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 😐.