SnackTAYku International: Hurry Hurry, Come for Curry!

It’s Saturday and the sky has been grey all morning. From the funeral service to the countryside for the burial, there’s sadness and reflection. As you’re standing there trying to fight back the tears, the sky opens up and it starts pouring. People comment that it’s a blessing as their voices become dull background chatter. Making your way through the thick mud to put that rose with your kiss on it as a final goodbye to your favourite Uncle, someone calls you Maressa.

SnackTAYku International: Dim Sum in Trinidad

Your life mission should you choose to accept it: Visiting the Chinatown in whatever city or part of the world you’re in and eating your life away at a dim sum house.  Oh… that’s just one my ridiculous life missions? Yeah well, perhaps you should consider making it yours too.  Life is just so much better with dim sum unless you’re allergic to shellfish.  If that’s the case then never you mind what I said.  That aside, for some reason I never ate dim sum when I lived in Trinidad.  I have no idea why that is but I knew that upon my visit a few weeks ago, I had to correct that misgiving.  As it turns out, fellow TAY’er and O-Decker, Supergeek, recently found a Dim Sum house where he lives in the Netherlands.  Well, oh.  Snap.  It’s Sunday, SUNday! Suuunnnddaaay.  And here’s your SnackTAYku International Main Event - Trinidad vs The Netherlands Dim Sum Battle.  FIGHT!*

SnackTAYku International: Brunch at the Beach

 
Welcome back to Trinidad and "Breaking Biche".  It's like Breaking Bad but without the drugs.  It just means instead of working and you pack up the car with a cooler full of cold ones, get some beach towels and take to the windy road up to Maracas Bay.  It's here at Maracas, you will find that the dogs may or may not be allowed on the beach, the clouds hook themselves up on the mountains, a freaking rock that looks like so many you collected in your childhood may be found buried in the sand, and a bake and shark dressed up with island specialty condiments is what's for brunch.

Observations on Video Gaming and Reflections on Life in Trinidad, W.I.

With its ice-cream coloured houses, congested highways and local roads, higher food prices, the scattered produce with all manners of tropical fruit, and live animal stands for your fresh goat’s meat lining the country roads; there are many ways in which life in Trinidad has remained the same but in so many ways, it has changed significantly.  The changes are glaring and evolving with every new visit and I think my sister said it best when she remarked that it’s as viewing the country with a different pair of eyes every single time.

SnackTAYku International: The First Thing You do in Trinidad

Welcome to the island of Trinidad in the West Indies.  It's here after a five hour red-eye flight from New York that upon leaving the airport doors, the heat might hit you something fierce.  If you're lucky, there's a trade wind blowing your way.  You may be met by the sun taking to the skies and giving life to the day.  Family and friends will greet you with all their love and genuine happiness melted into the warmest hugs and hellos you could find any where.  And after all that, your first stop is right across the street for breakfast from the cart selling "Doubles".

As Good As We Remember?

Here we have our latest grocery list -



From Trinidad.

Because, as it is should already be clear to most, we love going to the supermarket.

It's a fondness of mine, going into supermarkets in different countries and wandering through the aisles (the snack aisle is usually the most interesting which should be a surprise to none), and discovering new foods to try.

In Japan there was Fugu Sake.

In London, H1 and I bought 40 pounds worth of candy. By the way, that's 40 pounds UK currency, not weight but still a staggering expense considering the conversion puts it at $80USD.

In Trinidad, there's everything from our childhood.

Whenever I go back, there are certain things on the list that I must buy, but are they really as good as we remember?



Ignoring the sprite and jumping straight to the Cole Cold Pear D: A. I probably drank this practically every day.

Natural Blue Waters: It's not from NYC, and then overpriced, right? Heh. It didn't make me sick so it gets a "A".

Blue Ribbon Chicken Vienna Sausage & regular: B-. That wasn't quite the same or maybe I'm just so used to my Libby's now.

Milo Cereal: "A" for awesome.

Tunnock Wafer Cream: "A"

Kiss Brownie: Meh. "B"

Nissin Oriental Ramen Noodle: "D"



Bermudez Vanilla Cookies: OMG. Amazing! And Amazingly Fresh! "A+"

Orchard Fruit Punch: "A"

Nestle Chocnut: "B"

Orchard Apple Cherry Drink: Bleck! Put me into a sugar shock, why don't you? "F"!

Orchard Orange Drink: Umm. I don't think I had any. "WTF".

Orchard Black Currant Drink: Also sugar shock but not as gross. "C"

Nestle Eggnog: I love that shart still, man. But I do recognize it's not as great quality as what I get at Christmas here. "B+" (probably mostly for nostalgia value).



Kiss Orange Cup Cake: Didn't have any and never wanted it. I hate Kiss cakes.

