Tag Archives: Toronto

10 REASONS 2014 ROCKED

December 3, 2014Uncategorizedactor, art, artist, beach, blog, cast, Chattrisse, Chattrisse Dolabaille, desert, Dubai, family, film, fly boarding, friends, fun, growing up, music, original, party, performer, recap, shopping, singer, soca, song, success, time, Top Ten, Top Ten Tuesday, Toronto, travel, writerChattrisse

Sometimes, quotes that go viral are bang on. Like this one:

So, full disclosure, spoiler alert, be warned! For this, my final Top Ten Tuesday (maybe ever . . . maybe just for the year 2014), I am choosing to focus only on my highlight reel. I encourage you to do the same as you reflect on that year that’s ending and the new one coming up. Here are 10 of my favourite memories from 2014 . . . they started out in chronological order but you’ll see why that didn’t last long. Enjoy!

1. DUBAI, AKA THE FIRST 5 MONTHS OF THE YEAR

This is not a copout, you guys. If I tried to count and categorize my favourite individual moments from my stay in Jebel Ali, I would never ever ever finish writing this. I mean, really, which was more memorable: fly boarding, or ascending the Burj Khalifa? Swimming in salt water, or strutting in heels? Organizing photoshoots, or creating videos? Shopping for new clothes or chopping new men?

Suffice it to say that my entire trip there, especially from January 1st until early June when I came back home, will ever be forgotten.

2. FAM JAMS

And when I did come back? Family reunions galore! A roti picnic on my mom’s birthday, my cousin Derek’s wedding in Ottawa, a Thanksgiving feast in London, ON (with STUFFING!!! WHY was that so hard to find in Dubai???), reunions with cousins I rarely see even when I am home.

I gave and received many bone-crushing hugs, and I loved every squeeze.

3. MEETING 5 NEW BABY COUSINS

Reunions are one thing; meeting and holding a new baby for the first time is, like, next-level awesome. And I was blessed with 5 (yep, 5) new baby cousins this year. In birth order: Carter, Amaya, Quinton, Iyla, Adalia.

Baby bliss!!!

4. GETTING BACK INTO AUDITIONING

And not just because I booked one or two roles! But the whole process, which used to feel really stressful to me, is getting more and more fun.

Pre-audition selfie … last chance to check my eyeshadow ;-)

Shoutouts to the people booking the roles I didn’t =)

5. FRIEND-LY REUNIONS

Every coffee date or breakfast date or jerk chicken date with a friend I hadn’t seen in months and months was a heartbeat for me. I’m especially grateful for the CAMO Cruise, my reintroduction to Toronto’s fête society, where I cruised across Lake Ontario with good people and good music and good drinks (and okay food, lol) and thought to myself, “Man, do I love this city.” (Thanks, Nish!!!)

Nish, Dija and me!

Likewise, the day after the Caribana parade, some friends and I went to a day party that gave me so much life I’ve run out of words for it. Amazing music (shoutouts to hometown hero DJ Starting from Scratch and DJ Dany Neville, from Dubai, who I finally met here in Toronto!), pretty venue, awesome people, new and old friends, randomly running into my cousin Kari . . . vibes. Loved it. (Thanks, Lincoln!)

Clockwise from the gorgeous blond-tipped curly fro, lol: Tiff, Shana, me, Nish. DJ Dany Neville is at work in the corner

Clockwise from the gorgeous blond-tipped curly fro, lol: Tiff, Shana, me, Menisha. DJ Dany Neville is at work in the corner

And let me not forget the wedding of my homegirl Allison, who I’ve known since tenth grade, to the ultra-cool Derwyn . . . I’ll just leave this picture here because with words, I literally can’t.

Love y’al!

6. CREATING MY OWN ROUTINE

Overseas, my routine was determined by my work hours and the times that the buffet was open. Here at home, it took me awhile to settle back in, and there are still some days that get crazy, but at least I have control over the first hour or so after I wake up and the last few minutes before I go to bed. Carving out time every day to read and write and express gratitude, and even to YouTube sermons, has made a huge difference. It might be the least exciting thing on this list, but it’s for sure going to be one of the most beneficial, long-term.

7. RELAUNCHING MY SIDE HUSTLE

Spending the first chunk of the year overseas, in some ways it was like an extended vacation. But to be honest, there were times when it felt a bit like exile. This was especially true when it came to my beauty/health/wellness business, and it was a relief to jump back in with my colleagues and my appointment lists, and some sweet new products, when I got back.

Onward, to ENVP!

8. REALIZING THE POWER OF VISION BOARDS

You can read all about it here, but from here on out I will be even more mindful of how powerful these things are, as material declarations. I mean, really. Wow.

9. SHOOTING THE AALIYAH BIOPIC

What an experience! Everything about this for me, from the audition process to the backlash, was important and I’m grateful for every second. But what makes it onto this list, for me, is actually being on set for this project.

#90s. The first scene

Set life. L to R: James Shipp, Izaak Smith, Alexandra Shipp, AJ Saudin, me

The environment and the goal and the people, especially the people, had me really really wishing that somehow I could have stayed on set longer. As in, I would have gone on set every day just to watch and be a part of it from behind the scenes (I did, actually, on one day). Thanks to everyone involved; much love!

10. UNSCENE

Ah, my baby. For those of you who don’t know, I’m developing a new TV show called unSCENE and this year it grew from just a pilot episode to a pilot, the finale, plus several other episodes written, numerous meetings and pitch sessions, and now (shhh, this is insider info) possibly a casting change that will turn everything I’ve already written on its head.

