Uniform Inspection Time

Recently the argument here in Bim has been over students at a particular secondary school being suspended for wearing the school's uniform incorrectly. While the newspaper article did not state what percentage was male or female, we can assume that some were girls, with skirts too short and boys with pants that did not fit according to school rules.

I'm all for wearing of a school uniform. Persons who want to be individuals in the way they dress can do so after school and on weekends. While I did have an issue with the suspension, I believe that rules are meant to be followed and students should therefore be disciplined when they break them. We're always talking about the rights of children but we seldom speak of the responsibilities.  It is the right of the child to receive an education, it is also the responsibly of that child to follow the rules of the educational institution.

If students are allowed to break school rules without any repercussions, we as adults would be sending them the wrong message.  There are some who say that learning is not dependent on how you wear the school uniform.  That is correct, to some extent. It depends, I think, on what type of learning we are trying to accomplish.  By learning do we mean the 3 R's (Reading 'riting and 'rithmetic) or is there social learning involved when we go to school? The setting/following of school rules is all part of our social learning.

With all the fuss that  persons keep over school uniforms (both parent and child) when we leave school and venture into the world of work, in most organizations, we are obliged to wear some type of uniform. It may be something as simple as wearing long sleeved shirts and a tie for men and skirts and blazers for women. Even persons who are small business owners create their own uniforms.

Suspension for incorrect uniform is the small picture. The big picture is the life long lessons we teach our children and the type of society we are trying to create. If  parents have a big problem with the rules at the school with regards to the uniform (or even punishment) then I say, lobby the Ministry of Education, the principal and the school's board (via the PTA) for a change, until then it is skirts 3 inches below the knee biscuit and no skinny pants.

Bringing in the Sheaves

Harvest Basket

Bajan Sugar Cakes

I'm not sure about other places but here in Barbados in the Salvation Army world it's Harvest Time. It's a time when we bring our provisions: banana; yam; pumpkin; okra; sugar cane; sour-sop and even prepared dishes like, sugar cakes and sweat bread to our church's harvest.


Our Harvest, for me therefore, represents two things. The actual harvest time, when persons are able to reap that which they would have sown like the banana, and pumpkin etc and a spiritual harvest. The Bible tells us that the harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few. There are souls out there to be won for the kingdom but workers are needed to take up the great commission and that is ''to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit".


William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army,  expressed his willingness to follow the great commission by saying this " while women weep as they do now, I'll fight; while children go hungry as they do now, I'll fight; while men go to prison, in and out, as they do now, I'll fight; while there is a poor lost girl upon the streets, while there remains one dark soul without the light of God, I'll fight, I'll fight o the very end.


We need to till the land and sow seeds for God's Kingdom. We don't help our elderly; we ignore our young people; we refuse to stand in the bus to give the pregnant lady a seat, yet, we want them to be receptive to the Word when we preach it. In essence, we have to show LOVE to our fellow man. Once we've tilled the land, we can sow the seeds of the gospel by telling persons about Christ  and Salvation. God sends the rain. I want to be a worker for the Lord!

Sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness,

Sowing in the noontide and the dewy eve;

Waiting for the harvest, and the time of reaping,

We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

All are precious in his sight!

I am not a fan of the 11+ also known as the Common Entrance Examination, yet I do not know what other fair way is there to ensure the smooth movement of children from primary to secondary level. Why fair , you may ask.  Well, without the 11+ , Miss Jones’ (who works in the market) daughter may not have  the same chance of attending Harrison College (HC) or Queens College (QC) as Justice Moore's son.  Some may be naïve enough to suggest that we can learn anywhere, (that's disputable) yet if this was 100% correct, we wouldn’t have the hierarchy of schools which we now have.  After all, the quality of education at HC would be the same as any other secondary school. 

My problem also with this 11+ is that we put so much pressure on children at this young age.  Our entire primary education is centered around one thing and that is the sitting of the 11+ examination.  My experiences thus far tell me that home schooling is the way to go for my child (if I get one). I know that teachers say the parents need to play their part. However, what happens when you have a parent/guardian who is playing their part and a school that seems to want to put a spanner in the spokes?

Why is it accepted if a child is working ahead of his age group but unacceptable when one is working a year behind their age group?  Isn’t it to the benefit of the child if they work a year behind in order to grasp the necessary concepts?

Why is it that, even though there is a provision made for children to defer the 11+ by one year, you still find a situation where a school (principal/class teacher) will want to fight a parent tooth and nail for the child to not get that deferral?(especially when we consider that the child is not “bad behaved”. 

Consider a situation where a parent wants a deferral for the child, believes that the child will benefit greatly, if they defer the sitting of the 11+ exam by a year and where the child is not a trouble maker. Consider then the principal of the school telling that parent “he ain't getting no deferral” and a teacher giving the child the message “tell your parent dem don’t run this school”.   It is interesting to note that at that boys' school in Christ Church, not one child was given a deferral.  Is it possible that teachers just want the children out of the school, never mind that there are some who would greatly benefit from a year’s deferral?!

Consider a child who, after getting the deferral (not an easy feat) has now done the 11+, and whose results show the tremendous progress he has made (70 English, 55Maths, C Composition). There are children in this child’s same year, who still cannot read, who would have done the exam. These are children whose parents will never think to ask for a deferral in class 4 or to keep the child back in an earlier class. These children will go onto secondary school and with our system being the way it is, instead of 10 at one school who cannot read we will have 100 some such children entering first form. My heart cries out for these children.

Our teachers and parents need to be responsible and realize that these are our children, to whom we give a disservice when we show no interest and allow them to fall by the wayside.  My opinion however, is that teaching is not simply a job. It is one where the individual should have great care and respect for those whom they teach. To simply come to work, write 'sums' on the board and adopt an 'if yuh learn or not, I  still getting pay" attitude, is not enough.

