Apparently in Republicans’ minds, only people who support their Republican agenda can be raped IRL? ����♂️ It makes zero sense but that’s all I got ����♂️
They’re willing to excuse anything. No one questions rape victims of the catholic church for holding their silence for 50 years…
mistavybe replied to your video “I caught a little light show this evening. There was no thunder just…”
Is that frogs in the background? Birds? An alarm? What is that high pitched noise? �� @soulsistrin
lol frogs! you of all ppl asking me that?
mistavybe replied to your post “What would help you be less grumpy today?”
Hmmm… do you have a spa in mind? ��
not really. I’ve been to the one in hyatt a few times but honestly there’s something a little clinical about it that I don’t like. a lady i know owns a spa in Woodbrook Meta Spa I’ve never used the services but I like the vibe better. I should really treat myself after this…. to ONE of those things on my list LOL
A spa day. I’ve been working really hard lately and I’m tired and my body is sore. I need some pampering. The full works… body scrub, massage, mani, pedi, facial, something involving aromatherapy… I want to be spoilt. Oh and chocolate and champagne too. And strawberries. And passion fruit mousse.
Damn, I guess I assumed you were in a bourgie part of the country ����
I was. You don’t have to live in the hood in Caracas to see violence. I saw quite a bit of it there. It’s a country with a high level of gun ownership and the laws at the time (not sure what it’s like now) were such that if you helped a victim of a crime you were automatically assumed involved and thrown into jail. So people would get hurt, maimed, shot, beaten and would just lay there and no one would lift a finger. Not everything I saw was near my home, but the one time I actually saw a man get shot in front of me was a few minutes away from our house. We were driving, now coming off a busy street and I saw two men running on the grass and a man in a car in front of us pulled over and got out with a gun in his hand and ran one of them down and shot him and then went after the other one. It seemed like no one else noticed what was happening, not even my parents in the car. I stared in disbelief and we just kept driving and went home. But outside and around Caracas I saw shooting victims more than once. And there was always a LOT of blood.
You’ve seen someone get shot IRL? �� @soulsistrin
Get shot and after having been shot… you forget I grew up in Venezuela lol
mistavybe replied to your post “It seems everyone is out of the cave in Thailand. I’m really happy to…”
You’re claustraphobic? @soulsistrin
Yesssssssssss!
mistavybe replied to your post “mistavybe replied to your photo:
Capelton paying…”
IKR, I wondered what the hell is a Caple for years lol
Is his name supposed to mean something?
Capleton* lol
ohwhocares
Yeah they restored it very soon after. I think they need to adjust whatever they use to identify inappropriate images. They seem to do this almost by default.
J – Jealous or laid back? Already answered
O – One wish?
I mean.. I’m not sure where I even start with that… for me? for humanity? What would I wish for all people… peace of mind, man.
T – Tell me something random about yourself?
I once had a dream where I was speaking Cantonese and I was using this one word repeatedly. When I looked it up apparently I had been using it correctly. Never really was able to explain that one.
Wait… Is he black? �� @soulsistrin
He’s mixed but more on the Indian/Hispanic side of things. You wouldn’t define him as black, no. Apparently in the same conversation he referred to himself as a coolie so….
20. What is your best physical attribute? (showing said attribute is optional)
I believe it’s my eyes.
21. If you were the opposite sex for one day, what would you look like and what would you do?
I’d wanna be a hot, younger version of myself when I was in really good shape. What would I do? Have sex! Pee standing up! Listen to whatever men really talk about when no women are around! Do a pull up without assistance! Pee standing up some more! Get a blowjob! Walk around bareback! Rock out with my cock out!
50. What is the most unusual conversation you’ve ever had?
I think I’ve posted about this before. The conversation itself was a little unusual but it was really the circumstances that were super unusual. This guy was basically chasing me around Port of Spain with a cutlass threatening me because he rubbed down my car. Yeah HE scraped the side of MY car and was threatening to chop my ass. I was so scared and tired of trying to get away from him that I reverted to angry and actually got out of my car and confronted him, weaponless, crying, full of rage. He immediately backed down and we ended up sitting down and he told me his life story, how he’d pursued a life of crime, gotten shot several times, ended up in jail. It was his first day on a new job, his first since being released and he was terrified he’d fucked it up by scraping my car. He told me about his fiancee, a student nurse and a good woman who has stuck by him. It was all kinda nuts but in a really good way. I wish I’d kept in touch with him. I’d like to know if he’s doing well these days.
Thanks for the asks!
mistavybe replied to your post “We have a cocktail party to go to this evening and my level of wanting…”
I have the same exact issue. My mom is being honoured at some function. I’d rather be home on my couch honestly but I gotta go. Halp! ��
Hm. What’s the function? Maybe we going to the same thing?
mistavybe replied to your post “I just bought two baklava at the bagelry down the street. When I…”
I love chocolate eclairs. Haven’t had one in forever though lol
I cannot remember the last time I had one before today… ages ago. These were really delicious. And the custard tasted a little alcoholic, yum. Funny thing is I was eyeing them down but decided on the baklava instead lol. I think I got my wish in the end.
