Sunday drivers

Except for the dead rat found under the Sit N'Spin on the patio, today started out like any other Sunday.  Lily was certain that the poor thing died due to eating the "poison berries" that Virginie got into, but the truth seems to be a bit worse.  Apparently, one evening when I was closing up shop, I tossed the Sit N' Spin into its place on the patio, just as said dead rodent happened to be passing by.  He became trapped under the toy and then must have suffocated underneath it, struggling for days to break free.  More than likely, he'd ventured to the patio because of all the coconuts sitting there still waiting to be opened by the husband.  Rats, I have been told, love coconuts.  Many of the trees on Barbados have metal rings at the lower trunk to prevent rats from climbing up and devouring the coconuts and then dropping shells onto people's heads.  Were it not for those yummy coconuts, that rat would have been free to wreak havoc in the garden until the Norquest man came again.


But that event was not to stop us from enjoying the day.  After a morning swim, we loaded the girls in the car to take them to the South Coast for a little tour of the beaches.  The car ride was so soothing that both ladies went to sleep immediately, and Didier and I just drove around the coast admiring views and checking out places to visit in the future.  There are so many beautiful locations on the island and if the nature alone could make me happy, then I would be overjoyed.  As an artist, I see the colors, the patterns, the meeting places, barber shops and hair salons, churches and fruit stands and feel excitement.

When other people see the pictures of these gorgeous sea views, palm trees, and exotic flowers, it is impossible to imagine how tough it is to live here.  But one's paradise is not just what surrounds them.  It is a connection to the people, the culture, a sense of belonging and that is still missing from my experience here.  I am still observing no matter how I try to immerse myself.


On the drive home, the girls began to stir and we took a turn to our old familiar Sunday hangout--PriceSmart, the Bajan Costco.  It's a little like Groundhog Day with Bull Murray.  I know there is something that I have to do to make it different, to break the monotonous cycle of life for me here...and I am trying to figure out just what that is.


(c)copyright 2010. Citymominthejungle