Sounds of Our Nights

Last night was a special night in our house. George was fixing the air conditioner in our room, trying to get our place in tip top shape for a renter, so as the AC was sealing, drying (something) and couldn't be used for twenty-four hours. 


Being that it is getting hot here, we are getting frequent showers (air is so stagnate prior to rain) and my thighs are rubbing together at this point in my pregnancy, I have been favoring that AC at night, actually craving it. The alternative is waking up drenched in sweat which is neither hot nor cool. Seriously. So since the AC was in repair, I prepped myself for an interesting night of rest, window open, fan on full blast (actually George wouldn't let me but on medium speed), I made my attempt. As I was lying there, alone, Elsa deep into her dreams (her crib is still in our room), I was overwhelmed by the sounds of the night. Sounds I used to be lulled to sleep by nightly.  

I am so thankful the noisy air machine broke down so I could be reminded of the soothing cadence of the bush dwellers symphony they put on each night. The relaxing melody could put anyone to sleep, including me. 


I found this video of a long, long time ago, and often revisit it not only because it captures a monumental moment in Elsie's life but because of the sounds. The sounds of the night. We were so concerned about Elsa as a baby that we wouldn't run the AC, worried that we might damage her precious lungs, wanting to give them every opportunity to mature, in fresh air only. Seems almost silly now. I remember crawling under her mosquito net this night, mesmerized by everything that was Elsa at seven months, not even realizing I was capturing some of my favorite sounds of our island home. The sound of the perfect summer night which St. Croix always is. 


Not sure if you can hear what I can, so turn up your volume and listen to the sweet rhythm.

I am so thankful I have this video to revisit on the nights I am lonely for St. Croix and her sounds, just one of the many things I will miss about this place.


I feel like I should just make a new category on here, Things I Will Miss About St. Croix. I could and am seriously considering it but that might just be pitiful. Moving on, I am. Really, I am trying. Trying real hard.

Shaking the Tamarind Tree

Here's the deal, Nyah loves tamarinds. She's obsessed with them. She even talks about them before she falls asleep at night. Ny was first introduced tamarinds (what we call the fruit or seed (see above photo) which grows on the tamarind tree) at school and she immediately fell in love with the fleshy, pasty, sour and sometimes sweet (if you can find the right tree) fruit which surrounds the seeds of the tamarind. 

I have visited and even shook the tamarind tree at Ny's school before and you better believe not one last tamarind remains on the ground, the little kids devour the fruit. The perfect treat for kids, ideal for independent consumption. During playtime, they are free to eat as many tamarinds as their little hearts desire. They all know the routine, crack the shell, pull out the fruit and enjoy. 


We typically take a walk after dinner to get some of the energy out of our little rebels and never fails, at beginning of the walk, Nyah begs George to shake the tamarind tree. 



The girls collect tamarinds which they suck on and eat for the remainder of the walk, like an old farmer might chew on a weed. Notice Elsa in the corner of the screen taking off? I remember being a kid and loving the most sour candy. I don't know how I did it or how they do it but some things never change.

The view of Christiansted from the top of the hill on our nightly walk.

The abundant and sometimes odd fruit which St. Croix bears is one of Nyah's favorite things about the island, because we all know swimming isn't high on her list of favorite activites. Soon enough this sour fruit will be replaced by mangoes and genips which I know she is looking forward to. Oh how we love the many fruits this little island gives.

Parents & Chicks

She got to spend the dreary, rainy morning in town with her parents, sister busy at school. Two hands to hold, the two people who adore her most all to herself. 

She accompanied us to complete our passport renewal. Today, the day we renewed. Who would have thought, two strangers from worlds apart coming together and having to renew passports on the same day. We thought of ourselves then, ten years ago, applying within one day of each other. I, a young wide eyed girl (literally, you should see the photo) eager to head to New Zealand, freshly free from high school. He renewing as an island boy for easy travels between the islands.  St. Croix the rendezvous point. This busy little girl, the result of our love. 

Independent but still requiring an occasional helping hand to walk up steps and for the occasional swing with each of her hands in ours. But in true Elsa style, she takes the swing from her parents to the max and kicks her feet out mid swing and throws her head back. Attempting a back flip? Probably.

We met another mother on an outing in town with babies in tow. 

She gets it, she is also the mother of an indepenant baby. A baby who still needs the occasional assistance of helping hand after being separated from the group. Our precious chicks.

Island Living

We have some major changes and choices approaching us in life. No, I am not pregnant. I am already pregnant, remember? I know it seems this is the only surprise I am capable of. As we brainstorm and evaluate life, we am being forced to figure out what we want from life for both our happiness but more importantly our families well being.


