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
Happy New Year to you all. (I know it's early, but not for people like Bootsie who lives in Australia. Besides....when the clock strikes midnight in Jamdown, I won't be near a computer).
THIS IS A YAMFOOT ORDER.
Please please make sure and do something you've always felt passionately about but were too apprehensive about pursuing because it would take you out of your comfort zone. T
ry it, and you'll probably get a lot of happiness from it.
Make happiness your number one priority this year please please please. You don't know how long or short your life will be.
Of course it's too early to tell you how I ended 2004, cause 2004 hasn't ended yet!
But what I was talking about was how I ended the year in terms of weight. You know that's my number one topic init.
Everything will come out in the open now.....
Started the year a big fat 229 pounds. When I left here mid June to go to Grenada I weighed 210 pounds. Nuff sweat and dweet long at the gym accounted for that.
After a good start in Grenada, I slacked off (as I always do when I change locations) and so came back to Jamaica at about 214 pounds. It crept back up to about 220 or so while in St Kitts (another change in location accounted for that and just being totally knackered after conducting 6 - 7 hours of training 5 days a week).
When I got back to Jamaica at the beginning of this month, I weighed 219. Today I weighed (a big fat) 215.
So from the start of the year I have lost 14 pounds. Or if you want to look at it negatively, I've gained 5 pounds from my lowest weight this year. (I'll stick with the positive thank you)
SUMMARY.....
I'm a 5ft 8in 215lbs yamfooted 38 year old (but I look like 26....so I've been told several times) afro wearing Jamaican woman, who's trying to get to a
5ft 8in 169lbs alwayspedicured-yamfooted 39 year old (who looks like 20) who's sorted out just what she wants to do with her hair in 2005.
When I get to all that, I'll post a picture.....honest, I will. (Don't hold your breath)
ps. I know that 215 lbs sounds like a lot, but everybody who I ask to guess how much I weigh always guesses (or guess???) less than 180 lbs. So I guess I don't look 215 lbs and I don't look like 38. I'm just a walking deception aren't I?
I don't get out much, so when I do, I have to make the most of it init?
Went out Monday night to a house party. The music was A1....really happening. I looked around and no one was dancing. Maybe that was because the light was dark. Jamaicans funny you know.
The lights were turned off, and legs started shaking. My legs and yamfeet turned up the speed and soon we were 'Rocking Away', 'Bogling', and doing the 'Flowers-a-bloom', "Tambourine" etc. (If you listen to the words of some of these dancehall songs you'd wonder why people buy the music!).
Now the crowning moment came when Bootilicious Beyonce's song "Crazy in Love" came on. I was requested to perform the Monique & Girls routine as seen on the last BET awards show. I dutifully obliged and got an encore.
Hey, wait a minute....are they saying I'm as large as Monique???????? Cause I sure aint.
More dancing Wednesday night. Aiming for 4 hours, with only minor rest breaks for the knees. I not so young you know, but I can still dance up a storm though!
The kids got the game Life for a christmas present. Their mother (Sis) and I struggled over the directions and managed to complete a game wtih them last night.
After we all had retirement, we had to sell our houses, count our money etc and the one with the most money won.
I won.
Will that happen in real life? Oh no. Since I haven't started planning for retirement yet. Must get serious this year. Then the studying will set me back come 2007 which is when I think I will start the PhD.
What I really want is to win the lotto. But I guess life is not like that huh...
Oh, and during the game, I landed on the space which said 'mid life crisis'. The rules say I had to change my career. I think that's quite apt with what has been happening in my life these past 3 or so years.
Hopefully, when it's all said and done, I will succeed at this game called Life.
Aint that something. It was just 1 January 2004 the other day.
Time waits for no woman. That's why I urge you to get up and do what YOU want to do. Set goals and do all you can to achieve them, even if it means going outside of your comfort zone.
Let's see what I had written in January, regarding my resolutions....
1. Find out how to answer a call waiting beep on my cell phone
2. Sort the hair out
3. Get a 'footshall' at least once per month
4. To learn to rollerblade in North America
What was I thinking regarding Number 4? I couldn't balance on them to save my life!
Let's see...
1. Not achieved. Just today my father called me and I had to tell him I had to go because another call was coming in and I knew not how to keep him online, answer the other call and go back to him.
