Katani's Jamaican Holiday (15 page)

BOOK EXTRAS

Trivialicious Trivia

Katani’s Patois Dictionary

Jammin’ Jamaican Facts

Nana’s Banana Bliss Recipe

Katani’s Jamaican Adventure trivialicious trivia

1. What color is the cover of Katani’s Island Inspiration notebook?
   
   • A. red, white, and blue
     
   • B. turquoise, lavender, and Tuscan gold
     
   • C. yellow, black, and green
     
   • D. pink, purple, and baby blue
     
2. How does Spotty the goat react when Katani meets him for the first time?
   
   • A. He lets her pet him.
     
   • B. He chases her out of the pen.
     
   • C. He hides behind Olivia.
     
   • D. He licks her hand.
     
3. In Cousin Cecil’s story, what does Orrin take from the River Mumma?
   
   • A. a comb
     
   • B. a cup
     
   • C. a mirror
     
   • D. a book
     
4. What kind of pet does Ol’ Madda Bird have?
   
   • A. a bird
     
   • B. a dog
     
   • C. a cat
     
   • D. a monkey
     
5. Where does Olivia find her missing necklace?
   
   • A. under her pillow
     
   • B. in her desk at school
     
   • C. up in a tree
     
   • D. on Ol’ Madda Bird’s veranda
     
6. Who runs into Olivia and Katani outside the bakery at midnight?
   
   • A. Precious
     
   • B. Cousin Cecil
     
   • C. Miss Gloria
     
   • D. Leesha
     
7. What kind of ice cream does Katani have at Devon House?
   
   • A. mango
     
   • B. papaya
     
   • C. guava
     
   • D. pineapple
     
8. Who gives Katani a beautiful beaded bracelet?
   
   • A. Chloe
     
   • B. Selvin
     
   • C. Olivia
     
   • D. Grandma Ruby
     
9. What does Katani make as a gift for Ol’ Madda Bird?
   
   • A. a blanket
     
   • B. a pair of socks
     
   • C. a hat
     
   • D. a scarf
     
10. What sport is Adrian playing when Katani meets him?
    
    • A. baseball
      
    • B. cricket
      
    • C. soccer
      
    • D. basketball
      

ANSWERS: 1. C.
Yellow, black, and green
2. B.
He chases her out of the pen.
3. A.
a comb
4. B.
a dog
5. D.
on Ol’ Madda Bird’s veranda
6. A.
Precious
7. C.
Guava
8. A.
Chloe
9. D.
a scarf
10. B.
Cricket

Patois Words

banyan tree:
a large spreading tree. It spreads by sending down aerial roots that kids love to swing on.

bobo dread:
dressed in long robes and tight turbans, the bobo dreads are a sect within the Rastafarian community. They live apart in their own areas and make straw mats and brooms for sale.

bumptious:
presumptuous or pushy

dem:
them

dey:
they

escoveitch:
literally “pickled.” Escoveitch fish is fried, then steeped in a mixture of hot vinegar, pepper, onions, and pimento seeds.

fass:
inquisitive

favor:
resemble

fi:
for

fool-fool:
very foolish. In Jamaican patois, doubling a word increases its intensity.

gwan:
go on

gwine:
going to

irie:
okay

Jah-Jah:
the name Rastafarians use for god

mash:
smash

mek:
make

mon:
man

pappy show:
puppet show

peenie-wallies:
fireflies

pickney:
child

pickney dem:
children

plait:
braid; braided

Rastafarian:
also called just “Rasta.” Rasta, or the Rastafari movement, is a religious movement started in Jamaica.

tups:
a little

Patois Phrases

So the barrel come:
So you got something new. Many Jamaicans who live abroad regularly send home barrels of food and clothing for their families.

Me deh rock so:
I am rocking like this.

Come mek we dance and sing:
Let us dance and sing.

Mind dem own business:
Pay attention to their own problems.

They come long time?:
Have they been here long?

We just reach:
We just got here.

