Author: The Reads

We spent the morning at Starfish Point today, for Artie”s birthday, a lovely way to spend Sumday morning Buck’s Fizz and croissants by the sea.

Then because we had not had a enough sun and sea the Castaways met at Smiths Cove for a picnic this afternoon. I have had a fair bit of sun today! Cissy introduced us to Texan Swamp Root Dip. I think it must be a horse radish like thing, it was very nice.

There are four things taken more seriously than hurricanes and earthquakes here and they are, in order of importance, prayer, singing, food and drink. 

Faith

Yes there is church. But I have a sneaking suspicion that the importance of church and prayer are a function of the being in a part of the world where you live with the reality of storms and quakes.  

Worship is a huge part of life here. There are more churches than shops and by that I don’t mean buildings I means Churches. 

Yes there is a church on every corner but as I have said before some of the Churches here don’t even have buildings they meet on the beach to pray, to sing and to baptise. 

Where else can you Snorkle and attend a Sunday service! 

There are Methodists, Catholics, Seventhday Adventists, Baptists, Presbyterian, Evangelicals and Angelicans. 

There is the Church of God, there are United Churches, Jehovah’s Witnesses, The Curch of Jesus, Church of the Latter Day Saint’s. 

And my current favourite The Ben Gun Church. Just reflect on that for a moment. That’s a church named after a marooned pirate. Brilliant. I wonder if they pray specifically for the Cheese Makers every Sunday?

Every Church has at least two subsets so for any Anglicans there is St Alban’s which is Church of England and part of the Diocese of London and there is St George’s which falls under the Church of Jamacia. Then there is First Assembly of God and The Second Assembly of God (splitters!). 

There are so many Churches in fact that I have calculated that each can only have a congregation of about 15 people!

So as you can imagine on one level they are in competition. 

It is interesting to watch the different factions meeting and passively aggressively blessing each other through clenched teeth. “Bless you” says one and imidiately comes the teeth grinding response and while it sounds like “bless you” the eyes say something different…  

The gauntlet has been thrown down. Battle are lines drawn. This is an  ecumenical dance off, the real roots of rap! This is serious, not quite Crips and Bloods but definitely Jets v Sharks, the T-Birds v the Scorpians, with finger clicking and foot stomping. 

The two main protagonists square off and one steps up and breaks into prayer. Now this no simple Hail Mary, not a well rehearsed Lords Prayer. 

This a free style prayer throw down…

“Lord God we thank you for this blessed day, the sunlight and fresh breezes, God. Lord God we thank you for the sustainance of the food your love brings us and the sweet water that quenches our thirst and is a balm to our souls,  God. Lord God thank you for the friendship and support of the people around us and the gift of their love which is a reflection of the love you show us everyday…” Now this goes on for a while, a long while the “…God. Lord God…” providing vital thinking time so the gladiator can compose the next line of thanks. 

Eventually the champion begins to run out of steam, so they switch tack and next comes the “Lord God we ask you to bless…” And the pattern repeats this time asking for blessings on pretty much anything. 

It’s like ‘Just a Minute’ on steroids, the only thing you can repeat is ‘God, Lord God’, there can be no hesitation, no repetition or deviation.

All the while you can see their opponent is furiously composing their response, more florid, more flowery, more  wonderful. 

It is amazing and uplifting. And it can can go on for ages. 

The single longest freestyle prayer I have heard so far was 8 minutes without a pause or break.  I don’t think the pray leader even blinked! 

Eventually the speaker runs dry or loops round to a theme that has been covered and everyone realises that it signals that the round is over. 

So with a gracious “in the name of your Son our Lord Jesus Christ” they concede the floor and an end to the first round. Everyone says ‘Amen’ and the respondent steps forward and let’s fly.

More often than not the two Prayer Warriors are just two evenly matched, by the end they are swaying from the effor, from the concentration and the religious ecstasy.  

Everyone realises they need help and so the gloves come off and the the members of the different congregations jump in and the singing begins! 

And so does the healing, the sense of competition, the minor theological differences melt away. Are washed away by the simple joy of shared song and melody. 

It is wonderful and awesome! When it is done genuine love replaces the rivalry and laughter and smiles abound. 

Meetings begin with prayer, meals begin with prayer, prayer is the foundation for almost all social interaction. There is nothing fake about this, no embarrassement. It is heartfelt, genuine and a real privilege to be asked to lead. It reminds me of something we have lost. A more caring and communal time. 

