Visiting the Vice-President

In a small country such as Suriname it is easy to meet people in high places such as the recently appointed Vice-President, Robert Ameerali. We had met him a couple of times before when he was head of the Suriname Chamber of Commerce and he was kind enough to spare us some time to discuss the economic policies of the new Suriname government and the sectors it is looking to attract investment into. Although Surinamis can be quite formal in official capacities, our discussion was very informal. The photo is a different story though...

Happy Diwali

 

To the surprise of many the Hindu festival of Diwali, the festival of lights, was declared a national holiday in Suriname last week. With a large Hindu population this should be no surprise, but most Hindustanis did not see it coming. Having the day off did allow many to make the celebration extra special and many homes were lit up by candles and electric lights.

Peperpot Plantation

 

As a Dutch colony Suriname was a plantation economy. Even now you can still find remnants of the colonial grandeur dotted around the country. More often than not the buildings are in an awful state, but in recent years owners have been restoring the historical heritage. This is also the case for Plantation Peperpot, situated across from Paramaribo on the bank of the Suriname river. By coincidence I know the owner, but unfortunately he was not in Suriname to give us a tour. Perhaps next time...

Making a pizza

 

As a special treat, and because he likes pizza so much, Boaz had the chance to make his own fresh pizza with Uncle Ben and a little help from Grand'Italia. 

Boaz' sleepover

 

Uncle Ben had the pleasure of having Boaz over for the night. Mum dropped him off, his overnight bag packed with his toothbrush, clean pair of underpants, his fireman's helmet and slippers. Not one to sit quietly, Uncle Ben had to get the hockey sticks for a quick game of street hockey in the playground around the corner. After an exhausting match, in which Uncle Ben lost of course, Boaz did his best Rocky Balboa impression.

 

After all the excitement, and a quick trip to the supermarket, it was time to relax on the couch with a bowl of popcorn to watch Up.