Negril Beach, Jamaica

At a time when many a Jamaican is concerned about the death of traditional art forms, the Braata Folk Singers reminded us that we can relax, as that will not be happening anytime soon.  The New York based group presented ‘Wheel an Come Again’, which could not have been a more appropriate name for only their second concert season.  The twelve member group delivered folk song after folk song with such poise and passion that it is obvious why they got their name, as they left the audience wanting more…Jus a lickle braata.

Led by the talented Andrew Clarke, who performed as a chorus member, the group walked us through classics such as “Liza”, “Sammy Dead”, “Banyan Tree” and “Love is a funny likkle ting”.  Songs such as “Betta Woman Dan Yu” and “Why Woman Grumble” had the audience in laughter. 

Andrew Clarke (Director), getting into the spirit.

The stage was cleverly designed to incorporate many typical elements of Jamaican culture, such as the coal stove with the dutch pot on it, the coconut stand, and various simulations of market stalls.  The use of colour was adequate and the costuming very appropriate.

The twelve singers delivered a balanced sound, and neatly executed the choreography with great expression.  Outside of a few missed entries, the blend of voices was exceptional.  Soprano, Dianne Dixon, seemed to have the crowd in the palm of her hand with every antic and expression she shared.  Andrew Clarke featured many times with his clean tenor voice.  This was supported by an ensemble cast of church goers, and shoppers in the market, not to mention the cute Matthews sisters, Courtnae and Joelle.

The singers could not have done so well without the support of the amazing and competent band, comprising of keyboardist, Garnet Mowatt (who contributed to some of the arrangements created by Andrew Clarke), Matthew Silpot (Keyboard), Marcus Williams (Percussion), Palomin Hassad (Percussion) and the legendary, Carrot Jarrett (Percussion).

Overall I give the Braata Folk Singers an ‘A’ for a concert well done.  I definitely got my money’s worth, not to mention the complimentary food provided in the intermission, and the souvenir program provided on entry to the theatre.  I would encourage you to support this talented group as they move forward, ensuring the maintenance of our heritage in the New York/Tri-state area, and I’m certain soon to the rest of the world.  The group also has CDs and t-shirts available at a minimal cost.  Mi definitely waan braata of the Braata Folk Singers.

Find Braata Folk Singers on Facebook (Like their page): http://www.facebook.com/pages/Braata-Folk-Singers/220816651267952

Photos Courtesy of Wide Vision Photography (marcia@widevisionphotography.com); Band photo by Mario Guthrie Photography (http://megphotos.tumblr.com)

You can’t go wrong with a remix of the news.

been drinking at least 3 bottles of these for the past two days, seems to get me sleeping earlier, :)

Negril Beach, Jamaica

Untitled on We Heart It. http://weheartit.com/entry/11116473

Crack the Sky?

kindness, i can’t trust it
you say yes yes yes like it’s a duty
not a will

Okay, I know this is more Decemberists, but seriously, you can’t go wrong with a good anti-war song by the Decemberists.

Maximo Park - Our Velocity

Untitled on We Heart It. http://weheartit.com/entry/11116473

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Rasta-nation

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Cool Kids Can’t Die. (clipped to Polyvore.com)

Love comics? Love jewelry? Well, HELLO COMIC BOOK CHARM BRACELET!

// Comic Books Charm Bracelet by sophiesbeads on Etsy //

want.

Sterling and CZ wedding crown by Tess of Nova Designs. Congratulations!

Ember Airy Wire Wrap Ring by Phantasteria.

I really, really want this ring (and maybe at least half a dozen more) by Andy Lifschutz. 

cinema by the_real_doml on Flickr.elle est belle la vie.

EUROPEAN SMASH TOUR : DAY 02

Dinner Time; was quite delicious and I ate it all! We had Wienershnitzel and fries! And for dessert we had Applestrudel, all a custom in Austria. Not sure I mentioned this, but we were traveling with the basketball team too. Freakin’ giants, all of them!

We didn’t do much, when we got to VIenna, we had volleyball practice. We did walk around the square, there wasn’t much because everything was closed. All stores/shops are closed on Sundays and during the week they shut down at 6PM! 