The competition is real but so is the love and acceptance. 

On a Sunday morning it is St Alban’s the CofE church we go to. St George’s is part of the Anglican Church of Jamaica. For the last few years they have been arguing about who has primacy. 

The Anglican Church here has traditionally been part of the the Bishop of London’s remit and has been since 1606. But in recent years the Arch Bishop of Jamaica has said it should be his. In response the CofE Bish Bash Boshed, I believe this the correct technical term, the Rector of St Alban’s and made him a Bishop to counter this claim… 

So now we have a Bishop with the smallest congregation this side of the Pitcarne Islands!

The Bishop’s sermons are really thought provoking and interesting and the church while tiny, is a really lovely. At the end of communion the Bishop finishes up any left over wine, as is his duty, but while he has a small congregation I think he blesses enough wine for a cathedral full. The combination of heat and half a litter of fortified wine wine leave him swaying about… his blessings after the service are so fun coz I have a sneaking suspicion he’s smashed. It is a lovely welcoming church and we feel a part of the congregation already.

Food

Cayman is truly a melting pot of North American, South American and Caribbean food, you can find on any menu burgers, Nicaraguan, Jamaican or local dishes, curries and fish, well sea food, feature highly and are great. Yams, sweet potatoes, plantains and goat abound. Our current favourites are salt fish and aki patties, blackened mahi mahi and jerked pork with festival! Oh so good.

The jerked pork is made on oil drum smokers by the side of the road, in old shacks and posh restaurants and it is lovely. It is served with a fiery sauce and festival, a handmade fried bread roll, a real treat.

Coffee

The last of today’s trinity is coffee. We are only a stones throw from South America so the coffee is fresh and strong. Don’t bother with the big brands and high street names that you know, here you go local and buy great coffee with names like Bustello and Collombia. And with that the kettle has boiled, so hasta la vista…

The Castaways made the news this week here we are in the Cayman Compass…

Found this while out and about, I think it’s just for us… James and Poppy Read!

Sunday and everything, well pretty much everything, we could get a hair cut but that’s about all, is closed for the day, it really is a day of rest. With the shops shut and the fact that no cruise ships arrive on a Sunday you really feel disconnected from the world, it is the day you really know you are on a small island 100’s of miles from anywhere! On a sunny morning it is an amazing feeling.

Apparently what you do on Sunday is brunch. You get dressed up and head along to the Hotels on 7 Mile Beach and have a long lazy brunch All you can eat. Fizz flowing freely and every type of food you can imagine. Kids are let loose playing on the beach and the grown ups kick back. So that’s next weeks plan, for today we are having a quiet one.

Breakfast on the veranda watching lizards and chickens is in order. The banana tree in the garden has a big bunch growing, I reckon they will be ready by the end of the week…
Church in the morning, maybe catch up with some fellow Castaways for a coffee but other than that just a peaceful day chillin’.

We might potter down to the beach for a snorkel later or just some rock jumping, the day as they say, is our oyster. Well conch, probably served as a fritter as they don’t really do oysters here as far as I’ve seen so far…

So we spent the afternoon down the beach and today at the cove we saw barracuda, a huge ball of fish (I think escaping from  the former) and two baby stingrays.

 

Victoria and I sat our driving test yesterday to get our Cayman driving licences, I am pleased to report we both passed, we have to pop back to get our new licences. The test comprised of a 40 multiple choice questions on screen quiz on the Cayman Road Code. We both have been furiously revising so how would you do? 

The road code says, ” A driver travelling at 20mph needs 20′ thinking time and 20′ breaking distance so needs an overall stoping distance of 40′. At 30 mph its 30′ thinking and 45′ breaking. At 40mph it is 40′ thinking and 80′ breaking distance. At 50mph it is 50′ thinking and 125′ breaking giving you an overall stopping distance of 175′.”

Now so far I have not found anywhere on the island you can drive faster than 50mph. Rumour has it somewhere up on the North of the Island towards rum point you can but I am yet to confirm this…

So the question is ‘What is the total stopping distance for a car travelling at 60mph?”.

Answers please on a postcard, a single person Rum Cake for the first correct answer to reach me. Closing date 10th September. (Ha ha the rum cake is mine…).

James had a great first day at private school on Thursday, he looked super smart in his new uniform and handsome with his Caribbean hair cut. Both James and Poppy think their new school is very nice.

They think the 2 minute walk to school is manageable!

