White or Yellow Yam (standard:travel stories, 407 words)
Author: Juggernaut	Added: Aug 12 2011	Views/Reads: 3123/2	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Life in Jamaica in 70's that drove people from the Island.

White or Yellow Yam? 

Subba Rao 

“Which one you like?” “White or yellow?” 

“White or yellow; what?” 

“Yams.” 

“I can't stand yams.” 

“I have been substituting yams for rice for the last 3 years.” 

“I can't live one day without white rice.” 

“What's the big deal with rice; one can eat potatoes, yams or 

Bami instead of rice.” 

“What is Bami?” 

“Flat bread made from cassava flour.” 

“Any provision, forget it; I can't digest.” 

“How about regular bread?” 

“I only eat bread when I am sick,” “We can't even get sliced 

bread anyway.” 

“Well, I met an East Indian man from Western end of the 

island, he said he mills his own rice and he can get us few pounds of 

rice.” 

“How long that lasts?” 

“May be 2 or 3 weeks.” 

“Then what?” 

“We will find another source to get rice.” 

“We cannot live like this here searching for rice.” 

“I lived here without eating rice for more than 3 years.” 

“That's you; I need to eat rice every day.” 

“How about making Puri with all-purpose flour?” 

“Puris are greasy; I can't stand on a regular basis.” “We 

can't even get whole-wheat flour to make roti, as much as I hate roti.” 

“It will take a year or so to get normal here, and then we can 

get practically everything from white rice to wheat flour and many 

others.” 

“That's what you have been saying for the last three 

years,” “It's time to get out of this place.” 

“If you are thinking of Unites States, forget it; I would 

never get a job like one I have it here for tor the last 8 years, I 

make as much as comparable job in US, I have my own staff, 4-week 

annual vacation, a new car for every 3 years with expenses paid, free 

tickets to India for every 3 years, tax free annual pension amounting 

to 25% of annual salary, free  3 day annual vacation break at a beach 

resort and other benefits; my qualifications are not accepted in USA, 

if I decide to quit this job and move to US, I will start at the bottom 

and work with idiots for life long.” 

“Well, either we or I alone was going.” 

“OK, let's go together then.” 

“That was 26 years ago, the rest was history; very choppy; 

from year-round sunshine to below zero temperatures and all that.” 

“How about Tea-Party town hall meetings?” 

“That too.” 


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