WE ENTERTAINMENT - Inaugural Caribbean Tourism Pageant Gives Industry a Beauty Boost!

by Carol A. Allen



On Saturday, November 17, eleven beautiful young ladies representing various tropical destinations competed in the First Annual Miss Caribbean Tourism Pageant.

Presented by Niagara, Ontario based Kool Katts Caribbean Restaurant, the show was held at the Toronto Botanical Garden located at the popular Edwards Gardens site. Opening ceremonies began with a performance by Gospel Pannist, Winston Dayal and a colourful parade of flags.

The contestants represented the following hotspots: Antigua & Barbuda; Barbados; Cayman Islands; Dominica; Grenada; Guyana; Jamaica; St. Kitts & Nevis; St. Lucia; St. Vincent & the Grenadines; and Trinidad & Tobago.

Ranging in ages from 18-26, the contestants practiced for several months leading up to pageant night. For many of them, it was their first pageant experience.

A lifelong dream come true for Founder, CEO and Executive Director, Heather Christian-Simmonds, this pageant focuses on offering young women scholarships to further their professional and educational goals, while giving them an opportunity to act as ambassadors and promote the beauty of the Caribbean.

The contestants first introduced themselves to the audience wearing black tank tops and white shorts. Next, they appeared in cultural costumes reflective of their heritage. They spoke about the person who they considered to be their own cultural icon and their favourite places to visit in their homeland.

Most of the young ladies expressed that participating in the Miss Caribbean Tourism Pageant gave them a chance to learn about other islands, while expanding their knowledge of their own culture. They also felt that it would allow them to gain experience, improve their self-confidence and communication skills, allow them to become role models to other young women and give them opportunities to network within the community.

The beachwear segment gave the contestants a chance to display their well-maintained physiques, while the evening gown competition showed their elegance, grace and personal style.

The top five finalists where then chosen with Charity Lyons (St. Lucia); Semica Pascal (Grenada); Kimi Iola Holloway (Antigua & Barbuda); Simone Skinner (Barbados) and Falesha Raquel (Jamaica) vying for the Miss Caribbean Tourism title with just one final question to answer.

As the judges deliberated, Toronto-based recording artist, Glen Ricketts, serenaded the ladies.

This very tight race had a climatic and surprise ending with Antigua & Barbuda's representative, Holloway, taking the second runner-up title, and an unexpected tie for first runner-up between Pascal (Grenada) and Lyons (St. Lucia).

In the end, Falecia Raquel (Jamaica), whose presence and articulation stood out through the competition, was crowned the First Miss Caribbean Tourism. The 20 year-old Dance Instructor, will receive a $1000 scholarship sponsored by Lasco Foods Jamaica, a trip to the Caribbean courtesy of Air Jamaica, plus other special gifts.

Semica Pascal, an 18 year-old college student and Charity Lyons, a 21 year-old Personal Support Worker, will share the $500 Clorice Burrel-Christian Scholarship in honour of the pageant founder's mother who was in attendance. Second-runner up, Kimi Iola Holloway, will receive the $500 Alwyn Barry Scholarship.

Heather Christian-Simmonds is an active Jamaican-born volunteer and has spent many years working in the modelling, beauty and entertainment industry. Her passion for assisting in the development of the Caribbean community paid off with the tremendous positive feedback and outpouring of support for this show which she was able to pull off with a limited budget and the generous support of sponsors. She indicated that she is "grateful to all of the participants, judges, volunteers and everyone who contributed to making this first year a tremendous success."

For more information regarding the Miss Caribbean Tourism Pageant, visit the site at: http://www.misscaribbeantourism.com.

