Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Healing music and Healing horses
Available to you now on one flash drive: the healing music of the Native American Love Flute . . . and the opportunity to support a great cause! (Click to enlarge photo)
Saturday, May 7, 2016
Crystal Singing Bowls at yoga class
Sounding crystal singing bowls (A# and F#) during the relaxation period of Thou Art Yoga's Friday evening Kundalini Yoga class at Kariwak Hotel, Tobago.
Background sounds include: water from the water feature in the pond, wind, planes taking off at the nearby airport, dogs barking in the distance.
Enjoy . . .
Background sounds include: water from the water feature in the pond, wind, planes taking off at the nearby airport, dogs barking in the distance.
Enjoy . . .
Friday, April 15, 2016
INTERVIEW WITH ELSPETH DUNCAN
The following interview is one of a series of interviews with the sixteen authors of the anthology of stories—'16' . . . to be launched on Monday 25 April 2016 at Kaiso Blues Café, Woodford Street, POS, Trinidad.
Author: Elspeth Duncan
Story: Sending Letters
1. WHEN DID YOU WRITE YOUR STORY?
I wrote 'Sending Letters' when I was attending a 3-week Cropper writers' retreat on the Balandra coast in 2008. At that time I was a raw foodist and had recently met a 'kindred spirit' who lived abroad. It was one of those connections that is sudden, intense and meaningful. We communicated with each other a lot in various ways . . . hence the title of my story ('Sending Letters') and the trip to the post office that started the whole adventure.
2. YOU WROTE THE STORY EIGHT YEARS AGO. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT IT NOW?
It is a true story, with events and conversations recounted as they had unfolded . . . so nothing in it is 'made up'. Now it's like reading a diary entry and remembering the experience and the feelings of that time. My current emotional connection to it is not what it was then, so I see that part with more objectivity, but still with fondness for the memories. Had the same thing happened now I don't think events would have proceeded as far as they did. We were very trusting, but others on the retreat (participants and facilitators) who didn't accompany us into the forest thought we were crazy. In fact, we found out after that they had been very worried about us.
3. WHEN WRITING DO YOU GET AN IDEA AND LET IT EVOLVE NATURALLY—OR DO YOU WRITE FROM A PRECONCEIVED PLAN?
I don't have a plan. Stream of consciousness and allowing words to flow naturally without much 'interference' from me is how I approach writing—or any form of creativity—or even life. Maybe because I'm also a musician, there is a rhythm I get into with words and that moves me along. If I'm writing about something that really happened, it feels like painting—the subject is recognisable, but my treatment of it may be slightly abstract, shifting the perspective on the 'real' to magnify the 'magical'.
5. WHAT DO YOU LIKE/DISLIKE ABOUT YOUR CHARACTERS?
I like my characters because they are us. No one is/was fictional—yet it could seem that way to a reader who didn't know otherwise.
6. WHAT DO YOU WANT THE READER TO FEEL?
I want each reader to feel whatever he or she feels naturally. The intention in writing this story wasn't to make people feel anything specific . . . although it could remind people about the beauty of simplicity and trust.
7. PLEASE SHARE A BRIEF EXCERPT FROM YOUR STORY.
Excerpt from 'Sending Letters' by Elspeth Duncan
“That will be $3.75, dear,” says the woman at the post office/restaurant/bar/
“This will go out tomorrow when the mailman comes,” the woman says of the stamped letter. All enveloped in her hands now, pieces of me and things from the sea to go by air to you: to have, to hold, to touch, to smell—secrets enclosed until you open.
“I think I’m going to write a letter, too,” B pipes. She recalls floral paper, fountain pens, scented envelopes, intimate sentiments—when she was my age and penned epistles often. She has a homesick friend, N, who would love a letter now, more than the bills and bank statements that stuff her red winter mailbox.
Letters. Faraway places on pieces of paper. Things of the past until we make them presents, with time taken to gather the paper, pick up the pen, handwriting shaking to be steady because it hasn’t been used since computers were invented. Part the envelope, slip inside, lick the sugar, seal the moment, away to the post office, count the money, purchase the stamps, admire the images on those sticky little pieces being submitted for this traveling exhibition—flora, fauna, faces, landscapes, architecture, abstracts.
