As a formal part of the nation of Trinidad & Tobago, it was an obligation of mine as a researcher to visit Tobago this week. With entirely different geological characteristics, much more like the rest of the Caribbean than Trinidad itself, Tobago is the vacation spot for Trinidadians and where many aspire to retire. White sand, clean turquoise waters, mountains and palms. Tobago is pristine and stunning. While there is a lot of natural beauty, there is a lot of history as well and I was able to visit a few forts, another constant remind of its turbulent colonial history.
Upon returning from Tobago, we moved to a new apartment in Port of Spain for an entirely new experience and lifestyle for the remainder of the research. This was only after some very difficult goodbyes with friends from St. Augustine. I have not made as many friends this close in my 20 years of life as I have in the four weeks in Trinidad. These are friends who know my values, what drives me, what scares me and fully respect my undying love for vegetables.
Spending time with new hosts in Port of Spain, I have gotten a much better peek into how Indian culture is preserved in the country and where many of the mixed race dynamics that are important dimension of Trinidad’s multiculturalism might be stemming from. This new metropolitan perspective is going to be helpful in my interpretation all of the data I have already collected and to frame everything more to come.
