Sweet Sugar Island

When a new adventure is before me, I dive in head first. I’ve been swimming in an ocean of new smells, sights and people. Every time I want to surface for breath, I’m distracted and swim deeper still. Now I’ve emerged from the water for a quick breather and I suddenly realize that half my time here is already up.

Here are a few images, stories and insights that colour my Caribbean experience so far...

Some time ago, I was looking for the boys that hang out on my street. I walked into the narrow alleyway that is lined with shack-like houses to find a group of them putting on a brave attempt to play basketball. These kids are so resourceful; they were playing basketball with a mostly-deflated ball, with one of the littlest kids, Jaquan, perched on a wall holding up a rusty bicycle rim as a hoop.

Saturday afternoon Eli and I took the boys to the beach. It’s a tough job keeping an eye on four high-energy McKight boys (Mcknight is the name of the neighbourhood I'm living in). We splashed around for hours, collected some shells, ate mangoes, snorkeled and jumped off the pier. After coming home, showering and then collapsing exhausted on my bed, I hear Lamont yelling my name over and over again outside my place. Lamont is one of the boys who has really left a stamp on my heart. I groggily drag myself to my door and look over the balcony. There Lamont is standing with a t-shirt full of mangoes and his signature Lamonkey grin. Mcknight kids are not usually big on sharing but he had come over just to share his mangoes with me. When I asked, “Don’t you wanna keep em’ for youself?” he replied, “sharing is better.” I came back inside with three mangoes and a big smile on my face.

On my birthday we went to St.Kitts’ sister island, Nevis, to check out some of the BNTF projects over there. It wasn’t all work though. We visited a botanical garden and a heritage village where a tour guide took us back in history to a time when the Carib Indians inhabited these lands. Nevis, we learned, use to be one of the richest islands because it was the centre of the Caribbean slave trade in the 19th century. Families were forced to separate upon arrival to the island. From this context, the common Caribbean mentality that “we are one family” developed. You can’t visit a Caribbean island and not become familiar with expressions of “unity” and “one love.” It was really interesting to finally understand the context from which these expressions permeated into Caribbean culture.

The thing that struck me about the island of Nevis is that there are mango trees absolutely everywhere [And also goats and sheep. Sometimes I think that there may be more wild sheep and goats on the island than people! (updates on Operation Goat to come)]. The mangoes here are so deliciously sweet. The kids know mangoes so well that they can differentiate between mangoes from Nevis and mangoes from St.Kitts. And it’s not just mangoes...if I wanted, I could take a walk and come home with guava, avocado, sugar apple, bread nut, lime and skinnip fruit. The pineapple here is divine.

“Sweet Sugar Island” is what locals call St.Kitts, in reference to its former sugar industry and island promiscuity. Relationships here are highly sexualized. If you have a friend of the opposite sex who you spend a lot of time with, it’s assumed that you are “knocking boots.” Must be something about the tropical climate that makes people especially randy. Here in St.Kitts, sexual relations are like the full ripe mangoes that hang low from the trees. Everyone’s getting their share of the island's sweet mangoes.

Finally, just when I thought Operation Goat had come to a stalemate, I had a breakthrough. After spying on the goats, I’ve discovered their favorite leaves. I’ve been approaching them slowly with these leaves and I think we’re a few weeks away from becoming life-long friends.

Thanks for reading. Just a few shout outs, before I go back to swimming.

Er Bear, there are no Diplodocuses here. Come soon.

Safta, how wonderful it was to hear your voice on my birthday! I love you dearly and I can’t wait to see you.

Mon, we’re under the same moon. And what a loving moon it is! Keep loving, darling girl.

Keely baby, be sure to belly dance on your wedding day and get it on camera for me! I’ll be thinking about you.

Cheemy, they sure know how to dance over here but I don’t care what they say…aint’ no one who can shake things up on the dance floor as good as us!

Ariel, your daily correspondence has given me so much to think about and express. Thank you for your generous heart and taking the time to do what you do best.

Larissa, your insight and words were very comforting at a time when I really needed it. I’ve since adjusted and will send a full update in due time.

Dear Boris, I hear the state of the kitchen has not improved with my absence...sucka!

Candy girl, I think of you every day when I pick a frangipani from the tree outside my workplace.

Tanya, bear has taken to the island well and has decided to grow locks and become a rasta bear.

Miss J, escribir a mí little duck.

---

---