Maryland Double Chocolate Cookies from Cadbury: "D" Disappointing.

Bermudez Rough Tops: A lot more ginger tasting than I recall but oh so fresh and endearing. "A-".

PC - Oasis Dairy Cool: Milk Penna Cools. Yum. "A+"

Green Sands: "A"



Our Total: "E" for embarrassing.

Currently listening to: "Space & Time Act 2" by S.E.N.S. Project, from the xxxHOliC Original Sound File.

And Trinidad Didn't Happen

We're sorry to Pandy and Gills.

But the good news is is that Luuiiiissss has finally been diagnosed (and like I said, salmonella is just horrible) and now he can get the proper treatment.

Looks like it's work for me tomorrow but that's okay too. I'll not regret this day in the near future.

Trinidad...

First, let us discuss our as per usual, frantic on the fly trip as a whole and all the shart we ate while there.

We got to Trinidad last week Thursday in the afternoon, and ! Boohead came with us! and managed to stuff Royal Castle in his mouth before I did..., then we proceeded to eat Aunty P.'s awesome times pelau then went out with CLee to stock up on stuff:







Dinner was the KFC we quickly ate before tuning in to the Burn Notice season premiere but really we tuned out because there were too many distractions around for us to pay attention. I feel as though TD5 somehow, distracted me on purpose even though he wasn't around.

We awoke on Friday and while H1 was at home secretly eating Hops and Cheese like an ass without me, I was out with TD5 getting doubles to feed her.

H1: 1
Or 2: 0

Before going into the details of Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning I would like to do a wrap up of Sunday afternoon, Monday and Tuesday morning.

Sunday afternoon brought us family that once more invaded Aunty P.'s and Uncle P.'s house. Heh, we're very grateful for letting them converge like that.

It was a little bit strange seeing everyone. I've not seen many for a long time, not for about 13 or so years and it was a bit sad too as it was a reminder that we truly are getting older (I still don't feel it myself). Still, it was also a very good thing to see everyone. We miss them.

Monday turned out quite relaxed.

Aunty P. made salted fish with tomatoes etc. and boiled some sikia figs. Mmmm, it was the first time I had the figs like that (not quite ripe, not quite fully green) and I knew it'd be awesome but sometimes when you got that one fig that was sweeter than it should have been..oh yeah. That's what you call good times, my frenemies.



We also ate chicken puffs that morning, followed by TD5, Luuuuuuiiiiiissss and I going to see awesome B Movie times Drag Me To Hell.

I. Love. Sam Raimi.

The movie was everything a Sam Raimi movie of the horror movie genre should be - fun, ridiculous, gross, cheesey and with at least one dancing candarian demon. Bruce Campbell is forgiven for not being there due to the fact that he's off doing awesome Burn Notice related things but he was missed.

I also missed Ted Raimi's cameo but not for a lack of trying. It was off-screen! Clever, Sam R. Clever indeed.

Dinner was in two parts though I ate only a litle the first time - a little bit of buss up shot and curried goat with pigeon peas that Aunty P. made for us from the day before.

Oh, that's right? Did I forget to mention that the day before we ate like amazing times? Curried goat with pigeon peas, dahlpuri AND buss up shot, curried mango (yum!), stewed chicken and channa and alloo?

2nd Dinner was Royal Castle. I really missed that place. Their chicken is great and their crinkle cut fries are still hella' awesome. CLee, I might have to abandon the KFC but not the zingers.



A little near 1 AM, we boarded our flight to NY and was met with drama on the plane. Some asshole got to his seat and scoffed at the woman and baby sitting in the row by proclaiming that he did not want to sit near "no effin' baby" (I cleaned up the language because it's horrifying to repeat as is).

Security came and kicked him off the plane after the woman rightly made a stink (and came over to sit next to my empty seat) but then they stupidly let him back on the plane citing that 'two wrongs don't make a right". Their logic was that if the woman also used obscenities then she should be kicked off the plane.

Now. How idiotic was that? She did not curse him, she cursed at the general situation and so what? She was reacting to a horrible mess of a man!

So, they let the stupid back on the plane because it was only fair in their eyes that he should be allowed to fly too.

I'm often pissed off at Trinis stupidity.

But the same applies to racist, power tripping customs officials in the US.

When we got to the U.S., and got in line for the first customs official...I knew we were in for some shit. I watched the man get up, not acknowledge he had a line of people waiting for him (ie us), go to the bathroom and disappear for 10 minutes, saunter back to his post still without acknowleding us and when he finally called us over...he was a dick.

He insulted the intelligence of flight attendants and the respectability of their jobs (you know, as if he's the shit at the airport that has the most important damned job there) and then with an assholish attitude asked Luuuiiissss if he'd ever been in the back before ie the Interrogation room because that's where he sent Luuuuiiiisssss.

