Monkeys. They are considered pests here and people really don’t like them (there’s even a bounty for them). I have heard them called devils, evil, nasty, and dangerous. At the "refuge" monkeys get relocated for research purposes and never return (which makes me wonder why the monkeys hang out there if they keep finding their family members are disappearing. "Hey, where's Uncle Mac?"). And although we keep a safe distance, we adore monkeys (Avery has had the nickname of "monkey" since his preschool climbing days)! Every time we see them in our yard (pic at left) we are filled with excitement and the kids love that they make daily appearances at their school, which has been an issue in the school bulletin: “What will we do about the monkey problem?!”
We have had a few close encounters. While we were hiking in a beautiful gully, the boys obnoxiously making monkey noises, the well-camouflaged monkeys in the trees playfully threw seeds and pods down upon us. I considered throwing things at the kids myself to stop the ruckus during our hike through paradise. They weren’t being dangerous; the monkeys were just providing a natural consequence for unruly children not listening to their mother. And the time that Andre and I were running together and out jumped this monkey from a bush and started chasing us? Well, the monkey probably just wanted to join us on our run and then decided he couldn’t keep up. We were sprinting ferociously fast at that point. Later, on the same run, we saw a monkey up ahead in our path and decided, “Well, let’s chase that monkey and see what he/she does” (hoping to see a ferociously fast sprint from a monkey). I know, it was silly, downright stupid maybe, but we were still pumped on adrenaline from the first monkey chase. As we ran closer to the monkey, she looked at us with indifference and did not budge so we sheepishly moved to the other side of the road and scurried by not taking our eyes off of her. Andre said that it didn’t really count as monkey chasing if the monkey didn’t run. So much for a good story.
We have had a few close encounters. While we were hiking in a beautiful gully, the boys obnoxiously making monkey noises, the well-camouflaged monkeys in the trees playfully threw seeds and pods down upon us. I considered throwing things at the kids myself to stop the ruckus during our hike through paradise. They weren’t being dangerous; the monkeys were just providing a natural consequence for unruly children not listening to their mother. And the time that Andre and I were running together and out jumped this monkey from a bush and started chasing us? Well, the monkey probably just wanted to join us on our run and then decided he couldn’t keep up. We were sprinting ferociously fast at that point. Later, on the same run, we saw a monkey up ahead in our path and decided, “Well, let’s chase that monkey and see what he/she does” (hoping to see a ferociously fast sprint from a monkey). I know, it was silly, downright stupid maybe, but we were still pumped on adrenaline from the first monkey chase. As we ran closer to the monkey, she looked at us with indifference and did not budge so we sheepishly moved to the other side of the road and scurried by not taking our eyes off of her. Andre said that it didn’t really count as monkey chasing if the monkey didn’t run. So much for a good story.
Our time is going by so quickly; it’s hard to believe we have only two months left! We have seen and done so much since our last post. I decided that, now that we have a car, I would create a list of things to do before we leave. The list, prominently displayed on the fridge, has more than 40 items on it! For such a small island, there is no shortage of natural beauty and attractions.
In a mahogany pod shell, here are some of the wonderful things we have experienced:
Events/Sights:
In a mahogany pod shell, here are some of the wonderful things we have experienced:
Events/Sights:
- Andre’s 11th birthday celebrated with Sports Day (see below) and a small party including basketball, swimming, pizza and a huge chocolate cake, and a home movie (pic above).
- The Annual Hash “Piss Up” (which means “party” apparently) on the Jolly Roger Pirate boat. We snorkeled, saw a sea turtle, walked the plank (that's Andre at left), ate delicious food, and watched some dirty dancing. “The way they were dancing made me uncomfortable Mom,” said sweet Andre. Yes, people were drinking but they just dance a bit different here; it’s a bit more, ahem, “close” (to put it mildly) than we are accustomed to in the U.S., especially with children present. I'm not saying I haven't done my share of provocative dancing but just noting a cultural norm here.
- British Comedy Night at a lovely outdoor venue to celebrate Lidia’s birthday. I have to admit that I didn’t laugh much but enjoyed it all the same.
- An annual church picnic with my colleague Pat and her daughter (pic at left) at the beautiful Farley Park. We limed and ate two lunches (not kidding).
- The kid’s first drive-in movie. Loved the experience!
- A “Broadway to Barbados” musical starring performers from Broadway (yes, the one in New York) and benefiting the local hospital.
- Several new picturesque beaches. We are trying to see a new beach every week.
Sports:
- A cricket match between West Indies and England in which West Indies won! Andre asked for and received a cricket set for his birthday. He and Avery are determined to bring cricket to Humboldt County!
- The kids' school cross country championships; both boys won for their grade!
- Annual school sports day where kids, separated into primary-colored teams called “houses” (think Harry Potter; same British origins), compete all day with relays, jump rope running, etc. All kids compete and it was amazing to see the athleticism and team-spirit shown. Few kids, in comparison to what I have seen in the states, were overweight and all were cheered and celebrated whether first or last (although points only went to the first 4 in every event). After the awards ceremony, Andre and Avery, in the green house, were told by several house-mates that they led their house to victory because they earned their team so many points; the green house took back the trophy from the yellow house that had been on a winning streak for 5 years! My boys were thrilled. Andre said it was his best birthday ever!
- Inter-house soccer/football competition (green was 1st (Avery’s grade) and 2nd (Andre’s grade). Are you getting the sense that there is a gigantic focus on competition and sports here? It does happen to be the local schools’ sports trimester but competition is hugely emphasized in both sports and academics. Thank goodness my boys enjoy both!