Celebration of Life- Women's Month

March has been an extraordinary month to say the least.  Beside being the gateway to spring,  new things, rebirth, and life.  It is only fitting that Women are celebrated during this month.

I have had the honor of working on some amazing projects and meeting great people with gifts beyond my imagination.

Why celebrate women?  Why such an emphasis on girls?

Keep in mind, in many cultures women are second class citizens, if they are even acknowledged.  Although being very necessary to the building of society, community and the force that moves men to action.  Women are still fighting for some of the basic of human rights.

According to the Network Journal that honored 25 influential Black Women in Business, in New York City, "Just 2 percent of the country's 8.2 million women-owned businesses have surpassed the million-dollar level."  Outstanding!  Not to shabby for second class citizens for any country that really cares about seeing a profit.

Now in just this month alone I have met with two women, African-American, owned magazines that are nationally distributed.  Both self-funded. Nova Loraine founder and creator of Raine Magazine, Sofia Davis founder and creator of BTE TV and Fashion Avenue News.

I reconnected with former Publisher of Uptown Magazine, Viv Magazine and now successfully running her own firm, JRT Multimedia, Joceylyn Taylor,  with luxury clients such as Jaguar, Bentley, Bacardi, Chanel, Dior to name a few.  A new addition to her family of successful brands is Dr. Sampson Davis, with his new book,  Living and Dying In Brick City, An E.R. Doctor Returns Home, who is due to appear on Dr. OZ, April 4, 2013 @ 4pm EST, a must watch if you've ever visited an emergency room.

Taylor also serves on the board of Evidence A Dance Company.  My colleague and I were honored to support her and the company at The Plaza Hotel at their annual fund raising gala, The Torch Ball.  Magnificent.
Guests included,  host Lynn Whitfield, live auction by the fashion-business genius Audrey Smaltz, honorary chairs Tonya Lewis Lee and Spike Lee.  Gala Chair, the ever so generous Reginald Van Lee.
I would like to continue to name drop by adding Debra L. Lee of BET Network, Susan Taylor, Tamara Tunie of Law & Order-SVU,  and Gordon Chambers, legendary songwriter, singer, producer.

The unexpected highlight of that evening  for the guests was when German speaking Editor -at-Large of World Bride Magazine, Susan Dilworth interviewed some of these amazing souls.  The kicker was she was African-American.  Bravo. Susan vowed she would not return to Germany prior to supporting some of the greatest souls in the greatest city, New York.

The month continued to unfold with the celebration at The MET Museum where the celebrities continue to grace us with their presence. There women alongside men celebrating some of the city's greatest and their wonderful contributions to society and to the world.

Tonight as the end the month quickly approaches, I find myself entertaining one more  amazing soul, Marie Claire, an Italian-trained Opera Singer who debuted at Carnegie Hall with The New York Grand Opera Company in the roles of Maddale from Verdi's Rigolette and Azucena From Verdi's II Trovatore.
For me that is not the ahhhh thing about her, what amazed me about her is that she combines her opera with hip-hop and neyo soul.  I'm floored.  Claire is planning to preform with the likes of modern artists like Common, Mos Def,  Rakim, Big Daddy Kane are just some of the few artists she wants to collaborate with in the near future.
But for the moment she is preparing to do Battle Of The Boroughs Talent Quest 2013, Representing the Bronx.  Claire beat out 500 other talented artists and the battle continues until the ultimate battle ends June 21.

I can't forget my two favorite buys, for those who know me, know how much I love books.  Rita Moreno and Pam Grier are definitely icing on the cake for me.  Life is grand.
I chose the company of women I keep, and do business with and I am honored to include Sarah Almonte-Williams Sr. Group Sales Manager of Trump Hotels.  And the legendary wife of Ron Carter, former model, designer, Quentel Williams.

If you don't find women exciting then you may want to check your pulse.  And the month is not over yet.  24 hours more to go anything can happen.

Dubai- The gateway to life's grandest experiences

Everyone knows I keep my passport on hand at all times.  At any given moment I am liable to buy a ticket and be on a plane heading to God knows where.  That is just how I role.

Why?  Some would describe this behavior as being erratic.  Simply put, I love life, I love everything it has to offer and everything it promises to be.

I tell people all the time "I don't ever want to be on my death bed wishing, regretting what could have been.  I will not allow cost, or lack of opportunity, to be the excuses I use to say that is why I did not enjoy my life and the wonderful things that were brought before me".

