My Prospective Son-In-Law, Aged 5 1/2 (Small Talk Update)

I'm sorry if this offends those amongst you who hold "Guess How Much I love You?" as a sacred text, and, call me a stiff upper-lipped Brit, but I find it all a bit precious &...well, icky. Not the sentiments themselves, but it's just a bit OTT. However, my children loved the book. And love making up their own versions, which I admit is very sweet. And I guess that's the idea.

ANYWAY that aside, I'm glad that my 5 1/2 yr old 'prospective son-in-law' has a good sense of humour, a key ingredient in a strong relationship.

He said to my daughter yesterday,

“Guess how much I love you?

& then he said,

"THIS much” and held his thumb & forefinger together with a barely space between.

On getting the laugh he had hoped for from my ‘secure in his affections’ daughter, who obviously knew it MUST be a joke, said,

“Not really. This much” & flung his arms wide.

They have evidently both been reporting back to respective parents how much the other loves them. It’s all very matter of fact & I am glad they get on so well & she has a boy as a best friend to take the edge off the incipient girliness that's always threatening to take over her penchant for tree climbing & Star Wars games. I like the fact she's a mixture. I think it's healthy. As for the kissing though??......

Yesterday when I picked them up from school my daughter announced, unprompted, about her school day.

“I kissed T today mummy, during rest time.”

Then added; “Jon & Jamie did too.” So clearly T is not that discriminating........

"Where did you kiss him?"

"In the classroom."

"No I mean where?"

"Oh, on his head, & so did Jon but Jamie kissed him on his tummy."

"Where the teacher was in all this florid display of affection I have no idea."

My son’s response was “Wow, I WISH I’d been in kindergarten here, they always have such fun!”

I have to say though I still stand by my impression of T as a gallant, young man though, as mentioned in my last post.

The above conversation was whilst I was walking 5 children through the park to the tennis courts there for a lesson. When we arrived, my daughter needed to change her t shirt. She asked me where she was going to get changed. I said, "Just change it here, it doesn’t matter", whereupon she said

“T don’t look!”

T, ever the chivalrous young gentleman said, in amanner which Bertie Wooster would have been proud of,

“I’m blind, I can see nothing” whilst rather histrionically shielding his eyes with his hand. So that's another tick in the right box. (the chilvalry , not the Bertie Wooster impression) Not that I was expecting to be ticking any boxes quite this soon........

And she obviously believes she’s an authority on kissing now. When I went to tuck her in last night she advised me,

“Mummy whatever you do, DON’T kiss Daddy tonight, he is feeling ill & is spreading germs.”

My son, however, is far too busy making money to be genuinely jealous of the fun & frolics of a day in kindergarten.

He has been saving hard to pay me back £7.99 for a game he bought on ebay. It is arriving tomorrow with friends who are visiting, from England.

He has been feverishly polishing my husband’s shoes, cleaning the car, running errands, anything to supplement his pocket money, & consequently 'unjobbing' Albanians trying to make an honest living cleaning cars (Lavazh) & shining shoes.

However, I discovered from one of his friends yesterday that he sold some of his packed lunch in order to make the last 40 lek he needed (25p) He sold one of my chocolate brownies, his favourite. (Have to say I’m a bit peeved he sold it so cheaply, they’re worth a lot more than that I reckon) AND his packet of crisps, which was indeed a sacrifice as he only gets them once a week. (Yes I know stereotypical middle-class angst ridden mother) Wasn't sure whether to applaud or scold him for this. So I ignored it.

So what with entrepreneurism & infant affections, my children are certainly keeping me on my toes. It gives an added level of expectation to the mundane question,

"What did you do at school today?"

Island Paradise - Cozumel

This weeks feature island paradise is the Mexican jewel and tourist mecca - Cozumel. Cozumel is an island in the Caribbean Sea off the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, opposite the Playa del Carmen, and close to the Yucatan Channel. Cozumel is a popular tourist destination renowned for its scuba diving and snorkeling.

