Happy Indigenous People Day!
Yes, I am one of those. I
couldn’t be happier that the second Monday of October is now being celebrated
as Indigenous People Day. I have long
thought Christopher Columbus was a hack.
Even back in grade school I couldn’t understand how Columbus
“discovered” what is now the USA when there were people here. Huh?
“But Miss Salter, that doesn’t make sense.”“Be quiet Sabrina. This is history.”
Too harsh?
I have since learned (through various books) that while he
sailed across the ocean blue but he didn’t not discover ANYTHING. He had MAPS!
Yep, ole Chris followed maps to the Caribbean and then up to
America. We followed maps when we drove
down through the southern states in 2013, does that mean Tom and I “discovered”
Dixie? I think not.
Bahahaha
So through the years, while I was glad to have the official day
off, I always thought it was ridiculous and actually came to begrudge Columbus
Day. It just seems like a false/fake
day. And how in the hell did it become a
national holiday (in 1937 BTW). It also cracks me up
that Italians grabbed on to it and celebrated also, since Columbus sailed under
the Spanish flag! I know, they chose it to celebrate their Italian heritage. I just find that odd. Of course it is not
celebrated here in the Caribbean – that would be a slap in the face.
Hum????
I didn't even remember it Columbus Day today until I saw there was an announcement that Kansas City Missouri City Council declared October 9th 2017 as Indigenous People Day. I thought, yay, a real news story and
traction for this. I am not sure how far this
shift in thinking has gone. (I hate to
call it a movement because people seem to bristle at the term.) Apparently there are now over 50 major cities that celebrate Indigenous People Day vs Columbus Day. When I did follow up research, there were several stories. I don’t know what is taught in school these
days. I hope it is Indigenous People Day, perhaps along with some information about a crazy Italian guy who
got a bunch of money from the Queen of Spain (because his own refused to give
him $) and went adventuring across the sea, meeting new people and exploring - NOT
discovering, new to him lands. This
allows proper celebration and still fosters the imagination of the dreamers and
would be adventurers in the classroom.
*Special Note – While reading this to Tom and discussing I
asked “Seriously, how did Columbus Day become a holiday in the USA?” Tom suggested “We are just as nuts for
holidays. Nearly as much as the
Trini’s” HA! Trini’s LOVE their holidays and they have a
ton of them. Hee hee. BTW - This Friday October 13th is "First People's Day" - a one off holiday here.
** I understand that Chrissy perhaps did discovered some additional details - coves, anchorages and such.....maybe......although I still think the locals would best know all the ends and out of their island(s)!
We left Levi's place around 3:45 am New Years Day with an invitation to come back the next day -er- later that day to his cook up. "Come around 12 or so." "But we want to help you. What time should be be here to help." "Oh, ok. Come in the morning. We starting in the morning. I will be here all the way through. I not sleeping." Okay.
Levi in action
Yeah right! We got up around 9'ish but didn't get motivated to get off the boat until mid afternoon. We didn't really hear any music so we didn't think much was happening ashore. "Let's just run in for a look." We said we would. Plus Tom needed to meet with Choka to discuss the drum Choka is going to build Tom. We didn't take the dinghy light but experience told me to turn on our anchor light just in case.
Cook Up central
Just as he had said, Levi was in full cook up mode. The empty lot between his place and the corner was a hub of activity. Four separate fires were burning with huge pots over them, topped with hand made lids of corrugated tin, with small bricks on top to keep the lid in place.
The pots are a boiling
The fire structures were brilliant. Three large stone/cinder blocks set a few feet apart in a circle. Logs 3 ft long and 6" in diameter lay in between the stones/cinder blocks into the center. The fire of course was in the center of the stones. Because the logs were as long as they were, the ends stayed cool and could be pulled back or pushed up to change the temperature of the fire for various heat needed for cooking.
Brilliant way to control the heat
Levi had a few key helpers. Many we recognized from the night before...ehm....earlier that morning. We apologized for being late. "Oh no problem, no problem. Happy New Years" with hugs all around. Other milled about and many drove by, stopping on the street to wish Levi "Happy New Year." We gave fists bumps, hugs, and hand shakes to several, "Happy New Year." Many people we had met the night before....ehm....earlier that morning at Levi's. "Good to see you again. Happy New Year. You want to dance some more." "Um, maybe later. I'm still a little tired."
Assistant
Tom went off to Chokas and I sat on the porch at Levi's just taking it all in.
Pork
Peas
Provisions - breadfruit, plantains, yams
In the pots: pork, peas, provisions and and unknown liquid. I found out later that the curried mutton and rice had already been cooked and taken inside for serving later.
