Newspaper Page Text
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Wednesday, August 30,2006
Native Bahamian tells of country's traditions
By Lakeisha McSweeney
International Columnist
Imcsweel @my. westga.edu
Situated between the
Caribbean Sea and the
Atlantic Ocean lies The
Bahamas, an island chain
of adventure with 700
islands and cays.
The pristine beaches,
warm sunshine and warm
people create a tourist
paradise and vacation
haven for foreigners,
but to this international
student, the Bahamas is
where I call home.
As the Bahamas
gradually become a
melting pot of cultures,
Bahamians are still
being true to their “navel
strings” buried deep
across this archipelago.
From Grand Bahama
Island in the north to
Inagua Island in the
south, the words colour
and cheque (bank) are
still spelled in that
“weird” way of the British
English.
We still do the
“strange” thing of driving
on the left, another British
custom.
Most of the residents
in this archipelago live
on New Providence
Island in the city of
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Nassau, v'ith rest of the
population living on
Family Islands.
We are a people with
a similar yet different
language than America;
with different accents,
different experiences and
different customs than
that of the United States.
There are so many
unique things about being
the only archipelago in the
Caribbean. The Bahamian
islands have many things
such as fruits, vegetables
and wildlife indigenous
to each one of the islands.
Wild boars, for example,
are native only to Inagua.
Yet, there is a
common cultural thread
interwoven in Bahamian
life called Junkanoo.
Junkanoo is the favorite
cultural celebration of
the Bahamas.
Junkanoo is to The
Bahamas what Mardi Gras
is to New Orleans and what
Carnival is to Trinidad.
Each year on Boxing
Day and New Year’s Day,
scores of Bahamians and
tourists head to downtown
Bay Street in the wee hours
of the morning to watch a
spectacle of colors unfold.
Junkanoo is a
spectacular parade of
costumes made from
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cardboard and crepe
paper. “Rushers,” those
participating in the parade,
move to the rhythmic
sounds of Bahamian
cowbells, goatskin
drums, whistles and the
accompaniment of a live
brass section.
Beyond Junkanoo,
Bahamians spend a lot of
time socializing. Perhaps
the gatherings are at
someone’s home, at a local
bar on a Family Island or
at a club in Nassau.
The weekend is the
main time for Bahamians
to party. This partying can
begin as early as Thursday
with those who call in
sick to work or are college
students who do not have
Friday classes.
For many, the
partying may begin as late
as Friday afternoon with
persons who do not return
to the office after their
lunch break.
The local spot is the
Fish Fry (open 7 days a
week), which has several
booths with bars at each
one. More customized
clubbing around New
Providence includes
stopping by Dicky Mo’s
and The Blue Note, a
college student hangout.
Sky Box Sports Bar is
a popular destination for
a more sophisticated and
older crowd and Cocktails
and Dreams is for the
“real” party goers.
Senor Frogs is for
those who can “down”
shots by the second and
The Living Room is open
for all night partygoers.
At anyone of these
hangouts, a patron 18 and
over can try alcoholic
beverages with a special
Bahamian tang, which
is usually Kalik Beer,
The Bahamian Beer,
a Bahama Mama or a
Goombay Smash.
For Bahamians not
into the partying scene, it
is customary to get away
for the weekend either
by boat or Bahamasair,
Bahama’s airline, to one
of the Family Islands for
rest and relaxation.
Then, there is always
the Bahamasair flight
a few miles north to
“shop cares away” at the
Saw Grass Mills in Fort
Lauderdale, Florida or
Florida Mall in Orlando.
There are also the
occasional concerts
featuring names like Kirk
Franklin, Boyz II Men
and Beenie Man.
On the other side
of the spectrum, the
Bahamas considers itself
a Christian nation. If we
are not all Christian, the
majority of us are very
deeply embedded in the
Christian faith.
So, for those who
were interceding over the
weekend, and also those
who may still have a
hangover from the night
before, Sundays do not
pass without celebrating
Mass or participating in
some form of morning
worship service.
If they are not
at church in person,
then Bahamians will
be watching Trinity
Broadcast Network on
Cable Bahamas.
No article on
the Bahamas would
be complete without
mentioning the taste of
the Bahamian islands.
The Bahamian dinner
is very high in starch
because otherwise it is
simply not Bahamian.
However, Bahamanians
have become very health.
A sample Bahamian
dinner, for instance,
consists of two meats
(one must be fried), peas
and rice or crab and rice,
baked macaroni, fried
plantain, potato salad,
guava duff or coconut and
<3>l|e meat O&eurgiait
pineapple tart for dessert.
Seafood is a staple
dish and is mainly conch
(pronounced ‘konk’),
which is touted as an
aphrodisiac.
Conch is a mollusk
of white meat with
pink coloring and can
be prepared as a stew,
a chowder, deep-fried
or cracked conch or as
conch fritters.
It’s traditional on
Saturdays, however, to
have the Bahamian males
don the apron to prepare
a dish of boiled fish,
which is called Bahamian
grouper, or souse
(pronounced ‘sowse’).
Favorite souses are
chicken, sheep’s tongue
and pig’s feet. This is
served with Bahamian
bread called Johnny cake.
If the Bahamian male
at home is not in the mood
for cooking, he may drive
down to Murphy’s Souse
House in Oakes Field and
join the long queue.
To sum it up, these
are examples of customs
that are native to the
Bahamas and that make
me Bahamian.
Visitors are always
welcomed to enjoy the
good food and good spirit
of the Bahamian people.