There is nothing – NOTHING – in the world like having a really good belly laugh with a close friend. I can’t speak for men, but for women, those moments with a girl-friend when you laugh until you can’t speak or you fear you may wet yourself are priceless. That’s how it’s been for me this week with my dear friend V, who I’ve just left at V C Bird International Airport as she waits for her BA flight home.
We’ve know each other for years; have been there for each other through so many traumas and moments of great joy, too. We love each other’s sense of humour and any outsider this week would have looked at us and thought ‘What the hell’s wrong with the two of them?’ Silly little things, like me not seeing the horse galloping up the land and narrowly avoiding opening the car door as it thundered past. The saga with the water shortage; her allergic reaction to her knicker elastic; the two ‘Lib-Dem’ Councillors at Shirley Heights; the guy on the cat who called her ‘Mammy’; the donkey braying; the election vans blasting out their messages; all these were moments that had us in stitches and have just started me off laughing again as I write this.
Thanks for coming and sharing my stay here with me, V. Safe flight home and see you soon!
Yes, as you’ve seen above, there is a pending general election here in Antigua on June 12th. The streets are awash with blue posters and bunting representing UPP or red posters and bunting representing ABLP. Vans with loudspeakers are continually going round and round the streets with their propaganda messages blaring out – as early as 7 am!! The majority of Antiguans are either wearing their UPP or ABLP t-shirts. Antigua has election fever!
It also is beginning to have Carnival Fever, too! Although it’s not for another two months, the run-up is almost as exciting a time as Carnival itself. Carnival songs appear every year and often the words are sexist and misogynistic. A couple of years back the Carnival song’s chorus was: ‘Put your whole mouth over the hole.’ I heard two of, I think, this year’s songs on the radio a couple of days ago. One was about a man with a strong, ripe banana and the other was sung by a couple.
HE: I’m selling pipe. How much inches of me pipe you want?
SHE: I want all of your pipe!
It’s a Caribbean thing! After all, ‘twerking’ is the normal was to dance here!
Great post Elaine – made me smile on a rainy Monday morning, enjoy the sunshine 🙂
Thank you. I’m doing my best! 🙂