(by oscarW.)

Prussia had sexy time with them (Austria and Hungary).

They slept in late and missed it.

True story.

[ schצnbrunn, vienna, austria ] 

My friend on the summit of the Mohnenfluh (2544m). (by ScotiaIsles)

cinema by the_real_doml on Flickr.

elle est belle la vie.

Cool Kids Can’t Die. (clipped to Polyvore.com)

Cool Kids Can’t Die. (clipped to Polyvore.com)

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Scribble Some More…

I don’t why I am so used to making a “Things To Do” list. And as each thing gets done I cut it out. When it’s all done the pleasure is just so over whelming. This week I happily cut out a few such chores that were pending for so long, all for various reasons and none had anything to do with laziness. But there are still a few things left on the agenda and I just hope they are done by the year end.

I am happy now Nadzy will not complain about her slow PC as she has been doing for many months now after getting the new system. But I am shocked how she managed to do so well on those facebook applications with the screwed up PC :P I see the child in her every day as I see her excitement when she shows the casino she got in the Mafia Wars; the way she keeps her garden; the fairies and those bears and pet society etc. Her passion and love for little things is sweet.

Ammi can’t hear too well but she dare not want to use the hearing aid (Kaan Ka Aaalaa – as we tease her). She hates it. So, she gets angry when she doesn’t get what we are saying. When she watches those irritating news channels or listens to the radio on full volume in the kitchen, even if I’m locked inside my room I get to hear it all. She loves watching news channels. Even if we are watching something she will say “kabhi news bhi laga dia karo”. Her love for news is on similar lines as she once loved watching Star Plus dramas many years ago. From 8pm-10pm she watched her series of favorite soaps – Kasuti Zindagi Ki, Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki, Kyun Kay Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and then there was something else too. And then the next day she watched the repeat as well :)

Anyway, I never understood why people who smoke are disliked and if a female is the one smoking that seems like the ultimate sin and the looks everyone gives them is more than weird. And the ones to give the look the most are those who themselves are the first to do all the screwing and fucking around (obviously not in the open) but come on who do they fool because everyone is aware of whatever is happening, even if people don’t say it out loud.

It’s strange but true in more than one way, that people are kind of stuck up. Probably, the majority just doesn’t want to accept people the way they are. As long as you conform and do stuff the way everyone else is doing all’s good. I know a lot of people who smoke and drink and who are genuinely good humans. Much better than those who don’t indulge in any such fun but have the meanest and ugliest of hearts and who don’t think twice before hurting somebody else. I feel just because a few people do things that you do not do, one shouldn’t consider them bad.

I knew a girl who was slightly cracked in the head and who was very mean to everyone who cared about her and used to be super sweet with those who gave her attitude. She used to always say I hate every man who smokes and drinks. And women who smoked – she thought they were sluts. I guess, if she would have known I smoke too when I get all down and depressed she would say the same about me. But, I know I wouldn’t have bothered much. Somethings I just do for myself.

There are times when I get really, really angry. It’s rare but it does happen. The time comes and I can get unpredictable. It’s just that when the point of realization occurs and I get the feeling that I just have to put the foot down, then it has to be done. And thank god I have never regretted any of those decisions.

Sometime ago, I was getting this strange suffocating feeling which I couldn’t take no more. There were too many reasons and a lot of shit had piled up. So, I did what I did. I really don’t care what people who mean nothing to me think and am glad it’s all done. Am not angry at anything anymore. But when I look back over those years, I see how people who portray to be such gentle creatures use you and throw you when the work’s done. I too went through that phase and never realized when it was happening. And there was an ugly phase. Then there was silence. Now it’s all better. So as it’s said, it’s all COOL! (meaning nothing).

Now, I get to hear the same people are following the same route and getting all close to the right people to get things done their way once again after screwing them hard. Times change and circumstances change and those who screw you once can do that again. But I hope nobody is blind enough to be fooled once again by the same shit. It would be utterly sad.

