Congrats to Jody Kay for winning Digicel’s 12th Rising Stars Competition, but congrats also to Digicel for having a good season. It has been quite a while since Suga has followed a season of Rising Stars. I probably haven’t watched since the season when Brown Suga won. It had become boring and repetitive with less and less talent. But not this season! This season had a lot of talent, a more Professional feel to it, a good host (Terri-Karelle Reid), good judges including international ones, and good themes for the contestants to work with each week. What or who made the difference? Word has it that Sharon Burke is the lady responsible for taking over the show and making a positive impact.
Sharon Burke is CEO and President of Solid Agency responsible for booking artistes such as Shaggy, Tessanne Chin, Wayne Marshall, Tifa, Marfia Griffiths, QQ and more.
She was a promoter in the local entertainment business for years, managing events such as Fully Loaded, working with Reggae Sunsplash, being a co-producer for the Shaggy and Friends Show and the list goes on. So she is very involved in the industry with regards to Event Production and Artiste Management.
She has worked with International artists such as Rihanna, P Diddy, John Legend , Shakera, Chris brown and Mary J Blige. She therefore must have used her International contacts to help spice up Digicel Rising Stars this season. Very current and influential persons in the music and entertainment industry were brought onto the show as judges. They were also scoping for talent, probably hoping to discover another Rihanna as they have done before.
It was refreshing to see honest critiques but in a more dynamic way, highlighting where the contestants went wrong or right and how they could improve. I believe that vibe and quality critique became contagious as the competition went on, filtering to the other judges such as Conroy Wilson, Alaine and well we all know Anthony Miller.
So what’s in it for the winner? A lot of International opportunities will be created for Jody Kay, for instance, David Miller from New York will do an international campaign and will give her a Developmental Contract. There will be an album distribution deal and more. The money? She won a million dollars (Jamaican). Peanut money. So perhaps they can work on the prize money.
Sadly, Suga doesn’t think Jody Kay will go far with music. She is a lovely singer and was the most consistent throughout the competition, but runner up Marsha K who was a wild card entering the competition, improving tremendously towards the end, seemed more passionate about music in her future. She was the better performer in my opinion and showed she enjoyed  performing as well. She won $600,000JMD. When asked before the announcement of the winner what they would do with the money, Jody Kay mentioned going to school, the spa and helping family. Marsha K on the other hand said she would ensure she puts some into her future for music.
I think the 3rd place winner, Anna Mariah was the most marketable contestant in terms of stage presence and sound. With time and more growth she could make it big. Unfortunately she was a late bloomer in the competition and was not consistent with good performances and song choices, preventing her from winning the majority of Jamaica’s votes. But win or lose, if you really want it, it is not the end of the road.
So wow, I am actually looking forward to the next season of Rising Stars! A bit less confetti next time though.
Last Saturday, Suga went to check out the early vibe at 100 to see if service and more would be better than a Friday night. Although I wanted to go for lunch time, I made it for dinner. I arrived at about 6:50pm.
My other half and I were pleasantly greeted by a waitress who we are familiar with from other bars, who seems to be doing more supervising now. We were seated in a comfortable area with some plush, colourful cushions. I loved the modern decor and lighting. Colours were mainly grey and white with splashes of colour and the staff looked neat in their uniforms. Music was not loud either. We were even asked if the volume was suitable for us.
Then suddenly, I was in First class on a plane. We were offered damp rags to wipe off our hands. They weren’t warm though, but definitely a nice touch. When we reached America, we were asked if we wanted lemon in our water. Keep it up 100, keep it up. It got even better, we got Complimentary Chips and salsa while we decided on what to order.
Our waitress was Cardia, who had a very sweet, humble personality. She was not sure of the costs and availability of everything off of her head but being new with such a large menu, she did well considering. She was also quick with following up on requests.
We didn’t order any Appetizers but they had Wings, Tuna stacks, Meatballs, Pita chips and dip and Quesadillas in the $750 to $1200JMD+tx range. Soups were also available for $400JMD+tx.
For a more Sports bar vibe, they had a variety of Flatbreads, Pizzas, Sandwiches and Burgers available mostly for $1200JMD, that went up to $2000JMD+tx.
For a proper dinner, there were Pastas ($1600-$2600JMD+tx), Chicken, Lamb, Beef, Salmon, Shrimp and Pork in the range of $1700 to $3200JMD+tx.
