Emancipation Day in Jamaica August 1

Tomorrow marks a day in Jamaica, which is observed as one of the greatest day in its nation. Emancipation Day is celebrated in many former British colonies in the Caribbean and on various dates in observance of the emancipation of slaves of African origin. Once a Spanish Colony back in 1655, It achieved its Independence from the British In August 6, 1962. After hundreds of years rule under the British, which blacks where brought from Africa to work on sugar plantations in the Carribean. On the night of  July 31, 1838,  Queen Victoria had sent out a royal decree declaring that as of midnight August 1, 1838 all slaves in her kingdom are free people. Thousands of slaves have gathered in town centers and in special church meetings. The Emancipation Proclamation is publicly read again at midnight.  Thousands climbed upon hilltops; many have climbed to the tops of trees to greet the dawn of their first day of freedom. The drumbeats, horn blowing, dancing and revelries carry on until the sun rises upon the dawn of their first day of freedom. But the abolishment of slavery didn't necessarily mean Jamaicans where free, it just meant they had  the right to move as they wish, the right to choose where and when they wished to work, but without basic education and training, many were compelled to remain on the plantation as field hands and tenants-at-will under conditions determined by the landlord, and for wages set by him. But, the forms slaves were just glad to be free. Emancipation Day is celebrated across the island with all-night vigils being held on the eve of Emancipation Day. These are conducted in churches and town squares throughout the island. At midnight there is drumming, pealing of bells, with celebrations continuing into the dawn of the First of August.

In Remembrance of Aurora Colorado

We definitely live in different times, from when I remembered as a kid. I remember a time, when you could go outside and play with my friends and leave your front door open, without a thought or concern of someone breaking in. Now in the aftermath of what took place this past Thursday. The world has changed drastically. We now live in a violent world.  We now have to warn our kids about possible dangers of the outside world, at our local malls, movie theatres, parks and etc. In the event of this bloody massacre, I took with me an important lesson and that is the gift of living life.We take life so much for granted and we have to remember that tomorrow isn't promise to anyone.We must be smarter and educate ourselves as well as the upcoming generations  about the cruelty of our world. In our teaching we must show them the presence of being more aware of whats going on around them. At any given time situation like these can show its ugly head. My prayers and thoughts with the families and victims of the Aurora community.

Wi Wonda Crew- Gunsan South Korea Part 2

Gunsan was a small town so getting around was not a problem. Every morning when I woke up, I would go for a jog around the city and try to get a feel of the atmosphere. I knew it was going to be an experience. One day which I will never forget, after blowing out a fuse while cutting my hair.  I decided to cut my hair at a local unisex shop. Half of my hair was bold, while the other side had an Afro. I was a little embarrassed when I walked in, but I though it was still a little funny. Not knowing much English  it was difficult to communicate with the owners in the store until I came across a young lady and a young man who where from the city of Seoul who spoke a little English that  happened to be in Gunsan for the weekend. I can tell that everyone in the shop was a little shocked seeing me there. I was a foreigner for one thing  and it wasn't too often they saw a 6' 3 black guy walk into their shop. They were extremely polite and inquisitive. They ask me everything from my profession to the reason why I was in the South Korea. I cracked a few jokes with them and did some American impersonation such as Chris Tucker and Micheal Jackson. The got a  big kick out of it. We took pictures and shared some cultural experiences the gentleman and the young lady who I met both agreed they would be my tour guide the rest of the time I was there. It was sad too, because from that time, I never saw them again, but I will never forget that time in the shop, because they were the first Korean people besides my driver that I spoke when I arrived there. They made a great impression on me and there culture. The rest of my time in Korea was awesome, from the farmers market to the the restaurants,  as we shopped at  the local grocery stores. Everywhere Changa and I went, we made most of our time. What was so amazing about the whole trip everywhere we went, kids would see us from a mile away and run up to us, giving us high fives, and speaking to us in English. The people in generally were extremely friendly and helpful.The woman on the other hand, gave me attention, everywhere I went they wanted to take pictures with me.They were taken by the fact I was so tall. I was even  asked if I played basketball. What I remembered the most were the parties the last night before I came back to the states,. Changa and I along with the Wi Wonda Crew, went out for a night on the town, we decided to go to an American/Korean like setting, where there were alot of foreigners there as well. I was in the mode to party as always, having a few drinks before arrival, I was well amped that night. The first song I heard, I made my way to the dance floor. I danced with whom ever came my way and I  grooved to whatever music was playing, whether American or Korean. I was dancing  and  I played darts and made some new friends in the process. We partied till the wi hours in the morning, until it was time to go home. It was the last night I was in Korea and the last time I got to hang out with the Wi Wonda Crew. It was a great time. I spent the night the same way I remembered it to this day. With fun and excitement. Thanks to the person I met on my travels Changa, my other counterpart, whom I held it down with in  Korea, made the trip  memorable. He taught me a few things that stuck with me. Example, nothing in this life is a sure thing, so whatever you want, you have to go out and get it, and whatever you want to do in this life, you have to be prepared for it. What I also learned was patience is a virtue, you most take the time to observe and reflect on times before you act on them. As my brother once told me in life, you have to be prep to rep and my journey made me realize that. Success is a great thing to aspire to, but having a plan is the skeleton of what makes it all possible.. My second book that I published was a blessings, and I needed more time to market. Having the opportunity to be here for my sisters graduation was even more  special and I don't know if I could of missed it and live with that decision, because family is the greatest gift that is given to us, so we must be there to support them. I am here now more focused than ever, but more confident and focus on my dreams. I have more of an idea of what I want to do in the near future. I'm not sure where to go from here at this moment. Maybe another trip is awaiting  or maybe I need some time to reflect and see what's out there, but I will  tell you this,  my life is surely getting better,  with each  passing experience I go through. The Wi Wonda Crew made me see that for myself. A short, but bitter sweet walk around South Korea was exactly what It was. In my short but bitter experience, I learn to be prepared when it comes to the task at hand, and also that in life nothing is guaranteed, so when the moment comes. Make every moment count. There is no telling if you will arrive to that moment again.

