Holiday in SVG: Nine Mornings, the Light Up, Xmas and Boxing Day

Nine mornings is a holiday celebrated in St. Vincent to celebrate the nine mornings before Christmas, starting on December 16 and ending on December 24. It starts early in the morning around 3am-4am and ends around 7am-8am. Festivities include live performances, singing and dancing. 

During slavery, slave owners would take their slaves and servants to church on Christmas Eve. However, the slaves and servants weren't allowed inside the church, so they found a way to entertain themselves by singing. This eventually became the celebration of Nine Mornings. 

The night before it began, a few friends and I went to a community called Point to see the holiday lights or the "light up." Point has won the best lights in it's region six years straight. It was really beautiful. There was a tank, an angel, a jet and people sitting at a dinner table. You can see a man pouring wine. 

 

 

The street performances were great as well. These two were my favorite.

 

I went to the capitol, Kingstown, for Nine Mornings the Friday before Christmas with a friend. There was a big crowd and the music was great. I really enjoyed the live band with the steel pans.

  

 

Christmas didn't exactly feel like Christmas. I think not having any snow played a huge factor in it because I'm used to seeing snowflakes falling from the sky in Illinois. That and I'm so far away from family, that I couldn't partake in making cookies or wearing footsie pajamas in front of the tree unwrapping gifts.

To get into the spirit, I made a tree out of cardboard box. I also used recycled toilet paper rolls and painted them to look like Rudolph, snowflakes, a Christmas tree and a penguin. I put paper at the bottom of them and filled it candy to give to neighbors and friends. Christmas Eve, I drank Egg Nog with a little rum and played games with friends.

Christmas felt like another day, but was still fun nonetheless because I invited friends over for food and exchanged gifts to a Christmas playlist. A personal favorite is "Santa Looking For A Wife." If you haven't heard it, listen to it. It'll be extremely hard to forget.

Another holiday in St. Vincent is Boxing Day, which is the day after Christmas on December 26. This holiday stems from masters or employers giving a Christmas box or present to their servants or employees the day after Christmas. Here in St. Vincent, it's a day to relax and spend time with family and friends.

I'm used to only having a White Christmas back in the US, but during this season, I was able to experience so much more and couldn't be more grateful. 

Climbing Soufriere

Two weeks ago, I climbed a mountain in St. Vincent called Soufriere with two other Peace Corps Volunteers and my neighbors. It's an experience that will be hard to forget. 

Some time after Thanksgiving, I walked for over an hour with a friend and a neighbor in my community over a couple of steep hills. Half way through I wanted to throw up and give up, but my friend motivated me to keep going. I was really sore and went to bed early that night. If walking for over an hour was hard for me, how was I going to climb a mountain? I'm not in shape and I'm really not fit, but I've been working on it by working out almost every day. 

Early this month, a group of us walked to another community which was two hours there and back. We ended up getting rained on on our way back, but I was really proud of my self because I went most of the way without stopping or complaining. I made sure to stretch and do some yoga when I got home and went to bed early.

I was still nervous the day of the hike, but I wasn't going to back down. The first 30 minutes in and I wanted to chug water, but I couldn't because I would have run out too quick. Focusing on my breathing and going at a steady pace, I was able to get through the first mile.

We took a 20 minute break and kept on going. The hardest part was over, but it was still a struggle for me. My neighbor made a walking stick for me that really helped the next half up. When we got close to the top, there was an overwhelming feeling to just stop and give up. And the closer I got, the stronger that feeling became. I never really understood why that happens. I didn't give in to that feeling though. I was the last one to make it to the top, but I still made it. 

It was a sight to see.

     

We rested once we got to the top for an hour and then made our way back down. By then, I was halfway through my water and extremely dehydrated. I finished off my water after the first stop and then finished my friend's water by the time we got back down. I was sore and tired and fell asleep on a bench until our ride came. The entire climb up and down was about five hours.

Besides the scenery, I would have to say my favorite part was singing "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall" which I didn't sing all the way. I skipped like half of the numbers though because let's face it, that song can take FOREVER. We also recited a scene from Lion King when Zazu was singing for Scar. And I fell while singing Hakuna Matata. Everyone laughed, including myself.

      

 

 

I also made a lizard friend. When I tried to put him down, he would just climb up my arm, so he walked with me for about 20 minutes before jumping into a small puddle of water.

