Known for sleek and feminine silhouettes with stunning details, this designer has been making waves amongst style aficionados (myself included) for the last few years.

You understand then, why I was more than thrilled to find these gems in my inbox today: exclusive sneak peeks of J. Angelique’s current works in progress. Without letting too much slip at the moment, I can say that these are previews of two separate collections currently being developed for release later in the year.

That’s it…lips are sealed again. Check out the photos below and get excited.

Lace. A lady’s fabric of choice.

Because who doesn’t love houndstooth?

Animal print, Jin is a girl after my own heart.

More animal print…trend spotting anyone?

Animal print and teal…easily my favourite so far.

Also, visit the J. Angelique Facebook page.

TriniTasteBuds Monthly Bib 2013

Bacco is in south Trinidad, and serves up a very custom and tailored menu of Italian cuisine. So far we noticed their listed offerings range from pizzas, pastas, salads, small array of desserts and beverages.

They proudly boast of having the only pizza in Trinidad and Tobago made with sourdough, with their very own wood-fired oven Bacco’s genuine Italian pizza craftsmen whip up within minutes fine pizzas custom made to your like or straight off their menu.

Their opening hours are quite unusual when compared to local restaurant hours but very easy to get used to.

Why do we love Bacco and drawn to return again and again and again:

1. Being professional southerners and located in south Trinidad during the work week, Bacco serves as a must try option for eating out in South Trinidad…something of this scale and quality is normally found in some “out of timing” Port of Spain location that we southern professional folk usually envy!!
2. Bacco is quick, not compromising on the quality of their meals but quick and forgiving when you are just dipping in for a functional and tasty lunch
3. Bacco is affordable, they offer a Pizza lunch special that cannot be beat.
4. Bacco offers more that just excellent Pizza, their Pastas and Salads are equally delicious meals
5. Bacco’s naturally lit, open, simplistic and clean ambiance draws you in and forces you to return time and time again….

What you need to know:

1. For some Bacco might be hard to find…check out the map at this link for help
2. Bacco’s opening hours: closed – wednesday and sunday lunch; open - 12.00\2.30 and 6.00 \10.00 pm
3. If the parking lot spots in front the building is all taken, there is basement parking, navigate around the building

Who doesn’t love Bacco?

Bacco Pizzeria Italiana

Bacco Pizzeria Italiana

Capturing Bacco, amazing simplicity

Capturing Bacco, amazing simplicity

Capturing Bacco, amazing simplicity

Capturing Bacco, amazing simplicity

Capturing Bacco, amazing simplicity

Capturing Bacco, amazing simplicity

Capturing Bacco, amazing simplicity

Capturing Bacco, amazing simplicity

Capturing Bacco, amazing simplicity

Capturing Bacco, amazing simplicity

Capturing Bacco, amazing simplicity

Pizza!!! Prep and Cooking

Pizza!!! Prep and Cooking

Pizza!!! Prep and Cooking

Freshly prepared fruit juice, True fresh fruit juice in my book…blended fresh fruit

Paria Gulf, Lunch with friends

Vegetariana, Lunch with friends

Parma e Gorgonzola, Lunch with friends

Vegetariana with rocket on top

Fettuccine shrimp and zucchini lunch…another Lunch shared!

PRESS RELEASE April 2013

New York, NY – Diaspora Now Inc, in association with Phillip Benn will present paintings, prints, and sculptures by Barbadian artists Victor Collector, Carlton Murrell, and Alfred Weekes at the opening weekend of the new multi-purpose facility on Saturday May 4^th at 1070, Nostrand Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11225.

This FREE Art Exhibition will begin 2PM until Midnight.

Diaspora-Now was formed in 1986 by Barbadian American entrepreneurs Anderson M. Pilgrim and Adrian O. Myles.  Our primary mission is to increase awareness and appreciation of Caribbean culture through the distribution of information and through works of art.

Victor Collector has been painting since the late 1980’s, and specializes in realistic oil and watercolor paintings of seascapes, landscapes, and traditional Barbadian chattel houses. Victor’s award winning paintings have been exhibited in the USA at the Hotel Continental, Miami, FL; the OAS Gallery, Washington, DC; as well as the Caribbean’s premier arts festival, CARIFESTA V, held in Trinidad and Tobago. His work is frequently exhibited in Barbados’ most prominent art galleries and commissioned by discerning collectors from all over the world.

