I am a writer and media producer based in Trinidad and Tobago. Follow me on Twitter @JanineMFranco.
Latest posts by Janine Mendes-Franco from March, 2008
Trinidad & Tobago: The Laptop Incident
Trinidad and Tobago's Opposition Leader was recently suspended from Parliament for using his laptop without permission, but only a few bloggers seemed tuned in to the story...
Trinidad & Tobago: Fooling Ourselves
West Indies Cricket Blog quotes “Trinidad and Tobago cricket boss” Deryck Murray to underscore the point that “we are fooling ourselves”.
Trinidad & Tobago: A Woman Scorned
“WOMAN's son is murdered by her husband and the first thing that springs to the Trinbagonian mind is that she must have been horning him”: Trinidad and Tobago's latest murder/suicide spurs Andre Bagoo to write a thoughtful post on gender issues, double standards and sexual stereotypes.
Cuba: Can You Hear me Now?
News that Cubans will now be allowed to buy cell phones has been met with differing reactions by Cuban bloggers…El Cafe Cubano: “Cubans on average earn about $20 a month and cell phones in Cuba are selling for $260 and above. Do the math…”; Uncommon Sense: “I do not begrude...
Jamaica: Hope & HIV
“Behind the images of hedonism in Jamaica, the specter of AIDS has overshadowed the glitter and garish of the Tourist Board commercials,” writes Geoffrey Philp, as he blogs about Hope: Living and Loving with HIV – a multi-media reporting project which he says “is not just an extended essay with...
Guyana: Walking Trees?
Guyana-Gyal will believe anything…except that.
Bahamas: Carifesta Confirmed
Nicolette Bethel reports that the Bahamas will host the regional Carifesta XI festival after all…
St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Court Date
As the Prime Minister of St. Vincent & the Grenadines is scheduled to appear in court on charges of alleged assault, Abeni says: “Hopefully, we will learn whether this is the witchhunt of witchhunts. Meantime, views in the court of public opinion remain as divided as ever.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Politics & Sport
Notes from Port of Spain makes his case for leaving politics out of the upcoming China Olympics: “Once you establish the principle that global sports meetings can be boycotted on political grounds, there's no end to it – no country on earth is 100 per cent virtuous.”
Cuba, Venezuela: Safety of Journalists
Both Uncommon Sense and Child of the Revolution share their opinions on the President of the Cuban Union of Journalists telling a conference “of left-wing ‘media workers’ in Caracas that there is ‘absolute respect’ for the personal safety of journalists under the Castro regime.”
Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago: Liming
“While the term might have its origins in Trinidad, the pass time (and don't tell me it should be pastime) is truly Caribbean”: Living in Barbados is in the mood for a good lime.
Barbados: Rent vs. Buy
“I think it’s a relatively recent thing in Barbados for grown children to leave home and live on their own in a rented apartment/house,” writes Gallimaufry, as she links to an article “that busts the myths about renting vs. buying.”
Jamaica, Cuba: Poetry in Motion
Jamaican Geoffrey Philp blogs about MiPOesias Magazine's newly released issue, which he says “showcases the work of poets of Cuban descent who live in the U.S…no matter the subject, these poems blend the romance and sorrows of the past with a crisp view of daily life.”
Guyana: Baccoo
Guyana-Gyal says that “bandits is the new baccoo” – one of the most feared creatures in Guyanese folklore.
Puerto Rico: Earth Hour
“The aim of the campaign is to express that individual action on a mass scale can help change our planet for the better. Furthermore, it cements the connection between energy usage and climate change, showing that we as broader community can address the biggest threat our planet has ever faced.”...
Barbados: Archaic Laws
Barbados Free Press has heard of a woman “who was recently raped by her estranged husband – and our police say they are unable to lay charges because our laws are reflect a time when wives were owned by their husbands.”
Jamaica: Air Strike
Abeng News Magazine reports that “Air Jamaica's flight attendants returned to work late Tuesday after a sickout that caused the airline to cancel several flights”, while Jamaican Lifestyle looks at the issue from the underdog's perspective.
Cuba: Blocking Bloggers
Want to get the Cuban blogosphere talking? Block access to a popular blog. Ever since Cuban authorities did just that to several less-than-supportive Havana-based blogs earlier this week, the blogging diaspora have come out in full support of Cuban bloggers – especially Yoani Sanchez and her popular Generacion Y blog,...
Haiti: The Terror of Globalisation?
“All the fake, elegant-suited blather about bringing democracy and prosperity to Haiti has boiled down to murderous military occupation…while starving people survive by eating cakes made of dirt”: Toni Solo writes a detailed editorial of the situation at HaitiAnalysis.com.
Bahamas: Hot Hot Hot!
“Are Ya Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot?” asks Larry Smith at Bahama Pundit, as he blogs about the impact of climate change on Caribbean tourism.
Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana: Dhal
Lifespan of a Chennette blogs about Dhal (a beloved dish of both Trinidad & Tobago and Guyana) and posts a helpful recipe.
