Sasha and Malia Obama have grown up before our eyes.
Sasha and Malia Obama have grown up before our eyes. Take a look back at the past 8 years with the Obama daughters.Sasha and Malia Obama are All Grown Up at the White House State Dinner: http://goo.gl/yieGTq
Posted by For Harriet on Tuesday, March 22, 2016
If there is one thing that you need to know about me, it is that I love to travel. I like discovering new places and experiencing new cultures, especially the food. My top bucket list item is to travel to 6 out of the 7 continents before age 50---thus far I have traveled to North America, Asia, and Africa (note: Antartica is not on my list because I do not like the cold).
Out of all the places I have been, the Caribbean has been alway, and will always be, my favorite. I am a Caribbean girl. My parents immigrated to the US from the small island of Dominica. I spent the first five years of my life traveling between my mother's home in Boston and my grandparents' home in Dominica. The Caribbean is home.
So, when I saw this super sale from Boston to Martinique from Norwegian Airlines, with prices as low as $49 one way for direct flights, I could not pass it up. Plus, I had never been to Martinique. I was not able to take advantage of the unbelievably low (low low low) $49 flight because of my class schedule, but I was still able to get a great price--$188 for roundtrip ticket for Sunday, March 13 to Wednesday, March 16.
If you have never heard of Martinique, it is a French island located in the Caribbean Sea, south of Dominica and north of St. Lucia. The capital is Fort-de-France. The island features black and white sand beaches, rainforests, and a volcano, Mt. Pelee. Once a longtime colony of France, the national language is French, and the culture, food, and architecture are mix of French and West Indian.
Highlights from My Trip:
The Hotel
I was lucky to find a reasonably priced 4-star hotel in the capital Fort-de-France on Booking.com. Simon Hotel is a brand new contemporary hotel, featuring modern furnishings, free wifi, a bar/restaurant, clean, spacious rooms, English-speaking staff, and views of the city and the sea. It is also within walking distance of restaurants, air conditioning, shops, local attractions (e.g., the public garden La Savane and Fort St. Louis), the cruise ship terminal, and the ferry (which provides easy access to the southern beach town of Les Trois-Ilets).
hotel entrance
hallway of rooms
view of the hotel from the ferry
The Food & Drinks
I am a foodie and I love to drink. My favorite thing to do when I travel is to try the local food. Here are some of my favorites from my trip.
First night, I tried a local ti punch, which is a rum based mixed drink, popular in the French-speaking Caribbean islands of Martinique, Guadeloupe, Haiti, and French Guiana. Funny thing is when I saw it on the menu, I thought it was rum punch, a staple of the English-speaking Caribbean islands. To my surprise, the waitress brought out a glass of rum, a bowl of brown sugar, and a lime wedge. As you can expect, this drink is STRONG. If you are not a drinker, skip it. But if you are a drinker, start your stay in Martinique with this local drink.
My first full day in Martinique I took the ferry over to Pointe du Bout in Les Trois-Ilets. I spent some time on the beach and then walked over to Havana Cafe in Creole Village. Food looked good on the menu. Unfortunately (for me), the staff did not speak English and I do not read or speak French; and so, I ended up picking my food based on the pictures on the menu and my rudimentary translation of the menu (thanks to 6 years of latin classes at my high school alma mater). With all of that said, I ordered th 1/4lb rotisserie chicken and french fries and Copa Cabana Sun cocktail and they were delicious. Note: if I could read the menu, I would have ordered my favorite, codfish fritter, which I learned too late is "les accras de morue" in French.
My last full day in Martinique I took the ferry to Anse Mitan in Les Trois-Ilets. I hit the beach for an hour and then walked over to the beachside restaurant Le Barracuda for lunch. Luckily, the restaurant had staff that spoke English and a bilingual French/English menu (thank goodness!!!). Without hesitation, I ordered the codfish fritters, stuffed crab, french fries, and a rum punch. Honestly, I was not a fan of their codfish fritters. It tasted more like oil and batter than codfish. But, the stuffed crab, french fries, and rum punch were so delicious. Highly recommend those three items if you find yourself at Le Barracuda.
