20 vs 30 years old

               It’s been a while since I’ve blogged having taken a break period. I have been trying to channel that energy to focus on more healthy lifestyle practices such as exercising regularly and eating less processed foods and sugars (Side Note: a great healthy option if you’re also looking to make similar choices is @low_cal_palate. Check them out on Instagram!). This has been proving to be quite challenging, even more so as a Hindu during the fasting period of Navratri and Divali but one must never give up, after all consistency is key.

               Having entered the thirtieth decade myself last year, I am now aptly qualified to share some thoughts on why we trinis like to tell you “yuh getting ole boy” when anyone turns 30. Age is just a number, but energy levels and pains are constant elements of physicality that seem to increase exponentially when crossing certain landmark ages. These are some sentiments that I’m sure you guys can relate to when crossing 30 as well:

 • You no longer have two knees but rather describe them as your good knee and your bad knee.

 

 • Joint pains and more specifically, knee pains can now be used to predict an incoming cold front better than trini weathermen (or women, hey @Seigonie!)  

 

 • You put on pyjamas after you bathe in the afternoon / evening no matter the time of day 

 

 • A late movie is now as early as 7pm 

 

 • Going to the grocery or making a bank run now qualifies as going out, even going just for gasoline up the street! 

 

 • Having a fairly fixed and regular toilet time is a priority. 

 

 • Watching what you eat means Doubles and pepper intake is rationed; only some doubles vendors are worth the burn of reflux (or otherwise, if you know what I mean lol) shoutout to my main doubles vendors Sleepy and Son Doubles in the town of St Helena and The original Sauce (green shed) near Curepe Junction. Both are highly recommended! 

                Personally, I now exercise with 2 or sometimes 3 bands- knee, ankle and back. My “good knee” has changed from being my left to my right knee. The treadmill used to be a routine and go to exercise for me, but over the past few years it has become increasingly more difficult to manoeuvre. Something which used to be my favourite exercise; it is mundane and involved no after effects or post workout pains, and along with time on the elliptical, I would burn significant calories from cardio.

The new normal

Trinidad and Tobago, currently, has very few active cases and a number of people under quarantine across the islands within medical facilities. As a result of very few community acquired cases our government has decided on a phased re opening of our lovely islands.

We have slowly opened sectors of our economy and have now arrived at the fun things.

Restaurants have now resumed indoor dining with reduced capacity of course and with strict adherence to social distancing and wearing of masks; also cinemas and other social places have resumed function.

Now Ronnie and I usually go out once a week and twice on a rare occasion. The reason for this is not that we love to eat out or that we have a lot of friends to meet, remember that both our moms are great cooks, we usually go out in order to spend time with each other without the ultra-conservative eyes of parents or even the distraction of the PS4.

As all essential shift workers can attest to, I am sure, our date nights were usually on an odd day during the week and sometimes at an odd time as well. I can’t say we minded it much as we were usually one of the very few patrons there at 2pm on a Wednesday afternoon and the staff was usually extra attentive as we were the only things that required their attention.

When I imagined married life, I always wondered how much we would go out as we would be with each other all the time and that’s why we used to go out anyway.

After that horrid quarantined period left us without our favorite take out food, we were eager to get some good food and have our first date night as a married couple!

I had it planned in my head. I have the day off, I can drop him to work (as he hates the traffic) then when I pick him up after work we could go for lunch! Destination unknown but I always secretly hope for sushi.

Great! I am set, the plan sounds concrete.

I drop him to work in the morning with my sleepy face and non- morning person demeanor but still happy to have saved him from the dreaded traffic.

I get home and I do some chores and I get ready for our date. I wear something casual but upscale and I put on contacts, I do my hair (my secret weapon) and I do my makeup and I head out the door.
I wait for Ronnie in the carpark and as I see him walking towards me I open the door and step out to greet him. I could see that his entire expression changed. From at work doctor face to OMG my baby is here.

I thought to myself I haven’t seen this face in a while. When we went out pre wedding he would usually pick me up, I would smile at him as I walk towards him and his goofy OMG smile would come across his face.

He got into the car and proceeded to tell me some nice things and then we were off to the date. The restaurant was quaint and had a variety of new options for us to try. The meal was great. Ronnie had a Greek lamb with cous cous and I had a tortellini with spinach and ricotta cheese with chicken.
I was in a state of euphoria! Maybe it was just the food, maybe it was the drinks or maybe it was something else.

Hmmmm..

What I figured out when we got home was that it wasn’t the food from the restaurants we were missing all the time, it was the looking good for one another, the giggles as we drive to our destination listening to music and doing silly dances in the car, the fighting over the menu choices and even the people watching at the restaurant (or as we say in Trinidad the maco-ing). It was all these things that made our date great. It was this that bonded us together and made us feel closer together. It was a shared experience that we could look back on and say, ‘remember when we went to..’

The best part of the whole thing was that it never really ended as we came home to the same place and the conversation from our date just continued as if we never even left the restaurant.