The island was struck directly by two Category 4 hurricanes during the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. First to arrive was Hurricane Emily in July. Despite Emily being a powerful storm, it was the slower moving Hurricane Wilma that caused the most destruction when it hit the island in October. The island's tourism suffered greatly in Wilma's aftermath, which meant that other destinations in the Caribbean region benefited from increased arrivals. Despite this, the island's tourism industry has recovered well.

Cancun, McCarthy says, is a new place for the second time. Created from the low jungle in 1974 as Mexico's first master-planned city, Cancun's re-creation today from Hurricane Wilma includes more than renewed hotels and refurbished beaches.

Look for three new PGA-rated golf courses, marinas and nautical opportunities for the first time ever at the hotel-oriented Puerto Cancun or at Malecon Cancun with commercial and residential developments.

If three million visitors, a busy international airport, 142 hotels and supporting shops and restaurants, four-lane highways, hospitals and city infrastructure can happen here, they say, it can happen all over Mexico.

Feature Hotel - Cozumel Palace

Not too long ago, Cozumel Island was revealed to the world with all its charm. Now adventure travelers, divers and nature lovers are discovering Cozumel Palace, the stunning resort bathed by the blue waters of the Caribbean Sea. Experience the true meaning of luxury and fun. Enjoy the amenities and attention to detail from the moment you arrive. You will be flabbergasted!


It is here where Cozumel Palace, with its 175 guestrooms, invites travelers to enjoy the facilities and amenities of an all-inclusive property. At only 10 minutes from Cozumel’s airport, the resort is a showcase of refined taste and friendly service in an unbeatable location. We invite you to sample the varied cuisines at any of the three restaurants or savor your favorite cocktail at the swim-up bar; or you may decide to stay in your room and take full advantage of its amenities: the double Jacuzzi, a drink from the liquor dispenser and the 24-hour room service. The resort also welcomes children. A kids club, a children’s playground and pool will certainly keep the little ones entertained while you enjoy a massage at any of the spa treatment rooms. We strive to provide you with the best. Come to Cozumel Palace and experience what a vacation should be!

Small Talk.

I am always intrigued by the snippets of conversation that get passed on to me back home after a day at school.

My daughter is loving being at 'big school' & is thriving on her new found sense of 'grown up ness' despite the fact that her mean mummy won't let her have a mobile phone. She announced to me in the UK in the summer that she had seen a little girl, 'who was MUCH smaller than me, probably not even 5" who had a mobile phone & that she wanted one.

"What a REAL one?"

"Yes mummy, of course a real one." Sigh.

I said "What would you do with it?"
Silly question but I still felt it needed to be asked. Obviously not.

She said "Phone my friends of course"

I said "No you can't, you're only 5."

She said "Great, so I won't get one till I'm 200." Whilst rolling her eyes at me of course.

Where a pint-sized, thumb-sucking 5 yr old gets such teenaged head-tossing attitude I have no idea.

My husband has fits regularly about my mobile phone bill, & the VAST amounts he says it costs (about $40 a mth) This is average in Albania, I know, I did my own mini survey. AND it is our only phone, no landline. So I don't think he's ready for another mobile wielding female in the family. I haven't told him about his daughter's request, don't want him to lose any more hair...

She already spends large amounts of time speaking into her pink plastic Barbie one, so she is well practised already. Can't think where she gets this habit from.
She also arranges playdates, & invites her friends round without consulting me. I keep explaining it's 'For mummies to arrange playdates' but she still does it. Fortunately no stray 5yr olds have turned up on our door step as yet, demanding to be let in for their play dates. But just imagine if she had a phone, I wouldn't put it past her to call the mothers. She regularly called my son's headmaster in Sri Lanka (mainly because he was the first name on my phone, to be fair.)

I must say I thought living abroad in developing countries would spare us the whole brand obsessed/ipod,iphone,DS, X box, Wii 'keeping up with my friends' thing which I hate. Clearly not, their beady eyes are presumably busy all summer in the UK doing lightning assessments & monitoring trends & researching latest gadgets before embarking on negotiations once back here (where, fortunately, we can't buy most of these things anyway, certainly not at 'normal' prices) It never ceases to amaze me what they manage to know about with no TV, no magazines, few peers at school with the latest gadgets (being mainly comprised of NGO workers, missionaries, & locals). Just HOW do they know??