The Drinks menu had a wide range of choices as well. But the prices! $800+tx for a Blended drink and $1339+tx cue of V/X.
The skewer of shrimp was not that impressive, it needed some flavour. Also, where was my Chimichurri sauce as described in the menu? It was MIA. Stush in the Bush needs to hook them up. That would have given my dish an excellent finishing touch. So, overall, similar to Rojó at Spanish Court’s serving size and price, aka ‘likkle bit’ and the meal assumes you had an appetizer, but lovely plating and presentation. The quality was good not great.
For a restaurant that is not within a hotel, is not fine dining and is more of a bar with a casino feet away, does it really need to be so fancy and expensive? Probably not. Especially if people would be consuming a lot of liquor and need some affordable, wholesome ‘grub’. For instance, Monte Carlo’s tasty burgers for $900JMD does a great job satisfying just that.
What’s going on for the rest of the new hit spot? – The Lounge, Gaming Lounge and Island Bet
Suga took a tour. The TV logistics of The Lounge was excellent. Great for sports and A/C for the hot times. There was also a screen that covered the whole side of one of the walls behind the bar, it was huge, bigger than the Projected screen at Cuddyz.
People seemed to be gambling casually in the Gaming Lounge. It wasn’t crowded. Probably not as popular yet. BUT I know what will be popular soon! ISLAND BET. Again, a familiar face. They got one of Just Bet’s competent employees, Marc-Anthony Pinnock who patiently took me through how Island Bet works. No paper or scratch pads. Purely Electronic. Print outs with the odds are not available as yet, but will be soon. Otherwise, the odds are available on the monitor they have there for customers, including a wider range of bets. Just Bet would have to have their employee take about 10 minutes to check the system online or just say it isn’t available as yet.
Here comes the best part. Island Bet will offer Live betting so you won’t be blocked by Just Bet who change their odds quite often. You will also be able to create an account, add money to it and BET ONLINE. How convenient! Ha! Of course there is an up side and down side to that, but wonderful when you don’t have to leave your house. Also, bets will be made in US dollars. But fret not, the payout is in the US equivalent as well. So if the dollar slides more than the day you bet, you get more money than expected if you win.
One monitor for logging in would not work for a crowd betting on the World Championships for example, but they are finetuning their logistics so that betting is not a hassle and there is time before the Olympics!
Suga senses an exciting Sports season ahead and will be returning.
If you liked this review, FOLLOW https://sugalifestyle.com/ to get other reviews or LIKE the Facebook page, Suga Lifestyle AND VOTE for Gabby from Suga Lifestyle to beÂ
Share your Photo of the Cheesecake you made from his recipe or share your review!
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INGREDIENTS
Cream part
1Â cup – Cream cheese *(Fat Free Philadelphia Cream cheese could be used to reduce fat content)
3/4 cup & 1Â tablespoon – Heavy cream
1/2Â cup – Icing or Normal Sugar
1Â tablespoon – Vanilla extract
1Â cup – Graham crackers or Butter biscuits
1Â Strawberry jam
Prep time is 5 min, serves 4.
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DIRECTIONS
1Â For the cream part, put all the ingredients into a large bowl.
2Â With a mixer, mix all your ingredients until the cream becomes really soft and stays. If you don’t have a mixer use a whisk, it will do the same job (it just will take more time)
3Â For the bottom crust break the biscuits (with any method you want) until they become crumbs (also you may use ready biscuits crumbs like graham crackers)
4Â Now you are ready to serve it in the glasses. Add the biscuits in the bottom then add your cream and lastly add your strawberry jam on top.
5Â Let your glasses stay in the fridge for about 3 hours or a whole night.
6Â TIP: If you want to make it more professional add only the biscuits and the cream in the glasses and add the strawberry jam right before you eat it, it will be more easy to fill the top.
Terrible. Suga and many others left sober.
Located at literally 100 Hope Road, is the new Bar 100. It is not only a bar but has a casino with the new, Island Bet and not 1 but 2 restaurants, The Terrace and The Lounge.
1 week after their opening and having people watch the last fight of Mayweather’s career, they should have been ready for the crowd. A huge crowd. People have been wanting and waiting for a new spot eagerly for quite some time now. With the controversy surrounding Don Creary from Ribbiz with his rape charges and The Regency enforcing new policies to keep their guests more uptown in Suga’s opinion or to manage ‘crowd control’ as they call it, 100 is in a real good position to hit them where it hurts.