2. Maybe I've decided I'll just leave my hair as it is....much to my brother's chagrin. Just the other night, he lamented that it looks unkempt. I disagree, so it stays.
3. Not achieved. I think I've had about 6 pedicures for the month, the most recent one being last week Friday.
Will I set any resolutions for 2005? I suppose I should, or else I will just drift and December 2005 will come in a flash.
1. Exercise at least 3 times per week, no matter what island I am in, so that I can lose enough weight to fit into the two pairs of jeans in the suitcase.
2. Increase my earnings by engaging in gainful employment for at least 8 months for the year.
3. Research universities and decide on which one I would like to pursue the Phd
that's it for now.
It's late Christmas Eve Eve and I just not feeling it. I wonder why? Maybe it's because I'm not a kid anymore.
Christmas is only for children. The excitement of it I mean.
The (few) presents have been bought and wrapped and tomorrow I will do as I have been doing all week....going to the gym on Christmas Eve.
I wouldn't say I'm a health freak, but I do consider what I'm putting in my mouth before I do. (Do I consider HOW MUCH?....but then that's another story altogether).
Since I came home, I decided to minimize greatly, my intake of dairy. So haven't had any cheese since I've been here, and only maybe two teaspoons of skimmed milk powder in my oats. Haven't had any milk. Haven't had any eggs. .......Oh, eggs is not dairy nuh? Well whatever. Haven't had any eggs.
Have tried not to eat too many things with preservatives. Typically, the day looks like this
Oats made with 2 tsp skimmed milk powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, rose water and sweetened with Splenda and raisins, one scoop protein powder
Apple, cashews, almonds, orange
Chicken, steamed veg (pumpkin, string beans, broccoli, cauliflower) and fried plantain (can't give that up).
Much more than 8 glasses of water. One or two servings of metamuscil (fibre)
I'm very conscious that the Big C runs in my family, so have been interested in hearing from people who didn't take conventional cancer treatments, but instead, changed their lifestyle and nutrition. One man, who had cancer of the larynx (diagnosed in 1992) and prostate cancer (diagnosed in 1995), describes how he relies on juices a lot.
So, discovered that my sister has a juicer. Whipped it out yesterday and made a juice of carrot, cucumber, Gala apple and orange. Delicious. Seriously. I had read about a contestant in a diet exercise programme who had juices and when I heard cucumber was in there, I said "lawks, dat taste bad'.
But it was really delicious. Had one again this morning. When I made it yesterday, gave Pops, Ma, and Sis as well. Sis doesn't eat very healthily, but she mawga like dog (even after two chillun she has a flat belly....life just aint fair), so she welcomes the juice as a way to get in veggies which she hardly eats. Pops is into aloe vera and dem herbal tings, so he likes it.
So it seems the juice will be a ritual. Expensive out hell though. Went and bought another set of cucumbers, carrots, and apples to last a few days. Now while in the supermarket, I asked a manager if she sold Ryvita. have you ever had Ryvita? As I told her, it tastes like cardboard. But it's quite nice. My sister loves it. So when I asked the supermarket lady, she said "don't tell me you're a weird diet?" I said no, I just wanted to cut out wheat for a while.
I haven't had bread since I have been here either....but I did have two festivals (fried flour) yesterday at Island Grill in Manor Park. I have also cut out caffeine where possible. So no more black tea in the morning. Lemon tea, ginger/mint, ginger/lemon or peppermint it shall be.
Oh, couldn't help having caffeine tonight when I had the many Hershey's Kisses! Double work in the gym tomorrow to compensate?
Had a salad (lettuce, tomato, sweet pepper, broccoli, carrot, cucumber, onion, steam fish) for dinner today, so not too many calories was in there. Gee, I wonder what that combination tastes like in a juice? Better leave out the fish huh.
Imagine that eh.
Went to sit at the dining table this morning, to eat my oats porridge. The next thing I was on the floor. What gives? The chair, that's what.
Leg broken, just so. And I wasn't here.
"Somebody's been sitting in my chair" said Yammie Bear.
Well after a workout of the quads, hamstrings and gluteus maximus muscles yesterday, I'm sore. Walking is painful.
Here's what I did (if the Alzheimer's would just stay away and I could remember....)
12 minutes on the stationary bicycle. stretch
leg extensions, leg curls, leg press, lunges, squats, dead lift, squat/leg lift combination, passe and releve (kinda like ballet moves...actually no releve), liedownandliftbuttofffloor (dunno what that is called). stretch
13 mintes on eliptical runner
Then today now, did ....
