Life

"Do the best that you can in the place where you are, and be kind."

Wouldn't it be nice if we all followed that simple sentiment?



.

Alien Mutant Cockroach Story

Saturday, 26 January, 2013.  Approximately 8.30 p.m.

So, B and D and myself, we’re sitting around chatting.  Having just finished dinner, we’re having a sundowner drink.  B interrupts, says “Oh my.  Look at that.” And points to the ceiling. 

I look up and see this 4 inch (or was it 2 feet?) long cockroach slash small animal racing across the ceiling!  I jump up, “EEK!” and run out to the patio.  B gets the fly swatter. 

I’m thinking, what’s that going to do? ...but B stands on the chesterfield and yells out to me, “You better come back in, I’m going to flick it in your direction!”  Thanks for that!...Aaaaaaa!!!  

I run back in, he ‘flicks’ it, but it drops down onto the chesterfield, and of course it’s closer to me now than when I was out on the patio.  

B and D are both frantically trying to find the alien beast, OMG it’s in the cushions, and D says, “Thanks B, now it’s in my bed!” ah ah ah!!!   

Finally they find it, it scurries across the cushion onto the floor, B beats it with the swatter, 3 times, 4 times, 15 times, until finally – I think he knocks it out.  

(Of course I’m nowhere NEAR all of this, I’m outside screaming silently to myself, KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT!!!)

B picks the thing up (I don’t know how and I don’t want to know how), takes it to the bathroom to flush it away.  The toilet flushes once, twice, three times, then I hear, “S**T! B**tard won’t go!  The toilets here flush like Niagara Falls, so I’m thinking this thing is invincible.  Somehow it is removed from the toilet bowl and is killed.  Again, I don’t want to know how.  And they take it outside.

B and D are standing over it.  

"Is it dead?"  

"I don't know, I think so.” 

“Is it moving? Touch it."

"I'm not gonna touch it, you touch it!"  

"No way, I'm not touching it!"

Pause.

"OK then… I don’t think it’s moving, do you see it moving?"

“Hmm.. no, I guess it isn't moving, it must be dead."

"Sure, yeah, I agree, it's dead."

Sigh of relief from me.  But....then I look at the inside wall beside the back of the door and scream, “OMG, there’s another one!” B runs back in, proceeds to assault this one multiple times, (to knock it out again of course because swatting it does NOT KILL THESE B**TARDS)….and then, finally, it CEASES TO BE….and out it goes to join its dead brother.

Fast forward now to this morning, we’ve been in touch with the property manager here, and they’ve had a pest control guy spray the apartment.  We’ve also been told that the “grease trap” in front of the unit hadn’t been emptied in a while, so now we’re quite sure that that is where the *&^%$#'s came from.

The pest control guy told us a story.  Many years ago, hucksters would trap the cockroaches, kill them (somehow!)”pose” them by opening their wings, and then pin them on a piece of mahogany.  They would shellac them, and then sell them as finely carved, detailed “Mahogany Birds” of the Caribbean.

I don’t know if the story is true, but I do know that they wouldn't have fooled me.

Polo

We were off to Ape's Hill yesterday for the polo matches.  Before we left, I was advised to put on my snootiest English accent, which is difficult as I'm Canadian...  
But, I pursed my lips, and spoke as though I was trying to whistle.   "Ew my.  Loovely weathah, and doesn't Sir Charles look dashing, what?"

The usual polo celebs were there; and Sir Charles of course.  I waved and I'm sure he tipped his cap (oops "equestrian helmet") to me. ;-)

The commentating was amusing.  
"Oh, and there goes Sir Charles, he's just about to hit the --- no, he's missed it, but wonderful to see the old fella out there, Sir Charles is an amazing guy, we all just love to watch him..."
(In other words, he's quite useless on the polo field, but we'll praise him anyway!)

The horses are always referred to as ponies, but they are in fact full-sized horses.

A polo game lasts about two hours, divided with periods known as chukkas.  It is quite thrilling to watch the quick acceleration of the ponies and the skill used by the riders to manoeuvre the ponies into position.

 

Apes Hill Polo Club

Down to Rockley Beach

We walked to Rockley Beach (also known as Accra) yesterday.  Our shortcut took us through very quiet and secluded streets.

 Smallest roundabout I've seen!

 Almost there!  The beach is in sight.

Rockley Beach, early morning

On the walk back, we stopped at "The Coffee Bean", a small coffee shop in Peronne Village Shopping Centre.  The "Coffee Bean" overlooks a large lily pond crossed by three wooden bridges.  

Errol Barrow Day

We went to Worthing Beach this morning.  It's just down the end of the road, we now know the shortcuts to get there so we can avoid the traffic.  Although today there really wasn't any as it was Errol Barrow Day.

A brief biography:

Errol Barrow was born in 1920 in Barbados. 

In 1939, he won a scholarship in Classics to Codrington College, but joined the Royal Air Force and served in World War II.  After the war, he studied law and passed the Bar in 1949.

He founded the Democratic Labor Party and took the island into independence from Britain. The first Prime Minister of Barbados, he held that office from 1966-1976. During his term in office Barrow sought a new social democratic state and was able to expand free education to all levels; he introduced a National Insurance, improved health services, accelerated industrial development and the expansion of the tourist industry.

In 1986, he again let his party to power by the largest margin in Barbados' history. On June 1, 1987 after only one year in office, Errol Barrow died.

In his honour Barbadians observe his birthday, January 21^st,  as a National holiday.

  

Worthing Beach is usually very quiet, and we found a spot near the end of it where the water is the calmest...and as you can see, not busy at all!

The little dot out there is me. :)

I've been in a bread baking mode since we've been here, I make a loaf or two every other day.  It's not like I'm busy or anything.  

                                                                                  ...a bit funny looking, but tastes pretty good!

Tonight for dinner we had mahi mahi, simply prepared... I made a sauce of butter, garlic, chopped fresh basil, and salt and pepper; then cooked the fish in a bit of butter and oil for a few minutes per side.  Plated the fish and drizzled the sauce over. 

...add some cheesy scalloped potatoes and a nice green salad ...  mmm

My goodness, it's 8.30, almost time for bed. ;-) 

Good night all!

I'd really like to hear some comments from all of you.... :)