Stunner's Afflictions

Judgement Day Tomorrow?

2011-05-20T16:44:00.002-05:00

May 21 Billboard

Harold Camping and his organization, familyradio.com, has been creating quite a stir the last few days with their Judgement Day prophesy! Camping and his believers have predicted that Judgement day will be not in the distant future, not in a few years, but they have given the exact date! Yes, they have predicted that tomorrow, May 21, 2011 will be Judgement Day, and that all those who find favour in God's eyes will be caught up in a rapture while the earth will experience great earthquakes! But it doesn't end there as he further goes on to predict that the earth and the universe itself will all be destroyed in five months time, on October 21, 2011!

It seems Camping has not only mislead himself, but has mislead many others in his delusion, even here locally, as one of his believers stole the show on Religious Hard Talk just a few nights ago. The May 21 believers are so convinced of this that they have embarked on a massive campaign, which has resulted in many large billboards being placed all over the US and even here in Jamaica! There are also floods of Google ads and other forms of electronic media being used to propagate this baseless prediction.

Camping and his followers, however, despite claiming to be followers of God has completely disregarded the very word of God himself, which states that only God knows the exact time when He will brig fourth his judgement on those who fail to serve him. The Bible states in several books that only God himself can say when this great day will be:

"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."
-Matt 24:36 (New International Version (©1984))

"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."
-Mark 13:32 (New International Version (©1984))

"He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority."
-Acts 1:7 (New International Version (©1984))

However, Camping chose to ignore these scriptures and feels he is more special than even God's only begotten son and has made his prediction for God's day of Judgment. So much so that he has taken it upon himself to predict that it will be May 21, 2011. The Bible itself did make a prediction that is certainly true, that there shall be false prophets that will mislead. Camping and his following have proven what they are since it is already May 21, 2011 in half of the earth and nothing has happened thus far. But Camping is not the first who thinks he can beat God's word with his own prophesy and he shall certainly not be the last. The Bible has warned against people like him and they have manifested themselves, misleading many.

Carnival On The Road!!!

2011-05-06T18:50:00.001-05:00

Miss Universe 1st Runner-up Yendi Phillips enjoying the music

On Sunday of this week the Jamaican Carnival season came to it's climax, the grade finale, the road march. The Carnival season started at the beginning of the year with the customary blow out nights and socarobics sessions at Mass camp then built up momentum with beach J'Ouvert over the easter weekend and then the final set of J'Ouvert sessions in New Kingston the Friday night before the Road March.

Revelers pose for a photo

I always look forward to the road march for the colourful costumes and also the colourful multitude of women that only seem to come out when it is time for the road march. What could be better than beautiful women dancing in scanty costumes? (heheehee) I was especially excited this year though since I had a new camera and also my prized possession, my 24-70mm f2.8 lens! So I was ready to take some great photos of the fun on the streets.

A reveler dancing to the Soca music

I had a rough weekend with a lot of work so my plans of getting up early to capture the event from the start was totally out of the question. I got up at about 10am and decided I would catchup with the revelers and my fellow photographers after lunch when they were re-energized. However, things did not work as planned! by 12:00pm the sun was replaced by mean dark clouds which began to pour its fury on the road and it poured and poured! At this point getting any glimpse of the road march was just a dream.

More lovely females posing for the camera

However, just as how a bright sunny day changed to a deluge, it changed back to a very bright and sunny afternoon! the sun came back out with full force, almost squashing the memory of the previous rain. I met up with the revelers on Trafalgar Road in New Kingston and thanks to a fellow photographer I got an arm band which allowed me full access to the revelers! This year road march was much smaller than previous years, seems the recession has also hit Bacchanal Carnival. There were only about five trucks and the number of costumed revelers was very small and disorganized. Even the lead costume was almost nonexistent for the various groups. Nevertheless it was a fun crowd, lots of dancing, gyrating, scantily clad, sexy women were out on the streets. It was a much smaller road march than previous years, but it still provided a lot of photo ops and was fun.

This lady certainly turned several heads with her revealing costume and eye-popping body!

See the rest of my Bacchanal Carnival Road March photos in the following albums on my Facebook fan page:
Bacchanal Carnival Road March Part I 01 May 2011
Bacchanal Carnival Road March Part II 01 May 2011

St. Ann Explored

2011-05-02T14:09:00.000-05:00

One of the series of waterfalls at Cool Blue Hole St. Ann

Once again it was time for the group of very talented photographers and photo enthusiasts to explore the beautiful island of Jamaica and to capture some of it's beauty in photographs. Yes, it was time for yet another monthly JWI/LOP Flickr Group photo trip. Our path lead us to the garden parish of St. Ann, the parish of the famous tourist resort town of Ocho Rios and the world renown Dunn's River Falls. However, these regularly visited places were not on our agenda, we wanted to see the less known places that Jamaica has tucked away in it's treasure chest.

Another waterfall at Cool Blue Hole

Our first stop of the trip was a return visit to the beautiful Cool Blue Hole. We have been there before, but not everyone explored the entire falls, including me. So this return trip was to not just familiarize ourselves with it's beauty, but also to further explore this lovely slice of nature. Cool Blue Hole certainly did not disappoint, as further up the falls was even more majestic as the powerful rushing water cascaded down smooth rock faces into pools of pristine blue waters below. As tempting as th water was, I opted not to swim, but yielded to the photographer in me and stayed satisfied with attempting to capture the beauty of nature and of Jamaica.

The old Spanish Bridge at White River

The next stop carried us even deeper into the heart of St. Ann to another spot that our group had visited before, the White river Valley, home of the old Spanish Bridge and Chukka Caribbean White River Tubing. Even though it was a short stop here and I didn't take much photos I was still appreciative of the rich blue, pristine water and the historic bridge that spanned the deep pool below. We even spotted a small group of tourists river tubing, something that I have in mind to do for such a long time now. hopefully this summer i will get the chance to do the Chukka Caribbean White River Tubing.

Small group doing the Chukka White river Tubing

Flames from natural gases at Fire Water

Fire Water, a small spring that has section that emits a flammable gas, was our next stop. I was excited to see this phenomenon for myself as I had seen a small feature on it some time ago. I must admit, that even though it was got to see fire burning on the top of a cool body of water, I was rather disappointed with the look of the place. The place looked really tacky and the area that the gas is released from was very tiny, nothing that would bring out the feeling of awe. Nevertheless, I satisfied my curiosity. There was also a Rastafarian roots drink vendor there at Fire Water who provided some entertainment with his mixture of singing and Dub Poetry, much to the delight of the amused patrons. If you are nearby Runaway Bay, then you can make a quick stop to feed your curiosity, but I would not recommend anyone travelling just to view it.

The Rastafarian Roots Medicine vendor performing at Fire Water

Airplanes performing stunts at the Air Show seen from the fishing beach

Our Final stop of the day was on the fishing beach at Oracabessa to get a glimpse of the air show that was scheduled for that afternoon. The fishing beach provided a very good view of the air show, which boasted some awesome stunts and thrilling flybys. I could not zoom in much on the small airplanes as the zoomed by, but I did manage to get a few good wide angle shots. It was a great note to end the trip on and to end another great day of exploring Jamaica! To see more of the photos I took on the trip please visit visit my fan page Joel Finnigen Photography in this album JWI/LOP Flickr Group Trip 24 April 2011.

The Liguanea Arts Festival 2011

2011-04-19T13:31:00.000-05:00

The Liguanea Arts Festival at the Liguanea Plaza St. Andrew

On Sunday April 17 the Liguanea Plaza came alive with the artistic expressions of several talented Jamaicans! It was the Liguanea Arts Festival a showcase that features some of Jamaica's most talented in the field of the visual and even the performing arts! Photographers, painters and sculptures turned out in their numbers to showcase their wonderful works of arts to an eager public in hopes of catching their interest as well as get sales from their pieces.

