fingers.  I did it so often, fifty years later I can still make two or four diamonds with my eyes closed.
- From scouting I learned a lot about tying knots with ropes.  I still remember them by heart.  When needed I still use them.  Showing them to my grandson.
- Smoking was forbidden.  Maybe when I was 14 I started to smoke at Mount.  I think I smoked every day a (Snow Flake) cigarette for three years.  One day two Spanish boys had a large bin of cigarettes from home.  We dug a hole in the mountain where we hid them, and smoked there every afternoon.  The toilet building was the regular place where older boys smoked.  One day a big control came, everybody was searched.  That was when smoke came visibly out of the window.  (I quit smoking in 1982 when I had kids.  Never smoked again.)
- Making a clicking sound with your pointing finger (how do you call them in English??).  Put your thumb and middle finger tight together.  Let your pointing finger hang loose.  Lift up your arm and wave it down with force so that your loose pointing finger smacks hard in the clove between your thumb and middle finger.  I can still do it.
- In the prep dormitory when lights were out, somebody made a noise.  A novice monk (then brother Hildebrand??) was in the cubicle to supervise us.  He came out very angry.  Who did it?  As nobody confessed he started whipping every one of us with a cane on our behinds.  We had to stand at the end of our bed.  When he was about halfway and some fifty innocent boys got a good licking, somebody convinced him it was elsewhere round the corner.  He went there starting to hit everybody.  He was really going nuts, all boys were innocent except one.  Next day a paper was on the outside door of the dormitory with the Ten Commandments of Behaviour in the dormitory.  That evening he was taken away and never returned.  We were freed of him.  (At this moment the Catholic church in the Netherlands announced that anybody who filed a complaint to the church when the 2012 investigation commission asked them to, will get compensation including all those people who cannot show sufficient proof.  The only thing, the act must have happened inside the country.  Cases from abroad are not treated.  I think otherwise I would have had a case here!)
- One night father Augustine was the supervisor in the prep dormitory.  Some boys went too often to the toilets in the night.  So he ordered nobody to be allowed to go to the toilet.  Early in the morning I had to go and pee very badly but was afraid to go.  I waited until we got out and ran for the toilet.  I wish we had the bill of rights then.
- Some boys played guitar.  One day an older boy organised a group of boys who wanted to learn to play the guitar.  We started with the song Bend down your head Tom Dooley with the accords E and A, very simple.  We had to practice that, so I borrowed a guitar and started practicing in the staircase at the end of the corridor.  It was Sunday afternoon.  I played the tune over and over again.  Suddenly father Bernard came down the stairs, he was mad at me.  I had been disturbing his Sunday afternoon nap with the same tune over and over again.  I was so sorry, I didn’t have the faintest idea.  He was looking for a way to punish me.  I explained I was just practicing for the lesson.  He wanted to know it all, who gave the lessons, etc.  The day after he announced all guitar playing was forbidden, no more guitar lessons.  I still wish we had a bill of rights then.  All he had to ask was go and play somewhere else instead of an overall forbidden.
- I think it was Lindsay Moffat.  Some boys had a new hobby.  Carving figures out of a piece of leather to make your own stamp with ink.  Whole afternoons we were carving with a piece of razorblade.
- What I learned at cardplaying was how to shuffle the cards with two hands, making a rhythmic sound and let them drop back into place.
- Never met any girls at Mount.  Yeah, a few penpalls.  When families came to visit the school, we would go for the girls.  It was not successful.  One day Larry Thomas took me to his home.  There were some girls there and one wanted to be my penpall.  Some of her friends joined in.  I think I was writing to about five girls during my time at Mount.  When I was student at the university somewhere 1972, I tried to find the first one back.  She had moved to Canada and was very glad I looked her up.  We kept on writing a few years.  Then she became a mother, I wasn’t in for that thing yet, so it died out.
- I left Mount in summer 1967.  I missed the part where girls came to Mount to socialize under supervision.  I had one big problem with the life we had at Mount, and that is, when I got my first job later in life, my colleagues were women, protestants, non-religious, homosexuals, social-democrat people (anti rich).  I scarcely had any practice to socialize with these people while they had it from their youth on.  We were brought up in a way how the Monks had their youth where everything was forbidden.  People viciously attacking religion, how to defend that in public in the field?  People trying to con you and you are unprepared.
- After Mount I went to a mixed boy and girl school.  Those students were in a mixed boy and girl school mostly their whole life.  I was rather an exception with my Mount experience.  Totally unprepared for what was to come.  It’s like if you don’t learn to talk when you are 1-2 years of age, you will never learn it properly again.  If you don’t learn to ride a bicycle when you are four, you never learn it good again.  It’s the same with girls, if you only start learning to engage with them when you are 16, you are way back.  I read about penetration, ha ha, my time was getting dumped by one after the other.  I am happily married now for 37 years, but I wish I had skipped some experiences.  Only after thirty years on a reunion you get to meet one of those girls again to hear the why.  Only stupid silly reasons.  The society we came in was so much different, the lack of preparation was big.
