Different

It's been a very long time since I've typed a blog post. Maybe I will, maybe I won't revive the blog. Regardless, I wanted to put some ponderings down on electronic paper. I don't even know if people, apart from the governments, read this.

I've began a reading challenge that hopefully will not die. At least for 2015, every month I am going to read at least one book. Each month I am going to ask one trusted friend to suggest one book that friend believes I should read. It can be a book on anything. I will try my level best to complete the book. I'm also assuming that if they think I SHOULD READ THIS BOOK then I will have no problem reading the book.

Book #1 for this personal challenge is The Alchemist.

 So far, it's a very lovely book. It definitely makes me happy to start this personal challenge.

Sometimes you have to do something different. Different doesn't have to be extravagant. Different just has to be...different.

Saving Some Mulaaaaaa!

A friend shared this on Facebook and I thought well this should be interesting!!

I'm even thinking maybe it could be done in reverse as well, start with $52 and work down to $1. But either way let's give it a try!!

_V

Let Yourself

Let yourself be 

inspired 

to create, 

to express, 

to be.

Inspiration To Explore

Well I've surely been MIA recently. I've just been focusing on finishing my undergraduate degree and staying out of the limelight at Trent. My days for being a socialite at the school are long gone. I'm enjoying my retirement from it, although some people expect me to still be in it. Anyways, on to better things.

On December 1st I went to Rochester, New York to participate in a North American Indigenous Culture Exhibition. The exhibition was entitled Changing Hands: Art Without Reservation 3.  It was my first time in Rochester and I must say from what I saw the city is beautiful. It has a rich arts culture and not just an indoor one in terms of exhibitions at the museum or art galleries but street art is alive and visible.

The exhibition was amazing. Although I did not go through every single exhibit, the ones I did stop by were very interesting. It rekindled my desire to explore not only my own art form but others as well. I felt inspired to explore my own Saint Lucia culture a bit deeper as well. Although this may not be possible any time soon, it would be interesting to host or be a part of a team of persons who can make something similar happen. It would a great opportunity to work with current and upcoming artists to hone the skills of newer ones and with time create the exhibition. My vision for it would be one that is so renowned and amazing that it would even travel the Caribbean and possibly the world! I should get started on that. Start looking at who I could collaborate with to develop the idea and then present it to the necessary bodies in Saint Lucia that can further develop and expand on it. A look at not only traditional but contemporary Saint Lucian art.

What do you think about this idea? How could I make it happen? Feel free to share a comment down below! Thanks for reading

-Shani V.

Show Me Your Friends...

Surround yourself with people who will 

uplift you, 

encourage you 

and 

motivate you. 

It's so easy for us to get bogged down with comfortable people. I'm talking those people we've known for ages, or we've just grown accustom to having in our close proximity. 

Sometimes we need to take a step back and look critically at these people - are they still (or ever did) serve their purpose in our lives? Are we holding on to relationships that hinder our progress? 

Everyone comes into your life for a good reason. Not everyone deserves to stay in your life. Ultimately you make the choice as to who stays and who goes. It doesn't make sense for you to chase someone down and that person constantly hurts you. Let them go. It doesn't make sense for you to keep that person around yet still as soon as they're gone you're relieved and relaxed, able to be yourself and be happy. Get rid of them. It doesn't make sense to keep that person who you keep giving your all to but won't give you a thought. Leave them down. No space on your minivan of life for that!!

Instead find people who uplift, encourage and motivate you. I've come to learn that this does not mean surround yourself with people who enable you. Having friends that enable you are just as detrimental if not worse than those that are just dead, useless weight. Have friends that are critical, smart, and look out for your best interest. Friends who aren't afraid to tell you "hey you're forming the ass now" or "No...you're not doing that because it's a stupid idea and in the end you're gonna regret you did it." Surround yourself with people who have a great vision for themselves and want to surround themselves with equally or more greatness.

In the words of the great Tess M J. "...and with that I resign."

-V

Let The Reading Continue!

After much wait, or at least what seemed like FOREVER!! I finally got my Kobo Mini (e-reader). I am thoroughly impressed and excited to have it. I have purchased a few e-books and have been reading once again on the bus and even in bed. I would recommend an e-reader whether it be a Nook, Kobo, Kindle, or whatever to someone who loves reading or wants to get into reading. They are slim enough to slip into almost any bag (depending on the size) and are easy to use. The only thing is the version I have doesn't have a back light and so I would need a separate light source if I were reading in the dark or on a late night bus from Toronto or something. But apart from that, I LOVE IT!!

