(CNN) A total of seven passengers have tested positive for Covid-19 aboard the SeaDream 1 cruise ship docked in Barbados, according to a passenger on the ship.

Forty six passengers who have tested negative for coronavirus began to disembark the SeaDream 1 cruise ship to fly home Saturday, according to passenger Ben Hewitt.

Five passengers who tested positive also disembarked for a private flight back to the United States, according to Hewitt.

The voyage was meant to demonstrate that increased safety protocols, including regular testing aboard the ship, could allow cruise voyages to take place during the pandemic.

Instead one passenger fell ill on Wednesday, forcing the SeaDream 1 to return to Barbados, where all 53 passengers and 66 crew were tested.

SeaDream Yacht Club said in a news release Thursday afternoon that "guests" had received "assumptive positive" results to preliminary rapid Covid tests, but did not specify the number who had done so.

"We are working closely with local health and government authorities to resolve this situation in the best possible way," said SeaDream's Andreas Brynestad, in the SeaDream release.

Passenger Gene Sloan took this photo during the cruise that's been cut short by a Covid-19 outbreak.

Gene Sloan/The Points Guy

Intercom announcement of positive test result

Passengers were instructed to return to their cabins and remain isolated there, he said.

The ship, which was in the Grenadines at the time of the first preliminary positive test, docked in Barbados Wednesday evening.

Passengers were tested in advance of traveling to the ship and also before boarding the ship, Sloan said.

"And SeaDream also was testing passengers four days into the trip," he said. "We were scheduled to be tested again today. That's a more rigorous testing plan than most lines had been discussing for the restarts."

The protocol is due in part to the strict testing required by Barbados, where the ship will be based for the season, Sloan noted.

"I think what this shows is it's going to happen. And until there's a vaccine or herd immunity, when cruising starts up you're going to see things like this happen. The question is how often and how big?"

The current sailing was carrying 53 passengers and 66 crew, Sloan said.

Gene Sloan/The Points Guy

Voyages from Barbados

SeaDream's winter voyages from Barbados started on November 7 with the sailing that has now been cut short.

"After completing a successful summer season in Norway, we implemented even stricter health and safety protocols for our Barbados winter season. All guests were tested twice prior to embarkation and we are in the process of retesting guests," said SeaDream's Andreas Brynestad in the statement released on Thursday.

Hewitt, the YouTube host, expressed his disappointment and frustration with the virus in an interview Thursday from his stateroom.

"It's just so disappointing that this has happened because everybody has their hopes up high, and we can't see anything more that they could've done," said Hewitt.

"It's just such a horrible virus, it just gets everywhere even with the constant testing."

The use of masks on the voyage has been far less stringent.

Sloan told CNN that initially no one was wearing face masks, not even the crew. Crew members told him they weren't necessary since the ship was a Covid-free "bubble."

Then a few days into sailing, SeaDream instituted a mask policy but didn't offer an explanation, he said.

Fewer than 250 guests

SeaDream's ships, which the company refers to as "superyachts," have 56 staterooms, with a capacity for 112 guests and 95 crew.

Carrying fewer than 250 guests outside of US waters allows SeaDream to operate outside of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's orders around cruising.

The CDC recently issued a "Framework for Conditional Sailing Order for Cruise Ships."

Safety measures may not be enough to contain the virus.

Gene Sloan/The Points Guy

On Friday, a letter signed by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA) called on the CDC to reinstate its no-sail order for cruise ships and reverse efforts to restart the industry's US operations.

The letter cites the outbreak aboard SeaDream 1.

Despite precautions, "the virus was still able to infect multiple people on the ship, with the possibility of more confirmed cases emerging as passengers and crew are retested," the letter reads.

"Unfortunately, this troubling development is not surprising and reaffirms the need to exercise extreme caution before sending passengers and crew back out to sea on cruises."

Photo from SeaDream Yacht Club. CNN's Tamara Hardingham-Gill contributed to this report.

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Covid-19 outbreak strikes first cruise to resume sailing in the Caribbean - CNN

Dustin Johnson pocketed over $2 million in prize money for winning his first Masters title on Sunday, and he's wasting no time in splashing the cash to celebrate.

Just a day after his record-breaking victory at Augusta National, the American alongside his fiance, Paulina Gretzky, and a group of friends took a private jet to the Caribbean island of Saint Barthlemy, where they set up shop in luxury villa by the sea.

Kristina Melnichenko, who is on the trip with Johnson, shared snaps of the vacation on her Instagram account, which showed the group taking shots and playing giant Jenga.

Johnson and company flew out in a private jet. Instagram/kmelnichenko

They are staying in a luxury villa by the sea. Instagram/kmelnichenko

They have been passing the time with drinking games. Instagram/kmelnichenko

Melnichenko also posted a picture of the NHL legend Wayne Gretzky Paulina's father wearing one of the famed white boilersuits caddies at the Masters wear during the tournament.

Johnson set a Masters record during the weekend by finishing the tournament an astonishing 20 strokes under par as he claimed his first green jacket.

Afterward, he gave an emotional victory speech in which he was unable to hold back his tears.

"This is just a dream come true, as a kid, I always dreamed about being a Masters champion," he said."It's hard to talk. It's just incredible, as you can tell. Sorry.

"I've never had this much trouble trying to gather myself. On the golf course, I'm pretty good, but out here I'm not. I have a great team who Jesus, I can't even talk!"

Read more:

Dustin Johnson's Masters victory speech was so emotional it even made Tiger Woods cry

Dustin Johnson had to tell his younger brother caddying for him to stop crying on the final hole so he could wrap up the Masters

Bryson DeChambeau's plan to overpower Augusta National backfired spectacularly

Read this article:

Photos: Dustin Johnson toasts Masters win with Caribbean vacation - Insider - INSIDER

WestJet today released its updated December schedule featuring up to 55 daily flights to sun destinations in the Caribbean, the United States (including Hawaii) and Mexico. The schedule also highlights increased domestic frequencies for travel starting December 5, 2020 through to January 4, 2021.

While this winter travel season looks quite different from years past, we are pleased to be able to offer our guests a variety of flights during the holidays, said Arved von zur Muehlen, WestJet Chief Commercial Officer. Whatever the reason for travel, WestJet continues to safely connect Canadians to destinations across our network and will continue to make changes to the schedule to meet the ever-changing needs of our guests and airline.

For sun seekers the airline is adding December flights to Liberia (Costa Rica), Punta Cana, Puerto Plata (Dominican Republic), Bridgetown (Barbados), Mazatln (Mexico), Huatulco (Mexico), Orlando, Las Vegas, Honolulu (Oahu) and Kahului (Maui).

WestJet continues to operate at a reduced schedule and has removed over 63 per cent capacity year over year, including approximately 73 per cent capacity from the December schedule alone. During the holiday season, the airline will offer flights to 54 destinations including 33 in Canada, nine in the U.S. including Hawaii, five in Mexico, five in the Caribbean, one in Europe and one in Central America. Frequencies will increase throughout the month of December, full details at bottom of the release.

Canadians travelling back through Calgary see benefits of post-travel testing trial

On November 2, YYC Calgary International Airport began the COVID-19 testing trial supported by the Governments of Canada and Alberta, trialing a reduced quarantine period in Alberta, while protecting Canadians from COVID-19.

Many Canadians are seeking alternatives to the 14-day quarantine and the testing trial at Calgary International Airport is a welcome first step, continued von zur Muehlen. We are optimistic in the early results of the YYC COVID testing trial and hope to see future expansion of testing opportunities closely follow at airports across the country.