But back to the snippets of conversation. My daughter is not fortunately at that teenage stage of grunting & being monosyllabic when it comes to discussing her day. She holds forth about all sorts. However, I'm often not always that much the wiser after the chat.

At her last pre-school, the reported conversations became increasingly bizarre, in response to "Anything happen at school today?"

"Tim said he ate a cat's brain for tea." & then proceeded to tell me how his mother had managed to remove the brain without harming the cat.

"Ali said she wants to kill my dad" Ali had never met her dad,
So I've been quite relieved that, so far, conversations at her new school seem very staid & normal

"Anna dropped her bear to yellow today" in hushed tones. (Blue is good, yellow is bad, red is very, very bad, bear should stay on blue all day.)

"Kevin keeps saying he is the winner all the time, but he's so silly because he always plays by himself so of course he wins all his games."

" Arun kept pushing & kicking people" (poor kid speaks no English, & is probably immensely frustrated & confused.)

And so on.

Things have taken a romatic turn recently however. Her best friend, T, is a little boy who she has known now for 18mths. They are thick as thieves, are fiercely competitive with each other, & like a little old married couple, she bosses him around, they bicker, are very comfortable with each other & seem to know what the other is thinking.

Last week, my daughter came home announcing that; "T said he wants to kiss me" I must say I wasn't quite ready for this, (to my mind), teenager behaviour.

"Did he say why I enquire? "

"No, I don't know, but maybe he liked the way I'd done my bunchers (bunches) today"
A 5 yr old boy? Unlikely.
(Ok so maybe she doesn't always know what he's thinking....)

On Friday she said he said this to her again. I asked what she said to him.

"I told him he could kiss me if he gave me a big bar of chocolate."

My daughter has always had good negotiating skills....

However he sounds like an honourable little chap & has told his mum (we have, of course, discussed this, on our mobiles, with each other) that he has decided that if he kisses my daughter, he will definitely marry her as well.

Island Paradise - The Bahamas

This week’s island paradise is not one, not two, not even three, but a chain of serenely beautiful and extravagantly gorgeous Bahamas islands. The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an English-speaking country consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 rocks. It is located in the Atlantic Ocean southeast of the United States of America, north of Cuba, Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti) and the Caribbean Sea, and northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The Islands
Nassau/Paradise Island - You’ll find the capital city, Nassau on New Providence Island, neighbor to Paradise Island. Offering a distinct blend of international glamour and tropical ease, this unique island pair gives you the freedom to do everything or nothing at all. So, kick back. Enjoy.

Grand Bahama - You can look forward to a memorable mix of historic charm, modern attractions, and ecological wonders on your visit to Grand Bahama Island. There’s truly something for everyone. The warm welcome you’ll receive is just extra insurance that you’ll return again and again.

The Out Islands - These hidden gems come in the form of small remote villages and a simple way of life. Here you’ll find some of the world’s most stunning beaches, dive sites, and fishing sites – a welcome surprise if you’re looking for that perfect mix of relaxation and adventure.

Things to Do on Water
Unless you’ve been here, you really haven’t experienced the underwater world. You see, these islands are the only places on Earth where the water is so clear, it has a visibility of over 200 feet: The Islands Of The Bahamas. The ocean water surrounding the Islands Of The Bahamas is incredible in its variety of hues and its clarity. You can easily spot dolphins, explore shipwrecks and coral reefs and be amazed by schools of colorful fish. Whether you’re into boating, sailing, diving, snorkeling, fishing or kayaking, this really is the best place in the world to do them all.
Just to name a few things to do, you have: Beaches, Boat Sailing, Diving, Fishing, Snorkeling, Water sports.

Things to Do on Land

Here, the fun doesn’t end the moment you step out of the water. That’s the beauty of The Islands Of The Bahamas. At every turn, there is something exciting to discover. The activities on our 100,000-square-mile tropical archipelago are just as varied as our underwater ones. There are historic plantations and forts to explore, close encounters with West Indian flamingos, Bahamian cuisine to feast on, casinos to test your luck and championship golf courses with your name written all over them. With so much to do, you’ll never run out of ways to enjoy your days on our islands.
There, we have: Attractions, Birding, Dining and Entertainment, Gaming, Golfing, Private Flying, Spa and Wellness, Nature Hiking and Tours.