15 minutes on stationary bike. stretch
chest press, bench press, (machine and dumb bells), back exercises, bicep curls, tricep extensions. stretch
15 minutes on elipitical runner.
Tomorrow (today) ah going to do plenty cardio and then do some abs. I hate ab work.
Now the instructor Mark, well he doesn't instruct me cause mi cyant afford to pay dat. But Mark won Mr Heavyweight Jamaica a couple weeks ago. I was surprised, cause under the baggy T-shirt and sweat pants, he don't look that big. But I did see him out at a fete at Mas Camp one night and them biceps/triceps are ripping! And he cute too. Well today I was doing a back exercise and he came and corrected me. Lawks him smell sweet! Motivation for going to the gym. I always look forward to seeing him. He's only 30 likkle bit, so young.
But I'm sore, so gotta keep going, keep going, to work it out.
Oh, yesterday, I was on the leg curl machine in between sets, contemplating how it was cruel that I had put back on 8 pounds, and he came up and said "you want a pillow". So I said I was just here thinking how I weigh X, and he said "but don't you had gone down lower than that" and I said yes. See...he remembers stuff about me. Hmmmm, he even remembered what kind of work I do. Wow.
Went to the gym yesterday for the first time after reaching back to Jamdown.
Mark, the instructor who I've mentioned before in a post said hi, and asked where I was....long time no see.
Then Orlando, the one who I wrote told me I was doing the squats perfectly, gave me a hail up too.
Then Fred, who everyone calls 'Uncle Fred' cause he is an oletimer bodybuilder came over to me on the leg press machine to say "hi, long time I haven't seen you".
So, you see....everybody in the gym knows me. I must be a gymrat then. But if I am, why have I put back on 8 pounds? This is based on the weight that I was when I left here for Grenada in mid June. Hell....if I didn't leave Jamaica then, I would have continued to lose weight and woulda hit under 200 by now. But of course, if I didn't leave Jamaica for Grenada, I wouldn't have earned any money to pay the J$22,500 annual gym fee huh.
Everything has a price I guess.
While in St Kitts, one of my Kittitian colleagues and I got talking. Eventually, he brought a book called 'The Shower Posse' for me to read, based on our conversation.
Took it on the island hop trip with me to the Spice Isle and Bimshire and read it from cover to cover. Now I had heard about Vivian Blake, but didn't pay his situation too much mind at the time. After reading the book, I know his story intimately, and it has opened my eyes to another side of Jamaica that I, and probably many of you reading this, don't know.
Vivian Blake was from Tivoli Gardens, grew with his Granny (so treated ladies well), went to St George's College (di Bull and di docta and di scratcher's alma mater), played football, went to New York as part of a football team....and never returned...well not when he was supposed to.
He met up with some people, started selling marijuana in 'nickle & dime' apartments in New York, and it grew into a very profitable business. Eventually he got into cocaine. Eventually he owned a house in Long Island with a pool and all. He bought his Granny a house on Grosvenor Terrace (upscale neighbourhood in St Andrew), maintained his link with Tivoli Gardens, got two of his brothers up to the States (illegally of course).
It is one of the brothers, according to the book, who was REALLY the leader of the Shower Posse, not Vivian. The book describes many killings, but not involving Vivian.
The book also describes a man called 'Little Nut', who was born Cecil Connor in St Kitts, lived in Jamaica for a while, moved to the states, linked up with Vivian, killed people in cold blood, turned state witness in those murder trials and testified against Vivian and the Shower Posse, went back to St Kitts where he started up a drug business which was said to have bought people in all spheres of society, and was eventually extradited to the USA to stand trial for murder etc.
Vivian came back to Jamaica because he heard the Feds were hot on his heals, set up base in Ocho Rios, started some legitimate businesses, came to Kingston, opened the Cactus Nightclub in Portmore before he sold it to the people who own Quad and Asylum, and then was locked up to await extradition to the USA.
He lost his appeal, and was extradited in 2000. He plead guilty to drug stuff, the murder charges were not brought, and he got 28 years.
The book describes him checking in to the hotel I used to work at. When I was working there, there were indeed some 'drug looking' people who used to check in there from time to time. The book describes how cash was passed in hotel rooms here and in the USA, how airport workers helped suitcases of marijuana to arrive in the USA safely, and several other things which just had my jaw dropping.
