With endless things to blog about and 15-20 posts in progress at any given time, how do I end up with these lonnnngggg stretches without posting? Easy guess… I’m doing the thangs I’m writing about 😁. But I know what would help, more time on the weekend. Hear me out. A third day would be a wonderful addition to the experiment we call the weekend. The two day version has been tested long enough. It’s time to test a new hypothesis e.g. a 3-day or 4-day weekend leads to a more productive 3-day or 4-day work week. I volunteer to be the subject for a case study or the lead researcher in an ethnographic study. Alas, this post is about signs, not about weekends, or the article Waiting for the Weekend, or the book Waiting for the Weekend (though both are good reads), or needing a longer weekend, or wishing the weekend would never end, or ruminations on why weekends deserve more time than weekdays. I may have a thesis running through my head about weekends.
Signs. I thank my brother, Mars, for introducing me to Tenor Saw when we were teenagers (or he was a teenager). Who knew that all these years later I would bring together nature, travel, Tenor Saw and Rybczynski in a single blog post? These are the epiphanic moments that happen on the weekend, especially a three day weekend…
In outdoor recreation, travel, tourism, etc., there are a plethora of systems, structures, approaches, frameworks, and so on and so forth, for managing behaviours to minimize negative impacts to natural resources, improve efficiency, facilitate the flow of people, increase visitor satisfaction, and so on. I’ll just simply say that from a visitor/user management perspective, signs are critical, and typically the soft approach to handling how people interact with managed natural and cultural areas. Soft approaches are the preferred alternative to banning visitors from such spaces. Signs may be informational, interpretive, way finding, cautionary, emergency, prophetic, and more.
I’ve had this post rolling around in my head for years because I take photos of signs all the time. I wonder if other people notice them and pay attention or notice and ignore them, especially the ones that are suggesting actions they don’t like since “rules are for fools” as Jennetta often reminds me when we’re hiking and a hiker with a dog passes the “no dogs allowed” signs. Signs are all over, we acknowledge, interpret, and follow them how we will.
Here are some of the signs that have captured my attention in the last few years (and a few that are way older because I love them). Warning: My weekend isn’t long enough to caption all of these photos, so if something (or some things) peaks your interest, feel free to email, text, snail mail, or call to ask me about it/them. Note: these photos may be less than 20 percent of the photos of signs I’ve taken in the last five years. There may be a part 2 to this post some time in the future… when I have 7-day weekends.
As I wrap up this post about signs, something tells me that I possibly take too many photos and eat too much popcorn. Maybe. Perhaps. Are you wondering about the signs indicating those possibilities? There are no photos. Uh gone!
I’m posting ‘Stealing Love’ for two reasons: I like the tune. And I finished writing the post while listening to vintage reggae. This tune is not a sign 😁.
This is my island in the sun where my people have toiled since time begun … Though I may sail on many a sea, Barbados will always be home to me. These well-known lyrics written by Harry Belafonte and Irvin Burgie (the latter also penned Barbados’ National Anthem), with the specific country substituted across the Caribbean region, always resonate with me. You may know why.
A while ago I wrote a post about what I would do if I could spend one or two weeks at home in Barbados, with no work or other obligations. I finally got to do it (with a minor work obligation) and had a blast. Bespoke Bim: Celebrating the Island That Birthed Me was a specially curated trip with friends and the crescendo of my 50th birthday celebrations. One week in Barbados could never be enough, but we made great use of it. Enjoy these slices of my after party (and after-after party) in Bespoke Bim.
The view from our patio ☺️
Breadfruit & Beaches – Beach needs no description, suffice to say that we have some of the best beaches in the world with turquoise water and powdery white sand. I probably sound like an ad from the 70s, but hey, I am a child of the 70s. My friends arrived at night and got their first look at the beach while I was sleeping the following morning. That was just a teaser, Carlisle Bay was the real McCoy. Breadfruit may need a description, but I feel like I’ve done that in another post, so… Roast breadfruit at the beach is a Bajan thing and that’s how we started our week long extravaganza – eating roast breadfruit bowls from Yelluh Meat restaurant Carlisle Bay beach. Yelluh meat is also a type of breadfruit. That was a fabulous and set the bar for everything else to follow. I don’t think my friends had any complaints. Yuh know, maybe I could do this travel planning thing for a living LOL.
