Well in Dominica if someone calls you thick its a compliment. It means you are a strong and well made woman! A thick woman isn’t fat and she isn’t skinny either – she is voluptuous but not overly so.

The leader as an example of a wonderful thick woman has to be Queen Latifah. She is everything a thick woman should be. Beautiful and curved in all the right places.

On a walk from the Anchorage Hotel to Roseau I heard a man call out to me and say

“Boy, I don’t usually like thick woman but you are looking so sexy I had to say something to you this morning!”

I was so embarrased I nearly tripped over a stone I didn’t see

So ladies, while you are walking the streets of Dominica if a man tells you he thinks you are thick (not to be confused with fit but I guess close) know that he thinks you are wonderful!

I got quite excited to see that UB40 were playing but then I noticed it was called Ali Cambell’s UB40 which I thought was a little strange, so 5 minutes later and thanks to my friends Google and Youtube I found out that Ali LEFT UB40…!!!! Where have I been… it was 2008 and I had no idea. Some fan I turned out to be.

Now they have some new guy who sings like Ali and dances like Ali and even looks a little like Ali (just a bit skinny) but is definitely NOT Ali….

Click here to view the embedded video.

Anyway, its not as if they did much original stuff anyway!

Onto more important matters and back to Google to figure out who else is on. A couple of familiar names I know from being on DD are

Exile One – Gordon Henderson – or as I know him – Tasha’s daddy – is playing and again there seems to be some “issues” about who the original Exile One are.  According to Wiki

“Exile One was the most innovative and exportable creole band of the Caribbean.”

Actually some people say they still are…. the word isn’t WAS but IS

Every night is reggae night, so no creole music to dance the night away too which is a shame.  Luciano Friday night, Jah Cure Saturday night, and Ali and his imitation UB40 on Sunday.

There are other acts on of course but those are the main attractions of the night.

Dominica’s Triple Kay and WCK will be there

Click here to view the embedded video.

There are only 51 days left before this event starts and I still don’t have my flight booked or my ticket to attend it could possibly mean I won’t be going. But I am always open to a miracle happening!

Unlike England where a bus is identified instantly by its bright red colour and stops at specific locations along a definite route the bus service in Dominica is very different.

So here are 10 things you should know about the bus service and how to recognize a local bus in Dominica….

Firstly, you can identify a bus by its vehicle license number – they all begin with H – or at least the ones licensed by the Government.    (I have only just learnt this today thanks to my cousins website – he offers car rental in Dominica and I was taking a look when I discovered this) You are looking for a mini-bus vehicle.

There are also set fares for travelling to certain locations like Scotts Head, Canefield, Portsmouth and Trafalgar from Roseau so ask to save being hit with the “not knowing tax”  and being charged extra! I won’t put up prices because they change but ask your hotel or anyone local and they will tell you.

To travel local it was only $1.50 Eastern Caribbean Dollar. That was July 2010. If you are reading this in January 2015 who knows what the fare is… but during my stay to get from town to town the cost was only £0.36p ($0.60) – which is great value for money.

When travelling in Dominica you never have to worry about missing a bus because you did not manage to get from one bus stop to another – you can start walking then as you hear one approaching just flag it down right there. They will stop anywhere for you (as long as you are not on a busy junction) and because drivers know that a mini bus needs to stop they are happy to wait while it picks someone up.

To flag down a mini bus so it stops you have to get the right arm action going – my niece and nephew’s girlfriend had a good laugh at the fact that it took me ages to flag down a bus because it seems I wasn’t waving correctly.  You have to have your arm outstretched (mine was like half stretched out) and you have to signal them to stop by waving your hand up and down quickly.  If they are unsure they don’t stop so make sure you are sure so that they are sure so that they stop! Keep that arm fully stretch and stiff as a board

You can also hail them. Being English and quiet I didn’t particularly want to do this but on week two as I left my nephews place and saw a bus going past I knew if I didn’t get it to stop I will have to wait for another one (there is no set time they appear)… some people shout out their destination like… “Roseau…” or their hotel “Anchorage….” and if they are going past that way they will stop.  As I walked out of the house and saw the bus I think the word I used was…. “OI!”…. or maybe it is spelt “OY!” – anyway that is the word that flew out of my mouth very loudly and to my surprise they stopped!

