The Liguanea Arts Festival 2011

The Liguanea Arts Festival at the Liguanea Plaza St. Andrew

On Sunday April 17 the Liguanea Plaza came alive with the artistic expressions of several talented Jamaicans! It was the Liguanea Arts Festival a showcase that features some of Jamaica's most talented in the field of the visual and even the performing arts! Photographers, painters and sculptures turned out in their numbers to showcase their wonderful works of arts to an eager public in hopes of catching their interest as well as get sales from their pieces.

The large turnout at the Liguanea Arts Festival

I arrived at the Liguanea Plaza at about 3:00pm, however, on my was a bit disturbed as the rain started to fall while I was en route to Liguanea. I began to wonder it this rain would have washed out the festival and that I may have been a bit too late to see the pieces on exhibit or get to capture any shots of the crowd. Nevertheless I still made my way up to Liguanea and was pleasantly surprised that the rain eased up when I arrived. It seems the rain only cooled down the temperature as it certainly didn't deter people from turning out the the Liguanea Art Festival. A lovely turn out was there and so were the number of booths! There were different alleys that featured different aspects of the visual arts: photography, paintings, sculptures, etc, yes a belly full of artistic expression in every alley.

Photographer Howard Moo Young (centre)

Some of the art work on display

An artist and his work

There were several well known artists, photographers and sculptors with some awesome pieces on display and for sale at the festival. However the visual arts was not the only highlight of the festival as the Akivaaba Drummers entertained the crowds with magnificent drumming accompanied by the traditional dances of local folk dancers. no event can be a success without the sponsors and the Liguanea Art Festival had its fair share of sponsors including corporate companies such as JNBS. There were also other sponsors of that were present that did more than just display their products but also offered samples, such as Appleton Estate who kept patrons in "high spirits" withe their samples.

Akivaaba Drummers

Dancers performing to the music of the Akivaaba Drummers

Michael Collins of JNBS one of the sponsors of the event

The Appleton Estate booth with mixed drink samples

This was certainly a testimony of the caliber of talent that exist in this small country called Jamaica! My visit to the Liguanea Art Festival, especially the pieces of top photographers such as Franz Marcouza & Howard Moo young, has certainly encouraged me to continue to pursue my passion for Photography. Hopefully I will not just attend the Liguanea Art Festival next year but I hope to have some of my work there on display and also for sale! To see more of my photos of the Liguanea Arts Festival click here.

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Just "Chill Out"

Our variation of the Chill Out vegetable pizza

On my last trip the my beautiful home parish of Portland I was invited by my very good friend to a small restaurant on the beach called Chill Out. This restaurant by the sea is located in the tiny rural village of Long Bay in Portland on the eastern end of Jamaica. She discovered it some months ago during her stay in Portland and insisted that I dine there and experience what it was all about.

The front of Chill Out Long Bay Portland (taken with my Blackberry)

Chill Out really had that rural restaurant feel to it, yes brightly coloured painting and hand written signage, the true mark of a rural roadside restaurant. The large thatched roof also added to that rural by the sea feeling and added that little rustic charm to the feel and look of the restaurant. As we entered the establishment we could feel and smell the cool salty sea breeze rushing through the somewhat open air dining area and the aroma of food tantalizing the senses. All the factors came together to set a true relaxed and laid back atmosphere, great for relaxing.

The rustic dining area at Chill Out

The beach front just behind Chill Out

After going through their extensive menu which included several dishes including fish, chicken, lobster, shrimp and pizzas we decided to experiment with their vegetable pizza and 2 cold Red Stripe Bold to "wash" it down. The vegetable pizza was certainly an interesting dish, a flat crust pizza baked with cabbage, tomato and sweet peppers from what I can remember. However, being meat lovers we opted to pepperoni to the mix and created our own personalized pizza.

Nothing like a cold Red Stripe Bold

The dining experience was decent at Chill Out, somewhere I would visit again when I'm in Portland. I was told that their fried chicken was awesome, although I didn't try it on this visit but will make that my mission to try out with two cold red Strip Bold when next I visit the seaside restaurant called Chill Out.

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Still Champions

The Titchfield High School Crest

It was a night for the history books, a momentous occasion for both schools involved, it was yet once again the finals for the TVJ School Challenge Quiz (SCQ). On Thursday March 31, 2011 the two top schools of the SCQ competition were poised and eagerly looking forward to victory, Kingston Collage (KC) and Titchfiled High School, my alma mater . KC, a formidable, season force to be reckoned with in the SCQ arena with their eyes set on a tenth victory. On the other hand, Titchfield a regular participant in the SCQ competition but has never secured a victory in the competition, this would be their first victory and exaltation as SCQ champions. The battle lines were drawn and both parties had their eyes set on victory!