 Remember...ALL  are precious in his sight

(not only those destined for HC)

Roll On

They come in all shapes, sizes and scents. We generally use the word deodorant to describe them both however, the truth is, there is a major difference between antiperspirants and deodorants. Antiperspirants are as their name describes. When you roll those bad boys under your armpits, the aluminum based chemicals block your pores and stop you from sweating.  Now since sweating is a GOOD thing i.e it helps to cool the body as well as release minimal amounts of toxins, why would ANYONE not want to sweat.

The question has been asked whether there is a link between breast cancer and the aluminum in the antiperspirants. Many studies have been conducted and the bottom line is that there is no evidence to suggest that antiperspirants breast cancer. A study has been done that shows that the aluminum found in antiperspirants has been shown to cause DNA mutation, which could cause uncontrolled cell growth, which causes cancer.  The American cancer Society and the national Cancer Institute refute these claims and the study results have been difficult to reproduce.  Interestingly enough in 2004 the FDA (Food and Drug Administration, required that antiperspirants be labeled, giving caution to persons with kidney disease.

So after all my research I've decided to make the switch from antiperspirant to natural deodorant (deodorants mask or destroy unpleasant odors). Why? Well, I figure that anything whose purpose is to stop my body from working the way it should can't be all that good and as the breast cancer debate continues, I'd rather take this small little step in prevention.

Every single brand/type of antiperspirant I've used has always left some kind of residue under my arms giving me hell to  remove when in the shower. My arms are smooth and clean with this new deodorant. 


Thus far, my Naturally Fresh Deodorant has been working like a charm. 

It's 100% pure and natural, contains no harmful aluminum or parabens and is made with pharmaceutical grade mineral salts. If it's exceptionally hot outside and I'm going to be away from home for a while, I usually reapply during the day. So I'm going to use this until it's gone then I'll try another natural brand.




Moral of the story...Make sure is better than cocksure!

All uh dis Talk bout Culture!

The Barbados Youth Development Council recently hosted The National Youth Festival at the grounds of Illaro Court (The Prime Minister's Official Residence).  This group of young people pulled off an event which to my mind was beautifully coordinated. A professional MC and better advertising could have made this the youth event of the year and I also thought that a little more imagination could have been used to determine the winner for the final give away at the end....a wuk-up competition?? They say wukking up is we culture but....come on now, how novel an idea is that?!

I love Calypso. The music. I love calypso, the art form. As a musician  and "a want to be writer", I have a problem equating some of what I hear on the airwaves today with calypso (the music or the art form).  Generally, my opinion is that a few guys sit in the studio, come up with a wicked rhythm and then just drop any old lyrics on top of it. I'm all for evolving art forms but there must be substance in the evolution.  I wonder how many calypsos can be remembered the year after their release. Let me say that I'm not a party person, maybe that's why so many of the party songs don't appeal to me however, I can still appreciate songs like Red Plastic Bag's something's happening and TC's Hot Sun & Riddim These songs speak to the artistic abilities of the writers. I question the abilities of those who can come up with something like "You tink I K"  but I guess the drivel is working for them so, as some would say, I need to hold a corner  and know my place.

Now that we're on the topic of calypso, I recently went to a panel discussion on calypso hosted by the University of the West Indies. The panelists included Red Plastic Bag and Gabby, who have won 

the calypso crown 9 and 7 times respectively. It was really great to sit and listen to these two calypso giants who, through their music, are educators and sociologists and whose songs, after today's news has been forgotten, will live on.  You know the saying education isn't common sense, well, some would say too much education is not always a good thing. After the discussion one 'academic' (all dressed in African garb, Bajan accent and all, obviously having just left the cradle) noted that hearing Gabby speak reminded her of being back in the village, sitting around the rock fire,listening to the orator (sticks finger in throat). I wondered when last she sat around a rock fire and as my friend said, does she know who the orators are? Calypsonians like Gabby, the guy at the rum shop who knows it all, granny, these are all our orators.  I think i need to take a step back in time to experience that rock fire for my self.

On that note, my final  5 for Friday's Pic-o-de-Crop finals, in any order are Gabby; Red Plastice Bag; Blood; TC; John King...all of the signs are there.

Did you Know!

This year the Salvation Army celebrates 145 years of service worldwide and I thought I'd just give you a little bit of information, in case you didn't know about the Army and what it does.

The Salvation Army is a CHURCH! Yes it is. Most people think of the Salvation Army as just a social organization that gives food to the hungry, clothes to the needy, homes to the homeless etc. The Salvation Army was started in 1865 by William Booth in London, England and has existed in Barbados for 112 years.

Did you know that the Salvation Army operates in over 110 countries, including, Sierra Leoone, United Arab Emirates and Pakistan?!

Salvationists refer to their church i.e the building as a Corps. It is basically the place where members of the Salvation Army in a particular district, fellowship, preach the gospel and provide services to the community.

Did you know that there are 11 Salvation Army churches in Barbados. They can be found at Josey Hill and Checker Hall in St. Lucy, Speightstown and Diamond Corner (St. Peter), Seaview and Carlton (St. James) Reed Street and Wellington Street (St. Michael), Wotton (Christ Church) and Long Bay and Four Roads (St. Phillip)

The Salvation Army, unlike other churches wears a uniform. The wearing of the uniform is not to be taken lightly. It basically is a witness as belonging to the body of Christ and also "as a signal of availability to others".

One thing that the Salvation Army worldwide is recognised for is its Brass Bands. Brass banding and music camp are Salvation Army trademarks.  Some of the best brass players from Barbados to Timbuktu have their roots in the Salvation Army.   

Did you know that the Salvation Army recently held it's 4th World Youth Convention in Stockholm Sweden. Young people  from 92 countries came together (under the them "Raised up"), in a time of learning, holiness and fellowship. This event was streamed live and persons from 119 countries dropped in at different times to view the WYC .

The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church.

Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.

