How to Open a Coconut

This weeks been crazy!No the hurricane didn't hit Trinidad, actually I didn't know that there was a hurricane till I read your email. I did however see a really cool lightning storm one night - literally every 5 seconds there would be a flash. I guess that was the hurricane. Everyone here says that Trinidad has never been hit by one. They say that God is a Trini because it's a beautiful country, and nothing bad happens here (earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes etc...)

The other day I opened my first coconut and ate it! We had a cutlass we were using and it was going slow. A guy took pity on us crackers and came over, grabbed a cinder block, smashed it 5 times on the top, ripped it open and then sliced the husk away from the nut. Voila. Then you drink the milk, which is really, really good - it has almost an almond-y taste to it. Now that iIve seen it done, I'm pretty sure I could duplicate it.

Another funny story, last night we visited family where everyone is a member except the father - he can't stop smoking Marijuana. Anyway, all the men were really drunk and high, and we were trying to teach them. And one man who was really bad was singing these penicostle hymns and clapping and shouting Hallelujah! Then he sat down and started telling me how much he respected me, then he gave me a foot massage! Haha it was so funny and sad at the same time. Another day one man called us out and bought us coconuts from a stand and was telling us that he wanted us to take him back to Canada even though we kept telling him that we were from America. He was pretty high.

I sent the packages last Monday, you might get them in a week. Sorry FedEx is far away in another city, and costs a lot. I'm going to buy a ukelele (u know the little guitar thing) One man we're teaching has written books with great island songs and I was playing them when we were at his house. It's so much fun I'm really excited to get one. So everything is going well. I get a new companion this week, Elder Williamson, I've met him before and he's a really nice guy. 1836!