In the Summer time when the weather is fine!

Yesterday was a gloriously awesome day!

I am not even referring to the intricacies of my day, I refer solely to the wonderful weather we’ve been having here in NYC. So maybe I’m excited about more than just yesterday. Let me accurately describe to you what I feel – my inner Ms. B is standing in the middle of a lush green savannah, arms opened wide and welcoming summer with a jubilant smile.

So going back a couple days, the US celebrated the Memorial holiday… well, I think it’s a celebration, or is it an observance? Whatever it was, there was a long weekend. With temperatures in the high seventies on Memorial day, I set out with T to spend the day at Sesame Place, Pennsylvania.

I cannot tell you how much I revel in the fact that my winter coat, scarves, gloves and boots are all neatly tucked away in the abyss of my closet. This is my last year here in NYC, so I will NEVER have to see those babies again! But I digress… Memorial day weekend… Dressed in a really cute pair of cobalt blue shorts with white polkadots, some comfy sandals and a sleeveless cotton top, I packed my bikini threw on my shades and headed for a sunny day at Sesame Place.

*sings* Sunny day sweeping the clouds away…

123 Sesame Street 🙂

Despite the fact that Sesame Place is really a kiddy theme park, I did manage to slide down two water slides and have a laugh during some stage performances by Elmo, Cookie Monster, Ernie, Bert and a few others. Best of all, I enjoyed a full 45 minutes lounging on a beach chair in the blazing sun!

*satisfied sigh* 🙂

And then yesterday I walked over to Bryant Park, ordered a hot dog and chicken kebabs from a street vendor, then sat under a tree and had my lunch. Yup, it was that type of day. I even saw a guy laying on his back outside the New York Public library… he was just there lapping up the sun… A glorious day I tell you!

With gloriously awesome days, comes hot and sticky nights. When I lay in bed with the windows wide open I cringe at the fact that not one ounce of breeze offers to cool my heated skin.

I guess you got to take the bad with the good!

We’re still in the high seventies, with an occasional eighty here and there. I absolutely cannot wait till it crosses 90 F! An island girl at heart, I am quite eager to participate in some more sunny daytime activities.

Next, grilling on the pier at the Brooklyn heights waterfront. How have you started your summer?

Disgracing the Trinidad and Tobago Parliament

I am in complete and utter shock that a Trinidad and Tobago Government Minister can stand in the nation’s parliament and speak about the rape of another parliamentarian’s mother.

When I initially read the many Facebook statuses about this incident, I was a bit hesitant to believe that it actually happened. In what Universe is it appropriate to discuss an issue as sensitive as rape in such a callous manner? The dishonourable Member of Parliament for Tobago East, Vernella Alleyne-Toppin is quoted in the Trinidad Express as saying:

“… a young girl went to take lunch for her father […] in a coal’s pit. When she got there, her father had gone to change his cow. It is a true story. She, however, met her father’s best friend and co-worker alone in the coal’s pit […]. This young girl was then raped by her father’s best friend. The product today is the aspirant to lofty office.

Mr. Speaker, can you imagine the mother carrying this pain and shame for nine months and the impact it had on the unborn child? A child was born and grew to become aggressive, arrogant, bombastic and spiteful.”

Now, I understand that politicians in Trinidad & Tobago are currently on an election footing. I understand that, even though the election date has not been announced, they are all campaigning. I even understand that in an attempt to discredit the Opposition Leader the government brought a motion of no confidence against Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley.

What I cannot understand, is how Vernella Alleyne-Toppin could think it justifiable to humiliate not just the Opposition Leader’s mother, but an elder in her own community. She has shown a complete disregard for the personal feelings of that woman, if indeed this story is true. She has also insulted, disrespected and mocked every single woman who has ever had to suffer the violation and humiliation of rape. As a woman, Vernella Alleyne-Toppin disgusts me and makes me ashamed to even be associated with her through our Trinbagonian heritage.

Shopping-Toppin (as she is commonly referred to in the media, click here to read more about that 2012 spectacle) aside, this issue serves as a representation of what the Kamla Persad-Bissessar led administration has degraded our parliament to. Imagine an administration led by a woman could endorse such a brutal attack on another woman. What kind of politics is this?

The citizenry of Trinidad & Tobago needs to wake up. We need to start demanding more of our representatives. We cannot allow them to continue with this puerile behaviour and mockery of our country and our people.

I have no hope for the current generation of politicians. I can only hope that the young ones entering the field, as councillors and aldermen and possibly candidates for MP in the upcoming general election, will not follow in the path of their predecessors.

