March 24, 2024 • 42 mins
Embark on a voyage of heritage and tenacity with my nana Shurnett Yvonne Nathan-Caines, who finally graces the Hustle Her Podcast with her presence. Through laughter and candid reflection, she shares the essence of her Jamaican upbringing and the playful mischief that nurtured her benevolent spirit. As we explore her family ties, it’s more than nostalgia; it's a salute to the community service and values that continue to steer her compassionate course in life. We're not just reminiscing about days gone by; we're connecting the dots of a legacy that echoes through generations.
Shurnett's tale weaves through the challenges of her athletic childhood in Jamaica, her life-altering relocation to Bermuda, and the courage that led her to embrace a career in nursing. Her story is a testament to adaptability, seizing new opportunities like joining the Young Ambassador Club, and the fortitude to leave an indelible mark on her community. In this conversation, we don't just uncover the journey of a woman who defied expectations; we uncover the resilience required to thrive in the face of life's pivotal moments.
As we wrap up this episode, we delve into the impact of West Indian heritage in shaping Bermuda’s cultural landscape. Shurnett's pioneering spirit is evident as she recounts the struggles against discrimination and the prideful strides in preserving cultural identity. She doesn't just share her history; she gifts us a blueprint for advocating self-worth and racial equality. Join me as I offer gratitude to you, my listeners, and to my cherished Nana Caines, for an episode that celebrates the power of our roots and the unbreakable bond of family.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
It's time for hustle her podcast.
I'm your host, deshae Keynes.
Hustle her is all aboutinspiring women through real
life experiences that havehelped to mold and develop not
only me but my guests into theentrepreneurs and leaders we are
today.
If you're an enterprising womandetermined to succeed and
(00:22):
looking for a bit of motivation,a bit of tough love and some
actionable takeaways to be thebest you girl, you are in the
right place.
Hey guys, and welcome back tohustle her podcast, as always.
Thank you for spending sometime with me today.
I really do appreciate it.
If you're watching on YouTube,make sure you hit the button and
(00:43):
subscribe to the channel.
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Make sure you follow us onInstagram to see all of our
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We also do giveaways there aswell.
So I want to thank thisseason's sponsor, who is Tina
(01:04):
Oyshevich and her new book,welcome to the Jungle.
If you haven't seen Tina'sepisode, you can go back and
watch her episode and you canhear all about the makings of
her new book, welcome to theJungle.
So we want to say a big thankyou to Tina.
All right, so I'm pretty excitedabout today's episode.
I've told my next guest forsince 2020 that she was going to
(01:27):
be on my podcast and shefinally agreed after all of this
time.
So my next guest is the amazingSharnatt, yvonne and Nathan
Kane Hi, nann, hi Hi.
D'shea Hi Hi.
How are you feeling, charles?
(01:48):
I'm fine.
Thank you, you all right Happyto be here yeah sure I am.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
I am After your harassment.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Okay, nann.
So what we do in the beginningof the podcast is we call them
rapid fire questions.
I'm going to ask you a questionand the first thing that comes
to mind you have to say it.
It's not a story, okay, firstthing that comes to mind, all
right, I'm happiest when whenI'm with my family.
All right, bibi, all right.
What's your skincare routine?
Quick pause, my Nana has thebest skin in the entire world.
(02:22):
What do you put on your skin?
Speaker 2 (02:24):
I washed my face and then I put cold press olive oil
on my skin every night.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
Every night.
Yes, now the cold press oliveoil.
I never heard of cold pressolive oil until you Nann.
Okay, who's your closest friend?
Speaker 2 (02:38):
My closest friend is my sister and my grandchildren.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Okay, can't say which sister she's got too many.
We're not going to do that, allright.
What's a hidden talent,something a lot of people don't
know about you that you know howto do that.
I know how to bake.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
I thought you were going to say sign language, but
that's okay.
Okay, and then, who was yourcelebrity crush growing up?
Who did you have a crush on?
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Oh my, gracious Growing up.
My celebrity crush I can't evensay it's, she's saying my boy
Lollipop it's.
It was a Jamaican girl thatwent to England.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
No, no, Nana's crush is like a guy that you thought
was cute.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Oh, for gracious sake .
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Who did you think was cute growing up?
What was famous back there?
Speaker 2 (03:31):
I didn't have no crush.
Okay, did not.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
All right, papa Hilda .
Yay, there we go.
Okay, and then I know theanswer to this, but we need to
figure it out.
All the guests know what yourcart match team.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Oh well, of course Summer said, without a doubt yes
, and then finally, who's yourfavorite grandchild?
I'm not going to go there,you're not putting me in trouble
.
My, my first grandchild is theshade.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much, my firstgrandchild.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
First grandchild.
There we go and we will takethat as favorite, First and
favorite.
If you give me the F, I'll takeit.
Yes, there we go.
So what everyone can see isMaxi's behind the camera.
Oh mercy.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Second I mean I, I Maxi, I did not say favorite, I
say my first grandchild.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
She went.
She went for a favorite.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
And my second grandchild is Maxi, so there we
go.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
There we go, that's all right, but we'll just focus
on the first, all right.
So I actually don't know thisabout you, but tell me about
Sharnet Yvonne Nathan, at thetime growing up in Jamaica, what
did you do?
What did you like to do?
Well, Sharnet.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Yvonne.
Nathan Keynes was a verymischievous young lady.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Very mischievous.
So now let me know where somepeople get it from.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Honestly and and I like to do things I was always a
busy child, like to be involved, and my mother started us off
very early in doing communityservice.
So one of the things that mymother had us doing was taking
(05:14):
food to the neighborhood peoplewho were less fortunate, and
even before we have our supperor go to the table, we would
have to take these people foodand we used to be annoyed and
those are some of the thingsthat I remember, but then when I
grew up I realized that was agood thing she was doing.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
But then I didn't appreciate it.
No, not at all.
And talk about you still dothat now All the time.
Yes, yes, my Nana is alwaysfeeding someone.
So one thing you can guaranteeif you go to my Nana's house,
you're going to get fed.
That's one thing.
Whether you're hungry or not,you will get fed at my Nana's
house.
So what did you like to play?
What did you get into as a kid?
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Oh, well, well, I was so busy and with my mother you
could not leave the house unlessyou're involving something.
So I was involved in partfinder, I was involved in 4H
Club and I was involved in StJohn's Ambulance Brigade.
So, because I was such a busychild, in order to leave the
(06:13):
house you have to be busy.
So I was involved in helping inSt John's Ambulance Brigade.
I was involved with the partfinders we were marching and
doing stuff and with the 4H ClubI was a member and then become
the president, and so we wereable to know.
I knew how to plant, how tobake and how to do a lot of
(06:35):
things.
Because of St John's AmbulanceBrigade and the 4H Club, I
learned how to swim when myother siblings couldn't.
Because of the 4H Club, becausein order to leave home, you
have to be involved in anything.
You have to be involved.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
So I keep myself involved because I wanted to be
a part of and it's pretty trueto this day my nana's
semi-retired I won't put yourage out there, but we'll just
say semi-retired and whateverthat looks like.
Oh, yeah, yeah.
So what sports did you playgrowing up?
Speaker 2 (07:07):
Oh, one of the things that I used to do is baseball,
and what I've never heard thatbefore.
Yeah, baseball, we used to do alot of baseball, oh my goodness
, and I also used to.
We used to play cricket withthe boys and I used to like
playing cricket with boys and weused to run Every time, you
(07:27):
look, we were chasing each other.
Who was the fastest?
And I was always the fastest.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
There you go, girl Claim it.
That's what I'm talking about,flojo.
All right, so when you werestill growing up in Jamaica and
Jamaica, what was kind of whatmade you come to Bermuda?
What was the journey tobringing you to Bermuda?
Speaker 2 (07:44):
Oh, my journey to Bermuda was because my uncles in
England wanted me to come toEngland and I was going into
nursing and they wanted me mymother to send me to England,
starting nursing school inJamaica, and they wanted me in
England and I said, oh no, I'mnot going to England because
everyone that I see go toEngland and come back are crazy.
(08:04):
I think it's the weather orsomething, but I don't know if
it's because of what they call asituational depression.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
now, yes, I think it may be seasonal depression.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Yeah, that's what it was, and I told my parents I am
not going to England, I will notgo to nursing school in England
, I'll stay right here.
And so I was fighting not to goand my parents wanted me to go,
especially my mom, and Iremember one of my cousins that
lived here in Bermuda.
She came back and my mother wastelling her my uncle wanted me
(08:40):
to come to England and I didn'twant to go and they wanted me to
do nursing school in England.
And I did tests going and shesaid well, you know what, send
Shannette to Bermuda for a monthor so, and when she come back
she'll change her mind.
