Situated between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean lies The Bahamas, an island chain of adventure with 700 islands and cays.
The pristine beaches, warm sunshine and warm people create a tourist paradise and vacation haven for foreigners, but to this international student, the Bahamas is where I call home.
As the Bahamas gradually become a melting pot of cultures, Bahamians are still being true to their "navel strings" buried deep across this archipelago.
From Grand Bahama Island in the north to Inagua Island in the south, the words colour and cheque (bank) are still spelled in that "weird" way of the British English.
We still do the "strange" thing of driving on the left, another British custom.
Most of the residents in this archipelago live on New Providence Island in the city of Nassau, with rest of the population living on Family Islands.
We are a people with a similar yet different language than America; with different accents, different experiences and different customs than that of the United States.
There are so many unique things about being the only archipelago in the Caribbean. The Bahamian islands have many things such as fruits, vegetables and wildlife indigenous to each one of the islands. Wild boars, for example, are native only to Inagua.
Yet, there is a common cultural thread interwoven in Bahamian life called Junkanoo. Junkanoo is the favorite cultural celebration of the Bahamas.
Junkanoo is to The Bahamas what Mardi Gras is to New Orleans and what Carnival is to Trinidad.
Each year on Boxing Day and New Year's Day, scores of Bahamians and tourists head to downtown Bay Street in the wee hours of the morning to watch a spectacle of colors unfold.
Junkanoo is a spectacular parade of costumes made from cardboard and crepe paper. "Rushers," those participating in the parade, move to the rhythmic sounds of Bahamian cowbells, goatskin drums, whistles and the accompaniment of a live brass section.
Beyond Junkanoo, Bahamians spend a lot of time socializing. Perhaps the gatherings are at someone's home, at a local bar on a Family Island or at a club in Nassau.
The weekend is the main time for Bahamians to party. This partying can begin as early as Thursday with those who call in sick to work or are college students who do not have Friday classes.
For many, the partying may begin as late as Friday afternoon with persons who do not return to the office after their lunch break.
The local spot is the Fish Fry (open 7 days a week), which has several booths with bars at each one. More customized clubbing around New Providence includes stopping by Dicky Mo's and The Blue Note, a college student hangout.
Sky Box Sports Bar is a popular destination for a more sophisticated and older crowd and Cocktails and Dreams is for the "real" party goers.
Señor Frogs is for those who can "down" shots by the second and The Living Room is open for all night partygoers.
At anyone of these hangouts, a patron 18 and over can try alcoholic beverages with a special Bahamian tang, which is usually Kalik Beer, The Bahamian Beer, a Bahama Mama or a Goombay Smash.
For Bahamians not into the partying scene, it is customary to get away for the weekend either by boat or Bahamasair, Bahama's airline, to one of the Family Islands for rest and relaxation.
Then, there is always the Bahamasair flight a few miles north to "shop cares away" at the Saw Grass Mills in Fort Lauderdale, Florida or Florida Mall in Orlando.
There are also the occasional concerts featuring names like Kirk Franklin, Boyz II Men and Beenie Man.
On the other side of the spectrum, the Bahamas considers itself a Christian nation. If we are not all Christian, the majority of us are very deeply embedded in the Christian faith.
So, for those who were interceding over the weekend, and also those who may still have a hangover from the night before, Sundays do not pass without celebrating Mass or participating in some form of morning worship service.
If they are not at church in person, then Bahamians will be watching Trinity Broadcast Network on Cable Bahamas.
No article on the Bahamas would be complete without mentioning the taste of the Bahamian islands. The Bahamian dinner is very high in starch because otherwise it is simply not Bahamian. However, Bahamanians have become very health.
A sample Bahamian dinner, for instance, consists of two meats (one must be fried), peas and rice or crab and rice, baked macaroni, fried plantain, potato salad, guava duff or coconut and pineapple tart for dessert.
Seafood is a staple dish and is mainly conch (pronounced 'konk'), which is touted as an aphrodisiac.
Conch is a mollusk of white meat with pink coloring and can be prepared as a stew, a chowder, deep-fried or cracked conch or as conch fritters.
It's traditional on Saturdays, however, to have the Bahamian males don the apron to prepare a dish of boiled fish, which is called Bahamian grouper, or souse (pronounced 'sowse').
Favorite souses are chicken, sheep's tongue and pig's feet. This is served with Bahamian bread called Johnny cake.
If the Bahamian male at home is not in the mood for cooking, he may drive down to Murphy's Souse House in Oakes Field and join the long queue.
To sum it up, these are examples of customs that are native to the Bahamas and that make me Bahamian.
Visitors are always welcomed to enjoy the good food and good spirit of the Bahamian people.
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