The Beaches
The main reason I love the Caribbean is because I love the beach. I am beach baby. A water sign. A summer baby. I was meant to be near water.
Day one, I headed across the waterway on the ferry to Pointe du Bout beach. I really like this beach. It is located a short walk from the ferry dock. Pointe du Bout beach is a large beach separated into three distinct areas, one part is next to a hotel resort, a middle part that has a small pool feeling, and a third part that faces toward Fort-de-France. I spent the majority of my time lounging in the middle part. The water is very calm and a nice cool temperature that warms up quickly. This beach is not ideal for sun-worshipers/bathers because the sand is a hard and rough and the area is small. But for someone like me who just wants to relax in calm, shallow water, this beach is a great place to spend a day.
Day two, I took the ferry from Fort-de-France to Anse Mitan. The ferry to this beach is bit longer than the one to Pointe du Bout because it stops at Anse a L 'Ane before it reaches Anse Mitan. This beach is significantly different than Pointe du Bointe. The ferry drops you off right at the beach, which is covered in soft sand. The beach is long and features different water activities, including jet skis, water trampolines, and dolphin watch tours. The water is clear and perfectly cool. I stayed in the water for a complete hour, relaxing and observing the scene. I highly recommend this beach. Wish I could have stayed longer.
Overall, I had a great mini-vacation in Martinique. If you want to know more about this French island or travel experience, comment below.
It is officially spring break time. As a college professor, I look forward to this break because it not only gives me the opportunity to re-energize for the rest of the semester, but also gives me the chance to travel.
Last spring break, I traveled to Japan for the first time and fell in love with Japanese culture and food. This year I am taking a shorter (but much needed) trip to the French Caribbean island of Martinique. It is my first time visiting the country and I can't wait to explore. I got a round trip ticket for $188 (total!!!!!) from Norwegian Airlines.
The airline has been having a sale from a few major US cities to the French Caribbean islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe. One-way tickets are as low as $49. Yes, I said $49 for a direct flight from Boston/New York/Baltimore to the Caribbean. Generally, a roundtrip ticket to this part of Caribbean is between $600-$800. The price was way too attractive to ignore.
I will post more information about my trip once I touch down on the beautiful island. In the meantime, check out my video on why everyone needs to travel.
Ain't I A Woman?
by Sojourner Truth
Delivered 1851 at the Women's Convention, Akron, Ohio
Well, children, where there is so much racket there must be something out of kilter. I think that 'twixt the negroes of the South and the women at the North, all talking about rights, the white men will be in a fix pretty soon. But what's all this here talking about?
That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain't I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man - when I could get it - and bear the lash as well! And ain't I a woman? I have borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother's grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain't I a woman?
Then they talk about this thing in the head; what's this they call it? [member of audience whispers, "intellect"] That's it, honey. What's that got to do with women's rights or negroes' rights? If my cup won't hold but a pint, and yours holds a quart, wouldn't you be mean not to let me have my little half measure full?
Then that little man in black there, he says women can't have as much rights as men, 'cause Christ wasn't a woman! Where did your Christ come from? Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him.
If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back , and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them.
Obliged to you for hearing me, and now old Sojourner ain't got nothing more to say.
If you are trying to save money to pay for off some bills, buy that cute purse, take your first trip to New Orleans for Essence, or start a habit of saving money weekly, you may want to try out Digit.
I have been using it since May 2015 and it has completely changed my savings game, by making it super easy for me to save money. The app automatically stashes money away for you by tracking your spending habits and then pulling periodically a few dollars from your checking account and placing them in a FDIC-insured online savings account. The amounts can be really small--as little as a $1 a day--and vary daily based on the amount of money in your account and how much you ask Digit to save for you (daily you can ask the app to save less or more money for you). This week alone, using Digit, I saved $52 without thinking about it. Overall, I have saved a total of $720 since I joined Digit (see images below from my Digit account)
Digit sends weekly, and on request, updates to you on how much you have saved, and it sends every morning the updated balance of your checking account, including your last 3 transactions. You can withdraw your money at a time from your Digit savings account; and, the money will be available in your checking account the next day.