Carlton Murrell began his painting career at 18, inspired by the landscape of his native Barbados. Murrell later migrated to the Capital City of Art – New York and was awarded a scholarship to pursue advanced studies at the Art Students League.  He later attended the Pan American School of Fine Art and Pel’s School of Commercial Art and Illustration. He has exhibited in museums and educational institutions, as well as numerous galleries throughout the United States. His works hang in permanent collections of Carver Federal Savings Bank, the Copper Corporation of Chile, South America, Howard University, and the Central Bank of Barbados. Mr. Murrell has received numerous awards, prizes and citations.

Alfred Weekes has been creating wire sculptures since the 1970s and his work has been exhibited widely throughout the Caribbean and North America. In 1993 Mr. Weekes was judged BEST IN SHOW at the 1993 Manchester Art Association show in Manchester, Connecticut. In August 1998, Mr. Weekes’ first one-man exhibition, “In Person”, consisting entirely of colorful relief sculptures, received critical acclaim at Brooklyn Moon Café in New York City. His technique has continued to evolve and his sculpture has become almost painterly in rendition. Mr. Weekes’ work is held in private collections throughout the Caribbean, Europe, and the U.S.

Contact: Anderson M. Pilgrim – Curator

E-mail: ampilgrim@hotmail.com

Mobile: 646 267-8831

For Information and Directions

Phillip Benn: 347-526-3501

phillipbenn@yahoo.com

Multi-Purpose Facility

1070 Nostrand Ave. Brooklyn NY 11225

Between Lefferts Ave & Lincoln Rd

IRT Trains #2 & #5 to Sterling St

Bus: #43 & #44

DIASPORA NOW INC.

80 St. Nicholas Place, Suite 1B, New York, NY 10032

Tel: (212) 491-4652 Fax: (212) 283-9371

http://www.diaspora-now.com

E-mail: sammym@diaspora-now.com

Dwight York is the most successful footballer from his nation of Trinidad and Tobago and is also considered as a Manchester United great from a golden era of players and success.

The Stats

Dwight Yorke began his professional career at Aston Villa where he was spotted by scouts while the English side were on tour of the West Indies. Yorke enjoyed 9 years at the club which was where he was to establish himself in the Premier League as a clinical striker, he made 232 appearances for the club and scored 73 goals.  Dwight Yorke`s predatory ability in front of goal rapidly made him a household name in the Premier League as he attracted much attention from bigger clubs, Manchester United was the fastest to snap up the hot prospect for a fee of £12.7 million. This was to be the pinnacle of Dwight Yorke`s career he made 96 appearances and scored 48 goals for the Red Devils, he only lasted three years at the club as it seemed their had been a bust up with Sir Alex Ferguson over his relationship with the model Jordan. It is said when most players leave Manchester United their career only can go downwards, this is exactly what happened to Dwight. He was transferred to Blackburn Rovers, he only completed two seasons playing 60 games and scoring 12 goals. Dwight York then made a controversial move to Birmingham city who are Aston Villa`s fierce local rivals. The move was unsuccessful as he was only at the club for a year playing 13 games and scoring 2 goals. A now 34 year old Dwight Yorke craved a new venture as he made an exit out of the Premier League to play for Sydney.FC, yet again he was only there for just a year he played a total of 21 matches and scored 7 goals in his stay. The striker then made his return to English football as he signed for Sunderland, Dwight Yorke played a more defensive role and illustrated his passing ability and his ability to read the game he enjoyed 3 seasons at the club before entering retirement he made 58 appearances and scored 6 goals.

Dwight Yorke made 72 appearances for his nation and scored 19 goals, and led Trinidad and Tobago to their first ever World Cup appearance in 2006.

The Honors

During Dwight Yorke`s 9 years at Aston Villa he won two Football League Cups. Dwight was to remembered for his time at Manchester United as he accomplished to win 3 Premier League titles in a row, an F.A Cup, Intercontinental Cup and the Champions League as he and Manchester United famously reigned over Bayern Munich in the 1999 final to win the Cup with two late goals. Dwight Yorke only spent a year with Australian club Sydney F.C  but managed to win the A- League, on his move to Sunderland Dwight was very influential to help Sunderland to win the Championship and gain promotion to the premier league. Wining trophies was not new to Dwight he also won the Caribbean Cup with Trinidad and Tobago.