Once they stop watch your manners - as people board the bus they will say good morning or good afternoon or good night (another cultural difference for me – how they use the phrase good night) as they take their seat. You are a visitor to the country and they are not expecting you to say anything so it is worth greeting everyone on the bus just to see the surprised look on their face as they turn to you and reply – priceless!

No need to say nothing and sit quiet. Feel free to engage in conversation – people will talk to you and are very happy to even if they don’t know you – no need to sit and stare at your paper like we do in England.  When they find out you are new and from the Dominica Diaspora they are happy to talk about who your family is – you never know, you might meet relatives you never knew you had right there on the bus.

There are no bus stops – once on the bus raise your voice to stop them. Okay,  this one was also challenging for me at first. When you board the bus you can let the driver know where you are going “town” (meaning Roseau) or the name of your hotel and they will stop for you. If you are not quite sure where to stop you need to tell them or they just keep driving.  When I was visiting Pointe Michel I had a landmark – a bench that I told them to stop at with a Heineken sign on it in green, they always knew it. But if you don’t have a landmark then just shout “stop here” or “getting off here” or something and they stop for you as soon as they safely can.

You can get a bus regularly during the day but by about 7pm they slow down significantly. It is important you know that the later it gets the less mini buses are around so don’t get caught out at someones house and end up having to sleep over because he says there is never any way you are going to get a bus at 10pm at night…. …. nuff said on that one!

So that was my cultural experiences with using the bus system in Dominica. Eventually when people know you they stop for you if they see you walking. Because everyone knew I was Slimms aunty, or Stars aunty they stopped for me to ask if I was going to Pointe Michel and needed a lift. It helps when you have people in Dominica

Now I know my cuz – Don Corriette I will simply hire a car from him at Lindo Park Car Hire – the best spot for all your car hire needs in Dominica… lol… you gotta support family after all!

• Rabbit races
• Buying rabbits
• Rabbit contests
• Rabbit face painting

and yes…..

• Rabbit Stew!

I went along with Natasha Henderson and her family, it was really kind of them to invite me and so great to be among a wonderful supportive family. I almost felt like I was on the Crosby Show there was so much love

During the day the current Prime Minister of Dominica Hon. roosevelt Skerrit made an appearance and I got to meet him too after catching him on video (he appears about a minute and a half into the video)

The views around Cochrane and driving up to the event were amazing – they village is quite high up and I really wanted to return and spend some time there when it wasn’t full of people at an event!

It really was a shame about the rain – it did eventually stop and I was told that all the rabbit activities took place but we left around 4pm and so I missed it.

Find more videos like this on Dominican Diaspora

In the book Coming Home there is one story of a man who lived in the UK and moved back to Dominica. I like reading these stories although I appreciate now that not everyone’s experience will be the same. I may be from England but I have “people” in Dominica. My nephews are all big grown men in the late 20s and early 30s who will help me get settled and hopefully help me avoid any self imposed taxes that go on in Dominica.

During my stay I met a guy called Rosie who picked me up from the airport. We got on instantly and he helped me with some essentials that I forgotten like

• a mobile phone (buy one because its the only way to stay in touch)
• an umbrella (it was rainy season after all)
• a torch (no street lights so everything is completely black at night)

He told me about the “taxes” that people have to pay like

• the not knowing tax – a tax you pay because you don’t know where you are going and a cab driver will take you all over the place to get to your destination and then charge you for it.
• language tax – not being understood you will be charged extra without even knowing it
• people tax – as long as you are not a local there is an opportunity for someone to charge you more

I guess that isn’t exclusive to Dominica. I am sure in most of the developing countries if people find an opportunity to charge more to foreigners they will take it. Probably happens in England too… although at least if people are reported they will get into trouble.

So how did I start the process? I opened a deposit account with the credit union in Pointe Michel. I had to convince them I could open one because it seemed none of the staff knew they could and didn’t want to – but with some persistence and a visit from my sister who is local they finally agreed.

Now I have my account and can go to the post office in Harlesden to send money via moneygram to my account each month so that when I am next in Dominica I know my spending money is already there. Plus I can’t go and take it and spend it on anything else because I have to be in DA to use it!  Helps me make that commitment to return at the very least.

