The next decade....what's in store?
Musings of a yamfooted traveller still trying to shake off those last 20 pounds as she treks across the Caribbean
Class was great. Bus' a sweat early o'clock.
And it's the beloved Yoga/Pilates/Dancing class tomorrow morning at 10am.
During the reggae class this evening, I was cursing my formal creative dancing lessons, for some of my moves looked a little too pure. For example, there was a front kick, but a dancehallish front kick, but my Yamfoot leg had to be pointed and exactly at a 90 degree angle.
I saw the instructor, but not for him to ask me how much weight I lost. The scale at the Kingsom and the one here are in sync. And guess what, I'm a little bloated this week, so it's not really 5.something pounds I have put on. That's good news.
There is a 6:30pm Reggae class at the gym and I just don't feel like getting dressed to go. If only the instructor could come here, I could get to perfect my bammer-girl moves, so I could look better on the Ninja as Mad Bull has recommended, with the b-riders of course!
I know exercise is good for me. I see what it can do to my body. I know I've put on 5.8 pounds since I have been away.
Actually, maybe I don't wanna go cause I know what the scale is going to say and then Mark is going to ask if I lived up to my promise and I going to be ashamed to tell him after week 2, I ate like a flying pig.
Another thing is that the itch is so bad now, it will be uncomfortable with the sweating.
But, I had such fun the last time, so lemme go, lemme go, lemmg go, lemme go, lemme go, lemme go.
Ok, now I'm motivated.
(read two stories after this one)
Bloody flight was late.
Good thing I was in fus' klaas, cause mi get fi wait it out in air-conditioned comfort. I used the time wisely to transcribe an interview I did in St Kitts about them hosting cricket world cup matches in 2007. I had the headphones over my ears, there was no speakers in the lounge. About 10 minutes before the time that the check-in guy (very pleasant, used my name during the check-in process, that's a sign of good customer service) told me we would board.
Luckily, I heard faintly them say 'final boarding call for flight X', dashed downstairs, cleared immigration, and...
...oh. Let me digress. The security man says "Yamfoot, are you still a hotel manager?" I say no. He says "what's your occupation now?" I say "that's a good question....let's say 'student'".
So, on to Immigration. While there I hear "will passengers X, Y and Yamfoot please clear immigration now and board the aircraft. Failure to do so will mean your bags will be removed and you will be denied boarding".
I rush to Gate 3, complain to the man that you can't hear the announcements from the First Class lounge. He agreed with me and then said "so in that case I will excuse you". You'd better. Walked as quickly as I could in the yamfoot high heels (have to dress to puss boot when you in Fus Klaaas you know!), and found that a Minister close to PJ was in my seat. No worry for there was an empty row across, so I had two seats to myself. What bliss!
As soon as I put my bags up overhead, a guy from Cattle Class who I know comes up to me and says "I see the cricket writing has paid off". I told him not so at all, but didn't bother to expand on how I got to be riding up front.
Also in First Class were a work colleague of my brother (I went and said hello) and my father's boss at the bank (I was not a Gladys....later on at home Pops asked me why I didn't go and tell him who I was). There was a Dr Winston there also. I don't know him, but I found out his name as he was talking so damn loud on the cell phone!
Food ok. Dessert was divine. The PM's special advisor said he had no option but to take the fruits. I then said to the Purser, mi waan di chocolate cake, and that she was to tell him to work it off tomorrow. She agreed with me.
On the ground, many flights had by now come in. Our flight would normally have come in about 11:15am, and it was now after 1:00pm. So you had many Air Jamaica flights and two AA flights. Immigration line long. Chit chatted with Bro's colleague who asked "now which one are you? Sis or Yamfoot?"
Got luggage, cleared customs (they didn't ask me to open any bags) and got picked up soon thereafter.
Came home, then went to the bank and immediately as a result of driving on the road for a couple minutes, I realize why I can't stay here for too long. Bloody impatient people like to get my blood boiling. Borish Jamaicans.
Back to the Eastern Caribbean I go in a few weeks.
That was where we were supposed to be heading tomorrow for the long weekend. That's a swanky hotel in Montego Bay which the kids fancy.
Anyhow, Pops suffered an injury to his back, so no long drives for him and the physio has him on a strict regime.
Not a bad thing actually, cause Jamaica has reached the semi finals of the U-19 regional cricket competition, so I can go see the match on Saturday, and if they get into the final (they should), then the finals on Sunday.
All things work out for good init?
Somebody recently bought a house on a road we have to drive on to get home, well we usually drive on that road.
Next came the modifications. This is what stage it's at now. Unusual but quite interesting. Sis calls it 'The Ice-cream House'
Take a look...
Another view....
Do you like?
Maybe this Benedryl I am taking is making me hallucinate. I was dreaming last night that I forgot that I had a car, and then wondered if it was a dream or not. But then my sister pulled out the checkbook and showed where I had drawn a cheque for J$40,000 for transfer of car and other charges.
So I marched on down to ATL motors who are the agents for Peugot in Jamaica and saw a purple Peugot 507. And the guy said "yes, it's yours". So I got in to test drive it.....really zippy thing. Hmmmmm, so I DO have a car.
Not.
I would NEVER buy a left hand drive car, which is what it was.
Verdict? DREAM.
Continue dreaming dear.
Princess P will appreciate this post....
We were talking about the difference in hospitality shown in Bajan homes versus Jamaican or Trinidadian homes.
I am in St Kitts as you know, and since I landed in my friends home, I have been offered everything at regular intervals. "You want a drink?" "You want some Pumpkin Soup?" (delicious) "You want a drink?" "You're ok?" "Don't wash the dishes Yammie"....then I get my barbequed din-din with cutlery wrapped in a napkin.