This is my Jamaica. The Vivian Blakes of this world are a part of my Jamaica.
Oh, the name Shower Posse came about because the gang would 'shower' gatherings with bullets as they were leaving and chant 'shower, shower'.
The book was written by Blake's son Duane who is a Howard University graduate. If you are interested in more, do a Google Search for Vivian Blake, or Charles Miller which was the name that Cecil Connor resurfaced with in St Kitts.
In another 15 working days, we are going to be upgraded to broadband. They've reduced the rates, so we are going up....but only to 128 K. That's a big improvement over 56 and like I have tonight right now, 31.
You know why? Cause that bitch Kalli and her mutts Ivanna (after Ivan) and Maxi bit her ear, and keep on ganging up on her.
I so can't wait until my brother takes Kalli. He should take Maxi too. She's the one with the teeth it seems. Kalli is the set on and she gets Maxi to do her dirty work.
That's what happen when you get four bitches in a small area. I have to go and give Penny some rubs tomorrow.....and Kalli some bitch slaps!
I only watched 5 or 6 episodes, including the live finale tonight. My man won. The woman, Jen, didn't seem genuine, and the only thing she could say in her favour was that she had the passion and the drive.
But did she have the experience in business? Nope. Trump.....sorry, 'Mr' Trump didn't want to hire a lawyer. He wants somebody who can run business projects. Kelly was up to the task.
But I dare say, on this last project, Kelly & Co could have benefited from the expertise of Merrick Needham, Logistics and Conference expert here in Jamaica. Merrick was actually born in Britain I believe, but has lived here for ages. I worked with him on many many projects, and that incident with Mr Trump's chair being dirty at the Polo match, would never ever have happened. Merrick dotted the i's and crossed the t's like you'd never know....to the point of irritating some people, but at the end of the day, it worked and the functions ran well, and that detail would not have been missed.
But congrats to Kelly Purdue. I picked him from a couple of weeks ago.
Whenever I walk out to the waiting area after clearing customs, I always think about whether I am happy or indifferent about being in Jamaica.
Sure, seeing the kids and my family is great, but just the part about existing in this here society....bwoy, I dunno. When I go out on the street tomorrow, I will decide. The drivers didnt' behave too badly with Mummy today on the way from the airport.
Tomorrow's plan is...
1. Go to cricket (a large part of my life)
2. Go to the banks
3. Go and do my toes, do my nails (dunno why cause they stubby!) and wax my eyebrows (the latter two courtesy of my sister)
4. Go shopping.....maybe
5. Go back to cricket.....maybe
That is all contingent on Pops getting the car started cause it was dead as doornail today when I tried to go down the road. Remember one time earlier this year I said not having a car sucks? Well I still don't have a car, but Pops bought a new Volvo and hasn't sold the old one, and I think hasn't really made any attempts to sell it cause he knows it's convenient for me to have it to drive. What a tweety.
Ok, Le Donald's show calls. I think Kelly (the guy) will hear the words 'you're hired'.
Went shopping on Sunday with Princess P and a mutual friend. My mission? A pair of plain gold hoops.
Found them in Colombian Emeralds on Broad Street and they were on sale. 50% off.
Wanna see what they look like?
See how sparkly they are? Everything that glitters is gold, in this case!
This was what the other ones I used to wear look like. Remember this picture? Lawks, I'm stuffing my face again
I'm back in Sugar City....so that must have given me the idea that I should eat sweet things.
Well not sweet per se, but the carbs I had turn into the blood sugar in your body. Ordered dinner from the restaurant by the seaside. They forget that I only want the meat (chicken), the veg and a teeny tiny bit of macaroni pie.
No, they send a WHOLE HEAPA FOOD, INCLUDING GARLIC BREAD AND POTATO ALONG WITH THE MACARONI PIE.
Now I have a huge headache. I don't normally eat this much carb at one sitting. What's wrong with you girl? Maybe I missed Sugar City bad bad...that's it.
I've just read in the Sunday Gleaner, that Donna Duncan-Scott, who is head of Jamaica Money Market Brokers, has decided to take 2005 off. It is speculated that she wants to spend more time with her two young children during their formative years.
I agree 100% with her decision. I have always said to myself that if I were to have a child, I would not want to work full time.
