HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: perrault@a.chem.upenn.edu (Ange R. Perrault)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.caribbean
Subject: Caribbean/Antilles/West Indies
Date: 8 Apr 92 14:17:29 GMT
Organization: University of Pennsylvania
Originator: perrault@a.chem.upenn.edu


	Records of the pre-colonial periods of the tropical islands of the 
new world are scarce, but I can only tell of what I know from european records
(french Historians).
	Based on 'Histoire d'Haiti' when Columbus arrived in the new world 
thinking he had reached India, but as we know he was wrong. So indians from
India are known as East Indian, and the indians from the West Indies are known
as West Indians. Columbus's obsession to find the way to India going west from
Europe prevented him to explore the new continent. Amerigo Vespucci got the 
credit . That's why the new world is called America (Amerigo) and 
not Columbia. Indians from the continent are called American Indians. 
	There different tribes in the West Indies: Arawaks (in Cuba, Haiti and 
others), Caribes ( a warrior tribe). The latter group occupied a much greater
area. The word Caribbean comes from the land spead which extends from Mexico,
Cuba, Haiti, to the north coast of Latin America.
	The origin of the word 'Antilles' is not known to me. the greater 
antilles are: cuba, Haiti, jamaica, Puerto rico. The lesser antilles are: U.S.
Virgin islands et al...( I ask people from those islands to forgive me if I 
don't name them all)

	Well, I hope I was of some help!
						au revior, Ronel




Newsgroups: soc.culture.caribbean
From: Brian.Vaughan@um.cc.umich.edu (Brian Vaughan)
Subject: Spankey....
Date: Mon, 06 Apr 92 09:49:53 EDT
Organization: University of Michigan

Testing......
From: rfrance@umiacs.umd.edu (Robert B France)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.caribbean
Subject: Re: Recipe for Conch Dumplings
Date: 9 Apr 92 18:34:31 GMT
Organization: UMIACS, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742

In article <1992Apr9.152010.5866@HQ.Ileaf.COM> grw@HQ.Ileaf.COM (Gary Wasserman) writes:
>
>I once had conch dumplings in St. Martin that were absolutely
>great!  I occasionally think about them and have no idea
>where to get a recipe.

For those of you requesting recipes can you please post a summary of the
personal email responses you get to the group. Others may be interested
and I will be including them in the FAQ file as well. 

Robert
Organization: Penn State University
Date: Monday, 13 Apr 1992 23:12:18 EDT
From: <AGL1@psuvm.psu.edu>
Newsgroups: soc.culture.caribbean
Subject: RE: Callaloo?
 <12APR92.03584989@umbc1.umbc.edu>

In article <12APR92.03584989@umbc1.umbc.edu>, williamf@umbc1.umbc.edu says:
>
>In a previous article, praim@connext.ucs.sfu.ca (Praim Sankar) wrote:
>>
>>> >  there a separate vine called Callaloo, at least in Guyana?
>>  BTW, Brian is right about edoe leaves and dascheen (didn't
>>> >  this have another name in Guyana, guyanese readers) being edible, I just
>>> >  seem to remember there was a separate callaloo vine that produced leaves
>>> >  that when cooked looked a lot like spinach?
>>>
>>> William is right, there IS a separate plant called callaloo and it IS
>>> exactly the same as spinach.  There are about three different varieties
   [sentences deleted]
>>> Chico

Jamaican callaloo is a bush like spinach.  It is usually cooked up by itself or
cooked with saltfish or some other salted meat kind ("saalteen" in patois).
It is then eaten as addition to dinner or with green bananas as breakfast.

Arlene Laing
____________________________________________________________________
                        l "Ranny, where yu is?
agl1@psuvm.psu.edu      l "Leaning up aghence a banana tree"
Penn State University   l "Which banana tree?"
University Park PA 16802l "The banana tree dat is leaning aghence me"
                        l           Louise Bennett and Ranny Williams
________________________l___________________________________________
Newsgroups: soc.culture.caribbean
From: ecurtis@orion.oac.uci.edu (Evans Curtis)
Subject: Re: Recipe for Conch Dumplings
Newsgroups: soc.culture.caribbean
Organization: University of California, Irvine
Date: 9 Apr 92 19:25:05 GMT

