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
....having two days off and a whole morning and half the afternoon off when cricket is playing!
I will be off this weekend and don't go back to work until Monday 4pm. So I hope it doesn't rain in Jamaica at Sabina Park where I really should have been, but you know, duty calls sometimes.
I've rented a car for when I leave work on Friday afternoon, so the days off will most probably involve driving in the countryside somewhere. Must remember to take my new camera!
I'm in ecstacy. Watching cricket is better than sex. (on a creaking bed)
Having Friday as a day off with cricket playing.
Woke up at about 9:45, had breakfast (cooked oatmeal, protein powder, raisins, ripe banana, juice, half mango). Let the food digest a bit, then it was time for houseword while the TV was showing cricket.
First I took up all the clothes that have been on the bed in the Sex Bedroom since 1st April....
I live in a two bedroom flat. One bedroom, the one I have been sleeping in, has two twin beds and the other has one double bed. I decided that I want a change. So while I was spreading up the second bedroom, I was thinking that that is the bed I should use for sex......assuming that I something I do!
While speading it up though, I noticed that it squeaks, so that won't do. I can't have sex on a squeaking bed. It's a distraction. So no sex. Anyway, that is where I will sleep tonight.
Put loads of washing in the machine. Three to be exact. First the towels, but that couldnt be done until the rain stopped. Oh, I didn't mention that it was pouring when I woke up and continued for about an hour after that. So after the towls, it was the work clothes (why can't I wear sweat pants and sneakers to work???), then the sheets that haven't been christened with sex.
I then swept and mopped di whole apartment. It's actually quite large and cheap. I don't know why I called the real estate agents today searching for another. Oh, I remember why as I made my way through the bush to get to the supermarket at about 4:30. Before that, I had checked online for what was going to be showing on Oprah. Nothing exciting. Her shows are getting less interesting I find. Less philosophical. I like philosophical and psychological shows and of course the odd celebrity silly show is appreciated.
Came back. Oh, in the supermarket I was asking one of the guys who works there for the mini packs of Crix. If you havent discovered them, go searching. They are 60 calories per pack, the biscuits are tiny so you get a lot. It's a psychological ploy actually. You think you are eating a lot because you have to dip your hand in the packet many times. Anyway, the guy asked if I didn't want the large pack. No, I explained to him, because I will keep dipping my hand in and then eat a lot. "You're dieting". Yes. Kind of. Have to lose 20 more pounds. "You're ok as you are man". Then another guy who works there who I know comes out from the storeroom. So I tell him about the 20 pounds. He say nah, you're fine. Me nah listen to dem.
Came back home, warmed up veggie mince which had been frozen in the freezer (no shit Sherlock!) for a couple of weeks, boiled some spinach pasta, made a salad (lettuce, tomato, carrot, cheese, fat free dressing) and had Diet 7-up (no aspartame, no caffeine).
Now I am going to have a little ice cream to round off a great day.
The news that three children ranging in ages from 2 to 12 perished in a fire sent chills around the island this week. The newspapers came out today and the picture of all three are on the front page. Their mother, it is reported, left them and went to Fish Friday on the West Coast.
Gouyave is a fishing village and an area that never sleeps it is said. One year ago they started this attraction where various vendors sell various seafood. I haven't quite made it up there yet.
I guess the mother will get a cussing from the villages in Sauteurs which is in the north of the island. Wouldn't it be nice if we could see into the future? Very sad story.
I been walking up and down today, for a part of the day in high heel shoes and my feet hurt. Rather my toes hurt. And I dont even have warm water at home to be able to take a nice hot shower. Oh dear.
An own goal? Thereby helping USA to get a point? Come on my people, come on!
And Ghana, wha' dat yuh do too???? You were not supposed to have beat Czech. Throws the group wide open now.
Darn it. Things aren't progressing as they should.
Took an employee to the hospital today. I would say we reached there around 11:45am. At about 1:30pm, when she had not been seen, I decided to leave her and arranged with the hospital to call me when she was done. I just looked at my watch. It said 4:30pm, so I called, thinking that maybe she called but somebody forgot to give me the message.
How shocked was I when they said she had not been seen yet.....and they couldn't tell me when she would be seen! When I left, there were 5 more persons in front of her. Today is a public holiday. I guess all the [Cuban] doctors are having a day off! Terrible. Just terrible.
The following notice has appeared in all of the weekly newspapers in Grenada.
The following clothing should NOT be worn when visiting patients, attending clinics or the Accident and Emergency Dept, and Hospital Services.
"Save & Except in cases of EMERGENCIES"
Backless clothing - Dirty clothing
See through or provocative clothing
Bathing suits of any type - Deep sleeveless clothing
Clothing which exposes the breast
Altered clothing - removed sleeves or Split collars
This is in an effort to improve and maintain high standards in the delivery of health care.
Persons considered to be inappropriately dressed will be turned away. Please dress modestly.