- I stormed the library too.  In the beginning I discovered the books of Biggles.  I think I read them all.  One book I tried to finish in one day, reading every spare second.  I succeeded.
- My parents allowed me to take piano lessons.  A Polish man came once a week.  I had to practice the rest of the week.  After lunch I could ask father Cuthbert for the key and play piano in the Benet’s Hall.  I did it a whole year I think.  Learning Tchaikovsky, Swan Lake, the Blue Danube etc.  Lindsay Moffat was an experienced piano player.  He taught me to play the accords with two hands and some Calypso songs to go along.  I quit piano lessons and started playing as Lindsay taught me.  When the Sound of Music came, Lindsay taught me to play all the songs his way with the accords.  I can still play them 50 years later.
- One side of the basketball field was a high wall with regular holes in it up to the refectory.  The holes Attila mentions where the tennis ball would go in.  Below there was a long bench.  One day I tried to climb the wall, holding on to the holes.  It went easy so I went up a bit.  When I looked down, I got scared.  It was too high to jump, but I couldn’t see the holes anymore where to put my foot.  I couldn’t get back down.  Sweat started to break out, my fingers started to ache, I took a big chance and continued to climb up.  Happily the holes went up right to the top, and I got out at the back of the refectory where the kitchen was.  I don’t think anybody saw me doing it in the evening.
- A weekend we went with a scout group on a hike in the night in the mountains behind Mount.  But we got lost, the patrol leader made a mistake in the dark.  He didn’t allow that had a say in it which way to choose.  We walked the whole night and slept under some orange trees.  Next morning we ate some half rotten oranges and continued walking.  Only late in the afternoon we were found, the Monks were searching for us with the VW bus.  We were so tired, we slept round the clock.
- During long weekends when local boys went home, I got permission from father Cuthbert to go hiking with a few boys.  I think we did it twice a year and stayed two or three nights in a self-made camp.  He gave us the necessary scout stuff.  One brother came along with us to supervise.
- Sometimes Father Cuthbert would lend me the walky-talky.  Oh boy, it was like magic then.  Going in the hills and keep talking to each other.  Some radio amateur would hear us and join in.  Every time you would say “Over”.
- One of the happiest days was at the end of every term when a list was on the notice board of all the boys who would leave for home with the airplane.  You would go and adore the announcement, watch your name and date and what Airway.  It used to be Panam or KLM, maybe sometimes Air France.
- Counting the days until the end of the term.  I think we all did that.  Every morning when you woke up, hey, another day less.
- Dark room.  There was a dark room at Mount all the way up where the scout building was.  Later on I learned how easy it was to develop pictures.  I wish we had done it more at Mount, making a lot more pictures.
- The chemistry lab was very sophisticated.  Never realised it was the best in the country thanks to Miss Markus.
- In a class with father Augustine, he threw a book to a boy.  The boy reached out to catch the book.  But he did it a little hastily, so his fingertip hit the edge of the desk and a tiny piece of wood went straight underneath his nail all the way to the back.  They boy screamed of pain.  Father Augustine didn’t understand what happened so he sent the boy out of class for punishment of making noise.  In fact first aid was needed there, but the boy was left alone.  I tried to tell father Augustine but he ordered us to shut up.  Only after class he looked at the boy and then he realised what was the case and let the boy go to the clinic.
- The highest floor in the centre part of the main building of the Abbey School, there was a little door you could sneak into the attic above the Form V dormitories. I went there once, finding a lot of old school material.  I sat there a while reading and it was hot under the roof.  Somehow I fell asleep from the heat probably.  When I woke up, I must have slept a few hours.  I had no idea what time it was.  I ran out of the attic, thinking I would get heavy punishment being late.  But it wasn’t shower time yet, everybody was playing around, nothing happened yet.  Oh boy, I was relieved.
- I passed for the exams from Form IV to Form V.  Father Theo asked me to become a prefect the new year.  All your private stuff from your locker was put in your laundry bag and stored in the attic.  I felt really great and went home for summer holidays.  One evening I asked my dad how to apply for A-level or B-level for the GCE-exams.  Which one would be fit for university?  My elder brother intervened.  He said there is a new high school in Surinam which qualified for the Dutch university.    So there in a wink of an eyelash was decided I should stay home and go to the new school.  A year later some monk from Trinidad came to bring my laundry bag but it was half empty, mostly the books.  All my other memorabilia stuff from Mount was lost.  Never saw it again.
Enjoy!
Greetings, Jan Koenraadt MSB ‘63-‘67
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
Now for the photos
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Photos:
Bandit p34 The Early Times
98AV0002ABBOTVD, Abbot Van Duin
14WK1703WKEGRP, Winston Kerry
10JK0080JKO, Jan Koenraadt project.