From Tanzania to Trinidad - Hand Crafted Jewellery from URU

They say 'less is more' and for me, in everyday life, this is true. Simple works. But simple does not have to be boring. Your 'less is more' can still be a  bold, personal statement.

That's why I absolutely love the URU concept and URU has come to Trinidad and Tobago. On a visit to Tanzania, Al Murray discovered these one-of-a-kind accessories and was immediately sold on the URU brand.

They are beautiful and I felt that there was a shortage of quality, non-garish jewellery in this country. I’ve always liked seeing women with simple yet classy pieces and this fits the bill. I’ve always lived by the mantra of less is more.

The pieces are absolutely gorgeous. but yet so effortless. For someone like me who sticks to simple pieces on a regular day running around town, hitting up Massy Stores or meeting the girls for drinks, URU is perfect.

This was made for me in mind - clearly!!

They aren't just for women though, as URU's simple elegance works on men as well. I for one, love simplicity when it comes to jewellry on a man. This is effortless, clean and yet, still trendy. Love.

So simple but yet so sexy

URU comes from an ancient Swahili word which can be best summed up as "an essence" - the mythological status of a diamond; the mystical attribute which fuels the age-old belief that these stones bring the wearer strength, prosperity and respect.

And when one thinks of diamonds, one immediately thinks such pieces would be way out of one's reach. But URU started actually as a hobby for a fisherman in Tanzania who made hand bands from fishing line and sold them on the highway. Fast forward to today and these handmade bands have been refined and the precious metal and stones added to create fashion accessories that are both simple and high quality.

There are pieces fitted with real diamonds. The beauty in the pieces comes from the uncut nature of the gems that the bands are fitted with. These gems are sourced in Tanzania and are bought from small scale miners there. It is important to note that all the gems are conflict free, and the bracelets are handmade by skilled artisans and tradesmen. The gems range from tanzanite, tsavorite, red spinel, emerald, and as mentioned earlier diamond. All the gems are bought and fitted into the pieces in their ‘rough’ state, which makes them more affordable than pieces featuring cut stones. The distinctive bracelet combines the URU stones in their moulded metal mounts with a handmade bangle, created using a wrapping and knotting method employed for centuries on the dhows of east Africa. The fisherman’s technique was refined to produce the bright, contemporary designs you see today including the elegant sliding clasp.

Every URU bracelet has 40-60 metres of thread, which is knotted by hand. It takes up to 5 hours for just one piece and no two bracelets are the same.

The URU bracelets are all made by hand - woven carefully by skilled artisans in Tanzania

They come in a variety of colours allowing you to match your bracelet to your mood or your outfit. Also because they are unisex,  if you have a significant other you can swap bands when your mood or outfit changes.I like that! There are also leather pieces, like this one.

For the girls (or guys) who love pink - Ostrich  leather/tanzanite

In fact you can do just about anything with your URU bracelets. You can wear them on a piece by piece basis, or in multi-coloured stacks. URU is about you really - your personal style.

URU under the bright Caribbean sun! Love.

Prices for the bracelets depend on the style of the bracelet as well as the type/size of the gem.

URU TT is currently based in Mount Hope, Trinidad but for enquiries or showings you can reach them via any of the following:

Mobile: 1-868-791-0525
Email:aleminc29@gmail.com 
Instagram: URUTrinidad 
Facebook: URUTT

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Birthday Staycation Fun

So my birthday has come and gone and so has my second annual birthday staycation.Yep - for the second year running, I have spent my birthday close to home, where I could get much needed rest but without the stress of airports, trying to pack my life into my pink suitcase and without a massive post-vacation bill.

Well, maybe that's a bit ambitious. I did manage to have my 15 minute flight to Tobago delayed by about an hour or so, the pink suitcase was still pretty heavy because packing light is not one of my many talents, and I still have a bit of post-vacation financial angst. But it was great.

With a birthday staycation buddy, from Trinidad to Tobago and back, we had such a great time. Whether we explored beaches, bars, nature parks or cultural haunts, we enjoyed the break from reality. Going back to work this week was a bit of a buzzkill after a much needed break. Happy birthday to me!

The view from the balcony of our holiday apartment near Stonehaven Tobago.
We had breakfast and dinner here every day.
Interested? Check out Hibiscus Heights.

Made local goodies for the overseas travel buddy, and that balcony...that balcony

A day out at Englishman's Bay, Tobago

Some of the brightly coloured wrap skirts on sale at Englishman's Bay

The interior of the restaurant at Englishman's Bay. We just had beers.

Flip flops and toes at Turtle Beach, Tobago

Beers for him and her at Blue Waters Inn, Speyside, Tobago

The amazing Batteaux Shrimp Salad from Blue Waters Inn - the blue cheese, pecans,
strawberries, mandarins and the shrimp gave the salad a great kick. It was amazing.

Back in Trinidad, we explored La Vega Estate by foot. It was hot, but it was worth it.

He spread the plumes but would not pose for a photo until the end when the plumes were gone again!

Ended the last day with a sunset. Sunset over the Temple in the Sea, Waterloo, Trinidad

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Staycation Success at the Magdalena Grand Beach Resort, Tobago

Relaxation. 
- the state of being free from tension and anxiety; recreation or rest, especially after a period of work.

The crush of work and the crush of life can often become so overwhelming that you cease to function as a normal human being. Time away from the daily routine is essential as far as I am concerned, and while I am good at taking vacations, I hardly ever take a vacation where I do nothing. But I wanted this and aimed to do it. I am happy to report that I passed the test, with a short tropical getaway to Tobago for my birthday, where I did nothing but relax relax relax. The stuff on my list, for the most part - done.

The relaxation spot of choice - Magdalena Grand Beach Resort.
The tools of choice - Kindle, mp3 player, sunscreen, wine/cocktails, sunglasses, camera.

In a resort where all the rooms face the ocean, you are guaranteed to wake up to sights like this at least one morning, depending on the weather. Believe me, you thank God for your life when this is the first thing you see when you open your eyes.

Awesome view from the room's balcony

I got what I now believe is typical birthday weather for me, with grey skies, cold breeze and rain for a good part of the trip, but when the sun came out, boy, was it stunning. Yes. I love my life.

The view from my pool chair at the Magdalena Grand Beach Resort in Tobago

My little corner in paradise for the duration of my staycation

The swim up bar at the Magdalena Grand Beach Resort - just behind my chair.

Of course, after a morning workout, or even the afternoon sweat, one needed to eat as well, and there was always a full spread at both breakfast and dinner, which came with the special package deal which the hotel was offering. There was a lot to choose from, and for big breakfast eaters, you have so much choice. But in the end, once there are pancakes, a chef doing an omelette, coffee and watermelon, I will probably be right there. No need for lunch after this. Unless it's a liquid lunch - liquid pressed from a few million grapes.

Some people tried every single thing on offer - two pancakes and an omelette - just right.

Dinner time again, offered a variety of food, including a live pasta station on one evening, and of course, where there is pasta, there I am. One had a choice on this evening of roast beef, chicken or seafood for either a cream or marinara based creation.

Fresh veggies in a bit of EVOO

Scallops, mahi mahi, shrimp in the mix. She had me at scallops.

Simmering nicely, in a bit of marinara sauce

Presto!! Pasta!!

During the day I met some really nice people, who joined in my birthday celebrations and made it special in their own way  - mostly through free drinks - but also with laughter from sharing of experiences, and running from the rain. lol. It made for a really fun and memorable trip.

Of course when it comes to service, I am the original service Nazi and I also love to shout out the stars - those who just bring something warm and genuine to your total experience. So, to Nyron, Andrew - my great bellmen, and Nikisha, my pasta queen - thanks for being awesome. The girls at the spa were lovely as well.

This was a good sign that I can do this more often without losing my mind. However, all good things must come to an end, and regular life beckons. Thanks Magdalena, thanks Tobago. It's been awesome.

Magdalena Grand Beach Resort - night time

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Confessions of a Bougie Black Woman

I have been growing more and more fascinated by the whole concept of "being bougie" and what that really means. In Caribbean parlance, bougie can become "stoosh/stush". I have been called both stoosh and bougie and guess what? I own my bougieness.

Bougie.- aspiring to be a higher class than one is; a hacked truncation of the word bourgeoisie, which refers to the middle class in Europe, but a more affluent class level in the United States; anything that is perceived to be "upscale" from a blue collar point of view.

And this bit irritates me -

Bougie - Characteristic applied to African American women who display snobbish traits; often used to describe African Americans who are accused of "selling out"

While I am Afro-Trini, the term "bougie" still seems to hold some negative connotations to it and I am here to debunk this negativity.

If bougie means wanting to be successful, self-reliant, awesome and aspiring to create a legacy my kids can be proud of and aspire to, then I am bougie

If bougie means not having my junk spilling out of too-short skirts and too-low cut blouses, and not making a spectacle of myself via my mode of dress, then I am bougie

If bougie means that I can walk away, risking the wrath of those who may call me a coward, because I choose not to "run up some girl's chest", pull her weave, cuss her mama etc, in the middle of town, over nonsense, like a man for example - cite me - I am bougie

If bougie means I avoid certain events because they cultivate the type of behaviour as described above, in favour of less volatile environments, then I am bougie

If bougie means I have an appreciation and love for culture, whether it is a ballet or a night at the theatre, as much as I do for a fete, then I am bougie

If bougie means I don't drop it like it's hot in a public forum, get drunk or pass out after a night out, then yeah, I am hella bougie

If bougie means that I am willing to sacrifice certain things, so I can be independent and not have to find a baby daddy to "mind me", then yeah, I am mega bougie

If bougie means I also like, not prefer, but also like, eating in a certain way, in certain places, and having certain types of food and beverages such as sushi and wine, then I guess I am indeed bougie

(Let me also say, I am not a great patron of street food, not because I am "bougie", but because I am anal about food preparation, and the flagrant neglect of public health regulations. That's not bougie. That's a bit neurotic and I confess in this case, I bloody well am! And in this case, I have cultivated a love for cooking to circumvent the risk of food poisoning. lol)

If bougie means I will, without batting an eye, dismiss a man who disrespects me verbally, physically, emotionally, either in public or in private moments, then hell yes, I am bougie

If bougie means I will appreciate a man who treats me well, respects where I am now and where I have come from to get there and supports me in going even further, and even if he is not black, then I guess I am bougie. (God forbid he is not black, then I have sold out in the worst way!)

And bougie does not mean one has to look down on anyone, or be a snob. It should be about empowerment. I am not only bougie but I am true to my bougieness and committed to being a bougie black woman. I own it.

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The ballet, "Giselle" gets a jolt of Trini flavour

Dancers from the Metamorphosis Dance Company
in rehearsal for "Giselle".
Photo credit: Karen Johnstone
via Metamorphosis Dance Company

Last evening, we spent the night in dance and what a night it was.

The Metamorphosis Dance Company put on their re-worked tropical version of the ballet, Giselle. The production was absolutely fantastic and being there was time well-spent. Every scene was produced with great care and love, and delivered with the same passion by the dozens of young dancers. I loved the relevance of the production - from the colourful costumes of the villagers, indicative of the Caribbean spirit, to the insertion of local folklore. And it's not many Caribbean men who will commit to the art of ballet, so having the male leads be all local was a treat.

I think, based on the post-show conversation we had with other people, the show was really well received by everyone and I personally give it 2 thumbs up. Tonight is the last show, so I am also glad I made last night's show, as I am exhausted and surely could not commit to going out the night before the start of the taxing work week.

Of course, nothing ends a glorious night at Queen's Hall like a couple cocktails and some flirting. Nothing.