As the anticipation began to build the tension increased as friendly rivalry issued forth on twitter and facebook with supporters cheering for their favorite team. I of course cheered for my alma mater, Titchfield High School as I kept holding to the dream that they would see their first win against the odds. The match itself was a tough one with several compound questions that kept the scores at bay to single digits in the first section. Right then and there Titchfield had a fighting chance as both teams were almost similar in points. However, as the match progressed and the speed section progressed, KC surged ahead and the dream of a Titchfield victory waded off into a nightmare of being beaten by the haughty KC team. At the beginning of the final section, the deciding factor, the buzzer section, There was yet still a glimmer of hope, but that quickly faded as   KC surged ahead to win the match and take home their tenth championship with a 33-11 victory, thus crushing the dreams if Titchfield's first SCQ victory.

Despite the defeat at the hands of KC, I am still proud of my high school for reaching thus far, their first finals in the long history of Titchfield High School. They didn't win the first place trophy, but they are still champions in my book and has made a great improvement within the last few years. Congrats to KC for their tenth win and congrats to Titchfield High School for a valiant try and copping second place in the SCQ competition. Keep up the good work Titchfield and try even harder next year! Last year was the semi-finals, this year the finals, maybe next year they will be SCQ champions!

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The Trip To Kwame Falls

Kwame Falls St. Mary

Once gain it was the last Sunday of a month and that can mean only one thing... no not that's it is the last Sunday of the month... it was once again time for another flickr group trip! This was yet another trip that promised not just the opportunity to get some great photographs, but was another trip that promised a challenge, both physically and mentally. We were in search of a waterfall hidden deep in the woods of St. Mary, called Kwame Falls.

The scene from a beach near Robin's Bay St. Mary

The journey to Kwame falls began at a small village in St. Mary called Robin's bay, a little distance away from Annotto Bay in the same parish. We all set off a group of eager photographers, braving the heat of the sun and the immense heat, making our way up the path that was only defined by the tracks of the ATV's that traveled the route. Our journey took us up hills sides and down the sides of hill, under the shade of canopies and back into the unforgiving sun. We enlisted the services of a guide and avid, trained bird watcher (or birdist as we called him) who lead us along the path to the what seemed to be an illusive water fall.

The rugged coastline near Robin's Bay St. Mary

The path did offer quiet a few scenic views that tempted tired and sun beaten photographers to pick up their already heavy cameras, which seemed even heavier with each step, to take a few photos. We saw breathtaking views of the open Caribbean Sea bordered by a rugged coastline, a curious donkey, a mysterious carnivorous plant that trapped fies with the scent of rotten flesh, the remains of an old church and more endless trees!

The cliff side seen from a small rugged beach

A donkey that became the model for quite a few photographers

The flower of a carnivorous plant

The journey continued and continued and so did the torture of the sun and the rugged terrain that we had to endure. The road got narrower and narrower until in became single lane track that navigated between the endless foliage. We crossed what seems to be only the remains of streams in search of the two streams that were the tell tale signs that we were near the falls as told by our trusted guide. However, it seems our guide miscalculated as we ended up crossing what seemed to be about five streams! So much so we began to wonder if we were trapped in a horror movie going around in circles!

The path that went deep into the forest

The leaf of a fern like plant illuminated by a beam of sunlight

Nevertheless we followed th path, which by now was almost unrecognizable, but we persevered and it payed off when the falls finally revealed itself! There is was water cascading over a rock face plummeting bout thirty feet to the deep water below. I was expecting more of a roar from the falls, but as explained by the guide, the waterfall has been tamed by the dry season. I did manage to get a lovely shot of this well hidden waterfall though, another hidden beauty of this lovely country. We lingered at the falls a bit catching our breath, recuperating, while some of us even took a swim in the cold yet refreshing water. The journey down was bitter and hard, but the promise of finally getting back to the bus, precious water, food and civilization with cell phone coverage was enough to keep our feet going.

The group posing for a photo at Kwame Falls

I didn't get the wonderful breathtaking photos I wanted due to the harshness of the sun and the challenge of teh journey itself, but I did enjoy the outing a lot. I enjoyed the hike and the good company of my fellow photographers as we kept ourself entertained by several references to the now infamous "ulf creecha". Now that I am back home recuperating I think I'm ready for yet another similar challenge!

View more of the photos from the trip here: JWI Flickr/LOP Trip to Kwame Falls 27 March 2011

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I Did the Jamaica Pegasus Wedding Extravaganza

Victoria Mutual Building Society representatives pose for a photo at their booth

This past weekend the Jamaica Pegasus, a hotel that can be dubbed Kingston's most socially active hotel, hosted yet another event, the annual Jamaica Pegasus Wedding Extravaganza! This is a large wedding expo that is held at the Jamaica Pegasus and features several companies, both large and small, that offers wedding services to those who are ready to make that step into holy matrimony. In these harsh economic climate planning a wedding, an already expensive en devour, proves to be even more challenging. With this in mind several potential couples as well as curious members of the public, even as far as from Montego Bay, made their way to the expo to see what is being offered to make that special day even more memorable.

