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
Maybe that would solve these problems I have 12 times per year...the times when I feel like my body is running a marathon!
It's either a kid, or surgery, and you know how surgeries can go awry (is that the correct spelling?).
But I think the only kind of kid I could manage to have is a goat kid. I really don't know what I would do with a child though. I don't feel like taking on that kind of responsibility.
Maybe I just have no ambition.
Isn't every woman supposed to WANT a kid to fulful the "be fruitful and multiply" command, rather than wanting one to get rid of a medical condition?
When you are scheduled to go under the knife, for what a doctor may call routine surgery, it's anything but that. This morning we heard that a very good friend of the family, someone who sort of had a hand in my parents getting together, died from pneumonia after having a 'routine' colon operation.
Dr D will have to enlighten us about the susceptability of surgery patients for getting pneumonia and dying from that, rather than from what the surgery was for. Does lack of nursing care have anything to do with that? Not turning the patient often enough? Don't know, but whatever it is, he is gone, leaving 3 children, one of whom shampoos etc our dogs. There are grand kids as well.
Oh how you wish you could first of all see into the future, and second of all turn back the clock.
Soon come back. Mi gone a 'merica.
By the way, you know everybody was talking about Asafa not coming amongst the medals yesterday in the 100m....
Well it seems that I too was caught up in that. In my bed last night all I could think about was everything to do with the Olympics and that run. Didn't sleep a wink. So yeah, now I dog tired.
Remember to buy your Lotto tickets. Jackpot is now J$140m!!!!
Rushed to get the Observer this morning and match with my ticket. And guess what, I won!!!!!
I matched 3 numbers, so won a hefty THIRTY SIX DOLLARS.
I still won something.....even if it wasnt the 100 million. Well jackpot now gone to 120 million so I guess I am going to buy it again. You gotta spend money to make money init.
Yesterday, for the first time, I bought Cash Pot, one of the games sold by the Lotto company. I have no clue what to look for to see if I have won.
I also bought the Lotto, now worth J$100million (US$1 = J$61). I definitely know how to see if I've won THAT one. Bought 5 numbers too. Keep fingers and toes crossed. But I've never won anything like that, so very unlikely.
I know somebody who won Lotto. He said he bought the ticket, put it somewhere, like in his car pocket, went away, and when he came back he remebered it. When he checked, he had won the Lotto. The only person, so he pocketed everything, which was close to J$30 million I think.
Super Lucky. Oh, next time I think I will play Lucky 5. You win if you match 3, 4 or 5 numbers.
While in the shop yesterday, I realized this is big business. An old lady was in there buying many tickets, seemingly for other people. I guess she mussi charge a smalls!
Oops, today is Tuesday. I broke with tradition (No posts on tuesday!)
Well I guess no post tomorrow then (only if I win the Lotto, which will be drawn tomorrow night)
Woke up for cricket about 15 minutes ago to find the place very still. No electricity to rahtid! When I called Jamaica Public Service (electricity company), they say that a transformer had blown about midnight and they were working on it. Of course they couldn't give an estimate as to how long it would take to fix.
Bummer. So I can't get to watch cricket. Thank goodness for a laptop and the internet!
So because it's very dark, I took the flashlight and went and checked the house, to see if all was well. All was. My first thoughts when I saw the alarm thing flashing, was that someone purposely turned off the lights at our house only......ah well, ah did just wake up....what you expect???? But then I looked out the window to see that it was dark all around.
Hope they fix it soon. It is rather hot, I need the fan.
Got up at 4:45am to watch cricket. England got to 330 so we had a lead of 65 when we started to bat again. The West Indian mookoots gave away their wickets. Lara failed again - good ball by Flintoff. You can just see that with this England team, as soon as one of our batsmen come out, they know exactly what kind of ball to bowl to him to get him out. Works like a charm.
Fell asleep a bit, then got up something to 8, fixed breakfast (salmon cooked up with seasonings - thyme, garlic, onion, sweet peppers, tomatoes, yam and fried plantain).
Tidied up some papers in the office, found out that, as I told my mother, MOST OF THE PAPERS DID NOT BELONG TO ME!!!! They were Pops'.
Watched more cricket, and actually read The Gleaner! I was so proud of myself. This was the stories that I read , except the Hurricane Charley ones. I also read this one about a young woman who disarmed a gunman. Some higher power must have been with her. When I first heard the story, I wondered to myself what I would do in a situation like that. Probably pee in my pants.
Cooked dinner (mince, potato, corn, broccoli and carrot, lettuce, tomato), ate dinner, went to drop Alvin down the road, stopped and bought some Baskin Robbins ice cream.