Nap time
Music, beer, rum and smoke kept the cooks going, although one or two "helpers" napped. It was obvious that Levi was in his element. This was his day, his event. I visited with a local about it. "Is this a traditional New's Day thing?" Michael said "Well often someone you know will be doing a cook up but it won't necessarily be these foods. Levi has been doing this for years. He learned long ago how to do this. It's really quite smart you know. This will cost him minimal. He does this each year as a way to say think you to his customers. I am a customer and therefore I am here. And so are you."
Levi always stirring and tasting
More people arrived. It was as if New Years Eve would start again, but more low key. Levi presided over everything. Lifting a lid here to stir the pot and tasting the one there, adding spices off a make shift table.
Adding the cornmeal
Stirring, stirring, stirring
Satisfied that the broth tasted correct, it was time to make the Coo Coo. This was the thing I was most interested to see and hopefully help with. Coo Coo is a Caribbean version of polenta. It's cornmeal that is cooked with a special broth made up of seasonings but most importantly of coconut water and the squeezing of grated fresh coconuts. The cooked cornmeal is then rolled into balls using a special method. But first, the cooking of the cornmeal. Levi was cooking in hug quantities. He stirred while an assistant poured what looked like a 20 lbs sack of cornmeal into the huge pot. If you have ever stirred cornmeal or polenta or any other sort stiff batter by hand, you know how tough that can be. Levi was stirring this huge pot with a long smooth stick using all his body. It brought several laughs and comments from on lookers. Many locals stopped to take pics of the cook up in progress.
Peas get carried in for serving
Provisions are ready
More people showed up. More beer, more rum, more smoke, The peas were declared done. A rope was fitted around the rim of the huge pot and three burly assistants carefully lifted it off the fire and carried it up the ramp into Levi's joint. The provisions finished cooking as well. Plantains, breadfruit, and yams sat cooling on top the lid that had covered that pot. Later an assistant cut those into bit size pieces. Levi occasionally stirred the cornmeal, adding water as needed, pulling the logs out further to reduce the heat.
Sacred lean-to....FYI wifi sign is a joke
The pace of the music from Levi's as well as Lambi Queen two doors down picked up along with more people. Competing music mind you but that is common. We found ourselves sitting in the little lean-to in between the two, right next to the empty lot that was cook up central. I had always considered this lean-to a sacred locals only spot. No matter when we pass by this spot, it was always manned by locals limin - no ex-pats, no cruisers, no tourist, and definitely no charters. Now suddenly we were sitting there, waiting to help Levi. It felt like a privilege.
It's ready
Another few stirs of the cornmeal and it was declared done - the smooth stirring stick would stand up right in the pot by itself. Also, Levi tasted it and said "it ready." Time to roll the CooCoo. We were given small margarine bowls. Levi put scoops of the cooked cornmeal into each bowl, anywhere from 1/2c to 3/4c and then we shook the bowl causing the contents to roll around forming a ball. You occasionally had to shake a different way to fill in any spaces in your ball. It wasn't hard but it wasn't easy....it took a little practice.
Rolling the CooCoo
Tom gives it a go
Originally it was just Diane and Joanne (from Lumbadive) me, and a helper that instructed us. Comments from the peanut gallery aka our husbands brought attempts by them to master the CooCoo rolling. Richard's CooCoo balls had the shape of lemons and several of Tom's were more log shaped in the beginning. Sylvian tried once and then opted to be the guy transporting the trays we filled with our rolled balls of CooCoo. Much laughter ensued. It was a big pot of cornmeal and our wrists got tired but we hung in there and got it all rolled. Although Diane did eat one of hers waiting for another pan to put them in.
The guys give it a try
Levi dishing, Diane rolling
Last two - Diane double fisting
The food line had already formed out the door of Leavi's place before we finished rolling the CooCoo. People with plates of food poured out into the porch and into the street. Young, old, regular customers and distinguished looking older ladies of the village who didn't seem as likely to be regular customer's all came to partake in Levi's cook up. We stood in line patiently, edging forward slowly. A single table had been borrowed from Lambi Queen and was center in the normal empty room that makes up Levi's place. A few kids and mom's occupied the sole bench along the wall. Two women, one was Levi's niece, the other was probably a relative as well, served people as we snaked around the table.
One ball of CooCoo and one of rice on each plate. The curried mutton was already running low as were the provisions. A scoop of peas topped with stewed pork pieces and a little pork gravy on top the CooCoo and rice balls filled our plates. Tom gather a plate for Choka since he is not able to stand in line due to the bends from a diving accident. We sat in the sacred lean-to and ate. Yum.
