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
My 9 year old niece has a project to do, which involves finding a picture of the current West Indies team and pasting it in her scrap book. How lovely it was therefore to see one in today's Gleaner advertising the start of the Digicel Home series.
She looked at the fellas in the picture then said "Where's Brian Lara?". I said that he was not in the team. Then she went on to ask for both Chris Gayle (who she has met) and Sarwan. Same response from me.
Her response?
"Then that can't be a West Indies team then!"
Even at 9 years old, they know.
When a doctor writes NC on your chart, it means No Charge. I didn't see the doctor write this, but when I handed over my crisp money, the receptionist give me back. So I ask her why she giving me back, she said because the doctor say no charge. I said "you sure"? Cause I really didn't expect him not to charge, even though we know each other's family.
So I poked my head back in the office to say the lady says there is no charge...."you sure?" He said yes, no charge. So I said thanks and he said "thank your mother"....so I did.
That was really nice of him. So the money that I didn't pay to him I will pay to have a deep tissue massage from a sports masseuse. I've never had that before. So that will be a new experience to blog about.
Just heard tonight that somebody I know has been given 6 - 12 months. Went in to do surgery for one thing and they found other things.
People walking around looking all well on the outside. Open them up and you never know what is lurking around there.
I saw Oprah do one of them all over body scan. Expensive, but it apparently shows up anything lurking inside. Ever since I saw that I wanted to get one of those done. I hear it's about US$800, but maybe that's not right cause that sound too cheap. I bet they don't have those tests in Jamaica.
In the hotel industry and I guess in others too, there is something called "preventitive maintenance' where regular servicing and checking of equipment is done, in order to prevent the equipment breaking down. That's the approach I would like to take where my health is concerned.
Why wait until something shows up? But then again, like this person, it might never show up.
I just can't imagine it. But I was thinking that I've read quite a few stories where people were told they had a short time left, and they didn't listen to that but sought out natural remedies. I think that's what I would do.
I spent a bit of time on Nevis in the latter part of last year, so I could see how this could have happened.
There was a prowler in our yard while I was in Mandeville. I was just hearing about it for the first time last night, when the alarm went off for no apparent reason.
The family was around the back in the den. My sister looked and saw a man walking past the windows. She thought at first it was my brother, because sometimes he comes around the back when he comes to visit. When she looked and saw that it wasn't she shouted "what you doing in here, what you doing?"
I don't get the impression that the man ran. Anyway, the security company was called and I hear they were here in a flash. The police was also called and arrived about 30 minutes later. The officers sat in the car across the road and shouted out my father's name and asked him if he had called the police. Pops shouted back and said yes he had called but he hardly thinks the crook would have been waiting for them!
It happened at something to 10. Now a few weeks before, the lady across the road up one, was held up at gunpoint at her gate when she came home around 9pm. She apparently owns a bakery. After that incident, I said to myself that we wouldnt have a problem like that, and in fact we've never had any incidents like that. Hah, was I wrong!
I also go out in the backyard sometimes late because I let the dog run around before putting her back in her kennel. What di hell would I do if I went outside and saw a man coming up the walkway? Crap in my pants probably.
So nowhere is safe. Nowhere. Not in Jamaica at least. I must get out of here.
That's what Kingston is. Imagine travelling on a bus and the next thing is you are staring down the wrong end of a gun?
The killings in Kingston, and in fact the rest of the islands continues unabated. They've hired this British police cop to be in charge of crime. I hope he can use his wide vast experience to do something, and that he will train the people under him in investigative techniques.
Read about this soldier's murder and weep for his family.
Something's up with the comments feature, so when you click on Comments, you get an error....right?
I tried clicking the time stamp instead, but still no luck.
HELP! What's a blog without comments?
How do you define if you're going on a date? I was in a conversation yesterday and dating came up, and I scratched my head trying to think of when, if at all, I had ever been on a date?
Oh yeah, I remember going to the movie once with a fella who checked for me, then we started going out. The going out lasted for about 6 weeks when it was clear to me that this was not going to work and I called and told him so.
That was around 1993. I can't remember doing anything like that since then.
I define a date as when you and another person go out, but it's not that you're in a relationship. Maybe he checks for you and the date is to try and pursue you. So if that definition is true, then I can't remember going on a date in over 10 years.
Isn't that sad?
Somebody was trying to invite me out this weekend, but mi just couldn't bother. Besides it was for dinner, and I don't do very well at dinner. I'm not relaxed because I always feel that when I smile, he will see the green from the broccoli and the brown from the meat. I'd be self conscious and not enjoy it.
I've said on here before....if you wanna take di Yamfoot on a date, take she to a sporting event, a movie, a hiking trip or something in that vein.