I posted the following question on my Facebook wall - WANTED: Suggestions for books to read. I got a few replies, some of which I don't think are along the lines of the books I want to read, others definitely captured my interest. Here is a list of some of the books suggested (including those I probably won't read):

• The Skin I'm In by Sharon G. Flake
• The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom by Jonathan Haidt
• The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
• The Other Boleyn Girl
• The Hunger Games Series
• Earth's Children (a series of books) by Jean Auel
• Eva Luna
• A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
• So Long A Letter by Mariama Ba
• The Lion and The Jewel by Wole Soyinka
• Girl With A Pearl Earring
• Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom.

Have you read any of these books or have a suggestion for a book I should read? Let me know by leaving a comment below! Also feel free to look up and start reading any of these books yourself!

Happy Reading

-V

What's The Plan

This is something I have been struggling with for many years - what do you want to be when you grow up? True some would say I am already grown, but I don't feel like it.

I was reading Steve Harvey's book "Act Like A Lady - Think Like A Man" and in the book he says there are 5 questions a woman should ask a man to know if he's a keeper or if she should grab her purse and run. The first question is where do you see yourself in 5 years (i.e. what are your short term goals)? True I was reading the book to understand how to interact with males and get one to be mine - mwhahaha!! But the book made me question myself as well. I mean how terrible would it be for me to sit grilling a guy about where he wants to be in 5 or 10 years time and I have no idea where I want to be?! He'll get the red flag and head straight for the door.

Another minor event happened to encourage the thought process on what my short and long term goals are. My friend Bee and I were having a conversation about work and we discussed where I currently work and how much I make. I don't make minimum wage - and that is a blessing. Anything about $11 is wonderful in my mind, if you get enough hours. Anyway, in the conversation Bee says she can't wait to be making $30/hr or more. The gong went off in my mind. I had never thought about making so much money despite what job I thought I would be doing. Another part of Steve's book came to mind. I'm not going to quote what part, go read it for yourself and figure it out. But on a serious note, it was another part of the book that could have been applied to myself. What am I worth? How much do I think I should be making in my desired job? This I think helps to hone in on exactly what you want to do, how you want to do it and how much you want to get for your hard work.

So of course, I sat with my pen and paper (diary in this case) and thought long, deep and hard about what I want to do, where I see myself and how long it's going to take me. Two weeks ago, if you asked me what is my dream job I would tell you I want to be an Environmental Educator and that's it. Today I am able to sift through that fluff of a title and break it down further, pin pointing exactly what I want to do.

I want to be something similar to a curriculum officer but not on the Ministry of Education side. I want to work with businesses and organisations such as a water company, energy company, landfill, etc. in connection with schools, youth groups, churches, community organisations to develop programming/activities/curriculum for the businesses and organisations that I work with to get their environmentally friendly message out there and into the community. For example, let's say I work with a water company and the country, city, whatever (depending on where I am in the world) celebrates October as the month of Water, I would create a month long programme of activities that would help persons know more about the water in the community, how to use water efficiently, how the water gets from the source to the user. The same would apply if I worked for a recycling plant and the month of June was recycling month. A month long series of activities would be created not only for students (although focusing more on the youth) to get persons involved and aware of what really happens when we recycle, don't recycle properly, what to look for in materials before buying them, etc. The title I want is Community Environmental Outreach Manager.

So that is my long term goal. I'm still working on fine tuning the short term goals to help me get that direction. That will be another post possibly.

What are some of your short and long term goals? Feel free to share with me in the comments below!

Thanks for reading!
-V

S. M. H.

Disclaimer: I support no party, no politician, nada! I've never voted, don't know what which party is saying in their manifesto, nothing. I just have a little bit of sense in my head.

A friend of mine shared with me a statement someone posted on Facebook. The quote basically said "Look at the Prime Minister wasting tax payers money to go to The Olympics."

Am I the only one who finds fault in this statement? How ridiculous can some people be?! Maybe I am too educated and too aware because I KNOW sportsmen and women for YEARS have been crying and begging for support from the various governments. Am I mistaken in thinking that the presence of the Prime Minister, who is the primary representative figure of the country is a good thing and shows that we, Saint Lucians, collectively are supporting our sportsmen and women?

