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Jan 03, 2010 at 09:01 PM
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Sexy Bajan singer, Rihanna, went home for a Caribbean Christmas this past weekend.
The Grammy-winning singer was spotted out in Barbados on Saturday, December 27th rocking a sexy pink two-piece swimsuit. She strolled the beach shore and took a boat ride around the island.
Later, she joined her friends at a bar on the beach.
It has been a hectic yet remarkable year for the singer who has managed to overcome the abusive relationship with Chris Brown to releasing an album that has done phenomenally well this year. Her album Rated R made the top five in the US and she now has twelve million record sales under her belt.
On her website, she wished all of her fans happy holiday, noting: `To all my fans, thank you for being amazingly supportive and loyal this year… Happy Holidays to you and your families.`
The Grammy-winning singer was spotted out in Barbados on Saturday, December 27th rocking a sexy pink two-piece swimsuit. She strolled the beach shore and took a boat ride around the island.
Later, she joined her friends at a bar on the beach.
It has been a hectic yet remarkable year for the singer who has managed to overcome the abusive relationship with Chris Brown to releasing an album that has done phenomenally well this year. Her album Rated R made the top five in the US and she now has twelve million record sales under her belt.
On her website, she wished all of her fans happy holiday, noting: `To all my fans, thank you for being amazingly supportive and loyal this year… Happy Holidays to you and your families.`
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While many across the Caribbean Diaspora and the Caribbean region may be happy to bid adieu to 2009, the year of the giant recession, there is no doubt that this passing year held as many high points as low points for the region.
CaribWorldNews presents its top picks of 2009:
Best News Of 2009
By far, the best news of 2009 was the performance of Jamaican Usain Bolt and several other top Caribbean athletes, who dominated at the Berlin games in June. Bolt broke his own 100 and 200 metres Olympic records in Berlin and, along with his teammates, won the 4x100 metres relay.
Top Caribbean Humanitarian Of 2009
Haitian singer Wyclef Jean for his ongoing commitment to his homeland through his Yele Haiti Foundation.
Top Caribbean Moment
U.S. President Barack Obama and Queen Elizabeth II`s visit to Trinidad & Tobago for the April Organization of American States and the November Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit, respectively.
Top Political News Of 2009
1: The release of the final group of `Grenada 17` prisoners on September 4th.
2: The election of Caribbean American Jumanee Williams in September to replace St. Vincent and the Grenadines-born City Councilman, Dr. Kendall Stewart, in the New York City Council.
Worst Scandal Of 2009
The arrest of the once mighty and respected, R. Allen Stanford, for running a giant Ponzi scheme through the Antigua-based Stanford International Bank.
Major Movement of 2009
The Introduction of the Caribbean Count bill in the U.S. Congress and Senate that calls for a Caribbean origins category on future U.S. Census forms. The proposal was advocated for by pioneering organization, CaribID and partners and introduced by Caribbean Congresswoman Yvette Clarke in April and Senators Chuck Schumer and Kristin Gillibrand in May.
Shocking News Of 2009
1: The February 8th domestic abuse of Bajan-born singer Rihanna.
2: Death of singer Michael Jackson on June 25, 2009.
3: The deportation of Rapper Shyne to his native Belize.
4: The December 10th arrest of Jamaican-born reggae singer Buju Banton in Florida on cocaine charges.
Troubling News Of 2009
1: Decline in Tourist Arrivals all across the Caribbean and the British Airport Tax of 2009.
2: Refusal of the Obama administration to grant Haitians temporary protected status despite repeated pleas and the fact that Obama`s political director is Haitian American Patrick Gaspard.
3: Swine flu across the Caribbean that scared many and led to several deaths.
Come Back News Of 2009
The West Indies cricket performance in last two Australia tests in early December.
Miracle of 2009
No deaths on an American Airlines plane that crashed in Kingston, Jamaica on December 22, 2009.
Most Heartwarming Story of 2009
The December 2009 granting of a green card to a widow of the 2003 Staten Island Ferry Crash after years of facing deportation.
CaribWorldNews presents its top picks of 2009:
Best News Of 2009
By far, the best news of 2009 was the performance of Jamaican Usain Bolt and several other top Caribbean athletes, who dominated at the Berlin games in June. Bolt broke his own 100 and 200 metres Olympic records in Berlin and, along with his teammates, won the 4x100 metres relay.
