The Power of Making: Craft, Computation, and Carnival (TEDxPortofSpain Talk)

My TEDxPortofSpain Talk on the importance of Making, Craft, Computation, and Culture .

Have a great day!!

Veni Mangé – Port of Spain, Trinidad

 My friend took me to Veni Mangé in Port of Spain, Trinidad last week for lunch. Here was my experience. Sign paying homage to Allyson Hennessy above.

“Veni Mangé came into existence in December 1980. The name Veni Mangé is French Patois for ‘Come & Eat’ Now located on the popular Ariapita Avenue, the restaurant is housed in old Colonial home, clay colored with demerara windows, local art, tropical plants, colorful décor and overhead ceiling fans. It epitomises Caribbean ambiance. Veni Mangé is run by sisters, Allyson Hennessy (deceased – pictured above), a Cordon Bleu Chef and sister, Roses Hezekiah.” – from Veni Mange website.

We were warmly greeted by Roses (I think it was Roses) who was the epitome of the Caribbean woman, beautiful, warm, felt like family, and a beautiful smile. She escorted us to our seats, asking us where we preferred and opening the windows for us to enjoy the breeze.

 Coconut Bake

Before placing your order you are greeted by beautiful and delicious coconut bake! This is a Trinbagonian past-time. It was and still is one of the most comforting things for me to eat when I come home to Trinidad. My grandmother’s coconut bake was unforgettable. In addition to the bake looking so inviting, I loved the checkered towel it was placed in. Oh so homey!

I ordered grilled shrimp in chadon bene sauce (chadon bene is a family to cilantro) and my friend ordered the West Indian stewed beef with dumplings. Our entrees were served with (pictured above) bhagi rice (from top left), potato salad and fried plantains, vegetables (which was really pak choi) and red beans. Oh it was a feast!!!!!!!!!!! It looked and smelled sooooooooooo good! But the pièce de résistance was about to arrive..

Close up of the bhagi rice

Potato salad and fried plantains

Stewed red beans

Pak choi

Now for the entrees…

Stewed beef with dumplings. Five-finger a.k.a star fruit a.k.a carambola for decoration.

Another view with some watercress too.

This was my baby, my darling, just looking at this and my mouth is watering again…grilled shrimp in chadon bene sauce

Now, if memory serves me right the menu said “grilled shrimp.” I didn’t taste the grill on the shrimp, BUT the shrimps was one of the most delicious tasting shrimps I have ever had! It tasted like a chadon bene ceviche or a shrimp chow! BEST THING EVER!!

Another view! I ate my sides and left the majority of my shrimp for last.

We left room for dessert. I had the rum trifle and my friend had the prune dessert with custard (I can’t remember the name).

Inside the run trifle

A closer view of inside the rum trifle.

The prune dessert

Inside the prune dessert

 The desserts were great! If I were Veni Mangé however I would place the trifle in a clear glass or bowl. The beauty of a trifle lies not just in its taste, but also in its layers. Glass dish – yes. I would also put a lighter layer of custard atop. The entire thing was a little too sweet and I felt the custard overwhelmed the delicious fruits and cake below a bit. I would do the same for the prune dessert. They were both great however. Now for the decor…

The brightly colored furniture, windows, ceiling fans, demerara windows, colorful artwork depicting Caribbean life and Caribbean people. The seat covers are reminiscent of  the dresses worn by bélé dancers in the Caribbean.

Brightly colored furniture and jalousie windows (with louvers).

The artwork and plants…

A close up of the painted table top and beautiful tile

More of the interior

 White painted ceiling, demerara windows, wooden floor and furniture at the bar

A wall of famous Trinidadians

Demerara windows

View of Veni Mangé from the outside

Exterior sign

I thank Rose and the young lady who waited on my friend and I. This was fantastic! The food was some of the best I have ever tasted. The service was PERFECT! I felt comfortable, they kept asking us if everything was alright and if we wanted anything else. I am a sucker for fantastic service and they gave it to us, all with that beautiful Caribbean smile and warmth.