In article <1992Apr9.152010.5866@HQ.Ileaf.COM> grw@HQ.Ileaf.COM (Gary Wasserman) writes:
>
>
>The thing I remember about the conch was how tender it was.
>Usually its a bit tough.  Any secrets for getting it to
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

If we use the same term, in Nicaragua we call conchs the very large mollusk
whose shell can be used as a horn.  If we're talking the same thing, this
is the reason we don't eat it.  To tuff mon! :)

On the same topic.  We also know another mollusk we call 'wilkes' (sp?).
This one is sort of like a snail but large (6-8 oz).  Lives on rocks in around 
the cays.  Now dis is good stuff, papa!

What do you guys call this one?

Do you folks on the other islands use coconut milk to prepare certain dishes?
Or is this Jamaican only?  I think this is where WE got it from.



Newsgroups: soc.culture.caribbean
From: ggeorge@student.business.uwo.ca (Gerry E. George)
Subject: Original Names - Caribbean countries
Organization: University of Western Ontario
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1992 00:54:45 GMT

Original place names:

St. Lucia - Iyanola (or some close variation)
	    hence the name Hewanora (name of the airport in the south)


Trinidad  - Iere  (as suggested by a Trini,  other Trini's care to comment?)


Anyone else?

Let's start up a list nuh.

We could maybe include de words of de day, recipies, and other choice W'indian
.oops, Caribbean slang and sayings.

Gerry George



ggeorge@student.business.uwo.ca (Gerry E. George)
Western Business School  --  London, Ontario
From: mcp@drutx.ATT.COM (Mike Paugh)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.caribbean
Subject: Re: Calalloo - a recipe
Date: 14 Apr 92 18:05:13 GMT
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Denver

In article <1992Apr14.164210.29168@acsu.buffalo.edu>, simon@acsu.buffalo.edu (Patrice A. Simon) writes:
> 
> >>VAT19 is only the best rum in the whole wide world!
> >^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> >'atall* 'atall 'atall!  Cockspur is de ting!  Ask any bajan :)
> >>2 shots of rum while cooking makes the food taste better
> >>or at least no worse.

> >No argument there!

> 	Actually, Cavalier 151 from Antigua is da best! Never heard of
> rum used in food other than Christmas Fruit cakes.


I read some time back that no rum is produced from cane grown in
Antigua.  Antigua rum is brought in from Jamaica and bottled by
Cavalier.  Fact or fiction? 

Make mine Cockspur! The Cockspur VSOR sippin' rum is something
to behold!



Mike Paugh                
AT&T Bell Labs
Denver                      
Newsgroups: soc.culture.caribbean
From: jmm@world.std.com (Jones M Murphy)
Subject: Re: Caribbean, Antilles, West Indies
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1992 16:49:05 GMT

ggeorge@student.business.uwo.ca (Gerry E. George) writes:

>While we're on this topic, I guess it would be agreed that CARIBBEAN would
>be the most correct name for the regoin.  BUT how does one call people from
>the Caribbean?

>I partcularly HATE when North Americans refer to us as "Caribbeans".  It sounds so....(comment reserved).

Yes, I also find it somewhat irritating. How about using the original
aboriginal place names? I rather like being called a Waitikubulian, instead of
a Dominican, although it's rather a mouthful. No more confusion with people from
the Dominican republic, who would now be Quisqeyanos, as their national anthem
proclaims. Puerto Rico would officially become Borinquen, while Jamaica would
remain basically the same, except the J would be pronouced H, like a Spanish J.

What are the original place names of some of the other countries in the 
Caribbean?
Jones
Newsgroups: soc.culture.caribbean
From: jmm@world.std.com (Jones M Murphy)
Subject: Re: Original Names - Caribbean countries
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1992 15:56:58 GMT

simon@acsu.buffalo.edu (Patrice A. Simon) writes:

>	Antigua - Wadadli

I always wondered, as a boy, what King Shortshirt meant in his repeated 
references to "Wadadli". This is great. By the way, what happened to King
Obstinate? He had a series of superb songs around 84-85--"Children's Melee",
"Crucify Him", "Got a little something for you", etc...
Jones
Newsgroups: soc.culture.caribbean
From: jasammer@eos03a-16pa.eos.ncsu.edu (JOHN ASHLEY SAMMERSON)
Subject: "Raise Yuh Finger" lyrics...
Originator: jasammer@c00313-11pa.eos.ncsu.edu
Organization: NCSU Project Eos
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1992 18:27:39 GMT



    All yuh hear de calypso "Raise Yuh Finger" by SuperBlue.  Yuh 
realize it is about Robinson (ex-PM of T&T). Lemme give all yuh a 
sample....


