Monday, December 2, 2013

TOP TOURIST SPOTS IN JAMAICA



Written by Alice Jerusha


Since time immemorial Jamaica has been the best travel destination for many tourists all around the world. This country is blessed with numerous great physical features as well as great entertainment and culture ever witnessed anywhere before. Apart from that, the natives here are also very kind and polite to all visitors from every corners of the earth.

Apart from her great physical features, the country of Jamaica is also blessed with just the perfect climate that is favourable for every human being. The daily weather conditions are also awesome as this country lies within the tropical region. It is true to say that the perfect climate has made Jamaica to be among the best tourist destination places worldwide.

Therefore the following are just but a few top places you should never fail to visit as a tourist in Jamaica;

Dunn's River Falls

If you visit Dunn's River Falls, you will be amazed to see the spectacular 600ft water fall which is very popular.

This magnificent water fall is characterized by cold and clear white froth that splashes over a series of stone steps while trickling towards the sea at the same time. Therefore if you want to greatly enjoy your visit to the Dunn's Water Falls, ensure that you hire a tour guide.

Montego Bay

Another great tourist attraction spot that you can visit if you are a tourist in Jamaica is the popular Montego Bay. Montego Bay is characterized by nice beaches that offer great opportunities for each and every tourist to enjoy all types of water sports. This place is among the best spots in Jamaica where tourists who love seeing attractive beaches as well as swimming can have the best times of their lives. Apart from other spots here, there is the spectacular Doctor's Cave Beach where any tourist can enjoy having a nice warm bath.

Ocho Rios

If you love reggae music then Ocho Rios may be the best place for you to visit especially if you have been a great fan of legend reggae artists like Bob Marley and etc. Ocho Rios hosts the popular Bob Marley mausoleum for the sake of the late Bob Marley's fans where one may even luckily bump into the late Bob Marley's family members. Apart from that, there is also the great Chukka Cove's Zion Bus tour for tourists who love road trips.

Negril Beach

It is true to say that Negril Beach is among the finest lengthy white sand beaches and top spots in Jamaica. This place is characterized by beautiful open air cafes as well as beach bars for tourists who love drinking wine and dinning. Any tourist who loves the above activities as well as enjoying the evening sun set can have the best time of his/her life at Negril Beach.

Kingston

Since Kingston City is the capital of Jamaica as well as the cultural hub of the entire Caribbean region, any tourist who visits this city is guaranteed to have the best for his/her money and time. If you want to experience great entertainment and culture, Kingston is among the best places for you to visit. Any tourist here can visit the 120 year old Devon House Heritage Site that hosts numerous events each and every single day.

If you are planning for any tour it’s better to have a self-drive with a car. It is always important to make an inquiry about using your personal car in a different country before you travel with it. This is the reason why the DVLA helpline is public in case of such issues. Through their help you will be able to know if that self-drive trip is worth it or if you have to change your destination.

Author Bio:

Alice, a travel blogger and a writer from London who loves to travel and share my experiences with people around the world. Travelling is my ultimate passion. As of now she is focusing on DVLA helpline which provides information regarding driver and vehicle licences...



Monday, November 4, 2013

Motivation Creates Greatness



Motivation is central to creativity, productivity and happiness. Motivation is what causes us to act, and when we act, we create movement, growth and change, we feel involved, masterful and significant, we feel powerful through experiencing how we can change the world, and we create more of what we love in our lives. And all of this gives our lives purpose and happiness, so why do so many of us not feel this zealousness and passion for life? Most of us have just one distinction for demotivation, which means that you’re likely to assume that you’re struggling with the same problem whenever you’re motivated, when in fact demotivation is a category of problems that has many different distinctions within it.


When you have just one distinction for demotivation, you’ll apply the same old strategies whenever you feel demotivated, which for many people looks like this: set goals, push harder, create accountability checks that will push you, and run your life using ‘Getting Things Done’ (GTD) methods and to-do lists. These strategies are ineffective with most types of de-motivation, and in some instances they can even make you more demotivated. At its essence, demotivation is about you not being fully committed to act, and there are many reasons why you might be in that position. Having more distinctions for your demotivation will help you to identify the real reasons for your unwillingness to commit to action, so that you can pick the right tools and strategies to get motivated again. www.tolerance.org

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

October is Black History Month in England

                                                       What makes a Black Man Cry?



                                                              Written by Myrna Loy

Seeing how easy it is for his son to die. When trying desperately to preserve what’s left of his life; His relationships breakdown and so does his wife. Constantly robbed of his self-esteem...