And so, of course, my parentsagree and they sent me to
(09:01):
Bermuda, for I was supposed tobe a month and I came to Bermuda
and I got involved in, as Isaid you know, I was in St
John's Ambulance Brigade.
I mean being busy from churchand the church.
It wasn't so much I was doingin the church, I was involved as
much because they didn't ask meto and I sat there and I got
(09:23):
involved in St John's AmbulanceBrigade.
Here and getting involved withSt John's Ambulance Brigade, I
start to see a lot of things.
And because I was awake andstarting nursing.
They asked me to be one of thelate instructors and I did and I
said you know what?
(09:43):
I was telling them what I wasgoing into.
And they said well, I'mking-errored as a nursing school
.
Why don't you apply?
And I said you think I could?
And they said yes, and thenback then and I wrote to the
immigration and I got permissionand I applied to the.
I got through to the nursingschool and then I that's where I
(10:04):
started- and that's how oldwere you now?
I was 20.
Wow, because I went 21 inBermuda.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
So you've lived longer in Bermuda than you ever
did in Jamaica?
Speaker 2 (10:13):
I have, I live in Jamaica.
Yes, Wow.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
That's crazy.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
I went 21 in Bermuda.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
That's crazy man.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
And so for you to be in Jamaica, I mean in Bermuda,
but you're only supposed to behere for a month, and now here
you are.
Four children, 10,.
How many grandchildren is it 12?
Speaker 2 (10:27):
11.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
11 of us, 11 grandchildren, all these years
later.
That's amazing.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
So let's take it from you in Bermuda now St John's
Ambulance Brigade.
You're in the nursing programat King Edward.
When did you meet Papa?
Oh my gracious.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
I always wanted to know how to type, and from the
nursing school and so so muchnotes, I wanted to learn how to
type.
So I enrolled in the nightprogram at at then, the it's now
Bermuda College, I enrolled inthat program.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
And, of course, when I went to the program, the
person who was the teacher wasMichael Cain.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
No way.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
And he was such a strict teacher.
Not much has changed.
And I did test that.
And another Bermudian girl.
She's a polite and I promisethat he's too smart.
We're going to tell him off.
Let's set up to tell him off.
And so we were going to dosomething wrong in the class so
(11:31):
we could tell him off.
And so the the week when weplan to do the mischief, it
rained and of course, missAprilite did not come to to
school and oh, my gracious.
I ended up in the class and itwas so much, nobody come because
(11:51):
it was raining.
And I said, oh my gracious, I'min the class with this man
alone and I was so nervousbecause I did not like him, we
were going to tell him off thatparticular week.
And so he came, I startpractice my keyboard and typing.
And he got from his desk andsaid good evening.
(12:13):
I said good evening and he saidhow are you?
I said fine, and I was allsharp, you know, like that,
because then that was the weekwe were going to tell him off.
And so he said by the way,where are you from?
(12:33):
I said why, and he said nothing.
He said my parents are Westinand my parents are from Send
Kids.
I said, and I start feeling alittle bit at ease and he said
so what do you do?
And I said why?
And he said nothing.
He said I am a member of theYoung Ambassador Club and we're
(13:00):
trying to get new members and Iwas wondering if that's
something you would beinterested in.
I said, oh well, yeah, I would.
You know I would, because I ampretty busy person, active, and
I'm a member of blah blah blah.
And he said okay.
Well, he said I will Tell itwhat night it is and when we
(13:23):
meet.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
And he said okay, but I'll just take your number To
try to give you real, for real,for look how he got your lines,
nana, all the lines and and Iweren't thinking, and so I said
okay, I gave him my number.
That's how they get you andwell, that's his street.
Then you guys started dating.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
Oh, my goodness, what did?
Speaker 1 (13:48):
what year did you guys get married?
50, 50 something years now.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
Yeah, oh, my gracious is 53, 54 years now.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
Yes, that's crazy.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
So, and so that's history after all that story.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
Yeah, after you're going to tell him off and now
it's a love of your life.
That's crazy.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
So every time miss Aprilite see me, she said uh-huh
.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
That's why you got to thank her for your life now
here, right?
What's crazy, the Nannies.
You still don't type very well,so did you not go back to the
class after that?
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Well, I went back to the class.
And then after that, when hecome out, when he's going
through other students andcoming over, I was all nervous.
When he come to my club, overmy desk, and and he said to me
one day, you know what, I Don'tthink you better come back to my
class, not I'm kicking you out.
(14:47):
Yeah, he said I, I, I, I ratheryou go to another Person's
class because it's not workingout.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Gotta save the relationship.
Yeah then, yeah you a piece ofwork and yes, so.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
So that was the way I stopped going to type in class.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
Okay, yeah, and it just hasn't gotten.
So you and papa have raisedsuch an amazing family, right?
But how did motherhood changeyour life?
Speaker 2 (15:16):
Well, he changed my life.
It changed my life in the wayit calm me down.
Yes, I, yes the shade, I, I, I,I stay put more and I had a
plan.
I know what I wanted for myfamily.
I wanted to be there for them.
So in that way, I I had to havestrategic plan what I want to
(15:41):
see as a family and how we'regonna rear our family.
So those are the some of thethings.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
And then.
So you have on charine daddyand uncle Wayne and my dad's
doing, and then uncle Travis, sofor so having twins.
You always say whenever I findout someone's having twins, I
say, well, my Nana always saidshe's never met a set of twins
that she knows weren't bad.
So how was it raising for kidsback in the day?
Speaker 2 (16:06):
Oh, it was challenging, very challenging,
and One of the reason why it wasso challenging coming from
Another place where you have nota lot of help, and coming from
the West Indian community whereyou people, everybody, family,
help it's always a lot of help.
I didn't have a lot of help, soit was challenging.
(16:29):
So one of the things thathappened is my mother-in-law was
living upstairs and we wereliving in her house my, my, my
mother-in-law and my father.
My father-in-law died, and somy mother-in-law was able to
Fill in when I'm going to townor I was going to work until
(16:50):
Michael come home.
So what I did?
I arranged my scheduling.
I asked for duties that were inthe evenings and they were
obliging.
So I was going to work at 4 to12, and so my mother would watch
the children with one hourwithin that time, and then
(17:11):
Michael would be on by 5.
So that's how we were jugglingthat.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
But it's so crazy to think about it like that because
I feel like women, since thebeginning of time, have been
always having to juggle, so foryou to still be an hour because
you're working at the hospitalat that time Were you at last
meet at that time.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
I was at the, I was at the old geriatrics Prospect
hospital then before we moved onto King Edward yeah, that was
where I was so then.
And then we just we just had abike, we didn't have a car with
four kids.
And at that time we didn't havea car so we had a bike.
So it was really, reallychallenging.
(17:47):
We got a car after, but atfirst it was challenging.
So I use actually Walk fromHappy Valley to Prospect most
time every evening because wewere saving pennies and I said
now that money I'm gonna take totake taxi to go up and those
are.
You say why you walk, why youwalk, but I know what I was
(18:09):
doing because that's juststrategic plan.
Yes, I had a plan.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
Yeah, yeah so when you and Papa were building out
the strategic plan for your life, like for your kids life and
all of that, what was the mainfocus during that time?
Speaker 2 (18:22):
our main focus was saving.
We were, we were saving everypenny and and we were looking at
a shoestring budget and so wewere doing because we were
planning what we're gonna do,how we gonna do it and how, how,
how we see life Penning out.
So we were, we were really on atrue string budget.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
Yeah, and so I just want to go back a little bit.
So you know, you moved toBermuda and so most of your
family was still back in Jamaica.
Yeah, how was that, I guess,for you, having this new life,
having this new opportunity inBermuda?
You're no longer in Bermuda forjust a month, you're here now
pretty permanently at this point.
How was that knowing for yourfamily and for you, how did you
(19:04):
feel about, I guess, thattransition, knowing that you
weren't Going back, or did youthink you were going back?
Speaker 2 (19:09):
Well.
Well, that transition wassomething else, because then you
did not have, could not callhome often and it was like, oh
my gracious, so we were writingletters.
So when you write letters andthe letter come, it was so, oh,
it was like you hold it close toyour heart and so these letters
(19:30):
sometime take it four weeks,six weeks before you hear from
home.
So when they didn't hear fromme they would worry because I
came pretty young and theythought that Me and a
mischievous child.
My mother always thought that,oh no, what you know.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
What is she doing?
Speaker 2 (19:47):
What, what is she up to?
But I always remember myupbringing when my mother never
believed in a whole lot ofcompany.
She never believed in usrunning from place to place or
going here, there and everywhere.
It was always a plan and if youdidn't have somewhere
especially you were going, youcould not leave the house.
(20:08):
So I weren't allowed to run todifferent places and go any old
way.
I had to say mommy, can I go toit?