 

I remember two months ago telling someone that I wanted to hike Soufriere and was told that I was too fat to do it. I was discouraged, but I didn't let what that person said stop me. I climbed a mountain and I am very proud of myself. I now have no room for excuses for why I can't accomplish something. I mean, I, Brooke Jasmine Dunlap, hiked a mountain. A MOUNTAIN! I plan on doing it again in the next few months and will workout more so I can be in better shape for it next time. 

Thanksgiving in St. Vincent

Being a long way from home gets tough as the holidays start rolling in. Thanksgiving is one of my favorites because of all the food that I get to eat. The menu is usually as follows:

• turkey
• chicken
• ham 
• greens 
• baked Mac n cheese
• corn on the cob
• dressing (not a fan, but will eat with cranberry sauce)
• sweet potatoes (can be a pie, mashed or diced, casserole, etc)
• banana pudding
• peach cobbler
• corn bread

Even though I look forward to it each year, it's not the same since I'm in a different country. Thanksgiving is an American holiday and for me it has always meant spending time with family and talking about what you're thankful for. Sometimes, Thanksgiving is really the only time you get to see family, especially if they live in another city or state. 

 I wanted to celebrate it still, so I took a half day from school and cooked. I baked chicken, Mac n cheese and made sweet potatoes. Another Peace Corps Volunteer hosted the dinner and she made golden apple juice and a chocolate pie. I invited a friend and a few of our neighbors over. One of them brought sorrel (sah-rail) juice, which is a local juice. We ate and talked and also went around the room saying what we are thankful for. For me, I am thankful for life and how things turn out. If someone told me last year that I would be a teacher on an island, I wouldn't have believed them. 

I also made enough food to bring to school for the principal and teachers. They all loved it and were surprised by how I cooked the sweet potatoes. Here they just cook the sweet potatoes and yams and let the natural flavors and sweetness come out. However, I cut them up, added brown sugar, butter, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. 

Even though cooking for a lot of people was a lot of work and I didn't have everything on the menu that I wanted to make (I wasn't able to make a lot of things due to the time and resources that I had), 

I still got to celebrate Thanksgiving with the people I've come to love on this island. I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving as well!

All Saints Day and All Souls Day

In America, we celebrate Halloween each year on October 31st. The night is full of costumes, trick or treating and partying. However, here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, that holiday isn't celebrated. On November 1st they celebrate All Saints Day followed by All Souls Day on November 2. It's similar to Dia de Los Muertos in Mexico. They go to the grave sites for loved ones, light candles and leave flowers.

According to BBC, All Saints Day is an opportunity for believers to remember all saints and martyrs, known and unknown, throughout Christian history. All Souls Day is for commemorating the departed and praying for the souls in purgatory.


               

Last Friday, I went to the cemetery with the people in my community. I was taken aback by the sight of it all. Candles lit next to flowers and wreaths made the grave sites look bright and alive. I spotted one of my students and walked with him and his dad to both of the cemeteries to light the candles for their grandfather and uncle. Everyone was happy and reminiscing about their loved ones. I'm happy that I was able to walk around and see the joy on the faces of the people in my community.

Happy Independence St. Vincent and the Grenadines!

On October 27, 1969, St. Vincent and the Grenadines was granted associated statehood by Great Britain. Ten years later, the Caribbean country received it's independence. They celebrated 39 years of independence this past Saturday.

Last week on Wednesday, the students in each grade at my school did a performance to celebrate the holiday. Everyone dressed in the colors of the flag: blue, gold and green. Below is a video of my first grade class.

A St. Lucian Light Supper: Bakes and Di Te Cacao

Di te cacao (dee-te-cah-coe) or cocoa tea and bakes are very common in St. Lucia. Dinner tends be light there, so these two make for a light supper. I learned how to make them during my third week in St. Lucia. Bakes can be fried or roasted (baked in the oven).  I had cocoa tea and roast bakes served with butter and cheese for dinner my second night there. Fried bakes are sold stuffed with salt fish at the food stand I would go to during training.

