Caribbean Vacation Travel

It is September and the kids are back at school and many adults are settling in to work and routine as never before. September always bring those moments of joy and regret. Joy from the memory of doing what we love in the summer, and regret from all those events we didn’t get to enjoy.

But you can still recover if you imagine that in a few months we will see summer again and learn to take advantage of all those wonderful moments that come with warm sunshine and veggie barbecues.

Also, Christmas is right around the corner, so we have to get busy planning for out-of-town visitors, family and friends. Christmas is always a good time to enjoy family and friends we take for granted.

However, I know many people don’t want to go there now and would prefer that summer lingered on for just a few weeks. We still have the sunlight except the days are getting shorter and the sun sets much earlier than in the height of the summer.

So if you haven’t had enough of summer and want to enjoy some more you have two choices: First, if your are single and don’t have any responsibilities, you can join a Caribbean singles vacation cruise. This is a good time to get some great deals from your travel agent or cruise line. Basking aboard a luxury liner as it sails the Caribbean sea will surely invigorate you more than you expect. But remember you have to end this excursion sometime and go back to reality.

Your other choice is just to swallow your hurt and go back to work or school or whatever you do in September. With September many colleges offer courses that help you to improve your life. You may want to check out a distance learning program that helps you learn a new language. Perhaps French for your travels in Martinique, or Spanish for Belize.

Then again you can also learn how to play the guitar and write lyrics for calypsoes, so you can create an impression when you visit Trinidad and Tobago. Another alternative to traveling this fall is running. While you shouldn’t expect to run as fast as Usain Bolt from Jamaica, you can keep fit with a long brisk walk during the fall months.

Many vacationers on the usually sunny island of Jamaica had to make other plans for their caribbean vacation as the tropical storm Gustav touched down. It is not a pleasant thing to find yourself caught in such fierce winds that a storm can produce.

To make things worse, the storm may reach hurricane status before it reaches the U.S. Many coastal towns in the states have put out evacuation bulletins warning of impending danger. Gustav will likely hit New Orleans before it calms it fury.

This is almost September and as the rhyme goes: “September, remember” is vivid in the minds of many in the Caribbean. This time Hispaniola, a densely populated island in the Antilles, somewhere between Cuba and Puerto Rico recorded at least 67 deaths because of this fiery tropical storm.

Hispaniola is home to both the Dominican Republic and Haiti and meteorological experts consider it inside the hurricane belt. This means that any and most hurricanes or tropical storms passing through this region will usually strike this island.

The number of deaths worry me because I have been doing some research into climate change. It seems large but I do not recall hearing about more deaths on an island because of a hurricane or tropical storm.

But it does tell about the future of these islands as global warming takes hold. Hurricanes may be seasonal but you can expect flash flooding and tsunami type weather in this region if the major world governments do not address the changing face of the climate on our planet.

These small islands with their open coastlines will experience physical and social unrest that climatologists predict with global warming. Some may not survive the rising sea levels, disappearing under the sea.

It is important to know that many of these islands in the Caribbean do not have the monitors or budgets for detecting these changes in climate. They can only hope for the best and allow God’s grace to help them overcome their impending sufferings.

Hey, need a vacation but don’t feel you can get away from your busy schedule? Well, think again, as many tourist hot spots are expanding and upgrading their communication networks to allow you to spend some time away from the office and complete those must do tasks.

Now, I am not the type that normally favors spending a caribbean vacation, for example, working your butt off. After all, work is work and play is play. But we have to face the reality of this so-called modern world where there is no separation of work from play.

I work everyday even though I don’t have to. But if I do not work, stuff piles up. Can you imagine the number of spam messages that will reach my mail box? Also, I spend countless hours goofing off when I feel lazy or have visitors in town, or some other silly adventure. So, I compensate for downtime by working everyday and completing those must do chores.

Many people buy an expensive laptop rather than a desktop because it so convenient. You can lug it anywhere you go at home, in the office, or while you are catching some sun on your Caribbean stopover.

And with wireless connections installed in hotel rooms you have a reliable connection to the Internet, your mail, and your files at the office. You don’t even have to bother buying some of the expensive software packages. Just sign up for a Google account and take advantage of many of their free online office productivity programs.

This also means you can buy inexpensive software programs to help you to connect remotely to your files at the office. You don’t have to store all this information on your laptop. You just have to login and work with your files from a sunny spot in the Caribbean.

And when the sun heats up, you put on some sunscreen and hop to the beach for a wonderful day.

Life doesn’t get better than that!

Three fine young men stood on the Olympic podium in Beijing to receive their Olympic medals for the 100-meter sprint. Two of those men come from the Caribbean and carried the torch just like some of their predecessors who previously competed at the Olympic Games.

The gold medalist, Usain Bolt ran at record breaking speed eclipsing a record set by Canadian Donovan Bailey who ran in the 1996 Games. The young Jamaican ran the distance in 9.69 seconds while Bailey’s time at the Atlanta Games was 9.89 seconds.

Richard Thompson from Trinidad and Tobago came in second and Walter Dix from the US placed a close third.

Usain Bolt is so fast that you may wonder if he were on caribbean vacation Singles cruise. Bolt cruised to victory, easing up his stride mere meters from the finish line, preferring to raise his arms in the air to declare victory despite knowing that he could set a new record.

Why are these sprinters from the Caribbean so fast that nobody can catch them. Well, it seems like natural talent with a good whiff of coaching. If you got talent and can go the distance, a good coach will always make you shine.

Of course, the American sprinters also have this ability to win short races and have a herd of coaches available to them from their early years to college. But it could be the makeup of the bones in these athletes. The 100-meter sprint needs a good start, flexible bones, and muscles. Coming out of the box quickly is ninety percent of the sprint game. If for some reason you falter, you can lose some critical seconds and will have to play catch up with the rest of the field. Some athletes can overcome a slow start but with such competitive feet at an Olympic event, the one out of the box first normally has the best chance of winning.

Nonetheless, congratulations to Usain Bolt, Richard Thompson, and Walter Dix on your victory in such a symbolic race.

We look forward to traveling away from our routine environment at one time or another. After all what so good about life if we cannot get away for one week, at least, to a favorite place we enjoy. Working in the American corporate rat race makes us that more certain that we want to escape to a warm, calm climate. A place when we can watch the butterflies and birds perform their natural functions without stress or worry.

Of course, we have seen that even birds and insects are vulnerable to the society we have grown. Bees have shown abnormal migratory patterns lately and conservationists find many birds washed ashore in many countries. It is global warming at its best, and news this week from Homeland Security leave us more befuddled as we make plans for a sunny caribbean vacation or even a holiday on our own land.

Homeland Security announced that border agents can now seize laptops and cell phones from travelers returning to the United States. In addition, they can keep them as long as they like to copy the contents on the drives of these gadgets. Of course, it is all in the name of combatting terrorism and copyright protection, but can you imagine the inconvenience this new rule will cause most travelers.

I, for one, do not like lugging heavy luggage through airports, and leave my laptop at home whenever I travel. But I often have to share other people’s computer when I get to my destination or use an Internet café to check my e-mail and other business.

The same goes for cell phones. Just recently, I had to use a phone to call the person who was picking me up at the Los Angeles airport. I did not have coins and preferred not to use my credit card to make a short call. I tried buying a phone card at a machine close to the phone booth but the machine was out of order. Fortunately, a young businessperson realized my plight and offered me his Blackberry to make my call.

It makes sense to carry your cell phone and laptop when you are traveling because you will use both devices when you are traveling. But with the new Homeland Security rules I think I will continue my practice of leaving my cell phone and laptop at home because I cannot afford the inconvenience of having my gadgets seized on suspicion of piracy or terrorism.

Global warming or climate change is not a far-off idea. You only have to watch the news and listen to the warnings from concerned scientists. It is even more alarming when you consider the physical and mental problems we will face if we don’t do something about it.

Most Governments around the world are dragging their political feet in the hope that ‘somebody’ would come up with a solution that would save the day. And of course, save their face. But this is not going to happen without some sacrifices by all citizens in this threatened planet.

Recently the G8 summit did little but window dressing as they tackled the issue. They always come up with a clever sounding compromise that does nothing but give the masses little hope in their leadership.

Yes, the strict solutions proposed will cause job losses and may even tank their economies for some time. But if we don’t get on board with those methods the planet will not survive. Yes, all those in caribbean vacation Singles clubs will vanish. So too will rich people and poor people. The elderly and the young will also disappear.

But before the unavoidable happens you just have to ponder about what your days will resemble as the planet heats up. You are already seeing the effects of climate change in many regions of the world - flooding, drought, rare tornadoes, hurricanes, and so on.

The climate is becoming weird with each passing day and will continue until the end, if we are to believe the experts who have been studying these changes for sometime.

And if that is not enough for you, read this mind-numbing article that explains how those little irritating kidney stones can come to lunch during climate change. To find out how the role kidney stones will play please follow this link.

I recently had a discussion with an eminent researcher in natural hazards and climate change. The views and conclusions reached by this scholar jive with those of climatologists around the world who see that global warming is a life ending possibility. The planet we live on will go kaput if we do not stop talking and pointing fingers, but act to avoid the unavoidable.

Now, global warming is not an easy sell because many of the countries that will feel its effects are poor countries without a voice at the various world political communities. Huge tidal waves will flood or wash away the shores of those beautiful islands where you spend your caribbean vacation, for example.

Many experts are also predicting that this global problem will also hit large metropolitan cities like New York. In fact, any city or town close to lakes or other major waterways can see their real estate swamped like the ancient cities you read about in the geographical encyclopedias.

But drowning, flooding and other water specific dangers are not the only ones will hit us hard in global warming gone berserk. Already, health experts are taking about malaria and other physical ailments. Also, studies from mental health researchers reveal that mental illness is becoming a constant in some communities or subgroups.

Of course, this all sounds alarming, and we can go back to our normal ways after reading this piece, but the time is drawing near when we have to suffer for our inaction. But you don’t have to lay down and wait for the train to run over you. You can take specific steps to foil this worldwide plague that will visit us within a few years if we don’t change our ways.

Get involve with groups such as PETA, Vegetarian Associations, and concerned scientists who can help you understand what is going on in your neighborhood. They can also tell you how to change your eating habits and other destructive habits that have contributed to this terrible condition that will come on us soon if we don’t act now!

Last night I enjoyed listening and seeing the African Children’s Choir, a 26-person ensemble of male and female children from Kenya and Uganda. The delightful children, ages 8-12, played to a packed church of more than 1,000 people at the Community Christian Reformed Church in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada.

Their fast pace and energetic performance reminded me of the choreography you see while on a caribbean vacation. Many of the dance movements you see in the Caribbean come from the African past of the islanders. You will also notice the islanders have the same electric vibrations in their singing and performing.

Whenever you get the opportunity to see this vibrant musical show, you should take it because you will come away with a deeper understanding of humanity. Also, you can help the children raise funds to continue their education in their respective countries, and better the lives of countless children who live in subhuman environments on the African continent.

The concert is free but you can show your support by giving money, buying Cds and Dvds of their previous performances, t-shirts, or you can sponsor a child in one of those countries. This is a good business model because it allows the children to give something of value for the financial and moral help they receive from citizens in many nations such as Canada, USA, United Kingdom, and France.

You cannot adopt any of the children in the show because they go back to their homes and a new group comes on tour every 15 months. This group is the 30th edition of the African Children’s Choir.

The African Children’s Choir is a must see for those who like singing, for those who like African drumming, for those who like dancing, and for those who like children. Here’s a sample of what you will get when you attend a concert with these children of the heart.

Well, the much-awaited iPhone landed in Canada yesterday but it left many disappointed shoppers who thought they would buy their iPhone before stocks ran out. Stock did run out at the reseller’s flagship store on Yonge St. in Toronto leaving many early buyers with a loud ring in their air.

The company, Rogers Company, had promised their customers breakfast as they lined up like vultures ready to pounce on easy prey. But all they got for breakfast was a granola bar. Well, at least the company was thoughtful of the animals who die everyday as humans satisfy their need for their meat. A granola bar is a lot better than a double cheeseburger with fries and a sprinkling of salt and animal fat.

I met Jason, one of the disappointed shoppers who left on plane for a caribbean vacation Singles cruise this morning. He had hoped to take his new iPhone 8GB with him as he soaked up the sun in St. Lucia and many other touristy islands. Poor Jason will just have to settle for the outdated Nokia N95 model he bought six months ago. But he warned that he still wants an iPhone because it is the gadget to have today.

True, American buyers had the iPhone for a while as Apple limited their distribution south of the border. Now that Apple is shipping to many more countries it is likely the demand will soar and competition will heat up. There are already two options in Canada for the iPhone. Pity, Jason didn’t think that one of them would have made a splash on the beach just like the iPhone. After all, most people in St. Lucia may never see or use the current model iPhone. In fact, they will settle for a look-alike phone just to impress their friends.

But I understand where Jason is coming from. When he returns to Toronto next week, he will have to compete with the young, savvy people of his ilk, and you don’t do that with a look-alike Apple iPhone.

I got to run, my iPhone is ringing!

Running a small business is no small challenge. Everyday you have to put up with the unexpected and waste time and money on events you have no control over. How many times can you repeat the same steps in a given month when service providers don’t take their tasks seriously They give you shoddy work or create unreasonable delays with their work.

Running a small business means you have to wear all the hats until you make enough money to hire good staff. But hiring staff doesn’t always turn out too well if the people don’t buy into your dream. And here is where everything falls down because you should not expect a stranger to buy into your dream. It is one of those wishes that most employers don’t see.

For example, let say you are running a caribbean vacation Singles online dating service. You hire a coordinator to make sure your clients get the service they need so they can return. You also want them to share their good experiences with their friends and other people they meet. However, if your coordinator treats your clients shabbily, they will leave your club in droves and tell everyone who will listen about your poor service. Bad news travels fast and you will see your investment decline rapidly.

But you have to go on and plan your business carefully so it will grow to the point where unprofessional providers don’t matter. If you can only hire one employee, and that employee has a bad attitude then you will likely face bad tidings. But if you grow so large that you can hire several people for different positions within your business then one bad apple will not cause too much disruption.

That sounds like a big challenge but it is doable. And you must think big to ensure you survive the negative thinkers.