Issue#1 - IslandME (January 2013) by Kerron Riley

FREE

ISSUE

Jan 2013

Bang Bang

Trincity Mall | Aboutique Mall | Frederick Street, Port of Spain | High Street, San Fernando

CREDITS KERRON RILEY

Up to press time, it seems someone actually did hit this. The “Points” pylon is gone!

EDITOR: Sophie Wight ASSISTANT EDITOR: Nelleen Worrell PRODUCTION COORDINATOR:

Kim Lee-Inniss Awesome P

AD SALES: Jeremy Tai Chew GRAPHIC DESIGNERS: Tami Eustace Kwesi Marcano Wesley Welch/W2 MAKEUP: Samantha Seebalack WRITERS: Ayodele Cuffy Mario Singh Nicholas Bhajan PHOTOGRAPHERS: Kerron Riley Ricardo Wilson/Uphotogenic Kwesi Marcano Bruce Pena/Skudography Peter Lim Choy Colin Gumbs Keivon Atwell (Video) HAIR: Elinor Westersträhle STYLIST: Afiya Bishop SPONSORS: BangBang, Radical Designs, Havenswimwear, Loud By Afiya, Rhea Ahong Special Thanks goes out to: Armando Hamid, Steve Mason,Dwayne Nicholson, Kieran Khan, Simon, Quindell, Atiba and our first girls ever, Kavell, Ricarda, Kimberly.

EDITOR’S NOTE

ome of us never contemplate our identity. We’re just, who we are… couldn’t be someone else. Yet, your identity = dozens of little choices every day. Ask yourself if you’re making conscious choices. I often find that those who do contemplate their identity, and challenge it, are those who have traveled outside the Caribbean. On return there is this little crisis, not knowing whether to shed the foreign fashions, being unsure if to kiss mom’s friend hello, the shock at the bank lines. The most successful ones re-interpret their foreign selves for their island selves without sacrificing either one. Eventually you will find your “IslandMe”. Perhaps, we can help.

f Anya's doing it… right? It’ s been emerging for ages on runways and in editorials but slow to reach our streets. That's partly because you mix prints by layering and who layers in this heat? But for the fashion forward of us here’ s some help to pull it off without the comparisons to your grandmother's stuck-inthe-70s living room.

EconoMY oF ScaLE Prints with vastly different scales work well together because the fabric with the smaller print naturally becomes the base, fading into the background a bit. Two patterns in the same scale can compete.

islandmemag.com

PaTTERn BaSic Stripes and dots are like the neutrals of pattern so you can depend on them as your base.

SiMPLiFY If mixing patterns is really radical to you, go with monochrome or remove colour entirely to ease you in. Get colour back with your accessories if you want.

SHaREd ELEMEnT A pattern perhaps, but usually a colour in common is the best way to unify prints. Go with a colour that is prominent, if not dominant, in both your prints, and then wear those prints close to each other.

Find iT aLL in

LoUd BY aFiYa 5

islandmemag.com

BY: AYODELE CUFFY

o you have taken a photo of yourself, posted it online and received no attention. You then take another photo, add a photo filter from this app thing and now people cannot get enough of how retrospectively cool you look. You have found the holy grail for attention whores. You have discovered Instagram. Instagram used to be Apple iOS only and recently spread to Android OS devices, if you don’t have it you probably still think bbm is the “best-omg!”. Instagram allows your modern day, every-

day digital photos to have that classic look of photos from your great grandma’s photo albums, or your uncle’s crazy trip in/to Studio 54, if you prefer. Provided photo filters used to be able fool people into thinking you had Photo Shop expertise. The jig is up but the application’s graphic technology is still the soul of the app, to then come alive with its social functionality.

what’s the o taking bsession with food p ics?

islandmemag.com

Similar to Facebook, Google +, etc users have access to a recently developed profile page, through whatever browser you want. And users can “like” and comment on photos from other Instagramers. While these functions are social, they are limited. Thus other social functions like sharing pictures

requires the use of third party applications that work with Instagram. Now, the application is cool, but some people have been abusing the cool stature and sucking it dry. It is utterly tragic and should be dealt with. Go ahead and share nice pictures of yourself or still life, but your deformed pinky toe, even with a filter, does not need to be shared with the world.

