Bajans and Cricket: A Love Affair — But They Hate the Rain!
1. Bajans are peace-lovers. I live in the lively St Lawrence Gap. I hear street noise, sure. But I never hear yelling or witness violence. Never.
2. Bajans love cricket. Such an elegant sport this is, the way they break for tea and all. Gary Sobers (Sir Gary Sobers) is a national hero. Children start cricket very young and by the time they’re grown they’ve become as fanatical as Americans are about their ridiculous and violent game of football.
3. No one is exempt from the slow service Bajan waiters give. It’s not about you — not about you being white or a tourist or an “ugly” American — or anything else. Enjoy the pace … yeah, I know it’s not easy being Type A in a Type B culture. Once you get used to it, though, you’ll see it’s good for your health.
4. Bajan waiters won’t bring a check until you ask for it. At the end of your meal, don’t sit there fuming about not getting a check; ask for it already. Your waiter is not being neglectful; he/she just doesn’t want to rush you.
5. Bajans hate the rain. This tickles the former San Franciscan in me! Even though rain showers in Barbados come – and then depart – very quickly, even Bajans in the sea (um, where it’s wet) leave the sea to seek cover. Outdoor concerts stop as patrons will scatter for cover. Streets empty as people crowd beneath overhangs… even those who have umbrellas.
Bajans’ Characteristics … One More!
Bajans are blunt. My husband hadn’t been to see his 94-year-old dad for a while, so we stopped by his dad’s home the other day to say hi. Joyce, his dad’s nurse, beloved by all the family, told Greg he was getting fat. No judgment; she just called it as she saw it. Ahem, I’ve had this happen to me as well.
Okay, that’s 11, not 10, fun things to know about Bajans. Maybe I’m getting generous in my old age. Which is actually a 12th fun thing to know about Bajans: Bajans are generous. To wit, a very recent example: When my husband and I returned home from St Lucia last week, we were delighted to find that, as a gift, our housekeeper had come in and spruced our home up for our arrival. Ahh, thank you, Monica!
