Christmas in Watooka

I’m not sure if it was just our family or everyone in Watooka who put up their Christmas tree on Christmas Eve and took it down on 06 January thus maintaining the traditional 12 days of Christmas.

Debbie with Christmas Tree at 150 Watooka

 Of course that didn’t mean that nothing happened before Christmas Eve.

There was always the Christmas concert for the children each year. These were usually held on the stage at the “Cinema” which was very handy for rehearsals as it had a connecting door to the school. I do remember one year having the concert at the Watooka Staff Club. I think it was in 1959 and I remember having big silver stars each printed with words such as Peace and Love. We had blocks to stand on to form a tableau.

Christmas Concert

 

 

The children’s Christmas party was of course a highlight of the season. This was held at the Club and different fathers were conscripted each year to play Father Christmas and hand out presents. I remember times when babies were terrified and cried, but when we got older we would think ourselves quite grownup to say “hi Mr. X”. We had Christmas dinner with all the “fixings” and played games.

Most evenings when we went to bed we would ask Dad to play calypso records for us to fall asleep to. At Christmas of course we listened to Carols especially Harry Belafonte singing Mary’s Little Boy Child.

Christmas Eve was the time for loading up the Humber Hawk with presents for friends and driving around to all the houses to make deliveries. Of course you always hoped that the person you were delivering to would have yours ready to give you in exchange so that you could try and guess what it was! By the time we got home after playing Santa Claus we would usually have some and of course some would have been dropped off for us.

 

Silver Sprayed Tree and Watooka Ladies

 

 

Then it was time to start decorating the tree. Some years we had those wonderful trees that had been sprayed silver and sometimes we had a fake green or Aluminium tree or on occasion even two trees. Once the tree was in place Dad would go through the yearly frustrating process of checking and replacing the light bulbs. This was the 50s so technology was not quite the same. The string would only light if each bulb was working. This was not a simple process!  The tree ornaments were more fragile in those days and there were usually a few that had not survived the storage since last year. However, there were new ones to replace these. We had crepe paper streamers and made liberal use of the tinsel. Once the tree was up of course we could put all those presents underneath.

 

Being Catholic we went to Midnight Mass and of course that was pretty special being allowed to stay up so late. There wasn’t much sleep that night of course.

Debbie Christmas 1963

 

 

On Christmas morning we got up even earlier than or usual 6:30 and rushed to see what was under the tree and as children each one claimed the largest gift as surely belonging to them. We were allowed to open one present before breakfast which was of course the traditional Guyanese Garlic Pork.

 

After breakfast came the fun part of opening all the presents. By 11:00 everybody had to have tidied their presents up and be washed dressed and ready for the party. This was the highlight of Christmas when people from all over Watooka came to our house. The usual cross-examination of friends occurred.  What did you get for Christmas? There was of course a traditional Christmas dinner but there were always curried chicken and other Guyanese dishes as well which my Mother would have spent days before preparing with the help of whoever was currently employed to cook for us.

 

 

Never having experienced snow of course I did not miss it and instead us children could run around downstairs in dresses, shorts and T-shirts and spray each other with water.  This Christmas party went on all day and people came and went. I seem to remember that it did not end before midnight.  The wonderful thing about Christmas in Watooka was that while it was very much a family occasion it was also a community celebration.

I am hoping to have more pictures from Mum to insert into this blog but in the meantime I am borrowing some of Pat Hunte’s.

Tower Hotel

 

 

 The Tower Hotel was where we used to stay when we visited family in Georgetown. There were too many of us to impose on family. Being on Main Street it was well placed for visiting Bookers and Fogarty’s as well as family. Other family members who lived on Diamond, Ogle, Enmore and Lusignan Sugar Estates were a taxi ride away.

Those taxis were a little different from the ones in London or any Canadian city. For a start the drivers all seemed to think they were in a race or some kind of competition. Horns were used liberally and the rules of the road did not seem to apply to them. Add all the donkey carts and cyclists into the mix and it was a wonder that there were not more accidents. I thought it was quite exciting however, I’m sure Mum was not impressed.

The hotel was owned by the Humphreys family and Mr. Humphreys always treated us very well. I believe he knew my parents quite well.

Staying in a hotel was such a treat for us though I remember that I was not very impressed with the Air Conditioning which was my first experience, and not an enjoyable one, of being cold.

The room service was excellent at that time and we thought it was the height of luxury!

The best rooms in which to stay (at least as far as I was concerned) were the ground floor ones, from which you could walk straight out to the pool.

I seem to remember that as kids we always ordered Chicken in the Rough/Basket. In later years with more “refined” taste I would order the Red Snapper which was delicious.