The large turnout at the Liguanea Arts Festival

I arrived at the Liguanea Plaza at about 3:00pm, however, on my was a bit disturbed as the rain started to fall while I was en route to Liguanea. I began to wonder it this rain would have washed out the festival and that I may have been a bit too late to see the pieces on exhibit or get to capture any shots of the crowd. Nevertheless I still made my way up to Liguanea and was pleasantly surprised that the rain eased up when I arrived. It seems the rain only cooled down the temperature as it certainly didn't deter people from turning out the the Liguanea Art Festival. A lovely turn out was there and so were the number of booths! There were different alleys that featured different aspects of the visual arts: photography, paintings, sculptures, etc, yes a belly full of artistic expression in every alley.

Photographer Howard Moo Young (centre)

Some of the art work on display

An artist and his work

There were several well known artists, photographers and sculptors with some awesome pieces on display and for sale at the festival. However the visual arts was not the only highlight of the festival as the Akivaaba Drummers entertained the crowds with magnificent drumming accompanied by the traditional dances of local folk dancers. no event can be a success without the sponsors and the Liguanea Art Festival had its fair share of sponsors including corporate companies such as JNBS. There were also other sponsors of that were present that did more than just display their products but also offered samples, such as Appleton Estate who kept patrons in "high spirits" withe their samples.

Akivaaba Drummers

Dancers performing to the music of the Akivaaba Drummers

Michael Collins of JNBS one of the sponsors of the event

The Appleton Estate booth with mixed drink samples

This was certainly a testimony of the caliber of talent that exist in this small country called Jamaica! My visit to the Liguanea Art Festival, especially the pieces of top photographers such as Franz Marcouza & Howard Moo young, has certainly encouraged me to continue to pursue my passion for Photography. Hopefully I will not just attend the Liguanea Art Festival next year but I hope to have some of my work there on display and also for sale! To see more of my photos of the Liguanea Arts Festival click here.

Just "Chill Out"

2011-04-12T01:59:00.002-05:00

Our variation of the Chill Out vegetable pizza

On my last trip the my beautiful home parish of Portland I was invited by my very good friend to a small restaurant on the beach called Chill Out. This restaurant by the sea is located in the tiny rural village of Long Bay in Portland on the eastern end of Jamaica. She discovered it some months ago during her stay in Portland and insisted that I dine there and experience what it was all about.

The front of Chill Out Long Bay Portland (taken with my Blackberry)

Chill Out really had that rural restaurant feel to it, yes brightly coloured painting and hand written signage, the true mark of a rural roadside restaurant. The large thatched roof also added to that rural by the sea feeling and added that little rustic charm to the feel and look of the restaurant. As we entered the establishment we could feel and smell the cool salty sea breeze rushing through the somewhat open air dining area and the aroma of food tantalizing the senses. All the factors came together to set a true relaxed and laid back atmosphere, great for relaxing.

The rustic dining area at Chill Out

The beach front just behind Chill Out

After going through their extensive menu which included several dishes including fish, chicken, lobster, shrimp and pizzas we decided to experiment with their vegetable pizza and 2 cold Red Stripe Bold to "wash" it down. The vegetable pizza was certainly an interesting dish, a flat crust pizza baked with cabbage, tomato and sweet peppers from what I can remember. However, being meat lovers we opted to pepperoni to the mix and created our own personalized pizza.

Nothing like a cold Red Stripe Bold

The dining experience was decent at Chill Out, somewhere I would visit again when I'm in Portland. I was told that their fried chicken was awesome, although I didn't try it on this visit but will make that my mission to try out with two cold red Strip Bold when next I visit the seaside restaurant called Chill Out.

Still Champions

2011-04-02T12:59:00.001-05:00

The Titchfield High School Crest

It was a night for the history books, a momentous occasion for both schools involved, it was yet once again the finals for the TVJ School Challenge Quiz (SCQ). On Thursday March 31, 2011 the two top schools of the SCQ competition were poised and eagerly looking forward to victory, Kingston Collage (KC) and Titchfiled High School, my alma mater . KC, a formidable, season force to be reckoned with in the SCQ arena with their eyes set on a tenth victory. On the other hand, Titchfield a regular participant in the SCQ competition but has never secured a victory in the competition, this would be their first victory and exaltation as SCQ champions. The battle lines were drawn and both parties had their eyes set on victory!

As the anticipation began to build the tension increased as friendly rivalry issued forth on twitter and facebook with supporters cheering for their favorite team. I of course cheered for my alma mater, Titchfield High School as I kept holding to the dream that they would see their first win against the odds. The match itself was a tough one with several compound questions that kept the scores at bay to single digits in the first section. Right then and there Titchfield had a fighting chance as both teams were almost similar in points. However, as the match progressed and the speed section progressed, KC surged ahead and the dream of a Titchfield victory waded off into a nightmare of being beaten by the haughty KC team. At the beginning of the final section, the deciding factor, the buzzer section, There was yet still a glimmer of hope, but that quickly faded as KC surged ahead to win the match and take home their tenth championship with a 33-11 victory, thus crushing the dreams if Titchfield's first SCQ victory.

Despite the defeat at the hands of KC, I am still proud of my high school for reaching thus far, their first finals in the long history of Titchfield High School. They didn't win the first place trophy, but they are still champions in my book and has made a great improvement within the last few years. Congrats to KC for their tenth win and congrats to Titchfield High School for a valiant try and copping second place in the SCQ competition. Keep up the good work Titchfield and try even harder next year! Last year was the semi-finals, this year the finals, maybe next year they will be SCQ champions!

The Trip To Kwame Falls

2011-03-29T00:05:00.001-05:00

Kwame Falls St. Mary

Once gain it was the last Sunday of a month and that can mean only one thing... no not that's it is the last Sunday of the month... it was once again time for another flickr group trip! This was yet another trip that promised not just the opportunity to get some great photographs, but was another trip that promised a challenge, both physically and mentally. We were in search of a waterfall hidden deep in the woods of St. Mary, called Kwame Falls.

The scene from a beach near Robin's Bay St. Mary

The journey to Kwame falls began at a small village in St. Mary called Robin's bay, a little distance away from Annotto Bay in the same parish. We all set off a group of eager photographers, braving the heat of the sun and the immense heat, making our way up the path that was only defined by the tracks of the ATV's that traveled the route. Our journey took us up hills sides and down the sides of hill, under the shade of canopies and back into the unforgiving sun. We enlisted the services of a guide and avid, trained bird watcher (or birdist as we called him) who lead us along the path to the what seemed to be an illusive water fall.

The rugged coastline near Robin's Bay St. Mary

The path did offer quiet a few scenic views that tempted tired and sun beaten photographers to pick up their already heavy cameras, which seemed even heavier with each step, to take a few photos. We saw breathtaking views of the open Caribbean Sea bordered by a rugged coastline, a curious donkey, a mysterious carnivorous plant that trapped fies with the scent of rotten flesh, the remains of an old church and more endless trees!

The cliff side seen from a small rugged beach

A donkey that became the model for quite a few photographers

The flower of a carnivorous plant

The journey continued and continued and so did the torture of the sun and the rugged terrain that we had to endure. The road got narrower and narrower until in became single lane track that navigated between the endless foliage. We crossed what seems to be only the remains of streams in search of the two streams that were the tell tale signs that we were near the falls as told by our trusted guide. However, it seems our guide miscalculated as we ended up crossing what seemed to be about five streams! So much so we began to wonder if we were trapped in a horror movie going around in circles!

The path that went deep into the forest

The leaf of a fern like plant illuminated by a beam of sunlight

Nevertheless we followed th path, which by now was almost unrecognizable, but we persevered and it payed off when the falls finally revealed itself! There is was water cascading over a rock face plummeting bout thirty feet to the deep water below. I was expecting more of a roar from the falls, but as explained by the guide, the waterfall has been tamed by the dry season. I did manage to get a lovely shot of this well hidden waterfall though, another hidden beauty of this lovely country. We lingered at the falls a bit catching our breath, recuperating, while some of us even took a swim in the cold yet refreshing water. The journey down was bitter and hard, but the promise of finally getting back to the bus, precious water, food and civilization with cell phone coverage was enough to keep our feet going.

