Puppies & Shelters

And now, my first post after returning back to the mainland. It's been a busy week and a half settling back in, what with the extremely hot weather here in London which did make me feel like as though I never left the Caribbean at all! My last few days in Montserrat now seem like a bit of a surreal blur to me - though I do remember lots of frantic packing, lots of rum, and lots of karaoke.

I will still keep this blog up and running for a bit - there were so many delightful experiences in Montserrat that I still have yet to write about, so I reckon this will be a nice sort of retrospective take on what was a completely brilliant and unforgettable experience for me. Having settled back into the big city life has been easier than I thought, though - guess I do miss my creature comforts such as well-stocked supermarkets and lightning fast broadband after all.

During my time in Montserrat, I came into contact with and met plenty of people, local or otherwise, who constantly strive hard to contribute and better the community of this tiny island. One such person was Emmy Aston, who along with her partner Andrew Myers, have been working endlessly to keep the local animal shelter MAPS - Montserrat Animal Protection Society - running. (You can read more about my first visit to MAPS early on during my time in Montserrat here.)

Their tireless effort towards looking after lost, abandoned and mistreated animals have inspired Montserratians and expats alike to help out in the responsible adopting and fostering of animals in need, providing a safe and comfortable environment for them. About a month before I left, MAPS came upon a litter of five puppies which had to fostered (along with their mum) at private residences, away from the shelter, as they were still too little.

Meet the enthusiastic lot.

Puppy playtime.

Looking for a home.

Quickest chow time ever.

You can follow MAPS for all their updated canine and feline ongoings on Facebook at http://is.gd/pOvpAU. They still have puppies looking for loving, caring homes. If you're interested you can contact Emmy at +1 (664) 491-7807 or +1 (664) 496-7807.

Veils & Shamrocks

Last week gone has been an ultimately busy week - it was St Patrick's on Saturday, and let me tell you, St. Patrick's really is a big thing in Montserrat! A week-long festival which started last Monday saw myself conducting the secondary school choir for their debut performance, playing with Volpanics in what was my first ever steel pan gig, dance behind a truck loaded with massive speakers moving at half a mile an hour (this is called a jump up!), embark on a rum shop tour, crash a stage where the string band was playing (well, not quite: I just grabbed a pair of shakers and edged in), and eat lots of food. Glorious, Caribbean food!

More pictures of these all to follow. But first, last night was the Emerald Community Singers' annual cabaret performance (as part of St Paddy's festival), and the Chinese folk dance quartet finally had their chance to showcase their moves in complete splendor. This folksong is native of the Xinjiang region in China, where majority of the region's total population adheres to Islam. This lyrics describe a young lady whose beautiful features are covered by a veil, and she is being edged on by the singer to reveal some of her alluring facial features, while he extols her resplendent qualities in song.


This item was performed by Gerren Gerrald, Beth Breuer, Vicky Wilson and Cupid Francis, with Sujue Davis providing artistic advisory and myself playing music man, of course.