Bazodee is heading to India. 
The Machel Montano love story featuring Bollywood star Kabir Bedi will be screened as part of the Chennai International Film Festival on December 14.
In making the announcement on Instagram, the soca king said this is the first time films from Trinidad and Tobago will be screened at the Festival.
"So I’m glad our movie will be included in this inaugural group. Many thanks to the High Commission of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in New Delhi, India  for showcasing and promoting Bazodee," he wrote. The movie will be screed at the Devi Bala Theatre in Chennai. 
Bazodee premiered globally in 2016 and has since been screened in the US, Barbados, Jamaica, Montreal, Canada and London, UK. The movie won the Audience Award and Best Music Award at the Latin Asian Film Festival, which took place in London.
Bazodee stars Montano, British Asian actress Natalie Perera, Trinidadian/British actor Valmike Rampersad and Indian/Russian star Staz Nair.
Source: The Loop, Dec 2018.

​CHAIRMAN of the Trinidad Tourism Ltd and former Miss Universe 1977 Janelle “Penny” Commissiong said the number of visitors to Trinidad fell 3.6 per cent in 2017 from the previous year.
Making a comparison with the Bahamas, which has a population of about 400,000, Commissiong said 6.3 million people visited those islands in 2017, compared to 375,000 visiting TT, whose population is about 1.4 million.
She said the Bahamas was a well-developed traditional destination in close proximity to its primary market, while TT was a somewhat underdeveloped, non-traditional destination relatively remote from its most important market.
Commissiong, the feature speaker at a Rotary Club of PoS lunch yesterday at Fitzblackman Drive, Woodbrook, said she did not think crime caused the drop in arrivals to the country.
“We are not sure yet why the numbers have dropped 3.6 per cent, so one will have to do studies on that, do surveys to see what that 3.6 per cent is, and what time of the year that happens. But I really wouldn’t say it’s the crime, because we are here, we are in it.”
She said while visitors to the Bahamas could buy a package holiday to any one of its islands, interacting only peripherally with Bahamian staff and service providers, most visitors to Trinidad had personal business or other connection to a Trinidadian.
Commissiong said there was a clear difference and distinction between the core tourism product in the Bahamas and the basis of the initial tourism marketing and development thrust in Trinidad.
She said Trinidadians must make a conscious effort to acquaint visitors with its tourism products of reliable quality and good value for money and all consciously and actively become ambassadors, guides, promoters and providers of tourism services in Trinidad. Commissiong said many Trinidadians did not compute that it was Trinidad that most visitors came to.
“Now that the separation is there in terms of marketing, I think the focus is a lot clearer. I don’t see it as a daunting job because we have the product, a product which Trinidadians take for granted and don’t realise as a tourism product. It is about getting Trinidadians to understand we are in the game and have always been in the game.
Source: Newsday, Dec. 2018

From the book Tales from Icebox Land by Queen Macoomeh
___________________________
Recipe for Trinidad Rum Cake
Ingredients:
2 bottles Old Oak Rum
Half dozen eggs
Vanilla essence
2 lbs white flour
Half cup sugar
1 cup mixed dried fruit (minced)
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder or baking soda
Tools:
2 large spoons
1 large mixing bowl
Method:
Pour a glass of rum and sip it to see if it good. Take another sip to make sure the first sip was right.
Get the bowl and break two eggs in it.
Finish the glass of rum and pour another one.
Go and check to see if ‘All My Chirren’ start yet.
Call Marjorie and remind she to bring back de curlers she borrow last week when she come over for you to do she chevay tac tac.
Come back in de kitchen and finish break all de eggs in de bowl.
Pour a next rum, finish it and pour more.
Turn on de oven to any number you could make out.
Trow way de empty bottle a rum and pour de next open. Pour some in de corner to ward off jumbie.
Pour every blasted ting else inside de bowl and mix it with yuh finger. Wipe yuh finger on de kitchen curtain
Go and bake for de looking pan.
Oh shims Mardree ha’ dat too. Yuh remember yuh did never like she. She was horning she husband since last year wid dat gold teet jailbud name Bobuts
Get a posey and pour in de hole mess
Put it on top de stove and puh de egg shell in de oven
Any laniappe lef’ ova put in de fridge
Puh de head t’yuh head an’ ahmm, wait no puh de bottle to yuh drink to uhmm
*steupse*
Go and leh de tv watch yuh till yuh hear de smoke alarm go awf
Cake should come out like yuh dotish mudda in law own
Allow de cool to cake down an’ gorge yuhself.

​Dominic Kalipersad
Santa Cruz Valley is historically known for its cocoa plantations and production. It is also the home of cricketing superstars Brian Charles Lara and Jeffrey Stollmeyer.
It was home to Jonas Mohammed Bath, Sultan of Yalliallhad, who was partly responsible for the construction of the famed Fort George. But not well known is that Santa Cruz was also the laboratory for a man who would one day invent the television.
John Logie Baird, a Scottish engineer, spent time researching his invention on a cocoa estate in the Santa Cruz Valley, and produced the first-ever television, which earned him the title of 'Father of Television'.
Born in Scotland, Baird was the younger child of Rev John and Jessie Baird. In his early years, he showed signs of ingenuity by setting up a telephone exchange to connect his house to nearby friends.
Baird arrived in Trinidad in 1919 to begin researching the television. He chose the cool valley of Santa Cruz because weather conditions there were helping him to recover from an illness plaguing him for many years.
At Santa Cruz, he worked alone on his secret project.
His neighbours on the estate regarded him as a strange character who was creating ghosts in their quiet neighbourhood. The ghosts they were complaining about were the images transmitted by Baird while working feverishly on the production of television.
When he started his research, no one believed that it was possible to broadcast pictures, but that did not daunt his spirit.
His immediate problem was poverty. He had run out of money to continue his research and was forced to produce jams from fruits available in the valley. Meanwhile, his television project was gaining ground, By the time he was ready to return to England, he had already produced the first television set at Santa Cruz, and was working on colour television.
Baird returned to England in 1920 to continue his experiments. Five years later, he held his first public demonstration of television at Selfridge's, London.
The first public television programme was broadcast by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in 1936, and by the 1950s televisions were beginning to appear in every home in Britain.
Although the invention had its beginning in Trinidad, it was not until August 24, 1962 that commercial television was broadcast in this country.
The first set of films was shot by Wilfred A Lee and Co, (WALCO) who operated a studio on Park Street, Port of Spain. The films produced by Lee were transmitted to the nation by newly formed Trinidad and Tobago Television Company (TTT).
The films were aired in preparation for this country's Independence scheduled for August 31, 1962. Commercial television, however, did not begin in Trinidad until November when TTT was officially inaugurated.
The majority shareholders of TTT were Redifussion and Scottish Television, Columbia Broadcasting Systems and the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.
Chairman of the company was Sir Patrick Hobson. The station's first manager was Ronald Goodman and Ken Gordon was the company's first programme director.
The big telecast for Independence began at 9 p.m. on August 30, and the programme continued until this country's flag was raised at midnight.
On Independence Day, the proceedings in the Red House were telecast to a crowd of some 1,000 viewers who had assembled at Woodford Square to see the colourful ceremony in which Princess Royal brought greetings from Her Majesty the Queen, while Dr Eric Williams and Opposition Leader Dr Rudranath Capildeo made brief addresses. This scene has been proudly re-broadcast every year, with our undying gratitude to the inventor, John Logie Baird.
-- This article was written by Marlene Davis, and was published in the Trinidad Express on April 29th, 2012.

News coming to hand is that Fred Mitchell more popularly known as The Mighty Composer passed away today.May his soul rest in Peace
The singer was born Fred Mitchell but was also known as Agba Olu Sino Amono.
His calypsoes were popular in the 1960s and 70s. He offered hits such as “Workers’ Lament”, “Supposing”, “True or Lie”, “Black Fallacy” and “Child Training”. He was also a master of ceremonies, comedian, impresario and tent manager.
As a pioneer, he was a foundation member of the first Calypsonians’ Association in Trinidad and Tobago. He was also a TUCO founding member and an executive member for many years.
Composer is known for portraying the Red Indian character, parading in the traditional mas category on Carnival Monday and Tuesday in San Fernando. He is fluent in Warao (Warahoo) speech. Apart from Warao, he is proficient in patois and he is also fairly versed in Yoruba which he uses at every opportunity.
On July 30, 2018, the Emancipation Support Committee (ESC) dedicated a concert titled “Shikamoo – Ancestral Rhythm” to Composer for his contribution to the art form.
The Swahili word Shikamoo means “I respect you”. ESC said the concert was in keeping with this tradition of respect and reverence for elders and ancestors.

