Departure Date? (by Beenie Girl)

I am not normally a person who gets horridly homesick. I do miss loved ones when I am not at home, but in general I tend to be okay once I can communicate with them on some level on a regular basis. Now and again I crave some salt prunes or doubles or something else from home, but generally I tend to be okay away from home. BUT I don't know what is going on with me these days. I am just missing all kinds of boys, girls, animals, places, things and even TV shows . . .

I feel homesick.

WHY?

Well this may sound weird but it only just dawned on me that I don't know when I am leaving this place. Normally if I am away from home, I at least know or have an idea of how long my intended stay will be, so I usually just keep that in mind and I am alright in the interim because I know that I just need to suck it up and enjoy where I am until the time comes for me to go back home. I know they say that a posting is normally three years, but the fact is, it can be shorter than that or it can be longer than that. Really and truly I am here until these people say I can go home. And that is what is bothering me - I have no departure date.

So I've been feeling a little bummy, I have not even felt like blogging in a while. I am at a point now where I don't want to hear another word of Spanish or see another plate of black beans. I just want to be home. I miss the look on my nephew's face when I go visit for the weekend. I miss roaming all over Port of Spain in the City Service Shuttle. I miss putting on my rubber flip-flops, strolling down the road from Belmont and going shopping on Charlotte Street on Saturday mornings. I miss going to the movies with my brother in law and going from one movie into the next until our eyes get tired. I miss driving to Gulf City just to buy ice-cream. I want a wing special from Royal Castle, with lots of ketchup and pepper. I want to watch HGTV for 4 hours straight. I want a bag of Cheetos and an Apple J. I just want to be home.

I haven't even been here that long, so I have lots more time to go. . . Hopefully this is just a phase that will wear off a bit soon.

The world is our Battle Field (by Sylph)

Before leaving headquarters to take up our new adventures at post, we under went a series of training programmes, ranging from dealing with transitions, to immigration and accounting procedure's. However, at no point were we trained in combat techniques, the art of haggling, or preparing ones digestive system to deal with the new cuisine. I can vividly remember persons LAUGHING at my request for weapons training, as everyone for some reason down-played the seriousness of the environment in which we were about to enter. However, in the three months that we have been at post, already two of my colleagues at different missions, have had to develop evacuation plans in the event of civil unrest and things becoming to RISKY. Can anyone tell me why???? No where in the job specs or application process they made mention of the requirement for persons to have excellent skills in evacuation techniques at short notice. My advise though to anyone that might find themselves in such a situation, is to pack light and always ensure that your passport is at hand. This is no time for make-up, memorabilia, sexy shoes or cute outfits. Because your life might be dependent upon it.

Another issue of great concern is the matter of health care. This is one issue that my girl in Havana does not have to contend with, however for the rest of, particular the ones across the Atlantic, there is a grey cloud of uncertainty as to the health situation and what pertains when the need arise. Because some of us now find ourselves operating in an environment containing diseases and outbreaks, whose spread has either been significantly reduced or has been eradicated from our side of the Atlantic many many moons ago. Yes we were all immunized with a truck load of vaccinations before our departure and some of us started taking weekly treatments for malaria. However, I was later advised that the malaria treatment was just that, only a TREATMENT and was really not a preventative drug. So the possibility of contracting the dreaded disease was quite high, even on the medication. Added to which the long-term side effects of being on the treatment for an extended period of time was even worst than contracting the dread disease... So clearly there was no winning in this situation, its either we contract malaria and hope for the best, or we expose ourselves to longtime kidney or liver failure. WHOOPEE!!!!!!!!! Actually just a few days ago my mother and I were advised to allow the mosquitoes to bite us, so we can build up our resistance. I looked at the Dr. as though she was from Mars, because she certainly was not speaking my language. My advise for the fight against malaria, tonnes of Off, citronella and any other form of insect repellent you can put your hands on, in addition to which, your accommodation must have screened windows and tonnes of bug spray, just in the event that one of those disease spreading little critters manage to make their way inside. Mosquitoes do not stand a chance in my apartment.

