I don't Belize it: Beer Pong, Barnacles, and Book worms

I feel this entry shouldn't go in the I-work-for-the-church page as it contains mention of Alcoholic Beverage, and indeed, consumption of alcoholic beverage. But in this respect I am not my father's daughter (my first words in Spanish, uttered the other week, were 'dos cervesas por favor') and therefore my Methodism/Christianity permits moderate such activity.

SO,

on my weekend down in Stann Creek I was introduced by some lovely new American friends to the concept of Beer Pong, which either my incredible good behaviour, or my choice of friends, or my Englishness has thus far sheltered me from. I won more than I lost, and I claim that the credit for this is fairly equally shared with my playing partner.

Post beer pong the four of us remaining went for a swim in the sea and attempted to clamber onto the dock. Alas the (lack of) upper body strength of myself and the other female present made this quite a struggle and (although she did manage it and I didn't) we both ended up with legs ripped up by barnacles . We tried to come up with a believable story to explain these cuts including being mauled by a jaguar which we wrestled to the ground with our bare hands... but for some reason, it wasn't very believable.

My other discovery of the week was to find bookworms (apparently a misnomer, but they were worms burrowing through a book) in an edition of Winnie the Pooh, which I had opened to recite in an English accent when my American friends were chatting about my accent (which they do a lot). I am rather sad they'd chosen this particular book, but the patterns they make are admirabe and rather aesthetically pleasing, so long as you can't see the worms themselves.

The British Broadcasting Corporation, English Accents and English humour

I seem to be mostly squawking about England at the moment...

Anyway, I caught the BBC world news from the world service today. And I thought, did English people on the radio really talk like this? Do English people full stop talk like this? The fact that I mostly listened to radio 1 might be part of it, but I'm sure even the Today Programme wasn't that posh... maybe they put their distinctive accents on the World Service.

Anyway, I then listened to radio 1 and Matt Edmondson which sounded much more like I remember English people talking (even though I lived for years in Exeter and then went to University in Cambridge...) I also found it very amusing; obviously there is something in English 'humour' although I can't define what I mean.

I am however listening to radio 1 on "listen again" and keep forgetting the fact it's not actually happening right now (and that I'm in another country anyway) and thinking 'ooh i could text in with such and such...' Although the times I've sent a text into a radio show could be numbered on one hand of Bart Simpson.

Marks and Spencers

This weekend I have to sing at a wedding, and since I did not have the foresight to pack Standard Concert Clothing (smart black and white and covered, pretty black shoes) I had to take a trip down Albert St, the hub of Belize City shopping, to find suitable shoes. I managed, although my big feet meant I couldn't find any heels, but anyway, this is beside the point. I was with a Belizean friend, and found myself, as we browsed, telling her about the wonders of, yes, Marks and Spencers (she has lived in the States so Big Stores are a familiar concept but M&S is not. Poor Americans).

Having been thinking about how I miss M&S, I happened to read the blog of someone I knew at University who's been in Cameroon doing VSO, and although our experiences are incomparable on all other scores, I found her saying that she can't wait to visit M&S on her return to England for the summer. Now, her missing of it is probably more acute than mine, since I have Brodies down the road which is a general all-purpose store, which plays Amy Grant and sells most things you could want, including Patak's curry sauce if you're prepared to pay about £6 for it, which funnily enough I'm not. (I rarely go to Brodies since it costs too much). Yet I was still able to giggle at the English love for M&S.

In other news, I have earache, which I'm hoping doesn't develop into anything nasty, and some new 'pants' (american use of the word!)

a taste of England

Spent a weekend down in Stann Creek district, primarily to deliver a workshop on developing children and youth work (Maggie delivered it; I wrote things on paper). However, we took the opportunity for a spot of sight seeing. We were first given a tour around Dangriga, by two standard six students, one of whom could muster the most perfect Received Pronunciation accent, which we really should have recorded; I felt like I had a sat nav, only better!!!

We then popped down to Hopkins, a small village by the sea along an unpaved road, and spent a night there to give Maggie some time off and me some more sightseeing opportunity. It turned out it was 'English pub night', since its management was an English lady, so we had Fish and Chips and I had a can of Strongbow (I felt I couldn't pass by the chance of cider, however rubbish)! What with the election chat, it was a positively English evening. Except the lovely heat, the hot sea breeze and the pool...

On Sunday morning the English lady gave us a tour of the much more upmarket places next door, which were truly beautiful. She told me I now have the perfect location for my honeymoon; guess I just need a groom and some money, then...

The drive back took us through mountains, so I now have itchy feet for some walking!

on the merits or otherwise of paul scholes as a holding midfielder

this isn't about football, I promise! More about cultural heritage (which happens, just sometimes, to be football).

As mentioned, I spent the weekend on caye caulker, and hanging out in a hostel, met various travellers. Where I was staying seemed to have a majority of mainland Europeans and Australians, but I also met some English guys (and girls, but mostly guys) with whom I fairly promptly entered into a discussion about football. In fact, I was mostly listening, but did make at least one intelligent comment (well, I was complimented for it, but men can compliment you for knowing the names of any player beyond beckham, so this doesn't say much). Anyway, it was very refreshing to talk about football- and not just to talk about football, but to talk about football to blokes from Hull over a beer.

Which I claim, by a stretch of the imagination, to be something to do with cultural heritage.

ooooooh heaven is a place on earth

and it's called caye caulker

(sorry to be blasphemous)

Anyway, I took a few days off for a trip out to caye caulker, which I have heard much raving about, and didn't believe could be as good as promised. However, despite loving to insist I'm an inland girl really, and prefer rocks and mountains and waterfalls and mountain streams to islands... I may be addicted. the island is a few miles long, and mostly narrower than one mile. It is three minutes on a boat from the barrier reef, and in every way wonderful. It's quite a travellers hideout but there's still a strong local presence with churches and a school, and in my experience, just really welcoming. Went snorkelling, saw stingrays and at least one nurse shark (which collided with my leg) and a barracuda (I think). Watched the sunset, twice. Swam in the sea. Read a lot. Met random travellers. Got the wanderlust!

lovely.

Whether the weather be hot...

Or whether the weather be...hot.

I am unbelievably relieved today that the seemingly unbearable heat of the last few days (I've been mooching around like a particularly grumpy sloth), we have had a HYOWGE storm and the humidity at least has given way. Our thermometer still reads 29 but I feel positively cool.

Loving it

x