Our normal Christmas dinner, if there is one, is kind of traditional. It usually consists of turkey and all the fixings, followed by pumpkin pie. Sometimes the young people stage a revolt and we have ham instead. Last night was different.
In Jamaica there is a fairly tight-knit Chinese community. These are the Hakka people, the wanderers who went out into the world everywhere from China. Their children go to the same schools here, and start life-long friendships. On an island this small it results in everyone knowing everyone else. So for any given person there is a good chance that a group of friends will celebrate any given holiday. Last night was like that for us.
Uncle Paul's friend and business partner got together with her group and hosted a dinner at a lovely home in Paddington, Kingston 6. We found ourselves on a large patio outside an elegant house, surrounded by a huge lawn, enjoying a cool but still humid evening. About fifty people showed up, including Sister Bernadette (the former headmistress of Esther's local school). Sister Bernadette gave an invocation for all, then we settled down to a Chinese Christmas dinner. No turkey here! Pork mut-gnee (Bower romanization), a pork dish with tree-ear fungus; long beans with beef; stewed chicken; roast pork; and so on. The trio of Aunties are good cooks!
The guests were an eclectic mix. Of the 50 or so, many were local Chinese family members. Others included the son of a former prime minister and the head of the second largest Caribbean freight airline. Many of the people we had met a couple of years ago, but the mix changes from year to year.
Toward the end of the evening the Aunties got together at our table, and the laughs began. In a strange sense the three of them are like guys together. By that I mean they bust each others chops, bring up old embarrassing events, and generally enjoy each other. Maybe that is how women are together, but I have no real experience in the subject...
I got to spend a bit of time with Chris, the owner of the freight airline. I have spent time with him before, and always enjoyed it. This time I thanked him for the white rum and Ting drink to which he introduced me a couple of years ago. It has been warming, befuddling, and quite enjoyable in the meantime. Chris has a dream that he keeps promoting in government here. Anyone in business here interacts directly with government if he/she need to do anything novel. There is an old World War II airfield going to waste in Jamaica. Chris wants it to become the focus of Caribbean air shipping. He is a "builder." He may get his way.
We finally left with the last stragglers, reluctant to let go of the feeling of belonging. It's kind of a strange thing for me, feeling like I belong to a Chinese community in another country. But somehow I do.
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