Coconut water

Yesterday the maintenance man came over to weed eat our yard, and while he was here he went around with his cutlass and lobbed off some of the fruit growing around our apartment building.

I came home yesterday afternoon to find this pile of water nuts (what Grenadians call young coconut) and bananas under the stairs by the laundry room.

Jackpot

I had been thinking I should harvest one of these water nuts myself and try this cocktail mixture I read about, so when I saw the work was practically done for me I seized the moment.

I recruited C.J. to cut one of these open and the neighbors gathered around to assist and see what would come out of one of these unassuming green globes. With the help of a screw driver we were able to drill down to the hollow cavity and pour out about twelve ounces of water from two of these.

This fresh coconut water is a popular drink here and in other tropical areas, although it wasn't a big hit with the neighbors. It tasted like, well, coconut water but with a few flecks of dirt in it.

Grenadians make this look so easy. C.J. is just hoping he doesn't cut his thumb off.

After dinner and getting the baby to bed I proceeded to mix up a cocktail that consisted of coconut water, evaporated sweetened milk, rum, ice and nutmeg. The evaporated milk made this tasty but man was it strong.

Karen came up to share in the festivities, and we proceeded to discuss the meaning of karma and whether or not there is any such thing as altruism.

Near the bottom of our glasses her husband came over and pointed out that we were drinking a rum that is 75% alcohol. Oops. I thought that seemed like a potent drink.

Anyway, another fun day in the Caribbean.

Six months

We passed a major milestone last week when Liam turned six months old. He is transforming into a little boy right before our eyes.

He plays little games like peek-a-boo and acts shy when strangers greet him. He gets excited when he sees our neighbors' dogs or cat. He is fascinated by other babies or little kids.

He just started eating solid foods. Although it's not exactly solid since it is rice cereal, and it hardly counts as eating when most of it runs down his chin and all over his chest and legs, he has learned to open his mouth when I'm holding the spoon in front of him.

He is grabbing for anything and everything in his reach and if he can get his hands on it, it's going in his mouth. He likes to splash the water in his bath or when we are swimming. He can't lay still long enough to get his diaper changed - he is always trying to roll over or kick his legs.

He is actually a pretty serious baby. We've been joking that he is going to be an engineer or an accountant when he grows up. He smiles a lot but it is hard to get him to laugh. When he does it is the sweetest sound.

At the doctor's office yesterday he weighed in at 17 lbs and 4 oz and he is 27 and a half inches long. He has mastered sitting up (when placed in that position) and is now starting to rock onto his knees when placed on his tummy. I swear I heard him say "ma, ma" this morning. OK, that could be wishful thinking.

Both our hearts belong to this little guy. He is so precious and fun to be with.

Mom, get ready, I'm about to be mobile

Since the Astros were eliminated, we're rooting for the Phillies

Hanging with his mentor, Paul - "So Paul, you were saying, turn the water hose on then sit in the water, then put your fingers in the dirt. O.K., got it."

Sitting up all by myself - no problem

First ride in the grocery cart - from this angle I can try to grab Mom's grocery list
Who needs a pacifier since I found my toes?

Is anybody going to push me?
I love all these toys! I can't wait to put them all in my mouth

Happy boy

Happy Halloween!

I love Halloween. It is one of my favorite holidays. I love candy apples and pumpkin carving and Halloween parties and little kids trick-or-treating. I love the creativity and inhibition of dressing in costume. I love the once-a-year-it's-o.k. gorging on bad food.

Grenadians do not celebrate Halloween. But all the students from North America make up for it. The SO organization threw a great event for families today on campus. It included trick-or-treating, games, face painting, a bounce house, treats and a costume contest.

Liam's costume turned out really cute and easy - good thing I didn't attempt the lobster outfit. I threw together a last minute Gypsy ensemble for myself and C.J. came as a tired med student. He just finished a week of midterms this morning, so we were glad to have him along for the fun.

It was the perfect way to celebrate Liam's first Halloween.

The Puppy, ready for the big party

Not so scary witch and genie
Scary skeleton aka my buddy, Paul

The cutest little hula girl

Trick-or-treat!

Gypsy, puppy and ladybug
A rare smile caught on camera

Worn out from too much partying (and studying)

Costumes and sea moss

We went to St. George's today in search of supplies for Liam's Halloween costume. There is no Target here where I can just buy him a pre-made costume for $10.99 or believe me I'd be doing that.

There is also no Michael's or Hobby Lobby for the homemade variety. Which left me wondering if I would be able to find pipe cleaners, felt, red tubing, Velcro and red paper plates for the cute little lobster costume I wanted to make.

