MY TOP 5 REASONS FOR LOVING TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Trinidad and Tobago are the southernmost islands in the Caribbean archipelago. It comprises of the islands of Trinidad and Tobago and is known as the land of the humming bird, calypso, carnival and the home of the only musical instrument invented in the 20^th century, the steel pan. I’ve been to Trinidad and Tobago multiple times and here are my top 5 reasons for loving T&T:

5. The Sites- Trinidad and Tobago has a plethora of sites to see. From the beautiful beaches and breathtaking views in Tobago to the great sites to visit in Trinidad such as the Pitch Lake and Temple in the Sea, Trinidad and Tobago has a lot to offer.

Pitch Lake, Trinidad

One of my all time favourite trips to make in Trinidad is to the religious community at Mt. St. Benedict in Tunapuna.  The Mount is the site of a Benedictine monastery which makes its own wine and honey. The views are breath taking and on the Mount one feels the peace and tranquillity away from everyday hustle and bustle of life. So the next time you’re in Trinidad, take this side trip and enjoy a little time for yourself.

                                                               View from Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad 

4. The Shopping – Trinidad and Tobago has some of the best shopping in the Caribbean. With the infamous Trincity Mall now renovated and expanded, there are even more stores offering a wide variety of brands suited to every tastes. There are several malls available for shopping ranging from the ultra chic West Mall to the friendly Long Circular Mall. There are also several great stores located in Port of Spain. From the infamous Jimmy Abouds for cloth to Francis Fashions for their great selection of men’s clothing and shoes, there is something for everyone. The exchange rate is also favourable so take along a few extra dollars to pick up something whether for your family or yourself!

                                                         

Trincity Mall (Picture taken from TriniGourmet.com)               

 

3. The Parties – Trinidad and Tobago is famous for its parties and nightlife. Tobago is known for its laid back culture. However the night life is quite enjoyable. A visit to the Bucco Reef on a Sunday night is great. I remember the sounds of steel pan belting out the sweet tunes of old soca and calypso sounds while enjoying some fish and a cold Carib. Trinidad is famous for its nightlife. There are so many clubs to choose from that it’s hard to ever not have somewhere to go. From the infamous Zen to the Thursday night party at 51 degrees to some of the lesser known country clubs in Arima, Tunapuna and Chaguanas such as Club Maharaj and Livin’ Room.   

And then there is the ultimate party in Trinidad – Carnival. As soon as Christmas ends, Carnival literally starts. There is a fete every weekend and each caters to a different tastes. It all culminates the weekend before Ash Wednesday with some of the biggest parties including the International Soca Monarch, J’Ouvert and the world Renowned Carnival Tuesday Street Parade filled with colour and displaying the creativity of the mas men. No wonder it’s said that nobody can party like a Trini.

                                                    

2. The People – It’s said that all Caribbean people are friendly and Trinbagonians are no exception to the rule. Trinis are known for their hospitality and welcoming of people whether you’re from near or far. From the taxi drivers to the store clerks to the waiters/waitresses to the vendor on the street, one is made to feel right at home. They will even guess the accent and where it’s from and the stories will flow from their own travels to your country to the cousin from the tanty (aunt) on their mother side is married to some from your country. It’s hard not to feel at home in T&T. With this welcome and hospitality, no wonder persons return time and time again to this Paradise. 

                                                     

1. And my no.1 reason for loving Trinidad and Tobago is the FOOD. Trinidad and Tobago is any diner’s paradise. From the beautiful and fresh sea food in Tobago to the culinary delights found on any street corner in Trinidad, one has to love the food there. There is a plethora of dishes to sample in Trinidad and the different influences are seen in the dishes. The influences of the Amerindian, East Indian, African, Spanish, Chinese, Lebanese and Creole can be seen in the everyday dishes served up. From the wonderful doubles in the morning to a great roti (whether sada or buss up shot) to a nice bowl of peleau, there is always some food to enjoy. On my last trip I enjoyed 2 doubles for breakfast, a nice bowl of stew lamb with macaroni pie and cassava, a nice bag of pineapple chow and two aloo pies for dinner. The drinks are endless and the best drinks to have in T&T, a cold Carib or Stag or a nice glass of rum: whether it be White Oak or Vat 19. And who can forget a nice Trini Christmas present coming to meet me: a box of pastelles. With all this food, the question is why aren’t Trinbagonians fat? Well they work it off with all that partying especially the wining in the waist.