St John's, they're doing thistoday.
Are they doing that?
Today?
They're doing swimming.
Today we're going to do firstaid to this person.
Today we're doing Learning howto farm, how to plan, from the
(20:29):
4-H club.
So it always a plan.
So when I came here I had aplan and I just follow the plan.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
Yeah.
So being here and having yourfamily there, did you ever feel,
I guess, the pressure of Havingthis different life than what
your siblings had or what yourfamily had in in Jamaica?
Or was it always focused onsaving so you could provide
better for others?
Speaker 2 (20:53):
No, I, I had the pressure of thinking of that.
I have one older sister who wasa nurse and all my siblings
were younger, so I was alsothinking about them and they
there were in summer inelementary school and then when
they start high school.
I also used to also send mymother some money to help with
(21:13):
school fees For them as well.
So I often thought of mysiblings back home as well, not
only my children here, but mysiblings back home as well.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Absolutely so, given like all the work that you've
done in the community and we'regonna get into that in a minute
what it kind of yielded to foryou, I guess in the culmination
of all the time that you've beenhere in Bermuda, was the Queen
Certificate badge of honor thatyou got, which was for community
involvement and for youradvocacy for the Jamaican and
West Indian associations.
Right, so walk me through whythe Jamaican and West Indian
(21:47):
associations were started, likewhat made you feel the need to
start those associations inBermuda?
Speaker 2 (21:53):
Oh, At that time I was running round the clock
nursery I was.
That was one my.
I started that Nursery rightthere by Rosebank theater with
my cousin, mavis Jacobs.
We opened that nursery and oneof the reason why we started the
nursery was because of the needand also the backdrop with with
(22:18):
with the West IndianAssociation that Starts in my
house, in the basement,everywhere, that sometime my
husband come home it was oh, thehouse was with as a beating was
because of the treatment ofWest Indians in Bermuda.
The treatment back then when wecame here was not a welcoming
(22:39):
one.
We we were treated as if wewere second-class citizens and
and people who did not know howbackground or where we come from
and that we are People thatbelieve in education, that push
education.
They thought that we we comefrom nothing and so they treat
(22:59):
us like nothing, and so one ofthe things that happened
Deficient children, they destroythat break the camel back was
that when One of the ministerthen take the children out of
school.
She was married to a Bermudaand she had the three children
who was adopted by Mr Fisher andthey were taken out of school
(23:20):
that they couldn't go.
So that was the straw thatbreak the camel back.
Well, my back went up and wecall a meeting.
And then I was then at theRosebank theater Building next
to the big Rosebank theaterwhere I had my nursery, and I
said this cannot go down, wehave to have a meeting.
This nonsense got to stop.
(23:41):
And so that evening we had, oh,so many women oh, I'm Jamaican
women went crazy, oh wow.
And the only man that was therewas mr Evans, loris brown Evans
husband.
He came because he was thenalso perturbed by what happened.
So when he came, ice those thatwere saying, cains, you think
(24:05):
you better have the meeting up,up by a billion and make a year
renting a who you're renting for.
I said I could not care lesswhat they look like, who they
are, I rent this place and I'mhaving the meeting here.
And so we had the meeting andwe talk about what we're gonna
do, what we're not gonna standfor and all those things.
(24:27):
And so that was, that was thebackdrop of how the West Indian
Association started thetreatment with the fishers,
children, and the treatment evenwith us, because we weren't
welcome, we weren't treatedright, we, they acted like we
would drop out of the sky and wewere trying to let them know
(24:48):
that we're human being and weall like you.
And back then I Did not realizeuntil later, when I was asked to
speak on West Indians inBermuda, that the majority of
the people in the house that waseven treating us like that, the
family was West Indians.
Wow, when I went and I I did,I'm, and I never forget that
(25:11):
time because your father, dwayne, had just come back from
college and I was telling himsome of the things and that I
had to speak and West Indians inBermuda, and he said, mommy,
I'll help you go to the archivesand Look up the history.
And so we went, you have helpedme, went to the archives and I
got a lot of history.
I say I could not believe it.
(25:35):
I look at the miss Adenis andPaula Cox, daddy and Jim
Woolridge.
Then they but oh, and I wentcrazy.
I went furious I was.
I I was never so angry in mylife.
Because then I'm saying theseare the people that treating us
like trash.
I cannot believe it.
(25:57):
But then I didn't realize that.
But then they were treatedbadly as well.
So in order for the childrenand grandchildren not to know
that the roots, they didn't tellthem, yeah, that there were
West Indian background children.
So a lot of the children didnot even know their roots and I
(26:18):
said well, my children will notTell anybody that story, because
I was taking my children toJamaica from there in my stomach
and I tell anybody, you couldtake my children right and now
and drop them in Kingston andsay go home, and they find the
home because, guess what.
Not to junction the, then youtheir way home because I make
(26:43):
sure they know the granny, theyknow the grandpa, they know.
I remember when, when and whenwe're only small, every summer
they were going to Jamaica and Iremember they were going with
my father.
They were, they, my father'shorse donkey, and everything
they knew.
They ride all the horses, thedonkeys, they, they knew
everything about, like countrylife, and they enjoy it to the
(27:07):
fullest, mm-hmm.
And I remember one time, mrs UmHerbert, she said to me, or
Sharnette, when wrote aComposition, no, what, she said
she, she wrote something about,I say something, essay about his
(27:28):
summer in Jamaica.
And she said, girl, is like Iwas in Jamaica.
She said, if rock write aboutthe donkey, the horse, the
chickens, the goats, the,everything, and she said my
mouth drop open.
It was like I was sitting thereand I say praise, thank the
(27:48):
Lord, because my children Knowmy roots and they were growing
up how to to articulate whatthey see and I was grateful.
Speaker 1 (27:59):
Yeah, and I think that your, I guess ability to
instill in, I guess, my dad oh,my dad and my uncles and aunt
about their heritage and beingJamaican, it puts us in
positions where one they taughtus and then it also puts us in
positions where, if people aretalking Poorly about Jamaicans
or West Indians, we can thenspeak from a knowledge, from a
(28:21):
knowledgeable perspective of toanyone about who, what Jamaica
is, we're, what they represent,you know, politicians and all of
that, and I think it allows usto be able to speak from a place
of Not just, oh, our grandmalives there or we don't know, we
, I went back to Jamaica all thetime as a child, you know what
I mean, and so we're able tospeak about it from a place of
(28:42):
love and admiration and notdisdain.
And that's, that's due to whatyou instilled in your children.
Yeah, so it works.
Yes, okay.
So during that time of the uh,jamaican association, the West
Indian association, you said youwere, you had wrong the clock
nursery, and so I think thatentrepreneurial spirit is in all
(29:04):
of us because of you.
So what were some of the otherOther businesses that you had?
Speaker 2 (29:09):
well, I guess, up till now, yeah well, I run the
round the clock, nursery andmany of the Young people that I
still talk about run the clocknursery.
Yeah, and many of the youngpeople that I see now the
parents have said to me this isso and so this is, you had them
at your nursery I would not haveknown them and if I didn't see
(29:32):
the parents and I'm gratefulthat a lot of the the round the
clock nursery children does verywell, yes, and I'm grateful I
also run the caribou.
I was the one that opened upthe first Caribbean variety.
No way.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
Yes, the original Jamaican shop.
Yes, the original Jamaican shop.
I didn't know that man.
Yes, I know you owned it, but Ididn't know it was the original
one.
Speaker 2 (29:56):
Yeah, that was the original Caribbean variety, like
I was telling the young man.
On course, read that.
That is the name of my shop,the Caribbean variety.
It was on the union street okay, right up there, that's where I
started.
Okay right there before I getdown to fish and things on the
(30:16):
side.
And then did you say thingsFish?
and things, yeah, and then,Disappointed you've been here
too long, too long.
And then we we actually boughtthe building next to mr the
(30:40):
graph that this always is herbuilding and we end up Selling
that building afterward.
That's where we move theCaribbean variety to when we
left that union street.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
But didn't you guys?
Didn't you guys cook in thatbuilding as well?
Speaker 2 (30:56):
Oh yeah, we used to have a restaurant.
Yeah, that's what I thought.
Speaker 1 (30:58):
Okay, because I remember the patties from in
there.
I remember that more thananything, it was the building
right next to the graphs.
I don't know what's in therenow, but that was our building.
Speaker 2 (31:09):
We sold it yes.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
That's amazing.
I can't believe you guys soldthat building, but that's a
conversation for another day.
But so when you think about Iguess it's going back a little
bit to what the challenges thatyou guys had back in the day
with Jamaicans of West indiansbeing in Bermuda, do you think
much of that has changed now?