Now that's hospitality. Oh, and as people came through the house tonight, they stopped, said hello and I was introduced to everybody.
Remember in post yesterday or the day before, I mentioned how the lost ticket made me have to change my LIAT flight from Antigua to ST Kitts to today?
Well, I called LIAT reservations centre in Trinidad, spoke to Richard who told me it was changed and also that the change fee was US$50. I wrote 'tiefs' beside where I made that note.
BWIA and LIAT suppose to have this sharing thing, so when I checked in at the Barbados BWIA counter this morning, I asked the agent to check my bags straight to St Kitts so I wouldn't have to clear immigration and customs in Antigua. They said they didn't see the booking and advised me to check at the LIAT counter.
I did and they said it was not change. One incidence of incompetence. They asked me if I knew that the change fee was US$50, I said yes, and asked if they wanted me to pay it there. They said no, pay it in Antigua.
Go to check in in Antigua and I deliberately don't mention it......neither did the agent! So I didn't have to fork out US$50.
Now I mention in a post below that the flight was delayed. With every announcement over the PA system, I wondered if I was going to here "will Yamfoot please return to the LIAT counter to pay us tiefs we $50".
No such call came.
No wonder they can't make any money. They still have an opportunity to catch me on the return leg though. I am sure they won't!
BWIA was early from Bimshire, but LIAT was late from Antigua. No worries. I sat in the airport in Antigua and read the newspapers. Crime taking over. Four armed roberies in one week. WOW, that's such a LOT!!! (read: sarcasm). But I supposed when you are not accustomed to it, four does seem a lot. And when they say armed, they mean with guns. Not cutlasses or knives.
Here in St Kitts on the news tonight, was the story of the murder last night of an off duty policeman - 29 years old and had 10 years in the force. He was shot 6 times....I guess somebody really wanted him dead. Then there was another story of a businessman hearing gunshots outside his business place. He goes out to investigate and sees men on top of one of them shipping containers, firing after some men on the ground. Real cops and robbers type thing. No one seemed to have been hurt. Probably they need target practice!
But it is generally safe here. Right now, my hosts are sitting outside on the patio with some friends. The front door has been open all day. Same thing in Bimshire. Door open all day, all night. It's lovely. Really lovely.
For the Jamaicans who read this blog, I say to you instead of running to the 'great' USA etc, take a Caribbean holiday. It's really interesting to see how different these islands all are. I have been to....
Antigua, Barbados, St Maarten, Tortola, St Thomas, St Lucia, St Vincent, Dominica, Bequia, Grenada, Trinidad, Bahamas (New Providence), St Kitts and Nevis, and it's really so wonderful to see these jewels.
And in St Kitts, until December 23rd, you can pay US$89 per room, plus 19% tax/service charge and stay in the 900 room Marriott Hotel & Casino. The airfare from Kingston to St Kitts not that much. It's really a shame that we don't take more Caribbean holiday.
I was looking in the LIAT inflight magazine today and marking off my next stops - Anguilla and the French islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe. My aim is to see all the islands, even if it is just for a day.
First I called everywhere at the airport - customs, immigration, airport security. No luck. I even begged security to look at their security camera frame shots of last Thursday to see if they could tell me where I put the darn ticket.
(Oh, if you ent following, you got to go read the post before this).
Called BWIA to speak with a supervisor to find out why I had to pay for a new one way ticket, if they couldn't just tell that my reservation was in the computer and check me in. I was faced with the prospect of forking out US$309 for this new ticket. No luck, but what she did say was that if I found it within 90 days, they would refund me. If the blinking people did tell mi dat at the airport this morning, I would have done that...confident that it would have been found.
*Mookoots*
Phoned the person whose car took Princess P and I partway home that day. She ent see it.
Took some flu medicine and got drowsy. Went to bed while P went with her sis and kids to the beach. I was just in no mood.
Got up, watched highlights of cricket, had lunch (Tuna and Cheese Sandwich) and proceeded to look through all the contents of every piece of luggage I had. No luck.
Oh well, since I will not be buying a First Class ticket tomorrow, lemme wear my jeans and casual top. So took those out.
Had pizza (only one slice) and felt woozy from the Theraflu I took and went back to sleep.
Got up and saw that I had left the phone book (there are two of the same here in the Tower) on the sofa on the patio. Took it up and went to put it on top of the other one.
THERE, PEEKING OUT OF THE SECOND TELEPHONE DIRECTORY WAS THE TICKET!
Then we remembered that I had re-confirmed my flight on Saturday.
Funny how some things just go blap out of your memory. I had no recollection of that at all and was focusing on when last I remembered seeing the ticket which was by the Immigration Officer.
So all's well that ends well. The ongly thing is that to change my LIAT flight to tomorrow, it will cost me more than the damn ticket cost! I paid EC$83.60 for it. To change, it cost US$50 = approx EC$134! Life just aint fair.
Anyhow, at least I got cash on me. I didn't know how much the credit card would have been able to take on it and was faced with the prospect of doling out all my greenbacks.
But now, I feel really flu-y. Hope it doesn't affect my flying tomorrow.
Oh, I now have to go fetch good clothes out of the suitcase!
Went to a fete at a nightclub called Baku last night.
Dem Bajans ent know nothing bout crowd control. They need to take lessons from Lisa O'gilvie of Caribbean Events Management Company. We were packed like sardines in a tin, moving inch by inch. Took us ages to get in. But when we got there, the music was good.