Joy,Joy, Joy, there is Joy in the Salvation Army

Joy, Joy, Joy, in the Army of the Lord!

The Goose and the Gander

Now it really boggles the mind why peope feel the need to get into public transportation and play music on their cellphones, watch videos on their personal DVD players and have the sound AT FULL BLAST. After spending all that money on their fancy ipod or blackberry or whatever, do you mean to tell me you can't afford a pair of $5 headphones?!?!?! There are those who would say if I don't' like it buy a car? Well I don't have a car and I take the government bus (which my taxes help to subsidize) and am therefore well within my rights to (a)complain (b)speak out (c)voice my opinion (d)tell dem turn it off or (d)all of the above. Considering that there is a sign in the bus that says, NO LOUD MUSIC and NO RADIOS ALLOWED.

So the other day I decided to try a little experiment. In my own little corner, in that government bus, (which my taxes help to subsidize) I started to sing a song (Jesus is my deliverer) loud enough that those next to me, in front of me and behind me could hear. Boy, who tell me do that! People give me stares, turn around and look at me funny and mutter to themselves, until some brave soul decided to suggest that I could a)sing a little softer or b)not sing at all.  Now, who tell them do that! I oh so politely pointed out, that if they could sit down and listen to the music the other guy a couple rows down was playing AT FULL BLAST (filled with all it's profanity) then they could very well listen to me singing (not loud enough) about my Saviour. That did the trick, the driver (who had heard everything INCLUDING the profanity) decided to put a stop to it after all, what's good for the goose must be good for the gander.

Moral of this story...Jesus is my deliver, I know He delivered me!!!!!!!

HELP!!!!!!

I've recently decided (think I was crazy) to assist with the youth group at my church and I've been  doing this for maybe 6 weeks or so and right now I'm at my wits end..I really have no idea how to get across to these young people. Now there are some people (very,very, few) who have the magic touch when it comes to dealing with young people. Then there are the ordinary plebs, like myself, who have to rely solely on the grace of God. I've dealt with young people before, tonnes and tonnes, that's my thing. Church, school, camp,all kinds of settings but I have NEVER encountered a set like this.  

They don't want to prayer, or sing. They shove and push and curse and fight. Respect for their peers, does not exist. They ALL have cell phones, and/or PSP and I pods.  It's all about what they want, it's their turn, their chair, their spot! Thus far I've been able to get their attention however, I"m not sure if they listen to anything I say. They hear but do they listen. They talk NON-STOP. Speaking when someone else is speaking, seems to be their norm.

Hold up though. I'm describing children at youth group but after second thought I realize I could be describing UWI students or any number of people that I know or have had the opportunity to work with.  Children do not socialize themselves and unfortunately these children are the products of our society. We like to cast all the blame on the youth but who really is to blame??

 

I now have a new found respect for teachers. I have a group of children (ages 9-13) most of whom appear not to have much guidance at home.  They roam the streets before and after youth club.  ''Good night, thank you please, excuse me''  are not words they use.  No one seems to tell them when to come  or when to go. Imagine, one Friday night, I'm hustling (big woman like me) to get off  the road before it gets too late. It's now almost 9 p,.m and it's a little dark where I have to walk. I meet one of the young girls,and tell her to try and hurry and get off the road with her little sisters. Her response "mam, we's be on de road later than this".  Well!!!  It's obvious that everyone's job (church, school etc) is made harder simply because we have parents who aren't doing theirs.

There's a saying that "it takes a village to raise a child". I think back then however, the village also included mommy and daddy. Nowadays, not even mommy and daddy seem to have much interest in raising their own children. 

So what do I ? Do I give up and decide to stay home on Fridays. After all, I'm sure my blood pressure rises considerably after I'm done. However, in all the chaos there's something that I realize:

1. They WANT  to be there.  They come every Friday night. Even the ones who are the most troublesome, leave whatever they are doing, wherever they are and find themselves at the church on Fridays.  Even last Friday when the rain poured, they were all at the church before me.

•  They are in a safe place.  For all intents and purposes the church is a safe place. Some of them could be outside, liming on the block with ''the men''. I don't know what they do before 6:30 or after 8:30 but I do know that they come for that two hour period and it is up to us to make the most of that opportunity.

•  Just like us adults, they are seeking a place to belong. They are all friends. A bunch of young people who, with nothing else to do or no one to see to them, have all found themselves by the neighborhood church on Friday's to do whatever is being done.

 So as overwhelmed as I may feel I look at the bigger picture. These young people need someone to care, someone to guide, to nourish to teach.  I've got to ensure that I keep them interested so they keep coming week after week and that my light will shine and that seeds will be sowed.

Moral of the story...

there are children crying and no one to care, they need you, they need me, they need Christ.

Stand up For Your Rights...Don't Give up the Fight!

Can't live with them, can't live without them; or at least that's what they say.  As I approach the big 4-0, I've been getting lots of questions. "Yuh married yet?" NO..."A pretty girl like you must have a boyfriend" No again..."So you got children?" No again. What usually follows is the WHY NOT? Why not indeed. I really don't know. Most people I know just can't seem to understand the concept of not having a man/significant other/husband! Well it's not like I planned it that way. OF COURSE I want a husband. I have had boyfriends, after all who doesn't like to be ''fawned'' over and I love lots of attention :)  However, I've been single (I'm not in relationship with a man) for the last few years (seems like forever), not by choice mind you, that's just the way it is and ever so often I get into the ''I'm tired being single" mood. I've come to realise though that the plan is not mine but God's.  I belive that He knows what's best for me. I also believe that he knows I'm such a loving person that to have a husband and a family of my own would be great :). I also have no intention of going from man to man, to man to man, until I find ''THE ONE".  I'm living life, loving me and trusting God to provide.


