As of 22ND May, 2007, I have completed my first year of college and its an incredible feeling to have come this far. I can't help but realize that I could not have done this on my own. My faith in God has been a big part, not that I have great faith but the one whom I have placed my faith in has worked wonders to bring me to the point that I am at now.
I remember my sister Molly telling me 20 years ago that I HAVE to attend college in the US after her first semester at Wheaton College IL and I also remember thinking, this is something I can do and be good at. The seed was sown then and it has take all these years ans many twists and turns, ups and downs, many times more downs than ups but by August 2006, I boarded a plane to New York, armed with my Student Visa and what little money I had, but also with lots of faith and hope and the prayers of family and friends, and the knowledge that some believed in me and were willing me on this path.
Almost a year later I have a year of school behind me, I am on the Dean's List and I have been awarded a Scholarship. I am humbled by all that has been afforded me and I look forward to all that is coming my way.
Thank you, my family members who have believed in me. Some of you have said it it out and some of you have not but thanks all the same. Thanks to all my friends in Trinidad, those in London and now all the new ones in NY.
It has been a great year and I know the next few will be even greater. I am glad we are all on this journey together. I could never do this alone and I am glad you are with me.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Friday, May 11, 2007
Alliyah-Lynn Maraj
Alliyah-Lynn is the youngest member of our family. She is my newest niece and the daughter of my second youngest brother and Rakesh, and Michelle. They live in Forreston IL. and I hope to visit one day and see her for the first time as well as his son Jordan, whom I will be seeing for the first time since he was 10 months old.
Hi is in a few of the pictures with Alliyah-Lynn in some sort of a container (don't ask me what they were doing in a container).
There are so many cute pics here that I just went wild and posted tons of them so enjoy.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
This shows how much we like the Bajans.
Takes Place in Barbados
A first grade teacher explains to her class that she is Bajan.(Born in Barbados) She asked her students to raise their hands if they were Bajan too. Not really knowing why but wanting to be like their teacher, their hands explode into the air like flashy fireworks. There is, however, one exception. A girl named Charlene has not gone along with the crowd.
The teacher asks her why she has decided to be different. "Because I am not Bajan." "Then", asked the teacher, "What are you?". Im a proud Trini." boasts the little girl.
The teacher is a little perturbed now, her face slightly red. She asked Charlene why she is a Trini. "Well, my mom and dad are Trini, so i am Trini too."
The teacher is now angry. "Thats no reason," she says loudly. "What if your mom was a moron, and your dad was a moron. What would you be then?" A pause and then a smile. "Then," says Charlene "I would be a Bajan."
A first grade teacher explains to her class that she is Bajan.(Born in Barbados) She asked her students to raise their hands if they were Bajan too. Not really knowing why but wanting to be like their teacher, their hands explode into the air like flashy fireworks. There is, however, one exception. A girl named Charlene has not gone along with the crowd.
The teacher asks her why she has decided to be different. "Because I am not Bajan." "Then", asked the teacher, "What are you?". Im a proud Trini." boasts the little girl.
The teacher is a little perturbed now, her face slightly red. She asked Charlene why she is a Trini. "Well, my mom and dad are Trini, so i am Trini too."
The teacher is now angry. "Thats no reason," she says loudly. "What if your mom was a moron, and your dad was a moron. What would you be then?" A pause and then a smile. "Then," says Charlene "I would be a Bajan."
Caribbean Surgeons
Five Caribbean Surgeons are discussing who makes the best patients to operate on.
The first, a Cuban surgeon says,
"I like to see accountants on my operating table, because when you open them up, everything inside is numbered."
The second a Jamaican responds,
"Yeah, but you should try electricians! Everything inside them is colour coded."
The third a Barbadian surgeon says,
"No, I really think librarians are the best; everything inside them is in alphabetical order."
The fourth a Guyanese surgeon chimes in:
"You know, I like construction workers...those guys always understand when you have a few parts left over
But the fifth a Trinidadian surgeon shut them all up when he observed:
"You' re all wrong. Politicians are the easiest to operate on. There's no guts, no heart, no balls, no brains and no spine, and the head and the ass are interchangeable."