L to R: Sagine Semajuste, Kelsey Willmott, Jazz Testolini, Kerron Schullere, Chattrisse Dolabaille, JaNae Armogan

Queens Quay. L to R: Sagine Semajuste, Kelsey Willmott, Jazz Testolini, Kerron Schullere, me, JaNae Armogan

Frustrating as it’s been sometimes to take care of this finicky, fussy, slow-growing project, I love it and I’m looking forward to sharing it with more of you.

And that . . . is a wrap. I have this policy where every year should be better than the year that just passed, so if you’ll excuse me, I have some work to do in advance of 2015!

10 REASONS I LOVE THE TTC. NO, REALLY

October 7, 2014Uncategorizedbus, Chattrisse, Chattrisse Dolabaille, city, commute, downtown, fare, friends, fun, Metropass, pass, public, public transit, shuttle, street, subway, Top Ten, Top Ten Tuesday, Toronto, traffic, transit, writerChattrisse

When it comes to the public transportation system of any big city or small town, it is way too easy to find fault with everything from the routes and the fares to the vehicles and the staff. As a downtown Torontonian and a hardcore commuter, I’ve complained about the TTC countless times. So today I decided to switch it up and give you ten things I honestly adore about our very own Toronto Transit Commission.

1. MULTITASKING

This is my favourite thing about taking public transit instead of driving: driving requires my full attention. Having some other person responsible for getting the vehicle from A to B, with the computer lady’s voice reminding me of what stop we’re coming up to, frees me up to do . . . anything I want? I’ve learned lines on the bus, applied makeup on the subway, changed my shoes while riding a streetcar. There is almost nothing I haven’t done in transit (get your minds out of the gutter), and usually it’s multiple things at one time. Like, eating a snack and responding to a text message while listening to music.

photo: blog.bekahbrunstetter.com

And let me not forget the amount of times I have used a TTC commute for . . .

2. NAPPING

Not every city can say that their transit system is safe enough for you to doze off, but I’ve done it at least 50 times in my life.

Probably wasn’t a great idea for him to do it, though. photo: cbc.ca

I rarely sleep to the point of missing my stop, it’s usually a light enough sleep that I wake up when I’m at or near my destination, and the couple of times I’ve knocked out for good, some kind stranger has woken me up at Finch Station. Thanks, fellow TTCers =)

3. EMPLOYEE EYE CANDY

Within the past 5 years, there has been an influx of hot drivers on streetcars and buses (it’s really hard to say whether the same applies to subway operators). Especially on downtown routes, and especially during daylight hours. Strategic hiring? Who knows. It works for me.

Wasn’t that him on the 509 shuttle bus? photo: pinterest.com (and for those of you who are curious, his name’s apparently Curtis Briggs. Good luck)

And if any of you reading this knows the Usher lookalike who was driving the 501 King streetcar at one point, please reach out and let me know if he’s single.

4. TECHNOLOGY

… downtown at least.

photo: cbc.ca

In the outskirts, I have a feeling it might be more annoying than reassuring to text your stop number to 898-882 and find out that the next bus won’t be along for another 20 minutes. In the heart of the city, though, I have come to rely on that text-for-next-arrival function so much it’s hard to believe I scoffed at the idea originally. All we need now is for the return text message to also include a photo of the driver who’s pulling up to your stop next. That’s not too much to ask, is it?

5. RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS

Call me a softie, but it makes me feel really good to see a child start interacting with a stranger across the aisle, or a teen give up their seat for an elderly person without being asked.

photo: funny-pictures-picphotos.net

There are far more opportunities to witness these acts, and to participate in them, when you’re in a public place, like taking public transit, than when you’re alone in a car.

6. UNEXPECTED REUNIONS

Yeah, another thing about being alone in a car is that when you do have a surprise meet up with someone you know, it’s usually hella dangerous to have an actual conversation with them! Once, driving in York Region, I looked over to my left and recognized a former neighbour I hadn’t seen in years. It was super-awkward to try to “catch up” through the window.

photo: raleighphilosociety.blogspot.com

I’ve watched my cousin Kari expertly chop a man through the driver’s side window while navigating some offramp in New York City, but I really don’t recommend this. No matter how fine he or she is, I am not okay with being hospitalized in a car accident just so one of my people can pick up a new out-of-towner.

7. CONVERSATIONS

Sometimes you end up talking to someone you don’t already know. Like the guy who sat next to me on the Scarborough RT and ended up becoming a business partner, or the young lady who was headed east on Queen St with me, where we were both on our way to crash a theatre audition. (And it was the first time crashing, for both of us — hooray for moral support! Will you end up being lifelong friends? Probably not. Then again, you’ll never know unless you smile and say hello.If you can tear your eyes away from the screen in front of you . . .

photo: akinokure.blogspot.com

Maybe you and your new acquaintance will even get basic background info and exchange numbers. Shoutouts to Mauricio (511 streetcar.)

8. RIDING THE WAVE IN THE BENDY PART OF THE SUBWAY OR STREETCAR

photo: torontoist.com

Self-explanatory.

9. THE METROPASS

I’m not in love with how much it costs now . . . I long for the days as a student when it was only like $88 . . . but most months, the convenience and flexibility is worth it for me.

The TTC’s free rides on New Year’s Eve, plus passes for events like Nuit Blanche (although I feel there should be one for Caribana weekend) are pretty cool too.

10. AWESOME DRIVERS

Not all the drivers are awesome; some aren’t even nice on a basic level, but lots of them are really dope! Friendly, helpful, funny. Some are able to keep a whole crammed vehicle full of sweaty, late passengers laughing or at least smiling, and that’s a difficult task indeed.

photo: torontoist.com

Hats off to you folks, you know who you are.