Verse 1
-------
Neighbour, neighbour, oy
  Neighbour woy-yoy-yoy-yoy-yoy
    Gyul heaven or hell 
Broken promises
  More rags than riches
    De people rebel

CHORUS
------
Guess who end up in Tobago                  (sucking Julie Mango)
  From Castara to Scarborough               (sucking Julie Mango)
Ah hear, neighbour, neighbour, guess who outside
  Neighbour come quick and see before he run and hide
If you know who (Put up Yuh Finger).....
Raise Yuh Finger.....


Verse 2
-------
Lyrics like a scout
  Fire in de mout'
    WASA had to strike
Hear de fireman 
  De flames outta han'
    Ent is heat you like


Verse 3
-------
Is not only here
  Gyul is everywhere
    Father put a hand
Refugees in boat 
  Whether sink or float
    Fleeing from their land



   Take a guess which finger people chose tuh put up. Me, I feel
for a Julie mango mehself. 

   Ah Gone!

John S.
100% Trini
On de count of four
  On de count of four
Ah want yuh to jump, jump, jump
  Like yuh never jump before
           "Jump" - Second Imij ('92)


--------
-- 

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*       
* Computer Arch & Telecommunications *   jasammer@eos.ncsu.edu *
* Dept. of Elect & Comp Engineering  *  or js@duke.cs.duke.edu *
Newsgroups: soc.culture.caribbean
From: praim@connext.ucs.sfu.ca (Praim Sankar)
Subject: Re: Callaloo?
Organization: Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1992 17:49:55 GMT


> >  there a separate vine called Callaloo, at least in Guyana? 
  BTW, Brian is right about edoe leaves and dascheen (didn't 
> >  this have another name in Guyana, guyanese readers) being edible, I just 
> >  seem to remember there was a separate callaloo vine that produced leaves 
> >  that when cooked looked a lot like spinach?
> 
> William is right, there IS a separate plant called callaloo and it IS
> exactly the same as spinach.  There are about three different varieties
> that I know about - I can't remember the names of the first two (or even
> if they had distinguishing names) but the third variety (and least tasty
> IMO) is commonly available in stores here as bak choy.
> 
> Chico.
> 

What is commonly referred to as calalloo bush is the leaf of 
dasheen or edoes.  Because it is commonly used for this dish it is
commonly referred to as "calalloo bush". In some parts of the world
eg. FIJI , it is called Taro .I can't say how it is called in
 Guyana becaause, frankly, I have never had a discussion about calallo
before.
BOK CHOY,or Pak choy as it is known in T,dad,
is in the same family as a spinach but is totally unsuitable for
calalloo. Please refer to my recipe. Bok choy is rather tasty when
cooked chinese style.
From: rfrance@umiacs.umd.edu (Robert B France)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.caribbean
Subject: Re: Derek Walcott at Duke...
Keywords: Readings.....
Date: 14 Apr 92 13:49:00 GMT
Organization: UMIACS, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742

In article <29E9E27B.23251@noiro.acs.uci.edu> ecurtis@miami.acs.uci.edu (Evans Curtis) writes:
>In article <1992Apr12.160110.22056@ncsu.edu> jasammer@eos.ncsu.edu (JOHN ASHLEY SAMMERSON) writes:
>>--
>>   This raised the issue of Martinique and Guadeloupe's future; since  
>>they are colonies of France; they become fair game for buyers with enough 
>>capital. Mind you, these buyers aren't no longer just the French, but can
>>come from any member of the ECM.
>
>
>This is a true and very dangerous possibility.  I think every country will 
>have to draft up its own laws to safeguard against this. 
>
>Evans.-

Are these two islands seeking independence? It seems that is what they should
be doing. On the other hand the French are notorious for holding on to their
colonies - take e.g. the situation in Vanuatu - the Kanaks (a 
militant pro-independence group of the island's indigenous people)
have fought for years for independence and to no avail (at least up to the
time I left the pacific region in '89).