Top Caribbean Humanitarian Of 2009
Haitian singer Wyclef Jean for his ongoing commitment to his homeland through his Yele Haiti Foundation.
Top Caribbean Moment
U.S. President Barack Obama and Queen Elizabeth II`s visit to Trinidad & Tobago for the April Organization of American States and the November Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit, respectively.
Top Political News Of 2009
1: The release of the final group of `Grenada 17` prisoners on September 4th.
2: The election of Caribbean American Jumanee Williams in September to replace St. Vincent and the Grenadines-born City Councilman, Dr. Kendall Stewart, in the New York City Council.
Worst Scandal Of 2009
The arrest of the once mighty and respected, R. Allen Stanford, for running a giant Ponzi scheme through the Antigua-based Stanford International Bank.
Major Movement of 2009
The Introduction of the Caribbean Count bill in the U.S. Congress and Senate that calls for a Caribbean origins category on future U.S. Census forms. The proposal was advocated for by pioneering organization, CaribID and partners and introduced by Caribbean Congresswoman Yvette Clarke in April and Senators Chuck Schumer and Kristin Gillibrand in May.
Shocking News Of 2009
1: The February 8th domestic abuse of Bajan-born singer Rihanna.
2: Death of singer Michael Jackson on June 25, 2009.
3: The deportation of Rapper Shyne to his native Belize.
4: The December 10th arrest of Jamaican-born reggae singer Buju Banton in Florida on cocaine charges.
Troubling News Of 2009
1: Decline in Tourist Arrivals all across the Caribbean and the British Airport Tax of 2009.
2: Refusal of the Obama administration to grant Haitians temporary protected status despite repeated pleas and the fact that Obama`s political director is Haitian American Patrick Gaspard.
3: Swine flu across the Caribbean that scared many and led to several deaths.
Come Back News Of 2009
The West Indies cricket performance in last two Australia tests in early December.
Miracle of 2009
No deaths on an American Airlines plane that crashed in Kingston, Jamaica on December 22, 2009.
Most Heartwarming Story of 2009
The December 2009 granting of a green card to a widow of the 2003 Staten Island Ferry Crash after years of facing deportation.
The West Indies Under-19 team left Barbados on Thursday night, confident of doing well at the upcoming International Cricket Council’s World Cup in New Zealand. Speaking ahead of the team’s departure, coach Andre Coley said he is backing his charges will do very well and make Caribbean fans proud. He added that the team would be going all-out to win the title.
“Overall we have a very a good allround team. We have players with the ability to perform at this level and win matches. The main strength of this side, however, is the team unity and self-belief. The players play for each other and they are a mentally strong group of young men. I am satisfied with mental approach -- the way they approach the game and the way they approach pressure situations. At the moment the players are thinking about their contribution to the team and the overall team goals. We have a positive vibe in the camp,” said Coley, a former Jamaica and West Indies Under-19 wicket-keeper.
“The West Indies have never won at this level before, we were runners-up before in Bangladesh in 2006, so winning the World Cup would be huge. There is a lot of buzz in the West Indies now following the performances of the senior team in Australia before Christmas and a tournament win by the Under-19s would be fantastic. It would be good a return for the boys for the hard work they have put in.”
The Windies will arrive in Auckland on January 2 and travel to Tauranga for a camp ahead of the ICC World Cup. During the camp they will have warm-up matches against the Northern Districts
"A” Team. They will then have official tournament warm-up matches against Ireland and Australia in Christchurch and Lincoln.
The West Indies have been drawn in Group D in the opening round of the tournament and will face Pakistan (Friday, January 15), Bangladesh (Sunday, January 17), and Papua New Guinea (Tuesday, January 19) at Fitzherbert Park, at Palmerston North near to the city of Napier. The two top teams will move on to the Cup phase and the bottom two will play in the Plate.
FULL SQUAD: Andre Creary (captain), Yannick Ottley (vice captain), Jermaine Blackwood, Nelson Bolan, Kraigg Brathwaite, John Campbell, Yannic Cariah, Akeem Dewar, Shane Dowrich (wicket-keeper), Nicholson Gordon, Trevon Griffiths, Jason Holder, Keon Joseph, Evin Lewis, Jomel Warrican.