Canadians travelling abroad are still subject to a 14-day quarantine upon their return to the country if not eligible for Albertas COVID-19 testing trial program.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, WestJet has implemented more than 20 additional health and safety measures during the travel journey and continues to evolve its cleaning to meet the needs of guests and WestJetters through its Safety Above All program.

Link:

WestJet Adds Flights to the US, Mexico, the Caribbean and Costa Rica - RusTourismNews

Sabadeco Terrace is about five miles north of Kralendijk, a small coastal city with a few thousand residents and a strip of shops, supermarkets, restaurants and other amenities, Mr. Bartikoski said. The 111-square-mile island of Bonaire is a magnet for scuba divers, but also attracts wind surfers to Lac Bay and kite surfers to Atlantis Beach. Pink Beach, on the islands southwestern shore, and Washington-Slagbaai National Park, on its northern tip, are each less than 20 minutes away by car. Bonaire International Airport is a 15-minute drive.

The Dutch island of Bonaire, with about 21,000 residents, has long attracted outsiders with its arid climate, coral reefs and relatively low risk of hurricanes. In recent years, its largely tourism-based economy has generated a flourishing real estate market, and not unlike many other tropical locales, its allure seems to have grown during the coronavirus pandemic.

The outbreak of the pandemic has only enhanced the islands appeal, Mr. Cooper said. Weve seen a steady rise in inquiries this year, including a huge surge the day after the U.S. election.

According to Bonaires most recent official data, reported by Statistics Netherlands in 2018, the housing index showed prices for residential properties were on average 21.6 percent higher than they were the previous year. The number of housing transactions from 2017 to 2018 grew by 52.8 percent, from 214 to 327.

Official data for 2019 is not available, but real estate experts said the market has continued apace. Its been insane, said Roderick Groenman, a notary with the office of Aniek H. Schouten. For the past three or four years, things have been going really well.

Mr. Groenman attributed the consistent growth to the islands status as a special municipality of the Netherlands, which provides free, high-quality health care to residents. (Aruba and Curaao, by contrast, are autonomous constituent countries of the Netherlands.) He also pointed to Bonaires stability on the U.S. dollar, which the island adopted as its currency in 2011. The economy has been expanding, with a 3.9 percent increase in the gross domestic product in 2018, and this year the Dutch government has provided subsidies to thwart an economic downturn.

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House Hunting on Bonaire: Perched Above the Caribbean for $1.5 Million - The New York Times

It is easy to share the excitement felt across the Caribbean at President elect Joe Bidens victory in the US polls.

However, a calmer voice within suggests that while the outcome will bring some short-term big-picture policy gains for the region, the extreme political polarisation the election highlighted does not bode well for the country that matters most to the region.

That said, and despite Mr Trumps apparent interest in a confused and vindictive transition process, Mr Biden is already advancing plans in several policy areas of general significance to the Caribbean. These relate to climate change, addressing COVID, the roll out of a vaccine, and stimulating the US economy.

In the case of climate change, Mr Biden will reverse the Trump Administrations withdrawal from the 2016 Paris climate change accord and seek a significant role in the delayed COP 26 global climate summit, now to be held in Glasgow in November 2021. The US president elect has already said that he will listen to science, that it is his intention the US achieve net zero carbon emissions by the middle of the century through radical reform measures, and will integrate climate change targets with US foreign policy.

The incoming administration is expected to re-join the World Health Organisation, establish a new COVID-19 task force, and allocate US$25bn for vaccine development and distribution. It will probably also support the WHOs COVAX facility that will benefit most Caribbean nations by providing at reduced cost significant quantities of vaccines as they become available.

Assuming Congress can agree, the region also stands to benefit indirectly from the Biden presidencys intention to deliver a package of domestic measures aimed at stimulating post pandemic economic growth. This and a possible vaccine should enable the Caribbean, two years out, to see the return of significant demand for US travel to the Caribbean.

Of almost as great importance to the region will be a change in US government values in the form of a commitment to multilateralism, an end to the induced polarisation in organisations like the Organisation of American States, the reassertion of ethical values on black lives and gender equality, and respect for and support for allies.

Although easy to overstate, given the global pressures they will face, Mr Biden, his wife and Ms Harris all know and understand what motivates and matters to the region. In addition, the often-underestimated importance of the expert advice and analysis provided by long-suffering career service officers in the Caribbean and in the US is now expected to be better heard.

On trade and investment policy the tone and approach of the Biden presidency will be different and linked less transactionally to the USs security and political concerns. However, there is little reason to believe that the new administration will do anything other than continue to secure the hemisphere as an integrated special trading partner in order to lessen Chinese influence, stimulate near shoring, and continue existing policies that support a central developmental role for the US private sector.

In contrast, the coercive and regionally divisive approach taken by President Trump in seeking a coalition of willing Caribbean states prepared to trade off an improved economic relationship against meeting US trade, political and security objectives, is expected to end. Despite this, the pressures in relation to Chinese 5G and other emerging technologies will continue, albeit based on a common Western approach to investment screening.

On security, the USs regional and hemispheric concerns and support are unlikely to alter. However, of particular significance to the Caribbean is an awareness in the Biden camp that the vacuum created by isolating Venezuela and Cuba has created a destabilising refugee crisis, citizen poverty, and instability, offering geopolitical opportunity to Russia, China, Iran and Turkey.

Specifically, on Cuba, the Biden team made clear before the election that it wants to restore a working relationship over time but that this cannot be the same as existed under President Obama. As in the case of Venezuela, this may involve a negotiated step by step approach that seeks to ease tensions, addresses the USs border refugee crisis, establishes on a multilateral basis support for the Cuban people, and slowly restores travel, trade and limited forms of cooperation.

What this caution reflects is concern among Democrats that the Cuban American vote in Florida and voter perceptions of socialism impacted to their detriment in what was once a swing state. Although Cuba has yet to say more about the election outcome, one interesting commentary in the state media has suggested that misplaced political perceptions about a relatively small group of Cuban-Americans in Florida may determine future US-Cuba policy. By focusing on that tiny vote, in national terms, both parties are unaware of the position of broad sectors of US voters who favour the most normalised relationship possible with Cuba and who have specific interests in business, science, culture, academic relations, health and other sectors, Cubadebate wrote.

More generally the Biden presidency is expected to continue the process of strategic reorientation begun under President Obama that recognised that the US would over time cease to be the sole global hegemon and that it needs to address Chinas rapid technological advance.

Caribbean leaders have congratulated President-elect Biden and in private are now looking forward to a period in which many of the economic and political issues that matter most to the region will receive a more sympathetic, less transactional hearing in Washington.

However, it is far from clear, even with a friend in the White House, whether a divided and poorly integrated Caribbean still struggling to overcome the pandemic has the energy and leverage to successfully prosecute its case.

Beyond the good news, the region urgently needs to end its graduation out of concessional financing, needs a well-supported multilateral post pandemic recovery package, and to convince Washington that fairly achieved US, Chinese, European and other investment all have a future place in the region. It needs to engage now.

David Jessop is a consultant to the Caribbean Council and can be contacted at

david.jessop@caribbean-council.org

Previous columns can be found at https://www.caribbean-council.org/research-analysis/

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The US and the Caribbean: time to seize the moment - Stabroek News

Nov. 13 (UPI) -- The first cruise ship to set sail in the Caribbean since the cruise industry ground to a halt due to the coronavirus pandemic has confirmed cases of the virus among its passengers.

In a press release on Thursday, the SeaDream Yacht Club said guests aboard the SeaDream I vessel have tested positive for COVID-19.

The release did not say how many passengers tested positive for the deadly and infectious coronavirus but said all crew have been tested and their results came back negative.

Due to the positive cases, the SeaDream I has "paused" its current Caribbean voyage and has returned to Barbados, the company said.

"We are working closely with local health and government authorities to resolve this situation in the best possible way," SeaDream's Andreas Brynestad said in the statement. "Our main priority is the health and safety of our crew, guests and the communities we visit."

All guests and non-essential crew have been quarantined to their staterooms while SeaDream awaits authorization from the Barbados government to disembark guests, the statement said.

There are 53 passengers and 66 crew aboard the ship, Cruise Critic reported.

The voyage, which set sail from Barbados over the weekend, was the first of 22 roundtrip sailings of the West Indies the company had planned for the SeaDream I following the completion of 21 voyages in Norway during the summer season, it said.

"This journey will take us to beautiful beaches while enjoying a safe environment onboard and SeaDream's signature service," the company said in a tweet as guests were boarding the ship late last week. "Proud to be the only line currently sailing in the Caribbean!"

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that research shows cruise ships pose a greater risk for transmitting COVID-19 than other settings due to their high density of their populations.

The CDC had issued a no sail order from March 14 to Oct. 29 and is currently taking a phased approach to resuming passenger operations, it said.

During the first months of the pandemic, several cruise ships became infected with the coronavirus.

In January, the Diamond Princess was moored off the Port of Yokohama in Japan after infections of the coronavirus were discovered among passengers on board. By the last passenger to disembark from the vessel, a total of 712 of the 3,711 passengers on board had tested positive for the virus.

In March, the Grand Princess docked off the California coast with at least 21 positives coronavirus cases.

The SeaDream Yacht Club said every crew member has been certified by the World Health Organization to prevent and control COVID-19 and has undergone the COVID-19 contact tracing course offered by Johns Hopkins University.

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Positive COVID-19 tests reported on first Caribbean cruise to resume operations amid pandemic - UPI News

Statement from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

In the face of rising COVID-19 cases, Caribbean economies will need more aggressive fiscal actions to protect their productive assets and invest in ways that ensure more sustainable growth in the future, according to a new reportby the Inter-American Development Bank.

While fiscal space is a constraint, as a nascent economic recovery emerges additional resources should be channeled to high-productivity infrastructure products to further stimulate growth, the study notes.

The report A Pandemic Surge and Evolving Policy Responses is part of the Quarterly Bulletin Series put together by the economics team of the Caribbean Department of the IDB. It includes detailed analysis for Guyana, Jamaica, Barbados, The Bahamas, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. It comes at a time when COVID-19 cases are rising worldwide and in most Caribbean countries, negatively impacting the tourism industry just as it enters its peak season.

First and foremost, countries need to stop the coronavirus from spreading, said David Rosenblatt, regional country economist for the Caribbean at the IDB, noting that the number of virus cases was rising everywhere with the exception of Barbados. Countries will need to use sophisticated tools that look at closure or reopening of their economies with decisions based on susceptible, infected and recovered models, both at source and destination countries.

Looking ahead, Caribbean economies face a challenging peak tourist season with double digit contractions, plus commodity shocks on non-tourist economies of Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana, though Suriname and Guyana will see a boost from high prices for gold. Early tourism booking data suggest sharp declines for Jamaica, The Bahamas and Barbados.

Governments have drawn on existing programs to ramp up social assistance as well as created new instruments to address the crisis.

A well-designed public investment program can help stimulate a lasting economic recovery, and several governments are already considering the options, said Henry Mooney, the Research Economics Advisor for the Caribbean department. Fiscal space will remain an important constraint, but as a nascent economic recovery emerges, additional resources could be channeled to productivity-boosting infrastructure projects to further stimulate near term growth, and long-term development.

Better roads or airports facilitate the transport of goods and services to market. Improved water and power infrastructure enable industries to operate at lower costs and improves an economys productive capacity.

Over time this drives higher levels of private investment, incomes, and consumption. Importantly, both economic theory and empirical evidence suggest that countries with relatively less public capital, or where the stock of capital is in need of improvement, stand to benefit most, according to the report.

About the IDB

The Inter-American Development Bank is devoted to improving lives. Established in 1959, the IDB is a leading source of long-term financing for economic, social, and institutional development in Latin America and the Caribbean. The IDB also conducts cutting-edge research and provides policy advice, technical assistance, and training to public- and private-sector clients throughout the region.

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Caribbean economies urged to invest in infrastructure to secure post-COVID growth - BNamericas English

With so many films and a massive production, it makes sense that there would be some continuity errors in The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

The Pirates Of The Caribbeanfilm serieshas spent endless amounts of money on theexecutionof the five movies that have hit thetheaters. This is especially true when it comes to hiring some of the most acclaimed actors in the world, like Johnny Depp, who portrayed the iconic Captain Jack Sparrow character. However, because talent doesn't equal perfection, and an actor's performance is just part of a much bigger process, fans have been able to spot some very obvious continuity errorsthroughout the saga.

RELATED:Pirates Of The Caribbean: 15 Best Jack Sparrow Quotes

There's no doubt that the franchise is one of the most successful ever created, having grossed over $4.5 billion worldwide.Still, editing and writing mistakes were made and many viewers have scratched their heads when they see some of these most glaring continuity errors.

In the first movie, "The Curse Of The Black Pearl," Hollywood star Orlando shows off an inappropriate tattoo on his wrist, during a scene where he (Will Turner) is engaging in an acrobatic duel with Johnny Depp (Captain Jack).

In one of the shots, as he leans over to taunt Jack, a rather unusual tattoo is exposed. You can see the word "Nine" that is a tattoo he and his castmates had done as an homage to the time theyworked onanother very successful franchise - "The Lord Of The Rings".

This error is a classic one: a character uses one hand in one shot and the opposite in the next. When watching The Curse Of The Black Pearl," one cancatch thiserror in a specific scene.

When Captain Jack is trying to put together a crew, he encounters a female enemy from the past and receives one of his traditionalface slaps. After this heated moment, the woman (played by actress Zoe Saldana) is angrywith Jack, pointing at him with her right hand. Everything would be fine if she didn't end up pointing at Sparrow with her lefthand in the very next shot.

Fans might be disappointed to realize that an intimidating moment in which a character points a pistol at a foe in their favorite movie actually poses no real danger. And that is exactly the case here.

During On Stranger Tides,there's a scene that involves Captain Jack and Blackbeard as they battle as true pirates.As Jack finds himself with his back to a cliff and a gun in his face, a closer look reveals that Sparrow is actually safesince his enemy'spistol is only half-cocked. Consequently, the threatening dialogue that follows doesn't sound believable, as the gun wouldn't have been able to fireanyway ifanyone would have squeezed that trigger.

Some opinionssuggest that there is some inconsistency as far as the timing of when Captain Jack Sparrow became official. Proof of this is during a flashback scene in Dead Men Tell No Tales that shows an 18-year-old Jack Sparrow taking command of a caravel that caused the downfall of a Spanish pirate hunter. The surviving pirates then name Jack as their leader.

RELATED:Which Pirates Of The Caribbean Character Is Your Soulmate, Based On Your Zodiac?

