Proud Dominican lady here. There is no place I would rather be. Nancy I am disappointed you missed out one of the most important part of Dominica’s history. The indigenous Kalinago population, that continue to live there, a proud and important part of Dominica’s history we cannot fail to mention . All in all you gave a lovely depiction of Dominica 🇩🇲
Dominica has traditionally been rather overlooked from the tourist standpoint. I went twice back in the ‘80’s and loved it. When I told my travel agent I wanted to go there she assumed I meant Dominican Republic. She had a huge map of the Caribbean over her desk on the wall so I pointed to the island. No one had ever asked about going there. I loved it there and if you are into nature highly recommend it. Very mountainous with many rivers you can swim in. If you mainly want to lay around on white sand it is not the place for you. People are friendly and lot of healthy fresh food.
I am half Jamaican and St. Lucian and yes the language in Dominica is very close to St. Lucia’s language. I wish the mention of the original indigenous people were brought up, heard they still have many living on the island.
I am proud Dominican living in the US and I just want to express that English is our Native language and is expected to be spoken properly and proper grammar is also expected to be taught at school, so slang talk referred to is not a language , it's just a way we express ourselves casually and because of our French influence we tend to use a lot French patios words and expressions. Just to make it clear most of us do speak proper English and will still express ourselves in our own unique slang.
All in all great interview, but leaving out the Kalinago people from the carib territory came as a suprise. Also very hard to believe Nancy has been here for 30 years and not have the yellow yams and yellow breadfruit yet, because we do have them here. This just goes to show how vast this little island is. There is so much to discover Nancy.😉
Just wanted to add most Dominicans have African heritage but we're also one of two islands with a population of native Caribbean people (Kalinago). Also, have some mixed race people and middle eastern. Some of the food is typical Caribbean food like brown stew also found in Jamaica.
I am from dominca we apreciate the love. Stay irie brethren! I would love to visit JA one of those days. The land of the best music genre (Reggae) in the world.
I am a Dominican living in Canada and chanced upon this interview with Nancy. I enjoyed this interview. Love how she says "We". Sounds like she has really integrated well living in DA. I have many Jamaican friends who when we first met thought that my island was the Dominican Republic. Now they know better!! Dominica is a unique and beautiful 🏝 island!!
Visited Dominica for the first time June 2024. Had the opportunity to capture some of this beautiful country and the friendly people. Thanks for a great interview.
Great interview! Thank you Nancy for the lovely depiction of our Island. Our local dialect is colorful and expressive.....but we do speak the Queen's English when necessary 😁 Also find you a contact on the East Coast to get your Yellow Yam and Breadfruit. I think the yellow breadfruit you seek is what we call "pempeh blè" (butter breadfruit)....it's a rare find but I'm sure if you ask you'll find it. Good Luck!
What I admire so much is the strong national identification among people from countries with such small population such as Dominica and the others. Dominica only has some 70,000 people on the island. Even Jamaica with less than 3 million people.Big up Jamrock!
From your interview with Nancy, Dominica seems like such an unusual island, indeed a nature lover's paradise. Thank you for sharing your story Nancy, it was clear that there was so much more to apprise us of. Appreciate the interview Xavier-- keep up the good work! 👍
Interesting interview my husband is from Jamaica and I am from Dominica. Thank u for loving Dominica, nature isle of the caribbean. I ALSO LOVE JA too.
Sorry, some points of correction. Both parents Dominican 🇩🇲 Grew up around my Dominican family. First, they speak very proper English. They feel more comfortable speaking their local slang and Patois dialect but trust me they speak English well. Education is high priority for Dominicans. Second, their foods are very spicy and yes, scotch bonnet is found all around the island and used. They use fresh herbs and spices found around the island. There is also something called seasoning peppers which gives all wonderful flavors of scotch bonnet and other hot peppers without too much of the heat. As others have mentioned, yellow yam and yellow breadfruit is found in DA. They have amazing fruits and vegetables. You cannot starve in DA. There are fresh fruits and vegetables everywhere. Third, Dominicans are mixed as well. They have the Carib and Kalinango people which are similar to indigenous people around the world. My family is mixed with Carib , my grandmother looked Chinese. My Grandfather's father was from Scotland. There are a lot of Dominicans with very light skin and hazel eyes. They are other beautiful islands outside of Jamaica. You just need to travel.
A correction the musics from Dominica is Cadance music and Bouyon music and not Zouk. Zouk music was influenced by Cadance music and zouk music came after Cadance music zouk are from the two neighboring French islands of Guadalupe and Martinique
Hi I’m a Dominican living in Miami, we do have yellow yam and the white yam, the yellow yam is far more common than the white, very surprised that has not been able to obtain some yellow yam in 30 years.
Geologist said that Dominica was the last island in the Caribbean to be formed and Dominica is the youngest island of all. They claims that the entire Caribbean has 16 volcanoes and in Dominica has 9 active volcanoes out of the 16 in the Caribbean.
'Just had a gem of an experience listening to the interview with Nancy Nassief, who looks similar to relatives of mine, from another part of Dominica. Many of us are of indigenous Indian ancestry; and/or, we are of European mixes, as well. Schooled people are expected to master the Queen's English, indeed. Additionally, much of the Creole spoken has vocabulary similar to the standard French - just with atrocious grammar - so, "proper" French makes for a third language tier. Much of the yellow yam we got, when I was a child 50yrs ago, came from the end of the island near the second town. Finally. Great addition to the fine schools I remember! I attended CHS when my family moved to the USVI. Thanks much for the positive trip down memory lane. 'Looking forward to a family reunion in the near future!. -Dr Ros. W-G
Very good interview. Thanks to Nancy. I enjoyed the information about Dominica and look forward to visiting it some day. Xavier try your best not to let this program go off the air. Excellent program and much blessings to Nancy. Only the best is good enough. Peace! Barbara
Wow, I enjoyed this video. I will be visiting Dominica( for the very first time), in a few months. A very good friend recommended this video and I learned so much about this beautiful island...I can't wait to experience all the awesomeness of Dominica..thank u!!!
