Life in Trinidad & Tobago

Ratnesh Preetum Toteelalsingh Samsundar

2009-10-23T10:34:00.001-04:00

Indian Movies

Sound of Bamboo...

2009-03-13T10:50:00.003-04:00

Behind my house, there is a large expanse of bush followed by another expanse of some more bush and then there is a river bank with a pathetic little brown water river inside it. The nice pleasant thing about this area is that there are many bamboo patches along the edge of it. I have made for your viewing pleasure a video to listen to the sound of the wind through the bamboo.

Tobago - Sea, Sun & Sky

2009-02-03T19:53:00.003-04:00

One of the best things about being in Tobago is that no matter where you are, you are close to the sea. I was privileged to be staying right on the coast so I didn't have to go far to see spectacular sunsets and various planes coming in for landing. I was also privileged to be visited by the hotel's resident cat who inspected my room and seemingly found it in satisfactory condition.

Dear Outside Woman:

2009-01-22T18:32:00.002-04:00

This letter serves to officially inform you that with immediate effect your services as 'outside woman' will no longer be needed. Due to the recent increases in the price of fuel and the continued escalation of the cost of living, it has now become increasingly difficult for me to continue supporting two women, namely you and de wife. Therefore, following a recent board meeting (namely an ultimatum put forward by de wife), I have now been forced to cut staff. Since de wife say that she ain't goin no way and has threatened industrial action, after careful deliberation and a meeting with my Financial Manager (de wife) and Human Resource Manager (also de wife), a decision was made to lay you off.

I am sure that you would have realized that over the last couple of weeks. I have not been utilizing your services as much and you haven't been seeing me too regular. It isn't so much that I didn't want to pass and give you a shout, but de gas prices gurl, de gas prices, and you know dat piece a old car I have from de time I back it out de garage it does want something to drink.

Moreover every time I pass by you, you does always be in some kinda difficulty, when it ain't your light bill come, is de gate door want fixing, is de fella who cut de grass waiting on me to get pay. And when I tell you dat things brown you does push up yuh mouth in de air and ignore me de whole night. Plus de wife say that regardless of how high the prices get she ain't cutting back for a soul (especially you), an dat she hatta look better dan you when she step out this house, so every weekend she at de salon getting she hair fix up, and getting de fingernails and de toe nails spray paint.

When she done I still hatta buy rice (dat gone up), chicken (dat gone up), flour, fish, lard oil and butter (all ad dat gone up too), which don't leave nothing much for you. Furthermore, even though you were able to assist me in certain areas in which the wife was deficient, I distinctively remember you informing me when we were finalizing your job description, that you will not be washing my clothes nor underwear, yuh ain't pressing, yuh ain't turning cou-cou, nor tending to no setta cooking ting. You said dem was duties for my wife and children, plus you say that you ain't want no man sleeping by you, so by a certain time at night I used to have to buss it for home. Well I bussin it for good!

I therefore take this opportunity to thank you for all services rendered in the past and do wish you continued success in your future endeavors as an 'outside woman'. I am sure an 'outside woman' with your experience would be an asset to any hen pecked husband, and I would be more than happy to provide you with a letter of recommendation should you require one.

Once again thank you and good luck.

I did not make this letter up. I just thought it was funny and applicable to my blog since it's about T&T and the language of this letter is exactly how we Trinis talk. Also, I just love how the language went from formal English, to slang and then back again. Let me know if you need any part of it explained in real English! :-P

Careful with Turds- A song by me

2009-01-21T19:34:00.003-04:00

In the spirit of product- One of the many things that my sister and I hold very dear to our hearts, I have compiled a song in honour of this subject. Surely you will understand what product is by the end of my song. Please note this song is simply a new and improved version of Aly & AJ's "Careful with Words" which is in itself and excellent song. Please view the original lyrics here and listen to the song so you'll be able to sing along with my new and improved version which I know you'll want to do because it's just so catchy and it is a most pressing matter that affects us all at one point in our lives (or more for some of us).

Nature’s calling on your cell
Your stomach starts to ail
Why don’t you get some paper?
You’re giving me no details
What’s wrong, are you vex?
Or just need to get to the bathroom fast?
You gotta be careful with your turds

You’re all over me, defecating
I need to breathe, please stop farting
Your poor stomach won’t stop rumbling
But you need to be careful with turds
Careful, careful

Your by-product by my door
It’s so hard to ignore
The smell of matter, fecal
I feel so sorry for you, with your flatulation
And for that reason, you are so alone. :-(
You gotta be careful with your turds!

You’re all over me, defecating
I need to breathe, please stop farting
Your poor stomach won’t stop rumbling
But you need to be careful with turds
Careful, careful

First when you farted you, got no attention you
Really were desperate to go…
Then from your face I see
It was much more than a pee
You looked like you wanted to exploooode

None of your turds have since dispersed
It seems as if they’re in reverse
Suddenly you needed fibre
Only a matter of time before you
Get out what’s stuck inside of you
I told you you’d feel better soon, didn’t I?

You’re all over me, defecating
I need to breathe, please stop farting
Your poor stomach won’t stop rumbling
But you need to be careful with turds

Careful, careful

You’re all over me, defecating

I need to breathe, please stop farting

Your poor stomach won’t stop rumbling

You stayed there so long you got out all the turds...

The end

Our new blog!

2009-01-12T15:00:00.002-04:00

My sister and I have come to the inevitable conclusion that we are in fact, sharing the same brain. Thusly, we have decided to open a brand new blog called gyulDOTpus or gyul.pus...

The idea of this blog is to exhibit our psychotic behaviour. The posts are actually not the important or entertaining portion of the blog at all. The true gem of this blog lies in the comments. It is something of a split personality (Don't tell me that I told you) show where we comment as stalkers to each other. Thus the name of the URL, stalkingu.blogspot.com

If you would like to find out about where we got the other oddity which is the name gyul.pus, please visit us and enjoy!

Frooples & Froopert

Of course you may sleep with me, Chloe.

2009-01-07T11:22:00.003-04:00

Awwww.... Look at the precious little kitty... (8 year old kitty)Isn't see cute? lying on my bed taking a bath.

(Please click here to see Chloe in action!)

All of yesterday, she's been coming in and out of my room, investigating under my bed, sleeping on it, taking random baths of random body parts, rubbing her tail on my leg. At night time, when I was about to turn in, I said to myself, "Hey, Chloe really seems to enjoy being in my room". So out of the goodness of my heart, I left my bedroom door open (which is a rarity) so she can come and go during the night.

Being the uber-intelligent queen that she is, she sneakily went to bed just before me, stretching her entire fuzzy fur-dropping body out on my fleece blanket so that I had to use the regular one that is not as comfy. Okay, no problem, take my blanket, I don't need my fleece blanket. *steups*

I woke up at around 03:00 and went to the bathroom and on the way back was hustled for food by a now awake Chlo. I filled her bowl and quickly escaped to my room just in time to take back my blanket. Ahhhh, it felt so nice and soft- probably additional softness came from all the chloe-fur that was no doubt stuck thereupon.

