...and Back Again
This week I had Sunday brunch of callaloo, pumpkin rice, ackee, and stewed peas back up the hill at Bloom Cafe. The Rasta chef cooks ital food, which is vegetarian food without any processed ingredients, and often without added salt. As wikipedia describes it, “there are different interpretations of ital regarding specific foods, the general principle is that food should be natural, or pure, and from the earth . . .” In this case, the lunch was purely delicious and the company and atmosphere were top-notch.
The rest of the week was busy both at work and at home. Our office took a trip to meet with Children First, an organization that works to provide support to vulnerable children and their families. There was a lovely anti-trafficking mural painted on the wall outside of the Children First office, which seemed like a pretty good sign going into our meeting. Jamaica has problems keeping non-profits and support organizations afloat, so it’s always encouraging to meet with one that has been so successful. Children First is one of Jamaica’s largest community organizations and has a presence for decades doing good work all over the island.
My good friend Cedaine graduated from high school on Thursday, so a handful of friends and family from Cheryl’s household went to the ceremony to support her. A few student groups performed at the event, and, as always, I’m blown away by the amount of talent possessed by the high-schoolers in Jamaica.
At each of the schools I’ve visited this summer, I’ve seen student-written skits and songs performed that were incredibly impressive! At Graduation, members of the choir sang a few uplifting tunes and the schools band - a keyboard-and-guitar-heavy jazz band - marked the occasion with their talents.
Graduation was on the 4th of July, so the next day, the kids and I celebrated with a bonfire in the back yard and Cedaine and Kaylie made me a red, white, and blue pancake! I’ve spent a bit of time in the evenings working on small projects with Aaron to pass the time. This week, he and I built a few small alcohol stoves out of empty pop cans to use during my upcoming camping trip. I’ve been trying to convince Cheryl’s family that they need to visit Michigan soon, so maybe I’ll be able to take him camping (away from any rats, of course!) sometime.