Land of Fire & Ice

As the year 2024 closes, I celebrate more than 4,900 visits to this blog. Thanks to the visitors from Barbados, Germany, Ireland, Israel, the United Kingdom and United States of America who helped to make this achievement a reality.

So as I reflect on the past year, I'll share on one of my trips. Of all the places in the world I never expected to visit was the "Land of Fire and Ice" -  Iceland. Thanks to my work, I went there. It was a very short trip but quite pleasant. 

As luck would have it, there were volcano eruptions some weeks before my trip and there was even evacuation of the nearby community. Luckily, the country is huge and the eruptions had settled by the time of my visit. 

Preparation was another matter. Temperatures in Iceland don't get very high and I am not a fan of the cold. Moreover, I have a habit of losing gloves so my challenge was to find a pair of gloves to wear. I resorted to female biker gloves - purchased the day before travelling. It wasn't easy finding warm gloves locally. My winter coat is only hip-length, but it was good enough. I bundled up like an Eskimo to be honest - winter bonnet, biker gloves, short coat. Not sharing any photos of me though.

In our moving around I tried to get a photo of at least one snow-covered volcano.  This was one of my better efforts.  

While there it also snowed - not heavily but a steady flurry for a few hours. Another photo op.

A virtual aerial tour of Iceland was awesome. The country is beautiful in the summer and a visit then would certainly make my to-do list.

Equally fascinating is their folklore - elves, trolls, sea monsters.  They're quite happy to share their stories and I just had to take a photo of this giant Troll figurine.  

Those who know me would be aware that I've been watching Korean dramas for a few years and more recently Chinese "costume dramas". One of the actors, whose dramas I watched recently was Liu Xueyi. To my surprise, I discovered his VLOG on a trip to Iceland - it's sponsored. (Follow the link to view.) He did quite a good job. Informative.

                                                   Chinese Actor, Liu Xueyi

While writing, the year has turned which means it's time for me to wish everyone a Happy New Year. May 2025 prove memorable for all the right reasons.

Cheers.🍷 

'Tis The Season

... of 58 years of Independence and 3 years of Republic status for Barbados.  

Greetings to those who visited the blog from Barbados, Canada, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Israel, United Kingdom, USA and Vietnam.👋 Always happy to know that you visited.

In keeping with the spirit of the season, enjoy these images of Beautiful Barbados and a few seasonal songs.  If you follow the links, you will see wonderful images of the island over time.

                        Barbados' Parliament Buildings lit for Independence Celebrations  

Of course, right after Independence we're into the Christmas season - a time for family and other social gatherings, where the drinks (like Barbados' various rums) and ham are centre-pieces.

                       Alcoholic drinks are a common feature at social gatherings during the season

                                               A seasonal favourite - baked ham

Not much text today. Allowing the videos to speak for me. 

Happy Independence Day to Bajans everywhere.

Until next time...

Hey World - Here's A Rising Star For You

HAPPY HALLOWEEN to everyone around the world! 👸

Greetings to the faithful from Barbados, Canada, Israel, Germany, Netherlands and USA who continue to visit the page.👋

The real reason why my posts are becoming fewer...is my new hobby...cdramas.

I've not been disappointed with one yet. I began with Scarlet Heart some years ago and took a long pause before watching Eternal Love: Ten Miles of Peach Blossom. Then over the summer I discovered Zhang Ling He who was born on my birthday so I've dubbed him my child from another mother and I preen like a Mother Hen over each successful role he plays. 

                                                    Hey World - this is Zhang Ling He!

After seeing him in The Princess Royal, I needed to see what else he was in. The irony is that I watched the Princess Royal because of the Princess and the second male lead who was very easy on the eyes. Before the end of episode 2, it was all LZH. Quite the scene stealer he is.

                            These two youthful actors did a fine job in The Princess Royal

My search for more ZLH dramas led me to the hugely popular and award-winning, Love Between Fairy and Devil. It was an awesome production.  I saw clips before but was put off by Fairy Orchid's high-pitched "chipmunk" voice - only to realise that the actress spoke like that because the fairy was young and immature. It proved a most enjoyable watch and while I thought his performance was great, I did not get second lead syndrome. Male lead, Wang Hedi was too good for that. 