Killjoy! Come onnnnn… Do it for Wakanda! ✊
it seems sacrilegious somehow but i probably will. or else i’ll never wear it
No, but there’s a first time for everything lol. Can’t hurt to try
meh
Get a seamstress to tailor it better maybe? ♂️
you ever see a dashiki with darts?
mistavybe replied to your post “leighpeigh replied to your post:
second time…”
Dashiki twins! Let’s organise and do itttttt lol
Except my dashiki makes me look like the size of a house 😦
Yassssss!!! #VybeEndorsed #VybeApproved 100%!
naturally lol. you saw the tag didn’t you?
God I don’t think there’s really anything they’d be surprised to know… I’ve been on this site a long time I’ve pretty much discussed everything. But I’ll try to scrounge up some stuff.
1. My love of art came from the illustrations in my story books. I loved books before I even knew how to read. I’d make up stories about what was happening in the pictures. My parents really fed our love of books when we were children and the beautiful and vivid illustrations in my books inspired me to draw. In fact my secret dream job was always to be a children’s book illustrator.
2. I have a loud speaking voice. It’s not something I can help and I’m self conscious about it. My voice just carries. I hate it.
3. I also have a very loud laugh. I am not self conscious about it at all and it’s something I happen to like a lot about myself and so do other people for the most part.
4. I am generally a very impatient person, but when I have to explain or teach something I have endless reservoirs of patience.
5. I am often surprised by the kinds of thoughts that pass through my head and not in a good way. Sometimes I see or read something and the immediate reactionary response in my head horrifies me. I don’t think it makes me a bad person, but rather it shows me that the conditioning and programming I’ve been subjected to over the course of my life is still alive and kicking underneath the surface regardless of how differently I think and feel in my heart.
Thanks for the asks!
mistavybe replied to your post “I got this from someone enquiring about my resin jewelry today: My…”
I’ve noticed that every time nowadays, when someone says “Not to be rude…” it’s followed by some offensive statement. “I have nothing against gay people but…” always leads to a clearly homophobic/transphobic statement. “I’m not a racist at all but…” is always a precursor to some abhorrent racist statement, etc. Same for misogny, xenophobia, etc. Never fails smh. Anytime I hear “I’m not” followed by any negative term, then “but…” I immediately cringe and prepare to be offended ��
Yeah it pretty much follows a pattern. I didn’t think her question was rude but I think it could have been framed differently. But then again I get all kinds of questions all the time that can be framed differently. The ever present “is this real?” when pointing to a raw gemstone could be framed in many other ways that would feel less like implying I might be selling fake gemstones and more like they want to know what the ring is made of. But meh. I’m developing a thicker skin for these things. I realise most people genuinely don’t mean any harm.
I would have guessed the red rose ring would be popular tbh. Ppl are socialised (and mass marketed at) to think that red roses are some kinda extraordinarily special things ♂️. I, of course, prefer the lavender because PURPLE. But i’m sure you could have guessed that lol.
I feel very meh about red roses so yeah i guess the purple bias is real
All of the Blackman clan is freaking amazing tbh. Marge, Nehilet and Isaac are my three faves. I know Nailah is the most popular one in the mainstream now too. Bottom line: Shorty I’s genes real strong jed lol
They are actually, ALL amazing. Have you ever been to the festival at their ranch? It’s fantastic
mistavybe replied to your video “I wanted to share this video and song with you all. It’s by the…”
Big chune! ����
Right? I first heard her perform it at New Fire Festival. Tonight we were at my friend Rohan’s store and there were maybe 15 of us in that room while she was singing. It was so amazing. She has such a beautiful voice.
Sounds like your foot is rebelling against unfair labour conditions from your earlier Green Market stint. Even your appendages are resistance members lol ♂️
Stupid feet. Luckily the heating pad did the trick.
mistavybe replied to your post “my fb feed”
You should post Solidarity with Sierra Leone on yours and then sit back and watch the fireworks �� @soulsistrin
I don’t think it would create fireworks, really… I don’t think anybody would even really respond.
mistavybe
replied to your post “pandoranora replied to your post “Now I’m craving onion rings. Wtf is…”
Burger King is open till 11:30 in Trinidad…
damn they like RIGHT there too… but… then I would have to put on pants *sad trombone*
56. State 8 facts about your body
1. I can hyperextend my knees backward
2. I have no feeling in my right kneecap due to an accident when I was 19
3. Every surgery I have ever had took place from my neck up
4. My hair and nails grow freakishly fast
5. I also heal from injury freakishly fast
6. I have a perfectly straight scar on my sternum about two inches long that has no explanation. Maybe I was abducted by aliens.
7. I started going grey when I was in my teens.
8. I’ve never broken a bone
58. What are five ways to win your heart?
1. Kindness
2. Curiosity
3. Great sense of humour
4. Intelligence
5. Generosity
73. What’s something sweet you’d like someone to do for you?
I guess I’d like someone to make one whole day about me. That would be really nice.
