On the 15^th of October 2012, La Source – a Grenadian owned all-inclusive resort sadly closed its grand entrance due to financial difficulties. I was personally gutted having spent some time there six months before the announcement (read my review here).  On my visit the attentive staff served us graciously and in the tranquil surroundings and fresh atmosphere, there was no whiff of a business struggling to operate.

Soon after the planned closure, there were mentions of a Sandals Resort takeover. Naturally, some locals reacted defensively. Having joined La Source’s owner Mr. Taylor at the beach bar for a drink and in the afternoon a jazz night, I could understand the initial uncertainty and upset of this beautiful location leaving Grenadian hands. But, at least it is still in the hands of a Caribbean owned and family run company who are internationally recognised.

Sandals, was recently voted the Best All-Inclusive Hotel/Resort and the Best Luxury Hotel/Spa Resort Company at the 2012 British Travel Awards. But there are still concerns as to whether it will benefit local business due to holidaymakers spending more time inside the resort. Grenadian finance minister Nazim Burke revealed that Sandals would invest US $100m in Grenada over the next few years with plans to extend the site.

After teasing 60,000+ fans over the last few days about a new location on Facebook, the official announcement of Sandals Grenada was made yesterday on the Sandals website. Chairman Gordon Stewart described the new move as the ‘perfect’ location for the brand and vowed to share the beauty of Grenadian culture and it’s people. I was unsure at first, but now I’m very excited for Grenada. They have kept the name La Source and judging by these images no drastic changes have been made to the décor yet. There have also been mentions of La Source staff being reinstated.

Yesterday’s announcement caused somewhat of frenzy on social media with Sandals fanatics eager to book. It has already gathered interest as a wedding/honeymoon destination judging by comments like, ‘this looks like the perfect honeymoon destination for us!’. Sandals has a strong brand loyalty and an extensive marketing strategy, this can only be a good thing for Grenada, and I’m looking forward to visiting when it opens in the new year.

Market Research and Commercial Production Consultant Jadine Ferguson based in Grenada shared her thoughts on the media launch held on Thursday 8th November at the newly named Sandals La Source Grenada.

‘The ‘who is who’ of Grenada attended the launch drawing in a larger crowd than expected. The Sandals team looked extremely happy to be in Grenada and they were well received by Grenadian’s who attended. They promised to keep the La Source staff on a probationary term until they are trained to the Sandals standard and ‘Sandalised’. The talked about renovating the resort  and adding another 50 rooms before opening and within three years building a total of 150 rooms. The Prime Minister of Grenada also spoke at the ceremony and expressed how happy he was that Sandals was here, most importantly he mentioned to the team that he hoped they used as much of the local supply on the island as possible. Overall the event was a success! Sandals is a world known brand and I believe it will help with marketing Grenada as a unique tourist destination’ 

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Today is the day of the 2012 Presidential Election in the USA. Polling stations will begin closing in eastern states at 19:00 Eastern Standard Time (00:00 Greenwich Mean Time). If I was an American I know exactly who I would vote for and if we lived in a perfect Utopia I’d be chanting Michelle Obama for president, (cue Michelle Obama speech to delegates at the Democratic National Convention here) but I suppose her husband will have to do.

On a serious note, when taking into consideration the interest of women, president Obama has implemented Obama Care, which includes well woman visits, contraceptives and related counseling, testing for HPV which commonly affects women, breastfeeding support and screening and counseling for domestic and interpersonal violence. Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have pledged to repeal Obama care which will see the elimination of one of the largest providers of women’s health services which includes breast and cervical cancer screenings and birth control, putting women’s health care in jeopardy. We have already seen the effects of ignorant men in power; so keeping a president in power that is concerned with the interests of women and married to an admirable woman would be the most sensible choice when considering the opposition.

The Women for Obama campaign established in 2007 has enlisted popular female figures in the media, to reiterate why it’s important for women to have a voice in this election. Undoubtedly it is a very effective way of spreading the message to a nation obsessed with celebrity culture.

I spoke to artist Rinat Shingareev, whose paintings feature men in power presented in a very peculiar light. I am quite drawn to his illustrations of Obama, who unlike other political leaders he has painted are not attached to negative implications.

Barack Obama 

Editor: Your work features a lot of international male figures of power. Tell me a little bit about your upbringing?

Rinat: I grew up in a small provincial town in Russia, which I refer to as my special place. It had a tranquil atmosphere where education wasn’t restricted to school. My daily experiences with family, friends, females and locals within my community taught me a lot of life lessons that school couldn’t teach me. It has contributed greatly to who I am as an artist. 

Vladimir Putin

Editor: Some of your paintings are quite complex, describe the creative process?

Rinat: The process starts with the idea that my art should only ignite positive emotions. I’m an observer who turns a mix of saturated colours into pop-art iconography. I portray the faces that we see every day in newspapers and on TV. I then create an environment where these unapproachable personalities can be observed from a point of view that reveals their human qualities. Whatever may be perceived, I do not render political beliefs through my work. My art is a mirror that reflects everything that is happening in the world that excites the masses and interests of people.

Editor: Why do you feature a lot of men in power and popular celebrities in your work?

Rinat: Society is interested in political figures and rock stars; these are the people and topics that catch our attention in the headlines. I just give them a bright, fresh and interesting take on the subject. For me, art is a platform for the realisation of my ideas. I try to turn something that is globally familiar into something new. I play with shapes and colours to present new facets of the characters and personality of these popular figures. I’m like a Director managing my actors and trying to identify new roles for them.

Editor: Do you think the hype surrounding these political figures takes away from your artwork?

Rinat: Someone who knows nothing about politics considers it their duty to open the morning paper or watch the news on TV. The main purpose of my art is to transmit the spirit of an era through the people who play a large role in society at that time. Andy Warhol’s work is memorable because he told the story of Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley through his work. I am representing my reality now and I hope it has a life after my epoch.

To view more of Rinat’s work click here

If you didn’t visit Jamaica House during the London 2012 Olympics, then you will never know because words can’t express the atmosphere at The 02 arena each time a Jamaican athlete earned a medal. After witnessing Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake and Warren Weir become virtually immortal in the 200m mens final, resulting in the infamous ‘Jamaica 1,2,3’ chant. The only recollection I have of the scenes that unfolded in Jamaica House is a sore throat and a sore foot (and I’m not even Jamaican).

Thanks to Jamaica Tourist Board you can now enjoy a beautifully edited and less hysterical video of why Jamaica House was the most exciting and culturally united place to be during the games.