New Home Design

Island living. I can't say it is perfect, but it is certainly challenging.

Tobago is a completely different culture, in terms of the people. They love their heritage and to a certain extent the older heads are still respected. While I live in the city, interestingly I prefer the country life here. In some parts, like L'Anse Fourmi, I am reminded of the stories my mom would tell me. She did not grow up in Tobago, but the simple living as a little girl growing up among boys, helps me to visualize how she lived in the 1960's Point Fortin.

L'Anse Fourmi is very quiet and a bit underdeveloped. The villagers are very close and on a Sundays it is endearing to take a walk and talk to some of the villagers there. Did you know that some of the eldest people in Tobago live in L'Anse Fourmi and Charlotteville. These are not rich folks, but they are wealthy in wisdom, health and experience.

Now you have a personal account of a Tobadadian (copyrighted). I might add that unless you have a taste for adventure, you would never really learn Tobago... you have to get up and get out!

I did another home. The idea stemmed from a recent disappointment and I had to channel that energy somewhere. It has some pretty unusual features and too many windows. Right now, we are living at a time where we need to have some sort of cooling system, or boiled alive. I call this design the Double-Tapper. First, I took too long to finish it (I did not even design the doors and put in a gate), secondly, I want to upgrade my current apartment design to maximize the space, I will post these soon.

Take a look below and tell me what you think!

I almost forgot, it has: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, living and dining, kitchen, washroom and storage, double parking, patio, and an office. I did not take much measurements but I estimate its about 2,300 sq ft.

Front

Back

Kitchen/Dining area and living room

Dining area and stairs to the bedrooms

Scene from bedroom 1

Bathroom 1 

Lisa Marie Bonapartte©2014

The Help

"You is smart…"

I am not a sucker for movies that feature even a spot of racism. It is sometimes too much to bear, especially when you feel it has hit too close to home, that it pierces your heart, because you are being discriminated for something you cannot change…YOU.

Initially, I refused to see The Help, because I thought "meh, another movie featuring 'mammies' who do you-know-what, trying to start trouble in a modern world where, racism has reared its ugly head even higher." The name-calling for one will not stop.  All you have to do is read the comments in some on-line articles: monkey, watermelon, fried-chicken, angry black woman… it just goes on and on… So this movie, I won't even hear of it, or pay my money to see it…

I was wrong.

I love it. 

It was funny, intelligent, tactful, brave, and it opened your eyes to what African-American people, particularly the women, what they had to go through. My sis was convinced it was fictional, this is debatable for me. It seemed too good to be so real! The actresses Viola Davis, plays the 'main help,' who has to face the injustice done to her son as he dies on her couch in the living room, as well as taking care of little white kids, and caring for them, trying to be 'professional,' a mother-for-hire, to them. Octavia Spencer plays a 'sassy-mouth help' who has some really marvelous experiences, one of which causes a scandal… or almost. Bryce Dallas Howard is really brave to take on the role as a beautiful racist, who lies to manipulate the suburban wives in her town, and succeeds, sometimes. 

There were some parts of the movie that made me cry. The story of Constantine Jefferson, expertly played by the classy Cicely Tyson, was heartbreakingly rendered. It is one of the most,  heart-squeezing moment. And, the recanting of the story of Aibileen Clark's (Viola Davis) son. And when Aibileen, was fired from her last job, I felt like I was witnessing my mother, something about that made me think of my mom for some reason, and I burst into more tears. The most hilarious, is Minni Jackson's (Octavia Spencer) chocolate pie incident. As well as her reaction on seeing  Celia Foote's (Jessica Chastain) hubby, offering to assist her.

Emma Stone played the budding journalist, Skeeter Phelan, who finally gains a jerk boy friend, and loses him again, due to the book. I almost did not recognize her, it was a great role for her, but she still seemed a bit fake, as though I could see that she was acting. And I found that, I should not see it.

Movie was directed by Tate Taylor and written by Kathryn Stockett.

9 stars out of 10. (You made my cry, twice)

P.S. the inclusion of Medgar Evers was well done, although, he is almost forgotten since I really don't know much about him, but I was familiar with his name, and I don't know why. i will look him up.

And congrats to Ms. Davis and Ms. Spencer, you both deserved those awards!!

2012©LisaMarieBonaparte

Not Sleeping

If you want to make things lighter look at my zany pictures to make you laugh. I took them during the day sometime ago with some crazy make up. Enjoy!

2011©Lisa Marie Bonaparte