The group posing for a photo at Kwame Falls

I didn't get the wonderful breathtaking photos I wanted due to the harshness of the sun and the challenge of teh journey itself, but I did enjoy the outing a lot. I enjoyed the hike and the good company of my fellow photographers as we kept ourself entertained by several references to the now infamous "ulf creecha". Now that I am back home recuperating I think I'm ready for yet another similar challenge!

View more of the photos from the trip here: JWI Flickr/LOP Trip to Kwame Falls 27 March 2011

I Did the Jamaica Pegasus Wedding Extravaganza

2011-03-16T02:25:00.002-05:00

Victoria Mutual Building Society representatives pose for a photo at their booth

This past weekend the Jamaica Pegasus, a hotel that can be dubbed Kingston's most socially active hotel, hosted yet another event, the annual Jamaica Pegasus Wedding Extravaganza! This is a large wedding expo that is held at the Jamaica Pegasus and features several companies, both large and small, that offers wedding services to those who are ready to make that step into holy matrimony. In these harsh economic climate planning a wedding, an already expensive en devour, proves to be even more challenging. With this in mind several potential couples as well as curious members of the public, even as far as from Montego Bay, made their way to the expo to see what is being offered to make that special day even more memorable.

A Jamaica Wedding Photos representative showing off one of their wedding albums

The groom getting a hair cut courtesy of Soft Sheen Carson just before his wedding ceremony

Several companies were present at the Jamaica Pegasus to show off what they had to offer and to entice prospective clients with their services. The list of services spanned all aspects of the nuptials including but not limited to, wedding apparel, jewelry, wedding planning, wedding photography, wedding venues, decorators, makeup artists, gifts and certificates and even wedding insurance! Both large and small businesses were on show at the expo Victoria Mutual, Courts, hotels such as Sandals and Grand Palladium Jamaica and smaller companies such as Jamaica Wedding Photos, Creative Decorations and Slice of Heaven just to name a few. However, one innovative small company that caught my attention was The Photo Affair, which offers a customizable photo booth for events where patrons can go into and take mini photos of themselves. If marketed properly it could be a very successful venture for parties and even weddings.

Makeup demonstration being done by one of the exhibitors

A patron getting infoon the services of one of the exhibitors

Representatives of the Photo Affair poses in front of the photo booth

My photos that I took inside the photo booth

The expo spanned two days, Saturday and Sunday, each having its own programme lineup. On Saturday the patrons were able to witness a real wedding ceremony in the heart of the expo. Both days however, were highlighted by fashion shows that featured the collections of several designers. The audience was also treated to live entertainment by the very talented performing arts group Nexus which thoroughly entertained the masses at the show. Both days saw patrons winning several giveaways and gifts from the Jamaica Pegasus as well as from several of the companies that were a part of the Wedding Extravaganza.

Wedding ceremony being held at the expo

Nexus in performance

Wedding fashion show

In all the Jamaica Pegasus Wedding Extravaganza proved to be very informative and entertaining. So much so that I abandoned my original plan of going only for a few hours one day and went both days. Of course, I wouldn't go to such a large event and not take some photos! You may view the photos I took at the event on my facebook fan page in the albums Jamaica Pegasus Wedding Extravaganza Day 1 and Jamaica Pegasus Wedding Extravaganza Day 2. Overall, I did enjoy the wedding expo as I learned about many companies in the wedding business, met up with old friends, hung out with fellow photographers and tweeps and of course did a bit of networking. Keep up the good work Jamaica Pegasus!

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For all your events, portraits, fashion shoots and weddings contact Joel Finnigen | Photography: joel@joelfinnigenphotography.com
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No Rice Mi Seh!

2011-03-09T23:18:00.001-05:00

Coconut curried chicken with rice and peas serves with pak choy

So for the past two weeks I have not eaten even one spoon of rice! this is indeed a big deal for someone who practically feeds on rice as it is the easiest and most convenient starch to cook as well as being the most served starch at most of the island's restaurant. I decided to see how long and how feasible it its to go without rice for a while as well as to cut back on my starch intake in order to slow the exponential increase in my body fat. But how can one live without this widely eaten starch?

Spaghetti and ground beef with pak choy

Well, it is a bit of a challenge putting out the extra effort to avoid the lure of the very abundant rice, but I am happy to say that I have gone over two weeks without consuming rice. this involved changing what I eat for dinner and also for lunch for the days I go to work. The easier part however is finding substitutes for rice when it comes to dinner as I have more control over what I can source. I have opted for ground provisions as my rice substitutes, such as yellow yam, Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, green banana and ripe plantains as well as spaghetti now and then. This has also allowed me to be a bit more creative with how I prepare these starches so I don't become easily bored and become tempted by the lure of rice. Here are some of my meals for the past two weeks:

Rotisserie Chicken with yellow yam, sweet potato, ripe plantain and pak choy

Tin mackerel with sweet potato, Irish potato, lettuce and tomato

Cooked up franks with creamed Irish potato, sweet potato and yellow yam, served with lettuce and tomato

Rotisserie chicken with shredded Irish potato topped with onion & cheese and baked, served with lettuce and tomato

Brown stew chicken with yellow yam, sweet potato and a small dumpling served with pak choy

Potato salad with rotisserie chicken, lettuce and tomato

However, when I am at work things take a turn for the worse as New Kingston basically doesn't have any healthy food that is affordable. So on those days, I have been lured into the trap of fast food just to satisfy my hunger. this include a wide variety of foods, including beef patty, Burger King chicken sandwich and even a personal pan pizza with bread sticks. However, I was saved from the killer foods by a restaurant I was recently made aware of called Coal Stove! This restaurant is a blessing as they serve real Jamaican cooked food inclusive of ground provision at a very affordable price of $380! this is way below the cost of the fast food in the area and a whole lot more healthy! So Coal Stove shall be my new place of dining, for the most part, whenever I have to be at work in New Kingston in keeping with my no rice diet and eating healthier.

Tastee chicken sandwich that I had for lunch

Personal pan pizza with bread sticks from Pizza Hut

Stew chicken with banana, yellow yam and a small dumpling with steamed veggies from Coal Stove

I don't know how long I will keep up this no rice regimen, but I hope to go at least one month without eating rice, because man shall not live on rice alone! With these increases in food prices I certainly need to widen my menu to accommodate different and hopefully cheaper foods that are healthy. But for now, no rice mi seh!

Guilty, Is Buju's Verdict...

2011-02-25T14:42:00.001-05:00

Buju Banton. Photo: Wikipedia.com

It was late 2009 when news rang out that the well known Dancehall & Reggae Artiste Buju Banton was arrested on drug charges and was remanded to await trial. This certainly shocked all Jamaican's here and abroad, including myself. but could Buju have been found guilty of such an unheard of accusation?

After spending close to a year in a federal jail, Buju faced the courts on several drug related charges, yet to the relief of many Jamaicans the case was thrown out and rules a mistrial dude to a jury deadlock. However the US authorities were still out for blood and managed to keep Buju remanded and to even get another trail with even more charges! Once again Buju Banton's many fans held their breath as this second trial took its course. Would Buju be freed once again or would he be found guilty?

Buju Banton and Legal team. Photo: Jamaica Gleaner

On Tuesday February 22, 2011 the wort fears of Mark Anthony Myrie, better known as Buju Banton, his family, friends and fans as he was found guilty on three of his cocaine related charges. According to the Jamaica Gleaner, "Buju has been found guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilogramsor more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine, knowingly and intentionally possessing a firearm in furtherance of and during the course of a drug-trafficking crime, and aiding and abetting others in using a communication facility in the commission of a felony." A very serious verdict that could see the famous and Grammy winning artiste 15 years to life in prison!