                        Zang Ling He in Lord Chang Heng's splendor in Love Between Fairy and Devil

You would think seeing ZLH in two consecutive dramas, would be enough. No. I needed to see something else - just to see if he really is a star on the rise. So, next up was My Journey to You with Ester Yu from Love Between Fairy and Devil.  Its every twist and turn was remarkable to be honest. The ensemble cast for this was excellent.

                               Zhang Ling He and Ester Yu were the leads in My Journey to You

Unfortunately, other dramas paled in comparison so I searched and searched. Then I found his debut role in Maiden Holmes (the trailer, subbed in English, was rather long so I'm sharing an OST). There he was - fresh-faced and emoting like a pro. No heavy make-up. He did rather well.

                    Zhang Ling He as the idle prince who had to stay away from politics to survive

 

That's why I was preoccupied all summer. On this day when others are bedecked in costumes, I hope you enjoy reading about these costume cdramas. 

Here's to Zhang Ling He. May his star continue to rise. 🌟

'Til next time...

The Colour of Crop Over 2024

Greetings to my faithful readers.  I'll be celebrating 4,700 views soon after posting this page.  So I'm thanking all who'll visit and give me that distinction.😊

Now for the roll call to you who hailed from Barbados, Canada, Cayman Islands (and at least one of the visits may've been me 😁), Germany, Ireland, Israel, Sweden, Turks & Caicos, United States and Vietnam. 

One of my readers reminded me recently that I've not posted in a while. It's true. Blame it on the Chinese dramas I began watching this summer. One episode is not enough. Maybe I'll share the OSTs in a future post. I even binge on reading the recaps. Also with all of the copyright issues at play, I have to be careful sourcing wallpapers or other images and the videos I want to use on the page.

So a big thank you to Gerald Walcott, wire-bender par excellence, who in his own words goes for days without sleep during the Crop Over season applying his craft. He was good enough to share these images of costumes from Colorz Entertainment's 2024 Kadooment Band featuring his wire work. They don't need Red Bull to give them wings. Colorz got Gerald Walcott to give them. 😉

  Models showing costumes from Colorz Entertainment 2024 Kadooment band Photo Credit: Gerald Walcott

Note that I've chosen images with "fluffy" gals as they deserve to jump too. Of course there are many who will still wear the monokinis or 4 triangles covering the essentials. 

        Fluffy gals deserve to jump too. Another costume for Colorz Entertainment's 2024 Kadooment band. 
                                                                    Credit: Gerald Walcott

While costumes are one aspect of the Crop Over Festival, they're only worn one day.  It is the music of the festival that rules for nearly 3 months. There is the soca (up-tempo party music) and the kaiso (slower songs usually focusing on social commentary).  Among my faves this year was this calypso penned by our maestro, Dr. the Honourable Anthony "Mighty Gabby" Carter and rendered by the teenaged sensation Tae. Check out her wonderful final calypso competition performance. She is the future of kaiso in Barbados. 

                                                    Cover Artwork for A Big Circus by Tae 

The competition winner was Adrian "AC" Clarke - one of my fave calypsonians and no stranger to my blog.  He had a big, big tune last year and was outsmarted in his performance by the eventual 2023 winner. He made up for it this year and was as close to flawless for a final performance as I've seen. I was very happy for him.

As for my party song of the season - H.O.T.P. (Heart of the Party). Once I'm at a red traffic light and I hear it on the radio, you'll see my hands in the air and I'm bouncing around in my car seat. Remember only at red traffic lights.  Even now my shoulders are shaking as I listen to it again.💓💓💓💓💓

                                Mikey and Mr. Blood are veterans now in the Crop Over arena

And the song that I only noticed the week before the Crop Over season culminated - Tomorrow by Brucelee Almightee. He won the People's Monarch fan vote competition and the 2024 Road March title (his was the most played song on the road). Kudos to him.