Speaker 2 (31:27):
Yes, I think so, because now, when I look at the
West indians that are cominghere now, I was telling them
that they should be grateful forwhat went down before, because
when we came here, bermudianswould not mix with West Indians.
They would not, they sort ofshun you and you were in a part
(31:50):
of there, whatever they do, andif you go to where they are, you
would be in the back or youhave to assert yourself to let
them know hey, it don't worklike that here?
Speaker 1 (32:01):
Yeah, absolutely.
So I mean, I think the advocacythat you had in the nursing
field as well.
Yeah, because it was verysimilar.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
Oh, yes, very similar on the ward, special to when it
went to king Edward.
Really there were, there weresuch bias I remember when I used
to be off.
Oh, these patients say, oh,missus gaines, we miss you so
much, we miss you.
I say why I would be workingwith other patients and they're
like oh, missus gaines, comehere.
(32:31):
Come because they were afraidwas a lot of English and
Canadian nurses and our peoplewere afraid to ask them to do
things for them.
They would wait until they seemy black face come around.
And I said no, no, they workhere just like me.
So when you see them, you callthem for what you need, because
they all work here like me.
(32:52):
Yeah, so you're not going tokill me.
And then they sit off and donothing.
Yeah they all work here, like me, and so I had to educate a lot
of our black patients to knowthat they are.
These people work for you.
They're just like me Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (33:07):
So I guess during that time right and what?
When was that in like the 70s?
Yeah, so it was still a lot ofracial tension during that time.
Oh yes, definitely.
Yeah, and so I guess when youwere during that time that you
were dealing with that, like howdid you become?
Because I feel like I remembergrowing up and you telling us
stories about you know, beingproud to be black and embracing
your hair and all of those typesthings like where did that come
(33:30):
from?
Like, did you just come herealready being proud to be black
from a country where Majorityblack, or how did you feel?
Speaker 2 (33:37):
Well, I had that pride bill in me.
But my mother, my father alwayssay it's nobody Better than you
, it's no big them and littleyou.
Whenever you're talking tosomeone, stare them in the eye,
look them and speak, becauseit's no big somebody and little
(33:57):
you.
And I always thought about thatand I, even when I came and
people acting like it was bigthem, a little me, I always
remember no, no, it's no big youand little me.
Speaker 1 (34:08):
Every time.
I always remember.
But you have to, though,because I think during that time
and you know we are a familythat is, you know, darker skin.
Yes and you know, growing uplike our dads on terrain were,
you know, teased because of thatas well, so what was?
Some of the things that youkind of taught them about that,
the difference in skins andthings like that.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
Oh yeah, I remember one time when they, the three of
them were at prospect primary.
They came home one eveningcrying and said all the children
were teasing them and callingthem jump up.
And I was leaving and MrsChristopher's daughter also was
(34:51):
in the same class with them.
And so they, they bond togetherbecause she also was a a, a
Bermuda from West Indian parentmother.
And I say I sat them down.
There was the first blackhistory lesson I was going to
give them.
I said let me tell yousomething your father is black,
(35:11):
not white.
And I said you don't have towonder if he's black, just look.
And I said you're not white,you're not black.
I said and to be light skin orto be white, don't make nobody
proud better than you, becauseit's only tell you that if
you're light skin, that yourmother, your grandmother, was
(35:35):
either raped or gone to workwith somebody else.
I said all gone with somebodyelse for opposite color.
I said so it's nothing to beproud of, to say that your light
skin or you, you, they're notbetter than you.
And I said don't, don't you,it's true.
And I said don't you ever comeback home and tell me because
(35:58):
they call him your dark, yourblack, you children, I say
you're black and it's somethingto be proud of.
Don't ever let anyone feel tellyou that because you have a
darker completion, they betterdo, because they're not, I said,
and you walk with your head LI,and when they call you, jump up
.
You tell them no, no, no, no,no.
I'm a Bermudian.
I born here, my daddy born here, just like you all, but my
(36:26):
mother is a proud Jamaican woman.
There you go, cheryl.
Speaker 1 (36:27):
A very proud Jamaican woman.
Speaker 2 (36:29):
And listen.
Tell them you're not.
No jump up.
You got a stop saying that too.
You are Jamaicans, not no jumpup A proud Jamaican woman.
There we go.
Speaker 1 (36:41):
Honestly, I'm laughing because I know you very
well, and you mean the purestintentions, right, but that what
you've instilled in them waspassed on to us, right?
And so from you know the, whenyou think, I think of it.
Specifically, Maxine and I weretalking about the other day
around the light skin, prettyhere conversation, and I
(37:04):
remember having that do it yourface.
I remember having thatconversation with my dad growing
up and he was like there's nosuch thing as pretty here.
It grows out of your head andthat's what makes it pretty,
Exactly, and so everyone hasdifferent textures and styles
and all that different types ofhere.
But he wouldn't have been ableto instill in me that if you
(37:24):
didn't instill while very raw atthe time, If you didn't instill
that in him, he wouldn't havebeen able to do that for me,
right?
So it's definitely somethingthat I think.
When we think legacy wise, andwhat you've instilled in your
children is definitely passed onto all of us, yeah, yeah.
So when I guess not, I'mwrapping up here, which is kind
(37:44):
of crazy, but maybe think of Iguess I brought it into legacy.
But when we now think of legacy, right, you have four children
Hunterine Daddy, Uncle Wayne,Uncle Travis right, when you
think of your legacy in them andall of your grandkids maybe
number one, the first one, Um oh.
But you look back at all thatyou've accomplished, especially
(38:04):
when you see all of us, how doesit make you feel about the
legacy that you're leavingbehind?
Speaker 2 (38:11):
I am happy and I'm thankful to the Lord for what he
did from little and nothing towhat he has accomplished and how
one thing that made me veryhappy is that he's a great
person.
He has accomplished and how onething that made me very happy
when I see how helpful you areto people and how you pull
(38:32):
people along and how you're kindIf you never do anything else
in this world that made me happyis to see how kind you are, how
thoughtful, how caring andsharing and how you always pull
people along in your spaces.
Speaker 1 (38:48):
I love that.
And when you think of like Iguess your kids like, what would
you want to say to all of yourkids, like knowing now, whatever
.
If it's something that youwanted to say to them that you
wanted them to know from theirmom right now, what would you
want them to know?
Speaker 2 (39:02):
That I love them and I'm thankful that they are the
type of people that they are,and when I look and see how you
all help people, I am so happy,if you never do anything else in
the world.
That made me happy is to seehow thoughtful, how kind and
always pulling other people tobe better than they were.
(39:25):
That's one of the things thatmade me very happy when I see
how thoughtful and kind you lotare.
Speaker 1 (39:32):
Yes, oh, no, no, don't get me crying.
And then, when you think ofPapa, what do you want to tell
Papa?
Speaker 2 (39:39):
Oh, my husband is my life, my everything, and my
husband is not a talker like me,but he's thoughtful, he's kind,
he's always there.
If you need him, he's there.
If you're calling him, he'sthere.
He's someone that I can dependon and my children always can
(39:59):
depend on, and I'm grateful tohave a man like him.
He's the wind beneath my wings.
Speaker 1 (40:08):
Thank you, oh man.
So the question that I askedsorry, all of my guests right
After when they leave in thepodcast.
I mean, you think about yourlife and everything we just
spoke about today.
What is something that you wantto be remembered for when
you're no longer with us andwe're praying, that's a long
time from now, as long as you'retaking your medicine, please,
(40:31):
on time and your blood pressureand all the things you're
supposed to be doing A long timefrom now, what is one?
What is something that you wantto be remembered for?
Speaker 2 (40:38):
I want to be remembered to be a godly mother,
a kind person and someone thatalways look out for somebody
else.
We're not here just forourselves.
We're always here to make thebetter place, and, as I
assimilate into Bermuda, my jobwas not only to look out for
(40:58):
Jamaicans, but was to look outfor Bermuda and Bermudians and
all of us.
So we work together in unity.
That was only what I wasfighting for the oneness, the
togetherness, and that's all Iwant to remember for one that
loved the Lord and loved peopleand loved to serve and to give
(41:21):
back.
Speaker 1 (41:22):
Amen, amen I love that All right.
Well, nan, I think we arewrapping it up here for now, and
I'm so grateful that youdecided to spend some time with
me today.
That was easy, right.
Speaker 2 (41:34):
Yeah, it wasn't that bad.
Speaker 1 (41:35):
It was not bad.
There we go, I told you.
I told you it was going to bejust fine.
Anyway, I'm really grateful foryou spending some time with me
today and I thank you for doingthis, especially after you know
you're doing much better nowafter the surgeries and
everything.
Speaker 2 (41:47):
Yes, thank you, I'm very grateful that you did that
today.
Thank you, thank you.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much.
Yes.
Speaker 1 (41:53):
All right, guys.
