DeliCATessen (written 11.22.09)

Sometimes I give my cat more food than she can eat in one sitting, the consequence being that it’s a little less than crisp at the nth hour, due to the constant humidity in the DR. To show her disapproval, she will walk by, sniff the bowl, and head straight for the ziplock bag where she knows her food is kept, meowing each time I brave eye contact until finally, I cave, and give her a little extra fresh food on top of the older stuff. I’ve watched her eat this mixture, and she really does know the difference. No one likes mealy food, but a cat that’s closer to feral than domestic? Now I’ve seen it all!

Deck the Palm Board Halls (written 11.15.09)

‘Tis the season! To warm up my bath water and make corn fritters, intrigued by a recipe that assured me these oily treats offer a delightful respite from the winter chill. Chill, obviously, is completely relative. Currently, on most days, I can walk from my house to the school in long pants and a short sleeve shirt and not sweat. At night, not only is a sheet tolerable, but my blanket (knitted/crocheted – who can really tell the difference? – by a dear Peace Corps friend) becomes marginally necessary in the wee hours of the morning. Would I freeze without it? Certainly not. But using it has become one of the ways I pretend there are seasons in the Caribbean.

Many of my neighbors already have installed small, artificial Christmas trees in their homes, all aglow with tiny lights, and I’ve even seen the occasional decorative wreath. Now I’m no proponent of acculturation, but I must admit, this tiny sampling of North American culture leaves me feeling warm and fuzzy as opposed to indignant at the island’s permanent home under the umbrella of U.S. influence.

I had noticed some particularly pretty little lights coming from a tree in the window of my neighbor’s house, and after admiring them from the outside for several days, decided to step inside and pay my compliments. To my astonishment, I found it was not a 4 foot tree that had dazzled me, but a tiny tree propped up on a table in just such a way that its light filled the window. I had a good laugh at this and explained it to my neighbor. I don’t think she saw the humor, but humored me anyway with a giggle. After all, ‘tis the season for giving!