So not having a man and not being a clique person also means that occasionally I'll go to the movies, ALONE!! Actually, I go to the movies alone most of the time and I've been called a looser because of it.  I'm glad tha I have my own identity. That I don't need a man, or friends, to define who I will am.  I can buy a ticket to any show without first having to find out who's going. Of course I'm not adverse to going places with my friends, occasionally I do. However, if the opportunity presents itself for me to go somewhere I probably will go without ''confirmation" from others.  I'm not a loner but I love my own company.


What I have realised in my short lifetime is that if you aren't a very strong individual, people will want to mold you into the way they think is best. I'm quite content with God doing the molding. I'm not saying that you can't learn from others or that if you have a bad habit you've go to keep it forever. What I'm saying is, you should be comfortable enough in your own skin, with your own convictions. That you can, as Bob says, "stand up for your rights''. Stand up for what you believe. If you are the only 1 out of 100 saying go right and everyone else says to go left, as long as you believe that right is the direction God wants you to go in, by all means go right.  True, you may have to take some heat when you go right however, God will always make a way where there seems to be none. 


Enough of my prattling.


Moral of the story...they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength!

Birds of a Feather

Now I'd very rarely write about this topic but because of an incident that happened I thought I would. Now they are a number of sayings that speak to character some say "show me your friends and I'll show you who you are" another says "birds of a feather flock together".  Apparently some come up with their own slogan. "show me your friends and I'll show you your sexual orientation". What will they think of next.  Someone, seeing me in the company of another who is alleged (that's a safer word) to be homosexual and having seen me in this persons company more than once came to their own conclusion. Not only did they come to their own conclusion about my sexual orientation but they dared to say that as a Christian I shouldn't have associations with ''such persons''...sigh!!!! I decided to use this forum to  "come out'' in the open.

What I believe as a christian is that homosexuality is wrong (against God's laws) but so is fornication, adultery, murder, telling lies, stealing...you get the drift. I don't belive in a big sin and a little sin. Sin is sin, is sin, is sin, is sin. God did tell us however, to LOVE one another. Yup that's right. Love others as he first loved us.  So am I to stop talking to my friend because they're homosexual (alleged) I think not. I would give them my opinions on homosexuality but then I'd move on and prayer that I can let my life be a witness. What more can I do.  It would be in God's hands.  I thought, how hypocritical can Christians be. How can I say I love God and then don't love my brother but ignore them because of their lifestyle.  Remember the lady caught in adultery? What did Jesus say, he who is without sin cast the first stone." I might not know everything, or how to deal with every situation but I do know that we have been commaded to LOVE. Show love to our fellow brothers and sisters. Prayer for them, stand in the gap and give them over to God. 

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.- Colossians 3:12

Imagine if God would treat us the way we deserved or the way we treated others...

This, that and everything inbetween!

I haven't blogged in a while but not from lack of ideas. I've been concentrating on other things and just couldn't find the time.  This past month was baking month and I made the most adorable cupcake cake for a four year old. Check out the awesome cupcakes on the side.

I've decided that being an entrepreneur is the way for me to go. Getting all my ideas and resources together sure does take time though but I'm still going to cross the finish line. 

Recently I had my biggest baking job ever (unless you count family baking at christmas time). I baked 10 cakes for a customer. I was super proud of me.

Baking is hardwork though. I've taken to wearing sneakers when I'm in the kitchen. It makes all the standing easier on the body.  Don't talk about the clean up...sigh!! I think I'm going to have to give my little cousins a little something just to do the clean up.

I bake at night. Why, some people want to know, do I put off an entire day to go into the kitchen at night. Simply because it's easier and it's definitely cooler at night. I also DON'T have to worry about the flies at night since they're asleep. I just have to make sure I get a couple ZZzz's during the day so I won't be so tired when I burn the midnight oil.

So am I going to open a bakery... only if I can make do with baking cakes only. I love to bake...CAKES, not really into the turnovers and pastries etc. I'm not a fan of all the rolling out.

Event planning is where I want to go. I'm naturaly great at planning and organzing, researching and being creative. I think I've been blessed with a lot of talents so I want them to work for me now  (instead of other people). I may be a bit late in realising this but nothing ever happens before its time.  Giving thanks to God for his love, protection, health, blessings.

Stayed tuned for EVENTS BY GINA!!

This is the land of my birth (Not)

So I decided to write about another one of those places I've visited and fallen in love with...this being Jamaica.

My first visit to my sister caribbean island was in 1999. The Salvation Army's Caribbean Territory decided to hold it's Caribbean Music Institute (CariMI) in Jamaica. My first response was...WHY??!!!. Why not Barbados, afterall, our crime rate was not as high as in Jamaica, we didn't have as many murders, as in Jamaica and in my opinion we didn't have all de ganja. I was adamant that I was simply NOT going to Jamaica...EVER. Why would I want to go to such a crime infested country...mind you all I knew about Jamaica was what I heard in the news and this pretty much amounted to ''crime and violence, crime and violence". However, my desire to go to this first CariMI won out and I reluctantly got on the plane.

Poor me...when i arrived in Jamaica I had to wait almost TWO hours at the airport before I was collected! Why? After a high amount of murders in a two week period the goverment had placed a curfew on the city. Boy when I heard that I was ready to tell my ride don't bother, I gine back pun de next flight to Barbados. So for nearly a week I stayed on the campsite however, when I did leave (to go to LIME CAY) it was then I fell in love with Jamaica.

Jamaica, like most caribbean islands, is culturally rich however, the Jamaican culture is not hidden away or placed in neat little bundles and sold to tourists for a hefty portion instead, Jamaica wears it's culture on the streets. Driving through the streets of Jamaican you can almost (if you listen closely) hear the heartbeat of the nation.