I think the Prime Minister responds to statements like these very well...



Furthermore, I would like to touch on persons who have and will make comments such as "Look we gone and waste money going to The Olympics and we eh win anything," or "I eh know why they waste their time going when they know they not going to win anything anyways." Well surely with such amazing support from their fellow countrymen and women they can achieve it all, right?

I think it is high time Saint Lucians got real. We want to sit back at our homes and complain about these 4 people who have worked so hard to even be eligible to participate in the games because they didn't place. Maybe if we supported our athletes more at home they will feel the love and that love would propel them to those great heights. Too many of us are waiting for them to get there to praise and support them. And because they fall short of that gold medal, we bring them down. But if we continue to push them down how are they suppose to fly and reach great heights? I mean seriously think about it...would you want to represent a country that didn't support you win or lose? Would you want to represent a country that didn't understand yes you didn't make it to the finals, but you did achieve a personal best, and from that personal best you can continue working and pushing yourself until you get to that gold medal? We need to spend more time being positive members of society instead of being cynical about everything. Stop sitting back and complaining. Get off your butt and go support the athletes, go support the youth initiatives, go support the arts, the intellectuals wholeheartedly. Go support Saint Lucia. It's high time Saint Lucians stop being crabs in a barrel.


-V

Let the planning begin

My exams ended on Monday December 19th and I said I would give myself one week to relax and the next week I will begin my school work to get ahead and plan for my future (as I normally do). Well today is Friday and I'm tired of "relaxing" which happens to be doing nothing or just cleaning in one way or the other.

I'm here more or less alone for the holidays and although I appreciate the time alone I feel like I have nothing to do. I'm sure I can catch up on major reading or watching shows I haven't been able to follow during the semester but it's not the same. I think I'm always under so much pressure that it doesn't feel normal to not be. Anyway, so apart from cleaning and getting ahead in my studies I'm also going to look at the "Where do I see myself in x years." I'm scheduled, correction: I am going to graduate in June 2012 and receive my Honours degree in August 2012 and hence I need to have some sort of an idea as to what I want to do and how I'm going to do it.

I do know that I honestly am not ready to do my Masters just yet. I know there are a number of people who are disappointed in this. Truth be told I'd like to work for about 10 years and then get my Masters. By then everyone I know would have had 2 Ph.D's but I honestly don't care. I can't make decisions for my life based on what other people are doing. I need to make decisions that I feel are best for me and that I can handle. In 5 years time I would like to enter my field of interest with a secure foot. And that is what I am going to do.

I often say there's method to my madness, and I truly believe it. Whether others can see it or believe it is another question, but that doesn't bother me. I know me and what I want well enough. I feel grounded and focused. Now is the time to apply these emotions and secure my dreams. I should have a back up plan, but not just yet. I believe this will work out.

This is just the begin of the my rise to achieve my goal. 2012 is the year when the slingshot will be stretched and released, and I shall be propelled in the right direction to live my dreams. Let nothing stop me, let nothing stop you. We're both going to achieve our dreams.

Don't wish me luck. Help me along my journey.

Best wishes
-The Empress

Mind Over Matter

I am not big on New Years celebrations. I'm one of those persons that wants to crawl into a dark hole for about two months - December and January and not think about a new year dawning and all that jazz. The primary reason for it is because twice a year it hits me, another year is dawning and another year of my life is gone, and I have nothing to show for it. I have nothing to say hey this is what I've accomplished. It weighs me down and makes me sad to know that I'm not truly happy, but happy at moments, and that I'm still not living my life, but living to please others. It bothers me that I don't feel like I'm going somewhere and I have something to do, that I'm merely floating around in this crazy world.

I usually try to hide from New Years.

But somehow, this year I don't want the stroke of midnight to catch me at home, or in my current town. No. I want to be a different place to ring in a different year. 2012 is my Champagne Year and I have dubbed it "The Year of The Empress." In 2012 it will be difficult but I will be happy. I will have a goal and I will work towards it. I will explore life and myself, and push myself to become a great woman. I will retrain myself to be mentally powerful, self motivated, hard working and fun loving. I will culture myself to not be ignorant, temperamental or short tempered. I will culture myself to be graceful, sophisticated, educated and wise. From 2012 onward I shall be responsible and build on that responsibility a kingdom of comfort for my family.