And those are my top 5 reasons for loving Trinidad and Tobago. As the tourism ad says: Trinidad and Tobago, When you coming???

Miss SVG 2011: My thoughts

"Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed."  - Benjamin Franklin

            I wasn't supposed to be home in St. Vincent for Miss SVG 2011 so I never really followed the pageant. However following the death of my grandmother I flew home and knew that I would be here for the show. I took the week before the show to familiarize myself with the contestants in the show. To my surprise I knew a few of them and had even taught one of them at the Carapan Secondary School during my year working there. (I am not that old so don't even ask.)

    As fate would have it, I was blessed with a ticket to attend the show from a good friend. She always loved my critique of the shows and it became a yearly tradition that we would get together and analyze the show after. So on Saturday May 28t, I dressed in my "Sunday Best" and made my way to Victoria Park which is dubbed around this time as "Carnival City" to take in the show. 

    I arrived at the venue just as the show was beginning. To my surprise there were no fireworks as they normally have at the beginning of the show. This was a disappointment as this was being hailed at the 60th year of pageantry in SVG. There should have at least been some pomp and ceremony to open the show. However the show went on. 

      The Introduction section was quite interesting. The contestants did their introductions wearing different costumes from Mas bands here. I must commend the mas bands in SVG for their creativity year after year. The costumes were quite interesting and the use of colours was excellent. However the introductory speeches left much to be desired. Most sounded rehearsed and lacked confidence and exuberance one would expect from contestants in a pageant. A few were so long that I had time to have a full conversation before they were finished.

  The swimsuit section was interesting. The design of the suit was excellent in great bodies, it would help to accentuate the curves. There were good bodies this year as there was a lack of lovehandles. However those buttocks need some firming. If I wanted to see Jello, I would make one.

   The talent section was not very entertaining. Although several relevant topics were touched such as the image of women and domestic violence, there was no talent that was able to dazzle me. I think its time somebody come with something that is new and captivating instead of the usual repeats. There are several controversies within the talent area as well such as did  one contestant really play all that pan music and why did  another contestant have a dance partner? I won't comment on these since they are based on speculations and require some more research so as to get evidence and not be libelous (I can't pay a lawyer now.)

    The evening gowns were average. I must commend the local designers for putting their best foot forward in creating their dresses. The winning gown designed by Kimon Baptiste was beautiful and was my pick from the time I saw it. The use of black was a wise choice and the design adequately fit the form of the contestant who also happened to be her sister. Other notable designers were Jeremy Payne and Alex Grant. One shortfall in this section was the description of the dresses. There were not well constructed and when they were read, they were horrible. The mispronunciation of the Greek goddess of Love, Aphrodite, the mispronunciation of sequins as well as the use of Greecian which should have been Greek all added to the mistakes made. The contestants did not even walk properly on the stage. The turns were poorly executed and the poses were stiff and looked quite unnatural. 

   And then comes the best section of the show: The interview section. This section was integrated to be done with the evening gown section. I wonder how much preparation is given to the girls in this section. These young ladies don't even think about what they are about to say. While some of it may be attributed to nerves, I would say at least 60% of it is a lack of knowledge and preparation. The answers only served to highlight how ill prepared and the lack of knowledge and critical thinking skills these young ladies have. Some may say that they should be like the girls in Ms P'tani however they were controversial because they got their exact questions before. ( I will comment on this in my next blog entry) My favourite answer was to the question on environmental awareness. How does fixing the road help promote environmental awareness? I really shake my head but every year you must have at least one!