I was optimistic that I could piece something together. Life did go on before big box stores (really?), surely I could find the things on my list with just a few extra stops in the capitol city.

I decided to start at the fabric store, a logical place to look. I showed a worker in the store the picture of my perfect-for-the-island-oh-so-creative-do-it-myself costume. She gave me a little scowl and said she doubted I would find all those things here.

I didn't want to give up, but I realized this was going to take more effort than just a few stops. If the fabric store doesn't have pipe cleaners or felt, who would? Maybe the lobster costume was too ambitious for Grenada.

Luckily I had a simple Plan B, and I found everything I needed for that, so stay tuned for the "First Halloween" post.

I did have a successful visit to the market in St. George's. I bought mangoes, cucumbers, cinnamon, ginger and sea moss. That's right, sea moss. Moss that grows in the sea.

I got a lesson from one of the vendors on how to prepare it. Soak it in lime, boil it with cinnamon, strain it and add milk and sugar to it. Sounds delicious, don't you think?

A quick Internet search reveals that sea moss is actually very good for you and can be used for medicinal purposes. It makes a popular drink in the Caribbean, known for fixing all kinds of ailments such as infertility and depression, and can of course be mixed with rum.

Wait, who needs pipe cleaners, maybe I could die some sea moss and use it for lobster antennas.

Hitchhiker's guide to Grenada

I picked up a hitchhiker this morning.

Did you just get a mental image of a dirty, homeless man with a nappy sleeping bag rolled up under a worn out backpack? Some creepy loner on the highway that is very likely a murdering schizophrenic maniac?

Don't panic, it's not quit like that. My hitchhiker was a lovely young woman in a freshly pressed white shirt and jeans. And she was about six months pregnant. She waved me down at the bus stop on my way back from dropping C.J. off at school.

That may sound shocking, but Grenadians hitchhike all the time. Which gives you an idea of the relative safety of the island.

I don't think it even crosses their mind that this could be a dangerous thing, whereas in North America hitchhiking is now near the top of the list of "horribly risky and stupid things to do in this day and age," along with riding your bike without a helmet or not putting your child in a car seat (you guessed it, they don't do those things here either).

It's sort of refreshing, the "age of innocence" that persists here. It seems Grenadians are more trusting as a people. Like when you eat at a restaurant you practically have to tackle the waitress to pay your bill. They just assume you won't leave without paying.

On practically every corner here there is someone needing a ride. A lot of Grenadians do not have cars so they walk or take public transportation. They will hold their hand up when you drive by, which means they need a lift.

Being the cynical, leery American that I am I never pick anyone up. They could be a murderer! They could steal my car, slit my throat, kidnap me. No matter how illogical this seems, I can't help but think it every time I drive by someone on the road waving me down for a lift. It's a hard cultural shift to make - that hitchhiking is safe and routine.

But this morning, when I saw this pregnant girl standing out in the heat, I didn't think twice. I just stopped the car. I felt pretty confident she was not going to murder me. Having been pregnant in this tropical heat not so long ago, I didn't want to leave her stranded. She jumped right in, and I gave her a lift to a house just about a half mile from my own.

The fact that this young, vulnerable woman would take a ride from a perfect stranger tells you how acceptable this practice is here. Still, I was glad to keep her away from any creep that might have picked her up. I mean, anyone who picks up a hitchhiker is also potentially a murderer or kidnapper!

Flowers in bloom

It is no surprise there are many beautiful plants here that bloom year round. But at the beginning of rainy season back in June and August some plants really stepped it up.

Since we lived here through the first part of the year, which is dry season, we were able to witness the transformation (this totally escaped us our first semester). Not only did we get a gorgeous show of flowers, the fruit trees were literally dripping with their harvest - mangoes, papayas, limes, grapefruit, breadfruit and bananas to name a few.

At last, I am sharing a few photos from those months. Since then, most of the fruit trees have gone barren and some of the flowering plants have lost their brilliance. But there are still plenty of perennial blossoms to enjoy on our walks.

I thought this was called "bird-of-paradise" but some Internet research identifies this as "false bird-of-paradise" or "lobster claw"

Tried to find a name for this but no luck - anybody know? [update 10.30.09, this is an Alamanda, thank you, Anna!]

This might be in the Hibiscus family

Bougainvillea - the national flower; appropriate since this stuff is everywhere and one of those that blooms year round

A close up - unfortunately, this does not keep well in a vase with water; nature intended it to be enjoyed only on the vine

Canna lily?

