Ladies?!

So, as my Peace Corps posse is stuck cooling their heels in Barbados I am all alone in a luxury condo, just me, books and the booze and wait . . .TV! So, I have been watching the new music channel by MTV called "Tempo" that is devoted solely to the music of the Caribbean islands. Here are some observations. Numero uno: the music down here is officially "ideal". Number two: what's up with the Puerto Rican homies? Okay, I am the first to admit that I LOVE Reggaeton music. Maybe, its because it is almost strictly Puerto Rican, shout out to the Dominicans though. But, Jesus Christ, talk about the invasion of the video chick! Apparently, there are women in reggaeton, but I have never seen an actual musician, all appearances by women are strictly in the video-chick vein. I love seeing hot Puerto Rican chicks shaking their asses but I know for a fact that "we" can do much more than that. So, what's going on? With island music you see Jamaican women represent, rapping and singing and what not. I want to support Reggaeton but its hard to reconcile my womanhood and the widespread plague of the Puerto Rican girl as video-chick. What's a girl to do? Soca, dancehall, reggaeton, reggae . . .women?????? The Tempo channel alone garners about 2.5 million viewers. The ways we see ourselves represented is vital and the visibility of women in island music, especially Puerto Rican popular music is in trouble. Gender Politics in Caribbean Popular Music: Consumer Perspectives and Academic Interpretation

Saint Kitts!

Okay, so, The Brain Tru$t is the first to admit that life is a blessing and today finds me sitting in Basseterre, St. Kitts drinking Carib Beer. So here I am in a tale only marginally related to international gambling blogging from a luxury condo with it's own pool on its own deck overlooking the Ocean with an unlimited supply of two amazing Caribbean items, Carib beer and Clarke's Court Rum! What! Air-conditioning?! My life is amazing and my friends aren't even here yet.
some junk

The Caribbean

We're all going, in the words of Sam Rousso, to have to face up to some facts. Yes, The Brain Tru$t has absolutely been captivated by the Caribbean. The natural environment partnered with the wide-ranging socio-polital landscape makes the Caribbean completely fascinating. So here is a run-down of the places I am speaking of. . . The Caribbean consists of these independent nation-states: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines as well as Trinidad and Tobago. And the Caribbean is also home to many a colonized dependency, including: Anguilla, Aruba, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat, Navassa Island, Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

So far I have spent most of my time in Puerto Rico with short touch-downs in Antigua, Saint Vincent, Saint Kitts and a recent arrival for a long stay in Grenada. The delineation of the islands by independent/dependent status is something The Brain Tru$t will examine relentlessly. After a few short weeks in the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, I have been struck by the notion of Puerto Rican independence and now luckily I have the good fortune of being able to view independent Grenada from a NEAR insider status. Many say that the independence of Puerto Rico would immediately push it lickety-split into the third world, as true as that may be there is also a saying that after a few drinks, every Puerto Rican is for independence. An idea worth examining to say the least. I have learned that Puerto Rico is a special place and its plazas are becoming ever bordered by KFC, Burger King, Pizza Hut and its piers breaking under the weight of the footsteps of Royal Caribbean cruise passengers.

Grenada!

The Brain Tru$t goes to Grenada! WHAT! Driving on the left side and drinking rum that tastes like sugar is a life that one could become accustomed to easily? It is extremely hot here and there are little crabs running around in the sidewalk gutters. I am fortunate enough to be hosted here by a good friend from the states who is here doing volunteer work. Aka the inside scoop on Grenadian life will surely be had. Grenada wikipediaFascinatingly, Grenada is the second-smallest independent country in the Western Hemisphere (after Saint Kitts and Nevis). Also, the island is in a state of recovery from Hurricanes Ivan and Emily and the evidence of this transition is stunning.

Culebra!!!

First of all, I am writing this blog post from the deck of my place on a small island off of the east coast of Puerto Rico called Culebra. Here is what I can see right now. It is extremely beautiful here. We arrived yesterday on a small plane from the San Juan International Airport. And when I say small, I mean Me, four other people and Siobhan riding in the co-pilots seat next to the pilot. The pilot looked like he was about twenty and I have definitely been in bigger cars but the view was incomprable. Its amazing to see an international regatta from the sky racing around uninhabited tropical islands. Culebra on the web!Culebra is geologically part of the Virgin Islands.

The Water Club

The Brain Tru$t loves a hip hotel and The Water Club in Isla Verde near Condado in San Juan is totally rad. You know you are in for something funny when the first person you see when you walk in to check in is Sway, the VJ from MTV. And words cannot really describe the world's most intense elevator. But I will have to try. So, there is a waterfall in the elevator and the roof of the elevator is clear which allows you to see up ten stories into the all white elevator shaft that is lit up in electric blue (just like the rooms of the hotel). All of the rooms are backlit with this neon blue and so the hotel glows from the outside emitting an eerie blue glow. AMAZING! The roof is home to a bar and a pool surrounding by giant white beds. This was apparently the site of a crazy MTV party with Daddy Yankee, but luckily/unfortunately we missed it. The bar wasn't really our scene as it was a place where seventeen year old girls were sporting stilettos and bra tops and grinding on forty year old men with unbuttoned shirts. Nonetheless, a stunning view is to be had by all. The Water Club

Boricua!

