Liming is the Barbadian term for relaxing, enjoying food, drink and the company of others. When I first heard the expression, I thought it had to do with limes or limestone, both of which are quite common in Barbados (FYI: Barbados is the only limestone island in the Caribbean). Currently, I am taking a break from work to blog on my porch and wondering how I will capture all that has happened in the last two weeks without writing a bad novel and causing you to lose interest. So, grab your favorite beverage and lime with me for a short while and I will do by best at condensing our recent experiences. Bajan Dinners: We had been invited to, and limed at, two of them this past weekend, both wonderful and delicious. A typical bajan meal might include mixed veggies, plantains, something "pickled" (with lime and salt), mashed sweet potato (they are white and mildly sweet), and a local fish, such as kingfish or snapper (cooked and eaten with the head attached). We delighted in all these dishes this past weekend and really enjoyed getting to know the lovely Warren family (their boys are schoolmates of similar age and energy to mine) and, on another night, Mandy and Martin (and family), our amazingly kind local hosts who live above us. To the right is a picture of the boys eating my first attempt at baking plantains with guava jelly, both given to me by Mandy's mom. We visited Mandy parent's lovely home after riding the tram deep into a cave for a stalagmite and stalactite adventure with Mandy. |
The Platinum Coast: The area in which we live is too expensive and luxurious to simply be called the Gold Coast. To give you an idea: I ran at a golf course early this morning, a few blocks from our new home, and it costs $4,000 for a group of 4 to play there for one day. 4K! It was spectacular though. The golf cart paths winding up and down green rolling hills surrounded by limestone cliffs dripping with colorful bougainvillea had views of the aqua blue Caribbean sea. It was a bit dark to capture much of the beauty but here's a picture I took to give you a sense of it. Another example of luxury: we were invited to see a kid movie at the local theater with some new friends who have been generously driving my boys home 3x a week. I have never seen such a posh movie theater! The cushy, vanilla-colored faux leather, seatbacks were high with plenty of leg room and had a table nearby with an ordering button and pad atop it (yes, we had a server take our order and serve us!). The amazing part, to me, was that the ticket price was comparable to U.S. prices (such price comparison is NOT typical of anything else in Barbados).
Transportation and Generosity (I know, these two don't usually go together but you'll see): Since living here, there have been two major bus accidents with one fatality and dozens of injuries. Often, while standing smashed next to others on the bus, I have wondered if the amount of bodies would be a good thing in an accident. More cushion, ya know? While being squished in one crowded bus, I actually saw police officers pulling people off another (I released my grip and tried to wave my arms to no avail) so there is some capacity regulation but it is hardly followed. While on the bus, even though hot and uncomfortable, everyone is polite, eagerly gives up seats to elders, etc. and takes the bags of those standing to put on their own lap. I was a little hesitant the first time an older woman grabbed my bag but saw other people doing it as well and realized that such kindness is a cultural norm. Could you imagine the same thing happening in Boston? I couldn't even get others to look at me while taking public transportation there, let alone smile and take my bag. Given the crowded conditions and time it takes, I am glad that the kids don't have to ride the bus nearly as much as I do. But there is an end in sight for our bus adventures---suspenseful music---my new running partner and his wife have offered to loan me one of their cars!!! Can you believe it? I actually received my temporary license this week in preparation (and yes, the DMV agent was nice too!). I have been amazed at how kind and giving everyone has been. It took years for people to show such warmth to us in Humboldt County (no offense Humboldt peeps). We have been given and offered so many rides, which has made our car-less transition much easier. For example, I posted on a local running site that I needed rides to two destination runs this weekend (Ralf and Lidia, who would normally take us, will be running the Miami Marathon) and had offers for both in less than an hour. Wow, I hardly know these people. When asking for directions, we have actually been walked to destinations by strangers so that we don't get lost (and they don't ask for a handout in return!). However, I really hate to depend on others so much so it will be wonderful to have a car. I will just need to relearn how to drive on the left side of the road!
I should probably close with a brief update on various things. Work is going well and I am mostly in the planning stages right now for the various workshops I will be facilitating in the upcoming months. The kids love school and have started a basketball trend at a school and in a culture where it is not typical. The school even designated a coach and decided they would have a team given the interest that followed my boys' lunchtime basketball moves (not sure who they will play games against). Even though they like the attention, Andre and Avery are enjoying cricket and football (soccer) more than basketball since they say there's not much basketball competition. "They double dribble all the time Mom!" They ran their first Barbados 5K from the National Stadium this weekend (although the track to the left belongs to the university-much nicer w/ ocean view). They were first and second for the children and I was 4th woman. If I were in the top 3, I could have won cash (bummer); winning cash would have been a first. It wasn't a huge race but it was part of a larger track and field day so it was fun to see the amazingly fast and smooth 200/400/800 meter runners and long jumpers compete. We will Hash again this weekend (on on!) in an area called "Little Scotland" given its topography and hopefully lime around a bit as well. Thanks for reading!