Have you ever

Stood in a line waiting at a bank or a government office or some business place and secretly hoping that the fates align you with a certain service person? Like either you see a cool looking person behind the desk handling their business efficiently or you see a fine lady or gent (if ya is a woman) or you see a complete moron who taking forever to do the smallest transaction and you praying you don't end up dealing with him.

Well like this morning I had to go run an errand, 4 service people and I was probably number 7 or 8 in line. One nice looking sista was one of the service people and I was there hoping even praying that she was the one to deal with me. Why? Just because man, cheese on wunnah gotta know everything :-). Alright fine its because she did look pleasant not hard screw and vex up like some of the other service people. Ya satisfied now?

Anyways so she dealt with one person and then came back for another and my hopes were crushed. But looking at the guy she was handling I knew that was going to be a quick transaction or so I hoped. Now one person left in line ahead of me. Ok another server is available so that takes care of the fella ahead of me. My turn next and just as I figure the sista finished with the guy in record time. Alright then, today is my lucky day. Just waiting on her to call me then!

But what happen? Cha! The other server dilly dally around and aint make no attempt to call the guy ahead of me so the sista called them over. Drats I've been foiled again. And almost as soon as she got those guys the other screw faced server now play he ready for customers again and call me. Chupse!

A so it a go!

And the winner is.....

You aint nuttin but a teaser
A dirty dirty teaser

Teaser - Beckett


Oh wait y'all were waiting on me to post about Caribana right? Well sorry to tease you on Friday and have to disappoint you today but I didn't make it to the parade. Combination of Bum knee, wasn't feeling the vibe this year and slept in kind of late and wasn't motivated to leave home to go all the way down Lakeshore in the afternoon. Sounds like they had a great drama free parade though so respect due. Will have to ask my bredren what the costumes were like.

I did go to the Pan Alive show Friday night though. My boys Afropan came second in both the competition and bomb tune sections. Unlike last year I have no problems with the decision though. Pan Fantasy deserved to win. Thought the kids with Jesse Kethum should have placed higher than 5th though. As for Afro don't worry we is still the all time winninest steel band in the T-dot so no worries we coming back strong and after my hiatus this year I'll be back playing next year.

But yep sorry I didn't make the Caribana parade this year. I could have been down the Lakeshore overwhelming my sense of sight and sound listening to the sweet sounds of soca, pan and rhythm beat out on iron, and the sights of beautifully vibrant costumes and women but instead Jdid decided to overload his sense of taste by going to an event a little closer to home. Yep that's right folks Scarborough Ribfest in Thompson park.


After all when I was growing up in Barbados this big food expert lady Carmeta Fraser had this slogan "food comes first" so see me I aint one to forget what my elders teach me as a yout so I must follow their commands.

Who I really trying to fool though? I guess I reaching that age where I putting me belly first. Forget all dem gal in the teeny weeny costume man looking for something more satisfying like Ribs and I aint talking bout no bony woman. I mean ribs you can eat.

Let me tell you guys about Ribfest. Pork fa days then! I mean I aint know how many pigs were killed to satiate the masses but it had to be a good few hundred if not thousands.

Anyway the place was packed, the ribbers (the barbeque makers) were out in abundance and the ribees (the people there to eat ribs. I just mek that one up) was a plenty too.

Went over wid me partner and his wife and we decide we going judge best ribs for ourselves. We on a mission like Special Ed.

So first thing first which Ribbers we testing? Rule one, American ribbers only! Yea man I know that sound bad and unpatriotic but think about it, you want to eat ribs from men from North Bay Ontario that does only got half a month of summer or you want to eat ribs from fellas from Florida or Texas that duz be barbecuing outside even on Christmas morning in their shorts? As I see it practice makes perfect so anybody that come from a warm weather area should know more about barbeque than people that live in the cold.

So for once I will admit that Americans got we beat in something and I defer to their expertise in the barbeque area. It aint nuh disgrace to Canadians is just we weather don't permit a fella to be barbecuing 24-7 and developing that sort of expertise.

All right then!

So we narrow down the Championship contenders to a trio with long lines and nuff winning banners and trophies placed strategically in their setups. True they could have been fooling us but well we had to decide somehow.

In the end it came down to Florida, Kansas City and Alabama and after toying with the idea of trying the chicken or the brisket or the pulled pork we just decided to stick to the basics...Ribs.

So we split up and hit the long lines to get some ribs. Kansas City had the longest and slowest line. Hmmm that might be a sign right there that those guys have some good barbeque. Alabama took the ribs and "run it through the mud" meaning to add extra sauce and Florida well Florida was the faster of the three lines and claimed they use some special citrus business in their sauce so we would have to see how that taste.

In front of us ribbers busy turning ribs, spreading sauce and cutting up multiple racks of ribs for consumption. Quite a sight for any raving carnivore like myself. Um Um good!

So after about 15 minutes we had three plates of ribs (and nuff nuff napkins) spread out in front a we. Time for the judging. We going Taste, Appearance and Sauce.

Appearance first. The Alabama ribs looked nice and juicy with a thick honey brown glaze giving them some shine. This running in the mud thing gave them the edge. We give them first place for appearance, Kansas 2nd, Florida bringing up the rear.

Taste. The Florida ribs are surprisingly juicy, good flavor too. Alabama ups the game though. Yeaaaa Haa!! Those good ol boys sure know them some barbeque. Soft, succulent, mouth watering good! Unfortunately the Kansas city flavor disappoints compared to the other two. Such is life.

Sauce. Once again Alabama on top.

Time to test again just to make sure. So 20 minutes and three big styrofoam containers of ribs later a winner emerged.

And the winner is .......Alabama. So if you're going to ribfest today or tomorrow Jdid and company endorse the Alabama ribbers. Just ask them to run it through the mud for ya!

Ok now I'm done, Going to go back into my swine coma right now. Lawd ave mercy! Meat overload!

Is pure lettuce and water for the rest of the week.

Caribana Again!

Yep its that time of year again. Caribana aka "the why do 2 million black men cruise Yonge St on friday night trying to pick up clearly under age chicks, whose parents should whoop their asses for being out in such skimpy outfits so late at night, while running from gun shots and getting harassed by po po" festival or "the Weekend when canadian cats have to pretend to be American to get any play from Canadian women weekend" festival. lol.

Once again no idea how this one is going to turn out with the route changes and the usual drama that surrounds the weekend. Not even sure I'm going to reach the parade tomorrow but if I do I'll come back with some more photos like these for you guys. One love.

Dope or Dogfood?

The hip hop heads will get the reference.

Ever since Ben Johnson in Seoul 88 I've kind of gotten used to the fact that some if not a majority of our sportsmen are doping up, using some sort of enhancing drug, to take them to the next level. Its gotten to a stage where I wonder who the next big name to test positive or to be scrutinized as having used drugs will be. When someone does test positive its almost like an "ah ha I knew he was too good to be true!" moment and I wonder how some of the others who test negative consistently continue to beat the system.

Who's using the Juice? Who's got the Juice and I'm not talking about Bishop or GQ here or even a bronco riding O.J.

Everyone is a suspect.

Seems like with the level of competition and the rewards, cash, endorsements, prestige, glamour and glitz (Some are preoccupied with glamour and glitz, actin all bougie and making big movies) associated with excelling in certain sporting arenas you're almost seen as a the exception not to take some sort of substance to get better.

"So what you on hops dope or dogfood?"

No I'm not advocating steroid use I'm just saying if steroids and using drugs has become so common place that it almost seems like you're first impression is that an athlete is using instead of he isn't. The playing field isn't level anymore and it seems like in order to compete, keep up with the Joneses so to speak, no pun intended, one needs to play the same game they do.

So did Landis and Gatlin cheat? Hmmm I don't know. I hope not but that's me being naive again. I aint no Guru but as he said "Fallen heroes are zeroes" so The Question remains.

And as a die-hard sports fan I got to say the whole steroid, illegal substance business is killing me slowly. Up until it started getting publicity I was a naive little sports fan who figured I was cheering on all natural talent but as the years have gone by and more and more sportsmen have been caught I must say I'm feeling more tainted than a Slum Village joint.

Its like when you were a kid and believed that Wrestlers actually fought real fights and really beat the crap out of each other, lashed each other with chairs, got up put each other in secret coma inducing grips, traded punches and still at the end the winner looked like they could go another half hour in the ring.

