Feed: An American in SXM - AggScore: 72.3

I recently got an old external hard drive working again and have been going through old photos from 2006 and 2007. This is one of the ones I found. I love that seating area that someone put in cliffside. I wouldn't want to own it (and have to maintain it) but boy I want to visit!

Well, my 11PM plan to update this blog and post something in time to make my daily update deadline crapped out miserably when I found my computer in a pitched battle with itself. A Windows update was waiting too long to be installed, and my virus protection was trying to update itself and scan my computer all at the same time. Also I had left too many browser tabs open. Darnit. So here I am, 2 hours later, with my computer running at almost normal speed. I think this is a fault of my virus protection, it is very heavy on resources, but they do all seem to be, I have not found any I think are terrific.

So, here is some babbling and some links. (I am going to keep posting daily for this month - I was never an official entrant of NaBloPoMo and still consider that I have met my own goal if I get something posted in my day).

- Gigi, another SXM blogger, today celebrated her blog's year anniversary with some very nice beach and shore photos.

- I find it interesting to watch SXM businesses start using social media as marketing tools. The marketing team at Porto Cupecoy has a blog that they do a great job with and are on Twitter. There are a bunch of businesses on Facebook and I am seeing some use Twitter. I noticed that the Maho Sonesta is having a one day sale on Nov. 27 when I saw it on Twitter and remembered that the Westin and the Radisson have offered deals before on Twitter as well. (Porto Cupecoy also offered a free condo with purchase of a mega yacht slip - now that is a bargain). So anyway, here is a list of SXM hotels on Twitter for anyone wanting to keep up to date on sale rates. If you know of any I need to add let me know! Oh, also, here is a general SXM list - people on Twitter who live here, used to live here, love it here, etc.

What am I forgetting? Oh, right, the cow:



If that made your heart sing at all, please peruse the cow archives. Bye Y'all!

I know starlings are supposed to be an invasive species, but I find this so amazing.

Oyster Pond residents must be loving this road, it has looked like this for a while now:



This is part of the edge, where someone got a little wild with an excavator and removed a bit too much dirt - oopsie, the road collapsed a little. I think the water line got taken out as well when it originally happened.



Good lesson for me the next time I try to excavate some hillside with a large yellow machine.

I took this at about noon and have been trying to upload it all day, gosh darn slow internet connection!

Today has been super rumbly, loads of thunder. It is nice and cool and fresh but I am nervous during rain like this, worried about flash floods etc. I am now a person who flinches at the first sign of rain, which is something I used to scoff at. Sigh. Shame on you, Jess-from-the-past.

Ah well.

I am making lasagna bolognese for dinner tonight if I can get the pasta rolled out properly, so I am off to splash flour around the kitchen. Hasta luego!

Getting ready for the week ahead!

I don't have a lot to write today but it was a good day, and I was happy to get this picture.

Well for SXM Day I did not get to try one of everything on this menu (actually I could not get close to that booth, it was packed!) but I did find a place to try pig foot souse.



It turned out to be almost a stew, with a very tasty thick and fatty broth and garnished with cucumbers. I found a Bahamian recipe here which is a big contrast with the pickled Trinidadian version that Ron sent me the other day.

I find the definition of the word "souse" interesting:

souse
1. To plunge into a liquid.
2. To make soaking wet; drench.
3. To steep in a mixture, as in pickling.
4. Slang - To make intoxicated.

This dish is the perfect hangover food. Eat souse after getting soused.

I also tried some golden apple juice which was beautiful tasting, I could drink a bucket of it.



Yum.

Is that how that is spelled? could not find a consensus...

I had a lovely SXM day and took lots of photos, none of which I have loaded on to the computer. Instead I spent much of today avoiding the computer, and thinking about Top Chef, a recent obsession. Here is a meal I made recently:



Shredded pork with tomatoes and onions, feta cheese, greens, roasted pineapple and red pepper salsa, habanero salsa with apricots, pickled onions and guacamole. Way too many choices of toppings but it was pretty good.

On an unrelated note, or possibly closely related note, depending on your point of view, here is an inspirational picture I made recently:



If you do not know who Xuxa is, please get acquainted via videos of her kids show from the 90's.

Happy SXM Day!

This morning I am enjoying watching Twitter updates fly! Some people on Twitter are celebrating SXM Day by adding favorite island memories, and they are fun to read. You can see them as they are added by doing a twitter search for #bestsxmmemory.

I am off to enjoy the day!

(One day last week, after I left Dinghy Dock)



How did they get up there? How are they balancing so well?



Is it art?

Today has been a gray day, but the dreariness of the day was mitigated for me by the beautiful light from this morning.

While looking at this flyer it does anyway, check this out:



Um, i will try one of everything. Except maybe the pig foot souse. What is that anyway?

edited to add: Thanks Ron!

We went to Kon Tiki at Orient for lunch - it had been a while and it was so nice to go back.



Now that's a tuna roll.




Ah, cigarette machines... these were my favorite things when I was 17.