#16 – Bahamian Packing

When a Bahamian is coming back to the Bahamas from a vacation or from schooling, most of the time there is a well rehearsed routine of packing. It’s a routine passed down from one generation to the next. It is faster and more efficient to learn the technique from an elder than try to develop your own.

#15 – Bahamian Waters

Growing up in the Bahamas, I took the colours of the Bahamian waters for granted until more recently when I can compare other bodies of water and realise their captivating power when flying over the Islands after a sojourn. How lucky we are.

Mudda Sik!

Photos by Jimbo Slice

#14 – Lack of Deodorant

Your plan is to go out for the night. You have a nice shower and put on some nice clothes because you not too sure who you going to see out. Your routine is disturbed by a call from your friend saying she heading out now and to meet her downtown.

After about an hour of time with your friends, dancing and drinking, you start to smell a lingering odour on occasion. You think little of it and figure it’s somebody around you but raise your arm, take a whiff and find you forget to put deodorant on before coming out.

Mudda sik!

#13 – Gum Under Your Shoe

Minding your own business, you’re thinking about errands you have to do, dinner or that special someone. And suddenly, your train of thought is slightly interrupted by a tug on the bottom of your foot. If you feel this tug, you’re one of the lucky ones because it depends on the elasticity of the clinging culprit that will make you aware of its presence or not. You may be lucky and notice after the first step, in which case it may be easy enough to remove the gum.

If not, the pressure exerted by your body onto the gum will force it to work its way into the various crevices in the sole of your shoe; oozing and squeezing into every nook and cranny. After a while, you won’t realise its stickiness anymore because it will have less contact with the ground and dirt and debris will adhere to the exposed side. Upon arrival to your destination, it is brought to your attention (either by a concerned colleague or through your own realisation) that the health of your shoe and your present demeanour are indebted to the closest stick you can find to peel she out.

Mudda Sik!

#12 – Spanish Wells, Bahamas Snapper Hauling and Fishing

Video captured of Spanish Wells fishermen.

“Mudda lipstick!”

#11 – McDonald’s Switch

I don’t know what came over me the other day.. I was real jonsin’ for a Mickey D’s breakfast. I haven’t had a good Sausage McMuffin, two hash browns and an orange juice for a while. I don’t know if you noticed.. but that’s my regular breakfast order from years ago. So back to me jonsin’ – I was real feeling for one.

So I moseyed out of bed, got ready and headed just down the road where McDonald’s is conveniently placed for university student consumption. Good on your McDonald’s. I was contemplating if I should switch it up and go for an Egg McMuffin or stay traditional. I don’t fancy the McGriddles too much.

Opening the door and walking into the dining area I smell the familiar scent of the deep fat fryer where hash browns are made oh so golden brown and delicious. I pay no attention to the overhead menu and walk up to the cashier and ramble off, “Sausage McMuffin, two hash browns and a large orange juice, please.” The cashier looked blankly at me and says, “Sorry we just switched over to the lunch menu.”

Mudda Sik!

#10 – Junkanoo Music

Sitting on a bleacher or standing on a balcony, you feel the chill of the night while you’re waiting for your favourite Junkanoo group to come rushing down Bay Street. The fans start chanting their group of choice when a mass of costumes starts setting up at the end of the street, “Valley! Saxons! Warriors!”

As the banner passes, the crowd gets to their feet in anticipation for for the inevitable music. You admire and respect the time and effort that has gone into building and pasting the costumes of the free dancers passing by. In the distance you hear the murmur of the large goat skin drums and cowbells reverberating off the stretch of buildings.

The brass band move within earshot making their music comprehensible. The sousaphone line pipe up and start the bass of a song. Bass lines are common in a variety of songs, so you wait for the trumpet section to reveal the song.

The first few notes of the song still have you a lil lost about what the song is. You look around and ask ya boi if he know what the song is. Both of y’all don’t know what is it but you start to mumble a string of lyrics, realize it’s a real dread song from this past year then jump up, wave ya arm and shout…

Mudda Sik!

#9 – Stars

Recently I took the opportunity to see some friends a few hours’ drive away and along the highway we had intervals where the only light sources were sparse headlights and the stars above our heads. It was a clear night, not a cloud in the sky, and I was in shock over the constellations and sheer number of how many stars there are.

Living in an urban scenario you rarely have the opportunity to appreciate the beauty of nature and I feel that it’s a shame that we have to go looking for it or come across is purely by coincidence. In our scenario it was purely by accident because we were going to visit some friends, but we could’t help but constantly look up towards the Heavens and be gob smacked.

Admiring the stars I couldn’t help but think about other galaxies in the Universe with their own stars and their solar systems with planets similar to ours holding their mysteries and is there support for life, ‘Is there other life?’, dark matter, antimatter. And this cyclical thought process went on for a few seconds before I couldn’t wait any longer looked out the window again and thought..

Mudda Sik!

Photo by JimboSlice

#8 – Train

Today may be an important day for you at work or school, possibly having to present a final project to your peers and superiors. Or you may have been waiting to see your significant other for a month, who is 5 hours away.

You just jumped off the bus and now heading through the train station to get on board the commuter train which you eyed on the way in. You fumble your wallet looking for your 10-ride pass. It’s not in your wallet, but you remember you threw it in the front pocket of your backpack. You take off your backpack, rummage around and finally find the pass, cancel a ride with the stamp machine and head out towards the tracks. You feel pretty good looking down at your watch and think you have a couple minutes to spare. Climbing the stairs to the platform you hear the familiar tone, “Stand clear of the doors, the doors are now closing,” and think to yourself..

Mudda Sik!

The popular transit company operating in Toronto shall remain nameless.

#7 – Ya Nice Jeans

You getting ready to go out, and you get some solid jeans you want to wear. You glance down to find a nice rip.. right up in the crotch and t’ing.

Mudda Sik!