5 Travel Tips if you're coming home for Carnival

Vincy Mas 2014 kicks off in 5 days and suddenly I have had a flood of people asking me what to do since they are travelling in on LIAT.

I love LIAT a lot but that does not mean that I don't know the drama that comes with travelling with the airline in summer. So if you're coming home for Vincy Mas or the summer, here are my five tips to make that travelling a little easier:

1. Don't bring all of 'foreign' home with you. You're only allowed 50 lbs in your check in bag and 15 lbs in your carry on and during this peak time LIAT likes to enforce this. Make life easier by packing what you need. You can bring the best summer wardrobe for the 2 weeks you are here in 50 lbs.

 If your family wants you to bring town and country, consider shipping a barrel because when you pay for overweight or excess bags expect a headache and hassle getting them from Barbados/Trinidad as they automatically become standby bags. Also pack at least two days worth of clothes in your hand luggage just in case the baggage demon selects you to not receive your bag. If you don't get your bag, fill out a Property Irregularity Form (PIR) at the desk and wait at least 12 hours before you call. Your bag will not be in on the next flight (note the agent says the next available flight) so give it some time. Meanwhile help the economy by buying a shirt and jeans in Kingstown. LOL!

2. Reconfirm your flight and leave a local contact number. One of the biggest problems is that persons do not reconfirm their flights or they do not leave a local contact number so that they can be informed of changes. Sometimes LIAT knows a flight will be 4 hours late but there is one before that you as a passenger can be accommodated on but they have no way of contacting you. Leave your mother's cell number or the land-line just in case because it may save you having to stay in the airport in Barbados or Trinidad for an extra day.

(Photo credit: I Witness News SVG Kenton Chance/Nigel Browne)

3. Delays are inevitable. Summer is a peak period and with breakdowns, extra sectors, weather delays and overbookings you will find that flights will be late. There are two simple ways to deal with this: have a good book or fully charged tablet and keep your vex money for food. While the airline has a policy of three hours before they have to feed you after a delay, the easiest thing is to keep that handy US$20 to buy Cheffete's in Barbados or some 'doubles' in Trinidad. Keep a book in your hand luggage or your tablet to keep you entertained and occupied but make sure you listen out for delay announcements and boarding announcements.(If travelling with kids you may have to keep extra money as new security regulations do not allow the carriage of liquids over 3 oz per container. Pack snack boxes for them and make sure you have games/toys to keep them occupied! You'll have to buy them juices to keeps them hydrated as travelling can dry you and them out.)

(Photo credit: I Witness News SVG Kenton Chance)

4. When returning to the new home, people have the idea that they need to pack everything to carry back. From fish to breadfruit to sugarcakes to whole turkeys, we know you miss the taste of home. However with the number of bags going out, there is a possibility yours will be left behind.

The easiest thing to do is pack your perishables in your hand luggage. You do not want the fish spoiling or missing out on savouring those tamarind balls. Non perishable items like the pepper sauce, Sunset Light Rum (it is illegal to travel with Sunset Strong Rum) and Black Wine cannot go in the hand luggage so put them in the check in bag and they will get to you unspoiled (even if it's a few days late.)

5. Be nice to the agent at the desk. The biggest mistake a lot of passengers make is that they think cursing the agent at the desk will make things happen for them. It is the exact opposite and while I know LIAT's customer service leaves a lot to be desired, you will be surprised that being nice will get you a whole lot farther than cursing the agent. A pleasant greeting, a smile and a friendly tone can make things happen faster and the agent more empathetic towards you. Also do not just run to the supervisor or manager to see if they can do it faster; they can't. They always come back to the little guy and his connections so be nice to the agent at the desk!

Remember check in time is two hours before the flight and that you should clear with Immigration and security at least 30 - 45 minutes before your scheduled departure. Have a great trip home to SVG and if you see me, buy me a rum (Sparrow/Mt. Gay or Capt. Bligh)  as a 'Thank You' for the advice!

THE SOCA MUSIC VIDEO IS BACK!

Skinny Fabulous does it again.

Taken from http://socahits.com/wp-content/uploads/skinny_fabulous_glitz.jpg

        If 2013 was a great year for Gamal ‘ Skinny Fabulous’ Doyle, 2014 is going to be epic. After claiming the Soca Monarch and Road March crown in St. Vincent and the Grenadines for 2013, Skinny has started out 2014 with a bang. His writing and performing skills were put on show for ‘The Greatest Party on Earth’ Trinidad Carnival 2014.  After a stellar performance for the International Soca Monarch  and with the success of his hit ‘Behaving The Worst’, Skinny released the music video on Monday 10^th March! The reaction could only be described in one word: CRAZY!