Thanks Michelle H (in Trinidad) for sending this to me.
The first, a Cuban surgeon says,
"I like to see accountants on my operating table, because when you open them up, everything inside is numbered."
The second a Jamaican responds,
"Yeah, but you should try electricians! Everything inside them is colour coded."
The third a Barbadian surgeon says,
"No, I really think librarians are the best; everything inside them is in alphabetical order."
The fourth a Guyanese surgeon chimes in:
"You know, I like construction workers...those guys always understand when you have a few parts left over
But the fifth a Trinidadian surgeon shut them all up when he observed:
"You' re all wrong. Politicians are the easiest to operate on. There's no guts, no heart, no balls, no brains and no spine, and the head and the ass are interchangeable."
Thanks Michelle H (in Trinidad) for sending this to me.
Love: Listen to the children
Here are some of the responses given by children when asked what they thought love is. We adults can learn a lot from them.
When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and
paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all
the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love."
Rebecca- age 8
When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different.
You just know that your name is safe in their mouth."
Billy - age 4
"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving
cologne and they go out and smell each other."
Karl - age 5
"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your
French fries without making them give you any of theirs."
Chrissy -age 6
"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."
Terri - age 4
"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a
sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK."
Danny - age 7
"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of
kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy
and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss"
Emily - age 8
"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop
opening presents and listen."
Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)
"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a
friend who you hate,"
Nikka - age 6 (we need a few million more Nikka's on this
planet)
"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears
it everyday."
Noelle - age 7
"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are
still friends even after they know each other so well."
Tommy - age 6
"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I
looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and
smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore."
Cindy -age 8
"My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else
kissing me to sleep at night."
Clare - age 6
"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken."
Elaine-age 5
"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says
he is handsomer than Robert Redford."
Chris - age 7
"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him
alone all day."
Mary Ann - age 4
"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her
old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones."
Lauren - age 4
"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and
little stars come out of you." (What an imagination)
Karen - age 7
"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't
think it's gross."
Mark - age 6
"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But
if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget."
Jessica - age 8
And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once
talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the
contest was to find the most caring child.
The winner was a four-year-old child whose next door neighbour
was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon
seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's
yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his Mother
asked what he had said to the neighbour, the little boy said,
"Nothing, I just helped him cry"
When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and
paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all
the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love."
Rebecca- age 8
When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different.
You just know that your name is safe in their mouth."
Billy - age 4
"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving
cologne and they go out and smell each other."
Karl - age 5
"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your
French fries without making them give you any of theirs."
Chrissy -age 6
"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."
Terri - age 4
"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a
sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK."
Danny - age 7
"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of
kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy
and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss"
Emily - age 8
"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop
opening presents and listen."
Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)
"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a
friend who you hate,"
Nikka - age 6 (we need a few million more Nikka's on this
planet)
"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears
it everyday."
Noelle - age 7
"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are
still friends even after they know each other so well."
Tommy - age 6
"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I
looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and
smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore."
Cindy -age 8
"My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else
kissing me to sleep at night."
Clare - age 6
"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken."
Elaine-age 5
"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says
he is handsomer than Robert Redford."
Chris - age 7
"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him
alone all day."
Mary Ann - age 4
"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her
old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones."
Lauren - age 4
"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and
little stars come out of you." (What an imagination)
Karen - age 7
"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't
think it's gross."
Mark - age 6
"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But
if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget."
Jessica - age 8
And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once
talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the
contest was to find the most caring child.
The winner was a four-year-old child whose next door neighbour
was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon
seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's
yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his Mother
asked what he had said to the neighbour, the little boy said,
"Nothing, I just helped him cry"
Some Funny Ads
My brother Rakesh sent me these and I though they were quite funny. I also thought you could all have a laugh.
Thanks M.