Even though Buju's legal team has announced it will appeal the verdict, things look dismal for the famous artiste. It is only hoped that they may score some form of victory and/or that the judge is lenient in sentencing Buju. In any case, it seems he will be seeing some serious prison time for these charges. I won't comment on whether or not I think he is guilty, the jury has already decided that and their thoughts are what really counts. All I have to say is that getting involved in drugs in any way or form, even if it's empty boasts is not a good idea and has dire consequences. Definitely something to stay as far as you can from, something Buju should have done in my humble opinion, because "it's not a easy road" in "bondage".

Jamaica Pegasus Goes Tweetheart

2011-02-14T16:06:00.000-05:00

Top Of The World, the Jamaica Pegasus third tweetup venue

On June 18 2010 the Jamaica Pegasus (@JamaicaPegasus), located in the heart of New Kingston Jamaica, did something no other company had ever done before when they held the first ever tweetup on Jamaican soil. Even though it was a new event and a new phenomenon in Jamaica it was a success. Following up on the success and buzz created by the first ever tweetup they did it again with a second tweeteup, held on September 3, 2010. Some say a sequel is never as good as the original but the Jamaica Pegasus certainly proved that wrong with a bigger and better tweetup with even more sponsors and a larger crown of enthusiastic guests. Earlier this year the Jamaica Pegasus announced that they would do it, yet again, yes another tweetup! But could they manage to have the success and demand of the the previous tweetup?

Guests at the tweetup L-R: @RyanMattis, Jo Mini Will, Geoffrey A. Bailey, Nikiel Nezzy, @Jamaipanese

On January 23, 2010 the Jamaica Pegasus opened registration to their loyal twitter followers for the third tweetup, themed the Tweetheart Edition, scheduled for February 11, 2010. This announcement created a buzz of anticipation both for those who have only heard of the previous tweetups and those who experienced it and hungered for more! This hunger was so great that all slots were sold out with 14 minutes of the announcement. The demand was so great that the Jamaica Pegasus had to make room for over 70 more guests! That registration process even superseded the first as all 70 slots were sold out in just 2 minutes! So the Jamaica Pegasus certainly had the interest of it's twitter fans, but could it live up to their expectations?

Decadent chocolate fountain

The Jamaica Pegasus team took its team took its guests to The Top Of The World, their rooftop venue overlooking the city of Kingston & St. Andrew. The all white decour was on point, complemented by the open air feel of the rooftop structure, decorative lights, laser displays and the city lights that extended into the distance. A decadent chocolate fountain greeted guests by the door, smooth, warm creamy chocolate that would evoke the desires of any chocolate lover. An open bar also greeted guests, the perfect recipe to get people relaxed and in a more sociable mood [big grin].

Dancehall artiste Tifa

Alric & Boyd controlled the turn tables and kept the party rocking with their usual great juggling and even got a quite few dancing up a storm at the latter part of the tweetup. The Jamaica Pegasus also treated its tweetup guests with a performance from one of the hottest female Dancehall artist on the local charts Tifa. As usual the food was great, especially the pork and the shrimp pasta, and it was there in abundance allowing for seconds and even thirds!

A variety of tasty meals enticed the palates of guests

Alric of the due Alric & Boyd

The lovely Paula-Ann Porter Jones

Radio personality Paula-Ann Porter Jones was the MC for the evening. Even though she did a good job, I must admit I missed the craziness of the vivacious Elva. The sponsors came on board once again with prizes and giveaways including: a ticket for two from Air Jamaica to one of the their many destinations and 2 Blackberry Perl 3G smartphones from LIME. Other sponsors included Kingston Minicakes, Nuvo, NCB and Freestyle & Xklusive.

Winners of the LIME giveaway poses with LIME executives

A guest collecting her prize, a gift basket from NCB

A big part of the tweetup is the opportunity to put faces behind the tweeps you follow, meet other tweeters that you are not yet following, reunite with other tweeters that you have met and of course networking. I got to do all of that plus managed to take quite a few photos of the event! It was great seeing the familiar faces again as well as meeting tweeters that I follow, tweeters that follow me and a host of new tweeps. Of course as a photographer I could not go without carrying my partner in crime, my trusted camera! You can view the rest of the photos I took of the third Jamaica Pegasus tweetup on my here on my facebook page.

Me mingling with fellow tweeters @VisualEmbrace and CamJayFen

Guests dancing up a storm to the music of Alric & Boyd

Once again the Jamaica Pegasus proved that it could pull off a successful tweetup, showed that it can organize a great event, showed off yet another awesome venue the hotel has to offer, teased the palates with their culinary creations, and treated its twitter followers to a lovely night of fun and socializing.

Black Is Beautiful

2011-02-09T18:40:00.003-05:00

A model from one of my recent shoots

Ever since I was small I have always heard that phrase, "Black is beautiful". Yet it seems for a large number of people with darker skin, especially here in Jamaica frown upon such a thought. Many, especially those in the lower socio-economic group admire the fairer skin and seem to me mesmerized by what seems to be the illusive power of the fairer skin. Yes, the relish the thoughts that by getting a lighter skin they will achieve more in life, wealth, prestige, acceptance and yes, most of all Beauty.

Photo of local Dancehall artiste Vybz Kartel before and after bleaching (http://www.djcarmela.com)

This infatuation with being fairer, or for a local term, being brown, has permeated our society in so many ways that it seems the lightning of ones skin has gained even more acceptance. Bleaching of the skin has become common place in my sections of our society and is now embraced with open arms. This is quite evident in the many songs that are promoting bleaching and especially a famous Dancehall artiste, Vybz Kartel, being the poster child for this bleaching culture! Despite his many public denials about his bleaching and his flimsy excuse of being lightened by the his use of cake soap, it is quite evident that he is bleaching... no, not just bleaching, he has now invented the category of extreme bleaching! Bleaching and the dangerous and ridiculous attempt to become "brown" has crossed gender and even age.

Another model from one of my previous shoots.

It is time that these people wake up and stop burying their faces in "cake soap" and realize that true beauty is not in the pale, zombie like appearance that bleaching gives! They need to realize that a clean, dark skin is a thing of beauty and nothing to be ashamed of. Beauty is not defined only by the lightness of ones skin, but by other factors both physical and within. Living in a country like Jamaica and being a photographer, I have come across many beautiful women who have lovely, rich, dark, clean, beautiful skin. And that is something I definitely admire. Beauty is not just skin deep for me, pun intended, it transcends colour to multiple factors including figure, facial features, how well a woman puts herself together and of course her personality. To me the colour of ones skin is not the definition of beauty, it's merely a variation of beauty, given by the Creator to be admired by all! White is beautiful, brown is beautiful, tan is beautiful and of course BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL!

To the Peak and Back!

2011-02-03T22:43:00.004-05:00

A View from the Wildflower Lodge, obscured by fog

In all my over 20 years of living in the lovely island of Jamaica, I have never been to the peak, yes to the highest point in the island, Blue Mountain Peak. I have always gazed on the majestic mountains from a distance, even went to Hollywell, but never challenged the Mountain and place my feet upon its peak. With my life going by in a breeze I decided that this experience must not be a mere illusion in the short lifespan of this man. So I suggested this trip to the members of my flickr group, who after a diverse mix of resistance and enthusiasm my dream was realized when it was finally accepted and arrangements were made to head to the mountains. This was going to be a real experience of a lifetime!

The Group

I had been hearing warning words and many negative comments about how challenging it is to walk it to the peak which stood 7402 feet above sea level. However, I was never swayed by the horror stories I heard about the treacherous journey the the peak, no, I wanted to experience it for myself! but, did I bite off more than I could chew?

The view from the back of the Land Rover

The journey to the peak was scheduled for Saturday January 29, an over night trip as going to the peak would require more than just a quick one day journey. It was split in three parts: Stage 1 starting at the Scientific Research Counsel (SRC) in Mona where we all met up and departed on our journey to the rural community of Mavis bank. Stage 2 would be a trip up treacherous mountain roads via Land Rovers to our cabin the Wildflower Lodge. The final stage was the real challenge, yes the actual climb by foot to the peak.