I concluded that my initial thoughts about going out were a bit underestimated and even though I still maintain that we won’t go out as much, I think that a date night is required every once in a while.

What do you all do for date night? Does anyone do at home date nights? Feel free to comment below and let us know these married people secrets.

Yummy in my tummy

Hey everyone.

As I mentioned in the last post I am a 'spoil' child. I must follow this up by saying that my parents have provided me with everything that I have ever needed and have looked after my needs as I went through grueling rotations in medical school and also working and studying at a postgraduate level.

Now I know that this is no excuse for not taking care of myself but as I like to say,
I KNOW HOW TO DO IT (in theory). (insert WINK emoji)

The one thing that I always wanted to be good at is cooking and this is the one area that you need to have practical knowledge and no matter how much I observed, I was always nervous.

Now you have to understand that my mom has been hailed as a great cook by all of my family members, friends and even in laws.
 Now that’s tough to follow. I am pretty sure Ronnie thinks that one of the perks of marrying me is that my mom’s food lashes (meaning it tastes good).

So in 2018 I decided that I was going to learn to cook. Of course I could not start with roti and curry.

If the food came out bad and Ronnie tasted it, then there was no turning back. So I started small, I had some themed nights. Italian, Mexican and Indian to just name a few. I would research various recipes after coming up with the theme and then set myself up for the day.

Since our schedules at that time was rather erratic, we would usually have these dinners during the week. So all set, my mom and dad were banned from the kitchen apart from looking over my shoulder to make sure I didn’t serve any raw food and I would do my thing.

Most of the food tasted great, I always judge it based on my brethren’s comments as he is definitely not afraid to tell me the truth. I did have a little mishap with some lemon chicken but let us focus on the positives.

Throwback to 2018 when i made chicken Parmesan!

Fast forward 2 years , I let the training go to the wayside as I had exams and life in general. So I was faced with a dilemma. About to be married and can’t cook apart from maybe some pancakes.

PANIC !!

WE CANT SURVIVE ON PANCAKES ALONE!!!

Add to that the fact that in the quarantine restrictions, we could not order takeout.

I spent the days before the wedding on Pinterest trying to find easy and quick recipes that I could make for my new hubby.

I can proudly say that for the last two months I have survived and so has Ronnie. We have made pancakes, but we have also made chicken parmesan, some chicken tacos, a broccoli mushroom stir-fry and a few other things!

Some sheet pan chicken and vegetables. The easiest meal I ever made.

I have suffered some extremely superficial burns to my hand but those are usually from using the toaster oven to make toast... 

Ohhh yes. I am that clumsy guys,

My culinary journey still continues as I have to learn how to make curry everything and even the Trini Favourite ROTI.

A video of my mom’s tutorial on how to make curry goat can be yours, just please subscribe and message us to receive the full instructional video.

I must shout out my mom and mother in law as they have helped keep both Ronnie and I fed and happy as I sometimes have work duties and I cannot cook. I will have to figure out how people do this in due time! 

A Newlywed Twist

For everyone following along with Ronnie and I would know that this blog has been our chronicle of relatable themes but with our (hopefully) funny personal experiences and some satire.

Today I want to focus a bit on one aspect that is not frequently seen.

A TWIST if you will.

That newlywed time is usually a period where u learn a whole lot about your new partner and their habits. The good, the bad and the ugly (morning breath). It is also a busy time where there is a lot of adjusting, sometimes moving and of course incorporating spending time with your love, on top of busy work schedules and studying. People often do not have the time to do some introspective analysis of themselves and also just bypass anything that they may have noticed.

Thankfully Ronnie has married one that does introspective checks ever so often to help maintain her mental health.

So here we go!

THINGS I HAVE LEARNED ABOUT MYSELF DURING OUR NEWLYWED LIFE

                1. I will give up the last piece of pizza.

                     Ronnie is a bit of a ‘ladoo’ and will sometimes want more than his share of food, I have realised that without knowing it I would usually give him my last morsel on my plate without even a second thought. I am not sure if he is still hungry or if he just wants to harass me and take my piece. Standby for the answer.

At home my brother and I would literally race each other for that last piece of mom’s sweet bread or even her scrumptious macaroni pie.

                 2. I am happy to do chores. 

                     Now for those that personally know me, you would know that I am very very spoiled and my parents did most of my chores for me at home even until right before marriage. My mom always cited my study and school commitments as a reason to not let me do chores and I would happily comply.

I am now happy to wash our clothes, even though sometimes I do it a bit late and we are down to our last pair of underwear (NO we did not skirt the idea or turning inside out and re-wearing). I am also always cognisant of the fact that we need to have food to carry to work and will spend a small portion of time at work trying to look up recipes for quick and easy lunches.

This is me doing chores at 9 am on a Saturday! No one in my family thought this would be possible!