 

 

I used to enjoy standing on the balcony at the front of the hotel and watching all the activity on the street. I think it was from the balcony of the Tower Hotel that my sisters Carole and Debbie watched the Queen drive by during her visit in 1966.

These photos of the Hotel are all modern but look fairly similar to what I remember. The black and white photo of the Queen and Prince Philip is from a family collection.

Guyanese Recipes – Mettagee

METTAGEE OR METTEM

Though believed to be Portuguese in origin Mettagee is considered to be an Afro-Guyanese national dish. It goes by different names in other parts of the Caribbean.  

 6 oz                meat (salt beef OR pig’s tail)          170 g
1 tbsp.            butter                                             125 mL
                       water
8 oz.               salt fish (dried cod)                          250 g  
1                     small dry coconut                             1
1 lb.                green plantains                                 500 g
1/4 lb.            yam                                                   125 g
1/2 lb.            cassava                                              250 g
                       salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp.           thyme                                                2 mL
1 tsp.              hot pepper sauce                                5 mL
1                     large onion, cut into rings                  1
1 tsp.             sugar                                                    5 mL   
6                     okras                                                   6
                       Dumplings (see below)
                       Butter Sauce (see below)

1. Cut up meat. In a large saucepan, fry meat lightly in butter; cover with water and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Soak salt fish in warm water for about 15 minutes. Drain. Remove skin and bones. Discard. Squeeze fish dry.
3. Grate coconut, add 2 cups (500 mL) of warm water, squeeze well and strain off coconut milk. Coconut milk can also be purchased in tins.
4. Arrange peeled vegetables and seasonings in layers over the meat, with salt fish on top. Add coconut milk and cook covered, until almost tender, about 30 minutes.
5. Place onions and okras on top of salt fish. Steam, covered for 10 minutes. Add dumplings, if you wish and steam for another 8 minutes. Remove meat, salt fish and okras, place in a flat dish and moisten with butter sauce.

DUMPLINGS

1 cup              flour                           250 mL
2 tbsp.            butter                         30 mL
1 tsp.              baking powder           5 mL
1/2 tsp.          salt                             2 mL
2 tbsp.            sugar                          30 mL
1/2 cup          milk OR water             125 mL

1. Rub the flour and butter together. Add baking powder, salt and sugar.
2. Mix with enough milk or water to make a stiff dough.
3. Form dough into balls and place on top of fish. Cook, covered, for 8 minutes. Do not open pot until dumplings are well risen

BUTTER SAUCE

1 tbsp.                       butter                                    15 mL
1                                onion, chopped                     1
1                                tomato, diced                        1
1/4 cup                     chopped green onions            50 mL  
                                 mettagee stock

1. Heat Butter. Saute onions, tomato and green onions until lightly browned.
2. Add 3-4 tbsp. of the liquid from the mettagee. Heat  and pour over meat, salt fish and okras. Serve hot.                       

Guyanese Recipes – Garlic Pork

GARLIC PORK

This dish is Portugese in origin and is traditionally served at Christmas in Guyana. I understand that it is has been  adopted by some of the other Caribbean nations. We always had this for Christmas day breakfast. I suggest you open a window when cooking this as it can really smell up the kitchen! While we used wiri wiri peppers in Guyana probaly small red chilis would be the best substitute.

 4 lbs.          cubed pork, about 2.5 cm               2 kg
1                 lime                                                 1
2 cups        white vinegar                                   500 mL
1/4 lb.        garlic, crushed (about 4 heads)       125 g
1 tsp           chopped fresh thyme                      5 mL
2                 hot peppers, chopped                     2
1 tbsp.        salt                                                 15 mL
4                 cloves                                             4
                   oil for frying

1. Wash cubed pork, make sure there is some fat on the pork, with the juice of a lime; place in an earthenware or glass jar.
2. Mix vinegar with garlic, thyme, hot pepper, salt and cloves. Pour over pork and completely cover with liquid.
3. Refrigerate, covered for 2 days. Remove pork from marinade. Heat oil in frying pan and fry pork until brown, about 10 minutes. A small amount of teh marinade can be added if the meat gets too dry. Serve hot.
4. If desired bread can be fried in the pan after all the pork is cooked to be served with the garlic pork. This will soak up all the flavour from the marinade and while not  for those watching their cholesterol is delicious.

Guyanese Recipes – Pepperpot

PEPPERPOT

There are different recipes for pepperpot form each of the islands. This is considered the National dish of Guyana and is derived from the Amerindians. Casareep is a thick syrup obtained from boiled cassava juice. It is seasoned with salt, pepper, brown sugar, cinnamon and cloves and is considered a preservative for meat. Casareep is now bottled and sold commercially. It gives this dish it’s distinctive taste and is available in West Indian grocery stores.