Weddings & Honeymoons

The declaration of love. The gathering of friends and family. Bahamians love weddings. Here, getting married is more than a special occasion. It is a celebration. You can't make a better choice for a destination wedding than one of The Islands Of The Bahamas. Our clear sky, powdery white sand and crystal-blue water make the perfect setting for your big day. To get you ready, even from afar, our professional wedding planners make planning stress-free. They can even tell you about special offers to help you stay within budget.

Atlantis Hotel

News ...

Usain Bolt Shatters World Record and Buys Bahamian Real Estate Paradise

August 20, 2009

Fresh off the heels of running the fastest 100 meters in the history of the world, posting a record time of 9.58 seconds, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt acquires real estate on the Bahamas island of Rum Cay.

"Who wouldn't want to live on Rum Cay? It is magnificent. What an incredibly beautiful place." - Bolt beamed. In what seemingly is becoming a trend, Bolt joins Carl Lewis, the US Olympic icon and once "the fastest man in the world," as the second world record holder to acquire land on this blissful Bahamian island.

Rum Cay, located just 345 miles southeast of Miami, is becoming a haven for athletes, entertainers and celebrities who hail from all corners of the world. An island with just over 100 inhabitants boasts two of the fastest men ever. Willis Harding, of Sunshine Realty states, "Of all the places in the world, I am amazed how many famous people are gravitating to Rum Cay. This place truly has something magical about it."

 The island is 35 square miles in size and is a second home to two world record holders and Olympic superstars. Both athletes have land in the Paradise Is Mine development of the island which provides the most spectacular vistas within the Caribbean. "Usain Bolt is now one of the most recognizable athletes in the world. For him to choose Rum Cay as his corner of paradise speaks volumes about the island. He could live anywhere he wants and he chose Rum Cay." - states Seth Kaufman, broker for Turnberry International Realty in Aventura, Florida. Turnberry International Realty markets Rum Cay within the USA for Bahamian Realtors. Turnberry is responsible for bringing Bolt to the island and is becoming a recognized resource for celebrity clients throughout the Americas.

"Rum Cay is a great place to relax. Just looking at the pictures is enough to put your mind at ease." states Bolt. One of the first things Bolt did after setting his recent world record in Berlin is close the transaction for the property on this Caribbean paradise. Given the current number of international luminaries flocking to buy property within the Paradise Is Mine section of Rum Cay, the island is truly expanding its reputation as the "Undiscovered jewel of the Caribbean." Kaufman went on to remark, "Its amazing how much notoriety this island is gaining so quickly."

Island Paradise - Tahiti

The Islands of Tahiti have something for every traveler, from sugary white-sand beaches to vibrant marine life, rugged mountains, and a colorful history. If you prefer a private island picnic near Bora Bora or a canoe delivered breakfast in your over-water bungalow, Tahiti is the ultimate South Pacific island paradise. This week, let me expose you to the magic and splendor of the Tahitian islands.

Tahiti covers over two million square miles of the South Pacific Ocean and is comprised of 118 islands spread over five great archipelagos. Many islands are crowned with jagged peaks while others appear to barely float above the breaking waves. 

The three archipelagos most sought by visitors are the Society Islands, comprised of Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, Huahine, Raiatea and Taha'a; The Tuamotu Atolls or "Tahiti's Strand of Pearls", include the atolls of Rangiroa, Manihi, Tikehau, and Fakarava; and the Marquesas, or "The Mysterious Islands."

Tahiti’s Uniqueness

People - Embrace the warmth of your Polynesian hosts whose love for their islands is seen through music, dance, and flowers.

Overwater Bungalows - Enjoy the drama and comfort of the world's perfect hotel room while sleeping above soothing lagoon waters.

Cruising - Voyage within the legendary South Pacific aboard luxurious cruise ships, super yachts, or passenger freighter that travel between Tahiti's most beautiful islands.