WE Christmas Tips – It’s Secret Santa Time!

by Marie Fleming



It’s just about that time where someone in your office suggests getting into the Christmas festivities with organizing Secret Santa secret Gift Exchange. Always a tough one, buying for your co-workers that you really don’t know that well…especially when you’re working on a $20 budget…

Here are a few gift ideas that can fall under your $20 price range:

For ladies in the office, you can never go wrong with accessories; costume jewelry is fashionable these days, or even a nice scarf. Brighten up your co-workers outfit with a richly coloured pashmina found in just about every clothing store this winter.

For those who enjoy relaxing on a Friday night with some friends head straight to the liquor store… Bottles of wine come cheap 10-15 dollars, and if you wanna go all out you can add in some Cheese and crackers - Make it a wine and cheese night.

You can also pick up some large wine glasses. Bowring has many fancy wine glasses for good prices. A few extra wine glasses always come in handy.

And with the winter hitting us with full force, some flavoured coffee baskets from Starbucks can always warm the heart. Teas and Hot chocolate is also an option for the non-coffee drinkers. Portable coffee mugs are always appreciated.

For the a passionate readers, getting them a novel by their favourite author may mean more to them than you realize, and now that books and magazines are sold at the US list price you can even pick up two!

One of my personal favourites is the sweet scented products at The Body Shop. There’s a wide range of Body butters in many exotic scents, or you can also pick up one of their heated oil burners which will fill their home with the holiday spirit.

Sweet tooth anyone? Stop by Laura Secord and check out one of their decadent chocolate trays because you can NEVER go wrong with chocolate.

If the person you are buying for is a smoker you can always visit any smoke shop and pick up one of their many Chrome Lighters and don’t forget some fuel.

Or even drop by any convenience store and grab some lottery tickets. Give your co-workers a chance to dream, who knows, if they win you may also get a little something out of it.

With 2008 around the corner, you can help your co-workers put a little structure in their lives. Purchasing a Personal Agenda may be just what they need to get organized!

For the sports addicts you can never go wrong with some sports memorabilia. They would love something as simple as a key chain, calendar or cap, with the logo of their favorite team.

And if none of the above appeals to you, don’t feel that gift certificates are not an option. For many it’s the best gift they can ever receive. This way they can choose exactly what they want and maybe use it to help pay for that special something that they may have been eyeing. One of the safest ways to go is the Cadillac Fairview Gift Certificates. You can purchase certificates at any of the guest services in any Cadillac Fairview mall, which can be used at nearly any of the mall’s stores. For locations check out: www.shops.ca

Let me leave you with one word of caution; do not get too personal with your gifts. Stay away from gifts that may be considered ‘crossing the line’!

Have fun being Santa this year!

WE BEAUTY - Creating a Party-Perfect Look for Any Occasion!

by Carol A. Allen



The holidays are just around the corner and chances are, you may be invited to at least one or more parties. But, are you worrying about how to pull off a party-perfect look? Don't stress over it. Here are some basic steps to steer you in the right direction.

Start with using a skin care line daily to cleanse, tone and moisturize your face to achieve your best results. Hide blemishes or dark circles under the eyes with a concealer. Use a sheer-formula foundation with long-wearing even coverage, and blend downwards with a sponge. If necessary, mix foundations to achieve the right tone. If your face is close to flawless, skip the foundation and try a face bronzer for radiance. Highlight the cheekbones, brow and neck to help your natural beauty shine through while accenting your features.

Give the apple of your cheeks a brush of colour using a quality blush brush. Blend to the hairline to enhance the cheekbones.

Brows need to be well-groomed. If yours are sparse, use a mascara close to your brow colour and stroke the wand lightly to fill in and even out. Or, comb them up and out with a brow brush, and fill in with a taupe or brown eye pencil or powder eyeliner. A professional shaping is always another option for unruly brows.

Create a smoky eye by selecting warm hues such as plums, chocolate or mahogany. To make them stand out, use one colour on the lid with a darker shade in the crease of the eye and a light highlight or touch of gold shadow just under the brow. Use a dark eye liner pencil or powder liner with a liner brush on the inner bottom rim of the eye to define the eye and make the white of your eyes pop. Create intensity with liner on the outer corners, keeping the inner corner narrow.