Yesterday as well, a gentleman, after questioning me about my marital status and age, told me that he can look at a woman and tell if she would be amenable to accepting an invitation from a man. He doesn't see such an aura around me. "You have an aura which suggests 'don't ask me out, I'm not interested'" I told him he was dead right.
I find this man and woman thing difficult to do. In the past I've always been very direct, and I like to call the shots. I guess it's about being in control. Whenever a man seems to be pursuing me, I shut off myself. Then I start thinking "he only wants my body" and if I don't find that there is any chemistry between me and him, well, there endeth that.
Maybe I have issues.
Sometimes I doubt my abilities. I wouldn't say that I'm a perfectionist, but I do like to do things well.
So as a trainer, sometimes I wonder if the message is hitting the participants in the way that I would want it to. I usually give out evaluation forms which asks the participants to rate the content of the course, my style etc. I usually get good comments, so I should go by that.
Last week Wednesday, I attended an all day seminar run by a Jamaican lady who has lived in the USA for a number of years. I studied her carefully, and realized that I'm quite similar to her style and content. I'd say I'm a little more informal.
So it made me realize that I got talent and skills, and once I get my confidence levels up (in the classroom though, you'd never know that I was maybe doubting myself a wee bit) and then nobody can stop me.
If any of you are going to watch the first test match between South Africa and the West Indies in Guyana, be forewarned. You will not be seeing Mr Brian Charles Lara, world record holder.
You no doubt would have been following the saga surrounding seven players, including Lara, who have individual personal contracts with Cable & Wireless, and how those contracts impact on the West Indies Cricket Board's team sponsorship with Digicel. Unless you've been living under a rock in Jamaica, you know that the two telecommunications companies are fierce competitors.
After advice by their legal counsel, the WICB announced that of the seven, only Brian Lara was eligible for selection because his contract was deemed to be "pre-existing". They gave Lara an invitation yesterday (Friday) and he asked for 24 hours to respond.
He responded today, but not to say yeah or nay. So the board has gone ahead and named 14 players.
No Lara. No Gayle. No Sarwan. No Bravo. Those are the four of the seven who would have been likely to be in the squad. I think who I feel it for most of all is Dwayne Bravo, a young Trinidadian who I've interviewed a couple of times, who just started his career on a great note.
Nothing is to prevent him from coming back into the team after he gets out of his contract (which can happen if they don't play as part of the West Indies team for I think it's 2 months). But dog nyam his supper if one of the "substitutes" does superbly. How would the selectors drop that "sub" for Bravo?
I ask myself the question....Did these players know what they were getting into when they signed? The WICB reported that it had warned them that they were going to sign with a competitor, but they went ahead and signed anyway. Did the players fully consider the impact of their signing with C&W and the WICB signing with Digicel?
Anybody can look 6 months down the road and tell me what the future holds for these players?
I'm out of town again. Yes, cricket again. The last time for the year I'll be out of town for cricket.
Jamaica is a hot spring break destination. No doubt the rum, rastas and weed are among the main attractions.
No parents to supervise them, just like in college. Wonder how many of them use condoms?
This is HIV-spreading time!
....let me do an article on you.
I did an article about a young man who works at a hotel. His picture was in the paper today accompanying the article. A friend who works there told me that he has had so many propositions today on the phone. Ladies calling to say how cute he is, that they too have the same beliefs as him, what's his number etc.
His boss was there when the friend was telling me this this evening, and he starts to reel off his name, age, rank and serial number.
I had cause to mediate a verbal conflict today and it got me thinking how adults behave so differently and react so differently and if a person can just see the other person's perspective and accept it, not necessarily agree with it, how much better this world would be.
Listening to the radio just now, a lady was on talking about how our brains are wired from birth to age 3. So many people think that the kids don't have any capacity to learn at that age and so neglect them, not realizing that they are setting themselves up for failure.
So when we beat babies, we are wiring them to understand violence as a way of life. When we don't nurture babies, they don't know how to love. When we don't reason with toddlers, we don't develop their capacity for thinking things through.
Do our educators understand this?
Fuzzy represents cricketers who could have been, but for circumstances and opportunity they never were.
Fuzzy is a taxi driver who I took from the Pegasus hotel home today. As I got in the car after having kept him waiting, I said "sorry to keep you waiting". Him face screw up. Immediately I knew that I had to work this one over to feeling better about having had to wait on me.
He started behaving like a typical taxi driver when he switched lanes. "Which way are you driving?" He points to the direction of the lane from which he switched. "So why did you come in this lane?". He explained that he was going to beg a space when he reached up the top. "Lord"....but I said that to myself.