So with that said, my last venture took me to a place on my "bucket list", Dubai.  YES!!!  I finally made it.  After 4 years of getting invitations from some dear friends, family and business contacts, I finally did it.  I took the plunge and lived.

Dubai is located within The emirate of Dubai, southeast of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and is one of the seven emirates that make up the country.  

I have labeled Dubai as my generations modern day French Rivera, or Paris.  I recall my parents generation discussing Europe as being the hot spot to run to.  But for me and my generation, Dubai is giving us "The Sexy".

I would like to describe my experience in Dubai as one of the most educational, exciting experience to date in my life.  Dubai is not my first experience with the Arabic culture.  I was raised in the heart of Brooklyn, with a family from Yemen.  My best friend Amal, her sister Souad, Samera (my sisters best friend), and Galal the brother who was my age, we were class mates.

Because we lived in the same house, my mom would give us permission to go upstairs and have dinner with the family.  So we experienced this rich culture in an intimate way.  I heard the prayers,  listened to the music, and tried to learn the language, but of course you know that it didn't stick, with the exception of the naughty words.

I have to say I have happy memories of my Arab experience.    Further down the road from where we lived was a large Arab community so we were no strangers to the culture.  So it was already in my blood, I was determined to go to The Gulf, The Middle East.  Of course my only knowledge of the Arab culture was Egypt, what we were told about it from a European standpoint.  

But as I was growing up in a predominantly caucasian community, with 70 percent of the population being Italians, first generation from Italy, 10 percent American, 5 percent Latino, 3 percent Black, 5 percent Arab and the other 7 percent other; my family and my cousins being the only Haitian Families in the community.  

I had a great childhood.  I have fond memories of my life and living in Brooklyn.

But it was in Junior High School that I started to hear contrast in the story that I was taught in Elementary School.  African-American people were claiming Egypt as part of their history, we were being taught that we were of one race.   Our history seemed to overlap, and the Egyptian culture was also part of the African culture.  It changed my life completely.  I started seeing the wealth, the similarities of our history as people of color, and my pride began to be rebuilt.  

So with that said,  the Arab culture is very dear to me.  So I was definitely destined to see it for myself, the culture that I heard so much of from the pages of books, and stories from my Arab family.

My first trip was to Egypt and it was everything I imagined it to be and more.  I thank the wonderful person that invited me, and it was how I wanted my experience to be.  My second visit was to Qatar, for work experience and I stayed with the most amazing family, my then boss, the Publisher of Scratch Magazine, Alex Fox.  When I say wow.  I was wowed.  It was the most amazing journey, working with Tribeca Film Festival and seeing that part of the world through the experience of Art and Culture.

I am still in awe by this wonderful experience.  Life was grand.

Now Dubai, has opened my door to another experience.  Business!  It is everything and more that people have promised.  It also helps that I have an amazing dear friend/sister Nora, living there with her family to share with me the wonderful opportunities that the region has to offer.  It helps in this life to have a guide.

I continued to have additional support, lady in charge Michelle Kruger, who kicked in.  All I had to say was I am heading to Dubai and the emails started rolling in.  Next thing I know I was at a hotel, greeted by mangers, directors, head of the hotel.  Wow I was ballin'!!!  I felt like Beyonce at Super Bowl!  At the Ramada Plaza Jumeriah Beach Residence.  Yes I said Ramada.  This is nothing like the Ramada we know in America.  My view was like "WHAT"!  Private pool on the property, across the street from the beach.  On the strip of some of the best restaurants in the country.

What made the experiences even more extraordinary was the opportunity to hang out with some of the legends of the region.  Mr. Antonio Fadel, who introduced us to some of the most amazing people in the region.  From the local designers to Hollywood stars at home.  We ate at 5 to 7 star places, and crashed a wedding (and the bride let us stay), we partied like rock stars!  We had Arabic Coffee with VIP, Sheikhas and traveled by car, camel, boat and went sand surfing.  

We shopped with celebrity makeup artists, Lorna Butler, and got proposals by some of gods best looking creations..Arabic men. I think I'm moving.

I love being American, I love my present lifestyle.  The wonderful opportunity to be able to freely move around the world with a passport that is welcomed almost every where.

It is important for us to broaden our horizon and travel.  We need to use the freedom we have and explore other cultures, we will see that the world is brighter then we imagine it to be.

Life is grand.