Cultural Component

Valduron Cleare English 119 18th October, 2011 Cultural Component The components of culture are: the attitudes, beliefs, customs, traditions, art, clothing, food, language and achievements of society that are passed on to each generation. With that explanation I’ve realized that culture is in almost every aspect of our lives. I experienced at least four of these components during my recent trips to Arawak key. Firstly, as a tradition for most Bahamian birthday celebrations, the main goal is to eat more than you regularly do, and we did just that. Our party consisted of my Father and mother, my two older brothers and me.After all of the congratulations on seeing another year on this earth were done, we set out to our destination. Usually we just order pizza and call it a day but we wanted to make this day special. Our place of choice was the great Arawak Key, or as I like to call it, food central. As we arrived there was rake n’ scrape music playing and people dancing. I t was also obvious that we weren’t the only ones with that idea. Hungry faces as far as the eye can see, but no one was as hungry as me. I searched all around for an empty restaurant to seat me family of five.It felt like it was hopeless because every restaurant we looked in, a full house of hungry faces looked back at us. We finally found a diamond in the rough with a slightly empty restaurant. This restaurant had a cozy feel to it. It had basic light brown paint and Bahamian art strung up on the walls. These paintings were probably purchase from schools which made me wish I did better in art. As we ordered our food another component of culture came to me. The menu was stacked with Bahamian dishes, from the almighty conch snack to the luxurious lobster and shrimp snacks.I ordered two different meals for myself only and when I was finished, I still wasn’t full. Secondly, I went to an event known as Fam Fest. This is a free gospel concert held annually on Arawak key. Th is brings up another cultural component which is beliefs. The majority of the Bahamas is of the Christian denomination. This was seen excellently with the numbers of people that showed up. Although it could have been due only to the fact that it was free, because something that is free and a Bahamian is never far apart. Getting back to topic, with a gathering of Bahamians there has to be food.The entire right sight of the venue was covered by vendors set upped to sell their dishes. Hundreds of people gathered to praise the lord and satisfy their stomachs, not a bad combination. Arawak key is a Bahamian culture haven. From the food, the music, and the dancing, it all is truly a culture filled place. Also the clothes worn by employees to accentuate their restaurant’s Bahamian qualities are brilliant. Firstly, the food is pure Bahamian influenced. The sound of conch salad being prepared fills the air and the smell of fried foods just flow through your nostrils.Furthermore, the r ake n’ scrape music played by live bands or speakers just set the mood and make for the perfect Bahamian experience. Also, the dancing, although mostly done by drunken men and women, still gives a nice feel to the place. In conclusion, it is clear to say that the components of culture, or just culture itself is evident almost everywhere you go. Arawak Key is a perfect place to go if you want a true culture experience. Although some of the components are seen more than others, each of them plays a vital role in the complete culture of the Bahamas.