So as long as I live in an area where the transit works, I’ll continue to work my Metropass. I honestly feel like the good outweighs the bad when it comes to the TTC

Now if only they could find that rude leprechaun guy, record someone dealing with his case and make that go viral. =)

TOP 10 CARIBANA COSTUMES

September 2, 2014mas and carnivalband, blog, Caribana, carnival, Chattrisse, Chattrisse Dolabaille, fun, Top Ten, Top Ten Tuesday, TorontoChattrisse

I first played mas in the Caribana parade in 2005, so this was my tenth anniversary year, and the explosion of Caribana-themed #tbt pics on Instagram this summer (even though calling something a throwback when it’s from two weeks ago is my newest online pet peeve) inspired me to rank my costumes so far. I’ve worn more than 10 Caribana/Carnival costumes, when you factor in things like band launches and promo events, but these are costumes that are (or were) mine.

There was some stiff competition . . . so let’s start at the bottom . . .

1. 2005 — NAME UNKNOWN

I legit don’t remember the name of the first section I played in, and I didn’t even get any good pictures of me in costume that year. My section was super-disorganized, and there’s no need for me to name the band because karma.

I think that’s me! Off to the right, obviously . . .

Next.

2. 2007 — FIRE DANCER

Fortunately my less-than-stellar experience the first time around didn’t discourage me, and by 2007 I was not only still playing mas, I was even *gasp* picking my own costume!

This was the first year I got the costume I wanted the most, instead of going along with cousins who were also in the parade (they played Sexy Clown and Lion Tamer). Carnival Nationz had a circus theme this year, and my Fire Dancer outfit was kinda hot!

3. 2010 — NAME FORGOTTEN

The only year aside from 2005 in which I did not play with Nationz was 2010. I don’t remember the theme, and if I was forced to guess I’d say the name of my section was Harmony (?), but this was a smaller band and I realized that I really like the big-huge-band-here-we-come experience much better.

However, wearing all white was a lot of fun, and the bum feathers on the back of this costume gave me life.

4. 2014 — COHIBA

Bum feathers would have pushed this costume a little higher up on the scale, but I definitely felt like a bronze goddess in it! This year’s costume, Cohiba, from Nationz’s “Havana” theme.

The bra was super-duper comfortable, which was a nice surprise; I wasn’t blown away by the belt, though. I did love the body chain, which I ordered from China while in Dubai because I was so excited that I’d be back home for jump-up. =) (Unfortunately, after two days of wearing said chain in summer weather, one strand broke, the colour rubbed off and my neck and underarms got bumpy and itchy. Please, folks, be careful what you order online.)

5. 2008 — SEXTANT HORIZON

My single most enduring memory of the 2008 Caribana parade is being pelted with the angriest rain I’ve ever felt in my life, just before and while we were crossing the stage to be judged. But as our section leader Shawna said, smiling through the rain, “You can’t stop the sun!”

The joke is, the sun came out just AFTER we crossed the stage, drenched and freezing and with pieces of costumes falling off. Maybe our theme, “Pirates,” had conjured up some kind of sea storm on land. The belt, one of my fave things about this costume (simple yet elegant and with coverage), remained unscathed.

6. 2006 — XBALANQUE (MEXICO)

This was my first time playing mas with Carnival Nationz, and their theme was “La Copa Mundial” (the World Cup), presumably since Trinidad & Tobago were competing and Caribbeans all around the world were extra excited for them.

wearing the 2006 costume in 2013 for a Toronto SUN photoshoot =)

I would’ve been happy wearing this or the Spain section, since both were unique and beautiful, but I had a ball in this. All day long people were stopping my cousins and I to ask us “who made that costume?” Denise Chang Kit, thank you very much =)

7. 2009 — BUTTERFLY

This was the year Nationz chose the theme “In Full Bloom,” and there were lots of beautiful costumes to choose from. I decided to be extra and chose one that didn’t even have a section.

with my cousin Kari!

This was a heartbreaker because my Butterfly costume was incomplete — I had no wings. The wings weren’t made, or the wings weren’t fixed, or the wings were left at the camp — whatever the reason, I was one unhappy loyalty masquerader. I ended up crossing the stage with the Water Lily section and endured many curious stares as people wondered whether I’d made my own costume at home and then tried to sneak in. It was really pretty, and I liked the one-piece, but . . . sigh . . .

8. 2012 — SHANG DYNASTY

Another Denise Chang Kit original. The theme this year was “Empires.” I’d never liked the idea of playing mas in black, but a wicked costume is a wicked costume! And the embellished piece between the bra and the panty was worth every penny at $20.

I felt ridiculously sexy in this outfit.

9. 2011 — MERMAID

The theme for Nationz this year was “Mythical Creatures.” This headpiece gave me life and it still does! Yes, the costume is pretty, and yes, I loved the cute little jingling noises it made — but really, we all went nuts over the oversized feather mohawk in aqua blue and deep purple.

Mind you it hurt . . . my girls and I wore Dr Scholls strips on our foreheads and even with that I had to wad up some toilet paper . . . I felt the dent in my head for the rest of the weekend. But COME ON! Definitely an all-time fave.

10. 2013 — MANDARIN FISH

There will always be a place in my heart for a bra which is bejewelled within an inch of its life, an unconventionally shaped headpiece, surprising pops of colour, and a set of style-em-yourself body chains. So this costume wins it all. Hands down.

I remember how excited I got when the 2013 theme was announced. “The Reef,” oh man! It’s like Finding Nemo with a soca soundtrack!! Of course the costumes were going to be breathtaking and gorgeous!!! And while I’m still not sure how we came in second place that year, this costume is absolutely my favourite one.

.
Will it be topped in 2015? I guess time will tell . . .