        The video has garnered over 10 thousand views in less than 24 hours and has been liked and shared hundreds of times on social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook. Not since the days of Touch has a music video been anticipated like this and received such feedback in a short space of time.

        The video was shot in Trinidad and St. Vincent with the opening scene including the Lowmans Leeward Anglican School. The opening scenes of the video include the La Gracia Dance Company and the Commissioner of Police in SVG, Michael Charles. The video is riddled with Soca celebrities including  power couple Bunji Garlin and Fay Ann Lyons, 2014 Power Soca Monarch Machel Montano, Destra Garcia, Iwer George, and 2011 Project Runway winner Anya Ayoung Chee! With production by Alex ' Kubyashi ' Barnwell, this song now combined with video is poised to take Vincy Soca on a rampage across carnivals for 2014. 

 

Kern Rose (left) & Titan VCD (right) directed the video

         Directed by Titan VCD and Kern Rose (who directed the Patrice Roberts/TallPree video for Mash It up), this video really brings out ‘the worst behaviour.’ With dance moves that are hypnotic, scenes of fences being ripped down and the proud representation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (the flag, Skinny’s scarf and the Hairoun beer), ‘Behaving The Worst’ has brought the music video back to Soca especially in SVG and will hopefully revitalize the music scene in SVG. Let’s see what Vincy Mas 2014 will bring but one thing we gotta say, Skinny Fabulous has done it again! 

4 Degrees can mean the world of Change

Over the last few years there have been many changes in our environment and  phrases such as ‘Global Warming’ and ‘Climate Change’ have become a part of our everyday language. But what does this mean for persons in small islands such as St. Vincent and the Grenadines? What will be the impact if the 4 degrees Celsius warms the Earth? A warmer world will not only impact us here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines but also the whole world!

Taken from WorldAtlas.com 

                One of the world’s foremost experts on climate research, Prof. Hans Joachim Schellnhuber who is Director of  Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research,  located in Potsdam, Germany talks about the impact of CO2/Carbon Dioxide on today’s world. It is interesting to note that with all the green vegetation in St. Vincent that we don’t really think about CO2 emissions. However if we are to look at the impact of CO2 on temperature, we will begin to look at how the dry season has become so unpredictable and the havoc being wreaked by the continued spike in temperature. We are now experiencing hotter days which are impacting how we live our everyday lives.

The Marriaqua Valley (13th most fertile valley in the world)

                But what if the world’s countries don’t change, what will be the impact? Dr. Erick Fernandes, Adviser, Climate Change and Natural Resource Management, Latin America and Caribbean Agriculture and Rural Development Unit at World Bank notes that while there may be some positive from the rise in temperature, it will ultimately impact our agricultural production. As a country that is dependent on agriculture and agricultural exports, we will be impacted severely whether by droughts or lots of precipitation which will destroy our agricultural stocks. We will no longer have any form of food security and will have to begin looking at higher import bills or even food crises that can lead to malnourishment, and spread of diseases.

Anopheles Mosquito which carries the disease. (Photo from CDC.gov)

                We as an island nation will also be looking at rising sea levels as this can have a major impact on our country, both physically and economically. In the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change Report, the impact shown from the unattended levels of emissions is staggering and shows a drastic rise in sea levels impacting the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean islands and leaving millions of persons displaced by coastal flooding. There will be loss of valuable coastal property which will impact industries such as fishing and tourism. According to Prof. Stefan Rahmstorf ,Professor of Physics of the Oceans, Potsdam University, and Head, Earth System Analysis  at Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, he states ” We can see that also some of the ecosystems that protect the coasts from storm surges will get  damaged by sea‐level rise. “ He notes in the longer run coastal cities as well as island states may be at risk. The impact of coastal flooding is not only important to us in SVG or the Caribbean but also coastal cities such as New York in the US and Rotterdam in Europe. It is a problem that will affect us all.

Flooding in the island of Oceania which are already feeling the effects of Climate Change 

                We will also see an impact on the health of our population from the effects of this 4 degree change in temperature. Prof. Anthony McMichael, Professor Emeritus of Population Health at Australian National University in Canberra, Australia notes that there will be an impact on the health of our populations. In addition to food shortages and dwindling resources, the health of our people especially those who are in the poor and vulnerable areas will have a lot to contend with such as rise in vectors such as mosquitoes and the diseases that they carry like malaria will see an upsurge as conditions will be favourable for breeding them. The impact on the ecosystem he notes will also impact us as animals such as bats which help control disease will be impacted and will no longer be there to help contain these diseases leading to a world that is very unhealthy and diseased.

