Blog Post #6

    

    Barbados is a part of a chain of islands that make up the Lesser Antilles and is along the Caribbean Sea. It is often referred to as "Little England." Barbados was settled by the British in the early-1600s. Although it gained its independence in the mid 1960s, there is still many aspects that are similar to English/British culture. Some examples of this are the justice system, the school system, driving on the left side of the road, even beloved sports such as polo and cricket. 

    The official language of Barbados is English. It is more commonly used in professional settings. The language used most commonly amongst friends and family is called "Bajan," which is an English based creole. 

    Though Barbados is small, it is one of the most heavily populated islands. It has nearly 1600 people per square mile.

    Tabacco was initially grown on the island, but was known to be of poor quality. Sugar replaced tabacco as the main export after an economic crisis on the island. This soon led to the importation of slaves from West Africa. This resulted in the population of Africans outnumbering the population of English. 

    I am still doing research into the culture of Barbados and want to focus on cultural impact, specifically the arts and creative areas.

Reflection

         I think my blog posts hit most of the criteria. I feel I could add quotes. I usually just summarize the facts that I read, but adding quotes can make my writings more reliable. Something that is confusing for me is finding that balance between casual writing for a blog and maintaining the seriousness of what I'm writing about. I am still getting used to blog writing, but I am putting in real effort. I know that as I continue to learn more about the style my writing will improve. I have so far been good about managing how/when I do my work so I have ample time to get it done. I always make sure to spell-check and reread before publishing. I am used to peer-reviews, but they do make me a bit self-conscious. I am a strong writer when it comes to papers but blogs are less formal and don't have a specific format so I'm not as confident in the assignments. If we discussed average length or minimum and specific inserts, such as quotes, pictures, etc. needed that would be helpful. I've learned of the popularity of blogs. I knew they were becoming more commonly used but the number of blogs written per day continues to shock me! 😮

History of Honduras

             Christopher Colombus landed in Honduras in July of the year 1502. He gave it the name of Honduras meaning "depths" because the of the deep waters surrounding the coast. In the year 1524, Cristobal de Olid established a colony and declared himself governor by order of Hernan Cortes. In the mid-1600s European pirates began attacking frequently. In the year of 1740, the British formed a treaty with the Miskito(now Nicaragua) King. Spain then reclaimed the territory trying to force the treaty to end. The Miskito people tried to gain control over British and Spanish territory. Honduras finally gained their independence in 1821. There are areas where the Garifuna still keep up many traditional customs from shelter, to food, to even cleaning and hygiene. There is some Spanish influence in the food, as well as the music but Honduras is a Caribbean island and it shows.

Island Options: Barbados, Colombia, Bermuda