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.