The day started bright and early with a few chores that needed to get done. Johan got to paint the new fence while I got to go into town to pick up some bits and pieces that had been forgotten. Not many stores were open but we found a petrol station that sold ice (a necessity in Jamaica for functions) and some other things.We had spent the last few days cleaning and baking the Christmas cake, planning the menu and divvying up the cooking tasks for the day. Today! Christmas 09....
The day was today and we were determined to ensure that Johan's mum and Bosse, who travelled from Sweden the day before, had a real Jamaican Christmas.
The menu today consisted of:- the Christmas ham - the one thing that Jamaicans and Swedes have in common in their celebratory meal
- fricassed chicken (complements of my lovely aunt)
- smoked salmon and marinated herring - Swedish christmas food
- potato salad
- macaroni and cheese
- a green salad
- a tomato salad
After the customary stuffing ourselves silly - a custom I believe is traditional all over the world,
we indulged in another uniquely Jamain tradition - dominos.
Now, to all who haven't played this game, or have seen it but think that it is a child's game or has something to do with lining several of them in a row and then knocking them over, think again. In Jamaica, playing dominos has been elevated to an art form, and skilled players will be able to tell you what dominos you have in your hand, and what the best domino to play will be, before you even know it yourself.
Of course, we are not at this level but over a glass of sorrel and a piece of that Christmas cake, on my parents open varandah overlooking Montego Bay, we played a few hands and thought... "this has been a very good Christmas".
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