Anyone in Trinidad and Tobago

[Mommy2anangel]

or from there???

Wanting to talk to other moms from there :)

[revolucionaria]

bless up! i am not myself a trini but i have been there several times, married a trini, had 2 children and am planning our first family trip "back home" in a few months. so while i cannot share much by way of being raised there, i can chat general trinidad love! are you in trinidad now? which part? when i went in the past before meeting my husband i was in st joseph, his whole family is in paramin, where i have never been but will be staying when we go. when we go my children will be meeting their great great grandmother (my mother in law's g-ma). its pretty exciting.

things i miss about trinidad:

doubles
doubles
doubles
corn soup
roti
buss up shut
pelau
palouri
you can tell i love the food, ent?
going to a nice reggae bashment (if my family is okay to stay with my kids i can actually go out for the first time in 5 years)
how everyone greets one another
the fabric stores!
friday night hearing the binghi chanting from bobo hill in st joseph
swimming in morang

when we go i will be making my first trip to tobago. do you know it well or have any recommendations? i hope to rent a small place and just stay on the beach for 4 or 5 days.

anyway, off to shovel my car out of 5 more inches of snow. sigh. hope to hear back from yeh, sis.

~revo

[Calidris]

I'm here, have lived here for a big part of my life. Good to see others here, I have been looking for Trinis on MDC for ages :D

[Bloomingstar]

not in T&T but in Brooklyn, married to a Trini, and just came back from Carnival a few weeks ago :D I spend a great deal of my time with friends and others from T&T. :wave

[trinimommy]

Bloomingstar I am jealous you went to carnival.

I am so vex I missed it! :(

I am expecting in May...well it wasn't until carnival Friday that I sold my costume!!!! :irked: Yes I am still vex!!!! LOL

I was born in Brooklyn from Trini parents and as they say I am Trini 2 de bone!!!!!!

revolucionaria you need to learn to cok all dem foods that you like...Naparima Girls cookbook is a good place to start! :thumb

Glad I found allyuh here..lets be sure to keep this thread going :D

[revolucionaria]

revolucionaria you need to learn to cok all dem foods that you like...Naparima Girls cookbook is a good place to start! :thumb

i actually just found shadow beni at the asian corner store the other day, and where i live there are not a lot of caribbean people, so that was a big score! so i made a mean dal that was too spicy for my children. i tried sucking the sauce off the potatoes for my son but he couldnt take it.

trinimommy, i do cook with trini flair, i would say, but even following recipes or cooking (from what i can tell) exactly like my husband, nothing turns out quite right. it still tastes good, and all the people who havent tasted the real thing think it is excellent, but i know better... its the doubles and roti skin that i cant get right. but my mother in law usually just buys a bunch when she is home and brings them back to us. nothing like the real ting :) i'll check out that cookbook, though, thanks.

[Calidris]

yeah, doubles really are not too difficult. We tried recently and were surprised how well they turned out. (Naps cookbook :))


And if you're looking at Tobago, there is a great website www.mytobago.info that reviews pretty much every hotel and guesthouse on the island. If you are looking for a nice, quiet few days Castara or Charlotteville are the way to go. If you want more society and a bit of nightlife, the southwest/Crown Point are better.

[Bloomingstar]

The first time I went to Tobago I saw my MIL's Naparima Girls' Cookbook and I really wanted to run off with it! :innocent I should just order it online. My husband is an excellent cook. Charlotteville has one of the most beautiful beaches ever--Pirate's Bay. There's this looooong staircase down to the beach.

Carnival was great! It was my first Carnival in T&T. I am from New Orleans so I grew up with Mardi Gras and I have done the Brooklyn Carnival thing, and Miami Carnival but...NONE OF THAT COMPARES!!! I played Man-O-War in Island People and I had a time. My husband wants to band hop and try playing with Tribe next year--we'll see. We may not make it back until 2010 if I am not pregnant right now or in a month, and even then it's a crapshoot.