The bar has a lot of space, upstairs and downstairs, but the parking lot was filled to capacity AND so was the additional parking at 80 Hope Road when it was still early. Wow. So eventually people were parked on the side of Hope road and that is not safe, especially with the fast driving that occurs on that strip in the day much less late at night.
Thankfully the security loves polite ladies not too bad on the eye and Suga just had to wait two minutes until a parking spot freed up inside the venue. But really, how about being creative or innovative and having a proper 2 or 3-storey parking lot, with the hope that your spot is buzzing for a while. Afterall, they have Island Bet and the Gaming Lounge to buffer temporary expenses.
Anyhow, I loved the look of the place. Decor was very modern and tastefully done. Lighting could be better upstairs aka the Rooftop that had thatch covered seating areas, but was good in the other areas. Due to the large crowd, seating was limited. There was only 1 bar upstairs behind a sea of people. Waiters were not abundant or accessible upstairs if one wished to run a tab. It took ages to get a beer by the bar. It’s simple, open and close the cooler door, that’s why I chose beer! Then there was only one computer to cash out people and most persons did not have tabs. The bartenders were not all well versed on the system either. Some persons may have walked out without paying, Macau had that issue when they just opened.
There was a wide crowd variety though; young, old, hype, nerdy, you name it. A sea of out of many one people, with only one exit from upstairs, quite dangerous if you ask me. If something went down, people would have to be jumping off the building. Something for them to consider. What happened to the building code anyway and how did that get approved?
The music? Well it was neither here nor there, I was not impressed. It was not a consistently good mix being played. Maybe the DJ was also confused by the wide genre of people there and how to please the majority. A good DJ always finds a way though. I think it was DJ Bambino playing, who is supposed to be experienced but he either had a bad night or is just better on the radio.
Well, what can I say, when you don’t have any Instagram pics you either shouldn’t be there, were having too much fun or it was too ‘lame’ to be ‘instaworthy’. For me it was the latter.
I wouldn’t advise persons to hit that spot on a Friday night for the next month, especially if you are not a fan of crowds. If you wish to check them out, I suggest going during the week to the bar, as people have had better experiences on week nights.
Fret not though, Suga went to the Restaurant on the Terrace the day after, also scoped out Island Bet and has a fairly good review coming soon!
Last Friday night, Mrs. Hussey seemed to be out a bit too late, seated close to the terrace outside of the Regency Bar and Lounge. The recruited, foreign bartender, Thomas’s eyes were peeled supervising the bar, back and forth. Staff including doormen were being monitored closely and it was said that even the DJ was instructed not to play Dancehall, but strictly EDM (Electronic Dance Music) and Soca. Suga smelled the rat that they would soon be filtering crowd access to the ‘high profile’ Bar and Lounge that was ‘high-profile’ no more after hours.
The Regency Bar and Lounge sent an advisory email out today to Loyalty card members, Frequent guests and Business partners.
They stated that from 9pm until closing time, access to the Regency Bar and Lounge will be limited to only those who were addressed in the notification and their friends.
They say it has always been their top objective to provide quality service to all guests, while ensuring that those who are regulars access at all times while fulfilling their obligations regarding Capacity regulations, Safety and a Carefree environment.
Challenges faced concerning the high demand and popularity of their Friday nights have forced them to review their capacity control polices, thus Friday night access adjustments.
The door staff will control access.
Suga advises not to head there tonight, elite or not elite, as it may be a bit chaotic upon entry. Care to check out the new spot on Hope Road, 100? Suga hears it is quite pricey for a cue of rum but will check it out soon!
TGIF! Enjoy the weekend and Keep reading or Follow Suga Lifestyle!
If you aren’t already aware, Suzanne Stanley has been appointed Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Jamaica Environment Trust (J.E.T). So what? Why is this news? A change for the future is always news but this is positive news, as Suzanne Stanley is a woman who is young, vibrant and motivated. She has also proven that she has superb Project Management Skills from various successful endeavours with JET, where she joined and served as Programme Director from 2010.
With first-class honours in a BSc. of Geography from the University of the West Indies, Mona, a Master’s degree with distinction in Environmental change and Management from Linacre College and the Environmental Change Institute at Oxford University in the UK, along with her experience, she is definitely well equipped for the job.
Suga got in touch with the busy Deputy CEO this week, where she was able to give us the 411 by just answering 5 questions.
