Carnival

Every individual on this earth must participate in at least one bacchanal (carnival). The experience is invigorating. Check out the "Carnivals" tab as I aim to accomplish my dream of participating in every worldly carnival before time's up.

¡Flamenco!

¿Tú entiendes español? ¡Buena! Amo el baile "Flamenco. Me gustaría para alguien enseñarme cómo hacer este baile. Amo las culturas de muchas diferentes países y religiones, incluyendo España, Muslim y más. Type "flamenco" in the search bar for more.

Fashion Week

I'm not the biggest fashion geek but I do enjoy it. Mercedes Benz Fashion Week is a very important week in the fashion world. I've had the opportunity to enjoy a few other events also. Type in "Fashion Week" in the search bar for more.

Las Vegas

Las Vegas has been one of my most life-changing experiences in regards to nightlife! Check out the "Travels" tab to uncover other fun trips!

City of Champs

I love sports because I love a challenge. I have extreme pride for Boston also! Check out "sports" under the "More Attractions" tab for sports-related posts!

Rockefeller Center

There is always something to do in the city of no sleep! Join me in the NYC journeys (and more cities) found under any of the "Travels", "Carnivals" and "More Attractions" tabs.

Bon Appétit

FOOD! Need I say more? I LOVE FOOD. I eat a lot proudly lol. Check out a few of my Boston and NYC recommendations under "More Attractions" for brief reviews.

Easter in Jamaica

Love to travel? We have something in common! After reading a few posts on this blog, you'll be ready to pack your vacation bag with me.

En El Tiempo de Las Mariposas

"In the Time of the Butterflies' is a remarkable movie that shares the true story of 3 girls from La República Dominicana fighting against their country's dictator. This is my favorite heroine story to date. Type "politics" in the search bar for political opinions.

Live, From Radio City!

There are more perks being a city-girl than any other type of girl! Too many. Daytime, late-night, or cultural shows can be found under the "More Attractions" tab.

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Toni Morrison

I recently finished Paradise by Toni Morrison! I know I keep saying this, but this is by far the best book I have ever read to date; complexity in words but the underlying meaning is so simple, which is why Toni is so amazing to me. You have to be acquainted with God to truly understand her work; she is a woman of God and it's too obvious in her work. I read all of her other novels last year and I loved them, but let's not front, I had to Google what this and that meant several times and ended up understanding a lot of things that way. After fully being done with her collection, I realize/believe that Toni produces work that's not supposed to be summarized or broken down in parts for clarity, you're just supposed to read it and take it all in and remain speechless. Literally walked to my house from Ashmont with my eyes GLUED to the final pages. I couldn't wait. Masterpiece! Masterwoman!


Side note: Paradise was published in 1993 and Sparknotes has yet to decipher it...10+ years. Is there a reason? Just an Observation!



"Each story has a monster in it who made them tough instead of brave, so they open their legs rather than their hearts where that folded child is tucked." -Toni Morrison

"He laughed along with friends at his vanity, because he knew their delight at his weakness went hand in hand with their awe." -Toni Morrison

"Love is diving only and difficult always." -Toni Morrison

"The sky was behaving like a showgirl: exchanging its pale, melancholy morning for sporty ribbons of color in the evening." -Toni Morrison

"They had promised to take care of her always but did not tell her that always was nor all ways nor forever." -Toni Morrison

"His signs were clear, abundantly so, if you stopped steeping in vanity's sour juice and paid attention to His world." -Toni Morrison

"One does not destroy what one loves. One does not destroy because one loves." -Toni Morrison, Desdemona

"I wonder if collapse of virtue is not survival at all but cowardice." -Toni Morrison, Desdemona

"When two beings meet, each brings to the other a bit of themselves. So we learn, we construct our selves, we evolve. I bring what makes me different from you. Give me a bit of what you are. But do it with gentleness and tolerance, since all that you impose upon me with force will only leave the imprint of your violence and your arrogance. One can't force the other to accept what is offered. In accepting what you have to give, I open you to what I have to offer." -Toni Morrison, Desdemona

"The world is alive and even if we kill it, it returns fresh, full-throated and hungry for time and space in which to thrive. And if we haven't secured the passionate peace we yearn for, it is because we haven't imagined it. It is still available, this human peace? In our privileged position in timelessness, our answer is a roar." -Toni Morrison, Desdemona

"Here the infidel can embrace the saint just as sunlight creates the air we breathe."-Toni Morrison, Desdemona

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Live with Kelly & Michael!

FINALLY!