What gone bad a mawning, cyan come good a evening:
Something bad in the morning won’t be good in the evening.

Empty barrel mek the most noise:
Empty barrels make the
most noise. (People who know the least about something often talk the most about it.)

By and by, yuh wi si:
By and by, you will see. (You’ll find out eventually.)

To make a pappy show of someone:
to make someone look foolish

Ah fi mi pickney dese:
These are my children

Mi mek dem in mi image:
I made them in my image

Mi love dem and look out fi dem:
I love them, I take care of them

Map It!

Jamaica is the third-largest island in the Caribbean and the largest English-speaking island. It spans 4,244 square miles and sits entirely surrounded by the Caribbean Sea, ninety miles southwest of Cuba.

What’s in a Name?

The name
Jamaica
comes from the Arawak word
Xaymaca
, meaning “land of wood and water.” Words like
barbecue
,
canoe
,
hurricane
, and
tobacco
come from the language of the first colonists of Jamaica, the Arawak-speaking group of people now known as the Tainos.

Land Ho!

In the seventeenth century, Port Royal in Jamaica was the base for many notorious buccaneers and pirates. Among these were Blackbeard, Calico Jack, Anne Bonny, and Henry Morgan. Port Royal was known as the richest and wickedest city on earth until it was destroyed by a violent earthquake in 1692. Three quarters of the town sank that day!

Out of Many, One People

Jamaica’s motto, “Out of Many, One People,” reflects a rich and diverse culture. Jamaica is populated by more than two and a half million people. African and English influences dominate the culture, but the Spanish, Irish, Indians, Chinese, and Germans have all left their mark in food, speech, music, and dance. Jamaicans can tour the world without leaving their island!

Spouting Off

Ocho Rios
means “eight rivers” in Spanish, but there aren’t eight rivers near the town. Actually, the name is a corruption of the Spanish word
chorreras
, meaning “spouts” or “waterfalls.” But most Jamaicans just call it Ochi.

Tee Time

Jamaica can lay claim to the oldest golf course in the western hemisphere. Following the introduction of golf in Scotland, a nine-hole course was built in Mandeville, Jamaica, at the first country club in the New World. The Duke of Manchester opened Mandeville Golf Club in 1865—
before
many of Europe’s most famous courses were built.

Make It a Clean Sweep

In Jamaica, it’s an old custom to place a broom upside down behind a door in your house when you want an unwanted guest to go away.

Pipe Down!

Falmouth, Jamaica, had piped water before New York City! Way back in 1799, a twenty-foot waterwheel was installed on land near the Martha Brae River. This giant wheel was turned by the current of the stream and emptied about one hundred gallons of water per revolution into a wooden trough. Then the water flowed through a six-inch pipe into a large tank in the town square of Falmouth. Even today, people call this part of town Water Square.

Spice It Up

The spice that gives Jamaican jerk its special kick is called pimento. Pimento is the only spice indigenous to Jamaica, which makes Jamaican jerk a very special cuisine!

Ingredients

2 eggs, beaten well

½ cup (one stick) butter, at room temperature

4 very ripe bananas, peeled

1 ½ cups flour

1 cup sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

Nana’s secret ingredient: ¼ cup shredded coconut

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
   
2. Cut butter into small pieces and mix into the beaten eggs with a pastry blender.
   
3. In a separate bowl, mash bananas.
   
4. Combine bananas with egg mixture.
   
5. Mix dry ingredients together, including Nana’s secret ingredient.
   
6. Add dry ingredients to banana mixture.
   
7. Pour batter into lightly greased 9” x 5” x 3” loaf pan.
   
8. Bake on middle rack of oven for 50 minutes. Test with knife—if it doesn’t come out clean, bake another 10 minutes.
   
9. Allow to cool for 15 minutes, then invert onto rack and let sit until completely cooled.
   
10. Optional Glaze (for fancy parties): Mix 1 cup confectioner’s sugar, enough water for spreading consistency, and 1 tsp. vanilla. Spread on top of bread.