Thank you so much for spendingsome time with me and my Nana
Cainz, today affectionatelyknown to me as Charles, as much
as she hates it, but that's whatI like to call her.
So, as always, guys, make sureyou head over to the website
hustleherpodcastcom, make sureyou sign up to be a VIP listener
, as well as heading over toYouTube.
You can subscribe and make soyou can get all the updates from
(42:16):
when we have new and liveepisodes, as always.
Once again, thank you, thankyou.
Thank you for spending sometime with me today and I hope to
see you again on Hustle Herpodcast.
Speaker 2 (42:25):
Thank you.
It's time for hustle her podcast.
I'm your host, deshae Keynes.
Hustle her is all aboutinspiring women through real
life experiences that havehelped to mold and develop not
only me but my guests into theentrepreneurs and leaders we are
today.
If you're an enterprising womandetermined to succeed and
(00:22):
looking for a bit of motivation,a bit of tough love and some
actionable takeaways to be thebest you girl, you are in the
right place.
Hey guys, and welcome back tohustle her podcast, as always.
Thank you for spending sometime with me today.
I really do appreciate it.
If you're watching on YouTube,make sure you hit the button and
(00:43):
subscribe to the channel.
Also, take some time to headover to the website hustle her
podcastcom to sign up to be apart of our show notes.
You can also be a VIP listenerand we do some pretty cool
giveaways on there as well.
You can also find us onInstagram.
Make sure you follow us onInstagram to see all of our
reels.
We also do giveaways there aswell.
So I want to thank thisseason's sponsor, who is Tina
(01:04):
Oyshevich and her new book,welcome to the Jungle.
If you haven't seen Tina'sepisode, you can go back and
watch her episode and you canhear all about the makings of
her new book, welcome to theJungle.
So we want to say a big thankyou to Tina.
All right, so I'm pretty excitedabout today's episode.
I've told my next guest forsince 2020 that she was going to
(01:27):
be on my podcast and shefinally agreed after all of this
time.
So my next guest is the amazingSharnatt, yvonne and Nathan
Kane Hi, nann, hi Hi.
D'shea Hi Hi.
How are you feeling, charles?
(01:48):
I'm fine.
Thank you, you all right Happyto be here yeah sure I am.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
I am After your harassment.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Okay, nann.
So what we do in the beginningof the podcast is we call them
rapid fire questions.
I'm going to ask you a questionand the first thing that comes
to mind you have to say it.
It's not a story, okay, firstthing that comes to mind, all
right, I'm happiest when whenI'm with my family.
All right, bibi, all right.
What's your skincare routine?
Quick pause, my Nana has thebest skin in the entire world.
(02:22):
What do you put on your skin?
Speaker 2 (02:24):
I washed my face and then I put cold press olive oil
on my skin every night.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
Every night.
Yes, now the cold press oliveoil.
I never heard of cold pressolive oil until you Nann.
Okay, who's your closest friend?
Speaker 2 (02:38):
My closest friend is my sister and my grandchildren.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Okay, can't say which sister she's got too many.
We're not going to do that, allright.
What's a hidden talent,something a lot of people don't
know about you that you know howto do that.
I know how to bake.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
I thought you were going to say sign language, but
that's okay.
Okay, and then, who was yourcelebrity crush growing up?
Who did you have a crush on?
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Oh my, gracious Growing up.
My celebrity crush I can't evensay it's, she's saying my boy
Lollipop it's.
It was a Jamaican girl thatwent to England.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
No, no, Nana's crush is like a guy that you thought
was cute.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Oh, for gracious sake .
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Who did you think was cute growing up?
What was famous back there?
Speaker 2 (03:31):
I didn't have no crush.
Okay, did not.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
All right, papa Hilda .
Yay, there we go.
Okay, and then I know theanswer to this, but we need to
figure it out.
All the guests know what yourcart match team.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Oh well, of course Summer said, without a doubt yes
, and then finally, who's yourfavorite grandchild?
I'm not going to go there,you're not putting me in trouble
.
My, my first grandchild is theshade.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much, my firstgrandchild.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
First grandchild.
There we go and we will takethat as favorite, First and
favorite.
If you give me the F, I'll takeit.
Yes, there we go.
So what everyone can see isMaxi's behind the camera.
Oh mercy.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Second I mean I, I Maxi, I did not say favorite, I
say my first grandchild.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
She went.
She went for a favorite.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
And my second grandchild is Maxi, so there we
go.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
There we go, that's all right, but we'll just focus
on the first, all right.
So I actually don't know thisabout you, but tell me about
Sharnet Yvonne Nathan, at thetime growing up in Jamaica, what
did you do?
What did you like to do?
Well, Sharnet.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Yvonne.
Nathan Keynes was a verymischievous young lady.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Very mischievous.
So now let me know where somepeople get it from.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Honestly and and I like to do things I was always a
busy child, like to be involved, and my mother started us off
very early in doing communityservice.
So one of the things that mymother had us doing was taking
(05:14):
food to the neighborhood peoplewho were less fortunate, and
even before we have our supperor go to the table, we would
have to take these people foodand we used to be annoyed and
those are some of the thingsthat I remember, but then when I
grew up I realized that was agood thing she was doing.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
But then I didn't appreciate it.
No, not at all.
And talk about you still dothat now All the time.
Yes, yes, my Nana is alwaysfeeding someone.
So one thing you can guaranteeif you go to my Nana's house,
you're going to get fed.
That's one thing.
Whether you're hungry or not,you will get fed at my Nana's
house.
So what did you like to play?
What did you get into as a kid?
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Oh, well, well, I was so busy and with my mother you
could not leave the house unlessyou're involving something.
So I was involved in partfinder, I was involved in 4H
Club and I was involved in StJohn's Ambulance Brigade.
So, because I was such a busychild, in order to leave the
(06:13):
house you have to be busy.
So I was involved in helping inSt John's Ambulance Brigade.
I was involved with the partfinders we were marching and
doing stuff and with the 4H ClubI was a member and then become
the president, and so we wereable to know.
I knew how to plant, how tobake and how to do a lot of
(06:35):
things.
Because of St John's AmbulanceBrigade and the 4H Club, I
learned how to swim when myother siblings couldn't.
Because of the 4H Club, becausein order to leave home, you
have to be involved in anything.
You have to be involved.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
So I keep myself involved because I wanted to be
a part of and it's pretty trueto this day my nana's
semi-retired I won't put yourage out there, but we'll just
say semi-retired and whateverthat looks like.
Oh, yeah, yeah.
So what sports did you playgrowing up?
Speaker 2 (07:07):
Oh, one of the things that I used to do is baseball,
and what I've never heard thatbefore.
Yeah, baseball, we used to do alot of baseball, oh my goodness
, and I also used to.
We used to play cricket withthe boys and I used to like
playing cricket with boys and weused to run Every time, you
(07:27):
look, we were chasing each other.
Who was the fastest?
And I was always the fastest.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
There you go, girl Claim it.
That's what I'm talking about,flojo.
All right, so when you werestill growing up in Jamaica and
Jamaica, what was kind of whatmade you come to Bermuda?
What was the journey tobringing you to Bermuda?
Speaker 2 (07:44):
Oh, my journey to Bermuda was because my uncles in
England wanted me to come toEngland and I was going into
nursing and they wanted me mymother to send me to England,
starting nursing school inJamaica, and they wanted me in
England and I said, oh no, I'mnot going to England because
everyone that I see go toEngland and come back are crazy.
(08:04):
I think it's the weather orsomething, but I don't know if
it's because of what they call asituational depression.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
now, yes, I think it may be seasonal depression.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Yeah, that's what it was, and I told my parents I am
not going to England, I will notgo to nursing school in England
, I'll stay right here.
And so I was fighting not to goand my parents wanted me to go,
especially my mom, and Iremember one of my cousins that
lived here in Bermuda.
She came back and my mother wastelling her my uncle wanted me
(08:40):
to come to England and I didn'twant to go and they wanted me to
do nursing school in England.
And I did tests going and shesaid well, you know what, send
Shannette to Bermuda for a monthor so, and when she come back
she'll change her mind.
And so, of course, my parentsagree and they sent me to
(09:01):
Bermuda, for I was supposed tobe a month and I came to Bermuda
and I got involved in, as Isaid you know, I was in St
John's Ambulance Brigade.
I mean being busy from churchand the church.
It wasn't so much I was doingin the church, I was involved as
much because they didn't ask meto and I sat there and I got
(09:23):
involved in St John's AmbulanceBrigade.
Here and getting involved withSt John's Ambulance Brigade, I
start to see a lot of things.
And because I was awake andstarting nursing.
They asked me to be one of thelate instructors and I did and I
said you know what?
(09:43):
I was telling them what I wasgoing into.
