Cheapside Market Haul

 Photo of Cheapside Market courtesy of BusinessBarbados.Com

This morning I headed over to Cheapside Market as I typically do on a Saturday morning. I came home and spread out all the gorgeous fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices and realized how blessed I am to be able to get so much local food for such an amazing price. Here's what I bought:

• 1 pound spinach
• 1 pound cucumbers
• 1 pound sweet peppers
• 1 pound carrots
• 1 pound tomatoes
• 1 head of lettuce
• 14 bananas
• 2 plantains
• 1 dozen eggs
• 1 pound of limes
• 10 golden apples
• 1 papaya (2 pounds)
• 1 pound of onions
• 1 pound of pumpkin
• 1 bunch of thyme
• Cayenne
• Nutmeg
• Coriander

Grand total: $63 Barbados dollars or $31.50 US/Canadian!!! 

All of this food is grown locally with the exception of the onions and the spices. What's even more amazing is that every weekend I get to talk to and interact with the farmers and vendors who pick the produce that feeds a nation. There is nothing better than knowing who is selling you your food and knowing where it comes from. I urge you, where ever you live, to frequent and support local farmers, local food, and local industry. It makes sense/cents!

And of course I couldn't resist taking a picture of my future meals...

Bath, St John

Yesterday I took my 3rd trip to Bath, St. John which is on the east-coast of Barbados. This place is so special, and I really wanted to dedicate a post to it (with pics!). 

As you walk in, on the right is pure eastcoast beach- kind of rough, but not enough to push you out of the water. Lots of waves from the Atlantic Ocean, and few people (especially on a Monday afternoon). On the left is a hidden freshwater spring with a waterfall that lands into a pool. It's the juxtaposition of salty and fresh, hidden and apparent that gets me every time. Ideally I'd take a swim in ocean and head over to the spring and wash my body and hair off. Yesterday the serenity of the place had me leave my cousin to the beach and I literally chilled at the spring for a few hours. HEAVEN! 

 Here's a few pics of Bath:

Road leading to Bath

 

 Bath spring from a distance:

 These kind gentlemen escorted us to the main road the last time I was at Bath with a friend from Trinidad (shout out to X)

Pictures of the Bath waterfall

Bath Beach

Sometimes it takes a waterfall to remind us to slow down, enjoy life, and love every single second.

Happy Independence Barbados Aboard the MV Harbour Master

This year Barbados will celebrate 45 years of independence from British colonialism! What an amazing milestone, and it's a wonderful time to be on the island. What you don't see that I do is all the nationalism that people have. You see women wearing corsages that have blue, black, and yellow (the flag colours) and everyone wearing little Bajan flag pins. It's so sweet.

Speaking of Bajan pride, last night I went on a well-known Bajan institution: the MV Harbour Master. This is a huge boat (kind of looks like the ferry you take to the Toronto Islands) and aboard are non-stop drinks, food, a live band, and a show. We went on the starlight cruise (7-11pm) with a co-worker, her son, and partner and sat front row. Of course it meant getting pulled onto the stage for a wining and limbo contest! SO fun, and you know your girl took home a prize. I don't mess around with my wining capabilities! The food and service was great, and it was a top notch experience. Unfortunately the boat is leaving Barbados for Trinidad and Tobago in the new year because of these "tough economic times". It's still here for a little while longer so go while you can!

The Talent

                           

The Food

Watch the limbo.

Ohhhhhh goshhhhhh!

                                       

http://tallshipscruises.com/mvharbourmaster.cfm

How I Moved to Barbados (and how you can too)

I've been living in Barbados for 1 year and 7.5 months and it's been an amazing journey! Whenever I go back home to Toronto to visit, people ask me how I made the move. I usually give them the brief "student exchange" version because I'm on a streetcar/subway, but it really took so much more than that. So for anyone thinking about a short or long term move, here are some of the things I did:

- Become a citizen. Ya ya, I know that's easier said than done! But for me that was the real beginning. My dad is born in Barbados and I always wanted dual citizenship so I started the process in Toronto with the help of the Barbados consulate. In fact, the whole process was done in Toronto. It involved obtaining my long birth certificate, sending an application with the small fee ($25) to the consulate, and 8 months later- I was a citizen by descent! This kind of citizenship is different from being born in Barbados, but you still get ease of access at the airport/immigration and no time limit stamped in your passport. I am also able to get free health care, work, get a license, and do other things Bajans can do.
www.barbadosintoronto.com/the-consulate.html
- Do an exchange through your University or College. As soon as I started my PhD I knew I wanted to do research in the Caribbean and spend time there. So I did all my required courses in my 1st year and saved my electives for my second year which was spent in Barbados at the University of the West Indies. I was surprised to learn in my exchange interview that the University of Toronto and the University of the West Indies (UWI) has one of the longest exchange relationships. Check out your university's abroad office or Centre for International Experience
http://www.cie.utoronto.ca/
Another perk is getting a different kind of educational experience. Not only academically but socially. When I started courses at UWI it was the 1st time I wasn't the only black girl in my class! After undergrad and Masters degrees....it was a long time coming.
- Do an internship. When I got to Barbados in April 2010 I was already accepted to the exchange program that started in September, but I wanted to enhance my abroad experience. I tapped into an internship program at my university which focused on development and I knew it was a perfect opportunity. An introduction from a school friend led to a meeting with one of the departments at the University of the West Indies. By learning what they needed (research and data analysis) I marketed my skills and on June I began a 6 month internship at UWI.
(Check out http://www.idrc.ca/ for internship funding opportunities!)
- Get a job. After the internship a position for a Summer Programme Coordinator came up in the department. By then they knew me and my work and I was offered the position. It was one of the greatest employment experiences of my life! I met people from across the Caribbean, got more international employment experience, and made some cash. I also showed my colleagues that I am a great asset. I'm currently finishing up 2 projects I started here and have been asked to start another!


So that's it in more than a nutshell. I hope this helps you out!