Now hear dis nah. It's a fete during Barbados' Crop Over Carnival. How many songs from Barbados did we hear? About 3 or 4. Jamaican Dancehall was again a huge part of the music mix (big up Yard), also hip-hop (I'm at a loss how to dance to that), and Trini soca (Destra et al).
A good time was had by all. Went to bed at 3am and got up at minutes to 8am to watch cricket. And I was duly rewarded by Shivnarine Chanderpaul getting a century). Feting in Bimshire, and feting at Lords. What a combination.
I'm watching a Power Yoga tape as I write.
The Princess wanted to know why I wasn't doing it rather watching it. Banished to the dungeon (I might be)
Non-existent.
I just can't see the sense in having a church ceremony, go through the hassle of the reception, and then suddenly you are no longer married. Besides, this dress up - make up -doll up thing is not me.
So here'w what will happen, should my head tek me and mi decide fi tie di knot.
1. We will live together for at least 1 year (ideally 2), under an informal marriage arrangement.
2. If we tolerate each other for that long, then we will invite you to a session - nuff music, manish water, red peas soup, pan chicken etc.
3. Earlier the day of the session, we would have gone to some Registrar's office and got that piece of paper.
That is one alternative. The other one, the only change would be that we would go away somewhere and have one of them hotel weddings; ones that I have seen a lot of when I worked in Grenada. Then when we would have come back, we would have the session.
Yesterday was departure day from the Spice Isle. Started out by laying in bed to watch cricket, then other shows as the cricket became unbearable.
Then, checked in early for the flight, went back to the hotel, did my toes with this pretty shocking pink that the Princess gave me (see it here)
Said my goodbyes, and got to the airport at around 3:27pm for my 3:40 LIAT flight (the benefit of checking in early). Cleared immigration in a breeze, paid my departure tax and went to do the security check. At the in end, the security officer asked me if I had a laptop (yes) and gave me a container to put the machine in. I thought to myself "these people are always so nice....don't know how anybody could complain about them". Thought that too soon.
At the out end, I pick up my stuff, then the same guard came over to ask if I had any nail clips in my carry on. Yes. I took them out to show him, and also took out two other nail impliments. One has a cuticle-push-backer at one end and a grunge-dig-outer at the other, and the other tool has a cutting edge to cut off hardness around the toe.
The guard took them out, showed another man-guard that there were no knives and was about to give me back, when the Mookoot took them from him and said I would not be allowed to take them. I told him that the first one was very expensive (when you're unemployed everything is expensive!) and could he ask the LIAT counter agent at the gate, if I could put them in my suitcases. He went and asked and they said it wouldnt be allowed on board.
I asked him he he clarified that I didnt want them on board, but to put them in the suitcases which were now being loaded on.
"Mam, they said no, so I have to confiscate them". I walked off and joined the line as they had by now called the flight. While in the line I had a brilliant idea..
"Sir, could you put them in an envelope and ask somebody to drop it off at the Proper Hotel?"
"We don't offer that kind of service you know"
"I'm asking you to be reasonable and do me a favour"
"Sorry".
I storm off now. Reach the gate, the last person, and two LIAT agents are there. I tell them my plight and mention that I am coming back. They said well ask him to keep them for you until you come back.
Back to the Mookoot.
"I can't guarantee that mam"
"What are you going to do with them then?"
"Whatever is done with confiscated items"
"What IS done with confiscated items?"
"You'll have to ask the security office that".
All this time, the three female guards are looking on and observing and clearly displaying body language that says the man is being unreasonable.
I pleaded with him again but to no avail.
Stormed out to the plane, where I saw one of the LIAT agents who recommended the last action. I told him what the man said. He was shocked and told me when I come back to ask for them and see what they say.
So look out for the follow up.
Oh, I asked him his name. He refused. If he was being reasonable, he would have given it to me, because there would be no fear that he could be found to be in the wrong. Mookoot.
The view from my window just a few minutes ago.....
Just in case you forget what the view was on that Picture Purrfect Sunday, here it is.....compare.
Wait......!
How quickly things change.....
I paused in between this posting to talk on the phone, which took about 20 minutes. Here is the view now. Phew! Thought I was going to have to tell the Princess that my arrival would be delayed. Small plane you know.....don't fly in them in weather like what I experienced 40 or so minutes ago.
But how could I resist the decadent Chocolate Mousse at dinner tonight, topped with smooth Chocolate ice cream??????
The last supper was great. It started out with Excellent Service with the order-taker. Really top class. Then the meal....
Fish Cake (made with Mahi Mahi instead of Saltfish) with a nice sauce
Dasheen soup (very very nicely seasoned)
Chicken with a Potato and Cheese Pie, and Farine Cake (Farrine is Cassava ground up)
Chocolate Mousse with Chocolate ice cream
I won't eat like that for a while, so had to enjoy it.
Hey, no, that's not right. I am on my way to the Kingdom of Princess P tomorrow, and she is a gourmet Chef-ette in her own right.
Well tomorrow is Big Breakfast (name of a show that used to be on in England) for sure. It will include Guava Pancakes for sure.
And then before I fly out, I will have the toes done. I could grate Coconut on my Yamfeet-bottoms.
Just flicked to WGN where they have a show call ElimiDate on. One guy gets to interact with 4 girls all at once. The girls are all clad in a bikini top, and some kind of bottom - shorts, skirts or jeans.
All, bar none, of the girls are twig like. If I were a guy, I would definitely like my girl to have some flesh on her. No less than a size 12 (American)
Oh jeez, now two of them are pushing them selves up over the guy! And he not even that desirable. It must be for some huge amount of money. Oh, he eliminated two. I'll describe the two that are left.
Girl 1
Piercing below her lip. Curly long dark hair with blonde highlights. Skinny. Mawga. However you want to term it. Her eyebrows make her look like she is perpetually frowning.