Now I'm doing this blog entry. Pretty lazy day huh.
How old are you?
I had two conversations involving this at cricket yesterday. One guy was introducing me to another. The new guy asked me how old I was, and I told him 37 soon to be 38. Both their jaws dropped. The first guy said he had told the new guy that I was about 22 or 23!
Then the first guy started to ask me why I am not having children, getting married etc (we had had a conversation about this earlier this year). Then he says that I need to pass on my I-don't-look-my-age-genes to somebody. Later for him.
Anyway, the second guy was a Jamaica Defence Force officer. He was asking me muchas questiones. Inevitably, it came around to "how old are you?". This time I said "guess". He said 29. Nearly 10 years difference.
I got that when I was teaching college students in Nottingham UK last year. They thought I was 25. Jaws dropped too.
I asked the first two gentlemen that I hope it is not that I act like 22 or 23 why they thought I was that age. They said no. Do you think they are being kind? Sometimes I feel like about 18.
1.Where do you live?
2. What is your occupation?
The first one, I give them my usual place of address in Jamaica. The second one, I pause for a bit, say quite boldy, "that's a good question" and then say "I am trying to establish myself as a Hotel Trainer". How dat sound?
But as I told somebody at cricket yesterday, I'm not bothered that past the end of Septebmer, I am not sure what I will be doing. You see, having neither Chuck (husband/boyfriend and happily so) nor Child, my monthly expenses are minimal, so I can afford to be as I am. Yeah, I know, when I'm sixty or so I'll regret amassing wealth.
But the way I see it is that I might not make it to 60, and if I don't I wouldn't want to be hoarding money, instead of enjoying myself. I have to say that I've had a happy time since leaving full time employment in 2001. Does that mean I'm a bum?
Yawn. Only track and field and maybe swimming events catch my fancy. So while people are making much ado over it, I'm non plussed (I am sure dat spell wrong!).
As I watched part of the opening ceremony (very nice), and saw the teams marching past, I wondered if it was right to call a team with 1 person a DELEGATION, like Litchenstein.
Our swimmers swim tomorrow, Dr D's shotta shot today but came 41st.
I'm really looking forward to Track and Field though, to see Asafa Powell run rings round Mo Greene and Co. Let it be a Caribbean 1,2 with Kim Collins of St Kitts taking silver. The rest can fight it out for bronze.
Well that was Monday. I was on my way from G C Foster College in St Catherine (that's a parish just outside Kingston), and encountered scores of police and soldiers. They were out because of Bubba Smith, the gangster who was killed, was being buried that day in St Catherine. More significantlly, he was killed beside the car he was driving and that car was in the name of a high ranking Opposition politican named Olivia Grange who was not at the funeral by the way.
So I took out my lil camera a shot a few.....pictures that it. On the Highway to Hell, (a road that always have traffic on it) I saw a Mobile Reserve police car turn around, put on its sirens and speed away. Dunno what call he was answering.
I was trying to make sure the police and soldiers didn't see me posting so the shots are a bit off. None the less, here they are...
About a mile from where we live, maybe mile and a half, a 70 year old woman and her 30 year old daughter were found stabbed to death in their house. A relative who had gone there around 9 this morning discovered the bodies. The house was ransacked.
Sad affair. My dad knows the husband/father.
The thing is, when Alvin's finger got cut the other day, blood just came spewing out of that tiny cut, maybe about 1 inch long. I said to him how could anybody chop up or stab people then....much more blood would be around. Must be a sick soul.
In another part of the metropolitan area, Guys Hill to be exact, an older woman was murdered as well. Stabbed as well. Her daughter went to her defence and was kicked, but not stabbed.
Later, it was reported that residents of the area found the man who did it and chopped him to death. Vigilante justice. Such is life in Jamaica land of beauty.
I sat there beaming throughout, as Robert's aka Mr Endicon's, aka Froggie's voice filled the large University of the West Indies chapel.
With classical musical recitals, you won't know the songs, but you listen to the sounds, you watch the singer's movements and you enjoy. He had a full house...for those of you who know the place, people had to sit upstairs.
Robert is a very animated character, so Opera suits him for sure. He has a good sense of humour, and is quite dramatic, so he does very well at that. He also has a commanding stage presence. All eyes were riveted on him (dat spell wrong I think).
I sat there thinking back to the hotel days. And when he becomes really famous, I will be able to say that we sang together on stage.
It's in the genes by the way. His mother is a mezza soprano and his father a baritone. Not they don't sing professionally, but the talent certainly transferred to him.
