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
But it's not the same as Stu's own. The supermarket only had one brand. Nevertheless, there are 11 grams of unsoluble fibre (or 47% of your daily requirement) in a one cup serving, so I'll gladly take it.
(It look like the dry dog food I serve our mutts. Hope it taste good)
On the box there is a picture of two clearly middle aged people, indicating that that's who the product is targetted to. I not middle age, but I sure do need them 11 grams.
That's what the doctor said about the illness of the local cricket association's physiotherapist.
So she is being sent home, presumably because the doctors can't do anything else for her. I understand it's a neurological disease that attacks the patient suddenly.
She got up one day and started talking foolishness and wasn't able to recognize anybody.
Life....sometimes it throws you a curve ball. I guess we all should be thankful for small mercies.
I was just searching around the site and saw where to allow HTML.
So you can :) :D all you like. Have fun.
Got this in an email.
" Optimism is essential to achievement and it is also the foundation of
courage and true progress."
-- Nicholas Murray Butler
I am normally a very optimistic person, but this year, ah don't know bwoy, ah don't know. Maybe I lack courage.
I think I have it, and I hope it's only for today cause it's not a nice feeling.
Actually I think I was depressed in England once, when I was in Beeston, Nottingham. If I could find the journal that I wrote that day's entry in, I would quote it here. What happened is that it was winter, December I think. Went to Sainsbury's in the town square (nice town). After I left the supermarket, it was dark and probably only about 5pm. A feeling just came over me and I sat on a bench in the middle of town and started to bawl the living eye water. But winter is said to do that to you, so I guess that explained that.
But today, I am wondering why I feel this way. Afterall, I went to cricket where Jamaica won their fourth straight match. Normally I would go over and talk to the team, congratulate them, take pictures etc. Didn't do any of that. Was supposed to have lunch courtesy of the club, didn't feel like it. Instead, I walked to the car and drove, very very slowly home, while listening to Classical Music on Radio Mona.
Was in the kitchen awhile ago and a wave of "perhaps I don't want to live any more" swept over me. (Of coures I am not going to do anything silly) And as I type this, water has come to my eyes (and no, is not because mi memba Liza, as the folk song says).
Maybe I should call and see if I can get that interview that Ryan wants. I wasn't in the mood today to ask for it at cricket.
Actually, I think it's just time.
Got this from Stu. So I changed his answers to mine. Here goes...
1. First Name: Yamfoot
2. Were you named after anyone? A yam
3. Do you wish on stars? Nope
4. When did you last cry? Could have been when I stepped on to the scale and saw that I hadn't lost any weight!
5. Do you like your handwriting? sometimes
6. What is your favorite lunch meat? Men (if that sounded bad then let's say Oxtail)
7. What is your birth date? If you've all been reading this site for the last 3 months, you will know the answer to this
8. What is your most embarrassing moment? I don't get embarrassed (honestly - shame tree cut down)
9. If you were another person, would you like you? Very much!
10. Are you a daredevil? No
11. Have you ever told a secret you swore not to tell? No ( I take those promises very seriously)
12. Do looks matter? Yes.
13. How do you release anger? I write in my personal journal
14. Where is your second home? Grenada. But not that I have a house there. Let's say it's my 'spiritual home'.
15. Do you trust others easily? No.
16. What was your favorite toy as a child? Dolls. I always cut off their hair though.
17. What class in high school do you think was totally useless? English Literature
18. Do you have a journal? Yes, a public one (this) and a private one
19. Do you use sarcasm a lot? I don't think so, but maybe I'm not the one to answer this.
20. Favorite movie(s): Anything with Wesley Snipes that is not weird (so Blade is not included), Bridges of Madison County, Pretty Woman, Dirty Dancing.
22. Would you bungee jump? Not even if you paid me a billion pounds sterling. The roller coaster at Disney's Islands of Adventure, and the Jurassic Park ride convinced me of this.
23. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? Now I do, when I was a kid I didn't and used to incur the wrath of my father
25. What's your favorite ice cream flavor? Haagen Dazs Cookies and Cream
26. what size shoe do you where? Size 11 American (hence the Yamfoot name)
27. What is your favorite colour? I don't know. I wear all colours. But I went to a colour lady one time who told me that I should wear silver, sky blue and another which I have forgotten. I don't have any of those colours in my wardrobe!
28. What is your least favorite thing about yourself? My overweightedness.
29. Who do you miss most? My granny.
31. What colour pants are you wearing? A pair of short men's shorts with lots of american licence plates on it, bought at Target in Orlando last year January.
32. What are you listening to right now? Nothing, well my fingers tapping on the keyboard.
33. What is the last thing you ate? Chinese sweeties, or Stewed Prunes I believe the trinis cal them
34. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Orange
35. What is the weather like right now? Too cold (about 75F).
36. Last person you talked to on the phone? My sister.
37. The first thing you notice about the opposite sex? Their physique.
39. How are You Today? Just fine.
40. Favorite Drink? Jamaican Tap Water (that's a new brand you havent heard of!)
41. Favorite Sport? Cricket
42. Favorite Food? Oxtail
43. Last Movie You Watched? At the theatre, jeez, I can't remember. Oh yes, it was Christmas with the Kranks.
44. Favorite Day(s) Of The Year? When International cricket is being played in Jamaica
45. Scary Movies Or Happy Endings? Happy endings
46. Summer Or Winter? Summer, but I would like to choose my temperature please.
47. Who do you look up to? I guess my parents.
48. What Is Your Favorite Dessert? Haagen Dazs 3 scoop sundae (bought at the Leicester Square shop in London) with Cookies and Cream, Belgian Chocolate and another flavour, with strawberry sauce and nuts on top
51. Living Arrangements? I don't live anywhere really. Some times of the year it's a hotel bedroom somehwere in the Caribbean, other times it's in my parents' house in Jamaica
52. What Books Are You Reading? Getting Started in Consulting by Alan Weiss and The Last Juror by John Grisham.
53. What's On Your Mouse Pad? I don't have a mouse pad, I use a touch pad mouse, if that's what you call it.
54. What Did You Watch Last night on TV? Didn't watch TV because I was at a friend's baby shower and came home at 9:30. Oh yes, when I came home I watched the finals of the Australian Open between Super Serena Williams and Lindsay Davenport.