But according to his chronological appearance in "The Price Of Freedom"novel, when Jack is 20, he is an ordinary deckhand aboard Captain Teague's ship. Thus, fans are left wondering how this scene fits in the narrative, continuity wise, when it comes to the chronology of the story.

In At World's End, Jack Sparrow steals a map from Hector Barbossa with the aim to use it to find the renowned Fountain Of Youth.

Viewers can see that this map shows the route towards Florida and the Fountain's specific location is marked with an X. However, if one watches the following movie (the fourth one entitled On Stranger Tides,) this exact Fountain is said to be placed on an unnamed island (not Florida or anything similar to it). This is clearly not a well-thought out part of the writing and a very obvious continuity error.

The internetwent above and beyond when the fifth movie in the franchise,Dead Men Tell No Tales,was released. Some consider it the least interesting in the series and an attempt to continue a saga that has increasingly lost its charm throughout its production.

Moreover, there are unexplained facts in the fifth movie that have left fans wondering about some plot holes. One of them is the appearance of Captain Salazar and his crew, who are turned into ghost pirates after their shipis wrecked. Though it's clear that this was caused by some sort of curse, it is never explained why this happened.

Captain Jack's compass is definitely an iconic part of the franchise. Most people who have watched the movies know that this little object doesn't point North, but rather to the thing its holder wants most. But this has been far from consistent.

During Dead Men Tell No Tales, viewers learn that if someone "betrays" the compass, it releases that person's greatest fear. Yet, facts show that over the course of the series, Jack has given away or lost his compass several times without activating any curses. Naturally, this has upset fans, who expected a sense of continuity with the powerful meaning behind this supposed magical treasure.

In the first movie of the Pirates Of The Caribbean saga, The Curse Of The Black Pearl, people have exposed a continuity error in one scene where they are able to see a fort, a parapet and a line Jack used to slide down.

RELATED:Pirates Of The Caribbean: 10 Times The Movies Referenced The Ride

But in the next scene, during daylight and at the exact same camera angle, these elements are gone. It's not a disastrous failure, yet it is worth noting since it's simply wrong.

Fans have spotted another error that surely was due to distraction by the crew when filming or editing a specific scene of The Curse Of The Black Pearl movie.

Here, one can see someone who looks like a crew member right next to the other pirates. Not only is he wearing an out-of-place cowboy hat, but he also wears a white T-shirt, which makes him look modern and completely out of context in the 1700's time period The Pirates Of The Caribbeanfilm series is set. This detail has been widely discussed on the web and has left people wondering how could such a distracting mistake not be corrected.

Captain Hector Barbossa had his share of continuity errors, too, especially in The Curse Of The Black Pearl. A brilliant character, portrayed by Australian actor Geoffrey Rush, he is definitely one of the strongest in the entire saga.

He is master of his own fate and considered "the ultimate survivor" throughout the film series. However, he was not a master at keeping his teeth looking consistent. There were shots where his teeth go from presentable to filthy - seemingly out of nowhere. The make-up artist responsible for Geoffrey's character might have forgotten to check the actor's teeth at all times.

NEXT:Pirates Of The Caribbean: 5 Reasons Curse Of The Black Pearl Is The Best (& 5 Reasons It's Dead Man's Chest)

Next 9 Past Best Picture Nominees Directed By Women (& 1 Winner)

Soraia Ferreira is a self-called Dreamer Virgo Artist. She has always been fascinated with films and stories, especially writing and producing them. Both her creativity and her too freaky organizational skills have greatly supported her work as a TV/Digital/Media Content Producer for more than 10 years.As a highly creative professional, Soraia's core skills are on producing audiovisual/digital projects, campaigns and social media content strategies both in Portuguese and English languages. Besides, she is very experienced with translating and proofreading all sorts of texts for both languages (press releases, e-mails, presentations, promotional info, display ads, videos and internal/external communication materials). Since 2009, Soraia has been writing, producing and developing all sorts of projects/campaigns/ads/work with clients from several backgrounds in the Media industry. More recently, she has developed a keen interest in Digital Marketing, which led her to expand my professional skills on this area too. At heart, Soraia is a storyteller that has learned to shape her talent into various platforms and different communication channels (offline and online media).She believes Art represents a huge spectrum of lifes expressions and exploring its many forms is a continuing process of learning about the world and us individually. So, she likes to think that she is a dreamer because she looks for fulfilling her hearts passions while also being a great doer and turning those passions into concrete solid action steps like a disciplined Virgo. So, here it is: a Dreamer Virgo Artist!

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Pirates Of The Caribbean: 10 Most Glaring Continuity Errors In The Film Series - Screen Rant

NEW YORK A newly married couple from New York drowned on their honeymoon at a Caribbean resort, family members said.

Pakistani American corporate attorney Mohammad Malik, 35, and his bride, Dr. Noor Shah, 29, were swimming near their Turks and Caicos Islands resort on Oct. 28 when they were pulled under by strong riptides, R. Maqbool Malik, the grooms father, told Newsday.

Witnesses pulled the couple from the water and performed CPR, but they died at the scene, the bereaved father said.

The pair had married four days earlier in East Meadow, New York.

Its a devastating loss, Malik said. This is a shock beyond belief. And its a tragedy of different dimensions when you have to lay two children to rest in a joint funeral.

A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department confirmed the deaths.

Malik criticized the resort, Como Parrot Cay, for failing to post warning signs about potentially dangerous riptides. Chris Orlikowski, a spokesperson for Como Hotels and Resorts, said in a statement Nov. 10 that company officials are deeply saddened by the tragic accident. He said the company is cooperating with the investigation.

India-West Staff Reporter adds: Mohammad Malik, a graduate of Cornell University and an attorney at Olshan Frome Wolosky LLP in Manhattan, was dating Shah, a fourth-year surgical resident who was applying to a vascular surgery fellowship this year, for about two years, according to Newsday.

In a statement, Olshan Frome called the couple shining lights who touched everyone who had the benefit of knowing them. Mohammad was a humble, bright and talented attorney and a truly kind and gentle soul. Mohammad always strove to live life to the fullest and to appreciate the richness of human experience.

Shah, who grew up in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, according to the publication, was a graduate of Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and a fourth-year resident in the Department of Surgery at NYU Langone Health.

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Bride and Groom from New York Drown on Caribbean Honeymoon - India West

Posted: Nov 15, 2020 6:11 PM CST

Updated: Nov 15, 2020 7:20 PM CST

by Ben Lang

It was a mostly cloudy morning with scattered showers about, but sunshine was back in time for sunset. The clouds and rain were due to a cold front pushing through the area. The front is clearing southeast Alabama late this afternoon. Cooler air filters in tonight, with temperatures quickly falling through the 50s this evening. Expect a clear sky overnight, with lows in the low to mid 40s.

After a chilly Monday morning, a clear sky and abundant sunshine results in high temperatures in the 60s to near 70. Winds remain out of the north at 5 to 10 mph. Monday night looks clear and cold with lows near 40. Tuesday through Thursday look like sunny days with clear nights. Expect highs in the upper 60s to low 70s each day. Lows fall into the upper 30s to low 40s each night. Friday ends our week on a mostly sunny and dry note, with high temperatures in the mid 70s. Friday night wont be as cold, with a low near 50.

Mostly sunny/mostly clear skies prevail next weekend. It could be a bit warmer, with highs in the mid to upper 70s each day. Our next chance for rain may not arrive until early next week. At this time, it doesnt look like a sure bet or widespread, significant soaking of rain. Time will tell. In the meantime, enjoy the long stretch of sunny, dry, and tranquil weather.

