The last time I had a birthday party was for my 25th birthday and it was great (as expected).
I'm having a lime/party this year for my golden birthday (I'm 29 on the 29th) and expect it to be nothing short of FAB!
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Cricket World Cup 2007: It's All Over...
At least the Trinidad leg of it is.I'll miss waking up at 3:45am to leave my house at 4:45am to reach to the Volunteer Break Out Tent in King George IV Park.
I'll miss being stationed at the Stadium and escorting VIPs from the shuttle in the Stadium to the VIP entrance on Tragarete Road.
I'll miss being VIP4 on the radio and calling in the VIPs.
I met a lot of great people...and a couple of not so great ones...and even one or two that I knew from before.
All in all it was an experience like no other, and it was definitely a lot of fun.
I was definitely "in my element" as they say. LOL.
I'm now left with lots and lots of happy memories and two cds of over 500 pictures to show for it.
Now it's on to Super 8. GO WINDIES!!
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Monday, March 12, 2007
Pics of the Oval
Shhh...
We were not supposed to take pictures of the Oval during our tour, but it was looking SO SWEET ah tief ah lil ting...
All the stands have been decked off and draped in the ICC Cricket World Cup banners, so no more BG/Scotiabank Stand, CARIB Stand, CLICO etc.
Party Stand in the far right of this pic.
We were not supposed to take pictures of the Oval during our tour, but it was looking SO SWEET ah tief ah lil ting...
All the stands have been decked off and draped in the ICC Cricket World Cup banners, so no more BG/Scotiabank Stand, CARIB Stand, CLICO etc.
This is the view from the QPCC Members Stand.
Party Stand in the far right of this pic.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Cricket World Cup Update: Questions and Answers
So based on the questions Anonymous asked me previously, as well as the ones that I've been getting from persons in my family, at the office and anyone else who knows that I'm a volunteer: this post is dedicated to answering those questions as best as I can.Anonymous asked:
Any safety tips suggested?
I would tell anyone whether local or abroad, just BE AWARE of your surroundings.
Half the time when I read these emails that are forwarded about "real life crime experiences in Trinidad" I just steups, cause people tend to do stupid/careless things (like not lock their car doors, leaving things on the seat of your car etc.) and are suprised when horrible things happen to them.
Areas to avoid?
Again, if you going anywhere, BE AWARE.
Don't go exploring and wuss yet by yuhself in a country that yuh not familiar with.
I think das just common sense.
Transport to and from the Oval from the airport?
Now Anonymous...Why exactly would you be travelling directly from the airport to the Oval?
Where are you staying? Shouldn't you go there and check in first?
But to answer your question: There are taxis available at the airport and they will take you almost anywhere, at a cost of course.
That's it for the questions from Anonymous.
Now for the friends, family and coworkers.
Why dey must tell yuh what to wear?
Nobody not telling yuh what tuh wear.
Sponsors have paid their millions of dollars to get their name plastered all over the place and they don't want you coming in with your opposing sponsor t-shirt and jumbieing dey sponsorship.
Surely you doh only have Digicel and RBTT clothing in your closet?
Why we can't bring in bottled water?
Dey say allyuh could use it as missiles.
That's the best I could come up with.
So how ah could bring in meh water then?
I would suggest a modern day version of suck-a-bags and use some Ziploc bags.
Freeze yuh water, put it in yuh collapsible 12x12x12 cooler and yuh good tuh go.
Why de prices inside dey so high?
International competition...international prices.
Bring as much as you can in your cooler to help defer any costs you may occur.
Why dey must block off de streets?
Security is the main reason.
Terrorism...9/11...blah blah blah...You can thank Osama or whoever for that one.
But they've revised the streets and made the zone a lot smaller.
Check today's newspaper for details.
Well that's it for now.
Keep the questions coming and I'll try to answer thetm as best as I could.
VOLUNTEER UPDATE:
I worked at UWI SPEC on Thursday and Friday and had a FANTASTIC time!
Got a tour of QPO today and it's looking GREAT! (Took pics even though we not supposed to...Will post pics later)
Back to work (regular work not volunteer work) this week and then working at QPO from the 19th to the 25th.
EXCITEMENT ah tell yuh!!
Monday, March 05, 2007
Cricket World Cup Update #3: Kit Out Day and Accreditation
Date: Saturday 3rd March 2007
Venue: Elizabeth Street Stand (formerly CARIB Stand), Queen's Park Oval.
Time: 7:00...yes...in the morning.
So yuh girl, her g/f anf her g/f's daughter found themselves at the Oval at the ungodly hour of 6:40am.