Lovely lashes can add drama to the eye. Give your natural length a boost by applying false eyelashes available at most beauty outlets. Or, visit a professional to get an eyelash extension which lasts about three to four weeks with minimal touch ups. An electric heated eyelash curler can give long lashes a nice curl. And, mascara is always an alternative, especially those that have a lengthening and plumping effect. Separate the top and bottom lashes and curl them first with the wand, then apply the colour from the root to the end for definition. Enhance the drama with disposable coloured contact lenses, but consult a licensed eye specialist first.

For luscious lips, apply a lip moisturizer to smooth out lip lines, prevent cracking and dryness. Outline the lip with liner close to the lip colour, then fill in the lips with the liner before applying the lip colour to help it stay on longer. Darker colours can make smaller lips appear fuller. Use a lip brush to apply the colour which should complement your evening wear. Try to use long-lasting lip colours that have nourishing ingredients to hydrate and soften the lips. Add a touch of clear or coloured lip gloss for emphasis making sure that it smells good and is not too thick or sticky.

Give your smile a boost by using a tooth whitener. There are several inexpensive brightening toothpastes and kits on the market, but if you have some extra cash to spend, seek out the help of a cosmetic dentist for a professional solution.

Finish off the face with a light dusting of translucent powder to alleviate any shiny areas or to tone down the overall appearance.

Carol Allen is a Skin Care Consultant and Make-Up Artist for Aloette Cosmetics.
You can book a personal consultation by calling (416) 410 7556 or by email to aloette@carrebizness.com

WE FOOD - Give WE our blackcake!

by Natasha Samuels


Mention fruitcake (aka blackcake, rum cake, Christmas cake) to an American, and you are sure to get the yucky face along with a laundry list of suggestions of what else should be done with it other than eating it.

For the record, 1) I will not use it as a doorstop; 2) I will not suggest to the town councilors to try using fruitcake as an alternative material for patching potholes; and 3) I do not plan on attending your annual fruitcake toss.

Americans also fear fruitcake because of its ability to err… persevere. It’s not uncommon to hear stories of fruitcakes that were gifted to a family and then re-gifted to the giver the following year and so on.

In Waukesha, Wisconsin a man discovered a fruitcake, originally sent to him in 1962 by his aunt while he was stationed in Alaska. Apparently, the fruitcake was shipped home with his belongings where they sat in an attic until it was found in April of 2006. No word on if he tried a slice or if he placed it back into storage.

The most unbelievable fruitcake story broke in 2003 when Jay Leno of NBC’s Tonight Show tasted a 125-year-old fruitcake after which he exclaimed, “it needs more time!”
While Americans scoff at fruitcake, the holidays just wouldn’t be the holidays to West Indian people without it.

Like the American version, ours, which we call blackcake (well, blackcake if you are from the other islands and Christmas cake if you are from Jamaica) is also chock full of raisins, citron and candied fruits.

In our version, we blend out those un-aesthetically pleasing to the eye fruits and we add a key and very important ingredient, rum. In our version, the blended fruits soak for months in the rum bath until its time to make the cake.

Perhaps it is this not so subtle over proof ingredient courtesy of Jay Wray and his nephews, or uncle Appleton V/X which makes our version cherished and not scoffed at.

As a result, you would be hard pressed to find any jokes about fruitcakes amongst West Indian people and it will be highly unlikely to find one of those glossy flyers advertising something like a St. Elizabeth reunion and blackcake toss.

And we love the fact that it…ahm, perseveres. Just douse it with your favorite rum or wine and it’s good as new.