REAL NEWSPAPER ADS
FREE YORKSHIRE TERRIER.
8 years old. Hateful little dog. Bites.
FREE PUPPIES:
1/2 Cocker Spaniel, 1/2 sneaky neighbor's dog.
FREE PUPPIES... Mother, AKC German Shepherd. Father, Super Dog...able to leap tall fences in a single bound.
FOUND DIRTY WHITE DOG. Looks like a rat ... Been out a while. Better be a reward.
COWS, CALVES: NEVER BRED. Also 1 gay bull for sale.
NORDIC TRACK $300 Hardly used, call Chubby.
GEORGIA PEACHES California grown - 89 cents lb.
JOINING NUDIST COLONY! Must sell washer and dryer $300.
WEDDING DRESS FOR SALE . WORN ONCE BY MISTAKE. Call Stephanie.
FOR SALE BY OWNER: Complete set of Encyclopedia
Britannica, 45 volumes. Excellent condition. $1,000 or best offer. No longer
needed, got married last month. Wife knows everything.
Thanks M.
REAL NEWSPAPER ADS
FREE YORKSHIRE TERRIER.
8 years old. Hateful little dog. Bites.
FREE PUPPIES:
1/2 Cocker Spaniel, 1/2 sneaky neighbor's dog.
FREE PUPPIES... Mother, AKC German Shepherd. Father, Super Dog...able to leap tall fences in a single bound.
FOUND DIRTY WHITE DOG. Looks like a rat ... Been out a while. Better be a reward.
COWS, CALVES: NEVER BRED. Also 1 gay bull for sale.
NORDIC TRACK $300 Hardly used, call Chubby.
GEORGIA PEACHES California grown - 89 cents lb.
JOINING NUDIST COLONY! Must sell washer and dryer $300.
WEDDING DRESS FOR SALE . WORN ONCE BY MISTAKE. Call Stephanie.
FOR SALE BY OWNER: Complete set of Encyclopedia
Britannica, 45 volumes. Excellent condition. $1,000 or best offer. No longer
needed, got married last month. Wife knows everything.
Three More Weeks...
and school will be over. I can't wait! I know I sound like a teenager or something but lets face it. This semester has definitely been tougher than the last but overall, I think I am doing fine. That is, for someone who has not been in fulltime school in 26 years. Yea go ahead, do the math.
This weekend passed by rather quietly, that is, if you leave of the Jewish Parade on Fifth Avenue that Jon, Jasmin and I stopped at briefly after church on Sunday. There was also Cinco De Mayo (5th of May) which was Mexico's Independance Day. We tried going to this Mexican resturant but could not find it. Maybe they moved it to California, who knows.
Apart from that, life has been good and with the weather getting warmer, our moods are difinitely lighter. We no longer have to bundle up from head to toe!
I am just about to go to my Abnormal Psychology class and talk about the characteristics of a psychopath and what symptoms one can expect to see them...sounds interesting? You don't know the half of it!
Have a good one.
This weekend passed by rather quietly, that is, if you leave of the Jewish Parade on Fifth Avenue that Jon, Jasmin and I stopped at briefly after church on Sunday. There was also Cinco De Mayo (5th of May) which was Mexico's Independance Day. We tried going to this Mexican resturant but could not find it. Maybe they moved it to California, who knows.
Apart from that, life has been good and with the weather getting warmer, our moods are difinitely lighter. We no longer have to bundle up from head to toe!
I am just about to go to my Abnormal Psychology class and talk about the characteristics of a psychopath and what symptoms one can expect to see them...sounds interesting? You don't know the half of it!
Have a good one.
Friday, May 4, 2007
Are You A Cowboy Or...
An old cowboy sat down at the Starbucks and ordered a cup of coffee.
As he sat sipping his coffee, a young woman sat down next to him.
She turned to the cowboy and asked, "Are you a real cowboy?"
He replied, "Well, I've spent my whole life breaking colts, working cows, going to rodeos, fixing fences, pulling calves, bailing hay, doctoring calves, cleaning my barn, fixing flats, working on tractors, and feeding my dogs, so I guess I am a cowboy."