Like The View and SNL, Kelly & Michael is difficult to get tickets for. You can get free tickets for most talk shows (I believe all) online. Some are just more difficult to get tickets for (David Letterman, Jon Stewart). Needless to say, I had a great time being an audience member for Kelly & Michael!



I had no idea that Kelly & Michael was actually a live TV show (dumb blonde moment). I was so entertained and shocked and inspired all in one. I developed a newfound respect for the two, especially for Kelly who is so naturally charismatic onscreen. She is excellent at being her and she's been doing it for years. Women like her keep the future bright.
Michael was hilarious. It's amazing how he can make such a smooth transition from the NFL to talk show host. He compliments Kelly's 'funny' well, and she in turn, his. They interact with the crowd more than average. It's an amazing experience worth a stop if you're ever in NYC.



If you're ever in NYC, sign up for tickets ahead a time on any of the shows' personal sites. You can use http://1iota.com/ to get more tickets for shows also.



Saturday, September 13, 2014

Crop Over 2014, Barbados


So I met up with my friends from London, my friends from Boston, and friends from New York (except for Candice!) on this trip. I do not know where to begin with Barbados, because even after 3 weeks, the whole trip was surreal to me. Unbelievably phenomenal. I have been deeming Barbados as a better country than Jamaica to my friends and if you know me, you should be just as shocked as my friends after hearing that. There is a reason for everything and I have a reason, or rather reasons, to back my claim up.

"I don't care if di rain a come down, ah feeling ah feeling!"

Now before I go in depth, I don't want you to think that I'm comparing Barbados to any country, because you can't really compare too much. I'm just making judgements based on countries I've already been to. And, Barbados, being the only other Caribbean country I've been to aside from Jamaica, is the only country I have to compare to what I'm used to. SO no fear, Jamaicans! My shocking comments are just "in the moment" comments due to a lack of experience elsewhere! Nuttin' cya sweet like yard! Certain things of the Jamaican culture will always be irreplaceable, in my heart and in fact. 

Now back to the program!

I arrived to Barbados, ready to meet up with my UK friends already there. I have had very interesting taxi experiences, as you will later read, and this guy contributed to one of them! He advised me to not smoke any marijuana because of the laws (and the laws are very strict, more strict than Boston and NYC). I found that hilarious. "It pollutes the youth".



The Country Itself:
Descending onto land, I couldn't believe I was finally touching down on another Caribbean country other than my own; a country that produced one of my favorite women in the music industry. There was already too much to be excited about, especially because I came specifically to partake in the Crop Over festivities. However, I totally was not expecting ZERO VIOLENCE, for the Barbados crime rate to be as low as it is! You might be thinking, "this is the first thing she has to say about this entire trip?" YES! THIS IS WHAT AMAZES ME. I have never been in a country, in my entire life, where I felt as safe as I did in Barbados. In my taxi ride to the hotel after arriving at the airport, the taxi driver was giving me a lecture on ganja, as previously stated. I have no idea why lol, but he was trying his best to explain to me why ganja is bad for you and why Bajans look down upon it. He said it "corrupted the yutes". You could hardly find ganja there because it hardly grows there, if it does. Hence why they're not too fond of Jamaicans and other peoples that traffic the drug onto the island. But the safe environment was felt. I even met Jamaicans there that were shocked that they could walk down certain streets with their gadgets in their hands, a Haitian comrade said the same. It's just not something we're used to!



I don't know if it was due to it being Crop Over season, or if this is how Barbados usually is, but I've never felt such sweet, rhythmic vibes than theirs. The low crime rate definitely contributed to this. Even though it was Soca season, I heard Reggae, Hip-Hop, and Soca equally. The social class system wasn't as obviously bad as it looks in other countries. Everything was just right to me. I was feeling everything, everywhere, everyone. We even had a cool taxi driver that showed us all around Barbados, including the cool spots that aren't really advertised on the media. To the left is me at the most southern tip of Barbados.

The Shooting Star
My friends and I stayed at Little Arches, a very pleasant hotel by Miami Beach. One of the nights where it wasn't meant for us to go out, we decided to lay down on the beach and watch the stars. My girl Chrystian, on the trip with me from Boston, started to teach me and my comrade about The Seven Sister Stars. Immediately after this, we ended up seeing it as the three of us were laying down, gazing up. It was so cool to us. We were getting a unique history lesson shown right before our eyes. Chrys then went, "I wish I can see a shooting star." Actually, let me just stop here and share the actual post I made on Facebook shortly after this happened so you can get THE REAL DEAL PLAYA.