Lack of an achievable vision destroys his dream.

What makes a Black man cry?

Getting caught up in a situation he found hard to resist. Regretting his choices and the opportunities he’s missed. Displaying a front that says

I’m the big ‘I am’ So that his ‘brothers’ will think that he is ‘The Man’...

But he’s been found out, and is feeling ostracized, because as a result of his stupidity, someone has died. He tried to contain the evidence of his woe because he didn’t want his loved ones to know - It’s hard playing tough and living lie, And that’s what makes a black man cry.

Why Do Black Men Cry..?

He is crying for the men who feel they have to pretend; He is allowing his tears to symbolize their anguish and pain: The disappointment and disempowerment is seen on their face, while mothers and fathers hold their heads down in disgrace. When you taste the salt tears on your lips Remember the new moon always precedes an eclipse; Trauma and regret will say its goodbye...

So my vulnerable Black man - It’s ok to cry!

Myrna Loy © 2013

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Challenging Mental Health Prejudices Together

Written by Hayley Richardson






Mental health problems affect one in four of us, yet despite this stigma and discrimination is still debilitating the lives of many people and preventing them speaking out and seeking the support they need. Time to Change is England’s biggest programme to tackle this stigma and discrimination, and is run by the charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness and funded by the Department of Health and Comic Relief. The programme aims to change attitudes so that everyone can speak openly about their experiences and lead discrimination free lives.



People in all communities report stigma and discrimination and Time to Change works to create safe spaces to enable people with and without mental health problems to get together and start new conversations about the issue. Evidence suggests that this kind of ‘social contact’ is one of the most effective ways of breaking down stigma and improving attitudes.



Recently Time to Change worked with the east London mental health group Mellow, on a fun and engaging festival, ‘Stereo-Hype’, which aimed specifically to get people from the African and Caribbean community talking about mental health. This year’s festival attracted over 500 visitors.

The two day festival of music, film, drama, comedy and wellbeing workshops celebrated the strengths and achievements of African and Caribbean people living with mental health problems. As part of the event volunteers who have experience of a mental illness engaged visitors in conversations about mental health by sharing their stories, they also informed people about Time to Change, and talked about why the festival was focusing on African and Caribbean communities.

Among the many people who turned up to enjoy the festival were Chelsea's first black footballer Paul Canoville and acclaimed boxer Herol ‘Bomber' Graham. Both featured in ‘Black Men on the Couch’ workshops to talk powerfully to the audience about their experiences of mental health problems.

Nine out of 10 people with mental health problems face stigma and discrimination as a result, and this can manifest itself in different ways in different communities. Stereo-Hype encouraged African and Caribbean communities to talk openly about mental health with the conversation led by the community itself, and challenge prejudices that surround the issue. Time to Change hopes the event will encourage more people from this community to get more actively involved with the campaign.

Festival Coordinator Sandra Griffiths said: "Many Black people with mental health problems live in the community. The current debate needs to go beyond the question of why there are so many Black people in the system and address the support systems for those who already live in the community or who are released from hospital without a safety net. We also want to encourage Black communities to start talking about what they can do to support black people with mental health problems and not just rely on mental health services to fill the gap."

Time to Change has also just launched its latest national marketing campaign – ‘It’s time to talk. It’s time to change’. The campaign encourages everyone, regardless of their background, to start a conversation around mental health. It also aims to remove the awkwardness around mental health by focusing on the small steps we can all take to support someone who’s going through a difficult time.



The campaign is inspired by stories of real people who have been there for someone experiencing a mental illness. A new advert featuring these ‘everyday heroes’ was aired on TV screens throughout January and February to highlight the importance of staying in contact and being supportive of friends and family members.



As part of the campaign, Time to Change found that three quarters of people (75%) who have experienced a mental health problem say they have lost friendships as a result of their illness1.



Furthermore, the survey found that 40%2 of British adults would feel awkward talking to a friend who was experiencing a mental health problem. And, only around a quarter (27%)2 feel it would be their responsibility to bring the subject up if they knew a friend was going through a tough time with their mental health.



Sadly, these findings show that despite many people knowing someone with a mental health problem, they still don’t feel equipped with enough knowledge to be a supportive friend. The misconceptions that still surround people with a mental health problem make others worry about offending or embarrassing someone, or saying or doing the wrong thing. So people avoid seeing their friends or speaking to them, when in fact these are the very things that can be helpful.



However, as part of the campaign, Time to Change shows people that you don’t have to be an expert to start a conversation about mental health. Being a supportive friend can include small gestures like sending a quick text or email, or an invitation to meet up.



Since Time to Change began in 2007 there has been great progress in challenging the negative attitudes and behaviours around mental health problems. Last year in particular was a landmark year with many events and discussions that have really help to challenge some common misconceptions about people with mental health problems. Now this momentum has been achieved we need to grab it with both hands. There is a long way to go but if we all do our bit we can reach the tipping point where the topic of mental health isn’t something we shy away from.





Hayley Richardson



www.time-to-change.org.uk

Thursday, August 1, 2013

‘WINDRUSH AT 65’

by Colin Grant

This year marks the 65th anniversary of the SS Empire Windrush sailing into Tilbury Docks, with 493 West Indian emigrants onboard. As the wide-eyed hopefuls disembarked they probably had no inkling that their epic journey to the ‘Mother Country’ would herald the phenomenon of multi-cultural Britain – at least, as we now regard it in the modern era.


Today, however, even the term ‘multi-culturalism’ is a contentious issue and political football: immigration reform, for example, was one of the main planks in the ‘Queen’s Speech’ which outlined the government’s forthcoming legislative agenda; and Nigel Farage’s UK Independence Party (Ukip) is riding high in the opinion polls, primarily based on its single-issue agenda: an unapologetic aversion to immigration. Not only has their popularity soared it’s also taken the major political parties by surprise. Arguably, this has led to the government and its opposition increasingly lurching further to the ‘right’, in order to win back voters who have defected to Ukip.

It is against this backdrop that Colin Grant’s Bageye at the Wheel seems especially topical and pertinent to the wider debate. Indeed, it is one of the few literary accounts by a contemporary British writer that offers a unique insight into how the Windrush generation fared, especially after they had ‘outstayed’ their welcome. Furthermore, Grant’s skilful storytelling has been recognized in his being shortlisted for this year’s prestigious PEN/Ackerley Prize for Memoir.

Grant’s tale, told through the eyes of his 10-year-old self, is the story of growing up in 1970s Luton – an unattractive, semi-industrial English town which, at that time, only a smattering of West Indians called home. He recounts in vivid colours and language [Jamaican patois] his experience of acting as a go-between for his father, reluctant to engage in any meaningful way with his host country, and living in a household where he had to negotiate two separate cultures: a West Indian one at home; and a British one outside.

His father, ‘Bageye’, came to the UK shortly after Windrush, but his was not a tale of assimilation. Indeed, he only kept company with fellow West Indians – most of whom, like ‘Bageye’, so called because of the bags under his eyes, and as was the tradition, were also only ever known by their nicknames: Pumpkin Head; Tidy Boots; Shine; Summer Wear and the other “fellars”. The colourful cast of characters’ main source of entertainment was the all-night poker game that often stretched from Friday nights to Sunday mornings.

Colin Grant recalls that his father mistrusted the English – the Irish, as despised as the West Indians, were alright though – and warned that as a young black British boy he was “different” an “outsider” and needed to be careful how he conducted himself in public, as “he was always being watched”.

Grant’s voice, then, is authentic and he lends an especially poignant viewpoint on the consequences of dreams dashed and hopes deferred, as was felt by ‘Bageye’ and his ilk when it slowly dawned on them that their five-year plans to “work some money” and return to the West Indies had somehow morphed into permanency.

Whilst over the years this had settled into a grudging resignation on both sides, the country had, more recently, to adjust itself to accommodate a new wave of emigrants. Ignorance and an irrational fear of “the other” albeit former British subjects had largely been transferred to Eastern Europeans: firstly, the Poles and, laterally, Bulgarians and Romanians. To that extent, Bageye at the Wheel is, in its own way, testament to the old adage: as much as things change, they remain the same.

Monday, July 1, 2013

The Global Concept of Financing Your Business


By Karlene Sinclair-Robinson


Everyday entrepreneurs are growing their businesses by doing business around the globe. It is no longer business just on a local scale anymore. Operating your business for the local market is fine; however, it is now very possible to take the business regionally, nationally and even worldwide. If you are planning to expand to a larger market, is important how you scale your business growth. The ramifications of this expansion can be daunting; however, you cannot allow it to derail the opportunity to sell your goods and or services to a wider market.

With the advent of the internet, and new technology that can now facilitate global business opportunities, financing can be a nightmare. Gaining global clients requires increased cash layout in order to provide the goods or services. These additional expenses are usually appropriate and in proportion when you are taking the business from a local level to a wider audience.

Financing Solutions

Financing solutions are available to business owners based on increased sales and clientele. Where those clients are located can be important when you are in the process of securing the necessary capital for business growth or survival. Being able to deliver the goods or services is crucial to continued growth. Doing business with credit worthy clients is a critical element to any financing strategy.

Doing business on an international scale changes the game. Signing on new clients who are not good payers can decrease your capacity to gain the funding you need. The clients must also be approved by your lender depending on the financing solution being employed before a funding option can be implemented. Here are solutions to consider before accepting clients outside your local market:

• Factoring – Having outstanding accounts receivable is no fun when there is no money in your bank account. Selling your receivables is an option to consider when you need an immediate cash infusion.

• Purchase Order Financing – Is appropriate when your business receives that large order and you are not financially solvent enough to facilitate the transaction.

• Crowdfunding – The opportunity to finance your idea or product through this option has helped many see their dreams become reality. This solution creates an immediate customer force for testing future product ideas. Just think – ‘pre-sales’ in the 21st Century.

• Letters of Credit – LOCs give qualified entrepreneurs the ability to transact business on a larger scale. Entrepreneurs can grow their enterprises faster on a national and even global scale, with this option instead of turning business away.

• Microloans – This option must never be taken lightly. It is used around the world to help start-up micro-enterprises and grow established small businesses. These businesses would not exist otherwise, and in some countries, some communities would not exist otherwise.

Finally, global enterprises are not necessarily large, multi-million dollar firms. They can be small businesses operating across borders, on a global scale, accessing much needed financing and being the driving force in their local economies.

Bio:

Karlene Sinclair-Robinson, dubbed “The Queen of Business Financing” is the Bestselling Author of 'SPANK THE BANK: The Guide to Alternative Business Financing'. She is considered a foremost expert on 'Alternative Business Financing' for startups, small businesses and struggling entrepreneurs. Sinclair-Robinson, originally from Jamaica, is a speaker, instructor, business consultant and principal of KSR Solutions, LLC, based in Northern Virginia, USA. She is also a top Twitter business financing source to follow via @KarleneSincRob. Website: www.SpankTheBankNow.com.

Monday, June 3, 2013

Fathers Day is June 16th.

IS THERE ANY CORRELATION BETWEEN THE INVOLVEMENT OF FATHERS IN THEIR SON'S LIFE, EDUCATION & GANG CULTURE?



Written by Myrna Loy


In a nutshell to a significant degree! Although, not just academic education - fathers need to teach their sons about how to survive in the outside world, in other words, life experiences. Fathers need to engage in activities they both enjoy. It's about the father being a positive and major influence in his son's life. The most caring parents can miss the signs - but because they are working or busy, they assume their children are adult enough to cope. Many fathers instruct their boys to stand up to the bullies without assessing the situation for themselves. Most boys are afraid to talk to their father about problems they face at school for fear of rebuke or ridicule, so they put on a brave face in front of their fathers. Fathers should not underestimate what types of situations their children can deal with and should enquire, investigate and analyze before giving advice or making suggestions. Fathers need to empathize with their son's more and be there for them, and if fathers cannot be there, then someone should be there to support them. Boys need praise from their parents, especially when they do things well to help raise self esteem at an early age so they don't feel the need to prove themselves to anyone under any circumstances. I strongly feel that if boys had moral guidance from their fathers; if they respected their fathers; if their fathers were an integral part of their upbringing, it would go a long way towards reducing gang culture and black-on-black crime.

I was saddened and alarmed when I heard one of the presenters on BBC3 Counties Radio say that we should send our young black men to join the National Service and put them in the front line to know what fear is like. He also said "forget about this generation - it's too late - let's work on the next one!" This was in response to the NUT report about the need for black fathers to be more responsible in order to prevent gun crime and subsequent killings. I wondered if this was what our young boys were hearing time and time again? Adults passing the buck; parents who can't be bothered to find out the root cause of the problem!! This is a typical example of shifting the responsibility onto somebody else. Although they look like men, these are young boys who did not ask to be born. They are not responsible for the break up in relationships. If the father walks out and they lose their role model (who might not have been a good one in the first place) it's not their fault but some boys are made to feel as though it is their fault.

Many parents constantly blame the system, the schools, racism and bias for the stream of killings that have taken place since the beginning of the year, and while these factors may be marginally instrumental, I think that it is the lack of stability, structure and nurturance in the home of these young boys that is at the root cause of this frightening trend. Parents are getting younger and younger [children having children] and many do not want their children to interfere with their recreational time and social lives. They pass their kids around to whoever is available to keep 'an eye on them' while they go off and behave as though they have no responsibility. Some think raising a child is about making sure s/he looks "cute", has a 'bad' outfit on and placating them with 'luxuries' to keep them quiet. Some over react when disciplining because their child has embarrassed them in public. I have heard many use the F-word to 2 -5 year olds. The child grows up with no boundaries, no respect, little genuine affection and soon learns that he is 'in the way', getting on mummy's nerves and when he cries because he is not receiving attention or recognition s/he is punished. It can get mummy's back up when children ask: "where's daddy" when he is no longer in the picture and I am not sure if mothers realize how important it is to have positive male role models in their lives when they have male children, especially if the father is not around, otherwise the child feels let down and suffers from paternal neglect/absence.

Where is daddy? For some of these young 'victims', the relationship between their parents has irretrievably broken down and/or the father can't be bothered or just doesn't want to know anymore. Many fathers are just too young and immature to take on the responsibility so the child suffers. Some young parents didn't want a child in the first place and feel resentful because the child is impeding their lifestyle. Many boys are forced to fend for themselves too soon. Their childhood is taken away from them - no tree climbing or explorative games anymore. No train sets or other trade-stimulating games as these activities are replaced by computer games; music videos and DVDs Boys, just as much as girls want love, adoration and respect from their parents and not only when they are young and cute, but in their teens too.. When they don't get it from parents, they are forced to get it from outside the home via girlfriends or peer groups. Once they boys have taken this route, they feel compelled to do whatever they have to in order to maintain those alliances, and sometimes it means being heckled to carry out a flippant threat, which they didn't mean in the first place.

I am not by any means suggesting that ALL parents single or otherwise, treat their sons in this way, but I am suggesting that many parents who are too young to know better, do. Parents regardless of age need to take responsibility for their sons especially, because is the sons more than the details who are currently being killed by someone else’s' son. If you, as a parent had them too young and it was a mistake - IT IS NOT THEIR FAULT!!! Parents had a choice, however young, to use protection when having sex, not just to protect them from sexually transmitted diseases but to prevent them from having children, but they didn't take that choice. Now they behave as though their children impede their progress, cramp their style and their plans for the future. There is a reason why older parents advise against having children at a young age. It is because they know the sacrifice it takes to raise children properly and how time-consuming it can be to instill credible values in boys to enable them to grow up to be self-sufficient and self-respecting young men.

If you talk with many of the boys out there who look like aggressive men in their Hoodies and oversized clothes, they sound like children, and that is what they are - but many of us forget that and mistake their size for maturity. Many young girls these days do not seem to be supporting them enough either and they should, otherwise where is the support going to come from? In a debate I attended recently, the young girls aged between 19 and 23 seemed to be cajoling the male graduates to a life of crime with their high and unreasonable expectations. They were undervaluing our black British boys making them feel inadequate, which could be a reason why those with low self- esteem try to prove themselves in less productive ways.

There is something very stimulating about a man who knows his stuff. The problem is that our young men are using ineffective methods to impress. They need to look at themselves in the mirror and ask themselves - where do I want to be 5 years from now, and work towards that instead of worrying about what 'dere niggaz' think of them. If parents knew that the way they raised their children would influence or adversely affect them for the rest of their lives - I wonder what they would do differently.

A NOTE FOR THE BOYS OF TODAY AND MEN OF TOMORROW

If you think your parents have given up on you. - don't give up on yourself. If your father is not home or has left home - don't feel responsible. That's your mum and dad's problem - not yours. If your mother or fathers are not giving you the encouragement you seek, look into the lives of a people who have achieved and whom you admire and get your credibility BY learning from their experiences You will be surprised how many high achievers were left to fend for themselves! Buy their biographies and learn about the obstacles they faced and how they overcame them. This knowledge will enable you not to feel so disappointed with your life and it will stop you feeling like a failure when you make mistakes. You will know how to rise above them and learn how to fulfill your ambitions for yourself. Last but not least, don't resort to violence regardless how you want to feel a part of a group - or want to feel accepted, because after you have killed someone - no-one worth knowing wants to have anything to do with you!

Conversely, if you sense someone around you needs is being manipulated or moving in the wrong direction, see if there is anything you can do to form friendships. Steer clear of situations that can damage your reputation and the love you could have for yourself. And yes, we know that teenage killings are happening in all cultures, but right now we are concerned about our children, our black children - the boys of today who will be men in the next generation. We need to let them know that we care and that we haven't given up on them!

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Mothers Day is May 12th.

8 Ways to be a good Mother, instead of a Perfect One!



By Kate Kripke

I think it’s fair to say that each one of us enters motherhood with a set of beliefs or expectations about what it means to be a good mother. We develop these beliefs from the pressure of our communities and society as a whole, the experiences with our own parents, and through the expectations of friends, family and media. These outside influences can have so much power and influence over us that when we finally do become mothers ourselves, it is unbearably difficult to listen to our own ideas of what this “good mom” thing is all about. So difficult, in fact, that anxiety, depression, and overwhelming emotion can latch on like crazy to our new identity.

I want to share a brief story with you about a mom who I saw in my office this summer. This mom has given me permission to share her process around the topic of being a good mother, because it gives such a clear example of the ways in which perfectionist thinking and unachievable expectations can lead to distress. Celia* came to my office when her baby was about four months old. She was attractive, articulate, and also very scared by the unpleasant thoughts and anxieties she had been feeling since her baby was born. Celia felt that her thoughts and emotions were out of control and that she was going “crazy.” She described a traumatic delivery in which an emergency C-Section led her to believe that she would not make it through alive. “I realized that I needed to be willing to give up my life for my baby,” she said.

Everything worked out but Postmortem Depression began. When Celia’s symptoms were being managed through a combination of medication and therapy support, she began the process of identifying beliefs about motherhood that might be adding to her distress. We created exercises that with her in my office that asked to write down all the things that she believe to be “good enough” mom. Celia’s first list looked like this:

• A “good enough” mom: Loves her child unconditionally

• Always does what is best for child

• Never resents her child

• Should be able to handle kids all day without needing breaks (luxury)



This list made me anxious when reading it, and so I can only imagine what it must have felt like to her to believe that all of these things were a necessary part of mothering. After some discussion, the list was rewritten to:

• A Good Enough Mom does her best to

• Teach her child how to live life to the fullest

• Be there for her children when they need her

• Teach her child the importance of self-worth Provide food, shelter, and love



Celia is doing much better. She has not had a panic attack in some time and her scary thoughts have decreased. She is more able to access feelings of hope and optimism and she is enjoying her baby more. Her medication is helping with the biochemical imbalances that added to her symptoms of postpartum anxiety and OCD and her more realistic idea of what it means to be a good mother to her kiddo has taken some of the pressure off.

We all do this. Each of us enters motherhood with some idea of what we “should” do in this new and often overwhelming role. While many of those things may be entirely appropriate, many others may be entirely unachievable. I encourage you to ask yourselves what is it that you believe goes into being a “good enough” mom to your kiddos and to write down your own list. Take note of the “shoulds” and the “always’” and whether or not you are noting ideas that are truly yours or whether they are someone else’s (breastfeeding your baby vs providing nutritious food whenever possible might be a good example), your assumptions of someone else’s. My guess is that each of you is most certainly being a good mother already…

Source: http://www.postpartumprogress.com/8-ways-to-be-agood-mother-instead-of-a-perfect-one

Monday, April 1, 2013

A Day Spent In Paradise



By Denise Salman




Creating delightful memories is what a trip to Ocho Rios, Jamaica, is all about, so friends these are the places you must visit whenever you get there.

Dolphin Cove Ocho Rios

This beautiful property has a natural cove which is surrounded by 5 acres of lush tropical rain forest. Visitors have the opportunity to interact and "Swim With" dolphins, enjoying the thrill and charm of these amazing lovable creatures. Visitors can also swim with, hold, feed and learn about the evolutionary secrets of the Caribbean sharks. They can capture their dream of being a dolphin trainer for the day.

Dolphin Cove is the place to spend the day enjoying lots of fun activities. There is something for everyone. Entrance includes and allows guests the following activities as often as they wish. Guests can captain their own mini-boats and explore the coast, interact and snorkel with stingrays, take a glass-bottom kayak ride to explore the fascinating underwater world, watch the hilarious Shark Show and interact with exotic birds, snakes and iguanas on the Jungle Trail walk.

Relax on the glistening white sandy beaches, enjoy the tropical surroundings, taste the famous Jamaican coffee at the Star Buccaneers coffee shop, browse for souvenirs or jewellery at the gift shops.

See the Shark Show while the one-legged pirates roam freely along the boardwalk of “Little Port Royal” and perform a “jig or two”. Entrance is included with all dolphin and shark interactive programs. Once at Dolphin Cove, you’ll have the most exciting experience of your lifetime.

After all that visitors will want to take the wild fun trip along the coast to Dunns River Falls. Where they will hold hands with all those who enjoy climbing and a guide will show them exactly what they need to do to make it to the top of the falls.

A very invigorating massage is what they'll get, if they should decide to stop for a while and sit before a rock where the water flows over. It will beat on your head and your shoulders, leaving them with a great relaxed feeling. Another surprise offered by nature. Visitors will also want to enjoy the exhilarating bobsled ride, which was inspired by our Jamaican winter Olympians. After all that it will be time for a lovely meal at Mystic Dining.

Where the panoramic view is great and the food is excellent. After you have rested for a while you will want to take flight through the tops of the rainforest with the "Canopy zip line tour" or you might want to see eye to eye with the wild life when you take the “Sky Explorer Tours”. Visitors also enjoy seeing the colorful Jamaican butterflies as they fly among the beautiful flowers at the "Butterfly Attraction Garden". And visitors should not leave until they hop on over to Chukka Caribbean.

Where they will extend all that fun. They'll want to take the country bus trip to Bob Marley's Birth place, where he was buried. While they rock to his great Reggae songs and check out all the other things. They can do while they are enjoying this wonderful adventure; after all this visitors will agree with me, when I say Jamaica is truly a paradise.

Friday, March 1, 2013

Tia Simms-Lyma



Tia is the latest sportswoman to come out of the hugely successful stable of athletes at Plymouth College, a private co-ed school in Devon. She started with gymnastics at the age of six and went on to try diving at seven “I got scared at the three metre board” she laughed “so I decided to do something with my feet on the ground”. She’s certainly achieved that - at 13 she is now is a champion fencer specialising in Epee and all eyes are on her for the future Olympic Games.


There would be good reason to take a bet that the quiet, charming youngster will make headline news, along with the many other athletes that have come out of the extraordinarily successful Plymouth College. Over the last few years Tia has been the double British champion, came third in the “Under 15’s” in Poland; finished in the last eight in the British Cadet Championship and is now gearing up for world championships to be held in Croatia. She recently recently fenced for Jamaica, the home country of her mother’s family, when she took part in competitions in Bratislava and Gotthenburg.

Tia now represents Jamaica in Epee and is the only athlete in the country to do so. Representatives from Jamaica (which is her mother’s homeland) asked Tia to represent them in Epee. She jumped at the chance. Tia has a great chance of reaching the next Olympics. It won’t be for the want of support from her family – or from her school. Dad Andy was a semi professional cyclist and sports coach who now works with Tia to help her with fitness. “Tia works really hard, but its important to ensure that she gets as much rest and recovery as she does training and that’s part of my job” he says.

Andy Hill is Plymouth College’s Director of Pentathlon and Fencing. He’s had 30 years of training under his belt and some of the country’s finest have been helped by his expertise over the years. “Tia is doing better than anyone else I’ve ever coached at the same age” he says. “She’s very straightforward, never misses a session, works hard and isn’t temperamental. She’s a delight to work with and she is definitely Olympic material – if not in four years, definitely eight.”

Meanwhile the girl with the radiant smile looks on. “Andy is fantastic” she says. The whole school is really supportive – it’s a very happy environment. I don’t feel under pressure and find it really helpful to be amongst so many other athletes who understand what it’s like to train competitively.”  So what are the hopes and dreams of this extraordinary 13 year old? She muses. “To have enough money to have new Puma trainers every term and to meet Levi Roots – I love his food and really admire how he’s got on in life – oh, and a gold at the Olympic Games” she adds as an afterthought.

Although Tia has a fantastic future in the sport this may be potentially hampered by a lack of funds. Tia needs to travel to international competitions Jamaica. These travel costs are at present unsustainable for her family. Tia like many other athletes desperately needs sponsorship to help her achieve the next Olympics. Without sponsorship coming soon Tia may not be able to attend the world championships in Croatia on the 29th March.

Friday, February 1, 2013

February 14th is Valentine’s Day


7 Ways to love yourself




1. Express Gratitude:
Express gratitude for the person that you are. For instance, cultivate an appreciation for your strengths and gifts. Also, feel a sense of gratitude that you are alive and well, and fully capable of making a difference in your life.

