A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 1

Anguillians have their own terminology for direction. The word above means east and below means west.

Answer 1

A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 2

Why would anyone choose to live surrounded by concrete and traffic rather than fishing boats, water, and palm trees?

Answer 2

A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 3

“You gotta pay duty on everything in Anguilla.”

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A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 4

incredible buoyancy of the salt water made him feel as though he had on a life jacket.

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A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 5

Island time. It slowed our heartbeats and eased our blood pressure.

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A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 6

In Anguilla, the game of dominos requires only a table, something to sit on, a set of dominos, and, most important, shade. A domino tree is centrally located in almost every village, strategically placed where taxi drivers congregate, in front of a grocery store or even at a gas station. The game’s popularity is understandable in the eighty-five-degree weather, and besides, it’s easier to drink a Heineken while playing dominos than, say, soccer. But it is serious sport. There are week-long domino tournaments. There are domino teams with uniforms. There are traveling domino teams that fly or boat to other islands, claiming international trophies. I used to think dominos was an easygoing diversion in which players ponder a move and quietly place their pieces on the table in an orderly, even reserved, fashion. Not in Anguilla. The technique for slamming is highly developed and practiced. Dominos are discreetly hidden in one hand—held like playing cards—and once a play has been determined, the chosen piece is raised slowly above the table, as if the player were sneaking up to assassinate a fly. Once this slow, methodical arm raising has created sufficient suspense, bam—the domino is slapped down on the table, often with enough force to bounce the pieces several inches in the air. The exuberance and gusto with which the pieces are slammed down actually makes it a lively spectator sport. Heated games often last long into the night, with small crowds of anxious onlookers waiting to get a turn. Sometimes several tables are lined up in a row and players rotate between games. Bets are placed, money changes hands, and the slamming rhythm intensifies as the stakes rise. Instead of a throbbing head from too much partying, a domino champion wakes the next morning with a throbbing hand.

Answer 6

A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 7

The Caribbean is known for its jerk sauce,

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A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 8

Guava juice, we discovered, was the missing ingredient from most we tried, and freshly squeezed orange juice was a must. Still, our final recipe was simple. Combine equal amounts of pineapple juice, guava juice, freshly squeezed orange juice, and Mt. Gay rum. Add just a dash of grenadine and another of Angostura bitters. Pour over ice and top with a sprinkle of nutmeg.

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A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 9

Three generations filled her house with energy and love.

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A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 10

their produce came by boat from Santo Domingo every two weeks and I should come back on Thursday for a better selection.

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A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 11

“Haven’t you seen salt ponds all over the island?” Clinton asked. “Until ’bout fifteen years ago, they harvest salt outta the ponds and ship it all over the Caribbean—even England. It was how everybody earn a living here before we had tourists. When you see the foam it mean the pond ripe for pickin. It mean there’s plenty of salt.” “What did they do, collect all these bubbles and dry them out?” “Mel. You wanna hear about pickin’ the ponds, you gotta talk to Mammy. She work in the ponds for years, and she love to talk.”

Answer 11

A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 12

There was a charisma about Anguillian women that was almost startling, I thought, looking around the bank. They walked slowly, with exceptional posture. They had high cheekbones, smooth chocolate skin, and smiles that illuminated the room around them.

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A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 13

Anguilla has always been an offshore tax haven.

Answer 13

A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 14

A bank job in Anguilla was like a bus ticket out of small-town Kansas. It wasn’t vanity that made these women beautiful, it was pride.

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A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 15

everyone, including locals, has accounts in more than one place.

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A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 16

Hard work is good therapy,

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A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 17

It’s as much about the people as the beach and the views.

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A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 18

We religiously checked shoes each morning—these bugs love to hide in the cool toe of a sneaker—but

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A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 19

A favorite throughout the Caribbean is a fish called wahoo.

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A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 20

No one was able to define the term ground sea, but it is an oddity that seafarers must know in their souls. It was an underwater storm that assaulted the beach in front of the restaurant. The noise was deafening as ten-foot waves crashed against the sand, drowning out all conversation in the dining room. Yet the sky overhead was clear and blue, and relaxed island pelicans stood patiently on the rocks, backs to the wind, waiting for the sea to calm down so they could resume fishing.

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A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 21

Tourists continually asked why prices in Anguilla are so high. If they spent only one week trying to supply a restaurant, they’d understand immediately.

