JET Programme Series: Christmas in Japan - Trini Style - Monfia Blondell, Michael Daly, Anastazia Hamilton, Soraya Kadir, Kassie Hernandez & David Ramgobin

Christmas in Japan - Trini Style
 

Submitted by Monifa MoFifa Blondell (Saitama Prefecture)

“Yuh want some sorrel or what?” Ooops. Out of season but let’s talk about Christmas in Japan- an event that happened over 2 months ago but continues to live on in my heart.
 

I had made plans to fly out of Japan for the 2018 Christmas because it’s just quite depressing staying in the country at this time of the year and have to even go to work (yes madness, I know!). As I was about to book my flight in glee to escape the cold and the lack of Christmas spirit I paused. Then I started messaging other JETs、 asking what their plans were for the season. It turned out some didn’t have any real plans. That’s when I cancel my trip (another time Bali!) and decided to have a Trini Christmas lime instead.
 

It was the best Christmas I have had away from home. As the saying goes these days, it was lit!! But let me not take delight in self boasting and let’s see what those who were in attendance had to say.
 

Anastazia G. Hamilton (Gunma Prefecture)

Christmas in Trinidad and Tobago is unique and has its own flare, taste and sound, and there I say, even smell. It's a mix of both well flavoured meals in the pot and oven as well as freshly painted walls. It's the sound of Baron everywhere you go for at least two months before December 25th. While I was unable to enjoy every aspect of this, gathering together with some Trinis in Saitama really brought a taste of a Trini Christmas in Japan. A Trini Christmas can happen wherever Trinbagonians happen to be.
 

Michael Daly (Niigata Prefecture)

For me during Christmas, it was fun to be around familiarity; familiar melodic sounds of our accent and parang music, the familiar scents of the sweetness and spice of our stew chicken, and ‘d picong’, as our laughter filled the room. Tokyo faded into the background with its neon lights, and illuminations of Christmas outshone by the bright smiles and warm interactions of the party. For that brief moment, we were at home ‘liming’, transcending time and space, bringing the Caribbean to Japan through our food, culture, and dance.
 

Soraya Kadir (Hokkaido)

When you started the day with a lil whisky in your sorrel, of course the day is going to be sweet. When you're away from home on Christmas Day but still get to spend the day with other Trinis- code switching back to your regular accent- of course everything is going to be fine in the dance. Speaking of which, when you start the dance party in the lime of course you know the day going good and you couldn't ask for anything more of your Christmas away from home. That pretty much summarises my Christmas in Japan at Casa de Monifa.
 

Kassie Alejandra Hernandez (Ibaraki Prefecture)

It was a few days shy of Christmas Day and my best friend who lives in Tokyo was packing up to go spend Christmas with family in the US. What was I going to do? Was I going to be alone in Japan while everyone was paranging?
 

Luckily Monifa, my fellow Trini who lives in a neighbouring prefecture, organized a true Trini lime- there was vibes, stew chicken and even pholourie! The day that I was dreading for fear of being alone in my apartment turned out to be the best day yet! We all gathered for lunch on true Trini time- that is promptly at 2pm lol. Then the music came one and we all danced for hours! Even though I am in a different country, one thing I know for sure is that where there are Trinis, there’s vibes!
 

There were also a few other Trinis who made a special appearance after Christmas Day. We enjoyed this Christmas season in Japan.
 

Dave Ramgobin (Hyogo Prefecture)

For my winter vacation, I closed off 2018 by spending time with some Trini JETs. Despite not making it in time for Christmas, having our traditional food with our traditional holiday picong made me feel right at home. Our friend Tomoko was a wonderful host to us for that end-of-year dinner party, even while being well aware of how loud we Trinis can get when there's more than 2 of us in a room together. One part I really enjoyed the most was her batch of sorrel, as it was the one thing I wanted for that holiday season. Those fun 5 days spent in Tokyo will not be forgotten.
 

Though my fellow JETs were thankful and happy to spend Christmas at my place, I don’t think they’ll ever truly know how much I appreciated them coming. After all I was just as equally ecstatic to be surrounded by “home”.


JET Programme Series: Kyoto - Christmas in Japan - Trini Style (Japanese Embassy Facebook)

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