But hey, I don't work full time now so nothing would have to change really!.....Oh, so maybe I'm preparing for a kid by establishing this working pattern huh?
Read the rest of the story here
Excellent decision.
Please read this
Yes....even you Dr D. It's short, I promise you.
OK, bed time. Didn't get enough sleep last night. We went to bed after 4am I think it was!
You know there are some people who you don't like seeing? Well I had one of those persons visit tonight.
You know one of those people who after they leave you, they've literally sucked all the blood out of you? One of those persons. One of those who needs a lot of attention, several times a day.
I tried to hold her off, I did. I even used Mr M Gynon to try and get her not to come, but alas, he didn't have any success. (Wutliss man)
Now my whole weekend is spoilt. Cho-man. I'm going to be miserable with this person around me. Why di hell she didn't just not follow me around the bloody Caribbean????????????
As I speak, Princess P is whipping up some very lovely smelling brownies, rum cake and other delictables for the feast and fete in the kingdom tomorrow.
I got to study the anatomy of many chickens, and performed surgery on them. I've come to the conclusion I couldn't have been a surgeon, but I could feel up many (male) bodies though....hey, something I just realized. All chickens are female cause all of them have breast! Oh Yammie you're so lame. Thanks!
Wanna know what's on the menu? Oonu too faas. Fly down to Bimshire and oonu will know.
Now it's time for bed. Only for me though. The Princess continues to toil into the wee hours of the morning to make final preparations for the festivities tomorrow. This is one royalty who cooks. No more chefs for her.....
I had heard about the breakfast/brunch at Marriott, so thought I would check it out as I don't have another Sunday here.
All you can eat buffet, featuring waffles (different flavours), scrambled eggs, breakfast meats and fish (turkey, ham, smoked salmon), omelette station, local juices (guava, passionfruit, lemonade), cereal station, fruits and yoghurt. Price? US$15 plus 19% in taxes and service charge.
I decided to take it slowly. Started off with a teeny-tiny bacon and cheese omelette and the local featured dish - stewed saltfish and Johnny cakes. Next it was an apple and cinnamon waffle with maple syrup, strawberry sauce and pecan nuts. They only have one waffle pan so that was a long wait. Next was fruits and strawberry/banana yoghurt.
Tea was not the best because they didn't have evaporated milk. Tea and regular milk just don't cut it. I asked Andrew, the Jamaican waiter....he said only low fat and 2% milk they have. Asked a lady in long sleeve.....same response. Called a manager-type, Scott, who said he would call the Pastry shop. Yes, he says. They have and they will be sending it up. Well clearly they gone to milk the cow and couldn't find any, cause all now I don't get the evap milk yet. Wrote the Food & Beverage Manager a note offering two suggestions - get another waffle pan and have evap milk as a standard.
By the way, when I asked Scott for the evap milk and said that it gives the tea a totally different taste, he said "are you English?". Heh heh. I said no, but I used to live there.
As I am the hotel business, I always observe the operation when I go to a hotel or restaurant. I spent the morning looking at a young waiter who moved quickly, smiled constantly and seemed totallly focussed on making his guests satisfied. So I found out his name, found out his nationality (if he was non-Kittitian it wouldn't work), then wrote him a note directing him to speak with Sir Alex or Lady Pauline if he was looking for a less stressed job in a restaurant. Let's see how that pans out. He must have been puzzled how I knew his name. I gave him the note while he was punching in an order at the point of sale machine.
OK, I have to go and finish packing. So catch you later, and when I do, I'll be in another island!
Enjoy your Sunday. Mine started out very well.
Drove around the island. And guess what? Saw monkeys at the side of the road in two places! I like monkeys. My nickname in Primary school was Mona Monkey.
I took pictures, so will post them sometime.
I hope I see monkeys in the Kingdom, as happened the last time I was there. Princess P, please arrange!
Just a few meetings tomorrow and that will be it.
Going out tonight with a friend of a friend but that will be later. In a half hour, I will be going up to the restaurant here to have my regular Friday night treat.....Goat Water. I sure shall miss that.
St Kitts and Nevis have been a really lovely experience. I'm happy I got the opportunity to be here for nine weeks.
I have to pack up so the room can be sold while I am away. Lawks, that I am not looking forward to. Lots of papers strewn about. But I guess after the Goat Water, I can tackle anything. Ah will feel 'mannish'! (get it, get it?)