Girl 2
Thought of by Girl 1 and the Eliminated Girls to be a slut because she kiss the guy less than one hour after knowing him. The most mawga-est of the four. One of the Eliminated referred to her as Anorexic (that spell wrong I know). She is bony, scrawny. That must juck men!
Anyway, we'll see how it pans out and who he chooses. Hopefully I'll fall asleep before. Cricket is early tomorrow morning. First Test starts. Have to be fresh to watch the West Indies beat up England. You have to have dreams, don't you?
***********************
Update. He chose Miss Anorexic. The Eliminated one told the Chosen One that she wasn't going to kiss the guy after her "mono diseased tongue went in his mouth". How crass!
That's not a good thing...when the Chef comes to your table. I saw him approaching and gesticulated "oh no, it's ok". What brought that on?
I sent back the snapper, and then the beef. He, being a good Chef, came to find out what was wrong, because they had thrown away the fish so he couldn't see.
As I told him, it was the quality of the fish which was a concern, not the taste. And the beef? Well I'm a Caribbean person...I accustomed to seasoned meat....meat that seaon and leave in the fridge for a couple hours or even overnight. So the lack of seasoning was what made me send it back.
Guess what I asked for instead? I've told you elsewhere on this blog that you get a "pre" right after you order. Tonight it was Chicken Nuggets with delicious Barbeque sauce. So I asked for, and got, 4 pieces of that for my protein.
The appetizer was a Twice Baked Callaloo Souffle, very tasty indeed. Soup was Bluggoe, which tonight I didn't like. Bluggoe is kind of like Green Banana. Dessert was Passionfruit cheesecake and Guava ice cream (I left some on the plate).
You would have guessed that I dined in the restaurant tonight and not in my room eh? I hope so. You wouldn't expect that the Chef would come to visit me in my room I hope!
Milestones are to be recognized yes? Yes. So when I logged in to do a post, I saw that the blog had reached 1,000 comments.
Unfortunately when I looked, it was one of them spam things that had brought it up to 1,000. When I took that penis thing out, it went back to 999. I just sent a permlink for my, according to some of oonu, itsy bitsy dinner the other night to Galliwasp, so maybe she has made it go back up to 1,000. I'd have rather it be a penis though (insert thumbs up emoticon here)
Seared Swordfish with a Citrus Salsa. Dinner tonight, along with Callaloo (dasheen leaves) Ravioli with Blue Cheese Sauce, and Nutmeg Souffle with Guava Ice Cream.
(and of course you are reading it and saying to yourself "why Yamfoot bodder complain fuh, and she go order all this fattening food?")
Well actually I just tasted most of it. The only thing (sadly) that I ate all of was the Dessert.
Anyway, this is what the Swordfish looked like....Aint it purdy?
Here's the meal from another view....
I am very disappointed in myself. Remember I said how I had got the eating under control? Well apparently that is not the case. Old habits die hard.
I started out very well in the first two weeks here. Gym 4 - 5 times per week, eating cereal with protein powder and skim milk powder for breakfast, light lunch and even lighter dinner, nothing in between. Then gradually I moved to a cheese and bacon omelette with one slice of whole wheat toast for breakfast, sometimes a burger or sandwich for lunch, and 3 course for dinner (always including dessert).
Then some mornings I decided to splurge and have pancakes with guava preserve and maple syrup in addition to the eggs. Tastes fantastic. But I have that maybe 2 times a week now. And sometimes, for dinner, even if I am not hungry, I order dessert.
What's wrong with my brain? I need a new one. I need a skinny-thinking one.
So I hope when I go home in about 10 days, the scale at the gym will show that I have put on no more than 6 pounds. How do I know I have put on weight? Well the skirt I put on today felt tighter. In the first two weeks, it was dropping off me.
Then two days ago, I was walking the property, and as I was approaching the owner, he pointed at me and mouthed "you've put back on weight, I can see the legs have filled out the pants more". Horrors.
It's the tummy; I have high belly again. That's from the bread rolls and the carbs in the dessert. Lawks a massi. Mi haffi wuk real hard when mi reach back a yard. I have some goals for December which I must meet. One of them is getting my butt even rounder than an English Pound!
Not only do they both start with V, but they actually look alike. Is true!
Was just watching Ashlee Simpson's show on MTV (I watch it a lot....in fact I find that I am watching MTV a lot these days). She had just finished recording her debut album. Oh, I should tell you that Ashlee is Jessica 'dumb blonde' Simpson's sister. Right, so she was finished recording, and now it was time to do band rehearsals for her live concerts. She got hoarse and went to see an ENT Specialist.
Well, they showed the close up of her vocal cords moving as she spoke, and it looked just like a vagina. If you don't know what that looks like, well go find one. (No I'm not volunteering!)
That's EC$, not US$.
Yesterday, I decided to go walking. First time I have done any exercise since 5 July. That's bad. Neways, put on my walking clothes, and folded $30 and put in the side of my (very worn) sneakers. Why carry money? Cause I was going to go to the DVD store and rent two DVD's. They didn't cost $30, so I don't know why di ass I put that much in.
After walking for a while, something said to me "check to see if the money is still there". I did. It wasn't. Then it started to rain. No, not rain, POUR is what I should say.
So I trudged home rather than re-tracing my steps in the rain. I said that if somebody else found it, maybe they needed it more than I do, so that was the positive from that. Somebody got rich off me.
I remember seeing that movie and thinking "oooh la la". That was over Wesley Snipes. Then I got the opportunity to meet the fine fellow at the Jamaica Pegasus. Here's how it went....
