Working on Island Time

The Urban Dictionary defines island time as “the time vacuum created by the ocean's presence. Similar to stoner's time, everything moves nice and slow. This carefree aura even has the ability to travel with islanders and can engulf you in their presence.” Perhaps it's being surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and seeing palm trees sway lazily in the breeze or perhaps it's the hot, humid, sultry weather that sucks the energy out of you that accounts for the laid-back attitude and slow way of life here. Things don't happen quickly in Trinidad. We're definitely working on island time here.

People never rush. When they walk, they saunter or amble. There's no swift pace involved … no running. Even the traffic moves slowly … many times at a crawl for no apparent reason … but you rarely see road rage or angry faces on the drivers. So what … traffic is moving slowly … oh, well … we'll get there eventually. The cause of the traffic jam could be a huge pothole in the road or a broken-down bus or just as likely two cars heading in opposite directions stopped on the two lane road for a quick chat. Schedules and appointments are more of a suggestion than they are an actual timetable to which folks adhere.

In a country that has 17 national holidays (that's more than three business weeks of holidays – and that's not counting Carnaval), it's easy to understand the slow pace and delays, but it's especially difficult to deal with if you're relying on people to get projects completed “on time”, because “on time” has little meaning here. Things get done when they get done.

For cruisers, this is a frustrating issue. There seems to be no urgency about anything and, of course, for us everything is urgent. We want to get done and get back in the water. Case in point is David has been waiting for tradesmen to show up for estimates and project work. “I'll be there in an hour or so”, they tell him. The critical words “or so” mean perhaps sometime in the future. It's kind of like “just now” in South Africa. When they haven't shown up after a couple of hours and David calls, they promise “anytime now” which means sometime later in the day. We haven't figured out the American English equivalent for “now” which actually means “NOW!” We're not sure that word exists.

As a result, it's impossible to schedule more than one task a day and sometimes even the one doesn't get accomplished. Work on Nine of Cups is progressing more slowly than we'd hoped. Several projects, like pulling the prop shaft and removing the old sea cock from the engine through-hull, require more specialized tools than we have aboard. (I have trouble imagining a tool that David does not have). Since one task or project relies on another to be finished before starting a new one, we find ourselves getting “behinder and behinder”. The calendar days are quickly being eaten up and May 1st, our anticipated departure day, will be here before we know it.

Perhaps it's time to consider putting Plan B down on paper?

Shouter Baptist Liberation Day in Trinidad

After celebrating the Easter holiday for two days at the end of last week and both Sunday and Monday of this week, the country is closed down again today for yet another religious holiday, Spiritual Shouter Baptist Liberation Day! That's a mouthful and I really had to research a bit to figure out exactly what the country was celebrating. The Spiritual Shouter Baptist religion, a melding of Protestant Christianity and old African doctrines and rituals, is a unique religion and indigenous to Trinidad and Tobago. Today's public holiday commemorates the 1951 repeal of a 1917 Trini law that prohibited the activities of the Shouter Baptist faith.

The derogatory name “Shouter” was given to the participants because of their tendency to shout, clap and sing loudly. Not so different than the reason the Quakers were named “Quakers” (they trembled at the word of the Lord) and the Shakers (shaking Quakers) were called “Shakers”, “because of their ecstatic behavior during worship services.” It doesn't sound much different than a good old evangelistic “come to Jesus” revival meeting under a tent in rural America. People live, feel and express their religion in many different ways. Some more enthusiastically than others. According to Trinidad's National Library and Info Center … “It has managed to fuse the spontaneity and rhythms of Africa with the restrained, traditional tenets of Christianity to produce a religion that is vibrant, expressive and dynamic.

From 1917 to 1951 the Spiritual and Shouter Baptist faith was banned in Trinidad by the colonial government of the day. The legislation to enact this ban was called the Shouters Prohibition Ordinance and it was passed on 16 November 1917. The reason given? “Shouters made too much noise with their loud singing and bell ringing and disturbed the peace.” The real reason? Plantation owners and officials were afraid that such religious solidarity would cause unity with the laborers, as well as foster and preserve African rituals. They wanted to subdue it before it got out of hand. The Shouters persevered in spite of the ban and harsh punishment. The religion survives today, not only in Trinidad and Tobago, but on other Caribbean islands as well.

So there's lots of lively singing and bell ringing and dancing involved. Participants dress in traditional, brightly colored garb and celebrate their ability to practice their religion freely. A great way to celebrate, however we'll miss out on the activities in the boatyard. No fear, however, we've found a YouTube that shows what's going on. As for holidays in Trinidad? With 17 public holidays, not counting the days taken for Carnival, I think we'll find one to celebrate before we leave.

Friends Along the Way

“A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.” Tim Cahill

Adventure travel writer, Tim Cahill, summed up our kind of travel in a nutshell. He said “A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.” Over the 16 years and 86,000 miles that we've traveled the globe, what stands out in our memories most vividly are the people we've met and the friends we've made along the way.

I've written about meeting people in different ports. I've written about the 90-Day Rule. These are the adventures that make our journey most enjoyable. Finding people who are willing to share just a small piece of their lives with us is what makes it all so meaningful.

Reading about a culture or a tradition or a ritual may be exciting. It builds up the anticipation. Experiencing the culture firsthand with people who live it daily, however, is the real thing. It's not a contrived setting fit only for tourists, it's how life is lived whether on a small island or in a big city, in the mountains or the jungle, or in a marina. Perhaps it's sharing a meal or a glass of wine ... or kava or coconut water ... and chatting. Or maybe it's visiting a school and watching a teacher with his/her students … or asking the fishermen about the catch of the day.

Sailors are an interesting lot when it comes to friend-making. We realize we are transients. We meet people and quickly make a decision. Do we like these people? If yes, we get to know them quickly. Who knows how long we'll be in port or they'll be around? Friendships are made on the fly, but are no less strong.

Finding commonalities among people is as satisfying as celebrating the differences. We all have to launder our clothes … in a river or at the laundromat. We all eat and sleep and dream. We all love our children. Perhaps we show it in different ways, but the love is evident everywhere we go. We all complain about our spouses from time to time or the universal foibles of the opposite sex. It's inherent in our human natures.

But, of course, it's not just the miles we've traveled and the friends we've made since we've lived aboard Nine of Cups, it's the hosts of friends that we've made throughout life who pop up every once in awhile … maybe at the holidays … and say hi and renew the friendship with a few words and a “how are you doing?” and fill us in on their lives.

We've met lots of people along the way and we're proud to call many of them friends. We stay in touch whenever we can, but these friends are the kind you can pick up where you left off … even after years apart. Friends who would be welcome in our home. Friends with whom we share a special bond.

Sailors and landlubbers alike ... how do you feel about friendships along the way?