A little fun with Tasseography

Tasseography? That’s a word to leave you scratching you head and asking yourself: WHAT? Surely this must be a made up word! I assure you, it’s not. Tasseography is the art of tea leaf reading. So now you’re immediately stuck with the mental image of an old gypsy lady in the back of a colorfully painted wagon. She’s hunched over a tea cup, staring at the contents intently while in the chair across from her someone fidgets nervously, waiting to hear what the future holds, according to the leaves.

Tea leaf reading is a mystical art which has been practiced since ancient times. Since people first began drinking tea, they have been fascinated by the shapes left at the bottom of their tea cup. The Europeans seem to have adopted tea leaf reading around the mid-1600's, possibly due to the influence of Romani gypsies who practiced the art while traveling from town to town. The gypsies specialized in dramatic proclamations about a future clouded in gloom, but if you crossed their palm with a little extra coin, they would try to remove the curse from you. Their style of tea leaf reading, while entertaining in its shock value, often discouraged sincere seekers who were hoping for genuine guidance and enlightenment from their tea leaf reading.

Want to give it a try? Ok! Here’s a little guide. First of all sit, down and enjoy a nice cup of tea. You need to make your tea the old-fashioned way using a teapot and loose tea. Use a teacup with a wide mouth, sloping side of cups, and a plain, undecorated surface inside of cup. Do not strain the tea as you pour it. To learn to read your own tea leaves, you will need loose tea leaves which are somewhat large. It is best to use a teapot with a wide spout so that when you pour the tea out of it and into your cup, the leaves can easily pass through. Some tea leaf readers recommend using only the highest grade teas and your best china, and all readers advise against using a mug, which makes it hard to look at the leaves sitting at the bottom of your cup.

Part of the ritual of this form of divination is to actually sit down and enjoy the tea and the company of your fellow drinkers before you get started. This is not as silly as it sounds as it allows you to relax and also gather your thoughts.

Before you even start the reading there may already be some early signs to interpret, so pay attention. Bubbles on the surface of your tea means that money is on its way.  If any tea leaves are floating on the surface, then visitors are imminent. The number of leaves shows how many days away they are.  If two teaspoons are accidently placed on a saucer, then you can expect news of twins soon.  If a teaspoon is placed upside down onto a saucer then you will hear news of the ill-health of a close relative.

The person wanting their tea leaves read should concentrate on a question or area of their life that they would like insight into. Drink the tea quietly until about a half of a teaspoon's worth of tea is left in the cup. With your left hand, swirl the tea leaves at the bottom of the cup three times in a clockwise direction while thinking of your question. You can ask a question about yourself, about the past, about the future, or even about someone else in your life. Turn your cup over onto a saucer and let the moisture drain out for about two or three minutes. Then turn your cup back over gently and see how the tea leaves have settled. Once all the moisture is removed, you are ready to have the leaves interpreted.

The cup is held so that the handle points towards the questioner. The handle represents the questioner and his or her home, and the tea leaves are read in relation to the position of the handle. The rim of the Cup represents recent events. Leaves lying closer to the bottom of the Cup indicate events that are more distant in time. The very bottom of the Cup represents misfortunes. Leaves that lie to the right of the handle indicate the future, and leaves to the left of the handle indicate the past. The further away the leaves lie from the handle, the further away the events are in either time or even physical distance.

First take a quick look inside the cup to see if there are any signs that jump out at you. As a general first impression, just a scattering of leaves inside the cup indicates a tidy mind and disciplined life. A lot of leaves indicate a rich, full, busy life.

Any distinct drops of tea that remain in the cup despite the swirling and emptying of the cup, represent tears. A very large clump of tea leaves indicates trouble - near the handle - trouble caused by your own making. Opposite the handle - the trouble is not your fault. Tea-stalks indicate people. Long stalks indicate men. Shorter stalks indicate women. Pale or dark stalks indicate coloring. Slanted stalks indicate untrustworthy people.