Iota is a hurricane in the Caribbean now, and the National Hurricane Center forecast calls for rapid intensification over the next 36 hours. It could be a category 4 storm with winds near 140 mph by midday Monday. Landfall occurs Monday afternoon or evening along the northern Nicaragua coast. Unfortunately, this is virtual the same area that received a direct strike from Eta on November 3rd, or Election Day. This storm likely slams into the same area with similar intensity. Certainly not a good situation for central America.

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Sunny And Cooler Days This Week; Iota Rapidly Intensifying In The Caribbean - Alabama News Network

Its always a sad sight to see an actor leave a role, but the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise needs to move on from Johnny Depps Jack Sparrow

ThePirates of the Caribbean franchise has needed to move on from Johnny Depps Jack Sparrow for some time now. With the news that Johnny Depp has officially stepped down from the role of Grindelwald in Harry Potter spin-off series Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them, its a good time to revisit the controversial decision to remove Jack Sparrow from the soon-to-be-rebooted Pirates of the Caribbean franchise before the adventure series begins itssixth installment.

Depps decision to officially step down from the role of Grindlewald comes amid a prolonged and messy legal battle with the actor's ex-wife and alleged abuser Amber Heard,a lengthy and very public divorcewhich makes it clear that Depp could benefit from some time away from work. When it was first announced that thesixthPirates of the Caribbean franchise installment would be a reboot that moved on without Depps iconic Captain Jack Sparrow, fans were initially devastated at the news, as Depp is frequently considered the soul of theDisney franchise.

Related: Pirates of the Caribbean: All 4 Captains of the Black Pearl Explained

However, even disregarding the actors personal circumstances, the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has needed to move on from Captain Jack Sparrow for some time now, and rebooting the series without him might be the best move for the uneven series of movies. Beginning in 2003 with The Curse of the Black Pearl(directed by The Ring helmer Gore Verbinski, of all people), the Pirates of the Caribbean franchisestarted life as a movie adaptation of a Disneyland ride. As a summer blockbuster on par with the same years Eddie Murphy flop The Haunted Mansion, expectations were not excessively high for the first Pirates of the Caribbean. But the movie shocked audiences and critics alike by being a spectacular action-adventure on par with classics of the genre like Raiders of the Lost Ark. The movie immediately spawned a pair of lesser sequels which nonetheless succeeded at the box office before dropping its supporting cast for the fourth sequel On Stranger Tides, which received a harsh critical drubbing, and a fifth, Dead Men Tell No Tales, which lost audience support as well as faring even worse with critics.

The balance of comedy, horror, and action-adventure captured in The Curse of the Black Pearl was unexpectedly immaculate for a movie burdened with no more expectations than adapting a theme park attraction to the screen, so it was inevitable and understandable that the franchises first 2 sequels struggled to recapture the magic. But while Depps performances in both Dead Mans Chest and At Worlds End were spotlighted as a high point of both muddled movies, the films were also criticized forcentering his character at the expense of the surrounding cast.Yes, Jack was still a fun and funny presence, but bothmovies attempted to maximizehis screen time while also telling a complex, sprawling story, and as a result,Dead Mans Chest and particularly At Worlds End ended up missing out on vital scenes such asDavy Jones killing theKraken, leaving the movies feeling bothunderwritten and convoluted.

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Pirates of the Caribbean Is Better Without Johnny Depp - Screen Rant

The British Virgin Islands Scrub Islands resort is reopening in December, Caribbean Journal has learned.

The private-island resort near Tortola will reopen on Dec. 1, timed with the destinations official reopening for tourism.

The resort will be open to both overnight guests and marina visitors.

Weve been working diligently to comply with the travel protocols laid out by the BVI government, and to make sure the return of our guests as safe as possible so they can relax and enjoy this fabulous island retreat, said General Manager Michael Schoonewagen. Our resort guests have the entire island to themselves, with ample space to spread out and enjoy the stunning natural Caribbean beauty in complete privacy. And the marina is perfect for those who want to venture out on a wide variety of land and sea excursions that still meet health and safety measures.

For more on the British Virgin Islands travel protocols, see here.

For more, visit Scrub Island.

CJ

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British Virgin Islands' Scrub Island to Reopen Caribbean Journal - Caribbean Journal

When you book a cruise, is there such thing as a bad stateroom to book?

The last thing anyone wants to do is make a mistake that they will have to live with for the entire length of their cruise, and which room you pick is a major decision in your cruise plans.

The good news is picking a cabin is less "hit or miss" when it comes to Royal Caribbean cruises compared to perhaps other cruise lines. In addition, modern cruise ship design haspaid closer attention to room locations to avoid some of the issues of the past.

If you are booking a cruise and want to know how to pick the perfect cabin (and which rooms to avoid), here is what you need to know.

If you are worried about picking a bad room, the question you really should be asking is what is your stateroom near and far away from?

Just like buying a house, the location of your cabin has implications for convenience, neighbors, and what the room has to offer.

The first thing you want to do is pull up a deck plan for your ship to see where your room is located on the ship.

You will want to check the deck plans for what is one deck above or below your cabin. Ideally, you want a room that has no public spaces (pools, restaurants, venues, etc) above or below your room to mitigate the chance of noise bleed.

If there is a public venue above or below your room, don't assume you are in for a disaster. This is more of a best practice, and Royal Caribbean cabins are generally speaking well insulated from noise.

You may also want to pay attention to distance from your room to elevators or staircases. On larger cruise ships, the walking distance to an elevator from rooms at the end of a hallway can be lengthy, so anyone with mobility issues or simply wants to reduce the "commute time" should look for a room closer to an elevator.

One other consideration is if you are worried about getting seasick. To minimize the sensation of movement, pick a room that is as close to the ship's center, and on the lowest possible deck.

Another consideration is if you want a room that has its own private balcony or not.

Booking a room with a balcony means you get not only fresh air whenever you need, but also your own private space to enjoy during the cruise.

First time cruisers may quickly dismiss booking a balcony or suite in order to save money, but a common regret is from people who book interior rooms and later wish they had a balcony.

Of course, you can have a great cruise without a private balcony, but it is something you should absolutely consider.

Another vestige of the old days of cruising is picking which side of the ship your cabin is located in order to get a better view.

For Caribbean and Alaska cruises, the side of the ship your room is located is irrelevant because the views are pretty much the same, and there is no advantage to being on one side or another.

Ships do not dock on the same side of the dock each time they visit a particular port, so it is impossible to guess the direction your ship will be.Depending upon winds, tide, and other ships in port, the same ship could change sides within the same port from trip to trip.

In general, I do not think it is worth worrying about which side of the ship your room happens to be on, and instead consider the other factors, such as proximity to elevators and what is above or below your room.

As you go through the booking process, you will run across an option to let Royal Caribbean pick your specific cabin, which is known as a guarantee cabin.

This means Royal Caribbean will charge you less money for booking a particular category in exchange forgiving up the ability to choose your specific stateroom.

This means once you book, you do not know the exact room assignment. At some point in the weeks leading up to the cruise, Royal Caribbean will assign your stateroom.

If you are not picky about your exact room location, you could opt into a guarantee room to potentially save hundreds of dollars.

There is no objective answer to the "best" location on any ship. Your room selection is a combination of availability and personal preference.

In general, the cabin location and cost are the major considerations when you book a cruise.

You have to weigh the considerations outlined in this post and decide which is most important for you.

