Yet, as always, it has been a pleasure reacquainting and reminiscing with family and friends who have been out of sight, if not out of mind, and who in just a few, will once again bid us adieu.

It has also been refreshing to see the many born at home tourists running back and forth to the cayes, exploring the rainforest and ruins and generally having a good time. Too often, visiting transplants come to town, sit around without going anywhere and then leave complaining of how bored they were. At the same time, foreigners come in, take a couple of tours and swear that Belize is the most beautiful country they have ever seen. Maybe they see things different than we do.

Now of course this year, there were lots to do right here in the city and it shows that not everyone was totally preoccupied with politics. The bicentennial committee for instance was obviously hard at work and while not all plans were perfectly executed, there were enough events in place to make the celebrations memorable. The two nights at the National Stadium saw huge sellout crowds and the erecting and positioning of the huge stage was sheer genius. Seems we might have finally stumbled upon a way to ride this white elephant.

And of course, many thanks should go to the Taiwanese government for providing us with the spectacular display of fireworks. It seemed only fitting that we should commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of St. George’s Caye with bombs bursting in air. The skeptics of course, continue to try and convince us that we should stop celebrating the Tenth, but judging from the parade this year, the only thing I’m convinced of, is that the glory of the Baymen will never fade and that the spirit of Simon Lamb lives on.

And then of course, there was carnival. The grandeur of this extravaganza seems to augment each year as the costumes get bigger and more colorful. On September 11th the streets of Belize came alive with color and even the sweltering heat could not abate the energy level. In the end, it was C-Jamm who took top honors for the third straight year, but the decision was not well received by all. The behavior of a few senior members of other groups left a lot to be desired as some went as far as to engage in bottle throwing. There were old folks and children in the crowd at the time and it would seem that they could have found other ways of expressing their displeasure. Many seem to agree, however, that there does exist a definite need for more defined criteria in the judging, and hopefully the committee will take steps to remedy the problem. Of course, there are those who believe that the carnival might have grown so big, it has actually outgrown the faculties of the existing committee and we look for a few changes to be made before next year’s event.

And now it’s on to Independence Day. On Monday September 21st, Belize will be 17 years old and with the new government, still in a celebrating mood after their landslide victory, we can expect a massive bashment on the Alberts. Many are happy with the decision to keep the celebrations at the Albert/Regent Street locale and it shows a welcome inclination on the part of this government, to honor the wishes of the people.

Allow me to take this opportunity to wish each and every Belizean a happy Independence Day and to those departing next week, a bon voyage.