Tea leaf readers from all cultures based their readings on objects and images which were common in everyday life. Natural forces like the weather, or animals, people, and even man-made objects each may turn up as a tea leaf symbol. Some modern readers have added contemporary symbols to the list of possible images, for example, using cars to represent travel or roller coasters to represent drama. Other readers are more old-fashioned and like to stick with the universal images that all people have witnessed in their daily lives for thousands of years. As long as the reader is good at interpretation, the images that they choose to work with don't really matter.

Tea leaf reading is a highly personal and subjective process. Because abstract pattern recognition keys into our subconscious, self analysis produces the most relevant reading. One person may see an egg, while another sees a beetle in the same spot. Tea leaf reading is very much like a Rorschach (Ink Blot) Test. We are most likely to recognize symbols having a bearing on or connection with the matter at hand. Therefore, you are the most qualified person to read your own tea leaves.

Tea leaf symbols are broken down into four main categories.

Nature
These include all symbols having to do with the outside elements and their influence on us. Sometimes they can provide a warning of potential danger, or the coming of good luck, but mostly they represent the backdrop upon which we are staging our lives.

 
People

These symbols are types of people or parts of the body (i.e. face, hands, eyes). These images are reflections of what role we are playing in our personal lives and which stage of wisdom we have reached. A person symbol can act as a short-term or long-term influence.

Animals
Animal shapes represent our helpers on the Earth plane. The types of animals which appear in a tea leaf reading often mirror our hopes, fears, or dreams. They can also reveal personal qualities that we are expressing or show us the inner truth of how we are feeling.

 
Objects
These include all the things that man has physically invented. They include tools, toys, clothes - you name it. When these kinds of symbols show up in a reading, they show us what we are doing with our lives. They reflect what we are creating and generating, be it positive energy or chaos.

There are two sets of symbols within the cup for the tea leaf reader to work with. The symbols that they see as an image in white are positive and good in relation to the meaning of the symbol. While the symbols that the see made out of the tea leaves or coffee grounds themselves are negative or bad in relation to the meaning of the symbol. Here’s an example: You are reading the tea leaves and looking at the white spaces. You see an image of an envelope which has the meaning of 'message'. If the image is shown in white, it will be a good message, if the image is shown made of the leaves or grounds, it will be a bad message.

Reading Tea Leaves and Fortune Telling go hand in hand for 1000's of years and can be an interesting experience. The next time you enjoy a cup of tea, try your luck and see what the leaves tell you.

It's not ALWAYS the government's fault

I just have to say this, even though I'll probably get shit for it.

I'll be the first one to get on a band wagon and bitch about the government. Painfully slow service, some times little to no results, confusing systems, long LONG lines...but certain situations require the patience of crossing your T's and dotting your I's. This is especially true for high profile businesses. Taking the time to do the right procedures - as much as it's a pain in the ass - is worth it when the consequences can be devastating. We're coming into High Season and Karakter is a wreak.

In regards to all the hooopla over at Karakters and all the miscommunication etc, etc. Check the story here: Karakter - It's not always the government's fault. What it seems to boil down to is: Karakter did not have permits to build certain structures. The argument still remains over the retaining wall, but the big picture is a simple thing - when it doubt cover your ass. Don't wait 'til it's too late and start pointing fingers. If your not sure about something, or if your not sure about documents you need...just do it ALL. Otherwise it's like putting a big KICK ME sign on you or your business.The old adage - Better to be safe than sorry. The owner of Karakter just took it for granted that he would fly under the radar an he didn't need to pay attention to proper procedure. He's not alone - many business do the same thing - he just got caught.

Many times the government of Sint Maarten doesn't follow proper procedure - we ALL know that...but that's not an excuse to do the same thing.We have seen the same scenario over and OVER again...business open - without the right papers - run for a season, then disappear...no taxes paid, employees left in a lurch. Other companies find themselves expanding or making unauthorized changes simply because they feel they can get away with it. The list of infractions goes on an on. Again, I'll be one of the first to acknowledge how easy it is to pull the wool over the government's eyes. There are many things we all 'get away with' on a daily basis...still...when we get caught we have no one to blame but ourselves. We took the risk, and sometimes, we just don't get away with it. In my experiences I've found that the more paper work you have to back up your claims of "I DID DO THAT!", the better your chances are. Simply ignoring things do not make them go away. Again, we ALL know that. And I know a lot of people will agree that if you do all this, we won't have to read about all the crap in the newspaper. All the back 'n' forth he said, she said garbage. Show a little class and don't air your dirty laundry in the press...we have to read enough crap on a day-to-day basis with adding Soap Operas to the mix....that's what TV is for.

Tea: A Health Benefit and So Much More

Almost all of us have had a box of tea in our kitchen cabinets at one point or another. Tea is usually associated with curling up on the couch on a rainy day or daily ritual involving scones and cucumber sandwiches.  The wide variety of teas can be mind boggling.  There are black teas, green teas, oolong teas….this list is nearly endless!

Tea has been well known for having amazing health qualities. The biggest one that most people point out is that tea has less caffeine than coffee. An eight-ounce cup of coffee contains around 135 mg caffeine; tea contains only 30 to 40 mg per cup. If drinking coffee gives you the jitters, causes indigestion or headaches or interferes with sleep -- switch to tea.

Tea gives you a sweet smile. You may not think drinking tea is good for your teeth, but think again. It's the sugar added to it that's usually to blame for the bad dental reputation. Tea itself actually contains fluoride and tannins that can keep plaque at bay. So add unsweetened tea drinking to your daily dental routine of brushing and flossing for healthier teeth and gums.

Tea may reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. Unwanted blood clots formed from cholesterol and blood platelets cause heart attack and stroke. Drinking tea can help keep your arteries smooth and clog-free, the same way a drain keeps your bathroom pipes clear. A 5.6-year study from the Netherlands found a 70 percent lower risk of fatal heart attack in people who drank at least two to three cups of black tea daily compared to non-tea drinkers.

But did you know tea has many more uses than just a healthy drink? You might be pleasantly surprised and what you can do with your tea!

There amazing household uses for tea. You can clean dirty, musty carpets by sprinkling dry, used green tea leaves on the carpet. Let them work their magic for about 10 minutes then vacuum them up. Tea can even be used on delicate Persian and Oriental rugs, which can also benefit from a sprinkling of tea leaves. In this case, sprinkle nearly dry, used whole tea leaves on the rugs, and gently sweep them away. And what about your hardwood floors? The tannins in black tea can help shine and color hardwood flooring. Follow your regular floor cleaning routine by carefully rubbing some brewed tea into the floor (don’t use too much water on hardwood flooring) and letting it air dry. Tea can remove stubborn, greasy fingerprints from glass, and make it sparkle. Simply rub a damp teabag on the glass or fill a spray bottle with brewed tea. Brewed tea also can help clean and shine wood furniture. Dip a soft cloth in a small amount of tea, and use it to wipe down the tables, chairs and more.

Rinse your hands with tea after eating or preparing fish (or other stinky foods) to eliminate odors. Also, instead of baking soda (or maybe in addition), try used tea bags in the fridge to absorb odors and de-stink the fridge. Likewise, used tea leaves can help deodorize litter boxes when mixed into the litter. Dry, green tea leaves are recommended. And, staying to the pet theme, tea can also help prevent fleas, so sprinkle some dry used tealeaves around pet bedding.

As useful as tea is around the household, there are even more personal uses! Tea is a great healthy drink but it’s not just good for your inside, it’s good for your outside too! In the Caribbean there are very few people who are not familiar with sunburn. Use tea to soothe a sunburn: Wet teabags can soothe sunburns and other minor burns. For a full-body sunburn, soak in a tea bath. It’s also great for tired eyes: Warm, wet teabags can reduce puffiness and soothe pain around tired eyes — and teabags on your eyes look a little less ridiculous than cucumber slices. Tea bags have even been known to help ease pinkeye. You can use warm, wet teabags as a compress to soothe the pain of pinkeye.

Tea is also great for mouth remedies. For an older child who loses a tooth, try putting a cold, wet teabag in the mouth where the tooth was lost. It can reduce bleeding and soothe pain. Similarly, toothaches and other mouth pain can be soothed with a rinse of antiseptic peppermint tea mixed with a little salt. Gargling with strong tea can help reduce halitosis.

Brewed tea makes a good conditioner for dry hair. Rinse with (unsweetened) tea and leave to dry for a while, then rinse again with water. Brewed tea also is a good natural hair dye. Mix rosemary and sage into dark black tea and let the mixture stand overnight. Strain the mix and thoroughly work it into your hair. Repeat as needed for the desired color.

To protect and beautify skin, try bathing in green tea. Another widely recommended skin booster is chamomile tea in a facial steamer. Some acne sufferers swear by washing their faces with green tea to cure or reduce their acne. Soaking your feet in strong tea for 20 minutes per day can be a relaxing and effective way to reduce foot odor. To help plantar warts on the feet heal faster, press a warm, wet teabag onto the wart for 20 minutes per day. Cover a boil with wet tea bag overnight, and it should drain painlessly. To salvage a partially broken fingernail, use a piece of mesh tea bag to create a splint of sorts between the nail and the broken piece then coat in nail polish.

Many older adults do not realize that black tea can reduce their dizziness when standing up. The tea boosts blood pressure, reducing the threat of dizziness. There is a litany of other health benefits of black tea, including reduced risk of heart attacks, kidney stones, Parkinson's disease and ovarian cancer.

Tea is also helpful in and around the garden and household plants. Pouring strong tea into a compost bin will help speed up the process and encourage more friendly bacteria to grow, improving the compost. Spread used tea leaves around rosebushes, then add mulch and water. The tannic acid and other nutrients will benefit the plants. Occasionally use brewed tea instead of water to feed ferns and other houseplants that like rich, acidic soil. A few used teabags in the bottom of a planter can help the soil retain water, and adds valuable nutrients.

Other uses for tea range from dying fabrics to pet care. Green and black teas have long been used in dyes for fabric and paper, particularly for generating a beige faux- antique look. Some artists use strong black tea to paint backgrounds or accents on black-and-white sketches. A footbath with strong black tea is rumored to help strengthen the pads of dog feet. Burning tea leaves can be used to repel mosquitoes with none of the side effects of chemical bug sprays.

And tea can also be fun and a little mystical. Telling fortunes in the pattern of tea leaves in an empty teacup is an ancient art that is still occasionally practiced. Want to have a little fun? Give it a try!

So the next time you take a break from your hectic life to enjoy a tasty cup of tea, remember that tea is so much more than a tasty drink!

Outdoor sleeping

Full moon over Dawn Beach

Fresh paint fumes have driven me out to the porch, but I can't complain. Turning it into a little adventure.

The full moon is floating on a sea of stardust as the Coqui frogs sing me a lullaby. The trade winds blow cooling caresses across my check. The waves from the near by beach rush to touch the shore, their distance rumble a comfort in the night. I snuggle into a warm blanket and soft mattress to watch the fireflies dance through the garden, hypnotizing me to sleep...perchance to dream....

Year's End in Sight

Well, it's that time of year AGAIN.

December is upon us and where are approaching the mid-way mark. The clock is ticking and running out on 2O11. The trade winds have shifted, coming from the north and bringing cooler breezes. Lights are going up around the island, ppl are gettin ready for the holidays. As usual, there will be the fair share of palm trees wrapped in Christmas lights and Christmas tree decorated with sea shells. I don't get tired of it, but I am looking for something new.

I've seen a lot come and go on this little rock...I've seen things change and not always for the best. Some things still hold very fond memories. I remember coming here when I was kid and getting a seemingly endless supply of Chiclets. Many of you know what I'm talking about. When St. Maarten first popped up on the map as a travel destination, just over 3O some odd years ago, the US dollar was just making its way to the island. Coins were hard to come buy- i.e. nickles, dimes, etc. So, many times you would receive your change in the form of a couple little packs of Chiclets gum. Some places still carry on the tradition today. No matter where I go in the world, seeing a pack of Chiclets puts me right back in St. Maarten. Hmmm, maybe I'll decorate my tree with Chiclets this year! :-D

Do You Know what good Bar Karma is? SXM Sint Maarten

 PUBLISHED NOVEMEBER 2O1O

Not everyone who spends time in bars understands the simple principals of bar behavior. As a rule of thumb, for the customer, the difference from being treated as a chump and being treated with respect is measured equal in proportion to the manners you give to those who serve the drinks. There's a simple equation: a happy bartender will, in turn, make you happy. It's bar karma. Proper bar etiquette is a large part of the beautiful dance that we call getting drunk.

The following is a pretty simple and straightforward list of bar dos and don'ts. If you want to keep your local bartender happy, it’s highly recommended that you follow it. Keep in mind, a happy bartender is likely to serve you faster, back you up quicker, and slide you that free drink earlier and more often. That way, everybody's happy. And it all starts with getting your bartender's attention.

Let's say that you and a couple of your friends are out at your favorite bar. The place is wall-to-wall people, and you're dying for a drink. How do you get the barkeep to come over and give you that drink? Well, one thing you shouldn’t do is pull out a twenty and wave it at him. Most barkeeps find this insulting. You are not the only one at the bar with money. They can always tell who's waiting to order a drink, and if the bartender seems to be ignoring you, he's probably just busy taking care of somebody who was there before you. But, for argument sake, let’s say your barkeep just doesn't notice you. It's perfectly all right to give a wave or a nod. Most bartenders will respond to "excuse me," or "pardon me, bartender/barkeep.”  Never snap your fingers at a bartender, unless you want to keep snapping them for the next twenty minutes while you wait for a drink. And I have yet to talk to a bartender who happily serves a customer who calls them "hey, you!"

Now it's time to order your drinks. Do yourselves a favor, and the bartender, and know what you want before you call the bartender over. In a crowded bar, every second he spends standing there waiting for you to decide between a vodka red bull and a vodka cranberry is time the bartender could be taking care of the hundred other people who are waiting for drinks. Know what you want and select ONE PERSON to be your spokesperson and order all your drinks at one time.  When you order all together, the bartender can make all your drinks at once, and avoid making four separate trips and avoid a raise in their blood pressure. After all, you’re at a bar, you’re there to drink. So know what the heck you want! Also: Bartenders don't know how to make every drink in existence. There are millions of drink recipes out there and some drinks have different ingredients and share the same name. Don't expect every bartender to make a Mai Tai like the one you had in Hawaii. If your favorite drink is uncommon, know the ingredients and your bartender will take it from there.

Likewise, you should pay all together as well, so the barman only has to bring you your change once, instead taking the money for one drink, going to the register, making change, then coming right back to where he just was, four times in a row. Ordering drinks this way is, clearly, four times slower. And don't forget to have the money ready by the time the barkeep arrives with the drinks. In a bar, faster is always better. And please, please, PLEASE don’t hand your bartender a handful of crumpled bills and expect to get any great service for the rest of the evening. Nothing slows a bartender down more than having to waste time straightening out crumpled, sorry looking bills. And it’s just really disrespectful. Your change is returned to you in a quick and timely fashion and not wadded up like used tissue paper.