Prepared by the Hospital Management & Quality Improvement Dept
So they are trying to lift the standards by telling people how to dress, but they are not getting sufficient doctors to deliver high standards! See entry about the visit today there....
I wonder if they will have a good night's sleep tonight before the big day tomorrow. All former colonies want to whoop their former colonial masters big time. Wouldn't it be a great story if Trinidad earns a win against England?
And I have read that the substitute goal keeper will play in this match. Hmmm, I wonder if the regular keeper Kelvin Jack, saw how much better Shaka kept and decided to not get fit. He had a leg problem I think.
Go Shaka!. Go Trinidad!
Italy beat Ghana 2 - 0. Next they play USA. Go Italy!
Maaaan, I thank India and West Indies for providing such a dull match (or maybe it is the curator who prepared the pitch I should be thanking). Were it not for this, I wouldn't have seen Jamaica's own home grown Asafa Powell equal the world record in the 100m England at the Norwich Union meet at Gateshead. Jamaica's Michael Frater was second.
Gatlin chickened out because he was fearful of the cold. He shouldn't have been. He shoulda been afraid of the heat that Asafa was going to put into his tail.
On to July 28th. That's when the two will class. Lawks a massy. Ah cyan wait. Ah cyan wait.
I was told yesterday that the insurance company that does the group health and life insurance here rejected my application for insurance. I wonder if they have been reading this blog, and saw how regularly I talk about health stuff and sickness and death. Do they think I am a ticking time bomb that will eat into their millions?
Seriously, I think insurance companies are unethical. Here is why.
They make it look like they are in business for the good of mankind, when all they want to do is collect the premiums and not have to pay out anything!
So I was very honest on my form about all the tests that I have done. Note that all the results have come back normal, so I really don't know what the problem is. I hear that I can appeal, so last night, I was planning my speech.....
1. Over the last five years, I have gone from morbidly obese (241 pounds) to just a little obese (205 yeah, yeah, I know...the weight tracker is wrong)
2. I have NEVER had high blood pressure, or high cholesterol or high sugar.
3. Diabetes or heart disease don't run in my family.
4. I don't eat red meat or poultry, I don't drink, I don't smoke and I eat a lot of plant based foods.
5. I decided not to buy a car so that I can walk to and from work (a total of about 35 minutes). Note that walking back home is up a hill!
6. I exercise regularly apart from the walk to and from home.
7. I am happy inside, so no chance of dying from stress related illnesses.
What more could they want? I am the ideal candidate! And if they say Yamfoot, if we insure you, you can only do two tests per year, I could live with that!
But how am I supposed to feel, being in a foreign country, with no assurance, that should something accidentally happen to me at work, I would be taken care of medically?
So I paying the price for being honest, cause I sure many of the employees tick NO for questions that they should really be ticking YES for. Can insurance companies check what employees don't disclose? NO. So other people who I sure have chronic diseases that they don't know about yet, are happily being covered, and healthy me am not.
Life just aint fair. We'll see how this one ends up.
As I walked back in my office yesterday, I get a call from Scotiabank saying they have good news for me.
They were running this Mastercard promotion giving away trips to the football World Cup and merchandise. No, I didn't win the trip to Germany. But I did win the following:-
1 carry bag
1 knapsack
1 cap
1 football shirt
1 football
Neat huh? This is only the second time I have won anything. Last time was some paintings in a raffle donkeys years ago.
So I went to the bank this morning to collect my prize. There were TV cameras so maybe I will be on TV in my bright orange shirt.
Rodney Clarke and Robert Anderson. Also click here for more on Robert.
(and I know them both. Watch this space)
I've probably commented here a few times about the end of one's life not being certain, and me for one had this thought when I was a teenager that I wouldn't live past 40 (just because some boy that I liked, actually he was about 5 or 6 years older than me so he was a "big man" to me dem times, said that that is why he wasn't getting married, cause him not going to live past 40).
Of course you know my 40th is in October. Surprisingly, I am taking this year in stride, flying all over the place, not ever thinking that the plane going to crash and the not-living-to-40-thought would become a self-fulfilling prophesy. As they say in Jamaica, if yuh born fi heng, yuh cyant drown!
Anyway, everytime I hear of the passing of a young person, I am concerned. Heard of another such last night.
Her name is Jackie. I have known her from prep school because she went to the same one that my brother went to and she played on the netball team which my mother coached. Then she joined me at St Hugh's. I think she is about 38 or so. Yesterday morning she died of breast cancer presumably. She leaves behind a very young baby. My niece would be quite distraught over the news because Jackie went back to teach at the same prep school she went to, which is where my niece and nephew go to/went to, and Jackie looked out for the kids.
Life. So unpredictable.
So, who is going to win World Cup this year?
I am voting for Italy. Do they even have a team in the competition????? Talk to me about cricket. I know zilch about football, but I promise to follow Italy's progress
I don't know if enigma is the right word, but what I mean to say is, with all that is wrong in Jamaica, tourists still come. Rather, more and more tourists come each year.
And Grenada, peaceful serene Grenada, is struggling!