The concept of haggling was also a new phenomenon that some of us have to contend with. For those of you that have never come across the word, thank your lucky stars. To haggle, as so eloquently described in the Nelson's Contemporary English Dictionary means to bargain or argue especially over prices or terms. I could not have said it better. Let me describe, you enter the market and beginning to browse, on seeing something that you would like to purchase, you enquire the price. Now you have to enquire, because somehow the concept of price tags did not make it across the Atlantic. The vendor on realising that you are not a native or regular customer, calculates the most ridiculous price in his or her head and boldly proclaims. Now this is where the haggling begins.... On hearing the proclamation you do not flinch, act surprised or attempt to display money, you simply say "are you out of your mind" and call a price just below what you are willing to pay. The vendor shakes his or her head and maintains the price first proclaimed. You, as serious as a heart attack does the same, maintaining your offer..... By then the vendor begins to realise that you have been on the local scene for a while, so the third offer will be slightly reduced. You on the other hand are maintaining your first offer without cracking grin, because this is some serious negotiations. At this point you are guaranteed to hear a sad story, about the devaluation of the local currency, how difficult it is to survive, the high quality of the product, or some other pack of tripe. Whatever you do, never give in and maintain a serious disposition. At this point, you can add a few dollars onto your offer price and if they persist with their offer price, simply walk away. You will be amazed of the effect that act of walking has on the haggling process, because some how the vendor automatically comes to their senses and chase after you with product in hand. Only then will you become aware of the true price, as the vendor in the sweetest tone, begin a different type of negotiation with you to get the good off of his or her hand. That's when you offer your final price and on most occasions its accepted, so you seal the deal. My advise to anyone attempting to haggle for the first time, always be equipped with a calculator, know the conversion rate between the two currencies and have an established amount that you are willing to spend on the item, otherwise you are guaranteed to be robbed.

They always say that what don't break you, will certainly make you stronger and we can attest to that. The world is our battle field and I will assure that these soldiers are ready for combat, so believe me when I say we will come out victorious.

Growing up in 80's (by Sylph)

As a child growing up in the 80's there was a certain level of innocence and simplicity to life. Life was not bombarded by cable TV, Nintendo, computers, the Internet, cell phones, DVD and MP3 players, and the rest of innovations that the new millennium has introduced. Instead, we had one television station that signed-off from midday to 4pm, when the infamous Sesame Street would be aired. We had Beta Max video players and for the fortunate Atari games for entertainment. The average child of that era grew up playing board games, such as snake and ladder, ludo and monopoly and had to be creative and generate games on their own to amuse and entertain themselves. We were masters at playing moral and hop-scotch, jump rope and hide and go seek, which all had the added benefit of providing us with our daily dosage of exercise. Obesity and child diabetes in the 80's was simply unheard of. So to was today's catch phrase, "I'm Bored"..... Not for the life of me can I understand what a child growing up in the new millennium can possibly mean by that. Is it that over exposure leads to a drain on a child's creative capacity, or they simply do not know how to express themselves and mistakenly think that beinging overwhelmed by too many toys and electronic activity, is best described as boredom???? Because somehow I cannot remember that phrase being a part of the vocabulary during the 80's. Children were never bored, a matter of fact I do not think they knew that such a word or phrase existed. There was too much outdoor activity for a child to possibility think about boredom. How can one be bored when there were fruit trees to climb and raid, cousin's and neighbours to play catch and rescue all day, and drains and canals to run races for the most coveted title of sail boat champion of the day.

During the 80's we did not have much, however we had creative minds and we ensured that the little we had went a L-O-N-G way. I clearly remember mid 1980's when the country hit rock bottom and the IMF and World Bank had to be called in for economic restructuring. It was a gloomy period for the economy. Back then very few persons knew about the IMF, so for the average man it was very unsettling when the Government started introducing the new fiscal and monetary policies. No COLA, salary reductions, trade embargos, increased tariffs, limited access to foreign exchange.... and this was followed by the closure of many companies and job loss for hundreds of employees.

Now to be honest at the age of eight, amidst all of this economic restructuring, all you are concerned about are your three square meals and snack at the end of the day. But when the composition of those meals begun to be affected by the restructuring, primarly the embargo, things became little agonising. For example, a typical breakfast pre-recession could have been comprised of bread/bake and some sort of filling, with strawberry Quick and for snack later on that day you would have been certain to have one of kelloggs many variety packs of cereal, either frosted flakes, or corn pops, or apple jacks, or fruit loops and the list could go on and on. Post recession however, there was strict ban on imported food products..... So now all little children have to aquiant themselves with the local brands and manufacturers and say welcome to Milo and Ovaline. Up to today, I cannot bring myself to consume any form of cholocate breakfast drink. I was raised on strawberry Quick. Another low point, was the ban on the import of fruits, so that christmas there was not an apple, grape or pear on the market. For some reason that was the only time of the year parents would be inclined to purchase such fruits, so most children were bewildered the first year we had to do without. But we survived......

Another element of the recession that I never quite understood until reaching adulthood, was the friends and neighbours that mysterious left the country, never to return. Some made it seem as though they were going on a little vacation and others simply left after bad-talking the country and the government. Then a year or two later you realise their properties were up for sale, by the BANK and you started to wonder, what really going on here.

