april 25-27

April 25, 2015

Yesterday was very interesting! We went to town in the morning to…no idea!

But in the afternoon we went back to the Regatta and had ribs and rice and peas and corn for dinner. It was a huge meal for $12.00 and we split it. We wanted to see Rashad perform and when I started to ask about where it was to be, people kept sending us to the wrong place.  Finally we ran into him and he told where it would be. They seriously need someone to organize this event better…but not me! 

The music is horribly loud played through mega banks of speakers. Anyone with a pace maker would be in serious jeopardy standing in front of them. I like the music when it is original but some of it they simply change the beat…seriously ..Stars on 45! And it is strange that the original music is based in gospel but they pick the worst hip-hop and rap with the worst language to convert to their own beat. It’s like listening to people speaking English as a second language not knowing the translation  of the swear words.

We watched the beginning of the Youth talent  Expo…dancing. Young kids from the public school and three young women…older than teenagers but not much…who apparently were the dance teachers. They were great ! What I wouldn’t give to be 20 years younger…ok maybe 40 or 50! Maybe if I got the outfit…

So we waited and waited and walked down to the stage where the rest of the talent show was to be held…nothing…more live bands who did a couple of numbers each then ½ hour of huge DJ noise again during the bands change up. Rashad neer did get a chance to perform. We left at 11:30 and I know he didn’t because we could hear the music more clearly on the boat, and one singer was a woman Natasha (something) a Tina Turner re-incarnate…she was great!  The other was an Irish Bahamian!  His name was Colin McDonald or something like that but he definitely had and Irish accent under the Bahamian one!

Kim, the HBG lady [moving to Canada to go to School] was there with her kids waiting for the Junkanoo to start, but costumes were not forthcoming…rumor has it there some political bickering between island groups so no-one brought out their costumes.  What a disappointment. Well, I assume that there were no costumes…could have happened after midnight because they partied on until 4 am!!!

Bouncy castles for kids at regatta

Final Race

Not the best way to pay a bass drum; these kids ranged from 12 to adult

Grand Bahamas Police Band: like a College band and could they dance!!

April 26

Today we are going to listen to the Exuma Police Youth Band and the Grand Bahamas Police Marching Band.  I am going to check out the  public/high school art displays and hopefully talk to a teacher.

The absolute best part of yesterday, wandering amongst all these people is what I observed:  the women are beautiful. They dress with confidence, flair, and respect. It doesn’t matter what size they are, they know how to use BLING with taste! The only slutty ones I saw were the tourists who showed up in their bikinis.

So, report on the race later…or the party side of it anyway, 

All the kid uniforms are made here on the island. red band is GeorgeTown Police cadet band (yeah, some are a little young to be cadets!) White Band is Grand Bahamas Police Force Band.