Island Soul City Dreams

I reflect. I analyze. I speak my mind. ~ I Keep it Irie ~

Archive for the tag “I Keep it Irie”

27 May 2012

I Did It With Three Girls And Loved It

I was part of a foursome yesterday. It was by far one of the most fun-filled experiences I have had in months. Truth be told, this is not the first time I have done such a thing, but unlike previously where it was usually spontaneous, on this occasion it was all carefully planned. I have never been the one to initiate coming together like this; I’ve always been lured into joining two more and even as many as five other people in having this type of “a good time.” I last got down like that a year ago. Over the past week, however, I felt a strong desire to do it again. So for the first time ever, I decided to get my own party started. And I wanted it to be all females. Read more…

Posted in Roots & Culture, Tropical G-Spot and tagged African, African Heritage Fair Brooklyn, BAM, Brooklyn, Brooklyn Academy of Arts, Caribbean, DanceAfrica 2012, DanceAfrica 2012 Bazaar, Fort Greene, I Keep it Irie, Maquita Peters, Memorial Day, Memorial Day Weekend In Brooklyn, New York City

19 May 2012

19 Comments

I Need A Man To Do Me Like That

I love men. I especially love them hard, as in hard athletic bodies of course. If they’re also cute and tall with a big, beautiful you know what – heart, they’ve got my attention. But it’s the man packing all that incredible goodness in that special space that I always fall for, the one well endowed with – brains. I am equally a sucker for the man that really knows how to and is quick to go down – on his knees, in prayer. There’s just something about hearing a man sincerely call out to God. The man that really hits the spot for me though, is the one that knows how to be in control when it counts most. Not every day is a slow steady ride; sometimes it can get a bit rough, so I love the man who can move to this rhythm. Above all, the man who keeps me coming back for more is the one with good breeding, sensitive, well mannered – a gentleman. Read more…

Posted in Roots & Culture, Tropical G-Spot and tagged a West Indian dating in New York, Being a gentleman, Chivalrous men in New York, chivalry, Dating in Barbados, dating in New York, Dating in the Caribbean, I Keep it Irie, Manners, Maquita Peters, Men with manners, Men with no manners

18 May 2012

4 Comments

I Cried Today

I cried today.

Tears of pain.

Not because I wanted to,

But I was overwhelmed.

Like a fountain they burst forth

Blinding me, overcoming me. Read more…

Posted in Rum Shop Ramble and tagged Black woman praying, CaribScribe, Frustrated to tears, hope, I Keep it Irie, Island Soul City Dreams, life's trials, Maquita Peters, moments of despair, Poems about faith, Poems about Trials, Poems by Maquita Queenie Peters, prayer, strong black woman

12 May 2012

26 Comments

Why I Call Mine, ‘Bajan Brown Sugar’

My mom and me at the airport in Barbados before my return to the U.S.A.

The one thing I am most proud of is my Bajan Brown Sugar. If yours is as sweet as mine, you would boast about it too. Even as a little girl, I knew I was blessed with something special and over the years, many men and even women have lauded me on this priceless asset. Their actions alone indicate how they feel, but they further reassure me with words like “what you have is a true treasure.” It’s amazing the things they all do for me – just because of my “Bajan Brown Sugar.”

I have heard many people; especially men call theirs all kinds of names. After all, that’s their prized possession.

How I Learned To Keep It Tight

The first time I can recall doing it, I was 17 years old. In the beginning, it was because that was my job. Three days a week, after spending considerable time “dolling up” myself in the bathroom, I would leave school early and hurry through Bridgetown, to that special room to participate in the activity. A veteran in the industry had handpicked me. He was tall, authoritative, a big man with big hands and the most soothing voice that compelled any woman to heed to his every command. He made it seem like an art as he got down to business. I thought to myself, “There’s no way I could handle this, I am too young, too inexperienced.” But I was also keen to learn and to become good, even great at it. Read more…