And they said well, I'mking-errored as a nursing school
.
Why don't you apply?
And I said you think I could?
And they said yes, and thenback then and I wrote to the
immigration and I got permissionand I applied to the.
I got through to the nursingschool and then I that's where I
(10:04):
started- and that's how oldwere you now?
I was 20.
Wow, because I went 21 inBermuda.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
So you've lived longer in Bermuda than you ever
did in Jamaica?
Speaker 2 (10:13):
I have, I live in Jamaica.
Yes, Wow.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
That's crazy.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
I went 21 in Bermuda.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
That's crazy man.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
And so for you to be in Jamaica, I mean in Bermuda,
but you're only supposed to behere for a month, and now here
you are.
Four children, 10,.
How many grandchildren is it 12?
Speaker 2 (10:27):
11.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
11 of us, 11 grandchildren, all these years
later.
That's amazing.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
So let's take it from you in Bermuda now St John's
Ambulance Brigade.
You're in the nursing programat King Edward.
When did you meet Papa?
Oh my gracious.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
I always wanted to know how to type, and from the
nursing school and so so muchnotes, I wanted to learn how to
type.
So I enrolled in the nightprogram at at then, the it's now
Bermuda College, I enrolled inthat program.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
And, of course, when I went to the program, the
person who was the teacher wasMichael Cain.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
No way.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
And he was such a strict teacher.
Not much has changed.
And I did test that.
And another Bermudian girl.
She's a polite and I promisethat he's too smart.
We're going to tell him off.
Let's set up to tell him off.
And so we were going to dosomething wrong in the class so
(11:31):
we could tell him off.
And so the the week when weplan to do the mischief, it
rained and of course, missAprilite did not come to to
school and oh, my gracious.
I ended up in the class and itwas so much, nobody come because
(11:51):
it was raining.
And I said, oh my gracious, I'min the class with this man
alone and I was so nervousbecause I did not like him, we
were going to tell him off thatparticular week.
And so he came, I startpractice my keyboard and typing.
And he got from his desk andsaid good evening.
(12:13):
I said good evening and he saidhow are you?
I said fine, and I was allsharp, you know, like that,
because then that was the weekwe were going to tell him off.
And so he said by the way,where are you from?
(12:33):
I said why, and he said nothing.
He said my parents are Westinand my parents are from Send
Kids.
I said, and I start feeling alittle bit at ease and he said
so what do you do?
And I said why?
And he said nothing.
He said I am a member of theYoung Ambassador Club and we're
(13:00):
trying to get new members and Iwas wondering if that's
something you would beinterested in.
I said, oh well, yeah, I would.
You know I would, because I ampretty busy person, active, and
I'm a member of blah blah blah.
And he said okay.
Well, he said I will Tell itwhat night it is and when we
(13:23):
meet.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
And he said okay, but I'll just take your number To
try to give you real, for real,for look how he got your lines,
nana, all the lines and and Iweren't thinking, and so I said
okay, I gave him my number.
That's how they get you andwell, that's his street.
Then you guys started dating.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
Oh, my goodness, what did?
Speaker 1 (13:48):
what year did you guys get married?
50, 50 something years now.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
Yeah, oh, my gracious is 53, 54 years now.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
Yes, that's crazy.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
So, and so that's history after all that story.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
Yeah, after you're going to tell him off and now
it's a love of your life.
That's crazy.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
So every time miss Aprilite see me, she said uh-huh
.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
That's why you got to thank her for your life now
here, right?
What's crazy, the Nannies.
You still don't type very well,so did you not go back to the
class after that?
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Well, I went back to the class.
And then after that, when hecome out, when he's going
through other students andcoming over, I was all nervous.
When he come to my club, overmy desk, and and he said to me
one day, you know what, I Don'tthink you better come back to my
class, not I'm kicking you out.
(14:47):
Yeah, he said I, I, I, I ratheryou go to another Person's
class because it's not workingout.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Gotta save the relationship.
Yeah then, yeah you a piece ofwork and yes, so.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
So that was the way I stopped going to type in class.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
Okay, yeah, and it just hasn't gotten.
So you and papa have raisedsuch an amazing family, right?
But how did motherhood changeyour life?
Speaker 2 (15:16):
Well, he changed my life.
It changed my life in the wayit calm me down.
Yes, I, yes the shade, I, I, I,I stay put more and I had a
plan.
I know what I wanted for myfamily.
I wanted to be there for them.
So in that way, I I had to havestrategic plan what I want to
(15:41):
see as a family and how we'regonna rear our family.
So those are the some of thethings.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
And then.
So you have on charine daddyand uncle Wayne and my dad's
doing, and then uncle Travis, sofor so having twins.
You always say whenever I findout someone's having twins, I
say, well, my Nana always saidshe's never met a set of twins
that she knows weren't bad.
So how was it raising for kidsback in the day?
Speaker 2 (16:06):
Oh, it was challenging, very challenging,
and One of the reason why it wasso challenging coming from
Another place where you have nota lot of help, and coming from
the West Indian community whereyou people, everybody, family,
help it's always a lot of help.
I didn't have a lot of help, soit was challenging.
(16:29):
So one of the things thathappened is my mother-in-law was
living upstairs and we wereliving in her house my, my, my
mother-in-law and my father.
My father-in-law died, and somy mother-in-law was able to
Fill in when I'm going to townor I was going to work until
(16:50):
Michael come home.
So what I did?
I arranged my scheduling.
I asked for duties that were inthe evenings and they were
obliging.
So I was going to work at 4 to12, and so my mother would watch
the children with one hourwithin that time, and then
(17:11):
Michael would be on by 5.
So that's how we were jugglingthat.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
But it's so crazy to think about it like that because
I feel like women, since thebeginning of time, have been
always having to juggle, so foryou to still be an hour because
you're working at the hospitalat that time Were you at last
meet at that time.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
I was at the, I was at the old geriatrics Prospect
hospital then before we moved onto King Edward yeah, that was
where I was so then.
And then we just we just had abike, we didn't have a car with
four kids.
And at that time we didn't havea car so we had a bike.
So it was really, reallychallenging.
(17:47):
We got a car after, but atfirst it was challenging.
So I use actually Walk fromHappy Valley to Prospect most
time every evening because wewere saving pennies and I said
now that money I'm gonna take totake taxi to go up and those
are.
You say why you walk, why youwalk, but I know what I was
(18:09):
doing because that's juststrategic plan.
Yes, I had a plan.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
Yeah, yeah so when you and Papa were building out
the strategic plan for your life, like for your kids life and
all of that, what was the mainfocus during that time?
Speaker 2 (18:22):
our main focus was saving.
We were, we were saving everypenny and and we were looking at
a shoestring budget and so wewere doing because we were
planning what we're gonna do,how we gonna do it and how, how,
how we see life Penning out.
So we were, we were really on atrue string budget.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
Yeah, and so I just want to go back a little bit.
So you know, you moved toBermuda and so most of your
family was still back in Jamaica.
Yeah, how was that, I guess,for you, having this new life,
having this new opportunity inBermuda?
You're no longer in Bermuda forjust a month, you're here now
pretty permanently at this point.
How was that knowing for yourfamily and for you, how did you
(19:04):
feel about, I guess, thattransition, knowing that you
weren't Going back, or did youthink you were going back?
Speaker 2 (19:09):
Well.
Well, that transition wassomething else, because then you
did not have, could not callhome often and it was like, oh
my gracious, so we were writingletters.
So when you write letters andthe letter come, it was so, oh,
it was like you hold it close toyour heart and so these letters
(19:30):
sometime take it four weeks,six weeks before you hear from
home.
So when they didn't hear fromme they would worry because I
came pretty young and theythought that Me and a
mischievous child.
My mother always thought that,oh no, what you know.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
What is she doing?
Speaker 2 (19:47):
What, what is she up to?
But I always remember myupbringing when my mother never
believed in a whole lot ofcompany.
She never believed in usrunning from place to place or
going here, there and everywhere.
It was always a plan and if youdidn't have somewhere
especially you were going, youcould not leave the house.
(20:08):
So I weren't allowed to run todifferent places and go any old
way.
I had to say mommy, can I go toit?
St John's, they're doing thistoday.
Are they doing that?
Today?
They're doing swimming.
Today we're going to do firstaid to this person.
Today we're doing Learning howto farm, how to plan, from the
(20:29):
4-H club.
So it always a plan.
So when I came here I had aplan and I just follow the plan.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
Yeah.
So being here and having yourfamily there, did you ever feel,
I guess, the pressure of Havingthis different life than what
your siblings had or what yourfamily had in in Jamaica?
Or was it always focused onsaving so you could provide
better for others?
Speaker 2 (20:53):
No, I, I had the pressure of thinking of that.