Of fabulous beaches and the sea. While we didn’t go to the beach every day, we heard and saw the sea daily because we were fortunate to stay in a beach front property (it gave me visions of owning such a property until I was rudely reminded that I’m not independently wealthy and not even earning American dollars allows me to afford beachfront property in Bim). That broken dream aside, we enjoyed swimming and wading in bright sunshine and at sunset.
Transportation. Private – we had our own van with driver (Trivian) for most of our travels around the island. Trivian is a credit to hospitality in Barbados and clearly understands the meaning of excellent service. It didn’t matter whether he was dealing with locals or visitors to the island. Barbados should be proud of him. I hope most drivers in the transportation business are similar. Public transportation: ZR (ZedR)/maxi taxi, “transport board” bus; traditional taxi. The ZR is an unforgettable experience; IYKYK.
Trivian our driver and tour guide
Accent? I have an accent? Not when I’m in Bim! Apparently (and understandably) my accent is luscious when I’m home.
Cricket! Lovely Cricket! My friend Jennetta is a baseball fanatic (the abbreviated version is insufficiently emphatic). In my humble opinion, baseball is like watching white paint dry. Can you even tell it’s happening? We’ve gone to a few baseball games together (woe is me) and I’ve listened (trying hard not to) while we’re driving places together, and inevitably I comment, audibly, under my breath, and/or mentally (sometimes all three together), that cricket is so much better. After that comment once too often, I was challenged to include cricket for our Bim extravaganza. What’s a West Indian woman to do? Go big or go home (unless you’re already home). West Indies vs India One Day International (ODI), at the one and only Kensington Oval, if you please. And we won! Phew! I really enjoyed explaining the game and not only calling our win, but the number of overs in which it would happen. My friends enjoyed those elements too; but also being on the big screen, getting photos with the roving on-air personality, and getting a West Indies t-shirt (which we are meant to be sharing, but I still have. Oops!). I don’t know what they enjoyed more – the match or the value added.
Don’t ask me what they’re singing
Yes we actually watched cricket. This is from very early in the match.
After purchasing the requisite souvenirs at the Oval, and taking photos with Sir Garry, walking through Bridgetown from Kensington Oval to the Fairchild Street bus stand (terminal) – a quintessential Bajan experience – was the best way to cap off my Cricket showcase. 🙇🏿
The travelling Windies shirt being modeled by Jennetta (of course) in LA.
Visitor spend vs arrivals. I remember when tourism arrivals (roughly, number of tourists) as a statistic was all the rage (I raged against that machine). Not enough people asked “but how much are they spending?” Arrivals are of course important, but how much they spend locally, is critical. Spend must be maximized because this is how the local economy truly benefits. Add in a high multiplier effect (simplified: how many times a tourist dollar circulates in the economy) and tourism makes a lot more sense.
We spent at Cherry Tree Hill and all other attractions visited; on transportation; at events; at supermarkets; at gas stations; at restaurants and bars (e.g. Primo, Chefette, Oistins Fish Fry); and more. We spent on public and private transportation; souvenirs; food and drinks; sno cones and beach chairs at Carlisle Bay; entry fees; tips; and more. Some of our spending, though not a high enough amount, on airfare (taxes) and accommodations (locally managed, but perhaps not owned) also benefited the local economy.
Some noteworthy serendipity (yes, I love this word and its derivatives): The Thirsty Lizard rum shop (thanks Sherma); north and west coasts tour including stops at Farley Hill National Park (venue for Soca On De Hill) and Rihanna Drive (thanks Trivian); Primo – great restaurant in St. Lawrence Gap (thanks Bim peeps).
Continuums of friendship: local and foreign friends; family who are friends and friends who are family. First friends (Ras and Harry), middle friends (Heather, Sherma, Jennetta, Tiffany, Gina), and newest friend (Teri) all in the same space at the same time. Liming in The Thirsty Lizard, a not quite traditional rum shop, but a great rum shop nonetheless.
Round de Island. There are eleven parishes in Barbados and we touched nine of them. Missing were St. Lucy and St. Joseph (maybe next toss).
Soca On De Hill is usually my Crop Over kick-off event when I’m home for Crop Over and we kept to that tradition. Imagine feting from around 1 pm until 9 pm(ish). To soca. Performed by the best, the middling, some OK, artists from Bim and beyond. Some old favourites, some new favourites. OMG! Cheez on man! So many hard tunes, they couldn’t play all! So much wining and wukking. No complaints, not even about the mud. I take that back – one complaint: I wasn’t ready to go home! Hmmm, I was supposed to be talking about my friends’ experiences… What can I say? They had a blast! They wined and wukked too, but you won’t see the evidence here (and not because once the feting started I had no time for photos) 😁. They may still do a ting even now when they hear soca. They’re converts. New, wuk up-ists? Wuk-uppers? Nah, Wuk Up Artists (because certainly this is an art form). In training.
