It’s easier believing the bad things that people say about you and even the bad things we say about ourselves is oftentimes easier to believe,why is that?
Many of us allow put downs to shape us and allow other’s opinions to define who we are and we often look for our identity in other people.
I am here to inform you or rather remind you * in Murray’s voice “that is a LIE!” and if you are doing that you should stop.
Nothing or no one has the permission to make you feel inferior without your consent.You hold the keys to your own happiness and you are who you are and that person may not be all nice but you got life which means there is still a chance to work on that person.
Listen, we all came from dust and dust we shall return,we must all die one day and no one is better than you.Remember how precious you are,how valuable and unique God made you and how irreplaceable you are.
Never belittle yourself and avoid comparisons as you are an original a limited edition. Embrace the person your past has made you,lessons and all,they all have a part to play in your destiny.
Always be great at least believe and think that you are and before you know it,your thought becomes your reality as we are what we think.
So my niece and I went to see Maleficent..it’s Maleficent not magnificent yes got it,Maleficent II on Saturday October 19th at the Emerald theaters. Forgive me but I can’t recall what the first one was about so I appreciated the little re-cap at the beginning of the movie.
The proposal at the beginning is very touchy and emotional and sets the pace for a cliche fairy tale however when Maleficent shows up,played by Angelina Jolie,who I must say looks good,and I am happy for seeing her in a movie after a good break from the screen) you sense this is no fairy tale.
She brings a seriousness to the character and those high cheek bones,sharp eyes and deep collar bones keeps you looking. I admire her role as the wicked godmother who gets soft for her godchild.
Now the plot gets interesting when Michelle Pfeiffer steps in and plays a role I haven’t seen her in, a wicked Queen.I become tense at the dinner they get invited to and I agree when Maleficent gets angry and she steps back into her revengeful role of humans against creatures and once again her love for Aurora gets tested.
The fact that there are more like Maleficent is unpredictable and the war that happens has every reason to,it is acted out so well that you embrace the fairies and horned creatures and despise the humans for wanting to end their world.
This movie had me hating the villains and longing for their deaths which honestly takes a while.It keeps you longing for the end,because we have become a generation that’s kind of impatient.
The war scene is epic,emotionally exhausting but ends well. Angelina Jolie plays the part of a mother’s unconditional love for her child so perfectly that it causes her death.
I believe that’s the theme of this movie unconditional love and peace. Trust me it exhausts both meanings and brings the point across very accurately.
It keeps you interested and makes you angry but happy in the end.A must see for children but this is No fairy tale.
Walks in about 8 minutes late into the interview with sport like attire, black, felted hat and head phones with a smile on his face. Ezekiel Royer better known as Tiraww quiet demeanor is what first strikes me, as he greets me.
Coming from the community of Bath Estate, this 32 year old man (who looks about 26) sits and tells me about his life. Coming from a Christian home Ezekiel had a proper upbringing, he was often soft spoken and quiet individual, though his troublesome ways could not escape him. Being very troublesome Ezekiel found school years were somewhat of a challenge, but yet he prevailed.
Mr. Royer possesses many talents such as vlogging, gardening, modeling, hiking (member of the Next Level Hiking group).
At age 13 he fell sick and was often in and out of the health center, one visit proved he had a high trance of sugar in his blood. This set an alarm for Ezekiel knowing his grandmother died from such a disease, he became determined not to follow a similar fate. That became the genesis of an alternative life style, he decided to change his diet, get involved in Sports such as being on the track team and drink lots of water per day.
His love for the track field drove him to become coach for his old primary school for three years, working with students, giving rise to a few successful runners.
Ezekiel’s breakthrough did not come until he heard about this trainer in Barbados Kenny Griffin, visiting the island to give a training course in Cardio Vascular Respiratory disease fitness. The announcement was made at church and his friend advised him to join, since he was known to be sporty. The training course was over a weekend and there he obtained his certificate in being a certified physical Community Exercise Leader.
Ezekiel being a certified trainer was the stepping stone that paved the way to him starting his own personal training business named Hourglass fitness. Locals nick named him Tirawww a name derived from his love for hip hop and artist Tyga who started a shoe collection called Tirawww,which Ezekiel named his youtube channel after.
The name Hourglass Figures speaks for itself as it is for individuals who desire to have not only an awesome shape but be in excellent health. The training are for persons up to the ages of 50, though he has mostly worked with persons in the health district as nurses, he works with anyone willing to put in the work to get definite results. Persons to include 2017 Carnival Queen
Winner Jade Romain, he was her personal trainer for months before earning that crown.
