Posted by: travadmin on Dec 12, 2003 – 11:32 AM
shopping  If you’re like many folk, your mind goes into fifth gear when it’s time to purchase Christmas gifts and / or souvenirs. That’s because (I needn’t say this), you try hard to find something appropriate: in the case of a gifts, you want the recipients to feel you’ve expended a little thought in your gift selection process; in the case of souvenirs, you want to choose “authentic reminders” of your visit.

How about writing two stories on the same page! We’re going to suggest a few items you can purchase that may double as Christmas gifts and memorabilia.

Although we have included particular addresses and telephone contacts for our selections, a number of them may be found at other locations not mentioned in this article.

Anyway, here are our picks.
Bahamian Books- The Island Book Shop, Bay St; tel. 322-1011
Intrigue and Mystery in The Bahamas: A collection of Bahamian folktales by Dr Huntley Christie.
Gems of The Bahamas: A collection of Bahamian folktales by Dr Huntley Christie
Romance, Kalik and Conch Salad – a collection of poems, short stories, and essays by George Major.
The fledging: A Bahamian Boyhood by Chester Thompson.
A Day in The Sun – a love story by Erica Meus-Saunders
The Purple Rose by J. V. Lowe – a young woman growing up on a small island.
An Evening In Guanamia: A collection of Bahamian Folktales by Patricia Glinton-Meicholas.
Talkin’ Bahamian: A Useful guide to the language of the Islands by Patricia Glinton-Meicholas.
The Abilities Unlimited Cookbook – Recipes for all occasions by Members of the Night Owl Book Club.
Bahamian Vegetarians Cooking by Emily M. Rahming.
Happy Cooking The Bahamian Way by Sylvia Larrimore-Crawford.
Creative Bahamian Cooking and Menus with Barbecues, special sauces and selected Menus by Master Chef Leonard “Sonny” Henry and Mike Henry.

As well, you can purchase Junkanoo costumes so you’ll look like a “true, true” Junkanoo during the upcoming Junkanoo parades.

Handicrafts, Paintings, Video Production – Bahamas Craft Centre, Paradise Island; tel. 363-2832

Eustace McPhee, “The Sisal Artist”
Plaiting and weaving sisal he imports from Cat Island into his creations, McPhee is known as “The Sisal Artist” because of his innovative uses of the material.

Among his works you can purchase are miniature dolls from a collection entitled “Women with Attitude,” and his two to ten-foot renditions. You can also purchase his abstract acrylics on plywood.

Paintings by Buster Hall
For landscape and seascape paintings as well as portraits, you may want to check out Buster Hall.

You can then get his oil, acrylic, and watercolour paintings on canvas and panel boards in sizes ranging from 5 by 7 to 12 by 16.

Island Visions
“If the price ain’t right, we’ll fix that,” Sylvester Roker declares of his business services. First, there’s his “Vacation on Video Package,” which, as its name suggests, allows for a half-hour to a forty-five minute film of your stay on Paradise Island.

Or, if you’re a guest of Atlantis, Island Visions can film you as you move around the resort, taking in the marine life, and the lagoon and beach areas, for example.

You can choose to have your film on DVD or video.

And, if you’d like, you can rent a video camera from Island Visions and do your own filming.

Finally, you can have your all of your videos placed on DVD or CD.

Spices and Handicraft – The Welcome Centre, Prince George Wharf; D’VANNYA’S SPICY – tel. 364-4500

Spices, anyone? Yes? Then D’VANNYA’S SPICY can assist you. There you can get spices made from tamarind sauce, mangoes, pineapple, and guava. They range from the mild to the very hot Junkanoo Hot Pepper Sauce.

You’ll get your condiments in a beautifully decorative bag, which, itself, is a great souvenir.

Candles- Caribbean Lighthouse

The candle outlet for a Freeport Grand Bahama factory of the same name, Caribbean Lighthouse offers you a variety of scented candles made of seashells and sand. As they only burn down the centre and not on the outside, they are refillable. And yes – they are romantic!

Conch Shell Jewellery, Andeana Designs; 356-3849.

From Andeana Designs owned by Betty Dean and managed by Aeisha Symonette, you can get exquisite conch shell jewelry at unbelievable prices.

The stall’s genuine fresh water pearls and Cat’s Eye jewellery are also good buys.

Fish Scale Jewellery, Allen Enterprises; tel. 323-2354

Of course, most of the items of this stall are made from fish scales as its name suggests. For example, how would you like to try fish scale earrings, choker chains, dress pins, and hair accessories? Their creator, Audrey Allen, of Manufacturer of the Year (2003), says you can get them in any colour.

So exquisite is her fish scale jewellery that she’s commissioned to produce it for weddings.

No, its scales won’t easily fly off! It can even be dropped on tiles without damage.

Handicraft and Paintings- Kennedy Gallery, Parliament St; tel. 325-7832.

“Bull’s eye!” a tourist once exclaimed on coming upon Kennedy Art Gallery. Apparently, he had been looking for paintings that vividly depict life in The Bahamas. You are also likely to have a similar feeling when you visit the gallery, for it carries a wide variety of paintings and crafts by many of the country’s top artists.

There you can also find a good assortment of local Christmas cards.

Handicraft and Junkanoo Memorabilia – Doogalik Studios, Village Rd.; tel. 394-1886

Named for the sound that emanates from the goatskin drum and the cowbell, Junkanoo’s primary rhythm instruments, Doongalik Studios True True Shop offers you a variety of Junkanoo memorabilia. Among its offerings are Bahamian Christmas trees decorated with Junkanoo ornaments – miniature facemasks, cowbells, drums, and so on.

Elvin’s Portraits and Still Life Painting, tel. 323-7642.

Have you been thinking about having a portrait done of that faded or damaged family photo? Have you wished your black and white photo were in colour? If yes is your answer to either or both of these questions, Elvin Nelly, known for his high quality portraits and reasonable prices, could be your answer.

Also, he’ll render anything you’d like in still life – from a tree to a historical building, to a setting of your choice – on canvas.

So there: our potpourri of Christmas gift and / or souvenir ideas. We trust it assists you in some way, even if it only prods you into thinking about gifts in general. Remember, though, “it’s the thought that counts” – your “thought” when you’ve bought your memorabilia, but the receiver’s “thought” upon getting your gift!
Note: By Glen Nairn, What’s On