Departure Story Definitions, Playlist & Recipes!

Hello Reader! Hopefully, if you are here, that means you’re reading or considering reading my novel, Departure Story. First of all, thank you for supporting a proud Afro-Caribbean woman entrepreneur and independent publishing house. I realize that the book has several cultural references and vocabulary in addition to Caribbean patois, so I thought I would create a brief guide to help clarify. These are my personal understanding of these definitions and, I make no claim on being the authority on all things Guyanese… far from it! But this might help you understand the book better!

Departure Story Definitions

Wine - Wine is a West Indian dance involving the hips. Caribbean culture is suffused with music, steel pan, calypso, soca, reggea, there’s a lot of dancing. The lyrics to these songs are rude AF even though they are played at every occasion for everybody’s child to hear.

Dettol - a terrible-smelling antiseptic liquid that’s used to clean wounds. It burns like hell.

Gyal - slang for “girl” or pronunciation.

Teef-  to steal something.

Lashes- A physical beating with a belt or whatever household item is within reach.

Anti-man - A word that infers that someone is homosexual

Coolie - Someone of East Indian descent, meaning your ancestors from India were taken to Guyana as indentured servants.

Food

Pholourie - Pholourie is a fritter made from a split pea batter that has been seasoned with different spices and hot pepper.

Dhal Puri - an Indian flatbread that has a flavorful split pea filling

Cassava- Cassava is a tuberous, starchy root that is essential in Latin American and Caribbean cuisine.

Pine Tarts- a delicious baked good filled with a sweetened pineapple mixture.

Music

This is a playlist I put together to listen to along with the book. This music isn’t all Caribbean-inspired, but it matches the vibe of the story. If you’re reading, you’ll know what I mean!

Any Questions?

Did you run into a word, phrase or cultural reference that puzzles you? Tell me in the comments below and I’ll fill you in!