Culture Shock
Nutmeg & Cocoa
A WAY OF LIFE
Florida is known for their oranges, but I have been telling everyone lately about Grenada and their nutmeg! The importance of this crop as well as cocoa was a highlight throughout the entire trip as a cultural staple.
The photo on the top right is of a woman from St. Mark's Village who wanted to cut us open a nutmeg, and gave us some to take home. This was the day of our home visits, and my first exposure to a nutmeg. We would come to learn that nutmeg and mace (the red part of the seed) are the country's leading exports. I had nutmeg jam with my toast almost every morning, and loved the nutmeg flavored ice cream!
The photo underneath showcases a farmer's cocoa, which had been laid out to dry. We were taught that they were dried out on big wooden trays with a wheel system, so if it ever started to rain they could easily wheel the crops to avoid the rain. Upon visiting the Belmont Plantation, we learned about the traditional "Cocoa tea" or our version of hot chocolate. The cocoa balls contained the precious cocoa, and other various spices. The recipe called for 1 cup of water or milk per 1 cocoa ball, heated over a stove and stirred until the cocoa ball was fully dissolved. I have never seen firsthand how a culture could be built around crops other than reading it in textbooks, so learning about these during leisure was fun, and delicious!
Political Fervor
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF POLITICS IN GRENADA
From the moment we first saw Grenada in daylight, it was covered in political posters, banners, signs, and billboards. There wasn't a single day that I didn't see some form of campaign for the two main parties; the National Democratic Congress (NDC) or the New National Party (NNP). Our stay in Grenada happened to fall around election/campaign time, and election day was the day after our departure from the country. Posters stuck in the grass, people wearing t-shirts donned with the faces of officials they supported, and banners hung every few light posts were just a few examples I saw of the political fervor in Grenada.
The pictures shown here are of a man driving around the city of St. George's, blasting music and campaigning for his party. He is support for the NDC. One day while traveling back to our hotel, we had to stop and let what seemed like a campaign parade for the NNP. To be able to see a small country's passion and dedication to politics first hand was definitely shocking to me! Not everyone in the country has access to television or radio, so seeing their way of "getting the word around" was eye opening.