                                                           Brucelee Almightee

I trust you'll enjoy this glimpse of Barbados' Crop Over 2024.

'Til next time.

One Love: Filmed In Jamaica

Greetings from Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands 👋

No I have not migrated. I'm overseas for meetings. It's been a busy year - between care of my elderly dependents and my work commitments - and errands - I've not found the time to post anything...until now. 

I note that the blog has more than 4,600 visits. Thank you ever so much for your loyalty. I'm obliged and humbled. I've made 76 entries on this blog so there's still much for you to read and in most instances... enjoy. 

I usually recognise the nationalities of those who visit.  Over the past month, you've hailed from: Barbados, Canada, Germany, Grenada, Ireland, Russia, Sweden, United States and Vietnam.

I salute you. One Love 💖

That is the title for this post - inspired by the movie Bob Marley: One Love. I saw it in February and planned to make it my next post, which I would dedicate to other films I've seen set in Jamaica. I really shouldn't be promoting Jamaica so much. Still these three movies were most enjoyable. 

Bob Marley: One Love was a captivating portrayal of Marley's life and music.  It was an engrossing glimpse into his enduring legacy and the impact of his message of unity and peace.  Of course, actor Kingsley Ben-Adir as Bob Marley, was really easy on the eyes and it was great to see Lashana Lynch's powerful portrayal of Rita Marley. I've been a Lashana fan from her role in Shonda Rhimes' colour-blind casting for Still Star-Crossed (life after Romeo and Juliet).  Network television wasn't ready for a reimagined Verona but Netflix was more than ready for her reimagined Bridgerton regency series. 

                                                                The Poster

How Stella Got Her Groove Back is another most entertaining film with a backdrop of Jamaica. I became a fan of Taye Diggs after watching that one. Angela Bassett's reputation went before her so it's no surprise that she was great, even in a light-hearted film albeit delving into self-discovery and romance. A story of a stunning, almost middle-aged woman, Stella, as she rediscovers her passion for life and love during a transformative trip to Jamaica. 

It asked serious questions about relationships and age. When it's a man, it's ok. When it's a woman - it's an embarrassment? Puh-leezee. Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending it for personal reasons as I have no groove to get back - and probably never had any. LOL. 😃

                                            Poster for How Stella Got Her Groove Back 

Before there was a Stella to get her groove back, there was the Dancehall Queen (music video shown not the trailer). The electrifying film featured the vibrant world of Jamaican dancehall culture. The story revolved around Marcia, a street vendor, as she transformed into a dancehall sensation, blending drama and music in a compelling narrative. When I watched this as the second film during a trip to the cinema decades ago, I had zero expectations. By the end of the night, it was a complete revelation on many levels perhaps because it was a Jamaican film and not some big-budget Hollywood drama.  It was gritty and down-to-earth.

                                                     The Dancehall Queen Film Poster

As always, I like to sign off with a song. What better one than Bob Marley singing One Love -the official video.

                                                   The Legend himself: Bob Marley

Until next time...

Shalom.🙏

Of Carnival and ...

February is the month of love, carnival and the birthday of Barbados' most recent National Hero, Rihanna.  My focus for this entry? Carnival (well calypso) and a bit of love (a sweet spouge rendition).  

First, though, as usual, let me greet those who visited the page over the last month.  You hailed from: Barbados, Canada, China, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, USA and Vietnam! 👋 It seems like this page is a meeting of the United Nations. So grateful for your visits. Thank you. 🙇

I'll begin with Carnival. The most well-known at this time of year is Brazil and for the Caribbean region - Trinidad.  First up? A man of firsts - the winner of their Dimanche Gras (calypso finals), the veteran entertainer, Machel Montano. I remember him as a child in the 1980s when he won his first Junior Monarch title in Trinidad & Tobago with "Too Young to Soca".  Yes. I am that old. We all wondered if he would continue in the artform. He later made a name for himself with party music (soca) and now he's the calypso king of Trinidad & Tobago on his first try. I trust you will enjoy seeing his winning live performance.  When he showed Ras Shorty-I on the screen I got chills.  I'd planned to compare my local fave calypso about the calypso artform but decided not to take anything away from a now middle-aged Machel Montano. His performance was first class and his reputation as an excellent performer precedes him. 