She said, "I'm a lesbian. I spend my whole day thinking about women. As soon as I get up in the morning, I think about women. When I shower, I think about women. When I watch TV, I think about women. I even think about women when I eat. It seems that everything makes me think of women."
The two sat sipping in silence.
A little while later, a man sat down on the other side of the old cowboy and asked, "Are you a real cowboy?"
He replied, "I always thought I was, but I just found out that I'm a lesbian."
As he sat sipping his coffee, a young woman sat down next to him.
She turned to the cowboy and asked, "Are you a real cowboy?"
He replied, "Well, I've spent my whole life breaking colts, working cows, going to rodeos, fixing fences, pulling calves, bailing hay, doctoring calves, cleaning my barn, fixing flats, working on tractors, and feeding my dogs, so I guess I am a cowboy."
She said, "I'm a lesbian. I spend my whole day thinking about women. As soon as I get up in the morning, I think about women. When I shower, I think about women. When I watch TV, I think about women. I even think about women when I eat. It seems that everything makes me think of women."
The two sat sipping in silence.
A little while later, a man sat down on the other side of the old cowboy and asked, "Are you a real cowboy?"
He replied, "I always thought I was, but I just found out that I'm a lesbian."
The Modern Woman
I would like to introduce this pratice to some Asian and Arab cultures. I might be give a Nobel prize if I achieve that.
A newly wed girl was being welcomed at the husband's home in a traditional manner.
As expected she gave a speech:
My dear family, I thank you for welcoming me in my new home and family",
"Firstly," she said "my being here does not mean that I would want to change your way of life, your routine."
"What do you mean my child ?" asked the patriarch of the family
"What I mean dad is: Those who used to wash dishes must carry on washing them."
"Those who used to do the laundry must carry on doing it. Those who
cooked shouldn't stop at my account."
"Those who used to clean should clean."
"As for me, I'm here just to entertain your son!"
A newly wed girl was being welcomed at the husband's home in a traditional manner.
As expected she gave a speech:
My dear family, I thank you for welcoming me in my new home and family",
"Firstly," she said "my being here does not mean that I would want to change your way of life, your routine."
"What do you mean my child ?" asked the patriarch of the family
"What I mean dad is: Those who used to wash dishes must carry on washing them."
"Those who used to do the laundry must carry on doing it. Those who
cooked shouldn't stop at my account."
"Those who used to clean should clean."
"As for me, I'm here just to entertain your son!"
Trini Joke
One day Port of Spain was flooded out due to heavy rainfall.
"South people" got to leave work early.
A young man egarly rushed home to be with his equally youthful wife.
As he pulled up on his driveway, he braved the thunderous rain and darted into his house.
To his dismay, his wife's "horner-man" ran outside to get away.
The young husband walked up to his wife and "buss two slap in she
ass."
Crying "bucket-ah-drop" she said,
"Why yuh slap meh for?"
She continued...
"Dat is d man who buy dem shoes on yuh foot.
Dat is d man who doz help me pay d bills. Dat is d man who pay down on d car u drivin."
Totally enraged the husband
replied,
"Dat is exactly why ah friggin slap yuh... yuh go hav d man runnin in d rain.
"South people" got to leave work early.
A young man egarly rushed home to be with his equally youthful wife.
As he pulled up on his driveway, he braved the thunderous rain and darted into his house.
To his dismay, his wife's "horner-man" ran outside to get away.
The young husband walked up to his wife and "buss two slap in she
ass."
Crying "bucket-ah-drop" she said,
"Why yuh slap meh for?"
She continued...
"Dat is d man who buy dem shoes on yuh foot.
Dat is d man who doz help me pay d bills. Dat is d man who pay down on d car u drivin."
Totally enraged the husband
replied,
"Dat is exactly why ah friggin slap yuh... yuh go hav d man runnin in d rain.
