Bakes….and nuff more
OK, you know one of the things I like about blogging is how sponatneous it can be sometimes. As much as I try to be a pretty organized individual, I find that in life some of the stuff that can really bring us enjoyment are the spur of the moment things that we can get into. Feel free to agree or disagee with me, and I’m sure I don’t need to give you hard examples. Just stretch your imagination. Anyway, I am rambling.
I was reading a post over at the Bajan bredrin JDid (who I need to add to my links…..hold strain dude…..it will be done in time) and his post reminded me of an experience I had while in Tobago.
Now, one of the things that I find pretty interesting is the various names that people from the different islands of the Caribbean have for the same things. I wonder if that would change if we were one united Caribbean without the sea between our shores? That I suppose is the topic of another post. Feel free to take it on BTW, I’m sure we could all fill up the comment box with our own thoughts. Again…I straying from the point! Worse, this is post number two for the day…..
The Sunday morning when I was to return home to Jamrock from Tobago, I had to wake well early to catch the BWIA flight that was scheduled to leave at 7:40 AM. We were told that we should reach airport ’bout 90 minutes before scheduled departure. So fine, reach airport by 6-6:10, we shoulda kriss. Now, I need to tell you that Saturday nite into morning was our banquet which is the culmination of the conference. Man, I dance so ’till me had to tek off jacket and tie, pull buttons pon shirt etc. The only thing my shirt would have needed to be washed was soap…it was drenched in sweat from the dancing me and a Jamaican sistren Dermatologist who living in the UK was putting down. Music did sweet and Appleton VX (carried from home) was a flow! Anyhow, at 1:30 AM the DJ nuh lock down!
Went and paid hotel bill before hitting the shower and dropping into a deep sleep…tiyad from dancing with headache from the lika. Phone in de hotel room rings at 5 AM (wake up call)…I am like…..a who de rass a phone me now…forget seh me travelling. Taxi suppose to come to pick us up at 5:45……..If you can indulge further then click more nuh…..cause more deh deh fe tell…
Jump up outta bed and head for the bathroom…..no time for the three S’s…only two. Let’s say I didn’t shave. Eventually mek it to the airport in about 15 minutes…well within the time for departure. Check in not too long, only about six people inna de line…cool. However, check in is verrrrrry sloooooow! So, being a bit puzzled I ask someone at the check in what a gwaan…is nearly 20 minutes we inna de line and all now no movement a tek place. Flight nuh departing at 7:40 and you seh you close flight 40 minutes prior to departure? Is almost 7:00 now. My girl quite casually replies…”The flight delayed!” Just so. No apology. “How delayed is it? We have BWIA connection to catch in Antigua and the time between the flights is only about an hour.” She replies suppem like, “I ent too know. I jus know it delayed!” (So much for BeeWee Customer Service!)
Anyway, eventually we check in. Manual search of the luggage tek place. We are then sent to pay Departure Tax. $75TT or suppem like $12 US. I doh have nuh TT dollars, so I give de feisty bwoy behind the window US $20. Him push out change gimme in TT. I tell him I nuh want the TT, I leaving there now. I want my change in US. ‘You can tek it to the bank and change it!” Then a Trini girl in the line to pay Departure Tax seh, “Eh, he ‘ent know seh the bank in the airport shet on Sunday? This is Tobago. Not Trinidad!” So, I getting even more pissed along with the other Jamaicans who tekking the flight. I give the TT change to a bredrin to put towards his payment.
We make it through security and end up in the depature lounge at gate 3. No BWIA plane in sight. Hunger start…man wake from 5AM, is after 8 now, not even a cuppa tea to rahtid. Gas tek up you belly, flight late and everyting jus adding up on the vexation. You ever hear seh a hungry man is a angry man?
Someone comes into the Departure Lounge after us with suppem eating that she bought from a place across the road from the airport. One of the female drug reps goes up to her and explains our predicament, she tells her what it is and where she can get it. Its a ‘bake’ and they put red herring with onions and ‘ting inna it. Doh sound too bad at all under the circumstances. Drug rep who we know well from yard offers to buy ’bout five of us a ‘bake’ for breakfast with orange juice. One of mi bredrins offers to follow her…she one may not be able to carry everyting. We happy. When they exiting the Departure Lounge, Security bwoy come big up him chest….”Where you think you going lady?” She replies, “We are going across the road to get something to eat. After all, the one food place in the airport is closed.” He replies, “Sorry Maam, you in the sterile area. Nowhere in the world that you travel can you leave the sterile area once you enter it…unless is to go in the plane!” I buss out inna one big laugh and one of our posse says to him, “Clearly Sir, you need to travel outside of Tobago!”
Eventually, he gives in. I mean, after all, all they have to do is go through the scanner etc. a second time when they return….duuuh!
