Three Days in Jamrock

Lovelies!
I took a wonderful trip to Ocho Rios with my significant other and FIVE other couples last month for a 3 day jaunt on the tropical island.
Based on my previous travel which left me so exhausted (Tokyo and Puerto Rico) I decided splurging on a three day getaway focusing on rest and suntanning with my love was long overdue.

First thing is first, we stayed at a place called The Big White Villa. No joke. I didn't have the address when I checked into customs in Jamaica and they wouldn't let me in the country. I was diverted to the Information Desk to have them Google the address to the villa then routed back to Immigration to potentially enter the island.

This place is gorgeous! Seven bedrooms, two of them are really apartments on the pool deck level so I'm not sure if that counts. We were lucky enough to get the master bedroom complete with a jacuzzi tub and chaise sofa in the bathroom. I made good use of that jacuzzi tub on the last day when my skin was the color of burned toast. *Drop some organic coconut oil into hot water and soak lovelies. You'll thank me later.*

The best part of the trip was the food! Ugh. We had a Chef, Kevin, who made the BEST damn food I have ever had in my life. Our group went out to dinner at least twice and each time the food was disappointing. I blame bland tourist with their bland palates for causing the demise of cultural relevance in cuisine. We had akee and saltfish, dumplings, greens, fried plantains; that was just day one for breakfast. He made a stewed goat dish for our last night that had us licking our plates. It was divine.

If your family or a group of friends are looking for a place to stay in Ocho Rios I highly recommend The Big White Villa. Just remember to Google the address prior to your flight into Jamaica.

Second, we didn't do much touristy things since our time was supremely limited. We did make one excursion to a place called The Blue Hole. This place is up on a mountain top, about a 25 minute drive from the villa. Wear athletic bathing suits, if you're a woman who likes to look cute in strappy suits - just make sure to adjust yourself after each jump. You'll be cliff diving from 10ft to 25ft the entire time so make sure your top is on when you surface above the water. Learn from me lovelies. Learn from me. You might also want to work on your upper body strength as there is a rope swing about 3/4 of the way into the adventure and by that time your hands are too slippery for any real grip. I plummeted off that rope like a cement block. No bueno. To make up for my lackluster rope swing I decided to be the brave one of the group and jump off the highest cliff (25ft) into the beautiful blue waters below. The instructor adivsed me to jump with an open body and land with a closed "pencil-like" body. Clearly his vision was failing him as I was standing right in front of him, all 38-30-47 of me. I said "OK" and mentally prepared myself for the jump. I was NOT prepared for the stinging ass clap when I entered the water. I landed so hard I felt the sting on my asshole. As in, I was under the water and checked to see if my asshole was still in tact. That's how hard you enter the water. I was amazed I could walk out of the shoreline.

Third, hit up Sugar Pot Beach. It is a tiny beach about a 5 minute drive from the villa over a rather dubious looking bridge. You'll pass a fishing village complete with emaciated stray dogs and puppies (it is an island after all). You'll enter and pay a fee, the fee covers the space your taking up and maintenance. The beach is complete with a restaurant where everything is made to order (which means your food is ready in about 45 minutes) and small cabana areas to put your rental chair and belongings.   WORTH IT! DO IT!

Aside from that I will say as a New Yorker it takes me some time getting used to the laid back attitude of islanders. ANY time we ordered food from an establishment the wait time was minimum 25 minutes. People are not in a rush here. They want to make sure your food is delicious and they will make sure to take the time to get it just right for you. Mother's is a great fast food join we found with PHENOMENAL patties. Try them. If you have the time, find an ice-cream parlor and get some Grape Nut ice-cream. I can never find it stateside.

I didn't shop for souvenirs. I took advantage of all the down time and used my coconut oil as sunscreen to tan and catch up on my reading. I look forward to going next time to lounge on a different side of the island and learn more about the history of Jamaica. Bob Marley Museum anyone?

Until next time.

XO.
Nadia

Kickboxing and me...

I have a love hate relationship with exercise. I was one of the "lucky" ones who never really has to work out when I was younger due to my superior metabolism and amazing abs. Once I hit 25, that shit was done. I had taken my gift for granted and squandered it on too many drunken nights followed by greasy food. Six years later I am still fighting that beast called obesity.

I am not the type to workout in the gym, alone, with weights. Don't get me wrong, if it works for you - go hard son. For me, I like the feeling of community and  most importantly, watching other people suffer. Call me old fashioned I guess. So classes have always been my go to when I'm feeling like I need to get in shape. Sweating and suffering with group is far more entertaining than working out alone and watching other people watch themselves in the mirror while taking selfies of their workout.


In an attempt to acquire my early-20's body I recently purchased a Groupon for a Kickboxing fitness class at Pouncing Tigers Kickboxing Studio in Harlem. (SIDE NOTE: I will NEVER be able to save money with Groupon around. I love you but I hate you Groupon). Anyway, I was NOT prepared. Um, they hit one another! Like no helmets, just fists and maybe a body bag in between the two of you. Then at the end we have to attempt to kick one another and dodge those kicks simultaneously, it was incredible!