If I could have had a sheet to cover my face I would have, the way he was boring. And then he boasted that he wouldn't get hit. I wasn't so sure, as evidenced by my rapidly beating heart.
Anyway, closer to home he mentioned that he played cricket, so my interest piqued. What club? Mona United. What high school? Kingston College. Then he mentioned how he made 198 not out one time, and last match took 4 wickets and was 88 not out. Clearly a man with talent.
"Mi woulda like fi play fi West Indies yuh nuh". What kept you from doing that? Wavell Hinds. Naturally I will ask Wavellous if he knows him.
So imagine if he had worked harder (he admits that Wavell had more stick-to-it-ivenss) he coulda be one of them embroiled in this saga now. "Ah waan mek di West Indies team and mek plenty money." The West Indies players would probably disagree with him.
But this evening's experience got me thinking about how people fall into paths that, had things been different, they never woulda got on to. Life is sure interesting.
Stay away from it. It will ruin your weight loss efforts by opening up your appetite and make you crave more.
Yesterday I went to an all day seminar. The coffee break had cake and tuna sandwiches but I didn't have any cake, just brown bread with tuna. That was ok.
Then there was lunch, with a sweet drink. I faltered and had that, plus rice. Well let me tell you....
That set off a trigger that made me unable to resist the cake at the afternooon coffee break, as well as the sorrell.
Gotta adjust those actions today when I go back.
That's my blood pressure. That was the reading yesterday. I normally have good blood pressure, so I have to get down the top number to 140. Probably have to do more aerobics.
(Dr D, Cricinfo is a cricket website).
""It is not a matter of performance today, it's a matter of how much I'm getting and it's a real pity."
On the eve of his 100th Test, Steve Bucknor reflects on changing attitudes of players"
This appeared on that site. It was taken from an this interview I did with the great Jamaican umpire who has created history.
It always happens. When I don't go to the gym, when I go back I have lost weight, meanwhile while I go faithfully 4 or 5 times for the week, I don't lose as much. Chuppidity. Well, maybe less is REALLY more.
I'm now at 210. That's 4 pounds or 5 pounds less than the last time I told you. So from the year start is about 9 pounds init? Me don't remember.
But the weight loss this week was really because I was at cricket. Remember I've always said that I always lose weight when cricket playing.
And guess what? More cricket out of town this weekend. Same place. Lovely Alpart in St Elizabeth.
This is a two for one post.
1. My friend had a baby today (I mean Wednesday). A girl. So far so good. She will be very spoilt as she has 4 brothers to do the spoiling for her. Births are miracles. Pity too many people just have pickney suh!
2. I am going to cricket in the country tomorrow, so will not be in touch as much. (Nice rhyme eh). Away from the concrete and murder jungle that Kingston is. I love the country.
So like I said in the last post, I dere driving merrily along the highway and ting. Next ting I see a short fat cop walk out on the dark road and stop me. Me ent worried, cause is a 110km zone and I was doing about 100.
Wrong.
"Good evening mam. Do you realize this is an 80kmh zone?"
"It is? I thought it was 110"
"So what you're saying is ignorance must excuse you?"
"Yes I know, ignorance is no excuse of the law, but I really didn't see any change of speed limit. I was even going 100 on the 100kmh stretch"
I take out my documents, I give to the man, who was very pleasant and well spoken. He looks down at the passenger seat and says "are you a journalist?".
"Why yes". Good thing I had left my tape recorder that I just finished using to record and interview with a young cricketer, on the seat.
"what media house are you with?"
"I write for a website called CaribbeanCRicket.com. have you ever heard of it?"
"No"
"So you're coming from Chedwin Park?"
"Yes"
"What's the score?"
"I'm not sure what the final score was, but you know Jamaica made 522 right and they bowled Barbados out for 214, so they were 308 runs ahead. Jamaica batted again and declared on 150 something for 8. Barbados lost 2 wickets this evening, not sure for how many runs"
I had the certificate of registration in my hand and told him I would take that back since I didn't suppose he needed it. He said he needed it to write the ticket. I gave it back to him and said ok.
The conversation turned back to the speed limit and me saying I really didn't see the changed sign, and he said he believed me. Therefore I got off with a(nother) warning.
I asked him if he goes on the internet. He said yes. I said make sure and go on the site. He asked if I had a card. I said no but I can write it on a piece of paper. (Gosh this sounds so much like Dr D's episode, only thing I didn't suggest that he shouldn't write the ticket....forgive me doc if that's not quite accurate and it late so mi naw bodda go look up fi yuh post).
Wrote the name of the website on a note paper, along with my name. Then he says "do you have a number so I can phone you and ask me something about cricket?"
Me: "You have internet so you can contact me through the site. Here's the email address".