This interview was so wholesome, wish it went on for longer! Both interviewer and guest were excellently captivating. I love hearing about my little island home from different perspectives 🙂
Met her when I worked as Senior Education Planner back home but never detected she was Jamaican, even though I went to Mona. I love it when you say “we.” You make me so proud to be Dominican, Nancy.
I have a neighbor who is a Dominican his wife is from St marten fresh side They are my children they loo out for me andmyhusband our home our medical appointments very lovely couple thank God for them in our lives
Love this interview! I lived in 🇩🇲 for some years - my husband is from there. I loved it. Friendly people, funny as get out, and the nature is off the hook. When we go back (we have eour house and land there), I feel peace and emotional - but in a good way.
Lovely interview…. I have to say that we have an abundance of yellow breadfruit. It’s my family’s favorite. Not sure why it’s hard to find. Also, yellow yam can be found in the North East. On the point on phenotype, we are mixed with the Caribs (which are found mostly in the North East) she could easily be a Dominican.
Great interview with Nancy. I look forward to Sundays to listen to the program. Nancy is a great 👍 Love her, wish her all the best in her schools and her great work. My sister-in-law from Dominica and lives six months in London and six months in Jamaica.
Most often you can tell a Dominican cause many people got that mix with Kalinago. I am surprised that she says she stood out as there are many indigenous people still living there. However, it's her story.
yes but she is also Chinese younger 30 yrs ago. There are only Chinese from China restaurants etc there. but not like in Jamaica where Chinese & Indians are Jamaicans living there for generations before as the Africans.
I have listened to some of your interviews. Very informative. Goodbye is auvoir. Pronounced "o voir." Our World Creole Music Festival is renounced it during our independence anniversary, the end of October. Local regional and international artists from their creole world have performed thereon including Jamaican, French, New Orleans, Haitian, African, French English and Latin Caribbean even England.
When she said she's from Kingston by way of Portland....it resonated. My father's whole family is from Portland and I always felt it is my home. Ideally I want to buy land there and live there. Kingston nuh share the same space in my heart and never will. Porty a di bes!
First of she favors a Carib Indian we have many Carib Indians in Dominica so there is nothing special about her look...second we have many genres of music in Dominica and zouk music is worldwide it is international just the same as reggae music but our type of music in Dominica is Cadence music, calypso, Soca and a newer sound beat is the Bouyon music invented about 30 years ago....what she needs to say is that Dominicans are very friendly people and that they welcomed her to their country with open arms and open heart not that she has a strong personality, whatever she means by that...she was very successful in Dominica and she needs to give God the glory and be grateful...and as for the interviewer how are you going to have a show and be biased everytime she mentions one highlight about Dominica you cringe and she feels she has to overcompensate for Jamaica but remember where she lives Dominica not Jamaica and like she told you she's most happy in Dominica because she's a Nassif and they own half of Dominica... have a nice day maldon!
Hi Nancy i am proud of the way you spoke about my Country but we got Yellow yams you just have to search and you will find it ask around the south or south east and you will find it,
Thanks Xavier every week me caan wait fi faas in a people business😀. In other words I look forward to learning about the different experiences of others living abroad .
Most of the yellow yams are shipped by hucksters. Breadfruit can be found in the villages if you ask you will get one there, I've not seen them for sale in supermarkets
Lovely humourous insight into island emigration/integration. Nancy is a wonderful proponent. To say goodbye in creole/kwéyol, one would say, "en pli ta eh" (later ok) or "nou ké wè enkor eh" (we will see/meet again"... 🇯🇲🧡🇩🇲
0 0 0,,, my friend Igor's misses. have not seen or spoken to him for some time. my brother, back there, lenny, always tells me that he asks about me, and saying that i should check him out when i visit, but, unfortunately, i have yet too. but will do so SOON. informative, very factual interview. what about the mango madwe'. there is yellow yam to be had there. also, for our patois, we have a dictionary. goodbye is ovwa. 🇨🇼🇩🇲🇨🇦
Was that a peacock squeaking in the background? Didn’t sound like rooster. Dominica is my second home, ( I built our home in Calibishie heights farm area )it’s life changing to experience life there but not easy. You didn’t mention Nacio Fontaine when asked about reggae music. His music captures the atmosphere of dominicas’ positive natural vibes.
Xavier misunderstood Nany, he thought you could drive for 4 hours to a a mountain in Dominica! She seh, "No Walking" 🤣😂🤣 When Xavier realize his error his facial expression was priceless 😆 Shoutout from the uk 🇬🇧
Calaloo soup 🍲 was made that way by my grandmother when I was a kid. That was young dasheen hearts , cut, then tied with string, cooked on top of the food. She would then take it out, chopped up finely, and put back in the pot. This soup was cooked with smoked tripe, pigs tail etc… that was Calaloo soup. Very tasty…
I know for a fact that Dominica produces yellow yams, I grew up eating it. Because of the remoteness of communities due to the terrain of the island, not all produce necessarily find their way to Roseau. There is an abundance and variety of fruits scattered throughout the island that is quite astonishing. Incidentally, I am a great fan of Xavier's global Jamaican community. I'm looking forward to future correspondence from the South Pacific Islands. I nearly said the Antarctic. My bad!
Good bye 'plis tard which means later also, auvoir like yhe French. There are various ways to say goodbye in patois. Enjoyed the interview thanks to you both.