MANAGEMENT: Omar Khan (manager), Andre Coley (coach), Roddy Estwick (assistant coach), C.J Clark (physiotherapist)
“Overall we have a very a good allround team. We have players with the ability to perform at this level and win matches. The main strength of this side, however, is the team unity and self-belief. The players play for each other and they are a mentally strong group of young men. I am satisfied with mental approach -- the way they approach the game and the way they approach pressure situations. At the moment the players are thinking about their contribution to the team and the overall team goals. We have a positive vibe in the camp,” said Coley, a former Jamaica and West Indies Under-19 wicket-keeper.
“The West Indies have never won at this level before, we were runners-up before in Bangladesh in 2006, so winning the World Cup would be huge. There is a lot of buzz in the West Indies now following the performances of the senior team in Australia before Christmas and a tournament win by the Under-19s would be fantastic. It would be good a return for the boys for the hard work they have put in.”
The Windies will arrive in Auckland on January 2 and travel to Tauranga for a camp ahead of the ICC World Cup. During the camp they will have warm-up matches against the Northern Districts
"A” Team. They will then have official tournament warm-up matches against Ireland and Australia in Christchurch and Lincoln.
The West Indies have been drawn in Group D in the opening round of the tournament and will face Pakistan (Friday, January 15), Bangladesh (Sunday, January 17), and Papua New Guinea (Tuesday, January 19) at Fitzherbert Park, at Palmerston North near to the city of Napier. The two top teams will move on to the Cup phase and the bottom two will play in the Plate.
FULL SQUAD: Andre Creary (captain), Yannick Ottley (vice captain), Jermaine Blackwood, Nelson Bolan, Kraigg Brathwaite, John Campbell, Yannic Cariah, Akeem Dewar, Shane Dowrich (wicket-keeper), Nicholson Gordon, Trevon Griffiths, Jason Holder, Keon Joseph, Evin Lewis, Jomel Warrican.
MANAGEMENT: Omar Khan (manager), Andre Coley (coach), Roddy Estwick (assistant coach), C.J Clark (physiotherapist)
Avatar has become the fastest movie ever to achieve $1bn (£625.6m) in ticket sales around the world.
Distributors 20th Century Fox say it has earned more than $350m (£217m) in the US and more than $670m (415m) in the rest of the world in only 17 days.
The 3D science fiction blockbuster was directed by James Cameron, who also made Titanic, the best selling movie of all time.
The latest figures make Avatar already the fourth-biggest film ever made.
Ahead of it are Titanic ($1.8bn; £1.1bn), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King ($1.12bn; £695m) and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest ($1.07bn; £664m).
Avatar - about a disabled marine who infiltrates a race of giant blue aliens - combines live action with digitally-enhanced performances.
It was reportedly the most expensive film ever made, with a budget of at least $300m (£186m).
Expensive tickets
"This is like a freight train out of control," said 20th Century Fox distribution executive Bert Livingston. "It just keeps on going."
"I think everybody has to see Avatar once, even people who don't normally go to the movies, they've heard about it and are saying, 'I have to see it'," he said. "Then there are those people seeing it multiple times."
Avatar has now reached most parts of the globe. It opened in China on Saturday and is due to reach Italy - its final market - on 15 January.
The huge box office takings are partly down to the higher cost of tickets for 3D performances, says the BBC's Peter Bowes in Los Angeles.
But with Hollywood entering its traditional slow season, with few big films due for release, Avatar is likely to dominate the box office for several more weeks, he adds.
Distributors 20th Century Fox say it has earned more than $350m (£217m) in the US and more than $670m (415m) in the rest of the world in only 17 days.
The 3D science fiction blockbuster was directed by James Cameron, who also made Titanic, the best selling movie of all time.
The latest figures make Avatar already the fourth-biggest film ever made.
Ahead of it are Titanic ($1.8bn; £1.1bn), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King ($1.12bn; £695m) and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest ($1.07bn; £664m).
Avatar - about a disabled marine who infiltrates a race of giant blue aliens - combines live action with digitally-enhanced performances.
It was reportedly the most expensive film ever made, with a budget of at least $300m (£186m).
Expensive tickets
"This is like a freight train out of control," said 20th Century Fox distribution executive Bert Livingston. "It just keeps on going."
"I think everybody has to see Avatar once, even people who don't normally go to the movies, they've heard about it and are saying, 'I have to see it'," he said. "Then there are those people seeing it multiple times."