Lawks, men. Any excuse eh? How oonu stay so? You think is every man I think look nice I tell so? Not at all. Why men stay so?
But anyway, I ent arguing with the nice policeman who let me avoid paying for a ticket. Bless.
...for there is no way that I would let my fears win.
You remember the episode on the new highway when coming back from Runaway Bay? Panic attack. Well this weekend, I chose to drive on it again, both in the day and in the night.
In spite of a bit of anxiety, I rode with it (literally!) and came out ok. Tonight was good when I actually overtook somebody. I realize that what I am afraid of is hitting into the concrete divider in the road. But I worked on my mind and I heard myself saying "it's ok, it's ok" to help calm me down.
(I swear I am not a nut case. Trust me).
I was in a peaceful state driving back this evening when a policeman stopped me.....
The psychologist takes a question from a woman who is married with kids, who stays cooped up in the house all day long.
She don't drive, her husband does the groceries and I dare say I bet he shopping for other women too! I couldn't be married to this kind of spouse. I not a social butterfly per se, but I like to go out. I don't often, but I like interacting with people.
In this article the writer asks if half a love is better than no love at all.
Instances of half a love are when you are in love with a married man, or you settle. Settle from someone who is overweight, poor etc. Poor I can manage (at least we would be equally yoked!), but overweight......oonu cyan keep him!
Anyway, what do you think? Half a love better than no love?
I was just reading the last story in this police roundup where gunmen kicked off the door of a house and shot a couple.
One died, the other didn't. So I was wondering if the gunmen read the paper to see if they did their jobs properly. I guess they have informants who will tell them. Maybe the informant even works in the hospital! You just never know.
Oh, I swear at 3am while in bed not able to fall asleep, I heard 3 gun shots in quick succession. Didn't hear any police sirens afterwards though. Wonder what that was?
If you live in Jamaica, turn to the page before the middle page of Hospitality Jamaica. There, in live and living colour is a picture of Miss Yamfoot, beside her article entitled "Should employees be having sex with hotel guests?"
I had no idea that the magazine coordinator was going to use the picture. Then it big you know, with my bald head (at the time the pic was taken in May 2002).
It is a fairly new publication. Started in October 2004, and is published every two weeks. Will have some stuff in the next edition too, that is on 16 March.
(It hasnt been updated on the website yet, so sorry foreign people)
At Sangster's, I had to return an item I bought the other day (when the guy was trying to sell me plenty tings). No hassle, no questions asked. I got back my money on my credit card.
At Juici Beef yesterday, the lady in front of me in the cashier line asked for a vegetable patty. The cashier, Sherine M, said "sorry, the veggie pattie isn't ready yet. Would you like a veggie loaf instead, the whole wheat one?" And the customer said yes. When it was my turn, I said that was excellent that she offered her an alternative. Another person (for eg Rochelle who cashed me today at Juici Beef - yes, I LOVE the soup there) would simply have said "no veggie patty" and finished there. She smiled and said thank you.
At Discount Beauty and Hair Supplies, I walked in, an employee asked if she could help me, I asked her for what I wanted, she knew the product and she took me to where it was. She could easily have pointed.
So I am encouraged. Well actually it means no work for me!
As I was driving to the gym this evening, I saw a car accident. A lady wanted to turn right from Charlemont Avenue on to Barbican Drive. A man wanted to turn from Barbican Road on to Charlemont Avenue. The lady messed up, and so came out while the man was turning. Crunk! Not too too much damage. Both vehicles stopped and I suppose they exchanged telephone numbers and ting. Hopefully there wasn't any cussing.
I was thinking that you can never be too careful. I drive sort of defensively, assuming that all other cars are going to do some dumb-a** thing.
Like when I reached closer to the gym. People did not learn how to use a four-way stop sign obviously. They don't know that you take it in turns according to who reach up to their stop sign first. So I always assume that the dumb mutts are going to just drive behind the car that is in front of them, the one that had reached to the stop sign first.
So said so done this evening. I had to draw brakes.
Then here is the fear part. The man, after he stops and allows me to turn right, as I am turning, he sticks out his hand out of his window. I instinctively draw away from him, thinking that it may be a weapon. There have been known cases in Jamaica where a bad-drive ends up in murder.
You see why I can't stay here now? My heart started to beat fast for nothing.
I and I did a search on the web fi oonu alma mater, cause I and I have a meeting dere on di morrows. I and I come up on it as one of the top five education websites.
And then I am stumped.....the school actually has a website! I am mightily impressed.
I browsed around a bit, and there in the Alumni pages, were the names of Mad Bull and Dr D. See the page here
Lemme see what other high schools in Kingston have a website.