The Mavis Bank police station

We departed from SRC at about 1:30pm and made our way up the Gordon Town route to the rural community of Mavis Bank where we made our first stop to await the arrival of our other mode of transportation, the Land Rovers. The wait for the Land Rovers was a bit longer than we expected and even had some of us worried that they would not arrive. Nevertheless, they, despite being a bit late, made it and we transfered our gears and clothes to these tough vehicles. One by one we all climbed into the backs of these well worn vehicles and started on our journey deeper into rural Jamaica.

One of the Land Rovers crossing the river bed

If I said we traveled on roads, then that would be a gross exaggeration, as what we traveled on was definitely not for your regular car or for the faint of heart! We traveled on paths that were covered with craters, narrow enough for only one vehicle, so steep that you would have to lean just to star erect, through hills and valleys and even a river bed! After that journey I have an even deeper respect for Land Rovers, no matter how old and beaten up they look! I was disappointed though that during my journey up the mountain in the Land Rovers my risky photography came to an end when the rain started to fall and forced us to put away our gear for their own safety.

Wildflower Lodge

About and hour later we arrived at Wildflower Lodge, soaked and shaken by our rough ride up to mountain road. This lodge was the epitome of rural living. it was a real rustic lodge with bunk beds made of wood and foam mattresses. It had wooden floors, wooden balconies and the only source of lighting were the genuine "Home Sweet Home" kerosene lamps! Our only source of external entertainment there was a transition radio that was plugged into what appears to be the only socket in the entire building and the the only source of electricity too! But there was one thing that was strange, yes out of place! What could it be? Well, surprisingly both mobile networks Lime and Digicel had full bars and even more surprising EDGE data connection! So despite the fact that we were buried deep in very rural Jamaica, we still had the full use of our modern technology, our smartphones. We spent the night playing cards, taking a lot of photos and of course eating some real good country cooking and engaging in conversations spanning across diverse topics! Soon it was time to rest up a bit for the challenge that laid ahead.

Our sleeping quarters at Wildflower Lodge

The transmitter radio

It was approximately 1:00am I had to get up out of bed, despite failing at falling asleep, and get ready for the hike... the climb... the challenge of getting to the peak! We all geared up, bags of great and food on our backs, sweaters and hats on, and flashlights in our hands. We headed out into the dark, guided by the only light sources we had, our flashlights and the stars that stood out in the surprisingly crystal clear skies. As I gazed at the unfamiliar site of so many stars, I said to myself this is perfect, I will get photos of when I get to the peak... or would I... would I even make it to the peak?

The only source of lighting at the lodge

With each step I took up the steep mountain side in the dark of the night, the harder it became. We walked until I had to remove my sweater as I began to sweat even in the cold of the mountains. fatigue started to set in and the journey got harder as we got closer to what seem to be an elusive peak, a legend that we were chasing. The difficulty of the journey was now compounded by the fact that I foolishly wore Tims (Timberland Boots) instead of sneakers. With every step I took, my thighs hurt, my calves hurt, my bag got heavier and now my heels began to chafe in the heavy boots that burdened my feet. the silence of the night was disturbed by the footsteps, panting, gowning, complaining and bursts of encouragement from determined hikers, chasing what seemed to be a dream, fantasies of reaching the peak.

We climbed, we stopped for breathers, we fought against fatigue, we bore the agony and pain and we climbed some more in the cold of the mountain night. As we got closer to what now seemed to be a dwindling hope, the mountain offered no assistance as it conjured up thick mist if an effort to deter us. But when that didn't seem to work it got more vengeful and send down rain upon us! By now if we didn't reach so near to the peak we would have given up as we battled steep inclines, darkness, hunger, rough terrain, narrow paths, cold, thick mist and now rain. Finally as the morning dawned upon us and we were on our last breath, it was almost in sight! I pressed through with all my strength, so did my fellow hikers and we did it! We made it to the peak! Soaked, cold and in pain, but we did it we made it to the peak!

The excitement of making it to the peak was short lived as the extended pause in movement made us aware of the cold temperature at the peak, cold which was compounded by the wet clothes that cling to our bodies. I wasted no time in heading down back though, the cold was too much and the mist was too thick and the rain too much for me to even take out my camera for a few victory photos. If I thought the journey going up was rough then I was in for even more hard times. Going down the hill didn't require as much energy, but it certainly came with pangs of distress as I was rocked with pain! My thighs, legs, calves, knees, heels, toes, shoulders, back and even head hurt! Each step I took was like a stab, like a knife piercing every inch of my of my body, but then hunger and thirst started to set in, in full force. The journey down seemed endless, riddled with pain, cold, exhaustion, hunger and yet the rain continued all the way down... and so did my bitter cursing.

Food provided by Wildflower Lodge

I finally made it down to Wildflower lodge after being rescues a few miles away by one of the Land Rovers It was such a relief to finally be off my feet, get out of the wet cold clothes and to finally get some food! I swore that even if I was getting a million dollars I would never venture up to the peak ever again! But now that the pain is gone, I would do it again... but with comfortable footwear, no camera gear and at least one month training before I tackle the peak again. One item on my bucket list down, I made it to Blue Mountain Peak!!!... And back...

For more photos please visit: JWI/LOP Flickr Trip to Blue Mountain 29-30 January 2011 and My Flickr Page.

Restaurant Week at Gimbilyn

2010-11-23T20:03:00.000-05:00

Complementary Drink: Orange Sunrise

As decided by my wonderful voters it was decided that I would be going to Gimbilyn at the the Alhambra Inn for Restaurant Week. After closing the polls on Wednesday I decided to call Gimbilyn restaurant to make reservations for dinner at Gimbilyn Restaurant. However, it seems that not only you my voters thought Gimbilyn was a good choice, as I was told that they were booked out for the entire weekend! How could this be? This meant that I will not get to sample the menu Gimbilyn had to offer? Nor would I get to go the the restaurant that my voters chose for Restaurant week?

Appetizer: Fresh Garden Greens

I must admit I was disappointed when I was told that they were totally booked so dinner for Thursday evening was definitely out of the picture and possibly for the rest of Restaurant Week. However, I was not in the mood to give up! So I called back and asked if anything at could be worked out for me to dine there for Restaurant Week, but once again I was denied, but this time with a glimmer of hope. The receptionist told me I could call back on Friday to check it there was any available slots. Friday morning I did just that wan with great results as they had two slots, one at 7:00pm and another at 9:00pm! Of course you know I opted for the 7:00 reservation time and it was all set!

Main Course: Pork Passion

The ambiance at Gimbilyn is certainly conducive to dining with it's dimmed lights and open air feel, with both dining inside or outside on a terrace. added to the cozy, enchanting feel was the music in the background, some 80's souls music. The staff at the restaurant was also very pleasant and courteous, especially the waiter that served our table. So, ambiance great, staff great, now what about the food?

Dessert: Tropical Pina Colada Cheesecake

After glancing through the restaurant's menu I had made my selection: for appetizer it would be the fresh garden greens, for entrée I definitely had the Pork Passion and finished off with the Tropical Pina Colada Cheesecake. All this was accompanied by the sponsored drink mix, called Orange Sunrise, which included Appleton V/X. The garden greens was a crispy mixed leafy salad greens topped with slivers of Parmesan cheese and served with a June Plum Vinaigrette. I didn't think the salad was extra ordinary but it was satisfactory nonetheless. My main course the Pork Passion was Grilled Smoked Pork Chops accentuated with a sorrel sauce and served with sweet potato croquettes and seasonal vegetables. This was good, and that's just not because I love pork! The meat was tender, well cooked and the sauce sorrel sauce gave it a sweet flavour. The only thing that would have made it better was if it was a little more deeply seasoned and spicy. Nevertheless, the light flavour was still good and I would definitely have another slap of the pork! The Tropical Pina Colada which boasted a combination of coconut rum, chunky pineapple sauce and toasted shredded coconut din't live up to my expectation but was just OK.