I felt like Uma Thurman from Kill Bill Vol. I fighting the Crazy 88's.

I think I found my niche.

NC

My trip to Streetbird!

Oh sweet chicken, how I love thee. I was a vegetarian for two years, what was I thinking?! Although I will admit, I gave up the vegetarian lifestyle because of some home cooked pork my Titi threw down in her backyard during a family event and I really couldn't say no to the fresh killed juicy roasted meat of the swine. Mmmmm. 

Chicken is third on my list of delicious food I like to ingest. Steak, pork, chicken then everything else. Naturally when a new establishment named StreetBird opened around my way Mr. S and I had to visit and give it our personal rating. 

As you can see from above, the menu is pretty simple. Everything, aside from the sides, is made as an entrée. We ordered the half Rotisserie bird, an order of the Old Broadway Wings with a side of savory sauce, Sho'nuff Noodles, Return of the Mac, Collard Greens, and for dessert the Sweet Dog and Ooey Gooey Cookie.  I am terrible blogger and did not take pictures of my food but I did take pics of the decor which is a bit thrift store meets tasteful junker, a bit of everything. My favorite part of the decor was the wall of boomboxes which you can actually listen to while waiting 90 minutes for a table of two, fun! 

Back to the food. The rotisserie was crazy good! The chicken was tender, juicy, well seasoned, totally worth the wait. The Old Broadway Wings were a bit too spicy for my palate. Mr. S finished them and matter of factly stated he would not return for the wings. 'Nuff said. The Sho'nuff Noodles were a gourmet take on your standard Chinese corner store order of Lo Mein with a twist on the seasoning and less greasy, they were good but not phenomenal. The Return of the Mac was my favorite, I have yet to meet a macaroni and cheese dish I don't like so I'm a bit biased in this field but hey, try it for yourself. It comes in a bowl, cooked with rigatoni pasta, and four cheeses melted into a perfect gooey sauce covering every noodle. I was in heaven.  The collard greens were our least favorite. No no and no. Either they did not cook them with ham hocks or they just boiled them with the least amount of flavoring possible but, yuck. I mean, if you're not into traditional "savory with kick" collard greens then you might be into this but unless your palate is sensitive to the slightest amount of seasoning you really will dislike this. Again, try for yourself. 

We ordered the Ooey Gooey Cookie and were gifted a Sweet Dog alongside it. WIN! If free food doesn't make you happy then you have no soul. Neither Mr. S nor I am a fan of marshmallows so we swiftly scraped the melted marshmallows off the cookie in our dessert and proceeded to ingest the crunchiest cooked I have ever tasted. CRUNCHY, like over cooked crunchy. I was disappointed. 

The Sweet Dog looked well, like a hot dog in dessert form. A dressed up twinkie. Very sweet, better than the cookie but the almond paste was lost in the chocolate and didn't blend into a nutty chocolatey flavor like I thought it would. 

On the upside, my waiter was Kareem Savinon, who was the doorman in HBO's Girls and the whole time he served our table I felt like I knew him in a sexual way when oddly enough I KNEW I never had sex with him. He was super cool and a cutie pie. 

Final verdict: three out of five "oh my god, my belly is going to explode from so much good food!" 

Have you been to StreetBird? What was your experience like? Tell me below dammit! 

NC

 

My trip to the New York Botanical Garden's Orchid Show: Chandeliers

                              

One of my favorite annual trips is to the New York Botanical Garden Orchid Show. I have been a loyal patron for three years now and I am never disappointed in the beauty and elegance of nature's gifts. Aside from The Orchid Show I never really visit the New York Botanical Garden at all. Don't get me wrong,  I love nature and the flowers but the trip for me really isn't worth it until the orchids come around in the spring. 

I have my usual group of lovelies that I travel with when we visit the orchids and this year we decided to plan our trip a bit differently. We usually pay a little extra for the evening show, which grants us entry, a free drink and unlimited beauty shots among the flowers. You really can not take a bad selfie when posing with orchids, see my pics below. However, the night lights do not grant even a remote hint of justice in revealing the beauty of these delicate but hypnotic plants. So we went on a day trip one Saturday afternoon and enjoyed the orchids amidst tons of sunlight and good company. 

I will say the sunlight provides a glorious dose of natural light for pics and really brings out the vibrant colors of the orchids, but there is nothing like a free cocktail when you are lounging around the flowers on a Saturday evening. Next year, I think I'll buy both the day and evening tickets as I won't be able to take such great photos at night as I did this year. 

All my photos were taken with an iPhone 5, and feel free to check out the #orchidNYBG tag on Instagram, FaceBook and Twitter. It is the prettiest hashtag you'll see all year long, promise. Enjoy the photos below and if you have been to the orchid show, what was your favorite orchid?! Let me know! 

-NC