                 3. I will get up early.

                      Ronnie is very much an early bird, as I alluded to in a previous post about morning cuddles. I am definitely not an early riser or even a morning person. My weekend mornings usually consist of me waking up a little late then lazing on my bed browsing social media sites until the aroma of the breakfast my mom made is literally dragging me out of bed like in those Tom and Jerry cartoons.

Nowadays, Ronnie is up and after he does his morning routine then I am up with moderate amounts of hesitation and start my day. This included making us breakfast and tea as well as doing any chores that I can get done early.


There are so so many others including giving him the tv remote to watch the shows that he wants, even though the new season of The Politician is out.

I am sure if he sat down and thought about it, he would also realize the things that he has changed because of me, and I hope he is happy about it.

Of course some of the things that I look for in my introspective analysis is..

AM I STILL ME ???

After 2 months the answer is still yes and I do expect to change over the course of marriage, but my takeaway from this is to be mindful in our marriage.

I will continue to do some introspective work on myself and of course tell Ronnie if I feel like my true self is slipping.

Please note that some of the chores mentioned above will be shared in the future after my hubba bubba finishes his classes and my Ronnie is in full agreement… I think

Thanks for visiting our site. Feel free to comment on if you do anything similar and how it has worked out for you. 

Soaka Street

                In the land of Steelpan and soca, trini culture is unrivaled and envied the world over. Whenever we meet trinis on our travels, we are always excited to share our experiences. When others who have been to Trinidad hear our voices elsewhere, they always recognize the trini 'accent' and identify us. While on a trip to Mexico, while out Zip lining we met a lovely couple from Canada who only had great things to say about Trinidad, about carnival, the food and the music. Not to mention the beautiful beaches, hiking trails and rivers within our twin island state. These situations tend to leave you with immense pride.
                Something we dislike, is when persons think they know your accent and say we are from Jamaica, or identify the Caribbean as Jamaica. It's just a bit disconcerting generalizing it to the Caribbean, kinda like the feeling after you eat a juicy starch mango but the strings get stuck in your teeth. Not that there is anything wrong with Jamaica of course; it is definitely on our list to visit. Dunn River Falls seems like a wonderful place to visit especially if you like nature and hiking.
                We as a couple are steeped in our culture. For carnival season we enjoy attending 'fetes;' these are commonly broken down into 'kooler fetes' and 'all inclusive fetes.' We both grew up on frequently attending the popular season starter 'Tribe Ice' kooler fete. Now roughly twelve years later or so, we reject the stance of our friends who say "leave Tribe Ice to the young people, allyuh married now." 'Fete with the Saints,' is St Mary's College, my alma mater, annual all inclusive fete  and is another popular choice these days.
                 Begrudgingly for the 2020 Carnival season, we sacrificed the cost of attending any fetes in lieu of saving toward our wedding. With all of the events of 2020, not having the wedding we initially planned and in addition to not attending any fetes, we and everyone we know eagerly await the 2021 season and a life back to a semblance of normalcy. Carnival especially gives trini people a unique feeling of freedom that cannot be replicated elsewhere. For those who don't know, you have to experience it to know it, like my partner in marriage who cannot wait to say the same!
                

Pot-hole Capital

                Some say Barbados is the roundabout capital of the Caribbean. I find that funny in trying to wrap my head around that saying. Having visited Barbados, I thought their roads were better maintained than ours. The ironic part is that Trinidad contains the largest natural deposit of Asphalt in the world, known as the La Brea Pitch Lake. In the words of Sir Walter Raleigh having discovered the pitch lake, he said "the pitch is excellent and does not melt in the sun like that from Norway." Despite this, Trinidad is commonly referred to as the 'pot-hole capital' of the Caribbean.
                 Only Caribbean people will understand the rivalry between 'Trinis' and 'Bajans,' as exemplified by the 'flying fish' dispute spanning numerous governments and time immemorial. I would argue frequently with my Bajan freind from medical school in good 'picong' banter. A fine example is he would always say that trinis pronounce the word 'water' wrongly as 'wataa.' I would always argue in defence of my people and counter that bajans over enunciate their 'R' letters. Trinis mouth it out and back me up here. Nevertheless, this is not an expose on the Queen's English nor the trini-bajan rivalry and I won't bore you anymore on that topic here.
                 Trinis make no apologies in noting that this pot-hole reputation is largely thanks to WASA- the Water and Sewerage Authority of Trinidad and Tobago. WASA is known more for its reputation of digging up freshly paved roads, than providing fresh potable water to citizens. It's hard to fathom not having a regular water supply living on an island. This is an example of things not as palatable about life as a Trini and is a different spin on the 'laid-back' island life.. As a tourist economy, trinis sometime experience different receptions when vacationing to other caribbean islands. If you've ever experienced similar circumstances please share with us in the comments below! It's also quite expensive for a trini to vacation within the caribbean; cost of flights alone are a deterrent. '
                  We are excited that with the downturn from Covid that there would be some incentives. We wish to plan a trip post Covid not having had a real honeymoon and Barbados seems like a great option being in such close proximity and having thoroughly enjoyed my previous trip there. So far however we have not seen any encouraging signs  Due to lack of available intra-Caribbean flights and subsequently high costs, trinis frequently prefer to visit New York or Miami that generally are within the same range. As a Caricom member state, it is dissuading that we do not receive any incentives, much like exists in the European Union.
                  Being initially hesitant to post negative thoughts or expressions, i thought it would be remiss of me not to mention that living in an island is not all short pants and slippers behaviour. Having a Pandemic experience gives everyone a chance to reflect on the more important things in life, as the grass is not always greener on the other side. As we like to say here, "yuh can't play mas if yuh 'fraid powder." There are persons who go to the beach and don't swim. Similarly, trinis love a 'river lime' and you always scrutinise carefully the person who does not like or has not been to a river lime. It is just unnatural isn't it?