After a few minutes, Chloe did not return and I was snoozing by now and feeling very proud of myself that I was able to sleep with my blanket. Little did I know what was to come.

All of a sudden, I felt a HEAVY and LARGE object jump onto the bed and come up to my head. The earthquake that is Chlo was followed by licking of my hair which is one of the worst sensations one can experience, believe me. Suddenly, I jumped in pain and almost rolled off the bed in fright. I was attacked! Chloe had decided that I had no right to take back MY blanket from her and BIT me ON MY HEAD!!!

I quickly sprang up (at which point she raced out of my room) and slammed the door behind her. I spent the night sleeping with my nice fleece blanket and a bump on my head.

Although I got my blanket back in the end and was able to sleep, nothing can take away the pain and humiliation that cat caused me. Especially since I had to recite the story to everyone I know.

Don't look at me with that innocent face! You know what you did! You vile beast!

I love this cat.

This internet is driving me INSANE!!!

2009-01-03T11:21:00.003-04:00

Since before the holidays I have been trying incessantly to upload pictures. IMPOSSIBLE! I can't upload to Flickr, I can't upload to Blogger. Page Load Error... Every time I see that line, another blood vessel swells up in my head. I'm so sorry to all my loyal readers, commenters, haters, everyone. :( It seems that I have been defeated by the Page Load Error, whatever it may be.

Oh! yet another one to add to my seriously declining level of patience... "Could not contact Blogger.com. Saving and publishing may fail. Retrying..."
Blogger.com, are you really retrying? Or are you just patronizing me?

Anyhow, how was your holidays? Mine was uneventful. Well, Boxing Day my uncle had a GREAT party at his home which was filled with many alcoholic beverages to tickle any fancy and enough food to make you sick. I ate enough food to make me sick. The next day, the party-goers retreated to my home where everyone was extremely tired so we all just sat around stuffing our faces some more. Some of the brave ones even drank some more.

Then it was a couple days of recuperation followed by Old Year's Night which is what we call New Year's Eve... Make sense right? I went to my best friend's home where I unsuccessfully tried to eat Barbequed Lamb... Of course since my wisdom teeth surgery I have not been able to open my mouth very big or chew to my satisfaction. Therefore, I have been forced many a time to swallow my food whole like Mimi.

Our Parrot is an idiot.

After leaving my best friend's home at almost 23:00 I went to my boyfriend's so I could get my new year's kiss which I am still waiting for. I think I may have gotten it on my arm but I'm not too sure. I must say, his fireworks show was quite something... But guess whose camera battery died after the FIRST photo? I keep telling myself I love my camera but it's starting to misbehave.

Totally unrelated news- I chopped off my hair. My hair used to be almost up to my waist- It's the first time I've ever had such long hair and I've been trying to leave it to grow for about 5 years. Usually, I go crazy and chop it all off. I did it again. I'm surprised that it took so long for the crazy to kick in. It's just slightly past my shoulders now.

I thank you very much for listening to my querulous ramblings and promise that soon I will have more interesting content with pictures instead of strangeness that came out of my head.

Sorry!

2008-12-19T19:13:00.001-04:00

Hi everyone,

I'm sorry I'm taking so long to post new items but my internet is really giving a lot of trouble and I can't seem to upload any pictures. It really doesn't make sense posting the subjects I have in mind without the pictures so I hope the "random facts" thing will do for now. Hope to have some new material soon though so hang tight!

JijiNeko

Another random facts thing...

2008-12-19T18:52:00.005-04:00

Remember just about 2 weeks ago I told you how I get a lot of those random questionnaire things? Well I got another one last week so I thought I'd share yet another bunch of random facts about me. :-S Please feel free to respond to this by answering the questions in the comment box! I'd really like that! hee hee hee At least people will have something other than my uneventful facts to read about!

USING ONLY ONE WORD Not as easy as you might think! Now forward, change the answers to suit you and pass it on. It's really hard to only use one word answers. Be sure to send back to the person you received it from!
Where is your cell phone	Desk
Your significant other?	Piggie
Your hair?	Black
Your mother?	TV
Your father?	Sleeping
Your favorite thing?	Funny
Your dream last night?	Horror
Your favorite drink?	Tea
Your dream/goal?	Happiness
What room are you in?	Bedroom
Your hobby?	Play
Your fear?	Holes
Where do you want to be in 6 Yrs?	Happy
Where were you last night?	Home
Something that you aren't?	Boring?
Muffins?	Sister's
Wish list item?	Many
Last thing you did?	Dishes
What are you wearing?	Dress
TV?	Neutral
Your pets?	Cute!
Friends?	Miss
Your life?	Uneventful
áYour mood?	Sleepy
Missing someone?	Perpetually
Drinking?	Water
Smoking	Yuck
Your car?	Non-Existent
Something you're not wearing?	Pants
Your favorite store?	Clothes
Your favorite color?	Two
áWhen is the last time you cried?	Long
Who will resend this?	You
Where do you go to over and over?	Mad
Five people who email me regularly?	This is not a one word question
My favorite place to eat?	Piggie's
Favorite place I'd like to be at right now?	Tobago
Four people I think will respond	How am I supposed to answer this in one word?
Here's what you are supposed to do...and please don't spoil the fun...Hit 'forward,' delete my answers, type in your answers and send it to a bunch of people, including me.

You hear that? Don't spoil the fun! Copy this big long table into the comment box and fill in your own answers!

A walk around Mum's Garden/More Unusual Fruits of Trinidad & Tobago

2008-12-19T00:15:00.011-04:00

My mother is obsessed with plants. I think unhealthily obsessed would not be an exaggeration. She used to water her plants twice a day, morning and night. This one time, (and probably more times that I don't know about) two of our neighbours were walking on the street going to work in the morning and saw Mum watering her plants. When they were returning from work that day, guess who was STILL in the yard watering plants!

Of course, it only looked like she was in the yard all day... I think. Please take a look of what is in her garden and let me know if you think it was worth it.

This is the view from the back of the house- That's the tops of bamboo that is on the bank of the river behind the house... I actually thought the sky was nice and dark and that's why I took this picture. This technically is not part of Mum's garden.

Isn't this just the cutest flower? I LOVE these! I actually took some of them and stuck them on my wall.

The following is a collection of Bougainvillea in Mum's Garden.

This one is called "Buttercup" although I'm not sure if this is the correct name for it...
Ahhh... The Ixora... Not my favourite flower... Actually, I don't really like this one at all. Im sorry, I think it's not that great looking. This is a shot before they open though.

And this is after it opens. The reason I am not fond of this flower is due to it's ridiculous popularity. Even people who don't have a garden, who don't like flowers, who only have bush in their yard, have at least one of these plants. Although Mum has her's in great condition and it looks a lot better than the scraggly plants you see unkempt in some flower-neutral person's yard, I still cannot bring myself to like them. They have a yummy nectar inside though... But I still don't like the flower.

No need to explain this one...

This is a Mango tree with Mango flowers and... PASSION FRUIT in the distance. This Passion Fruit vine decided to inhabit our Mango tree and now there are more Passion Fruits than Mango on this tree...
And here is a green Mango. Fear not! I will post pictures of this when it is ripe. That is, provided a bird does not get to it first.

