Barcelona 1977
I blame Mrs. Anderson, my high school Spanish teacher, who planted the idea in my head. She had studied in Spain and brought back fascinating stories that she shared in class. [caption id="attachment_4778" align="alignright" width="300"] Paseo de Gracia corner Mallorca, March 1977[/caption] So when I discovered that my university had a semester abroad program, I signed up right away. Three months in Spain? I knew there would be adventure ahead. Our group of about 15 arrived in Barcelona on January…
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Tasty Thursdays: Easter Bun (and Cheese)
When I was growing up in Jamaica, certain foods were associated with certain religious holidays, days of the week, etc. For example, rice and peas were reserved for Sundays and special occasions, like weddings, parties, etc., rum cake at Christmas, and Easter bun for, you guessed it, Easter. Now, the Easter bun can be found in most grocery stores at any time during the year, rice and peas has become an everyday and rum cake can be bought at any time.…
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Coward’s View
I love having this photo as my screen saver. [caption id="attachment_2949" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Statue of Noel Coward at Firefly, St. Mary, Jamaica - Photo by Marcia Mayne"][/caption]
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Recalling My First Trip
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Image via Wikipedia"][/caption] April 29, 1974: My first trip - Merida, Yucatan Each time I think about this trip, I'm amazed that it ever happened. Almost everything that could go wrong did. I was teaching basic Spanish to 11 year old students in Jamaica when my school received an invitation to take part in a one week trip to Merida, Yucatan. We jumped at the opportunity. Three students, another teacher and I decided to go. Several…
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Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Image via Wikipedia"][/caption] Today, April 4th, marks the 43rd anniversary of the assassination of civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I was a young girl living in Jamaica when it happened and I still recall being afraid, even though I was 1,500 miles away. We had heard Dr. King's message of peace and were saddened to learn of his assassination. I'm proud to say that Jamaica honored Dr. King posthumously with a Marcus Garvey…
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Soulful Sundays: The “Barefoot Diva” Cesaria Evora
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Image via Wikipedia"][/caption] I'm listening to one of my favorite singers, Cape Verdean, Cesária Évora. The 69 year old Évora, who has been compared to Billie Holliday, made her first recording in 1988. She has 20 studio albums, compilations and live albums to her credit. [youtube]NqsVD2ojNO0[/youtube] In this video, Évora sings Angola. Enjoy! If you like what you’ve read (or seen) why not Share, Tweet, Digg, Like, etc. You never know who might be interested. Related…
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Shooting an Elephant
I haven't seen the video and I don't plan to. But I'm outraged that Go Daddy's Bob Parsons even thought of [caption id="attachment_2886" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Hwange Elephant up close - Photo Marcia Mayne"][/caption] creating one glorifying his recent shooting of an elephant in Zimbabwe. The arguments he and others like him use to justify this act are old and well worn. Ditto the arguments the Zimbabwean officials use. There was so much hope, so much promise in the newly independent…
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An April Fool
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240" caption="Image by Mykl Roventine via Flickr"][/caption] Who says the folks at WordPress aren't fun? When I logged in today, I noticed that I had almost 300 visitors. Which post could have caused so many people to stop by my blog, I wondered. The next time I logged back in, my stats were normal. I didn't get it until my mouse hovered over today's count and I saw it: It's April Fool's. Of course! So if you've…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Light
I couldn't decide which of these to use, so I'm posting them all. [caption id="attachment_2845" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Cape Point Light"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_2846" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Light at the end of the Pass"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_2844" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Zululand Light"][/caption] Enjoy! If you like what you’ve read why not Share, Tweet, Digg, Like, etc. You never know who might be interested.
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I Wasn’t Sure I Could Do It
I must admit, I wasn't sure I could do it - post everyday for a week, let alone a year but I was willing to try. I like a challenge. But I'd taken on challenges before.... I don't think of the year. I think of a day at a time. Sometimes, ideas come quickly and often, other times not so. Sometimes, I bang out several hundred words in no time flat. At other times, a few hundred seem to take…
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