Excel Plaza

Carnival attracts both visitors and locals alike. In fact, you would be hard pressed to find space on a flight into the island at that time, as it seems that every Grenadian living overseas, is trying to get home in time for the celebrations.

Christmas is usually spent with the family...and in Grenada, that can mean a VERY extended family. Of course, there is the usual rush to get the house painted, cobwebbing done, hang the new curtains (or give the old ones a severe cleaning), and make sure you have a ham and some sorrel and ginger beer handy for the Christmas.

The nights are cooler and wherever you go, you hear Parang playing on the radio. It's a part of Caribbean culture, as much so as Christmas carols.

For church goers, there is of course midnight mass and other services at chapels all over the island. There is a feeling of 'expectation' in the air and even the sunshine seems to change a little and its not as hot on the skin.

Since i was a kid, the smell of fresh paint always signaled the start of the Christmas season. I could not pass a freshly painted house without getting that holiday feeling......(painting a house at any other time just seemed rude, as far as i was concerned).

Growing up here, i learned that i can smell when the Christmas season has started (or, i am addicted to the smell of fresh paint..not sure which ;-)...The same with the dry and rainy season (Moni just shakes her head at that one).

Visit the town and it seems that everyone is out shopping...all the stores are full and just about all of them have new stock in....

The decorations start going up and after dark, you can see the Christmas lights as you drive by. The stores, shopping centers and hotels always decorate, some of them beautifully extravagant. A few places go all out with their light decorations and are simply wonderful to see. This year, however, things are much more muted. Could be because it has gotten much more difficult over the year, as the cost of living has risen more than expected.

For lots of visitors, it may take a little getting used to, especially as its not cold and there is no snow on the ground.

You could say that the Caribbean Christmas tree is actually a coconut tree with lights would around it, and instead of snow, we have warm white sandy beaches and everything is green.

Just sitting here looking down at the port, you can see the barrels being cleared, as families living in the US, send home stuff for the holidays.
There are a surprising number of Grenadians living overseas, and it is usually at this time of year that you realize how large that number actually is, because of the amount of stuff being sent into the island. There are a few things you notice while walking around the town, which make you wonder.

There are lots of toys for sale...much more than when i was a kid growing up. Just about everything you see, has a 'Made in China' sticker on it. After hearing about the problem in the States about toys which had higher than recommended amounts of lead and other chemicals in them, i wonder if what we see for sale here is any better?
No one is checking....

There is one universal constant about what we see on sale. All the dolls are ugly!

Whatever happened to the 'cute' dolls we used to see when we were growing up? (Not that i used to play with them......!, although now it is socially acceptable for boys to have their dolls too...ahem, excuse me, i mean 'Action Figures').

Its a little sad to see all the toys and realize you are a little too old to be playing with them......I guess we tend to play with more expensive toys now ;-)

Another pet peeve is that kids don't seem to use their imagination as much now. The toys are pretty sophisticated and the only brain power it takes to play with one nowadays is what moves your fingers. Whatever happened to using your imagination?

Philosophically speaking, the end of civilization will come when we run out of batteries!

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dolphinqueen said:

	Neil Christmas in the islands surely that is the wrong title. you write about your experience on the island of Grenada do you not? show i think your title should have been christmas on the island..:-P i know you speak of tradition but as our webcam is on the island i think you blogshould be renamed.. happy xmas
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December 23, 2007
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