Stories from Quick Reads and St. Maarten
Explaining the Evergrowing Tradition of “Chanté Nwèl” (Singing Christmas) in the French West Indies
Between late November and December 25, a unique tradition is taking place every year in the Francophone Caribbean islands, especially in Martinique and Guadeloupe. “Chanté Nwel” [fr] is a time when people come together to not only sing traditional Christmas songs but also share a meal as a community. Although the...
Caribbean: the meaning of identity
Creative Commess hosts a blog symposium “about Caribbean people, about West Indian people, about our contemporary experiences … ranging through race & identity to culture, mental health to constructs of beauty and more,” with contributions from seven Caribbean bloggers.
Caribbean: Caribe Wave 11, the first simulated tsunami alert
On Wednesday, March 23, the first full-scale simulated tsunami alert exercise will take place in 33 countries in the Caribbean to test the effectiveness of alert, monitoring and warning systems (Hashtag on Twitter: EXERCISE – NOT REAL #CW11) . Open Street Map France [Fr] and Crisis Camp Paris [Fr] will...
Latin America, Caribbean: Increase in Food Prices
Bloggings by Boz writes: “The FAO reports that February 2011 was a yet a new high on food prices. This has led to several warnings from organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean including ECLAC [Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean] and the IICA [Inter-American Institute for Cooperation...
St. Maarten: Garden Isle
“Citizens of St. Maarten have been urged to mark their new political status…by taking practical steps to transform the new Dutch Caribbean nation into a ‘Garden Isle,’ with a view to protect the environment and to boost tourism”: Repeating Islands has the link.
Jamaica, St. Maarten: R.I.P. “Yaya”
Geoffrey Philp's Blogspot acknowledges the passing of the St. Martin folklorist Laurelle “Yaya” Richards.
Curacao: Kayaking through Caribbean
Repeating Islands blogs about an activist from Curaçao, who “has paddled more than 1600 kilometres in a kayak to raise awareness for the environment.”
Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Maarten, French Guiana: Autonomy?
Repeating Islands notes that the French Overseas Territories “are to vote on more autonomy in January 2010.”
St. Maarten: Book Fair
Repeating Islands reminds us about the 7th annual St. Maarten Book Fair, which starts this week.
Caribbean: WI Cricket Website
West Indies Cricket Blog thinks that “the official website of the West Indies Cricket Board…is now a waste of space on the world wide web. An embarrassment and a disgrace…”
St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Windies Beat South Africa
“This victory is so huge given the history of South African tours”: Abeni is thrilled that the West Indies cricket team have finally won a test match.
Trinidad & Tobago: More of the Same
“Does anyone actually know of any (other) company where this sort of thing happens and the persons responsible are not seriously reprimanded?” asks West Indies Cricket Blog, on hearing news of the West Indies Cricket Board‘s latest bungle.
Dominica: Dengue Fever
Living Dominica reports that the incidence of Dengue Fever is still high in certain Caribbean islands.
France: The use of the French language in international communication.
The general delegation for the French language and languages in France, a branch of the Ministry of Culture and Communication recently published a report on the use of the French language in the digital world. The objective of the delegation is to promote the use of the French language in...
Caribbean: West Indies Cricket Board Elections
“You might think that the position is so blighted that no one wants it, or you may think it just odd that only one name apiece was tossed into the circle for the posts of president and vice-president of the West Indies Cricket Board.” Vaneisa Baksh at CaribbeanCricket.com weighs in...
Caribbean: Contemporary Art Exhibition
“Brooklyn sometimes feels like it is part of the Caribbean,” writes Caribbean Beat Blog, reporting on an upcoming exhibition of contemporary Caribbean art at the Brooklyn Museum.
Guadeloupe: Let's Vote
About the upcoming French presidential second round elections, Guadeloupe Attitude writes [Fr]: “Vote Saturday! Vote well! And let's roll up our sleeves Monday for the challenges that await us!”
Puerto Rico: Gli Gli Sails Again
The Voice of the Taino People is excited about The Gli-Gli (or Carib Canoe) sailing expedition in celebration of the 10th anniversary of its first voyage to relink the indigenous Carib communities of the region.
Guadeloupe: Dengue Fever/Chikungunya a Threat
Guadeloupe Attitude highlights (Fr) the story of Alexandre, a 6-month old Guadeloupean infant who passed away recently from dengue fever (one of two in the last month) and adds: “Authorities fear a resurgence of the dengue virus, chikungunya version. Transmitted by female mosquitoes, it is not mortal in its primary...
French Antilles: Retail is Principal Economic Sector
Says NewMedia (Fr), according to a recent investigation by the French government, retail is the principal economic sector in French overseas departments Guadeloupe, Martinique and Guyane: “Retail encompasses half the businesses but it is wholesale that generates the biggest revenue and highest margin rate (35%).”
Jamaica: Deborah Jack
Another Caribbean author featured at the 2006 Miami Book Fair is Deborah Jack, a multi-media artist who grew up in St. Maarten. Geoffrey Philp posts a podcast of Jack's reading of “The Rainy Season”, her first published book of poetry.
