It’s BAAAAACK! August Monday – The Party of the Summer!

August Monday has arrived yet again! The island of Sint Maarten is getting prepared for the mass exodus that will occur on Monday, when a flotilla of boats will be spotted making their way across the Anguilla channel for the party of the summer. There’ll be big boats, little boats, sail boats, power boats, and ferries: a true armada heading over to Anguilla to attack the shores of Sandy Ground with coolers, music and revelers.

What is August Monday? In a nutshell it’s the celebration of the freeing of slaves. The first August Monday dates all the way back to 1834! It was also known as ‘Emancipation Day’. And these days, Anguilla’s August Monday is known worldwide for being one of the biggest beach parties that happens every year.

How can you get there? It’s pretty simple. The options range from private boats to ferries – or if you’re lucky enough you know someone with a boat! Travel time can be anywhere from twenty minutes to four hours, depending on the boat you’re on. The ferry from Marigot will get you there in less than 2O minutes for a pretty reasonable price. There are plenty of charter companies but if you haven’t booked by now, you may miss out!

What is there to do, you ask? Party, my dear friends, party in the most ideal setting one can imagine. Crystal clear blue waters, white sandy beach – a paradise that many dream about – that we got! For some it will be a first time – August Monday virgins so-to-speak. For others it will be as familiar as an old friend. Live music and boat racing are the highlights, as well as sponsored parties and private parties. Everything melts into one giant party! The pre-party starts on Friday as many people head over to spend the entire weekend on Anguilla, ending with the big blow out Monday night. A couple highlights to catch: Heineken is having it’s warm up boat race on Sunday at 2pm in Sandy Ground followed by a great Latin night of music at Landsome Bowl that will kick off around 8:3Opm. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, you can make your way to The Valley at 4am and participate in the J’ouvert Morning Parade. Dance your backside off as the sun rises over the island, kicking off another great day of partying. Monday afternoon will have the August Monday Boat Race at Sandy Ground starting at 3pm, followed by the big blow out party! If August Monday isn’t enough for you, there are more great times to be had! For the Anguilla locals, the party will start on August 2^nd and run through August 12^th as part of the Anguilla Summer Festival.  The festival includes parades for grown-up and kids, a beauty pageant, concerts and more!

I asked around with my friends to see what their plans were, as we reminisced about previous August Monday parties with lots of laughter. Memories ranging from lost swim trunks to sleeping on the beach due to missing the boat back! Some friends were as excited as a kid in a candy store about heading to Anguilla, others where planning a quiet day on Sint Maarten, away from the crowds. Some were even contemplating playing hooky from work…their names will be withheld to protect the not so innocent!

A few words of precaution for our August Monday Virgins: Sun block. Can’t have enough of it! Nothing like a bad sunburn to spoil the party. To virgins and non-virgins alike: Keep hydrated. Yes, yes…the plan is to “party ‘til you puke” but a couple of bottles of water here and there let you party for longer. Dehydration is no fun! And finally: Be responsible! Have fun, be safe and come back in relatively one piece! Plans have been made, boats will be prepared and the hoards of people will descend on Anguilla will party, party, party!

World Cup in St. Maarten

Here's an article I wrote while experiencing the World Cup of European Football in St. Maarten. It was insane and wild and so much fun.

I arrived at Marty’s early, having been warned that it would be a madhouse for the game. That was not an understatement! Having staked my claim on a small table and two bar stools, I settled back to watch the increasingly steady tide of Orange wash in from the parking lot. I was joined, shortly, by a good friend of mine from Holland, Jax, and we prepared to watch the game with a couple of drinks and an air of expectation.

As the kick off drew near, the atmosphere at Marty’s was increasingly anxious and excited. Soon I felt like I was bobbing along in an orange sea, with still more people pressing to get inside in wave after wave of orange. They wanted to get to the bar, to a drink and to a good spot to see the two big TVs Marty had set up. As for seating, if you came early enough you scored a chair or a bar stool. Late comers had their choice of places on the metal scaffolding set up for the game, though it was a little unforgiving to your backside. It was not a first time visit for many people, so I saw many pillows being carried in the direction of the scaffolding. I could hear the same questions floating through the crowd: How good was Uruguay, really? Could Holland really make it to the finals? Against whom? Germany? Spain? The questions were interrupted by the Netherland’s national anthem, which many sang at Marty’s with gusto. The anthem was followed by a roar from the crowd at the kick off of the game. People were already on their feet, applauding and cheering.

