Document text
- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us June 29, 2005 Food & History A sea chanty is Belize’s anthem Jeff Cheek Belize is a Vermont-sized enclave in Central America once known as British Honduras. The majority of the people speak Spanish, but the official language is English and their national anthem, “Land of the Free,” sounds like an old English sea chanty. Sea chanties were songs the sailors sang in rhythm with their work. Remember your childhood days when you dreamed of being a pirate, and sang “ Yo, ho, ho and a bottle of rum.” That’s a sea chanty. Try singing the first two lines of the anthem as a chanty. “O, land of the free by the carib sea, Our manhood we pledge to thy liberty,” No surprise there. The first European settlers were shipwrecked English sailors who straggled ashore in 1638, then stayed to found a colony. A second wave arrived in 1655, when Britain wrested Jamaica from Spain. Instead of going home, sailors discharged in Jamaica joined their buddies in British Honduras. When Belize emerged as an independent nation, they honored those first settlers by adopting a sea chanty tune for their national hymn. Belize was a British colony from 1638 to 1981. The capital was Belize City, the busiest port and largest city. But the city is only 18 inches above sea level. In 1961, Hurricane Hattie almost destroyed Belize City with 10-foot tidal waves. The government built a new capital, Belmopan, about 50 miles inland. Belmopan is almost a thousand feet above sea level. It became the seat of government in 1970. Independence was peacefully achieved Sept. 21, 1981, and a new constitution adopted establishing a parliamentary democracy. Beize is still a member of the British Commonwealth. With only a quarter million citizens, the government encourages immigration but screens each visa applicant carefully. The applicant must show a bank statement proving he has sufficient funds to support himself or herself or to start a new business. Anyone possessing a technical skill not available in the local population, such as medical training, is given priority. All immigrants have to deposit a sum of money equal to the cost of a ticket to their country of origin. If he or she cannot adjust, or goes bankrupt, the government uses the deposit to ship him home. This law was designed to preserve the country’s limited funds for public welfare. With a fragile agricultural economy built on sugar, citrus fruits and bananas, Belize has to limit what it can spend on public assistance. When the Embassy of Belize responded to my request for information, they included several national recipes. Instead of using a quarter pound of lean salt pork, I substituted a ham bone. Belizian Rice and Beans is rich and tasty. Ingredients 1 cup navy beans 1 cup coconut milk 1 clove garlic 1 large onion, sliced 2 cups rice 1/4 pound lean salt pork cut in small pieces Preparation Wash and soak beans overnight, with garlic clove. Add pork, boil until beans are tender but still whole. Add coconut milk and onion, salt and pepper if desired. Wash rice and add to beans. Cook over low heat until liquid is absorbed. Add a little water if rice is still uncooked. Stir gently to fluff the rice and serve. DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Deep Muscle Stimulator Ceramic Piggy Banks FREE Entertainment Guide Women's & Men's Slippers Accelerate Weightloss Products Backpacks Generic Viagra Vegas Travel Guide Search Engine Optimization Sportsbook Absinthe Supply Student Loans Hotel & Airline Reservations African Safari Hammocks Helzberg Diamonds Online Casinos Community Bonus Casino King of Spirits ink cartridges Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Mailing Lists Click Here Advertisement .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams