Cosmopolitan Love...or Single Gal Stalking

Cosmopolitan love....the nice kind

So of course, no weekend away for the single gal would be complete without some single gal adventures.

First of all, I must admit that the quality of the man candy in Miami was really sub-par. I was really not impressed. I mean, sure it had been a while since my last visit, but where did all the semi-cute guys go? What I did see bordered on “America’s Most Wanted” and “Redneck Rehab” (thanks to my girlfriend, for exposing me to such amazing American pop culture as Redneck Rehab). I mean…wow. It was bad.

What I can easily say now with much confidence is that my stalkers are international. I mean, yes…I am a cosmopolitan stalker magnet. On this trip, I had my first Guyanese stalker (he had to have been Guyanese!!) and my very first Israeli stalker. The Israeli stalker was special. Not only was he mesmerized by the Trini hotness, but he was so gobsmacked that he scribbled his number on a piece of paper and urged me to call him. I have the number in the back pocket of my jeans – a souvenir of my international prowess – but no call was ever made. Not sure where ashy ankle, old guy stalker was from, but he kept staring at me in the store with this hungry, rabid look that made me feel like I was covered in honey barbecue sauce. Oh and let's not forget the Hispanic-American TSA dude who felt it would be remiss of him to not subtly or not so subtly "invite" himself to my hotel while he checked my landing card.

There were also some very strange social rituals brought on either by alcoholic overindulgence (God, I hope so) or just by simple insanity/lasciviousness. We went to the Clevelander at Marlins Park on Saturday night and wow, these girls were really high on life (insert sarcasm here). One girl was the obvious “star” with her antics which included dancing in-between the legs of the moko jumbie, then falling to the floor and thrusting her pelvis upwards in what is a dance only she knows. She also coupled this with some girl-on-girl action with another scantily clad psycho, who proceeded to grab pelvic girl’s rump, gyrate on it, and then when pelvic girl was on the floor doing the pelvic thrust dance, this one raised the already short skirt to gyrate over her. God only knows what this was about, but it was disturbing and only slightly entertaining. There was a bit too much of a Sodom and Gomorrah vibe going on here. Lol. Needless to say, in as much as the deejaying was a mess, this sideshow was the best entertainment for the evening.

Rest assured though, I was a mere bystander and spectator and your girl was nowhere in the fracas. Not sure where my passport will take me next but God, let’s hope the single gal adventures are more smurfy, and less Gargamel.

Read more »

Steam Room Magic

My own personal steam room - every day steam therapy!

Just got back from a weekend getaway in Miami. Well, besides the out-of-this world thunderstorms, the trip was lovely. I slept on the flight to Miami, and the flight from Miami and everywhere in between. So tired was I - this corporate life!!!

The best part of the trip besides spending time with friends?

Steam room magic!!!

I had booked my hotel around the same time I booked my flight about a month or so ago, and let me tell you, I made this hotel decision not on location, or cute pics but on the shower. The room came with a wonderful sauna type experience which every overworked corporate diva needs when on a much needed weekend away from stress and frustration. I swear, the relaxation that came after each steam bath was beyond description and priceless. I feel like a new woman.

Well until tomorrow.

Thank you to the wonderful staff at Hotel St Augustine, in Miami, not just for the exemplary customer service but also for the foresight in ensuring guests could have such luxuries (necessities??) mere steps away from their beds. Awesome!

Read more »

A Tale of Two Breasts - Kate's Breasts

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge aka Kate Middleton

The interwebs have been buzzing with the talk and the actual photos of Kate Middleton's ta-tas. So she went on holiday, took off her top and let her husband rub sun tan lotion all over her.

BIG DEAL!

What is our fascination with nakedness, or more specifically, celebrity nakedness?

Are we still so daft that somehow we think that celebrity body parts perhaps look different or are superior? Have we never ever in our lives seen a pair of female breasts? Did we think maybe her breasts were made of gold or diamond encrusted? Are we so hard up that our only avenue for ogling body parts is by checking out paparazzi photos in a magazine or online? How do Kate Middleton's breasts become such a hot ticket?

I mean, people have sent me the photos (why do people do this?) of Kate's toplessness and I must say, while not advocating the stalking of women to snap shots of their breasts, the secondary issue is that the breasts aren't awesome by boob standards. In much the same way, I did not get the buzz around her sister Pippa's bum, I don't understand this weird fascination with Kate's breasts. Yet all this hoopla - just because they are royal ta-tas? She was not royal a year ago and I am betting she has had them for a while.

But...I want to say that while some may argue that she should appreciate her celebrity status and thus be more careful of where she takes her top off, it speaks again to the baseness of society, where the female body has become a treasure chest (pardon the pun) for third parties, and where a woman's choice to do as she likes in private is questioned and attacked. A woman, princess or not, if she feels liberated in the privacy of her villa, to want to take her top off to get a tan, should be able to do so without feeling like she will be violated and exploited for profit by others, or chastised. How can anyone fault a still new bride enjoying an intimate moment with her husband - prince or not - in the privacy of their vacation home?

I think the entire thing is annoying and played out. I wish the media would find real news to report on.

Read more »

Packing: Every Woman's Nightmare

I hate packing.

Even though it may be a short trip, I still hate it. It can be so tedious, especially as a woman, cause we all know, we gals are planners and we can then become indecisive. We think ahead and over think. And we have different needs to men. They can wear just about anything and look any old way. We just can't!

But I am getting better and with all the airline restrictions now, it has become mandatory to just leave some things behind. Gone are the days I would have an entire mini carry-on just for my toiletries. But some good tips I have tried to stick to in recent years.

Choose a foundation colour - Especially if like me, you're an accessoriser and your blouse has to match your shoes and handbag etc. Stick to a colour family and take just the accessories you need for that colour family. Or...

Play it safe with the accessories -  You cannot go wrong with black or brown sandals/heels, and a simple necklace and some diamond/gold/silver earrings. Don't overly stress yourself out with the accessorising. Have you seen other tourists lately, waist pouch and all? Once you don't look like them, you have won half the battle already!

Bronze palette - always a winner!

The Toiletries!!! - Here is my challenge. My dressing table is like a shop. Anything you can think of is on there. You need lotions and smelly stuff and hair stuff and night time stuff and mouth stuff. lol. How do you decide what stays and what goes? Well, you can't. But hey, day cream can work as a night cream. So what if you smell like vanilla for the entire vacation? Do you really need to smell musky or floral too? Make vanilla your signature smell for the trip. You also cannot go wrong with a bronze eye palette. It goes with almost everything, so you don't need to take the entire makeup bag! MAC will not burn to the ground because you left all your minis at home. Do you NEED to exfoliate or do a glycolic peel? Do you?

Don't overdo it with the "just in case" items - This is the REAL problem. The "Oh let me take this blouse just in case we go to a club, and this one just in case it is cold that night". Then there are 15 extra tops in the suitcase that you NEVER wear. I am not challenging the "just in case" items but keep it rational!!!

Plan (sensibly and without neurosis) - You can either write it down or lay the clothes out - but plan the outfits strategically, so you know what you are going to wear when. And stick to it. This way you pack just what you need and don't over-pack. You need space for souvenirs and other things when you're coming back home!!

Let's see how I do with this. I can give it, but can I follow it???

Read more »

Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Rum!!! Lots of Rum!

My favourite rum - Angostura 1919
Photo credit: Lime.tt

Yesterday we went to the Day 2 of the three-day Angostura Rum Festival. Anyone who knows me knows I love festivals, and when I was in London, if I could make it, I would be at some festival, including their Rum Festival, which featured rums from all over the world. So when I saw this, I was already there. Hell...I mean, the word "rum" does it for me, so I was there.

The festival was aimed at showcasing our local rums and the amazing things one can do with them, as well as allow true rum lovers to understand the history of our rum and how rums are made, and our world-famous Angostura bitters. In case you did not know, Angostura bitters are as awesomely Trini as I am. Write it down. There were tours of the distillery, rum lectures, demonstrations with rum in both cooking and bartending, rum samples and Master Challenges for chefs and mixologists.

The heat drove me from the outside to the cooler activities on the inside, like the rum lecture, which surprisingly was not as boring as I thought it would be...ALTHOUGH...I did close my eyes for a couple minutes. That I blame on the free cocktails, the heat and a very taxing and tiring 5-day work week. But the presenter was engaging and very knowledgeable about his rum.

Daiquiri...mmmm
Photo credit: Lime.tt

The festival was okay. It was not quite what I expected after all the amazing reviews, but it was a good day out anyway and for just TT$50. There are very few things you can do for $50 so kudos!

It was extremely hot though and I wilted immediately until we got indoors, into areas like the rum shoppe and the cooking demonstrations, which I did not know you needed to buy chits for, but anyway...

Note to organisers: The entertainment was awful awful awful. Wow. We were not the only ones who thought so either, but then they were brought on so late that perhaps it was anticipated that people would be too drunk to notice and too spirit-happy to really care.

Read more »

Foodie Love - Pesto! Pesto!

Del Mano Shadon Beni Pesto
Photo credit: Del Mano

I just wanted to share my latest find.

This past weekend, we went to Upmarket, which is a very cool roving gourmet market. Needless to say, you are going to do things at such a thing

- Part with a lot of money
- Gain some poundage

I did both. I loved the variety of stuff, and it was pretty good stuff, including the awesome assorted gourmet cupcakes (I bought a six-cupcake box).

But I really loved the pesto guys from Del Mano! I loooooove pesto and so of course, I bought pesto. What I liked was their variety of pesto, which included roasted sweet pepper, watercress, shadon beni (similar to cilantro), roasted melongene (eggplant), traditional basil and I forget the other one. lol. We got the pepper and shadon beni versions.

I got home tonight, starving and tired and whipped up some pasta and roasted sweet pepper pesto. Nothing better, lemme tell you. It's also for lunch tomorrow, which means gym is mandatory in the morning. This weekend I will find other things to do with this awesomely delicious find, possibly paired with something from a grape. Vegetables and fruit servings - easy!!

Read more »

Sweat is the new Zoloft

It's almost like a blogging renaissance up in here. Trying to dig myself out of a funk and exploring all avenues, including writing and gymming it.

Now while I have no desire for this to become a fitness blog, I do (try to) go to the gym at least 4 times a week, so you're bound to get a blog about the gym, diet or fat people adventures every now and then.

I have found the gym to not only be great for the waistline but also for my mental health. Looking back, every time there was a crisis in my life (and by crisis, I mean tabanca or some kinda love stress), I would first probably have a cupcake or 20, and then find myself in the gym to sweat away the bad mojo (and the 20 cupcakes). I found that over the last 2 weeks when I did not go to the gym or worked out in any way, shape or form, I was depressed and sour - allowing the things we push aside and try to cover up with affirmations to wash over me.

Now that I am back on track, I am aiming to be "that" girl again - the girl who smiles a lot and goes out and lights up people's lives! Sweat is the new Zoloft, people!

I am also the sarcastic, blunt girl and I have a message for all the fat people in the world. If you are not freakin' Beyonce or Halle Berry, or you are over 250lbs, you're not in any type of programme to look like Beyonce, and KFC is gourmet cuisine for you, then don't have anything to say about MY weight gain! Okay? I will tell you as it freakin' is!!!

Read more »

(Un)Wired for War!!

My Sony Walkman

The war against weight gain is hard. Working out is hard. Working out is tedious. What can be worse than working out - besides not being able to enjoy a 6-pack of gourmet cupcakes without guilt?

Working out without music.

I had gone through quite a few MP3 players, via sweaty workouts, rainy workouts and MP3 player drops and spills. So when I was looking for a new one, I passed over the Apple group and looked for something cheap, practical and convenient.

I bought two players. The first was the Sansa Disk Clip+, which cost less than $US30 and is pretty sturdy. But the one I was really looking forward to getting was the Sony Walkman, which is a wireless, hardy, waterproof MP3 player. I love it so far. No more worrying about sweat totally screwing up my player, or rain destroying my investment. I also hate running with the headphone cords flying about, so this is perfect. I gave these headphones a test run this morning and I think the earbuds were too large as they kept slipping out of my ear. But have no fear - the player comes with Medium earbuds already "installed", but with Small and Large back up buds in the box, so I have changed the buds and will hopefully have a better experience with them tomorrow as I plan to burn off this Twix mini bar.

Read more »

Trying to treat my Blogaphobia

I come here ever so often and look at the page and think, what on earth am I supposed to write here? I have never been this  blocked, but I know it is as a result of a few things.

- I am just busy and inevitably tired. I have crazy days - full days - and by the time I get home, the last thing I want to do is blog or, sad to say, read your blogs. I do try and I do read a blog or two now and then but it is not easy. I know I spoke at length about my daily existence here.

- As a result of being busy, there is nothing really exciting to talk about. lol. I doubt you want to hear about my meetings, days spent slaving over a hot laptop, treating with interns, oddball callers, vendors and colleagues. Do you?

- When I do the "exciting" stuff, I don't feel like blogging about it either.

- And more importantly, being back in the smaller pool that is Trinidad, as opposed to the wide gulf that was London, I feel more exposed and less inclined to say what's on my mind. When I had an anonymous blog, this was not a problem, but now the things I could talk about and want to talk about, I don't feel like this is the place in which to talk about them.

I could maybe just cross over to the dark side and become a giveaway blog (the horror!). But no...something will work out soon. It's not just here either. I don't tweet, I don't pin. I do Facebook, so there is still life in this social media machine! But feel free to leave your suggestions as to how I can resuscitate it all.

Read more »