Another taken from Stu's Contemplation....
1. What time do you get up? Depends on what I have to do, but usually 8am or so
2. If You could eat lunch with one famous person, who would it be? Oprah, Oprah and Oprah
3. Gold or Silver? Gold, but I don't wear a lot of jewelry.
5. What is your favorite TV show? Oprah.
6. What did you have for breakfast? A two egg cheese omelette, two slices of whole wheat bread and a cup of regular tea with evap milk, regular milk and 1/2 pack of Splenda. Work out the calories.
7. What is your middle name? Yamfoot too
8. Beach, City or Country? Country
10. Butter, plain or salted popcorn? Plain, lightly salted
12. What kind of car do you drive? I don't own a car; I borrow my sister's lancer or my mother's gallant, both Mitsibushi
13. Favorite sandwich? Commercial - Subway 6" on Honey & Oats bread with Teriyaki Chicken and sweet peppers, tomato, lettuce and just a touch of mustard. oh, cheese is nice with that too.
14. What characteristic do you despise? People who don't have tolerance for others just because they are different
15. Favorite flower? Rose
16. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Somewhere like Belize, Costa Rica or the interior of Guyana
17. What color is your bathroom(s)? I think beige. I really didn't check. It could be lavender too.
18. Favorite brand of clothing? I don't know, but I seem to a have a few White Stag clothes. I don't do a lot of shopping. (nothing fits!)
19. Where would you retire to? A small island in the caribbean, in a house from which the sea is easily seen and reached. It has to have lots of land too, at least 1 acre
20. Favorite day of the week? They're all the same to me, but when I was working, I particularly liked Fridays.
21. What did you do for your last birthday? How can I forget? I went to a cricket match in I-fluct (not the correct spelling) in Guyana. Jamaica won a very exciting game. It was their birthday present to me (I had requested it)
22. Where were you born? St Andrew Jamaica
23. Favorite sport to watch? Cricket
26. What fabric detergent do you use? I used to buy Breeze when I had to wash my own clothes
27. Coke or Pepsi? Coke, but I don't drink sodas more than so.
28. Are you a morning person or a night owl? Either. I once had a job of Duty Manager at the hotel, working from 11pm to 8:30am and liked it.
30. Do you have any pets? The house has 4 German Shepherds (3 of which I would like to give away!), some fish, and some lizards. Oh, plenty mosquitoes too. Clearly we are treating the mosquitoes well that's why they are ever present.
31. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with your family & friends? When I get a job I will tell you.
32. What did you want to be when you were little? I was never little, but when I was younger, first it was a doctor, then it was a vet, then it was a computer person. I eventually did Hotel Management but it wasn't something that I said "when I grow up I want to work ina hotel".
33. What would you wish to change about your life at present? My financial status and my weight.
34. What would you most like to do that you don't do now? Earn one million pounds sterling annually....hey, maybe I better consider that Bungee jumping thing!
That was the title of a reggae song back in the day. The singer definitely wasn't singing about me.
Perhaps the afro that I sported for first 10 years of my life, then another 3 years, and now so far since 2001 was indicative of my non girly-girly tendencies.
I frequently go out without make up, even if I'm going to a social function. The most I will put on is a lil face powder (Fashion Fair) and lipstick. When I want to do something extra I put on blush. But that's like once a year. No joke.
Thankfully, I've been blessed with good enough skin, so don't have to mask it with foundation. I've probably worn that thing about 6 times in my life. No joke again. And forget eye liner and eye shadow. I think it's pointless to wear these when one wears glasses, as I do. When I wore contact lenses briefly, I dabbled in the eye stuff, but then found out that it irritated my eyes, so chuck them I did.
The only items of make up I therefore own are lipsticks, one face powder, two lip glosses, and two blushes. That's it. Sum total. And I don't feel I need to buy more.
The other aspect to being girly girly is the things you do, like getting the 'footshalls' and 'handshalls', plucking the eyebrow, making sure the clothes match etc.
Let's talk about the plucking of eyebrows. I'm not bushy, so the neglect metered out to my eyebrows doesn't show up too badly. In a year, I will probably tweeze them 6 times, so about once every 2 months. No joke. I did them this week, and I now unveil the results....(yet another part of me)
Peek-a-boo! Notice the freckles?
At a friend's house this week saw someone who I haven't seen in a few months, maybe a year. She has lost weight so I asked her what the secret was and we talked about that.
Later on in the night, she said her good night and walked out to the gate. A minute later she came to the window of the house and called out to me. Went over to her and she said "You look good, you've lost weight, it's noticeable. I just had to turn back to tell you that. I reached out to the gate and said 'should I turn back and tell her that?' and I decided to"
That meant a whole heap I tell you, a whole heap. I told her that she had made my night.
What was I wearing?
Click here to see....
I went and picked up my ring from the jewellers yesterday. This was the Guyana gold one that the stone fell out the day after I bought it in Guyana. As I wasn't going back to Guyana any time soon, I suggested to the Guyana jewellers that I get it repaired in Jamdown and send them the bill so they can credit my credit card and they said fine.