Machel Montano - Trinidad & Tobago's Calypso Monarch 2024 and...

Machel Montano - an eager school boy in the1980s when he won his first calypso title - Junior Calypso Monarch of Trinidad and Tobago with "Too Young To Soca"

Still, the calypso in Trinidad which chorus has been repeating itself in my head over the past week is this lady's - and there's nothing "holy" about it. It's beat is just "wholly" infectious. I've heard it called the women's anthem for 2024.  With the current generation, it seems that anything goes, so a lyric or 2 is a little risqué.  It's not for the prudish.  Still, no-one can argue that Nadia Batson went to Market with this one.

Nadia Batson's rhythmic "Market" song is a huge hit this year 

I can't not feature something Barbadian so to bring it back home on a "love theme", this classic by the late Richard Stoute speaks of both love, fidelity and family.  The best part? It's a spouge rhythm. 

If calypso, chutney and ragga were born in Trinidad, then spouge was birthed in Barbados more than 50 years ago. 

Here is a  photo of the late Richard Stoute, in Valentine's red and white. 

The late Richard Stoute, outstanding Barbadian balladeer. 

No better note to sign off, on the eve of Valentine's Day.

Happy Valentine's Day to all. 🍷🍓🌹

 

Year In Review?

It's still New Year's Eve as I finally make time for my last blog entry for the year, 2023.

I begin by celebrating having more than 4,000 page views. Thank you so much to you who consistently check in.  I greet those who visited from Barbados, Canada, Germany, Grenada, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the USA. 👋

I note that quite a few were curious about my trip, so perhaps I'll start there for my year in review.  I travelled rather more than expected this year.  In spite of the issues I highlighted in July, being in the country was ok. It's just I'm not a fan of the cold, so any temperature under 20 degrees Celsius is cold for me.  In contrast, the country in the Middle East I visited some months later had temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius. 😲 Luckily there was air-condition on the commute to the meeting. No photos taken there though.

My fave trip of the year was to Jamaica - and the highlight was a visit to the world-famous Dunn's River Falls. Of course, I'm the first to boast of Barbados' white sandy beaches (even though I've not been to one in more than 5 years).  Still, the beach at Dunn's River was quite decent. I was instructed to bring a swimsuit so I took a dip. Lovely. Yes. I had to leave Barbados to go in the sea. Go figure. 

                                                Beach at Dunn's River Falls, Jamaica

What's interesting is that I was not in the best of health on any of my trips. I had bursitis or was it tendonitis (yet undiagnosed) in April-May? I was trying to contain a respiratory issue in September/October. Little did I know there was a new variant of COVID-19 lurking. It may explain why I had to be nebulized while overseas (not in Jamaica, I survived that trip but may've been exposed to something en route).  As I was overseas for an international meeting the health care system needed to ensure I returned to my homeland.  To achieve that I was nebulized and received antibiotic treatment. Apparently my lungs didn't sound too good.  Returned home, got another medical check and the lungs still weren't quite clear so 10 more days of antibiotic! Concurrently there was some gastrointestinal problem. I ended up having a 37-day purge.  On the bright side I lost 3 inches from my natural waist. 😀 

It's a good thing I'm a survivor.  Given my scare from a few months ago, this season I treated myself to these delicious cupcakes baked by Kimel.  Wonderful baking talent she has. 

                                                     Cupcakes baked by Kimel

In addition, I got myself a pedicure and a manicure. I don't treat myself often, but this year felt like a good time to do so. 

                                                               Pedicure 2023

Of course this is the real reason for my survival as only Cece Winans can render it. 

                                                            Gospel Artiste, Cece Winans

So, here's to a new year. 🍸 

May we have success in all that we do and achieve the goals we set ourselves for our family, work and spiritual lives. 

Shalom 🙏