A Jamaica Wedding Photos representative showing off one of their wedding albums

The groom getting a hair cut courtesy of Soft Sheen Carson just before his wedding ceremony

Several companies were present at the Jamaica Pegasus to show off what they had to offer and to entice prospective clients with their services. The list of services spanned all aspects of the nuptials including but not limited to, wedding apparel, jewelry, wedding planning, wedding photography, wedding venues, decorators, makeup artists, gifts and certificates and even wedding insurance! Both large and small businesses were on show at the expo Victoria Mutual, Courts, hotels such as Sandals and Grand Palladium Jamaica and smaller companies such as Jamaica Wedding Photos, Creative Decorations and Slice of Heaven just to name a few. However, one innovative small company that caught my attention was The Photo Affair, which offers a customizable photo booth for events where patrons can go into and take mini photos of themselves. If marketed properly it could be a very successful venture for parties and even weddings.

Makeup demonstration being done by one of the exhibitors

A patron getting infoon the services of one of the exhibitors

Representatives of the Photo Affair poses in front of the photo booth

My photos that I took inside the photo booth

The expo spanned two days, Saturday and Sunday, each having its own programme lineup. On Saturday the patrons were able to witness a real wedding ceremony in the heart of the expo. Both days however, were highlighted by fashion shows that featured the collections of several designers. The audience was also treated to live entertainment by the very talented performing arts group Nexus which thoroughly entertained the masses at the show. Both days saw patrons winning several giveaways and gifts from the Jamaica Pegasus as well as from several of the companies that were a part of the Wedding Extravaganza.

Wedding ceremony being held at the expo

Nexus in performance

Wedding fashion show

Wedding fashion show

Wedding fashion show

In all the Jamaica Pegasus Wedding Extravaganza proved to be very informative and entertaining. So much so that I abandoned my original plan of going only for a few hours one day and went both days. Of course, I wouldn't go to such a large event and not take some photos! You may view the photos I took at the event on my facebook fan page in the albums Jamaica Pegasus Wedding Extravaganza Day 1 and Jamaica Pegasus Wedding Extravaganza Day 2. Overall, I did enjoy the wedding expo as I learned about many companies in the wedding business, met up with old friends, hung out with fellow photographers and tweeps and of course did a bit of networking. Keep up the good work Jamaica Pegasus!

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For all your events, portraits, fashion shoots and weddings contact Joel Finnigen | Photography: joel@joelfinnigenphotography.com
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No Rice Mi Seh!

Coconut curried chicken with rice and peas serves with pak choy 

So for the past two weeks I have not eaten even one spoon of rice! this is indeed a big deal for someone who practically feeds on rice as it is the easiest and most convenient starch to cook as well as being the most served starch at most of the island's restaurant. I decided to see how long and how feasible it its to go without rice for a while as well as to cut back on my starch intake in order to slow the exponential increase in my body fat. But how can one live without this widely eaten starch?

Spaghetti and ground beef with pak choy

Well, it is a bit of a challenge putting out the extra effort to avoid the lure of the very abundant rice, but I am happy to say that I have gone over two weeks without consuming rice. this involved changing what I eat for dinner and also for lunch for the days I go to work. The easier part however is finding substitutes for rice when it comes to dinner as I have more control over what I can source. I have opted for ground provisions as my rice substitutes, such as yellow yam, Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, green banana and ripe plantains as well as spaghetti now and then. This has also allowed me to be a bit more creative with how I prepare these starches so I don't become easily bored and become tempted by the lure of rice. Here are some of my meals for the past two weeks:

Rotisserie Chicken with yellow yam, sweet potato, ripe plantain and pak choy 

Tin mackerel with sweet potato, Irish potato, lettuce and tomato

Cooked up franks with creamed Irish potato, sweet potato and yellow yam, served with lettuce and tomato

Rotisserie chicken with shredded Irish potato topped with onion & cheese and baked, served with lettuce and tomato

Brown stew chicken with yellow yam, sweet potato and a small dumpling served with pak choy

Potato salad with rotisserie chicken, lettuce and tomato

However, when I am at work things take a turn for the worse as New Kingston basically doesn't have any healthy food that is affordable. So on those days, I have been lured into the trap of fast food just to satisfy my hunger. this include a wide variety of foods, including beef patty, Burger King chicken sandwich and even a personal pan pizza with bread sticks. However, I was saved from the killer foods by a restaurant I was recently made aware of called Coal Stove! This restaurant is a blessing as they serve real Jamaican cooked food inclusive of ground provision at a very affordable price of $380! this is way below the cost of the fast food in the area and a whole lot more healthy! So Coal Stove shall be my new place of dining, for the most part, whenever I have to be at work in New Kingston in keeping with my no rice diet and eating healthier.

Tastee chicken sandwich that I had for lunch

Personal pan pizza with bread sticks from Pizza Hut

Stew chicken with banana, yellow yam and a small dumpling with steamed veggies from Coal Stove

I don't know how long I will keep up this no rice regimen, but I hope to go at least one month without eating rice, because man shall not live on rice alone! With these increases in food prices I certainly need to widen my  menu to accommodate different and hopefully cheaper foods that are healthy. But for now, no rice mi seh!

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