Overseen by Luc Kabile’s acrylic portrait of Frantz Fanon’s iconic gaze of intensity into an unseen expanse, I had the opportunity to learn from another student and colleague of Aimé Césaire present that night. With the collective knowledge of 88 years of life and writing a complete history of Martinique, author and historian Armand Nicolas…
Before going to pick up my partner from work in November, he sent me a text along the lines of: “I was at someone’s house and got some plants, I’ll explain later.” I was confused and only became more so when he walked towards our lovely green Opel Astra with plastic bags full of plants. He…
I said to my Self, “Self, don’t be a wimp.” Not in the mood to feel awkward, I tried to talk myself out of going to the Swaré Bèlè listed in the newspaper without an address or event space. After a phone call and some rough directions to a soccer field in Quartier Bochette in…
It took me ten months, windy roads through Ajoupa-Bouillon and heavy second gear in our ’97 Opel Astra up Morne Rouge to finally hike Mount Pelée. That’s right, I climbed the third deadliest volcano on Earth—which sounds way more exceptional when put that way. On May 8, 1902, a pyroclastic eruption (a current of hot…
“MARIE ACCOUCHE!! Agathe yelled to everyone a few minutes before midnight, as she acted out the giving of birth. At midnight on December 25th is when Mary gave birth to Jesus and specific songs from the cantique be sung just before, exactly at, and directly after midnight. We were hurried to the terrace to sing. *** I’ve…
“That was disappointing,” I told my partner after walking for an hour from Gros-Morne to Fonds-Saint-Denis to see the Le Saut du Gendarme, said to be one of the most impressive waterfalls in Martinique. More of a picnic area or layover during a hike, the five minute walk from the parking lot to the waterfall…
As the Alizés pick up in December, the evenings become cooler meanwhile the people become warmer. Christmas in the Caribbean is typically associated with relaxing on the beach and getaway vacations; however, the holidays are the best times to visit in order to have a truly cultural experience. The fleuri-noël—or Christmas Flower—blooms its snowflake-shaped petals,…
In Martinique, it’s easy to lose motivation for keeping fit. Without the incentive of deadlift day or hitting personal bests to get me exercising, I often lose track of whether I deserve that second slice of Mont Blanc cake. I do go surfing, I’m taking a modern jazz dance class and have mustered up the…
“Fait maison,” or homemade, isn’t just a buzzword in Martinique – especially when it comes to ice cream. Around populous beaches, in towns, and during festivals, you are bound to find someone selling ice cream (and often patisseries) they made in their homes and brought to the beach/roundabout/street in a van. It’s hard to go wrong when you…
It was dark as we entered the grounds of Fonds Saint-Jacques Cultural Centre in Sainte Marie. The grass was damp and the historic stone buildings were lit by flood lights. Once a 17th century sugar plantation and factory, the buildings in Domaine Fonds Saint-Jacques have been repurposed for the Centre’s mission: research, preservation and reflection…