Avatar has now reached most parts of the globe. It opened in China on Saturday and is due to reach Italy - its final market - on 15 January.
The huge box office takings are partly down to the higher cost of tickets for 3D performances, says the BBC's Peter Bowes in Los Angeles.
But with Hollywood entering its traditional slow season, with few big films due for release, Avatar is likely to dominate the box office for several more weeks, he adds.
And there might be a good reason to drink up, particularly for those suffering from high blood pressure.
The drink from the mauby bark is quite popular in many Caribbean countries.
For generations, folk medicine practitioners have claimed all sorts of health benefits of mauby.
For generations, folk medicine practitioners have claimed all sorts of health benefits of mauby.
Some claim it is an aphrodisiac and that it might help for arthritis, for example.
Now a new study appears to give support to an earlier one that mauby might be useful in lowering blood pressure.
It was conducted by Trinidad-born Kwame Amin, a student at The City University of New York's Borough of Manhattan Community College.
"Folk remedies are popular there," says Trinidad-born Kwame Amin, a second-semester science major at BMCC.
"If you've got a health issue, people will always say, 'Drink this, eat that.'"
Kwame Amin's study was conducted on California blackworms, whose physiological responses are easy to observe with a microscope.
But the findings were consistent with the Trinidad study which was conducted on hypertensive patients.
"There was a distinct lowering of their pulse rate, just as the Trinidadian doctor had reported in humans," Amin says. "Our findings were consistent with his."
Mr Amin's work won him the first prize at this year's Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students in the United States.
So what’s mauby?
The drink is made from the bark, and sometimes fruit, of the mauby tree.
Also known as mavi in Puerto Rico, and mabi in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, it is made with sugar and the bark and/or fruit of certain species of the mauby tree, a small tree native to the northern Caribbean and south Florida.
Recipes usually include other spices as well, aniseed being very common.
Haiti and the Dominican Republic are two of the largest Caribbean exporters of the bark and leaves.
Often the drink is fermented using a portion of the previous batch, while sometimes it is consumed unfermented.
Mauby is often bought as a pre-made syrup and then mixed with water (sparkling or still) to the consumer's taste, but many still make it themselves at home.
Its taste is initially sweet, somewhat like root beer, but changes to a prolonged but not astringent bitter aftertaste. To many it is an acquired taste.
There are several varieties mauby commercially available in Jamaican, Trinidad and Tobago and St Vincent and the Grenadines.
The drink from the mauby bark is quite popular in many Caribbean countries.
For generations, folk medicine practitioners have claimed all sorts of health benefits of mauby.
For generations, folk medicine practitioners have claimed all sorts of health benefits of mauby.
Some claim it is an aphrodisiac and that it might help for arthritis, for example.
Now a new study appears to give support to an earlier one that mauby might be useful in lowering blood pressure.
It was conducted by Trinidad-born Kwame Amin, a student at The City University of New York's Borough of Manhattan Community College.
"Folk remedies are popular there," says Trinidad-born Kwame Amin, a second-semester science major at BMCC.
"If you've got a health issue, people will always say, 'Drink this, eat that.'"
Kwame Amin's study was conducted on California blackworms, whose physiological responses are easy to observe with a microscope.
But the findings were consistent with the Trinidad study which was conducted on hypertensive patients.
"There was a distinct lowering of their pulse rate, just as the Trinidadian doctor had reported in humans," Amin says. "Our findings were consistent with his."
Mr Amin's work won him the first prize at this year's Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students in the United States.
So what’s mauby?
The drink is made from the bark, and sometimes fruit, of the mauby tree.
Also known as mavi in Puerto Rico, and mabi in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, it is made with sugar and the bark and/or fruit of certain species of the mauby tree, a small tree native to the northern Caribbean and south Florida.
Recipes usually include other spices as well, aniseed being very common.
Haiti and the Dominican Republic are two of the largest Caribbean exporters of the bark and leaves.
Often the drink is fermented using a portion of the previous batch, while sometimes it is consumed unfermented.
Mauby is often bought as a pre-made syrup and then mixed with water (sparkling or still) to the consumer's taste, but many still make it themselves at home.
Its taste is initially sweet, somewhat like root beer, but changes to a prolonged but not astringent bitter aftertaste. To many it is an acquired taste.
There are several varieties mauby commercially available in Jamaican, Trinidad and Tobago and St Vincent and the Grenadines.
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