It still boils my blood thinking about it.

Anyway, as mentioned, there's a bit of a gap on the details between Friday afternoon and Sunday morning.

Friday afternoon we got on another plane for a 12-20 minute flight to the Sister Island.

Memorable Conversations:

H1 and TD5 are discussing work, and my favourite parrot Billy: ::steups::
TD5: Billy, stop steupsing.

Or 2: Ugh, do I really have to get up to go brush my teeth?
TD5: You are lazy.
Billy: ::extreme laughing::

Can you believe that parrot was laughing at me because I was called lazy?

Or 2: Did you hear what Billy does? He imitates the sound of fruit falling from the trees and hitting the ground... 'buddup'.
Mk: Umm..ookkkaaaay...
Or 2: Yeah because then the dogs go searching frantically for the 'fruit'.
Mk: ::extreme laughing::

Currently listening to: "The Pot" by Tool.

So I Have to Say...

Memories are strange things.

I'm listening to "Around My Christmas Tree" by Lennox Gray (Thanks Frass and CLee) and it's nothing like I remembered. Did it always sound so... Trini?

I think I like Momma HOchieS' in the kitchen around Christmas time version better from way back in 1980-something.

Currently: Confused.

Again With The Effy-ness

Another of our childhood memories has been ruined by Jamaicans.

Marble Cake.

Effin' marble cake!

If you put the chocolate swirl then you'd be alright like Bunji but if you like it like 1 or 2 hOchieS, you like it with pink (red) and green.

Rastafari Colours.

Currently listening to: "Melodie" by Yuki Kajiura, from the Noir Soundtrack.

Things Discovered This Week 3/10 - 3/14

Who said you couldn't get anything for a 1 cent Trini coin?

Trinidad on the Fly III

Last round of photos of the last 2 and a half days in Trinidad.



For the life of me, I couldn't tell what kind of animal that was. One of the pepperoni variety, maybe? No, TD5 sorted it out and now I am more educated and feeling slightly stoopid.



You can't tell just how ginormous that flag actually is from that shot but trust me, it's pretty damned massive. It could cover a small island! Hopefully a trade wind won't toss it on Tobago. As if Tobagonians needs more reasons to hate Trinis.



If that happens, we are prepared. We will send this bucket of KFC over that could feed their entire island.



And Kyle got me Red Meg... ...a..ants on the plants?!



Ah, the samaan tree. It's not a good a picture as Chrissy Lee's *note google images 'samaan tree' and you will find some coolness*, but that's the best I could muster from the car as we were driving past.



Indeed... There is nothing like some sun ripened potatoes.



I wonder if the guys went to the ball...Guys! Did you go? I was supposed to go with Aunty P. and wear this...



This last shot was taken in the airport which is a painful reminder of the times missed this past week. However, much to H1's pleasure, all you biatches should be getting doused in some ashes in a few hours. TD5, as per usual, they need to dump a barrel on you.



Well, thanks for the fun times peeps. We really appreciate all you did for us and most importantly, we were as always, really happy to see you guys and spend some time with, the going to bed at 4.30 most mornings and miss you terribly now.

Personally, I don't miss that rooster that gave me the evils and then proceeded to curse me out.

Or 2: 1
Roosters in Trinidad: 1

By the way, H1, I found the perfect song for your little All Fours Disaster!

Currently listening to: "Flowers on the Wall" by the Statler Brothers ('...playing solitaire 'til dawn/ with a deck of 51' - aharharharhar), "Isamashige" by Takanashi Yasuharu from the Mononoke soundtrack (noooooooo, I'm on the final episode!!!! I love this damned anime so much...sniff.. Medicine Seller, how I will miss you), and "Nantes" by Beirut (thanks to TD5 for this one. I'm slowly prying myself away from this song and discovering new good songs from their latest album).

The Trinidad Fly By II

Despite what the first entry looked like, pictures of food were not the only things taken. Places and things on the WAY to food were shot as well.



That's a fine looking mango tree. Our mango tree back in the day was runt-like, so that was pretty impressive to me.



TD5 has a pair of binoculars with which to spy at the priests on Mt. St. Benedict. He does this from his window and he assures us that it keeps them from being unholy. The blimp can only detect the drugs, for everything else there's TD5.



MC after being told he reminds some of Akon. That's right, the very same cockroach H1 hates.



What the eff?! Is there anywhere people won't live? How does one even get up there?



Obligatory "islands off the island picture on the drive up to Maracas" photo.



Obligatory "coconut tree and 'beach'" photo. Look, I didn't step foot on it, alright? I was there for bake and shark and nothing more!



Obligatory "clothes hanging from a tree" photo.