Yes, 2012 is MY year.

Words of Wisdom

A friend recently shared this with me and of course I thought it was fitting to share it with you. I'm sure many of you have heard this before of have heard about the general concept before. But here is goes!

The Power of Association.

The Power of Association is too real: "The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve. Any time you tolerate mediocrity in others, it increases your mediocrity. An important attribute in successful people is their impatience with negative thinking and negative acting people. As you grow, your associates will change. Some of your friends will not want you to go on. They will want you to stay where they are. Friends that don't help you climb will want you to crawl. Your friends will stretch your vision or choke your dream. Those that don't increase you will eventually decrease you.
Consider this: Never receive counsel from unproductive people. Never discuss your problems with someone incapable of contributing to the solution, because those who never succeed themselves are always first to tell you how. Not everyone has a right to speak into your life. You are certain to get the worst of the bargain when you exchange ideas with the wrong person. Don't follow anyone who is not going anywhere. With some people you spend an evening: with others you invest it. Be careful where you stop to inquire for directions along the road of life. Wise is the person who fortifies his life with the right friendships. If you run with wolves, you will learn how to howl, but if you associate with eagles, you will learn how to soar to great heights.
"A mirror reflects a man's face, but what he is really like is shown by the kind of friends he chooses." The simple but true fact of life is that you become like those with whom you closely associate - for the good and the bad. Note: Be not mistaken. This is applicable to family as well as friends".

-Colin Powell.

The Times Are Changing

Another school year has started and I believe I have been blessed to be granted the opportunity to take a course with my favourite Indigenous Studies professor - Dan Longboat. Dan is amazing, and extremely inspirational to me, and many other students. This course that I'm taking is entitled Sustainable Indigenous Communities and the idea behind it, or rather the way the class is structured is that we (the students) are part of this community. Right now at the beginning of the academic year is land, water and air. We have no hardware. We have no software. We have no jellyware (I'll explain jellyware soon). Throughout the course of one year/8 months we will develop our community using the indigenous knowledge and concepts we learn in class to make our community sustainable. Each student has to develop one concept, whether hardware or software that contains that element of jellyware that will make everything work well together.

I sat in the front row of class today and listened intently to every word that escaped Dan's mouth; each word carrying an important message not only about how I can pass this course, but also how I can use what I have learnt in this course to make myself and my country a better place. It's rather interesting that at the beginning of class Dan spoke about doing post graduate studies...i.e. getting a Masters or Second Degree. For quite some time I have been disheartened by the option of acquiring a second degree, and have said that I will not do it. Then recently I did say to my close friends Gemma and Tessa (possible Chanel and Christal as well, but I don't remember) that I would eventually do my Masters, and I'd do it at Trent. Why Trent? Why again? Because of the Masters programme in Sustainability that is offered at Trent. Having listened to Dan's schpeel today about the difference between a first and second degree, and the importance of doing one, I have become even more inclined to do one, although not directly after I graduate. So may this post act as a declamation (or is it proclamation?) of my desire to pursue and attain my Masters in Sustainability. Listening to Dan's introduction to the course and also merely introducing myself to the class I was reminded of why I came to Trent and given hope that I can make my dreams and goals a reality in Saint Lucia regardless of the times.

The idea behind the course is that we all are members of a community. And at this current point in the semester, in the academic year, our community is only land, air and water. By the end of the course we would have used indigenous concepts along with our own knowledge of our various communities to create a truly sustainable community. Each student is responsible for one topic/aspect of the community whether hardware or software and they are to be innovative and creative in developing it to be sustainable for the community. I am a bit of a scatterbrain and also lack the drive to finish a task completely, hence this is where I am having a little bit of a problem. I can't figure out what am I most passionate about that I can develop through this assignment, that I can use maybe to do my Masters on and to evoke necessary change in my country. There are a few things I am interested in, but which one of these interests is really a passion; something that will carry me throughout this semester and beyond to be what I want to be and do what I want to do. My choices right now are economics, education, urban housing and energy. The more I type, and the more I think about it, the more I feel like education is my calling. Maybe I can investigate that a bit more in terms of my own development, but for the class I will look at what aspects of education and sustainability I can bring to the table. That is not to say that I cannot investigate the other aspects which interest me, to help me be more well rounded. It's just that my primary focus would be education.