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White People in the Caribbean?? The Shock!

2004 Olympic Bronze Medallist in the 200M
Individual Medley, Trinidadian
George Bovell III -
OMG - he's WHITE!

I had posted a photo of myself during Carnival, with a friend, who is white. Someone asked me what he – White Man – was doing in Trinidad.  Ummm…what? I responded, “He lives here”, then jokingly added, “We do have white people here you know”.

Needless to say, the person was seriously surprised. I thought it was a bit shocking honestly. I mean, moving ahead of myself here a bit, is there any real homogenous country in the world? Believe me, I would love to know.

But back to this White Man thing, I would just like to confirm that, yes, we do actually have white people, not just living in the Caribbean, but who are part of a long generation of white people. I mean, this will sound really harsh, and may shock some of you BUT… black people did not bring slavery to the Caribbean. We have had white people here for a little while now, believe it or not. And not just white people, but we have…wait for it…people of Indian, Chinese, and Syrian ancestry, just to name a few. And it gets worse – some of them actually get along, so much so that they get married and have racially diverse offspring.

I am not sure what people outside of the Caribbean think happens down here, or what a Caribbean person looks like or sounds like.  I should have asked this question. The accent issue - that’s another peeve since I apparently, to some, do not sound Caribbean. The media stereotype of what the Caribbean is seems to be fuelled by one segment of one population out of many. So because I do not use stupid media clichés, like “irie” and “yeah mon”, I am not Caribbean by non-Caribbean standards, which is pretty stupid. They have even gone so far as to say I sound American, which is OBVIOUSLY not the case, but since to the ignorant ear, it is CLEARLY not a Caribbean accent, it has to be SOMETHING.

I know that some white people born and bred in the Caribbean, who sound like me or maybe Barbadian or Jamaican, also getting the strange looks and ridiculous comments about sounding different, and I can only assume, their strong Caribbean accents are not congruent with their paler hues.

What’s next? I know to some, we all sit on a beach all day, drinking rum-based drinks out of coconuts, and we only wear tied dyed shirts and skirts. We probably all know how to play the steel pan and all listen to reggae music. I am negative when it comes to all of these things.

I am not saying you will know everything about everywhere either, but I would think you would be interested enough once it came up on your radar, especially if it is completely foreign to you. Maybe it’s just me but I am always researching something. Instead of poking people on Facebook (yes, people still do this), I read a lot, about anything or everything. If I meet someone from somewhere I had never heard of, I make a mental note to go check it out and learn something. I met someone from Georgia and though I knew the place existed, I did not know much about it, so I Googled it and I am a little bit wiser, less ignorant than I was before. It’s not that hard really. I do it before every trip as well – to know where I am going, and what makes the place more than just a utilitarian vacation spot.

I met a lovely guy in London, who had heard of Trinidad but was not quite sure what it was all about. During our conversation, he was so fascinated that he whipped out his phone and Wiki’ed us, which I found very sweet and at least showed he was interested. Inevitably, he was really surprised to learn that we are very different to what he had in his head. Again, I did not expect him to be a fountain of information about the place, but just showing he was interested about the person he was talking to made the world of difference in how I viewed him as well. I am not linking to any sites about Trinidad and Tobago – I will leave that to you, IF you are interested. I am currently Googling “NY sales”, cause I am clearly interested and don’t know quite enough.

And somewhere out there, someone is reading this and saying, “She did not know about Georgia? Has she never heard about Atlanta?” and I would have proven my point yet again.

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Nude Beach Memories

Orient Beach, St Martin
Photo credit: AOL Travel

Yesterday I found the list of the best nude beaches in the Caribbean and the first one that came up was Orient Beach in St Martin - a beach I am very familiar with. I spent a week or so in beautiful St Maarten/St Martin. Great shopping on the Dutch side, and great single girl adventures on the French side. Gotta love the French! My trip to St Martin was da bomb - French people, French guys, and that nude beach.