In the audience was Lloyd Hall who accompanied Robert when he entered his first overseas competition, that was in Canada while he was still working. Lloyd Hall is also the man who composed the music to Jamaica Land of Beauty, which Robert sang tonight to end the programme. Also in the audience was his music teacher Fay Ennevor-Robotham who was also my music teacher for about 15 years. I took piano. My mother was sure to tell her that I don't play anymore. *sigh*. But I promised them when I get settled and have my own place, I'll get a piano. When will that be?
In the meantime, I'll continue to be proud of my dear friend Robert, whose voice and control is as good as any of them on the international classical/opera music stage.
Here's three pictures....
This is Robert and his accompanist Juliet Allen (not Wilson as in an earlier post), before the performance.
Robert on stage. My beenie camera (no zoom!) can't take far shots too well, so I had to put a blue arrow to point him out.
This is what my yamfoot looked like tonight. Did a 'footshall' yesterday, also waxed di eyebrows. Ouch!
This is the second anniversary of the murder of my sister's ex-husband who's the father of my 12 year old nephew (soon to be 13 next month) and 8 year old niece, soon to be 9 in November.
He was 41, was seemingly in the wrong place at the wrong time. Police theorize it was a case of mistaken identity. To my knowledge the case remains unsolved as so many of them here are.
The kids SEEM to be ok....ish. My nephew took it worse than his sister because of course he was older and lived with both mother and father as a couple.
All of us in the house try to give as much love and guidance and support as we possibly can, and surprise them ever so often. Next Thursday, they are hopping on a plane to go and stay with their godmother first then aunties and cousins and they know not a thing....
Time is supposed to take care of things. I'm hoping it's doing its job.
Read the story entitled Murder at the Nightclub first.
So maybe Harry Harris Jr was provoked. But just as my favourite pooch here Penny is provoked by the murderer Kalli (killer of Brown Puppy....she will be sentenced just now), and does not respond, Harris Jr should have done the same thing.
Penny just walks away when Kalli terrorizes her. Occasionally she will fight back and I realize that Kalli is very afraid of her.
Kalli is probably less intelligent that Penny and tries to compensate by being overly viscious.
But Harris Jr could have just left the scene and gone and attended to his wounds, instead of chasing down his stabber don't you think? He would probably be still alive today.
That's the name of a patty store, well they sell quite a few things including soup too.
Yesterday I was feeling for a patty, and went to the store in Liguanea. Can't just buy one patty for myself, so had to buy for the house. Bought a chicken soup for me. Always delish.
I overheard a man asking for the largest size of the Red Peas soup. Now here is where Sales training might have helped. The order taker, very nicely said "I'm sorry so we don't have any large containers today. Sorry about that". That's where it ended. The man was obviously disappointed and left the store.
I had been served by now and caught up with him in the parking lot. Because I am me, I said to him "why not buy 2 of the medium size". Hear di man "oh, you know I never thought about that". I pressed further and said "cause you know how good the soup always taste". I left him heading to the supermarket. I hope he went back into Juici Beef afterwards to act on my suggestion.
See, training has its place, for if I were to be training those people, they would have been taught to think of alternatives that will make them get the sale. You already have the man captured by him walking in to the store. Don't make a single customer get away. Every likkle mek a mukkle. One one cocoa fill basket.
Maybe Alvin's cut finger took so long to be looked after for a reason.
It's Retro Wednesday's on FAME, the radio station, so yesterday, as I was on the road for quite a bit of the day, I was getting in the mood to go to Quad, the newest nightclub in Kingston. But the late hour that he finished at the hospital, that vibe kinda left me. Don't worry, I don't have any problems leaving my house alone to go there. Have done it several times before...
Lo and behold I hear on the news this morning that Harry Harris Jr died at hospital from stab wounds he received at a "popular New Kingston nightclub". They didn't say the name, but from the news report, it got to be either Madhouse (Asylum) or Epiphany Two.
The story is that Harris and another man had an altercation with another man inside the nightclub. Harris was taken outside and was talking to a security guard, when a man came up and stabbed him. Harris and some other fellas chased the man on to Trinidad Terrace (the road that Quad is on) and next thing explosions were heard.
When the dust settled, two men had been shot. They are in hospital and are being questioned by the police.
In the meantime, the silly Harris, who instead of getting his arse to the hospital to look after his stab wound, chased down the man, was pronounced dead at hospital. I guess he must have bled to death, went into cardiac arrest and all.
Now this happened at about 4:30am. When I go, I normally leave around 3am, so I guess if I had gone I would have missed it.
But you see what I mean now about the crime in Jamaica and what it does to us?
Gosh we need to do something about our healthcare!
But he said that the doctor was very pleasant, she looks like me he said. And same kind of personality, so he was comfortable.
