Happy Holidays!

Photo taken at Limegrove Luxury Mall, Barbados.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

To those who celebrate Christmas...I wish you and your loved ones all the wonderful joys and blessings that come with the day. Always remember what this day is truly about!

"He came as a little baby, but He represented all authority in heaven and earth..." ~ Joel & Victoria Osteen

I hope that whatever you're doing today, you have yourselves a super great day. Enjoy the season!

Perfect Temperatures

I made it to Hong Kong safe and sound and I'm loving the temperatures! It's about 18 degrees Celsius around so it's like the environment's just air conditioned. =] A shirt and sweater is all I need really. It's just the right amount of cold =D

So, as a quick update:

• I got my new phone! The Nokia N97 mini. Lovely piece of machinery. Getting used to the technology it holds.
• NY is super cold! My flight from Barbados got delayed due to weather conditions...it was snowing! After a 2 hour delay, we got going and arrived to a wonderfully white winter.
• Had my first experiences with snow! It's so pretty and white........until it starts melting away and looks all wet and grey, then it's not so pretty anymore.
• Travelled to Hong Kong in Business First Class on Continental Airlines. Loved it. Made the 15 hour flight seem much shorter. With full, hot, fresh meals served on plates with real cutlery, a chair that lengthens out about 170 degrees to almost give you a flat bed, over 300 movie choices, over 50 tv show choices, over 80 games, and over 100 albums of music, what more could one ask for?

The trip has only just begun! I'm sure there will be lots to happen and such. And my phone, my camera and myself will all be there to capture the memories =D

Christmas is almost here. And I'm finally in a Christmas mood! =P

Happy Holidays to everyone!

Parang! Parang!

Parang: derived from the Spanish word "parranda" (meaning "spree"), it is folk music originating from Trinidad & Tobago. With influences from the Caribbean and Latin America, parang is played mainly around the Christmas season.

Parang bands consist of a number of singers accompanied by a number of instruments including: violin, guitar, tambourine, maracas (chac chac), claves (toc-toc), box bass and mandolin.

Having lived my childhood in Trinidad, I'm rather attached to many things Trinidadian. One of them being parang. It's lively and the fun of the music is absolutely contagious. My Trinidadian family is really big on parang...in fact they've formed a band and they go around playing at little venues around Trinidad: the Homer Parranderos. I only met them a few years ago but they're quite a lively bunch of folks. The band's made up of a single family unit, a rather large family unit: parents and their many children of varying ages.

I found Sharlene Flores' parang CD! Haha. I'm so glad we still have it =]

I was at the Drive In last Saturday to watch New Moon, and I heard parang on the Drive In's radio station and it made me reminiscent. It's pretty old parang music but I loved it anyway..after all, what's better than the traditional folk music? It was so much fun to hear! And it was only when I heard parang that I felt Christmas coming.

After all, parang is played mainly around Christmas in Trinidad. It's fun and festive and Christmasy. =]

Now that Independence has passed and December is here, I woke up to some Christmas tunes coming over the air waves.

Hello December!

Just another month to go...

Christmas is slowly inching its way across and I can't wait for it to arrive! I've never been the most festive of persons when the Season comes around but it certainly sends a fun vibe around the island. I haven't heard any Christmas songs come over the radio quite yet but that time's almost here! Independence day just needs to pass by first. =]

Marshmallow peeps!

I saw these little fellows in the Supermarket the other day and I couldn't resist...I had to buy a pack! I haven't had those little marshmallow peeps in such a long time...maybe a few years ago...and it was for Easter. Yum yum yum!

I've got my examination timetable and it looks like the semester ends on the 18th for me! Just in time for my departure to New York on the 19th! In exactly 4 weeks, I should be on a flight to JFK international. Oh yea! Which also means that in 4 weeks, I'll be getting my new cellphone! I can't wait to play around with it =D New toys for Christmas? =P

Hong Kong's waiting for me on the 21st and I just can't wait for that time to come. It's been three years and I miss it there so much! If I actually lived in Hong Kong, I'm relatively sure that I'll never be at risk for putting on fat because I'll be so active. I really like travelling around there because public transportation is seemingly more convenient than private...who needs a car there anyway? Just the super rich folks really...because there are more buses and taxis than private cars on the road. =]

Anywho, I'll stop the babbling...exams begin on the 3rd of December...2 weeks time so I gotta get cracking on that work!

Are you looking forward to the holidays too?