We live where you vacation

             Living on an island, we literally live where lots of people from around the world come to escape the cold and get some of that renowned tropical weather. Personally, I get sunburnt to a crisp quite easily and I tend to hide from the sun. But even the all-penetrating rays cannot stop me when i play mas, even though I imagine I look like what a brown 'oompa loompa' would at the end of it all. Contemporarily, with Covid-19 there is talk of having Carnival next year with face masks which to me doesn't add up. As the saying goes, 'common sense eh so common.' This is just another activity we love doing here on this twin island republic that seems struck down by Covid, sighhh.
             On the horizon however, as the number of reported cases seem to be under control for the time being, the country has gradually reopened the economy and allowed public activities in a commendable manner. We were able recently to take a drive to the beach down Toco and inhale some long awaited fresh sea breeze. This was the extent of the excursion however, as we were not quite as comfortable taking that sinus clearing early morning dip into the water, as granny likes to remind us. There is just something about a road trip on an island to the beach; it's not to be taken for granted as I'm sure readers living on large continental masses can concur.
             Another aspect we absolutely love about living on an island is the availability of fresh coconut water cut on the spot. I can down a coconut in one go, whereas my wife would enjoy with a straw. The jelly from the coconut is also not to be forgotten, and I relish mixing the jelly in the water and indulging as a most revitalizing snack. Popularly sold around the Queen's Park Savannah for ten dollars per nut, Coconut Water is preyed upon as a chaser when having a drink of Scotch and is also used to help relieve the ensuing hangover. In Trinidad, we are lucky to have 'street vendors' selling coconuts at fairly regular points along frequented roads.
             Another popularly used 'reviver' after the occasional hangover is a local 'fish broth' made watery and topped with sliced carrots and ochro among other things, depending on preference. Just writing about it gets the salivary enzymes and juices flowing! It's a quick and fairly easy meal to make and is popular among limes and Sundays. For more hangover tips feel free to let us know in the comments below. It's all a part of the laid back island life; don't judge us just as we won't judge people who go to sleep on their beds with their shoes on 😐.
           
             

Cereal Rituals

              When do habits become ritual? I don't know the difference but what does it matter anyway. Being just a tad obsessive compulsive, it should come as no surprise that I have rituals myself. My morning rituals include having tea (after I brush my teeth, most times, of course 😇) before i go to the washroom. If you find that to be 'tmi,' most men would tell you that toilet time is very important to them, especially the timing. If you've ever had traveller's constipation you would know. The longer the flight it seems the worse the impact being a Wanderluster and having been on varying length flights. From the domestic twenty minute trip from Piarco to Crowne Point, to a whopping fifteen and a half hour flight from Johannesberg South Africa (JNB) to JFK. For the next week, that was the most amount of fibre I have ever eaten!
                 Enter my new wife and fortunately or unfortunately, only then it dawned upon us the stark contrast of our morning rituals. Being a morning person, I generally wake up early and get my day started, whereas my wife is not a morning person at all and loves to sleep in. When she does wake up she has to have her morning cereal every day, as well as tea before she can really get cracking. The transition from being alone to sharing our mornings is a process that takes time, and is still ongoing. It can only really take place when living together. I hereby proclaim that she has now learnt to wake up earlier during the week 😈. Having moved forty minutes further with traffic dependence from her workplace, this was more by necessity than a choice. We have also adapted to an earlier bedtime as a consequence. Overall, our adjustment has been smooth so far and I can say quite congenial. We welcome you to join the club!
            