Ezekiel’s training includes private one on one training, gym, fun exercises as his motto is fitness made fun.
He offers one day session for $10(ec), monthly price of $90.00(ec) plus $15 for membership and personal one on one training sessions for $150.00(ec). This trainer stands out as he exercises lots of patience with his clients as he recalls his struggles of when he started off, his amicable nature also causes him to be approachable and easy to train with.
Taking his training sessions to the spontaneous places like the beach, gardens and the stadium. Though his biggest challenge has been getting his own spot to train in as finance has been a burden but he has found ways of making it work, For one he has partnered with a local gym to use their equipment and he gets a small amount of the profit, but the results he gives a well worth it.
He enjoys helping people and assisting them in their physical fitness goals and overall making them healthier.
The interview ends with him stating that being a trainer is no easy road, but being a good trainer is the best teacher”
Ezekiel can be contacted at 1(767)285-2047. Hourglass Fitness,fitness made fun
Pops Restaurant is situated in the heart of the primary town of Dominica,Roseau. A cozy little restaurant with an american theme,modern architecture with red drapes at the windows onlooking into the streets. I step in and feel quite welcomed.
Greeted by the staff at the counter after I scrolled through the offered menu i decided on the “Grand Slam” an all inclusive big breakfast pf champions just to be informed that they do not have eggs or sausages. i frowned and ordered- bacon,buttered toast,pancakes and iced tea.
My appetite dances and is highly anticipating of the meal it is about to receive,which my palates are already thankful for. I am served within 15 minutes but i stare in disbelief as the young waitress brings a white Styrofoam container to my table along with a plastic fork in a white napkin. I opened the container to find my ordered breakfast squeezed together,toast, pancakes and bacon all over each other. The iced tea was also in a Styrofoam cup. I did not understand the reason for having such cheap table wear at an upscale looking restaurant. I did expect silverware folks and a knife please,a glass and a porclein plate at least,I did say I was going to stay in the restaurant to eat it and not take it home with me.I also had to wait to use the syrup as it was being passed around.
Nonetheless I took a bite and to my horror the pancakes were bitter,the bacon was salty and the iced tea could have taken more sugar. The only palatable item was the buttered toast. Forced to tear through the bacon and pancakes with my hands since i was not given a knife. I placed my focus elsewhere to escape this torture i placed upon myself. To add insult to injury two young boys entered the restaurant for tea and were very loud and obnoxious, laughing very loudly without stopping and refusing the waitresses demand to step outside or be quiet.
I emitted that place before I could see how long they could keep up with their lack of discipline
That restaurant was not what I expected and fell below expectations in several areas. The ambiance is good but the food doesn’t fall through with what is surmised.
Sitting at home, reminiscing my brother’s great work and poetry and how much he loved to write, he would wake in the middle of the night, with a phrase or thought and placing it together the next day. Like sewing stitches of words, Staying hours and days placing haikus and finding the perfect rhythm, poetry was my brother’s playground and he knew it well.
His love for the arts, Shakespear, accolards, Derek Walcot, Myer Angelou, all the greats whom he emulated, the way he spoke of their work in such great admiration.
I don’t believe he knew just how much I admired him and wanted to write a quarter of how great he wrote, he inspired the very passion out of me. I can humbly admit he was my biggest fan and I pursued writing because he made it sound like a world of adventure and indeed it is. I remembered when I was about ten years old, I wrote stories just so he could read it over and over and give his feedback and he would always be impressed and would boast that there was something about my writing that just stood out. His words of encouragement were so valuable because they came from someone whom I considered a pro at the art of writing.
I followed the path of writing because he led the way, he decked the walls of literacy with words that popped out at you and ignited your imagination, his words and works created a world I was born in but didn’t yet discover, and I am glad he embarked on the path.
When I lost my brother during Tropical Storm Ericka in 2016,I felt that the artistic part of me sort of died too, with him being gone I felt no one was left to guide or inspire me. I believe one of his purposes was to help me to crawl, maybe stand and now it’s up to me to walk. No one can get me to the other side but me.
When I won the Outstanding Youth in Literary Arts award in 2016 I felt he deserved that, it was all him and I did dedicate it to his humble heart and amazing existence.
