Tips & Tricks

That's it - school is now out. Well, apart from the final assembly on Tuesday and graduation on Wednesday, that is. So now it's two weeks' of wrapping up before the 15th, which loosely translates to packing and beach time. This weekend has been a quite a physical exertion on myself, if not for the 13-hour Alan Partridge marathon yesterday then the ankle sprain which caught me out during a quick 30-minute footie session yesterday afternoon. So that meant a lot of icing and elevating today on the couch, watching Spain ride their way to victory at the Euro finals.

So now I'm housebound for a bit, and I suppose now is a better time than any. The sprain seems minor enough, so I hope I'll be able to hop around without the need for a crutch in a day or two. Having enjoyed my time here on Montserrat very much, I recently stopped to think about things that I won't be missing about this place. Always good to keep a bit of perspective from both sides, I guess? So here's the (slightly candid) list of things I probably won't miss when I leave.

1) The high number of drivers here who don't dim their headlights when they approach oncoming traffic. I can't emphasize how annoying (and potentially unsafe) that is, so this makes the top of the list.

2) The lack of British TV channels and the Beeb with their ad-free programming. The mindlessly numbing, incessantly frequent ad breaks on American TV could be easily mistaken for a mild form of waterboarding.

3) Banks that shut at 2pm. C'mon, really? It's almost like a half-bank holiday everyday here.

4) The inexplicable amount of roadworks (for a small-ish island), traffic diversions and road blocks - not quite handy during peak hour or when the diversion means driving three or four times the distance on a limited set of roads. Having said that, this is probably an everyday London scenario as well anyway.

5) No sushi on the island. Whatsoever.

And of course, looking at the other side of things, here's a list of the top 5 (slightly irrelevant but yet so charming) things I'll miss about Montserrat. Apart from the obvious things like the weather, beaches and steel pans.

1) The causality of strolling into a rum shop, ordering a drink and liming out by the roadside while spectating a game of dominoes.

2) Getting on the small seven-seater Britten-Norman Islander to and from Antigua and admiring the island by air.

3) Understanding how to work around a restaurant system here where the à la carte selection in a Montserrat restaurant is smaller and more unpredictable than a table d'hôte selection at Strada.

4) Not having to lock my car or remove the car key whenever I park.

5) The tastiness that is goat water.

Photos from the jubilee recital are now ready, and they all look pretty brilliant. All photos posted below are taken by Wayne Fenton.

Leading the newly-formed MSS steel pan ensemble.

Pan player Essalene M., Form 3.

Jo headlining the recital with her first-half performance.

The steel pan players performing Hold My Hand.

Filipe performing some self-written works.

Filipe & myself doing some free improvisation.

Reminiscent of our SEZENYŪM days.

Performing our collaborative piece written for Montserrat.

Leading the Montserrat Youth Choir.

The finale of the evening.

I've just received word that response for this project placement next year has been very positive, and I am excited to see who will be taking my place come September. We'll find out soon enough!