I need to remind myself that even though things don't work out the way we want them to, or the way we think they should in hindsight, it doesn't mean that we cannot make it work in the future, or that it isn't the path we were suppose to take altogether. Maybe this actually is my calling. That I am to have all this detailing to my shield and heart which is deeply rooted in education. Maybe my eyes only let me see the option to teach or to be a teacher, whereas the universe, God and everything have me listed to be an educator. The future is looking brighter. The times are changing. I need not limit myself to what I could have done, instead I need to focus on what I can do and should do.

SOS 30 Day Challenge

One of the blogs I follow is having a 30 Day Challenge and I think I'm going to attempt to do it. I don't think I will share my posts with everyone, but instead do it just for me. If you want, and I suggest you do, you can join along and do the challenge. Her blog is Struggles of the Strong. Have fun! Feel free to leave a comment on her blog under any of her posts as well! Heck, just follow her blog as well!

Love ya peoples

Thought

" Life isn't that serious...Laugh a little"

Friendship and Reciprocity

I'm not sure how many times I spoke about my expectations regarding friendship but I shall speak about it today.

I was having a conversation with a buddy of mine, Mike (not a sexual buddy for the record) and he mentioned some difficulty he was experiencing. My response to him was don't let it get to you. You tried and it's not working out. You have other things you need to focus your attention on; and furthermore, you should just surround yourself with positive people. No time for negativity. Later on that night I got into an argument and needed some moral and emotional support from a friend. Another friend of mine (Ashni) came to my rescue and gave me just what I needed whether or not I wanted it. I am so grateful for friends who are able to help me in my time of weakness; friends who can tell me what I would say to them if the tables were turned. Ashni provided a viewing of reality and the truth. Although I haven't cried enough yet (which isn't that good. I completely support and condone crying), I did cry and I have began healing.

I know that Mike would have been able to help me out the way Ashni did and again I say I am grateful to those persons I have in my life that I can lean on, count on, cry on and laugh with. These people help to make life worth living.

To all my friends, buddies, peoples I know, acquaintances, etc. Thank You for being in my life and making it worth living.

"To have a friend is to be a friend"

 Shani Vee

The Empress

When There Is No Path

After my bout of being unmotivated I am re-energized and ready to continue on that path to greatness.

But what do you do when you want to achieve something big, something fabulous, something great and there are no directions, no guidance no nothing to lead you in the right way? You create your own path to success! It may be a difficult challenge but when you receive that victory, that success, nothing else will matter. All the struggles and hard work will make that victory taste even sweeter.

This is my motivation for my dreams. I understand fully that what I want to do is to venture into unknown waters, but that doesn't stop me. The end product is more important to me than anything else. I'm a bit tired of people telling me don't come back to Saint Lucia because there's nothing there for me. Why do people always have a one-sided view? Yes things look dismal in Saint Lucia but by encouraging everyone to stay away how can development and progress be made? It may take me years to return to Saint Lucia, but I want to know that I have made a significant contribution to my country. That's why I want to go back. I want to make a positive and significant contribution to my country. I feel like I owe it to my home to give back. I don't doubt that it's gonna be difficult, but this difficulty does not deter me, and I hope it never gets the better of me.

What dreams lead you into uncharted waters? How do you find motivation to keep going? Let me know. 

Motivation

Consider the following:

When God gives you a gift what should you do with it? You should use it; you should cherish it; you should show your gratitude and appreciation for it. Your body is a gift from God, so why are you not cherishing it? Why are you not taking care of it? Your body is the temple of the Lord, so why are you not maintaining the integrity and structure of the temple? Why are you letting it become derelict and battered?

If this isn't enough to get you motivated and moving in a direction that will help you take care of yourself, what will? This is my motivation to keep moving, to not pass by my mirror, look at what I don't like and do nothing about it. This is my motivation to maintain my temple, my gift from God in the best shape possible.

Featured Artist: Claudius Medouze

Another friend of mine has granted me the pleasure of interview them. I present to you Claudius Medouze, a young spoken word artist from Saint Lucia who knows how to move you with his lyrical flow.


Hey Claudius, thank you for doing this interview with me. To get things started can you give the readers some background information about yourself.