I have one older sister who wasa nurse and all my siblings
were younger, so I was alsothinking about them and they
there were in summer inelementary school and then when
they start high school.
I also used to also send mymother some money to help with
(21:13):
school fees For them as well.
So I often thought of mysiblings back home as well, not
only my children here, but mysiblings back home as well.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Absolutely so, given like all the work that you've
done in the community and we'regonna get into that in a minute
what it kind of yielded to foryou, I guess in the culmination
of all the time that you've beenhere in Bermuda, was the Queen
Certificate badge of honor thatyou got, which was for community
involvement and for youradvocacy for the Jamaican and
West Indian associations.
Right, so walk me through whythe Jamaican and West Indian
(21:47):
associations were started, likewhat made you feel the need to
start those associations inBermuda?
Speaker 2 (21:53):
Oh, At that time I was running round the clock
nursery I was.
That was one my.
I started that Nursery rightthere by Rosebank theater with
my cousin, mavis Jacobs.
We opened that nursery and oneof the reason why we started the
nursery was because of the needand also the backdrop with with
(22:18):
with the West IndianAssociation that Starts in my
house, in the basement,everywhere, that sometime my
husband come home it was oh, thehouse was with as a beating was
because of the treatment ofWest Indians in Bermuda.
The treatment back then when wecame here was not a welcoming
(22:39):
one.
We we were treated as if wewere second-class citizens and
and people who did not know howbackground or where we come from
and that we are People thatbelieve in education, that push
education.
They thought that we we comefrom nothing and so they treat
(22:59):
us like nothing, and so one ofthe things that happened
Deficient children, they destroythat break the camel back was
that when One of the ministerthen take the children out of
school.
She was married to a Bermudaand she had the three children
who was adopted by Mr Fisher andthey were taken out of school
(23:20):
that they couldn't go.
So that was the straw thatbreak the camel back.
Well, my back went up and wecall a meeting.
And then I was then at theRosebank theater Building next
to the big Rosebank theaterwhere I had my nursery, and I
said this cannot go down, wehave to have a meeting.
This nonsense got to stop.
(23:41):
And so that evening we had, oh,so many women oh, I'm Jamaican
women went crazy, oh wow.
And the only man that was therewas mr Evans, loris brown Evans
husband.
He came because he was thenalso perturbed by what happened.
So when he came, ice those thatwere saying, cains, you think
(24:05):
you better have the meeting up,up by a billion and make a year
renting a who you're renting for.
I said I could not care lesswhat they look like, who they
are, I rent this place and I'mhaving the meeting here.
And so we had the meeting andwe talk about what we're gonna
do, what we're not gonna standfor and all those things.
(24:27):
And so that was, that was thebackdrop of how the West Indian
Association started thetreatment with the fishers,
children, and the treatment evenwith us, because we weren't
welcome, we weren't treatedright, we, they acted like we
would drop out of the sky and wewere trying to let them know
(24:48):
that we're human being and weall like you.
And back then I Did not realizeuntil later, when I was asked to
speak on West Indians inBermuda, that the majority of
the people in the house that waseven treating us like that, the
family was West Indians.
Wow, when I went and I I did,I'm, and I never forget that
(25:11):
time because your father, dwayne, had just come back from
college and I was telling himsome of the things and that I
had to speak and West Indians inBermuda, and he said, mommy,
I'll help you go to the archivesand Look up the history.
And so we went, you have helpedme, went to the archives and I
got a lot of history.
I say I could not believe it.
(25:35):
I look at the miss Adenis andPaula Cox, daddy and Jim
Woolridge.
Then they but oh, and I wentcrazy.
I went furious I was.
I I was never so angry in mylife.
Because then I'm saying theseare the people that treating us
like trash.
I cannot believe it.
(25:57):
But then I didn't realize that.
But then they were treatedbadly as well.
So in order for the childrenand grandchildren not to know
that the roots, they didn't tellthem, yeah, that there were
West Indian background children.
So a lot of the children didnot even know their roots and I
(26:18):
said well, my children will notTell anybody that story, because
I was taking my children toJamaica from there in my stomach
and I tell anybody, you couldtake my children right and now
and drop them in Kingston andsay go home, and they find the
home because, guess what.
Not to junction the, then youtheir way home because I make
(26:43):
sure they know the granny, theyknow the grandpa, they know.
I remember when, when and whenwe're only small, every summer
they were going to Jamaica and Iremember they were going with
my father.
They were, they, my father'shorse donkey, and everything
they knew.
They ride all the horses, thedonkeys, they, they knew
everything about, like countrylife, and they enjoy it to the
(27:07):
fullest, mm-hmm.
And I remember one time, mrs UmHerbert, she said to me, or
Sharnette, when wrote aComposition, no, what, she said
she, she wrote something about,I say something, essay about his
(27:28):
summer in Jamaica.
And she said, girl, is like Iwas in Jamaica.
She said, if rock write aboutthe donkey, the horse, the
chickens, the goats, the,everything, and she said my
mouth drop open.
It was like I was sitting thereand I say praise, thank the
(27:48):
Lord, because my children Knowmy roots and they were growing
up how to to articulate whatthey see and I was grateful.
Speaker 1 (27:59):
Yeah, and I think that your, I guess ability to
instill in, I guess, my dad oh,my dad and my uncles and aunt
about their heritage and beingJamaican, it puts us in
positions where one they taughtus and then it also puts us in
positions where, if people aretalking Poorly about Jamaicans
or West Indians, we can thenspeak from a knowledge, from a
(28:21):
knowledgeable perspective of toanyone about who, what Jamaica
is, we're, what they represent,you know, politicians and all of
that, and I think it allows usto be able to speak from a place
of Not just, oh, our grandmalives there or we don't know, we
, I went back to Jamaica all thetime as a child, you know what
I mean, and so we're able tospeak about it from a place of
(28:42):
love and admiration and notdisdain.
And that's, that's due to whatyou instilled in your children.
Yeah, so it works.
Yes, okay.
So during that time of the uh,jamaican association, the West
Indian association, you said youwere, you had wrong the clock
nursery, and so I think thatentrepreneurial spirit is in all
(29:04):
of us because of you.
So what were some of the otherOther businesses that you had?
Speaker 2 (29:09):
well, I guess, up till now, yeah well, I run the
round the clock, nursery andmany of the Young people that I
still talk about run the clocknursery.
Yeah, and many of the youngpeople that I see now the
parents have said to me this isso and so this is, you had them
at your nursery I would not haveknown them and if I didn't see
(29:32):
the parents and I'm gratefulthat a lot of the the round the
clock nursery children does verywell, yes, and I'm grateful I
also run the caribou.
I was the one that opened upthe first Caribbean variety.
No way.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
Yes, the original Jamaican shop.
Yes, the original Jamaican shop.
I didn't know that man.
Yes, I know you owned it, but Ididn't know it was the original
one.
Speaker 2 (29:56):
Yeah, that was the original Caribbean variety, like
I was telling the young man.
On course, read that.
That is the name of my shop,the Caribbean variety.
It was on the union street okay, right up there, that's where I
started.
Okay right there before I getdown to fish and things on the
(30:16):
side.
And then did you say thingsFish?
and things, yeah, and then,Disappointed you've been here
too long, too long.
And then we we actually boughtthe building next to mr the
(30:40):
graph that this always is herbuilding and we end up Selling
that building afterward.
That's where we move theCaribbean variety to when we
left that union street.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
But didn't you guys?
Didn't you guys cook in thatbuilding as well?
Speaker 2 (30:56):
Oh yeah, we used to have a restaurant.
Yeah, that's what I thought.
Speaker 1 (30:58):
Okay, because I remember the patties from in
there.
I remember that more thananything, it was the building
right next to the graphs.
I don't know what's in therenow, but that was our building.
Speaker 2 (31:09):
We sold it yes.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
That's amazing.
I can't believe you guys soldthat building, but that's a
conversation for another day.
But so when you think about Iguess it's going back a little
bit to what the challenges thatyou guys had back in the day
with Jamaicans of West indiansbeing in Bermuda, do you think
much of that has changed now?
Speaker 2 (31:27):
Yes, I think so, because now, when I look at the
West indians that are cominghere now, I was telling them
that they should be grateful forwhat went down before, because
when we came here, bermudianswould not mix with West Indians.
They would not, they sort ofshun you and you were in a part
(31:50):
of there, whatever they do, andif you go to where they are, you
would be in the back or youhave to assert yourself to let
them know hey, it don't worklike that here?
Speaker 1 (32:01):
Yeah, absolutely.
So I mean, I think the advocacythat you had in the nursing
field as well.
Yeah, because it was verysimilar.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
Oh, yes, very similar on the ward, special to when it
went to king Edward.
Really there were, there weresuch bias I remember when I used
to be off.
