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116--The Caribbean: How Sweet it is! @ CherieSpotting     Feb 04 2003 - 18:45 PST cherie writes: I wish I could tape record portions of our Caribbean conversations. Our conversations are as classic as the cars. For example: a man ran up to us and excitedly asked “Tienes Jabon?” Greg looked at me and said “That man wants a bone.” I scrunched up my face. “He wants soap.” I told Greg. “‘Jabon’ is Spanish for soap.” Why would I be carrying a bone in my pocket? Or soap, for that matter? In fact, two most common questions we get asked here are: 1. Do you have any soap? (I guess the people don’t get enough of soap in their monthly “ration cards.”) And 2. Can you take me with you to America? (I guess the people think Americans have boatloads of soap.) Other conversations that I remember fondly are when Kristi asked an old woman if she could photograph her eating her ice-cream. The woman was ecstatic. In her entire 67 years no one had ever photographed her before. When I showed her the image on the digital camera she clasped her hands over her mouth in disbelief. She squealed with the delight of a child! She was enamored with her own beauty and wanted me to show her photo to her 20,000 closest friends in town. While I was chatting her up, Kristi was entranced by the tin cup of ice-cream she was eating. It looked cool, creamy and delicious. “What flavor is that?” Kristi asked the woman in Spanish. The old woman was confused at first, and then sampled another taste of her desert. “I don’t know,” the woman finally said. Kristi and I trotted across the street to taste the ice-cream for ourselves. In the end, to be honest, the flavor can best be described as a mixture of strawberry, banana, butter and baby aspirin. *Warning: some of the meat market photos may turn your stomach. Click on each picture to see it full size. read comments (1) | write comment| views: 6202    | rated: 0.0    printer-friendly version   Two classic things that just keep getting better with age! An old woman enjoying the sweetest part of her day--her ice-cream. Fathers and sons often not only share the same house, but sometimes the same room. Love expressed through the twists of metal. An old church in Trinidad. Two of the most common forms of transportation--tractors and bicylces. Kristi in a carriage, another common sight along the streets. Simple, but colorful houses line the cobbled streets of Trinidad. A cowboy on a corner. This metal grill can´t keep this father and daughter apart. Some of the poorest families drive the coolest cars. Valleys of sugar cane are surrounded by tropical palms. Friendly farmers still manage their fields the same ways their grandfathers did. A close shave. Kristi and Cherie crush the sugar cane into juice. Kristi and Cherie enjoy the fruit of their labors--a sugary drink. Greg and Cherie make beautiful music together. A boy rests by the bell of an old sugar-cane plantation tower. Greg thinks this hamburger is just too cute to eat. This billboard says: "A Better World is Possible." A maid takes a break to listen to the live music in the courtyard below. A local band. Kristi cuddles a little baby. The melodies of the Caribbean music make you feel like you´re in another world. (Or maybe it´s the rum?) Musicians take their work seriously and are genuinely appreciated. Kristi learns how to properly "shake it." Looks like the band has a new member. This little boy already knows he wants to be a guitar player when he grows up. Greg gets a "Salsa" lesson from Jorge. It is important to start practicing at an early age. Kristi and Cherie with the band. Greg never knows what to expect with Cherie and Kristi around. Cherie and a sunset. Brilliant colors are everywhere, from green bikes to blue walls. This guy might be happier if he didn´t have to sit there all day and sell cigarettes. All children wear uniforms to school. A charming brick bridge. Abstract litter. Cherie and Greg in front of the town bridge. We take coffee breaks, they take cigar breaks. The dogs are often as interesting as the people (to photograph, not to converse with.) There is always a friend nearby to help when you get a flat tire. A man brings a birthday cake home to his son. The meat market. Enough to make you want to be a vegetarian. This meat-seller only has "ears" for me. They don´t waste any parts. Why do butchers always wear white? Cherie and Kristi with Jorge in disguise. (I think he is dressed as a pirate on the way to the gym.) Three men and a bench. Sweeping the park. Proud to be keeping the parks clean. Greg gets a haircut. *Photo by Cherie Sogsti