School as the main activity of children means that during our interviews, education was one of the main topics.

Given that there was no high school on the French side, going abroad was mandatory for students whose parents wanted them to further their education. Having family already living abroad facilitated the move.

In this month's episode, you will hear Alicia Weinum, Jeanine and Etina Arnell, Ginette and Mercedes Fleming, Frantz and Fabien Gumbs and Olga and Rosette Gumbs relate their learning experiences with people from abroad and the journeys of St.Martiners out of their village to pursue their education on the Dutch side, in the French Caribbean and even in the United States

Music: Creole Stars - The Difference in St.Martin

1:05 - Rosette and Olga Gumbs explain that they had to go to Guadeloupe to continue their education. The modes of transportation available were the plane and the boat.

2:06 - Etina and Jeanine Arnell mention that many people in the French Quarter community went to school on the Dutch side

2:27 - Ginette and Mercedes Fleming tell their move the United States after doing part of their schooling in Marigot

3:22 - Etina and Jeanine Arnell recall their time in Guadeloupe

6:33 - Fabien and Frantz Gumbs went to school in Guadeloupe at different moments, one in primary school, the other once he was older

7:28 - Etina and Jeanine Arnell say that their was a St.Martin community in Guadeloupe

8:11 - Alicia Weinum names her teacher from Guadeloupe, St.Martin and St.Barts and discusses her relation to French and English

10:22 - Music break - Creole Stars, The difference in St.Martin

11:38 - Etina and Jeanine Arnell highlight how their school system did not necessarily cater to all the children and that some performed better through other systems such as Methodist chapter school

13:17 - Ginette and Mercedes Fleming reminisce their life in the United States and returining to St.Martin

As school is about to start, we sometimes remember our days as school children: the classes, the games, the teachers, the friends and of course, childhood.

Although going to school is an experience that many have had through time and space, the organisation, the technology used, the teachings can vary vastly, even for students of the same era. And of course, how we remember school back then is deeply personal and shines a light on what has mattered in our life, from then, to now.

In this month's episode, you will hear Alicia Weinum, Jeanine and Etina Arnell, Ginette and Mercedes Fleming, Frantz and Fabien Gumbs and Olga and Rosette Gumbs, describe their school's location, the teachers they had and what it was like to go to school in their neighborhoods, and then in Marigot.

1:05 - Mercedes Fleming talks about chat caused her to start school early

2:18 - Etina Arnell talks about school in French Quarter; back then, the students had 3 months of vacation. School started back in October. It was the occasion to learn other skills. Also, there were children of different levels in the same class, so the teachers had to cater to their different needs simultaneously

5:12 - Olga and Rosette Gumbs describe their middle high school and primary school

6:13 - Etina and Jeanine Arnell both went to middle high school in Marigot, but while Etina went to current Emily Choisy, Jeanine went to Nina Duverly

7:10 - Alicia Weinum recalls her primary school in Grand-Case, her secondary education in Marigot and continuing to Guadeloupe

8:31 - Fabien Gumbs remembers the classes that he did in St.Martin and those he did in Guadeloupe. He mentions the teachers that he had. Frants Gumbs confirms. They also did their secondary schooling in Nina Duverly

10:18 - Frantz Gumbs tells an anecdote where his class was making a lot of noise while their teacher was out. Their teachers rarely beat them. He then goes into another anecdote where his brother made fun of their teacher

14:10 - Rosette and Olga Gumbs says how close the parents and teachers were. Rosette witnessed this bound when a teacher called her mother immediately after a wrongdoing.

15:18 - Rosette and Olga Gumbs mention that their teachers were strict but their lessons stayed with them all through their lives

What a people eat tells a lot about their personal circumstances, their immediate environment and their cultural background. St.Martin is known as the Caribbean capital of gastronomy, with chefs coming from all over the world, but the cooking traditions of St.Martin are also worthy of celebration.

Our traditional food tell a story within the story, of which ingredients were available at a certain time and how it influenced the people's tastebuds. It also informs us on the skills that were developed to obtain nutritious foods and to create flavorful dishes that are still appreciated today.

In this month's episode, you will hear Alicia Weinum, Jeanine and Etina Arnell, Ginette and Mercedes Fleming, Frantz and Fabien Gumbs and Olga and Rosette Gumbs, describe their diet, going from their breakfast, their daily dishes, and one staple from Back then that seem to have disappeared: Bunuclowuh

As you know, February is the month of love! In this episode, you will find testimonies of love beyond its romantic form: Family, God, Friendship, Self love and more!

Thank you to Olga and Rosette Gumbs, Fabien and Frantz Gumbs, Alicia Weinum, Ginette and Mercedes Fleming and Etina and Jeanine Arnell for their testimonies, hoping that you are inspired to celebrate all the love you have in your lives!