"Yoooooooo. This has been probably one of the best trips of my life. Me, Chrystian, and my boy were too tired to go out last night but we were trying to fight it by doing and researching certain things to motivate ourselves to leave, but we ended up just relaxing. So instead we decided to make the best out of the beach our hotel was on. So we go on the beach and we all sit down and start looking at the stars and the heavy waves, embracing everything. Literally reckoning that we can't even take a picture or video of this because the moment was meant to savor and take in. Real food for the soul. So I ask Chrys to tell us stories about stars because I'm feeling this amazing, powerful, intimidating view of the Atlantic Ocean. And we're in a private area so it's literally just us and the world. She starts telling us about the Seven Sister Stars. Shockingly, we see the triangle as we're just staring, both of us did. We're amazed. Then Chrys goes "I wish we could see a shooting star." So because we were lifted, we laid back down and started staring at the stars again. Low and behold we see a shooting star! I immediately freak the fk out. Chrys reminds us that we need to make a wish. I think i made the best wish ever. Then I told Chrys to wish for a mermaid because clearly the girl is speaking magic and she REFUSED. She knew! What a beautiful, unforgettable night though. Will never forget this trip. This is something me and Chrys saw and shared for a reason that we will remember forever. It honestly topped any other experience I had in Barbados."


Little Arches








The Submarine Experience
This was not in the plan but as they say, "No matter how much you plan, God will always be the best of all planners!" Had someone told me Chrys and I would be on a submarine adventure, I probably would've been more excited for that than Crop Over itself. How do I describe the experience? I went underwater, almost 200 feet! We took the famous Atlantis Submarine down under, where they showed us different type of sea life and a cool ass sunken ship. The experience was surreal and is still surreal, because the fact that I was underwater alive for over an hour still hasn't hit me. I only saw it in movies and for some reason, I never once thought I'd have the opportunity to go in a submarine underwater. I didn't even have it on my bucket list as yet! Blessings. 

I also got plenty of tours around the island with taxi drivers and family members of friends. I got to see the country side, the ghetto side and the tourist side. I even got to see where Rihanna comes from! This island is such a sweet little island filled with love, and the people are undoubtedly what makes the island as sweet as it is.






The People: 
What I  absolutely LOVED about Barbados was the diversity evident everywhere. I'm not unfamiliar with non-blacks residing in Caribbean countries, but it was the Bajan pride that non-blacks carried everywhere that amazed me. Honestly, it's the same in Jamaica, everyone has pride. I just loved it in Barbados because it was only my second time seeing it. 

The way of life there is enticing. Everybody, and I mean everybody is friendly. Now this is one thing that I am not afraid to bash Jamaica about, because not everyone is kind and welcoming as they are in Barbados. I think the coolest people in Jamaica are the Rastas, the country people, the people you don't see working in tourist areas. In Barbados, everybody was cool in the tourist areas. There were a few times where I believed some females had staring problems, but I assumed that that's just what they do. Can't knock 'em for it. All in all, the people left me with too many memorable experiences (and that's a great thing). 

Rum from Barbados
Mount Gay Rum


The Food:
I've always been a picky eater, and it took me less time than I thought to warm up to the Bajan food. I bucked up into the right places. Oistins is a popular food centre (spelled this way because I'm in UK mode lol), probably the most popular food centre in the island where everybody (including many tourists) enjoy the world-renowned seafood.  

I also ate at their nationwide food chain, Chefettes, and they were pretty good. Their KFC was ight, not better than Jamaica's lol! Nothing bad to say at all. Everything I ate was good! I was KILLING plates over there.










The Daylife/Nightlife: 
Okay, so, basically, the boat rides in Barbados are the best ones I've ever been to in my life. Omgosh! VIBES! BUCK! SUH TILLLLLLL! It got real every boat ride we went on, which is a very popular thing to do on the island for parties. I believe the boat we always ended up getting on was the Jolly Rancher. The Reggae, the Hip-Hop, the Soca, was always on point. Too on point! The vibes along with the rocking of the boat on the vibrant waves of the water collided with the musical vibes and gave us euphoric feelings every single time. It was amazing. And you have to go there to experience them. I met a lot of cool people on these boat rides also.







I visited tons of beaches, including Dover and Brown. Of course it's the Caribbean where there's beautiful water and landscapes everywhere, but I find it more common in Barbados then everywhere else I've been to always go to the beach! It's interesting and sensible at the same damn time lol. From restaurants to water sports to simply meeting cool people, the beach is the IT place. Dover was extremely popping everytime I went, including where I went to surf for the first time! By the way, check out Barry's Surfing School if you're ever in the area! I surfed for the first time ever! Another knockdown on the bucket list baby.









