When asked where my accent is from, I reply, it’s mixed from Dominica, Vancouver (because ‘anc’ is pronounced ‘ang’ for ‘Vangcouverites’…) and London. To which the response invariably is, ah, the Dominican Republic. You must speak Spanish too. This response confirms the box people assume I fit or belong in and it’s like setting up a little podium and giving me a mic to deliver my weekly Dominica speech. Clears throat. Inhale. And go!
No. Not the Dominican Republic. It’s pronounced dom-in-EE-ca, not d’uh-minica. I don’t speak Spanish, well… I do… but not because I’m from the Dominican Republic (please stop taking Dominica’s mail, btw!). Yes, we have a parrot on our flag. No, we’re not pirates. Pineapples don’t grow on trees. Mountain chicken is really a frog. We call it that so the tourists will order it from the menu. We have 365 rivers, a boiling lake, and, quite frankly, too many volcanoes. Kweyol is a beautiful language, especially for storytelling, shouting and expressing intense emotion. At least once a week, we hop into someone’s car to go for a vep, a short ride with no particular purpose or destination.
We’re the Commonwealth of Dominica, the Nature Isle of the Caribbean. Columbus stumbled upon us (he was lost and you can’t discover a place when it’s already inhabited by people with better navigating skills). It was a Sunday, hence the name, which, FYI, we got BEFORE the Dominican Republic. The Spanish claimed us. The French and British fought over us. For. Decades. The Brits won. We became independent in 1978. Our beautiful Kalinago people survived it all. Our original name: Waitukubuli, meaning “Tall is her body.”
There’s nothing like the sound of jing ping music. Or singing crapauds at night (those are the mountain chicken). Or waves ebbing over a rocky shoreline. There’s nothing like the smell of jasmine blooms on a warm evening. Or boiling cocoa tea. Or piles of bay leaves on the side of the road in Delices. We have the world’s complete catalogue of the colour green. Those gem-like flashes you see around hibiscuses are hummingbirds. Some times of year, mangoes are for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Because they’re that good and it’s too hot to cook.
Hard to find and get to for a visit. Even harder to leave. Have your hankie ready. Small in numbers, big in heart.
You need to experience Dominica for yourself.
My name is Nikisha, and I’m an islander! I live in London. I have Canadian values and British citizenship. This is the story my accent tells even though you’re hearing something else. Not from here. Foreign. Exotic (because if I were a fruit I’d be a pinapple). But adding to what makes London rich and vibrant.
From now on, when asked about my accent, I will send a link to this blog post and save my precious time.
💕