I was born in Marisule, St. Lucia on June 8th 1987. I attended St. Mary's College, where I developed a passion for writing; however, I decided to focus on business and sports. After graduating in 2004, I was fortunate enough to obtain a position with the National Rugby team in St. Lucia, which is where I would spend the next six years developing my skills and pursuing my new passion, rugby. I also had the opportunity of being affiliated with three different Canadian Rugby Clubs, which gave me the chance to experience and explore a variety cultures and traditions. When I travelled to Canada little did I know that I would not only get to show off my rugby skills, but also discover a hidden talent of performing poetry; as I was met with the opportunity to perform a few of my pieces at an annual poetry festival in Sarnia, Canada. New to the poetry stage, I never write any of my poems, but rather memorize each of my pieces. I believe this gives me the advantage of focusing more on the performance aspect of my work. In October of 2009, I was bestowed with the honour of performing both in Trinidad, and Tobago for a campaign called "Stop the Violence", a campaign geared towards educating youths of the consequences associated with violence. I have used my gift of poetry to appeal to children in various schools throughout Tobago. I now am an active performer in events staged by Headpunk, recently took part in the Word Alive Poetry competition held in St. Lucia and was crowned the winner of the 2010 Ponm Damou Poetry Slam. i continue to pursue poetry and am hoping to make my mark not only on the stage, but also on the field, the rugby field that is.

How did you get involved in poetry and spoken word?

I got involved in poetry when I left college in 2004 writing poems for friends and for entertainment. Then I got more and more involved in performing poetry rather than the reading aspect. I wanted to express myself more so people could see a different side of me. I started writing poetry in my head. No paper or pen, just repetitive thoughts. Like memorising a song I just went over the poem several times in my head until I said it was completed. Doing this I focused more on the performing aspect of it. Leaving the audience with opened jaws. After performing for friends who were more involved in poetry than I was around St. Lucia, I was recommended by other artistes to perform. So after a few more performances, I began to take in the feedbacks from the audiences. Some of them came to me and told me that they really loved to see me perform and that they usually come just to hear me, some tell me that what I said touched them so much which usually leaves me with my mouth open for a lost of words, others finds it entertaining so from the love I have been receiving I got more and more involved in spoken word. 


How do you source inspiration? What inspires you to write?

A good poet is able to find the natural rhythms of everyday life and express them eloquently in words. There are thousands of poems out there about tired subjects like love and war which got to me. As a poet, my job was to find either a new and original take on these overused subjects or bring an original idea to life. Most of my poems were based on social issues until I started branching out to areas that surrounds my life. In doing this I get to speak freely about heartaches felt, family and a lot more issues like women in society and friends. Whether they be good or bad. This gives me an advantage in performing the poem because it comes from the heart. Now I walk around and everything is inspiration to me. Look around you. Anything, anything at all can be the subject of a poem if dealt with in an original and creative matter. So most of the times I ask myself "What if?" This helps me explore everything in a poetical way. You just have to be creative. :) The way I interpret the world is different from most people so naturally my poetry will follow suite. My poems tend to be figurative and laced with metaphors but with a sense of the gritty reality that we all can touch and feel. I listen to a lot of spoken word pieces and found out that we all have different ways of saying what needs to be said. I just try to be more creative and take the audience on the journey I went on when writing my poems. Trying to make them feel what I felt, like my experiences and emotions. So to me spoken word has more of an advantage than other forms of poetry, because there are so many different ways artistes can bring out themselves that others can't.



What are your favourite pieces of writing and why? 

An artiste I love would be Saul Williams. Saul Williams' tone in his poems are quite sharp and harsh. He doesn't really waste any time; the meanings are pretty much right there, but the allusions are what takes thought. In "Sha Clack Clack," Williams makes an allusion to Medusa, the woman with snakes for hair. Medusa turns her onlookers into stone, so goes the legend, and only one hero was finally able to behead her. This is an interesting allusion, and I think Saul Williams is using the character of Medusa to convey an image of some kind of horror or fear. Everyone was scared of Medusa, and this enhances the idea that Saul Williams is conveying. He is conveying a kind of fierce pride to be black in the face of racism. In "Penny for Thought," he makes an allusion to Barney, saying "A purple dinosaur that speaks of love, a black man that speaks of blood." This juxtaposition shows the violence that has happened because of racism, and how angry black people on a whole became during that time. He is just as real as it gets so I love his work.


What other elements of The Arts are you involved with?