Family Love

1:18 - Olga Gumbs mentions that her brother was her uncle's eyeball

1:33 - Fabien Gumbs counts an anecdote that confirms his sister's words: his uncle carried him on a boat journey across Central and South America when he was only 6 years old

3:03 - Alicia Weinum mentions growing up mostly with her siblings and her mother who gave them the best education that she could

Community Love

3:44 - Mercedes and Ginette Fleming share their experience helping out their parents to serve the community in their bakery

4:55 - Etina and Jeanine Arnell tell us about the genesis of French Quarter's community center

In social settings

5:59 - Olga and Rosette Fleming remember their time as football spectators and give us an insight at teenage life back then

7:03 - Jeanine and Etina Arnell give a few anecdotes on their first balls and the rules around these social events

9:18 - Olga and Rosette Gumbs reminisce about their groupe of friends and their complicity

God

11:00 - Etina and Jeanine Arnell explain how hearing the word of God was important, independently of the church they had to go to

12:32 - Etina Arnell says how Father Kemps influenced her spiritual life

13:37 - Olga Gumbs mentions how her spiritual education still plays a role on how she expresses support and solidarity

When a new year begins, we look hopefully to the future and plan the changes that we could make in our lives to make it a beautiful year. We think of what good habits from the past we wish to pursue and which we will leave behind, in a quest for a better life for ourselves, and even sometimes for our community. Which elements of the past of St.Martin could we wish to bring back?

In this episode, Ginette and Mercedes Fleming, Alicia Weinum, Etina and Jeanine Arnell, Frantz and Fabien Gumbs, Olga and Rosette Gumbs reminisce about their childhood in their close knitted community, the respect everyone had for one another, being raised by their village and the sanctions that came with deviating from the social norms*.

May we find in these stories some elements that we would like to implement in our lives moving forward, if not in the name of nostalgia, at least in the name of hope.

1:03 - Mercedes and Ginette Fleming miss the respect that used to be so common back then

1:50 - Alicia Weinum also appreciated the camaraderie between children

3:07 - Etina Arnell speaks about growing up in French Quarter where there was a real togertherness, especially among the community of the yard where she lived.

4:49 - Alicia Weinum speaks about being chastised by anyone in the community who saw her doing something wrong

5:06 - Etina Arnell mentions how someone from the community would look over the children if their parents went to Marigot

5:54 - Mercedes Fleming talks about the commissions that she had to carry for her parents, and getting back something in exchange

6:20 - Frantz Gumbs explains how people would give to their neighbors whatever they had extra

6:41 - Etina and Jeanine Arnell remember going to their grandmother's friend, Miss Gat, to bring the bread she baked, and how they were always given a fruit on their way back

7:53 - Mercedes Fleming explains that people would reciprocate, and that would avoid lacking. Ginette Fleming also agrees that sharing is important and she still practices these habits. She recalls that there was more love. Also, she explains that she was expected to greet the adults that she met, or there would be repercussions.

10:25 - Mercedes Fleming remembers that a blind relative told her mother that she did not tell him Good morning

11:14 - Olga Gumbs has a similar story about her aunt who could not see well but who said that she saw her from down the road

13:45 - Ginette Fleming sees how this education shaped who she is today

14:26 - Mercedes and Ginette Fleming explain that it's also about representing well their family and not letting them down

15:20 - Olga and Rosette Gumbs remember that their mother was very strict and friends with all their teachers

15:45 - Olga and Rosette Gumbs describe their relationship with the adults as nice but that they would answer if disrespected

16:25 - Olga and Rosette Gumbs remember getting licks after any of their wrongdoings

18:29 - Fabien and Frantz Gumbs don't remember being hit as much as their sisters. His sister chimes in on the reason why

19:29 - Fabien Gumbs remembers something wrong he did and why he escaped the sanction

20:33 - Fabien Gumbs prefers his education back then than the state of the world now. His brother Frantz especially remembers the safety that reigned on the island

22:06 - Mercedes and Ginette Fleming hope that hearing about the lifestyle back then would influence positively how we live today

*Nansi's Office does not support hitting children as a form of educational tool and encourages gentler methods

Christmas is often seen as the best time of the year, even on our Caribbean island. From the food, the drinks and even taking care of our homes, it is a time where traditions seem to be particularly strong.

While some customs from Back then are still honored, others seem to have disappeared.

In this episode, Alicia Weinum, Etina and Jeanine Arnell, Frantz and Fabien Gumbs share memories of Christmas, Back then. Thank you for sharing these stories with us!

Thank you Joy for the serenading snippets!

In the introduction, you can hear King Timo's Santa Why.

1:00 - Christmas is Alicia Weinum's favorite time of the year

1:06 - It is also Jeanine Arnell's favorite time

1:09 - Etina Arnell shares that she remembers Christmas back then as a time where she could eat tart in the morning instead of porridge

1:40 - Alicia Weinum speaks about all the sweet things that we get to eat for christmas: tarts, puddings and more

1:48 - Jeanine Arnell and Etina Arnell describe how in French Quarter, the women would use Miss Ello's big rock oven to bake the tarts

2:28 - On the to the pork meat and pigeon peas with Alicia Weinum

2:33 - Jeanine and Etina Arnell explain how people would "engage the meat"

3:02 - Alicia Weinum gives us the program for christmas eve, and more specifically: serenading!