As far as tipping, it’s just really easy to just keep it simple. Tip every time, and tip something for every drink. Remember, bartenders only make about $3.00 an hour. Like waiters, the rest of their money comes from your tips. And not tipping is of course the best way to insure that everyone else in the bar gets served again before you do.

Let's say that you've been at the bar for a couple of hours and have ordered a few rounds. This does not automatically entitle you to a free drink--a bartender doesn't have to give you a free drink if he doesn't want to, even if he’s your friend. So don’t expect it and don’t feel like you’re entitled to it. One of the biggest mistakes people tend to make is going to a bar where their good friend works, expecting free drinks. They tend to forget that this is a job and the bartender can’t always just give away drinks to their friends all night long. Never assume that you're getting a free drink; always at least offer the money. And PLEASE: If YOU order a round of shots, YOU pay. "Do you want to do a shot?" is an invitation to buy a shot for someone, not an invitation for someone to buy one for him or herself. And this can't be stressed enough: don't forget to tip on a free drink. If you don't tip on your free drink, you're not giving the barkeep a reason to give you another one.

And last, but certainly not least, if you absolutely must make or take a call, step away from the bar and head to the restroom area, or outside. These are the only appropriate place to carry on a conversation. Nobody wants to hear your personal business, hear about your latest love interest or be a part of your break-up call. And when you're on the phone next to them, trying to shout above the music, they can't help but listen and start to get annoyed, including the bartender.

That about covers it for the basics of bar etiquette. You follow these guidelines, you'll guarantee yourself a bartender that is happy to see you, serves you quick, and gets you drunk fast. And let's face it, being able to zip past the hundred other losers in the bar and get served first is cool. As always – remember to party responsibly!

GEBE...The movement...SXM Sint Maarten

Well...I had some times on my hands...between jobs....so I got angry one day. Angry at the Power Company: GEBE. And now...something has started to happen. I started a petition and ppl started signing it. I posted some videos, documenting outages and giving vent to my anger and frustration....And now - Ppl have started talking about orginazing...rallies...I've started a grassroots movement...I think that's what its called. Surprising. I just was expressing my view and giving other ppl a chance to have a voice...now I have ppl comeing to me looking for direction. Yikes. I'll admit it: I'm a firestarter. I'll light a blaze about something, but never think past the point of fire. Soooo, now I put the word out that i need help with this cause. LOL I'm completely out of my depth and it's a very uncomfortable feeling. I'm not sure which way to go, the next move..and ppl seem to be waiting with baited breath for instructions. I hope I survive this.

Petition Site

Why? SXM - Sint Maarten

Over the years many, MANY ppl have ask me: Why?

Why do I live here?
Why don't I go somewhere else?
Why do I write letters to the newspaper?
Why do I care?

I live here because I've had a love affair with Sint maarten for 3O years.

Why don't I go somewhere else? Alas, over the past 1O years, I have no where else to go. So many ppl say that: Just leave. Not everyone has that option/luxury.

I write letters to stir the pot. Get ppl talking/thinking.

I care because I live here. It's a small island and all issues are right here...in your face. You don't get to live in some cushy subdivision and not have the ugliness of this place touch you. On the other side of the coin - there is no place like this. Every day brings something new, interesting, beautiful. It's not all ugly, just like anywhere. There is beauty and some things make sense. I express my views, that's all. I have friends. Good friends. Friends that understand my mouth is part of the package. I'll never make any apologies for who I am and the way I think. I'm open to all opinions. I just want an argument with substance. Don't argue JUST to argue or just because you don't like what I think. TELL ME why? Back it up. I love a stong discussion. Even one that ends with:Let's just agree to disagree.

Welcome to my view.

Hellooooo!

This blog is place for me to share my views, literally and figuratively. This where I can show you the things I see or how I see things. These views are my own and range from articles on people I've meet to my opinion of government and more.

So, welcome to my view and enjoy the scenery!