My Night Nurse ~ Gregory Isaacs

           My nephew Tanveer, five years and change, has a lot of tendencies that remind me a lot of myself. Naturally, he is the source of lots of joy in my family. Kids are the energizer bunnies in lots of peoples worlds today and Veer is no exception. Whenever there's a birthday in the family this undisputed cake cutter somehow expects Bouncy Castle, presents and a Pinata no matter who's birthday it is. Just like his favourite aunty, Hunny has grown fond of his Aunty Kams so much so he wonders what she is doing when she is on call seeing the ICU babies at nine pm at night. While attempting to explain why she does this yet never comes home with any babies, Veer now calls her my "Night Nurse." I don't think that was the intended interpretation of the song but oh well.
          If you've ever partied with anyone as cool as my dad and have been introduced to or know about Rockers music then cheers to you mate! Rockers is a form of Reggae music started in the 1970's as reggae versions of well known love songs and made mainstream by the likes of Gregory Isaacs and Eddie Lovette among others. Unfortunately, its popularity has dwindled with changing tastes in music but thankfully some of the most  popular tracks can be found on Youtube if you know what to look for. This is a great way to pass the time if you bored at home because of the pandemic.
           Now some other activities you can do may skim the intended meaning of the entitled phrase, if you know what i mean, but we'll keep this popcorn friendly. Notwithstanding our limited experience in marriage so far, things such as massaging your loved ones feet after a long day at work, or a back rub when it hurts go a long way in showing that little bit of extra love and attention. Rubbing the knees, especially when you get that feeling that rain is going to fall is more predictive of the weather these days than some meteorologists track records locally. It really are the small things that count!  

Love fern OR Love shadon beni

Hey everyone!
Happy Corpus Christi!

Hubby and I were lucky to be off for this public holiday and anyone who works in the Healthcare service knows what a wonderful coincidence this can be, akin to the stars being aligned!!

So on this rainy Thursday morning I turned in bed to get some early morning cuddles ( please comment if you agree that these are the best) only to see my hubby wide awake and ready to get out of bed. Uugghhh.
So we got up and was greeted by my mom who gladly announced that they are giving away free soil and planting pots in the savannah!!

Now Ronnie and I were not very enthusiastic about this news as we don't have a green thumb but more likely an orange thumb from eating nacho tortillas ! In addition to this the only thing I have successfully grown are boobs and maybe that red bean plant in primary school.
nevertheless, my dad bundled us into the car and exclaimed LET'S GO!
We arrive at the savannah a few minutes later and there is noone in sight! We have been duped! We have been tricked!!
We still asked around to make sure the 'free-ness' was not in another location.
Mildly disappointed about our trek we joked in the car that my mom just said that to get our three lazy bums out of the house! HMMM😒

Alas, empty handed we decided to drive down the main road and after finding a plant shop we went in and bought some shadon beni and chive seedlings. At the pant shop i could not help remember the love fern from the movie how to lose a guy in 10 days. I am definately calling this our love shandon beni! lol

Armed with some YouTube knowledge from my dad, we potted the plants and was feeling very proud of ourselves!

That entire day the possibilities of these 3 potted seasoning plants exploded in my mind.

Will they grow?
How fast will they grow?
Can we plant more?
How sustainable is this?
How.much can I reduce my food bill?
If some nacho tortillas get on them will they still grow?


These questions ran through my mind and made us very excited!

The next day the idea of sustainability was still ever present but this time I realized that most of these questions could be asked about marriage.

How can we sustain our marriage?

How do we keep our love as fresh and exciting as it is now?

How fast will our family grow?

How much will this increase my bills?

If I get nacho tortilla chips on the kids will they still grow?

My mind raced a mile a minute! I suddenly became aware of my fast heart rate and I could feel a little tightness in my chest. As I tried to calm down from my self made anxiety attack, my hubby walked into the room and flashed those perfectly positioned, pearly white smile at me and everything just melted away. I was still aware of my heart rate but this time I could hear his name with every beat .
I then realised that although we can't predict the future, we have been through soo much already that I was worrying needlessly.
 We have survived 2 job changes, a postgraduate medical specialization program, a thesis, 2 wedding postponements and of course , a PANDEMIC!

For all of those out there that are wondering the same questions or are at the point in marriage where things are a little mundane, just remember that all we can do is choose to keep loving and committing to your partner. The chips will always fall where they should!

A picture of us at a work party. I was a tiny bit upset with him because we were super late, but he's cute so i forgave him
 
If anyone has any marriage advice feel free to comment below.

Love is finding the person you could annoy / be annoyed by for the rest of your life

              Living together you learn the quirkiest parts of each other's personalities, as well as the strangest behavioural tendencies. Growing weird together, or should I say the admission to be weird together, is a pleasantly surprising and fullfilling process; much more than people are willing to admit, I wager. The beautiful part about this for us is not having to hide or have any reservations about our most uncanny eccentricities. One feels as free as a bird soaring in the sky when they discover the one meant for each other.
              My OCD tendencies are one of my traits that i'd generally try to hide from persons who don't know me. I mean, who on a first date would be okay with showing their guest how many times you have to check for your wallet, phone and keys right? These can sometimes be quite manifest, yet oddly enough with my wife it never was a concern for me at any point during our relationship. As a matter of fact, she now mischievously harasses me whenever she sees it in any form by making it worse. For example, how i like to have my books organised precisely like ducks in a row, she'd make sure to put at least a couple out of line just because. Somehow, we both end up laughing about it afterwards.
               I haven't quite figured out how to exact my revenge yet, other than sitting in her spot on the couch and on the bed without moving just as she is about to sit there . You can try this at home to learn how not moving could be way me energy intensive than you can imagine. Any suggestions of other things I can do are most welcome. My wife loves doing cute things like cuddling and the such like, and every time my brother in law sees us he'd give us that look we all know like "what the heck is wrong with you guys." (Big-up to the 'Real' Janesh... (running inside joke.) In stark contrast, anytime my sisters see us they're always like "ya'l are so cute.. (blows bubblegum voice)." Men, we may be winning some battles, but we are definitely losing the war; we need to stick together!