The Mango tree was once called the Chloe tree as well since our cat would often be heard falling out of it while hunting for birds thereupon.

This is a Torenia in a pot next to the garden. There is almost more flower than plant on this plant.

A Cherry Pepper. A Pepper, that looks like a Cherry.

The BESTEST herb in the world! Bandanya or Chadon Beni or Shadow Benny as it is called is a very pungent and poweful herb used as seasoning. It's delicious and is used for everything in Trinidad dishes. This is a little one that is really struggling to grow because in some plants, the leaf grows to over a foot in lenght. Unfortunately, I've never seen one grow this big in our garden because for some reason, pieces of our seasonings often go missing...
Another herb used in cooking , Pudina which is called POdina in Trinidad. :P The leaf is kinda furry and Bunnies love it I have recently discovered, much to the dismay of my Mother.

And lastly...

Behold! Chinese Pommecythere! I think it's actually grafted. That word is pronounced pum-see-tay... Don't ask me how because I do not know. (Notice, Ixoras are in the distance) Regular Pommecythere (which is also known as golden apple) is about the size of your fist and is very sour until it gets ripe. This particular type (called Chinese for reasons also unknown to me) is a very small tree that may be around 6 feet tall- Ours is about this height and it bears multitudinous fruit in these little bunches. The fruit takes exceeding long to become ripe, however even when it is still green, it's sweet! Isn't that great! It's a great fruit for chow-making! Just add salt, pepper, seasoning (bandanya for example) and maybe garlic if you like to smell from a distance.

Trinidadians are very creative... Are they?

2008-12-13T13:42:00.005-04:00

I know, you may be wondering WHAT IN THE HECK is that thing? A Christmas Saguaro? I am parked on the shoulder of the highway taking this pic. Their are two of these eyesores on either side of the highway, this one is on the left ramp which goes to my home.
Here is the close up... The skirt in the middle is apparently a Christmas tree. The object in it's left hand (yes the tree has arms) is a "Deeyah" which is symbolic of the little clay pots that Hindus fill with oil and a wick and light for the Hindu festival "Divali" or "Diwali" or "Deepavali" (All the same thing, just different words)

In the right hand is the Moon and Star symbol for the Muslim festival of "Ramadan" and "Eid-Ul-Fitr". This is the way the moon and star line up on the night of Eid.

Considering that Trinidad & Tobago is a mixture of all religions, this is an appropriate decoration. Even if it's funny looking.

Oh, And T&TE? You want to know what that is, do you? Well that is the "Trinidad & Tobago Electricity Commission". But where's the "C"?

Here it is- This is Saguaro #2 on the right side of the highway.

Now THESE I MUST agree are very artistic! I really like them. There is a Company called "TRACMAC" and they have these vehicles in their yard. I must say that this is quite a nice idea...

So, what do you think? Are Trinbagonians talented and creative? Or should we stick to putting lights on trees?

Trinidad Beverages- Installation 1

2008-12-11T12:59:00.006-04:00

I got tired of having "parts" so this series will be "installations".

Saturday 6 December, 2008- my cousin's baby's 1st birthday. The kids had a wonderful party from 17:00hrs (which i did not attend but I assume it was good because there was a lot of screaming (my cousin lives two houses away)) and the adults party began at 19:00hrs.

On account of my personal decision to stop drinking alcoholic beverages, my boyfriend (who doesn't drink alcohol) and I decided to amuse ourselves with the non-alcoholic beverages supplied. Note, there was not a lot of variety for us to work with. I will have a more extensive list of beverages soon enough. For this installation though, you will need to walk with your own alcohol because I only brought chaser...

Exhibit A- The "Chubby" This little 250ml bottle of "Go Bananas" I must say was quite yummy even though I am not a fan of carbonated beverages (unless it's a beer). Perhaps the name comes from the fact that kids gobble this up and eventually start to emulate the shape of the bottle.

Exhibit 2- All the flavours. There used to be a lot more but maybe they stopped making such a wide variety or that was all had at the party. I guess it has been a long time since I ventured into the world of soft drinks. Please allow me to enlighten you as to the names of the flavours... 1-"Reggae Red", 2- "Orange Tango", 3- "Purple Power", 4- "Go Bananas"... Does anyone have any clue what they make the red one out of? I assume Purple Power is Grape but I could be wrong.

Now that I think of it, perhaps these drinks were for the children since my cousin saw me with one in my hand and couldn't stop laughing because it wasn't a beer.

And finally, Chapter C- Proof that Trinidad has Coke.

Special thanks to Piggie for this segment...

And thank you for wasting a perfectly good 1.5 minutes reading this crap.

The Engrish Language: Part 3 - Why it's important to understand English

2008-12-08T11:18:00.003-04:00

Sorry to all my Asian sistren and brethren out there, I just couldn't resist! It's just too cute!

As reported by a Toronto native:

I went to the currency exchange window at the local bank.
Short line. Just one guy in front of me...an Asian guy who
was trying to exchange yen for dollars and he was a little
irritated....
He asked the teller, "Why it change?? Yestoday, I get
two hunat dolla fo yen. Today I get hunat eighty?? Why it
change?"
The teller shrugged his shoulders and said,
"Fluctuations".
The Asian guy says, "Fluc you white people too".

(Courtesy of Hang)

Random facts about me

2008-12-03T15:13:00.002-04:00

I've been sent these fact sheet things to fill out many, many, annoyingly many times via email (I enjoy reading them though :P) My sister sent me this latest one which I thought might be interesting for you to read, reply to and/or forward to your friends. I would LOVE if you would like to copy and paste it as a comment to place on this site! That would be great! Hope you enjoy my answers to these...