The first thing I noticed was how enterprising the Jamaican people are. As I drove a long I realised people sold EVERYTHING anywhere. Car rims mounted on a wall (on some side street) for sale. People selling mangoes and other fruits to drivers, weaving in and out of the traffic. The most interesting thing I saw was the bagjuice (similar to the bajan "sucka bubby") but this is literally a juice in a bag as a opposed to a cute little tetra pac and people were selling these bag juices from out of card board boxes, crocus bags, just about anything.

It's interesting the amount of ports they have in Jamaica. You've got PORT Royal, PORTmore, PORT Antonio...Since my first visit I've visited Jamaica on 4 other occasions. I've stayed in Kingston, spent some time in Montego Bay and Mandeville and enjoyed a wonderful 2 week vacation in Savannah-la-mar and I've noticed that the Jamaican people love their FOOD. Hotdogs, burgers and tuna (in the tin) go out the window when I'm in Jamaica. I'ts banana, and banana and banana, liver(which I LOVE), ackee and saltfish, dumpling and saltfish, banana and saltfish, bakes and saltfish..and did I say Liver and of course you can't forget the stewpeas and rice. Ain't nothing like a Jamaican pattie or that scrumptous Tastee cheese in the tin (which I love). Unfortunately I'm not a fan of anything hot so I pass on the jerk pork and chicken.

I'm not a fan of Kingston but I fell in love with Savlamar; probably because the people there (and their ways) remind me of my days living in St. Andrew (in Barbados) as a child. Going to the market, visiting the butcher and eating all that country food. And the people...from the security guy at the patty place (who wanted my number in Barbados) to my friend's mom who made curry goat JUST FOR ME (and no one else).  I think mostly the people I met were FASCINATED by my accent, so they just engaged me in conversation...constantly. I certainly can't foget the washer woman!! Imagine momma, hired the washer woman to wash my two week supply of dirty clothes...WITH HER HANDS!! Of course on my return home I was loaded down with everything Jamaican.

My initial opinion of Jamaica was basically the danger of a single story. Now, I probably would live there if I had to. It's one of my favourite places, I love the Jamaican accent...can't imitate it no matter how I try and I love that my caribbean brothers and sisters, despite adversities have fought on; have produced people like Bob ,Garvey,and Usain Bolt; and are forerunners in the caribbean film industry as well as the arts.

Jamaica, not the land of my birth but the land of my heart.

Be NISE

Service. Most businesses wouldn't survive without good service. Some do however, and I think mostly it's because Bajans have a super high level of tolerance. Recently I've been trying to give people the benefit of the doubt but that's easier said than done.

I've started to plan my family reunion which is in 2012. Yes, this is just 2010 and I have lots of time but I've got to at least have a rough estimate of the cost. My family is spread across the entire world and people have to save so I need to give them some idea as to the cost of the activities.

In 2008, we held our reunion banquet at Colony Club Hotel.  Not only was the food superb but the service was EXCELLENT. When I say service I mean the enitre experience from initial contact through to the end of the function. The food and beverage manager there subsequently went on to win a Barbados Toursism Award in 2009.

So after my Colony Club experience every venue has a whole lot to live up to. After visiting some properties I've narrowed my choices down to 3 hotels and I particularly like the one which has a lot of sea breeze.  Here is where SERVICE comes into play. 

I'm just waiting on the GM (who dealt with me) to send me an email giving me an idea of the cost and the menus that fit into my budget. After  viewing the restaurant at this hotel, I sent an email requesting this information... No response. I waited about a month and sent another email, (I assume he didn't read the first)...still no response. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, (being the GM and all he's got to be busy) I decided to call...left a message...no response. Went on to leave at least FOUR telephone messages and send another email...De man ain't respond yet!!!!

A number of reason run through my mind:

1. 
   
   He  thinks I'm not serious
2. 
   
   The reunion is in 2012 so he believes he has AT LEAST a year to respond to me
3. 
   
   It's just a little old family reunion and we really don't reach very high on the totem pole of potential customers
4. 
   
   He didn't get my emails or my MANY telephone messages
5. 
   
   He's on vacation or sick-leave

Since I'm planning this reunion for FREE and it's not like I have a client who particularly requested the hotel where the seabreeze blows, I've decided to forget about them and look at my other choices.  After all, we are going to be PAYING for the location and since Colony Club set the bar SOO high I refuse to settle for anything less. 

National Initiative for Service Excellence...some people just don't know how to be NISE.

Concrete Jungles Where Dreams are Made of...

I've always loved the idea of getting on a airplane and after a few minutes or hours, arriving in a place that is so much different from the island I call home. One of those places which I fell in love with was New York, the Big Apple, the capital of the world.  I have visited other cities but none give me that buzz that NY does.

For Bajans, New York is like one of those places where you MUST go. We flock to New York every summer in droves, to visit family and friends and of course to shop, shop and shop some more.  I wonder how many of them see the place, how vibrant New York is with culture or do they just see Fulton Street, 34th street, the fashion district, Sak's Fifth avenue and the Aquaduct flea market. 

What I love about New York? The Culture: I love that there is a Little Korea,a Little Italy a Chinatown. That I can go into a random store and hear Bajan, Trini, and Jamaican accents and be served by an Italian dude. New York is like one big cohoblopot where you'll get a little bit of this and little bit of that.   In New York I can find a Banks beer, drink a Ting and even have some fish cakes and an ice cold glass of mauby.  It's one of those places that grows on you.

The free concernts in the various parks in any of the boroughs....if you're an arts lover like I am, then those free concerts are the best thing...next to slice bread.  I've totally enjoyed my visits to Soho and marvelled at the different types of architecture (and NO I'm not an architecture buff) in the boroughs. From Soho's cast iron buildings to the brownstones in Brooklyn Heights.

There's nothing like a NY subway station. I know, they're trains all over, nothing new about a train but where else do you hear classical musicians, bucket drumming, and accordians, in one day.  The subway of course  and...did you know the NY subway is one of the world's largest(obvious) and let's  not talk about public transportation after midnight...in B'dos I've got to make sure I'm on the last bus at 12a.m (if i want to get home, that is). It took me a little while to understand the subway system there but once I got the 'uptown-downtown' business understood...I was good to go.