Fortunately, my family was able to survived the storm of the last recession and it equipped us with the tools to get by, no matter what the economy is going through. And I was fortunate enough to have studied economics and international relations, so now I oh to well understand the concept of economic restructuring and the purpose of the IMF..... as well as banks moving in and selling properties, when their former owners abandoned them and migrated, leaving their mortgages unpaid.

No one knows what the future has in store however, I sincerely hope that it does not include IMF intervention, because I am not too sure that the children of the new millennium could withstand the pressures of economic restructuring.

Welcoming the RECESSION (by Sylph)

Well, we all know that the world is experience an economic recession, this is no secret and if you don't know, then I will have to assume that you are living in a glass case and has not been out for air in a really LONNNGGG Time... Poor you.... But this recession is the real deal and not one economy will be left unscathed. Since I have been in Nigeria, the value of the Naira (the local currency) has depreciated twice to the US dollar. And if a depreciation is announced in the morning, by afternoon all prices, be it in the supermarket, store, market and/or street vendor, ALL prices increase and they tell you that they now have to pay more for their goods. So I can only assume that for the average Nigerian, life is becoming rather costly on their stagnant salaries.

But as the recession takes turn form, the world is looking on at the impact it is having on some of the larger economies, such as the US and UK, which has been hard hit financially. In response to the economic downturn, the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, in November, 2008 called on citizens to "Tighten their belts". This call was met with heavy criticism and complaints, as some persons believed that the call came too early and would negatively impact sales and business over the Christmas and carnival periods. One month into the new year however, the nation was informed of Government's intervention in one of the country's largest financial companies.... And I ask, where are the critics today and what do they have to say?????

Now do not get me wrong when I say, I WELCOME the recession, (in the Trinidad and Tobago economy). Because for a country as small as we are and for the wealth of resources that we have access to, the cost of living was simply OUT OF HAND. The rate of inflation, property values and food was just too high. It was becoming tough for a poor man to exist..... And what was alarming was that the average man no longer seemed to value the concept of saving. It was almost as though they believed that the buoyancy of the economy would last forever. So everyone was buying new vehicles and investing in million dollar properties, when we all knew that those two bedroom, townhouses, were no where near the million dollar prices range, but they were investing all the same, because the forecasters said that the boom would last at least another five years.

I would admit that I am no economist, however I knew the economy could not survive for much longer in the manner in which it was going. So when the PM made his announcement I welcomed it with open arms, because I knew things could only get better. Of course for some it will get a lot worst, but for me, right now, the recession is the best answer.

You see, I grew up during the last recession and one thing I learnt and treasure from that period is the value and importance of savings. No matter how little or small the amount, it added up to something at the end of the day. As a child, all my mother use to say was 'we living on the bread-line'.... Now to be quite honest, I heard her make that statement as recent as last year and I could not help but remark, 'this is the longest bread-line ever, when were we going to reach the top.' But we existed in the line quite comfortably and rarely had a need or want and if we did, we were quite aware that nothing came easy, so you had to wait for what really matter in life. Unfortunately, the children of today have no concept of waiting or wanting, as most of them are in the 'over-stock line'......

I am certain we have all witnessed a child bawling and screaming and sometimes even rolling on the ground as though they were just informed that their family was wiped out by Hitler and their home was taken over by the Nazi's and they had to flee Europe. And most times this show-down is as a result of their mother saying no to one of their outrageous requests. What always amazes me however with that picture, is the mother of that child always seems to be calm and collective and speaking in a very low tone, asking them to behave. Now children of my era grew up hearing only NO..... so much so that on the rare occasion that we heard yes, we became confused and would sit quietly in anticipation trying to figure out what was really taking place and whether or not it was true. We knew better than to throw a tantrum in public, as that certainly would have lead to us losing our lives or coming very close to it..... But I am extremely grateful for all of the lessons learnt growing up during that period, as it has molded me into a more appreciative adult.

I am certain that this recession will be like no other and would greatly impact on the lives of many. However, I do hope that as a result of it, we become better citizens and more appreciative of the things we have and the thing we have to wait for. Always remember the ole saying, 'Rome was not built in a day'. It might take some time for our economies to recover and even for our bank accounts to recover, but we must remember that every drop in the bucket adds up and try to view the recession in a more positive light. Yes, some of us might lose jobs and properties in the process, however recession is the mother of new innovation and creativity and with that brings new earning potential.

So during this time of recession we need to reflect and dig deep, to find the true creative being that has been over shadowed for far to long, by the routine of our daily lives. However, when we do, we must not ignore, because that creative being might just lead to us earning a fortune.