The ingredients for the cocoa tea are:

• 1 cocoa stick
• 2-3 cinnamon sticks
• 1 teaspoon of nutmeg
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 3 cups of water
• 1 can of evaporated milk
• 3 table spoons of flour

To make it, you grate the cocoa stick (some people break it up, but it dissolves better when grated) and break up the cinnamon sticks in a pot. You can use a teaspoon of nutmeg, but we used the skin from the nutmeg. Then add sugar, salt and mix it together. Next, add water and put it on the stove, stirring it every 3-5 minutes. Then add in flour to thicken the tea. Cook for 15-20 minutes. Here is a video of me making the cocoa tea:

The ingredients for bakes are:

• 3 lbs of flour
• 2 table spoons of butter
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 3 tables spoons of sugar
• yeast (baking) or baking powder (fry)
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cup of water or coconut milk

After adding all of the ingredients together, you have to knead the dough and let it rise for 30-35 minutes. This was my first time kneading dough. Here's a video of it:

For a medical session during training, the Peace Corps doctor went over different types of food we can eat. We split up into 4 groups: breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack. My group had snack, so we made guava juice, fried plaintains and bakes. Two of the volunteers and I did the bakes. We used fresh coconut milk instead of water because it gives the bakes more flavor. 

The coconut was cut up into small pieces and then put into a blender. Afterwards, it was poured into a strainer over a container and sifted through to get all of the liquid out. Next, we added flour, salt, sugar, yeast, cinnamon, cinnamon, butter and the coconut milk into a large bowl. 

 

After being mixed together, it was kneaded into dough and sat for 30 minutes. Afterwards, we took small pieces of the dough, rolled them into a ball and shaped them into circles. One of the volunteers made a heart. We put them in the oven on 350 F for 30 minutes and flipped them half way through. We fried about 10 of them which only takes a few minutes. 

Had a lot of fun making these and it's even better with friends. 

My Time in St. Lucia

I know I'm late with the blog posts, but a lot has happened in the past month and has taken me some time to get adjusted. I am currently in St. Vincent, but this post will be about my time in St. Lucia.

My time here in the eastern Caribbean has been outstanding. I found a certain peace in St. Lucia that I have never known.

During the first five weeks of Peace Corps training, I'd start my day by going to the food stand where you can buy fried bakes, fruit, snacks and soft drinks.

"Bonjou Stephanie."
"Bonjou Brooke."
"Mwen vle de fig me."

The standard greeting or how to say "good morning" is bonjou. "Mwen vle de fig me" means "I want two ripe bananas." Because mangos were in season, I'd buy one or two as well. I ate two or more a day because I learned how the locals eat mangos: just bite into it, peel the skin and eat it. After training was over, I'd fill up my water bottle for my journey to my homestay. It's a 45 minute walk of beautiful scenery. I took this walk home about three times a week for two and a half weeks.

On the weekend, I'd wake up late and eat breakfast. I'm used to eating cereal, oatmeal or pancakes  for breakfast in America. My host mom would cook a chicken patty, cut up a mango, shred a cucumber with added garlic, fried plantains and ginger tea. Or I may get porridge or a fruit smoothie with two bananas or an apple.

My host mom likes to leave the door open to get a nice breeze into the house. After I got done with breakfast, I liked going outside and enjoying the view.

My host mom is a Seventh Day Adventist and goes to church on Saturday. After Church, her family would come over for a big lunch and to spend time together. I always looked forward to Saturday for the family visits. I was able to integrate into the family and community by spending time with them. My host mom's sister-in-law actually carved my name out of wood and painted the St. Lucian flag on the first letter as a gift for me (1st pic).

I got to try new food while in St. Lucia. My host mom's neighbor planted a lot of fruit and vegetables in her yard. I got to try starfruit for the first time after picking it from a tree. It's not too sweet and make a great afternoon snack.

 

Guavas are yellow and green with a pink flesh and you can eat the skin. It makes a great juice. Sugar cane is good to chew on as well. I got to drink water from a coconut for the first time and that was amazing. The provisions they have are dasheen, breadfruit, green fig or green banana, yellow, red and purple yams. The national dish in St. Lucia is green fig. I am officially and whole-heartedly obsessed with lentils. And if served with rice? Will put me in a good mood for an entire day.

A common dish is a roti (top right pic) which is a tortilla stuffed with chicken or beef with potatoes. Sometimes chick peas are added to the tortilla. Here are a few pics of the meals I got to eat.

 

  

I also learned how to make fried and roast bakes and cocoa tea or in Kweyol, di te cacoa. Dinner tends to be small and light, so these two are served together (although bakes are eaten at anytime of day). Some times the roast bakes are served with cheese or can be stuffed with salt fish. I ate it on my second night in St. Lucia and learned how to make it three weeks afterwards.

St. Lucia is the first country I got to go to and live in outside of America. The people I met, food I ate and partaking in the culture was an outstanding experience I will never forget. I can't wait to go back and visit someday.