I'm going out tonight and so put it on my "wedding" finger (I dunno why they call it "wedding" finger like everybody ah go get married!). Lawks it uncomfortable.
Which lead me to think that if I got married, I'd be like a 7th day Adventist since they don't wear wedding rings.
Went to cricket today to see Jamaica start off on the road to their fourth straight victory against Guyana.
The day started out very hot, but the clouds came a-hovering and then the rains came at 11:37am. That was ok, because the players then took lunch and came back out around 12:25pm. They played in drizzle for quite a bit, then the heavens opened, as they say and it just never stopped.
There was a bit of a break when the umpires etc went to check, then they called off the game at minutes to 4. I just heard a preview of tonight's weather and the weather lady says more to come, so maybe I am staying put tomorrow.
No. I don't know her personally, but I know who she is....sorry was.
In the death column yesterday in the Gleaner, there is was. Laura Mae Ewart, died suddenly in Sunnyvale England. She's got to be in her 30's.
Who is she and how do I know who she is?
She's the daughter of Barclay Ewart, a well known business man in Jamaica. Laura used to walk/jog at the Mona Dam with her sister and mother many mornings, so that's how come I recognized the face. But I woulda recognized the name too because of her father.
Her mother Glynne left her father to be with the late Michael Manley. That was quite a thing because appparently Barclay and Michael were friends.
Anyhow, when you read the death announcements, and there was no story about it in the newspaper previously, you often wonder don't you? "I wonder what killed this person?"
So I wonder what killed Laura? Must be something like aneurysm or one of them things. One of them things that don't give you no advanced warning. Cruel I tell you, just cruel.
Did I mention earlier on that I got a hundred dollar note from Scotiabank in St Kitts and is when I was separating it out later that afternoon (when the bank was closed and I was leaving that evening) that I noticed that it was torn?
So that was what happened, because when I'm getting money, I don't re-examine the notes because I count along when the teller is counting.
When I got to Jamaica, I attempted to lodge it at NCB (I thought that since a bank had given it to me, it was good...I will attach a picture), they said nah uh, we can't accept it. Same story at my Scotiabank branch in Liguanea. Same thing at Bank of Jamaica.
Contacted the operations manager in St Kitts who said if I returned the note to her, she would give me a draft. But how would I get it to her? Million dollar question.
After several e-mail correspondence and telephone calls (one in which she said that people there were asking her why she going through so much trouble and is the customer (*my*) fault, and intimated that it could not be proven that I had in fact got it from that bank in St Kitts), she said that she knew someone from St Kitts who was currently in Jamaica and she would ask him to take it back for me.
She called me back to tell me the name of the guy. Then she says "and he says he knows you". Sure enough. He's half Guyanese/half Jamaican and I met him because I was being fast one day in St Kitts. He was having lunch in a restaurant near the office and somebody was giving him hassle and I intervened (I was heading to my *rental* car which was parked nearby) and then we got talking. Turns out that he works for a company that was a competitor of one of the companies in the group that I was associated with.
Monday night, I went by where he was staying here in Jamdown, gave him the bill, then he asked how the bank lady was going to get the replacement to me. I told him she said she was going to send me a draft. He suggested that he give me the bill, and he would square up with her when he got back to St Kitts. Excellent suggestion.
So now the money can start to earn the likkle bit of interest that the bank pays. (Teefs)
See di pick-cha here...
All you workaholics listen up.
On arrival at Scotiabank Liguanea today, I immediately emptied my purse of all the change I had and held it tight as I walked to the door. Where was she? I asked the security guard and he said she didn't come out today.
That's the little old lady who is there every day. She took a day off, so now can you.
But ah hope is not sick she sick
No, that's not another name for gossip. It's the name of a wild bean called Gully Bean in parochial language.
Well, we have some growing on the fence. The first time I had it I thought 'yuck'. It bitter, it bitter, it bitter. It is cooked up with saltfish.
Well, some was cooked every day and I was promised a healthy discussion with the royalty the next day, so I suffered and had it.
Nothing nah gwaan fi me. Had another dose tonight and hopefully the kings will be very happy to see me tomorrow.
Paint your nails?
One day I had carried nail polish and top coat to cricket to pass the time. Fortunately I had not taken them out of my bag.
So when the traffic from just by YMCA on Hope Road backed up all the way to Half Way Tree, I was able to put on a base coat and TWO top coats in that time. Factor in drying time in between coats too and you know how long it took.
Ridiculous. Just ridiculous. No wonder people in Jamaica are unpleasant. If you are easily stressed, that will throw you over the brink. And with the buses and taxis blowing their horns.....lawks.
Now I am not a very good nail painting person. Not girly girly. So yes, there is nail polish on the cuticles. (And no, I will not be using an orange stick to clean them off....why? Cause in a few days dem chip off)
No, this is not the ad for the chossle.
As I was prancing (ok, you could call it dancing) around the aerobics room with the headphones on listening to Beyonce and Sean Paul's Baby Boy, I was thinking how much fun it would be to have dance lessons on that kind of dancing. I was trying to do some of the moves like those on the video, but I needed high heels. The sneakers just weren't cutting it.
I loooooooooooooooooove to dance. When my back and knees allow it, I will dance for many hours straight. Oh, the music have to be good too, or else the vibes not good.
The gym put out a notice saying they are thinking of starting spinning classes. They need to start a Beyonce moves class. I'd be the first to sign up. Would have to buy some high heels though! How she dance in them I don't know.
I need a boyfriend. That way I would have activity in the evenings...the worst time for me where eating is concerned.
With a man in my life, I'd be taken out (I hope!), so no temptations. Nope, I don't eat when I go out because food will get in my teeth, and my lipstick will be eaten off.