Frenzy of the cultured

Few years ago, one learned professor, the vice-chancellor & the registrar in the Punjab University had serious issues with the word ‘rape’ used in the title of the epic poem ‘The Rape of the Lock.’ They said it was an indecent word & this book shouldn’t be a part of the curriculum. These cultured fellas regarded the word ‘rape’ as having an indecent connotation. But we all know that over-enthusiastic people never embark upon the venture of cleansing the society from the real act; so they find faults with words & call them dirty, indecent & judgmental.

Anyway, ‘The Rape of the Lock’ is one of the finest mock epic poems that relates a trivial incident & describes the theft of the heroine’s hair. It makes a good commentary on the upper-class English society of that time, which was infested with numerous follies & vices. Hence the word ‘rape’ in the title is the most appropriate one, because it depicts the emptiness of life & Alexander Pope ridicules it by choosing this particular word.

Literature offers new & creative ways to interpret the world. Different writers look at events or happenings from totally different angles, which enable them to assign different meanings to what they see or experience; as a result, they produce different descriptions of them. Those who think that Literature is just about playing with words & talking about sex need to hold their sacred views to themselves. When we need their opinions, we’ll ask for them.

Anyway, it’s just not the word ‘rape.’ People have problems with innumerable words. Lechery, desperate, sex slaves, human trafficking, incest, fuck, bastard etc etc are some of the words that can drive people nuts. I have witnessed that madness, but I don’t feel sorry for such people. Those who regard particular words as dirty, judgmental, indecent, inappropriate are most welcome not to use these words, but what’s the point of imposing their rotten views on others? We all have the right to learn things on our own. We don’t need this kind of madness; it is not just madness but it is also corrupt on the part of anyone who forces others to do what they want to do. You don’t want to use a word. Don’t use it. Why do you want others not to use it or to use it?

In fact such acts remind me of one of the slogans of the party in 1984 that says: “Ignorance is strength.” Maybe these people are inspired by the Big Brother & his lousy principles. Maybe even here the main aim is to narrow down the range of thought. When words won’t be there, people won’t be able to think.

“It’s a beautiful thing, the destruction of words…After all, what justification is there for a word which is simply the opposite of some other word? A word contains its opposite in itself.”

George Orwell

“In the end we shall make thoughtcrime literally impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it. Every concept that can ever be needed, will be expressed by exactly one word, with its meaning rigidly defined & all its subsidiary meanings rubbed out & forgotten.”

George Orwell

You know nothing is too coarse for my chaste pen. I often use the word fuck & it is considered unethical by many but quite frankly, I don’t give a flying fuck to it. Come to think of it, if we don’t use the word lechery, lecherous people will not be wiped out from the planet & neither would lechery. People may stop using terms such as human trafficking, but sex slaves will not disappear in thin air. Yes you can close your eyes but you can’t change the reality. By putting emphases on words like bastard or harami, you’re not contributing anything. The plight of illegitimate children wouldn’t reduce by even an inch.

I had the misfortune to work with this dysfunctional lady & she used to say that we must always use Mister & Miss when we talk to people. We shouldn’t use he/she or him/her as that is disrespectful. There are too many mad people out there & we don’t have time to know how fucked up are they anyway.

We need words to think. We need words to express ourselves. Shakespeare once said, ‘Nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so.’

Since I’m not a psychiatrist or a psychologist, I don’t know what’s wrong with people who have problem with words. Either they have experienced something so bad that they can’t help being what they are. They don’t even want people to use such words that remind them of such incidents. It is some sort of disorder. I don’t think it’s a normal behaviour to impose such views on others.

If freedom is our birthright, then we can use any word we like whether the world approves of it or not. Of course there are man-made chains every where…this is a fact we can’t run away from. But to put boundaries on your thinking is I guess the worst crime a human can do to himself.

Why the Great Escape?

Was it the same before we were born? Or is it just us? Will it be any different when we will be gone? I guess it was the same before, today and will continue forever. When the roots are faulty the overall plant can not really turn out to be a pretty sight. Whatever, we may end up doing, even if we give our 110 % attention to the plant to make it wonderful, deep down nothing changes.

Just a few things really that I should stop talking about now but I still question every time I see them happening.