4:08 - Jeanine and Etina Arnell tell us about the Christmas tragedy: on the 21st of December 1972, a plane going from Guadeloupe to St.Martin crashed not far from Mullet Bay

6:25 - Frantz and Fabien Gumbs mention that they did not have many gifts for Christmas but they were satisfied with what they had

6:56 - Alicia Weinum remembers the activities for Christmas at school

7:39 - Etina and Jeanine Arnell associate Christmas with the return of their father from St.Thomas and all the nice things he would bring home

8:28 - Jeanine and Etina Arnell tell us what cherry trees were used for: the cherries for the punch and the tree as a christmas tree!

9:40 - Etina Arnell and Jeanine Arnell tell us about a special kind of decorations: fly catchers! Alicia Weinum also remembers these crepe papers cut in a design that they would stick to the high ceilings

10:53 - Christmas also means: cleaning the house says Alicia Weinum. Etina and Jeanine Arnell concurr: it was a time to renew your home.

Is rain considered good weather or bad weather?

On a dry island like St.Martin, we sometimes welcome rain gladly after too many blazing days, but too much of it can have destructive consequences, as we know it too well in this region where storms and hurricanes leave their mark on the land and in the memories.

Given how used we are nowadays to weather reports warning us about hurricanes, to having access to resisting material and technology in general, one may wonder what was hurricane and dry seasons like a few decades ago?

In this episode, Jeanine and Etina Arnell, Frantz and Fabien Gumbs, Olga and Rosette Gumbs, Alicia Weinum, and Ginette and Mercedes Fleming tell us about dealing with St.Martin's climate, from hurricanes to droughts.

1:03 - Jeanine Arnell explains how her grand father and father knew when a hurricane was coming

1:39 - Etina Arnell adds that observing the sea can let us know what weather we're going to have. "If the sea is glossy, a hurricane is coming"

2:03 - Frantz and Fabien Gumbs tell us about his first hurricane, Donna is 1960

2:16 - Olga and Rosette Gumbs, sisters of Frantz and Fabien, also remember this.

2:22 - Frantz slept but Fabien, their sister Adeline, and their brother, stayed up to protect the house.

3:15 - Mercedes Fleming tells us about escaping Donna Gale. Her sister Ginette adds that they did not have many hurricanes during their childhood, as their main challenge was droughts

3:52 - Jeanine Arnell also remembers how dry the land is

4:07 - Alicia Weinum concords, there aren't many seasons on the island

4:25 - Ginette Fleming mentions the public pipes where they would get water from on buckets

4:39 - Alicia Weinum remembers going to the well

5:13 - Balancing the bucket on your head is not risk free! Ginette and Mercedes tell us about their experience

5:40 - Alicia Weinum explains the use of water collected in the wells vs rain water

6:05 - Olga and Rosette Weinum talk about the well in Concordia not too far from Marigot

6:34 - Jeanine Arnell mentions the Grand Bas well in French Quarter

6:40 - Ginette Fleming also remembers the Grand bas well, as well as the moho well and the well behind Yvonne Cocks house

7:02 - Jeanine Arnell talks about solidarity at the well

We're grateful for another hurricane season without a major hurricane and we keep in mind those who went through a trying season.

The way we see our world today is partly influenced by the way we see yesterday.

Sharing a common vision of the past, or at least, some elements, gives us common ground.

In a society where the informal occupies so much space, it is no surprise that the family space is a primary place of transmission. Some might already be tired of hearing the same stories of their parents, talking about how St.Martin was in those days, how it used to be back then, others might not have these references.

Either way, these testimonies are valuable, I would even say precious, because the lessons of the past can inspire our vision of the future! I am convinced that if we look behind, we can find gems to build tomorrow.

So, I welcome you to Back then, stories of the St.Martin of yesterday!

Here, you will hear mostly brothers and sisters talk about their childhood in their neighborhoods, mainly in the sixties and seventies. We asked open questions on different topics and each episode will feature their answers on one topic.

These interviews were conducted often outdoors, in the interviewees family environment, so you will hear a bit of… noise.

Think of it as your token of authenticity!

Thank you to Jeanine and Etina Arnell from French Quarter, Frantz and Fabien Gumbs from Concordia, Olga and Rosette Gumbs from Concordia, Alicia Weinum from Grand-Case, and Ginette and Mercedes Fleming from French Quarter for welcoming me and my questions and agreeing to share pieces of their childhood with us.

This podcast is brought to you by me, Stéphie Gumbs, through Nansi's Office. Yes, Anansi the storyteller now writes her stories in her office!

I hope you will learn a few things from these episodes, or that it will bring back memories from your own childhood.

If you would like to share your stories of back then, I would love to hear from you!

You can contact me on social media (on this day sxm) or via email ([email protected])

Thank you for listening to this introduction and I hope that you'll enjoy the episodes!