Hollows is cool for that too… less shade from trees is all. If it’s a cloudy day you’re good Do ppl still own picnic baskets nowadays though? Or does everyone just pack a cooler lol
I actually saw some selling in Starlight Pharmacy in Maraval the other day and I was tempted to buy one just in case, but I decided to be practical and save my money. Seeing as I’ve never actually BEEN on a picnic, I figured it probably wouldn’t get much use. And yes most people would probably pack a cooler, makes more sense (and yuh know how Trinis love a cooler).
@soulsistrin Awesome answers. Just FYI re picnic: Botanical Gardens picnic in POS solves your issues. Lovely greenery and open spaces, lots of shade from trees. Lopinot Estate is a similar vibe too if you don’t mind the drive, plus the historical site is a fun visit
I was thinking the Hollows but yeah either of those two work.
Sun: City night lights date or meadow picnic date (or both) and why?
I’ve never been on a picnic date (or any kind of picnic come to think of it), so I think that sounds nice, but it would have to be somewhere cool and shady cause you know how our sun is and you know my aversion to it. Plus no bugs ugh.
Milky way: If you could go back in time where and when would you go to? Why?
Oh ok so I typed out this long answer about being wary about changing things in your past and not knowing how it would change your future, but then I thought about something that changed my life forever when I was a young woman and I realised that it was the one thing that I can say for absolute certainty that had I known what would have happened I never would have gone there. That event changed my life profoundly in a very negative way. So if I could go back in time, it would be to that one particular night and I would have gone home instead of going where I went.
Shit no skip that I thought of something even better. It’s not about me. It’s about someone who died. And I wasn’t there and I don’t know if I could have prevented his death. But I had a feeling in my gut for months that something was wrong. And I never picked up the phone and called. It might have made a difference, it might not have (probably not) but I would have followed my instincts and at least called him. He might be alive today. And that is more important to me than sparing me from the thing that happened in the paragraph above.
Rose petals: Where do you want to be the most in the world and why?
Physically, I would like to be in a home that Chris and I built, together, that we own. It has been a dream of mine to have my own home forever. And I feel no closer to it now than when I first started dreaming about it.
And on another level… I want to be in a place in my life where I feel like some part of it is working. I am ready for a change.
bubble bath: do you have any routines before bedtime? like skin care, etc. what are they?
I usually clean my face with micellar water and apply whatever creams or lotions I’m using at the moment. These days I spend about half an hour in prayer and meditation before bed. It’s a recent thing but I find it very calming. Then if I’m not too tired I’ll read a bit before I fall asleep. Falling asleep always comes easy to me.
penthouse: what would you consider your dream home? describe it.
I always liked the idea of something with nice clean lines and open spaces. I cannot tolerate clutter so it would mean that it would have to have a lot of very organized storage where everything was just out of the way. I like wood and stone as accents, with softness provided by plush rugs, thick carpets, textured cushions. I like the idea of a neutral palette with pops of colour added by artwork and accessories. I like a well-lit home with cosy areas to retreat into for quiet time. And a large outdoor entertainment space is a must. I lived in a place with a rooftop terrace years ago and I’ve always aspired to have another one.
Thanks for the asks!
mistavybe replied to your post: “When are they gonna invent a self cleaning house? Come on science…”:
You can buy a robot sweeper thingie on Amazon… and one of those things that automatically spray the bathroom tiles every time you shower I guess? 🤔💁🏾♂️
Yeah I’ve looked into those but it only solves a small part of the problem. I just need a good cleaner who doesn’t steal.
A unicorn basically.
mistavybe replied to your post: “mistavybe replied to your post: “itsallaboutthejourney replied to your…”:
White men, either over 50 or under 30 lol. And then they’d have to run it by Chris Genner because she manages all them Kar-trash-ian girls… and obviously Chris (and prob a bevy of lawyers, agents, etc) approved because Kendall showed up to shoot it sooooo 🤷🏾♂️
Advertising is usually dominated by younger people (not young but younger) in my experience so I think it’s more a lack of diversity
mistavybe replied to your post: “itsallaboutthejourney replied to your link “Kendall Jenner’s New…”:
Hiring an ad agenxy may not help, given the fall out Nivea is currently dealing with over their horrendous “White is purity” ad 🙈 (Unless Nivea did that in house too).
I don’t know if they did but yeah that campaign is horrible. Who is making these awful decisions??
mistavybe mentioned you in a post
@ soulsistrin replied to your photoset…
“I have committed my life to fighting racism. Van Jones is acting the house nigger. Black people do not dare tell me I should not have used that word I was trying to DEFEND him!!! I’M AN ALLY!!!!!!!!!!!”
Yo. WYPIPO for reeeeaaaaaallllllll!
Yeah I’m not putting my bra size up on the internet, c’mon son
Probably not, I really can’t think of a good reason to
Nah, ours doesn’t have good acoustics.
You’re a witch?