Yea I used to believe that sprinters ran under 10 seconds without drugs or baseball players could hit hundreds of home runs without injections, that human growth serum was some sort of secret portion from the comics like the kind Henry Pym used to turn into Giant Man or that supplements were vitamins that your mom gave you every morning with your juice and cereal so you could grow up strong and healthy not needles that you got your homie to stick in your thigh in the locker room.

Juicing was squeezing piece of orange on one of those little round things in the morning and I thought "the cream" was something you put on your skin to stop yourself from looking ashy. Definitely had no idea what "the clear" was either although if somebody say "the clear one" I would have known them mean somebody who "fair skinned".

I was simple enough back then to think it was only big "man-looking" woman from Eastern Europe and China with facial hair and big deep bass voices that was dealing in this enhancing drug business. When woman look big, square and obzocky and can throw a truck at a fella from cross by the corner shop like she name She-Hulk it was then that I wondered about drugs. Yea man she must be using one a them things with a name that end in lone or rone or ine and zine. Look at she why she looks more of a man than me or you.

Never thought of sprinters or swimmers or baseball players or cyclists as the ones on the drugs. They just looked like normal cats.

But that was back when I was an innocent sports fan and believed that everyone was natural. Back when I would have believed Landis' and Gatlin's stories without blinking cause they were innocent until proven guilty. It was clearly a mistake they said and I would have believed them at face value.

Now? I'm more skeptical. Blame BALCO, Andro, Bonds, McGuire, Canseco, Tim Montgomery, CJ Hunter and the rest. Seen too many positive tests, too many apologetic athletes, too many I'm not sure what they were giving me or what my trainer rubbed on me or I thought it was olive oil or sesame seed oil or flax seed oil or it was in my cold medicine excuses. How can you seriously believe these cats when the average athlete knows more chemistry than a second year pharmacy student?

Oh well judge not less yea shall be judged they say so I guess I'll reserve my skepticism and just watch and see what the fallout will be.

Pity about Gatlin though, his rep is shot regardless. I kind of liked him too as he seemed to be one of the less knuckleheaded, big headed sprinters around.

Flier than a Flyer

You see, I'm flier than a flyer to a hip-hop jam

Fly MC - Special Ed

For the Toronto crew another Afropan blocko this weekend at the Afropan panyard, 1 Jefferson Ave (off King east of Dufferin) just south of Lamport Stadium. Features an evening of pan including the aforementioned Afropan along with other top Toronto steel pan groups like Pan Fantasy, Panatics and Silhouettes. Should start around 5ish I'd say. Did I mention it was FREE yep key word that free business.

But anyways promoting this little thing here got me thinking about some other promotion I did last year. Was doing a favor for some people and I end up as a designated Flyer guy outside an event.

Yea a flyer guy, you know the dudes that stand outside the jam and try to beg you to take a piece of paper into your hands as you leave the fete. Yea boy one a those guys.

So see me last year outside this venue trying to convince, read beg, patrons who were leaving as that event wound down to come over to our little FREE event down the road. Again key word free.

Well people let me tell you, I see people sending around email about worse jobs out there and showing men cleaning out elephant crap and sewers and that sort of business but I have to tell you Flyer guy has to be up there with the worse occupations in the world.

Why?

People just don't like flyers and they just don't like anyone trying to hand them a flyer whether you push it at them or even if you are the most courteous about handing them out that you can be. From the time they realize you standing up with your flyers ready to hand out their faces duz set up like rain start fall. People getting blue vex like you is the tax man tekking money from them instead of an innocent fella giving them something for free.

When you have flyers in your hand, people blatantly ignore you, tell you to carry ya bleeping bleep from roun dem, look at you like ya begging them for money, stupse at ya, tell you they aint have time for you, tek the flyers and fling them at ya, and give you some looks that duz mek ya feel less than a human being. Lawd ave mercy!

And I think I can safely say that guys are a little more receptive to receiving flyers. A guy will probably take it, take a quick peek and then dash it way if he aint interested or stick it in his pockets if he is. Women on the other hand......oh gosh don't get me started.

Maybe its because they look or they feel they looking nice, in they nice outfits, skirt match bag matching high heels and hair and all that business, that they feel that the flyer man shouldnt give them a flyer. Like them feel they is queen and you is beggar on the street "pardon mum can you spare a shilling?" or something like that. Women coming out a venue on seeing a Flyer man in their path will give you some cut eye, some you not worth the effort, some I know I better than you so move from in front a me looks that will make a man feel like he is piece of chewing gum to be scrubbed off the bottom of their shoe. Dissed and Dismissed!

Mek man feel like him should pull out resume and prove that he just doing this thing on the side and that he really aint a high school drop out and him have job and bank account and dreams and aspirations and that sort of business. Serious serious they duz look down on you like dirt and you duz feel like you need to redeem yourself somehow as you holding the flyer. Maybe you should pull out framed diploma and hold it in the next hand to mek them know that like Jesse say You are somebody and they shouldn't look on you like dog do do.

Cuhdear!

So with that experience I nominate Flyer guy as one of the worse jobs out there.
--------

On another note just wish to say that a great lady has passed. Louise Bennett Coverley aka Miss Lou a pioneer in the field of Caribbean storytelling in we own words, none of this prim and proper exact English business, storytelling the way we duz talk, we words, we patois, we dialect died yesterday in Toronto. Clap Har! Thanks for paving the way Miss Lou. Rest in Peace!

Afri-centric

Some day last week this article jumped out at me on the front page of the Toronto Star. In case the link dies or you choose not to read it its about the implementation of an "Africentric" curriculum at certain schools in Toronto.

Now I'll be honest my first thoughts when I hear about these special programs for Black students is why is all of this necessary? Its probably definitely a bias on my part since I figure hey I grew up learning more British history than Caribbean history and it didn't negatively affect me why cant these black kids here deal with the teaching system and just put their best foot forward and do what they can do.

But then I realize like I said its a bias on my part. I haven't been through this Canadian school system so I cant shouldn't make direct comparisons. Plus from the statistics offered it just seems as if there is something lacking here as too many of our black youth are falling by the wayside. Of course this could be due to attitudes, systems, parents, teachers, society and a host of other factors but hey we need to get these kids back on track and we need to start somewhere. I guess if Afri-centric programs can save some of them then hey I say more power to them and lets get it going full speed.

The part of the article that threw me for a loop though was this section:

And we're looking at a data-management unit that would use statistics about police and racial profiling

A who with a what? Ok is this only disturbing to me? I don't know about y'all but to me this just sounds like the draft for a bad Chappell show skit. I'm all for the Africentric curriculum but ummm just leave the race stats and police profiling out of math class please. I'm just imagining questions like "Over the past 5 weeks Lil Johnny has been harassed by Po Po 8, 10,5, 3 and 12 times. What is the likelihood that Lil Johnny will be harassed by Po Po more than 6 times this week?"

Ok so it probably wont be stuff like that but still I just find it a bit disturbing to have a stats course featuring racial profiling stats and I also question how or whether that is going to encourage black kids to study harder or put in a greater effort in stats class. I mean the point was to use stuff the kids are familiar with to help them learn right? But shouldn't it be stuff that they like to learn about? Yea maybe the kids are familiar with racial profiling but I'm sure they don't want to be dealing with the stats in math class. Shouldn't the stuff that the kids are familiar with be something positive not something negative?

I know I'd be right pissed if I was in stats class and we were calculating how often police stop black men while driving or how often blacks were arrested for minor crimes compared to other races. Man a couple of hours dealing with that and I'd be about as upset as I was when I left the movies after watching Rosewood.

I hope these folks realize that sometimes in trying you can go just a bit too far in attempting to incorporate this whole Africentric stuff in the curriculum and sorry I just don't see how that helps anyone.



p.s: For those interested HiphopQuotables been updated.

Gone in 60 words

or less!

My good sistren Abeni over at And still I rise challenged me to write a 60 word story. Something about my posts being always long. Well then! Here we go!
---------------------------

The jingle of keys.
Click!
"Meow?"
"Shhhhhhhh stupid cat!"
A pause.
Silence followed by a soft continuous creaking.
An animal screams!
"Wha de? ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"
The sound of tumbling.
Bruggadown!
"Uhhhhhhh"
"What's going on down there?"
"Nothing Dear."
Lights go on.
"Oh Michael why must you always trip over the cat on the stairs when you come home drunk?"
--------------------

There you have it, excuse me while I stand here chilling in my b-boy stance. And I'm ghost!