My girlfriend and I had made it a girls' trip and I had researched all the stuff I wanted to do, including parasailing and visiting this nude beach. You only live once! The parasailing was awesome and I met a cute French fella, who asked me to go out with him later that evening. Needless to say, that did not end well as my cute French vacation hottie was a hot mess at the party, totally stoned on marijuana and trying to get me to follow him and his 3 dreadlocked friends into some van in the carpark. Yeah, buddy. I must have had the "Idiot Here" sign on my forehead. You clearly were too high if you thought that was going to happen.

Chilling out in the nude
Photo credit: Wikinut

The other highlight of the day was this nude beach, or more accurately, clothing optional beach. I had never been on a nude beach before and though I had mentally (and physically) prepared myself for this phenomenon, I still was nowhere ready for what awaited me.

Why is it that all the so-called beautiful people don't go to these places and somehow it's all the Golden Girls and their equally wrinkled husbands. To say this was an enlightening experience would be an understatement. You don't see many nude scenes in movies featuring your grandmum, do you, cause that was kinda what it was like.

I went to the bar (clothed, mind you) to get two mojitos and there was a guy - maybe in his early 60s, sitting in the buff on the stool, with his stuff hanging out. And the stuff was not great looking either. Kinda looked like those sausages in yesterday's post. He then proceeds to seriously chat me up. Really buddy? I am like a million years younger than you and you're sitting with your 60-something year old stuff laying limp on the  stool. It also reminded me not to sit on any of the other stools while waiting for my order especially as every single person at the bar was naked and sweaty. (blech)

The women - saggy, wrinkly boobs everywhere, and equally saggy, wrinkly derrieres. But guess what? I salute their confidence and their "I don't give a hoot who does not like it" attitude. I really think it was pretty darn awesome. Not for my eyes, but awesome nonetheless. Being comfortable with your body, no matter what it looks like, is a truly remarkable thing. So many people starve themselves, go through periods of self loathing and yet others throw off their speedos and bikini tops and just go for gold. That's hot. Again, not always for my eyes, but it's great that they don't feel restricted.

But I would still definitely recommend a nude beach to anyone. It is great fun. You have to do it, if even once! Did I go nude? Not completely. Being one of maybe 5 black people on the beach made me an attraction as it was. Every time I moved a limb, eyes turned on me. I did not need to completely break the thermometer with my hotness.

Check out the Nude Beach Etiquette Guide. lol.

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Zen: That's Where I am at

Even my dog Fidel found the blazing sun too much

So in case you missed the memo, I am not in London at the moment, but in South Trinidad. Back home. It has been a very relaxing first week, with me spending time with friends and family, especially my nephew who was fighting tooth and nail to not know this stranger in the green t-shirt. But by the end of the weekend, he was my buddy, and we were playing and eating yogurt. He also has his aunt's love for dogs, and we sat in the porch together, watching the dogs play.

It has also been a gastronomic triumph, as I have been going through my "What I Must Have" food list like a true champion. All the Trini food I have missed out on over the past 7 months.

It is hot here in the Caribbean. I don't mean let's go play football in the savannah hot. I mean let's take 4 or more showers and drink loads of water, while sitting in the a/c all day hot. Over the weekend I consciously made the decision to go out in the early evening, rather than during the day, to beat the heat. And it is not a case of Trini in London so she cyah take sun now either. The place is just damn hot! Not complaining though - it has its perks. One word - BEACH! I hope this blazing heat holds for when I jet across to Tobago for some much desired beach rest. However, with my luck, I will be sitting on the beach with an umbrella - and I don't mean a beach umbrella either.

p.s. I just looked outside and it is raining. This is great for today but let's not make this a trend!

It has been good to sleep in my own bed, in my own room with my own tv - no football blaring all day. Spending time with the 'rents and catching up with friends, cause I have missed so much. Great to not have to take public transport - huge deal for me, as I jump in the car and zoom around the countryside - just me and my music and my singing. No school work. No nonsense. I am just very much in a state of zen.

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