My World
The world according to me!Archive for September, 2008
Everything will be Irie
One of my favourite Calypsonians is Timothy Watkins, the Baron. He has the sweetest voice in calypso. His style is effortless. And when he sings the sun shines brighter, honest.
This is an almost 20 year old performance from Mr. Watkins. Don’t worry he’s still going strong. I believe it’s his Dimanche Gras performance of “Somebody”.
Of course then I found this 2008 performance of Melosian Rapsody, which is one of my favourites from him.
His signature tune, an introduction of sorts, is one of the most honest, yet well deserved vanity pieces in calypso. Sweet Soca Man is by far a favourite of anyone with ears, you can hear a clip of it here.
We should play more of his music on the radio.
Why I Watch Tyler Perry’s Films
I just finished watching “Daddy’s Little Girls”, and I can’t wait for “The Family That Preys” to open. I confess I love Tyler Perry’s films.
I watched “Daddy’s Little Girls” on Sunday, with the sound of my brother’s condescending comments in the background. Unfortunately for him, his comments didn’t diminish my fun, and he was drawn into the drama against his better judgement.
I like to watch movies, I like to watch movies I relate to. Movies that explore the human experience in new ways are my preference. Having said that, I suspect Tyler is a one trick pony, but I going to continue to support his films.
Why, because they deal with topics often ignored in the mainstream. He features thinking that is easier for me to recognise than what I’d find elsewhere. Tyler’s success illustrates a theme we’re exploring in Trinidad & Tobago’s media landscape. People who aren’t accustomed to seeing themselves on TV (movies, film, radio, whatever), will welcome the company that does that. Hence Tyler Perry’s dramatic rise to success.
I Miss Girlfriends
There are few shows on television I watch with a cast that sort-of represents my world. OK, that’s a misnomer. What I mean is there are few options on TV with a cast of women who share my fashion, culture shock, bougie-girl problems. I found that on the CW’s Girlfriends.
I don’t relate completely, I’m not a materialistic, openly desperate to get married, nympho, cheat. And I’m not American. But I loved Girlfriends.
It didn’t pander to me. It just presented these four lives that were tied together through experience and history. Nothing was sacred, these girls hurt each other, and did stuff that could, and did end friendships. It was funny, it was stylish, but it was also sweet.
I watch it now on repeats, but stupid BET keeps changing the schedule. I wish they’d show Girlfriends during the time they give to the Parkers (words can’t express how much I hate that show). Much better viewing.
The funny thing is, I ignored Girlfriends when it debuted. I thought it would be a poorly, produced, scripted, and acted sitcom for the American American community, and it wasn’t. Since I got onto the Girlfriends train, I’ve brought a lot of my friends on-board, and then those bastards ended the series. Badly.
Fortunately Mara Brock Akil and Kelsey Grammer have teamed up to produce The Game, a spin-off from Girlfriends. It’s not bad. Actually, it’s quite good, but it’s not Girlfriends.
Drink More Water
I always wonder if I’m drinking enough water. Recently I’ve started feeling thirsty. It may be for a myriad of 
reasons, one being that sometimes I don’t drink enough at work because I hate running to the bathroom all the time. Not a good reason I know, especially since feeling thirsty could also be a symptom of diabetes; of which my family has a history. I need to sure I’m drinking enough to remain healthy.
The standard 8 glasses of water has gone out with the old weight/ height guide. Like BMI, you can get a Hydration Calculator based on your lifestyle, weight and height. I used one from About.com that had questions about: how often I exercise; rarely, the climate; hot, and if I was pregnant or breastfeeding; no and no.
It determined that I need 3.3 liters of water per day, 20% of which should come from my food…which means I could drink 2.7 litres of mostly water. So from tomorrow I’m going to aim for that amount of water. It shouldn’t be too hard, I don’t hate drinking water. And I’ve already started to increase the amount of water I have been drinking.
To see my results or to use the hydration calculator yourself click here.
I just ran to the kitchen to see if I could have tangible indicator of what 3 litres looks like…OMG! Not sure if that’s doable, I’ll try, but Lordy I ent too sure.
I’m going to have to get some fancy water recipes, like Cucumber-Lime water and this Sangria Water recipe to get me through this. I’ll keep you posted.
Reading Romance
I used to really love romance novels when I was younger. They were so adult, so sexy, so fun. I’d eat them up in minutes and return for seconds.
We had a book club in school. We’d source the books from our mothers’ shelves and plead with the borrower not to damage or lose them, since we’re not supposed to be reading those kind of books anyway. Lets be honest, some of them are practically soft porn. Sidney Sheldon, hello!
My romance novel introduction started with the the Sweet Valley Highs and Sweet Dreams. They were the best. Not at all filthy, just innocent cutesy teenage romance issues.