I remember

Ol time sumting come back agin!

I remember those days when .......

I was a little boy living in Barbados going to primary school. See me there with me short, bony self in some khaki short pants and khaki shirt. That was uniform, neatly pressed or sometimes starched along with some nice brown or black leather shoes that I used to polish up on the weekend with the kiwi shoe polish and a old piece of rag. Added to that was the khaki socks held in place on skinny shins with elastic bands. Oh and don't forget me with my hair part or my little afro cause my father didn't like cutting my hair too often.

Anyway see me dey not a care in the world. Is just school, run bout and talk foolishness to deal with. Yea we had to study for big Common Entrance exam to go high school but still no worries is only de parents that worried that you get into the 'right' school and thinking about your future an all that nonsense. All we children, like 8 or 9 years old, thinking bout is nothing so serious at all so. We just living life, pitching marbles, playing football, running up and down the school field trying to grow up and get big. We figure well the set above we pass common entrance, some for good schools, some for not so good but well them didn't look too much brighter than we so we should do just as well right? Sounded like good logic to our small brains true?

Oh boy and yea now we talking about pitching marbles boy I remember those days when....

We used to play 'killa' and other marble games. Marbles was like 5 or 10 cents each so every boy had about a good 3 or 4 at least. The glass ones were nice and very common but we liked the ones that look like real marble betta cause they were more expensive and a bit rarer. Pretty pretty white marbles with the little swirls of red or blue or green. Yes boy I want some a dem! We playing marbles like is pool without a stick or golf without the club no? Set up a starting line and aim for the hole and try to make it in 2 or 3 shots like them golf man that shoot birdies and eagles, albatrosses and bogeys. But what we local boys know about birdies and eagles is only black bird and wood dove we seeing round we. Naa star is marbles we playing man.

The aim is to get to the hole so you can be a killa and then mek the odda fellas run roun the place and hit/kill their marbles one by one till you win. Watch we in the dirt, all over the dusty ground or standing with one eye closed aiming to take a serious shots. Flick that thumb and brax marble lik! Spawning off distance between marbles, calculating angles and rotating the shot like pivoting on the basketball court, setting up what seemed like impossible kill shots and more brax! Looka that. Haw haw looka that man marble crack! It used to be round now big piece chip off and marble useless. Sometimes we even play if ya win ya get the other man marbles. Little boy gambling I guess but we never see it as anything so although you used to wonder why ya mudda would get so vex if she find out ya playing for marbles. We would chalk it up to just another of those things children do that parents get vex at for no logical reason.


But anyway.....

That was at break and lunch time. During school time we behave like all school children......try to get away with things when we can if not behaving we self. Yea boy cant let the teacher see you behaving bad at all. Must behave yaself at school if not is a good cut ass in ya backside in class and maybe another one when ya reach home. Teacher scary too cause teacher have ruler, leather belt, strap and bamboo taller than you to use as Weapons of Ass Destruction (WAD) looking to target any rude boy that misbehave. No matter how much a rude boy ya was you could pretend but that bamboo used to bring tears to ya eyes so was serious fear of that instrument.


Yes I! I remember those days when ....

Well one day in particular. I Remember teacher maulsprig almost the whole class over one math question. Wasn't the hardest question, wasn't the simplest question either but by the time the four people in the front row miss and get it wrong and get liks everybody too frighten to even remember the answer if they did know it previously.

I Remember her saying something like 'Wha wrong wid wunnah? My 5 year old at home could answer this question. This is simple. How you going pass common entrance if you cant answer this?'

That time all we feel we big at like 8 or 9 so to compare we to a 5 year old is pure embarrassment and shame plus we living in fear as she goes from bench to bench sharing liks with the big dry flexible bamboo.

And is not like the teacher woman was small either ya know. Woman a good 5'7" or 5'8" and solid, solid, solid. Must be a good 250lbs plus but know how to use that weight to advantage. Arms big, big like leg ham and when she flex that bamboo and that bamboo descend is like serious serious physics business a gwan. Mass times acceleration and transfer of energy kinetic to energy potential to "behind sore" energy leaving you in distress. All ya hearing as ya bend over the bench is a woosh! and a pax as the bamboo connects with pants bottom. All wind knock out ya khaki pants and then a few seconds later ya bottom stinging ya. Girl and boy trying not to cry but nuff man a cry me say nuff man a cry cry, bamboo force brings tears to 'im eye.

That stinging of the bamboo wuhloss boy! Serious thing that.

And so the teacher went on and on from row to row sharing out liks like Bajan politicians sharing out corn beef and biscuits come election time. Ruthless and efficient she was moving down the line. What is the answer? All most could muster was a blank stare cause we felt that guessing and answering wrong might be worse than not answering at all. Whoosh, pax! Another man down. Next!

Everybody get a share. Man face set up, eyes red, eyes water, man a cry bucket a tears but yet the carnage continues. Till one man without a clue but figuring lemma guess and hope for the best step up and guess an answer. What do you know he was right. Save like the last two rows from distress.

All I can say is a good thing I used to sit at the very back.

What women want

If only one could throw a block called emotion into the enormous chasm that separates the sexes. If that was possible maybe we might understand each other better. Maybe it is possible who am I to say. All I know is that men and women are different and one of the major differences is in emotional responses.

'Cause I'm so sick of love songs , so tired of tears, so done with wishing you were still here.....'

I'm not that big on r'n'b aside from a few female artists with some soul in their voices but I confess I actually like the words to Neyo's so sick. Yea usually r'n'b for me is about complaining about whose beat they jacked, which rapper will hit the remix with tight rhymes and can dude or sista girl actually sing without getting too deep into the lyrics but something about "So sick" yea I'm kinda feeling that joint.

Driving across the 401 singing the first verse to the song I was asked by my wife why I liked the song. I don't know I replied its just the way its put together I guess. Its almost poetic. But its so unlike you she said cause you know you'd never do something like that. Yea that's true but that doesn't mean I cant like the song.

Anyway a brother figured these comments were some underlying dig about my emotion or lack of emotion going on. A conversation ensued and I came to some realizations somewhat afterwards which may or may not be flawed but whatever I'll share.

Women don't know what they want. Ok that's a silly way to put it. Lets rather say that what women want in a man always seems a lot more complicated than what men want in a woman. I think its because we probably prefer to deal more in absolutes than they do. They comfortably operate in some really grey areas while we prefer black and white.

Woman doh like soft man.

That's what Penguin said in his calypso back in the 80s and why a lot of cats on the prowl out there have this veneer, this machismo, this Plexiglas thug portrayal that they persist with because they have seen it work for other guys. And it does work actually. Think about it. When a lady checks out a guy 9 times out of 10 she'll be first attracted to the cat who portrays that strong, hold it down, confident sometimes to the point of cocky attitude over the more emotional cat. But women always say they want someone who is in touch with their emotions. Still the crying sensitive type only gets the girls in the movies.

Am I the only one getting mixed messages here?

Oh and I should confirm that I've come to the conclusion also that when women say emotions they mean vulnerability and crying. They want to see you shed a few tears if not flat out lose it and bawl like ya mudda dead. Somehow that's sexy or something. It says you are vulnerable and can share your feelings and bare your emotions and apparently that you are strong enough to show them your sensitive side without feeling like it makes you weaker.

So while guys think women want a strong, silent type, hunter gatherer, take charge cat what women also want is a guy who can cry. Oh not saying that women don't want the take charge type cat its just they want one who can also cry. You must have duality be strong when you need to be strong be soft when you need to be. Or so I'm told.

What?

Its like that Friends episode where Rachel was going out with a character played by Bruce Willis. Cat is all android like, wont show any emotion so she sets out to break him and make him cry. It takes awhile but she finally does and then the guy cries ...and cries and cries and he wont stop crying. The flood gates were open and dude just couldn't control his emotions. Then she dumps him because she says he is too emotional.

So all that to say I guess its a thin line and in this dog eat dog, competitive for affections world how are we men supposed to know what the boundaries are? Too much emotion you lose the girl too little the same happens. What's the correct dosage to avoid screwing up?

Beats the hell out of me.

All I know is that crying and vulnerability apparently are good things to show. Hmmm I should really work on that side of my personality.........naa !

"I saw tears in your eyes this week when you had those allergies bothering you so that means your tear ducts actually work"

"Yea maybe they do but that don't mean you going be seeing me crying and bawling down people place like a hired mourner at a west indian funeral anytime soon though."

