Year In Review

My daughter Ashley and I sat at our dining room table that has hosted many Thanksgiving celebrations and decided on “Retiring In Paradise” as the name for my new website. Within a couple of hours we picked a format, designed a web page, learned the WordPress software and set up business cards for retiringinparadise.com. It was October 29, 2016, the day that I found out a determined Ashley makes things happen and I discovered that I love to write!  Who knew?

My plan initially was to blog for a year, then write a book. The amended plan still includes the book which I have already started, the working title is “Retiring In Paradise, Barbados – A Guide to understanding the Bajan culture and a Road Map to retiring in paradise“. Today is the 41st blog, I’m surprised that I’m still finding things to write about. For now, I plan to continue blogging.

Hopefully the articles about Barbados and Bajans have been informative and entertaining. I also hope that I have at least tempted some of you that have never been to Barbados to visit our beautiful island. For those who have been away donkey long years, it’s time to come back home!

Check out my Year In Review top ten favorite excerpts from Retiring in Paradise, Barbados. This list is in no particular order.

BAJAN DIALECT PART 1 – (Apr 2017) …The biggest misunderstanding so far was when Sandra’s aunt told me she was looking for a whore for her son and asked if I had one. Now I know Bajan mothers will do almost anything for their adult male children but I thought this was going too far! So I just had to ask why she was looking for a whore her son because if he felt he needed one I’m sure that he could find one on his own on Nelson Street. She said,  “Not a whore Calvin, a hoe, a hoe, the kind you hoe dirt wid!” Boy, we had a good laugh for a few days on that one!

BAJANS LOVE A GOOD FUNERAL – (Nov 2016)…Inside there were some women sobbing unashamedly and inconsolable. There were stone faced men trying to comfort them to no avail! Yet, there were smiles and laughter for some as people greeted friends they haven’t seen since last funeral saying “Wait, you still living!” Somehow, it all blends in together making it both a sad and happy occasion. Bajans love to gather together and are a loving kind people that laugh when you laugh, cry when you cry and hurt when you hurt!

BAJANS AND PERSONAL SPACE – (Nov 2016)…Sandra and I were reading the Nation newspaper together at a public picnic table (facing out). As we were commenting about an article , I sensed the woman sitting on the other side (our backs were to her) raising up looking over our shoulders. Within two-twos the woman moved along side me and continued to read with us. There we were with me in the middle holding the paper, Sandra on one side and the woman on the other. That’s pretty bad but it gets worse, when I was ready to turn the page to continue the woman said “Wait, wait, wait.”  No worries, I looked at Sandra and shook my head, then at the woman and waited until she said “Okay.” Which meant, now I’m finished you can turn the page.

BAJAN HISTORY & HER STORY – (Dec 2016) …Life was hard for most Bajans in the early history of this island. I cannot imagine a life without running water, electricity, refrigeration and gas. Yet, if you were to hear those that experienced that life style laughing about emptying the topsy, bleaching clothes in the sun, getting water at the stand pipe, scrubbing floors with bitter bush, picking rice, and putting water in cans at the larder legs to keep ants out, you would see that even though they were poor in material things they had such a rich, happy and meaningful life!

BAJANS LOVE TO LIME – (Nov 2016)…(teller) you want $200?   (old man) huh?   (teller) YOU WANT $200!   (old man) I may need more, $400.   (teller) you want $400?   (old man) YES $600.   (teller) OH, you want $600?    (old man) $600! Mon I ain need so much all I need is $200. By now, most of the people in line were laughing out loud!

BAJANS DO CHORES – (Feb 2017)…Next we had to scrape the pig poo from the cement floor of the pen. Then we had to rinse the floor with the water we brought . Finally we had to remove as much of the muck as we could that was in the cesspool that surrounded the pen and carry it away. The smell was so awful it  was indescribable. In fact, all the neighbors knew when the pigpen was being cleaned. They would say, “Mrs. Crawford must be cleaning out de pigpen.” The next chore was to go back to the standpipe to fill the barrel with water. We still weren’t done, the final chore was to take the sheep out to the pasture. By the way, all of this was done before we went to school in the morning.

BAJANS WILL TALK – (Jan 2017)…Richard G. entered  Popular Grocery Store and was caught with a block of cheese in the crotch of his pants. He was unable to show a receipt and the cheese was retrieved.

BAJANS LIVE LONG LIVES – (Feb 2017)…Barbados has the second highest rate of centenarians per capita in the world at 1 for every 2500 people. My interview was with Enid Agard born on January 19, 1916 and is 101 years old.

BAJANS CELEBRATE 50 YEARS – (Dec 2016)…Rhianna and Prince Harry were also at the FREE concert for all generations that had all the top artist of Barbados from Grynner, Gabby and RPB to Lil Rick. The event went off without the massive security checks and the police presence you see in the US and there were no reported incidents. There were a few complaints about lighting etc.  but like the “Queen Archibald” said “If you were unhappy you should have left and asked for your money back!”

BAJAN FOOD PRICES – (Jan 2016) …Bajans would save 12¢ a week to spend for Christmas and year-end celebrations. When I used my calculator and determined that the amount saved was just $6.24 for the entire year! I was stunned and asked what in the world could you buy with $6.24? The reply was in unison from the ladies, “A lot!” They started by saying when flying fish were plentiful, they could get 100 for a dollar. After eating their fill, they would salt the rest and put them on the galvanized roof of the house to dry.

BAJANS DON’T LIKE COLD WEATHER – (Mar 2017)…Cave Shepherd (an upscale department store similar to Macy’s) thinks it’s winter beause they can sell winter garments to Bajans. Last month Sandra and I saw winter coats among the clothing racks with the normal summer gear like shorts, bathing suits and tee shirts. Yes you read that right, winter coats for sale in Barbados! We assumed the coats were for Bajans traveling abroad, until we saw Andy…

BAJANS AIN LEFFEN HOME – (Feb 2017)…But in Barbados, the Caribbean, Africa and some European countries there is no such plan or expectation. In fact, it is expected that young adults ‘ain leffin’ home until as a friend said, ‘ye dead!’ There is no stigma attached to grown women or men staying with their parents.

BAJANS GET THEIR MAIL – (Jan 2017)…I asked if there were any forms or a notification that we had to give to the post office to start getting mail delivered. She said “No, you just need to tell me”. She pulled out a pen from her pocket and wrote our name on the palm of her hand then revved  her motorcycle engine ready to move on. I asked if there was anything else and she said “No,  ya good” and rode away.  We’ve  have been getting our mail every since!

BAJANS DON’T KNOCK – (Apr 2017)…Bajans don’t knock on the doors or ring door bells, they just shout the name of the person they are visiting! In fact, most houses don’t even have door bells. For instance if someone is coming by our house, they simply call out our name or when people pass by the house they holler “SANDRA, CALVIN!” as they go by. Normally we shout back “HEY!” or “ALRIGHT!”  I’ll ask Sandra if she knows who it was she’ll usually say,“I have no idea!”

Of course I cannot leave out the story “Family Set to Make Barbados Home” in the Barbados Nation News about Sandra and me which piqued my interest in blogging!

I would like to thank the roughly 3,000 users that have started 5,300 sessions on my website retiringinparadise.com. There has been over 25,000 page views from every continent (except Antartica). Many of you have given me great encouragement through blog comments and Facebook, thank you so much!

By the way, there is nothing wrong with your math skills, I started out with 10 but ended with 14 excerpts, but who’s counting?