Polynesian Spas - Experience true relaxation and rejuvenation at one of the many luxurious Polynesian spas while nurtured by the tropical ambience.

Snorkeling & Diving - Share the warm, crystal-clear lagoons and swift ocean passes with schools of impossibly-colored fish, docile sharks, and giant manta rays.

Romance - Celebrate a new romance or a special anniversary in the most romantic spot on earth.

Honeymoons - Discover how the seclusion and setting of these islands create one of the world's most desirable honeymoon destinations.

Here, around these South Seas isles, a romantic sunset sea sends giant curls of turquoise breaking onto the colorful reefs that protect the tranquil lagoons of warm, bright-emerald waters and white coral-sand beaches.

 
Getting to Tahiti
Easier to travel to than you might imagine, Tahiti's Faa'a Airport is under 8 hours by air from Los Angeles LAX airport, with daily nonstop flights and starting in the summer of 2005 – 3 non-stop flights a week from New York’s JFK airport. As far south of the equator as Hawaii is north, Tahiti is halfway between California and Australia, on the same side of the International Date Line as North America, and in the same time zone as Hawaii.

Island Tours
There is no better way to gain a sense of everyday Tahitian life and experience the culture of French Polynesia, than passing through the small villages on a circle-island tour. As nearly every island has a coastal road following the lagoon shores, you can either drive around the island by rental car or take a guided bus tour. Explore the island interiors on a 4x4 safari, guided nature hike, or horseback ride. Skim across the lagoons on a motorized canoe, sailboat, or powerboat. For dramatic views above the islands, take a helicopter tour.

Polynesian Spas
Tahiti is now a world-class spa destination with many of the resorts offering new luxurious spas. Surrounded by a backdrop of natural beauty and floral fragrances, there is no better setting for relaxation. Enjoy fresh-flower baths, herbal rain showers, or even a body wrap in banana tree leaves at Hélène Spa as shown in the photo. You can also rejuvenate your romance at the spas aboard the cruise ships including the Parisian-influenced private Spa Villa for two on the m/s Paul Gauguin.

Unique Cruise Ships
A wide variety of cruise products set sail in these romantic isles. Each week, luxurious cruise ships offer first-class meals and balcony cabins, Tahitian-owned "super yachts" sail deep within the smooth-water lagoons, a passenger freighter voyages between 17 ports, sailing catamarans offer small groups or families a vacation at sea, and barefoot cruising creates an environment for the independent and adventurous. Something for everyone on cruises found nowhere else on earth.

 

Island Paradise - St. Lucia

This weeks feature island is the exotic and picturesque St. Lucia. Located in the Eastern Caribbean, St. Lucia is the sort of island that travelers to the Caribbean dream about-a small, lush tropical gem that is still relatively unknown. One of the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, it is midway down the Eastern Caribbean chain, between Martinique and St. Vincent, and north of Barbados. St. Lucia is only 27 miles long and 14 miles wide, with a shape that is said to resemble either a mango or an avocado (depending on your taste). The Atlantic Ocean kisses its eastern shore, while the beaches of the west coast owe their beauty to the calm Caribbean Sea.

In natural beauty, St. Lucia seems like an island plucked from the South Pacific and set down in the Caribbean. Its dramatic twin coastal peaks, the Pitons, soar 2,000 feet up from the sea, sheltering magnificent rain forests where wild orchids, giant ferns, and birds of paradise flourish. Brilliantly-plumed tropical birds abound, including endangered species like the indigenous St. Lucia parrot. The rain-forest is broken only by verdant fields and orchards of banana, coconut, mango, and papaya trees.


St. Lucia is an ideal dream getaway for weddings and honeymoons, family vacations, soft adventure such as diving, snorkeling and sailing,  and for events such as Jazz and International cricket.

Feature Attraction - Soufriere Sulphur Springs

Soufriere's backdrop of the Pitons, sea and rainforest provides a picture perfect setting for a visit to this laid-back and relatively undeveloped town in the south of St. Lucia. Considering that its name is French for "sulphur," it should be no surprise to discover the wealth of hot springs and mineral baths. Other great spots to visit include Diamond Botanical Gardens, a slew of pretty beaches and the bike trails that wind through sugar plantation Anse Mamin. Rent a car to see the town.