Pepperpot develops more flavour if left for a few days, but it must be boiled up every day. Some pepperpots are replenished every time some is used and are said to be a hundred years old.    

2lbs.              cubed lean beff or pork                  1 kg
1/2 lb.           cut up salt beef                               250 g
2                    pig trotters, in small pieces            2
1                    cow heel, quartered                       1
1 lb.               pig’s tail, disjointed                        500 g
1                    lime                                                1
1/2 cup         cassareep                                       125 mL
2                    hot peppers                                    2
1                    stick of cinnamon                           1
3                    cloves                                             3
2 tbsp.           brown sugar                                   30 mL
                      salt to taste

1. Wash meat with lime juice. Set aside.
2. Boil cow’ heel and pig trotters with enough water to cover meat. When half-cooked, about 1 hour, add other meats and cassareep, simmer for another hour.
3. Add remaining ingredients; simmer gently until meats are tender and sauce thick, about 1 hour. Serve hot with boiled rice.

Guyanese Recipes – Crab backs

CRAB BACKS

This recipe serves 12 and is only one of the many I am sure are available.

12                  blue crabs                                              12
1                    large onion                                            1
1                    large garlic clove minced                       1
2 tbsp.           cooking oil                                            30 mL
                      salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp.           chopped green onion                            15 mL
2 tsp.             lemon juiuce                                         10 mL
1 tsp.             hot pepper sauce                                   5 mL
4 tbsp.           bread crumbs                                         60 mL
2 tbsp.           butter                                                     30 mL
                      wiri wiri pepper for garnish
                      parsley for garnish
                      lemon wedge for garnish 
                      tiny crab claw for garnish  

1. Clean and scrub crabs. Put crabs in cold water to cover. Bring to a boil. Boil for 1/2 hour.
2. Cool crabs in cold water. Carefully remove backs from crabs and separate meat from claws and legs.
3. Clean shells (backs) thoroughly for filling.
4. Saute onions and garlic in oil, add flaked crabmeat, salt and pepper. Stir-fry for 5 minutes.
5. Add green onions, lemon juice, pepper sauce, 2tbsp. (30mL) bread crumbs and 1 tbsp. (15 mL) of butter. Mix well. Cool for 10 minutes.
6. Pile crab mixture into clean, empty crab shells. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and dot with butter.
7. Bake at 350F (180C) for 15-20 minutes. Garnish with whole wiri wiri pepper if available, parsley sprigs, lemon slice and crab claw before serving.

Enjoy!

Guyanese Recipes – Baked Stuffed Fish

BAKED STUFFED FISH

Red Snapper or similar fish may be used. Pictured with Plantain cakes.

 

• 1 whole fish, 3-4 lbs. (1.5-2kg) cleaned and scaled 
• 45 mL butter  
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 garlic clove, minced  
• 1 large onion thinly sliced
• 500mL bread crumbs 
• 50mL green onions
• 1 hot pepper, seeded and chopped
• 30 mL lime OR lemon juice
• 1 tomato sliced
                                                                         

1. Split the fish lengthwise to expose the cavity. Rub the fish inside and outside with a mixture of 1 tbsp. (15mL) of butter, salt, pepper and garlic. Let stand while preparing stuffing.
2. In a small pan, heat 2 tbsp. (30 mL) butter, saute half of the onions until soft, add bread crumbs, green onions, hot pepper, lime juiuce, salt and pepper, consistency of stuffing should be moist.
3. Fill cavity of fish with stuffing. Secure edges with skewers or sew together.
4. Place fish in a buttered baking dish. Arrange remaining onion slices and tomatoes over fish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Add 1 cup (250mL) of hot water to dish. Bake at 400F (200C) for 30-40 minutes.

If preferrred omit onion and tomato slices over fish. Instead baste with lime juice and garnish with lime wedges.

PLANTAIN CAKES

3                          hard, yellow plantains                
5 mL                    salt                                             
10 mL                  white pepper                                  
30 mL                  butter                                         
5mL                     baking powder                           
                            oil for deep frying

1. Peel the plantains and cook in water until tender, about 30 minutes
2. Chop plantain coarsely, mash until smooth or use food processor. Cool
3. Add salt, pepper, butter and baking powder. Mix well. Shape into cakes about 1in. (2.5cm) in diameter.
4. Heat oil to 365F (185C). Deep-fry plantain cakes until light brown. Drain on paper towels.

Serve hot with fish.

Coushi ants

 

We called these smal but fierce red ants coushi (a word derived from the Arawak kuusee – kushy ant or khose – parasol ant). I am not sure what the correct name is. They seem to have varied in size from 2mm to 6mm. They were small but delivered a mean bite.