As there was no clear indication of where we suhold sit (people were all over the place) we scoped out the scene for a little bit.
The seats were dirty as construction is still in progress...so is REAL DUST!
When we saw the placement of the speakers we then choose our seats, wiped them and sat.
At about 7:45ish, an anouncement was made that those persons sitting in the sun needed to move further east in the stands. And guess who was in the "sun"? Yours Truly.
*grumble*
Move.
Choose a next seat.
Wipe seat.
Sit.
At around 8ish now (an hour later than we were supposed to start according to our schedules) the lady in charge of the voulnteers, Lisa-Marie Alexander, comes on the microphone saying, "We have just been informed by security, that we should not be beyond the CAUTION tape, so those persons needed to move back to the westerly side of the stand."
*WHAT DE??*
*grumble*
This last move/wipe seat action, combined with the whole 'we here since7 o' clock and allyuh always telling us to be on time and yet nobody was here on time to start the damn thing and we couldn't even get a cup of hot tea while we waiting fuh allyuh'...got people who were already simmering real mad.
Man...volunteers start to make noise.
We ended up getting a less than half hearted apology, which ended up being more of a lecture on how we should react in situations that we may not like in our volunteer duties.
It was funny.
Venue: Elizabeth Street Stand (formerly CARIB Stand), Queen's Park Oval.
Time: 7:00...yes...in the morning.
So yuh girl, her g/f anf her g/f's daughter found themselves at the Oval at the ungodly hour of 6:40am.
As there was no clear indication of where we suhold sit (people were all over the place) we scoped out the scene for a little bit.
The seats were dirty as construction is still in progress...so is REAL DUST!
When we saw the placement of the speakers we then choose our seats, wiped them and sat.
At about 7:45ish, an anouncement was made that those persons sitting in the sun needed to move further east in the stands. And guess who was in the "sun"? Yours Truly.
*grumble*
Move.
Choose a next seat.
Wipe seat.
Sit.
At around 8ish now (an hour later than we were supposed to start according to our schedules) the lady in charge of the voulnteers, Lisa-Marie Alexander, comes on the microphone saying, "We have just been informed by security, that we should not be beyond the CAUTION tape, so those persons needed to move back to the westerly side of the stand."
*WHAT DE??*
*grumble*
This last move/wipe seat action, combined with the whole 'we here since7 o' clock and allyuh always telling us to be on time and yet nobody was here on time to start the damn thing and we couldn't even get a cup of hot tea while we waiting fuh allyuh'...got people who were already simmering real mad.
Man...volunteers start to make noise.
We ended up getting a less than half hearted apology, which ended up being more of a lecture on how we should react in situations that we may not like in our volunteer duties.
It was funny.
Because the more Lisa spoke, the less the volunteers wanted to hear.
I was almost on the floor with laughter...ah mighta end up on the floor if it wasn't for all de damn dust.
Anyhoo...the show eventually got on the road.
Mr. Ian Welsh, CEO of the LOC (Local Organising Committee) addressed us.
We got breakfast. (Food to quiet the masses during the long lulls of nothingness).
We had a dry run of an evacuation procedure done with the ODPM. (I went to Kidsworld during the evacuation as I had to get a gift for a party my sons had to attend later).
We then went into our various groups to get briefed by our Functional Managers and then sent to collect our Accrediation passes and uniforms.
So below is an outline of how I felt things went on the day:
The Good
1. We got our uniforms.
Ah hear ah talk that we bringing out a J'ouvert band next year with dem uniforms.
2. We got accredited.
I didn't take long to get my accreditation as my g/f had already told me that mine was ready.
So I just sent her a text to tell her I was coming across for mine and it was ready and waiting for me. (No I eh skip no lines, I waited just like everyone else).
The Bad
1. The Walking
From the evacuation to the walking to King George to collect your acceditation pass to walking back to the CLICO box to collect your uniforms.
I thought of it as physical training to ensure we could make it in the hot sun on the day.
2. The Cleaning
And it was from since the Friday before in UWI SPEC we cleaning seats eh.
I told my fellow volunteers we had to look at it as us assisting in getting the Oval ready in time.
The Ugly
1. The uniform.
Man...dat ting bright! Jeez!
Yuh cyar miss it...ah sure allyuh see people in some bringht orange things walking the road this morning heading to the east.
I eh hear one person say anything nice abut the uniform.
Plus it fit badly.
But once I give my seamstress dat and she buss two dart in it...I go throw some accessories on dat and I go make it look FAB!