Question 1:Â
At 30 years of age and as head of such an Organisation, you will interact with many older persons, in Government and the Private sector. What challenges do you think this will pose, and what are your general views on the average age of our Political and Private sector leadership?
Response:
‘I have the experience of working with all age groups, from the very young in schools to the very old and even retired members of society, for instance at Community workshops. So with that experience, I am very comfortable dealing with all ages.’
Stanley also stated that the challenges arise with donors and various fundraising efforts, as a lot of people may not know her, but know her boss, CEO Diana McCaulay because of McCaulay’s age. She then said she knows she has to get to know more people, old and young. She believes she is able to get along with people easily and does not think it will be too much of a challenge for her down the line.
You can tell she is a confident person that expresses herself well, which are good qualities to aid in facing any challenges.
With regards to general views on the average age of our Political and Private sector leadership, she is of the point of view that age brings wisdom. ‘Experience is important where leadership is concerned and thus a big part of the job. There are a lot of leaders that are old, not to say that young people can’t be leaders, but they are the exception rather than the rule,’ stated Stanley. She then went on to say that leadership takes a certain level of maturity and frame of mind that are not so common. She has even noticed a change in herself over the past 10 years.
Question 2:Â
There is an impending election, what Environmental issues stand out as urgent for a new Jamaican Government?
Response:
‘It is not just the environmental issues that are urgent, but also social and economic issues, which go hand in hand. For instance, Transparency and Accountability on a local level are essential with respect to situations concerning our Natural resources, Riverton City dump, Goat Islands, Harbour View Sewage plant etc. Environmental campaigns such as ‘Nuh Dutty Up Jamaica’ all speak to transparency but there is a lot to tackle and improve upon with regards to social and economic issues,’ stated Stanley.
Question 3:Â
Do you agree that Jamaicans are apathetic to Environmental issues, and what direct strategies can a Government and an Organisation like yours employ to combat this apathy?
Response:
Suzanne stated that Environmental awareness and concern for the environment is not at the level it should be, but there are more people who exercise interest and the correct practises than you would think. Still, there are so many social and economic issues on the forefront that it gets drowned. This is why it is important for JET to keep current in the media and to keep people thinking about the environment and proper environmental practises.
She also said that JET is action oriented and leads by example, thus creating an appreciation for the environment and persons. People should be allowed nice places to see instead of the Government bulldozing areas close to the shoreline for hotels, ports and cruise ships. That actually creates further apathy amongst the people. Major decisions at the Government level and Private sector are important to promote concerns of the people.
Stanley continued to say that JET targets schools, working people and society at large. For example, once a person such as a Teacher or President of an Environmental club at a school is established, there is a chain reaction and further multiplier effect. Suzanne said it starts with just ONE person and persons involved can be people other than JET representatives that are effective Community leaders and Ambassadors for JET.
On that note, Suga would like to remind you that it only costs $1000JMD to sign up with JET to get updates on local, current environmental issues and projects and to see how you can assist to improve those issues and participate in various projects.
Question 4:
What impact has your alma mater, Immaculate Conception High School (ICHS) had on your career decision and work ethic?
Response:
Suzanne stated that Immaculate Conception High School definitely had an impact on her direction and no, it did not have anything to do with being in the popular club, ICE (Immaculate Conception Environmental Club). Imagine, she was not even a part of it. Some would think that is shocking, but if you knew Suzanne in high school or know her now, she pretty much just went to school to learn, make friends and go home when the bell rang. Extra curricular activities were never her thing, however she was actively involved in JMTC (Jamaica Musical Theatre Company) outside of school and still assists them with productions to this day.
So how did ICHS help? Her Geography teacher, Mrs. Arlene Hay who taught her practically throughout all of High school except for the year she was on leave, kept the subject interesting and was very structured and organized. Leading by that example has had an impact on Suzanne, influencing how she approaches work today.
ICHS in general also had a way of making students develop high expectations in terms of difficulty of exams. She shared memories of how many would receive low grades or even fail Mock Exams, but then excel in the actual exam. So Immaculate held them to a high standard and she is thankful for that.
Question 5:
After a very catchy and effective, ‘Nuh Dutty Up Jamaica’ campaign, a huge team effort, which you mainly assisted with the Creative Production, such as PSAs, can you give us a hint as to what the next big project will be about or have to do with?
