Crop Over~

Every first Monday of August we celebrate the end of our Crop-Over Season with the Grand Kadooment Finale. After months of partying and festivities leading up to this day, the excitement has built up and explodes on 'de road' with local music booming from loud speakers and thousands of 'revellers' going crazy in the streets, wearing nothing but teeny tiny beaded costumes. The weekend before Kadooment is always most hectic; J'ouvert (Mud mass) the Friday,lots of booze cruises, Party Monarch and Cohoblopot the night before. Here's a taste of some of the local music which we'll be hearing on the road tomorrow - imagine people shaking their hips to this at 100 miles an hour!:

Machel Montano - Whistle and Wine

Alison Hinds - Explode

Rupee- I am a Bajan

Lil' Rick - Jones & Wuk Up

Live the Hemingway

Click on image to enlarge

1000memories was created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Ernest Hemingway's passing this month by some of his biggest fans.

McLibel

"McDonald's loved using the UK libel laws to suppress criticism. Major media organisations like the BBC and The Guardian crumbled and apologised. But then they sued gardener Helen Steel and postman Dave Morris (for handing out flyers in an attempt to raise awareness on many issues concerning McDonald's) In the longest trial in English legal history, the "McLibel Two" represented themselves against McDonald's £10 million legal team. Every aspect of the corporation's business was cross-examined: from junk food and McJobs, to animal cruelty, environmental damage and advertising to children. Outside the courtroom, Dave brought up his young son alone and Helen supported herself working nights in a bar. McDonald's tried every trick in the book against them. Legal manoeuvres. A visit from Ronald McDonald. Top executives flying to London for secret settlement negotiations. Even spies. Seven years later, in February 2005, the marathon legal battle finally concluded at the European Court of Human Rights. And the result took everyone by surprise - especially the British Government. McLibel is not just about hamburgers. It is about the importance of freedom of speech now that multinational corporations are more powerful than countries. Filmed over ten years by no-budget Director Franny Armstrong, McLibel is the David and Goliath story of two people who refused to say sorry." (Summary sourced from IMDB) 

This is the cover of the pamphlet Steel and Morris were caught handing out

In 2005, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled in Steel & Morris v United Kingdom that the pair had been denied a fair trial, in breach of Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights and that their conduct should have been protected. This judgement put to rest Morris and Steel's 20-year battle with McDonald's.

Thankfully, Barbados is one of the only countries in the world where McDonald's has failed. The golden arches are nowhere to be seen in this paradise! It was introduced in the early 1990's but Bajans' preference for Chicken and a cheap meal from Chefette forced this conglomerate out of the island. 

T-2 weeks~

Tulip Fields, The Netherlands :  National Geographic

Two more weeks until I leave for Amsterdam! Eeek! :)

Message in a bottle ♥

At my friend Samarah's Central Saint Martin's degree show I came across so many great works of art, ranging from the beautiful to the down right crazy, that I walked away feeling revived and inspired. One of my favourite exhibits was 'Once there, now gone' by Elizabeth Cooper.

Elizabeth's project is a personal insight into her past. She's sourced love letters from past loves and relationships, ones that she does not want to forget. Many people store treasured possessions and memories away never to be touched. Elizabeth wanted to bring these memories back, allowing them to sit among our everyday items in an understated way, that doesn't intrude on our present lives, sitting comfortably within them as a reminder of our past.

She has chosen the form of the medicine bottle to represent the notion that 'love is a drug.' She makes each collection by taking the letters from different relationships and shredding them to make paper clay. Re- creating these forms her use of paper clay adds another dimension to the bottle.There are four different collections of bottles, each symbolizing a relationship she had with them.

Elizabeth also found a set of love letters on ebay- a mysterious exchange between strangers who had never met but had formed a loving bond through writing.

Notice the date on the bottle above- Sept 6th, 1941! These were love letters written to her grandmother

These bottles haven't been finished yet as Elizabeth wants to see how this relationship goes...

Beautiful, heartfelt idea 

Jellyfish~

nationalgeographicdaily:

Jellyfish, Palau

Photograph courtesy National Geographic Television

Each day five million jellyfish glide across the surface of Palau’s Jellyfish Lake to follow the sun -streaming eastward in the morning and westward in the afternoon-in a stunning daily migration.  At night, the jellyfish sink down 45 feet (13 meters) to absorb nutrient-rich bacteria, which the algae in their bodies require to survive.

