Circular No 898

Newsletter for alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.

Caracas, 19 January 2019 No. 898

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Dear friends,

Here is a nice chat between Don Mitchell and Bernard Fontaine.

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soincabf@gmail.com

Oct 19, 2017 at 6:14 PM

Hi Don:

Yes, it has been 53 years since we graduated at Mount, being almost 3 generations that we have not seen each other.

As I remember you, you have a very positive attitude and are able to manage, with great spirit all obstacles caused by mother nature with a smile, with Maggie`s always supporting you after so many years of marriage.

You have no restriction on working and/or sleeping hours in adjusting your hours to solve adversities the best way as possible.

But in Anguilla you find all medicines and food required without long waiting hours and lines to obtain the basic living requirements.

In Venezuela, many areas in Caracas and in the interior, there are constant electrical cuts for hours and quite often days; the same with water; you have to eat what you find at a very high costs for citizens whose income is only in Bolivars.

Two months ago we decided to move to Porto, Portugal, where fortunately, we find everything you want from US, France, Germany, Portugal, Swiss, Italy, etc. in great abundance.

We plan to stay 3 years; my son in Boca Raton, Florida, is calling me to get a green card in USA; it is too early to know if we will move to the US because the cost of housing and living in Portugal is a lot cheaper than in the US.

If you get a chance to come to Portugal you are welcomed, both of you, and visit us in Porto. The Portuguese have been extremely cooperative and kind with us;

Flor, my wife, is already belonging to a chat group of latinoamericans from Uruguay, Colombia, Venezuela, Chile, Brazil, Paraguay, Mexico, etc. and she is extremely happy up to now.

Our 14 year old daughter is at the Porto British School and she loves it.

Well Don, am very happy to hear from you and hope to see each other before we turn 75 years old!

Good luck and be happy,

Bernard Fontaine

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From:  Don Mitchell

Sent:  Wednesday, October 18, 2017 4:22 PM

Hi, Bernard,

How good to hear from you.  It has been about 55 years, has it not?

There is no problem in Anguilla with water. 

What distinguishes Anguilla from Puerto Rico and Dominica is that nearly every house has a substantial cistern under the house.

We have no connection to the public water supply.

We have two large cisterns.

All our water is caught on our two roofs, including that needed for the garden and the swimming pool.

With water, no matter how bad the hurricane damage, you can always have a shower (even if the water has to be dipped from the cistern and headed upstairs) and that guarantees you will feel human.

Without a plentiful supply of clean water, you are barely human.

Without water, I think I might join the looters in the Virgin Islands myself. 

Since the Hurricane, every morning at about 6:00 AM, I dip six buckets of water from the house cistern and take them upstairs for the days use.

All my life I have woken up at about 3:00 AM to head into the office.

Now I go downstairs with a torch or flashlight, light the kitchen candles and do the washing up.

Maggies deal with me is that she cooks (dirties the dishes) and my job is to clean the dishes (all our cooking is done on propane gas).

Now with the hurricane, I choose to do the washing up at 3-4:00 AM in the cool of the morning.

Then, I go out and sit on the veranda by the pool and talk to the 4 dogs while I finish my pint of coffee and breakfast for an hour or so.

Then, I go back upstairs to bed for an hour to listen to the morning news on the radio.

We considered buying a generator after Irma took out the electric grid.

Many of our friends have done that.

Some have gasoline powered ones (very, very noisy) and others have diesel powered ones. One or two even have solar powered generators.

After Hurricane Luis in 1995, we acquired a gasoline powered one.

The experience was so awful that we swore never again.

The noise when it worked gave me a constant headache.

The misery of having the generator repeatedly go off for no reason at all, and the frequent unanswered calls to technicians to come and get it working again, will never be repeated.

We are perfectly happy with a couple of bags of ice a day to cool our salads (and my beers and Maggies wine) in our picnic coolers.

We have our e-readers to keep us busy in the evenings (while sipping our wine and beer respectively) until it is time to go to bed. We hardly miss the electricity.

That is why I am so content waiting until the electricity grid is repaired.

Most of the built up area of Anguilla, The Valley, is already restored.

But, we are at the end of a rural connection, and expect to be one of the last to be restored, probably early next year.

Our house suffered only minor water damage, but our Guest Shack had several windows and doors blown-in, and has to undergo substantial repairs, mainly to doors and windows.

I have suggested to Maggie that next year she should take her European holiday/visit to her siblings in the UK and Europe starting on or about 1 September, and keep away from the West Indies for at least 6 weeks.

I shall stay behind to feed the dogs, peacocks and tortoises, and fend off any looters. That is the most likely period for major hurricanes.

Attached is a snapshot of me with my Afghan scimitar waiting for any looters :-)

Keep well.

Don

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From:  soincabf@gmail.com

Sent:  Monday, October 16, 2017 5:54 PM

Good afternoon Don:

I am astonished that after so many years living in Jamaica you have no water nor electricity for months caused by mother nature that hit your islands with Irma, Maria, etc. hurricanes.

You will probably have to buy a small power plant for electricity and collect water from the rain in addition to process sea water to have normal water.

The Israelis are very good in this field!

My wife and 14 year old daughter migrated from Venezuela, for at least 3 years, to Porto, Portugal.

The daughter is studying at the Oporto British School and I am trying to survive with the US stock market.

We all have some good and bad times and migrating at our age is hard but Venezuela is everyday getting worst and insecure.

The Portuguese are extremely kind and helpful, thank God!

I am very glad that Maggie and you only suffered material damage, as well as your family.