LOCAL

So boys and girls if you want to join the cool kids in the Instagram gang, hop on the good foot, get your Apple or Android device and join in on the filtered fun. But please, in the name of Jack Warner, don’t overdo it. Please. me

CELEB

. OLLOW

T TO F

Y WAN OU MA

Worse, the unfortunately trendy “duck face” that you think makes you look ironic just leaves viewers baﬄed and saddened. Additionally, some of yall out there are posting pictures every minute of every hour of every day. SOME in outfits and poses that… gyul, Instagram is not a modeling agency. Moreover, some people caption their photo using #hashtag #before #every #word #in #the #sentence #which #is #annoying. Oh! And if you instagramed your lunch, don’t instagram your dinner.

islandmemag.com

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Bang Bang

Trincity Mall | Aboutique Mall | Frederick Street, Port of Spain | High Street, San Fernando

UPCOMING TRENDS

pring collections are an appetizer of Caribbean appropriate clothing while we wait for the Summer collections main course (no dessert, fashionistas almost never actually eat dessert anyway).

After many months of jackets and boots going up and down runways (and somehow ending up on the streets of Sando) we look up and see ensembles with just one layer… fabrics that breathe… even some skin, woah! Of all the potential trends that can be spawned from London and New York Fashion Week, here are our predictions for what will hit here:

Bare Midriff

Designers: Rag & Bone, Alexander Wang, Jill Stuart, DKNY, Marchesa It’s not about being over-exposed; it’s about showing just enough skin, which means that belly buttons stay in swimsuit territory. Crop tops are styled with high-waisted garments; pencil skirts and cigarette pants. Skimpier pieces are paired with tailored blazers. Tailoring makes the diﬀerence to keep this on trend and not “skettish”. Perfect fete fashion, provided you’ve kept up with your crunches.

Strap on

Designers: Herve Leger, BCBGMAXAZRIA, Reed Krakoﬀ, Alexander Wang, Jason Wu Harnesses and colourful leather-heavy looks. Leather isn’t so tropics friendly but strips of it will definitely work. Especially since it was often paired with cut-outs. We’re predicting a bunch of cocktail dresses to go with the bondage vibe for the high-end all inclusives this year.

islandmemag.com

Tangerine Take Two

Designers: J. Mendel, Rachel Zoe, Narcisco Rodriquez, Carolina Herrera, Helmut Lang Bright colours, big surprise. Among those, tangerine was the juiciest standout for 2013, as it was this past spring. If the boldness scares you, mix the textures.

Digital Prints

Designers: Michael Kors, Monique Lhuillier, Proenza Schouler We are not talking about prints with a digital theme, we’re talking about prints created from digital images. You’re practically wearing a protracted screen. Designers aren’t afraid of printing on all kinds of fabrics either. We’re sure it will be on a range of tops asap, but if Caribbean people will embrace it on dresses or trousers remains to be seen.

Behind Bars

Designers: Michael Kors, Tommy Hilfiger, Marc Jacobs, Oscar de la Renta The classic Americana style of horizontal stripes is a staple of summer. So the tonne of ‘em already in your closet are okay but (always a but) a twist makes it truly on-trend. Varying widths were a common manipulation, also direction changes to create patterns, and unexpected fabrics. Stripes even ended up on gowns this season, we dare you to find somewhere to wear one!

islandmemag.com

provides an honest living. They are adamant about the word, “honest”. I put it to them that some people feel they are cheating people by providing a service no one really needs, one boy immediately replied, “Daz nuttin, lehwe keep cheating dem. Keep us out of trouble”. Some of them are qualified in a trade, there’s a musician, an electrician and some with experience in construction but they say they get rejected when they apply for work because of the areas they are from. That would be Richplain, La Puerta, Blue Basin and Cocorite mostly.

It’s 11.30am on a Tuesday and cars are ﬂowing steadily at the intersection taking you to Westmall. It’s a busy intersection for an otherwise totally residential area, with access to the mall, fast food, a pharmacy and (let’s be honest) a U- turn. This Tuesday there are also 4 young boys with squeegies looking to wash windshields and be paid for it. They stroll forward as the cars stop at the red gesturing and making eye contact with drivers. Unless you protest you’re getting a quick wash. You’re under no obligation to pay but most do, unless the light turns green again.