You had to ask?
mistavybe replied to your post “Home”
I have always lived “in” the place I grew up in… I mean technically I live in the same “yard” (lot) in a totally separate (newer) building, but you get the idea. And I pretty much daily go to my actual childhood home a few steps away, same “yard” because my mom and my son live literally in my childhood home. My soon actually sleeps in the room I grew up in from birth to adulthood Super Trini of me, ent lol. Long story short i’ve had the same address all my life, wouldn’t have it any other way.
You’re very lucky
mistavybe replied to your post: “mistavybe replied to your post: “Ah yes, it’s that time of day when…”:
I have a theory that 99.9percent of all ad execs secretly had a dream that their were Creative supertars and are sonehow unaware that it was just a dream. They come up with dumbest ideas/additions/changes and are convinced they’re being brilliant even though their input sucks horribly. I’m always rolling my eyes like “you couldn’t cut it and that’s why they kicked you out of the garage band Jean-Paul – stop follow yourself for crissakes!” 🙄
Yup. Everyone wants to do the artist’s job and give creative input. They never know what they’re talking about either. UGH
mistavybe replied to your post: “Ah yes, it’s that time of day when you get feedback on the ad you’ve…”:
What you just described is exactly the reason I stopped doing commercial jingles a while back. Ad agencies suck and corporate reps suck even more and then when they get together they all suck infinitely worse smh. It’s like a creative’s equivalent to what mosquitoes must feel like when they’re trapped in a room full of bug spray smdh. Sending virtual hugs and support in your time of need 🤗
Well it would help if they’d send the ads to the client but they’re not even doing that they’re just picking at everything I’m so over this
mistavybe replied to your post: “I freelanced at an ad agency today and it just reminded me how much I…”:
I swear the hashtags in this post sound like the hook to a spanglish rap song in my head lol 😂
I was trying to write a whole verse but on line four I ran out of Spanish words for whore.
mistavybe replied to your post: “I made us chicken pot pies tonight. I covered them with my first ever…”:
Omg I haven’t had a poached egg since I was little. I legit forgot that was a thing lol
So what you’ve never had eggs Benedict as an adult???
mistavybe replied to your video “I loving this song so much this Carnival. Plus I adore the video. Look…”
Of course you would know Khafra Rudder. Of courseeee! Lmao smh
what dat supposed tuh mean lol
Omg! *Blushes and dies*
LOL! you are so silly
I feel like your remake of this might be the Trini-est pendant ever. I may need to own it lol
will definitely make you one then 🙂
mistavybe replied to your post: “pandoranora replied to your post “pandoranora:soulsistrin replied…”:
You have to be one the rare few ppl I know around my age who may have actually travelled more than me lol. Or at least as much, anyway.
It’s always been a big part of our family culture so very important to me yeah. We should compare notes 🙂
mistavybe
replied to your post “Panic”
Is this a unique experience or do you have a long history dealing with claustrophobia?
It wasn’t unique in that I have dealt with claustrophobia for a long time. But it’s never happened to me quite like that.
I have a motion detection light next to my side of the bed because darkness can sometimes bring on claustrophobia for me. Obviously confined spaces do the same.
What happened on the plane was that I was unable to straighten out my legs once the guy reclined and that brought it on and it just escalated from there. And I do have a thing with my legs being confined (I can’t have both feet under the covers if I’m in bed). It was a strange and scary experience but I guess I’ve found another trigger now so that’s good to know.
I pretty much taught myself how to cook, and I was single cooking for one up until recently, so a big meal for me is one for two people lol.
mistavybe replied to your post “Sometimes I wonder if all my close female friends are fucking crazy….”
I loled at this innapropirately loudly. I’m sure this has to be the same gf who got with your male friend… Reality show? Just suggesting lol.
It was her. I mean she fucked it up spectacularly. Went down in flames with explosions and fireworks. Think Hindenberg. And is now giving me passive aggressive sarcastic attitude when I gently suggested she *might* want to examine her thought patterns. Seriously I am so done.
Yup. Exactly that lol *stays under couch*
Yeah I figured. I get that reaction from men a lot when they find out I’m a Cap… get terrified and want to run away. *shrugs*
*waves and smiles while hiding under the couch*
W’happen a Capricorn mash yuh up or something?
Hahaha thank youuuuuu! Yes I’m a Cap through and through. Recovering from last night’s festivities!
mistavybe replied to your post “You gotta tell that story about performing CPR on a dolphin. Wtf?”
Damn. Crazy, sad story. Poor Abraham ��. Thanks for sharing (again). Now i’m wondering what other wondrous stories I missed… ��
My archives are there 🙂 go dig up
I’ve told it before but that was before we “met”.
So back in college I was walking through campus with my friend Philip one day, when we saw a flyer posted on a crowded bulletin board. There was a marine center at north campus and they had rescued a dolphin that they named Abraham. He was weak and sick and required 24/7 care because there was a possibility that he could drown. So they were asking for volunteers to work shifts to basically “babysit” him. There was a picture of him in a shallow open tank, indoors, with two handlers.
Philip and I thought it sounded interesting, so we called up and were given a shift the following Thursday. When the day came we were pretty excited. We took the long drive up to north Miami and talked about what we could expect.
