Sometimes (as in twice) I go down to Station's work and meet him for lunch or what have you. Since I bring my camera with me I get a lot of people talking to me and asking what I am doing here, in Port of Spain. I mostly just say vacation. Or that I am a drug lord. They get a real LOL out of that one. Some (as in two) people have even asked me to take a picture of them. Which is awkward and awesome. I think it is any human's dream to take pictures of strangers in a foreign land.
"THIS WILL FOR SURE GET INTO THE NEXT NAT GEO MAG!!".
Well, the first time I adventured down, one guy said something to me that sounded like "pacnter?" and I was like "excuse me?" as I pull out my ear bud (I couldn't hear because I was rocking to some very cool and hip music, of course). He said it again, a little slower "pacenter?".
Let me stop you right here. From the way I spelled out whatever it was he was saying, I am assuming you are thinking his voice is squeelish like the old man off Napoleon Dynamite. Well, you are wrong on three accounts. He wasn't white, he wasn't old looking - he was young looking (different from being actually young. He was probably 60 years old but looks about 27), and his voice wasn't squelchy. It was like a normal human man voice.
Now, I walked a little closer, still keeping my American distance "I am sorry, what was that?". This is when he stopped looked at me with a look that can only say. Are you kidding? I said it TWICE. He took a deep breath and started to use hand signals while talking, to help the stupid (and probably lost) American girl. "I ask, cuz yuh camra (pointing at my camera), yuh take pictrrrr?"
"oh. yeah."
Awkward stares. and I walk on. smh.smh.smh. all the way to Sweet Briar Road.
Then comes the next time I walked down to Station's work. There he is again. This time, I am prepared. I grab my belongings to remember what is on my body in case he asks a different question and I walk past.
"hello" he and his buddies say. He has two other friends working on the roof while he is walking around taking pics with his blackberry.
"Hi"
"Yuh take ouwa pictrr?"
"oh yes I am." They all smile like...awesome she is going to take our picture.
"OH! You want ME to take YOUR picture? Oh of course!"
So, there you have it. They all asked to look at it and called me sweetheart. It was a really touching moment where two cultures swam next to each other in the river of happiness.
On the way back from the office visit I was called lover and sweetheart again. You win some you lose some.