He enjoyed plenty of personal accolades such as the Uefa Champions League top goal scorer in his championship wining year and also achieved the Premier League player of the season and Golden boot in the season of 1998-99.

Dwight York was a natural goal scorer and appreciated 21 years of professional football he graced the premier league with his his big smile and will never be forgotten.

Simon Lee reviews Roydon Salick’s Ismith Khan: The Man and His work for Trinidad’s Guardian.

As Anglophone Caribbean publishing and literature finally begins to secure a slot in the World Literature market, releasing more authors from obscurity (though possibly not penury) in the last decade than the previous 50 years, Roydon Salick’s recently published Ismith Khan: The Man & His Work, alerts readers, critics and cultural theorists alike to a seminal figure of an earlier generation, who missed the boat which took Mittelholzer, Lamming, Naipaul and Selvon to fame and varying degrees of fortune in England.

Salick speculates that the critical neglect Khan has endured to date may be partially attributable to his relocation to America rather than London, which functioned as the English Caribbean’s literary capital from the 1930s (with the arrival of Learie Constantine and CLR James) certainly up to the end of the 20th century.

While Khan may not have benefited from the informal support network offered by the BBC’s Caribbean Voices programme which helped nurture and establish the 1950s cohort, or the encouragement of London-based Trini John La Rose and his New Beacon press, he did remain in contact with one of the early stars Sam Selvon, who he was related to by marriage and who was to be, according to Salick’s insider information, “the single most powerful influence in his becoming a writer.”

Ironically it is Peepal Tree, the same UK press which has almost single-handedly been responsible for the upsurge in Caribbean publishing over the last 20 years, rescuing the neglected and introducing new voices, which published Khan’s third novel The Crucifixion (written as an MFA thesis in 1970 but gathering dust until 1987), his final collection of short stories A Day in the Country (1994) and now Salick’s timely study.

The value of this slim “preparatory work” far surpasses its brevity. Dr Salick is an unashamed old school literary critic, with little time (and I suspect even less respect) for theoretical fashions which in every area of the Liberal Arts have tended to obscure rather than elucidate texts, alienating readers and students alike.

In contrast, Salick comes to the page with more than 30 years teaching experience and one has only to enquire among the extensive body of his past and present students (at UWI Cave Hill and St Augustine, now at Costaatt) to realise his pedagogic mission is to inspire and illuminate rather than simply impress (or intimidate) young and even mature minds with intellectual acrobatics. His motivation for rescuing Khan from critical neglect demonstrates a commitment to the intellectual development of the region, now sorely lacking in myopic postmodern Trinidad: “a self-imposed obligation of filling an obvious gap in West Indian criticism.”

Similarly, despite the figure of the author being dismissed from the critical roundtable in favour of the text about the same time as Roland Barthes was deconstructing wrestling and Citroen cars, Salick’s friendship with Khan allows the still-curious reader both biographical and critical insights, which a rigorous cultural theorist would eschew.

Not to know that Khan’s grandfather Kale was the life model for the eponymous protagonist of The Jumbie Bird and that the entirety of this first novel is semi-autobiographical would surely meet with condemnation from adherents of one of the latest genres now declared fashionable—life writing.

Salick’s “preparatory work” in elucidating Khan’s “major thematic concerns” and his “structural, stylistic and narrative strategies” may hopefully meet with controversy rather than consensus, in which case it will fulfil the book’s self-declared purpose: “to encourage other studies…more specialised and searching, and to generate an ongoing critical dialogue on the fiction of Ismith Khan.”

The four chapters, which follow an introductory biographical sketch, provide even the most dilatory or superficial reader the critical apparatus for entry to Khan’s three novels and his one collection of short stories. In The Jumbie Bird chapter we learn that Khan in his characterisation of Kale was unwittingly employing one of the strategies advocated in the decolonisation process: recording the stories of the colonised Fanon (my reading rather than an explicit Salick statement). Kale’s version of the history of Trinidadian indentured labourers fulfils Khan’s own sense of the Caribbean writer’s brief: “the writer from the Caribbean has to assume the responsibility of ‘teacher’ and ‘historian’ in order to record periods of history, not normally found in history books.”