We finally arrived at the marine center and got out of the car. There was no one there to greet us so we wandered around looking for some sort of direction. There was open water to our left. I’m not sure if it the bay or a river leading to the bay.
Facing the beach there was a small jetty on the left. Next to the jetty was an area probably about 100 square feet that was fenced in on three sides. The fencing extended into the water, and in that area were about three people who were supervising Abraham. He had apparently gotten healthy enough to swim in this larger, open space.
We both stood there for about five minutes watching. The water was dark so you couldn’t see Abraham, but the people with him seemed to have a good handle on him. We decided to take a walk to the marine center building to see if we could find someone in charge.
Suddenly out of nowhere we heard a commotion in the water. There was some shouting and a whole lot of splashing and the next thing we knew, Abraham shot up out of water into the air, his tail beating frantically. It looked like he was going to clear the fence. Instead he hit one of the pylons with a sickening thud, and then slid back into the water.
The three people in the water started diving underneath to find him. They became more and more desperate. Meanwhile Philip and I were just standing on the shore, frozen in shock.
One of the girls began yelling for help. It did not register to me that she meant me until she looked directly at me and screamed, “HEEEEEEEELLLLLLP!!!” at the top of her lungs.
As if in a trance, I felt my legs move as I waded into the water fully dressed. Once I was up to my neck I dove several times to see if I could find Abraham. He was swimming around in the enclosure at a pace. He had churned up all the sand at the bottom so the water was cloudy and we couldn’t see a thing. He swam past me once or twice and I could feel the immense power of his body.
Then he stopped swimming. Nobody felt any movement in the water. And our efforts to find him increased frantically because we knew that he could easily drown. At this point there were probably about ten people in the water. It was total chaos, people yelling, everyone trying to dive down to find him.
Finally someone located him near the bottom of the deeper end of the enclosure. We were able to pull him through the water up to a slanted concrete platform on the shore. It took about four of us to get it done, he was massive. And unconscious.
The guy who took command at that point told us what to do to help him perform CPR on Abraham. He first had to clear his blowhole which was filled with silt. Then we took turns turning his body from side to side while he tried to get air into Abraham’s lungs.
We did this for probably a couple of minutes until it became clear that Abraham was dead. We all crawled out of the water in a daze, crying.
I walked up to Philip who was still rooted to the ground in the same spot. I told him we were leaving. I didn’t want to stick around. I got in the car in my soaking wet clothes and drove back to south Miami. We said very little on the drive home.
mistavybe replied to your post “mistavybe replied to your post:
I seriously think…”
I’m still mad at Flow for charging me for decades of content they were pirating illegally and then having the audacity to have high ass prices and horrible customer service tbh. Even if you’re just going internet only, still switch, both Digi and Massy at the same MBPS (25, 60 etc) give you faster actual downloads and uploads than Flow inexplicably. I was shocked at how fast shit loaded on my ipad and laptop and phone when I switched. Flow is robbery!
Oh yeah the pirated cable we were paying for for YEARS was such bullshit. And yes their customer service is horrendous. I think we are now getting Digi in our neighbourhood so I am sure we will either switch to that or Massey for our internet service.
CANCEL FLOW NOWWW! Switching to Digi was the best thing I ever did. None of Flow’s issues, better picture quality, rewind and pause live tv, 200 hrs of DVR space, lower price, better customer service by far!!! I also know ppl who got Massy and are way happier than they were with Flow. Do itttttt!!!
We’re actually thinking of getting rid of cable altogether. We download everything anyway we rarely ever actually watch tv…might as well
mistavybe replied to your post: “Earthquake”:
I experienced this at home. My place is UPSTAIRS! Talk about friggin scary smh. Tfw you realise if the building falls you gonna die and there’s nothing you can do to change it 🙈. I’m ok now though. Was freaked out for a bit though.
I guess growing up in Venezuela made me used the them. I don’t get scared I just evaluate if I need to get out of the building or not.
replied to your post
Alot of Germans looooove Trinidad, Tobago, Soca and Carnival. Many of them visit both islands often and come
For Carnival every year etc. I’ve been to Germany for their KDK (basically German carnival parade) in Berlin and it’s of the best Carnivals i’ve been to tbh… Sooo it’s probably just a supply and demand thing ��
Well it wasn’t on the itinerary. We were invited to a wedding in Spain and the flight to Germany seems the most direct way to get there. Seeing as we may be choosing that route I think we might take a few days and explore anyway!
mistavybe replied to your post “mistavybe replied to your post:
mistavybe replied…”
You should write a book about your life. I’d read the the fuck out of that. If you need a co-author/editor, holla at ya boy! (You can pay me in chocolate cake) ��
I’ve heard this so many times before. Honestly I wouldn’t know where to start!
Bravo! And thanks for being so honest and vulnerable. I really appreciate you sharing. *hugs* ✊
Thank you for asking, and giving me to opportunity to make sense of it all 🙂
mistavybe replied to your post “no point”
May I ask what led to you being so passionate about your blackness? I only ask because as someone who physically presents as unquestionably “black” looking, i’ve always been curious what it’s like to look racially ambiguous and thus have somewhat of a choice on what to identify as… and how the process of identifying works in that case. For me, ppl take 1 look at my African features, and i’m black -that’s it. So I never felt like I had a choice I guess. Thus my curiousity. No offence intended ��
None taken.