Answer 21

A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 22

Bob and I might be the only people in Anguilla to wear seat belts. Clinton actually was worried that I might be putting my life in danger with this practice and had tried to convince me to listen to reason.

Answer 22

A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 23

There are no turkeys in Anguilla. We decided to fly them in from Miami, even though air freight would cost more than the turkeys themselves. It was risky planning Thanksgiving dinner on a British island in the Caribbean,

Answer 23

A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 24

Anguillians had watched St. Martin lose its innocence. Over twenty short years, the arrival of giant resorts and casinos combined with a poorly managed immigration department had made it a haven for unemployment, crime, and a population that had lost control of its own destiny.

Answer 24

A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 25

Our theories about germs had no foundation, Bob and I were told, and the perils of sudden temperature changes were impossible to dispute. Cooking in any restaurant kitchen calls for frequent trips into the walk-in cooler, but in Anguilla this took some coaxing. When necessary, our staff dutifully went in, but not before placing a small towel on top of their head. This, they agreed, would ward off the flu.

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A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 26

Rastas always put an I in front of their last name—something to do with their religion and positive energy. They believed it added strength and purity to a name.

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A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 27

On Sunday mornings in Anguilla families gathered in churchyards for the service. Little boys wore jackets, usually handed down from a long line of brothers and cousins, and girls were in pastel dresses, lacy socks cuffed at the ankle, and shiny black patent leather shoes, their hair braided with ribbons and bows to match their dresses.

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A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 28

CNN is as popular as wrestling and religion.

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A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 29

life in the slow lane allows us time to detect the subtleties. You just can’t be in a hurry here.

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A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 30

The songs were all familiar but were played in a livelier tempo with a reggae beat.

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A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 31

On December 23 hotels filled to capacity, taxi drivers abandoned the domino tree, and our phone started to ring nonstop with people calling for reservations. Overnight the tourist population on the island tripled; it was an invasion of monumental proportion. Sleepy little Anguilla had awakened; in fact, it was in overdrive.

Answer 31

A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 32

New Year’s Eve, or Old Year’s Day,

Answer 32

A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 33

The way taxis work in Anguilla is that whoever picks you up at the airport usually drives you around for the rest of the week. The drivers hand out stacks of business cards, and tourists just call anytime they need a ride during their stay.

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A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 34

The Chief, as he is referred to, is an elected official and, along with his executive council, administers the legislation of the government.

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A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 35

in Anguilla, telling the boss that a co-worker is doing something wrong is almost a violation of national honor.

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A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 36

Politics permeated every facet of local life,

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A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 37

Easter Monday is an official holiday in Anguilla, set aside for the national sport of boat racing. The tradition developed a hundred years ago, when ships came down from Nova Scotia to the Caribbean laden with lumber and salt cod and sailed back north with rum, sugar, molasses, and cotton from more prosperous islands such as Antigua and Barbados.

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A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 38

Anguilla has almost no crime whatsoever,

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A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 39

there are crimes of passion in Anguilla—lovers gone astray, husbands not behaving. But crimes affecting strangers are essentially unheard of.

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A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 40

pap like hot cereal. We does eat it in the morning, but it good anytime.

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A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 41

“Wha free-range chicken is?” Bob described the merits of birds that haven’t been penned up or fed chemically treated grain and hormones. Garrilin said, “We call them kinda birds yard fowl. They’s all over Anguilla.”

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A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 42

July 31 was our last night for the season. We were shutting down for August and September, along with many of the hotels, since it was peak hurricane season.

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A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 43

“What’s J’ouvert Morning?” he asked. “It’s the official opening of Carnival.

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A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 44

Eating ginips takes time. You can’t be fussy about peeling the skin. It’s best to just pop the whole thing in your mouth at once, break the thick skin with your teeth, and suck out the tart jelly inside. Then you spit out the skin and the seed inside.

Answer 44

A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 45

The worst hurricane in thirty-five years is about to hit us head-on, and the water is the most incredible shade of green I have ever seen. How can it be so beautiful in the middle of such a disaster?

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A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 46

“I heard on the Weather Channel that the safest place to be is in the bathtub with a mattress over you.

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A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Question 47

Putting things under water was safer than just leaving them loose around the pool.

Answer 47

A Trip to the Beach by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard