On Saturday 21st January, 2007, Living Water Community Barbados had a very special Family Fun Day - Living Water Men Can Cook Too. The men of the community came out to show their skills with a wide variety of foods to tempt and please any palate. They put on a real show too, with chef hats and signs bearing their names and their delicacies. The food was very Caribbean - from Bajan flying fish and souse, to Trini doubles, pholourie balls and roti, to a (I think St. Vincent) 'oil down'. And that wasn't all! Besides the many other tempting dishes, there was a whole table devoted to desserts, some of them looked like works of art. (Alan Lyder even flew in for the event bringing his curried crab and dumplings - he must think he is a Bajan!)Truth be told it took quite a long time to get everyone into the more active side of the day - we couldn't get them to stop eating!
Carlton Cricket Club was the perfect setting for the event, with the lovely spacious clubhouse and its beautiful grounds of which the children took full advantage. There were bikes and scooters, footballs and hoola hoops. There were games to be enjoyed as well and this certainly proved to be hilarious entertainment for spectators and participants alike. None will soon forget the musical chairs standoff between Louie and John Humphrey as Louie adopted the stance in front of the remaining chair in a perfect impression of the phrase "I will not be moved". Nor will they soon lose the image of Father Harcourt, who proved to be a good sport, as he donned wig, hat, gloves and handbag and made a crazy dash with his tangerine and spoon in an attempt to steal victory for his team!
It was certainly heart-warming to observe the community on this day: the children who mingled easily with each other and who, from their arrival, took off in all different directions; the spouses who were introduced all around and got a chance to meet and see this Living Water family from a more personal vantage point; the community members who had the chance to sit and chat, share stories (and recipes) and simply enjoy being together as a family. Hats off to the men for their tremendous time and effort, and to Nicole, Emma and Christine for organising the games. It certainly was a wonderful day and, we hope, the first of many fun days to come.