Part of it had to do with my father. He was passionately pro-Black. My father, before he became a diplomat, was a teacher and I grew up among all of his teacher friends. They were in their 20′s and 30′s during the 60′s and 70′s, when the Black Power movement was in full swing. They were somewhat political and this was their identity.
Race wasn’t something heavily discussed in our home but my father made it very clear that he considered himself a Black man in this world. He was very ethically ambiguous and could easily pass for almost anything. But he was very adamant about his identity. My mother has always identified as mixed as is more Asian in ethnic heritage than anything else. I took my cues from my father as he was my primary intellectual role model.
Another part of it had to do with growing up in Venezuela. It’s a country with quite a bit of racial diversity and a relatively large population of people of African descent, partial or otherwise. But class and race follow colour lines there and the European-looking person is the ideal.
I went to an international school there so my classmates were from all over the world, but quite a few of them were Venezuelan/American. In general we all lived in a very privileged bubble within that country. For many of my classmates, their only real interaction with Black people would have been their maids. Many of them were casually racist, as were many Venezuelans in general. It wasn’t an active hating of Black people but rather a looking down on Blacks because they tended to be poor. Furthermore their ideas of Blacks outside of Venezuela was shaped completely by American movies and television. They had no other point of reference. Black was hood and gangsta.
Living in such a climate, where I was one of maybe five Black kids in my entire school, I made a very conscious choice to identify as Black. My classmates would say I was “Brown” and would exclude me from a category of people about whom they had very defined, often very negative ideas. So I was adamant that they should understand that Blackness was not confined to their narrow definition.
The third part of it has to do with my husband Chris, who is a phenotypically Black man. He is mixed, but doesn’t appear to be. And he is a dark skinned Black man to boot. I think I became a lot more aware of racial issues after I married him, only because I could no longer reside in my little bubble of racial ambiguity beside him. When you are mixed (and look it) you can perpetually be the “other” and in many ways you occupy a place of privilege. I have medium brown skin. I have what they call “good hair”. I have racially ambiguous features. I can be anything I want to be. No one in life has EVER defined me as Black. Not once. And for a lot of my life it was easy for me to draw a line between “them” and me, “them” being any racial group. But being married to Chris made me more aware of what life had to be like for him and people who look like him. And so when it came time to speak up, I spoke up for his side.
It’s still a conflicting thing for me, the defining myself racially. I make a choice because not making a choice leaves me nowhere. I choose Black because I do not connect with the other parts of me. I am not White. I don’t connect with Indian culture to say I’m part of it. I don’t connect with Chinese culture in that way either. What is left? Mixed race is not a social identity. It leaves me on the fringes of society politically. It’s not that I reject the fact that I’m mixed. I love it. I’m very proud of it. I love being a chameleon. But I feel in this world that we have to stand for something. And on socio-political issues, I stand proudly as a Black woman.
mistavybe replied to your post “Why do customers think a picture of your hand will be helpful to me…”
It’s probably because phones make it easy to take a hand/finger pic. But getting your ring size requires actual effort (going to a jeweller, or measuring etc). Ppl are lazy nowadays *shrug*
But I don’t understand the idea of sending me a picture of a hand! If I take a picture of your foot would I know your shoe size? NO!
FURTHERMORE the woman who suggested this today already knew the ring size. So what would be the point? Whaaaaaat???
Wow he’s a legend. Yuh family is big hefes lol
well just the one haha
Raoul Garib?
yes, with his thoughtless self lol
mistavybe replied to your post “I passed in by my uncle yesterday and the first thing he does is looks…”
Uncle Raoul not easy at all lol. Wda. Uncle Raoul need to learn some tact eh! Honestly though Trinis have no filter – they’re always commenting on ppls weight with no kind of empathy at all smh. Btw, is it pronounced “Rawll” or “Rah-oooh-ll”?
He always like that I doh take him on. He’s make my mom real mad tho lol.
Pronounced Rah-oool. Yuh might know who he is. He used to be a big masman back in the day.
mistavybe replied to your post “I find myself thinking a lot of fucked up shit about white people…”
Me too! Matter of fact, may I reblog this?
yeah
mistavybe replied to your post: “I bought some local honey on Saturday. For the past two years I’ve…”:
Local honey is the best. Now i’m craving pancakes (or crêpes) smothered in honey and a drizzle of lime 😩
Well that’s very specific. Sounds delish! Pancakes for breakfast!