    After all the competiton Ms. Aviar Charles emerged the winner and a well deserved win. See was the best of the contestants presented and so deserved the victory. Congratulations Aviar.

  So was there anything good about the show? I must commend the entertainment. This year it was quite interesting especially with the use of local talent such as Skarpyon and Strong. Calypso Rose was quite entertaining as well. I was also happy to see the 1st Ms SVG Mrs Audrey  Hazell- Gomes grace the stage. She did this in truly regal fashion and if a few girls take a page from her appearance that night, they could have done alot better. 

    However there was alot lacking in the show and in order for the pageant to grow in standard and caliber, some of the issues have to be addressed.  The first is the decor of the stage. The background was just bland and the use of those potted plants gave the show a cheap look. The decor should be simple yet elegant adding to the atmosphere of the pageant. The time for the show needs to be addressed. Why does this show need to be 5 hours? Its just a long, drawn out show.This show need to do some major restructuring in the production so that it flows and is a more concise and entertaining  show. Then there is the contestants themselves. The addition of a University scholarship was to attract a certain caliber of girls to the show. This has failed to happen. However I think with effective and efficient training, the girls can be brought up to a standard that would make anyone proud of the national pageant. 

     After what I have seen in the past few years, I really should not be surprised at the show this year. As Benjamin Franklin says "Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed." Maybe I need to stop expecting a great show and then I won't be disappointed. Well let's see how Aviar will do at Ms. Carival and I look forward to Ms. SVG 2012 with no expectations!

Goodbye Granny

On Wednesday May 11th 2011, I lost my maternal grandmother, Mrs. Perlina McKie. My grandmother and I developed a close relationship in the last few years of her life as she got down in age and illness began to take its toll. I last saw her in December when I was home on vacation and spoke to her two weeks before she died. I was asked to do the eulogy at her funeral and was asked to keep it short and sweet. I tried my best and below is what I wrote:

       Perlina Esmina McKie nee John/Gilbert was born on 24^th February, 1932 in the Marriaqua Valley to James Gilbert and Lydia John at Glenside. She attended the Marriaqua Government School until the age of 12 when she migrated to Curacao. During her youth she was given the name ‘Sybil’ which stayed with her for her lifetime. She migrated to Curacao to live with her father who had moved there to work in the oil refineries. She would recall to us her days of speaking Papiamento, attending a girls Catholic School there and having to speak to her father through the fence of the refinery as he would be away for days due to the war effort at that time. In 1948, she married a Vincentian young man working in Curacao, Gabriel McKie. The union produced four (4) children: William, Carmela, Shirley and Felix. She would later have two more sons: Barnet and Dwayne.

      In 1955, she returned to St. Vincent and settled in the valley. There she would ply her trade as a seamstress. She was sought by all to make clothes for all occasions whether it be weddings, funerals or school uniforms. Up to this day the Singer machine which is over 60 years old sits at our home and as children when we would play on it she would tell us “Come off of that. It’s older than your mother!”

She was also alot more to the community. She was the village counselor and would be called upon to give counsel when needed whether by parents, children or spouses. She would be called upon to act as nurse to administer first aid when needed. Her home was always open to those in need, whether in need of a hot meal or a good word, she was there to provide it for all.

       In 1975, she became a Community Health Aide. She worked in all areas of the Marriaqua Valley with the sick and shut in. She would walk the hills to visit the old persons and report their health conditions. I can still remember seeing her in her cream suit going off to work in the morning and returning in the evening. I was amazed over a year ago to find one of her old note books where she would make notes on her visits. She did this work tirelessly for 17 years and retired in 1992. It was here that her sense of compassion, care and generosity came out fully and what she would be remembered for in the community.

       She was a member of several organizations including the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Red Cross to which she gave many years of service. She was honoured by many for her tireless work in the community including The Seventh Day Adventist Church and the Community Nursing Service.