8. IN CLOSING, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY ABOUT YOUR BEING A PART OF THE ANTHOLOGY: 16?
I knew one or two of the other authors before, but most of them I met when we all attended a UTT writing workshop with Professor Elizabeth Nunez (2008). During the workshop we decided it would be a good idea to create an anthology. I'm not really someone to conform to 'rules' for a creative process and had never been to a writers' workshop before. However, I do appreciate that 'rules' exist and can be of benefit. One thing that remained with me was Elizabeth Nunez telling us that what authors first write is like 'vomit' . . . and that we need to go back and clean it up. Since I mainly write in stream of consciousness, what I produce is what comes out at the first go. I never used to spend time reworking, because I liked the raw output. However, I learned (especially subsequently with editor Jeanne Mason who helped subtly refine my first novel 'Daisy Chain' without changing the essence and flow of the original stream of consciousness output) that refining can sharpen and tighten and give more power. Elizabeth Nunez also introduced us to a South African writer called J.M. Coetzee (through one of his novels: "Disgrace"). I was impressed by his sparse, precise language—his ability to capture in a few exact words what someone else would try to say in a paragraph. He writes in the present tense (which I also prefer to do) and this, accompanied by the brevity of his sentences, compelled me. Over the years since then, when I write something, I like going back over it and cutting out as much as I can to make it more sharp and powerful.
In closing, I want to highlight Jeanne Mason, the editor of '16', who worked with full heart and soul on this project—to finally make it happen eight years later. Whenever someone is writing a book and they ask me if I know a good editor, I unhesitatingly recommend Jeanne for her knowledge, professionalism, passion and commitment. The publishing of the anthology was made possible by Jeanne and the local publishing house, Royards, who also put/are putting a lot into the process—both the book and the upcoming launch on Monday 25 April 2016 at Kaiso Blues Cafe, POS.
Story: Sending Letters
1. WHEN DID YOU WRITE YOUR STORY?
I wrote 'Sending Letters' when I was attending a 3-week Cropper writers' retreat on the Balandra coast in 2008. At that time I was a raw foodist and had recently met a 'kindred spirit' who lived abroad. It was one of those connections that is sudden, intense and meaningful. We communicated with each other a lot in various ways . . . hence the title of my story ('Sending Letters') and the trip to the post office that started the whole adventure.
2. YOU WROTE THE STORY EIGHT YEARS AGO. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT IT NOW?
It is a true story, with events and conversations recounted as they had unfolded . . . so nothing in it is 'made up'. Now it's like reading a diary entry and remembering the experience and the feelings of that time. My current emotional connection to it is not what it was then, so I see that part with more objectivity, but still with fondness for the memories. Had the same thing happened now I don't think events would have proceeded as far as they did. We were very trusting, but others on the retreat (participants and facilitators) who didn't accompany us into the forest thought we were crazy. In fact, we found out after that they had been very worried about us.
3. WHEN WRITING DO YOU GET AN IDEA AND LET IT EVOLVE NATURALLY—OR DO YOU WRITE FROM A PRECONCEIVED PLAN?
I don't have a plan. Stream of consciousness and allowing words to flow naturally without much 'interference' from me is how I approach writing—or any form of creativity—or even life. Maybe because I'm also a musician, there is a rhythm I get into with words and that moves me along. If I'm writing about something that really happened, it feels like painting—the subject is recognisable, but my treatment of it may be slightly abstract, shifting the perspective on the 'real' to magnify the 'magical'.
5. WHAT DO YOU LIKE/DISLIKE ABOUT YOUR CHARACTERS?
I like my characters because they are us. No one is/was fictional—yet it could seem that way to a reader who didn't know otherwise.
6. WHAT DO YOU WANT THE READER TO FEEL?
I want each reader to feel whatever he or she feels naturally. The intention in writing this story wasn't to make people feel anything specific . . . although it could remind people about the beauty of simplicity and trust.
7. PLEASE SHARE A BRIEF EXCERPT FROM YOUR STORY.
Excerpt from 'Sending Letters' by Elspeth Duncan
“That will be $3.75, dear,” says the woman at the post office/restaurant/bar/
“This will go out tomorrow when the mailman comes,” the woman says of the stamped letter. All enveloped in her hands now, pieces of me and things from the sea to go by air to you: to have, to hold, to touch, to smell—secrets enclosed until you open.
“I think I’m going to write a letter, too,” B pipes. She recalls floral paper, fountain pens, scented envelopes, intimate sentiments—when she was my age and penned epistles often. She has a homesick friend, N, who would love a letter now, more than the bills and bank statements that stuff her red winter mailbox.