TD5 threatened to make me do a pilgrimage, so I promised him I'd find Jeebus behind the couch when I got back to NY.





Please notice the pork the puppy is eating. That's right, you heard me. P-o-r-k. How could I note love a dog with a pork mouth?



Wherever I go in Trinidad, I must take pictures of the puppies mucking aboot. I would have taken a picture of Snoopy too but he hated me and I could not make eye contact with him for fear of being bitten. Is it really that cruel to stare at him from the car when I knew he couldn't get to me? Really, is that considered taunting? If anything, he taunted me! Of course, my favourite puppy/pet I've no picture of and I regret not taking video more than anything. I love you Billy! You keep on barkin' little parrot. You keep barking.

I could add more photos but I'll save them for a Part III. Why? I'm terribly sleepy and would like to post tonight and this music isn't helping me feel at ease.

Currently listening to: "Countdown" by Naoki Satou from the X TV Series Soundtrack I

The H1 Or 2

Went to sea,
In a beautiful, not pea green boat
They took some US and a whole lot of nothing else
wrapped up in a 60 pound note

They flew away for .5 and 4 days
To the land where the samaan grows

And there in the wood,
They became piggy-wigs where they stood
And ate every bullshart they could find off the damned island of Trinidad

Starting with Thursday's dinner

Mario's Pizza, which turned out to be a disappointment. The crust recipe has gone horribly wrong and the copious amounts of meatage have been cut back:



At least the pepper sauce remains phenomenal



In addition to pizza, elevensies pmsies came around for Round 2 and a belly full of KFC zingers were had. Sadly, there are no pictures of that to share.

Friday dawned, with a trip to the market in search of doubles but none were to be found (the early bird gets the worm and apparently the doubles).



The only way to cure a lack of doubles, is to nap away the depression, so napped we did and awoke to hear an MC - the sound of which made us go back to nap for another half an hour.

The nap failed to cure us of said MC but the watered down green sands he brought (no fault of his) helped us forget our woes some



but as you can see, we needed spees and a pastelle to recover as well.





Nothing can be right with the world, until Aunty P.'s chocolate cake is made and devoured first at 8 PM and then again at 2 AM on

Saturday morning

where our previous misfortune was rectified with a bag of the good stuff not attained on Friday



With limited time and not even half of the edible things on the island in Or 2's stomach, a trip to Maracas was in order for bake and shark.



OMG. GOO'D TIMES! Gaze upon the beauty of one of the greatest things on earth. And people wonder why I love me a shark. Tch. What's to question, people?

Also, what's not to love about a chow, shrimp wontons and Trinidadian KFC?







Sunday came after waking every hour to find out if TD5 had made it home safely, and brought the best damned breakfast one could have.



Or 2 hearts her some blood pudding, Kerrygold butter, hops, pawpaws, portugal and Scrambled Eggs.

An X & M Wedding Later (no pictures taken of the food - that'd just be kind of rude. Pictures of boobs can be taken but food, no), Monday arrived and the last day for eating had come with it.

::sniff::

Ramsaram's Peanut Punch,



beef pies,



cream soda of the good solo variety,



milk pennacools,



cheese, chicken and tuna puffs,



and of course, the favourite coloured popcorn were all had,



but was not met without some passing judgment upon thee.

More eats followed that night but no pictures are present for proof.
Rest assured it involved curried chicken, fried okra, melongene choka, tomato choka and roti.

The festivities only ended today even after being in NY for officially a week now. Why? Because like every good Trinidadian, we were made to bring food back with us by the peeps and thank goodness.

Duck, roti, curried mango, fudge, non-eaten zoomers (curse you, Frass! J/K), and pelau made from freshly shelled pigeon peas (thanks Uncle P.!) were all consumed within the last week.

Thank you to TD5, Pandy, Chrissy Lee and Aunty P. for putting up with my demands and pain in the asshattery and for acquiring most things of my list.

It is greatly appreciated and another list will be forthcoming.

Har Har.

Love you all and miss you terribly,

H1 and Or 2.

Part II of the Trinidad Adventures will be posted soon enough. Excuse the craziness of this one. I'm practically asleep on myself hya.

Memorable Memories & Quotes of the Trip:

The good times, the laughs and antics were plentiful and I cannot possibly remember it all to lay in print and that's what pictures are for but a few notes -

"What the eff! Stop putting shit on our bodies David Blaine!"

Or 2: I was judged for getting coloured popcorn!! Isn't that wrong?!
Georg: I'm kind of judging you myself right now.
Dar: One day, people in this world will not be judged by the colour of their popcorn.

Currently listening to: "Viva Rock" by Orange Range

Edit: A list of things eaten but not photographed/pictured are as follows - curried chicken, bussupshot, fried okra, bake and New Zealand cheddar.