Caribbean Fruit and Rum Cake recipe

INGREDIENTS
2 cups currants
3 cups raisins
1 cup prunes, pitted
2/3 cup mixed citrus peel
2 ¼ cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons rum, (add more if needed)
1 ¼ cup sherry, (add more if needed)
1 lb/2 cups softened butter
10 eggs, beaten
1 lb/4 cups self-rising flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 10-inch round baking pan

METHOD
1) Wash the currants, raisins, prunes and mixed peel, then pat dry. Place in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Transfer to a large jar, add ¾ cup of sugar, the mixed spice, rum and sherry. Mix well and then cover with a lid and set aside for 2 weeks to 3 months.

2) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and line a 10-inch round cake pan with wax paper.

3) Sift the flour, and set aside. Cream together the butter and remaining sugar and beat in the eggs until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

4) Add the fruit mixture, then gradually stir in the flour and vanilla extract. Mix well, adding 1-2 tablespoons of sherry if the mixture is too stiff.

5) Spoon the mixture into the 10-inch pan, cover loosely with foil and bake for about 2½ hours until the cake is firm and springy.

6) Allow to cool overnight. Sprinkle the cake with more rum if it is not to be used immediately. Wrap the cake in foil to keep it moist.

Recipe by Rosamund Grant, Taste of the Caribbean (New York: Smithmark Publishers Inc. 1995) pg. 82

WE FOOD - 'Bring Drinks'

Here's a few holiday beverage favorites to add to your Christmas menu. Each drink featured below goes well with some black cake, pastelles or ham. Yum!

SORREL
Made from the sepals of the sorrel flower, this delightful Trinidadian Christmas drink becomes even more heavenly with the addition of some rum.



Ingredients:
3 - 4 lbs fresh sorrel
1 gallon water
2 lbs sugar
1 tablespoon
Angostura Bitters

Method:
Discard the sorrel seeds.
Rinse the sorrel and place in a large deep pot.
Cover with water and bring to a slow rolling boil.
Turn off heat and allow sorrel to cool overnight.
Remove the sorrel and strain the liquid
Add sugar and Angostura bitters.



PUNCH-A-CREME
The Trinidadian version of egg-nog, with the addition of some 150 proof rum!



Ingredients:
2 cans (7 oz. each) evaporated milk
3 eggs
1/2 can (7 oz.) evaporated milk
1 can (12 oz.) condensed milk
1 glass puncheon rum
1 piece of orange or lime rindgrated nutmeg
1 tsp. bitters

Method:
Beat eggs well with the rind.
Remove rind.
Add milk.
Stir well.
Add rum, nutmeg and bitters and mix thoroughly.
Sweeten with condensed milk.
Chill and serve with crushed ice.



GINGER BEER
Try this powerful ginger flavoured drink, popular in Jamaica and some parts of Africa. Real ginger beer is actually a fermented drink made with yeast (just like regular beer), but you can also make a quicker version if you are looking for something with a little less hassle.



Ingredients:
1 pound ginger
8 tablespoons of brown sugar
2 1/2 quarts water

Method:
Puree ginger and water in blender.
Let mixture sit (covered) at room temperature for 24 hours
Add sugar & mix
Best served with crushed ice.
Serves 6-8.

WE Relationships - Do What I Say!

by Niama Sandy


Taking instruction is one of the things that is paramount throughout our education process- from primary school to the university level. So why is that it's oh so difficult for so many people to do it in the bedroom?

I don't know how many times friends have recounted incidents of sad encounters to me. For instance, years ago, one of my male friends - bless his little Bajan heart - told me of an experience in which he repeatedly made a woman think someone was walking into the room that they were having sex in - thus making her rise and fall as opposed to the rocking action that she was engaging in. It may sound like a mamaguy based on the amount of gall and interest in exhibitionism required for such an act – a. Considering that this was a semi-public space that someone could have walked into and b. Visualizing the possibility that she didn't figure out what he was making her do - but my friend is a bold sort of fella so it's actually pretty reasonable for him.