mistavybe replied to your post: “I slept all afternoon and now I’m wide awake. What’s the Tumblr…”:
Welcome to the Night Realm. You’re welcome here even though you’re a DayWalker 😉
How dare you. I never go to sleep before midnight. *throws scarf over shoulder, flings hair and stalks off*
We both had steak. Mine came with these fancy mashed potatoes made with ricotta cheese that were basically the most delicious mashed potatoes I ever had. Also, guess who has stew chicken and macaroni pie today? Haha
mistavybe replied to your post “mistavybe replied to your post:
mistavybe replied…”
Thanks! Appreciate your candidness
was that being candid lol? anyway ok you’re welcome
Only one more question… how many citizenships do you have? I’d guess Swiss by birth and Trini through your folks? But better to ask then assume
Only Trini. Swiss citizenship is not granted at birth. It’s a convoluted thing… I’m not sure if the requirements have changed but at the time I was born your father had to be Swiss to grant you citizenship (how fucking sexist is that?). I am eligible for residency but like, I really don’t wanna live in Switzerland. My siblings are US citizens so I could apply for a green card from them but so far I haven’t been bothered.
mistavybe replied to your post “stuff”
Certain specific communities (*wink*) do have their kids go trick or treating in their neighbourhoods, but it’s def not part of mainstream Trini culture. Halloween parties and club nights are def a thing now though…
In other news: you lived in Miami? Detailed backstory please and thanks ��
Yes I just came from a lime and we decided that next year we’re going to throw a Halloween party because dammit I miss dressing up.
Yes I lived in Miami I went to college there. Ok I’m going to give the timeline of where I’ve lived cause I know getting it in snippets can be confusing:
Born in Switzerland. At age 6 mos. or so we moved to Guyana and came back to Switzerland when I was about a year old. At about two years old moved to Trinidad. Moved to Caracas when I was ten. Graduated from HS and moved to Miami for college. Finished college and decided (unlike siblings) to move back to Trinidad and have been here ever since… have eternal love/hate relationship with my island.
Any more questions?
mistavybe replied to your post: “mistavybe replied to your post: “surprise motherfucker”: I thought of…”:
I know the meme lol. But your hashtag got me thinking about what food you are… which is kinda fascinating tbh lol. Just to push your buttons i’m gonna change my answer though. I see you as a Mario’s Meat Lover’s pizza now 🍕😀
😒
mistavybe replied to your post: “surprise motherfucker”:
I thought of you more as a crépe or a crème brûlée tbh 🤔
Hmm. I’m more creme brûlée. But it’s a meme you know that right? From The Onion.
If you like Atlanta, i’d highly suggest you try HBO’s “Insecure” as well. It’s similarly “black” but not stereotypically or one-dimensionally black… and also hella funny
I downloaded the first episode but I haven’t watched it yet, I’ll check it out!
I find alot of British series do this well… Luther for instance. Also Merlin (the BBC series), if you’re into swords & sorcery, dragons, etc. I also kind of dig the integration of POC into the Elementary series (Sherlock Holmes in modern day NY premise) on CBS. I would list Atlanta as well but alot of ppl probably view that as a “black” show.
Oh yes Merlin is good for that…. I need to start back watching that. I fucking LOVE Atlanta but I do see it as a Black show. But man it is a GREAT show.
29. what’s the worst thing you have ever done?
You know, I’ve asked myself this question up until relatively recently. Nothing I’ve ever done has ever been that bad. But more importantly, as someone who a) was raised Catholic and b) grew up in my particular family, I grew up feeling guilty for breathing. So my life has been a long effort toward learning to have love, compassion, patience and understanding toward myself. So anything awful I may have done I don’t hold on to or continue to condemn myself for, so it’s hard for me to answer. But off the top of my head, I think shoving someone when I was angry is something I’ve done that I felt terrible about.
35. who is your celebrity crush?
Idris baby
86. what is your phone background?
It’s a simple purple gradient with what looks like bubbles rising up.
mistavybe replied to your post “mistavybe replied to your post:mistavybe replied to your…”
I mean… Kamla, Bas, Moonilal et al have said their fair share of offensive things. Just sans actual obscenity at least. Remember when Rowley was accused of rape? Or when Jack essentially said Kamla had drunken weed orgies? And Anil and the hookers and weed, then trying to assassinate his wife’s outside man! Fun times we livin in ��
Yeah we nuh backwards neither
Yeah. Anytime I hear or read the phrase “Grab her” i’m going to be triggered from now on. On the flip side, in like 10 or 20 years, we’ll be able to say “Remember when the Presidential candidate said ‘Grab her by the pussy’?”
Thank god it wasn’t Trinidad oui
replied to your post
As much as I’s love to hang out with you, Chris and Bekaboo… you totally lost me at salmon ��. Add back corn on the cob and maybe i’d be down lol. Unless the corn on the cob has butter on it like Americans do – that’s just gross lol.
you… don’t like salmon? What is the MATTER with you?
yes the corn has butter on it like Americans do I’m not exactly roasting it over a coal pot here.
Again… what is the MATTER with you?
ole creole
7: Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of a bees? Hm. Well I’m not allergic to bee stings so I most likely wouldn’t die from being attacked by a swarm of bees. I think I stand a better chance at surviving that than a bear attack. I mean what do you do? Play dead? Yell and make noise? Run? Climb a tree? I’ve had no training in bear attacks. I’ll take my chances with the bees.