After dinner complimentary Martini

The Restaurant Week menu was not the end of the treats that Gimbilyn as our waiter presented us with coupons to get 20% off Country Style juices, a Virgin Atlantic competition entry form and stamped our receipt for a free mix at the Alhambra Inn's bar. Overall, my Restaurant Week experience at Gimbilyn was a good one and I would definitely dine there again.

Gimbilyn It Is For Restaurant Week 2010!

2010-11-18T03:13:00.004-05:00

The poll result are in and we have an undisputed winner for the restaurant I should go to for Restaurant Week! [Dramatic drum roll!!!] An the winner is... Gimbilyn Restaurant!!! here are the results of the poll, which was officially closed at 11:59pm yesterday.

KRW 2010
Which restaurant should I dine at for KRW

Gimbilyn Restaurant

43.5%

Grogge Shoppe Restaurant

30.4%

East Japanese

21.7%

Hotel Four Season

4.3%

total votes: 23

So it' soff to Gimbilyn Restaurant to sample their Restaurant Week menu, cuisine, service and ambiance! Thanks for your participation and your votes, I really appreciate it. Look out for my review of my Restaurant Week experience at Gimbilyn Restaurant in my next post!

Wine, Spirits and Food Galore!

2010-11-15T03:56:00.000-05:00

Tasty dessert from the Jamaica Pegasus booth

On Sunday November 14, 2010 the Jamaica Pegasus launched its two day event that features a culmination of wines, various spirits and food samples dubbed as the Jamaica Pegasus Wine, Spirits and Food Festival. I was invited to partake in this wonderful event that had a mixture of two of my favorite things, food and alcohol by the Director of Marketing of the Jamaica Pegasus, Prudence Simpson. I was thrilled when the invitation was extended to me to wet my palate with all the offerings! So with belly in one hand and my trusted camera in the next I was off to the Jamaica Pegasus! So what did this festival had to offer?

The Appleton Estate booth

I arrived at the Jamaica Pegasus at 4:30 pm and was greeted in the lobby by the wonderful Prudence Simpson who ushered me to the Jamaica Pegasus Grand Jamaica Suite, which was already a buzz with activity. There were several colourful and alluring booths neatly arranged in the large suite beckoning to the eyes. The booths raged from several wine & spirits companies to an array of food distributors and manufacturers, as well as the Jamaica Pegasus' own booth.

Santa Carolina Wines

I started off with the Jamaica Pegasus booth which offered a selection of pastries including my favorite, Black Forrest cake! After indulging in the pastry, I was off to moisten my palate with some wine. My alcohol consumption started off with Trivento Argentina which had a great assortment of wines, that I thoroughly enjoyed! I then made my way to the Tastee booth, then to the Worthy Park Estate booth where a lovely young lady made me a mix that included Rum Bar rum.

CB chicken ham

Next it was to the Mandingo booth, where I was a bit disappointed that Maliah Michel wasn't there, but the ladies there were enough to keep me occupied and to cheer me up with a mix! Next it was more wine at the Santa Carolina booth, food at Geddes Grant, more food at the Hunts booth, met a friend at the Nirvana booth, ate more food at the CB booth! But it didn't end there, oh no! I had Sex In The Sun at the Wray & Nephew booth, had another rum mix at the Appleton Estate booth, more food at the Celestial booth. I then topped it off with some Jablum Coffee with White Rum from the Jablum Booth and some soy ice cream from Country Farmhouse!

Nexus in performance.

But the festival wasn't only about food and alcohol, it also had live entertainment and giveaways! The performing arts group named Nexus gave an awesome and very entertaining performance which ad the crowns attention throughout their entire performance! I had never heard of Nexus before, but they certainly made a good impression at the Jamaica Pegasus Wine, Spirits and Food Festival! The Jamaica Pegasus also pleased it's audience with several giveaways including a weekend for two at their hotel. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, the wine, the rum mixes, the food, meet and greeting and of course taking lots of photographs! The festival end Monday November 15, so if you haven't gone yet you should check it out! Definitely something you should mark on your calendar next year too!

For more photographs of the festival visit my facebook fan page album Jamaica Pegasus Wine, Spirits and Food Festival. Remember to "Like" my page!

Time To Live Local, Eat Global At KRW 2010

2010-11-12T23:59:00.004-05:00

Every November for the past six years several of Kingston's eateries offer their culinary creations to the public at a discounted rates in what is called Kingston Restaurant Week (KRW). This well anticipated culinary experience, under the theme "Live Local, Eat Global", begins today Saturday November 13 and runs to Saturday November 20. The participating restaurants offer a three course meal consisting of appetizer, a main course and to top it off a dessert all at a price lower than their normal price. However, over the years the popularity of KRW has grown to include even more restaurants in the city of Kingston, and even beyond to include Montego Bay and Ocho Rios. The restaurants are grouped into four categories based on price ranges, namely:

"Tasty" $1,450
"Savory" $1,750
"High Rollers" $1,750
"Delectable" $3,300 and
"Epicurean" for $3,800

I have been eating out during restaurant week from the inception in 2004, but due to budgetary concerns I have been limited to the Savory category. This year I wanted to elevate the luxuries for my taste buds and try the Delectable, but alas, I am even in more financial constraints this year and will be limited to the Savory Category yet once again. I am a bit disappointed about not going to one of the restaurants in the Delectable or Epicurean category as I was looking forward to try the talk of the town, Susie's Bakery & Coffee Bar or the restaurant overlooking the city, Strawberry Hill. So confronted with my immediate reality I have gone through the Savory and High Rollers for possible restaurant that I have not tried as yet and came up with a few choices. The choices are:

However I am still not sure which of these participating restaurants I will try for KRW. This is where you my values readers come in, yes I am relying on you to help me choose where to go for KRW. I will do this by a a vote, the restaurant that gets the most vote by Wednesday November 17 will be my choice for KRW! So here is your task: Check out the menus of the four restaurants that I have chosen and vote for the one you think I should dine at for KRW below. As easy as that!

I will provide a review with pictures of the restaurant that you choose, which will highlight my entire dining experience, including: ambiance, service and the quality and taste of the food. But just don't take my word for it, go out and enjoy KRW and let me know your experiences. Happy, discounted, dining!

I Tested the Kingston Beta

2010-11-12T01:42:00.004-05:00

Members pose for a photo at Kingston Beta 17 floor Jamaica Pegasus

I have heard about Kingston Beta for a while now and have been been invited to their meetings before but for one reason or the other I never got the chance to attend. So This time I made it my duty to be present for their November meeting, especially since this was their last meeting for 2010. But what in Kingston Beta? And why would I be interested in going to their meetings?

Michael Campbell of Virtual Mall Jamaica making his Pitch

According to the Kingston Beta website, it is a bi-monthly networking meeting and a startup pitch forum where both Jamaican and Caribbean tech, internet, mobile, business professionals, entrepreneurs and enthusiasts can learn, network and gain inspiration from others in the varied industries. Well as a budding entrepreneur and photographer, such an event would of course spark my interest and would be very advantageous to me! After all, I would get to network with individuals in many of these industries in a bid to introduce my services. It would also give me the opportunity to see what ideas and businesses are out there and to gain some experience and encouragement from those who are successful business people. Also, it would be a very good opportunity for me to work on refining my event photography skills... sshhh, nuh tell dem! Now I wonder to myself, why didn't I make it to these meetings before? [slap self in the back of head]

L-R: Chris Mills, Monique Powell of Roaming Donkey and Gordon Swaby

I consider my experience at Kingston Beta to be a good one, which was held at the Jamaica Pegasus, as it lived up to what it was all about. I got to learn of new businesses that are now on the market in the stages of breaking out to be successful ventures as well what help there is out there for those wishing to venture to the route of entrepreneurship. There were pitches (or presentations) from Roaming Donkey a online guide with a difference; Virtual Mall Jamaica, a local online shopping website featuring local companies; and ICT4D, a "Jamaican-based network organization established to define, promote and facilitate the use of information and communication technology in the development process." I also got to do a little networking, which I hope will pay off, and of course I took a lot of photographs of the event. It was not all just pure talking as there were several giveaways as well as wonderful finger food which I did enjoy! To learn more about Kingston beta you can visit their website http://kingstonbeta.com/ and follow them on twitter @kingstonbeta. The next Kingston Beta meeting will be in January, which I will make every effort to attend! Will you be there?

