Living Trinidad Style

WELCOME TO TRINIDAD(Sunday, May2,2010-Saturday, May8,2010)

Trinidad today would reveal a melting pot of several cultural descendants of settlers from Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, and the Middle East. In the late 1400’s, however, the Arawak and Carib Indians called Trinidad home. Trinidad in these times was called Ieri by the American Indian, which means, “land of the Humming Bird”. It wasn’t until Columbus landed on the island, that it was given the name Trinidad, named for the Holy Trinity. The Spanish established Trinidad’s first European community, and later the French would immigrate to the island. Enslaved Africans were brought in by the Spanish and the French to work on the many sugar plantations located on the island. Soon the British claimed their stake on Trinidad, and in the early 1800’s, Britain abolished slavery. Once slavery was abolished, many indentured servants from China, the Middle East, and India would come to Trinidad by way of the island’s landowners. Trinidad gained independence from England in 1962 and became a Republic in 1976.

Trinidad today hosts an annual Carnival.The event is alive with music, dance, and
elaborate costuming. It is said that if the Islanders aren’t celebrating it [Carnaval],then they are preparing for it, while reminiscing about the past year’s festival.

Musical styles include Calypso, Soca, and Reggaeton. Trinidad is the birthplace of the steelpan, and Limbo dance. This week, Reflection invites you to join us as we tour the colorful island of Trinidad, and introduce you to entertainment, fashion, health and beauty, and interior design through the eyes of the “land of the Humming Bird”.

For more information on Trinidad and Carnaval, visit the following sites:

Trinidad

Carnaval

Creamy Fruit Salad; serves (10)
(Health by: Lahay Jasckon Saturday,May8,2010)
In Trinidad and Tobago, healthy meals are not commonplace. However, one can appreciate their fine taste in fruit. The combination of fruit is a healthy way to keep water in the body and stimulate your memory, along with adding natural flavors. This Caribbean fruit salad has a perfect blend of sugar-free pudding, apples, grapes, pineapples, and more. The combination is visually colorful and sweet.

Ingredients

• 2 medium bananas, diced
• 2 medium apples, diced
• 1 lemon, juice of
• 1 (20 ounce) can pineapple tidbits, drained, juice reserved
• 2 cups sliced strawberries
• 2 cups grapes
• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
• 1 (1 1/2 ounce) box sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix or “vegetarian” sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1/2 cup water

Directions
1. Combine bananas, apples and lemon juice in large mixing bowl.
2. Toss until evenly coated.
3. Add pineapple, strawberries, grapes and pecans.
4. In small mixing bowl, combine pudding mix, water and pineapple juice with a wire whisk until smooth.
5. Add pudding mixture to fruit.
6. Mix gently until thoroughly coated.
7. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
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Calypso Kaleidoscope
(Interior Design by: Joseph Allen Saturday,May8,2010)

While traveling through the beautiful paradise that is Trinidad, I found a lot of inspiration in the flowers, the water, and the people. Carnival’s elaborate colors used in costume are bright and showy, and the natural vegetation and landscape make Trinidad a veritable Eden. I’ve formulated an interesting palette of bright colors that you can use in your home to transform your abode into paradise. These colors can be used as accent walls, and can also be illustrated in your furniture, curtains, and your bedding. For hints and tips on proper use of the color wheel, visit “Interior-Decorating-Ideas-For-You”.

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J’Ouvert 2010 Carinval
(Entertainment by: Joyah Bulluc Friday,May7,2010)

A celebration like no other, J’Ouvert is one of the many festivals symbolic of the Trinidadian culture. A tad bit off kilter than the rest of joyous occasions celebrating times of success, fulfillment, or innovation; J’Ouvert emphasizes the darker side of their heritage. Rituals past of body painting with mud, chocolate, and oils are reenacted by many of the participants. Typical costume includes demonic images of taboos, demons, monsters, and imps illustrated with red mud, along with pitchforks, devilish horns and tails.

J’Ouvert is derived from the French word “jour overt” meaning “day open.” Its origins date back to the late 1700s. These were the times of elaborate occasions where French traditions of festivals, parties, and masquerade balls often occurred. Because of their limited times for leisurely activity, slaves were not allowed to participate in such gatherings. To remedy this restriction, slaves began to secretly have their own private celebrations within their quarters. These “mini-carnivals” were similar to the larger festivals thrown by the French. Needing a bit of direction, slaves would often times mimic the behaviors, costumes, and customs of their slaveholders. Slaves would also incorporate the rituals and folklore native to their homeland that had been passed down through generations. Preceding the emancipation of slavery in 1838, newly freed slaves jumped on the opportunity to express their freedom by having street parties. Instances such as these are how festivals like J’Ouvert and Carnival came to exist in the eastern Caribbean islands.

