SHE MAKES the best cou-cou and flying fish. Nobody comes close to her ackee and salt fish. Her roti is to die for. Mothers across the world look forward to the second Sunday of each May, if for no other reason than the chance to hang up their aprons and let somebody else do the nurturing for once, and Caribbean mums are no exception. As movers and shakers in the world of work, in a career that may be just as demanding as their partners’, many Caribbean women routinely balance work outside the home with caring for the children, cooking, laundry, hair braiding, homework duty, cleaning … the list is endless. Not to be forgotten is the stay-at-home Mum, whose work is never done. Although more men appear to be less adverse to assisting with housework and child rearing than ever before, the majority of the day-to-day tasks of running a household still fall squarely on Mummy. Thankfully, the convenience of household inventions and appliances have combined to make her task an easier one. Even so, a toaster oven or a coffee maker is NOT a thoughtful Mother’s Day gift, even for those mothers who look to cook and spend time in the kitchen. Now is the time to remind the ladies in your lives that their value extends much further than the chores they do.
Here are a few ideas to pamper Mum on her special day: - Kick off the weekend festivities by sending flowers or a fruit basket to her work place with a note of appreciation.
- Treat her to a visit to a spa. Nobody who spends that much time on their feet will say no to a pedicure.
- Take her shopping for a new outfit. Pay for it.
- Book lunch for the family at a restaurant, or if you are a firm do-it-your-selfer, prepare it at home and serve her in grand style.
- Surprise her with a video in which you tell her how much she means to you. This may be especially useful to families separated by distance.
- Listen to her advice. Honour her by raising your own children with the values she imparted.
- Whatever you choose to do, let the outpouring of love and support continue to flow for mum long after Mother’s Day has passed. That truly is the greatest gift you could give her.
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I CAME UPON a dating website recently, offering subscribers the chance to meet thousands of other Caribbean singles. Overcome by curiosity, I clicked through the photos of my regional brothers and sisters, sure that only the most desperate of persons would willingly sign up to the site.
To my surprise, some of the featured photos were quite attractive, a number of the subscribers claimed to be seeking friendships, with the possibility of them leading to more meaningful relationships, even to marriage. Male and female subscribers of varying nationalities and ethnic backgrounds, from age 18 and up, (many of them over 40) appeared to be looking for love.
Could it be that we who now spend so much time online, checking our e-mail, chatting with friends and reading reviews, not to forget making bill payments, shopping, downloading, (and on and on…), have also added finding the man/woman of our dreams to the list of things we do at our computers?
Social networks like Facebook and Hi-5 make it possible to check out and possibly meet more persons in your area than one might at a traditional social gathering. Who knows - after chatting with prospects online, they might also save daters the awkwardness of a first-date-gone-bad (maybe even scary!) situation.
It is certainly handy to have a database at your fingertips with dozens of gals and guys you can either eliminate or accept on the basis of age, looks, personal likes/dislikes, religious and educational background, location, etc. It’s like having your own dating agency!
On the flip side, (and as is the case in all relationships) there is the question of honesty and trust. How tempting it must be to exaggerate one’s physical or personal qualities, stretch the truth about one’s living arrangements (“no, I don’t still live with my parents”), number of children, or even (gasp!) current relationships. With a few well-chosen words, a cute photo and a snazzy profile, the dullest person can be transformed into Prince/Princess Charming. That said - can we really trust the people we meet online?
I‘ve had the “privilege” of closely observing online daters some years ago. A schoolmate enjoyed a long-distance relationship for about two years with a US citizen, while still a college student in the Caribbean. The photo which he emailed to my friend proclaimed him a heart-throb, and as he explained, he was also a part-time model.
After a month or two, my friend declared she and her long-distance beau were in love. Their daily emails and MSN chat sessions were supplemented by phone calls; birthdays and holidays were marked by gifts of perfume, jewellery and cassette tapes featuring her favourite music (pre-CD player era). It was sweet and giddily romantic….while it lasted.
Scheduled at last for a visit, her beau appeared to slide off the face of the earth - he quit responding to her emails and faded into oblivion. I never did hear about him again. Did that deter my friend from online dating? Bless her soul, it did not. She is now married to another guy she subsequently snagged online.
The reality, however, is that not everyone is looking to acquire a soul mate. Some people declare that they are just looking for a “fun” time – no strings attached. That’s fine, as long as you desire this as well. Otherwise, you could fall victim to any number of sweet-talking, utterly unscrupulous characters.
What’s your take on online dating? Fool-hardy or fabulous?
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I am sure by now most Barbadians if not all have heard of FACEBOOK, YOUTUBE and TWITTER. These are all examples of social media which is becoming, if it’s not already our most dominant form of communication on the web.
You may be asking yourself what do these have to do with my business. In today’s fast pace business environment we need to be always exploring new and creative ways of reach our customers, and social media is now becoming a must in 2010. For example, FACEBOOK has well over 250 million members, yes that is correct!
The reach of social media is massive and chances are your competitors are already doing it or considering the option.
One thing to remember is that social media marketing is not a guaranteed success for your business but should be incorporated with traditional marketing approaches to completely connect your brand with your customers.
Have you been using any form of social media in your business? How has it been working for you?
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Yes!!!!!!! I never thought I would be so happy to say it rained today in Barbados  . For the first time in months I was able to use my windscreen wipers for water other than dew . Even though it was not a significant downpour it was enough revive the spirits of Barbados and life the heads of many drooping plants. Barbados has been experiencing a drought for some time now and it has been a while since rain it really rained. The drought has significantly affected the water supply in several parishes but fortunately for me I have not yet had to the pleasure for the year of fetching water from the “stand pipe” or water truck which is affectionately known to Barbadian as “The Zeppelin”. Oh the memories, it was literally just a couple years back that my arms were literally stretched from bringing so many buckets of water. I can even remember enjoying a good country bath at the local neighborhood “Stand Pipe”. Armed with nothing but a towel and a bar I enjoyed my short stints there as prying eyes always reinforced the fact that you were not in the comfort of your own home. These are all priceless memory that I wouldn’t trade for anything!
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Is the local job market in Barbados dwindling? Are our tertiary level graduates experiencing difficulty finding jobs? These are some of the question I would like to know the answers too. Given these tough economic times in our country, are Barbadians really having difficulty finding good jobs? Firstly we need a description of a “good job”. Well in my opinion a “good job” is one that allows an individual based on their experiences, skill set and ability, to grasp and apply knowledge gained to generate adequate income for meeting and surpassing the basic necessities of life. Having been awarded the opportunity to blend with several University graduates, at both the undergraduate and graduate level, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that not all are finding “good jobs” available in Barbados. What about our technically skilled labor force? Are persons still being able to make end meet? What do you think? Free to share your opinion .
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