“We save we money to do good things” says the youngest looking boy, and everyone else nods. Some of them have kids, some have more than one to support. Another says that he built a whole addition onto his mom’s house, “And ah furnished it with ﬂat screen, carpet, sound system. And we go out! Trust me, you would doubt iz glass we wipe”. Go out huh… I asked them if girls are embarrassed to be with a wiper boy. They said the girls aren’t really aware where they work, or they know but just never see them with their own eyes. The girls are mostly impressed, “they like that we lookin’ for money”.

We save we money to do good things

Akil says if it wasn’t for washing windshields he would just be liming on the block until 5pm when he’s on shift at school. Another boy admits he’d be at home smoking some of the finest… non-tobacco product. They all say that doing this keeps them out of trouble and islandmemag.com

I’d like to say that the public has a love/hate relationship with them, but really it’s more of a tolerate/hate relationship. Some people don’t mind the service but others hate the confrontation. Some folks who want to head east actually take the left hand merge west onto the highway and U-turn at the Westmoorings lights just to avoid them, but the wiper boys are oblivious to this. That people could be adding 5 to 15 minutes to their drive to avoid them just hasn’t occurred to them at all. They feel that the people love them, women especially. They drink a lot of water. That sun isn’t nice. They’re pretty indignant at the idea that businesses nearby could suffer because of their nuisance. The boys feel that KFC & Superpharm should be grateful to them for contributing to their profits. Profits… it’s difficult to speculate what they make, so I asked them.

about the money. These are young men who want to have a purpose. A psychologist might call it actualization. In any case they say the most common consequence to being rude is a “wet down”. That’s when they pelt water on your windshield and walk away. I asked them about reports in “The Westerly” about one of them damaging a car, and they all shook their heads immediately. Whoever that was, they weren’t there that day, they say. The warning is still there though, “Thing is, doh try to get we vex”.

“On a good day yuh could take like a four hundred, but normally we get like… a hundred, or a hundred fifty.” It’s more profitable than CEPEP, which may have it’s own challenges to get a wuk with, you set your own hours and have no boss. That doesn’t make it a dream job. “The sun so devastating it feels like yuh skin is gonna melt off yuh bone… people don’t understand what it’s like to work out here”. Then of course there’s really rude ‘customers’.

Hot headed and young, we have to remember that these really are young boys, 16 – 22 years old. Except for “Rat” who one of them says is 29. The rest jumped up at that, “Fuh real? Jah boy what he doin’ out here still?”

“I cuss a man yesterday…. Well yes… all about he mudda[edit]”, says one guy proudly. The level of aggression will vary from person to person, most of the guys say that they take rejection well but they don’t like it when people ignore them and just ﬂick the windshield wipers. “We iz humans too”. They want to be acknowledged, and when they say they will do it for free, it’s not to make you feel guilty. I get the feeling that it isn’t all

The four boys talking to me that day agreed that this is just for now, Akil himself said, “We can’t do this for the rest of we life”. *Uh oh! Check out www.islandmemag.com to see what the manager at Superpharm had to say about the wiper boys… me

islandmemag.com

head shave ie

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Major Style Statement

Crix

Ments

Schoolments, pumpments, lunchments, yeh. But when it got to groceryments and anti-bioticments we knew… it’s OVER!

In & Out Y our Mouth

at lasses Sung ht nig ally the

e. ’s actu There un” in ther “s e word fore, wher ou’d There is no sun, y ss in your there ve clear gla e recently ha u’v better Unless yo t surgery… s. rac frame ough cata ! thr VER O gone ’s it

Men’s sh Kicks o pointy to es have been in e some of zone for so lo this ng that yo more an u guys were lo ok d angry c more like confu ing lowns. sed, S n e re-joice , AirJord aker pimps ans that more th an a cost feet nea laptop, comin g r you! It ’s BAC to K!

Not to say it went away, but we’ve all slowly realised that the ﬂavoured baby crix is simultaneously bourgeois and roots. Boss… it’s BACK

John Len

What a view...

non G They didn ’t necessar lasses ily enhanc his longis e h face, th ey probab won’t enha ly nce yours, one of thos bu e pure tren t this is you in the ds to put category of “dares rock it righ to t”… it’s B ACK!

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Leggings

Unless they are fresh in some way, digital prints maybe… it’s OVER!

To wear with Everything!