Keep well and kind regards,

Bernard Fontaine

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From:  Don Mitchell

Sent:  Monday, October 16, 2017 3:41 PM

Dear All,

Many thanks to all who have been inquiring after how Maggie and I are surviving.  We are fine, but without electricity for another few months.

Thank heavens we all build with cisterns under our houses. With water, you are human no matter what happens.  Without water, you are a mere dirty animal.  That is what is so piteous about those poor Puerto Ricans and Dominicans.

I have a ton of Circulars of Ladislao´s to post.  They will be going up in batches.  Here are the first three:  https://abbeyschool2017circulars.blogspot.com/ 

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CLASS 1960 members

Baichoo                      Patrick Egan

Boos                            Nigel

Brown                         Vincent Wayne          RIP

de Marothy                 Kristof

De Matas                    Francis

de Verteuil                  Daniel

de Verteuil                  David                         RIP

de Verteuil                  Maurice

Galt                             Randall                       RIP

Galt                             Richard

Gokool                        Ronald                                    RIP

Gorinsky                     Luke

Gransaull                    Richard

Guildner                     Harry

Herrera                        Michael

Howard                      Michael

Johnson                       Anthony

Kerry                           Winston

Kertesz                       Ladislao

King                            Michael                       RIP

Knowles                     Christopher                 RIP

Lacour                         Louis  

Lee Kam                     Roger

Lorenzo                      Richard

Pampellone                 David

Prada                           Manuel

Seheult                        Mark

Serrette                       Owen

Tang                            Norman

Tang                            Tilson                          RIP

Vieira                          Clyde

von Marothy               Kristof

Webster                      Christopher                 RIP

Maybe you can certify this list?

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What’s App

11-09-2017 Ladislao: Luis Guio lives here in Bogotá

11-09-2017 Charles Neil: The Guio in the 70's lived in Valencia, his mother  is the person that organised the trip for the aqualads in 1972.They had horses and some of us went horse riding on their farm. i went back in 1974 and stayed at Gustavo Tar home and also spent a week in Caracas at The Holmes brothers. Jimmy Samaroo was also spending time at the Guio's home in VALENCIA.

11-09-2017 Coscarart Salvador: There is also another Carlos Guio in canada

11-09-2017 Joseph Habib: Thanks for clearing that up. The Guios that I'm speaking about, went Mount from 1975 - 1979. They would be in they mid 50s by now.

11-09-2017 Coscarart Salvador: Yes The guio Neil is talking about went to mount

11-09-2017 Charles Neil: Yes,I know know Joe.  Guio is the way their name was spelled

11-09-2017 Joseph Habib: Ok. Thanks

11-09-2017 Coscarart Salvador: Yes

11-09-2017 Charles Neil: I know the Guio's  that was in your time  Joe. I had already left mount We had an old boys association from 1975=77 and went there on Saturdays .we had full use of all the facilities. Thanks to Cutty.  We also played volleyball with the flight attendants from BWIA. Johnny Garcia, Poggy, Jimmy,Pig and myself were the ones that had the first old boys association

11-09-2017 Joseph Habib: Bring back those old time days. Let's have  reunion before the world comes to an end. Lol

11-09-2017 Charles Neil: Joe, I tried so fucking hard, I am just fed up  And I know some other of the old boys did also But we have so many old boys that have pussies instead of a dick as they get older  We still have Fr Augustine and Bro Rupert, let's not forget them

11-09-2017 Charles Neil: They played a big role in my time The fucking Canadian guys can kiss my ass. they are all full of shit. Must be the cold that freeze their fucking brain And when I say Canadian, I meant the ones in my time that migrated there

11-09-2017 Rampersandsingh Anand: Like  Who

11-09-2017 Charles Neil: Anand, u probably just know them by name, no big deal. They are not worth remembering

11-09-2017 Joseph Habib: Oh!!! I see. I will talk to some of the guys that live in Trinidad. Hear what they have to say or suggest. There's no more Fr. Cuthbert and was the one keeping us together. Now that he's gone, we have only ourselves. I will be in touch.

11-09-2017 Charles Neil: Anyway. Time for my cocktails. Will chat tomorrow  Joe Berment called me from New York to see how I was doing,my brother was worried about me because of Irma  Salvador is also a godsend. His heart is bigger than most of us I remember when  I went to visit all the priests at the mount after not seeing  me for over 7 years in 1985,I first saw Fr Odo, he was not too excited, then told me Cuthbert was at the yogurt facilities, I went there and he was filling the yogurt bottles. He did not recognize me, but when I told him who I was, he put down every thing and gave me a big hug.  I then saw Fr Benedict, he held my hand right and said....let me pray and bless you. I then went to visit Fr Vincent  who was principal at the time, he knew who I was right away. I spent about 2 hours with him, talking about my time after leaving the mount, we walked the whole school  grounds, and then went down to the church area.  Bernard Lange and Bro Rupert was down at the pool. i stopped there and they were also happy to see me. The pool pump was giving trouble and I offered to donate one, but they said they had it covered.

11-09-2017 Ramsahai Winston 99: Happy Birthday to my dear brother

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EDITED by Ladislao Kertesz,  kertesz11@yahoo.com,  if you would like to be in the circular’s mailing list or any old boy that you would like to include.

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Photos:

15LK4725FBGDIWFE, Garnet Diaz and wife

85LK1384FBWDI, Wbladimiro Diaz

11ND0004NDE, Nicholas de Verteuil

10LK7858FBMDV, Michael de Verteuil