And then it happened.

Less than 2O minutes into the first half – Holland scored. Madness erupted all around me. People were jumping and cheering and hugging each other, screaming all the while. I was right along for the ride. I found myself in the very strong clutches of a young Dutch woman who was urging me to will Holland to a win. Her desire for the game was infectious and I couldn’t help but grin at her enthusiasm.

“I know you’re not from Holland, but will you cheer with me?” she asked. Who could say no? Besides, even though I’m not from Holland, I was definitely FOR Holland. I gave her a big squeeze and told her, “Holland will do just fine. I have a feeling. Just you wait and see.” I got a giant Cheshire Cat grin in return.

And then it happened.

Just a little over 2O minutes after Holland’s goal, Uruguay scored. A rather lightening fast goal that left the crowd saying, “What just happened?”  I looked over at Jax and frowned in confusion. I had literally looked down for 2 seconds to find something on the table and there was a goal. The game was tied. Back to square one and it was half time. Half time was spent in the usual manner of any big sporting events: The mad rush to the bar and bathrooms. I took a few moments to chat with the people around, smiling at all the people from different countries there to represent Holland. I had one group of women from Colombia who didn’t speak a word of Dutch but were cheering madly and decked out in Orange. “We love football! And Holland!” they happily told me. Just behind me was a lady from Belgium and in front of me were 2 German gentlemen. One of the Germans smiled at me and told me in a playfully scheming tone, “Just seeing what the competition for the final will be.” That made me laugh and clap him on the back.

At the kick off to the second half, the atmosphere was slightly different. There was a sense of urgency drifting around the crowd. Questions surfaced again: Can Holland do this? Sure enough, 7O minutes into the game, Holland scored, and the crowd at Marty’s became a wild melee. I found myself showered in Heineken and being slapped on the back and kissed by everyone in my general vicinity. Jax leaned towards me with a huge grin on her face. “Can you believe it? This is so amazing!” I grinned back, hoisting a Heineken in the air, although I’m not quite sure where it came from. It seemed to have magically materialized in my hand.  Three minutes later, another goal! Madness would be an understatement.  The crowd erupted into frenzied glee. The chant of Holland! Holland! Was being yelled out from every corner, followed by Ole, Ole, Ole. I smiled sheepishly at my friend and started singing: na,na,naa na, na na naa na, hey hey, hey Good bye. Soon the crowd was roaring that little tune as well. Jax and I found ourselves, once again, amidst a fountain of Heineken and miscellaneous other drinks as people around us were, seemingly, losing their minds.

Twenty minutes later, the crowd gave a collective gasp as Uruguay scored a goal in extra time for the second half. A brief look of panic washed across the sea of Orange. What was this…? Could it be possible? Could Uruguay make some sort of miraculous come back? Would there be extra time? A shoot out? The answer was NO. The final whistle blew and lunacy erupted once again. This time the orange sea surged through the front of Marty’s spilling out to swamp the main road. Traffic was stopped as people dance and cheered in the street. One young man was suddenly a toreador, challenging, playfully, the on coming traffic with a Dutch flag. No one seemed to mind, and many dubbed him the unofficial official mascot as horn honked, people cheered and hugged and buckets of ice water where being dumped on random revelers.

The crowd began thinning out around 6pm, nearly 2 hours after the end of the game. The orange tide was slowly dispersing, drifting away from Marty’s or back into Marty’s. I briefly spoke to Marty, who looked exhausted but content. The unofficial beer tally was 1O5 cases of beer in 2 hours. Astounding!

I bid a weary farewell to Jax and to my new friends, promising I would see them again this Sunday. Same time, same place, and hopefully the same outcome. Go Holland!