About 15 minutes later they return with the food. Still no sign of the BeeWee flight. I am handed my ‘bake’. I open it….to see nutten inside. BTW, the bake essentially is like a light Johnny cake that is fried. It is about the size of a burger bun and they slice it open sort of like a sandwich. JDid says it is the same thing we call ‘Festival’ here. Me nuh tink so rude bwoy. Anyway, I naw fight you. The principle of making it I suppose, is similar. They are both fried and have flour in them. Festival have cornmeal and some sugar as well (I think…)
Anyway, as me well raw now and ready to get down inna de bake, I open it to look for the red herring……Rass!! I doh see nutten but the dry bake! So hear me, “Wait, after nutten nuh inna it!” They all look at me very puzzled and then start to check their own. Same ‘ting. Dry bake. She decides dat it naw go so…she going back. So, out thru Security a second time with the bakes that have nutten in dem. About ten minutes later, she returns with bakes with herring in them. She says she asked the girl in the restaurant what happen to the herring. She said the girl tell her, ‘You get what you ordered. You seh you want five bakes. You never say you want herring bake!”
Lawks, I tiyad of saying that communication is one of the world’s biggest problems.
Needless to say, she had to pay more money to get herring and eventually, we were able to belch the gas off we belly. As for BeeWee, they finally departed some two hours behind schedule. When we reach Antigua….weh de connection? It gone lef we long time. But, I will leave that saga for another time. Caribbean living…..whichever island, bwoy it never has a dull moment!
November 24th, 2004 at 12:08 am Dr. D. what an escapade! I’ve gone through similar experiences but leaving Jamaica where there wasn’t the challenge of mixed up communication. When I travel I always have bottled water and crackers or something like that in my purse, just in case of events like what you had. Man, I need my coffe first thing in the morning, and if not that food. IF no food then you’re f–ked. But at least you tore it up on the dance floor and sounded as if you had a blast.
November 24th, 2004 at 5:42 am Travelling around this Caribbean is never dull.Never had any bad experience with BWIA but LIAT is a whole different story.And yeah festival is not the same thing that we in the Eastern Caribbean call bakes
November 24th, 2004 at 6:51 am LOL, I can well imagine this one doc. Thing is though Trini bake different from bajan bakes too ya kno.
November 24th, 2004 at 7:09 am Sunshine, perhaps I should continue the travel story from arrival in Antigua at another time! Yes, more deh deh fe tell.
November 24th, 2004 at 7:24 am I know exactly what you mean about the communication thing. I realise that a lot of things are similar across the Caribbean (including some of the not so good stuff). Air J was a joke the last time I travelled. Going to Baltimore with connection in Mobay. Made sure the agent booked us with about 2 hours to spare cause mi nuh inna di run down plane ting. Anyway flight from Kgn delayed by 1 hour. Still have time. Get on the plane and strap in wait 1/2 hour nothing going on. Announcement “the pilot has asked maintenance to change a nose gear tyre”. (Wid everybody sitting in the plane). 1 hour later “we are waiting on the paperwork from maintenance”. Connection to Baltimore to leave at the time we are just leaving Kingston. Asked the flight attendant how will the people going to catch the Baltimore flight be treated since it should have left long time. Flight attendant smiles and says” Don’t worry, the Baltimore flight will be waiting on you when you get there. See the Baltimore crew sitting behind you.” I just laugh. Yuh know say dat mek for a very nasty flight cause all the people on the plane in Mobay waiting vex too cuz dem sitting and waiting just as long as we. I had 4 flights last year and every one was delayed.
November 24th, 2004 at 7:47 am Don’t get me wrong though, Air J will always be my airline of choice. As long as they are operating I will fly them.
November 24th, 2004 at 7:50 am You and me Scratchie!
November 24th, 2004 at 8:15 am THink in Guyana they call bakes floats. I liken them more to a mini pita bread with a festival taste. The best part about them is that the part of the festival/Johnny Cake that I dont like - the doughy middle - is missing!!!! Made them once, but handling flour (be it bread, roti, festival) is a fery special skill, that usually comes wit experience! Travel in the region….no comment - delays from hours to days… on all of dem!!!! I have flown every one of the airlines in the region - including the 2 seater charters (2 seats as in you and the pilot!!!
November 24th, 2004 at 12:48 pm Buoy, me really have to laugh at this story, and I had heard most of it already verbally… good one, my yute. Re the late airlines, I doh have tons of experience, but so far Cayman Airways never late me yet still… Air J has done me bad a time or two but its the little piece of Jamaica that flies, you done know. If they go where I am going and its not inconvenient to do so, is them me flying…
November 25th, 2004 at 1:35 am What an adventure - interesting to learn the differences in the islands. I’m really looking forward to the visit we are having there in a couple months! (so, you reccommend herring bake, ‘eh — I just may try it!)