Screeched In!

For those of you who haven't gone thru this little ceremony yet, here's the deal: The Newfoundlanders have a little ceremony to welcome newcomers to their island, called a Screech In. As our master of ceremonies explained, there are five steps to this.

1. You must learn to speak like a Newfoundlander, that is fast and with the correct accent. We were given 3 phrases to butcher, repeating after him.
2. You must learn to eat like a Newfie, so we were given a hunk of bologna.
3. You must learn to dance like a Newfie, so we did a jig to Newfie music (defined as an accordion, and anything else that is handy).
4. You must learn to drink like a Newfie, so we were given a shot of Screech rhum, 80 proof, to be taken "down the hatch". The story behind the Screech rhum is that in the early settler's days, ships from Newfie land would take salted fish to Jamaica in trade for rhum. Fish became the favorite food of Jamaicans, and rhum the favorite drink of Newfies. It's called Screech because a visiting GI from the USA, after downing his shot, howled with the burn. Another said "What's that screech?" and the reply was, "It's the rhum!"
5. Finally, the last step to becoming an Honorary Newfie, is to kiss a cod. Yes, the fish! See the pictures...