It's Chippy's World....We Just Live in It.

"Mad Dogs and Englishmen go out in the noon day sun."

Noel Coward hadn't been to Honduras when he penned those lyrics, but they certainly describe one of the wackier characters here in Roatan. He's a British ex-pat named Paul Cleveland, better known as "Chippy".

Paul is a congenial, amiable and likeable fellow who strolls around town shaking hands with everyone he meets, asking "How's your evening going?" or "Stop by later and have a beer".

His alter-ego, Chippy, on the other hand, is a cantankerous, crotchety curmudgeon who guzzles beer like there's no tomorrow and whose every sentence is sponsored by the letter "F". It's quite amazing, really, to hear the word "f**k" used as a noun, verb, adjective, interrogative and declarative statement all in the same paragraph.

That said, Chippy really is quite amusing and engaging, that is if you don't mind listening to a lengthy soliloquy about his various achievements, travels, ex-wives, offspring, business endeavors, humanitarian efforts and his brother, who, according to Chippy, wrote "Stairway to Heaven."

On Wednesday nights, Chippy projects DVD's of concerts by The Who, The Stones, Rod Stewart and Queen onto the side of his trailer. Needless to say, this creates quite a spectacle, and the sound is so loud that the Argentinian restaurant across the street has to shut down for the evening.

Although Chippy's outdoor movie theater is in the middle of a public beach, he doesn't hesitate to run off anyone who isn't a paying customer, or whose assessment of his musical tastes is anything less than superlative. Or...if he just doesn't like the looks of them.

I don't know if his brother wrote the most requested song in the history of American radio, but of this I am certain: Chippy is equal parts raconteur, bon vivant, Dr. Feelgood, court jester, entrepreuner, Captain Chaos, shameless self-promoter, purveyor of food and beverage, Emperor of Entertainment and self-appointed Mayor of Mayhem.