Social Saturday is a thing on social media, right up there with selfies. So too is soup – at least in Jamaica once upon a time.

How will you spend your day?

Saturday Schedule

Once upon a time, my Saturday schedule centred around sleeping in, helping to clean the house and soup. The sleeping in part never really worked out as my mother was one of those women (and I have become one) who awoke every day at the crack of dawn. Saturdays were not different.

Most Saturday mornings, she would be up at the latest 3:00 a.m. and make her way to the Coronation Market in downtown Kingston, Jamaica. Once in awhile she would require me to accompany her. Fortunately, that was not very often as the hustle and bustle of the place was too much for me. Funnily, since becoming a grown woman and mother myself, one of my favourite things to do is go grocery shopping and markets.

If she did not require anyone to accompany her, one of us would have to meet her at the bus stop close to our home to help her with the load. From an early age, sleep in for me was never beyond 7:00 a.m. and to this day, I cannot sleep beyond that hour.

Soup Saturday

In my childhood, a soup of some variety was the main meal of the day. Nevermind that Jamaica is a tropical island and basically always hot, we had soup on a Saturday.

Jamaica has great cooks and delicious dishes, however, soup was not one of my favourite things. My mother was one of those great cooks in her younger years but even with her skills, soup was not high on my list of favourite meals. However, Saturday was a soup day. Chicken, red peas, beef or pepperpot soup – one of these was on rotation.

Living in Canada now almost two decades, soup has become seasonal for me. No longer an every Saturday meal but any day dish during the winter months. Red peas soup is the one of choice – now that I am older. There are many recipes but this video gives you the basic idea.

Social Life

Another feature of Saturdays in Jamaica was partying. Truth be told, that is not just an island thing. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I am sure many of you would be making plans for tonight. Based on the news reports around my province and nationwide, even in the United States, millennials are not allowing COVID-19 to stop their Saturday night thing.

Women of a certain age, including me, have found themselves less desirous to be on the town, clubbing on a Saturday night. Being social for them is spending the night in with loved ones, a book or, if they are anything like me, Netflix, the news or the World Wide Web.

Social distancing has certainly taught us new ways to be connected yet apart.

No Longer Living For The Weekend

Honestly, I never really understood the glorification of Fridays & weekends.

I don’t want to build a life and career, where I spent five days a week waiting for the weekend. No!

I want to enjoy my life, and don’t wish any weekday away. I want each day to matter to me, in some way, even if it’s a small tiny way.

I love my life. Everyday. That’s the spirit we should convey all around us.”
― Akilnathan Logeswaran

If nothing else, this pandemic has taught many that much of what we hankered for and many of the things we had placed to the side are either not essential or they are the comforts we need today.

People, places or things we once thought we could barely live without or go to, through COVID-19 we have come to realise are not essentials.

Is that true for you? Share your Saturday stories with us. You can do so either in the comments below or on our social media profiles at Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Have a great Saturday and weekend!

2017

 

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