Khan’s second novel The Obeah Man although paradoxically “the only West Indian novel to have as its protagonist an obeah man and to treat obeah seriously, in spite of…(offering) no insights into the nature and practice of obeah” is viewed by Salick as a “critique of West Indian culture…which defines the role of the obeah man in an island emerging from the womb of colonialism and experiencing the initial pangs of independence.”

For Khan apparently it was “a purely symbolic novel” and Salick obligingly points to the various hermeneutical levels including literary pastoral, the archetypal questing hero and the isolated artist. What will interest contemporary readers more however, is Khan’s juxtaposition of carnival and spirituality: “Carnival is the enemy of man’s inclination and urge to discover a means of spiritual cleansing and healing.” Salick identifies Zampi the obeah man’s quest as ‘the successful journey of Caribbean man to achieve a meaningful independence of mind, body and spirit.”

Khan’s third novel The Crucifixion draws directly on the Trinidadian oral tradition and a narrative which has received literary treatment by Naipaul, Selvon and Lovelace. Khan’s version however, goes beyond vignette to give the life story of Manko “the poor devil” who manipulates his own “martyrdom” on Laventille’s now notorious Calvary Hill.

Salick’s assessment productively highlights Khan’s use of dual narrative voices which reflects the dichotomy of colonial society with its insider/outsider perspectives. He also contextualises The Crucifixion as an example of the Yard Literature genre introduced by CLR James in Triumph and Minty Alley. In contrast to James’ romanticised version however, Khan “presents yard life as a theatre of squalor, of gratuitous violence, of theft, of jealousy, of clandestine sexuality, and of willful testing.”

Analysing the short story collection A Day in the Country, Salick suggests that the unifying theme of father/son relationship serves as a device to explore such issues as: “displacement from the country to the city, the negative effects of colonial education, the toll of unemployment…the old pastoral debate…the establishment through folklore of the existence of a world beyond science and reason, the need for an individual to create a private romance and mythology as a means of survival, the need to look backward and inward…and the condition and role of the artist…”

Here is the grist for any number of postgraduate theses and a validation for Salick’s challenge to critics to initiate “an ongoing dialogue on Khan’s fiction.” While we anticipate this dialogue, we must also recognise Salick’s efforts to restore the “preeminent novelist of Port-of-Spain” to his deserved place in the Caribbean literary canon and for providing exemplary comprehensive and lucid textual criticism.

For the original report go to http://www.guardian.co.tt/lifestyle/2013-04-24/return-jumbie

My teacher interns shockingly reported their observation of teachers’ attitude to most of the children seated in the back row. This however, did not penetrate as deep as it should have until I visited schools. These schools were in the outskirts of the cities. I left with mixed emotions; interns could not walk around – the aisles were narrow, the classes partitioned off by chalkboards and fabric-type shower curtains, the wooden desk arranged in two rows. The scene was quite similar to classrooms of the 1950s…I drove home repeating in my head; this is 2011!

I questioned a few of my friends; many understood. There must be children at the back of the class, the question is who is more likely to be seated at the back. Not forgetting that the invisible ones could also be at the front of the class yet really belong to the back.

I hate homework.  In fact I possibly hate it more than do my kids.

Last night Tweeny was convulsed by tears, having been given an A3 piece of paper to fill with rainforest animals by Friday.  Part of the homework was to use fractions to say what proportions of each animal there are.  Fair enough.  But what exactly is the point of filling a sheet of A3 with the little critters?

Tweeny loves art, but feels very intimidated by the drawing skills required of her. Unfortunately, I’m no use to her.  Her drawing skills surpassed mine when she reached the age of four: even my stick figures look as if they have severe physical disability.

We have spent numerous hours with step by step drawing books, tracing, talking about how everything is made out of circles and ovals, to no avail.  She asked me to draw a cheetah on a homework sheet about endangered species.  The paper was worn thin with eraser marks by the time I presented my finished piece.

“Is that the best you can do?  Seriously Mum!”

These days homework is all about shared learning with your child.  I think I do plenty of that without having to be burdened with hours of formal learning every school night.  I teach them in context, a far better approach than artificially constructed tasks.  In my experience, the majority of teachers feel that pupils work hard enough during the school day, however teachers are under pressure to provide endless homework, irrespective of their personal views.  Kids are tired when they get home.  They need to play and get outside and play.