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t ab ’re no at you e is th ans as id s n w je The do using your e all ue on, w t e contin m o c aﬁ in ( a napk ey’ve taken o Th ,n do it). ince the 80s s CK! update it’s BA stress…

RUGGED TRIPLE HARD DISK

ven the most philistine laptop owner (like maybe your mom) wants an external hard drive these days, ya know, to store all those embarassing baby pictures of you. Unlike momma though, lots of us want to move with our drive. Some because they work in media and actually need to transport large files others because they want to get music from some DJ. Which means that much like your phone, you sometimes drop it. Now and then, yuh mash brakes and everything on your front seat dives onto the floor mat. We know. Well, the LaCie Rugged Triple Hard Disk conforms to military standard 810-F, and can support drops from up to two metres. The “specialness“ is in the shock-absorbing sleeve, aluminum anti-scratch casing, internal rubber bumpers, and a 1000G shock-resistant hard drive. While we don’t challenge you to test the ruggedness of this product, it’s a best bet for all you butterfingers.

• Superior speeds of USB 3.0 and FireWire 800, and full backward compatibility with FireWire 400 and USB 2.0. You can transfer a 700MB video file in less than 7 seconds • Nice size with aluminum shell and “rugged” edges that hold up regular use • USB or FW powered, no A/C required • USB power sharing option allows you to hook up a USB hub, etc. • Works well on Windows Vista, XP and Mac OS X and older versions too

• Good looks, and the brushed surface scratches much less than other drives • Other colour options for your rubber bumpers available, sold separately • Turns on and oﬀ with your computer or easily ejected via system tray • Easy driver-less installation really works! • Included backup software • 50 GB capacity • 2 year warranty

islandmemag.com

PHOTOS BY PETER LIM CHOY

Sunblock

ON THE ROAD... ON YOUR BODY

All over, get the good stuﬀ (wet skin formula) and put it on before glitter or whatever.

$89.99

Shades

at Starlite Drugs

Everyone looks cool in aviators. Everyone! Don’t wear your good ones though, get a knock-oﬀ brand (but polarized).

$60.00

at Peter Elias

Vex Money

Baby Wipes

Safety pinned if possible. Enough to get you home (where ever that is).

Two single packets, one for before lunch, one for after.

in twenties

at Kappa Drugs

$60.00

$80.00

Tampons & Condoms

Gel Insoles

$17.49/$6.99

Boots are pretty comfortable but why not ramp it up another notch?

In a ziplock bag inside your boot. One for you and a friend. at Superpharm

$64.99

at Superpharm

A Fella - His pockets mean you can toss a bunch of extra stuﬀ in there, like a phone and lip gloss and a lil mirror and crazy glue and...

islandmemag.com

Costume courtesy: Spice Carnival Band

Oink

during Carnival istmas the Chr

8th Dec 2ohnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s J St.

inSURancE... NOT JUST FOR OLD PEOPLE. WHAT TO DO WHEN

YOUR FRIENDTAKES A NEW JOB SELLING LIFE INSURANCE A)

“Boy who I leaving easy as putting pen to paper and buying a premium. As you that money for?”, get older you increase your AND the ability to qualify “I’m kinda young for that.” costs easily may not even exist “I don’t need that now.” anymore. Relatively minor and

That’s what I constantly hear from the younger demographic. There’s some practicality there, especially for those with no serious relationships or children. Bottom line though, life insurance isn’t something you just… get, it’s actually something you need to qualify for, and (pay attention now) it’s something that costs less the GIVE A REASON TO HATE YOU, NOT SOMETHING LIKE SNIFFING earlier you get it. Every time I call up a friend these days they AROUND HIS GIRL EITHER, think I’m going to try and sell SOMETHING LIKE SNIFFING them life insurance, so I like AROUND HIS MOM to throw in, with a smile, “ I’m sorry but I can’t sell you life insurance, you have to qualify”. GIVE A REASON TO AVOID YOU. GET A JOB AT A RIVAL INSURANCE COMPANY, ASK HIM TO SELL AVON STYLE STUFF FOR YOU, OR TO COME HEAR ABOUT YOUR NEW EXTREMIST RELIGION

LEAVE THE COUNTRY

LISTEN TO HIM, ESPECIALLY IF YOU’VE NEVER CONSIDERED LIFE INSURANCE BEFORE islandmemag.com

You don’t want to pay for it now when you don’t need it, but you do expect to need life assurance at some stage. Lots of people talk about how they’ll get some when their career is more developed and they’re able to aﬀord it. Stop acting like getting life coverage is as 22

controllable illnesses (maybe high blood pressure or obesity) can make getting life coverage very expensive and in the case of critical illness protection… inaccessible. Keep waiting and by the time you NEED it is when it may be diﬃcult to get.