Feature Hotel - Harmony Suites

This hotel has a British colonial style 2 storey buildings set in a semi-circle surrounded by beautiful tropical gardens. Warm and intimate atmosphere that is unobtrusive. Among the facilities, is a beautiful fresh water pool with pool deck and lounge chairs, for your sunbathing and relaxation. A wide variety of freshly caught and expertly prepared seafood, as well as our highly recommended Caribbean and European cuisine is served daily beneath the elegance of our gazebo styled waterfront restaurant. 

The Earth Moved

We had an earthquake last night. My husband & children slept right through it. Perhaps I should say a tremor, sounds less dramatic, but it felt quite dramatic at the time. It was 6 on the Richter scale at the epicentre about 60 miles away, & a 5.4 in Tirana. Houses collapsed even.

I have lived in Albania for the last 21 mths of my 43 years. In that time I have experienced 3 tremors. Never before. And probably others whilst I slept. For some reason it's not what I expect in Europe somehow. Yet the Balkan area is very seismically active, & certainly the most active of Europe.

There hasn't been a really bad one for 30 yrs though. Mostly we just get tremors.

I was struggling to get to sleep last night, my husband had passed out as soon as his head hit the pillow. Suddenly 10minutes before midnight, the whole bed started shaking more & more, & furniture was rattling. I woke my comatose husband (or thought I had) & said,
"Can you feel that? The bed's shaking, it's an earthquake."
My husband's reply was, "You're just moving your legs about, it's nothing" (??)
How could he not feel it? It went on for several minutes with several aftershocks.

It was the worst one I've felt, and I have to say it is one of the weirdest sensations I've ever had. Somehow you take it for granted that terra firma is... just that. My brain was finding it very hard to process the fact that the solid ground in which I had trusted for 43 yrs was moving about & clearly not to be trusted at all.

My cousin who worked in Japan for many years said they were very common there. In her (high rise) office the Japanese immediately made for the door - to stand under it. The door frames are evidently the strongest part of a building so that's where you gather.

The last tremor (I felt at least) was in May this year, round about the time a friend came to visit us. He was our 1st non family visitor, the only others have been my In-Laws who faithfully visit us wherever we are.

Anyway this friend is a history & politics teacher who just loves 20th century history. So he was very excited to be visiting a post-communist Albania, which being a historian, he knew more about than most.

The1st disappointment was that the one interesting section of the National musem- 'the communist era', was closed (for refurbishment one hopes...) Still that was par for the course of life in Albania, with unexpected closures, power cuts, shortages etc.

I don't know whether anyone else living abroad feels this, but I find we rather want our visitors to have a taste of what your daily life is like, with all its exigencies, frustrations & anomolies. Just to get a small feel of it really & to highlight the differences.

So it was with something not unlike a smirk of satisfaction that I realised our road wouldn't be tarmacced in time for his visit, so mud and/or dust , potholes & bumps would prevail.

On our return from picking up G from the airport, we had another such occurrence. As the whole of one side of the dual carriageway was closed for repairs, & road signs & forewarning are not strong points of the Albanian road network, a car (possibly accidentally,but not very likely) had duly driven on the Off Ramp & proceeded to drive towards us into the oncoming traffic, going the wrong way up our side of the dual carriageway (Maybe he just didn't want to use the bumpy service rd) He wasn't even driving slowly. Fortunately everyone else was (for once) as there were a lot of cones around to slow us down. It was mad, & quite hair raising.

Of course there were also plenty of mad drivers doing their normal thing, driving the wrong way up a one way street, shooting past me on Red as I sat patiently at the lights, cars doing three point turns in the middle of busy streets, vehicles suddenly pulling out of side roads into your path & parking on the pavement, half on, half off etc.