Mango Season

            This time of year in Trinidad and Tobago is commonly known as 'Mango Season.'
Have you ever peeled a mango using your bare teeth? If you cut mangoes with a knife you're wasting time bro. Trini Dentists recommend peeling mango with your teeth- it helps get in those hard to reach spaces and serves as a good source of fibre. (I hope you're accustomed to the satire by now, lol.) Trust me, we would know as we have many types of mangoes, some undocumented including Julie, Starch, Doux-Doux, Long Mango, Kalabash and Ten Pound. In short Trinidad is a haven for mango lovers; in fact my late nanny (grandmother) would make sure she booked a flight from her residence in Miami to Port of Spain during mango season.

            Another delicacy we love is 'chow,' with mango being one of the favourite types used. Other popular choices are plum, pommerac, and pineapple. Some people even like chow with apple and grapes, mouth watering! Let us know some of your favourite chow options in the comments below. Needless to say, being newlyweds qaurantined at home, chow is a frequent snack on our tables almost every sunday just like a staple. Not solely because home is a warm village setting with access to lots of mangoes and plums, thanks Vivake! (and Lisa). Oft this would be an activity where we would hand pick the ingredients ourselves including mangoes, plums and bandania (chadon-beni seasoning.) (Note we will however peel the ingredients using a knife as it is being shared, least not because of Covid-19.)

              Our piquant mango chow home made with seasoning from  freshly picked bandania

       If you're not however using the mango for chow, by all means strengthen those teeth. Trinis specialise in finishing a bucket of mangoes in record time. Our local delicacies will leave you licking your fingers. We also use mangoes for 'mango-shots' with a little added tequila. This may or may not be indulged as early as lunchtime. Hey don't judge, we're on 'Homeymoon' remember. 😉

The things we learn in Quarantine boredom

        I've already told you guys about our grocery escapades. Stemming from this we got items to cook and eat. Cooking serves as a lot of peoples' pastimes and if it's one thing "trinis" love it is our bellies. We could have our own Food Network, with a literal melting pot of foods unique to our cosmopolitan society. We will delve into our cooking achievements in another post, because I'd like to report more than just being able to hard boil eggs. But as the famous Benjamin Franklin once said, "Beware the hobby that eats."
        As my mother-in-law likes to tell her, my wife has "hot-foot." No, this does not mean burning feet as in a literal interpretation; trust me, we've checked. It is a colloquial term meaning someone who likes to go out a lot. Detained at home however, we quickly learn personal things about each other that may not have diffused as rapidly under normal circumstances. For example, my wife likes when I speak to her in silly words and gibberish sometimes. Is that weird? It makes her laugh. I'm hoping that she just thinks i'm cute and it has nothing to do with her being a paediatrician and working with babies all the time. Drop a comment if you think that's strange or otherwise. No seriously, comment cause I really wanna know.
         We've evidently learnt that we love being weird with each other, because being normal is just boring. In the words of one of my favourite authors Paulo Coelho, "A relationship where you can be weird together is your best choice." Some activities we enjoy are quite normal such as Netflix and Chill, and walking the doggies together. We relish reading the newspapers together and would frequently message to ask the other to pickup one on the way home. On the other hand, we have varying tastes in television  entertainment and occasionally there would be a third world war to determine who gets the TV remote (no kidding.)

Sometimes
one
just
desires
 some
 space
 to oneself,
 if only to yawn.
🙊😊

Life is short, Lick the Bowl!

           When my second sister got married, (shoutout @ IG: @mrslianalrp) I thought "Finally, I get all of mummy's delectable sweets to myself." In Trinbago we like to say "yuh cya be late twice," but was I late in realizing that not only will my wife also get sweets, but she would also be higher in the pecking order than me. This is commonly done in such new relationships as a form of "Dular" that helps to build the bond between daughter and mother-in-law.
             It was a fine Covid-19 weekday evening. I got home after a busy day attending to patients in the health centre, but my new Dulahin was still on leave. Mom was making dad's favorite "mixed sponge and fruit cake." (For this recipe please let us know in the comments below and we will gladly share with you.) It was at the stage just finished being mixed and this is when I would usually get the basin and beaters to lick the batter. You can judge all you like, but if your mom's hand was as good as mine you'd do it too! Lo and behold this darned wife of mine got the basin and beater handed to her. I did not sign up for this. This was nowhere in the vows. Though she was kind enough to share with me, this shall forever stain my memory (Just kidding 😋)

                       
                 Boy do i love my mom's Fudge. The best part is eating the cooled melted caramel form having just come out of the pot... mouth watering! Sharing is a big part of the bond of marriage. It represents one way to show growth and sacrifice in the relationship. Some of the other things I have learnt to share with my wife (or currently in the process of learning) are:

• Bed space: get the King- the bed is NEVER big enough.