Culture Shock 1

This our lovely School Dentist Dr Alice. Yep School Dentist! She is here everyday in the room next to my office which is kitted out as a dental surgery and the kids trot by regularly to see her for their appointments. The kids here have enviably nice teeth as a result.

It also leads to the situation where 8 year olds knock on my door in their lunch hour and say, “can I see Alice I have tooth ache” or “I have loose tooth can Alice pull it out?”… No anxiety about dentist visits at Prospect the kids are making their own appointments! Brilliant.

You know you have arrived in the Caribbean when your caretaker (the lovely Mr Connely) brings you a bag of star fruit from his garden to make juice with! Lovely!

Monday was the start of the new term and for children all over the island that meant smart new school uniforms and bags of supplies. 

Parents take school very seriously and there is a real sense that school is valued and that teachers are to be respected.  Central to all of this is religion and prayer. It was humbling to go into class and say good morning and have the children reply ‘Good morning sir and God bless you’, voiced with total sincerity.  

Each child arrived for the day carrying a box or bag with their school books, pencils, soap, paper towels and an assortment of other supplies ready for the school year. Not one parent complained about having to provide, they all took a quiet pride in the fact they were doing their bit.

The day started with the children heading to class, many parents stayed to help their children settle and then joined Assembly or Devotion. It was lovely to see the children looking so smart and ready for school. My homework is to learn the National Song:

Cayman’s national song, “Beloved Isle Cayman”, was written by the late Mrs. Leila Ross Shier in 1930. Regarded as the unofficial national song for many years, it became the official national song when the Cayman Islands Coat of Arms, Flag and National Song Law was passed in 1993.

As a British Overseas Territory, the national anthem is “God Save the Queen”.

Beloved Isle Cayman as composed by Leila Ross-Shier, June, 1930.

1. O land of soft, fresh breezes,

Of verdant trees so fair

With the Creator’s glory reflected ev’rywhere.

O sea of palest em’rald,

Merging to darkest blue,

When ‘ere my thoughts fly Godward,

I always think of you.
Chorus: Dear, verdant island, set

In blue Caribbean sea,

I’m coming, coming very soon,

O beauteous isle, to thee.

Although I’ve wandered far,

My heart enshrines thee yet.

Homeland! Fair Cayman Isle

I cannot thee forget
2. Away from noise of cities,

Their fret and carking care,

With moonbeams’ soft caresses,

Unchecked by garish glare,

Thy fruit and rarest juices,

Abundant, rich and free,

When sweet church bells are chiming,

My fond heart yearns for thee.

(Chorus)

3. When tired of all excitement,

And glam’rous worldly care,

How sweet thy shores to reach,

And find a welcome there,

And when comes on the season,

Of peace, good will to man,

‘Tis then I love thee best of all,

Beloved Isle, Cayman!

(Chorus)

The song is sung at all Devotions and at the school flag raising. We have two flag poles one with the Union Flag one with the Cayman Flag.

Behaviour around the school was excellent all day and there was a lovely calm atmosphere in every class. The children where polite and eager to learn about their new Principal.  Apart from a Canadian Speach and language teacher and behaviour support teacher, both part time, I am the only Caucasian on staff so I am easier to spot than ever! My teachers are a mix of Caribbean nationalities and they find me endlessly amusing for being ‘so British’ and take great joy in talking very fast in the thickest accents just to confuse me, having said that they are a real team and have welcomed me with open arms.

The school PTA are amazing they have been in school every weekend manning the uniform shop and for the first day of term they decorated the staff room and put on breakfast and gave each member of staff a jar of sweets, they also put out coffee and tea!  It made all the staff feel special and really appreciated.

The one downer of the day was the number of children collected late at the end of the day, one child nearly three hours late! I spoke to every one of the late parents personally and told them it was unacceptable! They were a bit surprised to be told off by the new Principal on day one, my first job will be to tackle this little issue. I feel an after school club coming on, a chat with the YMCA is on the cards for Tuesday…

James and Poppy have their orientation morning today Victoria is taking them into school so they can officially meet their teachers and learn the lay of the land. I think they are both looking forward to school and getting back into a routine.

Oh and Thursday is Happy Hour at the Blue Parrot. The Blue Parrot is literally a tin roof over a bar overlooking the sea, its fab, my new local and a great place to unwind. Two rum and cokes CY$5 and they free pour. So now we have Sunset House and the Blue Parrot. Cheers.