Teeny has particular difficulty with homework.  He is exhausted when he comes home each day. He has to be cajoled and bribed to do even the smallest amount.  We have come to a compromise where I will scribe his answers and share his nightly reading tasks.  These are often so onerous that  frequently I have had to write to his school to say that they have set unsuitable tasks which Teeny will not be completing.  Last week he was given a 96 page book to read aloud in four evenings. He is only eight.

Tweeny is a different case.  She is overly self-critical and imposes high standards on herself. She often becomes so frustrated over her homework that she is tearful.  Despite me telling her that no work is worth crying over, she finds it difficult to accept . Last night, when I suggested to her that I would write to her teacher, excusing her from this task, she was on the verge of hysteria.

So, in our house, and I suspect in many others, parents are over-involved in homework. I have made sukkahs, castles, tin can telephones – a particularly tricky one since ‘we’ had one day to make it, didn’t have any empty tins and couldn’t find the string, a working full size guitar with neck and strings that could be tuned, an A1 display board about Trinidad and Tobago’s socio-economics, a rock pool, a cake that looked like a ship… Fortunately, my artistic skill is such that these projects always look as if the child has completed it entirely on their own.

The sukkah – look it up, I had to – was a case in point. Tweeny was given this task at the age of 5. I ‘forgot’ all about it until the Thursday night when she gaily reminded me.  A hasty trip to the supermarket to find a box, grass wrenched from the garden, sellotaped on, wrapping paper for decorations…it was awful.  Just as I finished, Tweeny told me all about her classmate’s sukkah which was furnished, decorated and even had electric lights. Now, who’s going to tell me that this little girl did that all herself?

Yesterday, once Tweeny had recovered, she produced a “Good Work Award”.  I was enthusiastic in expressing how satisfying it must be for her to have received this accolade.

“Well, not really Mum,” she giggled, “It was for the Trinidad and Tobago display board that you made.  But I’ll show it to Dad and get him to buy me a reward anyway.”

“I think a bottle of Vodka would be suitable.” I replied, as I started to draw 25 snakes.

On Sunday, April 28, 2013, at 11:00am, the NGC Bocas Literary Festival in Trinidad presents Jamaican writer Olive Senior, who will deliver the keynote speech “Should Literature Be Political?” as part of the Edinburgh World Writers’ Conference panel. This topic will be further discussed by panelists Pankaj Mishra, Earl Lovelace, and Courttia Newland. This event is moderated by Ifeona Fulani (New York University).

Olive Senior was born in Jamaica, has been based in Toronto, Canada, since 1993. She has published several prize-winning books, including the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize–winning collection of stories, Summer Lightning (1986), three other books of fiction, and the poetry books Talking of Trees (1985), Gardening in the Tropics (1994, winner of the F.J. Bressani Literary Prize), Over the Roofs of the World (2005, shortlisted for Canada’s Governor-General’s Literary Award and Cuba’s Casa de las Américas Prize), and Shell (shortlisted for the Pat Lowther Award).

For more information, see http://www.edinburghworldwritersconference.org/should-literature-be-political/olive-senior-should-literature-be-political/  and http://www.bocaslitfest.com/

And the food. I definitely miss the food.

Are you dreaming of any marvelous, faraway places?

It’s a bit sad that we don’t remember their real names I guess, but our nicknames for theme suites them perfectly. We have poser who got his name from posing every five seconds, he’s a funny little thing and then we have the captain who worked as a captain of a glass bottom boat! Surprise surprise…

Now getting to know these lovely people after Therese attracted some attention turning out to be a limbo champ resulted in a free Bucco reef tour the following day. In the tour you got to snorkel the Bucco reef, get reborn by the pool of youth (nylon pool),and visit no mans land and lagoon.

After all the regular guest had left the tour and the boat we got to stay onboard and drink more rum and watch the sunset at sea while swimming around in the nylon pool. And a few hours later they drove us home…. with the boat!! They dropped us off at our harbor by Bucco fish market instead of store bay beach where they picked us up together with the other tourists.

All and all a great random day!

Castara beach.

Pigeon island.

The glas bottom boat.

No mans land and Poser.

The sunset.

This article by Janine Charles-Farray appeared in Trinidad’s Guardian.

“Dance is the hidden language of the soul.”

