Denise and Jounen Kweyol

So now that I’ve arrived, I guess it’s my turn to take a stab at a blog entry. I arrived at about 8:30 on Monday night. And after being told by the customs’ officer that I have no right to stay in St. Lucia for more than six weeks and that I would have to go the immigration department if I wanted to stay as long as I’d planned, I was allowed out of the arrival area to be reunited with Norm. He, despite saying he was anxious for me to arrive, had stayed at home on our balcony waiting for the plane to land before taking the 10 or 15 minute drive to the airport. Luckily he was waiting when I came out. But I don’t think he waited very long. (As it turns out I have every right to stay in St. Lucia for ten months. I’m listed as a dependant on Norm’s work permit but the customs’ officer didn’t want to see it. It’s something I’ll have to straighten out in the next few weeks.)

The house we’ve rented is beautiful. Lots of room for three couples to share and even two spare bedrooms for our expected company. We can see the ocean from three sides of the house so all of our bedrooms have a spectacular view. The only disappointment is that the pool still isn’t finished. And judging by the pace of work in St. Lucia, it could be a while yet.

We all share space in the cupboards and two fridges. Norm’s shelf was pretty easy to spot. Lots of cheese, fruit, salad makings and a pitcher of home made juice. I know Norm talked about his juice in an earlier blog but the first batch I tasted when I arrived was incredible. Mango, star fruit and passion fruit. Norm is making friends at the market by buying the produce and then asking how to prepare it. For example, passion fruit is a round yellow fruit about the size of a small apple. You cut it in half, put the seeds and juice in a pan with some boiling water. The hot water releases the flavour in the juice. Then you strain it to remove the seeds and add the drained liquid to the juice mixture. The end product is very good. Incredibly sweet.

I’ve been to the market in Castries, the capital city about four times so far. Carl, one of our house mates, loves to go every day and chat up the local folks. Every time we go the merchants think we’re from a cruise ship and they try to sell us spices, beads, bird houses made out of coconuts, hats, etc. They’re all extremely courteous but we can’t wait until they start to recognize us so that we don’t have to turn them down all the time. There’s a street across from the market with at least a dozen bars that are each like a hole in the wall. Each place has a bar and if you’re lucky, two or three stools. We plan to try each of them over the course of our time here.

This weekend was the annual Jounen Kweyol, (Journée Créole or Creole Day) on the Island. That meant local people dressed up in their traditional costumes, drank rum punch and feasted on traditional foods. We went to an event at an historic home that’s just been restored. The house, known as ‘’The Pink House’’ is at the top of a hill overlooking Castries Harbour. The property is surrounded by beautiful gardens and fruit trees, some of which we couldn’t identify. There was a massive amount of food served in a buffet style by women wearing their traditional costumes.

The women had to patiently explain to everyone (the visitors anyway) what all the dishes were. There was a bouillie (a stew that I think was made of pork parts that we don’t normally eat), avocado balls, fish cakes, fried fish, smoked herring, salt fish, stewed chicken, soups, blood sausage, etc. I enjoyed tasting all of the different foods but I don’t think I would order some of them again in a restaurant.

Speaking of pork parts we don’t normally eat notice the picture of the local supermarket’s flyer for this week. On sale, specially for this time of celebration, salted pigs’ tails and snouts. Dale was duly impressed. Back to the meal now.

The dessert was an adventure of its own. There was a candy made with boiled guava and sugar, some candy that looked like taffy, several different cakes, including one that was a mixture of corn flower, sugar, raisins and spices, cooked in a banana leaf. It was served up in a little wrapped package. Mmmm. The four piece band played for at least three hours. One of the musicians played an instrument that looked like a tin cylinder the size of a rolling pin, poked with holes, and filled with beans. He said he made it himself. I wish I could find one. It looks like an easy instrument to play.

And this being the weekend before Halloween, the school where Norm, Dale and Sue are teaching had a fundraising Halloween dance. Sue was in charge of the decorations and most of us spent Saturday afternoon helping to decorate the school gym. A lot of the decorations were made by the students. Sue won a prize for best costume. Wanda, Dale’s girlfriend, won a prize as well. She just happened to come to St. Lucia with a pirate’s costume in her luggage. Now that’s planning ahead. Dale was Johnny Cash and, as soon as he was dressed, he worked on getting into character by giving us an impromptu Johnny Cash concert. The kids probably had no idea who Johnny Cash was but the parents probably did.

So a busy first week. Next week it’s the Rum and Food Festival. We may have to check some of that out, even though Norm and I like the punch more than the rum, in the ever-present rum punch.