As I was getting out of the shower last night (where I do some of my best thinking) because we ran out of hot water (common occurrence here), I began to think about what it is that really attracts me to St. Criox and island living. With a shiver, I then wrapped myself in my thin, dry towel. The thin towel is key for me. I am guiltily, I used to be the connoisseur of the thickest, plushest, most expensive hotel towel to engulf myself in but now the thought of one makes me ill. To me, thick and plush means the towel will not dry completely in the moist environment we live in and that I will have a mildew treat built up on the towel by my next shower and well, that is just sick. Clean off in the shower just to wrap yourself in mold, now thats hot.


It is little things like this, so different from mainland life, but things I love about living on an island. To me, life is real here and I seem to do better with it. I am weird, I am fully aware, but it works for me. It works for me to wash my dishes after each use and to conserve as much water as possible while doing so because WAPA (Water and Power Authority) is so absurdly expensive here. It works that I have to make sure each and every crumb is accounted before or ants or bugs will feast. Love that I have hang my washcloth outside on the clothes line each night or it will infect my counters with mold if used in the morning. I relish in the fresh breeze that blows through our house, even in the hot months, because this is real, though I might be sweating or pissed at the mosquitoes, this is what real life is like.


This is just the beginning, a small look into my daily chores which are made different because I live in the tropics. Why does it work for me? I am not sure. Every action has a result, a price to pay and I like it that way. Life is not easy, no dishwasher, washing machine, no cheap groceries, less than outstanding customer service, rough public schools, long lines, bumpy roads, frequent power outages, (I could go on and on). But to me, there is beauty at every turn, culture, and diversity, and adventure, which I am finding I thrive in. 


I remember during my grandmother's first visit to the island she said something along the lines of, "I don't get the attraction". Ouch. I totally get it though, this isn't Hawaii, you have to look beyond some things to find the beauty. I can only imagine what the cruise ship passengers think as they land in Frederiksted.


But, I guess what I am saying is I feel guilty with abundance, I am a proud American but the abundance we can be faced with daily on the mainland is a bit much for me, it isn't fair and honestly, it weighs on my conscious. Don't get me wrong, we are far from third world here but we are definitely a step down from America.


I love that our girls are being raised to be conscious of themselves of their impact in this world, in beauty, in nature, barefoot, and in a diverse environment, without constant consumer driven images being shoved down their throat of what they she look like, should be, should buy.  Can this way of life be found other places or is it just about making it happen?

So as life comes at us again, I have to think, for all of the frustrations, would I want to live on the mainland again, could I live by the clock again, sit in traffic, wear shoes, unload a days full of dishes from the dishwasher, go to a mega shopping mall, have everything at my finger tips?  Not sure but frightened to try.


I will keep you posted as things but we are first trying to figure things out for ourselves. But for now,

Wishing you all a beautiful day.

The Morning Trek

We drive the same route through Christiansted each weekday morning as we make our trek to Star Apple Montessori. Same kids tunes in the back ground, same pot holes making us bounce along, same breeze blowing through the open windows. Everyone fresh as we start another day.  


We see these same buildings and signs each morning and each day we find something new, something lovely. So here is my attempt to capture the beauty. Garbage and dilapidated to many but beautiful to my eyes in the morning light.

The strong, the sturdy, the traditional, surviving the rough island life.

True colors shining through.

Mornin'

We woke this morning to the sweet sound of Quelbe music in the distance as Stanley and the Ten Sleepless Knights did their early morning thing through Christiansted. Have a listen.

From what I understand, Stanley and the Ten Sleepless Knights pick random neighborhoods and start playing there early in the morning with their band set up in the back of a semi or something. They drive really slowly through the streets and people come out of their houses, not to curse them and call the police for a noise disturbance, but to actually dance behind the truck as the band makes their way down the street. Pretty awesome way to welcome the day if you ask me.


I haven't quite figured it all out. I can't fathom a band jamming through the streets of Indiana at the break of dawn and people loving it, so thankfully George is patient with me and does a lot of explaining. It's all is related to The Cruzan Christmas Festival, a mass time of celebration here which starts in December and continues past the New Year marked by pagents, culture, Calypso competitions, parades, tramps, J'ouvert, village, Carnival, food, etc. There is definitely a festive vibe in the air during this time of the year way beyond the Christmas, New Year's thing.

I couldn't get Elsa off the porch this morning, with a little bounce in her step, and Nyah was busy at work while we enjoyed the sweet music. So different from the Midwest in a such a lively way. And yes, I'm currently moving my hips to this locally grown music and its seven o'clock in the morning-what the ___? Hope everyone has a great day.

Field Trip

Elsa and I had the opportunity to accompany Nyah and her classmates on an outing this morning.  Nyah's school is located close to Christiansted so the class travels into town once a week to check out the sights and sounds. This was our first time to venture out with the class and what a wonderful morning we had. 

We walked to town two by two, holding hands and looking for new discoveries at every turn. We made it to the Fort in Christiansted and the kids finally, after the long walk of being on their best behavior, got to be themselves and run free. 

