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Caribbean-gaf |OT| The sun, the sands, the sea!

Sgblues

Member
800px-Maracas_beach_panoramaTrinidad_03_2012_976_zpsd793b82d.jpg



Wa'happening! Welcome to Caribbean-gaf! A place where if you live in the Caribbean, moved from there, planning to visit here, have ancestry/family here or just generally interested in what goes on then this is a place to check out.


Some info: The Caribbean is made up of over 7000 islands but only 32 of them are actually countries, the rest are like small islets and often don't show up on most maps.

800px-CIA_map_of_the_Caribbean.png


Languages spoken there include:

English
Spanish
French
Portuguese
Hindi
Dutch
Creole
Haitian
Chinese(though rare)

I myself come from Trinidad and Tobago(two islands, one nation)

280px-Trinidad_and_Tobago-CIA_WFB_Map.png



Some facts about Trinidad and Tobago:


imagesf_zps3bb49d65.jpg
Its where the steelpan was invented and its not only THE sound when you think of Trinidad and Tobago but often the whole Caribbean in general.

Coat_of_Arms_of_Trinidad_and_Tobagosvg_zps9e898ed9.png
We "Trini" people are a melting pot of cultures and races, a lot of people have really diverse and expansive ethnicities and it goes more and more as time goes on(African, Indian, Spanish, Amerindian, Chinese, European and even smaller groups like Koreans, Indonesians and Japanese)

ibis_zpse44ce607.png
We're one of the many places that celebrates Carnival which happens on the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.

44px-Flag_of_Trinidad_and_Tobago.svg.png
Even though most people know about Trinidad and Tobago, many people don't know a lot of famous people come from there or have ancestry from here.


Including:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikki_Minaj
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfonso_Ribeiro
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatyana_Ali
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karyn_Parsons
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nia_Long
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anya_Ayoung-Chee
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinidad_James
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackée_Harry
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Bibby
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerry_Bednob
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Ocean

And many more.


The town where I come from is Arima(which mean water in Amerindian), its the 4th population center in the country and the largest of in the east and somewhat a major hub for traffic stopping in and through when going east.

Arima is most famous for the dial clock, while not impressive as say big ben in London, its still something that is iconic to the town.

dial_zps7c65434f.png





images_zpsf6f82d30.png
So that's a little about the country I come from and just a small part of what makes up the Caribbean as a whole, so what about the rest of everyone, what do you have to say?
images_zpsf6f82d30.png
 

Brera

Banned
I'm kinda pissed off!

I had an interview and assessment this morning with the Rotary Club too take part in a group study exchange in the caribbean next month. They needed 4 people and only had 2 applicants so those 2 got it and they held another interview day today and 3 people including me turned up!

The other 2 were sponsored by a rotary member while the person that gave me the heads up wasn't a member but had gone on a previous GSE...guess who didn't get the spot!

I fucking nailed the interview, presentation and group exercise! I fucked up when they mentioned a trip to Brazil in May and I was the only one out of the 3 to show an interest while the other two said they'd only do the caribbean!

I was told they'd love it if I apply for that one!

I've always wanted to go to the caribbean and 4 weeks for free in St Kitts, Antigua and Granada would have been AWESOME :-(

Hopefully I get Brazil instead!
 

Sgblues

Member
Ain't nothing wrong with Brazil, lots of great beaches there and I hope you're able to go.

also

Anguilla represent!
 

Sgblues

Member
Well alright, I was starting to think as vast as the Caribbean is, that there weren't others from here that post on GAF hahaha.
 

Brera

Banned
Ain't nothing wrong with Brazil, lots of great beaches there and I hope you're able to go.

also

Anguilla represent!

I think it's probably cos the Caribbean has a bit of an aura about it! I'll defo be a hoping to get a trip to brazil instead!
 

Stinkles

Clothed, sober, cooperative
I just got back from Nevis. Loved it. nothing to do but swim and walk and eat. Went to St, Kitts for one night but the hotel (Marriott) was a complete shithole.
 

yella

Member
Resident from the beautiful island of Barbados checking in... where the weather is nice, the women are (mostly) hot and everything is too fucking expensive lol
 

Sgblues

Member
So here's a common problem, when explaining where you come from to a person, do you "straighten" up your English? Or do you lay it on thick?


Me personally I just talk how I normally do until they say "what was that?" or ask for me to say what I just said.

And normally its to laugh at how I pronounce stuff. Like sneakers, I've been told it sounds like I'm saying "snickers"
 

Sgblues

Member
Well alright we're finally getting people who come from the Caribbean here on Gaf, this is great!


Can post pics and info about the places you're from or are planning to visit in the Caribbean.


For those that can understand the jamaican accent - http://youtu.be/G-Ipef-Z72w

Haha more than easy to understand, makes me miss my school days when we use to be going to school in maxi-taxies, pounding out dub and singing all day long.
 

Liberty4all

Banned
I'm sitting in an airport in the Northeast (Buffalo), having just taken a greycoach from Toronto. Shortly will be boarding a flight to Atlanta and then on to Houston. From Houston to Galveston onto a cruise ship headed to my favorite place in the world -- the Caribbean.

Something magical about the heat of the tropics ... A heat that just makes everything better (provided the ocean is nearby!). I'll be visiting Montego Bay in Jamaica, the Gran Cayman islands, and Cozumel Mexico.

Can't wait!


I have visited Bahamas (Paradise Island), st Thomas (us virgin islands), Dominica (amazing), Grenada, Bonaire, Aruba, Dominican Republic (Puerto Plata and Punta Cana), Cuba (Holquin), and Mexico (Cancun and playa del Carmen). The three I'll be visiting this time around I haven't been to so I'm excited.

In general my wife and I love vacationing in the islands and create any excuse we can to visit either by cruise or land resort.
 

KillGore

Member
Puerto Rico here! Living in the caribbeans is nice but since it's hot and humid, I get a case of tinea versicolor on summer and need to take it away with antifungal cream :\ it's the only thing I really hate about it.

Puerto Rico is a 10th or the size of Mexico or even smaller? The murder rate is waaay to high for such a small island.

I've seen you only post negative things about Puerto Rico, a damn shame. Anyways, you're taking things way out of proportion and making other people think it's really bad. Comparing it to Mexico is laughable. As long as you stay off the drug business, you're good. You think Puerto Rico is bad? maybe you should try living in Mexico or Dominican Republic.

Edit: You want to leave the Caribbeans but why don't you?? Is there something stopping you? Why not move to the US?
 
There's a lot of good things about Puerto Rico, the people for the most part are warm and friendly, The food is amazing, the women are the most varied and beautiful in the world, I love the beaches, rent is amazingly cheap.

That being said, as someone that lived in Santurce and currently living in Puerto Nuevo the sense of insecurity is way too high. I've heard multiple gun shots at night and more than my share of corpses lying in the street, while living in Santurce, Puerto Nuevo has being a lot better thankfully, but I still don't walk the streets at night. Also being of Dominican descent I've dealt with way to many racist and I just hate how girls treat me different when they learn my family is from there.

I can't leave right now because of college and I'm trying to get my mom in here, If you have money this place is a paradise though, also highly recommended as a vacation spot.
 

KillGore

Member
There's a lot of good things about Puerto Rico, the people for the most part are warm and friendly, The food is amazing, the women are the most varied and beautiful in the world, I love the beaches, rent is amazingly cheap.

That being said, as someone that lived in Santurce and currently living in Puerto Nuevo the sense of insecurity is way too high. I've heard multiple gun shots at night and more than my share of corpses lying in the street, while living in Santurce, Puerto Nuevo has being a lot better thankfully, but I still don't walk the streets at night. Also being of Dominican descent I've dealt with way to many racist and I just hate how girls treat me different when they learn my family is from there.

I can't leave right now because of college and I'm trying to get my mom in here, If you have money this place is a paradise though, also highly recommended as a vacation spot.

Yeah, I guess I've had a different experience because I live far away from the metropolitan area. I've been living in Mayagüez for 24 years and I haven't seen a single corpse or have heard a single gunshot. There are murders here but it's really minimal, and non-existant compared to the metropolitan area.

The capital city (where you lived, for those who don't know) and Carolina are horrible places to live in, but I've heard the same thing from Washington DC, so maybe it's a capital thing.