If we're talking about NY we definitely can't forget Times Square and 42nd street. It's like Baxters Road or Oistins but in a bigger City.  The place never sleeps. You can leave home at 10p.m. and still watch a movie, get a bite to eat and take a ride on a buggy. Let's not forget Toys R Us.  I do love shopping, and I can browse for hours without buying anything. 

Everything in the city is not all roses (we know that), the streets there are NOT paved with gold but there's something to be said, I think, about people, who flock to the place, for a better life.  All won't make it but NY, I believed is filled with the dreams of immigrants, some full-filled and some not and these dreams resonate around the city.

As much as I'm fascinated by New York, I wouldn't live in the place.  I'm a caribbean girl. I love my sea to look blue and my sand to be almost white and summer all year round. I love that I still live in a place where some people remember to say good morning when they pass you on the streets and that I don't need to rush all the time, just because 'it's the thing to do'.

Yet for some Alicia Keys got it right when she said:

"these streets will make you feel brand new, big lights will inspire you, Let's hear it for NEW YORK!!

Full Coverage

I've been on this ''makeup journey'' for about two years. Now I'm in no way addicted to the stuff. I can, on any given day, wash my face, moisturize and go. However, I love makeup. My face to me is like a canvas to an artiste. I'm not super great at it but I do try a little something, something. Living here in Barbados where it's ALWAYS hot has its benefits where makeup is concerned. I don't need to buy a winter shade and a summer shade. My complexion stays the same from January to December.
Now as I've said in an earlier blog I've been trying to use different products. Thus far I've tried Iman (which is ok) and MAC which for the most part I love. I've also tried, at least once, Cover girl, Fashion Fair and Maybelline and even (gasp) Mary Kay. I tried Black Up once (wasn't mine) and I totally love the feel of it going onto my skin. Unfortunately I totally DON'T love the price since it's roughly US$50 here.

Right now I've settled on Mac and Iman. However, this makeup thing is not cheap. Makeup costs money and here in Barbados where the cost of the items includes shipping and duties it's rather expensive. Take for instance Iman, a drug store brand in the US that sells for a little more than $10 in some places. Here in Barbados it sells for approximately US 30!!!!! can you believe it.
I was trying to make my MAC Studio Tech foundation last as long as possible and it barely reached the 6mth mark. Now it's gone (bummer)) and I'm not working right now, so I really can't, with a good conscience spend 60 or 80 dollars for stuff to put on my face. Well as my mom would say ''force make water go up hill'' so I decided to buy a Black Opal stick foundation for twenty bucks!! I've tried Black Opal only once before, more than 10 years ago. At the time I really couldn't find my shade. It was either too dark or too light. Well I've got to thank Erin from Scandalous Beauty for reintroducing me to Black Opal, she gives it a lot of praise on her Youtube Channel

I've got to give myself a pat on the back because I bought, a good shade without having a tester (yeah!!). Now my face has a lot hyperpigmentation. I hardly notice it but I know it's there. These dark chunks on my cheeks that I ususally try to hide when I'm having a night out on the town. I tried the Black Opal tonight when I came home and my honest reaction as far as coverage was Not Bad...It gives good coverage. I don't need to use a concealer on my cheeks since it covers the hyperpigmentation quite nicely (and I really don't want to look tooooo made up) I'm not 100% certain that the shade is the BEST shade but it works. Obviously it doesn't feel like MAC or Black Up (which feels silky smooth) and you've got to make sure you set it but for 20 bucks it'll definitely work for now. These are the pics I took tonight (got to try it tomorrow in the day time). Give me your honest opinion.

How the Youth Get So

So everytime something happens among the young people of this country we hear the talk being circulated 'how de  youth get so?' Everybody gets to buzzing, everybody has an opinion. Apparently this generation of young people cannot be saved and there is no hope for our future. I've always thought that children DO NOT socialize themselves.  It's not like if we took everyone let's say 35 and under out of the country that all the ''social ills'' would disappear. Indeed NOT.  Are the 'adults' in society setting examples for young people to follow? Are parents teaching and guiding their children?

I've been to parties where a two year old cusses an adult and everybody laughs (some nervously) no one corrects the child.  Or mummy takes her  5 year old to the supermarket and he wants a snack so he rolls on the ground and throws a tantrum (and mummy buys the snack). So usually it goes like this...mummy Can I have...Can I go....Can I do...? and mummy says Yes! Yes! Yes!Do parents ever stop to think that maybe, just maybe, that little word NO  would come in useful.

Children seem to have everything nowadays. Laptops, cell phones, Ipods, play stations and the list goes on.  Some children have almost every single gadget there is out there (for kids). In addition to that, mummy does the laundry tidies the room, cooks the food etc What does the child do? How do we teach them responsibility if they get everything (at great cost to mum and dad) and everything is done for them; or that sometimes it's good to do without or to maybe work to achieve something.

Then we have the Do as I say but not as I do mentality. In other words,  I can have lots of boyfriends but you can't ORI can cuss but you can't OR I can party hard and drink till I get drunk, but you can't? Are parents serious? Don't we realise that our children learn from us. They are like sponges soaking up every little thing in site. Or rather, they are like mirrors and sometimes (unless they break the cycle) our lives are reflected in them. 

So on how de youth get so...Today I was waiting on a minibus and decided to wait in the market, in the cool and out of the hot sun. I was standing  near an old lady's tray when about 15minutes after I heard her mutter "next time I going to buy a can of fly spray and when people stand up in front my tray I going to spray all 'round it" I thought I was hearing things but then she said it again. I couldn't believe she wanted me to move but was telling me to move in a rather roundabout way. So I said to her that if she wanted to me to move all she had to do was ask...who tell me say so... the old lady proceeded to tell me that I could go and pick up my clothes from in de bush where I left them (ehem) and all about me and wuh I does do (or don't do) and that me and she aint no company and that I only have a pretty face but no COMMON SENSE...this last part with great emphasis...and on and on she went.

