Age: 24
Where you study:
Barbados
Major: Law
What’s the biggest
culture shock or some of the biggest culture shocks between where you study and
where you’re from? The people, the country, the school etc..:
I
visited Barbados a few years before actually studying there so there was little
to “shock” me. The country still felt
fairly orderly and time seemed to move at a leisurely pace. Back home things
seem a bit chaotic on the roads and the day’s pace is somewhat frenetic.
I was already
exposed to the unique Bajan dialect as well so I this time round I was prepared
to listen keenly and have my ‘could you please slow down’ line at the tip of my
tongue.
One
noticeable experience this time round however was using the ZRs (mini-bus) for
travel. The drivers have the same scant regard for the road code as their equivalents
in Jamaica. So too the conductors; there’s hardly ever an extra person who
can’t fit into the vehicle. Of note as well is the fact that Jamaican music
(whether dancehall or reggae, but mostly dancehall) is always the genre of
choice on these buses. I once boarded a ZR and heard a series of Rihanna songs
playing (instead of the good ole dancehall I was accustomed to). I was shocked
and confused.
How well did you
adjust to any change(s)?
As I
indicated in my previous answer, there wasn’t much to get accustomed to and
despite the differences the cultural make-up of the place wasn’t vastly
different from my experience back home. One member of the current Cave Hill
guild once told me that we came off the same slave ships so we’re all brothers
and sisters. The way we go about life seems to confirm that belief.
In
respect of the dialect, I can understand Bajan when spoken at a moderate pace.
Anything beyond that results in an automatic state of smiling and nodding.
What is/are the best
part(s) about studying where you do?
I did a
degree at the Mona campus where there is precious little in terms of diversity
of nationalities. My co-curricular involvement meant that I did know a sampling
of individuals across the region but that can’t hold a candle to what Cave Hill
has to offer. On any given day various accents will compete for your ear’s
attention. It’s been fun trying to mimic each of them and learning the
wonderful phrases used to describe food, aspects of man/woman relationships
etc.
I’ve
long been a supporter of the regional integration movement. That, along with my
general interest in politics, means that I gravitate towards such discussions
when they occur. What those encounters
have confirmed is that we do share a common set of problems in the region and
the students I expect will one day be in leadership positions seem to
appreciate the folly in not moving things forward on the integration front.
That gives me hope and hope is a good feeling.
Also,
Cave Hill is known for having a cricket field at a prominent spot near the
entrance to the campus. While at times the field seems like the best kept facility
at the school (instead of say student facilities), it’s always nice seeing an
Australian team playing a practice match in the morning and spending a late
afternoon watching a some limited over cricket.
