My Friend Rossy (Rosie)

Rossy likes to pronounce her name like “Rosie” as it would sound in English. She’s originally from the Dominican Republic, but lives in Aruba and works at a Dunkin Donuts shop. Here she is.

I’m looking a bit bedraggled after writing from the wee hours into the dawn. (Been working on the sequel to An Island Away at a furious pace.) I stopped by Rossy’s shop for a box of donuts to take to my friends who live in San Nicolaas. We hang out in the morning, usually between 6:30 and 8:00 when the breeze is fresh and the sun isn’t blazing.

Anyway, Rossy always has a smile for us. She’s also taught me a good bit of Spanish. Her good cheer is contagious and even if things aren’t going right, Rossy can put you in the right mood simply by telling you not to worry about whatever is bothering you.

So, let me say “thanks” to Rossy. You make the early mornings sweet.

Published in: on August 2, 2008 at 11:43 am  Comments (1)  
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A Few Churches, Aruba

Many posts ago, I showed an image of a small Protestant Church located here in Aruba. This time, I’m going to show several Catholic Churches. Aruba, with is various cultures, hosts a number of religions. However, given the strong Spanish influence, many people belong to the Catholic faith. Here is one of the large churches located in the town of Noord.

As casual as the island is, many local people dress in their finest for Sunday services, including the children. This is a pleasant sight, as is the devotion they express when filling such large buildings. Here’s another church, this one located in Paradera.

Most all of these churches have schools attached to them. The children don uniforms and file into class carrying their books in “brief cases,” which may be a good thing in that it reminds them of the seriousness of education. Here is one more church, this time in Santa Cruz.

Of course, there are cemeteries beside these churches. In Aruba, just like New Orleans, the tombs are mostly above ground. We’ll take a look at some of those eerie spaces in future posts.

Published in: on August 1, 2008 at 1:20 pm  Comments (1)  
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