Then there was the 'power cut hassle'. I said I would be popping out to the local supermarket for 10 minutes max to get some bread & salad for lunch. I was gone 45 minutes, because the power went off, then the back up generator wasn't working, so we stood in the shop in the dark, as we do, waiting for it to come on again. I then asked to pay but the tills, of course, weren't working so they told me to go & have a coffee & wait. Eventually I persuaded them to add up my few items on a calculator & tell me what I owed them.

We also took this friend hiking in the mountains. Took 6 hrs to get there even though it's only about 150km away. Dirt roads & mountain passes. We stayed in a farmhouse with local peasant farmers, and we decided to do a recommended walk, with the help of a local. So we all got togged up in walking boots, with camelbak hydration packs on, only to feel rather foolish when our guide turned out to be the granny of the house who proceeded to do the whole walk, in her slippers, including negotiating fallen tree trunks over streams etc. You can imagine who felt the sartorial fool in this situation.....

But the piece de resistance was back in Tirana as we were sitting on our balcony having coffee, Albania kindly threw in a full blown earth tremor. My friend looked up, then looked at the handles of his chair, then around, looking slightly disconcerted. A first for him. Well done Shqiperia.

As nonchalantly as I could muster I said, "Don't worry, just an earth tremor. We get them here you know."

Suffice to say, our friend seems to feel he had a fantastic time here & is coming back for more in the Autumn.

Caribbean Tourism Holding Up Well

Despite the ravages of the global recession and falling yields, Sandals boss Gordon 'Butch' Stewart is of the view that Caribbean tourism is holding up well, particularly in Jamaica.
Chairman of Sandals Resorts International Gordon 'Butch' Stewart.

He attributes this to the region putting in place marketing initiatives and working closely with the respective governments to ensure that the tourism industry is suitably insulated from the fallout.

"The state of Caribbean tourism right now is a mixed bag. I think overall Jamaica has done better than all the islands because we were able to put significant airlift in place and aggressively undertake promotional campaigns," Stewart said in an interview with Caribbean Business Report earlier this week. "Generally we have been able to position ourselves in such a way as to insulate the industry - not perfectly, but just about better than everybody else."

In June this year, Jamaica's tourism minister Edmund Bartlett, in his contribution to the sectoral debate in Parliament, said: "In the first four months of this year, though most of the Caribbean is continuing to have difficulties, of the countries submitting reports to date, Jamaica is one of only three to have recorded growth."

The Caribbean is one of the most tourism-dependent regions in the world. According to statistics from the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), last year the contribution of travel and tourism to gross domestic product in the Caribbean was estimated to be US$39.9 billion. This represented 14.8 per cent of the Caribbean's total GDP. The contribution of the travel and tourism industry to employment is estimated to be 2,148,000 jobs, which represents 12.9 per cent of total employment in the Caribbean. Looking across the region, real GDP growth for the travel and tourism economy is estimated to be 2.1 per cent in 2008 and 3.3 per cent per annum over the coming 10 years.

By Al Edwards
Friday, September 04, 2009
To see the rest of this article, go to JamaicaObserver.com

A Brave New World.

Our daughter started school this week. Big school. It’s the end of my pre-schoolers era. I feel a bit wobbly. I need someone to hold my hand & say “There there.”

I’m glad, actually, it was my 1^st week at school too. I am teaching in the high school part of my son’s school. So at least I won’t be home alone, looking at the ticking clock, thinking ‘only 5 more hours till they come home’, and wondering how to fill the intervening silent space. This year I have ‘things to do’, new challenges. Quite a novel sensation since living abroad.

My daughter was very excited. She wasn’t worried about anything, except whether her teacher would speak Albanian or English. This would be a concern. However, she seemed merely worried about the onset of fatigue rather than the fact that she wouldn’t understand anything that was going on.

“That’s good”, she said, when I reassured her it would be English, “Because I would get very tired speaking Albanian all day”. (As if she is a closet polyglot, who speaks the lingo, rather than a 5 yr old who says MiruPushroom instead of Mirupafshim to anyone she is bidding farewell to, & that’s the limit of it).

She knows the school & many of the teachers; this is a small community. She was a bit shy with her teacher, worrying about remembering her Albanian name, difficult for an English speaker to pronounce (lots of consonants) never mind a 5 yr old. However, as soon as she had hung her bag on her peg, she pleaded to be allowed to go to the playground to hang upside down on the bars (which is how she spends most of her time in any playground) and she was off.