1. What time did you get up this morning? 10:12hrs or thereabouts
2. Diamonds or pearls? Don't really care for either- I like crystals- cheap and pretty.
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? That one with Mark Walberg and the Valkyries
4. What is your favorite TV show? Golden Girls
5. What do you usually have for breakfast? Whatever I can find- usually bread :(
6. What is your middle name? Tanya- my stripper name :P
7. What food do you dislike? I have developed a new hated of bread for some reason
9. What kind of car do you drive? Drive- Mistubishi Lancer and Hyundai Matrix- Own? NONE
10. Favorite sandwich? Subway Chicken Teriyaki
11. What characteristic do you despise? dishonesty, arrogance
12. Favorite item of clothing? The jeans that actually fits
13. If you could go anywhere in the world on
vacation, where would you go? Japan, Australia, Tuvalu, Pitcairn
14. What color is your bathroom? Olive Green
15. Favorite brand name of clothing? Chanel I think- But I don't own and can't afford a piece of it and I like Fossil b/c my b/f's Mum bought me a GORGEOUS fossil handbag
16. Where would you retire to? Japan- That would mean I am rich :D
17. What was your most memorable birthday? None
18. Favorite sport to watch? football, motorcross
19. Farthest place you are sending this? All around the World I hope!
20. Who do you least expect to send this back to
you? I wish everyone would reply!
21. Person you expect to send it back first? Don't know
22. Favorite saying? "Choose your words as if your very life depended on them pleasing me"- Hajime Saitoh- Samurai X, Trust. But that's more like a quote than a saying, right?
23. When is your birthday? Aug 8
24. Are you a morning person or a night person? Night, but I'm unemployed at the moment so I'm enjoying the opportunity to wake up later than 04:30hrs for now.
25. What is your shoe size? 5-6
26. Pets? Dog- Mimi, Turtles- Wu & Gui, Parrot- Miko (EXTREMLY unfriendly- I don't consider her mine since she seems to think she's independent or something) Bunny- Bijou- not really mine- my b/f's but lives by me.
27. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us? I have a nice blog- check it out
28. What did you want to be when you were little? Vampire- I bit someone in Primary School, Samurai, Technoman
29. What are you wearing today? Black (used to be black- more like dark gray now) pants with two lighter gray stripes on each side and a white tank top
30. What is your favorite candy? I don't eat candy
31. What is your favorite flower? Daisy, Prunus, Cherry Blossom (Sakura)
32. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? The day that someone calls me to offer me employment close to home so I don't have to sit in 2.5 hours of traffic to get to town. :)
34. What is your full name? Kandace Tanya Singh
35. What are you listening to right now? Uehara Takako (My first love) and other slow depressing songs on my "sleep" playlist.
36. What was the last thing you ate? Homemade bread and butter (seeing a pattern?)
37. Do you wish on stars? nope
38. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Pink/Black
39. How is the weather right now? Sunny with cool air
40. Last person you spoke to on the phone? My boyfriend last night
41. Do you like the person who sent this to you? My sis- I love her
42. Favorite soft drink? tea (but sadly I had to cut down on account of my acid reflux)
43. Favorite restaurant? New Hong Kong City!!! Best service EVER!(My b/f's restaurant)
44. Hair color? black
45. Favorite day of the year? Weekends and Holidays.
46. What was your favorite toy as a child? I think my sister's doll- Amanda- I used to pull out her arms and legs and then get scared of her... I was a disturbed child
47. Summer or winter? I never experienced winter and I can't stand the heat of Trinidad so I don't know
48. Hugs or Kisses? Both
49. Chocolate or Vanilla? Lychee
51. When was the last time you cried? When my b/f was dying in the hospital of Dengue Fever.
52. What is under your bed? A lot of stuff that I have no use or place for and my sister's cat, Chloe- for now
53. What did you do last night? Looked at stars and tried to take pix of the Moon with the planets close by but failed miserably
54. Favorite smell? Mango I think
55. What are you afraid of? Holes
56. Plain, buttered, or salted Popcorn? Any- I LOVE popcorn!
57. How many keys on your key ring? About 8
58. How many years at your current job? Haha! Is this a joke? Rub it in why don't you!- steups
59. Favorite day of the week? Sunday
60. How many cities have you lived in? 2 or 3
61. Do you make friends easily? Too easily! And I end up with a bunch of creeps calling me!

That's it? Well that's a strange way to end a questionnaire.... Okay then. Well! I hope you will put this silly questionnaire to good use and end up learning some oddities about your friends... or total strangers like me.

Visiting Five Islands off the Coast

2008-12-02T22:43:00.005-04:00

There are a few islands off the coast of Trinidad (North), some of the popular ones include; Gaspar Grande, Chacachacare, Monos, Huevos and Carrera. There are some beautiful secluded beaches on these islands accessible solely by boat. In order to reach there, we took a little (rickety) fishing boat and passed through a rough patch of water which separates the islands called "bocas" which is actually short for "Bocas del Dragón" (Dragon's mouth) There are three- the first bocas, the second bocas, and the GRAND bocas. These names are what the locals call them but there are actual, proper names which I, as a local, do not know. We only passed through the first 2 fortunately. If we had to go through the grand bocas, the little fishing boat would have probably been boat-wrecked and we would have been Robinson Crusoe'd. On the other hand, there are certain areas that larger boats cannot pass because it's too shallow and therefore they have to go alllllll the way around all the islands...

The water wasn't too rough on this day, so luckily, no one was launched into the air and no one's butt hurt (I don't think). Actually, I was launched once.

The little that I know of these places, I am very delighted to share with you so that you will know a little too. Gaspar Grande has the popular "Gasparee Caves" which are naturally formed limestone caves with an amazing turqouise coloured pool below. Sorry, I didn't go here on this trip so I don't have any pictures yet :( But fear not! We shall soon journey into another butt breaking adventure so as to share this beauty with you!

Carrera island used to be the Trini Alcatraz many years ago... It's not in use now though. They say the island is always surrounded by Sharks but I don't know if that's true and I'm not sure the fishing boat can handle the truth.

Monos was named thusly due to the Monkeys that inhabited the island at the time. I did not see Monkeys. But then again, we were in the middle of the sea facing an island that just looked like a large brocolli.

Huevos means eggs in Spanish and I have no clue as to who chose this name or for what reason. I'm not sure anyone knows really.

Chacachacare's large number of edifices (like 6) were abandoned by 1984 since the island was used as a leper colony and the last leper died in that year. Apparently Donald Trump visited when Trinidad hosted the Miss Universe Pageant in 1999 and decided to use his millions to DESTROY the island by putting a hotel and casino... PLEASE!!! NO!!!

Well, it hasn't happened yet :) but I'm hoping he forgets and it never does. Trinidadian have this doltish habit of destroying any historical objects. Idiots.

Waiting to go out to sea...(Notice the two fisherman lounging on the pier?) That lighthouse shaped building in the distance is actually a Hotel & Restaurant named "Crews' Inn. Really nice place. Just ask my sister :P

Just some random yacht we saw on the way...

Coast Guard Ship...

More Coast Guard Vehicles...

Random Vessels...

This island is called "Soldado Rock" or "Soldier Rock". Since Trinidad and Venezuela are so close together, there is a lot of piracy, smuggling of drugs, people, etc... So there is a Soldier and a Coast Guard Officer that supposed to be on duty on this island 24/7 to ensure that no T&T nationals trespass into Venezuelan waters and vice versa. However, with their "upholding of the law and carriage of justice" Trinidad still seems to have more than it's fair share of illegal Venezuelan prostitutes. And well, who knows what lovely Trinidadian "cultures" Venezuela may be experiencing.

This island is a Muffin- And next to it? Well that must be a raisin as it fell from the Muffin.- Renfield
(Additional information courtesy of Kadhine)

House on Gaspar Grande Island... Not abandoned!

Abandoned Doctor's House #1 (Doctors who worked in the Leper Hospital)

Abandoned House #2

Abandoned Crumbles #3

Another Raisin...

Distance from our boat to the Raisin...

The deserted Huevos island with numerous Cacti is entirely owned by one family. There is only one house and one bay on this island. (Courtesy of Helen)

Another view of Huevos...

Large forest covered animal louging in the water...
(I'm sure my sister wishes these photos could be tagged :P)

Abandoned House #4

And up close...