Posted in Roots & Culture, Tropical G-Spot and tagged 78 RPM, Bajan, Barbados, Barbados Rediffusion, Barbados Rediffusion Services Limited, Caribbean, I Keep it Irie, keep it tight, Keeping it tight, Maquita Peters, music library, Starcom Network, vinyl LP records. radio library, West Indian

29 Apr 2012

10 Comments

Love That Iron But De Man Ent Easy

This past week I fitted comfortably into a maxi skirt I bought 13 years ago. I distinctly remember being on vacation in New York, May 1999 and seeing a cute grey skirt with an A-line cut, posing in a show window. It whispered, “Buy me, buy me.” The skirt was fashionable at the time. But even when it went out of style, I couldn’t bring myself to part with it and as I packed to move to New York a few years ago, I resisted the temptation to leave it in Barbados. There’s just something about that skirt. One day, I could match it with a strapped-top and go for sexy. Another day, I could pair it with a business-like button down shirt, add some pumps and wear it to the office.

Since I’ve been living in New York, there’s hardly been an opportunity to wear the skirt, so I practically forgot about it. Then last spring when I was preparing to go to Israel, I went rummaging through my wardrobe in an almost hopeless attempt to find “very conservative attire.” I came across my trusty skirt and sure enough, it was a perfect combo with any number of sweaters for my visits to synagogues and other holy places of the Jewish and Muslim faiths. The first time I wore that skirt I weighed about 110 -113 pounds. Today, I am about 10 pounds heavier and feeling FAT. As flattering as it is to be able to fit into clothing I bought more than a decade ago, it’s also revealing the areas where the fabric is clinging much closer than before. More so, it brings to light the issue of diet and exercise and the importance of maintaining a healthful lifestyle. Read more…

Posted in Tropical G-Spot and tagged Diet and Exercise, Fitness and Nutrition, Healthy Living, I Keep it Irie, Maquita Peters, Neighborhood Gyms in Brooklyn, Pumping Iron, Q-Fitness Brooklyn, Quinn Q-Fitness, Vegetarian lifestyle, Weight Training, Working out in Brooklyn

22 Apr 2012

19 Comments

Sometimes A Girl Gotta Use Her Hands

I have always been a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) type of girl. Perhaps, it’s my adventurous spirit or the fact that I just love a challenge. I remember visiting the woodwork room at secondary school during my junior years and beholding the most magnificent sculptures created by the senior boys. Marveling at their works of art, I often asked a few of them to teach me. But they refused, saying that a little girl like me would be better off taking a home economics class. I had already completed the mandatory year of home economics. And with a mother who was boss in the kitchen from whom I was already learning, I thought it silly to invest any time over the school’s stoves.

I wanted to get my hands on a piece of wood. The very thought excited me. I imagined holding it and going to work till it took shape in my hands. You know, something big. Memorable. Like a bird. I mean, after all, what’s wrong with a girl learning how to take a piece of wood and turn it into something useful? Read more…

Posted in Tropical G-Spot and tagged Caribbean Homemade Coconut Oil, Coconut Oil, diy, Homemade coconut oil, I Keep it Irie, Making coconut oil, Making Coconut Oil Over Heat, Maquita Peters, nature, Virgin Coconut Oil

15 Apr 2012

14 Comments

A Part of Me Died Today

I had today’s blog post all planned. Over the past couple of days I had been preparing another product – Caribbean-style to share with you. And while it’s not exactly a culinary treat, I’d hoped it would have brought some cheer. But this morning, I awoke to the sad news of the death of my Uncle Moses in Barbados. As my mother asked the words over the phone, “Are you sitting down?” I started screaming, “It better not be my Uncle Moses, not my Uncle Moses.” It’s no secret to anyone in our family that among my mother’s 10 siblings he was my favorite. He was my grandparents’ third son and the child born just a few years after my mom. Had he lived to see his birthday on May 9, my Uncle Moses would have turned 52.

