Gong Xi Fai Ca

Happy New Year of the Rabbit.  I wish you all long life, prosperity, love and luck.  

A group of 10 of us headed out for dim sum, as is traditional.  It snowed a little (apparently also traditional, 😂, as when I looked back on previous outings we were snowed on!) We were happily seated in a corner of a fairly busy (not like in the before times) restaurant, served a selection of absolutely delicious, piping hot food.  It was lovely to see that group, a mixture of old and new friends, with very lively conversations and lots of laughs (there were some periods of silence, always a sign that the food is excellent.). Jerry objected strenuously to my departure; he growled and generally expressed his displeasure.  He jumped on Don and pushed me away when I went to hug Don before I left.  The boys were happily curled up watching sports until I got back home.  I don’t think that I’ll eat before tomorrow… dim sum is amazingly filling!  And everyone went home with a little container of food.  I’ve got lunch for a couple of days this week!  Yay!

I love it when my friends and I are able to do something together.  It’s very often food related; that being heavily due to my inability to undertake anything really physical.  But I rarely turn down an opportunity to meet up with groups of friends, or sometimes even one-on-one.  It makes a difference to be able to change my environment, so instead of always being in the same place, I get out and do something different.  The risk is that I’ll be tired, but I’ve adjusted to pacing myself a bit.  After this past week, with 4 days of early appointments (and broken sleep because I was always nervous about sleeping through my alarm) I spent most of yesterday fast asleep!  I had been invited to a dinner party last night, and I’d have loved to go, but I knew that if I did, I couldn’t manage today and still be in good shape for this week’s sessions.  Pity.  I’ll try to make things better in the next little while. 

While we were talking today, the Caribbean came up in conversation.  I grinned to myself as the Caribbean people at dim sum today were a Trini, a Bajan and a Jamaican.  The three islands who are long-term frenemies with a range of jokes about our respective accents.  We started talking about rums, with 2 of us agreeing (grudgingly) that Guyana’s El Dorado rum is probably the region’s best.  We’d vehemently deny that if challenged, and leap to the defence of our own island’s brews!  Then came the topic of Trini Carnival, and how much we loved certain of the music.  (There’s a list.)  As we talked about it, and explained some of them to the others, we all talked about the experience of being in the middle of ‘Mas on Monday and Tuesday, and how it was fun.  I listened to some of the music (my sister and another friend sent me the playlists for this year) and I was transported to the streets of Port of Spain, under the February sun, with a light breeze and dancing on the streets.  I’m not, and never have been, one to get into costume and cross the stage, but over the years I’d chipped along with friends as we hunted for our favourite bands or crowded at the entrance to the competition grounds.  I don’t like crowds, and that’s the signature of Carnival, but I do enjoy every now and then, being at a gathering with friends dancing.  (My preference is for private / home fêtes, where the crowds are smaller and I know most of the people.)  What I hate even more than the crowds is the gridlocked traffic after the partying is done.  I was caught in a 3-hour jam once, to go about 2km because our timing was off and we got into the mess as a huge event emptied onto the one access road in a valley…  When I’m home in February, I’m always asked if I’m playing ‘Mas, and I reply that I just play the fool.  I’m usually there for my mother’s birthday which often fell during the Carnival season, so I’d hear the new music, and perhaps attend an event.  In contrast, my sister, close friends, godchildren and some others are central to the whole carnival experience— we joke that ‘Mas can’t happen if they’re not there.  I know that I won’t see them until after Ash Wednesday, when most of them will be deep into a Lenten fast, so they don’t party.  Makes it a fun challenge to arrange time with everyone, when some of us are visiting, and can’t exactly plan to meet in the quiet season.

All that has just made me crank up some soca and I’m enjoying the thoughts of sun and warmth, after a fabulous time with friends here.  Jerry wants to climb up and get his tummy rubbed, so I’m off to do that, then I’m going to sleep early, since I have to be up by 5am.  Good night!