Stories about Caribbean from June, 2006
Jamaica: Land of unfettered breasts?
Francis Wade examines the feelings invoked by the sight of bra-less women in Jamaica and tries to figure out the rationale behind the eschweing of foundation garments.
Jamaica: Going home
Jamaican Francis Wade addresses the “remarkable inner journey” one embarks upon on returning to one's homeland, and discusses some of the tools that have helped him along the way.
Antigua: New literary festival
Simone Champagnie announces the inaugural Caribbean Literary Festival, set to take place in Antigua in November 2006.
Aruba: Rumblings about indepdence
“Unless there is a drastic, drastic change in Aruba's economy and politics, we are simply not ready to go about it our own,” writes ArubaGirl, in a post prompted by a Bermudian blogger's musings on the subject of independence.
Bermuda: Draft dodgers
A British MP calls the country's policy of compulsory national service for men discriminatory, reports the Limey, only to be informed that over 20% of those called up for service in the Bermuda Regiment this year failed to show or were exempted.
Bahamas: Fight choreography
Ringplay Productions, a theatre-oriented blog out of the Bahamas, publishes photos from a recent workshop on fight choreography.
Barbados: Enforcing environmental laws
Forget about the police and employ specialists to enforce environmental laws, suggests Barbados Free Press.
Martinique: In the Closet to Officemates
Le Blog de [Moi] reveals (Fr) that she is not out to her officemates. However she admits that it is getting harder and harder to lead a double life and that she wonders how long she will be able to keep her secret to herself.
Trinidad & Tobago: Weathering unpreparedness
Jeremy Taylor writes about the confusion that ensued in Trinidad on Wednesday over reports that a tropical wave was crossing the country. “Hardly anyone is prepared for serious wind or water,” he notes. “The media put out reams of wrong information. The ramshackle infrastructure of poles and wires and rusty...
Why No Mention of Slavery in African and Haitian Fiction?
Why is there so little mention of slavery in African and Haitian Fiction? That is the question that Togolese France-based blogger Kangni Alem addresses in a prolific and well-thought out blog entry. He deplores that African fiction does not count more passages on the different waves of slavery that have...
Bermuda: Say no to independence
Sean at IMHO.bm doesn't believe independent status is a viable option in Bermuda.
Cayman Islands: Dogs and responsibility
Cayblogger runs over a dog with his car, but don't think for a moment that he's sorry.
Suriname, Guyana: Khan's mother protests
Propaganda Press publishes a photo of the mother of fugitive businessman Roger Khan, a Guyanese national who was recently arrested and jailed in Suriname following a drug bust, protesting her son's treatment at the hands of the Surinamese authorities in front of the Surinamese Embassy in Washington DC.
Trinidad & Tobago: Anti-smelter lobby gets interesting offer
Attillah Springer at the Rights Action Group T&T blog discusses the interesting offer of pro bono legal assistance made by former Attorney General Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj to the community of Chatham/Cap de Ville and environs. Members of the community have organised a loby against the building of an aluminum smelter...
Haiti: World Cup Used for AIDS Outreach
Collectif Haiti de Provence writes (Fr): “Showing the Brazil v. Japan Football World Cup match, Gret/Haiti, in collaboration with the ministries of health and culture, UNFPA and the Gheskio Centers, organized an outreach session against STDs and AIDs in the shantytown of Jalousie in Petion-Ville, a suburb of Port-au-Prince.”
Jamaica, USA: The making of a poet
Jamaican writer Geoffrey Philp recalls his early days in Miami and his rise from supermarket bag boy to community college student and — eventually — winner of a college poetry prize.
Haiti, Ghana, Brazil: Football allegiances
Ghana's inspired performance at this year's World Cup raises issues of allegiance for Haitian-American blogger Nightshift and some of his friends.
Guyana: Amusing umbrella
Guyana-Gyal's beat-up umbrella becomes a source of amusement for a minibus driver.
Bermuda: Etiquette rules for guest workers
Bermudasucks.com presents a list of etiquette rules for guest workers. An example: “Ensure that all necessary tasks have been concluded before you give the customer your attention. These could include: filing your nails; talking to your co-workers; taking phone calls from your ace boy/girl; debating whether Shakisha in accounts has...
Barbados: Not just the Opposition
Barbados Free Press responds to the Barbados Labour Party's critique of the opposition party's behaviour in the House of Assembly with a call for greater overall transparency with regard to the activities of the House.
Jamaica, Cuba: Med school employment woes
Jamaicans studying medicine in Cuba fear they won't find employment when they return home, reports Medicina Cubana.
About our Caribbean coverage
Janine Mendes Franco is the Caribbean editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.