10 MARKERS OF A REALLY GOOD PARTY … OR A REALLY BAD ONE

August 5, 2014celebration, people, Uncategorizedblog, Caribana, carnival, Chattrisse, Chattrisse Dolabaille, dance, Dubai, friends, fun, money, music, party, Top Ten, Top Ten Tuesday, TorontoChattrisse

Caribana weekend has come and gone and I refuse to dedicate this month’s Top Ten Tuesday to the mess that was the Grand Parade . . . partially because everyone else is blogging about it right now . . . and partially because I’d rather focus on positives than negatives.

However, various events from this weekend have led me to spend some time thinking about the best and worst parties I’ve attended, many of them occurring on a jump-up weekend in the past, and what sets apart the great from the good, and the bad from the truly terrible. See if you agree with any/all of these.

1. WHO YOU’RE WITH

I mean really. You can have an amazing time in a condemned haunted house if the company you’re keeping is cool; yet if you’re invited as a VIP guest to some awesome soirée but you don’t like the crowd, you’ll probably be wishing you were somewhere else.

Party people!

Everybody’s got those friends who they would go anywhere with. Keep them at the top of your invite list.

2. WHERE YOU ARE

Even with the important “who” detail out of the way, the “where” is still important. Some people love clubs, while some of us are getting really tired of them. Some people love pool parties, while some people don’t want to spend an entire afternoon being afraid of getting wet.

Good peoples, plus a party on a boat? #yup!

Know your preference.

3. YOUR PURPOSE

You left your place and got dressed up (maybe; see #5) for a reason; that reason has to be in line with the party you’re going to! Example: I’ll get excited to go to a fête, but not to a bar. I don’t particularly like drinking, but I love soca, so that choice is obvious for me.

Our purpose was CRYSTAL CLEAR!

One of the best parties I can remember being at was a 90s jam at the Ram in the Rye, back when I was a student at Ryerson. DJ Starting from Scratch cemented his status as my favourite DJ (and reaffirmed it in #7) by playing nothing but 90s music. If I’d gone out hoping to do anything BUT dance to all those old-school jams, I would’ve been in the corner with a sour face.

4. YOUR TRIP THERE AND BACK

Ever get to a party exhausted because it was such a struggle to find parking, or you got lost, or something like that? Instant loss of fun points. This is why I stick to downtown events where, worst comes to worst, I can probably take a taxi or a streetcar there and back again. If you do like drinking, you’ll probably prefer partying where you aren’t the DD.

Don’t let it take too long to reach the party …

For me personally, one of my favourite things about living near Bathurst and Lake Shore Blvd is that I’m walking distance from the Caribana parade. No waiting for anybody; when I’m ready to leave, bye!!!

5. YOUR CLOTHING

How are you gonna have fun if you’re constantly sucking in your stomach or snagging your shirt or sweating too much? Personally I like parties which don’t require much clothing at all (lol), because this minimizes the amount of time I have to spend considering all these variables.

Couldn’t even count the amount of times I wore this top … super-comfortable and it always looked great.

Which brings us to . . .

6. YOUR ACCESSORIES

Every female reading this has, at some point, suffered due to an unfortunate choice of footwear at a party. Shoe manufacturers seem to have discovered a way to make certain pumps feel deceptively comfortable in the store and around the house and for maybe the first 90 minutes when you finally debut them, and then suddenly your feet are burning like hell fire. Every male reading this has, at some point, shaken his head and wondered (silently, if he’s smart) why a female would do that to herself. I have been literally carried back to the car (thanks Kerron!). I have spent most of the night dancing from the waist up only, because my friend and I knew full well that if we left our seats, the other footsore females who were circling would make sure we never got to sit down again (shoutouts to Dawn Dai!). And on numerous occasions I have brought a pair of flat shoes in my purse in case the pain from the heels got too intense.

Yes, we got a cute pic out of it. But we were legit concerned that I might cripple myself walking back across the gravel parking lot, so he really did carry me. #clearlyakeeper

Shoes are a biggie, but there are other accessories that can seriously kill your vibe too. Like earrings that are too heavy to let you really dance. And hairpieces that threaten to separate from your head if you dance too hard. So choose your ENTIRE wardrobe carefully.

7. THE DJ

If there is a DJ. Because sometimes you want to go to a party where you can have an actual conversation; and sometimes you’re okay just hearing your friend’s iTunes playlist in the background. But when the DJ is legit, he or she has tremendous influence on whether you’re smiling or screwfacing.

I attended “Summer Breeze” this Caribana Sunday, which was a daytime rooftop party, and the DJs (the main ones were Toronto’s own DJ Starting from Scratch and DJ Dany Neville from Dubai) were so proper. Great mixing, good pacing, a wicked soca set in the middle of the event, and — praise Jesus — there was zero talking over the music. If you are a DJ who thinks I came out to hear you talk, you are sadly mistaken. And I know plenty of girls who get irritated by repeated exhortations to walk roun if yuh pussy tun up, for example. Even dudes get salty if you interrupt the music one too many times — why should their bubble get cut short because you like the sound of your own voice so much? It’s like someone with a megaphone walking in on a couple in a baby-making zone. Stop it.

8. THE PRICE POINT

This is a dealbreaker for a lot of folks; hey, it’s a tough economy. And yes, I do realize that charging admission helps to keep out some of the riffraff, usually. But I am so much more likely to buy an early-bird ticket for an event, or choose just one expensive party every few months and stay on the cheaper side for the rest, because let’s face it: some of the best parties I’ve ever gone to (like the 90s jam in #3, and a few wedding receptions, and even some high school dances back in the day) didn’t cost me a thing to get inside.

Nish, Dija and me!

With that in mind, when someone is sweet enough to cover your cover for you, you’re automatically more likely to have fun; like when my homegirl Nish bought me a ticket to the 2014 Camo boat ride to welcome me home to Toronto. Love you girl!!!