Another IT place in Barbados is the famous St. Lawrence Gap. POPPING. This is one of the popular places everybody in Barbados goes to party. Like I mentioned before, the DJs in Barbados were very good with juggling all different types of music. Everywhere I go I always itch for Reggae (or something Jamaican-related period lol) and had no problem finding Reggae clubs. The strip reminds me of a strip in Ocho Rios, Jamaica where there's also a number of clubs and food stands along the way, except St. Lawrence Gap was more hip and modern.






On a side note, it completely baffled me when I found out that Barbados has way more money than Jamaica. But then again, I wasn't surprised. You would think a country whose music, food, and even people, all world-renowned, would top all other countries in its lane. Impossible when in a state of corruption. I need to visit another Caribbean island ASAP if I only have my country to compare it to lol cause I'm going in. I hope it doesn't sound like I'm bashing my beautiful island, but I always keep it real when it comes to facts. Good and bad. Anywhere and everywhere.  

Anyyyyways! On a more positive note lol. 



**The Coke Story (LOL)**

Now the only thing I didn't like about my Barbados experience was my discovery of immense coke usage on the little island. Another taxi driver, who sniffed his coke right in front of me while dropping me off to my hotel (like it was completely normal -- hilarious), told me that so many people do it because of the laws on ganja. He even asked if I wanted some? I said, "no, not this time." Hahahaha I didn't want to give him the impression that I'm looking down on him, especially while he was on it! You know? He said doing coke isn't as detectable as smoking ganja. The law is a little backwards to me when it comes to drug usage, but aside from that, everything that their government is doing is obviously right because it is a safe place! You guys need to easy down on the laws though man. I'm pretty sure ganja is 100x more safer to use than coke. The pictures above were directly after my experience. LOL my friend SWORE I, too, was high. Nah B, that's just TIREDNESS/DRUNKNESS. 

Crop Over!
I did Soca Titans. It rained out when Machel came on but of COURSE that couldn't and didn't stop the show from ending lol.




I did jouvert! For the first time in my life I participated with a jouvert band, and they had costumes! For some reason I always thought jouvert was simply a street party where any and everyone comes in their regular clothes and get painted/mudded up. Well, that is what it is, but I didn't know there were more ways to go in! Nah mean?












Crop Over itself? The actual carnival? Best carnival I've ever been to in my life. Were you expecting me to say that? Hahaha! I'm not kidding though, it really was. I jumped with Blue Box Cart and had an unbelievable time. I would recommend them in a heartbeat! The vibes was too nice. The band was diversified. And not one person was stush. Everybody was enjoying themselves. It reminded me of when we go to ghetto parties. Never have to worry about vibes in the ghetto, my yute!





In a specific taxi ride, I ended up accidentally meeting a known Soca artist called Statement. As I was walking back to the hotel drunk in my carnival costume from my friend's villa down the road, hardly any taxis were on site and the one that happened to actually stop for me happened to be him. After exchanging basic background info and realizing we both have Boston ties, the discovery of who he was was made. He even played his music and sung for me because I didn't believe him. He reminded me that he was the same taxi guy wanting to give me a ride the day before when me and my friends were waiting for one, but couldn't because he already had somebody and proceeded down the road to hail another taxi for us. We still stay in contact until this day. Lol there were just way too many cool stories for me to take back to The States with me. 


The biggest, sweetest, bestest song ever! Also the biggest song at Crop Over!
I LOVE THE Jazz/trumpet version!

There are tons and tons of different events that go on during Crop Over, especially that final weekend. Soca Titans is a signature show for Crop Over that has been running for years. World-renowned and local Soca/Calypso artists battle to win the Soca Monarch. Jouvert started at 10PM and ended at 7am. I kid you not, I was on the road for that long. I couldn't even believe I was going to do that (despite the fact that I'm always up for an adventure). I had too many NEW experiences which is what I'm always after.  I don't know how I can go anywhere else this specific weekend (Caribana in Toronto, Dream Weekend in Jamaica, and carnival in Antigua also occurs this weekend) knowing that Crop Over is happening. I try to never go to the same place twice but I KNOW I HAVE to go back. LIKE NEXT YEAR. Barbados has me f*cked up! I think that's why I want her back! Obsessed. Whippppped.

B