       My grandmother was a woman of prayer. I would awake to her singing in the morning which would last till mid-morning.  Her life was one grounded in Christian principles which she passed on to her children and grandchildren. She was faithful to the end and as I recall would take me to church with her as a young child.

       She was woman of style. As one family friend recalled, “No young girl had as much pep as Ms. McKie did. “ She would dress the best and her style only showed out the inner beauty.

She lived out her life in retirement, where one would pass and see her sitting on her porch overlooking the road and recalling her days of youth.

       The Lord called her home on Wednesday 11^th May in the early morning hours.

       She is survived by 6 children, 28 grandchildren, 4 great grandchildren, 6 brothers, 4 sisters, many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

       Good bye Granny. We will meet on that faithful day at the Pearly gates of Heaven.
                   Eternal Rest Grant unto her O lord, And May Perpetual Light Shine on her. Amen.

The Simple Act

          Two weekends ago, the Catholic Student Movement (CSM) held its Bake Sale to raise funds. It was well supported by the communities of St. Thomas Aquinas and St.s Peter and Paul.  However it was one simple yet profound act that made my weekend so memorable. On Sunday morning I was inviting the parishioners to come and buy at the sale. There was an old lady who is petite in stature who attends Mass faithfully. She  interestingly sometimes brings her cat to Mass. (The cat is always quiet so you never know that its there!) She came to support and proceeded to buy. She opened her purse and in it I observed a fifty dollar bill. This was the only bill there. She then proceeded to have a brownie and then went to pay. She pulled out a five dollar coin and gave it along with the fifty dollar bill to our cashier. When he told her that it was only fifty dollars she said the five dollars was her contribution. This simple yet profound act touched me. So many times we take for granted the small acts that persons carry out but to this woman, the five dollar that she contributed, was her little way of giving. It may not have been much but it was something worth giving.
 

        The lesson to be learnt here is one of humility. As young people we sometimes take for granted what we have and feel that we must "show off" what we have. When its not the newest fashions or accessories, we must have the newest trends. When was the last time that you have done one small act that impacted on someone less fortunate than you? I must say that seeing that gesture has inspired me to do at least one small act of kindness each week. Its nothing grand or something that I need to boast about but at the end of the day I have the satisfaction in my heart that I did something good today and there is no better feeling than this!

Carnival Jamaican Style

           Last weekend the UWI Campus came alive for UWI Carnival 2K11. The theme this year was  "Birds of A Feather". It was celebrated over a 4 day period  started with Carnival Integration, followed by J'ouvert, the annual Road March on Ring Road and culminating on Sunday with the beach party at Sugarman's Beach in Portmore.It was quite interesting to observe Carnival outside the Eastern Caribbean where its at home such as Carnival in Trinidad, Crop Over in Barbados and Vincy Mas in St. Vincent.
          The Jamaican version was a whole different experience. The first major difference is the downplay of Soca. The music tends to be a blend with more Hip-Hop, Dance Hall and Pop played over Soca. While this adds a Jamaican flair to the party it tends to make the experience not as authentic as those in the Eastern Caribbean . J'ouvert which was an overcrowded party delivered as a water and paint fete but was unable to deliver on the promise morning jump up on the road. However there was a lack of elements such as the red and blue devils as well as the social commentary which is evident in other carnivals. The Road March (better know to those from the Eastern Caribbean as the "Jump Up") was a great experience. The "Alumni Attack" Band which I jumped with delivered a most memorable experience with a Trinidadian DJ who delivered the best Soca experience I have had in Jamaica. Coupled with a few drinks and the beautiful ladies from Cluster 8 of Rex Nettleford Hall, it was a great experience. The Beach Party was a good experience as it was held in a beautiful spot in Portmore. However there are some logistical issues that need to be re-worked so as to deliver a holistic party experience.
    The weekend turned out to be a memorable one and one that has left good experiences of Carnival on UWI in my mind to reflect on for years to come. I look forward to next year's which should be even bigger and better!

Check out my video from Road March 2K11: UWI Carnival Road March 2K11