They were definitely something to be avoided or at least if poking at a nest make sure you were using a long stick and be prepared to run as soon as the ants got mad and started swarming out.

My most vivid encounter with these ants was when I was about five years old. My mother’s young half brother Billy (he was only about 9 years older than me) was visiting from Georgetown. There was a stretch of riverside land across the road from our house which was part of our lot and where we liked to play. Billy told me to sit down on the raised heap of ground and being a gullible little 6 year old I did so. Unfortunately it was a coushi ant nest.  Luckily I did not stay sitting long enough to get more than one bite. My Uncle of course says he does not remember this incident no doubt due to a guilty conscience!

About five years later my sister Debbie was found abandoned on an ant’s nest in the jungle with a rope around her neck. Luckily some children playing nearby heard her crying and thinking it was a kitten went to investigate. They found a little baby girl and took her home to their mother who took her to the hospital. Dad approximated her age at 8 weeks and after she recovered from her injuries she came to live with us and has been part of our family ever since.

 

Visiting Ituni

Dad as the Chief Medical Officer for Demba never had much reason to go out to the mines or into the jungle. Visiting Ituni when he went on his periodic visits to provide medical services for the local population was one of the few times we got to ride in one of the company Land Rovers. I know we went several times when I was between 6 and 8 but I think after we went away to boarding school Dad probably made these visits during the school year.

Those visits, while they were work for Dad (and probably for Mum who had to make sure we had all the necessary provisions for the length of time we were staying) were like mini holidays for us kids. Even the drive through the jungle to get there was an adventure for us. The road itself was always unpredictable. I doubt that we ever saw wild animals but the thought that you might do so was exciting enough to keep you watching the sides of the road.

Once we arrived there was new territory to explore seeing if anything had changed since last time we were there. Having our own swimming pool was great. One of my most vivid memories of Ituni is being terrified of jumping off the high diving board but doing it over and over again. I don’t know whether it was the thrill of something that I thought was dangerous or just stubbornness. To conquer your fears you have to face them.

I don’t remember ever being bored there. I guess life was just simpler back then and there is a lot to be said for the ability to make your own entertainment.

Dogs and Monkeys and Tortoises

We always had a dog growing up in Mackenzie but the most memorable one for me was Sabre (Carole named him). He was half Irish Red Setter and half Golden Retreiver. Louie and Theo Hunte’s dog was the mother. I don’t know where the father came from though I always thought it was a Georgetown family. We got him as soon as he was old enough to leave his mother.

When he ws young we would sometimes take him up to the airport to run around which he really enjoyed. One time he had his paw ridden over by a delivery boy on a bike. There was no real damage but after that he would chase and bark at anyone on a bike except us kids.

We also had a tortoise who we called Myrtle the Turtle, and for some reason which I can’t remember shared a Sakiwinki monkey with Mike and Irene Ideman.

Myrtle didn’t do too much but apparently I thought it was great fun to chase the maids around with her. I can’t imagine why they would have beem scared of her. Actually it was more fun catching lizards and running after the maids with those.

The monkey Mimi was lots of fun. She really enjoyed sitting beside the old wash tub while Mum was doing the laundry and trying to catch the bubbles. The look on her face after she caught them and they just vanished from her paw was priceless. She had two favourite tricks. One was when sitting on the shoulder of any girl wearing kirby grips she would pull them all out and just toss them away. The funniest  was when she would jump on Sabre’s back, grab his long ears and ride him like a horse. Poor Sabre would run around and around trying to get her off, but he never could!

We had Mimi off and on for a few years until the day that Pat and I came home late for lunch with a friend of his (the name slips my memory right now) and Mimi bit him. So between being late and the biting let’s just say that Pat and I were in big trouble. Poor Mimi couldn’t  differentiate between our friend and the Hoe boys next door who used to throw stones at her and torment her, from a distance of course. When she had what she perceived as one of her tormentors “up close and personal” she wasn’t going to miss her chance! She went back to Mike and Irene’s after that but we did get to visit her once in awhile.

Sabre never did get his revenge on Mimi but, for some reason he grabbed Myrtle one day and tore down to the river with her in his mouth. We were all in hot pursuit yelling at him but he was determined and when he got there he dropped her in the water. Luckily we were close enough behind to rescue her. Maybe he was trying to prove to us that she really wasn’t a turtle.

Sabre was a bit of a wanderer when it came to the ladies and unfortunately had his leg broken when someone threw a stick at him. We were told that the best thing for him was to be put to sleep. We had other dogs after that but none quite like Sabre.

Myrtle was left in the care of some friends when Mum and Dad were visiting us during the school holidays. Apparently she wandered off and was never found again. Who knows she may still be alive.