Abandoned Lighthouse on Chacachacare Island. It's called the Bocas Lighthouse...

Abandoned Leper Hospital and Nurses' Quarters. The building with the roof exposed only is the Hospital...

Part Two

(I thought I'd just put it all together)

A boat wreck on Scotland Bay. Scotland Bay is one of the most popular Bays in this area. It's actually part of the mainland. The boat in the distance "Omar 2" is the one we came on. Omar is a VERY Indian name and the driver of the boat was of African descent and apparently everyone thought it was funny. Fortunately, there isn't a lot of racism in this country (one of its great attributes) so our captain also thought this was hilarious. He is going to change the name eventually though.

My boyfriend found an old rusty pulley wheel in this wreck and we had a blast playing with it.

Poisonous tree on the beach...

Many years ago, a friend of ours was trimming the branches of one of these trees and he washed his face afterward and went temporarily blind. He was rushed to the hospital and restored.

Water of Scotland Bay...

With shiny little fishies!

Although this is not Monos Island, monkeys can still be seen in certain parts clinging to the rocks.
Usually this is done in a desperate attempt to dig plants out of it for fishing boat passengers.

A pier- You can see the Abandoned Hospital and Nurses' Quarters from here... (Yes, that's the same Monkey on the left)

And here is the close up on that (I know you must be getting fed up of seeing these buildings by now... No more, I promise)

And this is a view of the water from the pier...

This little shellfish is called Pacro in Trinidad & Tobago. It is similar to an oyster (well not really but it's the closest thing I can think of) or perhaps a barnacle, but I don't know if barnacles are edible. Trinis dig dozens of these out from the rocks and then carry them to the beach-house they are no doubt staying in for the weekend and wash them and boil them with seasoning. Some people dig the soft meat out of the shells so there's something to chew also. The resulting drink is actually quite yummy and can be used as an aphrodisiac but is mostly used while drinking numerous bottles of White Oak Rum and playing All Fours.

Don't get excited- this is a 1.75 litre. Not all our rums come in these monster bottles

(Please check back in the near future for my series on local beverages)

Wild Lantana along the road to La Tinta Bay

Noisy Baby Hawk along the same road

Views of Venezuela from the western side of Chacachacare, La Tinta Bay... Venezuela is the foggy land mass in the distance that you can't make out.

View of Perruquier Bay

I think that's Soldado Rock in the distance there...

Landslide on Huevos Island. This happened just about 2 weeks ago...

Coast Guard boat coming toward us that just left the base on the left...

Filled with little Cub Cadets! So cute- they were all waving at us!

Just another boring view of Monos...

I hope you have enjoyed my local history lesson that you can't find in any book (not that I ever read but I think there is a book) and would be interested in visiting these creepy and beautiful islands when you visit me in Trinidad :D

Chloe, the car fanatic

2008-12-01T15:18:00.005-04:00

This animal seems to have a car fetish...

Unusual Fruits of Trinidad

2008-11-28T23:10:00.006-04:00

There are a lot of strange and beautiful Fruits in Trinidad & Tobago... But mostly strange. They may not be the best looking- but the uglier they are, the better they are for you. We do have many regular type fruits here too though, like; Apples, Grapes, Pears, Peach, Plums etc... Yes! We import too! Anyway, there have been successful attempts at growing grapes here but the pears & plums? Not so much.

But Trinidad does have a unique selection of great fruits that have distinct tastes and smells and perhaps you would be interested in seeing what these look like so in case you're ever lost in a forest in Trinidad, you will know what you can put in your mouth without developing delirium.

This fruit is called "Five fingers" in our country although the correct name is "star fruit" or "Carambola". As you can see, we have a lot and they are falling off the tree and rotting. Please feel free to request it and I will be happy to ship some to you since it is obviously going to waste here. Anyhow, the fruit of this particular tree is very sweet and delicious and juicy. Some trees do not have very sweet fruit but we got lucky with this one.

The infamous Noni- The most hideous creation in my opinion. The juice of this monster is supposedly very good for fighting diabetes and high cholesterol and helps with weight loss among other things. This may be true but there are also a lot of negative opinions about it as well. The juice is made by simply putting the fruit in a bottle in the sun for a few days and it gradually releases a bronze coloured pungent liquid which is consumed by many for its "healing abilities". I do not use this fruit for this purpose (or any purpose) and therefore have no opinion about its health benefits. I just think it's quite ugly.

Stay tuned for more Trini Fruits!

The Coconut Tree in the Back Yard

2008-11-28T22:45:00.006-04:00

This is a coconut tree in our back yard, do you see anything on the trunk?

No?

How about now?

These little cute squirrels were playing on the tree in the back yard when some idiot with a camera disturbed them. Who could that be? The nerve of some people.

My first attempt at drawing...

2008-11-26T22:54:00.006-04:00

I am not artistic in the least. I have never been able to draw anything beyond stick figures. I don't even write neatly. After watching a certain video on youtube however, I got it in my head that I might actually be able to try drawing an Anime girl on MSPaint... This is the video that I saw.

So here goes!

And this is the sad (literally) mess I started off with (After about an hour, mind you!)...
Oh, poor thing, she even looks like she's in pain. I was of course, pretty darn pleased with myself that it actually looked like something! O how proud I was! Of course, after being told that it was "cute" I realized that it was, in fact, quite the disaster...

So after many grueling hours interchanging my attention between watching the video, playing pool online at miniclip.com and trying my hand at this project, this is the finished product...I must say that it doesn't look half bad considering I am a talentless person who is venturing into the world of art for the first time ever (semi-successfully) while using MSPaint. I hope you have a nice positive opinion about my debut and will find it in your hearts to give me a nice comment that will make me think that my many, many tiresome hours have not been a complete waste.

Please also feel free to show me any artwork that you have done yourself even if your motive is to show off shamelessly and make me see that I shouldn't fool myself into thinking I might actually have talent.

Pretty capertillar

2008-11-24T15:30:00.003-04:00

While walking around in my back yard, trying to take pictures of the wind (thistle blowing and the like) who should I stumble upon but a beautiful Caterpillar! My boyfriend was inside and I wanted to show it to him... But how???

So I broke the branch that he was sitting on and brought him inside. Poor thing, he probably thought it was an earthquake!

He's quite photogenic, don't you think?

Confucius Say...

2008-11-24T11:32:00.002-04:00

Do you know the Confucius say jokes? I've compiled a list of a few that I know. If you have any more, please comment and share the joy!

Confucius say...

Man who run in front of car get tired.

Man who run behind car get exhausted.

Man who live in glass house should change clothes in basement.

Go to sleep with itchy bottom, wake up with smelly finger. (courtesy Frooples, you know who you are :P)

Man who eat bran muffin get good run for money.

Man who walk through airport turnstile sideways going to Bangkok.

Man with one chopstick go hungry. {poor man :-(}

Man who fart in church sit in own pew.

Elevator smell different to midget.

Give a man a fish, feed him for one day. Teach a man to fish, he sit in boat all day drinking beer.

Well, that's all the quotes I know from Confucius.

The Engrish Language - Part 2 "I have a wonderful thing!!!"