Of course now I think she sees it as a challenge to break me.

West Indian Restaurants

(Forgive the recent lack of posts.)

Last week I had a serious craving for some West Indian food. At home, we does cook a bit of everything but I just had a taste for something with a lil' Caribbean flavor; some serious rice n peas, pelau, or macaroni pie, some curry goat or stew chicken or something like that.

So eventually I cook up a nice macaroni pie and some fried chicken (complete with trans fats so don't sue muh) and put a good hurting on that food.

Only thing was that I left back two pieces a chicken for the next day and the wife eat them off at lunch and when a hungry, tired man like de I reach home after work mouth salivating at the thoughts of digging into my chicken what greet me but the empty plastic container staring back at me from the sink. Cuhdear talk about let down then! Dat nuh right! My craving for West Indian food was still not completely fulfilled and I just didn't feel like cooking no more. Cho!

Oh well so I decide I would have to reach one of the numerous West Indian restaurants in Toronto sometime soon to satisfy my craving later that week.

West Indian restaurants in Toronto you say? Yes man is plenty, plenty West Indian restaurants we have here in the T-dot. Yardie food, Trini food, Bajan food, Guyanese food you name it we have it but most of the typical spots tend to be the little Roti shops and those little hole in the wall Jamaican places whose staples are Jerk chicken, Curry Goat and Ox tail.

Not that the food not good in those places I just saying most of the West Indian places around Toronto are of the no frills variety, nothing fancy.

Now like other types of restaurants when dealing with West Indian restaurants you have your good, your bad and your ugly. I aint calling no names cause I don't want to diss nobody for them to come looking to say I give their business bad name and they want to beat me up. No sah I frighten fa my skin!

Same way I aint want to big up no specific place cause nobody aint give Jdid money to mention their name on my blog. Although I will big up the fella that used to sell Roti down in Kensington Market back in the day as the best Roti I taste in Toronto. He shop shut down years back so I will make an exception and give he a mention.

Anyway like I was saying plenty plenty West Indian restaurants in Toronto and I would say that the experiences I've had in them run the gamut from your usual, typical restaurant experiences to some "But wait these people really running a business?" type moments.

Oh the stories I could tell. Like the one about the place that just never seemed to have beers on Friday night even though they knew for certain that every Friday a big bunch of us Caribbean men would be liming there for a couple of hours playing dominoes. You would think in a case like that where it was certain they would sell a fair amount of alcohol and knowing that alcohol is where restaurants tend to make a little profit that they would have something waiting for us but nooo.

Or the one about the fella that sell we the chicken Roti one night and how the curry was sweet sweet sweet. Only problem was ....... well you guys have heard of boneless chicken roti well his was meatless chicken roti. Every bite was pure bone. No exaggeration! So much snap crackle and pop business going on that the Rice Crispie fellas nearly threaten we for infringement of copyright.

Or the story about the place with the whole wheat festival which had a man well offset cause I accustom to dealing with white flour when it come to bakes, festival and dem sorta business. I guess them musse think I worried about trans fats cause whole wheat festival and bakes just don't taste the same as the regular ones. chupse!

Or the one about the place that tell the lady they didn't make the special of the day that particular day cause they just didn't feel like it that day.

Or my favorite West Indian restaurant story where the two non-west indian ladies were all bubbly and order off big load a food; rice n peas, jerk chicken, plan-tain like they know what they doing and then after a little whispered discussion a few minutes later call back the waitress and say "umm we were wondering what exactly is rice n peas?" True true story that, even a fella with my imagination couldn't make that up.

No boy too many stories to tell, we would be here for days.

No let me not go there and let me just give you a few of my simple rules and observations about West Indian restaurants and leave it at that.

Observation one: The fancier the establishment the worse the food usually is. Its like there has to be a trade off of decor for seasoning in the pot when it comes to West Indian places. So usually a hole in the wall, take out only spot where somebody auntie from the country cooking in a dutch pot in the back can be counted on to bring the real flavor while the nice sit down fancy drinks with umbrellas, nice tropical paint up, bob marley playing in the background playing places aint as good.

Oh and on that note if the menu doesn't have on any sort of Kola champagne, Ting, Solo, Busta, Grace or any sorta drink from the Caribbean so on the menu and is pure Pepsi and Sprite ya seeing well boy dem naa ready yet so nuh bodda wid dem.

Observation two: If you walk into the place and is pure non-west indians in the place eating something wrong. They aint cooking authentic food, they cooking for delicate palates, they watering down the food and if you want the real experience of West Indian food that place is not for you. Actually same observation holds for any sort of so-called ethnic food. If you go in a Indian restaurant and aint see no Indians or a Chinese restaurant and aint see no Chinese break north son, break north.

Observation three: Never go into a West Indian restaurant if you are starving and want food in a hurry cause you will most likely die of hunger while waiting. I aint saying all the service always slow or bad all the time its just that its a gamble as to what the service is going t be like so don't press your luck thinking cause yesterday you got your meal in 5 minutes that today is going to be the same. Today you might be lucky to get your meal within 40 minutes.

Sometimes ya duz butt up on some screw face young waitress that really feel that she doing you a favor by taking your order and who vex cause she was busy doing nothing until you come in and wake her up and make her do work for her wages. She face set up , she hands a kimbo and she would like to chupse at ya but she know you might complain to the boss so instead she just giving you a lil cut eye. Naa ok I'm being a bit facetious but sometimes you just get the feeling that West Indian restaurants are not businesses that want your business. Like is as if you the customer begging a favor by buying food from them. Not all now is only some of them but is quite a few of the some of them if you follow me.

Observation number 4: Just like number three this one is about consistency but only in this time with regards to the food. Consistency! Not sure about this but is like at certain places the pot does have a different taste depending on what time of day or day in the week you go to a restaurant. Maybe the regular cook show up late or forget to add salt or add too much salt or whatever but sometimes you sit and wonder if the food you eating prepared by the same fella that cook yesterday.

Observation number 5: actually this is more like a rule. For the uninitiated a usual rule of thumb for me with West Indian restaurants is to first try the Jerk Chicken. My thoughts are if you cant get the Jerk Chicken right how am I supposed to trust you to do cook something more complex like curry goat, ox tail or stew chicken? I lie?

Anyway those were just some random rules and observations I felt to share today. Still through all the complaints and stuff I will still support anyone that can cook a good West Indian meal even though I may not understand the rationale behind some of those who run West Indian restaurants.

Actually though to be honest I think its all becoming clear to me because a few weeks ago I finally unearthed the secret doctrine of West Indian resturanteurs in Toronto and quite likely worldwide.

I went into one of my current favorites late one evening just before closing time. Nice friendly staff, cant really complain about the service and very authentic food. The staff was sorting me out with some curry goat when another customer came in wanting curry goat. Well sadly I had ordered the last of it as it was only about 15 minutes before closing so the other customer was out of luck. The customer was a little upset and her face start push up when the server started offering her some other eating options.

"We 'ave curry chicken left and it nice ya kno"

"But I really wanted some curry goat" she said

To which the server dropped the line which I personally feel is a major part of the West Indian restaurant mantra; "My lady is not about what you want its about what we 'ave."

And in more raptors news

They just traded Charlie V. That's the first thing I saw this morning. Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn! Not only did they trade Charlie V but they just traded him for a dude in T.J Ford who spent a hell of alot of time on the injury list in the last two seasons.

I'm sorry but the Colangelo luster is wearing off with me. The Bargnani draft could go either way but in Charlie V we had a cat who in his rookie season proved that he could play with the big dogs. I mean he had a 48 point game at one point for pete sake.

Plus Charlie V was a fan and Toronto favorite. Why trade him? Ok so we needed a point guard but Charlie V for T.J Ford? Is the situation that desperate?

This is upsetting to me. Where can I go and vent about this trade. How do you trade a guy with Charlie V's potential and worth for a question mark like T.J Ford? Is Colangelo trying to clean house of every pick made by his predecessor? If I was Joey Graham I'd start packing now. The Raptors are putting a hell of a lot of faith in this Italian guy Bargnani. What's next are we going to trade Bosh for a bag of magic beans and start building around Bargnani?

Ok so no Charlie V and most likely no Mike James next year, a questionable draft pick in my opinion, Nesterovich for Bonner and we did rid ourselves of 'Hoffa' but pardon me didn't our offense get worse while our defense hasn't really improved. If the new NBA is going to fit a run and gun Phoenix style of play where the best defense is a good offense how can you lose two of your better offensive players in James and Charlie V and be better?