9. THOSE PEOPLE (NOT YOUR PEOPLE, THE OTHER ONES)

If your crowd is all fun and friendly and everyone else in the venue is stush, sure, you can just ignore everyone else in the venue. But it really is more fun when a whole bunch of like-minded people get together, and by the time you leave, some have gone from strangers to friends.

New friend Doru, who I met in Dubai! Will we ever meet again? Who knows. The point is we had fun at the Cavalli Club =)

Yes, I obviously like meeting new guys when I go out; my roster can usually use new names and faces! But I’ve even made great new girlfriends out at events, or reconnected with old ones. It really is about people getting together and having a good time.

10. YOU

Strangely enough, even though I’ve just spent all this time listing external factors, it comes down to you and your mindset. When I decide to let go of my insecurities, I have a great time. When I decide to live in the moment like I might never get to go to a party ever again, I have a great time. When I remember to laugh about (or at) painful shoes, unfriendly people, annoying DJs, inflated prices, my bestie who’s not there, or how long the lineup was, I have a great time.

Once me, myself and I have decided to have fun, it’s a wrap!

After all, it isn’t my job to control everything; and if it were, I’d never be able to have fun. Here’s hoping I can remember that more often. And here’s hoping I see you at another fête, day party, or house jam sometime soon!

10 WINS FROM MY STAY IN DUBAI

June 3, 2014celebration, learning, life, music, people, singing, travel, Uncategorized, writingadventure, art, band, beach, blog, Chattrisse, Chattrisse Dolabaille, desert, Dubai, explore, family, fly boarding, friends, friendship, fun, home, homesick, music, new, opportunity, original, party, performer, recap, singer, skills, song, success, summer, sun, sun'shine, tailor, talents, time, Top Ten, Top Ten Tuesday, Toronto, training, travel, writerChattrisse

June already! I’m almost back on Canadian soil (editing and posting this from inside an airport terminal actually), after spending half a year abroad. For this edition of Top Ten Tuesday, here are ten awesome memories and/or accomplishments from this stay in Dubai . . .

1. So much writing.

Beginning on Christmas Day 2013, I promised I would write every day. Even a single sentence, or a few words; some days this meant an entire song or three, and some days it meant several scenes of a TV episode. Sometime in April or May I got a little more strict with myself, so now I have to write a snippet or piece of a song, or a song idea, every day. Even on days when I’ve completed a song. Even on days when I’m totally focused on a script and don’t want to think about writing a song.

So, the final tally? 52 new songs and 3 new episodes of the series I’m working on. Plus, I’ve got about 11 pages of ideas to dip into the next time I think “now what can I write a song about?” Not bad at all.

2. So much sun.

What do you when it’s 50 degrees warmer where you are than it is back at home? You go to the beach.

It’s not like I was out there every day, but I definitely took advantage of my winter and spring in the desert — and I’ve got the tan to prove it!

3. So much singing.

Being onstage six nights a week and singing so many genres (pop, reggae, rock, country, soul, Motown, blues, calypso, jazz) is awesome training. Doing so without lyrics in front of you is great for your memorization skills. Doing so in heels has left my feet considerably uglier than they were six months ago . . . ah well, you can’t win em all.

Shoutouts to my incredible bandmates Jo (keys) and Julian (guitar), for allowing me to experience the awesomeness that is playing with live musicians — and alllllll the hilarity that goes along with it!

4. Friends from every corner of the globe.

Maybe not every single corner . . . but I now have people to welcome me in Italy, South Africa, Indonesia, Sweden, all over the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Russia, the Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, and of course here in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. And as eager as I am to get back home and hug all my people in Canada and the United States, it feels good to know that friendship transcends borders.

Of course I look forward to welcoming any of my new friends if and when they find themselves in Toronto, too!

5. Fly boarding.

Hands-down the coolest single activity I’ve done since leaving home.

You can watch the video here (in fact, go do it right now) and I really hope I get the opportunity to do this again one day . . . Does anyone offer it in southwestern Ontario yet?

6. Loving on nature.

At home I can jog along Lake Ontario, and I’m frequently amused by the friendly (well, probably just hungry) squirrels in my neighbourhood, and there are some nice views of the sunset from my building before it’s hidden by condos. In Dubai, I’ve been bathing in the Gulf of Arabia, taking pictures of flowers and sandscapes and water views, and loving the sight (though not always the sound) of tons of birds — including obnoxious crows and shrill peacocks.

There are some really cool manmade wonders out there, obviously, but it’s also been really nice to just look at a seashell or a cliff and enjoy that.

7. Opportunities.

I’ll do my best to explain this clearly and without offending anyone.

Opportunities are everywhere, and so are opportunity-seekers and opportunity-creators. But it seems to me that there is a greater sense of possibility in Dubai than at home; and it has nothing to do with money and everything to do with attitude. Both Toronto and Dubai are big, bustling cities with international populations and people at different socioeconomic levels . . . but they differ when it comes to the ratio of whiners to risk-takers. At home, I find a lot of people who feel that they’re stuck in a rut. In Dubai, I find a lot of people who are hustling, who are keeping it moving, who are creating some type of change instead of just complaining.

Example: my friend Davide Giusti (grey shirt), tennis coach extraordinaire who is opening his own academy in Dubai, and 15-year-old "Rpince Pavel," a future world tennis champion from Poland

Example: my friend Davide Giusti (grey shirt), tennis coach extraordinaire who is opening his own academy in Dubai, and 15-year-old “Prince Pavel,” a future world tennis champion from Poland

This is probably because roughly 80% of the people there are expats (not local to the area, they were born somewhere else), so they’ve already taken the step of leaving home, their physical comfort zone. Granted, many of the people I met were on vacation, but when I did meet someone who’a planning to stay for awhile I tended to notice a quiet confidence and certainty that they’ll be able to do what they came here to do. And if not then they can go somewhere else and try again. It’s all good.

