The holidays on the island were celebratory, no doubt in my mind that Kittitians know how to party. Starting with J'ouvert, the Carnival celebration went on for 8 days, finally ending on Monday, January 3 with the Last Lap parade. Music, floats, colorful costumes, thousands of people singing, dancing and drinking, filled the streets of Basseterre for 3 days of grand parades. If the Federation were like a boat and could capsize with too much weight on any one side, I would think the island would be submerged in water right now. I did not participate in the Last Lap, but heard while in town yesterday that restaurants and officials had to finally shut down the festivities Monday night because people did not want to go home. School doesn't start until the 10th and many offices are still on extended holiday hiatus, but I expect all things will be back to normal next week.
I did follow through on one of my resolutions already. I joined a gym near my office. The plan is to "work out" after work, another resolution requiring discipline. So far, I've taken a tour of the facility and paid the first months fee. I'm wondering if I don't need a new exercise outfit before I start, and maybe a pair of shoes made for this sort of thing. Or.... Procrastination still reigns.
A little resolution history. "The tradition of New Year's Resolutions goes back to 143 B.C. It was believed that Janus, a mythical king of early Rome with two faces, could look back on past events and forward to the future. Janus was well known as the god of beginnings and endings and became the ancient symbol for resolutions. Worshippers offered resolutions of good conduct - paying off debts, returning borrowed goods - to the double-faced Janus and many Romans looked for forgiveness from their enemies at this time. When the Roman calendar was reformed, the first month of the year was renamed January in honor of Janus, and January 1st became the day of new beginnings."
According to NPR, the 5 most common New Year's resolutions are:
1. Exercise/Lose weight
2. Spend more time with family and friends
3. Quit smoking
4. Get out of debt
5. Learn something new
While studies show that 52% of the people who make resolutions expect to be successful, they also show that only 15% are actually successful after the first month. I am currently in the 52%.
Pictures of J'ouvert.
And so it goes. Resolved: I will write again next week. Reality: We shall see.
I did follow through on one of my resolutions already. I joined a gym near my office. The plan is to "work out" after work, another resolution requiring discipline. So far, I've taken a tour of the facility and paid the first months fee. I'm wondering if I don't need a new exercise outfit before I start, and maybe a pair of shoes made for this sort of thing. Or.... Procrastination still reigns.
A little resolution history. "The tradition of New Year's Resolutions goes back to 143 B.C. It was believed that Janus, a mythical king of early Rome with two faces, could look back on past events and forward to the future. Janus was well known as the god of beginnings and endings and became the ancient symbol for resolutions. Worshippers offered resolutions of good conduct - paying off debts, returning borrowed goods - to the double-faced Janus and many Romans looked for forgiveness from their enemies at this time. When the Roman calendar was reformed, the first month of the year was renamed January in honor of Janus, and January 1st became the day of new beginnings."
According to NPR, the 5 most common New Year's resolutions are:
1. Exercise/Lose weight
2. Spend more time with family and friends
3. Quit smoking
4. Get out of debt
5. Learn something new
While studies show that 52% of the people who make resolutions expect to be successful, they also show that only 15% are actually successful after the first month. I am currently in the 52%.
Pictures of J'ouvert.
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| Kittitians jamming |
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| The crowd outside Ballahoo Restaurant |
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| This partygoer decided he wanted to be an orange man. |
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| Andrew, the tall white guy in the middle, is a fellow Peace Corps volunteer. |
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| Note the military in the left of the photo, and how calmly they peruse the crowd. |
And so it goes. Resolved: I will write again next week. Reality: We shall see.
J'ouvert was a good time, to be sure - I think I remember most of it!
ReplyDeleteLove how the blog is shaping up, Connie. An enjoyable read, lots of good info and great pictures.