These are the immortal words of the world-acclaimed “mother of modern dance” Martha Graham, an American dancer and choreographer recognised as one of the greatest artistes of the 20th century.

Graham’s words have also inspired this season’s theme for the Metamorphosis Dance Company series of concerts in T&T entitled, Language of the Soul.

This year will be the eighteenth that Metamorphosis, the dance company of the Caribbean School of Dancing in Port-of-Spain, will be hosting their annual dance season performances.

In an interview, artistic director Nancy Herrera said the dancers had been hard at work and were in excellent form for the show that runs from April 25 to 28.

“I have to say that all the dancers are on top of their game,” she said as she shared some notes from rehearsal.

“With London Royal Academy of Dance exams recently completed, all of the dancers are at the height of their performance, which will carry over to the level of dancing that people will see in the show.”

Herrera said that after a full term of classes, the Metamorphosis Dance Company would see almost half of the class from the Caribbean School of Dancing, approximately 12 dancers, involved in the programme.

The cast includes principle dancers Shari Rhyner and Yia Gomez as well as dancer and choreographer Juan Pablo Alba Dennis.

Dennis recently took the Advanced II Royal Academy of Dance, London exams—the highest level of ballet ever attempted by a male dancer from T&T.

This tradition of excellence is common for the Metamorphosis Dance Company.

According to its official biography, the Metamorphosis Dance Company was formed in November 1994 by Nancy Herrera, Carol Yip Choy and Christel De Souza (now residing in England).

The three were teachers from the Caribbean School of Dancing, interested in establishing a professional dance company. They’ve been since joined by Gillian Merry who now teaches at the school.

Once integrated into the company, all dancers are expected to be proficient in classical ballet and modern dance. Most of the company members have also achieved high levels of proficiency in Afro-Caribbean folk dance, Jazz and Tap.

Metamorphosis, as its name suggests, provides an opportunity for young local dancers to metamorphose into able, professional dancers as preparation for professional dance careers, usually pursued abroad.

“The Caribbean School of Dancing is a net exporter of dancers” said Herrera while she proudly showed off several photos of T&T dancers who have excelled abroad.

She said successful students from the school often went on to have solid careers at some of the best dance universities and dance companies in the world, such as Julliard in New York, York in Canada, Ballet Hispanico in New York, The Martha Graham Company and the Alvin Ailey Dance Company.

“Not many dance companies in the Caribbean are working at our standard, and we are pleased to have a following.

“Of course, we would also love to grow from here into having four sold-out shows this season.”

Language of the Soul will include several legacy dance pieces which have become standard favourites from the company.

This season features Carol Yip Choy’s Everything Comes to an End, which was choreographed in 1995 and performed in the company’s first ever season.

The piece is danced “en pointe” to the haunting music of Kitaro and traditional Japanese drums, with costumes and masks designed and made by John Christopher.

This year’s production will feature young talented dancers Reed Nottingham, Keeley Hosang, Andrea Mohammed, Leah Mendoza, Celeste Libert, Katherine Carrera, Marianna Frederick, Ana Maria De Freitas, Yannick Best and Vaugn Harper.

Other pieces for the show were choreographed by Bridgette Wilson, Claudia Applewhaite and Juan Pablo Alba Denis.

According to Herrera, “Bridgette was a dancer with the Company before she successfully completed her first degree at York University in Canada in Choreography.

“She created Le vitrail Glasmalerei, with music by Phillip Glass, along with a more contemporary and never-before scene piece entitled, This Is War to Sail by AWOL nation.”

Applewhaite is one of the senior teachers at Caribbean School and often choreographs audition pieces for the more talented dancers.

Of her choreographed pieces, R’adar Bach and Circle Song will be performed for the show.

Alba-Dennis is the winner of the inaugural 2011 Dai Aillan foundation scholarship and has recently been accepted into the Alvin Ailey Dance School at Fordham University.

For the show, he will present Where We Stand—a duet which he choreographed and will dance with Yia Gomez—to the music Hide and Seek by Imogen Heap.

Tickets for Language of the Soul are available at the Caribbean School of Dance office, 2A Dere Street, and at the Queen’s Hall box office between 9 am and 6 pm.

Showtimes are Thursday at 6.30 pm ($100), Friday and Saturday at 7.30 pm ($150) and Sunday at 6.30 pm ($150).