And we wonder how de youth get so...

I got a feeling

What is this feeling called love. The dictionary calls it a strong affection for another person. I just say it's OVER-RATED. Love. How many times have you ''fallen in love" or out of love for that matter.  Was the person not cute enough. Not sweet enough. Didn't pay you as much attention as they used to. Did your feelings just die!

I've been watching 16 and pregant on MTV and in almost every single episode, the fathers were either non-existant or simply too immature to handle a baby so typically the MOM did all the work. On the most recent episode, we meet a girl, who has sex with a guy on a rebound. A month later she finds out she's pregnant. WITH TWINS.  The guy, is no ordinary guy, because he sticks around. He survives pregancy AND delivery. He gets an apartment, sells his truck, buys a family van AND a car for the girl.  They do argue occasionally but nothing a  little couselling won't solve. He stays home at night so she can go out with her girlfriends.  The girl decides she's not in LOVE with the guy in fact she's in love with her ex-boyfriend who she broke up with before she had rebound sex.  Now here is where I simply just want to kick her in the head. Now here you've got a guy who ADMITS that yes inititally he wasn't in LOVE but now he loves his family and he wants to make things work and you've got an immature 16 year old who can only think about her exboyfriend. An exboyfriend who by the way tells her she got pregant because she made a stupid decision(and now he no longer returns her calls). So now she's sad because she's already pushed away a good guy (baby daddy who has now moved back in with his parents) and she now realises that she misses him and that you don't know what you've go till it's gone. My Jamaican sister would call her a dumb ass.

Now do we yet see why love can't just be a feeling. It's got to be more than that. It's got to be commitment. Guy committed to girl and girl committed to guy and both of them committed to making that relationship work. We obviously get problems when all we can think about is self, self, self, self, self. Now I can hear the naysayers.  ''but there's got to be some attraction'' I've got to feel SOMETHING. I agree with you there. You've got to feel something. That attraction, according to my cus is  just 10%.  When the baby's balling the house down at 2 in the morning (especially when you got twins) what makes both of you get up. Love or commitment. I say it's commitment. Cause that love is only gonna push you so far.

However, let's put another spin on this thing. I believe in the Bible (unapologetically) and it tells me a bit about love. From what I read love CANNOT just be a feeling. It's something you do or should I say something you're committed to.  Here are just a few things the B-i-b-l-e has to say about love.

• 
  
  Love cares more for others than for self. 
• 
  
  Isn't always "me first,"
• 
  
  Doesn't fly off the handle,
• 
  
  Puts up with anything,
• 
  
  Always looks for the best,
• 
  
  Trusts God always,

Weww. That's a lot. Now that one that says ''doesn't fly off the handle'' that's the one that makes me say love has to be a commitment. Most of us will fly off the handle sometimes. I know I do. For me NOT to fly off the handle that's one big commitment in and of itself.  When you really think about it though. If we treat others the way we want to be treated, love would be so easy.  Obviously though it seems that this love thing is something you've just got to WORK at and be committed. 

Moral of the story... sex is NOT for children. Wait till wunna married!

Me and my Cakes

I absolutely love to bake. I would always bake the occasional cake when I was in my teens but somewhere along the way the love of baking sneaked up on me. Sometimes I'll just, for no apparent reason, get the urge to try a new recipe. Now, with this love of baking you'd think I'm a cake-a-holic. Far from. I really don't like the stuff at all. In fact I'm not really a fan of anything sweet. I've got tasters though. My mom, my brother, my cousins and friends will usually tell me how the cake went. I do taste the cakes to make sure they aren't too dry, too clammy, too sweet, make sure the texture's just right but you wouldn't see me eating an entire slice. I'm just not a cake eater.

I'm in love with the process. The mixing and creaming and blending and beating all to create that perfect finished product, which doesn't always come out perfect mind you. I've had MANY disasters. Like the time I made the perfect chocolate nut cake...and forgot to grease the pans.

I've become really serious about baking over the last two years and I've been turning out birthday cakes, valetine's cakes, anniversary cakes...any occasion cakes, just to practice the art of cake baking. Along the way I've learned a thing or two.

• I ALWAYS sift the flour and depending on the recipe I'll sift it twice. I've discovered self-rising flour (thanks to my aunt).  It's a joy. I no longer use that other stuff.
• When I first started my kitchen would be topsy turvy at the end of a session. Now I try to measure all ingredients and put them aside and I wash up as I go along.
• Betty Crocker is my best friend. If you didn't know it there are product recipes on their website and since goldmedal flour is one of their brands you can find some really good scratch baking recipes on there.

I recently tried their Peanut Butter Marble Cake for my friend's birthday and the best response I got was from her brother who said  ''this is the best cake I've ever had" so if you like the combination of peanut  butter and chocolate, you can give the recipe a try.  I made one slight alteration when I iced the cake. I put chocolate chips in between the two layers for that extra chocolatety taste. Here's the finished product. The link the recipe is below.

Peanut butter marble cake by Betty Crocker. Try it and let me know what you think

Feeling Hot Hot Hot!

I feeling hot, you feeling hot, we feeling hot, hot, hot. The sun has been coming out every day in Barbados since last year's rainy season. In other words, 'nuh rain ain't falling'. I really, really need some rain now. I'm so tired of the heat just about now. Not humidity by the way, scorching hot sun. Everyday. all the time. Everytime I see a little cloud I say ahh ... and then the rain does NOT fall. Things are soo bad the Water Authority is telling us not to water ornamental plants. Some people obviously don't care because they are still wetting the lawn grass and the shrubs. Now I won't mind if they were growing food but dont't tell me you are going to use SCARCE water to wet plants that are only going to look pretty. Bajans are really too much. Now if you live in Barbados and if you're from St. Andrew like I am, then you know that country people water is the first to get turn off.  Not the ones in the town. When the Water Authority decides to implement stage two of their ''save the water" plan, the first taps to be dry will be those in...yes you guessed, the country. Those that live in places like BOSCOBELLE way in the country.