2008-11-22T14:12:00.005-04:00

Welcome to Part 2 of the Engrish Language! In this segment, I would first like to thank my wonderful sister who found in her heart to pack a lovely box of Japan goodies and ship it alllllll the way across the world to me! THANK YOU!!!! I love my box full of Hello Kitty items... It made me squeal like a girl at least 25 times. In celebration of receiving my box, I would like to share two little cute bits of Engrish found therein. Please enjoy!

In my opinion, this little elephant is ****sweetsweet****!!!

Click for close-up...

"You must have a wonderful thing" I guess that's like "You must be this tall to ride"?

Stay tuned for more lessons in the Engrish Language.

How to make an origami box/balloon/cube.

2008-11-21T09:43:00.007-04:00

Can you make any cool objects out of paper? The only thing I can make is a box. So, I've assembled some instructions on how to make this box. I hope it's clear enough for you to understand. If not, let me know and I'll try to clarify.

First of all, get the square pretty origami paper that your nice brother in law sent for you directly from Japan. (Thanks Shin!)
Fold it teabag style... To do this, Fold the corners to make a triangle shape, open and then fold the opposite corners so that you have a criss cross crease. You should be able to see the method from the pictures.

Then fold the four corners upward...
This is how it will look with all four corners folded up.
Then the fold in the points on each side...

Like so...

There will be two flappy parts on each side, fold these sides so that you can insert them into the pocket which you will find on the part you just folded in...
Notice how you fold it in half so that you can stuff it into the triangular opening?
Now with two done on each side, it will look like this...
Open the corners out and blow into the hole- The hole will be on one side.
And when you blow into it, you'll get a little cube! Or box, or ball, or balloon or whatever you want to call it...
This particular size is really nice for placing over tiny bulbs.
I have no tiny bulbs so I just make them and they end up like rubbish in my room. :) Please send me pix if you've made any and I'll display them and show how yours came out better than mine!

Wisdom Teeth Adventures!

2008-11-20T19:30:00.006-04:00

WARNING: The following image may not be suitable for children under 12, children over 12, adults, the elderly, the differently-able, pets, persons with heart conditions, persons who are squirmish, persons who are currently eating, those who have troublesome wisdom teeth, those who have TMJ and the public in general. If you do not belong in one of these categories, then please proceed... but with caution.

Meet my 8 wisdom teeth. (I haven't chosen names for them as yet) Aren't they disgusting? There are 9 pieces because 1 is broken in 2.

So here's my story. My jaw is too small to accommodate the regular 4 wisdom teeth. As a result of having TMJ also, due to my unusually unsymmetrical jaw and bruxism, I suffer regularly from jaw pain. Two or three months ago, my wisdom teeth decided that they were going to come out one way or another, therefore, they began facing forward and pushing my other teeth out of alignment. Upon being stricken with debilitating pain in my jaw, I visited the dentist who sent me for an X-Ray. (I'm SO sorry I don't have the X-Ray to show you- it was a barrel of laughs!) When i returned to the dentist, she looked at the X-ray, yelped "O MY GOD" and ran out of the room... Professionalism at it's best! I turned to the assistant and said "Did she just say OMG??" And the assistant is smiling her pretty little head off and telling me don't worry... Of course! Why should I worry.

On her return, the dentist looked at me and sai "It's not good" Oh no, I'm not worried at all at this point! Not only do I have an unusually small AND crooked jaw, I have double the amount of wisdom teeth still impacted and... wait for it... One of the teeth is wrapped around a nerve! FUN FUN FUN!!! I'm sure you can guess which tooth it is- yes, Mr. ballerina on the bottom right corner.

After a surgery where I had the same hallucination as Beavis & Butthead in "Beavis & Butthead Do America" when they ate the Cactus in the desert, I woke up with my mouth stuffed full of cotton and covered in a very festive American- Indian type blanket. ( I have pictures but they are more disturbing than the teeth)

If you are going to undergo this surgery and have the same conditions I do, ie; TMJ, 8 wisdom teeth, a screwed up jaw that's too small for your teeth and teeth that likes to hug your nerves, you are in for one hell of a recovery. Usual recovery time is 1 week. During this 1 week, you can eat mashed potatos, oatmeal, cream of wheat, smoothies and other unchewables. Especially if you have TMJ, prepare to eat before brushing your teeth (or rinsing your mouth which I had to do b/c I couldn't open my mouth enough to fit a toothbrush) because you HAVE to take pain killers to be able to force your mouth open to clean it. Prepare to bleed like a dying animal for the first 2 days.

Lucky, lucky me took over 2 weeks to recover due to the TMJ. After I finally was able to open my trap to chew people food like rice and extra soft bread, I remained with sewer breath. That is the love name now given to me by my wonderful boyfriend (no, that's not sarcasm *growl*)

My surgery was 1 month ago and my sewer breath is finally starting to go away. I have 2 holes at the back of my jaw (I have a terrible fear of holes BTW) and food gets stuck in them *faints* It's EXTREMELY nsaty but the dentist said it will go away eventually and my teeth should shift back to their original positions.

Oh! One other thing, apparently, there is always a 10% chance that you will lose feeling in your lower lip/chin. Guess who can't feel! The feeling is supposed to come back soon though. My situation was so screwed up and freakish and I survived and am recovering so if you are worried about your wisdom teeth operation, remember, you could be sewer breath...

The Emporer Valley Zoo- Part 4- Mammals- Fuzzies & Cuddly Wuddlies.

2008-11-20T13:02:00.018-04:00

The Trinidad Zoo really doesn't have a very wide selection. Unfortunately, we don't have cold-weather animals because it's perpetually hot here, even when it's rainy so they wouldn't survive. The few mammals there are at the Zoo were mostly in hiding due to the rain however, and I mostly saw hindquarters only or nosey only or little ears only so I don't have a lot of pictures in this segment :( But the ones I did see were SO DARN CUTE!!! I just wanted to jump over the obviously too-short rails and run them down and hug them up! But I just wasn't in the mood to pry little spiky claws out of my skin. So, without further ado, I now present- "My small menagerie of tropical mammals". Please do enjoy.

This animal is called a Jaguarundi. I've never seen one before. Although he is of the cat family, he looks a lot more like a Mongoose. As soon as he saw us, he greeted us by relieving himself and then climbing up to where he is there on the picture, presumably to escape from his own by-product. They have extremely cute faces that look nothing like a cat.

This red monkey had a baby! I was trying to get a good picture showing both of them but it was difficult since she was very far away.

This guy was scratching his back against the cage and we were able to touch his icky, wet, wiry fur. He was very friendly and cute and when I caled him, he actualy turned toward me...
And quickly turned away so I wasn't able to get a great shot :(

This little otter is one of my favourite animals. He looked up at us before diving into the water as if to say "Ready?!"
Then he came out at the other end and bit his tail. Isn't that face just adorable!

Now this Ocelot you can tell is of the Cat family! He is just overly cute! He was very fortunate to be behind locked doors or I'm sure he would be in someone's house drinking milk out of a saucer right now.
Meet the Armadillo's Butt. I never saw an Armadillo before and I didn't see one this time either.

