It’s that time of year again: midterm holidays, gone to country (be back soon), step into church for the first time since New Year’s, watch Passion of the Christ and chow down on some good old Easter bun and cheese.
Jamaicans have never been able to separate food from celebrations. Weddings – curry goat. Funerals – endless manish water. Christmas – ham and fruit cake. Easter – bun and cheese. It’s the simplest equation.
So whether you are trapped without WhatsApp in some back-a-bush family home, watching Passion of the Christ on your HD TV with Mom and Dad and popcorn, or dutifully attending church to get closer to your Lord and Saviour, I hope you have the happiest Easter and the nuffest bun and cheese.
For Jamaicans abroad, don’t worry. Any bun and cheese is Easter bun and cheese. Even hot cross buns.
Shalom.
I now really want a picture of the Christ eating bun and cheese. Best Easter photo mashup EVER.
We are back to the point where blog entries start getting irregular, then scarce then finally disappearing into an abyss of pointless posts and writer’s block. This is Not Good.
On the other hand, I’ve definitely been living it up for my Easter holiday. So much that my body still hasn’t realized that school is back in session and no, it can’t sleep in until 10 o’clock.
Things I have been up to What a retired teen Jamaican gets up to in her spare time.
Reading excessive amounts of Neil Gaiman
Seriously, I finished his short story collection Smoke and Mirrors over the span of two days. And it only took me so long because my pesky textbooks kept getting in the way. No one inspires me to write like Gaiman does, and he always makes it looks so easy.
Not very much studying (but still more than normal)
I managed to catch up on quite a bit of Neuroscience (the 9 credit course on the human central nervous system that is half of the reason medical students are borderline suicidal this semester). All in preparation for a group study session that left me feeling that I hadn’t studied nearly enough yet. Why am I doing this again?
Going to Margaritaville
Don’t be fooled by all the laughing tourist pictures of people splashing around in the water and swapping bad jokes over great beer (Red Stripe represent). It’s way better than all of that. Moonlighting as Club Ville, Margaritaville is an upscale bar/restaurant with ridiculously overpriced food and a fantastically free water park that is more fun than you can possibly imagine. The slide is amazing. They even have life jackets for the swimming impaired, and the water isn’t very deep.
Long walks along the touristy Hip Strip for no reason whatsoever
Aside from the vicarious people watching opportunities the Hip Strip affords, it really is quite pretty to look at. Gorgeous vistas, inspiring sunsets and the $45M park make sure the Hip Strip is at least 97% of the reason Mobay is the tourist capital of Jamaica. And then the hordes of rural buses descend on the strip for the holidays and you appreciate the beauty even more (because they’re ruining it).
Wishing I was young again
The work was easier, the teachers were nicer and the holidays were longer. High school students and lower grades have this entire week off – it’s the end of a term. It’s horribly unfair for them to be mocking me from the comfort of their homes as I trudge to the bus at 7:30 every morning. Meanies.
Otherwise I’ve been eating far too little bun and cheese, visiting relatives (which is the heart and soul of Jamaican holidays), learning to drive (finally), and poking at dismembered brains (see study session above).
School meanwhile has escalated into full 9 hour days from 8-5, which means I’ll have far less time for blog writing. Unfortunately (and I can hear the collective groans of my devoted readership), I’ll be cutting posts down to once a week, on Tuesdays. It’ll be a distillation, like rum. Even better, like vodka. Yes. My blog will be vodka. Enjoy responsibly.
Today is being observed as Good Friday by the general Jamaican populace, one of many Christian traditions that have blended seamlessly into our culture. Unlike the Easter Holidays observed in the States though, the fuss is less about chocolate eggs and mischievous bunnies than good ol’ Easter bun and Christ’s crucifixion.
HTB. . . Bunnnn! (You know you just sang that)
Children will be gearing up for the triple threat holiday of Good Friday, Easter weekend (even though it means going to church) and Easter Monday. Not to mention stuffing their stomachs with as much bun and cheese as their little bowels can manage.
All us older folks will have to contend with giving people bun on Easter (same old, same old for some people).
Pax.
– Author’s Note: ‘Giving someone bun’ is a charming local colloquialism for cheating on someone. Not to be confused with giving someone bun for Valentine’s Day, though both practices are admittedly equally insulting.
well read robin 