Or so I thought. Apparently they had all sorts of horrible sub-plots. I don’t even remember what they were about, but I don’t doubt it at all.
Then I got into Mills and Boon. They were a little more adult, a little naughty. You’d get in trouble for these, at least you would in my household. Though I honestly can’t imagine why, other than they rot your brain. The love I had for these books was fleeting. The formula was obvious, especially in the books from the 60s, 70s and early 80s.
Haiti I’m Sorry…
4 storms in 3 weeks. More than 500 dead as a direct result of the storms. It took 4 days for relief supplies to reach Gonaives from Port-au-Prince, after Hanna cut it off from the rest of the country. To face Ike after that horror blows my mind.
What else Lord?
Never has David Rudder’s calypso seemed more relevant.
The Silly Things I’m Into…
I’m into silly music at the moment. Beat heavy, pop-based, R&B party jams that make you want to get all dolled-up to hit the club and get-on sweaty.
So I’m loving Lloyd’s “Girls Around the World” jam. I’m not too sure about the video, but homeboy’s hair is slamming! Anyway, once this song comes on the radio, I’m turning the radio up and singing along. Makes my day instantly!
Can I make a suggestion; Lloyd, sing as many songs as possible with Lil Wayne, cause I was loving your first collabo just as much.
Since I mentioned him…I have no shame; when Lollipop plays, the radio gets louder, and I get happier.
And then there’s the Dream. I love all three released songs off his album. Falsetto is the sexist thing I’ve heard in a while, “talking all that shit, soon as I hit…”
But this is my new favourite.
And I’ve been Sprung on T-pain since this came out. But I loved, “Buy You a Drank” so much my friend has it on her phone as the ring tone for my calls…LOL
Cassie’s “Long Way 2 Go” has a fantastic beat. I thought it would have been way more popular than it has. Still love it, and is that Ryan Leslie in the video? Sneaky cameo.
Thank God for Ebony 104fm
How Many Issues of Vogue Are There?
I mean, there’s Vogue India, Vogue UK, Vogue US and of course French and Italian Vogue! Why, just to be sure you’re tapping into your full market potential in every culture? If that’s the case how good at it are they?
Vogue India just made an ass of itself with the whole putting expensive stuff on poor people photo-shoot. An upgrade on the traditional colonial chic concept. Of course the editor doesn’t get what the fuss is about, doh mind she ent bother to identify her subjects, cause dey too poor nah.
And Vogue Brazil decided to emulate Vogue Italia’s all black issue and cater to 54% of their population with this cover. 40% of Brazil’s population is Mulatto (mixed white and black), hopefully things are a bit more balanced inside, but I doubt it.
Stupid photo-shoots aside, I still like magazines. That may be changing though, but I digress. I like reading English Vogue as opposed to the American edition, the only edition available in Trinidad and Tobago. I guess because they (the English) colonized us, there are elements in their culture that I recognise as our own.
But I wish we would get Vogue India and its never ending parade of Bollywood covers instead, because it’s 
more reflective of our majority ethnic groups. I think our ethnic make-up is 40% East Indian, 40% African 20% mixed, white, other. And as a Trinidadian, I identify with East Indian culture in a way that amazes me…it’s like oooh, that’s why we do that!
It’s possible that I’m too silly to recognise what a blessing that is. US Vogue in it’s present incarnation has been described as an overinflated catalogue of things I can’t even afford to dream about. Some of the women they profile are so shockingly vapid and callous about their wealth and need for material things it’s disgusting.
But for the most part I think Vogue is funny. I read the articles and think, well clearly they aren’t being serious, so it doesn’t faze me. I love Pulm Skyes articles, like her novels, they are acutely aware of their own silliness. I think that awareness suggests their behaviour isn’t ideal, so that’s the message I get from them. I look at their parade of $2000 hangbags and $500 shoes and think, well it’s lovely, but I ent buying it. I don’t even really fantasize about the stuff they have in Vogue, because they are so out of reach.
Some circles are putting the blame for the magazine’s demise squarely on Nuclear Wintour’s shoulders. They say her edition is the least daring of the Vogue powerhouses: the French, Italian and British editions of the mag. Maybe she should read this article on how to improve her magazine’s covers. And considering Vogue India’s recent scandal, maybe I should be grateful that edition isn’t sold here.
The magazine’s demise is ironic, because people have such strong reactions to the magazine. This graphic artist created this exhibit of faux Vogue covers titled: How I’d Sink American Vogue.
It’s kind of hard though, like Wendy Felton of Glossed Over says about her relationship with magazines, “I don’t hate them. I’m disappointed by them”. Regardless I feel if we must get Vogue in Trinidad, why we can’t pick the one that’s more like us?