2. The volunteers behaviour.
Some of us really get on bad.
There were other ways of getting your point across. BUT...
3. Lisa-Marie's half-hearted apology...dat eh cut it.
She could have looked at it form the volunteers side of things and been a little more genuine.
Yuh cyar call de people rabble-rousers and expect to be happy about that.
Despite all of the hiccups on the Saturday, I'm still liking the excitement of it all and can't wait to work on Thursday and Friday.
I was almost on the floor with laughter...ah mighta end up on the floor if it wasn't for all de damn dust.
Anyhoo...the show eventually got on the road.
Mr. Ian Welsh, CEO of the LOC (Local Organising Committee) addressed us.
We got breakfast. (Food to quiet the masses during the long lulls of nothingness).
We had a dry run of an evacuation procedure done with the ODPM. (I went to Kidsworld during the evacuation as I had to get a gift for a party my sons had to attend later).
We then went into our various groups to get briefed by our Functional Managers and then sent to collect our Accrediation passes and uniforms.
So below is an outline of how I felt things went on the day:
The Good
1. We got our uniforms.
Ah hear ah talk that we bringing out a J'ouvert band next year with dem uniforms.
2. We got accredited.
I didn't take long to get my accreditation as my g/f had already told me that mine was ready.
So I just sent her a text to tell her I was coming across for mine and it was ready and waiting for me. (No I eh skip no lines, I waited just like everyone else).
The Bad
1. The Walking
From the evacuation to the walking to King George to collect your acceditation pass to walking back to the CLICO box to collect your uniforms.
I thought of it as physical training to ensure we could make it in the hot sun on the day.
2. The Cleaning
And it was from since the Friday before in UWI SPEC we cleaning seats eh.
I told my fellow volunteers we had to look at it as us assisting in getting the Oval ready in time.
The Ugly
1. The uniform.
Man...dat ting bright! Jeez!
Yuh cyar miss it...ah sure allyuh see people in some bringht orange things walking the road this morning heading to the east.
I eh hear one person say anything nice abut the uniform.
Plus it fit badly.
But once I give my seamstress dat and she buss two dart in it...I go throw some accessories on dat and I go make it look FAB!
2. The volunteers behaviour.
Some of us really get on bad.
There were other ways of getting your point across. BUT...
3. Lisa-Marie's half-hearted apology...dat eh cut it.
She could have looked at it form the volunteers side of things and been a little more genuine.
Yuh cyar call de people rabble-rousers and expect to be happy about that.
Despite all of the hiccups on the Saturday, I'm still liking the excitement of it all and can't wait to work on Thursday and Friday.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
My FAB Carnival Boots!!
So after taking chain up from Saucy's blog, I decided to go with traditional mas boots and not sneakers this year.
Once I registered in Chutney I found my way to Picadilly Street and purchased a pair of gold boots from Jomo.
Found my way to Samaroo's and purchased gold glitter and spray adhesive.
Didn't buy any gold or orange braid because I always have ends of braid home.
After I collected my costume on Carnival Thursday I determined that I would use parts of the costume to decorate my boots, namely the leg, arm and wrist bands, which I never use anyways cause they always need to tie over cause dey always falling off/down or some nonesense and they just generally annoy the shit out of me.
So I sat down just before Dimanche Gras on Sunday night (hmm...that's repetitive isn't it?) by Mummy and started decorating my boots.
Add gold glitter
Add wrist piece to heel
Add leg piece to top of boot
Add gold braid down front centre of boot
Trim and add arm piece to side of boot and...
Voilà...FAB! BOOTS!!
Once I registered in Chutney I found my way to Picadilly Street and purchased a pair of gold boots from Jomo.
Found my way to Samaroo's and purchased gold glitter and spray adhesive.
Didn't buy any gold or orange braid because I always have ends of braid home.
After I collected my costume on Carnival Thursday I determined that I would use parts of the costume to decorate my boots, namely the leg, arm and wrist bands, which I never use anyways cause they always need to tie over cause dey always falling off/down or some nonesense and they just generally annoy the shit out of me.
So I sat down just before Dimanche Gras on Sunday night (hmm...that's repetitive isn't it?) by Mummy and started decorating my boots.
These are the pictures of my boots before, during the process and after.
I am SO proud of my boots eh...
*DRUMROLL*
Plain gold boots from Jomo
Add gold glitterAdd wrist piece to heelAdd leg piece to top of bootAdd gold braid down front centre of bootTrim and add arm piece to side of boot and...Voilà...FAB! BOOTS!!
So check meh next year...ah go be decorating boots...LOL.
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