Guyana /// "We call the Atlantic Ocean, a Creek."
C2C Interview /// Georgetown, Guyana
Do you have a favorite childhood memory from the beach?
I do but it is embarrassing!
Can you tell me about it anyways?
What I remember about the beach from my childhood was the nudity. We had a nude beach and we had a regular beach. That was it. I always wanted to go to the nude beach. So one time my parents took me and I was like… Wooooaaaa! And my parents were like… Well you know you can’t wear a bathing suit… and I was like… Reeeaaaallllllyyyyyy? And they were like… Yeah that’s why they call it the nude beach! So… I said okay and I took a leaf and I covered myself and ran into the water. So that was fun.
Was the beach clean?
Yes… very… you could see straight to the bottom.
What’s your relationship like today with the ocean?
I don’t really get around to going much. I kinda have a fear of drowning. I can swim but still I have a fear of it. When I can’t feel the ground… I panic.
What’s Guyanese society’s relationship with the ocean?
We don’t call it an ocean. We call it the Creek.
You call the ocean a creek?
Yeah… we call the Atlantic Ocean a creek... I don’t know… that’s just where people go on their Sundays to relax… with your family and friends and just hangout the whole entire day. But that’s pretty much it… we don’t have many activities in the ocean.
Is there a lot of trash?
Yes… people are just littering… there is trash everywhere… but you can’t blame the people… the government is responsible. It is poor strategic planning. If there are plans in place with facilitates and a strictness attached to it… then you will find people will throw their papers in the bin. They have to help me by putting something in place so I don’t walk around with my trash all day. It is easier to throw it. If there is an event… you don’t even want to walk around the creek… there is trash everywhere.
What about the tourism?
It’s kinda terrible because you have people who could come from all over the world and you are saying “This is Beautiful Guyana” but what are people seeing? Trash Guyana. I think tourism isn’t here because you can’t come to a place and enjoy something full of trash. A country wants people to love it but the people aren’t loving their country.
What do you think young people can do to change this?
I think there must be education so kids grow up into adults who take care of the environment once they are in the system of society.
