The old school was slow and the new school is fast. The old school was simple while the new school is complex or even complicated. This is not about which way is better but rather for the old heads to try to adapt to the new and the new generation to learn that there was another way and it worked.
Those of the Old School still try their home remedies to combat many illnesses and medical conditions. There is gargling of warm water with salt, drinking warm coke with lime, lime with honey, rubbing of the chest with Vick vapor rub, inserting of feet in hot water, chewing of tobacco leaves, pinching the forehead with sharp prickles, and puffing of smoke into the ear. The list of home remedies goes on with some practices getting a bit weird like bathing with water with lemon leaves and warmed in the sun, or frying of a scorpion and applying it to a wound. The above were safe and efficient home remedies that were practiced to alleviate illnesses of various kinds. Today folks simply pick up the sick one and take him or her to the doctor for an injection, antibiotics, or ultra sound tests. Back then we didn’t have doctors in the island up until the late 70’s.
Movies are movies but then there are different ways to enjoy them. The Old School folks used to enjoy them on a big screen while most people today enjoy them on their television sets or download them from the internet and watch them on their computers or laptops. The Old School brought them in black and white while today they are in full color, high definition, surround sound and 3d. However the biggest difference of the two schools is that we used to dress up to go to the movies, while today the folks enjoy them in their pajamas. Why in pajamas, you might ask? It is because we watch movies at home, in bed and probably in pajamas. Well, even that piece of wardrobe is spelled very funny because in the Old School and the British way it is correctly spelled as ‘pyjama’.
The availability of obtaining liquor today is very high. (no pun intended) There is a very large number of bars, and come to think of it you can buy rum, beer and wine at practically every grocery store and supermarket. In the Old School people had only two bars, Daddy’s Club and Marino’s Club and later on Skin Diver’s Club. If a teenager was caught drinking, he could only have obtained it from one of these three establishments, so you are certain they practiced a rigorous control of their sales.
Skin Diver’s Club -Was located where Martha’s Hotel is now
This one is in a way funny. How come in our old days we used to celebrate the presence of one or two vehicles in San Pedro, and now we frown at the sight of the hundreds of them on our streets and roads. We complain of speeding ones, grumble of the slow ones that hold us back, become frustrated when there is a traffic jam, become desperate when we call a taxi and it takes forever to arrive, envy the neighbour’s latest model, blame them all for damaging our streets, and even insult them when they splash water from the puddles onto our clothing.
Don’t know about you but when it comes to bars and vehicles, I really prefer the Old School way of doing things. I certainly do not appreciate lots of men drinking beer on the premises of a store where I want to purchase some groceries. Their language is vulgar and their urinating anywhere on the street is gross. “Twenty Five Years Ago” loves the Old School.
25 Years Ago Books Can Be Purchased At:
-Ambergris Today -Lala’s Store -Pampered Paws -San Pedro BTB Office -Aquarius Salon (Kim) -S.P. Town Library -Di Bush –Richie’s Stationery -San Pedrano’s Stationery -Rum, Coffee & Cigar House
Contact the Author at: nunez_nest@yahoo.com