Visit the company online at http://metamorphosisdance.com/

For the original report go to http://www.guardian.co.tt/entertainment/2013-04-22/metamorphosis-speaks-soul-through-dance

One of our first initiatives this year is our colouring competition for Miss Fancy Fashion House’s new trademark! ‘Colourful Miss Fancy’! I like that name, I think I’ll keep it.

Colouring a trademark you say? Who would have thought, right? But when ideas flow you should just let them, and see where they take you.

So there I was, drawing up this very ‘Fancy Lady’ not really concerned with colour as the plan was to register it in black and white when I wondered, if I were to use colour I would never be able to decide so maybe it’s for the best.

Then it occurred to me that maybe I should let someone else decide, just for fun and so this competition was born. Now, anything that I do for this business I do it with three goals in mind. It must be for me, for the company and for the entrepreneurs.

This competition is for me. I loved to colour when I was little and in some way I want to see the simple joy of it live on in this wild world of instant graphics.

This competition is for my business, in that relevant research for our future endeavours can be gained via interaction with the participants.

And it is for the entrepreneurs. The prizes that will be awarded are from local businesses, companies and entrepreneurs which will give them a chance to use this opportunity to showcase their work. This is also a big part of what Beyond the Box Ltd. is about. For businesses who would like to sponsor the competition with a prize see here for more information.

So, for those of you who saw the barely readable flyer on Facebook or Twitter, here are the Rules/Instructions/Terms/Conditions so that you can read it a bit easier. Parents/Guardians/Trusted Adults please understand that you are accepting the following terms on behalf of your child/niece/nephew, etc. You will be held responsible for helping them understand what is required of them (what they can and cannot do to enter) as well as getting the coloured piece back to us.

However once you do that, I ask that you let their imagination flow and just let them colour.

—- *** —- ***

Instructions and Rules

In order to enter the competition you must:

• Be currently attending primary school within the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago

• Ask a parent/guardian or adult family member to ‘Like’ our Facebook page, Beyond the Box Ltd. or ‘Follow’ our Twitter page and post your (the child’s) full name and school name onto the company’s wall page, messages or  timeline.

• The drawing can be found here on this blog. Coloured drawings can be sent in by e-mail to beyondtheboxltd@yahoo.com or mailed to either BEYOND THE BOX LTD or MISS FANCY FASHION HOUSE at Lp#73A, Percy St., Laventille Rd, Febeau Village, San Juan. Please make sure to accompany the child’s full name and school here as well. NB: Children are also allowed to use the program ‘Paint’ if this makes sending the picture back to us easier.

• (For parents) In order to avoid copyright infringement, at no time are you to post completed coloured drawings onto our Facebook page to enter the competition. This will not disqualify your child but it will not be accepted in this form and you will have to re-submit it via the options given above.

Contestants may enter as many times as they wish with any combination of colours and patterns.

Deadline dates: The competition begins on the 24^th April 2013 and the deadline date for submissions is the 14^th May 2013.

Winners will be announced on the 21^st of May 2013. Entries will be judged by members of the business and their associates. The judge’s decision will be final.

Terms and Conditions

Participants must colour the drawing of the lady only. They may not change the actual clothing by adding or removing any pieces of clothing from the drawing.

Immediate family members or work associates of the Managers and staff at Miss Fancy Fashion House are not eligible to enter the competition.

All submitted entries will be the property of the registered trademark owners and therefore liable to be used in promotional advertising for the business and its products.

By entering the competition you will be deemed to have understood and agreed to be bound by the company’s terms and conditions (on behalf of your child).

—- *** —- ***

So, good luck everyone. Remember this competition is fun and we will be giving away more about the actual prizes later on during the next month.

- Nicketa Gomes, Managing Director at Beyond the Box Ltd. (T&T)

@Copyright Nicketa Gomes

NB: Don’t worry about the size. Just fit the saved image to the width of the 8″ x 11″ paper and it should come out large on the whole page.

Copyright © 2013 Thoughts From Beyond All Rights Reserved

Have you seen the latest issue of MACO People? The magazine is growing by leaps and bounds with its content, photography and now a brilliant cover illustration of Trinidad James by Shane Young Singh. And if you pick up your copy, take a look at Huckleberry’s own Miss TT / Universe 1977, Janelle Penny Commissiong gracing an eight page spread (yes EIGHT pages!)

