The lights

On that little matter of the selling of Jamaica's "national airline".

Quip that comes to mind: "Last one to leave the island, please turn off the lights!"

God help us!


Claudia
www.cyopro.com
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A private loss

About 12 years ago, the financial institution for which I worked held its annual Long Service Awards function and invited Professor Ralston “Rex” Nettleford to be the guest speaker.

I was hearing him for the first time, in person, and made some notes as he made his delivery. One of the statements that spoke to me was, “We must have a frame of reference upon which to plot the new things that are upon us.”

Even though he might have been referring to a Jamaican national and collective reflecting, situating and progressing, I took it personal. I bear the past in mind, and appreciate, even more, the value of the journey travelled; the accomplishments made and the wisdom and determination needed to go even farther. There’s more. I am also not required to use the standards of “others” to determine whether I am successful. Just one glance at my humble beginnings and I know that I am successful and have come this far by faith in God, ambition, education, hard work and persistence.

I imagine that in life, one is shaped by the people, places, things and ideas that one encounters, is exposed to and embraces. My parents raised us lovingly and with ‘broughtupsy’. Outside of the family circle, however, we must interact with the world. I am happy to have benefited from a wonderful encounter with Professor Nettleford, realizing that the world – certainly, Jamaica – will not be the same without him. So much better are we, though, because he was in it.

Much has been written about him since his passing. Seems there is a genuine effort to wax eloquent, in trying to do justice to Professor Nettleford as a excellent orator. There have been breaking news, editorials, personal experiences and, quite simply but no less eloquent, the quiet mourning and reflection of his personal assistant who "ran his life" for about 26 years: "Prof just gone like that."

I didn’t need to be a student in one of his classes to have learnt quite a bit from this man.

I shall miss him.


Claudia
www.cyopro.com
www.twitter.com/cyopro

iPad? Really, Steve?

And the hits just keep on coming!

I got more than a bellyful of laughs yesterday talking to my sis on the phone. (Just your regular ol’ BlackBerry. Nothing to see here, folks!)

She was conveying the quips that one of her fb friends kept rolling in, re the newly launched iPad. I was on the GO train and really couldn’t LOL! But, still, that didn’t keep the tears from brimming.

So, along the lines of:
• Well, Apple used to work hard at preventing leaks!
• Wireless. No strings attached. Period.
• Feeling bloated? There’s an app for that!
(Then he goes: “I’ll be here all week!”)

Another friend said something about the tablets, the excitement and the 10 commandments.

Personally, I think that it was a very creative move - capturing that middle-ground between laptop and iPhones. Apple now has representation from one end to the other (the ends we have in sight at the moment, anyway). Not so sure what the level of satisfaction is yet, however. (And that doesn’t mean I’m very keen on finding out.) As a friend of mine emailed last night, “I was intrigued until I realized it was just an oversized iPhone.”

I’m certainly not just going by that single take, but, I wonder whether there’s a collective yawn vs. a ka-ching! moment for Apple.

In the meantime, while we wait for the iPad to hit the market (and for the name to grow on the rest of us), have a go at your own quip, and check out a few others.

(Now the entire article is through subscription only? They sure worked fast, didn’t they?)

Claudia
www.cyopro.com
www.twitter.com/cyopro

Undivided attention...for the moment

On a global level, it’s amazing how short our attention span can get with news being fed every second.

So, right now, it’s all about Haiti and how they are coping with the effect of the 7.0 earthquake that hit on January 12, 2010. And rightly so. For better or for worse, the eyes of the world are upon this little country. Many have hit out as to the “cause” for such a blow; many have rushed to her shores to help; many have been stalled in their efforts. (The irony is that the influx of immediate help has caused huge logistic problems in getting help directly to those who need it most.) And, there are many who’ve set out to write about Haiti; put things in context etc. How poignant the sentiment I read a couple days ago: “We are in a moment of disaster.”

Generally, though, many have been giving – no passing of judgment; no hope for anything in return – just giving. And that, is heartening!

Perhaps next month, when something else would have arisen to shift our attention, help for Haiti will still occupy a prominent position on the world’s action – not To Do – list.


Claudia
www.cyopro.com
www.twitter.com/cyopro

...and counting!

