Lime

As a verb: to lime: to relax; to do nothing; to enjoy life.
More commonly used in its gerund form, as in: "whachoo doin? limin'?"
Also as a noun: lime, e.g. "I gon getta lime on".

10 months on Tortola and I have failed to write a blog post about this most important part of BVI culture. For most folks here, the counterpoint to working is limin', and it's the only thing on their to-do lists. Days off are for limin' and nothing else. Notably, the local entertainment magazine, detailing where the live music is, and what drink specials are running, is called the Limin' Times.

I imagine I haven't written a post about limin' before because I'm not very good at it. I need more things on my to-do list than "don't do anything". I can not do anything for about an hour, and then I want to know what I'm going to do next. Living in the BVI has improved my ability to do nothing for a while. I can go three hours sometimes just sitting around, slowly drinking a beer, watching the world. But this is a very small lime. A good lime should last at least half the day, and usually all day.

These folks are doing it right:

The best spots to lime are usually not official restaurants or establishments. Better to take a beer cooler and set up under a tree, near a crossroads. The shade will keep you and the beer cool, and the crossroads will keep a steady supply of friends and acquaintances coming by to help share and enhance your lime. Where a tree at a crossroads is unavailable, a gas station, or other highly-frequented business with available shade, makes a suitable alternative.

When you come to Tortola, don't be like me. Don't think, "what's next?" Just find some shade and some friends, and start limin'.