8. Truly cherishing interaction with people from back home.

It will be such a treat to sit down and have a meal with family and friends again. Even if I don’t like the food, I have to sit on the floor, and no one says a single word for the duration of the meal.

See these two? They will be smothered with hugs very shortly . . .

I knew homesickness would be an issue for me; I’m glad that I came through without getting too emotional (for the most part), and I now fully understand what a musician friend of mine meant when he told me staying away for a month wasn’t enough; he wanted to be gone for long enough that he missed being home.

9. Exploring.

I’ll have to make sure I do this in Toronto/Ontario/Canada too! One of the best things about travelling is getting to know a new place. I don’t mean just the people and customs and laws, I mean the physical place. When you’re new to the UAE, you ask a lot of questions like “Why isn’t there any parking?” and “Can I take the Metro?” and some more unique ones too, like “Why isn’t there a street address?”

The huge sigh of relief when you finally somehow get to the place you were hoping to find . . .

I’m very grateful to anyone who has ever printed and distributed a clearly marked map, and for numerous online forums where expats and travellers share tips. I’m also newly in love with Groupon (and similar sites like Kobonaty) for offering great deals in the area, making it that much easier to get out there and try a desert safari, or flyboarding, or a double-massage deal.

10. Discovering and developing new talents.

I’ve dusted off my photographer, videographer, and video editor hats, in addition to writing new episodes as mentioned above. I decided to share some of my insights in a 30-day art installation project via Instagram and Facebook/Twitter . . . (stay tuned to my YouTube channel for a video recap of that, plus a video recap of the whole Dubai trip) . . . and being genuinely touched and surprised by a bandmate’s comment that I’m “so visual,” I’ve been creating collages (as seen all over this blog) that are way better than those Instathings, and I even came up with my phoenix/mermaid photoshoot out of thin air.

Plus, I commissioned two newly designed dresses and had them made at a local tailor’s (and blogged all about it), and I’m really loving finding new ways to express myself visually!

So what’s next for me? A Top Ten Tuesday blog featuring the 10 best things about being back home?

Nah, too predictable.

See you next time

10 THINGS I CAN’T BELIEVE I’M MISSING

May 6, 2014learning, life, people, travel, Uncategorizedbeach, blog, Canada, Canadian, Caribana, carnival, Chattrisse, Chattrisse Dolabaille, chores, cleaning, cooking, customs, Dubai, eye candy, family, fitness, friends, fun, growing up, home, homesick, hotel, jog, kitchen, laundry, lifestyle, manners, men, party, polite, rude, run, social life, summer, time, time zones, Top Ten, Top Ten Tuesday, Toronto, transit, travel, weather, workoutChattrisse

I’ve been in Dubai for just over 5 months, and I’ll be home in 28 days.

Whoa.

It was pretty much inevitable that I would compile a blog about things I miss about/from/at home, and that’s the topic for this month’s Top Ten Tuesday. However, this list is not for the obvious things: my family and friends, my cat, recognizing money instantly, leaving my bedroom without feeling compelled to cover my shoulders and (maybe) knees. This right here is a list of things I’m surprised and even embarassed to be missing.

1. The laundry room.

No, really. Taking an extended vacation from chores has been really nice, but there are some things I’ll be happy to regain control over, and one of those things is when and how my clothes are taken care of.

(I won’t be surprised if I take this wish back after about three weeks.)

2. Being on the same clock as most people I interact with.

I don’t know if you ever quite get used to being 8 or 9 hours ahead of the majority of people you know … But if it does happen, it must take much longer than 6 months for the adjustment to occur.

10am in Toronto, 6pm in Dubai

I find it surprising that this matters since so much, since most of my day-to-day communication at home is not done face-to-face (you send someone a text or Facebook message, and whenever they get around to it, they send one back), but things go a lot more smoothly when no one has to stop and wonder “what time is it there?”

3. The daily routine of taking public transit and running into people I know.

If I stayed here long enough, both would be more frequent occurrences, but as a temporary UAE resident I’ve definitely missed that feeling of “this is my city” that I have in Toronto. I’m about that downtown life: being able to walk to lots of places, knowing it’s pretty much impossible for me to get lost, not having a time limit on when I should start heading back home, etc.

Seated in a hotel shuttle bus, passing a metro station on Sheikh Zayed Road

(Note: much of this is not because I’m in a new city, but because I’m living on the outskirts, a 20-minute ride from the nearest metro station. Trains here don’t run as late into the night as the TTC, but that wouldn’t be an issue for me if I were more centrally located.)

4. Canadian manners and customs.

So apparently, holding doors open for people is not a worldwide trend. And apparently, there are numerous cultures where it is not considered offensive to make unflattering personal comments to someone you don’t know very well … Like [pointing under eyes] “You look like you didn’t sleep last night” or [placing their hand on my belly as if I’m pregnant, and giggling].

It’s taking awhile to learn to let certain things slide off my back.

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5. Eye candy.

I’ve always been boy-crazy, so I became aware of this “lack” pretty quickly. Yes, I’ve been to the Middle East before, so I knew I wasn’t going to spend this trip smeyesing and flirting with random men. But even the beach at my hotel is painfully devoid of watchworthy bodies, except for a few sweet weeks when a bunch of professional soccer teams were staying here (shoutouts to Stoke City FC!) … Meanwhile, in Toronto, the temps are heating up (right? If not, I’m not coming home) and the streets there are probably full of men who are not only eligible but damn sexy.