All I'm saying is Colangelo is betting the farm on Bargnani aka "Il Mago" and the price he paid for TJ Ford is too much. I really hope Chris Bosh buys into Colangelo's deal because if not we're going to have another Vince situation and Bosh will be out of here cause we haven't really improved this team.

Oh well the Raps are under the cap and the wheeling and dealing aint over most likely. Still Charlie V proved himself NBA caliber and him and Bosh made a great combo on the floor. I hope he lights up the Raptors for 30 plus points everytime we play Milwaukee and oh wait a minute didn't we just make another team in our conference stronger? Great way to strive for the playoffs. In the immortal words of Red Foreman the Raptors are a 'dumbass'.

Yea if the Raptors actually do well this year I'll have to eat all my words but to me this trade sucks! I'm just waiting till Bargnani turns into a bust, TJ Ford drops down with an injury and Bosh starts talking about wanting to win a championship and how management isnt doing anything to progress, that should start oh I dont know maybe two three months after he signs his big mega million dollar max contract this summer.

So long Charlie V good luck in Milwaukee. I'm a cheer for ya.

Please don't screw up

Last year a brother got philosophical on the NBA draft. Boy was I wrong on that Villenueva pick by the Raptors but hey at least I didn't go off like Stephen A Smith when the Raptors made that pick. Villenueva really worked to disprove the naysayers, myself included, and came second in the rookie of the year balloting which isn't bad for a number 7 pick. So yea last year that #7 pick worked out for the Raptors although it doesn't make up for past draft failures like Araujo, Michael Bradley and Aleksandar Radojevic.

But this year the Toronto Raptors have the number 1 pick tomorrow! Why couldn't this have happened the year Lebron was available? Oh well cant complain #1 is #1 right? Well not exactly especially this year where there are no franchise players or no consensus pick for the top spot.

What should we expect? I'm not sure I'm just begging that they don't mess up. Yea mess up in a Kwame Brown, Michael Olawakandi type of number 1 pick mess up because oh man I really don't think this franchise or this city can handle another big let down.

Still there is room for optimism. New year, new general manager, Bryan Colangelo. Dude came into town with a big rep for making power moves. A new more capable general manager, an anti-Babcock(our former GM). Colangelo had remade Phoenix into an NBA powerhouse and given his first two trades in Toronto its looking promising. Got to give props to anyone who can trade Araujo after all. So yea I live in hope as a Raptors fan that I wont be embarrassed on draft day or soon after as our pick again becomes a bust.

Now on to the fun stuff........ Jdid's predictions also known as what the Raptors will do the opposite of.

Seems like the Raptors are really big on this Italian fellow Bargnani, supposedly the next Dirk Nowitzski. Its been all Bargnani this and Bargnani that since the announcement of us getting the top pick so its highly likely we'll draft him although he's a power forward and oh in Bosh and Villenueva we already have two of the top young PFs in the league. Hmmm do I smell a trade in the winds.

Look far be it for me to say that Bargnani wont be a good pick but..... lets look at the young European cats who have come into the league in the past decade or so. Only three of them Nowitzski, Gasol and Parker have actually become stars in the league. Ok my bad four if you count Peja but still the odds are kind of high that a European dude who has been hyped like there is no tomorrow will be a bust. Can you say Darko Milicic? Can you say Nikoloz Tskitishvili? No? Well actually I cant either but yea Tski whatever his name is was supposed to be a superstar too and how many of y'all have heard of him now after over 3 years in the league. Yea exactly!

Do you really want to take this Bargnani guy with the number one pick? Maybe if we trade down but number 1? Come on now.

So what are the other choices? Well if we keep number 1 I say it comes down to Rudy Gay vs LaMarcus Aldridge. If Aldridge can turn into a bonafied centre I'm all for it but from reports he seems like Chris Bosh lite so ummm yep you heard it here first I'm going with Rudy Gay. That's the officially Jdid number 1 pick if I was Raptors GM.

Yep Gay had a Villenueva type college year of underachieving at Uconn this year so his stock has dropped but dude is 6-9 and can shoot, defend and slash. Upside baby upside! Plus we had so much success with Villenueva that its made me a believer in Uconn players. Actually Uconn is getting a Carolina style rep for the players its producing. Quality players; Ray Allan, Richard Hamilton, Okafor, Ben Gordon and if we pretend that Khalid El-Amin never happened its like they never had a draft bust.

So there you have it. Rudy Gay NBA number 1 pick by the Raptors tomorrow if Jdid was GM.

Of course now that I've said it and endorsed it it just wont happen so all I can ask the Raptors is please don't embarrass me with your pick tomorrow.

eediat ting dat!

A yes yet again another news item has forced me to bring back the semi regular eediat ting dat feature. Been a while since the last one.

This time its the news story from last week about a doctor and a consumers group that are suing KFC.

Yep they claim that meals at KFC can be "startingly high in trans fat" and they are trying to stop KFC from serving foods that can lead to a heart attack. They say KFC needs to warn its customers on the dangers of its offerings.

What gets me is that they claim because KFC doesn't openly say that the chicken is fried in partially hydrogenated oil loaded with trans fats that folk are unaware that KFC can be unhealthy.

Ok is this just me? The chain used to be openly known as Kentucky Fried Chicken never Kentucky "slow roasted on a Foreman grill so that the fat drips out and its (possibly) healthy " chicken or Kentucky "steamed in a low fat au jus" chicken no the word FRIED was big and bold in the middle of the name.

And with the bombardment of the health conscious messages we have been getting for the last decade or two everyone knows now that fried chicken in over abundance is bad for you. I mean don't be fooled cause the Colonel have nuff chat bout 12 'erbs and spices, the chicken still greasy, fried and breaded, so you're taking your life into your hands.

And even if the Colonel decide he using another type of oil to fry the chicken it still going to be bad for you so what's the point here.

They going force the Colonel to start baking his chicken or shut down his shop or what? All the chat when you done away with the colonel, people will find something equally unhealthy to eat if they really choose. You going to ban fry chicken and outlaw big pots of sizzling oil too. All that going to do is set up an underground market in smuggled fried chicken from Canada (I trying to get in on that action) and lead me to start coming up with nuff 'why did the chicken cross the border' jokes. Or maybe we going make the colonel jerk his chicken?

Point is people still know it unhealthy and will eat nuff of it so suing the Colonel aint really going to help. Who you think you informing that the colonel unhealthy? Everybody should know that by now cause is not like the man main dish is Kentucky green salad made wid 12 sauces and dressings is FRIED chicken and all you have to do is see all the grease come off of it for any body with any common sense will realize that this might not be the most healthy meal.

I don't know but seems like a big waste a time to me. Eediat ting dat!

Fathers Day

Happy Fathers day to all the men out there.

This is going to be a quick post as I plan to spend fathers day just watching football. Brazil playing in a few so cant miss that.

Well this is my first father's day being a father. What can I say it is what it is. They tell me I'm doing a good job, I'll have to take their word for it cause I still say the verdicts out.

Anyway big up to my own dad. Was thinking about him the other day and all the cool stuff he thought me as a child so hopefully I can pass on some of my knowledge to the yout. Actually we watched Iran vs Portugal yesterday together maybe I can teach him some football skills early lol.

On another note had what my wife termed our first official family outing yesterday when we went to Barbados on the Water down at the Harborfront Centre. Didn't spend a lot of time but did get to see the Israel Lovell foundation put on an excellent performance. Tuk Band, Steel Pan, Dance, Mother Sally, Shaggy Bear, Stiltmen, etc it was nice. But is since when the shaggy bear man start breakdancing? lol. Only compliant and its rather tongue in cheek but maybe I should address this one to Titilayo is that the girl on the pan was beating the poor pan too hard. If ya kno she tell she we going arrest her for pan brutalization. Lawd ave mercy I did feel fa de poor pan. Cuhdear! Naa the pan woman was really good actually lots of presence as was all the group.

Actually this years Barbados on the Water seemed to draw quite a few people. It appeared to be a bigger crowd than last year although I must say I didn't see many people I know like I usually do although had the chance to make the acquaintance of another of the T-dot bloggers. No name call but I can say she is a lovely young lady. Boy seems like all the T dot bloggers real good looking ...except me I guess somebody got to balance it out.