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Is there a bad cruise ship room to book? - Royal Caribbean Blog

The 8 p.m. update added yet another tropical disturbance to watch, bringing the total to five.

Were almost to the peak of hurricane season, and right on cue, were watching five disturbances in the tropics. Four are in the Atlantic, while one is in the Caribbean. The two that are furthest away from the US have a high chance of becoming a tropical depression this week.

The front-runner is INVEST-92L, which is producing a disorganized cluster of storms this morning. 92L is expected to push off to the west-northwest in the central Atlantic over the next several days, where conditions will be favorable for it to become a tropical depression or storm. The National Hurricane Center gives this disturbance a high 100% chance of development over the next 5 days.

Behind 92L, another vigorous tropical wave, titled 93L, is forecast to push off the west African Coast today. A tropical depression is likely to form by the middle of next week as it pushes westward across the eastern tropical Atlantic. Right now, the National Hurricane Center is giving it a high 90% chance of development over the next 5 days.

Per the 8 p.m. update, a third wave has the potential to form over the next 5 days. It has a 20% of development.

Computer models are bullish on development of these two waves, and while its too early to know if they will affect land, its worth mentioning models signal that steering currents will favor a path out to sea. Either way, both disturbances are 3000-4000 miles away from the United States, so plenty of time to watch!

Another tropical wave in the central Caribbean has flared up over the past day or so. Conditions are unfavorable for slow development over the next couple of days, however, once it reaches the western Caribbean midweek, upper level winds will become hostile, likely halting any organization. The National Hurricane Center gives this disturbance a 0% chance of development over the next 5 days.

Yet another area of disturbed weather has developed just south of Bermuda overnight. Conditions will be somewhat favorable for slow development as it slides west-northwest over the next several days. This may produce impacts along the Carolina coastlines. The National Hurricane Center gives this disturbance a low 30% chance of development within the next 5 days.

Next names are PAULETTE, RENE, and SALLY. By the way, only six more names left until the Greek Alphabet! The only time that ever happened was the historic 2005 Atlantic Hurricane Season.

Stay tuned at WINK for the latest on the tropics!

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Watching four disturbances in the Atlantic Basin; one in the Caribbean - Wink News

Getty Images for The Capri Hotel & NAIA Hamptons

Rich Europeans and Americans are flocking to the Caribbean, but not for the usual winter sun. More and more wealthy individuals are moving for longer periods than usual.

Citizenship advisers, government agencies and real estate developers say they have seen a rapid increase in business over the past few months. Even luxury hotels say they are booking in guests for long-term stays.

The increase in American arrivals has been most stark, they say. Mohammed Asaria, whose Range Developments is working on a new Six Senses resort, says U.S. citizens are coming to "hide it out.

"You've got the election coming. That's number one. You've had Covid and certain places in the U.S. have been challenged through that, and more working remotely."

U.S. inquiries for residential villas at Secret Bay in Dominica have jumped 66%. "Its the first time the U.S. has gone through a period like this and it's not just the Covid-19 situation," says Gregor Nassief, its proprietor. "It is the fear of what an extreme outcome on the left or right may look like after the presidential election."

Secret Bay in Dominica

Others are keen to escape with new-found working from home freedoms. "Digital nomad is not a new thing," says Petra Roach, head of Global Markets for Visit Barbados. "Before we didn't really think about it."

But then in July Barbados launched a new 12 month"Welcome Stamp" designed to attract remote workers to the country. Since its launch there have been around 1,100 applications, 42% of which are from the U.S. British and Canadians are the next largest nationalities to apply.

Barbados's new temporary residents are checking into Airbnbs while real estate agents rush to find rental properties. Hotels are even offering long stays. Both the Hilton and Marriott in Barbados have announced month-long packages.

But the wealthier clients want something more than just a hotel room. Many want actual citizenship of the islands where they are staying. Barbados does not offer this but Grenada, Dominica and other Caribbean nations do.

"Citizenship By Investment," or CBI as it is known, first started in St Kitts and Nevis in 1984. Traditionally it attracts Chinese and Middle Easterners who want a passport with more travel freedoms.

But in the past few months it too has seen an increase in U.S. inquiries. "We have seen an uptick in applications from the U.S. for people who want an alternative passport," says Les Khan, chief executive of the St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Unit.

Normally the two-island nation hands out passports to investors who never visit their country. This year is different: Its new citizens actually want to come to the islands. Some want to stay.

A house on St. Kitts

This is putting a strain on the supply of government approved real estate projects that qualify for citizenship. A minimum of $200,000 must be spent on real estate to access citizenship, but currently only approved developments count and most of these are linked to hotels.

"We're looking at alternatives outside of our hotels," says Khan. "Individuals are looking for opportunities outside of those hotels and get access to our citizenship through private homes. Its something that we're exploring."

This is largely due to a change of lifestyle, he says: "Individuals who are from the U.S. apply for St Kitts passport are doing so to want to come and change their lifestyles and live on the island."

Six Senses Residential Villas

Grenada is also having to come up with more room. Range Developments Six Senses resort will include a branded residential component in Grenada. "People want a second or third home in a place where they're not going to be affected by any of this should a second or third wave come," says Asaria.

Real estate is not the only path to Caribbean citizenship. St Kitts and Nevis, Dominica and Grenada allow a contribution to a sovereign fund as an cheaper route. Citizenship advisers tout Caribbean passports for their visa-free travel freedoms, or, in Nassief's words, "A useful insurance policy" should things at home go awry.

However, more and more duel national Americans are renouncing their U.S. citizenship. A total of 5,816 Americans gave up their citizenship in the first half of this year, a 1,210% jump on the previous six months and more than double 2019's total says Bambridge Accountants.

"The huge increase inU.S. expatsrenouncing from our experience is thatthe current pandemic has allowed individuals the time to review their ties to the U.S. and decide that the current political climate and annual US tax reporting is just too much to bear," says Alistair Bambridge, partner at Bambridge Accountants New York.

Tax reporting plays a large part in this: The U.S. is unique in requiring its citizens to pay tax wherever they are domiciled. Most of those renouncing are likely to have moved abroad several years previously. However, some now armed with a Caribbean passport and the power to work from wherever they want may have decided to take the leap.

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Why Rich Americans Are Fleeing To The Caribbean This Winter - Forbes

Photo courtesy of iStock / texpan

The island of Curaao, one of the Caribbeans ABC Islands (along with Aruba and Bonaire), feels like a corner of the Netherlands was dropped into the Caribbean. Colorful Dutch colonial architecture, stunning beaches, underwater coral walls and a UNESCO-listed capital make this island a favorite in the Southern Caribbean.

Photo courtesy of Eduardo Gato / Curaao Tourist Board

This green building in the Scharloo District, a neighborhood once inhabited by wealthy merchants, is known as the Wedding Cake House for its tiered structure and intricate architectural detail. Scharloo is one of four districts in Willemstad, along with Otrobanda, Punda and Pietermaai.

Photo courtesy of Eduardo Gato / Curaao Tourist Board

A cross between a milkshake and a smoothie, a batido ranks among the most popular ways on the island to cool off after a day at the beach. Youll find this combination of fresh or frozen fruit, milk and sugar sold at roadside trucks around the island.

Photo courtesy of Eduardo Gato / Curaao Tourist Board

Blue Curaao is distilled and bottled in Curaao (and has been since 1896). During the distillation process, dried peels of Laraha oranges are mixed with eight different spices. The resulting liqueur is clear, but blue coloring is added, giving it its distinct look.