[trinimommy]

The first time I went to Tobago I saw my MIL's Naparima Girls' Cookbook and I really wanted to run off with it! :innocent I should just order it online. My husband is an excellent cook. Charlotteville has one of the most beautiful beaches ever--Pirate's Bay. There's this looooong staircase down to the beach.

Carnival was great! It was my first Carnival in T&T. I am from New Orleans so I grew up with Mardi Gras and I have done the Brooklyn Carnival thing, and Miami Carnival but...NONE OF THAT COMPARES!!! I played Man-O-War in Island People and I had a time. My husband wants to band hop and try playing with Tribe next year--we'll see. We may not make it back until 2010 if I am not pregnant right now or in a month, and even then it's a crapshoot.

Yes there is nothing on earth like Trini carnival.

I am a Tribe girl...I love it...my section this year was supposed to be Black Magic...I am still sad I had to part with my costume :( . I am already trying to organize somebody to watch my two so I could get in meh mas next year...I will be too sad if I miss it again. :(

That cookbook is de best thing ever...I luv it!! I got mine a few years back while in Trini...but you can definitely order it online also. :thumb

Revolucionaria...shouldn't be too hard to get the shaodw beni...it's also known as culantro and most veggie markets should have it...

I haven't gotten the roti thing down yet either...my grandmother is the best at it...doubles is a next thing I need to try my hand at...

I made some currants rolls a few months ago though and was absolutely amazed how well it came out...YUM!!!!

[Calidris]

Hey trinimommy, I was reading your blog...try this to convert youtube videos to mp3s http://www.flv2mp3.com/flv-to-mp3.html
(I already did the one in your post (as a test :)) so if you are getting problems PM me your email address and I'll send you it)

[trinimommy]

Hey trinimommy, I was reading your blog...try this to convert youtube videos to mp3s http://www.flv2mp3.com/flv-to-mp3.html
(I already did the one in your post (as a test :)) so if you are getting problems PM me your email address and I'll send you it)

Thank you so very much for this...greatly greatly appreciated...I had replyed this thanks previously but then mdc went down...anywho...I used this and converted a few riddim videos and made my CD...you don't know how much you are appreciated :thumb


Also, I would love if you mommies would join us over here http://www.phatjamzentertainment.com/forum/index.php?board=18.0

Just another set of viewpoints...would love your contributions on some topics.

[Calidris]

glad you got it in time trinimommy :)

[dex_millie]

Just saying hi, I am not trini, but my husband is from there (I am from the USVI). We are coming down there July 25 for a family reunion.

[dex_millie]

Oh...If anyone from Trinidad can let me know of a nice cheap decent place to rent for time I am down there 25th July to 4th August let me know. Dh is thinking it maybe better to stay someplace else because we have a toddler now. Last time we stayed my his cousin. She is newly married now. He likes around Shagaunas area but I sure anywhere decent would do if we are relying on price.

[Bloomingstar]

trinimommy did you get your costume organized for next year yet? I heard Tribe sold out pretty fast. I'm pregnant :joy: so I won't be there for carnival again til 2010. I'm not even bothering to go out on the Parkway in Brooklyn this year either.

thought I'd try to revive this thread!

[trinimommy]

trinimommy did you get your costume organized for next year yet? I heard Tribe sold out pretty fast. I'm pregnant :joy: so I won't be there for carnival again til 2010. I'm not even bothering to go out on the Parkway in Brooklyn this year either.

thought I'd try to revive this thread!

Yes girl...I am registered in tribe!

Congrats on your new bundle. I missed 2k8 and had to sell my costume carnival Friday because of de belly (cries again). Took my munchkin and my princess to Miami carnival this year. I hope all works out for 2k9. Wines waist. :joy:

[trinijones]

Hi I just joined this group. I am from Trinidad

[Bloomingstar]

Yes girl...I am registered in tribe!

