blackgirl on mars: notes on a life in copenhagen (or how my alienation brings me closer to people).

Here's a smile at my grandmother's funeral in Santa Cruz, Trinidad.  photo credit coming soon.  It's supposed to be dry season in Trinidad and Tobago but it's been raining for the past hour. I'm sitting in what used to be my grandparent's house in Diamond Vale, which is in the town of Diego Martin. Diamond Vale is a valley and all the streets are named after precious stones. It's divided into two sections, the new vale and the old vale - my grandparent's house is in the old vale. When this neighborhood was first built, it was all the rage, but I can't help but wonder how much my grandparents and everyone else who moved here from the countryside must have felt to live in concrete houses that seemed designed to socialize them out of their country hospitality. There was a time when I knew almost everyone on this street, but so many have moved out, often abroad, and the street no longer has that coziness it once had when familiar faces greeted you ...

Jason Smalls and I getting ready to walk into Mexico! photo: Jason Smalls  On the way home from Mexico - we walked and saw this breathtaking sunset photo: Jason Smalls We found the most amazing bookstore in Carlsbad, CA !  It's early Monday morning, and as I type this I can hear the rain outside my window which looks out into a cascade of various plants. I'm staying in Echo Park and although I've only been here about three days, can safely say that I love the vibe of this neighborhood.  First of all, the abundance of trees and plants that surround me, hold me in love.  A simple walk down the street to Sunset Blvd reveals so many plants - I am surrounded by a myriad of succulents, cacti and other tropical plants that remind me of the Caribbean and so, home. The rolling hills and surrounding mountains are also familiar to me, as I lived in a valley in Trinidad, called Diamond Vale. The local cafe has a sign that reads "Resist Hate." Sunset Blvd is ju...