from a friend
a topic on one of the morning shows this a.m. was Belizeans moaning about no jobs or opportunities in Belize.
One of the panelists retorted that the fact is that so many Belizeans
decamp for Babylon and make way for pioneers to come in and fill the
vacuum. He said it is sad that most of the brethren are cleaning
homes, working as petty bureaucrats, flipping burgers or peddling
drugs.
He reminisced about the days when Albert and Queen Streets were full
of Belizean owned shops and other businesses. Now it's all Hindu and
Chinese owned. But you cannot blame them for that - these guys just
picked up what the sons of the soil abandoned. I think on downtown
Belize City only Brodies and Hofius are still Belizean owned and maybe
Mark Lizarraga at the extreme Albert Street West qualifies as a
holdout with his meat market.
I vaguely recall as a child walking those streets with my dad and it
was all Belizean except for Simon Quan who has been here like for 60
years I think. I distinctly recall the Cattouse shop on Queen Street
that sold all types of dry goods, including a large assortment of fine
hats (including Panama and bowler hats), umbrellas, walking canes,
trousers and shirts imported from England. I imagined wearing a bowler
hat when I was big ;o)
The face of Belize is changing as locals move out and others move in........