Is there a similar struggle in Martinique and Guadeloupe?

Robert
Newsgroups: soc.culture.caribbean
From: jasammer@eos.ncsu.edu (JOHN ASHLEY SAMMERSON)
Subject: Trini Words........
Keywords: forget de (of de Week) part.
Reply-To: jasammer@eos.ncsu.edu (JOHN ASHLEY SAMMERSON)
Organization: Project EOS - North Carolina State University
Date: Sun, 12 Apr 1992 19:50:30 GMT

--
 
    All yuh ah know ah lapse dey for a long time; ah even decide tuh
t'row out de "of de Week" part 'cause I eh know when ah postin' de nex'
setta words. But anyhow....

   HOW YUH MEAN - Why certainly.
   BUFF - To insult. To demean vocally.
   BODOW - To emphasize a blow!
   LAMBASTE - To beat badly.
   PICONG - Fatigue.
   BOBOLUPS - A fat person. 
   DOTISH - Stupid.
   HOW COME - Why?
   KONK OUT - Knocked out.
     eg. 
        T&T) When he call she a big, fat, BOBOLUPS. Ah say well yes, 
        QE)  When he harassed the woman, calling her fat. I just knew

        T&T) IS BLOWS tonight, because I know she cyar take PICONG.
        QE)  I just knew it was going to be lights out for him, he cause
             she doesn't sit well with fatigue.

        T&T) Man, when she start tuh LAMBASTE he tail so, ah feel real
        QE)  She started beating up on him so badly, I felt 

        T&T) sorry fuh him, qui. Next ting ah hear, BODOW!!! 
        QE)  sorry for him. Then there was a load noise.

        T&T) De man KONK OUT, qui.
        QE)  And he was knocked unconscious.

        T&T) So HOW COME I jus' leave meh partner?
        QE)  So you left your friend there?

        T&T) HOW YUH MEAN....I look DOTISH or what? I was BUFFin' de
             woman too yuh know.
        QE)  Of course. I'm no fool, I was insulting at her also.


   COME GO - Let us go.
   MAKE HASTE - Hurry up.
     eg. 
        T&T) MAKE HASTE and COME GO, nah. 
        QE)  Hurry up and let us go.

        T&T) Boy you always late. You go be late for yuh funeral?

     
   PEONG - Fanatic.
     eg.
        I am a Calypso PEONG.


   FOOTY WELL - Come what may! 
     eg.
        Wha' yuh tink it is. He FOOTY WELL have tuh pay meh, qui.


   HAUL YUH TAIL - Response of disgust. Get away!
     eg.
        Yuh better HAUL YUH TAIL before ah gih yuh two butt.


    Ah Gone!


John S.
100% Trini
Melda, oy you making wedding plan
  Carrying meh name to obeah man
All you do, cyah get thru
  Ah still eh go marrid to you...
            "Melda" - Sparrow


*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*       
* Computer Arch & Telecommunications *   jasammer@eos.ncsu.edu *
* Dept. of Elect & Comp Engineering  *  or js@duke.cs.duke.edu *
* North Carolina State University    *  Phone:  (919) 489-0941 *    
*--------------------------------------------------------------* 
Newsgroups: soc.culture.caribbean
From: yyjose@bazas.lerc.nasa.gov (Jose Quinones-Cerezo)
Subject: Re: original names
Reply-To: joseq@lerc.nasa.gov
Organization: NASA-Lewis Research Center
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 11:07:52 GMT

In article <1992Apr13.041921.13345@pemrac.space.swri.edu>, richard@pemrac.space.swri.edu (Richard Murphy) writes:
|> I believe the Taino indians of Puerto Rico called the
|> island "Borenquin" (pardon my spelling here).
|> R. Murphy

The Taino name for the island is "Boriken".  Spaniards
changed this to "Borinquen", and thats why Puertoricans
are also called "boricuas".