1. Food – GREAT
2. Service – GREAT
3. Ambiance – GREAT

Here’s a ink to the restaurant – http://www.venimange.com

Have a great one!

Thinking Insomniac.

Sagicor Building – Port of Spain, Trinidad

6” x 8.5” Pen, ink,  and Sharpie in Ryman sketchbook

I am in Trinidad for a few days and I felt the nostalgia of my time sketching the wonderful buildings in Port of Spain. I passed by the Sagicor Building and wanted to sketch it again. It’s a beauty!

Thinking Insomniac

 

 

Thursday 03 January 2013

This is a photo of the beautiful Caribbean sky…

The entire country is getting ready for Carnival… I visited a pan tent in this photo. Later this evening the practice sessions will begin.

This work by Vernelle Noel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Watercolor – Industrial Court in Trinidad & Tobago

The Industrial Court of Trinidad & Tobago

Above is my drawing of the Industrial Court of Trinidad & Tobago; on the corner of Queen and St. Vincent Streets in Port of Spain.

“During the period 1960 to 1964, Trinidad and Tobago was plagued by a number of strikes by workers and lockouts by employers which affected the economy. The Government’s answer to the problem was the Industrial Stabilization Act 1965. This Act was “to provide for the compulsory recognition by employers of Trade Unions and Organizations representative of a majority or workers, for the establishment of an expeditious system for the settlement of Trade Disputes, for the regulation of prices of commodities, for the constitution of a Court to regulate matters relating to the foregoing an incedental thereto.”

Reference: http://industrialcourt.org.tt/Home.aspx

This work byVernelle Noel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

The Red House (Parliament Building) in Trinidad & Tobago (Negative)

The Red House - Port of Spain, Trinidad.

This is a negative sketch of the Parliament Building (The Red House) of Trinidad and Tobago. Click here for original post…

Thanks everyone for continuing to share and visit my blog. Much appreciated, and thanks again! Hope to be posting more regularly in a few weeks..

Abstract Architecture of the day:

This work by Vernelle Noel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Make Something BIG – Bookshelf with engraved sketches

Engraved sketches... Assembly mode

Above is my assignment for my “How to Make (Almost) Anything” class. Our assignments are weekly, and this week our assignment was to “Make Something Big.” I designed and built something big that I needed and would have space for; a bookshelf to place on my chest of drawers. I engraved the following sketches:

1. Arc de Triomphe, France
2. Queens Royal College, Trinidad
3. Mamallapuram, India
4. NAPA, Trinidad
5. In The End: Dance And Rejoice (Trinidad Carnival 2011)
6. Abstract Architecture

Engraving of Arc de Triomphe Sketch lit from behind

Complete!

Engraving of NAPA, Trinidad

I encourage you to go here to read more.

Feel free to use the following:
1. PDF of Bookshelf>>

2. CADD File of Bookshelf >>

3. Videos of Laser engraving >>

4. More photos of Bookshelf >>

5. Link to my sketches >>

This work by Vernelle Noel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Queen’s Royal College Clock Tower, Trinidad (Negative)

Queen's Royal College - Clock Tower - Trinidad

5” x 8.25” ink pens, in Moleskine sketchbook

This is a negative sketch of the Clock Tower of Queen’s Royal College (Q.R.C.) in Trinidad & Tobago. Click here for more…

This work by Vernelle Noel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA), Port of Spain, Trinidad (Negative)

National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA), Port of Spain, Trinidad

Above is a negative of my sketch of the National Academy for the Performing Arts in Trinidad. Click here for more >>>.

This work by Vernelle Noel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Holy Trinity Cathedral, Port of Spain, Trinidad (Negative)

Holy Trinity Cathedral, Trinidad

This is a negative of my sketch of the Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral on Hart Street in Port of Spain, Trinidad. Click here for more >>>.

This work by Vernelle Noel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.