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some interactions with locals here in Barbados:
1. A bum pretending to paint while on the beach tries to sell me a fake painting for $750.
2. After dodging a jewelry selling beach bum lady, a weed selling beach bum guy, and just a plain old bum asking for money, a beach bum tries to sell me some aloe vera. I said no. "Can I rub some on you? You'll like it?" "No, thanks." (Following me) "Do you like boys or girls." "Girls." "Can I rub some on your special place?" "No, bye." (Still following me). "Leave me alone!!" "Let me take you out in the woods. Are you frightened? Are you frightened?" (This was in public in front of lots of people btw).
3. I enter the fast food joint. The 2 ladies at the cash register just stand there talking to one another for 3 minutes. Finally one comes to me and says, "Sorry, we're closed." "When do you open?" "5 minutes." I left. The beach bums are all over me for my money but the fast food people, who don't benefit directly by working any harder or selling anything, refuse to serve me.
4. "Hello, this is the Barbados Wildlife Reserve." "Hi, what time do you close?" "Quarter to tree." "Can you give me directions from the Warrens area?" "Ok, first you pass Seesaw Motors." "Can you spell that?" "S..i..m..p..s..o..n.. Then you Seesaw post." "Can you spell that, sorry?" "S..i..g..n..p..o..s..t.. Keep going straight." "On what road?" "Highway." "Ummmm, let me get my dad. He's more familiar with the island." "No that's ok, I have to go <click>." Huh?
5. "I'll take the vegetable samosa." (30 minutes later. My brother and father are finished eating). "Sorry we are out of vegetable samosas."
6. (bum points at me then rubs his upper lip) "What?" "Do you snort?" "No."
7. Everyday when the internet randomly stops working, I call the 1 phone company and I hear this every 30 seconds: "We appreciate your business. Please stay on the line. The moment an agent becomes available your call will be dal twus." Dal twus. Dal twus. Dal twus. (Dialed to us).
8. Bum pointing at my dad while we are in the ocean. "Want to buy some jewelry?" "WHAT!!!?!??!?!?" My dad screamed, pissed off. "Want to buy some jewelry?" "IF I WANTED TO BUY JEWELRY I WOULD GO TO A JEWELRY STORE!!!!!?!!!1!" "Hahaha, is that your dad?" (He recognized me). My dad then proceeded to follow the bum down the beach until he met up with, yep, the fake painting bum. "Would you like to purchase a painting?" We got a good rude laugh out of that.
9. The maid demanded to let the washing machine fill up with water first before she put in the clothes. "But the clothes go in before you start the water." She babbled some incoherent words. "Whatever." Later that day she broke the washing machine dial on accident.
10. "Hi, my name is John. The internet is doing it's daily crash. Do you know when it will be up?" "What area do you live in?" "High Park." "Sorry we are experiencing difficulty in that particular area." "Oops, I meant Prior Park." "We are experiencing difficulty in that particular area." "When will the internet be back up?" "I don't know. Thank you for your call <click>."
11. "Hello Mr. Lattier, I am returning a call you placed on Saturday about the internet not working." "Hi, actually I placed a call on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday as well." "What seems to be the problem?" "I keep getting error 732." "Ok thank you goodbye <click.>" Hello?
12. For every mile I drive, I come across about 5 cars stopped in the middle of the road so people can chat with pedestrians. Also cars randomly pull out in front of you, or stop randomly in front of you. Even the people in the grocery store act like that. They'll just block your path and stare off into space with a blank gaze. "Excuse me." They don't even budge. They'll also cut you off, just walk right in front of you as you are walking, then stop and just stand there blankly.
Otherwise I have enjoyed this 6-week trip. The water is wooooooooonderful! I got to see a monkey catch a giant moth and also it broke open a rotten stick and ate the ants that poured out. I got to see slugs that are 1 foot long and weigh over 1 pound (poisonous). The tree frogs at night make beautiful music, unless you try to sleep then it's annoying. The Atlantic coast is amazing, with enormous rocks that the waves crash on, sending oceanspray 40 feet into the air. I have enjoyed it, but I have learned to appreciate a lot about the United States:
-air conditioning
-competent customer service
-police presence
-roadway courtesy
-television
-high speed internet
-friends
-family (but i'll miss my dad)
I definitely would recommend Barbados to anyone wanting a warm & relaxing caribbean vacation.
_________________
RIP Shiloh - I'll never forget ya
Last edited by Whisp on Sun Oct 24, 2004 2:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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