So in short, with a 'chossle' according to titilayo, there would be more nocturnal activities, thereby steering me away from overeating in the evenings.
Maybe I'll add this to the 2005 resolutions. Find a chossle. Or is it chossel? You know what I mean.
The search is on.
That's what Joy Bauer says is the magic number of calories for me to eat in order to lose the weight I want to lose (that's about 47 pounds).
Now ordinarily this wouldn't be difficult, but in this house where not everyone needs to lose weight, it's kinda difficult because the food just there...in your face. When I lived alone, I would buy only the foods that I was allowed to eat, so there would be no temptations.
I need cricket to come back to Jamaica soon. I always lose weight during cricket because I am not bored, and I have lots of walking up and down to do.
*See what I mean....in the midst of typing this, Sis just announced "I bought Big T Hardough bread*
I have been writing down what I have been eating, just not counting the calories. I need to go back to England where I am forced to walk up and down a lot because I would have no car.
Signed at 4:55. Left at 8:30.
Bicycle 15 mins Level 2 - 3
Pilates class 1 hour
Front shoulder raises (10 lbs dumbells for all), 3 x 12 reps
Side shoulder raises 3 x 12 reps
Shoulder shrugs 3 x 15 reps
Shoulder press 3 x 12 reps
Bicep curls 3 x 12 reps
Tricep extensions (push down) 2 x 15 reps, 2 bars
Stretched
Elliptical runner, 20 mins, Level 3
Bicycle 25 mins, Level 2 - 4
Danced around in aerobics room by myself to Sean Paul (Dutty Rock) 15 mins
Tricep extensions (cable machine) 2 x 12 reps, 1 bar
So 1 hour of cardio today.
Tomorrow is a rest day, then Sunday will be Yoga and legs I think.
I usually go to the gym on a Friday afternoon.
Before 2005 started, it was because Craig used to teach the Reggae Aerobics class and it was fun. That's where I learnt how to dance to the latest dancehall 'chunes'. Craig is no longer there. The new guy is Shaun and last week Friday, I stayed for the class, but left because he was playing jive music and I came for reggae.
He also stopped the class when people were being dead in their moves and told us that him nuh wah nuh body who nah move, and if you nah move, you shouldn't be in the class.....so I left. Another lady said 'excuse me!' when he said that. Clearly nobody told him about respecting the diversity in your students. Did he ask me if my knees were ok, and if that was the reason I was not going along with those ridiculous moves that he was doing?
But the real reason I left is because there was no dancehall music. I complained to the receptionist.
Anyway, all of that is irrelevant, except to say that that is what caused me to go to the gym on a Friday afternoon rather than in the morning.
Today, there was that name in the book again, only one, but there were the same two of my favouritest cricketers working out. Lagga went on the treadmill which was in front of the bicycle I was riding. Uhmmmmm, what more inspiration could I want?
Them nice bowed legs, tall - about 6ft 3in, broad shoulders, flat stomach. I stole a peek every now and again. Trash can't use the treadmill yet because of his back injury. Ok, no more ogling.
And of course Mark was there too. He wasn't as animated as he normally is and I wanted to ask him if he was ok, but he was doing stuff.
So had a good-ish work out today. In another post, it lists what I did.
Wednesday night, it was all about cricket. Well before, I dreamt that a girlfriend of mine bit a lizard as it was running past her. (She's pregnant now so nuh bodda wid oonu superstitious stories). Then she asked for oxygen like it was part of her normal routine. She wasn't sick or anything.
Next came the cricketers. I arrived at a place where they all were...I think it was the Pegasus, well it was a hotel, a large one. There was something I was to attend and I was early. When I reached, one of the ladies who works with the West Indies Cricket Board said "Michelle, remember you had promised to do a training session with the guys on talking to the media". Eeegad.
I had forgotten all about that apparently, but as I always have my computer with me, and had material there was no problem. The cricketers were gathered in a meeting room and 'backstage' there was an LCD projector and screen, so it didn't come off as if I wasn't prepared.
Turn on mi computer roun'-a'back, to check the Powerpoint slides, powered up the LCD, everything was A-OK, so brought the stuff around in front of the players in the meeting room.....
....ooops.....I gotta go potty. And it was REAL urgent. So I devised an exercise for them to do at the start of the session, group work you know, and off I went.
In truth, I was just about to pee the bed....I swear! Made it to the toilet in time. How come dreams about urinating always coincide with reality?
Excuse me, I gotta go potty (for real).
Oh, I'm up this late because I'm watching cricket. West Indies won the toss and batted first. We made 263 runs, Wavell Hinds got a century. Not enough runs, but who knows....maybe our bowlers can pull something special out of the hat.
Tino Best
Found a close up......he has really lovely eye lashes and a gorgeous smile. Actually I was just thinking that all of the players now are quite attractive. Can't think of any who don't have some attractiveness about them. Now when Curtly Ambrose was playing.......
(Photo copyright Digicel)
Yoga, 1 hour and about 10 mins. Fell over a couple of times. Keeping my balance is very challenging! All good fun.
Lat pull dows 3 x 15 reps 4 bars (dont know how many pounds that it)
2 other back exercises on the cable machine 3 x 12 reps
Vertical butterfly 3 x 12 reps 2 bars
Seated chest press 3 x 12 reps 2 bars
Seated incline press 3 x 12 reps 1 bar (I have a neck issue which makes anything more very painful)
15 minutes on treadmill 5 minutes 3.5mph, about 4 mins jog @ 5mph, rest of time 3.5 mph @ incline level 5 (half the maximum)
10 minutes bicycle (5 mins Level 4, rest of time at Level 2 - 3)
Tomorrow is Pilates and more cardio. Haven't done enough for the week. Hopefully won't get a muscle contraction in my stomach muscle tomorrow, like the last time! Actually I dont have any muscle in my stomach...what am I talking about!!
