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Grand Market – fuzzy, warm, on a crescendo

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A pan of the Grand Market at CARIFESTA XV, Barbados Grand Market – the mention of it brings fond memories for many. It is the time of the year when festivities are in the air, the breeze is cool ... and, of course, it’s the ‘most wonderful time of the year’. Yes, we’re at the cusp of officially being in that mode ... but that’s a later conversation. There was much excitement, people making a beeline on a narrow makeshift road, surrounded by greenery, in Waterford, St Michael. The literal and figurative off the beaten path came alive as an open field was converted, replete with tents, canopies and tall makeshift structures, to house the Grand Market at CARIFESTA XV , held in Barbados . The market, converging modernity with tradition, the organisers said, was a testimonial of “Caribbean ingenuity and sustainable spirit”. From whiffs of aromas emitting from the food stalls to the beats of the drums and impromptu dances in the space, liveliness was all over the place. The Grand Market brou...
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Erica David – Peace Corps Volunteer, writer … a superhero

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Eria David For Erica David, memories of her four-year-old self growing up in Philadelphia, are still fresh as the aroma of pancakes from her visits to IHOP . So, what’s the correlation between pancakes and Erica? As it’s said, inspiration comes from unexpected places. For her, it was the pancakes ... or was it? “My mother said that I wrote my first poem at age four. It was a bit of blank verse titled ‘On the way to the IHOP’” David said. “It was a spontaneous poem prompted by a love of pancakes that my mother jotted down on a scrap of paper ... . “That’s the myth, anyway,” she hastily added. “I think that what actually made me a writer was two parts boredom, one part jealousy.” Even if pancakes being the source of inspiration was a myth … she articulated as a chef. David said, she used to get bored easily until one day her mother handed her a pencil (for the benefit of Gen Z and beyond folks, that is a writing instrument). She was jealous of her cool older cousin who used to write stor...
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Logos Hope spreads messages of love and knowledge

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Logos Hope - the book ship powered by Christian values (Photo courtesy:  GBA Ships e.V.) Hope - it is a very powerful word, for those who believe in it, live by it, and as it is said, it makes the world go around. Armed with a shipload of books, Logos Hope docked in Kingston. Along with it came a crew of 400 international volunteers, bringing with them their vision and purpose - that of knowledge, help, and hope to the people of the world. "We want to share knowledge, help and hope with the people of the world," said Annika Lee, media relations officer, Logos Hope. "Knowledge is, of course, through the book fair, where we sell over 5,000 different titles of books." The only flurry of excitement at the cement factory pier at Rockfort, Kingston, on normal days is the to and fro of an occasional cargo ship unloading raw materials for the cement company and the cars zipping past on the Sir Florizel Glasspole Highway, the arterial road to the Norman Manley International ...
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Artistically yours ... Weaving magic of fine art into everyday life

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  Listen to the Podcast   Cityscape It is a known fact that art is therapeutic in many ways than we may know. From mesmerizing strokes, myriad of expressions enrich our experiences of the oft mundane world we live in. At its core, fine art serves, not only as a thing of beauty to be admired, but a reflection of the complexities, triumphs and tribulations of humanity. Whether a painting, sculpture, poetry, music or dance … the power of arts is rich and immense. It evokes emotions, provoke thoughts, and spark conversations. Fine art transcends boundaries and speaks a universal language. It has always been a catalyst for cultural exchange, bridging the gaps that exist in the human interactions. Through art, we gain insights into different perspectives, histories, and appreciation that there is unity in our diversities in this interconnected world. THERAPEUTIC Serenity  Art is therapeutic – numerous studies show that art reduces stress, anxiety, and depression, while enha...
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Location: Kingston, Jamaica
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Tequila – a Mexican cultural tradition

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  Master Distiller Jaime Villalobos “It’s another tequila sunrise, starin’ slowly ‘cross the sky ...” resonates lyrics of a song by The Eagles from Los Angeles, California – their inspiration lying 1,500 miles south in Tequila, Mexico, the warmth of which touched Kingston, Jamaica, recently with the maestro – master distiller Jaime Villalobos. “ Buenas noches señoras y señores, bienvenidos a este viaje a la tierra del Tequila (Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this journey to the land of tequila),” Villalobos began, on the cata de Tequila. His presentation was in Spanish but, for any non-speaker, it wasn’t a blanking-out moment – his explanations flowed as smoothly as the ageing process of the brew of the evening. So much for nostalgia – one would guess that, for a non-drinker, this is as romantic as any cocktail would make anyone else feel. The genesis of tequila is agave, a plant that is central to Mexican culture. “Tequila will not be there if it was not for agave,”...
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Location: Kingston, Jamaica
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Postcard from Japan: Hopes for a safer tomorrow

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Natsuyuki Fujimori, who works with a Tokyo based Non-Government  Organization Along the banks of Arakawa River in Tokyo, a group of people are huddled together as they listen to Minoru Igarashi's instructions on color coding for garbage separation and safety. The group, employees of a local company, gathered to clean up the banks of the river, assisted by Arakawa Clean-Aid Forum, a Tokyo-based non-government organization. "We are working for a common cause: to clean the river bank," said Natsuyuki Fujimori, a 20-year-old, who is one of the five full-time employees of the NGO. Fujimori, who chose environmental protection over a corporate job, said that their team organized 159 cleaning exercises in 2015 and collected 5,602 bags of garbage - including from PET bottles, shoes, cans, baseball and tennis balls, tires, and insulin syringes. It is a collective and community exercise. The NGO, to fund its operations, organizes cleaning exercises for companies that have environmen...
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Location: Tokyo, Japan
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Naandeyé García Villegas – narrating social commentaries through her art

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Naandeyé García Villegas, Mexican artist who uses her creativity for social commentary. Naandeyé García Villegas’ earliest memories of delving into creative pursuits were ‘drawing’ letters on the earliest known Word program. The palette had a choice of four fonts and black and white colors to fill – minimalism driven by technology. “Since I was a child, I had a special interest in art. I drew a lot. I drew all the time,” Villegas said. “I loved the color and the letters. “When I was eight years old, my parents bought me a computer and a printer,” she said. “At that time, computers still didn’t have design programs, but mine had one installed where you could write things (I guess it was a kind of Word). It was just typography. I used to spend whole afternoons making signs, ‘designing’ them, then printing them, and finally, coloring on top of them (it had all kinds of markers, colors, watercolors, oil, etc.),” she said. This was the first taste of design for Villegas. A great deal has ch...
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Location: Mexico City, CDMX, Mexico
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