You won’t be able to “get through” when your time comes either, this isn’t like skipping a bank line. Part of the application process is medical requirements (which we pay for). It’s serious risk assessment that determines the costs of your premium (tip: annual premium payments are cheaper) and your coverage. Take it from me, delaying getting life insurance coverage is a game of Russian roulette where you are aiming the gun at your family and future.

WHEN THERE’S A MEDICAL ISSUE: CASES ARE “RATED” (risk rating is higher but acceptable so they are charged a higher cost) for simple things, such as height to weight ratio. APPLICATION POSTPONED (until the medical issue is treated) due to things like high cholesterol. DECLINED (do I really need to explain this) because the applicant is considered a big risk. Mario Singh is a licensed financial advisor with Sagicor Life. He can be contacted at 763-9465 or emailed at Mario_Singh@Sagicor.com

• Emotional Issues • Heart Disease • Cancer

YOUR WIFE

IS HOT...

Dont make your guests uncomfortable IDEAL FOR: COOLING UNITS: • Weddings • Parties • Indoor & Outdoor

• Portable • Sleek • Quiet • Affordable

40s:

• STDs • Skin Cancer • Car Accident

30s:

20s:

WHAT TO WATCH AS YOU AGE • Obesity • Diabetes • Emotional Issues • Cholesterol

aLonG caME By now, you or someone you know has probably tried it. Molly is the new substance on the scene, and it has come to T&T like no other before. Yes (tell your mom to stop reading this NOW), there is cocaine in T&T, yes there is ecstasy, but frequent users of those are usually peeps who got into it in foreign. But Molly… it’s practically replacing weed. It’s also a bridge between limes, the soca crew is into it as much as the EDM crew is, and everyone was probably introduced to it through the hip hop crew. References to Molly are all over recent hip hop music. In ‘Mercy’ Kanye rapped, “something about Mary she gone off that Molly “, Trinidad James “popped a Molly I’m sweating, Woo!” in ‘All Gold Everything’ and 2 Chainz said he’s “got your girl on Molly and we smoking loud and drinking” in ‘Beez in Da Trap’. The nickname Molly was intended to refer to capsules of crystallized MDMA. However, white powder ﬁlled capsules containing a range of substances are being marketed with the same name world wide. The brand name Molly, so to speak, doesn’t mean anything. You don’t know what you’re taking and it’s probably not what you think it is. Some who use and market Molly claim it’s safer because they believe it is a purer form of ecstasy. However, there is chemically no difference in what both Molly and ecstasy intend to be: pure MDMA. Previously known as a nightclub drug, MDMA heightens one’s senses. It also causes increased feelings of intimacy with others, elation and less anxiety, all with a slight boost in energy, hence the draw. While data on Molly is limited, there have been reports about bad reactions to Molly capsules so far.

MoLLYWEaR

There are those who do not enjoy orally ingesting said designer drug, but still want to be apart of the molly train. This is where merchandising comes into play. People, like Chris Barett out of New York, are presently making a mint off of “mollywear” (yes people, actual Molly attire). Catch a website near you, www. mollywear.com. islandmemag.com

SoME adVicE

• You will deﬁnitely want to answer any questions you may have before taking the plunge into pure bliss. It may all seem like fun and games, but there are plenty of ways you can mess up. So be responsible as you are dealing with your LIFE.

POP THE MOLLY I’M SWEATING!

• The most important thing you should do before going any further on your journey is to buy a Molly Testing Kit. You don’t really want to be “That Guy” who passes out in the fete because you ended up swallow ing 300mg of plant food. A Molly Test Kit contains a chemical agent (Marquis Reagent) that responds to your Molly by changing color when mixed in with it.

• When you ﬁnally get your hands on legitimate, Molly, (and we have no advice on how you do that) you’ll be tempted to go crazy and take the entire thing. Please refrain from doing this (lol). If you’ve never “rolled” before, go into the situation knowing that you will never feel as good as you are about to. The full effect of Molly lasts about 3-4 hours, however it would be wise to set aside a solid 8 hours (or maybe a whole weekend) to recuperate and collect yourself after what has occurred. This will be an extensive learning experience! Remember to always roll responsibly, and before you go there... Drugs are bad umkay( Mr Mackey voice from South Park).