I highly recommend trying Digit for yourself. It has been recommended as a savings tool by several magazines, including Essence and Shop Smart (which is how I found out about it) and by financial expert Suze Orman.
Click
to try Digit for free today!
It is officially Women's History Month. As woman that was birthed and raised by a woman, I want to take the time to celebrate all of the phenomenal women in life and out in the world. If you have a phenomenal woman in your life, feel free to share these beautiful words by poet/dancer/mother/creator/woman Dr. Maya Angelou.
After Pandora's box was opened and all the ills of the world were released, what was left was Hope. When I bought this tshirt 8 years ago, I had hope for a better America. The America Martin dreamed of. The America my mother told me she immigrated to in hopes of bettering her life. The America that cut their colonial ties with Britain to insure life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for its citizens. And as I end my
blog series, I still hold on to that hope.
Tonight to end my #29DaysofBlackness blog series, I decided to relax in bed with a glass of wine and watch a recent addition to the Netflix streaming catalog, "A Ballerina's Tale" (2015). If you have not heard of this documentary, it tells the story of the rise of ballet dancer, Misty Copeland. Before watching this film, I knew a few things about Misty and her ballet career but I did not know the full story of her triumphs and struggles rising through the ballet world as a black ballerina. Her story is truly inspiring. Despite starting ballet dancing very late, at age 13 (which is very old for ballet dancers), she was able through hard work, passion, and innate talent to become the first black principal ballerina in the prestigious American Ballet Theater Company. Throughout the documentary, Misty pays homage to the black ballerinas that came before her in effort to motivate herself and educate others on these dance trailblazers.
Whether or not you are a ballet or dance fan, I highly recommend everyone watch this film, especially with young brown girls, to show them that you really can "will what you want."
Film Description
Few dancers make it to the highest levels of classical ballet. Of that already small number only a fraction of them are black women. Misty Copeland, from the small California city of San Pedro, has pulled herself up the ladder at American Ballet Theater (ABT) from the studio company to the corps de ballet to soloist. The only rung in the ladder left to climb is principal dancer aka prima ballerina.
In 2013, after more than a decade at American Ballet Theatre Misty was offered the lead role in Igor Stravinsky's Firebird to be performed at New York's Metropolitan Opera House, a major coup for a soloist.
The nigh
t of her performance Misty danced beautifully. But at the celebration afterwards she revealed she had been performing in great pain. Later Misty found out that she had six fractures in her left shin. Without corrective surgery the shin might one day break. Many doubted she would dance again.
A Ballerina's Tale is then an intimate look at this artist during a crucial period of her life. The bulk of the film is a cinema verité influenced look at Misty's journey, from the triumph of Firebird, the painful road back to dancing and to an unexpected third act where Misty not only returns to the American Ballet Theatre stage but emerges as a pop star in the process.
Misty Copeland's career shines a light on several challenges within the world of classical ballet: the absence of women of color at major companies despite so many gifted black women ready to make the leap; the emphasis on skinny bodies for ballerinas impacts the health of professional dancers and sends a negative message to young fans around the world. Misty, because of her race and her curves, is central to both issues in the classical dance world.
The film climaxes with a landmark performance by Misty in Swan Lake, which is an acknowledgement by American Ballet Theatre that she is back, dancing at the highest level, and the fulfillment of the dream of many to see a true black swan at a mainstream international company. A Ballerina's Tale is the story of how a great talent and a powerful will combined can open doors within a very cloistered world.
Major funding provided by Ford Foundation/JustFilms and Tribeca Film Institute.
For more information contact: aballerinastale@gmail.com
*film description taken from http://www.aballerinastale.com/about/
Hello There!
I’m Toya T—a Black Woman PhD, podcast host, and traveler. I love sharing pieces of my life and all of the tips, tricks, and lessons I have learned from my experiences. Hopefully my blog will help you on your journey to figuring out how to live your best life.
@LATOYAT on Instagram
Welcome to Figure Out Your Life Blog where I share everything what I have learned thus far about life. Hope you’ll come back again. Enjoy!
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