Cancer Survivor, writing about Health and Fitness as you age

Steelband - T&T Toursim website Carnival -  T&T Tourism website I get asked this almost every time I meet someone new. The answer, like the question, is not as straightforward as it seems. When I get asked this question, the person is usually asking more than where I am from. They usually want to know about my ethnicity and heritage, in addition to where I was born. Why I speak the way I do, and in some cases, am I American/am I here legally? For my friends, old and new who only have part of the answer,  I'll try to answer the questions implicit in "Where are you from?" more completely.  I've included a few photos from the T&T Tourism board website to give you a flavour of where I am from. Cricket - T&T Tourism website Pigeon Point, Tobago - T&T Tourism website Where were you born? I was born in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in the West Indies (specifically Trinidad) and lived there until I was an adult,...

I thought I'd post out a few pictures to give everyone a flavour of Trinidad from my whirlwind visit. Click the links to enjoy the full experience! While I was there I heard more soca than parang since everyone is now gearing up for carnival 2013. You can hear the 2012 Road March winner (soca). Road March is the tune that is most played by the steelbands/DJs on the road for carnival. I can only imagine the winin' going on to the speed of this tune. What? You don't know what is winin'? Well take a look here - as you can see, no men required. (Did I just pump up the interest by a factor of 10 for the guys out there?) On to the pictures! On the way to Maracas Beach. On the beach, looking like my foreign self. Picture of the Debe market. I even found they were selling a fleece jacket there. Really. Wha's the price of cucumber dey Uncle? 3 for $10. Double rainbow. It rained a bit every day I was there.  Well, what is this picture below yo...

It's a new year, and it's a good time to visit friends and family. I made a last-minute decision to visit my relatives in Trinidad. Here are just a few pictures of my experiences so far. Breakfast the first day - doubles. De doubles vendor. Harvesting some lettuce leaves from Grandpa's lettuce "garden" (that is, some PVC pipe cut in half with manure in it. Cutting   a coconut off the coconut tree. Fortunately my dad had the good sense to forgo the cutlass for the hacksaw - more tedious but safer. Driving around Trinidad - extremely hazardous, and not to be tried by amateurs (that is, "tourists"). I elected to omit the photos of the kids lighting fireworks and running for their lives as they went off. This is likely to be an adventure to remember.

After I put up the first set of pictures, a friend suggested that I should also include some pictures of someone "bussin' bamboo".  What is that? In the words of one, hilarious blogger ( Things I've Found in My Pocket ), " Bamboo cannons... Backyard ballistics ", you get the picture. Bursting or exploding bamboo is a popular thing in Trinidad for Divali, particularly in the rural areas. I've included a picture of someone attempting to "buss bamboo" below, as well as some additional Divali pictures.  It is not uncommon to find someone setting off bamboo in the park or their neighbourhood street (thanks Deb for the pictures!) ***Disclaimer***  Do not attempt this at home. This is being done by a professional (I hope) with safety precautions in place (I wish). If you are really interested in finding out how this is done, read it here.

I know I am a little late, but I wanted to put some pictures of Divali in Trinidad, for those of you who might be wondering what the Indian diaspora in the Caribbean do for Divali. Eating on soharee leaves (looks like fig leaves but different plant), is still popular in some places, as well as using old-fashioned deyas (oil, wick and clay pots).  Unfortunately I didn't have any pics of the more elaborate structures using bamboo which is cut in half and bent into fantastic shapes.  Deyas are then held in place by mud which hardens.  It looks quite spectacular at night. Thanks to my friend Debbie for the neatly arranged food pictures and the nighttime deyas, and to my cousin Gary for the rest.

I had hoped to include a picture of a "doubles" up close and personal, but I am still waiting on that one. Instead here are some pictures of the doubles vendor plus some other pictures I hope you find interesting. Here you see doubles being sold out of the back of a pick-up truck. Forget about permits, sanitary requirements etc. This isn't the US. In the photo below you can make out other Indian delicacies (with lots of oil, pepper and fat), alloo pie (seasoned potato pie) and cachourie or maybe saheena (can't really see). Yummy stuff!! If you're interested in some Trini recipes, check out http://www.trinigourmet.com/ . Below is a picture of a walkathon we went on in Penal. Check out the telephone and electrical wires. As I said, this isn't the US. Finally, for all you flower-lovers out there, a picture of the arrangement on the head table for the religious part of my Dad's 80th birthday celebrations. Anthurium lilies - they were totally gorgeous.