Category: GRENADA

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ABOUT / BLOGGING / GRENADA / SHARE YOUR WORLD

Mrs. Ball – One of a kind Teacher

‘A teacher affects eternity: he can never tell where his influence stops.’ –Henry Adams Education: The latin root of the word education means “to lead out” As you may know from other posts on my website I grew up on the little island of Grenada one of the Windward Islands in the West Indies. Mom home schooled myself and my brother for my early childhood but eventually when I was about 9 or 10 I think, I was enrolled in the primary school, Westmoreland. I was initially placed in 3rd form which I think was a year behind for my age. I guess overall I did well but my maths was a little behind. The school decided to move me into 4th form but I had to get tutoured after school by Mrs. Ball in Maths. I don’t remember much about the what I learned in the tutouring other than it being Algebra and that it involved me standing beside her desk as she instructed me. Imagine being new to a school, then new to a more advanced class and then learning that somehow letters have some mathematical meaning. Learning this from someone you are terrified of -well it was a do or die Maths experience for me. I wound up doing quite well in Maths overall after I got the hang of Algebra and Mrs. Ball really was instrumental in my understanding and appreciation of the subject. Every student of Mrs. Ball’s was affected for eternity. She may have terrified us in our youth but I think we all appreciated and respected her immensely as we have aged to adults. Mrs Ball was a teacher with an overload of personality and I doubt that there was a single student who wasn’t terrified of her and simply wanted to do...

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ABOUT / BLOGGING / GRENADA / WRITING 101

Writing 101:day three. Three songs for

Write about the three most important songs in your life — what do they mean to you? Overall my favourite music is electronic in the mode of Bargrooves & Tiesto’s In Search of Sunrise.  I relax to that type of music.  Next to that I love Reggae & Steel Drum or Pan music and then the island party music of Soca & Calypso.  I love all types of music and especially music that is new to me.  I’ve recently acquired a taste for electro-swing music which is the old time swing music with a a new electronic beat to it  Will Magid is a local artist that really gets it and performs it very well.  You can find him on Soundcloud.  I love the Cajun/Dixie band music.  The Louisiana music with a beat.  When it comes to trying to define three favourite pieces of music I find myself drawn to music that has a certain feeling and to be honest I can only listen to it when I am in the right mindset.  So here goes on that info.  I added the Youtube stuff afterwards so you could get a taste. The first song that comes to mind for this assignment is ‘Gabriel’s Oboe’ from the soundtrack for The Mission.  I don’t typically remember in depth details about a movie not am I particularly drawn to soundtracks.  When a movie or a soundtrack captures my attention though, I take away the spirit of that movie or soundtrack.  In the case of the both the movie and this particular song from the movie the feeling that sticks with me what I perceived to be the message of the movie.  The basic premise of the movie was a conversion mission of a South American people by the Jesuits.  Gabriel the Father in...

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BLOGGING101 / GRENADA

Independence Day 2015 & The Nutmeg

Is there anyone else out there that loves the smell of Nutmeg? Today, the 7th of February, 2015 is the 41st anniversary of Grenada’s (greh-NAY-dah’s) Independence. I grew up in the Spice Island of Grenada and  awakened this morning with a desire to write a little something about my home for today’s writing exercise. As I was thinking about a subject matter for my writing today, I made myself a cup of Chai Tea and then instinctively sprinkled a bit of Nutmeg on top. Doesn’t everyone do that? I sipped on my tea, and smelled that wonderful and powerful aroma of the Nutmeg. Right then, I had a realisation.  Nutmeg is not a staple in most people’s diet and probably not a spice that most people would even think to add to their food or drink outside of perhaps, the Holiday Season. Growing up in the Spice Island of Grenada,  Nutmeg was more than just a Holiday Tradition.  The aroma and taste of Nutmeg is something that melds with just about all foods as far as I am concerned!!  To be honest, I can live without salt or pepper but not without nutmeg and cinnamon! Grenada attained its political independence from Britain in 1974 which meant having a new flag uniquely Grenadian.  The key element remaining on the new flag was the Nutmeg.  Nutmeg and tourism are the two main sources of revenue for Grenada so it is quite fitting that the Nutmeg dons our flag with honour. Although from the sound of it’s name you might be inclined to consider the Nutmeg a nut, this is not the case.  The Nutmeg is in fact a fruit.  As the Nutmeg fruit ripens, it splits open while still on the tree, to reveal it’s seed.  Nutmeg the spice, is derived from the oval-shaped, lightly wrinkled dark brown seed of the...

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