Did you know that for some people (aka Bajan women) the behind/boxie/bumpa/butt/buttocks/derrière/posterior/glutes/gluteus- maximus, medius, minumus is/are an enhanced muscle/set of muscles capable of moving on its own volition and as a counterpoint to anything the rest of the body is doing? Both cheeks together or one cheek at a time? No? Then you must watch a highly skilled Bajan woman (Wuk Up Artist) wuk up. It is as magnificent as a well-placed Bajan cuss word! Like the ninth wonder of the modern world.
I’d sent my friends instruction videos so they could practice and I know they tried, but they need a few more years of training under their belts. I’ve been training for a lifetime and I can’t compete with the Wuk Up Artists. Maybe now I can blame my age, 50 must count for this at least! I don’t have video of my friends’ wukking up at Soca On De Hill that I can survive showing, but take my word for it, or go to Barbados and experience de real ting. Quite fortuitously, Soca On De Hill just announced their date for 2025. Will StinkaMissy be there? 👀
Sights and sounds that I miss when I’m not home: the sea; soca fetes; our dialect, its rhythm, and the cadence of conversations; accents (some say there are at least 11 in this small island); crickets and Cricket. Things I don’t miss about home: mosquitos and no-see-ums. Though apparently they miss the hell out of me and made sure to make up for the time I was away from them. These uninvited guests should’ve skipped both the After Party and After-After Party, and kept their endless “love” bites to themselves.
Hikers must hike. I met the friends who joined me for Bespoke through hiking and we hike a lot together. Hiking on this trip was a must. Also, I may have mentioned the Colin Hudson Memorial Great Train Hike to them a time, or 20. As such, it was fitting that we should hike a part of the railway route for Bespoke Bim, so we got on the train for about 10 miles. An upside to including this experience which I knew they would enjoy (they absolutely did) – I met a new hiking friend, Rafael our hike guide.
Did someone say trains, sugar, and rum? No? I thought I heard a train whistle. Well anyway, we rode on an actual train during our visit to St. Nicholas Abbey & Heritage Railway. Some of us even helped the engineer to turn the train around, while others yanked the chain to blow the train whistle. Some of us simply enjoyed the ride and took photos. I meant for the experiences on this day to tell some of the Story of Sugar & Rum (as titled on the Bespoke itinerary), and to an extent it did. I planned to start or cap off the story with a tour and tasting at Mount Gay Distillery, Mount Gay being the oldest rum in the world. Unfortunately we missed out on that experience since Mount Gay was closed on our available day because of a national holiday. Needless to say, I was extremely disappointed. Fortunately, our St. Nicholas Abbey experience was great and it included a stop at Cherry Tree Hill! Plus, this attraction is still locally owned and operated (see previous comments or posts about the multiplier effect). Plus, plus, Harry, Ras, and Heaths joined the group for this tour ☺️.
A special note. I can’t go to sites like St. Nicholas Abbey and not pay tribute to our ancestors who were enslaved there. This site is one of the few that speak plainly about the role of slavery. I chose not to spend a lot of time touring the house and the distillery, capturing those components, because this is one of my research sites and I’ve already photographed and interviewed and so on. What I reflected on then and now, and marvel at, is that the buildings that have been preserved, that are toured and shown off, are testimony to the skills of the enslaved. We should never overlook that perspective.
Turning the train
Betty Boop in Bim 🤣
Happy Birthday to Me!
When cultural norms butt up (the pun makes itself) against tourism. Attractions closed on “bank” holidays create problems for visitors. What if it is their only day to visit that attraction (e.g Mount Gay Distillery, though others were also closed)? Their only trip to Barbados? What if they’ve saved for a lifetime to visit the country? I’m hardly ever the person who suggests we prioritize what is important for visitors over what is important for residents. And maybe the owners of attractions had valid reasons for closing on holidays in 2023, especially if they didn’t have enough notice that a specific day would be a holiday. But wouldn’t residents also benefit if the attractions were open on those days? It seems like that would be an optimal time for special promotions to get locals out and enjoying these places, since so many would have the day off. Yes, Bajans still go to the beach in droves on “bank” holidays, but perhaps some sites could be competitive or complementary to the beach.