I remember my visit to the A & E in England. It was a short trip, but I must dig up the story called Dizzy Heel which I wrote in my Nottingham Niblets series based on how the doctor treated me. Rude.
You live in fear, in a state of paranoia (dat spell wrong I think). You feel you have to lock up everywhere, and of course, you can't trust the man on the street for fear he might have a gun.
I saw the manifestation of that fear yesterday.
An old man came begging at the gate, he offered to wash the cars for a smalls. (Ok, I'll do what Mad Bull and Dr D do here....they translate for the foreign readers. 'smalls' = a little money). I told him no thank you, we have somebody to do that (Alvin, who's still at the hospital as I type!)
Then, you will be ashamed at what happened next.
He asked if he could have a drink of water. Immediately, what flashed through my mind was this....
Could a plastic cup hold through the grill gate, so I wouldn't have to open the gate, lest an accomplice be waiting outside?
Then I heard my father say no, don't give him, so I told him no. Later Pops would explain that he didn't hear him ask for water, he was saying no in response to the washing of the car.
But it wasn't entirely impossible that Pops could have said no to giving him the water, for the same reason I mentioned above.
So I felt really badly about that.
Then just awhile ago, while parking the car outside so I could move another one in, I saw a man walking up the road. Should I come out of the car now, or should I fiddle around with stuff in the safety of the car until he passed.
I chose the latter.
I noticed today while in the bank, that out of about 10 ladies, only two had on anything resembling make up.
Eight had on nothing, and when I say nothing, I mean nothing. Face just dry so. One had on lip gloss. The other had on some very light lipstick, and some eye ting (which I don't own any of).
Wonder if it is in their dress code that they musn't wear make up. I can tell you though, based on Sis who wears make up every day to work, that when you apply it well, it does enhance one's face.
But remember I posted a few weeks ago that I'm not girly-girly at all. So that means very little make up, if any. And when I say make up, I mean lipstick!
I could therefore be very comfortable working at Scotiabank Liguanea.
Just phoned the vet to hear that Brown Puppy passed away late last night.
We had heard yesterday that she was on her way out. So shed a tear for Brown Puppy, as I'm doing now....the dog who didn't trouble the other dogs. She just held her corner, didn't bark, except rarely.
What she was good at was jumping over the fence, so she caused us to have to put another row of wooden pickets on top of the gate to the dog pen.
Hmmmmm, maybe that's why Kalli beat up on her.....she was jealous that Brown Puppy could jump over and she couldn't. Even with her arthritis, and blindness (we were convinced she was blind), Brown Puppy religiously jumped over at night, perhaps to escape the terror that Kalli was. She didn't like thunder, that would definitely send her over.....over the fence.
Rest in peace Brown Puppy.
Now about the bitch Kalli....
Last night, I had to let her sleep in the yard, because she was hounding another of the dogs. It's a German Shepherd, female as well. But she (my favourite, I must confess) is as cool as a cucumber. She doesn't take on Kalli, but once in a while she will fight back, and put Kalli in her place. Kalli cowers when the other dog fights back. I love it.
Well not really, cause I can't take another dog kicking the bucket because of Kalli (the bitch)
First time was to visit Ward 20 to pick up a referral to go to clinic to look about
The Itch.
Second time was because Alvin, the fellow who comes twice a week to do odd jobs around the house and the yard, chopped his index finger with the cutlass! Don't ask him how it happened, cause he aint know. He say it look like the chop was meant for somebody else and it get him.
Anyway, blood was spurting out quite a bit. He said he saw the joint stick out when he got the gash. Ewwwww. Like cutting the leg from the thigh on a chicken. We were at UWI in a flash, after wrapping it with gauze and a hand towel to try and stop the bleeding. He said it was getting numb and started to worry about having a second 'fin finger' on the same hand. The first occured while cutting cane a couple years ago, he said.
Went to A & E, he was seen by Nurse Lambert, RN, immediately who dressed the wound, then he had to register, then pay (only $900!!!! no wonder Dr D can't get any more pay!), then wait to see the doctor.
How long is the wait miss?
I don't know.
Estimate for me.
A couple hours.....it depends on how quickly the doctors are working.
Well let's hope that since them just get pay, they will be quick stick. Anyway, I left him to come home and get some juice, then go for Pops at the physio.
I'm late. Bye. More posts later.....
Didn't you know that Dog? Why are you such an Angry Dog????
Anyway, I discovered that for the month of July, there were no posts on a Tuesday. And I discovered that I didn't post anything yesterday either....the first Tuesday in August.
So maybe I will keep that as a trend.
No posts on a Tuesday!
