FARRIN

By Lily Nottage

Fed up with the stagnancy of her job in social work and the steadily increasing crime rates, Christine Allen packed up her life to venture from the sunny shorelines of Jamaica to the windy waterfront of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Not knowing what to expect, the harshness of her new reality struck when she found herself sleeping on an air mattress and doing housework for others. Surely this was not the “farrin” everyone back home spoke of that held the promise of a better quality of life and new opportunities. Nevertheless, she persisted, and a strange turn of events led her back to her first love - cooking. Food is an integral part of Caribbean culture, and when Christine could not find any of the flavor packed dishes she enjoyed back in Jamaica, she started to make them herself. It is through cooking that she was able to stay connected to her heritage and share it with others. With the help of her two daughters and encouragement from a close friend, Christine was able to turn her passion into profit. She opened Brawta Jamaican Jerk Joint, serving up authentic Jamaican dishes with a "likkle brawta" in every bite.