You are what you read

Hate Mondays? Think again.

Skip To Ma Lou

It's a wonder why I never posted this before...

Google+

One of my good friends made my day by inviting me to Google+. 

To a techie nerd this is an invitation to the inner circles of the Geek squad,a chance to be a part of something revolutionary.  Ok, I'm slightly excited and exaggerating a teeny bit but Google+ is pretty cool. It's Google's attempt at creating a new social networking system; it's different to Facebook in many ways but the main feature is that it allows you to create 'circles', ('friends', 'family' and 'acquaintances' for example) and share or communicate accordingly. Because it's in it's early stages you need to be invited to try it out. Take a virtual tour of Google+ here or watch this video to understand it a bit better:

Want to join the club? Send me an email or comment below :)

Neptune Memorial Reef

At first glance, this man made reef looks like any other underwater park; eco-friendly structures overgrown with natural sea particles and surrounded by thousands of fish and other marine life. But look a little closer and you may see a small inscription, or a mark of some sort, that hints at the kind of person who's remains lay within the structure. You see, their ashes have been mixed with cement designed for underwater use and fitted into a mould, which a diver then places and secures into the reef. A copper and bronze plaque is installed with the person's name, date of birth and death. There is also a line for a message.The Neptune Memorial Reef in Miami, Florida, is the first of it's kind; a classical re-creation of the Lost City, 40 feet under the sea, these structures have produced a marine habitat to promote coral and marine organism's growth while creating the ultimate 'Green Burial' opportunity. It's seen as a diver's haven and a beautiful final resting place for those who loved the sea.  To some it is a testament to the power of the ocean to claim almost every sort of material—including the human body—and make it flower with life. Read more on it here or visit the Memorial website to see whether you think this concept is creepy or creative!

Saving Valentina

A tear jerking encounter with a humpback whale entangled in a net.

Michael Fishbach and Gershon Cohen founded The Great Whale Conservancy to help and protect whales.

Guest Post: Barbadian Chattel Houses*~

I am so excited to do my very first guest blog! Especially as it’s for one of my favourite blogs, by one of my very best and most talented friends, Malou. I am a Barbadian interior decorator and design blogger. My blog, Love Design*, features interior designers, interiors and up to date design trends. I am especially excited to write about Barbadian chattel houses as it combines both my love for my island and design.

The term chattel house dates back to slavery days when plantation owners in Barbados would buy the houses designed to move from one property to another. Chattel houses are typical homes in the Caribbean and they are still seen today throughout the island in varying colours and styles. Some are adorned with detailed fretwork while others have jalousie shutters, which are designed to keep the rain out while still allowing air to come in. Below are a few of my favourite images of chattel houses thanks to Ins and Outs of Barbados.

Enjoy and lots of love ***

Natasha

Love Design Barbados*

Check out Malou's post on "Moroccan Doorways & Details" on Love Design*

Flower Power*

We visited the Barbados Flower Forest yesterday with our Art & Adventure Summer Camp. We  were blown away by the beauty of this botanical garden! Though we've been complaining about the weather, the heavy rain has brought a burst in brilliant colour as a million different tropical plants have begun to bloom. Gotta love the Caribbean :) 10 points to those who can guess the name of some of these...

Believe~

Take me there: Top 5 Dream Travel Picks*

India 

The sounds, the smells, the colours, the festivals, the religion and the food have always attracted me to India (Maybe not the food, I can't handle spice!). The people seem so hospitable and lovely and I imagine it to be a photographer's paradise. Of course you can't ignore the extreme poverty amongst other social issues but a true traveler must accept a country as it is, faults and all, whilst appreciating what it has to offer.  

Japan

Cute yet sophisticated, the shy Japanese people seem quirky and up for a laugh. Their passion for karaoke is coupled with the love of sushi, photography and Hello Kitty; I'm convinced that this is my kind of place. Japan's natural and architectural beauty are also interesting with its' contrast of temples and skyscrapers; an ancient society merging with science fiction. The Ogasawara Islands, also known as the Bonin Islands—and now one of the world's newest World Heritage natural sites.