(Then kill you with posts on a Wednesday!!!!!)
I have a friend Robert, who posts comments here once in a while under either of those two names in the title.
He's doing an opera course at the Royal Academy of Music, a very prestigious school in London. Now he's a great example of moving outside of his comfort zone....
He was going along merrily, working at the Kingston hotel I worked at, and used to sing on the side - weddings, concerts etc. Then one day he decided to take a leap of faith, pack up his bags and move to London, now knowing where he was going to get the money from to finance the rest of his course. He got some funding for most of it, but he had to find the rest.
Anyway, he persevered, did well, got his Bachelors or whatever they call the first degree, and is now doing Post graduate work - the Opera course.
Next week Sunday 8 August, he is giving a concert at UWI Chapel, at 5:30pm. Those of you who read this blog and know people in Jamaica who like classical music, please tell them about it. Tickets are J$750.00, kids J$500.00 available at Monarch Pharmacy and Sovereign, and I guess at the door.
The last time he performed, I was not in Jamaica so missed it. I'm very excited to be here for this one. His voice has really matured - he's a bass-baritone. That's the deep one.
So spread the news of this concert like you would spread the gospel! Sunday August 8, 5:30pm (cocktails at 4:30), UWI Chapel, Mona.
Some time ago, I travelled on British Airways to London. Must have been 2002 or early 2003. They gave me a package, which I didn't open until a couple months ago.
One of the items in the package was a mask that you put over your eyes to sleep. The problem I was experiencing here on 'The Rock' was that no matter what time I went to bed, I would get up around the same time......when the light came through the window.
The mask of course blocks out the light, and I have had many restful nights since I started using it.
Well, on my way back to 'The Rock', I had to overnight in Antigua. You heard the saga with the lost ticket? Well when I got home last Thursday, I discovered that I had left them in Antigua. I called the guy who had made the reservation, and asked him to check with the hotel. He said they found the other thing I left, but not the mask.
I feel very naked and exposed without the mask at night. I really hope they find it. I'll look in some stores here to see if they sell it.
Anybody knows where I should start looking? A lingerie shop? A shop that sells travel items? I have no clue!
Giver her less bones, and wet her up with the hose whenever she goes on crazily.
Patch thinks she needs to have some puppies. Only Brown Puppy has ever been bonked by a stud....we're trying to remember who it was. Oh, so I was mistaken. I thought she would have died a virgin and therefore gain automatic entry to doggy heaven.
So that's how I'm dealing the the bitch Kalli. Crazy mutt. Well actually she's a German Shepherd. Brown Puppy's the only mutt and the best behaved out of all of them. That goes to show that class is no guarantee of good behaviour. Pedigrees can behave like bitches too.
This is the old old mutt, who we think is blind and deaf that I am talking about.
The big stupid bitch Kalli, always picking on her, fighting her. Poor thing is so small and frail (I guess she has arthritis too), that she is often pinned to the floor. Last night, I heard yelping, and went to investigate. Kalli and the big puppy who I had put up a picture of on here, were on top of her.
I locked up Kalli for the night, not wanting anything to happen while I was out partying.
This morning, got up early to watch cricket (we lost AGAIN!). I heard some loud groans but thought it was the little puppy (we just got a new one), so didn't pay it any mind. At about 9, went outside to feed them and clean their area. There was Brown Puppy, lying almost comatose at the kennel gate. Every few minutes she let out what I would describe as a wail, and she was motionless. I swore she was on her last.
But then I dripped some water from the hose on her and she get up and went and curled up in another corner. Pops said that she's old so is probably old age, and that there wouldnt be anything much we could do. We called their vet but he didn't answer his phone. So I started calling around vet places. Dr Chang on Lady Musgrave was open, so we piled her into the car and off we went (brother and I).
The vet says she has a high fever 105F, and has swelling in her neck - inflammation. But that's not the bad part.....
She has apparently some ruptured intestines. I'm sure that's from the bitch Kalli standing on her. Very aggressive that dog is.
So she is in the dog hospital, very dehydrated, but the vet says the prognosis is not good cause she is so old (at least 10 years). Teeth falling out due to fight, he says. He's going to put her on a drip and he gave her antibiotics. He'll watch her for a few days and see if she perks up. If not, then it will be euthanasia.
So sad. The poor thing was labouring.
Now my point was that we shouldn't just assume that it's old age and leave here there, so that's why I went and took her to the vet, even though she was quite grimy - they pinned her down in wet dirt.
It would be nice if she could pull through, but if not, she would have had a good life.
Now it's time to deal with the bitch Kalli (here's one time you can use the word 'bitch' freely and you wouldn't be cussing)