So, today, I saw an amazing work of art. The name of the artist is Pepon Osorio. He is a Puerto Rican living in Philadelphia who works in multi-media to weave masterful examinations of identity. The piece that I saw today, "No Crying in the Barbershop" is a full-room installation dealing with Puerto Rican male identity specifically the intersection of the opportunity for men to gather together for vanity's sake and the irreconcilability of this with the machismo they must display in their daily lives both in and outside of all male space. And it was totally rad! Red velveteen chairs screenprinted with manly body parts, I heart New York postcards, sweet fades and line-ups on video. I cannot neglect to mention that this piece features both amateur weight-lifting on video and a life-sized plaster Christ surrounded by soda cans wrapped in foil used as vases. Check homeboy out!!! small bio of Pepon OsorioThe piece, btw, is in el Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico

Did Someone Say Biennial?

I just remembered that I forgot to blog about the Whitney Biennial 2006. As I am in Puerto Rico and someone is waiting to use the internet at my hostel, here is the cold , hard truth. American art today is schizophrenic and hates beauty. Go figure! Get your war on, eh! Brilliant explication of the exhibition's themes is sure to follow. Buenos Noches!video madness and wacky punk rock at the Whitney

Citgo Petroleum Corporation, Let's Do It

Hola! So as someone who rarely drives and does not own an automobile it is mostly on the political level that I think about gasoline. But recently I heard this little tidbit when I was in a car with my friend getting gas, CITGO Petroleum Corporation is the US subsidiary of Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA). Petróleos de Venezuela is the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela’s state-owned oil corporation. That means, that as far as regualr gasoline goes it is the best option for lefties who are still involved with driving regular cars. CITGO earns over 30 billion dollars a year with the dividends just recently beginning to go to the people of Venezuela. wikipedia article on Citgo

Creacion de entradas

Yo soy en San Juan, Puerto Rico. Me llamo es WOOT! WOOT! It is BEAUTIFUL here! Yeah buddy! So, I can't stop thinking about the Lord of the Rings, I have a slight sunburn and whenever I'm walking anywhere I ask myself, "Am I about to WANDER into LA PERLA????" The Lonely Bastard says that any unsuspecting whitey-style American traveller faces CERTAIN DEATH or worse if they should happen to wander outside of Calle (whatever it is called). But, thankfully, at the moment I am sitting in my spot on nice, safe, touristy, party-all-the-time Calle Fortaleza. Let me be the first to say that I LOVE PUERTO RICO and also, my phone works here and lots of people look like my mother. I feel like they don't look like me, but I think that is probably just my whacked out hairdo and the french hip-hop spectacles. Anyways . . .stay tuned for amazing photos. bonus link of dubious originI LOVE PUERTO RICO!!!!

Le Sport Sac

A friend of mine was recently completely unconvinced at the supremacy of LeSportsac bags. Now, we all cannot be fashion experts but we can definitely all be fans of the humble yet perfect LeSportsac. As a young reallionaire-on-the-go I gotta have my gear. How can I be successful without lugging around wallet, keys, phone, lipbalm, spare earrings, hip dangles and the like in a sporty, gaudy yet refined tote? I recently stopped into the LeSportsac store in the upper east side to check out their spring line. Hot! The patterns are schizophrenic and make no sense and all the classic shapes are there. I want a pegasus print Tribeca Tote soooo bad. One of the freshest designs of the season is in the tokidoki line. The piece de resistance is of course, the rainbow zipper. Some of the pieces also come with a Dalek gee, the perfect detachable hip dangle for a young fashionista. LeSportsac

Oscar

This year I watched The Oscars because I spent all day wandering around New York buying herbal remedies and drinking cappucinos with my girl Megan and was thus too exhausted to do anything else. Obviously, Oscar fashion is the number one reason to watch the show, followed closely by hoping for a gay sweep and praying that some star will flip out and start ranting about Bush's reign of terror. Obviously, the latter two goals/reasons for watching came across weakly this year. But at least we have Michelle Williams! Holla! Check the hotness of homegirl at the Oscars! That dress Vera Wang dress was superb!

Doom Metal in Hipsterville

So, last night I went out to Williamsburg to see my homies doom metal band rock out. They are called Bloody Panda and they were opening for Wolf Eyes. There is something very satisfying about seeing a small and pretty Japanese girl singing deeply and staring at the floor while her hooded bandmates scream gutturally on occasion. Check them out! A special shout out to my homegirl Alisa for being an amazing doom metal hood seamstress.

Just A Girl and Her Nikes

And so it begins! These are my feet as I wait at SeaTac. With the help of my roommates/professional travelers Aviva and Aliya I managed to bring next to nothing for three months on the road:

1. gold lame bikini
2. fuschia tunic dress
3. grey leggings
4. white skort
5. stripey skirt
6. hoodie
7. jeans
8. black tee and pink tee
9. technology
10. wallet
11. art kit
12. first-aid kit
13. toiletries aka some soap and a toothbrush
14. books
15. flip-flops
16. Nikes

Packing Light! Git it! So here I am, waiting for my hair to dry in NYC. Perched comfortably in the sweet little apartment of friends in the heart of Chinatown/Little Italy I am on the first leg of my Tropical-Trip-O-Rama. After arriving bright and early in Boston yesterday and taking the T to the Boston Common(s) I noticed that Boston is the coldest place on earth and decided to skedaddle instead of staying on and ushering at the Blue Man Group like I had planned. So after a quick cannoli and cappucino at Mike's Pastry in the North End it was off to find the Chinatown bus! And find it I did! Fung-Wah Holla! So after many snowy hours on the road through Connecticut?!, I made it to NY, NY. Now I gotta go see some hot Biennial action!