Well, whaddya know? The previous post was the 50th one! I'm like, wow, who would've thunk it? I'm pretty psyched about that, as you can guess, as it means I've held the commitment to writing.

I would be the first to admit it (if asked:) Sometimes the writing isn't the most interesting piece of work I put out there, but, always, it's honest. And that has to count for sopm, right?

In my book it does :) (OK. Lemme tone down the self aggrandizement a bit :) Truth is, though, I'm glad I've kept at it. That's 50 posts and counting...right into the new year, too!

What a glorious way to start 2010? I love, (did I mention this before?) just loooove the beginning of a new year! It's like, the scales of the old year (I somehow always think of it using this metaphor) are immediately peeled off and reveals a fresh, new, vibrant, exciting, radiant, shiny, bright and hopeful time. It's as if I'm given a brand-spanking new canvass and I have the opportunity to do excellent work with it!

And so I shall! I rang in 2010 at a church service and what a way to do it, too?! I s'pose that also adds to my feeling of "starting out on the right foot". I now look forward to the new position/role I will be filling come next week. I've been assured that it's an exciting one ("not your usual government desk job"); one that promises to draw from my strong communication, education and outreach suite of skills.

My mission? To perform my job with excellence, doing it as unto God.

For right now, though, I shall continue to enjoy the company of my niece in the last few days of my 3-wk vacation. Her parents have been kind enough to allow her to sleep over :-) and it's been a blast.

Oh, one of my Rotties, Tara, had pups. I got here when they were still under a week old. Mother and pups are doing well. Haven't yet introduced them to papa. In time. In time. Now, they're growling and barking up a storm.

And, maybe, just maybe, this is the year when I'll fall in love. Again. This time, meet the man who's right for me, at the right time...

It'd be nice to fall in love, actually.


Claudia
www.cyopro.com
www.twitter.com/cyopro

Wonder and delight

Oooh,this month has been...hectic. Notice I didn't keep my appointment for the 18th? I was travelling (and I hate scheduling posts - probably have done it just once already). Anyway, I was on the way to Jamaica and once I got here, it got even crazier.

However, all that was with good reason. Busy planning the 40th anniversary celebration for my parents; busy executing the plans; busy attending and participating, but all with pleasure.

And they loved it! And that just makes my day. My sisters and I are glad that they enjoyed it - as did the friends who were invited. But, I think my parents enjoyed it more. They did the whole renewal of vows and exchange of rings - and this time, I was there! That was touching.

I'm mos def looking forward to the new year! It will be wonderful and delightful and exciting and my dreams will come true.

Yes!


Claudia
www.cyopro.com
www.twitter.com/cyopro

Heads-up! We’re bottoming out.

Are we getting too low for comfort? Well, it seems that those who are getting that low (IMO), are clearly comfortable with it. Perhaps, in that thought process, it’s not a measure or judgment of “low-ness” or fnoabw, depth. It may well be, perhaps, simply a matter of a new territory. There’s no hole being dug, no ladder being climbed. It’s just …virgin territory.

We live on a planet that has become tough, cynical, insatiable, impatient, (instant-coffee-is-too-slow), with numerous persons walking around individually-wrapped in a very real fear of being lost in the crowd. So, what do they do? Try – even if it means being egregious – to stand out from the other six billion plus people.

At one point or another, most people have pondered the why-am-I-here? question. And, along the continuum of that thought, may come the will-I-be-missed-when-I’m-gone? question. So, somewhere in-between, you try to “do something” that will attest to the fact that you were here, and hope that that “something” is the purpose for which you were placed here. (“Hope is not a method” as the General’s book is so aptly titled. But that’s for another time.)

Now, my question is: Does that “something” that you do to distinguish you from every other human being before, during and after your presence here have to be as obtuse as tweeting to the social media community at the very moment that you are doing something as serious as, say, being pronounced husband to your new wife? Hmm? Seems like some are willing to do whatever it takes to make some record or the other. Doesn’t matter which one. Just have history recording that, “I was the first to …”

You know what’s scary? The kinds of stunts that this guy’s protégés are going to pull to try to top that.

I’d say we’re bottoming out – and, where is the bottom, anyway?


Claudia
www.cyopro.com
www.twitter.com/cyopro