To Change or not to Change

To Change or Not to Change

Ok, so the other day when I was out driving with a friend, he asked me what I was doing tomorrow and I replied “I’ze gine ta wuk tomar, deng ta da shop”. He said “Aight deng”. Then I paused, “what the heck did I just say lol”.
By the way that sentence translates to “ I am going to work Tomorrow, then I am going back to work.”

I honestly had no idea that I had just spoke in the most real Bajan dialect. It was definitely done unintentionally.
It is difficult, because as I am here as a Canadian, it is very easy to walk around with a “Canadian accent” and allow things to come easily, because people here service people who are foreign much quicker and more politely than they do their own. However, people cannot tell that I am from overseas until I speak, so I try not to make it to obvious. Since I also have my Jamaican heritage I will also let people know that this is the reason why I am so familiar with Caribbean Customs.

When in Canada, I would always greet people with a smile and handshake or for some a BIG bear hug, but I cannot really do that here. One thing I have adapted for sure is the politeness of saying good morning or good evening, TO EVERYONE hahaha. When I work to work every day, I must say good morning about 30 times before I actually get to work (only 10 mins away). When you pass a stranger on the street you must always always greet them whether it be a child or an elder, sometimes, unfortunately greasy old men that think you’re cute. In Canada we do the whole smile and nod thing out of politeness, but here you must speak. Once it is after 3pm, you must say good evening to everyone that crosses your path. It does make me better disciplined, however.

To be honest, over here there is more pressure to be fashionable than there may be in Canada. People love to have the latest hair styles and clothes. The professional women here are so elegantly dressed, many times I desire to have a suit made and tailored for me as well.

Often times I have to be careful when speaking to people that I do not try to seem arrogant or as though I am in someway or educated than them just because I have a different understanding of things. Therefore, I tend to take the backseat when I see people conversing.

I have found that in Barbados there are a lot of women who hold very prestigious positions, but this business women lifestyle also appears in the household. I have seen a number of cases where the women are the breadwinners and make most of the financial decisions in the home while the men take the back seat. Women here are also very protective of their husbands and boyfriends. Apparently, Bajan women can be very aggressive when it comes to men that they want, regardless of their relationship status. So I keep my distance.