We will update as soon as we have a digital copy of the spread!

Happy Monday!

- Huck

I have a personal obsession with this legendary sea monster, hell, I even have one tattooed on my skin.The old sea tales of ships, sailors and creatures from the depths have always inspired me.

Kraken Black Spiced Rum caught my eye, firstly with their name and secondly with their campaign of a 3D octopus climbing up a building! A jump for joy! Something new and exciting!

The rum is as opaque as the ink from its namesake, but this spicy 94 proof drink will put hair on your peg leg! The gorgeous old school bottle shape and illustrated label gives you the feel of the vintage without being tacky.

The base rum used is from Trinidad and Tobago, distilled from molasses made from local sugar cane. The rum is aged 12 – 24 months and then  a mixture of spices including cinnamon, ginger and clove is added. The Kraken Rum is Gluten, Wheat, Nut, Lactose free as well as vegan!

Keep a look out for it in your local liquor store and let me know what you think.

photo credit: adamwilson via photopin cc

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Even on the popular science fiction, Defiance, two of its characters were saving up their money so they could spend a nice vacation in Antarctica — a tropical paradise.

A tropical paradise? Is it possible that Antarctica’s climate could change so drastically in the future? It might not happen within my lifetime. But, I don’t think that a tropical paradise is bad. After all, I happen to live in a tropical paradise — The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago; which is located in the Caribbean.

In the meantime, we can try our utmost best to cut down on those greenhouse gas emissions, because when the ice melts in Antarctica, the water has got to go somewhere; this would mean that there would be a drastic rise in sea-levels worldwide.

Stephon Scott – judge, Mario Navarro (lead judge, Ron Zacapa Global Brand
Ambassador), Karlina Permell – winner, Jaime Garcia – local brand
Ambassador, Kathryn Gray – A.S. Bryden Diageo Reserve relationship Manager

Karlina Permell emerged the winner of the second wave of the local leg of DIAGEO RESERVE WORLD CLASS BARTENDER OF THE YEAR, the world’s largest and most credible mixology competition, recently held at Texas de Brazil Churrascaria, Fiesta Plaza, Movie towne, Port of Spain.

As the competition moved to the second wave of training and competition, local bar tenders were schooled by Ron Zacapa Global Brand Ambassador Mario Navarro for two days. During the sessions, several of the country’s best bar tenders were challenged to create not only tasty cocktails, but to enhance the overall experience for their patrons, all the while encouraging responsible drinking.

Ms. Permell represented Trinidad Hilton Hotel and Conference Centre in the competition and suitably impressed the judging panel with her cocktails entitled “Zacapa Wake Up Call”, “Zacapa Boost” and “Zacapa Glory”.

Kester Blake representing Zen Nightclub and Trevon Pascal of Zanzibar tied for second place, while Richard Atkins of Zanzibar came in third with his cocktails “Red Woman”, Passion, Spice and Paradise” and “April Mornings”.

Scores from this challenge will go towards selecting the local representative to the 2013 Global Final in which over 50 bartenders from around the world will compete for the coveted title of Diageo Reserve World Class Bartender of the Year, which will take place aboard boutique Azamara Club Cruise’s ship, Azamara Journey, from 4th – 9th July 2013.

“This is a great learning experience for us all, I have been really impressed with the level of interest and standard of presentation from the competitors” said Mario Navarro, lead judge. “ Also I noticed that in both the first and second wave ladies emerged the winners, that’s an interesting situation, I am very eager to return to Trinidad for future events in this competition.” he continued.

The third wave of the competition will be held next month with the theme “Hollywood, Bollywood, Hong Kong”, where the focus will be on the art of cocktail presentation and service featuring the brand Johnnie Walker Blue Label with a visit by the Regional Brand Ambassador Arturo Savage.

Follow the competition on Facebook at the ‘Global WORLD CLASS Finals’ page: http://www.facebook.com/globalworldclassfinals and http://www.facebook.com/worldclasstandt

This experiment Boon for whom who have illness of Pimples and Acne. From next day new Pimples/Acne will not be appear on Face and after 5-7 days pimples/Acne on face will be start to disappear slowly. When you see your face after a month, Clear  and Cute. Marks of pimples/Acne will be disappear in 3 to 6 month according to your illness.

Do this experiment daily got benefits.

© recoveryhealth