Wi Wonda Crew - Gunsan South Korea Part 1

Feb 26, Saturday morning when I arrived at the airport. It wasn't too long until I checked  my luggage in. I was a little anxious and didn't know what to expect, so I did what I knew best to calm my nerves. I looked for the nearest restaurant where I could  buy a few drinks,  half an hour later I was finally in chill mode. Two hours later the gates opened. My heart skipped a beat, It was time to go. The plane ride went by in a blurr, considering all the alcohol I consumed and all the wine I drank. I keep myself fairly occupied and entertained watching movies and sleeping. It took me a few hours later to actually realized that I had boarded the plane. A few hours into the ride I feel alseep. Eleven hours later I arrived. It was Monday evening Korean time. The chaotic airport painted a picture in my mind of how NYC was. After an half an hour of passing through customs. I found a near hotel in the city of Incheon, since the destination where I was staying was four hours away, it was best to stay the night there. The impression that I  got when I first  arrived in Korea were the people were very respectful and extremely polite. Every time you pass by someone they would greet you with a bow to you with respect and honor, something that was very common in Asian cultures.   Later that night, I met a young lady who happened to have traveled from the states, I introduced myself to her, as we talked about everything from foods, travels and our experiences. We decided to  talked over a good traditional Korean cooking of Gujeolpan and Sinseollo, at a nearby Korean restaurant. There was a moment that night that was  unforgettable, as we wondered around the city looking for someone who knew English to pin-point us to the nearest ATM machine. We were shivering in the freezing cold, and we didn't know anything The meal in the end was all worth it,  it was my  first time in my life I used chopsticks.  it was a bit of a challenge, like anything new, but the way the meal was prepared and served to us was definitely a cultural experience within itself with all kind of assortments of veggies, meats, noodles, rice, soups and other  side dishes.From that moment on  I knew I  was going to enjoy Korea. When I arrived in Korea, I met another Jamaica by the name of Changa Harris, who was also in Korea to teach ESL. Gunsan was about 3 and a half hours from the major city of Seoul, which was quite a distance from where we anticipated.  It reminded me of Brooklyn, where you had small shops and stores on every corner. Changa was a cool and mellow dude sort of like me, he enjoyed  the party vibes and he was a intelligent person,who always gave you something positive everyday to think about. We decided to go for a little walk around the Gunsan. Suggested, by Amber " Lets go for a wi wonder" meaning a short walk  down the hall from where I was staying in the Apartment building and when we met up daily we made sure that  Korean Soju(vodka) was our daily beverage. We played Jamaican music and discussed the possibilities of what could be in the upcoming months in Korea. A few days later we met  Aileen Ryan, Amber Bergman and Matt Milne, which  was our little click we formed there. Matt was from  South Africa,  He was into music and everything that was associated with vibes and fun. What I liked about him was his enthusiasm for everything, he was always game. He was really down to earth and a very exciting individual. He loved music and he was also in Korea to teach English and spread his love of music through his band. Then there was Aileen she was from New Zealand, but born in the states. She associated herself with being more of a foreigner.She was very polite and friendly. She is  from mixed heritage of Japanese and Caucasian. it was her first time teaching English abroad and she loved to connect to the Asian culture Then there was Amber, she was a party girl also from New Zealand, who came to teach English as well. She was an extrovert who like to have fun and meet different kinds of people. We all met at a hotel one morning, while having breakfast.  Changa was the first to meet the ladies the night before, as we were making the best of the time at the hotel getting acquainted. After an hour getting to know each other, one of the ladies suggested for us to go on a short walk, which I later adapted, because I thought it best represented who we were. We went by a nearby park in Gunsan. We went by the river front and took pictures of sautes and monument at the park, while we  shared our experiences and heritage. That was how the Wi Wonda Crew was formed.

Record breaking lego tower in Seoul South Korea

Let The Games Begin!!!

The world's tallest lego tower with more than 50,000 bricks stands in front of Seoul's Olympic Stadium. The lego tower measuring 31.9 meters took five days to build and broke the previous record set in France at 31.6 meters

One Man's Quest to Be Penniless

In these times of  economical hardships, many are dealing with the problems of not having  money, or jobless in their own way, but here's a man who took it on himself to do the unthinkable. Daniel Suelo has no job and no bank account and is happy being broke, but many of you are wondering? Many of you think this person is out of his mind. He decided to go his own route in 2000 while many think he is a litte bit bizarre. He notes that he is a man that enjoys his own freedom of  not having to dealing with the stress of everyday life. He recently published a book in March, called The Man Who Quit Money. He credits the idea of his book, based on financial crash of 2008, and the question of why people value money. Here's a video I found of him, revealing how he goes about his daily life.. Enjoy!!! 

The Art And Life Of Bob Marley Documentary 2012

Thirty-one years ago, the world lost a legend now the legend lives!! In his latest Documentary, The Art and Life of Bob Marley. From comments, reflections, and moments from his family, friends and those who knew him, we  get to understand his mystic nature and what made him one of the most influential persons of our time. Through his music and message, we get a glimpse to the uniqueness of why Bob Marley still lives on... Enjoy the trailer !!!