Response:
Suzanne informed Suga that the next big project will be launching Phase 2 of the Clean Coast Project and they are gearing up to deliver an extension and expansion of the ‘Nuh dutty up Jamaica’ campaign with great assistance from the Tourism Enhancement Fund.
In the past year, JET has had Marine-themed Field trips, Underwater Clean ups and Research Days at Secondary schools. They will now be implementing Debris Containment Booms on a large-scale. What are Booms? Haven’t heard that since Retired Senior Superintendent of Police, Reneto Adams said it on the news. No. Booms are nets at the end of gullies Suga Readers. Nets that JET has periodically emptied. Now isn’t that fantastic?! Most of our gullies are disgusting. They are currently monitoring the success of a trial run of a Boom at South Gully, Montego Bay, then will place more island-wide depending on its success.
Other than that, Stanley said the plan is to do additional Promotion, and have a more targeted approach in Communities to see how Solid Waste Management can be improved.
Outer Picture: L-R Deputy CEO of JET, Suzanne Stanley, CEO of JET Diana McCaulay Inner Picture: Some of the JET team, L-R Suzanne Stanley with Nazli Williams, Felicia Wong, Diana McCaulay, Lisa Russell and Tamoy Singh
Other Current Environmental Information:
Tomorrow will be the 30th Annual International Coastal Clean up Day.
Registration for the Popular Beach Clean Up at Fort Rocky on the Palisadoes, had to be closed ahead of schedule due to an overwhelming demand of volunteers! Wow. Definitely a good look for the future of JET.
Persons were reminded that there are 124 other Beach Clean ups across the island to participate in. See list at http://tinyurl.com/iccsites2015.
Please, as citizens of our country, play your part in keeping Jamaica as the Land of Beauty. Environmental conservation is important not only for our Country’s survival but for ours as well.
See Coastal Clean up Promo video here and have a great weekend cleaning up our beaches!Â
By: Gabrielle Burgess
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– The first ingredient should always be some form of WHOLE grain, e.g. whole wheat, whole oats etc. Keep it whole, so you can be ‘whole-hearted’
– Keep it low in sugar, less than 10g or preferably 8g of sugar per serving
– Go for lots of fibre to keep you fuller for longer, at least 3g of fibre per serving
– Stock up on more than 5g of protein, so you do not feel the need to overeat some hours later. If there is not enough in the cereal, have some 90/100 calorie Greek Yoghurt with it.
– Measure Measure Measure! Be careful when pouring straight from the box. Keep conscious of your serving size according to what is recommended on the box. If you are not having yoghurt with your cereal, adding a few slices of banana will help to bulk it up if necessary.
This is why Suga recommends Oatmeal. Oatmeal is best on its own. Healthy and full of fibre! A bit tasteless for you? Add a shake of cinnamon or nutmeg and even a sprinkle of raisins. Remember sometimes healthy is an acquired taste so give it a few tries first.
Here are some of the other good ones. Can you find your cereal? If not, check the recommended servings of protein, sugar and fibre stated above and see if it fits in the recommended category. Also, avoid the famous Corn Flakes and Honey Bunches of Oats! They are made from Refined Grains.
– Oatmeal crisp (All Brands)
– FOSKA Oats : Low in sugar with just 1g and high in fibre, 4g. Support Brand Jamaica!
– Post Shredded Wheat : Tasty, 100% natural WHOLE grain with honey and almonds baked in
– Muesli
– General Mills Cheerios (The no added sugar one, Not the Honey nut!) : Just 1g of sugar, WHOLE grain oats and 3g fibre!
– General Mills Total : 100% WHOLE grain!
– General Mills Wheaties : Just 4g sugar and 3g fibre
– Kashi cereals eg. Go Lean, Heart to Heart Honey Toasted Oat, Cinnamon Harvest Whole Wheat Biscuits
– Quaker Honey Nut Oatmeal Squares : a little sweet with 9g sugar, but high in protein and very crunchy with 4g fibre
– Quaker Life
– General Mills Chex, Wheat or Multi Grain
Lastly, don’t feel like Cereal is just for Breakfast, if on a diet, you can mix it up and have a shake for breakfast and cereal for dinner. It’s easy, especially if you are coming home late after an evening workout.
Also, please do not make your cereal unhealthy by adding whole milk (that’s not making you whole-hearted!), 1%, 2%, condensed or evaporated milk! Use skimmed milk or almond milk.Â