-- 
joseq@lerc.nasa.gov        | "Por que el pan de Dios
Jose R. Quinones-Cerezo    |  lo tiene todo el mundo
NASA/Lewis Research Center |  pero el agua de Dios
Cleveland  Ohio            |  solo Aguadilla"      - Jose de Diego
From: rfrance@umiacs.umd.edu (Robert B France)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.caribbean
Subject: Re: Caribbean, Antilles, West Indies
Date: 10 Apr 92 12:53:49 GMT
Organization: UMIACS, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742

In article <BMG9Du.B4v@world.std.com> jmm@world.std.com (Jones M Murphy) writes:
>[... stuff deleted ...]
>What are the original place names of some of the other countries in the 
>Caribbean?
>Jones

I think the Carib name for St. Vincent is Hairoun (Vincie beer is also called
Hairoun beer - good stuff that, I rate it over the Trini Carib and Bajan
Banks - I have my asbestos suit on so Trinis and Bajans flame on!). 
Don't know what Hairoun means though.

Robert
From: simon@acsu.buffalo.edu (Patrice A. Simon)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.caribbean
Subject: Re: hangout.rutgers.edu - Jamaica
Date: 9 Apr 92 14:51:17 GMT
Distribution: soc
Organization: UB


	thanks for this info! seems like all of the islands are there!
-- 
Patrice Simon
simon@acsu.cc.buffalo.edu			v5097ucd@ubvms.buffalo.edu
opnsimon@ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Organization: Penn State University
Date: Monday, 13 Apr 1992 23:32:07 EDT
From: <AGL1@psuvm.psu.edu>
Newsgroups: soc.culture.caribbean
Subject: Re: Calalloo - a recipe
 <1992Apr10.173223.12487@sfu.ca> <1992Apr11.214511.14317@cs.mcgill.ca>
 <1992Apr13.134905.12462@cbnewsm.cb.att.com> <92104.115456CSRCC@CUNYVM.BITNET>

In article <92104.115456CSRCC@CUNYVM.BITNET>, <CSRCC@CUNYVM.BITNET> says:
>
>Edmund
>      With all due respect, you don't know what you are talking about.
>Like wine and unlike whiskey, there are many catageries of rums. Simply
>put, "Over proof rum" of Jamacian fame  cannot be compared to CockSpur.
>The Trinidadian equavalent to it is something called "Punching" (discribling
>it's almost legendery strenght - knock out power). Punching is a white rum
>with
>an almost flamable smell.  The art of drinking Punching, and it's illegal
>cosin
>"bush rum" (tradinally ferment to taste with prunes) has become almost
> ritualistic, in the Twin island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. This rutual
 [ deleted sentences]       (Unconfirmed rumors have said that fire has been
>seen spitting from the mouths of the men.) I have seen the redding of eyes
>and the large beads of sweat froming on the face and foreheads of the men.
>There is also some spontanious vocal reaction generally in the from of
>"Whew !!"

  Sounds like JB from Jamaica.  This is the more potent and prerefined rum
  usually to be found in areas close to Appleton Rum factory.  JB is actually
  short for "John Crow Batti" (for the non-Jamaicans, the John Crow is the
  commonest vulture in Jamaica and "batti" is patois for buttocks/posteroir)
  It is said that if this spills anywhere, the smell will take at least two
  months to go away.                Only to be tried by those with caste iron
  stomachs.

  Arlene Laing
____________________________________________________________________
                        l "Ranny, where yu is?
agl1@psuvm.psu.edu      l "Leaning up aghence a banana tree"
Penn State University   l "Which banana tree?"
University Park PA 16802l "The banana tree dat is leaning aghence me"
                        l           Louise Bennett and Ranny Williams
________________________l___________________________________________
Organization: City University of New York/ University Computer Center
Date: Thursday, 16 Apr 1992 07:03:21 EDT
From: <CSRCC@CUNYVM.BITNET>
Newsgroups: soc.culture.caribbean
Subject: Soca CD's

Hi all
      Last week I picked up a SOCA CD "Carnival Fever" by Byron Lee
and The Dragonaires. It has songs like DOLLAR WINE (C.Lucas), BLACK MAN COME
OUT TO PARTY (L. Calliste orignaly BLACK STALIN) and a few other party favorate

      The question is does anyone out their know of any other SOCA CD's, if
you do; Would you list by name? Where did you get them?