My brother David was my muse and as he’s gone I realize that he can’t be replaced but I know he would want me to continue writing. I know his legacy is intended to live on through me and I pray that I won’t disappoint and that as he did I will find inspiration through all things. I will not quit or keep making excuses; I will give fan to the flames which he started.
PEPPER IS SMALL IN QUANTITY AND GREAT IN VIRTUE.. Plato
“The pepper sauce Master “is what I would like to call this 28 year old, class mate of mine whose smile is as broad as day as we sit and the interview begins, but he’s congenially known as Big G as it resonates throughout his career.
Big G is a business that is a creative and innovative one , creating and developing new flavors in hot sauces, seasoning sauces , all purpose sauce and smoke products.
Grason John attended the Grand Bay Secondary School and moved on to study Agriculture at the Dominica State College where his love for aggro processing and culinary arts grew. Grason’s love for cooking led him to be a caterer at weddings, birthdays and other functions, and also a teacher of culinary classes to students ages 12- 17 every hot summer.
During his cooking Grason would experiment with the use of pepper in different sauces to compliment dishes, and it was there the idea for making flavored pepper sauce was birthed. In the year 2013, Big G enrolled in the Dominica Business Trust Training with the idea for producing flavored meat with pepper sauce production being something to undertake in the future. Fortunately having developed an acquired taste for what taste good he began making pepper sauce samples whom he distributed to many local markets.
Like any business person that wants to be successful, he knew he had to research the market before undertaking the venture, and he soon found out the cost of production would be pricey. Grason innovative idea of flavored pepper sauce, led to produce over 20 different flavors including coconut, mint, turmeric, cinnamon and coffee. Samples that left local supermarkets asking for more, it wasn’t a surprise that “Big G” won the Business Plan Innovative Award in November 2013.
From there he attended several trade shows in different Caribbean islands were his products were greatly received by the public. In the year 2015 Grason started supplying supermarkets around the island with amazing variety and prices from $12-$15(EC) his products was flying off the shelves
In 2016 PIICA funded his training in Trinidad and Big G began receiving more and more recognition and receiving awards for them as well. He received the Youth Business International & Regional Award, Start Up Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2015, Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2016 and Best Quality and Best Innovative awards respectively from the Dominica Manufacturer’s Association.
With his mentor Brendon Defoe, founder and CEO of Braz Inc and his parents as his greatest role models, the sky wasn’t the limit for this ambitious talent,.With additional motivation stemming from his appreciative clients and their encouraging words, he keeps aiming higher and doing what he loves.
Though, he recalls his greatest setback being Tropical storm Erica in 2015, a disaster that destroyed several homes and families, devastating several of the island natural produce and preventing traffic to and from the village of Delices where he resides. Grason recalls struggling for months, as it was very hard for everyone.
Grason is gradually bouncing back as he enjoys what he does with a passion. What he enjoys most about being his own boss is the bliss of creating something people appreciate. The feedback he says is very positive and encouraging and he is quite glad he can contribute to his country’s economy and putting his village Delices on the map.
As the interview comes to an end, Grason encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to do something that they really love and don’t do it just for the money, be patient and have a passion for what you’re doing. You’re required to put in long hours at times and it requires love to put up with the demands .
Today I felt rather famish and visited the fast food place on my way to the store, to find out the door was closed, I was rather disappointed, it was almost 9:30am and the doors were still closed? I couldn’t believe it; however I quickly walked away before passing pedestrians noticed me forcing to open an obviously shut door. I backed away slowly, and flew up the flight of steps where two men sat before being shooed off by passing officers.
My stomach growled and as I cashed my necessities I asked the cashier what time the junk store opened she told me she wasn’t sure. On my way back I checked again and luckily or rather unluckily it was opened this time , went in and ordered my two piece combo, original and mountain dew coated with friendly customer service. After I sipped my drink I stepped out and was blasted my pulsating rhythms taking over the town bringing my attention to the local market at the other side of the road. I decided to cross the busy street beneath the scorching sun with sweat slithering down my face as I pulled out my camera.
Playing tourist, I began snapping photos of buyers purchasing their oranges, carrots, bananas and fruits, surrounded by madras drapery, amplified by local folklore music I felt the festive activities amplified, the vibe pulled me in as I wanted to be part of the action.
Engulfed by local produce and voices of my native tongue, the Creole season was taking off with lively spirits, giving me a sense of urgency for the week ahead.
Written by
Laurna Guiste
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