He came to Jamaica as guest of some Karate competition or the other. He was staying in a suite upstairs, and called down to get his suit ironed. A group of us girls who worked there, were in the lobby at desk, from where you had a good view of the elevator. The valet was below the lobby, so when he was going back with the suit, the Food & Beverage Manager, who a moment before had heard us swooning over Wes, stopped the Valet when the lift opened on the Lobby level to pick up whoever had stopped it on its way up.
He took the suit from the Valet, gave it to KarKar and told her to take it up to Wes. She was flabb-aghast (combination of flabbergast and aghast) but took it up any way. We waited with baited breath until she came back to hear her story.
Well, mi dears, mah, dovetails, KarKar say she knock pon di door, Wes open it, in ongly a towel round him waist! Well, Kar Kar was so taken aback, that she seh di suit nuh drap offa di hanger mah! She seh she shame, but Wes didn't treat it as no big ting.
Then when he was dressed, he came downstairs. There was a photographer from the Film Unit at Jampro to take photos, so he made two of us pose with Wes. WES PUT HIS ARM AROUND MY (THICK) WAIST!!!!! Mi was thrilled!
Now I questioned the photographer about taking the picture with a mirror in the background and him seh "nah man, ah nuh nutten". Well di blasted picha neva come out. Photographer had was to migrate, cause ah was ready to send Dr D's shottas after him. Imagine, now ah don't have nutten fi tell mi gran chillun dem. Hrmph.
Anyway, ah so life go, ent?
Oh, I forgot. The point of this blog entry was to tell you that Jungle Fever is coming on BET this Saturday at 11pm Eastern Caribbean time (10pm in Jamaica). Watch it. It oozes sex appeal, and since the posts a couple down from this is talking about sex.......
.....hey, where you gone so quick????
Just saw a flashback to an interview with Beenie Man on 106 & Park (BET). Free made him do a dance. Hey, I can do that dance! You know where I learnt it? At the gym. Went to a reggae class one day. I mentioned that didn't I?
Actually, earlier this evening, I was walking back from the supermarket (the only exercise I have had in 2 weeks - sad but true) and when I reached the service entrance of the hotel, some employees were there listening to a car radio. Guess what was playing? Some good ole dance hall music. So I shook my legs and did a few Yardie moves....just like what Beenie Man did tonight.
Me ah di lick!
Here's what one of my former UK professors said....
"You seem to have decided that your future is not in teaching - or to be more precise in full time employment in an academic environment. If that is the case then the PhD becomes of less importance. It would be an essential for an academic career - particularly in a UK or US institution - but you should not find too much difficulty finding some semester teaching appointments with your existing masters - again it depends on where you want look to do the teaching.
It seems that taking on training assignments is currently what makes you happy - and if so then go with it - but if you are going to set yourself up as a self employed consultant then take it seriously and look at it as a business proposition - what is your usp? what do you do that others can't or don't or won't? what is your competitive advantage? and so on
On the research side again what exactly do you want to do and for whom? Is this part of the consultancy business - "McDonald Inc." or even "McDonald Thinc!" - or for your own gratification. How will you find out about possible research contracts to bid for? Who will you collaborate with to do things that you don't like doing? and so on
As far as a further qualification is concerned you can do a PhD part time at a distance - not the easiest way to do it but still feasible - a topic around 'measuring the impact of training on hotel performance / service quality' might seem along the right lines - but it is a commitment of time and resources and it will weigh you down in terms of flexibility.
So the last word of advice is basically, enjoy what you are doing and build a portfolio of activity that will continue to challenge and inspire you but keep you in food and housing and some time off to enjoy the cricket!"
Good avice. It's so good to be to call on all these people (including yourselves)
Aren't we all always striving to find sexual pleasure? To climb the pinnacle of sexual delights?
Well Click here , say whether you are male or female, then click what you want to achieve from your next sexual encounter, and voila.....THE position to make it happen.
Try it out and tell me if it work, then ah go look fuh si-maddy fi try it out pon!
A few days ago, I entered the first part of my diaries entitled Nottingham Niblets - my experience of living in Nottingham while attending the University of Nottingham.
Those stories I used to send to you by email told of the house, the housemates and the coldness in the house. Well one of my housemates, the only one living in the house from my time, sent me some pictures with captions of the house. Here they are....
"The kitchen's changed quite a bit from where you were here actually. There are new floor tiles (which are a worse colour than the old ones, but at least they aren't all cracked), a new TV ..... and notice in the corner there is a new (efficient) gas heater. 
"A new toilet (and small sink) have been put in the old toilet room, and you now access that room from the new bathroom:"
"Here you can see the new bath and the window (sorry about the angle, I had to hold the camera above my head to get both in ... it's a very difficult room to photograph because of its small size)".
"Unfortunately, the builders never cleaned up after themselves. They just disappeared overnight after the bathroom was completed, and left their mess behind. This is the view out of the bathroom window, what you used to call "The Bush":" (hey, this doesn't only happen in the Caribbean folks!)
Now he goes on to talk about the landlady who was a right 'bint'; I had to tell her a few choice words a couple of times. You see, I was the one who would talk up and tell her what was not on.
And imagine, when I was leaving, she was about to give me my rent deposit in a cheque, when I had given them cash at the start. I promptly told her that I no longer have a UK bank account and how was I to cash it? Well she had to call she husband, who then told her OK. I must post that story for the newbies to see. Actually it's only the newbies who read my blog these days.....the old fogies say they don't get accustomed to reading the blog. Oh dear. Too bad for them.