So a couple weeks ago I'm in Boscobelle visiting a cousin and  I realise that while my garden at home is brown, brown, brown, the gardens in Boscobelle green, green, green and pretty, pretty. So I took a walk in the neighbourhood only to realise that people are watering their ornamental plants. Yes the very thing that the Water Authority says not to do Boscobelle people are doing quite comfortably. Well let them continue. It's their water that will get shut off first.  

I remember in the 2008 rainy season we had so much rain that I had to wear my sneakers to work almost everyday and every evening I was praying that the rain waited until I got into the bus terminal before it came down.  This did not happen last year. It seems like Barbados has been dry for ages. I'm praying that some rain will come because this water shortage thing ain't no joke. The thing, is when the Water Authoirty decides that things really bad and start shutting off the water, more than likely they will turn it off in the country areas. Those areas where they figure no one of ''importance'' lives just the plebs. Yup, like those people in Boscobelle who continue to waste the precious water.

Since water is so scare we need to find ways to minimize our usage.

1. If you must wet the garden, try catching that water you run while you're waiting on the hot water to come through.
2. but a bottle/ball or some other device in the toilet tank. You can usually flush the toilet on less water than you do now. 
3. If you're installign a new toilet purchase one where you can control the flush i.e you hold the button down to flush and it stops as soon as you let it go, so you only use what is absolutely necessary to flush.
4. Make sure your pipes aren't leaking. If you have a drip and you can't get it fixed right away, catch that water until you do. Use it to flush the toilet or wet the garden.

This is just  a small little island. What we need now is a good week of rain rain rain and more rain. Yes people will change their cry. Instead of it being too hot and too dry you'll soon here 'de rain ain't wanna stop'. However, I still say SEND DOWN THE RAIN!!

Be Responsible

I thought I was going to get around to writing about that delectable meal I had at the Hilton on Saturday....

My heart weeps for the mother of the little girl who drowned at Miami Beach on Sunday as well as for the family friend who will never forget this...children and negligence do not mix. The sea is no respector of man... Watch your children...ALWAYS!

It was with a great sadness I read in the Nation Newspaper about a little girl just seven years old who drowned at the sea. I am not a mother so I can't imagine the  mother's pain but 4 years ago my brother a 6ft 5inch 20year drowned at the same beach.  My brother was an adult who got up that Sunday morning and drove to the sea. My brother as tall and as strong as he was could not fight the sea and as a result lost his life. I sympathize with the mother of that little girl and my heart grieves for the loss of a such a young life yet I cannot help but wonder why adults continue to believe that the sea can be likened to a splash pool in one's backyard.   

We need to teach our children to love and respect the sea, and learn to swim.  It's interesting how, in an island as small as Barbados (166sq miles) we have so many people who don't know how to swim. Even those that can swim need to understand that the sea is no respector of man and we need to act accordingly.

As I read the article I thought that for the rest of her life, that lady (not the mother) who took that child to the sea will always wonder what she could have done.  We can't bring the little girl back but we can try, by speaking out, to save a life to come.  Parents/Guardians need to be a bit more responsible for their charges.  I have no children but I have countless cousins and have always been responsible for taking them to picnics at the beach, to the park, to fairs and countless other occasions.  Even when I give them the opportunity for ''free play'' my eyes are always glued to them, watching their every movement. Things, which we regret for a lifetime, can happen in the blink of an eye. 

A few weekends ago I was at Agrofest and every 5 mins during the day there was a call for parents/guardians to collect some little one from the police outpost.  Some of these parents/guardians need to be charged with some type of negligence at these events especially when you can hear the announcer calling for the parent/guardian some 20 minutes after the initiall announcement.  I cannnot understand how persons can so easily allow children to wander off at an event filled with hundreds if not thousands of people.  Fortunately for us, this is still Barbados but adults need to be more vigilent and realise that we are here to protect the children and keep them safe. Negligence cannot and should not be excused.

Family

Initially I was going to write about the wonderful time I had at the Hilton hotel on Saturday night but something I saw on my facebook changed the direction of my thoughts.

Family...We all have family. Moms, Dads, brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandmothers and grandfathers. Some of us even have stepbrothers and sisters, step moms and dads. Adopted siblings or parents. However you look at it, we've got some kind of family.

For me, my family are those persons who are related to me by blood. Those that are in my family tree. I come from a very large family. My great-grandfather, on my mom's side had 4 children, his father, my great-great gradfather had 7 children and my grandmother (my mom's mother) had 7 children. Now interestingly enough, I call all these persons my family. Some of them I know some I don't know. Some of my first cousins and even second cousins I talk to everyday, others if i hear them once a year it's a lot, some I may not have a conversation with in a couple years and others I hardly know. However, in my eyes they're all still family.

Now some of my really close friends are obviously closer to me than my own family. However, I cannot get rid of my family. Whether I choose to speak with them, send them greetings at the appropriate times during the year or simply ignore them, as some would say ''blood is blood''. I can choose to ignore my family or I can choose to embrace them. I choose to embrace mine, whether or not they welcome that embrace. The funny thing is that even when we ignore family in life, we are quick to recognise them in death. We go to their funerals; we might not have said two words to them while they were alive; we might have ignored all advances, chose to pretend the weren't family but as soon as there is a death we whole heartedly embrace them and extend to them the love that they can now no longer feel. The two things they say that bring families together...weddings and funerals. I've always been and will always continue to be a family person. I know that they are times when I will reach out to family and be rejected but I will continue to do so because that's who I am...welcome to the family!