With Kees Dieffenthaller in December 2013. #happysigh

Fortunately, my homegirl Nish has already secured me a ticket for a boat ride on June 15th. Hot dudes reading this, if you’re coming to Camo, please just leave your shirts at home.

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6. Easy midnight snacking.

Yes, I know it’s bad, and I rarely do it. But I miss having the OPTION, lol! I’ve been doing my best to keep a small stash of maybe-healthy snacks available, like rice cakes and nuts and tea.

My Easter gift from the hotel. Sweet!

But, man, sometimes you just want to crack open those dinner leftovers or start on breakfast eight hours early. And while we’re on the subject, I also miss …

7. Cooking privileges.

Living in a hotel room has perks and pitfalls, and one of the latter is a lack of kitchen access. I have a kettle and a minibar (which I blithely assumed was a suitable substitute for a fridge, until I got food poisoning), and whatever foods or snacks or treats I choose to buy are pretty cheap, which is nice.

Dessert buffets are dangerous things.

And don’t get me wrong, I fully understand that it’s a luxury to eat at buffet restaurants staffed by professional chefs and servers three times a day! But once in awhile, I’d rather just open up a legit refrigerator, see what’s inside (especially if the groceries were bought by me) and make something I feel like eating. You know?

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8. Checking the weather without feeling guilty.

Example: Yahoo tells me the temperature at noon on May 2nd (Dubai time) was 40 degrees, while it was 8 at home (4am Toronto time). On January 2nd, Toronto was -15 degrees with a low of -20, while Dubai had a high of 24 with a low of 17. Full disclosure: sometimes I check the weather back home for a good laugh because the differences are so ridiculous.

But there have been many times I’ve considered posting a Facebook status update about the weather here, then changed my mind for fear of being met at the airport by a violent jealous mob.

9. Jogging outdoors.

I did my best! For the first few weeks I was back in workout mode, I jogged around the resort (boring) and ran up and down the stairs to and from the 7th floor (boring) and went along the desert highway outside of the resort property (enjoyable, but ultimately unsafe).

Then I gave in to common sense and I now use the exercise room at the resort’s gym. I’ve never been a fan of sharing equipment with a bunch of other people, or of staring out at scenery that doesn’t change regardless of how fast I move, so it will feel awesome to go run alongside Lake Ontario once again! (Although it won’t take long before I start missing the peacocks who sometimes pass by the gym just to say what’s up.)

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10. Having a regular social life.

“Regular” means different things to different people, and I’m past the days of finding it fun to go clubbing every weekend. But I do miss having days/nights off at the same time as other people. I really hope I find someone to go party with at least once, now that my night off is Tuesday which is Ladies Night (all of my girl friends here work Tuesday nights). It would have been awesome to see Cirque du Soleil or Carlos Santana or Lionel Richie. And there are no words to accurately describe how much I’ve missed going to fêtes!

This is like normal homesickness, mixed with the time zone adjustment, compounded with Carnival withdrawal and topped off with a more restrictive schedule than I’m used to (having one night off per week is pretty normal during a contract, but I’ve never been in a show that lasted half a year with no breaks before).
So for these and other reasons, get ready for a big party when I come back home!

Or at least a day of jogging, laundry, and making my own omelette for breakfast. :).

Chattrisse Dolabaille – #60days Bio

March 6, 2014learning, life, people, travel#60days, #60daysinparadise, Chattrisse, Chattrisse Dolabaille, Dubai, Island Connoisseur, performer, Tobago, Toronto, travel, writerChattrisse

Oh goshhhhhh that was a lot to fit into one 30-second video! Thanks for checking out my bio here, and getting to know me a little bit better.

At the moment I’m stationed in Dubai, singing at a resort and meeting people from all over the world and LOVING that I found a way to escape winter!

I’d say I’ve been able to travel quite a bit in my lifetime … not as much as I’d like to (haha), but certainly more than the average person … and when folks back home ask for pics/video or some other way to experience the journey vicariously through me, I take the request seriously. This is even more true since one of my little cousins has health issues which prevent her from flying. The ability to get on a plane is a blessing I don’t take for granted, and I bring my camera everywhere I travel — even if it’s just to London, Ontario!

Both of my parents were born in the Caribbean and grew up in Toronto; Mom is Jamaican and Dad is Trinidadian. This has given me a unique perspective on some of the differences between countries and cultures. As you might expect from a Caribbean-Canadian, I love roti and jerk chicken and poutine and hot weather and (most) reggae and (almost all) soca and Caribana (it’s so hard to remember to say “Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival” every time, lol). In fact, being the Island Connoisseur would mean I am not playing mas in Toronto for the first time since 2004 … but I’m sure I can get over it …

Keeping it all in the family is another reason I’d love to be in Tobago this summer: my dad’s big family reunion, which I originally thought I wouldn’t be able to attend, is in Tobago this July — how perfect would that be?!

3 generations from “Papa Guhn” … Pedro Segundo Dolabaille’s son, grandsons and great-granddaughter

Not that it’s all fun and games. You want your Island Connoisseur to be someone who takes a great deal of care with what they’re doing and how they represent themselves; kind of like being an international diplomat, but one who can wear flip-flops to work. You can view my online resume here for onscreen testimonials from professionals I’ve worked with over the years, and of course I encourage you to check out the rest of my blog, my YouTube channel, my Facebook fan page, my Twitter account, and my Instagram account too.

On that note, I’ll quickly mention that no copyrights have been infringed or compromised in the making of my official submission video; the music you hear in the background is one of my own songs, and I created the mixed-flag graphic using Keynote. Of course, the pictures and videos and voiceovers are my own property. To respect the privacy of people tagged in my photos, if you’d like to see more pictures from previous trips that are not on my public Facebook fan page, please contact me directly.