I absolutely ADORE the Capybaras! My sister loves them too- but it's not hard to love these adorable rodents... That's right- did you know that these cuddly cuties are the worlds largest rodents? That is one large Guinea Pig!
There are actually five Capys in this photo, can you spot them all? You have to look real closely to see number 5!

Very cute wild hog

This little raccoon was very friendly!

Unfortunately, due to the rain, his highness was not totally visible. But even with such opacity, you can still revere him and be in awe of his colossal beauty.

Deers caught in the act!

White, furry, Albino man

Sorry i don't have more photos of the Monkeys, they were being very uncaring...

The Emporer Valley Zoo- Part 3- Birdies!!!

2008-11-20T12:42:00.007-04:00

I personally am not a Bird person. Of course, I love all animals but some people are really into birds and they go bird watching etc. I am not one of those people. However, the birds at the Zoo were quite talented and unusually friendly. Perhaps the zoo-keepers put a little something special in their drinking water because they are unlike any birds I've ever seen. The Toucan was my favourite... I actually had my nail nibbled by him/her! That made me feel all warm and fuzzy! It's also so heart-warming when birds appreciate your presence so much that they celebrate it by relieving themselves. I have a new respect for birds after visiting the drunk *ahem* I mean, friendly birds at the Emperor Valley Zoo.

I guess you can tell I love the Toucan :P Yes I do!

Pretty Owl

And Hawk (I think)

Spot the Peacock!

Egrets

Noisy (unfriendly) Macaws

COBO!!! This bird is a vulture, although it is called Corbeau in Trinidad, the word Corbeau is actually French for Raven. The English Language does have a lot of words derived from French however and in Trinidad, French Patois. So the bird is in fact indirectly a Corbeau... Although it realy should be vulture.

Maracas Beach & North Coast Road

2008-11-19T13:52:00.007-04:00

Further to my amateur review of the Maracas Bay Hotel, here are some photos of the Beach itself and the North Coast Road leading up to the beach. This treacherous road is really beautiful and has wonderful views. This time however, we had the magnificent experience of being surrounded by mist. This does not usually happen so it was really spectacular to see and feel. It was like being hugged by a cloud!

Views on the way...

Views from the top of the hill...

Close up...

The old jetty on the right...

There are chickens by the sea, there are chickens by the sea, won't you listen to me please...

The old footbridge...

Fisherman...

The Church next to the Hotel...

Please let me know if you've been to Maracas Beach! Did you enjoy it?

Maracas Bay Hotel, Maracas Bay, Trinidad

2008-11-19T12:50:00.011-04:00

So yesterday we decided to visit Maracas Beach, one of the most popular beaches in Trinidad. It was a Tuesday so the beach wasn't crawling with people so you could actually see the water. On the other hand, the rain was falling so it was wet and icky too. I decided to go to the Hotel which is directly opposite the beach- GREAT location. I've included some pictures so you can judge for yourself.

Frontal view of the Hotel (Left)...

Frontal View of the Hotel (Right)...

The Bar... I think the bar at our house has a wider variety than that. Not very appetizing...
Another view of the bar...
The TV Lounge...

Cozy corner in the Lobby area...

Another sitting area of the LobbyReception (Yes, Receptionist= Bartender)

Based on the pictures, one can see that the hotel is a quaint and lovely place to be. Sure, the building, location and the fact that you can literally lie down and roll into the water (unless you get hit by a car crossing the road) make the place fantastic but the worst part about it is- the staff... of one. So what if it's a Tuesday, does that mean you have to be treated like crap? Of course, it could be because we are not foreigners but what kind of excuse is that? The woman at front desk (who was also the bartender), very nonchalantly walked by us with no greeting even though we were smiling and being friendly. She looked at me as if I had no right to be there but gave us what we wanted at the bar. Did we offend? I'm pretty sure we weren't smelling bad or anything. So I asked her for some information on the hotel, she shot me a killer look *shudder* but at least she answered my questions.

So the hotel has;

32 rooms (Standard only)
Rooms are equipped two double beds, air condition, hot/cold showers, no TV (unless requested)
All rooms have a view of the beach and a balcony
No swimming pool (but the beach is only a roll away)
Bandanya Restaurant open for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Bar
TV Lounge

Prices are;

Single or Double- US$73.00/TT$460.00
Triple- US$87.30/TT$550.00
Quad- US$103.17/TT$650.00

Altogether not bad considering the price... I mean you can't get something for nothing right? Well in this case, "good thing no cheap & cheap thing no good". I think if you are a non-Trinidadian, the hotel will be a wonderful place to stay, or even if you are a Trini; but don't go expecting to be treated like you're at a 5-star hotel (or a 3-star). I don't suggest having meals at the restaurant because they're very expensive and they have the same food outside at the Shark & Bake stands (and there are A LOT of those along the beach). Also, the bar is expensive and the only difference is that it has a/c as opposed to the two or three other bars within walking distance. The hotel is great if you just need a place to spend the night while enjoying the beach and surroundings.

Have you or someone you know experienced Maracas and/or the Maracas Bay Hotel? Please comment and share your experience!

Flooding in Trinidad

2008-11-19T12:39:00.004-04:00

November 18, 2008 there was massive rainfall here in Trinidad that caused a lot of flooding, landslides and damage to property. In Maraval, a tree fell, a landslide blocked the Lady Young Road and my Mum, Aunt and I were stranded in Santa Cruz for a couple hours. It was quite an adventure but very scary to be in as well. Here are some pictures of Santa Cruz engulfed in flood waters. There were not a lot of houses in this area so it's just vegetation. At a few places in the road, the water was almost pushing the car. We could hear debris slamming against the sides of the car as well and a large piece of wood almost ran straight into us. At one point, all the cars had to stop and wait for a larger vehicle to pass through the river in the road just to see how deep it went...

Nice huh? There are a lot of e-mails circulating with pictures of the flood in the capital, Port of Spain but those aren't mine so I can't use them for my blog... If you would like to see them though, I'd be happy to email them to you!

The Emporer Valley Zoo- Part 2- Reptiles & Amphibians

2008-11-18T08:58:00.013-04:00

Who likes snakes??? Don't they taste just splendid? Well these snakes weren't for eating so I could only take pictures of them. But oh boy, if Harry Potter was there those snakes (and other reptiles) would've been scared. Please enjoy my photographs of these delightful, fuzzy, wuzzy, cuddly, lovable critters!

Wow! That's a LARGE turd in the water, huh?! Oh wait... That's no turd!

This little guy was tapping his nosey on the glass!

Spot the Lizard!

Can you see the baby Caiman?This big fellah was about 10 feet long!

Since it was raining, I guess these guys were all very happy being soaked and just lulling around in the nice mud... Do you like reptiles?

Attack of the Killer Parrot!

2008-11-17T16:08:00.005-04:00

What Killer Parrot? That Parrot is nice and calm and just minding her own business...

Until of course, she realizes that there's a camera in her face...