We then enjoyed a snack of peanut butter crackers and basil tea on the water front.

Elsa milled around the entire time. Elsa can draw quite a crowd when entering Nyah's school. The students have watched Elsa grow and always keep a watchful eye on her. The boys seem especially interested in Elsa, always touching her or hugging her at every chance, which caught me by surprise for some reason. 

The children ran up the hill...

...and they ran down the hill.

We then made our way back to school by way of the boardwalk. Two by two, chit chatting the whole way. We stopped once for a break and one red hot candy each.

We finally made it back to school with sweat dripping and rosy cheeks and the kids quickly devoured their lunches. Elsa then began terrorizing the classroom. Love that Elsa has the opportunity explore and get comfortable in the environment where she will someday spend so much time learning to be an independent and self motivated learner.


As I was walking and enjoying my morning with these little curious bundles of energy I was couldn't help but look back on my preschool experience. I remember my classmates, and I remember the mass chaos of playtime in the stinky church. I never recall my preschool teacher brewing tea for me from the freshly grown basil in the back yard which I helped grown, nor do I recall my teacher talking with such a loving voice or kissing me and telling me she loved me as I would left each day. 

I am so thankful Nyah is able to start her lifetime of learning in such a loving, diverse, warm and natural environment with a teacher that even I find inspiring. I love my visits to Star Apple Montessori and find myself wanting to linger in the peaceful environment Miss Jill has created.

Life In Town

I sweep our floors everyday. I actually could sweep the floor twice a day and probably would if I were my mother but I just can't bring myself to it. I adore the natural breeze that blows through our house and prefer it to air conditioning but the breeze brings a lot of stuff with it. This makes sweeping the tiles daily a must, especially with a little one constantly moving around on them. 


Elsa has recently takin' a liking to the broom, possibly because she sees it so often. If I happen to be sweeping the floor while she is awake she follows me around and giggles, trying to catch the broom with each sweeping motion it makes.  It makes sweeping a challenge because she is inevitably dirty by the time the house is clean. Today she really got into cleaning the floors and decided instead of following the broom she would just go sit in the dirt piles I had created and kick the dirt around. Looks like I am in need of a new strategy. 


As I was sweeping the floor this afternoon, and attempting to keep Elsa clean, I kept hearing loud singing coming from outside. I kind of ignored it, stranger things have happened on this island. It wasn't until later in the afternoon when the girls and I were out for a walk that I realized it was our "professional" karaoke singer neighbor belting out the tunes. As we were walking he must have been channeling Prince because he was really giving "Purple Rain" all he had.  I had to question George about what actually qualifies him to be called "professional" karaoke singer because he is not good, actually, he's hilarious. I think Nyah was even laughing.  


He is in good company though because we have some real characters living around us. We have a hoarder who just recently was found out after the ambulance had to pay him a visit. Two dumpsters later I think the place might now be livable. We have a moaner, a lady in her late 90's who still drives, a man with breasts, and an old bitty who's only pleasure in life comes from complaining, about everything. Actually, I am sure she has already taken great pleasure in handling the karaoke situation. He lives above her after all.

We had a wonderful walk today along our own private road that is under construction which leads into Christiansted. This walk was my first taste back into exercise after having Elsa. Sometimes our only major adventure out of the house when Elsa was just days old. I would pack the girls in the Cadillac like double stroller and walk up the huge hills, which at the time was difficult but now is just nice. 

I used to look out from the top of the hill on our walks and ask George about a building I thought was a beautiful color. Funny how life works out because the unknown building turned out to be Nyah's school and where she now spends so much of her time.  

Walking with Nyah is always fun. She has started picking little things she sees from the ground or trees and giving to me as gift. "Here Mommy, I picked this for you." Precious. Our walk usually end on the Boardwalk with an ice cream treat. 

This is our neighbor KerryAnn, who Nyah calls by her sisters name, Alani for some odd reason.  Nyah just loves her. When Nyah hears KerryAnn come home she runs to the door and yells "Alani", and invites her into play no matter the time of day or what we are doing.

Last night as we were walking on the board walk we ran into some of Nyah's classmates. As the parents were talking, the kids found some coconuts and were throwing them around. Miss Judy, a regular at a local bar for as long as George can remember, who pushes a stroller around filled with trinkets, peanuts, chicklets, glow-sticks, and other goodies, and drinks Budweiser, saw the kids with the coconuts and quickly broke them open for them on a sharp edge. The kids were so overjoyed to indulge in the tasty treat.

There are so many days I catch myself dreaming of living on our little chunk of paradise on the North Shore and setting the girls free but days like today remind me that I might miss some of the conveniences and characters that comes with living so close to town.


On another note, 
"Purple Rain, Purrrrple Rain"