10 minutes stationey bike, Level 2
Squat on Smith machine - 20 lbs (first time on this machine)
Leg extensions - 55 lbs
Leg press - 90 lbs
Abductors and Adductors - the 9th bar (dont know how many lbs that is)
Talked to the guys
6 mins on stationery bike, (5 @ Level 4 and 1 at Level 2)
Had wanted to do more cardio but had to come home to baby sit, thereby resultling in me eating ice cream and cake. Still using food as a mood enhancer. Haven't broken that habit yet.
Tomorrow morning is Yoga and cardio for sure, and maybe I will do some arms.
Came across this passage in the novel that I was reading that I thought I
might share with you.
"I was forty-nine, I had plenty of money. I had everything of everything
except the column of fire inside me that was ignited by sexual passion,
which had smiked and blazed through my life, scatering cinders and ashes,
since I was seventeen.
I was afraid of who I was without it. And this is what they want me to
transcend in exchange for yoga, multi-vitamins, homeopathy, acupuncture,
REiki, meditation, peace of mnd and even Nirvana?
I might as well be dead."
My response to her was this.
"I will be forty-nine with NO money, and hopefully some column of fire.
Actually, I don't so much miss that part of my existing life. Cricket
fills up that column."
So take away cricket from me and I'd have to go find a column of fire ignited by sexual passion.
What a good thing I went to the gym at the time I went. Went to sign in the book and noticed a name I knew. Then walking back from the weights room to the cardio room, I saw him PLUS another.
Two of my favourite cricketers....
Andrew 'Trash' Richardson
and
Jermaine 'Lagga' Lawson (he's got one of the cutest smiles in cricket, and some lovely legs to boot)
One of the things I'm doing for a client, is looking up land deeds of his ancestors. I've written about this already, but just to say again how lovely this exercise has been.
At the Island Records Office are these huge books. In them, alphabetically listed, are records of who sold/gave land to who (found in the Grantors indeces) and who bought/received land from whom (found in the Grantees indeces).
The handwriting is very curly curly; some are easier to read than others. But very neat.
Now the records that I had examined before on the last assignment, were from 1840 or thereabouts. This time, I examined records from the start of the records which were from about 1650. In each line, you have the names of both parties, the Liber (I guess that must be latin for book??), the record number and then a description of what kind of transaction it was.
There, very plain to see, is 'Sa. Sla'. Obviously they were not consistent in how they abbreviated the transactions, so elsewhere it's listed as 'Sa. Neg'.
I looked under my relatives' page in one book and saw this kind of transaction too. I wish, I just wish, my granny or any of her brothers and sisters (there were 13 in all) had kept journals of daily life so I could have an idea of what went on in the past. For now, all I have are these records. But it has been very revealing.
You see the names of those who are still considered moneyed people. Names like Henriques, Vaz, Harding. Some people had lots of transactions showing that they bought up a whole lot of land.
You may remember me talking about 'In Miserable Slavery', a book I had read which was the diaries of a plantation owner, Thomas Thistlewood, in the 18th century in Westmoreland. In it, he mentioned when he bought land. So one day, I am going to look up his records and connect my readings with reality.
Fascinating, just fascinating, this journey into the past has been.
Then again, you should not.
It's now close to 1pm. I am sat here at the computer, in my night clothes and dressing gown. My hair is uncombed, my face shiny from having not been washed, and I must have dragon breath, cause di teet doh brush neither.
I just thought 'suppose somebody comes here now'? Well, I guess I would just run and hide.
And ah not going to change yet. Have some typing to do to send something to a client, then ah have a PhD thesis to continue reading for a client, then I'll go bathe and head to the gym, hopefully to put in a high energy work out.
But oh, my knees, they burn, dunno why. Yesterday I did the elliptical trainer but could only muster 15 minutes. Maybe is that cause it. I did some upper body work yesterday (biceps, chest) but I don't feel a thing this morning. Have to up the weights. Please give me inspiration, please give me Mark.
I'm lacking it. At the gym.
The other day, I was there just going through the motions, thinking that I didnt really want to be there. Then came Mark, so I got going with more energy. He's really a cool dude (not to mention that he's good looking and has a good body!!!).
Tonight I also didn't feel into it at all, and although I saw Mark again tonight, it did nothing for me. I left after an hour. That's unusual for me.
I stopped doing heavy weights...tried to see if the cardio, yoga, pilates combo would work for me where losing weight is concerned. It hasn't. I stepped on the scale tonight and I'm 219. And no, I haven't been eating any different. And I feel fatter too. I put on the jeans today and it didn't feel lose like it did two weeks ago.
A never ending struggle. I have to make sure I get enough sleep so that doesn't act as a hindrance. And I have to start back pumping heavier weights.
There is this other point about me not having kids. I have the sickle cell trait and there is this complication about the child being a sickler if the partner has the trait or disease.
I don't want to have to ask a mate when I meet him 'do you have sickle cell trait or disease?' So I'm not in a rush.
Of course that's an excuse. But a very good one.
Read in the papers recently and saw on the news tonight that a 76 year old professor gave birth to twins, one of whom died. The one who survived weighed 3 pounds and appears in good health.
See, why rush to have children thinking that the biological clock will stop ticking? I say do what you want to do while you are young, and then when you are mentally prepared, have your kids. Even if you're 76!
I've just never felt the urge to have children, althoug I LOVE being around them. In fact, my ultimate ideal job would be to teach kids age 5 - 11. But I know that I want to be able to get up at the jump of a hat and fly across the world for whatever reason, and if I had children, I might get resentful that I can't do that again and take it out on them.