“The worst drugs are as bad as anybody has told you. It’s just a dumb trip which I can’t condemn people if they get into it because one gets into it for one’s own personal, social, emotional reasons. It’s something to be avoided if one can help it”. -John Lennon

islandmemag.com

Flow didn’t pay us to say this, promise. There are all kinds of channels way up there in the big numbers: music channels, sport channels, pay-per view channels *ahem*, and the monitors in Piarco airport. If you’re home right now go check it out, channel 868 (868… cute eh?). The press release from back in March (yes, we’re late on this, but earlier than you) says it has “flight information and travel advisories”. It’s basically the monitors, but no neck strain or finding a park first.

When this will be useful:

• See if the flight is on time before you leave the house to go pick up who and who, you’re also avoiding the automated phone system every airline has embraced like a fatfree cookie. • Foreigners sans laptop are able to check and see if their flight back home is leaving on time before they leave the hotel for Piarco. • See just how many flights are coming in at the same time as whoever you’re picking up to help gauge the customs & immigration time, so you can decide if to show up 15 minutes after it lands, or an hour. • Play “Cancelled, Delayed or Ontime”. Place bets, losers take a shot. Something lands every 30 minutes or so internationally, for faster paced action check the Tobago schedule!

islandmemag.com

We can’t believe regional media hasn’t been all over this girl like soy sauce on sushi.

SHE’S GORGEOUS, SHE’S 100% TRINI & SHE’S

MRS. FETE!

Kavell Keir

Kavell Keir has quietly been on the arm of Machel Montano for sometime. Celebrity relationships are usually big news, and there’s possibly no bigger celeb in T&T than “Boy”, but Machel and Kavell isn’t the headlines type. No public ﬁghts, no outrageous PDAs or outﬁts. The downside is that many of you have no idea who she is, so we kidnapped her, took her to Tobago, not just to wear fabulous clothing but to hold ah vibes.

We’re gonna credit at least some of her looks to her ‘Ba Ba’, that’s Ukrainian for grandmother. Kavell absolutely lit up talking about her grandmother, saying, “She always speaks of [Ukraine’s] striking architecture, stunning scenery, healing nature, and wealth of cultural and religious rights. It’s one of the places I dream of visiting.” We told her if she’s going we’ll tag along one time. So was she a geek in school and bloomed late? We asked former classmates (not going to tell you which school!) who said that Kavell was quiet, not one person had an embarrassing story to tell. She seems pretty positive about her convent years too (small hint, kind of), “So many fun times to look back on and have a belly full of laughs, but very instrumental in my social and moral upbringing.” She loosened up a bit more when we got down to brass tacks and asked her about her weaknesses. She said she’s a bit skeptical about people and situations at times, and then totally admitted to being a ‘digniﬁed shopaholic’, “I was told I have ‘Thing-Itis’- always wanting to buy something”. Continued on Pg 32

One of the only times Ms. Keir was front and center in entertainment news was last year when rumours were swirling that Machel was looking to get married. Well, she’s not wearing a ring and declined to speak about Machel when we asked. The closest we got was when we asked her to tell us about a time when… whatever came to her mind. She answered, “I was jet skiing in Jamaica with my guy and we rode over a huge coral reef and got stuck in the middle of the ocean! Lasting memory.” We immediately pictured ‘double K’ and ‘double M’ hey-hahing all how to some passing vessel. She was also telling us about meeting Swizz Beatz, whom she called, “one of the dopest producers” and we ﬁgure that might have been facilitated by her music making man, but in general she’s not just half of a couple, she’s a whole of herself.

rangelina gelina = B Brad + An = Bennnifer Ben + JLo e ye = Kimy Kim + Kan

Machveelll + Ka islandmemag.com

Kachel??? Their names

r already…

are so simila

A COUPLE SPOTS ON THE

PORT OF SPAIN MEAL SCENE

YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

MARIA’S BAKERY

– If you don’t know about this one, be embarrassed, you’re late. Tables are regularly full at this adorable spot, serving up quality bakery and lunch items. Soups and muﬃns rotate daily, always something new to try. 5 Pole Carew St

