Trinidad Rum & Roti Culture
Do you think that Trinidad suffers from a growing "Rum & Roti Culture" that is becoming our of control? Rum & Roti Culture refers to the masses who live a carefree lifestyle consuming alcohol that causes undue stress to their bodies, and putting lives of others at risk because of accidents.
I dont know if I'll call it growing, to me its always been like that.
Rum and Roti is my raison d'etre but it is good when you can work smart (most of the time) through individual effort and NOT bother with foolishness and pettiness.
If it is the ONLY thing you are pursueing, then that is the abnormal doh care (don't care) attitude that is the downfall of those who always claiming 'dey do dis to us' (it is their fault not ours) mentality!
Moderation is the key to most things even if it is bad for you!
I don't know if Trinis know what is moderation when it comes to food and drink of any type!
I agree with Indianchick; the "rum and roti" culture has been around for some time, and is hardly a recent phenomenon.
I think in general, it's a sad aspect of Trinbagonian society that really needs to be addressed. And popular music isn't really helping affairs much, not with songs like "Rum till I die" and "I want me rum in the morning". Eating roti a lot isn't even healthy anyhow. Don't get me wrong, I like a good buss up shut, dosti roti or paratha like the next man, but with all of the oil used in it I don't think it's good to eat it everyday.
I think the cause for this rum and roti culture is historical. I think during colonial times, the hardships faced by ex-African slaves and the Indian indentured labourers encouraged a sort of drink culture in order to drown out sorrows.
I think this is perhaps one reason why diabetes rates are high in Trinbago, because the sugar in rum obviously contributes to that.
One can put the blame on colonials and slavery for the problems of today or we can just say that the people of today like it that way. Let's look at the American Indians... is their current reputation for drinking until drunk because they are a conquered people or is it because they choose as individuals and not a people to be this way? No elder or great chief teaches to drink all day, yet they are 'earning' the reputation. Now look at Trinidad... is anyone teaching the citizens to be this way... YES! It is in the education, the television, the music (as has been pointed out) and so forth. Trinidadians are thought on a daily basis to be accepting of the rum and roti culture.