Lessons of life and then some
Just some thing to keep in mind as you go through life. You never know when you will need to remember something like this so just keep all of them in your recent memory.
That does not mean you should not work or make an effort, just have fun along the way 'cause you never know when you will get your reward.
Adorable Adrianna
Please meet Adrianna, who is the daughter of my good friend and former co-worker in Trinidad, Rakesh.
Adrianna was born on 14th of November, 2005. Wait...thats the day of my birthday (in case you did not know)
I only saw her once when I went home in 2006 just before coming to New York and I can't wait to see her again. Not sure when that will be but hopefully soon.
Speaking of home, I do miss our four dogs Chivas (the mom) Dougla, Frosty and Rebel. I am looking forward to see them just as much as anyone else when I go home...hope you are having a great day.
Talk About A Bad Hair Day!
OCKLAND, DE—Local resident Heather Telford's entire Friday was ruined by a set of uncooperative bangs that refused to set correctly, the 26-year-old benefits coordinator told reporters.
"Why me? Why today?" Telford asked.
According to Telford, the trouble began "right away" as she got ready for work, when she discovered that the three inches of forehead-skirting hair was unable to sit flat, despite the application of numerous gels, sprays, and pomades. A tuft on either side would not integrate with the central grouping, leaving three-quarter-inch gaps, while other wispy strands strayed from her temples, creating a highly undesirable "wing" effect. A last-ditch effort to wet and restyle the bangs only worsened their state, adding several more small kinks and increasing their overall dishevelment.
"It was so awful," Telford said. "I should've just called in sick after I found out that my straightening iron was broken, because the whole day went downhill from there. I can't imagine a worse thing happening to me."
The bangs went on to adversely affect every element of Telford's day, including her commute, her interactions with coworkers, the way food tasted, and even the sound of her voice.
"I kept feeling these awful little wayward pieces brushing against my face, and I couldn't think about anything else," Telford said. "I could just sense people's eyes burning holes into my forehead as I passed by the water cooler. I can't blame them. I looked like a complete freak."
Telford spent most of her hour-long lunch break locked in her office, trying unsuccessfully to pin back the bangs with a barrette she found in her desk drawer.
In the early afternoon, she was forced to present a new employee-wellness initiative at a meeting with company executives that she was unable to cancel.
Telford said her bosses were polite throughout her presentation, but were also "clearly trying not to burst out laughing" at her bangs.
"I'm not surprised they passed on the proposal—I just can't believe they didn't fire me on the spot," said Telford, who delivered her entire presentation while compulsively smoothing down the left portion of her bangs.
"How could they take me seriously with the state my hair was in?" Telford said. "Months of work down the drain all because my stupid, stupid bangs are so stupid."
The bangs, which Telford acquired five years ago in an attempt to frame her face and convince her ex-boyfriend he had made a big mistake by leaving her, have ruined an estimated 47 workdays, three vacations, and countless photos.
Blaming her errant bangs on a combination of genetics and routinely "sleeping on them funny," Telford said that their fine, flyaway nature and penchant for being either too long or too short exceed even the two-inch-wide port-wine birthmark on her hip as her most bothersome physical shortcoming.
"I'm about this close to cutting the damn things off myself, I swear to God," Telford said.
Though she has considered transitioning to a less stressful hairstyle, she said the process of growing the bangs out would be "10,000 times worse."
"I'd have to go through this awful period where they'd be at this odd, floppy length, and it would just suck," Telford said. "So I can either grow them out and look like a Yorkshire terrier, or keep them short and look like a mental patient. Those are my basic hair options right now."
Following a "humiliating" but unavoidable visit to the supermarket, Telford's plans to return home, shower, and go to bed were foiled by a surprise birthday party organized by her roommates in her honor. The party, attended by Telford's close friends, parents, and people not seen since high school, included presents, lots of champagne drinking, and photos, and was the absolute worst conceivable thing that could have ever happened to her.
Compliments The Onion : http://www.theonion.com/content/index
Images compliments google : http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=bad+hair+day&gbv=2
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