Day: September 27, 2016

Hurricane Matthew

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As much as I would like to be able to say that today’s blog is about my impact on these islands, a tounge in cheek piece about my ego, or a self-depricating monologue regarding my over inflated sense of self-importance. I am afraid it is not.

Tropical Storm Matthew is on the way from the Atlantic and has a high chance of becoming Hurricane Matthew by the weekend!

It is Tuesday but I have already lost track of the number of Hurricane Matthew jokes this week. Gallows humour is strong here. Gulp…

“A budding tropical system is likely to soon become Tropical Depression Fourteen and then Tropical Storm Matthew at any time into Wednesday,” AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski said.

“The system will take a westward path across the central Caribbean this weekend, where strengthening to a hurricane is possible,” Kottlowski said.

Areas from the Dominican Republic and Haiti to Cuba and Jamaica, as well as northern Venezuela and Colombia, should closely monitor the path and strength of the system, which could be a strong tropical storm or hurricane by Sunday.

It is too soon to even mention specifics regarding landfall location, if there is a landfall at all. But coastal residents along the Gulf and East coasts should be aware that there is the potential for a tropical storm or hurricane in their vicinity next week.

It’s just a mess of clouds and rain on Tuesday, but a vast majority of forecast models expect this system to strengthen as it tracks west. Many of these models suggest it will become a hurricane later this week. On Tuesday, the National Hurricane Center gave this system 90% of becoming a tropical cyclone by Thursday morning.

Interaction with the large islands and mountains could hinder any strengthening.

Cruise, fishing and shipping interests in the Caribbean Sea may want to avoid the area until the threat passes beyond early next week.

The system could take a northward or northwestward turn late this weekend and into early next week.

How far west the system makes the turn will determine whether or not the U.S. Gulf Coast or the Atlantic Seaboard will be threatened next week.

The system’s movement will also dictate which of the Greater Antilles would be directly affected by heavy rain, flooding, mudslides and strong winds this weekend.

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The Men for Honduras

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Culture Shock 2

So there I was mid morning running a performance management meeting. When Kim, my deputy, and Vanessa, whose appraisal session it was, suddenly started jumping up and down. Literally jumping up and down. Pointing out the window and shouting, “he’s got an iguana! He’s got an iguana.”

So I turned to see what the fuss was all about.

There in the car park stood my security guard watching three strange men. The guys were running up and down chasing iguanas and catching them with their bare hands.

Now these things were huge and they were putting up a real struggle but the guys were winning.

Eventually they caught eight large specimens. The iguanas were massive, nearly as long as their protagonist were tall.


The Funny thing was while they were being chased the lizards put up a real fight but once caught and held firmly they became quite placid and calm. Which given where this blog is going, is ironic…

Watching this through my window my initial guess was that the three chaps must have been working for a pest control company or as part of a government sanctioned cull.

So interest piqued I wondered out to see what was going on.

The guys greeted me cheerfully all smiles, thick Spanish accents and arms full of passive lizards. Lovely chaps.

With a broad grin my security guard announced, ‘They are Hondurans!’ As if this  in itself provided an explanation as to the events that were unfolding in the car park.

‘Right?’ Says I, ‘so what?’

At which point one of the chaps held up a particularly large reptilian specimen, over four feet from tip to tail and with a broad smile he said, ‘dinner’.

It turns out some Hondurans eat iguanas and these guys go around the island catching them.  They remove what is consider to be a pest and get a free dinner! They think iguanas are great. And when prompted they will happily tell you they taste like chicken.

The guys have promised to cook me some next time they are around!

Ingredients:

1 Iguana (large)

1 lime

1 bunch cilantro

salt

pepper

Since you can never tell what the weight is until you have it you will have to wing it.

Declaw, skin and gut.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Grill or broil till cooked through. Time depends on the size.

Cover with lime juice and cilantro.

The meat will taste a little like, yes, chicken. However it has the texture similar to that of crab.

Makes a nice meat filling for tacos.