Harrison’s Cave (formerly, but no longer formally). Can I just say that it’s weird to Google Harrison’s Cave and find CHUKKA Caribbean Adventures Harrison’s Cave Eco-Adventure Park? Yes, yes it is, but I will neither ruminate nor digress. Thus, despite the nomenclature and ensuing consternation (I’m skilled, I can be a Bajan and a Caribbeanist simultaneously), I decided on the Signature Park Pass & Gully Challenge Course Adventure and my friends, sisters and I had a marvelous experience. I would do it again. Mam, Mam, you’re not listening! Even writing that brought on a paroxysm of laughter. IYKYK.
I’m just saying. What’s with pronunciation, intonation and emphasis? Rum punch and rum punch. Harrison College (not Harrison’s College, aka Kolij, my secondary school) but Harrison’s Cave. Tea times, Ovaltines, Shirleys, and Eclipse – all biscuits. Not cookies. Not crackers. Biscuits. Flying fish (yes, fish that ‘fly’), though not with cou cou (our national dish), but in a fish cutter (real salt bread, not fake salt bread), fish in a bun (a bun!), rolled and stuffed. All delicious. Even with the aforementioned blight of a bun. Sorrel, rum punch, rum, and rum punch. And rum. Funny thing – I hardly drink rum, but always have plenty of it on hand. Cause I am a Bajan. A Caribbeanist. A West Indian. And a Cohobblopot!
The first night set the tone. Very good rum punch!
What the tourists said and are still saying: Ask me about longitudinal research on tourism/recreation impacts. Preferably over an adult beverage and a good meal. I said that, not them. Here’s what my friends actually said a year and a half later:
Jennetta’s first three responses 😁
I guess I didn’t specifically ask for one thing, though I thought a singular experience was indicated. As I was writing this evening, I simply asked in our Bespoke chat “each of you – what was your favourite experience?” After J’s initial responses (which I enjoyed), I then followed up with “maybe I should clarify to say – one thing 🤔🤣.” More importantly, what J’s responses tell me (and this is my expert opinion, as an expert, no statistics needed) is that the experiences were awesome and selecting just one is difficult, even after all this time (that’s the outcome tourism and recreation pracademics desire). Gina’s and Teri’s responses confirmed this, though they may have been influenced.
Gina:
And then there was Teri 😆
She followed that up with 🤣
More Jennetta…
Experiences Same activities, different experiences. (First time)Tourists versus a Bajan who grew up in Bim and is a tourism pracademic. I must say that interpreting Barbados for a novice, non-Bajan/non-Caribbean group was a fun and interesting, though sometimes, jarring experience. Seeing Bim through my friends’ eyes was fabulous. I don’t take Bim for granted, but experiencing my home with them took my pride in us to another level. I may do it again! Perhaps for my 60th birthday After Party! 😉 Thanks friends!!!
The ladies were a twee bit tired at the end of their week in Bim 😩.
Clearly, I did the damn thing! 😁.
The After-After Party – I managed to fit in lunch and dinner with friends, Bridgetown Market, and Soca 4.0. Got some cassava pone and some tamarind sauce (ooh la la!), and limed with Ras and Harry – my original and still, ride or die crew. Serendipitously (a derivative), I also got to catch up with and get the best hugs from two friends I haven’t seen in eons. Alas, the A-AP was much too short. Much. Too. Short. There was more Crop Over feting (I meant to say tourism research) to be done, but as we say, I had to leave so I could go back again (cause Crop Over doesn’t pay for itself). Some time soon I’ll be able to do tourism research for an entire month, maybe more; before, during, and after Crop Over.
Note to self. When writing, listening to soca is great; it drives creativity and flow of thought. But not great, or at least questionable, because it also drives flow of waist and hips, thereby lengthening writing time. Writing and wukking – two life long pursuits! Uh gone!
I am a child of the 70s, 1973 to be exact, born on a Thursday which happened to be the summer solstice that year. I was blessed to celebrate my 50th birthday on June 21, 2023 💃🏿 🥂.