​Balancing her studies with her spiritual growth has worked out well for Cassandra Khan who won the President's Medal, Gold for outstanding performance in the 2018 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate examinations.
The 18-year-old Naparima Girls High School pupil, who lives with her parents Nancy and Haroun Khan at Ragoo Village, Wellington Road, expressed jubilation at her award.
In an interview, Cassandra said she was able to accomplish everything through the blessing of Jehovah God and his son Jesus Christ. 
"My father always said I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. It is a verse from the Bible which is my personal motto. I know that I was able to accomplish this because God has blessed me," Cassandra said.
Having written 11 subjects including Spanish, French, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Maths and Additional Maths, Geography, English Literature and English Language as well as Dance, Cassandra was able to score 11 distinctions in all subject areas. 
She never studied Spanish and French in school but pursued the subjects on her own, doing private lessons with Spanish teacher Sherry Ragobar-Toolsie and her daughter Candi.
Cassandra said she was always involved in extracurricular activities but instead of detracting her from her studies, these activities strengthened her.
At the Diamond Evangelistic Centre, Cassandra taught Modern Dance, sang in the choir and participated in drama. 
Her father Haroun Khan who headed a Sunday School for decades in Ragoo Village honed her skills as a drama student. 
"I was stunned when I found out that I won the President Medal, gold. It was something I prayed for and I worked hard for it. I am just thankful that I was able to make my family and my village proud,"
Cassandra said. Asked what she wanted as a reward for her accomplishment, Cassandra responded, "I already have everything. I have a mother who is very encouraging and who prayed with me and for me always. I have a father who taught me how to persevere even when times get tough. I don't need a reward. I already got what I wanted and that was to make them proud."
Cassandra is currently in Lower Six and plans to pursue a career in geochemistry.
"I want to do laboratory work in the oil industry as well as a study of the earth. I love geography," she exclaimed. Cassandra thanked her teachers at Naparima Girls High School for motivating and assisting her.
Her mother Nancy said she heard of her daughter's success from the principal of Naparima Girls High School Carolyn Bally-Gosine. "I started screaming. My husband was dumbfounded and speechless. We were so excited and happy," Nancy said. 
Bally-Gosine said Cassandra was always a diligent and humble student.
She said the school has performed well in all subject areas at CSEC as well as the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) Unit One and Two levels. 
"We had 100 percent passes. At the CSEC level, we had 24 places in the merit listing for the region. Our students are doing well across the board in almost every subject area. Cassandra was an all-rounder. She was great in her balance of subjects and she was able to accomplish a lot. She deserves the Presidents Medal. She said Cassandra was part of the school's musical, the Sound of Music as well as a participant at Sanfest and the National Dance Festival."
- by Radhica De Silva. Photo by Ivan Toolsie.
Source:  CNC3 November 2018

Trinidad and Tobago's best and brightest continue to shine as shown by Trinbagonian Zubin Deyal, who was recently awarded the 2019 Commonwealth Caribbean Rhodes Scholarship.
Rhodes Trust Caribbean said in a Tweet on November 20, 2018, that Deyal, 20, won the scholarship while at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill campus. 
Deyal, son of journalist Anthony Deyal, studies Economics and Finance at the UWI Cave Hill and represented Antigua in swimming and youth cricket. 
Rhodes Trust Caribbean said Deyal will read for the MSc. in Economics for Development at Oxford University.
Edith Clashing, manager of the Wadadli Aquatic Racers swim club, congratulated Deyal via a Facebook post:
“Congrats to Zubin Deyal and his parents Indranie and Tony Deyal. This is indeed a proud moment for all of us. Zubin is a past member of the Wadadli Aquatic Racers (WAR)Swim Club and student of the St. Joseph's Academy. Keep reaching for the stars young man. Well done!”
In 2017, Trinbagonian Mandela Patrick was chosen as the 2018 Commonwealth Caribbean Rhodes Scholarship Winner and was selected out of nine other candidates to study at Oxford University. 
In 2016, Trinbagonian Simone Delzin won the prestigious scholarship for 2017, and prior to that, the scholarship was awarded to for­mer na­tion­al schol­ar Zahra Christi­na Gomes in 2015.


About the Rhodes Scholarship 
The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford. It was established in 1902 making it the first large-scale programme of international scholarship.
The Rhodes Scholarship was founded by English businessman and politician Cecil John Rhodes, to promote unity between English speaking nations and instil a sense of civic-minded leadership and moral fortitude in future leaders irrespective of their chosen career paths.
Although initially restricted to male applicants from countries which are today within the Commonwealth, as well as Germany and the United States, today the Scholarship is open to applicants from all backgrounds and from across the globe.
Source: The Loop, November 2018

