My sister and I made a list this week of a few things we want to do together this summer. Last Friday, Main Street was on our agenda. That one was my idea, and my husband decided to tag along. In my mind, it was going to be a chill, adventurous walk. I didn’t plan much; we would just walk and let our curiosities lead us (that was our, or my, first mistake). I wasn’t counting on being the “group leader”, this isn’t a group project, after all!

Am I the queen bee?

On our way to Caya Grandi, I realized they were counting on me to guide them. We parked near the old police station (because that seemed like a good idea) and then started walking aimlessly. We almost reached Djispie’s, where people usually gather on Friday evenings, and I asked my sister and my husband if they wanted a beer. They surprisingly agreed. I say this because my husband kept reminding me that he was hungry even before we arrived. I wasn’t sure what he wanted me to do about it since I specifically said a day before that we would only have “hapjes” (snacks). Cheese and crackers for 8 people wouldn’t even come close to being enough.

What in the mancave?

I’d heard of Chubato Beer for a while now, but never had a reason to go there (I don’t like beer that much). From the outside, it was somewhat aesthetically pleasing. The orange color really popped. There was a “Tinpu” street sign (which I found funny, and it’s not an actual sign, people!) on an outside corridor that was closed but looked cool.

We entered, and my brain immediately panicked. Why were there only guys there? Is this a man cave? I felt like I didn’t belong in the first ten seconds, but then I started hearing summer 2016 music (basically what I had in my car). It calmed me down for a bit. I, and I suspect my sister too, just wanted to grab that beer, chug it, and get out of there.

Just give me my beer already

The bartender was nowhere to be found. Just guys playing pool and others casually drinking. My sister and I kept making eye contact, trying to figure out what the place was all about. There were a few goat pictures on the walls (most of them were funny). Someone finally showed up behind the bar after what seemed like 15 minutes, but it was probably only about five. My sister and I had a Magic Mango, and my husband had some sort of tap beer (he let me try it, and it was delicious).

Chubato Beer has potential. I would change the color of the walls (inside) and probably put more goat-themed decor in the place (I love goats, bahhhh!).

Where is the party?

We walked the entire Main Street, and it was a ghost town. People were out, but the shops were all closing. There wasn’t much window shopping either, because the stores were either completely shut with protective rails over their windows or the buildings were simply empty. And it’s not like any of us needed a haircut! We were all surprised to see at least two barbershops on that Main Street strip, and one even had a small basketball hoop. We could see people shooting hoops from the window. When we reached the beginning of Main Street, we were shocked to find that even Hoya was closed.

My BIG Caya Grandi vision

Maybe it was dumb of me to go on a regular Friday and not a “Ban Caya Bek” Friday, but in my eyes, that event isn’t enough to bring back the old “Caya Grandi” spirit. We need something more structural, and especially more consistent. It shouldn’t only be on Fridays or weekends, and it most definitely shouldn’t be considered just another event. If I want to leave work on a Tuesday and go to Main Street for snacks and a cocktail or two, it shouldn’t be a hassle.

My vision for Oranjestad seems pretty sweet in my head, but I’m completely clueless about running a profitable business, particularly in the food and beverage (F&B) industry. I just wish I had more friends in economics who could explain in detail whether my ideas are rubbish or might actually have a chance.

Let’s eat!

We decided to go to Suikertuin Bistro. To our surprise, we got complimentary appetizers. Hell yeah! They were delicious. I ordered the Crab Ravioli with Shrimp. The plate was nicely served, and they were pretty generous with the shrimp (I expected three pieces but got five). The service and overall ambiance were nice, and the place was cozy.

Sadly, for me, the food lacked a bit of flavor; it felt a bit flat. And I swear there was some goat cheese in my ravioli! My husband tried it and said he didn’t taste it, but I definitely tasted something in the ravioli that reminded me of goats (no, it’s not because I went to Chubato Beer beforehand). 6/10 for me.

There is always room for dessert

We decided to skip dessert at Suikertuin and opted for ice cream at Swirls. Yes, we’re crazy for getting in our car and driving so far just for ice cream! To top it off, they were sold out of cake (just my luck). We did get chunks of leftover cake and churros with our ice cream.

I forgot to take a picture, but I ordered vanilla and chicle soft serve. The chicle flavor could have been more punchy; I barely tasted it. The churros felt stale, and it felt almost illegal eating cold churros with ice cream. I would have microwaved them for 15 seconds or something. 6/10 for me.

Feeding my inner child

And then, to close the night, we “spontaneously” decided to go watch I Know What You Did Last Summer (IKWYDLS). We went to Gloria because we would arrive just in time for the movie. I’ll make this short by saying what I liked, disliked, and what I absolutely hated. Keep in mind that I loved this movie growing up. Yes, my parents allowed me to watch it when I was too young, but that’s probably where my love for horror movies started (oh no, that was Chucky).

What I liked

I liked the intro as it stayed true to the original movie. Teddy’s death felt like a combination of Helen’s murder and Casey’s from Scream. He was close, yet so far from getting help, plus he begged for his mom until his last breath. His death was probably my favorite.

I liked that both girls, Ava and Danica, survived. People might disagree with me on this one, but I actually love the appearance of Helen (Sarah Michelle Gellar). I read somewhere that this movie relied too much on nostalgia, and despite Julie mentioning that nostalgia is overrated, I say not in this chaotic life it’s not!

What I disliked

I get that they were going for a more modern title card, but with the combination of the intro and original letter font, it didn’t contrast well. The soundtrack was unmemorable, and I believe they could have done a better job with it.

I absolutely disliked the fact that they villainized poor Ray. He’s the man who, despite his injuries, crossed rough oceans to save Julie! I actually laughed when my sister and husband even suggested that he might be the killer. True fans know that Ray would never do this.

What I loved

Sure, fans caught on to some I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (ISKWYDLS) references in the movie when Ray mentioned it wasn’t a good idea to take a boat to the Bahamas to get away from the killer. But I wasn’t expecting to see Karla in the after-credits! Does this mean we will get more? I suspect this is the reason why they made Ray the killer, because he wasn’t down for making more movies. It was a surprise for sure. If I was watching from home, I would have screamed (the crowd was so boring). Is this how Marvel fans feel when their favorite heroes finally show up on screen?

P.S. On Friday, I found out that Coldplay is the new Nickelback. I had no idea that the internet hated Coldplay now (and it’s not because of the incident!).