2. Nurture Your Dreams:
Why deny yourself your dreams? When you nurture your dreams, you would love the life that you are leading. Every moment that you live is a joy; you are expressing yourself. Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.

3. Boost Your Self Confidence:
Make a deliberate attempt to look for opportunities that can help improve your confidence. For instance, if you are particularly good at doing something, set aside more time to indulge and improve your skills on it. Knowing that you have particular gifts can boost your self esteem.

4. Relax:
Give yourself space to take breaks every now and then. If you spend your time working, without paying attention to your health, it also means that you do not love yourself well enough to take care of your own body. Fill your time with silence, soothing music and visions of beauty; anything that nourishes your Soul

5. Have Fun:
Inject some fun into your life. Life is meant to be an enjoyable. Don’t take life or yourself too seriously. If you can think of life in this manner, you automatically relax and quit worrying over things that do not matter.

6. Look After Your Body:
It is important that you strengthen yourself with proper nutrition and regular exercise. Your body is a temple and you should treat it with respect, love and care. It has been found that the lack of self love is often the root causes of conditions like eating disorders, obesity or even terminal diseases.

7. Learn To See Beauty:
When you learn to see beauty in everything, you will also see beauty in yourself. Hence, stop to smell the flowers. Notice everything. Enjoy feeling everything: the pink blush of the flowers in your garden, the greenness of the plains, the whisper of the gentle wind, or the myriad hues of an evening sky.

Source: www.abundancetapestry.com/how-to-love-yourself-in-17-ways/

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

SWITCH TO BREADFRUIT FLOUR




By John Anthony



The foreign taste and foreign itches that Jamaicans have developed partly through the efforts of our low self-esteem, history and of the foreign media I call the Hollywood Trojan Horses, now have the common housewife screaming for deliverance as flour prices jump and dance upwards.

Why in a land where we do not grow wheat, do we have a lust and taste for wheat flour? When I was a boy we had breadfruit falling off trees (ripened and rotten)! Why do we not have the taste for breadfruit flour? Breadfruit trees used to be easy to grow and required low maintenance and so the associated costs of production should not be prohibitive unlike yam or cassavas which have to be replanted annually.

But when a brainwashed perception (Wheat flour is the best) develops from a bias, it becomes entrenched and almost immovable. The local housewife and citizenry are as much to blame for rising wheat flour prices because they lusted after the wheat flour, developing American agriculture and did not demand breadfruit flour and so lead to the development of Jamaican agriculture. Hard choices in building a nation often means changing our tastes and preferences before crises hits. We should have developed a taste for breadfruit flour decades ago!

FOOLISH JAMAICANS NEED TO BE TAUGHT WHAT NATION BUILDING IS We thought nation building was watching cable TV and eating American apples. We thought that nation building was getting a multiple visa. We thought that profiling and styling was nation building. Or we thought it meant overstaffing Air Jamaica or using short cut methodology. Oh foolish people no one ever taught you that nation building means zipping up your pants and going home to your wife? No one ever taught you that nation building was changing your foreign taste to local one so your own farmers could develop local agriculture? Nation building means switching from wheat flour to breadfruit flour and setting a goal to plant five million breadfruit trees by 2010! Nation building means cancelling your cable TV and starting a college fund for your children and grandchildren.

WE WILL NEVER DEVELOP OUR ECONOMY AS LONG AS WE HAVE ENTRENCHED FOREIGN TASTES AND ITCHES Low self-esteem people make a low self-esteem nation and LOW SELF-ESTEEM PEOPLE MAKE THE BEST CUSTONERS! All smart marketing experts know this. Low self- esteem people will spend their money on cell phones and not on a college fund for their children. They will buy American grapes not invest in their bank accounts and cable tv before setting up a retirement account. Low self-esteem persons make the best consumers because one of the most potent drivers of human interaction is the desire for recognition and importance. These persons will go into debt and to great physical lengths to feel important and style and profile to catch the eye of onlookers.

In addition, we are destabilizing our economy by demanding cell phones when hundreds of thousands of citizens do not even need them, building the wealth of Irish and British companies who transfer our wealth potential into their bank accounts in London and Dublin, while they masquerade as Jamaican entities! Do we need Garvey to rise from the grave to open our eyes? He is not dead but alive! Open your eyes and behold him! In the future when inevitable price increases arrive we will scream then as we are screaming now when all along we should have been saving our money!