Just heard that the doctor that Dr D spoke about who was shot was from St Vincent. (But knowing my Jamaican people, it could be another island but they just figure is 'one of them small islands').
Kami, do you know him? The name is Dr Manton and he worked at Accident & Emergency at UWI. Married to a doctor.
The car has been sold. I just typed up a receipt for the sale. Man come all the way from country to buy it. He's buying a good car. Pops keeps his cars in good condition.
So now that the car will be gone in a few hours, I have to skip Jamaica. It's just too much hassle trying to get a car to borrow from family members, who are all just way too busy. I will have to beg and I don't like that.
That's why I like being in the Eastern Caribbean, because I can get around much easier, and I can take the bus or I can walk. Not so in Jamaica.
So have to leave real quick.
Here's a picture of the car.....sob, sob. It felt so good to just get up and go.
I was on the road for quite a bit today and yesterday.
Yesterday morning, I saw a lady take a forkful of some food while at a red light. Clearly not enough time to eat breakfast at home.
Today I got caught in traffic going for my nephew at school. The traffic was moving at a snail's pace. I said to myself "how can people do this every day Monday to Friday?"
Can't companies introduce flexi time? People leave work at 5 and everybody rushes....for what??? To sit in the traffic for an hour. If there was flexi time, they could come in at 10am, leave at 6pm and cut their time on the road by half, thus also saving gas.
I am really really grateful for my time working in hotels. I would go to work at 9, or at 10, or at 11, or at 1 or at 3 or at 4. I could therefore have leisurely mornings if I was going in later. And I wasn't on the road the same time as everybody else.
I am averse to sitting in traffic. Very averse. I could not live like that, and will not. Ever again. When I moved to Grenada I cut out sitting in traffic. What bliss.
You go on the internet, you meet people, bloggers, regular people. Anyone could be an axe murdered init??? Ok, calm down, I not calling y'all axe murderers. The good thing about the Caribbean though is that we not crazy like that. We might shoot a few people....sure but no Jeffery Dahmer amongst us.
I was thinking today that if I go to a US university, I wouldn't have a clue if the lad next to me in class was an axe murderer (and didn't get caught). So many weird things happen over there that I think I would just lock myself in my room and don't socialize.
Do you who live in the USA, who are from the Caribbean, only socialize with Caribbean people or people who you met through Caribbean people?
While in St Kitts, I used to watch America's Next Top Model. There was a plus sized girl in there, who wanted to win so she could be the first plus sized super model. I was actually surprised that she got that far. Anyway, this is what she looked like....
Now remember I let my stats out of the closet. I', 5ft 8in and weigh 215 lbs. She's 35 pounds less than I am, and one inch taller. I'm trying to guage what size I'd like to be, and in 1993, I was 169, which I liked, but I was still a size 16 which is just one size down from where I am now. (Yes, I'm humongous).
Ideally I'd like to be a size 14. Mi nuh into di skinny minny bit, especially since I've been a chubby child all my life so people would just think I was ill if I went to 130 or some such weight. So 170 lbs is what I'm aiming for .... 160 at the least. Because I'm an A-B cup, I won't look like Toccara looks. In fact, when I lose some more weight, I'll probably be an AA!!!!
But does size matter? Obviously it does. Toccara didn't make it. She didn't have the model stats required.
That's where I fall. Trying to move more right to that of Performance Consulting.
This phase of my life is being spent determining what it is exactly that I do, and want to do. Very exciting, but a little nerve wracking as well, cause you think that at 38, I woulda have dat figured out already huh???
I could have made this much easier by staying in the hotel industry as an operational manager. But no. Miss Yamfoot had to go back to school and get more confused. It's really funny how what you plan is not always what happens.
The plan?
Go to university for one year to do the Masters, then return to Grenada to teach.
What really happened?
Went to university for one year to do the Masters, and thought "this is exciting, I must do more, the opportunities are endless". So went to another university for 2/3 of a year to do a post graduate certificate in Education and thought "I might as well just do the PhD". So enrolled in another university.
Then got a call. Would you like to do some hotel training in the Eastern Caribbean? Sure! So defered enrollment to the PhD, did training in various places, not only hotels, and decided that I must stick with that for awhile. Therefore told the PhD people I aint coming, and might not ever come because I don't want to limit myself to a PhD in Hotel Management.
Hence the search for other PhDs and in the meantime, beefing up my training skills to that of a performance consultant.
Enjoying the ride I tell you, little money and all. Wouldn't have it any other way (except for more training jobs this year).
Click on this to see the difference between a TT and a PC.
I would be such a brilliant student now, after experiencing life.
I guess that's one of the reasons I will probably do the PhD, because I want to have the opportunity at excelling in school. I did that when I did the Masters in 2001-2 in the UK, now I want to experience the US education system.
Was searching last night for some. Found one at University of Minnesota-Rochester - PhD in Human Resource Development which mixes Education courses will HR courses. I emailed the head of school to get more details on the courses.
Now I am about to read recommendations on how to look for a PhD. This has got to be such a careful decision. Those of you who've just been reading this blog wouldnt have read the dilemna I found myself in last summer.
Anyway, I will be more careful this time in my search.
Tonight I was transcribing the interview I did down in Discovery Bay. Something said to me "back up your files", so that's what I'm in the process of doing.
Never usually do this type of thing. Just always relied on the computer to behave.
I think what prompted me was one of the columnists in the Observer, Tamara Scott Williams, wrote about how somebody stole her laptop with all her stuff on it - pictures etc etc. And I thought supposed dem tief mi cricket pichas dem? Mi woudan bex! Vex, vex, vex. And all my training outlines and so. Gosh, I gotta knock wood like Mad Bull said about his backing up stories.