On another note got to big up my people at Afropan again today. This Saturday, the 24th, we have a recital/concert/fundraiser/band launch/lime over next to Lamport stadium starting at 1pm. Admission is free, no money, no hurt on ya pockets so if you counting that is like 5 events for the price of none. Plus is Trini people so ya dun know it might turn into a fete. Oh goosh boy 6 events fa nuttin eh he! Ya cant beat that! You get to see the classes performing, the main stageside players perform, meet new people, hear some music, eat some food and play some games. It going be nice nice! So anyone in Toronto who want a nice relaxing way to spend next Saturday come through, I'll be there and I might even beat a pan an gi ya a special seranade (bring ya earplugs if ya see me on a pan).

Go Brazil! I gone

Warriors come out and pla-eaay

aka Classic example of a Trini Soccer party

So close and yet so far.

Can you dig it!

Yea boy I just come from a football fete this afternoon. Trinidad vs England and today for a good two to three hours I like many other of my countrymen and other West Indians transformed to honorary Trini and supported the Warriors with all me energy. Y'all not going see dat too regular ya kno! cho nuh man!

I worked today so I followed the first half on Yahoo and prayed that Trinidad wouldn'’t be routed thinking to myself if they make it to the half without being down two or three goals I will take an extended lunch break and visit my friend shop where they showing the game on big screen tv.

So I checking the score every 5 minutes or so while working. 20 minutes in, no score. Ah boy things looking good. 30 minutes in, still no score and I see we get a few shots on goal. Things looking up yes? 38 minutes in and no score yet so I left work and decide I going to try to reach the shop before second half. So shop is like 20 -25 minutes away from work but somehow I still manage to reach in like 10 minutes. I tell ya I not missing second half for nothing. I hungry bad cause is one o'clock and I aint had lunch yet but some things more important than food and football when is one a we teams playing is one of them things so I aint stopping to buy no lunch.

Get inside the place, business shut down for the time being, aisles clear way, big screen tv up, chairs out, food sharing and everyone cheering on the team. I grab some buljol, pieca bread and two fish cakes an hol a seat in the back while the whistles were shared out. Everybody in a good mood cause half time score is still zero zero and Trinidad holing dem own. The English fella doing the half time report on TSN looking real exasperated like he can barely comment cause he cant believe this little speck of an island that ya cant even see properly on a decent globe going embarass the mighty British, the lions, the Empire. A wha really going on nuh man?

Meanwhile up in the store whole Caribbean in the spot, Trini, Bajan, Yardie, Guyanese all a we is Trini for the next 45 minutes. Everybody wearing red, a sea a red, a red sea. Soca warriors come out and play-e-aay! Soca warriors gear, Trinidad gear, everybody Trini to the bone and even down to the gristle den.

"Lemma hear a whistle" one lady begs. Well to quote Paul Keens who tell she ta say that? The whistle carriers didnt need that encouragement cause whistle start up and whistle aint stop for the rest of the afternoon. Is like everybody turn FIFA referee.

Then the chanting, the kaiso and the stomping jump in and suddenly I feel like Carnival come back in June or Caribana arrive two months early. Rhythm! Come wid it!

"“London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down. London bridge is falling down. BREK it down! BREK it - down!”"

"“no no we aint going home, we aint leaving"”

“"I coming San Fernando, down dey have plenty tempo"

One rasta fella say he got to be up in Richmond Hill in 20 minutes yet he still down deyso in the middle a downtown wid we 10 minutes later glued to the game leading the chanting and singing along.

But wait is wha really going on in this place? Women like dem a run tings. For some reason men outnumbered by women two to one. Not that a man like me going complain but seriously a wha kinda football game this? And the women like them feel is carnival time in the air wid all the noise and dancing. I looking for somebody buss out a wine soon and ya kno I aint talking bout no alcohol. Men serious, serious glued to football watching every tackle with the intensity of a judge but is pure bachanal as far as the women concern.

“"T and T!" stomp stomp! "we want a goal"”

And in another study of contrasts too the front of the room quiet like church sermon preaching and the people up there intense like dem studying for exams or the tv reporting world war three brek loose.

Meanwhile in the back. Oh gosh nuh man! Bachanal breaking loose like is jouvert morning. But look is how all dem so serious up front? Them concentrating on the game but that aint helping. We trying to project we spirit to the fellas in Germany. If we mek enough noise them will hear we.

“"Reparations!"” Someone shouts "“Gi we we 40 acres and a SUV!"

“Attack it from the front,” someone else chants and we all break down laughing. But wait them singing Kitty Cat by Square One now? Oh gooooossh boy! “attack it from the side” they continue.

A foul is called against a Tnt player. “boy look how they tiefing we! eh he! I vex! Somebody musse pay off the referee cause dat man aint get tackle he juss fall down.

Trinidad player Birchall then gets fouled. Hear them "“They throw down the white boy cause they vex dat he playing for Trinidad.”" More laughter.

England seems completely out of sorts. Frustrated by the Warriors. Not what I expected from a top echelon world ranked team. Out of sorts somehow, absolutely no finishing. Again and again they are thwarted by the Warriors. Can you dig it? Maybe this is the day the colonized will lash the colonizers. Its been a long time since West Indians could shout about beating England. We used ta mash them up in cricket from the 70s to the mid 90s but now boy well boy doan let me get started on this cricket thing at all. I aint trying ta get agitated yet so let we juss deal wid the football thing for now.

Beckham misfires again. "“Bend it like Beckham. Boy he like he not bending it today at all at all."

The chanting, clapping, cheering and jeering continues non-stop.

A dangerous English pass skips across the face of the goal mouth with not an English player coming close to connecting.

"“Eh he! look how the English men bazodee today. Somebody like dem went to the obeah man fa them"

"“no no we aint going home, we aint leaving, no no we aint going home."

T and T on the attack, everybody out their seat. Pass it to the right, the right, man the right! No not that right the odda one. cho!

Another attack thwarted. Big Chupse! Who he was trying to pass to nobody din there. We need a goal to keep the hopes of advancing out the first round alive.

"T n T" bam bam "we want a goal." bam bam.

Keeper Hyslop is having a superb game. We have a red wall in the back of the store with people holding hands to block the English free kicks and corners. "Reparations" I hear shouted again. "I doan want no 40 acres gimme a oil field"

I trying to sit and behave myself like a decent Bajan boy but every few minutes I gotta rise and will my Trini people on. Go go go! Noooooo! They lose the ball again. "Cheese on bread den!" Oh wait sorry I forget I supposed to be Trini, I mean "oh gooosh boy how he miss dat so eh he!" So close and yet so far but is still tied so we have a chance.

Someone asks how much time left. Someone else responds 20 minutes more but I look and see its the 80th minute. "No man is only 10 minutes plus stoppage time left."

"We might mek it!"

"T n T" bam bam "we want a goal!" bam bam. We are swaying and clapping now. Collectively willing the TnT players to stay strong.

We watching the clock, we planning after game fete cause ya know as a Trini ya must have pre-game warmup fete before game fete then after game you must have cool down fete right cause ya dont wanta jump right into game fete an pull a muscle or something so. So ya must warm up first and then similarly ya gotta cool down afterwards. Is how we keep fit fa fete an fete long time?

"No no we aint going home"

So we planning fete only 8+ minutes left and then suddenly out of the blue, end of the 82nd minute all I see is Beckham with the ball over on the side. Where he come from? he controlled the ball and he make a pinpoint cross and...... One million Trinis and two-three plus million other West Indian hearts skip as Crouch meets the ball with a perfectly timed header and hearts stop. Goooooaaaaaallllll for England!

What? Boy I tell ya I did deflated bad like when I leading a domino game and double six is me last card and some bad bwoy step up an murder me card. Shock and despair! Wha juss happen? We watch the replays and the English celebration but we still cant believe it. England score! Oh gosh no! More noise but now its getting dispondent. Oh no we losing.

Losing because of Crouch's goal. But wait! Is what a 6'7" man doing playing football at all? Dem aint have basketball in England? Look tek that man off the football field send him go NBA to guard Shaq or one a dem big ugly basketball man. Cha! He aint have no right playing football he too big.

How dem penetrate the red wall? That cant be right!

It aint over yet though. Lewee go! Still got time. "T n T" the chant goes up but the spirit a little weak cause is an uphill struggle now as England packs its back field. "Is not over yet" one loud voice shouts "we can come back like the West Indies cricket team" Oh gosh boy ya know things brown and people desparate when they invoking Windies team name. But like a say before doan get me started on cricket I agitated already cause we down a goal. Leave out the cricket nuh man.