People continued to lime about wishing each other "Happy New Years." A few cruisers showed up. Some charter boat people wondered by wide eyed - taking pics as they went. While it seemed this might be another late night for some, we were soon yawning and decided to head home. We couldn't find Levi to thank him. We assumed he was off getting a well deserved nap. However, I seriously doubt it. This was still his day.
We had such a good time last New Years Eve in Carriacou that we decided to come here again and do Xmas too.
New Year's Eve did not disappoint. The main dinghy dock was packed with dinghies as everyone was ashore. We stuffed Nick Nack in and headed to Mavis's for a buffet dinner of BBQ chicken, fish, lobster and sides. Lemon cake for dessert. Yum. It was 99% yachties but her family showed up including her mom - " Dat me mom." A three piece band set up after dinner and started playing reggae covers. Some cruisers danced. Then they switched to golden oldies. I felt sorry for the three young musicians - while they were good, the golden oldies looked to be killing them. We began working our way towards the entrance and then across the street to Luckie's. We've been told she is quite a character. The place was empty except for Lucky and Geoff of sv Beach House, a cruiser, entrenched here in Carriacou 4 years now. He knows all the places and everyone. Soon two other cruising boats turned up to see Lucky and get a roadie to go.
Some headed towards a place called Off the hook near Paradise Beach so they could see the fireworks from Union Island. We headed towards Lambi Queen. The place was packed, overflowing out into the street, Choca and his drummers had just wrapped up a drumming performance. Darn, we missed it. Everyone seemed to be there. Locals, ex-pats, stuck cruisers, cruisers, and people on holiday.
Midnight came. Hugs, kisses and well wishes were lite up by a few flares in the night sky to mark the occasion. Seems like a good way to get rid of expired flares and practice firing them. Note to self - donate our expired flares next year.
Choca began moving his drums to Sundowners so we followed. The bonfire was burning and soon the drumming started. Tom sat in. Some cruiser did a fire dance swinging around what looked to be lite ropes. When he first started, it was a bit questionable and I thought to myself "what is this dumbass doing and this is not going to end well." I feared it was a "hold my beer and watch this moment" but once he got going, I realized he knew what he was doing.
*How does one train for this sort of thing? Circus? Hawaii dinner show? Wheaton KS beer drink? Hum? Anyway, it was kewl. When the drumming stopped, we migrated back to Lambi Queen for some dancing. FYI - Sundowners is 20 yards from Lambi Queen so not a big walk.
After some fun dancing, we popped over to Levi's place. Oh boy. They we're just getting started in there. Well, most..... There was one guy passed out / asleep on the only bench in the place. Levi was still going strong. We hung in as long as we could chatting and dancing. When we arrived 70's disco music was playing on the stereo.... which consists of a laptop playing You Tube videos through a great sound system. Eventually I asked if I could change it. Levi said ok - 2 songs only. I put on Farmer Nappy "My house" - soca music and everyone went crazy. When we left at 3:43 am the soca was still playing.
Check out the DJ booth - laptop playing You Tube videos
New Years Day deserves it's own write up so stay tuned....
We joined a pub crawl with fellow cruisers. It gave us a chance to meet cruisers we don't know, check out some shore places we have yet to try and in general say Merry Xmas.
The crawl idea is good because Tyrrel Bay is small. This way no one business feels slighted because the yachties went there and not here for Xmas.
The previous day (Dec 30th) we were walking around Tyrrell Bay and passed Sundowners. It's a funky little beach shack. There was a note saying that on Wednesday nights there is drumming on the beach. Sweet! "Let's come check that out for New Years Eve." on of us said - I forget who.
Beach side look
We dinghied ashore New Years Eve around 18:30 and walked down to Sundowners. The plan was to get the details on the drumming and then find someplace to have dinner and then return.
Ower of Sundowners
There were 5 people sitting on the tiny deck of Sundowners. One was the owner, one was her staff and one was the head drumming guy. The other two were ex-pats waiting to drum.
"Ya mon. The drumming gonna start here soon." said the head drummer guy. "We gonna be drumming down on the beach there."
Tom drumming
The ex-pat lady suggested we just eat there. It was a small menu but interesting. I had callalou fritters w/salad. Tom had a cheeseburger and fries.
More people sitting in
Soon more ex-pats and locals started showing up. It became obvious this was the place to be.
The little kid arrived with his own drum and got after it
Tom got to sit in on the beach drumming for quite some time. However, more and more locals showed up, many of them drummers. Tom relinquished the drum he was using so others could have
a chance.
Heating up - shirts off
It was a unique experience that we are both glad we were apart of - Tom by sitting in and actually drumming and me just taking it all in.
Casual evening, toes in the sand, bonfire and drumming on the beach = great New Years Eve!