LOOK OUT!!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Ever heard the joke about the burglar and the Parrot? It seems a certain burglar broke into a house one night when the family was out. As soon as he entered, he heard;
"God is watching you!"
"Who said that?" He replied, but no answer came... So he continued his collection of various items until again he heard;
"God is watching you!"
Just then, he realized that the words came from the Parrot in the corner of the room.
Laughing, he said,
"Oh really? Are YOU God?"
To which the Parrot replied, "No, I'm Jesus!"
"What kind of an idiot would name his Parrot Jesus?" said the Burglar

"Oh, the same idiot who named his Rottweiler God"

That burglar is now missing a large portion of his hindquarters.

Whoever thought the Trinidad Zoo would be so fun?!

2008-11-17T12:36:00.008-04:00

I went to the Emperor Valley Zoo here in Trinidad and was pleasantly surprised! I haven't been to the Zoo in 10 years so I was really excited but still expecting to be disappointed. I thought all I would see would be a few malnourished looking animals staring unhappily into space. Strangely enough though, the animals (well some of them) looked remotely content. Unfortunately, it was raining and they were all hiding in their little makeshift houses but I still got some great shots...

Part 1- The Fishies!

These Fishes aren't camera-shy at all! They all pose for the shots! And they stare straight at you!

Front View...Side view...

Can you spot the living creature in this shot?

These little guys were running for dear life! Well, swimming for dear life...

These two actually came closer when they saw the camera...

And this one smiled!

Aww.... Look at the little ethereal beauty!

Staring contest... (The fish won)

This one looks like the type of fish Trinis catch and cook on the spot :P Actually, he was very shiny so maybe a Trini would take a photo of him before chopping him up and putting him in the pot with the boiling oil.

Stay tuned for part 2- Reptiles!

By Popular demand!

2008-11-17T10:56:00.005-04:00

By demand of a reader, I now present... Wu & Gui. Wu & Gui are my 2 Turtles. Wu Gui together means Turtle in Chinese so in English, I believe I have named my pets- Tur & Tle. Aren't they cute? By the way, I don't know which is which. I just call them Wu & Gui together.

The Engrish Language - Part 1 "Happy to you too!"

2008-11-16T09:18:00.008-04:00

I have decided to include "Part 1" into the name of this post because I know there will be more Engrish in the world, just waiting to be discovered and exploited for the our twisted enjoyment. If you don't know, Engrish is a term used to describe the variant English that is written (most frequently) by East Asian persons. We often see it on items made in these countries. It is characterized by incorrect spelling, grammar & punctuation. To learn more about this fine art and it's history, please visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engrish.

To begin this series, I would like to display Engrish from a source VERY dear to my heart. My favorite character of all time... HELLO KITTY!!!

Isn't this little alarm clock just precious?

"missing you and remembering all those we enjoyed together"
All those what? All those cookies? All those STD's?

Of course, these are not original Sanrio products but how can you pass up an item with your idol on it?

Another example of WONDERFUL Engrish... (Click for enlarged image)
Oh yeah, I don't where that tea came from or how it ended up in my house. I don't drink that... :-S

I hope you enjoyed installation 1 of my new series on the fascinating Language Art of Engrish. Please send me pictures of any Engrish you have around your home! And I hope your day is filled with many and happy thing of tomorrow!

Super Turtle!

2008-11-15T16:37:00.007-04:00

I think my Turtle is trying to fly. At least it kinda looks that way from these pix...

Speaking of Turtles, have you heard of the story of how Aeschylus died? Apparently this Greek playwright died because an Eagle thought his balding head was a rock and dropped a live Turtle on him in order to crack it's shell. Poor, poor Aeschylus... At least the Turtle survived.

Mimiko, ramblings about another family member...

2008-11-15T14:16:00.000-04:00

Since I've already displayed pictures of the Queen Chloe, I think it is only appropriate to place pictures of one of her loyal (or not-so-loyal) subjects... This fine specimen of Dog-hood is none other than my pet, Mimiko. Unlike her highness Chloe, she insists that you touch and play with her, urinating on herself because she can't contain herself (obviously). There is no feeling that warms your heart (or your foot) more than having your puppy pee upon seeing you.

This is Mimi with my Aunt's Dog, Chocolate... Partners in crime. I think Chocolate is a bad influence though. Don't you think it even shows on her face?
Well, Chloe obviously does not approve of Mimi or her habit of chasing her as soon as she struts her majestic white butt out the door (which one of her human subjects has no doubt been holding for an untold amount of time). She just doesn't seem to understand that Mimi just wants to be friends... And poor little Mimi doesn't realize that Chloe is of a much higher social standing than her.

Tobago

2008-11-15T12:36:00.000-04:00

Tobago, Sister Isle of Trinidad...

Around the Hotel, Kariwak- BEAUTIFUL place, elegant, peaceful and reasonably priced!!!

The enchanting garden area of the hotel...

Pond with Koi

Please visit www.kariwak.com for further information on this Tobago Hotel.

A drive along a coastal Tobago road...

Fort Granby

Grave of James Clark... Anyone know who he is?
James Clark again

Views of Little Tobago & Goat Island from Speyside Lookout

A gorgeous bay the name of which I do not know :P

View from the top of Signal Hill

A stylish goat on Signal Hill... Look at the camera Goaty!

On the road to Pigeon Point Beach- MOST popular in Tobago...

View from the glass bottom boat taken from Store Bay...

The Nylon Pool, accessible via the glass bottom boat

Fort King George, the most popular Fort in Tobago (and Largest)

The Jailhouse at the Fort

The water hole (Fort King George)These cows were not too far from the airport! :)Sandy Point Beach I hope you enjoyed my small selection of Tobago photos... Please email me if you would like to add to my collection (your pix will be credited of course) or if you need info on traveling to Trinidad & Tobago.

Chloe

2008-11-15T12:13:00.000-04:00

Okay, so Chloe found out that I put a hideous picture of her online and now she is very cross with me... :( So i agreed to put some better photos for fear of getting on her bad side again... *shudder*

She's pretending to be oh so camera shy... Yeah right!

This picture shows the true Chloe!!! Posed off on HER (well my mother's) jewelry box... She is definitely in her rightful place on a jewel encrusted throne... Which is inside a box for safe keeping....

My First Post! YAAAAYY!!! :-D

2008-11-15T11:28:00.002-04:00

Hello! This is very strange and unusual for me and I've never blogged before... In fact I only recently found out what blogging means :P (Okay, j/k) I am very new to this so be wary of bad spelling, grammar, stupid puns, unfunny jokes and just general silliness (<--Is that a word?). For my very first post, I've decided to discuss and show you..... MY QUEEN.No, this cat is not dead and/or pregnant... This is my sister's cat who was left behind due to the tremendous fear of traveling... As many other cats, Chloe thinks she owns us... We obviously only live to feed her, let her out when she's done eating and of course we are not allowed to touch her unless blatantly stated by her beforehand. I am sure she would be very satisfied with me knowing that I am sharing her beauty and elegance with the world. (Unless of course she knows that I put one of her WORST pictures on the internet :P) Okay, gotta go, the Queen summons...