Leadership and representation is not about highlighting the inefficiencies of your opposer. It is about serving the people. Our politicians need only be concerned with the development of our nation and our people. They should be spending their energy, not on digging up dirt on their counterparts but, on developing projects, plans and programs that will benefit their constituents.

Look at the many issues left unaddressed in Trinidad & Tobago:

• Hospitals unstaffed and ill-treating patients
• A run down education system where only a few succeed
• Schools without proper infrastructure and qualified teachers
• Thousands not having access to affordable housing
• An inept police service
• Mismanagement of social services

You can talk to any Trinidadian or Tobagonian and keep adding to this list.

I am disheartened. I am despondent. I feel hopeless.

Trinidad & Tobago WAKE UP.

Is your “online” you, your “offline” you?

A couple days ago (probably a week and a half) I posted this statement on Twitter: “You think you get someone from your interactions with them. But then you see their #SocialMedia posts. :-/. I then carried the discussion over to Facebook.

I found that through social media I have learnt things about individuals that seem to be private information. Much of what I learn by simply scrolling down my Facebook newsfeed makes me feel as though I am being made privy to some very personal secretes. I’ve learnt about some people losing their jobs, I’ve seen wedding photos (even by those who didn’t even see it fit to invite me to their “big day”…hmph!), I’ve learnt about death in families, promotions at work, new business ventures, progress at school and even confirmation of some persons sexual preferences.

Yeah… some people just bare it all in a Facebook status, an Instagram post or, a one-hundred-and-forty character Tweet!

Of course it led me to question what I think I know about those people that I interact with on a daily basis. Is everyone being completely honest with me? Are people holding out? Am I drawing the wrong conclusions? Am I simply clueless?Is it me? or is it them? My big question really is, do we adopt different personas in our “online” and “offline” lives?

I think the answer to that is YES; maybe not for everyone, but surely for many.

While I generally express the same opinions online as I do if you were to have a conversation with me, I must admit that, in person, I do come across as very reserved. If you follow me on Facebook however, you may have quite a different opinion.

When I posed this question to Facebook, one  friend said “….I find it hard to really express what’s inside my head in “real life,” except in cases where I’m surrounded by people who I can be myself around. Online, nobody’s looking you in the eye and you can’t read their expressions….”. I think we can all associate with this sentiment; the safety of not being able to read expressions online. So while we may not be pretending in either life, we certainly do things a bit differently.

The thing about this is, sometimes I create these super awkward situations in my head after I read a Facebook status that shocks me or totally shatters whatever kind of image I created about an individual (maybe I’m just too much of an awkward person :-s). You know that statement people like to make? “Don’t believe everything you read on social media”…. I can’t help but wonder how it would apply here.

All in all, I agree with my Facebook friend who answered my question. It is easier to be oneself online and feel like there is greater freedom for expression. Just look at the whole Blog movement! If we don’t like how people respond to our thoughts and opinions, we can simply delete them. If only the same were true for persons in real life!

Just something to think about, I would love to hear your views on this topic :-).

Trini Christmas – Home for the holidays

I’m home!!!

Spending Christmas in Trinidad is one thing that I was just NOT willing to forfeit. So here I am. I’ve been here for about a week and I must say that it’s quite the emotional roller coaster. I’m torn between excitement at being with my family and #myguy and depression at having to leave in a few short weeks. It’s just too much!!!

Our beautiful silver grey Christmas tree with red decorations

As is usual for Christmas in T&T, I spent the last couple days with my mom, turning the house upside down. I’m not sure if they have this tradition in any other Caribbean territory, but in Trinidad and Tobago, you know it’s Christmas when everyone is either painting, power washing their yard, purchasing new furniture or appliances, putting up new curtains and rearranging rooms. Needles to say everyone is usually dead tired by the time Christmas day actually hits! lol

So tonight  (Christmas eve) #myguy came over to spend some time, since I had an extra pair of hands, i had him help me clean my room and change my curtains 🙂

With ALL of my gifts still to be wrapped, I must admit that there is a bit of anxiety about getting up in the morning. (I could certainly do with a couple of Santa’s elves)

Aside from the actual day, I am definitely looking forward to the house limes (house parties for the non Trinidadians), sorrel, pastels and HAM! I’ll try to take lots of pics and include them in my next post.

MERRY CHRISTMAS to everyone out there in the blog world! I really hope that you guys have a lovely Christmas holiday 🙂

See you on the blog page!

Ms. B

Seasons change

So I’ve been meaning to write a post for the longest while, thing is, I just don’t seem to have anything to talk about. How could I not have anything to say though? There is much going on….. or much changing rather.