I struggle to find the words to write as I eulogize my Uncle Moses. My tears today could fill an ocean. Whenever I think of my Uncle Moses, his perfect smile first comes to mind – glistening white enamels against pretty pink gums and a dimpled cheek.

Yes, he loved to smile, especially when he saw me. I’d walked into a room and from the moment Uncle Moses noticed me, he would exclaim, “My niece. My beautiful niece, come and give me hug.” Read more…

Posted in Sugarcane Sentiments and tagged I Keep it Irie, Losing a loved one, Maquita Peters, Moses Peters Barbados, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Barbados

08 Apr 2012

8 Comments

Of Spooky Caribbean Easter Traditions And Hot Cross Buns

Putting the final touch on my freshly made hot cross buns.

There was a time when I could not reflect on my childhood Easter celebrations in Barbados without getting the chills. Of course, there are many joyful memories too. Still, there’s a specific recollection of an Easter tradition in the Caribbean that is beyond spooky. As a little girl, my Sundays were spent at church and while I don’t recall the exact age at which I first heard about The Passion of the Christ, I know that for many years whenever Easter came around, I cried when the story was retold. It was hard to fathom such suffering. Obedient to my Sunday school lessons, I accepted from early on, that I had to be very special for someone to die for me.

Bajans like to boast that we have a church on almost every corner and given our predominantly Christian nation, Easter is indeed a most hallowed occasion. As thousands of congregants are reminded of the crucifixion, we traditionally adhere to certain observances like not going go the beach on Good Friday (due to a belief of higher chances of drowning); avoiding meat on the day, eating fish instead; wearing black to Good Friday service and white to church on Easter Sunday; and kite flying for both children and adults. But, clearly, those aren’t the things that evoked fear in me. Read more…

Posted in Roots & Culture and tagged Caribbean Christians, Caribbean Easter Traditions, Caribbean Easter Traditions in New York, Caribbean Hot Cross Buns, Christianity, Christians and Easter, Covering Religion, Covering Sacred Ground Columbia Journalism School, Easter in Barbados, Easter in New York, Easter in the Caribbean, Eggs and Caribbean Easter tradition, Good Friday Traditions in Barbados, Hot Cross Bun, Hot Cross Buns, I Keep it Irie, Maquita Peters, Passion Week, The Cross, The Passion of the Christ

01 Apr 2012

12 Comments

I Am Looking For A Man

I have been trying to find a man. I’ve also been trying to find a job. Not necessarily in that order and not just any man or any job. I have them both on my 2012 to-do list as: Find My Dream Man and Land My Dream Job. Little did I imagine how similar these two searches would be! On the job front, since completing my masters last spring, I have been doing whatever freelance work I can discover in this ultra competitive job market for journalists, while persistently seeking that elusive full-time position. This past year, I have been blessed with the opportunity to work with and contribute to The Root at The Washington Post and I am currently freelancing at Black Enterprise Magazine on a special project – reassuring me that I still have something to offer the field of journalism. While I am at the point where I desperately need a full-time job, benefits etc., I am much more patient in my search for love. Read more…

Posted in Tropical G-Spot and tagged Being a journalist in New York, Freelance Journalism in NYC, I Keep it Irie, IvyDate, Job hunting in NYC, Looking a dream job in NY, Looking for a dream man in NYC, Looking for a man in NYC, Looking for journalism jobs in NYC, Looking for love online, Maquita Peters, Online Dating, Online dating in New York, Trying to find a job in NY, Trying to find a man in New York

Island Soul City Dreams

I reflect. I analyze. I speak my mind. ~ I Keep it Irie ~

Archive for the tag “I Keep it Irie”

I Did It With Three Girls And Loved It

I Need A Man To Do Me Like That

I Cried Today

Why I Call Mine, ‘Bajan Brown Sugar’

How I Learned To Keep It Tight

Love That Iron But De Man Ent Easy

Sometimes A Girl Gotta Use Her Hands

A Part of Me Died Today

Of Spooky Caribbean Easter Traditions And Hot Cross Buns

I Am Looking For A Man

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