Congrats on your new bundle. I missed 2k8 and had to sell my costume carnival Friday because of de belly (cries again). Took my munchkin and my princess to Miami carnival this year. I hope all works out for 2k9. Wines waist. :joy:

Thanks! I still have a couple months to go :o and of course a part of me is still quietly wondering how we can make it to T&T for 2k9 but I know that is madness :eyesroll

[fridgeart]

Hello!
MIL lives in Claxton Bay (1 hr from Port of Spain) and would like us to come and visit. We're excited but wondering about a few things, Our plan is to spend 1 week in Tobago and a few days at her ashram.

1. We haven't vaxxed our kids (2 mos ds, 3 yrs dd). How real are the threats of dengue, tb, diptheria, yellow fever, typhoid, etc? The 3 YO we would vax with anything necessary (was going to do hep a), but the 2 month old...not so much.

2. Can you recommend anywhere in Tobago to stay? Ideally we'd like something with a kitchen, close to a beach/amenities, mellow and safe...

3. Any other advice for our family? We're going in mid-December.

Thanks mamas!

[Calidris]

Hello!
MIL lives in Claxton Bay (1 hr from Port of Spain) and would like us to come and visit. We're excited but wondering about a few things, Our plan is to spend 1 week in Tobago and a few days at her ashram.

1. We haven't vaxxed our kids (2 mos ds, 3 yrs dd). How real are the threats of dengue, tb, diptheria, yellow fever, typhoid, etc? The 3 YO we would vax with anything necessary (was going to do hep a), but the 2 month old...not so much.

Thanks mamas!

wrt to vax:

there is no vax for dengue, it is a real threat, but by December the rainy season should be ending or over and the mosquito issue less. As long as you have mosquito nets to sleep under you should be ok. You will need to think about something where the baby can nap safe from mosquitoes in the day, if you are getting a play pen of any sort see if you can get a play yeard specific net up there still. Otherwise get you family here to buy a normal net to cover the playpen. Bring light long pants things for the toddler for evening time, to keep the mosquitoes off without making him (her?) feel too hot.

Depending on the area Claxton Bay might have a lot of mosquitoes. If there is dengue in the area at the time, your family will probably know.

Diptheria is on the routine vax list here, I have never heard of a case of it. TB is mainly found among people with HIV and is not a general population risk, it is not on the routine vax list. Yellow Fever is a minor risk if you are going into the forested areas in the south-east of the island (not likely unless you are doing scientific (or oil related) research :lol ). It's reservoir species is the Howler Monkey, and you won't see them on Claxton Bay :) ).
I have never heard about typhoid here.

A 4 month old here would not have had the yellowfever shot yet.

So in summary, if you are comfortable with not vaxxing where you are, don't worry about it here :D

[Calidris]

when I have time later I will address your other questions :)

[fridgeart]

Thanks Calidris!

[Calidris]

Hello!
2. Can you recommend anywhere in Tobago to stay? Ideally we'd like something with a kitchen, close to a beach/amenities, mellow and safe...

3. Any other advice for our family? We're going in mid-December.

Thanks mamas!

Tobago generally will have less mosquitoes that Trinidad (it's a drier island) some areas have sandflies, which are tiny biting bugs that come out in the early evening. They are very itchy, but don't transmit diseases like mosquitoes. This site is one of the most comprehensive about Tobago http://www.mytobago.info/
Crime issues are increasing in Tobago sadly, but in general a common sense approach is enough.

For what you are looking for Castara might be your best bet, it has a great mellow vibe, not too many tourists, friendly, on the beach. Less commercial than a lot of the rest of Tobago. Nice reasonable priced restaurant (as long as you like fresh fish :) ) Renting a car might be useful though as it is far from most things.

[fridgeart]

Awesome-thanks. I spent hours last night checking out the islands, and Castara seemed like it would be a good fit, which you've said too-so I'll focus our energy there.
That mytobago website is great!