In my last post I talked about how I spent the last couple days of summer here in NYC, but now, as I pick up my phone and look at my Weather Channel app, I see 24 degrees!!!!! Yes people, summer is gone!

It’s so funny how everything changes with the season. The warmth and happiness of the summer has been replaced by cold and loneliness. As the temperatures drop, folks are beginning to stay in doors, those on the streets walk around with their noses to the ground, there are no random conversations and no smiles.

As for me, I feel like a wave of laziness has swept over. For obvious reasons, I don’t feel like leaving the house (for those of us who don’t get “obvious”, I am referring to the temperature), and for some reason I can’t seem to focus on anything for an extended period of time. The lack of focus could be the reason for me not being able to write a blog post.

Anyway, seeing as how I am up to a whopping 52 followers! Yes, 52… It’s a nice feeling to know that there are people out there who care to click ‘follow’…lol. But as I was saying, since I have followers, it is my responsibility to post.

It’s 12:39am right now, so I will be turning out the lights soon, but I am hoping that this short post will spur on some creativity.

Have a lovely day to whomever reads this!

See you on the blog page!

Ms. B

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Nostalgic ending to an NYC summer

This is my second weekend back in NYC, T and I spent the “last day of summer” at Coney Island. Walking along the boardwalk yesterday, seeing the aquarium and theme park, teleported me all the way back to my 8 year old self.  Although this is the first time that  I’ve spent so much time in this city as an adult, I did come to Brooklyn every year when I was a child; Coney Island evoked those memories.

I distinctly remember the roller coaster which seems a bit of a hazard in its current state, the ferris wheel and all the other kids rides. Oh, how I wish I could relive those moments as a child.

The first thing to do was  get food; we had Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs. I am still a bit shocked that I ate a hot dog drenched in chili and cheese. Could I possibly have been any unhealthier! [Reluctant confession: it was indeed a good hot dog :)]

Once we had appeased our hunger, I planned on lapping up the last bit of sun before Fall, laying on T’s beautifully striped beach blanket while trying to finish ‘Eat Pray Love’. I do mean trying to finish. I have been reading this book for almost 2 years! In what world does a “good” book take this long to complete?! I’m wondering if the book is just boring or if I made an error of watching the movie before reading the book. Now don’t get me wrong, the essence of the book is quite nice, I do enjoy reading about her travels and experiences around the world. However, it seems as though the book could possibly have been a couple hundred pages shorter.  Sigh.

So I did not complete my book as I had intended to, but I am happy to say that she has finally left India!  I think that the gentleman standing on the board walk, clad in heels and a jeans tighter than any I own with his very ‘feminine’ speech, could have been a possible distraction. Next on the agenda was to go to the aquarium. So I should let you know that the aquarium takes “donations” after 4pm, quite beneficial to me on my student budget 🙂 Of course there was a ridiculously long line, but these are the consequences we must suffer in any bid to save money! I will say though, the long wait was well worth it. I much prefer aquariums to zoos, as I am not much of an animal person.

The Sea Lions were the undisputed stars at the Coney Island Aquarium. Their very charismatic performance had the crowd doing their “Oooos” and ‘Aaahhhs”. I would certainly recommend this activity if you have kids in NYC next summer. The day was well spent, the sand and sun (no sea as any well respecting Caribbean person would not dip their big toe in the sea water at Coney Island). Even walking the boardwalk was a treat; the sun’s descent brought out a DJ blasting music and random folks dancing and having a time.

As temperatures drop to the low 70’s, the outdoor activities will be coming to an end for me, but there is still much of New York City that still needs to be explored.

Look out for more in NYC and the ‘B’.

Hair today, short tomorrow.

So my locs had gotten just past my but crack and had become a bit much for my tiny frame to carry. Also, the thing about locs is, once it starts to grow, the weight of the hair actually puts a strain on the individual loc strands; they weaken and then start thinning.

Now I have to say, I never would have imagined that I would develop such an intense bond with my hair! Really?! I had been planning on cutting these locs for about two years but just couldn’t get around to doing it. Over the past year though [the last year before the demise of my dreds :(], I started to experience severe tension in my neck which affected my back and shoulders. Imagine that! Those darn dreds became a hazard to my health! After sometime, everything about having dreds had just become too much for me; going to the beach was an issue because I could not stand to get it wet [long wet locs can snap your neck, they’re so heavy] & the sand never seemed to get all the way out, I stopped washing it on my own, and well twisting it for myself was just too much.

