Today, November 30th, celebrates 45 years (1966-2011) of Barbadian independence. So to mark the occasion, here is my Barbados Top Ten. And as usual, this list should not be taking seriously, nor should it be used as a travel guide.
The Beaches:
Enough said.
Crop Over (the parties in general):
There aren't many places in the world where you can prance around half naked with paint and mud all over you in the middle of the night drinking in public. Shout out to Trinidad and Brazil.
Obadele Thompson:
Before Usain Bolt, he was the fastest man in world running 9.69 (w). Then he decided to go off and marry Marion Jones. Ah well.
The Diaspora:
You can literally find Bajans doing great things all over the world (even had some up in the Northwest Territories). Whether they were born and raised on the Island; expatriates or sojourners; one, two, or three generations removed; through pride and industry, Bajans and their descendants make their homeland proud.
Rihanna:
Whether you like her or not, she is the most famous and most recognizable person to have ever come out of Barbados. Fullstop. Period. Shoot, I was in Mwanza, Tanzania and had people with "what's my name?" ring tones. She needs to do a concert in East Africa.
Banks, Mount Gay, and Tiger Malt:
Not many places in the world that you could give a 10 year old 10 dollars to buy you a bottle of rum. Not only will he buy you a bottle of rum, but he can sit there and feel like a big man while he sips on a malt (or drink some of your rum).
Time Keeping:
"What time is it?" 6:30. "No, I asked, what the time was?" 6:30. "No, the time?!" 6:30.
If you understood that brief encounter with a tourist and a local, you know Barbados. If you're a female tourist out at a club and a man asks you the time, bend over and don't look back.
The English Language and Curse Words:
Bajans speak english. Yes, they do. But sometimes you just start to wonder: Wunna. Broughtupsy. Bubbi. Too sweet. Wukup. Busylickum. Guhblinya. Obeah. Licks. Hardears. Pooch.
Education:
Barbados still has one of the highest literacy rates in the world. Education is no joke.
The Atmosphere:
At the end of the day, Barbados really is Just Beyond Your Imagination.
The Beaches:
Enough said.
Crop Over (the parties in general):
Obadele Thompson:
Before Usain Bolt, he was the fastest man in world running 9.69 (w). Then he decided to go off and marry Marion Jones. Ah well.
The Diaspora:
You can literally find Bajans doing great things all over the world (even had some up in the Northwest Territories). Whether they were born and raised on the Island; expatriates or sojourners; one, two, or three generations removed; through pride and industry, Bajans and their descendants make their homeland proud.
Rihanna:
Banks, Mount Gay, and Tiger Malt:
Not many places in the world that you could give a 10 year old 10 dollars to buy you a bottle of rum. Not only will he buy you a bottle of rum, but he can sit there and feel like a big man while he sips on a malt (or drink some of your rum).
Time Keeping:
"What time is it?" 6:30. "No, I asked, what the time was?" 6:30. "No, the time?!" 6:30.
If you understood that brief encounter with a tourist and a local, you know Barbados. If you're a female tourist out at a club and a man asks you the time, bend over and don't look back.
The English Language and Curse Words:
Bajans speak english. Yes, they do. But sometimes you just start to wonder: Wunna. Broughtupsy. Bubbi. Too sweet. Wukup. Busylickum. Guhblinya. Obeah. Licks. Hardears. Pooch.
Education:
Barbados still has one of the highest literacy rates in the world. Education is no joke.
The Atmosphere:
At the end of the day, Barbados really is Just Beyond Your Imagination.
Laugh out loud.
ReplyDeleteApologies for the lack of pics on this one.
ReplyDelete