At least the woman in our last example could take instruction (however underhanded the manner in which they were given), some people just can't follow directions. According to several reports, for some reason many men seem to think nipples are like thumbs and lollipops and can just be sucked accordingly. As a public service announcement to the world's men from all the world's women: they are delicate, sensitive appendages; please treat them as such! There is a human being on the other side of that breast and I hate to break it to you but she may not be enjoying what you're doing.

All comedy aside, is it that people really think that what they've done with one partner will work for every person that they ever encounter? That is utter nonsense. It is a given that in the beginning of any relationship you get to know your partner. That "getting-to-know-you" process should extend to getting to know what does or does not physically gratify this person. If you're letting someone into that part of your space why not take the time to turn and ask two simple questions: what do you like? and how do you like it? If you don't ask it could mean sentencing yourself to an indefinite period of protracted sessions (not in the good sense), faked noises and, worse yet, " what the hell are you doing?" facial expressions and if the person is bold or annoyed enough they might just ask you.

So now for this month's rules:
1. Be Gentle in giving your directions. Try your best not to make your partner feel as though they are inept. Make sure that they understand that you are enjoying being with them but that you could possibly enjoy it a bit more if they tried it a different way.
2. Be Open to trying new things. Push the envelope a little, make your relationship interesting and take a step into the unknown. But granted, everyone has a comfort zone and sometimes the "unknown" can be too unknown. Scenario: Your mate wants to be choked and slapped during intercourse. You're not exactly comfortable with this; what do you do? Do you indulge just to save face or do you tell them that you're uncomfortable doing it? Everyone has boundaries and if you feel that yours have been compromised say so. Try not to completely crush your mate's hopes; if they cared enough to ask you why not try working your way up to it, you might like it.
3. Be Grateful! If your companion is really giving you rope, try your best not to hang yourself with it. Give your partner the gift of trying some thing that they might like to show your appreciation.

WE SPORTS - Relax... A whole heap of Caribbean cricket approaching!

by Shami Maharaj



It seems, to my delight, that we have quite a lot of cricket fans who tune in to the WE Sports column regularly. Judging by the feedback I’ve been getting, cricket and the plight of our beloved Windies remains an obsession for most West Indians, even in the cold white North. Though the intent of WE Sports is to deliver general sporting news, not solely cricketing bulletins in our worthy Caribbean/Canadian sport scene, ah have to give de people what dey want!

So for the many of you that requested, and even those that didn’t, here is what’s in store for the West Indies cricket team leading into 2008. Beginning on November 30th a squad consisting of Christopher Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Fidel Edwards, Runako Morton, Rawle Lewis, Brenton Parchment, Daren Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Darren Sammy, Marlon Samuels, Devon Smith, and Jerome Taylor, will battle Zimbabwe in the first of five one-day internationals. The Jamaican Gayle, will captain in the absence of the injured Guyanese, Ramnaresh Sarwan, while his vice-captain will be the newly appointed 24 year old Trinidadian, Dwayne Bravo. Clive Lloyd will be the manager, while David Williams and Barbadian Henderson Springer will provide coaching functions until not long added Australian coach, John Dyson, unites with the squad.

Subsequent games in Zimbabwe will be played December 2nd, 5th, 7th and 9th.

Following what is expected to be a successful tour of Zimbabwe, the West Indians remain on the African continent to face much stiffer competition from South Africa.
Whilst the leadership and management remains the same as in Zimbabwe, there are two adjustments to the squad. Narsingh Deonarine and Ravi Rampaul have been substituted with Pedro Collins and Daren Ganga.

Against South Africa, three Invitationals, three Tests and five ODIs will be played, with the first being a day/night tilt against a Makhaya Ntini Invitation XI on December 14th.
Test dates are Dec 26-30, Jan 2-6, and Jan 10-14. ODIs are Jan 20th, 25th, 27th and Feb 1st and 3rd.