P.S. As we say in Trini de cd sounds clean too bad.
/Colin
Newsgroups: soc.culture.caribbean
From: jasammer@eos03a-16pa.eos.ncsu.edu (JOHN ASHLEY SAMMERSON)
Subject: My '92 Soca favourites...
Originator: jasammer@c00313-11pa.eos.ncsu.edu
Organization: NCSU Project Eos
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1992 18:46:20 GMT

   Ah finally get ah good sample of de jams fuh T&T carnival.
Ah see yuh list dey David, but these are my personal favourites:

   1) Jab-Jab - SuperBlue
   2) Raise Yuh finger - SuperBlue
   3) Jump (On de count of four) - Second Imij (all out favourite)
   4) De Party Now Start - Crazy
   5) Penelope - Crazy
   6) Jock Yuh Waist and Wine - Iwer George
   7) Show me your motion - Rikki Jai
   8) De Long Time Band - David Rudder
   9) Both of Dem - Sparrow
  10) Come With It - Black Stalin
  11) China Man - Taxi
  12) Wine Down (Bend And Touch Yuh Toes) - Byron Lee
  13) Music - Shadow
  14) Music To Dance - Atlantik
  15) Way To Go - Boyie Mitchell


   Ah Gone!


John S.
100% Trini
Last year ah sing, ah say ah taking meh wife to party
  People vex like hell 'cause ah say meh wife and not deputy
              "Come With It" - Black Stalin ('92)


--------
-- 

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*       
* Computer Arch & Telecommunications *   jasammer@eos.ncsu.edu *
* Dept. of Elect & Comp Engineering  *  or js@duke.cs.duke.edu *
From: richard@pemrac.space.swri.edu (Richard Murphy)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.caribbean
Subject: original names
Date: 13 Apr 92 04:19:21 GMT
Organization: Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio

I believe the Taino indians of Puerto Rico called the
island "Borenquin" (pardon my spelling here).
R. Murphy
Organization: City University of New York/ University Computer Center
Date: Monday, 13 Apr 1992 11:54:56 EDT
From: <CSRCC@CUNYVM.BITNET>
Newsgroups: soc.culture.caribbean
Subject: Re: Calalloo - a recipe
 <1992Apr10.173223.12487@sfu.ca> <1992Apr11.214511.14317@cs.mcgill.ca>
 <1992Apr13.134905.12462@cbnewsm.cb.att.com>

Edmund
      With all due respect, you don't know what you are talking about.
Like wine and unlike whiskey, there are many catageries of rums. Simply
put, "Over proof rum" of Jamacian fame  cannot be compared to CockSpur.
The Trinidadian equavalent to it is something called "Punching" (discribling
it's almost legendery strenght - knock out power). Punching is a white rum with
an almost flamable smell.  The art of drinking Punching, and it's illegal cosin
"bush rum" (tradinally ferment to taste with prunes) has become almost
 ritualistic, in the Twin island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. This rutual
can been seen performed invariably by the male inhabitance of the island on
what is localy termed "Rum Shops" (bar or pub). I might add that this
behavior pattern seems to know no social barriers. And is rumored to occur
behind the closed doors of the Rich and Famous.
   Like any exotic event there are some ingredient that must be present to make
the ritual complete. The first of these is called "cutters"; cutters consist
of portions of Fried chicken, peppered shrimp even wild meat. Once the cutters
are in place,the bottles of rum is placed on the table, with it, a bottle of
"ice" water (sometimes coconut water). The seal of the rum is broken and a
few drops of rum is allow to fall to the earth as an offering to the "sprits."
 (This is similar to the "Libasions" pronoced Lie-bay-shons of the African
west coast").  The Rum is poured into a whiskey glass, then the men put the
glass to their head and with a swift upward movement throw their heads
backwards and take a "shot."  The rum is swiftly followed by a "swig" of
water from the same glass. (Unconfirmed rumors have said that fire has been
seen spitting from the mouths of the men.) I have seen the redding of eyes
and the large beads of sweat froming on the face and foreheads of the men.
There is also some spontanious vocal reaction generally in the from of
"Whew !!"
I perher the more "saintly" beverages. Traditionally known as the Vatagan
Vat 19 (a red sugar cane rum) is the most popular rum in the land.

Taken from
                      "Life in the tropics is fine"
/Colin ST Rose
Newsgroups: soc.culture.caribbean