Parlez-vous kweyol?

Our common perception in the English-speaking Caribbean is that we embody Englishness, and Barbados is often seen as the epitome of that, being often referred to as Bimshire or Little England. Occasionally, if you get to travel in the region, you realise that a part of our history is very un-English. We notice it with place names: clear examples are Rio Grande, Ocho Rios, in Jamaica; Basseterre, in St. Kitts; Trinidad. But, when you land in a place like Dominica something else strikes you. The cadence of speech is not English but French. The patois that is spoken is not English-based but French- [see http://www.cakafete.com/kweyol.htm]. Some place names are clearly of French origin, such as Trois Piton. People have names that can be a nice blend of both English and French, such as my friend, Thompson Fontaine. Dominica sits between Guadeloupe and Martinique, and was under French control until the mid-18th century. So, my standard French is going to have to get used to French sounds, that are not standard, and try to make sense of them. It should be fun judging by the examples below:

Bon jou, Misyè.    Good day, Sir.
Bonn apwè midi.    Good afternoon.
Bon swè, Paul    Good night, Paul.
Ou sè moun hòd ki pèyi?   What is your nationality?