The Iconic Coconut Palm

When people think of the Caribbean the first thing that usually pops into their head is a vision of crystal clear blue waters, white sandy beaches…and coconut palms. Almost anywhere you go in the world, the image of a coconut tree is synonymous with paradise: from post cards to TV commercials. The coconut palm isn’t exclusive to the Caribbean. It can be found all over the world, from Fiji to Florida. But where did it come from and how did it get to where it is today?

Well, let’s get the scientific stuff out of the way. The coconut palm is botanically referred to as the 'Cocos nucifera'. It is a member of the Arecaceae or palm family. In fact, the coconut palm is the only member of the genus Cocos. Native to the tropics, the palm has now found its way across the continents, with the help of the dedicated efforts of seafarers. The palm bears fruit that is light and buoyant and hence, does not rule out the possibility of finding its own course across the globe with the help of marine currents.

Ok, now for a little insight as to where it came from….there is actually quite a bit of friendly ‘debate’ on the topic, seeing as fossils of coconuts have been found dating back more than 15 million years ago in New Zealand. Some believe the coconut fruit and palm are believed to have their roots on South Asian soil. Research reveals that the palm is native to the Ganges Delta, in Asia. There are a number of studies that also claim that the fruit has its origin in the northwestern region of South America. There are a number of fossil records that are being researched upon. The oldest mention in text of the fruit is a special mention in the Mahawamsa texts of Sri Lanka too, dating back to the 1st century BC. It truly is a universal plant! A little bit of trivia: Hawaii and Florida are the only two states in the U.S. where the plant can be grown.

Did you know the coconut palm rates higher than the family cow to one third of the world's population? Considered the most useful tree in the world, the coconut palm provides food, drink, clothing, shelter, heirloom history, and financial security. Hardly an inch of the coconut palm goes to waste in countries such as the Philippines where families rely on the coconut palm for survival and refer to it as the "tree of life." The Indonesians say, "There are as many uses for the coconut as there are days in the year." The coconut meat, the white portion of the nut, offers more than just food. The coconut is thought of as a highly nutritious food. The white meat also has coconut oil the tropical natives use for cooking. The shell, husk, roots of the tree, fronds, flowers, and wood of the trunk also become useful products. Charcoal filters used in gas masks and cigarettes are made from coconut shells that are burned, leaving pure carbon behind. Charcoal has the ability to trap microscopic particles and impurities and prevent absorption. Charcoal made from coconut shells produces filters of exceptional high performance.
In Zanzibar, coconut oil provides diesel fuel and is also used for lighting and candle making. It’s the truest form of bio-fuel! Coconut shells are made into buttons, form a base for decorative carvings, and are burned for fuel. Indonesian women use coconut oil as hairdressing and as a lotion for the body. They also cook with coconut oil. Coconut oil has proved itself useful in many household products. Soap made from coconut oil lathers exceptionally well. Soap making produces byproducts that are used by processors to make fatty acids and glycerin. Finally, when the tree is no longer producing coconuts, it can be cut down and its attractive wood, called "porcupine wood" can be used to make furniture.

The coconut even has a few taboos and folklore attached to it in many countries. Until the early 1900's, a whole coconut was the accepted form of currency in the Nicobar Islands, just north of Sumatra in the Indian Ocean. In the South Pacific, pieces of coconut shell carved into coin-like spheres served as currency. In Northern India, coconuts were valued as fertility symbols. When a woman wanted to conceive, she would go to a priest to receive her special coconut. Samoans believe that a coconut lying on the ground is not free for the taking but that it belongs to someone who knows it is there. If you should claim the taboo coconut when no one is looking, the tapui, a magical spirit, will taunt you. This unseen force may strike you by lightening or punish you with a painful, incurable illness. The first solid food eaten by a Thai baby is three spoonfuls of the custard-like flesh of young coconut fed to him or her by a Buddhist priest. Natives of New Guinea have their own version of the coconut's origins. They believed that when the first man died on the island, a coconut palm sprouted from his head. In Bali, women are forbidden to even touch the coconut tree. Because females and coconut trees both share the ability to reproduce, men fear that a woman's touch may drain the fertility of the coconut tree into her own fertility.

The next time you head to the beach and set up your blanket under a nice shady coconut palm, take a minute and let your imagination roam. The tree you sit under could be from a far away land or just the next island.