29: Would you ever strip or pose nude in a magazine? Well I’ve posed nude for Gary (@trinilikesalt) and it appeared on the internet… does that count? I mean who reads magazines anymore anyway? Ok seriously… yeah I think if it were the right kind of project I might consider it.
56: Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid? Man, when I was a kid I just wanted to grow up to be happy. Seriously. I was a bit of a deep thinker and I remember coming to the conclusion that all I really wanted out of life was to be happy (I was about 7 when I had that deep thinking session with myself). I never could conceive of myself as an adult, doing job things and so on, so I never thought about that stuff. In my teens I wanted to be a commercial artist (I guess what would be a graphic designer now) or a lawyer. I did become a graphic designer and I still enjoy a good argument so I guess I did ok.
mistavybe replied to your post “I guess voting in Trinidad is a lot simpler (probably because it’s a…”
Also, our voting system is simpler. One person one vote, most votes win the seat, most seats win the election – The End. Our electoral college doesn’t get involved in swaying the actual numerological results. The whole electoral college vs actual votes by real ppl thing in the US is a source of fascination to me ��
It is for me too. I remember my teaching explaining it to us in middle school and our minds were all boggled by the idea that even if you had the most votes you could potentially still lose. It’s all so complicated.
mistavybe replied to your post: “My niece just started first grade. First grade. She was JUST…”:
My son just started University. I feel like an ancient fossil 😫
I’d say you are but that makes me one too.
mistavybe replied to your post “Chris went to a bamboo construction workshop today (well the first…”
Because, like, bamboo is, like, soooo trendy right know. Like omg, it’s literally, like, the latest, like, thing-ah! ����
Lol!
Actually? I think most of the people there were environmentalists. I mean I only thought about that part of it after Chris showed me the pictures cause the whole place is set of as an environmentally sustainable thing. There were other black people there too though lol he wasn’t alone.
mistavybe replied to your post: “mistavybe replied to your post: “mistavybe replied to your post:…”:
I probably got triggered because i’ve recently seen a lottttt of women online harping on all the negative things “men” do that are actually not gender specfic and generally held my tongue. But you’re right, my bad ☺️
Understandable. It’s all good. Plus yeah that’s tough
mistavybe replied to your post: “mistavybe replied to your post: “mistavybe replied to your post:…”:
You did say “some men” in your original post. Point taken 👍🏾👍🏾
Which is why I can’t understand why you kept harping on that. I would never make a statement like that.
mistavybe replied to your post: “mistavybe replied to your post: “womaninterrupted replied to your post…”:
Ok, but your circle of female friends is not all women though, right? Just as Chris’ friend (as classless as it might be) does not equal all men. That’s all I was trying to say. I feel like ppl atill try to ascribe certain behaviours to men or women as a whole group, instead of just saying “THIS guy” or “THAT woman” did such and such… 😳
I never said all men. I said some men and I was referencing that man specifically. I can only talk about my experience.
mistavybe replied to your post: “womaninterrupted replied to your post “staying out” Why do adults…”:
Most of my close friends over the years were female and i’ve heard women talk really explicitly among themselves about men the same way though… I don’t think it’s fair to peg on gender with that behaviour. I feel more like some maybe some ppl are just raw like that with ppl they consider their friends? 🤔
I also do not have any female friends who speak explicitly about their sex lives.
mistavybe replied to your post: “womaninterrupted replied to your post “staying out” Why do adults…”:
Most of my close friends over the years were female and i’ve heard women talk really explicitly among themselves about men the same way though… I don’t think it’s fair to peg on gender with that behaviour. I feel more like some maybe some ppl are just raw like that with ppl they consider their friends? 🤔
It had nothing to do with gender. I consider it to be tacky and classless regardless. In this case it happened to be a man.
mistavybe replied to your post “I made bank today at UpMarket. I was wrong about people being broke……”
Congrats! Well deserved ������������
mistavybe replied to your post “mistavybe replied to your post “mistavybe replied to your post:…”
Your genuine bewilderment and indifference is cracking me up lol. Ppl are indeed complicated… Perhaps you’ll hear his side eventually. Maybe he thought she was too eager to get serious quickly? I’m legit curious about what happened from his point of view now ��
No, he was really the one who was more enthusiastic about it, she was more measured and cautious. I don’t really care to be honest they’re grown people. I get the feeling he got ahead of himself and then started backing out. He could have handled it better though. Going silent on someone is a lame, immature way of dealing with things. It’s not like they were dating. He could have just told her… whatever was going on. But you know men, it’s not like communication is always y’all strong suit.
mistavybe replied to your post “mistavybe replied to your post: Pardon my cluelessness… But what’s…”
Ohhhh ok. I actually first thought you meant he smashed her and then disappeared �� Good thing I second guessed myself and asked for clarification lol. Hmmm I wonder what made him bolt like that since he started off all enthusiastic? ��
I can only guess. She told she felt he wasn’t over his last relationship. I have no idea. Cause he was the one pushing things. Who understands anybody yes?
soulsistrin 