I apologize if I was rude to you, though as someone who is from DR, you should know it isn't any safer over there. I would say it's much worse. Compared to countries like Canada, US, Australia and a lot of European countries this island is a shithole but it's much worse on other hispanic countries. Unfortunately I've noticed a lot of hispanic countries are filled with extremely ignorant people and that includes this island. Puerto Ricans are racist against Dominicans and vice versa. It's stupid as fuck, considering the small distance between both islands.
 

Sol1dus

Member
There's a lot of good things about Puerto Rico, the people for the most part are warm and friendly, The food is amazing, the women are the most varied and beautiful in the world, I love the beaches, rent is amazingly cheap.

That being said, as someone that lived in Santurce and currently living in Puerto Nuevo the sense of insecurity is way too high. I've heard multiple gun shots at night and more than my share of corpses lying in the street, while living in Santurce, Puerto Nuevo has being a lot better thankfully, but I still don't walk the streets at night. Also being of Dominican descent I've dealt with way to many racist and I just hate how girls treat me different when they learn my family is from there.

I can't leave right now because of college and I'm trying to get my mom in here, If you have money this place is a paradise though, also highly recommended as a vacation spot.

As a Puerto Rican, I am very sorry to hear that people there are being racist. I do believe you, as it was the same when I lived there and is very noticeable when I go there and visit. My mother had a strict no racist joke rule for me when I was little. Having lived all around the world, I notice things like this when I go back home. People there are quite ignorant sometimes, and I apologize for that. I truly hope things get better.
 

Blades64

Banned
I'm from Belize. We we're affiliated with both the Carib and Central Amercia, although for some reason, I feel like we're ostracized from both territories sometimes.

Our official language is English, but most people just speak kriol (creole), which is something similar to Jamaica's Patois (patwa).

Wat ah gwan?
 
I just got back from Nevis. Loved it. nothing to do but swim and walk and eat. Went to St, Kitts for one night but the hotel (Marriott) was a complete shithole.

yeah?

well, since i was born there, and have a bunch of relatives to stay with when i visit, i've only seen the restaurant, casino, etc and not the rooms... but the huge ship in the middle of the stairs was pretty amusing!


2S49JsT.jpg


wassupwitdat!?



Puerto Rico is a 10th or the size of Mexico or even smaller? The murder rate is waaay to high for such a small island.

but isn't murder rate usually calculated based on population? does size really matter?
 

Liberty4all

Banned
Im form the country of Grenada.


A native of the smaller Carriacou



Beautiful beaches, small tight community (around 5,000 pop.)
I wanna go back so badly now.

I really liked Grenada. Went tubing down a river in the middle if a rainforest ... Was surreal
 
Been feeling kinda homesick lately. I wonder if I'll end up going home over the summer.

I could really use a shandy and some good food :(
 
Oh wow, was completely unaware of this thread *waves Jamaican flag*

It's quite nice, though I haven't been back there in many years - mi live ah foreign fi too long, so the accent is lost.
 

Violater

Member
Flag-Pins-Belize-Jamaica.jpg


Born in Jamaica, left when I was 16, grew up in Belize.
Both beautiful countries with incredibly beautiful women.
Living in the US engaged to a wonderful Belizean girl.
 
oh wow, found this by accident. anyways, Dominican here. my girlfriend is from Puerto Rico (well her family actually) and she did live in Naranjito for a year, any puertoricans know where that is? live there?
my friend who is from Kingston always speaks well of the place. would certainly like to visit.

here's a lot of good things about Puerto Rico, the people for the most part are warm and friendly, The food is amazing, the women are the most varied and beautiful in the world, I love the beaches, rent is amazingly cheap.

That being said, as someone that lived in Santurce and currently living in Puerto Nuevo the sense of insecurity is way too high. I've heard multiple gun shots at night and more than my share of corpses lying in the street, while living in Santurce, Puerto Nuevo has being a lot better thankfully, but I still don't walk the streets at night. Also being of Dominican descent I've dealt with way to many racist and I just hate how girls treat me different when they learn my family is from there.

I can't leave right now because of college and I'm trying to get my mom in here, If you have money this place is a paradise though, also highly recommended as a vacation spot.

i'm sorry it's happening brother. but such is life. where are you going after college?
 
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