Regionally, the Carib Beer Series runs from Jan 4th to Aril 28th, the Sri Lankans arrive in March to challenge the West Indies in two tests and three one-dayers, followed by the exciting Australians from May 16th to July 6th.
Tons of cricket to look forward to, so make sure to check WE Sports every month for full results and commentary.

WE FILM - No Country for Old Men

Starring Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Tommy Lee Jones. Woody Harrelson and Kelly Macdonald.

Written and Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen.
122 minutes. / 14A

This festering Western where hard men surrender soft values and morality is on the run.

Bardem's Anton Chigurh, chooses victims at random and decides their fate on a coin toss. He kills with a cattle stun gun and makes no difference how they die. He proceeds from a personal belief system, twisted by his view of a world that has lost all meaning. Chigurh is one of the most interesting screen villains in years.

Ed Tom Bell, the small-town West Texas sheriff, is played by Tommy Lee Jones,who sets the stage with a weary narration about changing times. Jones speaks of past days when violent crime wasn't the norm. Days when a sheriff didn't have to carry a gun, because even troublemakers respected the law.

Sheriff Bell is pondering retirement. He's chilled by these winds of change. You either stand against them or let yourself be flattened by them, but your soul remains in jeopardy regardless.

The movie is set in 1980, a pivotal moment of societal rot. A drug deal has gone sour. Bullet-ridden bodies lie in the hot sun.

Llewellyn Moss (Josh Brolin) a Texas cowboy, doesn't plan to stick around to sort things out, especially when he discovers a briefcase containing $2 million. He's as stubborn as a raccoon. But deep down, a heart beats beneath his dirty shirt. He loves his devoted wife, Carla Jean (Kelly Macdonald) and he's capable of humanity but insists on carrying $2 million of somebody else's money, when more than one person is looking for it.

The familiar Coen humour is there but remains muted. The brothers are more intent on making a serious observation about the decline of the American spirit and a lament for the loss of common civility. No Country for Old Men may just be the year's best picture.

Ask WE - Dear Sonya

Dear Sonya,
I am a 24 year old man, I have only been with girls since I was in high school, but I find that I am also attracted to men. When I am watching T.V or in a club or I just see some guy walking in the mall, I catch myself staring. I don’t act gay; I’m not girly in any way, if anything, I am known for being macho. There is no way I would tell my parents, I would be disowned for sure! Should I even experiment with it?
- one way or the other’

Dear ‘one way or the other’,
Are you attracted to girls as well? If you find that you are attracted to men only, then YES you are hiding in the closet and you need to find OUT and come OUT. What are you going to do, eventually marry a girl in a loveless marriage to make your parents happy? You will make that girl miserable and yourself miserable. You don’t have to be ‘girly’ to be gay by the way. Check out some clubs downtown, put yourself in the scene and see where it leads you—You never know what happiness you may find at the end of the rainbow...........
- Sonya


Dear Sonya,
Whenever I go out with my boyfriend and my friends, he is always chatting them up more than me! I am sick of it, I feel so small when I am standing across the room watching him be flirtatious with my friends. When we are alone, its different, I get the attention, but as soon as my friends are around, he skids in another direction. I get so pissed off by the end of the night, but now I don’t say anything, because the one time I did he accused me of being jealous and insecure.
- not feelin the luv

Dear ‘not feelin the luv’,
Its not jealousy, its respect (but what guy wont roll his eyes to this?). What’s up with your friends, they in on the game too? Sorry but a guy wouldn’t flirt with a girl constantly unless he was getting some vibe back. Anyways, you have two options, Option one: leave buddy to find his way home next time you’re in this predicament & find your way out of that busted up relationship. Option two: fight fire with fire (lots of girls like this one), besides it’s easier for a girl to flirt with someone than it is for a guy. Con to this - this could back fire in your face but who cares if it does, let him skid (sh*t does that!).
- Sonya

Need advice? Send your questions to dearsonya@wemagonline.com

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