Firstly, will people ever learn to draw the line? Do they really understand what the word privacy means? And if one is polite is it your place to get your ass into every shitty space you find? Some even try hard to fit in when they are not wanted. Even obvious signs are not enough. I ask every time why can't people learn to respect the fact that everyone does not want to share everything with them. Yeah, you are not that special. You are not worth discussing and sharing the joys and sorrows of life. Get it in your head you are not that important.

But for them everything is one big gossip. One big shit hole and they keep pouring in shit and jump into some more shit, then somebody else pours in more crap and they swim and swallow the shit deep down together. Then they speak and guess what it’s nothing but loads of crap that you hear.

Agreed there will always be such crappy people around all the time and not that I have not been aware of which crap was bigger or smaller than which one. My only concern remains that people hardly grow…it’s just the crap that grows with time.

Secondly, why escape when you can face it? Problems are a part of life – big or small. I don’t know why or how nobody ever taught me this but I have grown up facing them all my life. I have made so many faults just trying to solve the problems by facing them and got hurt badly innumerable times in the process. But that was the only way I ended up finding some solution also. May be I like to choose the harder road or may be things always turn up that way for me…but over the years I recall I have always tried and given my best shot and some way or the other things did get better in the end.

Now I get troubled when I see people whom I know are just picking the path of denial and not facing the truth. Escaping the truth and acting like the ostrich doesn’t lead to the best of places. How can they who taunted and mocked me all the while ended up so weak by not facing stuff when they fell into trouble? It’s quite simple to find flaws in the path others choose till you end up on the same road.

Although it’s their choice completely which path they choose and how they want to find the way out. With one of my friends I talked about him facing it but he doesn’t want to. That’s his way of tackling the situation. He will wait for the problems of the future to come at their own time and that he can’t avoid the mistake he is making today for some traditional reasons (which are not more important than one’s life and happiness I believe.) For someone else who is not facing the truth today, I never knew she was so weak.

One Lousy Story

We meet all kinds of people. Few months ago, I met this lady on the net. Just like many, she too thought it was okay to presume. Anyway, she narrated this story of a Muslim girl. According to her, this girl is now a convert. She has accepted Judaism. The lady went on further & said that people are scared to talk about their religion.

Religion is a very personal thing & I don’t see the need to discuss it even with my best people. But the way she was babbling, it was obvious she thought I was either an atheist or someone in search of religion. And just like that girl who, most probably, could be a figment of her imagination, she thought I too might embrace some other religion. I didn’t like it, but somehow I tackled that lousy situation.

You know I don’t understand why people have this bad habit of presuming everything. Fine. I can understand that some people can’t go beyond their country & religion. But it doesn’t mean others too would fall in love with what is important to them. To be honest, I also don’t hold a very high opinion about converts. What good are they? If someone’s faith could be shaken so easily, then something is wrong somewhere.

I can’t say I admire that woman’s guts. I think it was stupid on her part to even thought of such a thing. I don’t even seem to be the kind of person you can get on your side, even if you have all the smart answers in the world. And to think that I might get influenced & then follow someone blindly – that seems to be one hell of a lousy joke. Come to think of it, getting all influenced & following someone for whatever reason…that is more like slavery, to my mind & I have always been against it.

Anyway, this was one lousy story, cause someone tried to crack one lousy joke. And the end result was all lousy. Nevertheless, I think it’s the right time to share with you all this story.

What is blasphemy?

“Blasphemy lies in greater things. For the people to be repeatedly denied their rights in a state founded in the name of Islam is blasphemy. Hunger & deprivation are blasphemy, something which the great Caliph Omar understood when he said that even if a dog went hungry by the banks of the Euphrates the Lord of the Hosts would hold him accountable on the Day of Judgment.”

Ayaz Amir

“The greatest blasphemy of all is a child going hungry, a child condemned to the slow death of starvation. The miscarriage of justice is blasphemy. Misgovernment is blasphemy. An unconscionable gab between rich & poor is blasphemy. Denial of treatment to the sick, denial of education to the child are alike examples of blasphemy. The Prophet said cleanliness is next to godliness. What would he say about the monuments of dirt & filth raised in the Islamic Republic?”

Ayaz Amir

Cat of the week

“Maybe God put a few bad people in your life, so when the right one came along you’d be thankful.”

Andrea Kiefer