Saturday, April 28, 2012

A to Z: You Know You've Lived in Curaçao When...

Porto Marie, our favorite beach

... you're completely used to people speaking at least three languages--fluently
... your sentences often contain more than two languages--and you're surprised when people don't understand you

... you end your sentences with "swa"
... you automatically switch to Spanish at the snek (and you know what the snek is)



... you know which direction is up- or down-wind (and you buy property based on that)

... you know the definition of "choller" (and you've actually "cholled" something in your life)
... you look up when you hear "psssst"
... you sometimes wake up craving a "pastechi"
... you call any girl "dushi"

... you miss the way the heat hits your face as you come out of a plane

... you know there's no point in making appointments, because no one gets there on time anyway
... your friends call because you're late, and you say "mi ta yegando" (I'm almost there) when you're still in the shower
... you know the other meaning of "sushi"
... you try to buy breakfast at McD's after 11 am

... you think twice about going to the other end of the island... because the 40-min drive is "far"
...  you need some heavy lifting done and you ask whether anyone knows a Haitian to do it

... you know that after nightfall traffic slows to 30 km/hr because everyone's drunk (yeah, you too)
... you've tried to bribe police with a cold beer--and succeeded

... you no longer expect silence at a movie theater

... you keep the beach cooler in the trunk of your car

... you hear the first notes of bachata, or salsa, or merengue, and your hips start moving--even if you're sitting

(selections from the Curaçao Forum, paraphrased and tweaked around by me)

This is an awesome island, truly sui generis. It's Caribbean, but not like Dominican Republic, or Jamaica. It's also Latin, but unlike any other Latin country. It's European--and yet as far away from Europe as one can get. It's a mix, heterogeneous and diverse. It's a microcosm of the world, and also a world in and of itself. Its history is rife with conflict--slavery, imperialism, revolution, struggle for freedom, struggle with freedom.

These photos are borrowed from the Facebook group You know you've lived in Curaçao when. If you're curious and want more, take a stroll over to their site. There's more wonderful images than I had space for.

The Venezuelan market
@ Punda (downtown)
Sculptures at the Avila Beach Hotel
Mural in Punda (since painted over)
of the son of Ras Elijah, a local
Rasta artist

Cliff jumping, a national sport
(and yes, the water really *is* this blue)

Reminder for A-Z-ers: when you visit a new blog, if they have less than 100 followers and you're not following already, give them a hand and follow. We all know the great feeling of getting a new follower, so spread the love!

21 comments :

  1. Never lived or even been there. Maybe someday. It sounds like a lovely place.


    Lee
    Almost at 100 followers—are you one yet?
    A Few Words
    An A to Z Co-host blog
    My Main blog is Tossing It Out

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Don't worry--you're not the only one :) Usually, when I say "Curaçao", I get nothing but blank stares (a few creative souls say, "Oh, Brazil?") Hope you make it down this way soon, Lee.

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  2. Yeah, sounds like the place I've dreamed of living in for so long. Caribbean, South Pacific, Indian Ocean Islands. Or just sailing from one to the other all over the world.
    Blessings, Geoff.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Geoff, and glad you liked the post.

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  3. Sounds lovely even if I didn't understand lots of the words you used. I like quiet laughter too. Hello from A to Z.

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    1. Thanks, Susan--glad you liked it, and hey! A fellow quiet laugher :D Always fun to find those.

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  4. Loved this post, even though I dont know what a snek is. :) The place looks and sounds lovely. Your prose is beautiful!

    Thank you for visiting my blog!
    http://skaypisms.blogspot.com/

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    1. Thank you, Sangita! I loved your own writing, so for you to think I write well is high praise :) Thanks for the visit! I do promise to post soon on "snek" and "dushi" and the other funky words here :)

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  5. My inlaws visited this island last year and brought us back lots of swag. Looks beautiful. (Mom in law is a Trini and Dad in law is from Guyana.

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    1. Oh wow, Tamara! Curacao isn't like Aruba, a prime vacation destination, and lots of people have never heard of it (including me before I moved here), so it's always a treat to meet someone that knows it. And you have Caribbean in-laws--how cool! One of my best friends is a Trini, too :)

      Thanks for the visit!

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  6. What the heck is snek? The water looks so inviting!

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    1. LOL, Stephen :D Just for you, I'll post a special explanation here... Just give me a few days to get the crick out of my typing fingers :D

      The water *is* inviting... and welcoming :) Hope you make it down to Curacao someday!

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  7. I'm intrigued by the other meaning of sushi. We had disconstructed sushi tonight, prepared by my husband who saw the recipe on a television program. Delicious. Maybe your sushi is something not so delicious. Loved the pictures and the feeling you convey with your snapshots of speach.

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    1. Oh, yummy! I love sushi--the "traditional" meaning. In Papiamentu (the language of Curacao), though, "sushi" means "trash". There's two or three truly excellent sushi places here, and we go often, but it's always a cause for word play when someone mentions sushi :)

      Thanks for the visit, Francene!

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  8. That's my FB page... and my text, tweaked by you. So funny!

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    1. LOL, Yolanda--indeed, as mentioned in the post, the quotes are taken from the Curacao Forum (didn't know you participated in that, too) and the pictures are taken from the FB group that you manage :)

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  9. Clearly, I have not lived in Curaçao. Maybe I'll visit someday! ;)

    -Barb the French Bean

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    1. LOL, Barb :) Yes, you definitely should visit. It's a great place--and you'll find out what "snek" and "sushi" mean :D

      Thanks for the visit!

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  10. That looks like an amazing place. Maybe I'll make it there one day!

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    1. I hope you do, Adrienne! Thanks for the visit :)

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  11. Love the pictures, never been, it looks really interesting for a visit. Maybe one day.

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