Shak's Little Corner

The British Virgin Islands have been my home for 26 years and even if though I live in Georgia, the BVI is still my home. The BVI consists of 4 main islands and about 50-60 rocks and cays. The four main islands are: Jost Van Dyke, Tortola, Virgin Gorda and Anegada and each have their own thing to contribute. The beaches are my favorite but when you pair the water and a yatch you get a kaleidoscope of fun. Feeling the wind and sun across your face is the most magical feeling in the world. The atmosphere around is energetic but relaxing like all your problems are being carried off in the wind. Sailing is one the most fun filled activities within the BVI. You can sail throughout the BVI but not pass any boundaries visiting different island. Depending on how long you have rent the yatch, sailing between certain islands can take hours so plan your day accordingly. Some of my favorite beaches are Cane Garden Bay on Tortola, The Baths/Devil’s Bay on Virgin Gorda and White Bay on Jost Van Dyke...

        Anguilla is located north of the Leeward Islands and begins the downward curve of the long chain of Caribbean islands. The Amerindians or specifically the Arawaks were the first inhabitants to settle on the island around 2000 BC. The island of Anguilla was then called “Malliouhana” which meant “Sea Serpent”.      There have been some assumptions that Christopher Columbus had discovered the island in 1493 but there was no documentation of his “adventure”. It was not until 1565 French Explorer Pierre Laudonnaire gave Anguilla its name “Anguille” which meant “eel shaped”. This discovery led to the decline of the Amerindians population through enslavement, introduction of diseases never heard of and mass killings.      In 1650, Anguilla was first colonized by the English located on St. Kitts but in 1656, they were killed by a group of Caribs. Anguilla along with many of the Caribbean islands were in the constant battle of powe...

  Flag of Suriname      Suriname! Suriname! Suriname! Oh how you made my mouth drop every time I read a new piece of information. Suriname (Dutch Guiana) is a part of “The Guianas” also including Guyana (British Guiana) and French Guiana. These three countries are located on the western coast of South America, just at the end of the long chain of Caribbean islands. Even though Suriname is located on South America it is still considered to be within the Caribbean region considering its placement on the coast.      Suriname is home to majority of South Asians that live there. They make up about one fourth of the population. The Maroons is second largest population of about one-fifth of the people. Other races including Javanese and other mixed races make up the rest of the population.      While searching for information, I came upon a human trafficking section and while it should not be shocking (not saying it should happen because it SHO...

Hi guys and gals. I am Shakeila Burke, a 27-year-old mom to a three-year-old hailing from the British Virgin Islands. I moved to Georgia in 2017 when I was about 7/8 months pregnant. I was supposed to graduate in 2018 but Hurricane Irma came and let's just say she shook things up the Caribbean on a large scale. I decided moved post Irma by my boyfriend here and now I have the addition of my twin nephews, who moved to finish high school and further their education. So here I am once again tackling my bachelor’s degree majoring in Biology and it is going well. I picked to major in Biology because becoming involved in the medical field is a dream I have had ever since I was a little girl. As I got older, I considered becoming a Pediatrician because of my love for kids and wanting to help them. Aside from my career, I love singing, dancing, reading a good book and enjoying being in the presence of the ones I love but my favorite/ultimate hobby is cuddling up with my baby boy and receiv...