I even went to the Council to complain about the lack of heating. The council man came and surveyed the house and was about to write to the landpeople when I was leaving. Don't know if they ever did. But I sure did. Drew pictures of where there were holes in the skirting which was allowing cold air to come into my room etc etc etc. I was not having it. No way, no how.
Anyway, that's all for now.
Two shots of my dinner tonight. Mahi-mahi wrapped in salmon, with passion fruit sauce.
So the following blogs have lots of pictures in it.
Apart from going to the beach, I stopped in to one of the storerooms on property where a chappie was counting stock, heard a noise and enquired what it was that was keeping him company. He pointed to a tiny kitten under one of the stands meowing for its mother. Apparently the mother is a little nomadic and comes to visit her kitten in the nights. Hmmmm....nomadic....sounds familiar init.
Oh, here's some other pictures for yah.
These were taken from an Air Jamaica Express plane last December, from Montego Bay to Tinsen Pen
Now we fly over Riverton City, close to Tinsen Pen. See how the topography changes. Yuck.
This is where I was coming from....I prefer to keep that view in my mind.
I am now watching a CNN stsory about a couple who look very young for their age. Lynn is 56 and Jim is 58 and they have grand kids. But they look their age in my opinion. Plus they have had some plastic surgery.
Anyway, their secret is lifting weights and doing cardio, and eating healthily. You could say that I do that too, if you forgive and forget the slice of cheesecake, the brownie and two scoops of ice cream I had for dessert tonight. (insert disappointed face here).
A segment in the show shows two ladies who travel to Jamaica to have their surgeries done and recuperate. Tourism gone in non-traditional directions. Milk it whichever way you can.
I am well on my way to looking great at 50. I'm thirty buff now and people tell me I look like 25....one waiter here told me I looked 20. You've heard that story already. I'll shut up now.
But if we stay young at heart, we stay younger on the outside too. No stress. You should try it.
Here's a picture of me at that Hindu Wedding in Deep South Trinidad I went to, stuffing my face, using my hands and not a knife and fork.
Of course, in an effort to preserve my anonymity from y'all, except Mad Bull who I exposed myself to, I've chopped out a few bits of me....
I checked the TV Guide today and saw that Island Stylee with host, Jamaican Rachel Stuart was coming on, so flicked the switch and was very pleased to see they started out with a feature on Jamaican Spas.
After some other segments (Curacao and Nassau), they showed Donovan Morris, the guy who, along with his brothers and sister Sandy, cooks up a storm for people like Dr D who go over to Lime Cay.
The food looked great, succulent chicken and a large plate of shrimp. Dr D has described the food over there on his weblog. He will do a link to it cause mi cyan bodda go look fi it. (Be a dear Dr D)
This is the beach that the Proper Hotel sits on....
I've been here nearly 4 weeks now, and today was the first time I went, only cause Brigitte said meet her there.
I didn't go in the water....that would have necessitated shaving and I was not into that today.
Now I have 4 bathing suits - 3 two pieces and 1 full piece. I don't wear the full piece because I don't think it fits my body type. Here is one of the two pieces I carried with me to Grenada. Now the aim was to be able to wear it towards the end of my stay, because I would have been eating very little and exercising very much, but heh, you only have one life ent? And only one opportunity to have Nutmeg ice cream every night.
Anyway, here is the two piece I will wear one day, maybe in about a month or 6 weeks from now. By then I won't look mampy-sized in it...
Today I wore the top of another one that is of this same style, but it was a boring blue/grey.
It was such a lovely day today, that I thought I'd take some pictures and show you the view from the room I am staying in here at the Proper Hotel.
View 1 is to the left of the room facing the sea....
View 2 is to the right of the room facing the sea...
...and this is View 3, dead centre. The capital, St George's is across the sea....
Aint life grand? Imagine waking up to this every morning? Just fantastic.
You probably guessed it.
Mi not going. But mi not saying mi not doing it none at all. Mi just not ready to pack up and start school in August.
January maybe? Naw. Don't tink so. But definitely would have to start by Fall 2007.
Why?
Because I took that blo$^#y hard GMAT in January 2003 and the scores are only good for 5 years and mi nah dweet again!
Thanks for all your advice and perspectives. Sometimes other people know you better than you think you know yourself at a certain point.
So I'm officially unemployed. Shucks....that means having to pay full membership rates at the gym. I'll definitely need a J-O-B.
Everytime when I sneeze, my hands go numb and I can't bend my fingers for a few seconds. It's really strange. Been happening to me now for a couple of years. I think it's tied in to my vertebrae slipping out in 2001. I have not been back in proper alignment since. Despite chiropractors cracking my vertebrae, I have had to live with pain and discomfort in my neck since then. I've accepted it.
So my wiring is not quite right I think, which affects the nerves that run out to my arm. That's Dr Yamfoot (not the PhD Dr Yamfoot, the medical Dr Yamfoot) diagnosis.
Another instance of paralysis was long time ago, maybe 1995-7 - somewhere around there, I would wake up in the middle of the night unable to move my leg. I think it was my left leg. A very frightening experience. Did an x-ray which didn't turn up anything. Doctor surmises that I pinched a nerve or something. The x-ray only showed that I have mild scholiosis. That spell wrong. What you expect....mi nat no dacta!
This is a warning.
With this blog, I've been forced to shorten what I write. Remember I mentioned these diaries I wrote from England? That was in a blog a few days ago. Go back and check.
Anyways, I just dug up the one which started the series known as Nottingham Niblets, so it's below, it's long, so read when you have time, but you must read it indeed. Ok, be a good boy (or girl, or dog - argh argh).
Now it's time for bed.......ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Sunday 22 September 2002
Click below
Ah ha! I bet y'all thought you were going to see the decision here. No mi dear. Still mulling it over. Have read all of your wonderful thoughts, both here and those received by email.