You know you have the real thing from the round glass bottle, which has a rough texture resembling a Laraha orange peel.

Photo courtesy of Eduardo Gato / Curaao Tourist Board

Its easy to see why this submerged cave in the cliffs of Curaaos west coast is named the Blue Room. Only accessible by sea, the cave exhibits electric blue water, a phenomenon of sunlight refraction. Go snorkeling inside for the chance to spot schools of fish and lobster.

Photo courtesy of Eduardo Gato / Curaao Tourist Board

Sun seekers can choose from more than 35 beaches on the island, including the popular Cas Abao. This white sand beach has calm, clear waters ideal for swimming, plus a reef just offshore for snorkeling and scuba diving.

Photo courtesy of Eduardo Gato / Curaao Tourist Board

Dutch influence is evident throughout the island, including in its cuisine, where seafood is always a star. Lawyer-turned-chef Helmi Smeulders teaches Caribbean cooking classes to visitors, one of many delicious local food experiences on the menu in Curaao.

Photo courtesy of Eduardo Gato / Curaao Tourist Board

Chill Beach Bar & Grill at LionsDive Resort is known for its tropical cocktails, beach barbecues and lively happy hours. Settle into a hammock to sip on a coconut-infused libation, or tuck into fish and meat skewers hot off the grill. This toes-in-the-sand spot is particularly lively on Friday afternoons.

Photo courtesy of Eduardo Gato / Curaao Tourist Board

Head to Playa Piskado, a tiny fishermens beach, to watch the fishing boats haul in their catch. Once ashore, you can see the fishermen clean the fish right on the beach; keep an eye out for sea turtles, who come toward shore to eat the scraps tossed into the water.

Photo courtesy of Eduardo Gato / Curaao Tourist Board

Locals and visitors alike gather at Playa Forti to experience the adrenaline rush of cliff jumping into the clear turquoise water. This 40-foot cliff behind Restaurant Playa Forti gets particularly busy on weekends around sunset.

Photo courtesy of Eduardo Gato / Curaao Tourist Board

Its well worth tearing yourself away from the beach to visit one or two of the islands excellent museums. Pictured here is the Museo di Tamb Shon Cola, where a local musician demonstrates how to stretch a tambu drum.

Photo courtesy of Eduardo Gato / Curaao Tourist Board

Handelskade, a stretch of pier in the Punda District of Willemstad, ranks among the most photographed spots on the island thanks to its brightly painted Colonial Dutch buildings on the water of St. Anna Bay. Set aside some time for a drink at one of the outdoor cafes as you watch the floating Queen Emma Bridge swing open and shut.

Photo courtesy of Eduardo Gato / Curaao Tourist Board

No trip to Curaao would be complete without a meal at Jaanchies, one of the islands most popular local restaurants. Instead of a formal menu, Jaanchie often takes a seat at the table to share the days options. The leafy outdoor dining area is a hot spot for birds.

Photo courtesy of Eduardo Gato / Curaao Tourist Board

The Mikv Israel-Emanuel Synagogue, the oldest continually used temple in the Western Hemisphere, was first dedicated in 1732. The sand-covered floor is said to symbolize the sand used during the Inquisition to muffle the sounds in houses of worship, as well as the 40 years the Jewish people spent wandering the desert.

Photo courtesy of Eduardo Gato / Curaao Tourist Board

Punda, Willemstads first colonial settlement, is also one of its most colorful. Many of the preserved colonial buildings now house art galleries and studios, like the Nena Sanchez Gallery. Sanchez was a self-taught local artist known for capturing the bright colors of the island in her work.

Photo courtesy of Eduardo Gato / Curaao Tourist Board

Shete Boka means "seven mouths" in Dutch, even though there are more than seven coves in Shete Boka National Park. Come watch the waves crash against the rocks and underground cave at Boka Tabla, or watch for nesting sea turtles along the small beaches.

Photo courtesy of Eduardo Gato / Curaao Tourist Board

For some of the best oceanfront views, spend an afternoon or evening sipping cocktails at St. Tropez Ocean Club in Willemstad. This sleek seaside lounge, a go-to on Friday nights, features a large swimming pool, private cabanas and a DJ spinning during happy hour.

Photo courtesy of Eduardo Gato / Curaao Tourist Board

Curaao enjoys one of the most colorful street art scenes in the Caribbean, with murals dotting the streets of Willemstad and beyond. For the best concentration of street art, talk a stroll through the streets of Otrobanda, or take an art tour to hear more about the stories behind the art.

Photo courtesy of Eduardo Gato / Curaao Tourist Board

Dinner in Curaao doesnt have to be a formal event. For a relaxed, al fresco meal, head to a late-night truk di pan. These food trucks serve barbecue dishes and typically open after 9 pm. Popular options include grilled chicken or steak with fries, served with spicy onion relish and peanut sauce.

Photo courtesy of iStock / Flavio Vallenari

While flamingos dont breed in Curaao, they do gather in the islands salt ponds to feast on brine shrimp. You can often spot flocks of wild flamingos in the ponds of Jan Kok, about 30 minutes west of Willemstad, as well as in Salina St. Marie.

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Travel (virtually) to the island of Curaao through these photos - USA Today 10Best

When I think about how soca music makes me feel, I beam from the inside.Charge it to my Trinidadian roots, but whenever a big chune plays (old or new)my eyes close, hands go up,head tilts backand my waistline sways to the rhythm.

For meand millions ofothersocafans worldwide, no other genre of music exudes the euphoria that soca does. The up-tempo groovy beatsa modern twist to its forefather calypsoinstantly elevate any mood. (Press play on these classics for an instant mood booster: Dollar Wine by Collin Lucas; Nani Wine by Byron Lee & The Dragonaires or Turn It Around by Andy Armstrong & Square One). In many ways, soca fuels the Caribbean diaspora providing the vibes that anyone can levitate to. So the timing couldnt be more perfect for a fresh new live album from the icons ofthe genre, Kes.

Hailing from the twin islands of Trinidad and Tobago, the hub of carnivalin the Caribbean, the band breathesnewlife into a culture that has been largely sidelined due to the pandemic. We Home, the first major soca release since the COVID-19 outbreak hit T&T, ispure vibes from the moment the album begins. Neveronesto be boxed in, Kes has alwaysdelivereda sound that is was indistinguishably alltheir ownatrueeclecticfusion of islandmusic includingsoca, reggae, dancehall and pop.

Having previously shared the stage with music legends John Legend, Will Smith and Major Lazor,this new Kes collaboration features rising T&T calypso star Jimmy October and Tobagonian jazz performer Etienne Charles.

We Home gives fans a direct connection tothethe band, comprised of brothers Kees Dieffenthaller (lead vocals), Hans Dieffenthaller (drums), and Jon Dieffenthaller (guitar), along with long-time friend Riad Boochoon (bass guitar). It isgood vibes in a bottle, Kees told ESSENCE, who shared that the live version was purposeful and a way to give fans a front-row seat to the culture, even thoughcurrently,were all socially distant.

The color of paint that soca has become is happiness, so we really wanted this album to remind people what it is to feel happy again. This is really our personal concert for you, said Kees.Celebrations have also alreadybegun for the album asHello, the lead single on the live album, now holds the title for most YouTube plays of anysoca song in the last decade.

Althoughmost international travel may beinterrupted indefinitely, enjoy a true taste of Caribbean culturewith this eclectic live album until you can experience the islands in-person again. The chunes on Kes We Home provide the perfect playlist to kick back, pour a drink and, as the locals say, free up yourself.

