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Soulful Sundays – India.Arie

My blog buddy, Elizabeth’s post yesterday at Mirth and Motivation had me straining to remember a song, a fragment of which floated tauntingly just outside my consciousness. Each time, I thought I had it, it floated further away from me.

India.Arie from connect.in.com
India.Arie

I stayed up quite late listening to Jill and Macy, getting more and more frustrated because it wasn’t either of them and worse, I was no closer to finding out than when I began. No point doing an Internet search since I couldn’t even remember the words.

Sometimes, when I can’t solve a problem or remember something, I put it to bed and by the next morning, I’d wake with the answer.

I chuckled when I realized how quietly the information had slipped into my memory. The song, Brown Skin, by neo-soul, R&B singer,India.Arie, had been my personal anthem. How could I have forgotten it? There was a time when I played it so much, I was sure I had damaged it. Then, as one of my best friends who’d met a new love raved ceaselessly about Acoustic Soul, the CD that brought her to our attention, I listened again and heard things I didn’t realize were there.

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Weekend Getaway – Bermuda

Bermuda Cup Match takes place this weekend in Bermuda. My friends are there. Since I couldn’t make it, I’m thinking about them and wondering which of the sites they’ll get time to see.

Held over two consecutive public holidays, Cup Match is a signature event of Bermudian cricket that pits two rival cricket teams, Somerset and St. George’s, against each other. It has been held on the island since 1902.

Outside of Christmas, Cup Match is the most popular event in Bermuda. Scores of Bermudians and international visitors swarm the island, swelling the population to more than twice its size. It is one big weekend-long party that shuts the island down. Continue reading “Weekend Getaway – Bermuda”

Travel Photo Thursday – Pulteney Bridge

Avon River at Bath
The Pulteney Bridge over the Avon River, Bath

Named after Frances Pulteney, heiress of Bathwich, the Pulteney Bridge was built in 1773 over the Avon River near Bath.

The river is mesmerizing, I could have watched it for hours.

Avon River at Pulteney Bridge, Bath
Avon River near Pulteney Bridge, Bath

Enjoy the views!

 

What Do Travel Bloggers Do When They’re Not Traveling?

I’ve been home for several months now dealing with life and work. I knew exactly what I was going to write about this week but, as you’ve probably read, things changed. It’s as if my brain went gone on vacation and my body got left behind.

So what do travel bloggers do when they’re not traveling? I can’t speak for every travel blogger, but when I’m not traveling, I rely on my city to provide inspiration and content for my posts. And New York delivers, all the time.

Take last week. In the middle of the heatwave that had many of us chained to our air conditioners, I decided to go to Coney Island. It’s one of my summer places. By the ‘D’ train, it’s a direct train ride from my neighborhood. (For variety, I can also take the #6 to Union Square and transfer to the ‘Q.’) Believe it or not, it was my first time to Coney Island this summer.

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More Technical Difficulties (originally published July 26th)

Mercury must be retrograde. I have no other explanation for the big and little things that have gone out of control in the last few weeks.

It started with my phone. A few days ago, it started shutting itself off. Then it began producing error messages that technical support has been unable to explain.

Yesterday morning, I woke to find an email from blogger friend, Rhonda, alerting me to a redirect error on my blog. With help from technical support, we fixed it but when I tried to reinstall my blog page, I inadvertently deleted all my posts, everything I’ve written since last year – nearly 300 posts.

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Soulful Sundays: African Drums

On most summer weekends, the sounds of drums, African drums float like a breeze through my window. In my neighborhood of brownstones, hipsters and big city sounds, it feels odd sometimes. But it shouldn’t be.

For more than 20 years now, drummers have been gathering in parks and other public spaces in informal drum circles to beat their drums, practice their craft and entertain people as they pass by. Sometimes they stop and watch, or just dance but the music never stops as there are always fresh drummers ready to replace those who had been playing for a while.

Synonymous with Africa, the drum was brought to the New World by African slaves. It is the heartbeat of African music at home and in the Diaspora.

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Colorful

 

Colorful man, Montego Bay Airport
Colorful man

Like a lot of people, I love color. Red’s my favorite.

Color affects mood. For example, red energizes, blue and green soothe.

Colorful trashcan, Durban
Colorful garbage can, Durban

This garbage can surprised me. Wonder if those colors encourage people to be more diligent in putting waste in it?

Colorful fruits
Colorful fruits

One of the things I love about summer is the variety of colorful fruits available. These looked so beautiful, I had to take a photo.

Colorful flowers
Colorful flowers

I took these at the New York Botanical Gardens. As you might expect, the Botanical Gardens is full of beautiful flowers. These stood out for their color and vibrancy.

Colorful ricksha
Colorful ricksha

From the moment I saw these rickshas on a website, I knew I had to see one up close. It didn’t fail to impress.

Enjoy!

The Top Ten Places I’d Like to Visit

There are so many places I’d like to visit that I get overwhelmed when I try to choose. Each place has something that appeals to me.

For example, although I’m not a good swimmer, I love water and places that have beautiful beaches call me. I discovered recently that I also love the mountains. Mountains capture my imagination and give me a sense of peace so any place that has both makes me happy.

I’ve always felt that I was born in the wrong era and the wrong place. I love looking at old buildings and visiting quaint villages that take me back in time. I’m also in awe of old stone monuments, Gothic cathedrals and the ruins of ancient civilizations.

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