I remembered my GMAT experience. I must try and find it and blog it. That was last year January in London. I got a good score of 630. Well good enough.
I also rememered my resume, and I opened it, and saw this as the objective I have had on it for quite a few years. Note what comes first....
"To utilize skills acquired through formal education and twelve years management experience to develop quality human resources for the tourism industry, both in the workplace and in an academic setting"
I hope I make the right decision. Why can't we see into the future? .....hey, that just gave me an idea! Maybe I should talk to Miss Cleo!
For the umpteenth time, I'm watching Heat (on TNT). That's a cops and robbers movie starring Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro. What a combination.
It has just reached the part where Neil (DeNiro) kisses Eidi (the Judge in Judging Amy) on his balcony overlooking the City of Lights. Neil's the bad guy.
I've seen this movie about 10 times, and I never get tired of it. Those two actors are superb and the storyline is great. Go rent it tonight.
(Of course, watching Heat takes my mind off the heat I'm experiencing regarding the PhD decision)
A round of emails this weekend with the head of department at the University I am supposed to be going to in about 6 weeks, I'm just not so sure....
In order to spare my fingers double work, please click below for the text of an email I sent to one of my professors from the University I went to in England (Surrey).
After you read it, you need to put on a "personal tutor" hat and give me advice. I hate being in situations like this......
Hello Professor,
Greetings from Sunny Grenada (ok, so maybe today that's a bit of a fib since it has been grey for most of the day, and rainy). I hope this email finds you in fine form and the peak of health, and that you are enjoying your summer break. Now I'd like you to put on your personal tutor hat and help me out with this mild state of confusion in which I find myself this weekend.
Can't remember what I was doing the last time I made contact with you, so in a nutshell....
1. Left University of Nottingham course 2/3 way last May.
2. Taught 1/2 of a Meetings Management course at one of the universities in Jamaica (it was just to help out because the regular lecturer became suddenly unavailable). Discovered I didn't particularly like setting or marking exam papers (and I only had 18 students!)
3. Conducted training for 3 months to hotel staff in Grenada and Trinidad. Deferred enrollment to Virginia Tech's PhD programme to do this.
4. Now conducting one month of training at a hotel (where I used to work before I came to Surrey) in Grenada. Enjoying it immensely.
I am supposed to start the PhD at VT on August 23rd. After a round of emails with the outgoing head of the HTM department there, I am wondering if to go ahead. I got a full 20 hour assistantship based on my credentials. This requires me to work in the department. For the first year I am going to essentially be a Restaurant Manager to the Undergrad students. Fair enough. I raised with him, the fact that I would not expect to be doing that for the 3 years of the assistantship. He says he can't promise other opportunities to teach other undergrad courses. I was a restaurant manager for 2 years a loooooong time ago. I can't say that it was my most favourite period.
Apart from that concern, I ask myself what essentially do I want to do with the rest of my life? These are the answers (in the order of preference).
1. Go around to different hotels and set up Training Systems, conduct training and do follow ups.
2. Do research
3. Teach one semester in a university/college every year (maybe).
So with that, I find that I am asking myself this weekend "do I really need to do a PhD? Can't I just do a Masters in Research?" That would qualify me to do research. I find I get good feedback on the training so perhaps no extra study is required in that regard.
This is where you come in now . If I were your personal tutee, how would you advise me to proceed? This last year has made me realize that I don't want to be tied to any one thing, so I know that teaching full time in a university/college is not my thing.
As always, I look forward to hearing from you. Hope you are well.
Michelle
"Never apologize for pursuing what makes you happy. Even if you need to quit your job, transfer schools or move across country, always do what YOU really want."
The Caricom Heads of Government meeting is taking place as I write, just down the road at one of the "Aliens Hotels" (not the right name, for obvious reasons!) where I did some work last year. Check the archives around the end of October/early November for what I wrote about that sorry hotel chain. I can just imagine the many complaints that guests at that hotel have. Poor them.
Anyway, outgoing Chairman of Caricom, Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer of Antigua, referred to the Most Honourable PJ Patterson as the "Master of Caricom" many times. Go deh PJ (who by the way is wearing a ring on his ring finger).
Another thing that PM Spencer said which is to be noted is that even though Tourism (my real field...not this journalism thing which I dabble in) is the mainstay of most economies in the region, it never appears as a regular agenda item at these meetings. So true.
Caribbean governments pay scant regard to development as it relates to Tourism, whether it is development of space, of financial incentives or of the most important assset - the people. If they were reallly serious about Tourism, they would make sure each island had a top class school to train aspiring entrants into the industry. But before that, they would ensure that the primary and secondary education produces students with the capacity to learn, grow and develop intellectually, and be able to function in the world.
Saw a show on Animal Planet today with a lady talking about why rats make good pets, and how they act very close to how humans behave. I guess that's why they use rats to try out drugs and test behaviour.
So when I saw the programme, it reminded me of a year long ago, when we found rats in Negril while on holiday. These were rat babies. Tiny tiny things. Dark in colour. We took one home and fed it milk with a Q-tip. I think after awhile Mummy found out and that was that.
Funny how when you are introduced to something in a particular perspective, that's the perspective you stick with. So rats were dirty rodents, so that's what Mummy thought this one would have grown up to be.
Pity. She didn't get to see how different it coulda been.
Edmund Bartlett, Opposition Spokeman on Tourism just walked through the lobby. I alerted the owner's wife to who he was. I'm sure he woulda felt chuffed that he is recognized outside of his country.
Also spotted in the gym was Hugh Wildman. A colourful character, Wildman was the Director of Public Prosecution here. He's a Jamaican, in case you wondering why I mentioning him. Anyway, he has apparently a crazy streak where he will gwaan bad in the courtroom. So the anti-government lawyers like Anslem Clouden, and the anti-government newspaper Grenada Today is always on his case. He was since removed as DPP but is now Special Prosecutor to the Government. He has his hands full now with defending the PM Dr Keith Mitchell against allegations he was paid money for favours.
All kinda scandal following this government.
Anyway, so 2 Jaycans spotted today in the Spice Isle. And no, no mishaps today with the pedestrian crossings.
And oh, I'm still full. I just had a Julie mango and a Diet Sprite.
My stomach has shrunk in the mornings. Usually I've been having a small bowl of Alpen Cruncy Bran (great source of fibre.....8g per serving....older age means I need more fibre these days) with skim milk and protein powder.
It's Saturday so I can have breakfast later. Therefore I can eat breakfast from the restaurant. So I tought I'd splurge. Ordered a Cheese and Bacon Omelette with Whole Wheat Toast and Pancakes with Stewed Guava. Doesn't sound like a lot at all, but I had difficulty finishing the pancake. Normally I woulda just left it, but the damn ting taste so damn good, I waited a few minutes in between bites so it would all go down.
Damn greedy yam.
So said the Irish wife of the Grenadian doctor who was at the gym with me this evening.
She sat on the leg extension machine and was about to change the weight when she saw it was on 87 pounds, remembered that I had been on that machine shortly before, and exclaimed that to me.
I told her I have big legs, so they must be able to lift plenty weight. Go deh...
Actually tomorrow they are having the Eastern Caribbean Body Building Championships. It's being put on by the owners of the gym. One of the instructors is the defending champion in his class. When I saw the ad on TV for the championship, my eyes popped open. Underneath his clothes you couldn't tell his muscles were so biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigggggggggggg and well defined. I must remember to mention that to him!
Boy oh boy. Grenadians don't know the use of pedestrian crossings.
This evening I was walking back from the gym and had to cross the road. On my side, there were no cars coming, so I proceeded to the middle of the road. The driver in the red bus on the other side of the road saw me and stopped. This eeediot driver, young bwoy in a black car, swings round the bus and proceeds toward the pedestrian crossing.
Now I have on a bright neon lime green T-shirt and I'm not a small girl, so you can't miss me. I gesticulate with the golf umbrella that I'm about to cross the road and di bwoy nuh just drive past me!
All mi could do was shake mi head.
Earlier ah get cuss off. There is another pedestrian crossing right where the gym is. The vehicle on my side of the road stops. I am now waiting on the vehicle on the other side to stop as well. The first driver who stops, well actually the people riding in the back of the pick up, start to tell me I must cross quickly and how once the vehicle stop I must walk.
Well him wasn't there two days ago, same spot, when the vehicle on the opposite side of the road stopped to let me through and at least half a dozen cars on my side of the road whiz past!
That was one of the great things about England. Once people see you in the pedestrian crossing they stop one time.
Watched this last Tuesday evening and had some comments and observations.
1. Monique, that full sized actress from The Parkers, was somewhat funny. That opening dance which was a take off Beyonce's Crazy in Love video was hilarious with all them other big girls. Of course the slogan of the show was "Bigger and better" so that fitted in with the theme.
2. Denzil Washington is fine, fine, fine. He won the award for Best Male Actor.
3. There was a section where they honoured 25 years of Hip Hop. They traced the development and so had live performances from a couple of people which brought back memories. When the camera scanned the audience, you could see it did the same for many others as well who were singing along.
4. Why black people must embarrass mi suh? Them big things round them neck. Lawks. And the platinum teeth, or is it gold?
5. Alicia Keys was the bomb! That girl can sing. Fantabulous. Class is class.
6. Janet Jackson kept her breast under cover during her performance. As soon as the song started, I listened to the rhythm and thought to myself "this is a dance hall rhythm". Sure enough, out popped Elephant Man and did his thang. I was chuffed. He was quite good too. The song is quite catchy. I think the name is "All nite" or something like that.
Ok, that's it for now.
I woke up this morning thinking it was about 6:00am, only to find out it was 3:22am! So I tossed around in the bed and then got up to send a picture to go with an interview I have on CaribbeanCricket.com.
Also I remembered something else I wanted to post about.....so lemme go do that on a separate entry.
My brain is like a sieve these days. Everytime that I am doing something which I say to myself "I must remember to blog it", I then come on here and totally forget. So maybe this will be a rambling post...
1. I tweezed out the grey hair and put it in my journal. I have to get tape to tape it down. I have the first one in the journal as well.
2. Went to the gym at a later hour yesterday (about 5pm). Encountered all the muscle men. There was one, who I had seen when I went one lunch time, who was leg pressing over 300 lbs! I cant imagine that. But heck, I couldnt image pressing the 90 lbs that I now do, a couple of years ago.
3. West Indies lost today. The thing is that both that and the Serena Williams/Amelie Mauresmo semi final tennis match were on at the same time, and I watched the tennis match more. Serena was awesome. A true champion. I hope she wins. She either plays Lindsay Davenport or a Russian (I think)
4. I think I am not going to achieve the 5 pound loss I had promised the instructor. The food is too good here. And since I will soon go back to student life and not be able to afford anything so nice, I have to have it all now. Wanna hear what I am having tonight??
Calloo and Cream cheese starter
Sweet Potato and Coconut soup
Yellow fin tuna
Carmelized Nutmeg pods with cinnamon ice cream.
The ice creams are to die for....
Later, dinner calls. Licking my chops from now. My hips are happy too!