I decided last June (just pretend that this post isn’t more than a year late and you’re reading it in June 2023 😆) that in the year leading up to my 50th, I would do at least one thing each month that brought me real joy. I dubbed it Joy on the Road to 50 and stuck with the plan. From simple, to cheap, to unusual, to extravagant, alone or with friends, I opened my arms and welcomed a bit of unadulterated joy each month – from June last year through the end of May this year. Then I ramped things up on June 1st and celebrated. All. Month. Long. Enjoy some of my Joy on the Road to 50 (June 2022-June 2023; not chronological).
Canada: Banff, Jasper & Elk Island National Parks
It started with three of my loves: travel, family, and parks ☺️. Catching up with my sister-cousin, Jan, in Canada, is probably where I got the idea for Joy on the Road to 50. It was a wonderful way to start this joyful journey and Parks Canada does amazing work.
Jasper National Park
Yosemite
Costa Rica with my group Southern California Outdoor Black Adventurers (SCOBA) – Pura Vida!
Bucket list item ✔️. This trip meant so much to me because of Costa Rica’s reputation for sustainable tourism and the fact that I’ve used it as a case study in my tourism classes for many years. One of the high points of this trip was the tour guide with whom I shared people and parks. Read more about that experience here.
Kes The Band
Kes (the lead singer and the band) sweet like I don’t know what. I jumped on the chance to see them live, though it required real planning and a long travel day to make this happen. It was just what my soul, waist and hips needed! Check out the music below and you’ll understand 😉.
San Diego for SCOBA’s 5th anniversary – great celebration, made even better because Harry joined us.
Spa La La! For when feting, wining, and wukking aren’t enough. Or to recover from the aforementioned… 😇.
Liming with friends in Boston
My friends Akesha and Lurleen are treasures! We definitely don’t lime often enough, but chat frequently, sometimes several times a day. We’ve been friends for about 20 years and our friendship means so much to me. Seeing them during this year brought me unbelievable Joy!
Palm Springs Women’s Jazz Festival – inspired, created, produced by women. All women vocalists and musicians. Fabulous!
Health & Wellness
Continued prioritizing health and wellness by investing in this treadmill, making it easier to jog or walk after midnight 😁. It’s gotten a lot of use!
Check out one of my favourite posts: Yearning for the Sea and Junkanoo. It has a lot more than I have room to include here ☺️. Just know that there’s a special place in my heart for The Bahamas and this spur of the moment/month trip brought me immense Joy!
Preparing to go home!
Ticket bought. Just a few months til 🇧🇧 and 💃🏾.
Waiting for Terence Blanchard to start performing his music from Spike Lee’s movies. The fire alarm went off before the show started. No one in the audience moved 😯. Walt Disney Concert Concert Hall could’ve burned down around us but people were intent on seeing Terence Blanchard. Fortunately it was a false alarm 😁.
Ziggy at Walt Disney Concert Hall? Yes, please and thank you!
Theodore Payne Foundation for mini hikes amongst the wildflowers and plants for my backyard. One of my absolute favourite places.
June 2023 – Laissez les bons temps rouler!
I started the month of my 50th in New Orleans, a city I love for various reasons, though music is probably number one. This time around I enjoyed sweet jazz at Preservation Hall, Big Sam at the Jazz Playhouse, and of course street music. The best on the streets this visit was a lady playing violin at the corner of Royal St. I’d gone to the restaurant across from my hotel to get take out, but ended up dining in and staying there for a couple of hours because I enjoyed her playing so much.
Highlights from the remainder of my birthday month: I hiked a trifecta with Jennetta (Griffith Park, Los Leones, Whitney Canyon); did a hiking photoshoot (thanks Teri for being my impromptu photographer); dined with my cousins; spent a few fabulous days enjoying good wine, food, and adventures in Temecula with Jess and Renee; got my spa on with Jess, Renee, Jennetta, Teri, and Shayla (no pics allowed); enjoyed Jill Scott and Harry Potter at my summer home; exercised; got a pedicure; and yoga’d daily cause in addition to being the summer solstice, June 21st is International Yoga Day. It’s also World Day of Music. I meant to finish the month with Indiana Jones, but ended up getting a root canal instead, so I caught up with Indy in early July.
Jill doing her thing! With some help…
Phew! What a year of planned and serendipitous Joy! Maybe it took me this long to finish the post because I needed more than a year to wind down from all of that Joy 🤣 (or to keep pursuing it). Plus, there was an after party in Barbados late July – early August. Speaking of pursuing Joy… Up next… Pursuits or After Party? Hmmm ☺️.
Barbados Uh Cum From! 