SEÑOR JALAPEÑOS MEXICAN GRILL

– Once flights between Houston and POS became regular we started a stopwatch to time how long it would take for TexMex food to reach T&T. We ended up losing the watch but, mmmmm… more guac . 21 Ariapita Ave

EMILIANA’S

– It feels like a secret, outside and inside, it’s kind of tucked away. Find it, because… who doesn’t like Italian? Best date food ever. Also don’t study parking, valet all day. 3 Longden St

islandmemag.com

Ricard a Tho mpson

Q: What is a good way for a guy to approach you to get a wine? A: Please don’t approach me, ain’t nobody got time for dat Q: Tell me about your favourite part of your body... A: Legs: long and got that space that all women bust it in the gym to have and guess what, they still rubbing! Q: Where in the world would you most like to visit? A: Manarola, Italy... Dubai...Anywhere really, I love to travel, however I’d most want to visit Miami for a few weeks because I’m missing my boyfriend! Q: With a million dollars, what business would you start? A: I’d start my own Helicopter Company, it would require a couple millions again though and I’m talking $US... Any sponsors? Q: Have you ever met anyone famous? A: Famous? Not yet! I want to meet Jesus!

Ricarda on

“Ricarda” I am a Helicopter Pilot and a hopeless romantic for poetry. I was born in beautiful Trinidad and I’ve also lived in Orlando and Miami, Florida. Now I’m back home looking for a job like all other pilots that want to better this country and live my dream doing it. I’m a health freak. I’m weighing my next course of study, Aviation Management and Health & Nutrition seem to be competing. I love being in the sky where the traffic and pollution is minimal and I love writing because its a talent I know will be with me where ever I go.

MINISTERIAL MOUTH

NEXT WEEK, ATTEMPT TO GET THROUGH YOUR LIFE LIKE A GOVERNMENT MINISTER.

Grocery Store Cashier: “Yuh have a shopper’s card?”

Me:

WE DARE YOU.

“Might I take a moment to commend your honourable management for providing the people with such a means of discount. I also understand there is some sort of system for item retrieval via accumulated and calculated points, this too would seem to be a step forward for local, dare I say regional, grocery-ing. I believe it promotes greater awareness of… points, and will likely have a trickle down aﬀect on the youths of the nation who must be given every opportunity to improve the at times illusive math skills if we are to ever have another Rudrinath Capildeo in this great nation.”

Cashier (blank stare):

“Aright, but yuh have yuh card?”

Me:

“I am unable to verify possession of this card at this time, I have not been appropriately briefed on the whereabouts, indeed the very existence, of said card. If a review committee is necessary to assess the situation I welcome that development.”

islandmemag.com

Boss:

“Why did you take a 2 hour lunch today?”

Me:

“I find this question most curious when it has been observed that Lawrence, my predecessor in this position, was known to take 6 cigarette breaks daily. These breaks are documented! His cigarette butts litter the drains at the side entrance to this very day! I refuse to understand your insistence on my own performance in this position when time wastage in its most dominant form was practised by Lawrence!”

Friend:

“What ya doing tonight?”

Me:

“I must admit, I have a duty to the people, for it is they who have carried me, uplifted me and supported me. Though this week was diﬃcult at times, I only had to think of the people to know that toil and strife is well worth it for their gratitude. I am humbled.”

Boss:

“You put ‘punctuality’ as one of your strong points on your application form.”

Me:

Friend:

“Of course, and in time you will be able to recognise what you are unable to see right now. I suggest another 5 years.”

“Sooooooo Zen?”

* IN MOST SITUATIONS YOU CAN JUST BLAME WHATEVER ON HOW YOU ARE MISREPRESENTED IN THE MEDIA, ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT THEY’RE OUT TO GET YOU. 43

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GETFIT

STARTER KIT.

If you can take on all these rules at once, great, if not… pick 2 at a time, but try to implement all within 2 months. Good luck! • Pitch the junk food. Sweet drinks, even diet sweet drinks, cookies, chips, candy, white breads and pastas, fruit juice, sugary cereal, condiments like ketchup, mayo and ranch, fast food and most packaged goods. If you don’t have it, you won’t eat it. • Reject alcohol. It shuts down your metabolism, promotes fat storage and breaks down muscle tissue. • Start exercising. Something you don’t hate so that you will actually DO IT. There are real options out there in T&T these days: weight lifting, pilates, yoga, cross fit, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, jogging, cycling, spin, zumba, interval training, jumping rope, dancing, running, hiking, swimming… take your pick. • Develop patience. This is gonna take time. You will occasionally cheat on your diet, you will miss a workout… you’re human. You are only a failure if you QUIT. So don’t quit! • Plan ahead. Prepare your meals and workouts in advance. Knowing what’s coming means less motivation needed eventually.

