Here's To You!🥂

 Oh Wow! A huge, huge thank you to everyone who visited this page recently. I see more than 16,000 visits to the page, which looks like a United Nations assembly. Shout out to the readers/visitors from: Argentina, Azerbaijan, Barbados, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Germany, India, Kazakstan, Nigeria, Ukraine and Vietnam, Albania, Australia, Bolivia, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Mexico, Pakistan, Phillipines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sweden, United Kingdom and USA.

Here's to you all.🍹

It absolutely warms my heart to see all who came across this page - and I hope it wasn't the last visit.

I saw that you visited lots of pages - about my travels, Barbados' cultural expressions...even the Independence and Christmas entries! 

If this is Ai, more power. Hopefully the human readers are  enjoying it. 

This year the Crop Over season is coming to a close and just because I know some of you wanted to catch my thoughts on the music of Barbados' sweetest summer festival, Crop Over, I bring you reflections on last year's and what I know of this year's ... 

Sweet Kaiso

Last year, the quality of social commentary for the Pic-O-De-Crop (calypso king) title was generally commended. There was wit, satire, lots of humour and during the finals some tried their picong verses.  The eventual winner, Mr. Blood (Anderson Armstrong) did not waste time on picong.  He stuck to his task, which was to call for recognition for those calypsonians who paved the way for the current talents. You may click on the link for the full 7 hours of competition. 

However, the performer who brought the proverbial house down was the eventual third-placed winner, De Announcer. He was my poster boy in my last post - my year end reflections. Boy did he look grand in a fabulous dress and those wigs. It was a highly entertaining performance and in another 24 hours we'll know who rules for 2026.

Here are some of this year's Pic-o-de Crop competitors

One for de Road

While most fans enjoyed the social commentary, some can't relate to the party music. This year I've not followed the music, all I know is that Mikey won the Power  Soca and Sweet Soca competition and his Power Soca, "Like Ah Bajan" was used by Barbados' athletes fir their entrance to the Central American and Caribbean Games! It is catchy and I always like Mikey's work. Listen to it via the link above. These are our two flag bearers - members of our national field hockey team.

Fave Song O'Last Season

Since I didn't share it last year, I'll do so now. This was my fave song of the 2025 season - Bobo's "Favourite Time of Year". I trust you enjoy it as much as I do. Red Boyz did an awesome job on this recording and it got some love last year. 🎶🎵

            Calypsonian "Bobo" had one of the popular tunes for the 2025 Crop Over season

As always I can't sign off for Crop Over without a splash of colour. On Kadooment Monday (August 3, 2026) we'll see the band designers' creations for 2026 and the spectacle of thousands of people "wukking up like a Bajan". The image below is taken from the National Cultural Foundation's Festivals page. Whoever she is, I hope she doesn't mind a few thousand people seeing how she enjoyed a Kadooment in the past.💃

Til next time....💃

11 Months Later...

Well, it's been some 11 months since my last blog entry. Where has the year gone? 

Again I have to thank my loyal readers hailing from the USA, Barbados, Germany, Bangladesh, Ukraine, Brazil, Phillipines, Singapore, Vietnam, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Chile, Nigeria, Kazakstan, India, Egypt and Colombia. Appreciate your visits - and my acknowledgements always remind me of a United Nations meeting.

As the year closes, here are some thoughts...in July, I wanted to highlight the music of the Crop Over season. This year, the social commentary (kaiso) was remarkably good. The song of the season was  Ronald "De Announcer" Clarke's "National Carol Festival". He placed third and there were those who thought he should've won. You can follow the link for his wonderfully entertaining performance.

De Announcer performing at the 2025 Pic-I-de-Crop Calypso Finals.

For a look at one of our enduring local traditions, you can enjoy the local fashion parade and the entertainment we enjoyed on Christmas morning thanks to this upload from the Prime Minister's Office of Christmas in Queen's Park 2025. It was a pleasant morning out. I enjoyed it.

Since it's been a while since I featured an original local Christmas song, this one by John Yarde and Nikita quickly became a seasonal fave for me. Two very talented local artistes.

On that note I'll sign off for 2025. Not sure what will distract me in 2026. Apart from stresses at work, this year it was postgrad studies - and I discovered I'm too old for it - along with a fascination with fantasy/historical cdramas that occupied my free time. 

Here's to a fulfilling 2026. Wishing you Joy, Peace, Love. 🥂

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.🙏