I have been involved in drama including miming which I do in church. Spoken word is the part of the arts that I am more involved with. 





What are your views on The Arts in Saint Lucia? What changes do you think will evoke necessary/positive change to The Arts?

Poetry is the study of the world around you and more importantly, the study of yourself and what you choose to speak about through the microphones. As it stands in St. Lucia, THE ARTS to me lives on in the lives of everyday people; unfounded talents, everyday living and expressive thoughts. We often say that the government isn't doing enough but forget to ask ourselves what are we doing? Even though you don't get the support you would like from the government it is up to us as a nation to understand what we want and find means and ways to achieve it. We can't wait for the government to help us, we must help ourselves before we can get help. Spoken Word in St. Lucia has now reached a pinnacle that some question, "is it a part of our culture." There is a group of talented individuals who saw a dream of reviving the ARTS in St. Lucia and did. This group is called Headphunk who single-handedly brought back hope to the ARTS in St. Lucia. They host a show every last Thursday of the month for all artistes whether you perform poetry, sing, dance, scream and shout or just a plain supporter of arts. Because of their work in St. Lucia, I can say that they are the biggest ARTS lovers in St. Lucia. At Headphunk the stage belongs to you the artiste. You get to perform with well known artistes like Boo Hinkson, Shane Ross, Naomie "Ngozi" Grandison to name a few. Now they are well known because they took it upon themselves to start a movement. so we need to learn from them.



Finally, what advice do you have for anyone who may be interested in performing poetry?

If you are interested you need to do research. Attend events, find time to explore the world around you. Take part in activities like workshops and open mics and shoot for the stars. Also you need to discover yourself as a poet, even a genius must do this. You need to peel off your skin, squeeze out your blood and soul from your body to discover you. When you are true to yourself, then and only the can you be true to the art, audience and the world around you. You must also remember that there is no greater Sin after the seven deadly than to flatter oneself into an idea of being a great .

I would like to thank Claudius for letting me pick his brain and share it with you. It truly was an honour to have interviewed him and I hope not only Saint Lucian readers but persons from all over the world can appreciate the words given to us by him. I would like to wish Claudius the best in all his future endeavours, whether on the stage or on the field.

Some things are for dreamers

I was going to post this as my Facebook status but I changed my mind and decided to make a post about it here. I think there has only been once on this blog where I have ranted about things happening in my country. I think I may make it a habit to post my thoughts on development and my opinion as to how things can go. Of course I will have a disclaimer to say that I do not work with the government so I am not fully aware of how things work, but in my mind I wonder why this isn't happening.

I'm a bit tired right now, but I'm not pleased to know that I will be going to sleep with the thought of my dreams never materializing. It's a sad and scary thought: pondering whether the hopes, dreams and aspirations one has for a place so dear to her heart will ever materialized, and if so at what cost? Some days I wonder if I have lived on Earth already, in a past life, for the zeal and enthusiasm and understand that I believe I possess (I may be wrong and actually be naive) is out of this world. Why do I love my country so much? Why do I exude such national pride? I will have to investigate this. But until then, I'm off to la-la land to dream up more brilliant ideas about development that can be done the proper way for my country.

Good night my big dreamers, big workers, big motivators and big supporters. To the haters, see beyond what is in front of you. Have some vision.

The Power of Music

Last night I was on an amazing high. No, I did not smoke, drink, have sex or eat chocolate. I was just listening to some good music.

Growing up in the Saint Lucia I know and love Zouk music. I don't know anyone who doesn't like zouk, but I'm sure there are people who do. Anyway, last night my high came from listening to zouk and kompas for about 2 hours! Yes, yes, two hours isn't that much but two hours after finding great music on my external hard drive means the buzz of the discovery plus the ou-la-lar suave of the zouk meant that I was all smiles from ear to ear.

If you've never listened to zouk, or you can't get enough, here are a few links of some great songs. You don't have to know what they are saying for you to enjoy the music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vY610nVHnw&feature=feedlik

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fm2wAM1ppxc&feature=feedlik

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djkq6c57dUU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGh_k0Y99Oo&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS6_RyvqigA&feature=related

It's amazing how music can evoke mood. I hope you get up and bust a move to these tracks.

Feel free to share your favourite song(s) with me. You can post links to the videos or the Name and singer in the comments.

Blessed Love!