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• Fit kit. Always keep workout clothes, a water bottle and protein powder with a shaker cup in your car so you never have an excuse not to hit the gym. Add to that an apple, a serving of almonds in a ziploc baggy and a packet of tuna, that way you never have an excuse to hit the vending machines or fast food. • Track your progress. Keep a journal log of your workouts, your food intake and your stats each week. 1-2 pounds of weight loss per week is reasonable (depending on your current weight). But don’t depend on the scale, the mirror, pictures, the way your clothes fit, and your measurements are better. • Friend check. There WILL be people you THOUGHT were your friends who try to drag you back to your old, unhealthy ways. They might tease you for your new habits. Some people can’t handle change, or maybe they’re jealous, or maybe they’re threatened. You might be the friend who they look at as, “at least I’m not as bad as her/ him” and if you transform they have no excuse left.

FAKE AD WHEYZ worked for me

your foot real thin!! SPECIALLY FORMULATED does not adhere to calves

BY: Nicholas Bhajan

poiler alert – he made it. On Sunday, December 16th Andrew Lewis sailed his Laser Boat from Pigeon Point Beach, Tobago to Maracas Bay, Trinidad. The 23 year old Olympiad is the first person ever to successfully do it.

crew following in a powerboat to document his exhausting journey. There was also a coast guard vessel for safety. We were not there to help, he really was on his own. In fact, we often wondered, “Why is he doing this, he’s not going anywhere”.

Tobago to T&T might sound like a normal thing but Andrew would be braving open sea conditions in just his 14 foot Laser sail craft. Alone. Strong currents and little to no breeze would made this mammoth task even bigger.

Andrew says he never thought of giving up, even at night fall when our concern was, “Would he ever reach?” Finally around 7 pm he could see the lights of Maracas Bay. With the coast guard vessel shining its light on him, Andrew reached the shore at 8:52pm to applause from fans, friends, family and sponsors. It took 11 hours and 52 minutes, but he’s now in the history books of Trinidad & Tobago.

He departed at 9am with an ETA at Maracas of 6-7 hours later, however with an average wind speed of 3 knots and strong currents Lewis had his work cut out for him. I was part of a

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la.ser - a dinghy, not a light beam The International Laser Class sailboat, also called the Laser Standard and the Laser One is a popular one-design class of small sailing dinghy. The boat may be sailed by one or two people, though it is rarely sailed by two. The design, by Bruce Kirby, emphasizes simplicity and performance. The first world championship in this vessel was held in 1974 in Bermuda. The Laser became a men's Olympic-class boat at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta (Andrew was 7 years old at the time).

When Andrew Lewis raced in the London 2012 Olympics he came 37 out of 49, but he became the first Trinidad and Tobago sailor in 48 years to compete there at all. For the first time since Rawle Barrow and his brother, Cordell, teamed up in the Flying Dutchman class at the 1964 Games, T&T was represented in an Olympic sailing competition. me

Who say Brazil!

Kimberly Sookraj

Q: Tell me about a time when... A: The time when I fell down, I burst my forehead, now there is a noticeable scar. Q: What’s your favourite part of your body? A: My legs. Q: Tell me about your secondary school experience, were you popular or not? A: It wasn’t a matter of being popular or not for me... I was average. It didn’t matter to me. Q: With a million dollars, what business would you start? A: I’d build apartments and have a rental business. Q: What do you hate? A: I dislike doing people’s “dirty work”.... and I don’t like being around people who can’t teach me anything. Q: What is your greatest achievement? A: So far it’s the fact that I’m able to speak publicly in front of large crowds and congregations, and that I’m thus far successful on my journey to becoming a flight attendant.

. t P eon

Pig

Photos By: Bruce Pena/Skudography

If there was

BiGGER

ole yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s night party in T&T, please tell us about it.

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re starting with a classic ...

LUKE RiBEiRo islandmemag.com

Photography By: Colin Gumbs

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