Lights out at Petrotrin yes­ter­day - and a new be­gin­ning for re­struc­tured com­pa­nies start­ing work on Mon­day.
That was the pic­ture as the life of the em­bat­tled state com­pa­ny flick­ered out on Gov­ern­ment's planned dead­line yes­ter­day, with re­struc­tured en­er­gy geared to kick off on Mon­day when 42 em­ploy­ees (so far) at its new com­pa­nies be­gin work.
En­er­gy Min­is­ter Franklin con­firmed the num­ber in the new com­pa­nies as he replied in Par­lia­ment to Op­po­si­tion queries on the clo­sure of Petrotrin op­er­a­tions and what would take place ahead.
Yes­ter­day's clo­sure of Petrotrin op­er­a­tions, mak­ing way for the Trinidad Pe­tro­le­um Hold­ing Com­pa­ny and its three sub­sidiaries, capped off Gov­ern­ment's "whirl­wind" three-month re­struc­tur­ing thrust an­nounced in Au­gust. The plan, which in­volved job cuts of all 3,500 per­ma­nent work­ers and ap­prox­i­mate­ly 1,400 tem­po­rary/ca­su­al work­ers, was fought all the way by the Oil­fields Work­ers' Trade Union.
Speak­ing to re­porters be­fore yes­ter­day's sit­ting, how­ev­er, Op­po­si­tion Leader Kam­la Per­sad-Bisses­sar said: "To­day will go down as a very dark day as the Petrotrin (cat­crack­er) flare and oth­er light­ing sys­tems have all gone out and with that light, thou­sands of work­ers are job­less and their fam­i­lies are fac­ing Christ­mas with lit­tle in their pock­ets."
Ac­cus­ing Gov­ern­ment of pres­sur­ing the Op­po­si­tion on the In­come Tax Amend­ment Bill to dis­tract from yes­ter­day's clo­sure of Petrotrin op­er­a­tions, Per­sad-Bisses­sar added: "The rea­son for this big 'dra­ma' on the bill is be­cause they've shut down Petrotrin to­day.
"I trav­el the Pointe-a-Pierre route very of­ten, the re­fin­ery flame was a land­mark, the re­fin­ery built in 1917 was there for 101 years. It was the econ­o­my's main­stay. So the Prime Min­is­ter knows the eco­nom­ic cat­a­stro­phe fac­ing us isn't this bill, it's be­cause Petrotrin's clo­sure will have far-reach­ing reper­cus­sions on T&T."
In Par­lia­ment, En­er­gy Min­is­ter Khan in Par­lia­ment, said, "As we speak, all (Petrotrin) plants and pro­cess­ing plants have been safe­ly shut down in ac­cor­dance with en­vi­ron­men­tal prac­tices. The re­fin­ery has been closed and steam plants are down.
"All hy­dro­car­bons have been re­moved and the en­tire plant has been placed un­der a ni­tro­gen at­mos­phere which is an in­ert at­mos­phere to save cor­ro­sion, fires and ig­ni­tions - and we're now go­ing out for a Re­quest For Pro­pos­als (RFP) for some­body to run the re­fin­ery."
Khan said the shut­ting down process­es are rou­tine op­er­a­tions that didn't re­quire any Cer­tifi­cate of En­vi­ron­men­tal Clear­ance, but not­ed that all ac­tiv­i­ties were un­der­tak­en in con­sul­ta­tion and un­der su­per­vi­sion of the En­vi­ron­men­tal Man­age­ment Agency.
Since there are no work­ers at the re­fin­ery now, he said a third-par­ty ser­vice con­tract has been award­ed to Damus Ltd (via pub­lic ten­der) to have staff mon­i­tor­ing the re­fin­ery, pro­vid­ing su­per­vi­sion and do­ing main­te­nance work.
"That's on as we speak," Khan added.
He didn't give the price of the Damus con­tract.
Go­ing for­ward from Mon­day, staff at the Her­itage Pe­tro­le­um com­pa­ny at San­ta Flo­ra and Point Fortin and Paria Fu­el Trad­ing Com­pa­ny at Pointe-a-Pierre will be on the job, Petrotrin ex­ec­u­tive of­fi­cials told the T&T Guardian yes­ter­day. They said Her­itage CEO Mike Wi­ley has been "on the ground" since Au­gust.
Khan in Par­lia­ment said, "As of to­day we've hired 39 se­nior and mid­dle man­age­ment man­agers. Of this, 16 are for­mer Petrotrin em­ploy­ees and 23 oth­ers (didn't work) at Petrotrin.
"At Paria Fu­el Trad­ing com­pa­ny, we've em­ployed three se­nior man­agers. Two are for­mer Petrotrin em­ploy­ees and one is a non-em­ploy­ee of Petrotrin."
Khan said no­body has been hired for the Guaracara Re­fin­ing Com­pa­ny Ltd, as that com­pa­ny will be the cus­to­di­an for re­fin­ery as­sets.
"There'll be very lit­tle em­ploy­ment there as there'll just be a cus­to­di­an and that em­ploy­ment will take place very short­ly," he said.
Khan said in­di­vid­ual state­ments were is­sued to all em­ploy­ees pri­or to clo­sure. He couldn't say if they were au­dit­ed, but as­sured the plan is in ef­fect and re­tirees are "all re­ceiv­ing their ben­e­fits."
Source:  Trinidad Guardian, Dec 1, 2018