Today, Jab Jabs (participants in J’Ouvert that dress as a devil-like character), or any participant of J’Ouvert for that matter, can feel many influences from Indian servants, African slaves, French planters, and Spanish and English colonial powers; as they have all left their everlasting mark on J’Ouvert. Under a cloud or gloomy darkness, J’Ouvert is carried out through bands playing Calypso and Soca, as their dancers fill the streets. Jab Jabs and other participants play such instruments as the flute or animal skinned drums, while others blow conch shells to aid in this truly exhilarating event.
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Refreshing Fruit Facials for Your Skin Type
(Beauty by: LaShay Jackson Thursday,May6,2010)
Treat yourself and your skin to some TLC. Give yourself a facial!! It's not only good for you, if feels great too. You can make a facial from ordinary kitchen goods. Here are some recipes which are inexpensive to make, and I’m sure you probably have the ingredients right in your kitchen.

PEACH TIGHTENING MASK

Ingredients: 1Peach,ripe,peeled,pitted
                      Egg white
Step 1: Whip the peach and egg white together in a blender until smooth.
Step 2: Gently pat the mixture all over your face. Relax for 30 minutes, then rinse it off with cool water.

APPLE MASK FOR (NORMAL SKIN)

Ingredients: 1 Apple, cored & quartered
             2 T Honey
Step 1: Drop the apple pieces into a food processor and chop.
Step 2: Add honey and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
Step 3: Pat the mixture onto your face with a light tapping motion, tapping until the honey feels tacky.
Step 4: Leave it on for 30 minutes and then rinse.

CUCUMBER MASK FOR (OILY SKIN)

Ingredients: 1/2 Cucumber
             1 Egg white
             1 T Lemon juice
             1 tsp mint
Step 1: Puree everything and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
Step 2: Apply the mixture to your face and leave it on for 15 minutes.
Step 3: Rinse with warm, then cool water.

STRAWBERRY DRAWING MASK

Ingredients: 1/2 c Strawberries, very ripe
             1/4 c Cornstarch
Step 1: Mix strawberries and cornstarch together to make a paste and apply it to your face, avoiding the delicate area around your eyes.
Step 2: Leave it on for 30 minutes and then rinse it off with cool water.

CITRUS FRESHNER

Ingredients: 2 cups boiling water
             1 vitamin C (a preservative)
                        From 2 lemons, and or oranges peel (zest)
Step 1: Dissolve the vitamin in water.
Step 2: In a glass bowl put the lemon zest and pour the water over them.
Step 3: Let it sit over night. Remove the zest and put in a spray bottle.
Step 4: You can use any type of citrus peel.
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Bedroom Carnaval
(Interior Design by: Joseph Allen Wednesday,May5,2010)
Thank you for returning to "Reflect" upon another great way to style your home. This week, we are on the beautiful island of Trinidad! If you've been here, you will NEVER want to leave. Well, I thought I'd show you how to bring paradise back with you by transforming your boudoir into your own private Eden.

To begin, clear your room out completely, and we'll start from the wall and the floor. A lovely hardwood is extremely versatile, and will transition easily into any theme. I visited our friends again at Simple Floors, and thought a dark flooring would serve this space best by making it very calm and relaxing. A neutral color for the wall will work perfectly, and won't compete for attention next to the Caribbean-themed decor. Perhaps a very relaxing Pebble White found at Glidden will do the trick.

Next, we will begin with the bed. I found this lovely Caribbean sleigh bed that will work perfectly! Wow, I feel as though I'm in paradise already.

Now that the bed is placed (headboard parallel to a wall), let's bring in a dresser. The dresser is slightly different from the bed in style, yet still corresponds with our "Trini-Paradise" theme. Let's place the dresser on a wall adjacent to the bed.

In order to deviate from being too "matchy" I thought to use a hanging mirror that will correlate with the dresser, but give the room a bit of visual interest. I found this lovely mirror at Overstock.com.

Now that the mirror is placed (always hang wall fixtures eye level), let's bring in an armoire. Paradise is simply "Paradise Lost" without this handsome addition. We'll place the armoire in a catacornered position in the bedroom. This will destroy the monotony of the furniture we've placed against the wall thus far.