Letters. Faraway places on pieces of paper. Things of the past until we make them presents, with time taken to gather the paper, pick up the pen, handwriting shaking to be steady because it hasn’t been used since computers were invented. Part the envelope, slip inside, lick the sugar, seal the moment, away to the post office, count the money, purchase the stamps, admire the images on those sticky little pieces being submitted for this traveling exhibition—flora, fauna, faces, landscapes, architecture, abstracts.
8. IN CLOSING, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY ABOUT YOUR BEING A PART OF THE ANTHOLOGY: 16?
I knew one or two of the other authors before, but most of them I met when we all attended a UTT writing workshop with Professor Elizabeth Nunez (2008). During the workshop we decided it would be a good idea to create an anthology. I'm not really someone to conform to 'rules' for a creative process and had never been to a writers' workshop before. However, I do appreciate that 'rules' exist and can be of benefit. One thing that remained with me was Elizabeth Nunez telling us that what authors first write is like 'vomit' . . . and that we need to go back and clean it up. Since I mainly write in stream of consciousness, what I produce is what comes out at the first go. I never used to spend time reworking, because I liked the raw output. However, I learned (especially subsequently with editor Jeanne Mason who helped subtly refine my first novel 'Daisy Chain' without changing the essence and flow of the original stream of consciousness output) that refining can sharpen and tighten and give more power. Elizabeth Nunez also introduced us to a South African writer called J.M. Coetzee (through one of his novels: "Disgrace"). I was impressed by his sparse, precise language—his ability to capture in a few exact words what someone else would try to say in a paragraph. He writes in the present tense (which I also prefer to do) and this, accompanied by the brevity of his sentences, compelled me. Over the years since then, when I write something, I like going back over it and cutting out as much as I can to make it more sharp and powerful.
In closing, I want to highlight Jeanne Mason, the editor of '16', who worked with full heart and soul on this project—to finally make it happen eight years later. Whenever someone is writing a book and they ask me if I know a good editor, I unhesitatingly recommend Jeanne for her knowledge, professionalism, passion and commitment. The publishing of the anthology was made possible by Jeanne and the local publishing house, Royards, who also put/are putting a lot into the process—both the book and the upcoming launch on Monday 25 April 2016 at Kaiso Blues Cafe, POS.
Friday, February 26, 2016
HOW TO PURCHASE TOBAGO PEEPS: ISBN 978-976-8255-22-8
TOBAGO PEEPS—the book by Elspeth Duncan—is available at:
1. Paper Based Bookshop, Hotel Normandie, Trinidad
2. Things Natural, Crown Point, Tobago
3. Time to Wine, Shirvan Plaza, Tobago
4. Shore Things Cafe, Milford Road, Lambeau, Tobago
5. Healing with Horses, Buccoo, Tobago
TO PLACE INTERNATIONAL ORDERS:
1. Please send a message via the Tobago Peeps Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/tobagopeeps) indicating:
(a) your email address
(b) the number of copies you wish to purchase.
2. A Paypal invoice will be sent to the email address you have provided
3. Once payment has been made your autographed book(s) will be shipped to you.
Please note: Tobago Peeps is not otherwise available for online purchase at this time.
ISBN 978-976-8255-22-8
Saturday, February 20, 2016
Most recent TABLE FOR TWO review
The most recent Tripadvisor Review for my two-person restaurant, TABLE FOR TWO
“A Magical Birthday Surprise”
(5 stars)
My boyfriend and I were vacationing in Tobago, and I was looking for a
special restaurant to celebrate his birthday which also happened to be
the last day of our vacation. I was searching through TripAdvisor, when I
landed on Table for Two. While the website gives you an idea of what
you might expect from the experience, nothing will compare to the truly
beautiful reality. So much thought, preparation and attention to detail
were given to our dinner, completely personalized for us. The mastermind
of this production pours her heart into the experience, and it's noted
in every single moment. The food was outstanding, the in-betweens were
breathtaking, and the whole night just made both of us feel extremely
grateful. It's not everyday that you get to experience a dinner like
this, so whether you have something to celebrate or not, take the time
to share this unique piece of art with someone special. You will be
enthralled, I promise. Thank you TFT for all that you do!
(Kelly B.)
TABLE FOR TWO website: www.tablefortwomadeforyou.com
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