For more of my photos of Kingston Beta November 11, 2010 you can view them on my facebook fan page in the folder Kingston Beta November 11, 2010. Please remember to "Like" my page!!!

Doubtful Tomas

2010-11-06T15:32:00.000-05:00

Early projected path of Tomas

Just a few days ago all eyes were on the eastern Caribbean as a young hurricane called Tomas tore through a few of the Leeward Islands and almost completely destroying the entire St. Lucia. According to the the weather website projected path Tomas had Jamaica lined up like a sniper looking through his aiming lens on his rifle. Jamaica was projected to receive a direct hit from what would be a category 3 hurricane called Tomas!

However as time passed Tomas seemed to loose some of his confidence and was downgraded to a tropical storm, but had the potential of regaining strength to a category 1 hurricane by the time it reached the vicinity of Jamaica. But that was not all, as it seem Tomas changed it's mind about a direct hit and was projected to head north between Haiti and Cuba, but was supposed to skim the eastern end of Jamaica as a strong tropical storm or category 1 hurricane!

Line outside Pure Water store Kingston Jamaica

With this sigh of relief, but still a heightened sense of preparation Jamaicans began to get ready for a similar downpour of rain like with our recent visitor Nicole, but this time with even some storm force winds! On the day before the storm people could be seen shopping for supplies! Even yours truly got caught in a line at the pure Water store getting some purified water even 2 days before the projected date of the storms arrival. Jamaicans were taking no chance with Tomas and got prepared to some extent.

The day of the storm the anticipation filled the air and this was also evident on Twitter as tweets were flying all over about Tomas expected approach. The countdown continued, the anticipation grew, the satellite image showed an ever closer approach... but... wait... Where was the rain? Where was the wind? Where were the outer bands? Where was Tomas? The hours went by, but all I could see was overcast skies, but no rain and no wind! As I checked the storm track I saw Tomas wobbling east of Jamaica, like an insecure, doubtful child! Finally the rain started, it seems it was here... What! It stopped! That was it? As the night went by, it all seemed that Tomas was a figment of the satellites imagery and our imagination. Tomas passed by Jamaica without even a good shower or puff of wind. The only evidence of Tomas we had was the overcast skies, a few short showers and the satellite imagery.

I am not complaining though, I am happy and give thanks that once again Jamaica was spared a disaster. Especially after how Nicole battered us with endless downpours. We braced ourselves, but never go hit. However, it's never a disadvantage to be prepared and those 3 tins of mackerel and corned beef I bought will certainly be eaten in the coming weeks! Jamaica missed another direct hit, yes we were bypassed by doubtful Tomas.

Farewell Cool Ruler

2010-11-04T14:41:00.001-05:00

Image from http://www.jahreggaeshop.com

The man dubbed as the Cool Ruler, an icon in the Jamaican Lovers Rock music, Gregory Isaacs has passed. This great Jamaican musical icon succumbed to his fight against lung cancer on October 25, 2010 in London at the age of 59.

Gregory Isaacs forty year musical career produced several hits such as Love is Overdue, Out Deh, Sad To Know, Big All Around, Rumours and my all time favorite Night Nurse. Like most great artistes he had his fair share of problems, due to his well known abuse of cocaine and subsequent run in with the law. Nevertheless Isaacs still managed to continue to produce hits and to have a successful career. He was also a staple and well anticipated performer at the Heineken Startime show which featured artistes and songs from the 70's.

Gregory Isaacs was certainly a great artiste and a powerful force in the Jamaican music and entertainment industry. Another great Jamaican icon has passed.

Enjoy my all time greatest Gregory Isaacs song, Night Nurse, below.

New Photo Blog!

2010-10-18T23:08:00.000-05:00

So true to my words in my last post, I finally got my own domain name and blog for my photography, joelfinnigenphotography.com! With the aid of my fellow blogger and photographer Jamaipanse I was able the setup the photoblog with relative ease. So now I have a platform to blog about my photography, yes a blog dedicated only to photography and my journey to photographic bliss!!! So far I two posts on the blog, on an introductory post and the other is about my first shoot with my new Nikon D90. The other good thing is that I now have my own domain name, which looks much better on my business card... which I have ordered from Moo.com. I could stay here and tell you a lot more about the new blog, but that would just spoil all the fun for you. So head on over to joelfinnigenphotography.com and explore!

Opps, I Did It Again!

2010-10-15T01:27:00.000-05:00

It has certainly been a while since I have posted anything here... I seriously think I have lost my Blogging Mojo. I used to be able to write a post sometimes even three or four time a week! but alas, I just can't seem to do that anymore, I'm averaging about one post a month now. I need to get that Mojo back, because it's not even that I am extremely busy to the point where I can't find time to blog. This is very urgent as I am about to launch a brand new blog... yeeesss, I said brand new blog. But this will be different, as it will be totally dedicated to my photography, so no random post about the weather, just pure unadulterated photography. I am hoping to start that blog by as early as next week. I think it will be a good Idea for me to document my journey in my passion, photography. I should have started that blog a long time ago, but procrastination got the better of me. Have no fear Stunner's Afflictions will still continue to be around for all my other useless musings. So you can look out for the launch of my new photoblog in a few days.

The bride's shoot shot with my Nikon D90

Since I am on the topic of photography, let me give you an update on how that is going. Well, I have improved a bit since I last spoke here about my photography, but I am still oh so far away from where I want to be. The journey is long, hard and very expensive, but photography is something I love so I am still walking the perilous journey. I have now done two weddings as a second shooter and have gained enough confidence to take on a wedding of my own, yes a a primary shooter. I have to admit, being a wedding photographer is one of the hardest jobs one can do! One has to be prepared to sweat, put up with pain all over: hands, feet, back etc, organize a chaotic bunch of nervously overjoyed people, get the exposure right, catch every special moment... and the worse thing is, you mostly only get one shot, no retake! And if you think it's finished there, you are wrong, as there are several days of post work in front of the computer to really wow the client. I have a few prospective ones in the wings, so I am looking to getting those contracts and of course the pay! Hehehe...

My new Nikon D90 and Nikon 18-105 kit lens

My passion of photography has cause me to do some really crazy things, get on my belly, climb up on dangerous ledges, venture into secluded places... and it still continues to make me spend money that I don't have! This is still true as it was demonstrated recently with two new major acquisitions. I had been noticing that my Nikon D60 DSLR was somewhat limiting my creativity and had started to toy with the idea of upgrading to a new camera. however, it was not until after my first wedding as a second shooter that I was convinced that if I am going to be serious about photography, I needed an upgrade. With this in mind and a lot of thought, calculations, budgeting and sweating I made a leap of faith, yes went out on a very frail limb and made two major purchases. I sold my Nikon D60 and upgraded to a new Nikon D90. At the time I could only afford the body, thus I was lacking a general wide angle zoom lens as I had sold the one I had with the D60 body. So a few days ago I again sacrificed and bought a 18-105mm lens, which I got just yesterday. Was all that money worth it?

A photo from my first model shoot with the D90

It certainly did! I shot the second wedding as a second shooter and was not disappointed and depressed as when I did my first with the D60! The D90 proved itself at that wedding! I must admit that even though I have not done much shooting with the D90, I am loving it! I did my first model shoot with it a few days ago and the camera was great to use. So I have no regrets making the move to upgrade my camera. Now I need some good fast lens, but that is for the future. Right now I will have to work with what I have and hopefully make some good money to support this expensive addiction. You can take a look at the photos from my first model shoot using the D90 here in the set titled Crissie.