You have to explain something to me though Mad Bull. I am using a CD-R CD to copy the files on. Why when I select Delete, to delete older files on the CD, it tell me that is Read only and it cant delete but I can copy things onto the file and it will erase those already on the disk? Suppose it erase a file that I want? Can you chose what it erases? I just don't get it.
In the 90's, somewhere from 1995 to 1999 or 2000, I used to get panic attacks bad bad.
The first time when it crippled me was one day when I was driving to Ocho Rios to work on a conference. In my zippy (skettel) Nissan Sentry, I suddenly found myself hyperventilating somewhere around Ewarton. Was it from going over Flat Bridge? Anyway, I pulled into the health centre only to find it closed. I creeped my way to Ocho Rios, depriving my brain of oxygen since I wasn't breathing properly. With each breath I felt it was going to be my last. I reached to Ocho Rios with a whopping headache.
The next memorable event was while my father was driving from Mandeville to St Elizabeth one day. I was sitting in the front and started hyperventilating again. I eventually asked him to stop and take me back to Mandeville. He steuppsed and said I was being silly, but took me back anyway, where my Aunt (an Anaesthesiologist - dat spell wrong I know!) gave me one of them drugs they give patients before an operation to calm them.
Other incidents occured. For eg walking around the Mona Reservoir one day (had to seek refuge in a friend's house whose mother is a nurse - but at Bellevue...hell....maybe I was crazy indeed!); on a train from Windemere to Carlisle in England; on a BWIA plane (caused me not to eat a single thing in First Class....you know I hadda be feeling bad!); 1998 while being driven by my friend from Detroit airport to her house in Shelby Township.
Then they stopped.
I don't recall having any incidents from 2001 (if I did, they weren't significant).....until last Saturday.
I drove to Discovery Bay quite fine in my mother's Mitsibushi Gallant. Drove on the new toll road which look like road in foreign. Speed limit 110k and I was struggling to stay under that the way the road nice. No problems going.
Coming back, I reached the 'big' road once again. Two lanes either way. No lights, just them reflector things along the white line. I came up behind a man who was going a little slower than I wanted to be going, so I pulled over to overtake in the right lane.
The mind is a helluva thing. I started thinking about how the road look like road in foreign, about the concrete wall that I was now alongside and how it would be so easy to hit it and flip over .....and then panic set in. I slowed down to draw alongside the car I was overtaking. Then I managed to speed up and go back over in the left lane and there I stayed.
The hyperventilation started, the gulping of breaths, but no sweaty palms such that I am having now while typing this as I remember the incident. Once I turned off the toll road on to Mandela Highway I was ok. Just then Patch (my brother) called to check up on me. Told him about the panic attack. In fact he's the only person I told until now. Haven't told anybody else in the house.
It's a thing in the house I think that every time you go on a country run, something could happen. I suppose it's true, but I realize that that has caused me to have very few solo trips to the country. In fact I have driven to the country less than 10 times in my life. And I had a car for quite a few years in Jamaica before I moved to Grenada.
Anyway, so the panic attacks returned. But I'm older now and mentally stronger, so it is not going to win. I am going to drive on the Toll road again and conquer whatever it was that caused it to occur.
For my Christmas gift from Patch, I got a portable one-CD player so that when I go to the gym, if the music on the radio station sucks, I can play my own music so I can dweet long.
It came with a remote control. I pushed the gadget into every hole I could see that it would fit (only one!). No success in how to operate the remote and still be able to hear the music (because there was no other hole for the earphones).
Along comes the nephew. "What's this?" I explain it to him and that I can't figure out how to get it to work. "Can I try? Can I try?". Sure.
In a few minutes.....bingo! Solved.
I had already jumped to second stage thinking, and had determined that the remote HAD to be plugged into the CD player. Sure, that was the case, but then the earphones had to be plugged into the top of the remote. Silly me didn't examine the remote to see that it had another hole.
Moral of the story?
Although he hates school, and wouldn't consider himself terribly bright, he's absolutely smart when it comes into gadgets, games, technical things like that. So all kids might not be academically brilliant but they are sure brilliant in other ways.
Also consider all possibilities before you decide that something is what it is.
Hmmm, does that mean that I must consider the possibilities of marriage before deciding that I'm not getting married? Nah....
Remember I keep talking about the Yoga teacher. Well I was suggested Yoga to an aunt, and the aunt asked me to find out if the Yoga teacher does private lessons.
Was getting the details from the Yoga teacher - telephone numbers etc, so had to ask her her last name. Hey....I think we're related!
She has the same last name as my (deceased) maternal grandmother. Apparently, my granny and her father were cousins. Apparently my granny's father and her father's father are either close cousins or brothers. Not sure.
Princess P had suggested that it might be she. So you're correct P. It's the St Andrew High School graduate we were talking about.
This conversation took place at the Thursday morning 10am Yoga class (see the reason I can't have a normal job? How else would I be able to go to a Yoga class at 10 in the morning????). Today after the class, she came to me and said she was happy I could come today (in other words where were you Saturday?). Told her I went to the country. Then she said she asked her Dad about my granny and he said oh yes, Eva.
...click here to see some pictures. The first album has pictures that I took while in country this weekend.
We were just chatting awhile ago, about how people work work work without finding time to do things for themselves. Of course Yamfoot doesn't have a problem with that. According to Sis' definition, I have retired, and then I will start working again.
But the point about this post is this. Today, I was driving to the gym and saw many cars at this doctor's house near to where I live. I've been in that house at least once, because the daughters were in musical theatre with me, and one of them was on the committee and we had a meeting there once.
