{"id":1769,"date":"2017-01-13T13:12:27","date_gmt":"2017-01-13T13:12:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/socamom.com\/w\/10-ways-to-tell-if-your-non-caribbean-man-is-actually-caribbean-on-the-inside\/"},"modified":"2023-09-04T22:22:37","modified_gmt":"2023-09-05T04:22:37","slug":"10-ways-to-tell-if-your-non-caribbean-man-is-actually-caribbean-on-the-inside","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/socamom.com\/w\/10-ways-to-tell-if-your-non-caribbean-man-is-actually-caribbean-on-the-inside\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Ways to Tell if Your Non-Caribbean Man is Actually Caribbean on the Inside"},"content":{"rendered":"

I married an American guy, and my family was thrilled.\u00a0<\/strong> Not for citizenship<\/a> reasons or anything like that *insert wide eye emoji*, but because, \u201che look Trini in the face\u201d (what does that even mean?) and \u201che can handle you\u201d (again, what does that even MEAN??).\u00a0 They had other reasons too.\u00a0 They genuinely liked him, and they didn\u2019t know why.<\/p>\n

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Turns out, it wasn\u2019t that he was of a particular origin, but because he had particular qualities.<\/strong> Over the years that we have been married, I have seen the similarities between him and the Caribbean and Caribbean American men I know, and now I see why people always ask him, what part of Trinidad\/The Caribbean he\u2019s from when he\u2019s around my family.\u00a0 The look on their faces when he says, \u201cDelaware,\u201d is priceless.<\/p>\n

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My family and I have deduced that he is Caribbean on the inside.\u00a0<\/strong> Your Non-Caribbean husband might be too. Here are ten signs that I noticed in my husband, that you might see in your\u00a0mate. This is not a full list, so feel free to add your own experience in the comments. (There are a couple of affiliate links<\/a> in this post.)<\/p>\n

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    1. He insists on having a cutlass at our urban home.<\/strong> Who needs a cutlass in the city? You going ham on this potted plant, or nah?\u00a0 I grew up in America, but we lived in the country, so a cutlass was necessary.\u00a0 There were snakes and bushes, and all manner of cutlass worthy activities in which to engage. Here? Our little patch of grass doesn\u2019t get but so high, and everybody is too close.\u00a0 You swing that cutlass, and you\u2019re likely to give your neighbor a haircut.\u00a0 He still thinks we need one.<\/li>\n
    2. He does not believe in toe nail clippers.<\/strong> Any manner of cutting tool will suffice once the toe nails are too long\u2026 tin snips, wire cutters, the kids\u2019 safety scissors\u2026 also, anything found in a tool box works.\u00a0 Carefully trimming toenails? Nah.\u00a0 Not unless I do it\u2026 and he won\u2019t let me\u2026 so pocket knife it is.<\/li>\n
    3. Knives are more than just knives.<\/strong> Knives are finger nail cleaners and makeshift screwdrivers. The only acceptable way to eat fruit and cheese, or offer it to someone else, is off of a knife.\u00a0 He has no issue asking a small child to bring him \u201cthe knife.\u201d\u00a0 The only person he won\u2019t ask to bring him the knife, is me.<\/li>\n
    4. He doesn\u2019t know why my chicken tastes so good, but he respects the process.<\/strong> The first time he saw me make chicken, he was confused.\u00a0 There were limes, salt, vinegar\u2026 then bleach and more bleach for the counters, floor, cutting board, and any dishes that were used\u2026 or nearby.\u00a0 Rather than say, \u201cit don\u2019t take all that,\u201d he would just get out of the way and keep the children out of the kitchen until it was safe to return. Related Reading:\u00a0Lime and Salt: Cleaning Chicken Caribbean Style<\/a><\/li>\n
    5. He truly believes he can fix anything with wire cutters, a wire hanger, and\/or duct tape. <\/strong>He appreciates\/thinks he is MacGyver<\/a>. Don\u2019t act like your brother didn\u2019t watch MacGyver and try all that stuff\u2026 or that your daddy or granddaddy wasn\u2019t MacGyver before MacGyver was MacGyver. You thought you had cable throughout the house\u2026 nah\u2026 you had Caribbean\u00a0MacGyver<\/a>.<\/li>\n
    6. He doesn\u2019t believe cooking is for women only.<\/strong> By cooking, I mean corned beef (bully beef) and rice, canned salmon and rice, other canned or preserved meats\u2026 and rice. If I am running late, the kids might have high blood pressure, but they\u2019ll have full bellies.\u00a0 He cooks lots of other things now, but in the beginning\u2026 woi.<\/li>\n
    7. He always remembers to bring something to the party.<\/strong> He doesn\u2019t come into the party with his two hands swinging (empty handed). Caribbean people, you know that is one quick way not to get invited back.\u00a0 He always would stop and get something for the party or for the house, or bring a game for everyone to play.<\/li>\n
    8. He would spoil the kids every day all day if it weren\u2019t for me<\/strong>. On days with my dad at his office, he used to sneak me burgers and fries, peppermint candy, and let me eat peanut butter from the jar (off of a knife) while I watched Star Trek\u2026 with no mention of homework. My mom still doesn\u2019t know that. Sometimes, when I drop asleep by eight, and wake up around ten or eleven, I\u2019m still hearing kids\u2026 kids who were on their way to bed when I went to sleep.\u00a0 They\u2019ll be playing video games or having root beer floats that my husband made for them, as if no one is lactose intolerant and has school or work in the morning.\u00a0 Days out with daddy mean pizza or burgers, and ice cream or slushies, new video games or books\u2026 or a pet. The pet has happened.<\/li>\n
    9. He understands the art of the lime<\/strong>. The American equivalent is \u201cthe cook out.\u201d\u00a0 There\u2019s no particular agenda, there may be a reason for the gathering, or not, and having at least one funny story is a requirement. He might not have to tell it, but he\u2019s got it in his back pocket just in case\u2026 along with a bottle opener.\u00a0 Also, there are extra chairs and a card table in the trunk\u2026 and if it is outdoors, a tent, blanket, and\/or tarp.<\/li>\n
    10. He loves his momma, and expects you to love yours too.<\/strong> If he says, \u201cwe\u2019re going to see my mom this weekend,\u201d I just ask, \u201cdid you call her first?\u201d He may or may not have.\u00a0 He sees nothing wrong with this. Caribbean women often have complicated relationships with their mothers.\u00a0 He probably won\u2019t understand.\u00a0 Got beef with your mom?\u00a0 Share, but unless she has physically assaulted you or rendered you penniless, you may get little sympathy, a \u201cbut that\u2019s your mom,\u201d or, if he\u2019s seen the movie<\/a>, \u201cbut did you die?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      There you have it. Those are my ten ways that I could tell that my American husband was likely Caribbean on the inside.\u00a0 Are there any other Caribbean-esque, Quasi-Caribbean, or Caribbean adjacent qualities that you see in your mate? Tell us in the comments!<\/strong><\/p>\n

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