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Soca Artists Kes The Band Is Back With New Live Album Just In Time For Labor Day Weekend - Essence

The other day, as I ate a salad that Id ordered from Yardy, an event-production company started by the twenty-seven-year-old artist, chef, and model DeVonn Francis, my brain kept short-circuiting. Every time I bit into a cube of yellow fruit, dusted with Franciss riff on Tajn (a Mexican chili-and-lime seasoning powder), I expected pineapple; in fact, it was mellow, sunny-fleshed watermelon. Between the cognitive glitch and the heat of the spice mixheavy on dehydrated Scotch-bonnet pepper, ubiquitous in West Africa and the Caribbeanit was a dish that reframed my palate as much as it brought me pleasure.

Reframing the American palate by skillfully wielding pleasure, not to mention style, is one way to describe what Francis aims to do with Yardy. Before the pandemic, the company was focussed on food-centric gatherings, some publica one-night roller disco in Bushwick, an Afro-Caribbean-themed dinner at the Lower East Side restaurant Dimesand some private, for companies such as Gucci and Squarespace. Francis, whose Jamaican-immigrant parents owned a restaurant in Norfolk, Virginia, when he was a kid, waited tables at the restaurants Estela and Caf Altro Paradiso while he was in art school, at Cooper Union. After he graduated, in 2015, he chose foodwoven together with event production and designas his medium for exploring the threads of his identity as a queer Black Caribbean-American.

Parties may be on pause, but Yardy is not. In some ways, Francis told me recently, this strange new world has motivated him to move faster toward his biggest ambitions. For a long time, I was, like, Imagine if Yardy could be in everyones home, he said. I spent so much time watching food shows that helped me get to where I am right now. Wouldnt it be great if Yardy could be a beacon of what it meant to be a queer Black chef who has hit a certain amount of notoriety?

Although the past few months have been a huge challenge, Francis said, its been a really great way to amplify our message. His Living Room series, which, until March, took the form of ticketed dinners featuring discussions with artists, poets, and chefs, has moved to Instagram Live, where anyone can watch. Hed like Yardy to be a household brand, offering Caribbean-inspired ice cream or condiments made with ingredients grown by Black farmers, packaged so that a little Jamaican kid walking down the aisle at Whole Foods will feel an immediate sense of recognition. As a precursor, hes offering takeout from the SoHo caf Smile to Go.

The menu is short and features essential-feeling dishes found across cultures, made with Caribbean ingredients that Francis wants to spotlight and demystify for a broad audience. The blackened skin of his roast chicken is coated in tamarind and ginger; his brown-rice bowl is dotted with cubed mango, black beans, and pickled cabbage, and comes with a papaya vinaigrette. He reimagined the chayote squash of his childhood, usually boiled in chunks in soup, as a thinly sliced filling for a rich, savory tart, delicately arranged atop caramelized onions, in a thick but flaky pte brise, and garnished with culantro, a tropical cousin of cilantro. Hes also collaborating with the Black Farmer Fund, which supports Black farmers and food entrepreneurs in New York State, to source produce to use in his prepared dishes and to sell as grocery items.

Making things that feel like they just live with you, and are accessories to what youre already doing, is a great way to introduce people to unfamiliar food concepts, Francis told me. The watermelon salad was inspired by his favorite food to buy from a street vender: a plastic baggie of ripe mango sprinkled with Tajn. Its such a beautiful gesture of convenience and utility, to have a snack that you travel with thats in a bag, he said, clearly nostalgic for life as we knew it before March. I finished the watermelon in minutes. Most everything else I ordered from Yardy kept well for a least a week, playing happy accessory to life as we know it now. (Dishes $8-$32.)

Read more here:

Caribbean Flavors to Shift the Palate, from Yardy - The New Yorker

Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami are monitoring three areas of disturbed weather in the tropics, one of which is uncomfortably close to the Gulf of Mexico.

The following statement was issued on Monday:

Tropical Weather Outlook

NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL

200 PM EDT Mon Aug 31 2020

For the North Atlantic...Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico:

1. A broad area of low pressure associated with a tropical wave over the central Caribbean Sea has changed little in organization since yesterday, and satellite-derived winds indicate that there is no closed circulation. However, environmental conditions are expected to gradually become more conducive for development, and a tropical depression is likely to form during the next couple of days while the system moves westward at 15 to 20 mph. Interests in Jamaica, Honduras, Belize, Guatemala and the Yucatan peninsula should monitor the progress of this disturbance.

* Formation chance through 48 hours...high...70 percent.

* Formation chance through 5 days...high...80 percent.

2. An area of low pressure is located about 135 miles southeast of Wilmington, North Carolina. This system continues to become better organized, and a tropical depression is expected to form later today or tonight while the system moves northeastward, near but offshore of the southeastern coast of the United States and then away from land. An Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft is en route to investigate the system.

* Formation chance through 48 hours...high...90 percent.

* Formation chance through 5 days...high...90 percent.

3. A tropical wave is expected to emerge off the coast of Africa in a day or two. Gradual development of this system will be possible through the end of the week while it moves slowly westward over the far eastern tropical Atlantic Ocean.

* Formation chance through 48 hours...low...near 0 percent.

* Formation chance through 5 days...low...30 percent.

Forecaster Blake

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Keeping an eye on an area in the Caribbean - kjas.com

Who are the Jews of Jamaica and the Caribbean?

Ainsley Henriques will present the story of the Jews of Jamaica during Shabbat services on line at Hollywood Temple Beth El of West Hollywood, CA, on Saturday, September 12. Services start at 10:30 AM (PDT) and the presentation will begin at 12:00 noon. Members of the Jewish community of Jamaica will be joining in on the presentation. The service and presentation will be live streamed on Facebook, while zoom access will be for members and guests of the two communities.

Speculation on the Jewish heritage of the now popular Hamilton, of history and of Broadway, has given rise to curiosity on the Jewish presence in the Caribbean. Our guest presenter, Ainsley Henriques, will stimulate our curiosity even more. Henriques is Jamaican Jewrys premier spokesperson, historian and genealogist. As a businessman, he founded the Jamaica Export Trading Company to market Jamaican goods and sat on the World Spice Council and serves as the Israeli consul in Kingston.

This is the oldest, continuously-operating, Jewish community in the Western Hemisphere, dating back 365 years. Henriques estimates 300,000-400,000 Jamaicans have some Jewish ancestry. In 1700, it was the largest such community in the hemisphere. Historians have noted that the sure-fire indication of a vibrant Jewish community is the presence of a cemetery, and the oldest gravestone surviving is from 1672.

This special Shabbat has been coordinated by Carmen Fraser, of Hollywood Temple Beth El, and Terry Hall, of the United Congregation of Israelites of Kingston.

This is part of a series of special presentations on the question Who are the Jews, and to date, it has covered the stories of the Jews of Iran, of the Greek Islands, of Morocco, and Yemen. Each service had included Shabbat liturgy and melodies that reflect that communitys heritage. Several more are being planned.

Access to the live streaming is on https://www.Facebook.com/htbel/live and will be posted on You Tube the following day on Temple HTBEL You Tube Channel :

Hollywood Temple Beth El, 1317 N Crescent Heights Blvd, West Hollywood, CA, is now operating services on line through the High Holy Days. Information can be found on. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rosh-hashanah-and-yom-kippur-services-brought-right-to-your-door-tickets-117615153089

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Who are the Jews of Jamaica and the Caribbean? - Patch.com