Papaya tree

Papaya - also known as paw paw

I am fascinated by all the colors on these leaves - variety of Croton plant, maybe?

I think this is commonly called a Flamboyant Tree - these were in bloom only briefly but were ubiquitous and absolutely stunning

Tree full of ripe mangoes

The best mangoes I've ever eaten - picked them up off the ground right around the corner from our house

Authentic Grenada

I just finished reading An Embarrassment of Mangoes by Ann Vanderhoof. It is an autobiographical tale of Ann and her husband's two year sale from Toronto to the Caribbean and back.

I picked it up thinking it would be an interesting look into the life of sailors, which it is. I didn't realize that Ann and her husband spent the better part of a winter anchored off the shores of Grenada and a good portion of her book is about their adventures here.

She beautifully and accurately describes riding on the reggae bus, shopping in the market, visiting pristine beaches and attending Carnival in Grenada.

She also adventurously tackles preparing many of the local foods such as saltfish, christophene (squash-like vegetable), macaroni pie (a favorite here, sort of like mac-n-cheese), breadfruit (starchy fruit prepared like a potato) and coo-coo (Caribbean polenta).

I learned a few things about my island from reading this book and that annoys me. I should not be finding out about where I live from a white, Jewish, Canadian lady. I should be out making these discoveries for myself.

Here she is getting personal cooking lessons from the locals while I'm paying an embarrassing amount for imported spaghetti sauce at IGA. I have decided my life here is a sham, and I am now on a personal quest to experience authentic Grenada at every opportunity.

I was lamenting the "my life is a sham" point to C.J., but he wasn't buying it. In his stern woman-you-are-acting-crazy voice he said, "You had a baby here. How much more authentic can you get?"

When I was carrying on about this at the pool last week Marguerite reminded me that it must be tough when the big dilemma in my life right now is should I, or should I not try to cook saltfish at home?

So my audience hasn't been too receptive. But I pressed on, blabbing to Karen and Faith over coffee Sunday morning that we must get out and explore. We must experience real Grenada every chance we can. We need to try local restaurants, listen to the local music, talk to the local people. Down with imported goods from IGA! Yes, to soca music (loud Caribbean party music) and hairy root vegetables like dasheen!

I'm not sure if they bought it. Again, isn't paying the electric bill in EC, living with an indefatigable ant population in your kitchen and raising a child here enough?

And then, fortuitously, Adrea called Sunday afternoon to see if I wanted to check out a new beach at Westerhall Point. My first thought: "Oh geez, I have to get the baby ready and pack the bag and slather on sunscreen - so much work." And then: "No! What was I just saying?? I must try everything while I have the chance!"

So off we went to explore a new part of the island. We arrived to find a shaded grassy hill sloping down to the water's edge and a beautiful black sand beach. And several locals enjoying their Sunday.

When the opportunity to talk with a local came up, I happily chatted with him. I asked where I could buy some fresh lobster and was rewarded with directions to a rum shack where a fishing boat comes in every day at noon.

I learned that several of the men who were swimming quite a distance from shore were diving for sea creatures to cook for dinner. And when that dinner - which was cooking in a huge pot over an open fire near the beach - was ready, my local friend came over to offer us a taste.

At first glance, the assortment of spiny and fleshy chunks of sea life floating in broth inside a severed 2-liter Coke bottle might not be something I would try under normal circumstances. But since I had just read Ann's book and refused to be outdone, I did not hesitate when he offered me a bite.

This is a piece of sea turtle. Endangered? I hope not.
This is what I tried - a piece of octopus. You can also see lobster and green bananas (similar to a plantain) at the bottom of the "bowl."

I know it doesn't look appetizing, but it was delicious. I'm not kidding. It was perfectly seasoned and flavorful and the octopus had a nice, chewy consistency. Faith and Craig tried some too and will both confirm it was quite tasty. And I left there feeling satisfied that I had not closed my mind to this opportunity but instead enthusiastically tried something authentically Grenadian.

So I am going to recommend reading An Embarrassment of Mangoes. For my island friends, you will identify with the vivid descriptions of life here and feel appreciative of the adventure waiting at your doorstep.

Some things that we see as foreign or inconvenient, others will sail around the world for. The book also includes several recipes so you could actually try to cook some of those unidentifiable things sold in the market (you can pick up a copy of the book in the bookstore at Grand Anse mall).

To my friends and family in the states, this is a quick and enjoyable story that provides some excellent descriptions of the country where we live. And if you've ever considered selling it all and moving onto a boat, you will get a fascinating and eye-opening account of the dangers and challenges of sailing.