Madagascar


This island sounds like a fairy tale dream world found in children's books, where animals long forgotten have evolved into something magical. The Avenue De Boabab is straight out of a Tim Burton movie and with a culture rich in taboo there seems to be an electric, supernatural current running through every living thing. Bring on screaming lemurs, giant bats and many other creatures you will never find anywhere else.

Cuba

The taste of mojitos, the sound of salsa and merengue, and the hazy smell of cigars in the tropical heat of the afternoon; Cuba is the naughty, charming cousin of the Caribbean islands. The political structure of this island is intriguing and Cuba is going through some changes like a slow process of osmosis as it lets the rest of the world trickle in. Vintage cars and groups of people socialising on the streets inviting anyone to join in. 

Jordan

A great friend of mine from Uni opened my eyes to the wonder that is her homeland; the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Home to the dead sea, the lost city of Petra (famously remembered in Indiana Jones), Wadi Rum (Lawrence of Arabia's stomping grounds) and the Jerash ruins, to name a few; Jordan sounds like an exciting country where vast deserts meet metropolitan cities and a traditionally Islamic culture is lightyears ahead of the typical cliches of Middle Eastern societies.

---x---

It was hard trying to narrow this down to just 5 countries as I hope to explore every corner of the globe! 


What are your top dream travel destinations?

If only kids could run the world...

Gina and I started our Art & Adventure Summer Camp last week and we have some of the cutest children ever! They're really relaxed, inquisitive and chatty; they squabble amongst themselves and come up with simple solutions to 'problems' (Such as who's "it" first in a game of hide-and-seek), not realizing that we're listening in and trying not to laugh out loud at their innocence. Why can't adults learn more from the sweet minds of children?Follow our camp blog for more photos & updates :)

Life in a Day

June 24th, 2010 is a day that will go down in history. It isn't remembered in the news for anything significant, nor does it ring a bell to the average person but it was the day a unique, global experience took place. 

'6.7 billion people view the world through their own unique lens everyday. Imagine if there was a way to collect all of these perspectives, to aggregate and mold them into the cohesive story of a single day on earth.' Ridley Scott, Kevin McDonald and YouTube did just that, asking people around the world to create a snapshot of their lives on camera, ranging from the ordinary -- a sunrise, the commute to work, a neighborhood soccer match, or the extraordinary -- a baby’s first steps, their reaction to the passing of a loved one, or even a marriage, focusing on the themes of love, hope and fear. One year and 80,000 edited films later, the documentary is being shared worldwide. 

The concept is unique and inspiring, an attempt at identifying the bonds between different people and the similar experiences shared across the world.

You can view the official YouTube Channel or read more on the Google Blog.

Ugly Thoughts = an ugly Face. Fact.

{via} 

Roald Dahl 

(One of my all time favorite authors)

Flashbulb Memories

This week would have marked Princess Diana of Wales' 50th birthday. The media frenzy acknowledging this sad truth has triggered many memories for people around the world, from her wedding to Prince Charles to her tragic death in 1997. Do you remember where you were the day you found out about her death? Or how about the feeling you got as you heard of the first plane flying into the World Trade Centre in 2001? Do you remember who you were with when you watched Kate & William tie the knot in April? Our brain's ability to freeze these moments in time has been coined "flashbulb memory." 

 Back in 1977,  American psychologists Brown and Kulik first came up with the term “flashbulb memory”to describe the vivid, long-lasting memories which are stored when a person discovers shocking events (good or bad) of national or international importance.

Today's sensationalist media, along with the ridiculous amount of images which saturate our daily lives, distort our feeling of experiencing more than we  actually do. We feel much more emotionally involved in events and therefore become more attached, remembering the tiniest details. 

Here's a great article I came across on this idea, looking at how 'flashbulb memory' shapes our lives and why we remember historical happenings.

Extra Terrestrial

Guess what this is? Click on the photo to find out.

xxx

Social Media Content Control

An interesting article on user-generated content and how social networks are cashing in on our urge to share every moment of our lives, from photos to voice recordings...These charts reveal the shocking stats of the 'social' world we live in but you can read the full article here.

(Click on the image for a larger, more detailed view)

Scary thought!

Pinch & a Punch for the First of the Month

I've got a kid's Art & Adventure Summer Camp starting on Monday and it's been raining since Tuesday. Hopefully the weather clears up before then! Too much rain in Barbados is just not acceptable. 

Happy Friday everyone!