                So what is the solution you may ask? There is no quick fix for climate change and the effects. We are living in a technological age where we have to develop the solution for climate change by working together as nations on the Earth whether you are 150 square kilometres or millions of square kilometres. We have to see how we can impact the discussion and bring about changes at the local, regional and international level. And if you think Climate change is not important, just think of your favourite beach and you no longer being able to visit it or you can only get rationed food to eat or there is a major outbreak of Malaria. The time is now to start action for a world of change and stop the 4 degrees.

If I were Valedictorian, this is what my speech might look like...

 It is with great honour that I stand here today representing my colleagues at this important milestone. Congratulations to you all on this great achievement having walked the hallowed halls of this campus of the premier tertiary education institution in the Caribbean, gleaning the knowledge and experiences that we will take forward in our lives. Today marks the end of another chapter in our lives and the beginning of another; in the word of Julius Caesar ‘Veni, Vidi, Vici.’: ‘We came, we saw, we conquered.’

      We came to this place that many of us would call home for years and on entering this beautiful campus, we started a journey, an adventure that could only be described as the UWI Experience. From the plethora of information and myriad of experiences of Orientation Week, we knew that we had made a great choice by choosing the Mona Campus. Then we started classes and immediately we knew that this was no longer secondary school or CAPE. Our school days became filled with lectures, practicals, lab sessions and the occasional class debates which added to our learning experience. We were told on entry that we were here to ‘read for a degree’ and that is exactly what we did. The libraries became our second home and the libraries’ staff our family. Many days and nights would be spent there doing research, accessing documents and just finding a quiet environment to study. The quote of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow became known to many of us after our first year here. “Heights by great men reached and kept were not obtained by sudden flight but, while their companions slept, they were toiling upward in the night.” We would learn from our mistakes in first year and go on to make the rest of our academic journey a successful one.Yet while we pursued our academic goals, there was more that would mould us as Pelicans. Our skills and talents were shown whether in acting, singing or directing at the Philip Sherlock Centre, our sporting abilities displayed at the Mona Bowl, the event planning skills in transforming venue for pageants, shows and parties and our outreach projects focusing on helping our society. Our time spent within the various clubs and societies on campus would help develop our leadership and communication skills as well as make us team players. There were many debates between the nationals from the many islands of our region, informing us about each other’s culture with each trying to outdo the other. Still, the more we would highlight our differences, the more we would see and embrace the similarities of our Caribbean identity. All of this would help to mould what the UWI has outlined in its strategic plan: the ideal UWI graduate.

On such a momentous occasion, it would be remiss of me not to recognize those who helped and guided us on this journey. We were fortunate to have some of the best minds in the Caribbean and by extension the world, to pilot our academic pursuits, challenging us to think creatively and critically and pushing us to achieve excellence. We are thankful to our lecturers and tutors for their work in aiding us to achieve today’s accomplishment. Your invaluable efforts will go on with us in our work wherever we are. To our families and friends, we thank you for the love, support and tolerance especially in our trying times. We are grateful for your integral role in this journey to our academic success.

And so we have come to the end of another chapter of journey and will begin a new one today. We must now become the change we need in our countries, our region and our world. We must now pursue our dreams, no longer waiting for a job to be provided but providing our own jobs, creating innovative businesses and becoming the leaders of our region for today.

         As we move on let us not forget the memories and friends made here. We now have a network that extends throughout the region and beyond.  We are now ambassadors of the university and bear the proud title of Alumni of the University of the West Indies. As Pelicans I urge us to wear it proudly, display it and show why the UWI is the premier tertiary education institution in the Caribbean. We must also proudly give back to her; join the UWI Alumni Association and support the efforts to improve the university by giving of our time, talent and treasure.

       In closing we have done what Caesar did; we came to this campus with a dream, we saw the excitement and the challenges of university life and we conquered it, with today as a testament of our achievements. I wish us all success in our future endeavours and may we proudly stand as representatives of the "Light Rising from the West." I thank you!

Shavar D.M. Maloney  B.A. (Hons) Media & Communication UWI Class of 2013

HAPPY NEW YEAR

To all my readers,
Wishing you all a Happy, Blessed and Productive 2014.

Nuff Love,
Shavar