My favourite definition of diaspora is this one

A diaspora (in Greek, διασπορά – “a scattering [of seeds]“) is any movement of a population sharing common national and/or ethnic identity. While refugees may or may not ultimately settle in a new geographic location, the term diaspora refers to a permanently displaced and relocated collective.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diaspora

My parents moved from Dominica to England settling in the UK in the late 40s (dad) and mid 50s (mum) they know England to be home and so do I but my burning desire to know my heritage meant I went on a journey to seek out my Dominican roots.

So I booked my ticket and landing at Melville Hall on 28th July 2010 for the second time in my life.  My first experience took place in 1979 after hurricane David had devastated the island and during those 8 weeks at the age of 13 I was told in no uncertain terms that I was not Dominican but English and I should never try and pass myself off as anything but English.

That was okay with me at the time and I put Dominica to one side and forgot all about her for the next 29 years when in 2008 I found myself desperately seeking information and wanting to know where I was from. I used my skills on the internet and did what I knew best – I started a virtual community that bought together Dominicans and its Diaspora. Two years later and over 8,000 members I have learnt more about Dominica and my heritage than I ever thought I would thanks to the members of that network and as I return from my brief 2 week stay in Dominica I am left asking the question

First generation Dominican Diaspora: What part do we play in Dominica?

And more importantly should we even be looking to play a part in supporting Dominica?  The answer to that question will be different for everyone and will be based on their connection to their heritage and the land of their parents birth. If you had asked me that question 5 years ago I would have said I have nothing to give Dominica and no desire to be there. Now, in 2010 I not only have a desire to own land and be part of village life but I want to build a life for myself there – one that not only sees me return for several months in a year but that also contributes to the village that I live in, in whatever way I can.

In England my support has always gone to children, young people and the elderly so I can’t imagine that this will change in Dominica. The support of those who are the future and those who have given their life to raising the present is very important to me. The elderly in particular are ignored and left alone in England and so I have done what I can to arrange get togethers that bring them out of the home.  It was so wonderful to hear about the Goodwill Reunion support of the elder generation during their celebrations as they got together 200 people – elders and their sponsors – and treated them to a wonderful evening of food, dancing and I am sure plenty of story telling. My only regret is not being able to be there as I was leaving Dominica the next morning and travelling to Pond Casse that afternoon.

There are plenty of first generation Dominicans who are connected to Dominica, who have moved there and who love their life but there are thousands of others who like me in the past have no particular connection to their heritage or the Caribbean and it is such a shame because my life has become so much richer and I feel as if I belong to something that is more about a community not just about me.

Walking into Fond St Jean and having people knowing my last name based on my facial features (and hips!) really connected me to that village. People knew of my father or they knew of my family.  No matter where I was on the island all I had to do is mention the village my father was from and people knew of the name, the man himself or members of my family.  I was able to reconnect to many family members because of that and it is an amazing feeling to be able to do that.

For any first generation Dominican Diasporan feeling disconnected or in search of something I recommend they try reconnecting to their heritage - nothing is more important than where we have come from and since my visit I have come back stronger and even more passionate about Dominica than ever before.  Do I now consider myself a Dominican. No. There is some way to go before that can happen but regular visits and my continued acceptance of the culture will hopefully help me get there in time.

This came out a little dark but I love the music so decided to upload it anyway. another performance at the 2010 literary festival and book fair

A love song from the heart

Sisserou Singers Video 2 – Going into town

Sisserou Singers Video 3 – a song about the importance of growing the food you eat

The tune…. you will have to play it 3 times to sing the song!

And the words… thank you Wiki

Isle of beauty, isle of splendour,
Isle to all so sweet and fair,
All must surely gaze in wonder,
At thy gifts so rich and rare.
Rivers, valleys, hills and mountains,
All these gifts we do extol.
Healthy land, so like all fountains,
Giving cheer that warms the soul.

Dominica, God hath blest thee,
With a clime benign and bright,
Pastures green and flowers of beauty,
Filling all with pure delight,
And a people strong and healthy,
Full of godly, rev’rent fear.
May we ever seek to praise Thee,
For these gifts so rich and rare.

Come ye forward, sons and daughters ,
Of this gem beyond compare.
Strive for honor, sons and daughters,
Do the right, be firm, be fair.
Toil with hearts and hands and voices.
We must prosper! Sound the call,
In which ev’ry one rejoices,
All for Each and Each for All.

Poem written by

Diane Corriette