Okay, one more piece of furniture. You're going to LOVE this! I love apothecaries, for their old world feel, and you will too! Trinidad's culture today is a result of its multicultural history, and this piece of furniture illustrates that. I also chose this last as a great option to those who have the space. In case you don't, then you and I will begin adding bedding and accessories in a moment. Otherwise, place this piece in your room to reduce negative space. A lonely wall is a sad wall indeed.

Okay, let's start adding our accessories now that we've added new flooring and placed our furniture. To really solidify our theme, I found some great abstract paintings of palm trees. I chose abstract because they aren't so obvious, and that avoids the room turning into a boudoir saturated in novelties. We'll place these first two portraits above the apothecary.

The more oversized canvas painting will be centered above the headboard of our bombay bed.

Let's flank the picture above the bed with two wall sconces (candles not included).

Okay, now let's add a few finishing touches and we're done! A display of candles and a cool bowl filled with decorative seagrass balls will go atop the apothecary. These accessories are minimal in nature, and will compliment the apothecary and the two pictures we hung parallel just above it. And just think, when you light the candles, the smell of a fresh rain will captivate your relaxing atmosphere.

Now, let's move to the dresser, and place some foliage on it. Also, we'll add a lovely hourglass. The sand reminds me of the soft white sands on the shores of Trinidad.

That's it for the dresser. A common mistake in decorating is being overly "nick-nacky". It's important to enjoy the fine surfaces of your furniture. Too much clutter, and your furniture will lose its appeal. A nice rug just in front of the dresser will be a lovely look, however.

 

This soft blue bedding I found at Bed&Bath&Beyond is neutral, and will work well with any theme you choose for your bedroom. The color is masculine, yet soft enough for her. Relax, you're in paradise!!!

Literally THROW these pillows on the bed I found at Overstock.com! We've gotta finish so you can enjoy your new paradise-away-from-paradise.

Now, we'll add an ottoman at the foot of our bed, and we'll bring the outside in by using a rattan chair in the bedroom. I also found a footstool that will look great with the chair. A floor lamp next to the chair, so on those quiet evenings you can read a book while the soft summer breeze lulls you to sleep.

 

 

 

 
 
 
Flavorful
(Entertainment by: Joyah Bulluc Tuesday,May4,2010)
Trinidad is a very colorful place literally and figuratively. Its exotic location makes for a very picturesque environment as tropical plant life and vivid indigenous animals act as the backdrop for this Mid-Atlantic island. Infusing various influences of cultures and ethnicities, Trinidad is known for its diversity and wide range of unique practices and traditions. One area of fame is the dancing styles native to the land. Over centuries, Spanish, African, and other European styles have been combined, highlighting sensual hip movements of the Spanish; tribal excitement and veracity of Africa; and the elaborate costume of the French. These influences have given birth to a theatric movement indigenous to the Trinidadian people and their land. Continuous rhythmic beating instruments, animated techniques, and hard core passions is what makes this signature dance style so popular and entertaining.

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2010 Fashion Week Trinidad & Tobago
(Fashion by: Dionta Green Monday, May 3,2010)

Fashion week is hitting Trinidad for the third year. The show is scheduled for May 29-May 31,2010. The fashion show, coupled with the excitement and beauty of Trinidad would make for an amazing vacation.


On their website, fwtt.org, the producers of Trinidad’s fashion week explain the 3 major agendas for the 2010 show. Below is a quote from one of Trinidad Fashion week’s producers:

“In our third year, FWTT [Fashion Week Trinidad & Tobago] pays tribute to 2010 as the year of Biodiversity. Honoring proactive initiatives for the preservation of nature and for current and future human wellbeing, FWTT3 designated our three major agendas:”
1. Staying power
2. Sustainable development
3. Style definition

FWTT will showcase local designers from Trinidad & Tobago, as well as a few international designers. Another executor of fashion week in Trinidad states, “The focus for Fashion Week Trinidad & Tobago is to revitalize and develop the local fashion industry and bring about the awareness of its lucrative socio-economic potential.”

Designers for fashion week are already programmed for the show, however the list is not yet posted. Apparel during fashion week will showcase clothes for women, men, and children. After the three day show FWTT is also offering a fashion-related seminars from June 3- June 2010. The topics during the seminar will be revealed this month.

Fashion Week Trinidad & Tobago sounds like another phenomenal show I would love to attend for the experience and the opportunity to see fashions from Trinidad up close and personal. Let us know if you are going to attend the show, and send us feedback on the show when you return.
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