Being in Trinidad for the last week has reminded me of how funny I found the Trinidadian definition of race. A man could be as black as charcoal but because of the fact that his hair is curly he is quick to point out that – “I have spanish in me.”

I have always thought that Trinidad is the country with the most mixed, Indian and Spanish negros anywhere in the world. Why does race play such a significant role in Trinidad? Why is it that people distance themselves from the Negro race as much as possible? There are many factors which influence this such as the past enslavement of negros and the importation of East Indians as indentured labourers. The thing it boils down to most is the so called “good hair.”

I think too that Trinidad is such an insulated society that Trinidadians are not exposed to the outside world’s view on race. In the eyes of a European person, 95% of Trinidadians would be considered as Asian or Black. This has actually resulted in a culture shock for many duglas(who have migrated to the United States) who are accustomed to using racist words against Afro-Trinidadians when these same words are hurled at them.

So my dear Trinidadian friends, do not place so much emphasis on race but instead look at what you have in common. Your ability to adjust to any situation; your survival spirit; your sporting achievements; the great human resources which exist there and your oil and gas resources. I am sure that if emphasis is placed on building your nation and not dividing it into various racial backgrounds then who you are as a people would be more important than what heritage you are as individuals.

The misspelling on the plaque sums up my opinion on the renaming on Boggy Peak in Antigua to Mount Obama.

All beaches on Antigua and Barbuda are free according to our local laws. The trend though points to private developers blocking access and harrassing would be beach goers. Many Hotels make it uncomfortable for non-guests to use the beach in one of these ways:-

1. Using Security to intimidate beach goers

2. Erecting fences around the property where residents traditionally had access to the beach

3. Denying beach visitors access at the gate

4. Making access to the beach so difficult that potential users simply do not bother to try.

5. Publishing subtle signs such as private beach or private access.

This situation is getting worse in Antigua and Barbuda becasue of the difficult balance between the wants of the investors and the rights of our local people. It must not be allowed to continue or else we would have given up a right which seldom occurs anywhere else in this world. We need to stand up whenever we are denied access to or are chased away from beaches. We should visit the beaches no matter how inaccessible they are in order to claim our right.

Pregnant women deserve all the care and attention necessary for them to successfully deliver a new life into the world. However the way women are treated in Antigua leaves much to be desired.

Private Gynecologists sometimes deal with patients like if they are handing cattle. They  are often unprofessional and do not observe common standards such as having a nurse present during examinations. Women must be aware that this should be done both to protect the woman patient as well as the doctor (especially if he is a male). Do not allow a Doctor to examine you unless the nurse is present. You should also walk with a family member or partner to the examination. They do not entertain questions and educate their patients well enough on what they are going through in the pregnancy. Instead they are preoccupied in collecting their doctor’s fees.

We must admit that Hoberton Hospital was more like Hellberton Hospital. Patients were treated in an inhumane manner mainly because of the lack of proper facilities. Pregnant women were not spared from these horrible conditions. Nurses did not respond immediately to the needs of these women. Young mothers who had just completed delivery by surgery were not allowed to have relatives assist them with the new born babies. This would not be so bad if the nurses were not watching the young and the restless as the mother called for assistance.

The bath and toilet facilities were delapedated and unsanitary. Beds were uncomfortable and privacy did not exist.

The new Mount St. John Medical Centre is a new facilty and much of the above infrastrucute issues have been resolved. Hopefully the human side has also been improved.

We need to improve our pre and anit natal care in Antigua. Our pregnant women are going thorugh a very important time in their lives and need all of our support in this important time.

The authorities in Antigua and Barbuda have failed to handle the H1N1 pandemic in a serious way. As a result nobody really knows the true extent of cases here in Antigua.

Recently a team returned from Trinidad and Tobago and it was discovered that the nephew of one of the athletes became infected with the virus. The Ministry of Education refused to name the school or immediately shut down the school. As a result of this lack of information, other children who may have come into contact with the child may not be aware that they may have contracted the virus. Their parents could well have caught this virus from their children and then passed it on to other persons in society.

The authorities at the V.C. Bird International were never dealt with this situation proactively. Instead they waited until after a case was reported in Antigua to implement procedures which on paper were already in effect.

It seems as though the Authorities are gambling on the fact that the fatality rate is significantly lower than first anticipated. They must however remember that nobody knows what this virus can evolve into. We need to take more precautions and continue to educate the population on the spread of this virus.

This practice is higly irregular and illegal and needs to be stopped both for the safety of motorists and the wardens. After all they are not trained in law enforcement and may put themselves in a dangerous position. Motorists who are unaware of the situation might injure these civilian lawmen by not stopping when they jump in front of their vehicles.

Ticketing on roads should remain the responsibility of police officers. They are trained and properly equipped in law enforcement techniques.

Human Resource Management is a necessary function of every organization whether it has a formal structure or not. It is about utilizing the work force in the best possible way to achieve the goals of the organization. This is done through recruiting the right people, training them and rewarding them for making the organization successful.

In Antigua many Human Resource Managers have become Human Resource Disciplinarians. They think that their role is to create a repressive environment which does not spark creativity. There is no just culture and people are blamed when things go wrong and are not rewarded when success is achieved.

The Hotel Sector is especially guilty of this. The rules and regulations are more appropriate for a Secondary School than an Organization which should be motivating its staff to provide good service. It focuses on the what to  do and what not to do instead of  how each employee’s contribution is so important to the success of the Organization.

Hotel Sector Human Resource Managers have become so brain washed by these policies that when they enter other organizations they try to enforce this repressive culture on the staff. One former Hotel HR Manager  actually banned female staff at a Statutory Organization from wearing open toe shoes. This is a health and safety consideration at Hotels (especially in the dining room), but should not apply to an office environment where the ladies want to display their beauty through jewelry, makeup and clothing. Obviously his policy was rejected.

HR Managers should therefore familiarize themselves with whatever industry they are in and come up with creative ways of achieving the goals of the organization. This can be done through motivation and rewards. A just culture works not a repressive culture.

http://kagedbird.wordpress.com/2009/01/09/searches-on-hotel-staff/

Antigua is ready for Postal Codes, Street naming and numbering of houses.

The house numbering can be done in line with APUA, and DCA. Street naming can be an exercise carried out by community groups who can honor significant residents who may have lived on the street. The postal codes should be done by Parish. For instance if I live on Market St., Parham Town, St. Peters. Then my postal codes would be SP1TY.

The authorities should look into this because it will bring Antigua in line with other developed countries.

I refer to an article in the Antigua Sun where a supervisor at Verandah Resort was caught and eventually convicted of theft of hotel property.

He stole flat screen televisions among other property directly from the rooms. He had a master key for the property and was quickly singled out for the crime. The police found the hotel’s possessions on his property.

This again supports my earlier articles on this subject that theft is occuring in all industries in Antigua and our methods of dealing with this problem is irrelevant. It is not the line worker who has access most of the time. It is people in authority. When you have a system set up to screen the little man while the big man walks straight through it creates a situation where the “big man” thinks that he is invincible.

Thousands of dollars of property is slipping through the system at this crucial time in our economy. The hemoraging needs to be stopped. After all if the hoteliers cannot see a good return on investment then they will close their businesses. Everyone in the industry needs to work together to create real soloutions instead of just accepting that this is the way that things are going to be so as long as I get paid I will just go along.