Still we on the attack is only one love anything can still happen we got stoppage time. They might give we an extra three minutes.

And then it happens. We're into stoppage time we still have hope though. But that goal took some of the wind out of not only us Trini supporters but the Trini players as well and after a bit of half hearted tackling the British midfielder Gerrard scores an excellent left foot goal. Two zip England! England fans celebrate, Trinis feeling more pain.

Oh well what can we do. I guess we take comfort in the fact that for 82+ minutes we held the mighty English lions at bay. That shows alot of strength and character. I was hoping for at least a draw though so I feel hurt cause we were so close.

Excitement not done yet though. Well into stoppage time, down two love but Trinidad back on the attack and a Trini player gets a pass in the middle and back kicks the ball into the English goal. Gooooooooooooaaaaa! Pandemonium let loose! Bachanal, Carnival, Kadooment, J'Overt let loose one time. We can still strike the hearts of them lions. Watch out now, we may lose but we scorea goal still! Instanteously everybody on their feet, the red sea swell, people cheering bad, hugging up, slapping five and shaking hand and feeling sweet sweet. One lady even run outside to tell somebody that we finally score. Pride boy, pride return! Happiness come again. All this happen in like a matter of a second ya know cause fete getting ready to recommence only for me and another fella to try and shout over the din before the lineman's flag even went up that it was clearly an offside.

"Offside, what offside? Is goal man, goal is goal!"

No man he was clearly offside.

And with that final rejection all partying spirit leaves us and the dejection settles in. Good game Trinidad but so close and yet so far. I went in not expecting much but you got mine and many others spirits up for 82 minutes only for them to come tumbling back down again. Oh well you did your best we definetly still proud.

Finally the whistle goes. Game dun! I turn away from the screen at that point. Hunger start hitting me again. I looking for more food. "Wait any a dem fish cakes left?" Time to run back to work.

Yikes!

That was all I could say after watching my first and most definitely last episode of Canada's Next Top model tonight in between goals by Spain vs Ukraine (ps anyone else think that Spain looking real Brazil like in their style of play?)

I'm sorry its just I thought this entire top model show was pretty bad. Not that the original is that great but I kept watching hoping this one would at some point redeem itself but alas it didn't.

And why should it? Canadian Idol hasn't. Its just another example of a 'talent' reality show that's been ripped off from the American market. Canadian Idol is a watered down version of an already questionable show complete with wannabe intimidating judges which follows the American tradition of voting on popularity as opposed to talent so why should Top model be any different.

Well from my one episode of watching I'd say that the transfer of the Top model francaise to Canada is worse than the transfer of the Idol francaise.

Hey don't get me wrong I like Tricia Helfer. She's pretty cool as the Cylon Number six on Battlestar Galactica for sure but as the host of this show she just pales (no pun intended) next to Tyra.

Yea I know Tyra isn't exactly the most likeable person on America's Top model. She's arrogant, she's bossy, she's controlling, but somehow she grabs your attention and she makes the show hers. Yea its America's Top model and its supposed to be about the young girls trying to win but at the same time even while she doesn't really hog screen time everytime you do see Tyra you know and realize this is her show and its really about her. The gal have quality and charisma!

Somehow and this is a bit of stretch but her presence sort of reminds me of a Joan Collins in Dynasty where although you just cant bring yourself to like her character too much you are still somehow drawn in and cant not watch her.

Helfer on the other hand well yikes what can I say. I think the perfect example of her presence or lack thereof was at the judging where she presents the photos of the contestants who remain in the show. Her delivery was so wooden and his comments were so lame I thought to myself if fortune cookies could talk this is what they would sound like.

As for the contestants, I'm not totally blown away either. If these are the best Canada has to offer then no wonder we are perceived as the poor step brother of our neighbors to the south. The ladies are sorry some of the ladies are quite nice looking but to be honest there are no standouts no real serious headturners. I've seen quite a few better looking beauties on public transit on my daily commute to be honest.

The drama on the show looks so artificial too. I mean a girl accidentally dipped her iPod in the pool and then they spent a couple of minutes focusing on her crying and complaining about it. Who finds that riveting?

And the show's editing needs some work too. There were just too many scenes with all the girls trying to talk at once where things just sounded completely muffled.

Ok I've complained enough, I didn't even plan on blogging about this today.

Soccer Fever

Gooooooooooooooooooooooallll!

Yep its that time again. World Cup Soccer!

What can I say. Although never a good soccer player I've got to say soccer is a sport I've enjoyed since childhood.

I can as a yout remember watching the English and Italian leagues on Saturdays and Sundays on local TV cheering for men like John Barnes, when black folk were few and far between in the leagues. Watching Road to Wembely and cheering on Liverpool and Hotspurs when they had players like Ardilles and Archibald. Oh man I'm dating myself here.

But yea I remember watching football and playing a lot too. It was the one sport you could play basically from the time you were out of diapers. We all wanted to be Zico or Socrates or Rossi back in the days and every boy I know at one time or the other has tried to emulate Pele's famous bicycle kick. It was all about dribbling skill, trying to 'shift' or dribble around the defender and make him look stupid. We played some massive football games at lunchtime. Forget 11 guys a side I'm talking 50-60 odd people on the field at once. Crazy and lots and lots of fun. Yep there was just something about football.

And so now its World cup time. I can actually remember watching World cup games and getting emotional about them since maybe back in 1982. Emotion yep no sport worldwide promotes the range of emotions that soccer does especially when its world cup time.

Being in Toronto World Cup time is actually a really unique period. Being a city mainly of immigrants the flags, the colors, and the jerseys all come out when its World cup time. Actually World cup time is one of the few times here where white people stop being "white" and become ethnic showing massive support for their home countries. Ok that was kind of unfair. What I really meant was at World Cup time suddenly everyone connects with their origins and supports the place their forefathers came from. Naa actually I meant what I said at first.

And oh what celebrations we have in Toronto. Streets blocked with cheering celebrating fans when Italy or Portugal wins, calvacades of Germans and Serbs (and today Koreans), Samba dancers and Brazilian drummers when they win and this year we may even have a few feting Trinis.

Yep, this years world cup its all about the Soca Warriors for us Caribbean folk. I'm not Trini but I'm supporting those boys 100% so it was good to see them draw with Sweden. Actually brings to mind a little encounter I remember from 98 when Jamaica was in the World Cup. I was definitely supporting the Reggae Boyz but not really openly. IT wasn't like I was busting out the Jamaican colors or anything so or even talking about their games. Still one day I came to work and this one old cleaning lady who had never really said anything to me before started going off around me about how her country had beaten my country in the world cup yesterday. Tried to plead quite rightly that I actually wasn't Jamaican but she would have nothing of it and continued to pompasset (that means to show off) all day. I mean I was supporting Jamaica anyway and felt sorry they had lost but damn I was getting dissed for a country that wasn't even my own lol. Oh well as much as I try to be kind to the elderly if ever Jamaica or Trinidad or any Caribbean country ever beats her country in a soccer game I promise to google and find her 85 year old behind and belittle her country like there is no tomorrow. Even if she in the grave I going to show up at the cemetry with a flag in my hand jumping up and getting on bad on her tombstone then!

Oh did I mention that World cup also has an educational aspect. A geography lesson from sports. For example Friday, the first day of the cup, I saw a mini calvacade with this flag parading.

I man never seen this flag before in my life!

Turns out it was Ecuador. How many of you would have been able to name it? Not many I hazard a guess.

Then today I had a discussion about Togo. To who? Yea man sorry to say but I really wasn't sure where Togo was. If someone had asked me yesterday shamefully I would have said they were in the South pacific or something so.

And I also learned on Sunday that the Angolan Flag has a cutlass on it. Yep, a big sharp looking machete, a collins. I say to myself either them fellas planting some serious ground provisions or somebody head getting cut open down there. No wonder is serious war and thing that was going on down in that area.

Anyway all jokes aside this world cup seems to have started pretty well. Most of the games are a lot closer than I expected not only in score but in terms of skill level. My favorite world cup was actually 94 when Brazil with Bebeto and Romario won. Yea I know they say that was the weakest Brazilian team to win but I still preferred them to the 2002 champs. Of course like everyone else in/from the Caribbean I support Brazil. Got to love them!