I spotted the cars because it is not normal to see so many cars there. So I thought to myself that they must be having a brunch or something.
During our dining room conversation this evening, it turns out that the doctor's wife died on Friday. Suddenly. I guess she must have been late 50's or early 60's. I understand it was from an aneurysm.
The worst part is that her husband, the doctor, was in Central America at the time. Can you imagine getting a call while you were away? That was my number one fear while living abroad.
So, people, we know not when we will be taken, so enjoy each and every day. And say no to overwork, stress, negative things and things which do nothing to nourish your soul and fill your heart with joy. Me seh so.
Well the picture doesn't actually prove anything, but this is the apartment building that I spent about 8 months in before I moved to Grenada. It was 3 minutes drive away from work, so that was the drawing card. I could sleep later!
It was very sparsely furnished, cause I was not into acquiring things. All I bought was a bed (my brother teefed it!!), a chest of drawers (my sister teefed it!!), a what-not (left it in Grenada) and a TV (I think.....now where is that now?).
It was very noisy because there was a construction company right next door. But it was mine (rent paying of course, so not owned by me).
I believe I will be driving to Discovery Bay tomorrow, staying overnight in Runaway Bay and coming back to Kingston on Saturday afternoon.
Just in case you don't know, cricket season has started. I'm really only going because I want to interview the mother of a young exciting cricketer. Otherwise I woulda just listen to it pon di radio.
Jamaica plays the Leeward Islands team.
It was installed today. I not finding a great difference in speed.
The dial up was 56 kbps. This new connection is 100 mbps.
1 kbps = 1,000 bits
1 mbps = 1,000,000 bits
So it's supposed to be way faster. We will see when I go to rebuild this website.
"Who?"
"You know, the computer dude that's married with two kids who is a part time student?"
"Don't know who you talking about.....sorry"
I think that's how the conversation would have gone yesterday if I had asked for Scratchie when I went to Bank of Jamaica to check out if my US$100 damaged note would be taken by them.
Next time I'll try that, but then tell the man to shout out in the computer department.....
"which one ah ooonu know si-maddy named Yamfoot?"
(then the man would mutter to himself...."si-maddy can call she self 'Yamfoot'?"
Tell me something all you married men.
If you met a girl, and during the encounter you definitely showed that you liked her, you got her number and called her to ask her out to lunch, wouldn't you be doing that because you were interested in *checking* her?
You wouldn't just want to be friends, would you? I doubt that very much.
I know men. Married men and single women can't be *just friends*. Nutten nuh go so.
Should I feel ashamed to answer 'YES' to that question?
Not at all. I moved from Jamaica in 1997, and before I moved, I wasn't living with my parents....so there.
Why do I live with my parents?
I am only in Jamaica for a couple of months per year. Would it make sense to buy somewhere? And besides, I am NOT going to put myself in debt, because that means giving up the freedom and flexibility I have right now, which is making my life just one fantastic ride.
Will it come back to haunt me? Maybe. But if I were to pass on (to wherever) tomorrow, I would go having had a very happy last 7 years.
Didn't you hear about the guy who retired today, having made lots of plans for travel with his wife, and then was dead the next day? That won't happen to me.
Now of course if I have kids, that's a different story.
Maybe I'm counting my 38 chickens before they're hatched, but got a call today about some work in Trinidad and going to see the local contact here in Jamdown tomorrow. I hope they're interested.
I don't think age will be a factor here.....so guweh Company ABC.....bout oonu nuh waan nuhbaddy over 35.
There was a job vacancy advertised in the papers today Sunday. In small print at the bottom, it said 'persons over 35 will not be considered'.
(That's legal here)
We had a small family dinner this afternoon. About 35 people were fed. The last persons left at 9:30 and the kitchen and other used areas were cleared up by about 11:30pm.
I dislike the clearing up part of events such as these, but somehow tonight it didn't feel like a hassle. (I'm totally for having food catered and having staff do the clearing up but I guess money is needed for that huh).
*Many hands make light work*
I asked myself this question today.
While growing up, we were not a very punctual (*I must be tired....do you know I wrote the word 'function' instead of 'punctual' awhile ago?*)family, and still aren't as a unit. But my individual punctuality records have improved ten fold. You know why? Cause of living in England.
In my first stint in 1992/3, I was doing work experience in a hotel in Leeds. One phase involved working in the kitchen. The person who I was assigned to work with wasn't being very helpful or friendly. So I asked another of the guys what he thought might be the matter. He said....and it hit me like a ton of bricks....something to the effect that
'look at it from his perspective. he is not getting paid for training you, he doesn't get overtime and you come down to work late even though you're living here right in the hotel'.
He didn't say anything that was not so. I lived in the hotel, and yes, I was sometimes late. I'm talking 3 minutes late, 5 minutes late. Never more than 7 mintues late. And to be honest, I didn't think anything of it. And yes I was aware that I was late.
So after that, I endeavoured to be more punctual. Then between 1995 and 1997, I worked with a General Manager who had an operations briefing every morning at 9am. He had strict rules. If anybody was late, they would be locked out. This always applied, and he was a victim too (he told us it applied to him as well). So that saw me many a morning running from the parking lot, only to find out that perhaps our clock didn't say the same time and so I was locked out. Blame it on the clocks, and the traffic...horrible in Kingston)
That also helped my punctuality. The second stint in England 2001 - 3 also helped. Missed a couple of trains. I remember after running down the stairs to the platform one time, seeing the train pulling out and saying 'but it's only 1 minute past the departure time!' and hearing the platform guy who sends off the train say that the train waits for no one.
But I've realized very recently that people don't take the punctuality thing seriously. Perhaps if they missed a few trains they might. Perhaps if I locked them out of the training room they might.