Oh, these patients say, oh,missus gaines, we miss you so
much, we miss you.
I say why I would be workingwith other patients and they're
like oh, missus gaines, comehere.
(32:31):
Come because they were afraidwas a lot of English and
Canadian nurses and our peoplewere afraid to ask them to do
things for them.
They would wait until they seemy black face come around.
And I said no, no, they workhere just like me.
So when you see them, you callthem for what you need, because
they all work here like me.
(32:52):
Yeah, so you're not going tokill me.
And then they sit off and donothing.
Yeah they all work here, like me, and so I had to educate a lot
of our black patients to knowthat they are.
These people work for you.
They're just like me Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (33:07):
So I guess during that time right and what?
When was that in like the 70s?
Yeah, so it was still a lot ofracial tension during that time.
Oh yes, definitely.
Yeah, and so I guess when youwere during that time that you
were dealing with that, like howdid you become?
Because I feel like I remembergrowing up and you telling us
stories about you know, beingproud to be black and embracing
your hair and all of those typesthings like where did that come
(33:30):
from?
Like, did you just come herealready being proud to be black
from a country where Majorityblack, or how did you feel?
Speaker 2 (33:37):
Well, I had that pride bill in me.
But my mother, my father alwayssay it's nobody Better than you
, it's no big them and littleyou.
Whenever you're talking tosomeone, stare them in the eye,
look them and speak, becauseit's no big somebody and little
(33:57):
you.
And I always thought about thatand I, even when I came and
people acting like it was bigthem, a little me, I always
remember no, no, it's no big youand little me.
Speaker 1 (34:08):
Every time.
I always remember.
But you have to, though,because I think during that time
and you know we are a familythat is, you know, darker skin.
Yes and you know, growing uplike our dads on terrain were,
you know, teased because of thatas well, so what was?
Some of the things that youkind of taught them about that,
the difference in skins andthings like that.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
Oh yeah, I remember one time when they, the three of
them were at prospect primary.
They came home one eveningcrying and said all the children
were teasing them and callingthem jump up.
And I was leaving and MrsChristopher's daughter also was
(34:51):
in the same class with them.
And so they, they bond togetherbecause she also was a a, a
Bermuda from West Indian parentmother.
And I say I sat them down.
There was the first blackhistory lesson I was going to
give them.
I said let me tell yousomething your father is black,
(35:11):
not white.
And I said you don't have towonder if he's black, just look.
And I said you're not white,you're not black.
I said and to be light skin orto be white, don't make nobody
proud better than you, becauseit's only tell you that if
you're light skin, that yourmother, your grandmother, was
(35:35):
either raped or gone to workwith somebody else.
I said all gone with somebodyelse for opposite color.
I said so it's nothing to beproud of, to say that your light
skin or you, you, they're notbetter than you.
And I said don't, don't you,it's true.
And I said don't you ever comeback home and tell me because
(35:58):
they call him your dark, yourblack, you children, I say
you're black and it's somethingto be proud of.
Don't ever let anyone feel tellyou that because you have a
darker completion, they betterdo, because they're not, I said,
and you walk with your head LI,and when they call you, jump up
.
You tell them no, no, no, no,no.
I'm a Bermudian.
I born here, my daddy born here, just like you all, but my
(36:26):
mother is a proud Jamaican woman.
There you go, cheryl.
Speaker 1 (36:27):
A very proud Jamaican woman.
Speaker 2 (36:29):
And listen.
Tell them you're not.
No jump up.
You got a stop saying that too.
You are Jamaicans, not no jumpup A proud Jamaican woman.
There we go.
Speaker 1 (36:41):
Honestly, I'm laughing because I know you very
well, and you mean the purestintentions, right, but that what
you've instilled in them waspassed on to us, right?
And so from you know the, whenyou think, I think of it.
Specifically, Maxine and I weretalking about the other day
around the light skin, prettyhere conversation, and I
(37:04):
remember having that do it yourface.
I remember having thatconversation with my dad growing
up and he was like there's nosuch thing as pretty here.
It grows out of your head andthat's what makes it pretty,
Exactly, and so everyone hasdifferent textures and styles
and all that different types ofhere.
But he wouldn't have been ableto instill in me that if you
(37:24):
didn't instill while very raw atthe time, If you didn't instill
that in him, he wouldn't havebeen able to do that for me,
right?
So it's definitely somethingthat I think.
When we think legacy wise, andwhat you've instilled in your
children is definitely passed onto all of us, yeah, yeah.
So when I guess not, I'mwrapping up here, which is kind
(37:44):
of crazy, but maybe think of Iguess I brought it into legacy.
But when we now think of legacy, right, you have four children
Hunterine Daddy, Uncle Wayne,Uncle Travis right, when you
think of your legacy in them andall of your grandkids maybe
number one, the first one, Um oh.
But you look back at all thatyou've accomplished, especially
(38:04):
when you see all of us, how doesit make you feel about the
legacy that you're leavingbehind?
Speaker 2 (38:11):
I am happy and I'm thankful to the Lord for what he
did from little and nothing towhat he has accomplished and how
one thing that made me veryhappy is that he's a great
person.
He has accomplished and how onething that made me very happy
when I see how helpful you areto people and how you pull
(38:32):
people along and how you're kindIf you never do anything else
in this world that made me happyis to see how kind you are, how
thoughtful, how caring andsharing and how you always pull
people along in your spaces.
Speaker 1 (38:48):
I love that.
And when you think of like Iguess your kids like, what would
you want to say to all of yourkids, like knowing now, whatever
.
If it's something that youwanted to say to them that you
wanted them to know from theirmom right now, what would you
want them to know?
Speaker 2 (39:02):
That I love them and I'm thankful that they are the
type of people that they are,and when I look and see how you
all help people, I am so happy,if you never do anything else in
the world.
That made me happy is to seehow thoughtful, how kind and
always pulling other people tobe better than they were.
(39:25):
That's one of the things thatmade me very happy when I see
how thoughtful and kind you lotare.
Speaker 1 (39:32):
Yes, oh, no, no, don't get me crying.
And then, when you think ofPapa, what do you want to tell
Papa?
Speaker 2 (39:39):
Oh, my husband is my life, my everything, and my
husband is not a talker like me,but he's thoughtful, he's kind,
he's always there.
If you need him, he's there.
If you're calling him, he'sthere.
He's someone that I can dependon and my children always can
(39:59):
depend on, and I'm grateful tohave a man like him.
He's the wind beneath my wings.
Speaker 1 (40:08):
Thank you, oh man.
So the question that I askedsorry, all of my guests right
After when they leave in thepodcast.
I mean, you think about yourlife and everything we just
spoke about today.
What is something that you wantto be remembered for when
you're no longer with us andwe're praying, that's a long
time from now, as long as you'retaking your medicine, please,
(40:31):
on time and your blood pressureand all the things you're
supposed to be doing A long timefrom now, what is one?
What is something that you wantto be remembered for?
Speaker 2 (40:38):
I want to be remembered to be a godly mother,
a kind person and someone thatalways look out for somebody
else.
We're not here just forourselves.
We're always here to make thebetter place, and, as I
assimilate into Bermuda, my jobwas not only to look out for
(40:58):
Jamaicans, but was to look outfor Bermuda and Bermudians and
all of us.
So we work together in unity.
That was only what I wasfighting for the oneness, the
togetherness, and that's all Iwant to remember for one that
loved the Lord and loved peopleand loved to serve and to give
(41:21):
back.
Speaker 1 (41:22):
Amen, amen I love that All right.
Well, nan, I think we arewrapping it up here for now, and
I'm so grateful that youdecided to spend some time with
me today.
That was easy, right.
Speaker 2 (41:34):
Yeah, it wasn't that bad.
Speaker 1 (41:35):
It was not bad.
There we go, I told you.
I told you it was going to bejust fine.
Anyway, I'm really grateful foryou spending some time with me
today and I thank you for doingthis, especially after you know
you're doing much better nowafter the surgeries and
everything.
Speaker 2 (41:47):
Yes, thank you, I'm very grateful that you did that
today.
Thank you, thank you.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much.
Yes.
Speaker 1 (41:53):
All right, guys.
Thank you so much for spendingsome time with me and my Nana
Cainz, today affectionatelyknown to me as Charles, as much
as she hates it, but that's whatI like to call her.
So, as always, guys, make sureyou head over to the website
hustleherpodcastcom, make sureyou sign up to be a VIP listener
, as well as heading over toYouTube.
You can subscribe and make soyou can get all the updates from
(42:16):
when we have new and liveepisodes, as always.
Once again, thank you, thankyou.
Thank you for spending sometime with me today and I hope to
see you again on Hustle Herpodcast.
Speaker 2 (42:25):
Thank you.
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