Sooo.... apparently iPods can't withstand the power of Motions shampoo. I learned this the hard way yesterday. It's a long story....

Today is a national holiday in Trinidad and Tobago. It's actually the anniversary of T&T's independence from British rule. It's the day when people take the opportunity to reflect on what benefits self governance has brought to our tiny twin island state. My neighbours decided to take the opportunity to blast conscious music at maximum volume through the neighbourhood. And since I live like a stone's throw away from them I literally felt like the speaker was on my bed, right next to me. I don't get it. If you're playing conscious music which admonishes you to love Jah and your neighbour and to do unto others the way you'd want them to do unto you and so forth, shouldn't you, yuh know, do that?

In a stroke of luck, I got called into the office around 1:00pm today by my boss who needed some files sent to him. I'd like to thank him for his inadvertent rescue but to be honest, i would have much prefer to be home, getting some peaceful rest. 

And as luck would have it, the guy who I've been harboring a huge crush on for the past, I don't know, 2 months is also here. Much good that does because I turn into Super Chickenshit when I'm around guys that I like. I never know what to say and most of the time I end of either saying something stupid and outta-timin or laughing nervously like a banshee. It's not pretty to watch.

Now, it's not that I think I don't have a chance with this guy. Well actually it is that. He's much older, knows what he's about and has a thing for girls of a lighter persuasion. At least that's what a confidant/ snitch told me once when I confessed my desire to have his babies to her. And then my mind wandered back to girls I had seen him with before and it's seemed true. He does seem to have a thing for light skinned, curly haired black girls. You know, the ones that when describing their race say things like, "Umm, well like, my grandmother is like totally white and my Mom is portuguese and then my grandfather is Spanish." And whose voices get really soft when they murmur incoherently so that you can barely hear them, "and my father is black". 

But to each his own. I personally don't really have a preference. I'm an equal opportunity crusher/ stalker. No race is safe [insert creepy music here].

But on all seriousness. The range of races of people that I've had crushes on are actually amazing. Even the handicapped doesn't go unscathed. I had a huge crush on this artist who has multiple sclerosis and a blind friend of a friend.  

I find that most of the guys that happen to return the favour tend to be East Indian though. I once had an East Indian guy borderline stalk me during A's bringing me chocolates like the 1st month into us being in class together. There's an East Indian friend of mine on Facebook who keeps leaving "You're so hot" comments under my pics. And there's this other East Indian guy who just started working with us, who, whenever I look up on my way from the printer is looking at me all intense-like. It's either he thinks this afroed up chick is hot or that I'm crazy and is trying to figure out a way to alert HR.

:/

Fanny packs are not sexy. There, I've said it. This has been weighing on my chest for a while now and I'm glad I've said it.

And in the same vein of randomness I'd like to state that I'm sad because:

1. The system is kicking my butt. I'm too poor to qualify for a proper mortgage by a private bank and I make too much money to qualify for the low income rate of interest on loans from the government. :Sigh:

2. I've been working on a project for months and can't finish it because of either being swamped at one point or running out of resources at another. It's really keeping a particular department back and I feel completely responsible.

3. My MacBook is acting weird; I think it needs additional memory. Hopefully I can remedy this on my trip to Miami next month (please God).

4. I'm not designing at much as I should be. This is bad because I really need to hone my trade since I need to make extra money because I hope to have a mortgage soon. 

5. WINTv keeps showing the same Bollywood movies over and over again. I mean really...

6. My skin is in a mess because of poor eating habits I think. I don't drink water as much as I should.

On the other hand, I feel a tad happy because:

1. I found my iPod.

2. I'm seriously working on my clothing line. I'm in the preliminary stages of sketching and what not. I hope to have a few pieces out in time for next year's fashion week.

3. I'm going to Miami soon!!!!!! Yay!!!!!!!!!! I know I sound like a never see, come see but I can't help it. I've never been outside of T&T before. :(

4. I could own a house soon if all goes well. It's been a dream of mine since I can remember.

I'm gonna try to work on the things are within my control and pray for best those that aren't.

:)

Take Wey Yuhself :P

Image courtesy Bob Martin of SI
So apparently the US sprint "Dream Team" lodged a sour grapes complaint about the 100m female sprint results which saw Jamaica make a clean sweep of the event. They claimed there was a false start that should have been called. This irks me for a couple reasons:

1. They didn't immediately query the 1-2-3 placing of their hurdlers when they took top honours in a subsequent race.

2. Americans all over the internet launched an out-a-timing campaign to discredit the talent of the Jamaican ladies claiming- get this: "They are soooooooo ugly!!!!!!"

3. I know and you know that Ms Tori Edwards knows she didn't false start. This was just an excuse to run to get the race to be run again. I know this because Americans have proven themselves to be too competitive in the past for their own good.

It's was simply a mental game and from the beginning and Ms Edwards was overly intimidated. Sadly for her it affected her final placing.