I found that because I had so much hair to deal with, I was neglecting taking care of it. I won’t lie, I probably used to wash my hair once a month if so much *shame*. Steaming and conditioning were foreign concepts [I know that you’re noting the bleached strands]

Anyhoot, now that I have chopped all that good stuff off, I have made a pledge to myself that I will invest more in hair care. Since I am a student on a very small student budget, I will be doing this on my own [except for the occasional visit to the hairdresser to have it locked and trimmed]. I believe that I can do everything see if I try!

One of the first things I did when I got back to the states was to visit Target and purchase some hair care products. I bought a ORS hair mayonnaise to steam it, some ORS carrot oil which is supposed to strengthen weakened, damaged hair [according to the label], Jane Carter’s leave in conditioner and ORS creamy aloe shampoo. Now this is a big step for me, the most I’ve ever had was shampoo! lol. You can see my products in the image below.

I am hoping that a new routine will give my short do a thick, moist, healthy look. At the moment it’s a bit dry, but the general public can’t always tell. The secret: oil sheens! lol

Feel free to give me some suggestions on various affordable products which you think would work great for me.

I’ll let you know how my first steam goes! 🙂

The Internet and Me

So I’m at it again!

Trying to find my way in this forest that is SOCIAL MEDIA.

It should be common knowledge by now, that, just having a regular job isn’t really ‘cutting it’ in today’s world. Almost everyone and their mother has a “side hustle” (a small business for those of us whose urban vocabulary may be a bit limited). Seeing as how I have developed this insatiable desire to own an account on every possible social media site that exist, I’ve decided that I’m going to make myself a social media guru of sorts.

Ok, so it’s definitely more than just social media, the online world is so vast and intriguing. Just last week I created my own website (don’t ask me why?!). It was all spurred on by my new position as “President” of the Baruch College Corporate Communication Graduate Student Association – BCCGSA. In my capacity as President, I was given the login details for the group’s website. I was aghast to say the least, when I realized that the website was so bland. So I set out to do some redesigning, as I am of the firm belief that the website of a CORPORATE COMMUNICATION group should reflect the skills and aptitude of its members.

But I digress, the whole redesigning of the BCCGSA website led me to creating my own. After all, it was all so easy!

Let’s fast forward >> I now have a website, with a logo, a “business” Pinterest account and a new blog on Blogger.com. But why????

I have found that small businesses, non-profit organizations and professionals who offer consultancy services, tend to solely operate from Facebook. WHY would they think that this is a suitable medium through which they should run a business??? Picture this; you’re at a conference, amongst your peers, people are exchanging business cards etcetera, and big and bold on your business card is a FACEBOOK PAGE!!!! The HORROR!!!

Don’t get me wrong, Facebook is a very effective way to communicate with you customers/ audiences/ etc but it is definitely not the most professional way to present your business, especially to your peers.

I have therefore decided that I am going to target these PR offenders and show them just how easy and cheap it is to create a logo, have a website and engage with their clientele through social media (besides Facebook).

Even with the smallest budget, any business can have a big PR presence!

No more NEAL & Massy?!

Starting with the merger of two companies way back in the 1930’s, Neal & Massy is one of the largest conglomerates in Trinidad & Tobago and the Caribbean. According to this Trinidad Express article; ‘N&M now Massy Group‘, ninety years after the fact, the company and its subsidiaries have undertaken a massive rebranding exercise.

There are so many things that rush to my mind as I ponder on this issue. What happened? Why did they drop the ‘Neal’? How will this affect their shareholders? This has got to cost a ‘pound and a crown’ (I don’t know if this phrase is used anywhere else, but in Trinidad & Tobago we use it to describe anything that is extremely costly). Will they lose their customer base?

This is by no means a SMALL deal! So I’m thinking that it has definitely got to be a costly venture, and, the cost has got to be worth it for the company.

But let me link this to my particular field of interest; PR and Communications.

Let’s first take a look at the giant that is the Neal & Massy Group. They have subsidiaries in almost every sector; automotive, industry, energy, retail, insurance, technology, communication and “other” (this is according to their annual report). Each sector has a host of businesses across Trinidad & Tobago and the Caribbean region.

In this “make over”, it would seem as though the group has also individually rebranded each business (well that’s what has happened in Trinidad). So now each business name includes ‘Massy’.

Imagine the task! Everything has to be redone! Website URL, printed stationary, uniforms, product packaging, brochures, magazines, newspaper ads, radio ads, television ads, banners on websites, business cards, email addresses, contracts……yada yada yada.

It is now important to maintain the relationships with the company’s stakeholders. I will be paying close attention to see what communication strategies The Massy Group uses to ensure the survival of their brand.