• Shower: it's true that some mammals are more warm blooded than others. My wife loves the water hot like a sauna so I try to use it before her when it is cooler. (Hey guys what's up with women and steaming hot showers???)

• A trini favourite, the Hammock: get accustomed to sharing now because even if you get her a hammock of her own, she will without doubt want to be in the one that you are in! (Don't tell her I said that.)

I would find you in any lifetime ~ Kanye West

        Strolling through the grocery together, masks and disinfectant in tow, is one of those exercises that help you realize you were meant for each other. You know like when you both unintentionally reach for the same jar of ice-cream or the same pack of hot-dogs, the smiles this brings we understand harbors pure love for one another; which we could see even through the multiple filtering face masks.
        During this Covid Lockdown period, doing groceries was one of those essential services people did as an excuse to get out of being in the house all the time. Truth be told, our grocery Tru-Valu even provided a wonderfully efficient WhatsApp pickup service, yet we found ourselves having to make a grocery run at least once per week. Considering that we both are Essential Workers and weren't stuck in the house as much as other people, this was us basically living out our honeymoon activities going to a different restaurant every night given the circumstances. Except it wasn't the restaurant. It was the grocery. The same grocery. All the time. 😆 In local 'Trini' parlance, this is an apt moment for the use of the term "laugh or cry."
         We made the best out of a cornered situation. Just like my friend Vish would say about him and his wife turning their Sunday evening Gas runs into a cool weekend drive. To cheat the saying a little, Love is in the eye of the beholder. Whether or not Kanye needs help finding Kim in any lifetime is debatable because of you know what. If you spend enough quality time with your significant other like we have there is naught to be found because you feel so connected and undivided, it's as if you've been together all of your lifetimes!

Photo cred: IG: @trisharags1981

Born to Socially Distance

          Not exactly your typical introverts, there may have been some benefits of having a Covid Wedding, other than the cost savings of course.
Not having to greet that long lost aunty not seen since before Trump became president, and hear her boisterously comment on who gained weight;
neither "Tanty Baby" who likes to whisper about everyone's business, is a relief to most communal type families.
           If you prefer late night Netflix and movies compared to going out clubbing then you may be an apple not far from our tree. Being stuck at home apparently under duress was the perfect blanket to cover both of our antisocial tendencies. I mean, even millenials get that putting on pajamas after work at 6pm represents a menial freedom forsaken by the 80's kids.
           It also gave us lots of time together. We will share more of our experiences together with you guys on this blog. Be sure to let us know what areas or topics are your favourites and it will be posted! Getting to know your partner while living together is definitely different to knowing each other for several years before that.

For us, this was not something to be taken for granted as both of us are Essential Workers. I had to put on my Superhero Scrubs and report to work after our day much sooner than I would have liked as all pre-approved leave had been cancelled due to the pandemic. For those of us who know, we take a Round of applause for that!

"Homeymoon"

HEY everyone. 

          We told you all about our wedding and the tortuous and uncertain path we took, but now that we are married and wake up every morning to each other, we promise the blog will take a happier note. The happiest note is of course the wedding, and for many couples the honeymoon takes a great importance in the commencement of their lives together. It’s the trip that couples always remember as that one trip where it is always about love and starting your marriage off with just a relaxation period after a hectic stint of wedding planning.

           As you can tell from the trend in this blog, our honeymoon was cancelled due to (stupid) COVID 19.
          We are wanderlusters even before we met each other. We travelled to quite a few places on our own and this just solidified the inherent need to explore and learn about new cultures.

                                   

On a Eurotrip and of course stopping at the famous Eiffel Tower. 

 Camps Bay, South Africa

Reynisfjara, black sand beach just outside the town of Vik, Iceland.

Skógafoss waterfall ,Iceland.

Our wanderlusting (and budget restrictions) led us to plan a trip to Cancun, Mexico. I would always picture white sand, blazing sun, mojitos and of course my hubby and I just lounging by the beach eating all the food. lol

           I was determined to not let the dream and the spirit of our honeymoon be diminished!! We had a week before work restarted, it was gonna be AWESOME!

Enter the HOMEYMOON experience!!!

We did a variety of activities that were very much like the actual honeymoon and resort experience:

• .       We ate and drank our bellies full of exotic food and drinks, with quite a ‘crowd’ of people. They were just immediate family members and we had curry duck and paratha for lunch! We drank a mix of white oak rum and Malibu which was surprisingly not bad. 

          (Interesting tidbit: White Oak rum is a smooth Caribbean white rum produced locally here in              Trinidad and Tobago by an internationally renowned rum company, Angostura.)