Sun and sand and sky and sea … Tobago’s calling, please send me!

Thanks so much, and may the best Island Connoisseur win!

Well I recorded a vlog on Christmas Eve …

December 26, 2013celebration, learning, life, people, Uncategorized, vlogblog, Chattrisse, Christmas, Dubai, expat, family, holidays, ice storm, internet, Kwanzaa, New Year, Skype, Toronto, vlog, wi-fi, winterChattrisse

… and since there was no internet service in my area for basically the whole day, I didn’t post it. Then when I went back and watched the video, it seemed so pointless that I deleted it.

I mean, why post an explanation of how no one on the resort had wi-fi and how sad I would’ve been to miss Skyping my family back home, when I know that hundreds of thousands of people back home didn’t even have power or heat for days … and some still don’t?

From my friend’s Facebook page – everyone across the street from her has had no electricity for days now.

Tree down in my cousins’ backyard! Thankfully it didn’t hit anyone or anything.

Why go on about how social-network-dependent I’ve become and how I’d find it difficult to imagine even contemplating a move to a different continent without things like Skype and Facebook to keep me connected, when hundreds of thousands of people in the United Arab Emirates are far away from their families too (one salon worker I was chatting with gets to go home and see her son once a year. He’s four years old) … and most are in far less luxurious circumstances than I am?

Not sure how to enlarge this, but check out http://www.dubaifaqs.com/population-of-uae.php to read up on it …

And what’s the point in wishing you health, happiness, peace, prosperity, and abundance of family and friends and food for Christmas or Kwanzaa or New Year’s or belated Hanukkah or anything else on a specific day? Frankly, I wish all of these things for every human on every day of every year, and when all is said and done, every day in the calendar should be just like every other day if you’ve got your priorities straight. Besides, what would be the best time? The stroke of midnight? In which time zone? Skyping my fam at Grandma’s house before their Christmas dinner (yes, we were able to connect – yay!) meant staying up until nearly 2am my time, and they were still starting the meal late and waiting for some people to arrive, lol.

So, while this may sound Grinchy to some, there will be no specific Happy Holidays post from me here. I may do a year-end wrap-up, but it depends how busy I am putting in work and putting out energy for 2014. =)

Christmas Eve kisses before showtime!

Much love, always … And from everywhere!!

Live and direct from Dubai!

Surely there’s a better way to do this … anyway, click on the following link to watch my first vlog from Dubai, and hopefully I’ll figure this out soon lol! Much love …

Movie 1

Caribana 2013: Chattrisse’s Last Lap?

August 4, 2013celebration, learning, life, mas and carnival, peopleCaribana, carnival, Chattrisse, growing up, parade, party, soca, TorontoChattrisse

I spent a good part of this morning reflecting on what an awesome week I’m wrapping up. Lots and lots of high points, and the Caribana parade yesterday was one of them, but not #1 on the list — which was a little bit of a surprise for me.

Some background info for you: this was my 9th year playing mas here in Toronto and I, LOVE, Caribana. It’s helped me connect to my Caribbean roots, reunited me with people I rarely see, and (after my extreme shyness in my debut year) it’s provided me with a nice little boost of self-esteem.

with the homegirl Sabrina from Calgary!

But although the weather was nice, I was surrounded by soca, I felt good about how I looked, I was with friends all the way down the road and back, and I didn’t lose anything (how many masqueraders have painful memories of phones and cameras getting stolen or ruined en route?), it felt different. I felt different. I used to feel like playing mas in Toronto was the ONLY place for me to be on a Simcoe Day long weekend Saturday … and now I feel like that’s just one option.

It seemed like there were fewer spectators alongside the parade and it was weird to have none on the north side of the street for a good chunk of it; I don’t know how everyone else feels about the altered route this year, but I didn’t notice any improvements as far as wait time, organization, or the flow of vehicles and people.

Maybe the extra bodies I’m used to seeing on the other side of the fence were the people mashed up against me on the road. Listen, I know that the mingling of costumed masqueraders with everybody else is kind of a trademark of Toronto’s carnival, and full disclosure: I used to do it too! But it is really getting out of hand. If I am in a costume and you are not, and you’re asked to get out of my show area (my “stage”), leave. I’m there for you to look at, not to dance with. If I want to come hang out with you, text me to meet you at post #355 or wherever and we can make it happen. But when the music has to stop because of you, or the truck has to stop because of you, or the DJ is trying to explain nicely why you shouldn’t be here when he’d really rather cuss you out and so would I, you are messing up my experience. Gweh. Lots of pretty people in pretty costumes go outside the fences to get food or just to hang out, so no worries, it’s not like we’re completely inaccessible if that’s your issue.

There are lots of other external factors I could pick at … in fact I’m working on a Fetiquette blog post so stay tuned for that … but I realize it’s probably just me. I am (a) going through one of my moods, (b) outgrowing Caribana mas, or (c) both of the above. The mood swings, those are pretty par for the course and it has been an emotional spring/summer for me. Outgrowing things that you used to live and die for when you were young, I guess that’s normal too (even if it doesn’t always feel good). So I guess we’ll have to wait until next year to see whether Caribana 2013 was “de las lap” for me.

The two ladies on the ends, Fiorella and Jenny, are repping Saldenah (congrats for winning Band of the Year!) and Tiff and I are both with Carnival Nationz.

As of now, I’m still looking at doing something big to commemorate my tenth year (!) playing mas here at home. Maybe I’ll get a frontline costume. Maybe I’ll get body paint and a wire bra. Maybe I’ll get my own float. Or maybe I’ll get tickets for Trinidad Carnival from here on out.

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Sun and sand and sky and sea … Tobago’s calling, please send me!

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