Oh yea and I need a jersey. (Hint hint on the fathers day gifts.) Not sure which team yet because I already have a Brazilian jersey from long time gwan and there are some teams whose kit I just cant see myself wearing even if the jerseys look nice but I will solve that problem soon.

World cup outcome? Definitely supporting Brazil 100% but not sure they will win. Something about being overwhelming favorites makes me think they will screw up somewhere along the line. Oh well as long as the games are interesting I'll watch. Doesn't even matter who's playing. I just want to hear someone shout Goooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaal!

Ivory n Steel

Just a quick ad. If you are in Toronto check out Ivory n Steel this weekend June 17th. Should be a great show and Afropan needs the support.

Also its that time again. Barbados on the Water over at Harbourfront Centre from June 16th to 18th. Not sure what specific events are on there this year since Harbourfront hasn't updated the website yet but last years was pretty cool so check it out.

Like Arnold I'll be back in a bit.

Homegrown aka Terrorists play basketball too

(written last sunday)

Lil Khalil got a gun
he got from the rebels to kill the infidels and American devils
a bomb on his waist and mask on his face
prays 5 times a day and listens to heavy metal

Heat under the babyseat - Lupe Fiasco


Canadian Security Organizations arrested 17 young men on Friday night and Saturday morning here in southern Ontario who were allegedly concocting a terrorist plot to strike somewhere in this area.

Kudos to the police.

Evidence has been gathered, some seemingly damning like the huge amount of Ammonium fertilizer the suspects possessed which was enough for a big bomb or for working on a really, really, really big lawn, and other evidence that's kind of questionable like a barbecue grill although one could argue they may have bought that for the post attack celebration. Hey I'm just surmising here no need to put me under any sort of surveillance.

No mention has been made of where exactly these terrorists were planning on striking either, probably for fear of disturbing the public, except for the offices of the Canadian Security Intelligence Services (CSIS) our equivalent of the CIA I believe. Blow up the CSIS building hmmm one gets the feeling these alleged wannabe terrorists were watching 24 for their plan. Does Canada have a Jack Bauer? One can only hope.

The thing that seems to worry folks the most about this alleged terrorist plot is that most of the young men were not recent immigrants but were born or grew up in Canada from an early age. Homegrown terrorists they call them. Terrorists learning how to commit acts of terror here in our own country.

How can that be? Its common knowledge that all terrorists grow up in the deserts of Saudi Arabia, are trained in the madrasahs of Pakistan and then wage jihad in the mountains of Afghanistan. Unless you are John W a l. k. e r L. i n. d h, Timothy M c V. e. i g h or Richard R e. i. d of course but those are exceptions to the rule. Terrorists aren't supposed to be playing basketball on the streets of Toronto, living in a basement apartment in Scarborough or going to night school in Mississauga. They aren't supposed to be your next door neighbors, the guy you share a seat with on the subway or the person who takes your order at Burger King. Now that's downright scary!

Well I'm sorry that this weekend's arrests have burst that bubble but terrorists can seemingly emerge from anywhere. Do not for an instant think that because someone was born here or raised here he/she cannot have issues with the system, the politics, the doctrines, the foreign policies etc and be persuaded to resort to violence. Everyone's not happy. Do not for an instant think that Canadian born youth cannot be radicalized or cannot join in some cause for which they are willing to kill and die for. I'm just saying you just don't know these days. Its the era we live in. Throw out your stereotypes anyone can be a suspect.

I wanted to make an association between these alleged terrorists and the dissidents that have grown up in numerous societies since time immemorial. Only thing is somehow every sentence I wrote made it seem like I was somehow agreeing with their cause and methods which I do not.

My point is simply that societies have always had individuals, usually young men, in their midsts who have disagreed with some point of view, been radicalized and attempted to make a point and/or change things by some means or the other whether it was with or without threat or use of violence . Possessing opposing views, speaking out on opposing views, protesting, attempting to make changes in society through peaceful means is however not criminal.

Attempting to bring society to its knees in attacks that target mainly the innocent to get attention is however criminal as well as being despicable and cowardly because lets face it you are killing not really the persons you have beef in these attacks.

Homegrown terrorists what a shock. The problem is the public is always idealistic. Not in our house we believe can people who would commit such evils emerge. Its a natural belief. You really don't want to think that these sorts of people lurk in your society because it just makes you so much more fearful, so much more untrusting, so much more worried.

There are however going to be people like that. Hopefully not a lot and hopefully they never get to a point where their plots come to fruition but they will and do and probably will forever exist. Its just the way things are in my opinion.

Not much we can do about it besides hope and pray that we will be safe.

Immigration Protests

Saturday was a really nice day here. So after the moving business was over and seeing that I found out no one was going to be home for a bit, I decided to stop on Bloor Street West and chill for a few. Just needed to enjoy the weather a bit and I knew once I reached home I'd find some task to keep me busy and I wouldn't get any rest (which is exactly what happened when I finally reached and the lawn called my name).

So I stopped at a spot, grabbed a drink (non-alcoholic) and held a lil' lime while reading Marquez Garcia's General in his labyrinth. Didn't do the patio thing though cause as a child of the warmth I admire the sunshine but I'm not that keen on eating outside with the flies and bees. By the way what is it that attracts so many eyes when a black guy is reading? Is it that peculiar a sight?

Anyway as I chilled indoors, enjoying my book, out of nowhere there was the sound of loud speakers and a big protest rolled into view. It was a protest against the deportation of illegal immigrants here in Canada.

Yep the illegal immigrant issues in the U.S have had a lot of press lately but we in Canada have had our recent issues as well, as this newly elected Federal government seems to be more strict in enforcing immigration laws.

As I sat there watching the protest a couple of thoughts popped into my head.

I thought of the heart wrenching stories of illegal immigrant families who had been in Canada for well over 10 maybe even 20 years who were recently unceremoniously cast out, sent back to a place the adults barely remember and the children regard as a foreign country. In those cases I really feel for the children who have little if any memory of their country of birth having spent almost all of their years in Canada. That's really sad in my opinion.

I also thought, and this probably makes me sound really conservative somehow, but isn't it nice that illegal immigrants, people who have/are breaking the law can actually protest openly and not really fear that the police will descend on them and drag them off to jail and deport them all. Not sure how many countries worldwide one could do that in. It sort of reminds me of back in '98 when those Vincentian marijuana farmers protested against the US destroying their crops. My isn't it nice the freedoms we experience in this hemisphere. We've got to value them before they are taken from us.

I also thought, and I can only speak the truth here although it may sound strange coming from one who is already stricken with the label immigrant, that I'm not sure I support this protest.

Yes the individual stories are heartwrenching but so are some of the stories of those forced to steal or prostitute to make money to survive yet although I feel sympathy for them when they go to jail I cant really support their actions. Its the same here, I feel badly for someone who built up a life here and then had it cruelly plucked from beneath them but at the same time you came here illegally. You broke the law and at some point you did know it could or would come back to haunt you.

Plus as someone who came here legally and went through the numerous lengthy and costly bureaucratic processes and red tape in order to get student, work and landed status the fact that someone can come into the country illegally and then protest being deported is sort of a slap in my face I think. It makes me feel like a sucker. Here I am playing by the rules and they can come in and get basically the same life as me without the major outlay of cash that I put up or the red tape, the time delays, the interviews and the like. Then to top it all off they are protesting openly against deportations. Damn!

Actually I'm kind of conflicted about what I just said though. On the one hand I feel like I shouldn't be saying bad things about immigrants because I myself am one. Like I'm feeling like I'm making comments like one of those Reform cats who made sweeping asinine generalizations about Jamaicans or black folk or immigrants in Toronto and crime or something like that back in the day (oh just for the record though most of these illegal immigrants are not black) by saying what I just said. Damn I'm a sellout doing the man's job for him. Shouldn't I be showing solidarity with my immigrant brothers and sisters?

But on the other hand to be completely honest with myself I just cant really side with the protesters because of the reason I listed previously. How many would be legal immigrants are on hold trying to go through the mire of red tape, proving why they want to come here and that they would be valuable citizens, getting police records and bank statements and a million and one documents as proof of their skills and intentions, and paying a head tax, patiently waiting for some Canadian Immigration official to get to their file so they can come here and these cats jump the line, come here illegally and then get upset about being deported.

And I'm supposed to have sympathy? Sorry I know I probably should but I cant really lie and say that I do.