Wow! that was a mouthful and a half! Please make this be the Mojo coming back... please...

Fashion Over Cash...

2010-09-17T15:50:00.007-05:00

Packed parking lot and crowded sidewalks at The Village Plaza on FNOJa

... Or is it cash over fashion? Well whichever it was, people were certainly out in their numbers for the Jamaica Observer's Fashion Night Out Jamaica (FNOJa) on the eve of September 10, 2010! The Constant Spring shopping area was a buzz with eager crowds pacing the floors of the stores and sidewalks of the shopping plazas. Traffic was thick, and parking was only a figment of the imaginations of drivers who arrived after 6:00pm! It seemed as if the entire Kingston metropolitan area descended on the shopping strip.

Customers inside Jewelry Collection Twin Gates Plaze

A very packed Ammar's Village & Mall Plazas

From all indications FNOJa as a great success for the stores who participated in this event as all stores were seeing more than their regular customer count. This was even more evident with stores like Collectibles and Xtras, which had to be letting in customers on a phased basis, customers who were already in endless lines at the doors of these establishments. This was just more than browsing customers in many of the stores, especially with the ones that were actually having a reasonable discount of 30% and up. I recall seeing the cash registers at quite a few of the stores being swarmed by eager customers making their discounted purchases.

Customers lined up at the entrance of Collectibles waiting on their turn to enter the store.

Some establishments employed creative ways to lure customers into their places of business and to advertise their services. Bling Bling had live mannequins in their store window which drew quite a large crowd of curious onlookers. In Motion Fitness Centre hand representatives dancing and giving out flyers, while the LIME store had a large screens and neon lights at the entrance of their store. Some stores certainly went the extra mile to get customer in and some certainly benefited from their participation in FNOJa. However, not all benefited greatly as the stores at Devon House seemed to be devoid of customers, which were sucked in by the hub of commercial activity brewing at the Constant Spring shopping plazas. Nevertheless, they still seemed to be happy with being a part of the event.

Shoppers looking at live mannequins at Bling Bling.

A dancer promoting In Motion Fitness Centre

The Impressive entrance at the LIME full service store.

The crowds seen at the stores in the plazas along Constant Spring road was certainly huge, so much so, it seemed even bigger that the crowds seen in the days before Christmas! One thing is for sure, FNAOJa seemed to be a success for the organizers and the participating stores... and maybe even for the consumers! This definitely looks like an event that will be returning next year as shoppers are always on the hunt for cheaper prices.

Mini Bloggers Linkup

2010-09-11T02:21:00.000-05:00

L-R: Irie Diva, Taylor, Marangand, Jamaipanese, Jamaican Dawta, Stunner, Bobby, Tami

Hot off the heels of the Jamaica Pegasus Tweetup, was a mini blogger/ex-blogger linkup on Saturday September 4 at relatively new spot called Scotchies on Chelsea Ave. I say ex-blogger as some have moved on from blogging the pursue other interests... something I can relate to as I am not blogging as frequently as I used to. The mini linkup was the brain child of blogger, now turned lurker, Bobby Minoramp seeing that it has been ages since we had a bloggers linkup... from 2006 in fact! It was cool reuniting with fellow bloggers and meeting the other bloggers who I have interacted on the blogsphere with, but had not had the opportunity to meet.

Chatting while we ate.

The location was a decent place for such a meetup as we had secured a corner for ourselves as well as two tables to ensure we were comfortably seated. The smell of jerk meats being prepared permeated the air and the chatter of patrons also followed suit. We had a good time getting acquainted and reacquainted over some Red Stripe Beer, Jerk Chicken, Jerk Pork, festivals and roast breadfruit.

Scotchies Jerk Pork

I however, have a bone to pick with Scotchies for slow service and undercooked chicken which made me sick in the early hours of Sunday morning! Nevertheless, the linkup had a good vibe with fun people like: Irie Diva, Tami, Bobby, Taylor, Jamaipanese Marangand and Jamaican Dawta. Definitely would do another lyme like that again... But not at Scotchies!

Jamaica Pegasus Tweetup Round Two!

2010-09-05T22:55:00.006-05:00

The Twitter fountain on a projector screen at the Jamaica Pegasus tweetup

In June of this year the Jamaica Pegasus (@JamaicaPegasus) created history when they hosted the first ever corporate sponsored tweetup in Jamaica. It was a great event which saw not only the popularity of the hotel grow, but also it gave so many tweeters an opportunity to put the faces behind the tweets. It was hailed a great success by many and yet the Jamaica Pegasus hinted that they had plans for another tweetup in the future. But after the success of that historic even. could the Jamaica Pegasus really pull off another tweetup to compare?

Guests at the Jamaica Pegasus tweetup

That question was certainly answered not even on the day of the tweetup, but even several weeks before the actual tweetup on September 3, 2010. The Jamaica Pegasus decided to go bigger and better and this idea had some positive indications weeks before the event. Within approximately two days of sending out the invitation on Twitter, all the available invitations were gobbled up by eager tweeters who wanted to relive the experience as well as those who heard the good reviews and wanted to get the experience of a Jamaica Pegasus tweetup! Now they had the support, but could the Jamaica Pegasus really deliver to the anticipating guests?

A shot of the tempting food at the tweetup

With a larger crowd confirmed for the tweetup the Jamaica Pegasus moved the party from the 17 floor to their beautiful lawn of the "Gardens of the Pegasus" which was big enough to host a crowd that was twice as big as that of the first tweetup. As expected the Jamaica Pegasus delighted its guest with an open bar flowing with an unlimited supply of alcoholic beverages and mixes. But that was not the only thing flowing as the ever funny Elva (@Elvajamaica) kept the vibes going as she MC'd the programme and the mix master Captain Collin Hines (@captcollinhines) kept everyone swinging with some dangerous mixes from the turn table! The crowd after being fuled by some good food from the appetizing buffet, couldn't resist the mixes being dished out by Captain Collin Hines and the bartenders at the two bars! They hit the dance floor and partied the night away on the mini stage/dance floor as well as the lush lawn! The sounds of great music, laughter and friendly chatter filled the air at the Jamaica Pegasus, all a sign of a people having a good time.

Tweeters dancing up a storm to the music of Cpt. Collin Hines

Sticking with their bigger better plans the Jamaica Pegasus enlisted several other corporate sponsors for this event, such as, NCB (@ncbja), Jamaica National (@JamaicaNational), Secrets Resorts (@SecretsResorts), Palace Amusement (@PalaceMovies) Boingo (@boingo) and returning sponsor Calico Jack. Calico Jack provided their addictive rum punch to loosed the up the crown while the other sponsored provided even more good cheer with several prizes and giveaways including a Blackberry and a weekend for two at the luxurious Secrets Resorts! Hopefully these sponsors will realize the impact social media can have on the success and continued growth of a company in this competitive environment and jump on board to even host their own tweetups in the future.

Guest collecting a prize with MC Elva (left)

This tweetup gave me yet another opportunity to physically connect and reconnect with so many people that I interact with on a daily basis on Twitter. But it did not end there as just with the previous tweetup I met and am now connected to so many more tweeters. It was great hanging out with my now extended twitter family!

L-R: @Jamaipanese, @IrieDiva, @djnarity, @KarmaizaDiva @Elvajamaica and me.

Me and @IrieDiva

Me and @Reesy11

L-R: @Jamaipanese @StunnerJ @9970000

Me and @sweetpersona

Me and @captcollinhines

Kudos to the Jamaica Pegasus for hosting another successful tweetup and the biggest tweetup in the history of Jamaica! For tweets about the tweet up you can visit the twitter hash tags #jptweetup and #jptweetup2. To get a full eyeful of the Jamaica Tweetup visit my facebook album Jamaica Pegasus Tweetup II.