• .       We spent the night (well at least part of it..cough cough) looking at stars and we actually saw two shooting stars! We both made wishes about the future of our family and what we would want our love to look like in the years to come.

• .       We did a couples cooking class, Even though we have the combined culinary talent of a five year old with a plastic knife, we found some simple recipes online (will link them to the blog) and made a chicken parmesan pasta that wasn’t half bad. (Please note there were no visits to the hospital and no cuts and bruises during this exercise.)

• .       Couple’s massage….. (lets keep this pg.. wink wink)

Underscoring all of these activities we talked about our future our plans for our family and how we were going to live this ‘new normal’, aka covid and married life.

Look out for our future posts about our double whammied ‘new normal’.

Having a Hindu Wedding During a World Health Emergency- Oh the nerve! (Part 3)

      At the very least to maintain our sanity we kept our wedding date this time. Thank God for small mercies. The Pundit agreed to perform a home ceremony at the Dulahin's residence, once we kept the numbers down to the stipulated five. Photography  was present under 'Social Distancing' conditions. Our encouraging and loving families made preparations and decorations to make 25th April 2020 a very memorable one for us given the conditions.

     
            Looking at my wife walk toward me in her traditional red wedding outfit for the first time made everything that happened before worth it.  Worth the wait of our delayed dates. Worth the sacrifices of the events. She looked absolutely stunning!! It was the most beautiful sight I have ever seen and gave us all memories we will cherish forever. Performing the ceremony and walking around that fire is one of the greatest blessings for Hindus. There were no regrets and if this Pandemic were to last one year longer our advice to couples to be would be to follow their hearts and get married!

Having a Hindu Wedding During a World Health Emergency- Oh the nerve! (Part 2)

          Our wedding was cancelled for the second time in one year. Was it not meant to be? Was God trying to send us a message? The mind unfolds like a reel of film let loose on the floor.
We cried. We prayed. We visited our Pundit looking for divine inspiration. Popular Hindu Wedding songs heard instantly made the place one of gloom and despair. We were given the option of a Table Wedding. In Hinduism, a "Table Wedding"  reduces the rituals and ceremonies involved in a traditional Hindu wedding celebration to a much shorter, condensed and simplified form done with the parties and priest all sitting at a table.Needless to say, this left a sour taste in our mouths.
          This process started with the cancellations: the Temple, Wedding Planner, Reception Venue, Designer, Photographer, Videographer, Makeup Artists, Entertainment, Caterers, etc. With each phone call our enthusiasm thawed away. Honeymoon plans had to be postponed indefinitely. For two persons with a great Wanderlust for travel, this came as another blow. There was no emotional reserve left to complete one's obligatory tasks with work, school and to adequately consider the ramifications of the causative Covid-19 as a Global Pandemic. This was to come whether prepared for it or not, and is still significantly affecting populations worldwide today.

Having a Hindu Wedding During a World Health Emergency- Oh the nerve! (Part 1)

      It was April 2019. Our wedding date was set: August 11th 2019. Sad news at that time of the passing of my fiance's patriarchal relative held even more significance for us as Hindus.
     Fast forward to early 2020, we were adamant that nothing would stop us from getting married this time around. Dates were set for April 2020; Vendors and Venues were booked.
 (NB: we had no idea how commercialized planning and having a wedding has become. If you would like to hear more about that just let us know and we can post about it.)
Invitations were sent out and with each envelope delivered our excitement grew that much more.
    March 2020. Well, you know what they say about being careful what you wish for. The first case of Covid-19 arrived  on the shores of our small twin island nation. With it came reeling back all the feelings of sadness and disappointment of the August gone by. We felt defeated. We felt betrayed. Tears ran down the faces where makeup and glamour was supposed to be. Temples were closed. Restrictions were indefinite. Public gatherings were prohibited. Now if you've had any experience with Hindu Weddings you'd know that arguably one word that can be used to describe Hindu Weddings is "Public." Who would think one would ever have to consider getting married "illegally."
Check out our awesome wedding invitation video below. We didn't get to use the video as we would have wanted, but we still get excited everytime we look at it.
(PS: thanks to my two lovely sisters for making this video. Shoutout to Trisha and Lisa.)

Who are We

 My wife Kamlaa and I were married in a quiet wedding ceremony at her home on the 25th of April 2020.
It was following country wide lockdown restrictions.
There were a maximum of five persons present: bride, groom, priest and parent included.
A lot of things have been said of the Coronavirus Pandemic worldwide, but nothing could have taught us how to cope with such restrictions for your own wedding. 
Especially when you were looking forward to celebrating this accomplishment for 2 years now. Especially when your families are Hindu and such weddings are traditionally celebrated with numerous festivities over three to twenty one days (depending on where you hail from).
They usually involve large crowds, family travelling from all over the world, lots of hugs, kisses and dancing. In short, everything you can't do during a global pandemic.
In this blog, I will try to bring some semblance of normalcy to a not so normal newlywed life and hopefully encourage others who aspire along a similar path.