So I'd like to admonish all our Caribbean athletes to distance themselves from the negativity and enjoy the moment. Yuh know de dance already, jus tek wey yuhselves. Big up to all the Caribbean athletes who just mashin up in Track and Field: Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba, Bahamas, The Netherland Antilles.... everybody. Oh and special big up to Usain, Richard Thompson, Asafa (although he didn't place he's still my hubby), Churandy Martina out of the Netherlands who is running like a bad-ass and all the women who did us proud.

For now we hold the record for the fastest men and women according to Olympic standards. I say according to Olympic standards because you and I know there must be some men and women elsewhere who can run faster. If you live in Darfur and you're dodging bullets on an extended basis I'm sure you can clock more than 9.69 over 100m. Bump the Dry Phase, yuh go run fuh yuh life!

;D

So..... I used to think my camera was the ish. I take snaps with a Olympus SP UZ500 and I must admit that up until recently I felt like an article dan whipping it out. I mean, it is a cool camera; in the land of point and shoots that is. That was until I saw Dre's Nikons. His cameras are SLR not "SLR-like" as my camera is listed as.

Taken with my "SPUZEE"

I find myself hiding the poor thing now... not bringing him to shoots. He doesn't deserve this because he's been faithful as Old Yeller for the past 2 1/2 years. But alas, my pride and my frivolous nature becomes me. On my trip to Florida in about a Month's time (please God) I go in search of a replacement. A serious replacement. One which comes with it's own built in stage spotlight and that I can whip out with pride and in effect show off while feigning modesty :s

My trip may not even come off as planned, though, because as we speak Storm (soon to be hurricane) Fay is on her way to the Florida coast having already left a trail of death and destruction through most of the Windward islands. She's heading straight for the surfers who refuse up until this point to heed warning to evacuate and who can be seen frolicking in the ocean like there's no tomorrow. When newsflash boys and girls: There is a tomorrow and she comes packing winds of more than 60mph and ferocious storm surges. :Sheesh:


I can't help but wonder what else the Atlantic ocean has in store for us in the upcoming months. That's why everything's so tentative right now. Old Yeller might have some hope yet of not being replaced.

;o

New Obsessions

I have a new obsession. Street style blogs! I love combing through these websites looking at what people who dare to be different are wearing. I've found that the best styles (in my opinion at least) are found in London & New York. 

I'd love to start one of these blogs for the Caribbean. People aren't that fashion forward down here though... they tend to follow the American mass market fashion. The only way people would dare wear anything out of the box is if everyone else is wearing it which to me defeats the purpose. 

I've always had a thing for dressing kind of quirky, ever since A levels. We didn't have a uniform so it was free reign. While everyone was rocking jeans and tees I was wearing platforms with pleated skirts and cool shirts. I had this friend who would go to New York and bring me back these wicked sneaks or high heels and tees that I would wear to school. I'd hear people whispering about my clothes; some things good some things bad but at least it came to be known that I had a style of my own.

I'm definitely gonna do something soon though! 

On another note I found this really cool ad for Converse by pure happenstance yesterday. I don't have cable or anything so this cool not necessarily be new but it's still wicked. Oh and Julian Casablancas is in it so that makes it hot fuh so! He's on my top 5 hottest guys list.

Goin' Foreign soon

Today is hardly got any work done at the office. It could be because I was busy combing the internet and reading mind numbing news at theybf.com. Too funny man! 

Anywho.... I haven't been designing lately and that really irks me. I'm trying to motivate myself to start something but it's been a challenge. I'll keep on trying though. I think I'm going to start with photographing some scenes first which tends to give me some inspiration to build on the images.

On another note, I'm really excited that I'll be going to the U.S. in September for some shopping (if all goes well). It would be my first time to the U.S. and I'll be going with my best friends. Fun times are bound to ensue. I just hope C can get her passport renewed in time cuz I'd be real disappointed if I can't go. I just might through a hissy fit and hop on a plane by myself and we wouldn't want that because I may end up on CNN on some 10 second missing persons report.

Yoga is not for the faint of heart

So I started exercising again. I hadn't exercised in about 2 years. There was a time that I exercised almost everyday. But I fell off completely. You can imagine how out-of-shape I am. 

My first class was yoga and I loved it. I arrived late because I forgot my work out clothes at home and had to go get them. That kinda worked out well because I got a space to the back. I prefer to work out in the back for fear embarrassing myself. It was enjoyable but tough. Some of the poses were trying especially the ones where I had to suspend myself off the ground.

But I felt to so good after and I know it's ridiculous but I think i can see the difference already :)

I'm actually on a campaign to take care of myself alot more. I've never been one of those girls to get the nails done and facials ever other month and crap like that. I've kind of always been a minimalist. I think that once the basics are covered you should be fine. I have always had a thing for dyeing my hair though ever since I've been a teenager. So I've put in a nice brown/bronze. It's really made a difference. People think my hair looks good which is a stretch because I can count on one hand the number of people who think my hair looks good since I went natural a little over a year ago. Anywho...

finally!

Well, I've done it! I've created my first blog. 

I've always wanted to do this; have my own space where I can come talk about things that affect my friends and I as Caribbean women (from fashion to politics and everything inbetween. But I didn't want to appear narcissistic I guess. Outside wit dat!

I just hope I keep up with updates. We'll see how it goes. :)