I had to call after her to get her to say goodbye & give me a hug. That didn’t help my wobbles either. It would have helped if she had hesitated just a little bit, had a moment’s reluctance or wobbled a bit herself. But that would have been for me. For her I'm glad.

All those annoying truisms suddenly smack you in the face: “They grow up so fast”, “They’re only little for such a short time”, “Before you know it they’ll be starting school”, “Don’t wish it away, enjoy it while it lasts.”

Why do we never believe them or think this will be true of us? We say, “Not me, I’m going to relish these moments, enjoy every minute, realise it’s a passing season”.

But somehow in the midst of it all we don’t always, because of course it is, at times, mind numbing, exasperating, time-consuming, head-space-reducing, & exhausting, as well as wonderful.

I am glad of the freedom too, especially as, living abroad I have no support network, no one to baby-sit, to have the children, have play dates with for months until you get to know people. I didn’t find nurseries quickly here or in Sri Lanka, but it still feels odd.

Not sure I am ready for this next ‘stage’, though clearly my daughter is. I am glad really, in fact I’m very proud of her, as she has been very clingy, shy & unwilling to stay happily in groups or nurseries etc when younger & has been seemingly quite insecure. I worry, of course, that it is our lifestyle that has made her thus, but it could equally be her experience of hospitals, her ill health when younger. She often panics with screams & tears if she loses sight of me or loses me even momentarily in a shop, even though she has never been lost, I have never left her without her knowing I was going. What have I done to her I wonder? But then back in the UK, people observe how well-adjusted and secure our children seem…. Ho hum.

I feel guilty, too, that there hasn’t been more for her to do in her toddler years. Our son started in school immediately in Sri Lanka & here in Albania. But my daughter was with me constantly for 2 of her 1st 2 ½ yrs of life. But I put her in nursery in Sri Lanka, aged 2 ½, five (short) mornings a week, quite simply because I just didn’t know what to do with her.

There were few parks in Sri Lanka, & these had metal equipment. Molten, egg-frying, finger blistering hot to the touch, & to little bare legs. No shade. There were no music classes, gym classes; toddler groups (except ones which met when my older son was out of school & he certainly didn't want to 'hang out' with a bunch of 2 yr olds singing "The Wheels on the Bus”) Nothing. All we could do was go swimming. And you can’t do that all day every day. I know, I tried.

And I didn’t know anyone, & I knew she was ill & we would be returning to England for her heart surgery within 8 weeks, so she would just get into a nursery, only to be removed from it again. I didn’t want to do that to her.

So we painted, did puzzles, some craft; but I found it hard to find ways of entertaining her completely, on her own, for 7 hrs a day, till her brother returned. She was also not into reading or craft the way her brother always was, which made it harder. So, feeling a bit of a failure, & guilty that I needed respite from a single, solitary, if very demanding, 2 yr old, I signed her up for some social interaction, singing, storytelling & acting in what turned out to be a wonderful Sri Lankan/International nursery, complete with Tomy plastic play equipment in a shaded cool garden. She loved it. Eventually. Even that took a while.

In Albania, for a year she went to a pre-school till 12 & loved it. We tried an Albanian nursery where she mostly watched Albanian TV, (so maybe she DOES know more Albanian than she is letting on??) So I have been eased gradually into her starting school, and of course I have had an extra year, as they don’t start school till 5 here, so that’s been great. But this feels different, this redefines me, our family, & what stage we are at.

I am so pleased she is so excited. I love that fresh, eager glee that children seem to have when they start school, delighting in their own peg, hoping they will get homework, relishing the uniforms, the routines, the packed lunches, the big newness of it all.

But I will miss, paradoxically, those lazy, listless summer afternoons when I don’t know what to do, when it’s too hot to ride bikes or go to the park, & my daughter, emphasising my failure to entertain her, badgers me “Can I watch a film?” (Always a film as there’s no T.V alternative).

Or on a winter’s afternoon when I have stoked the smoky wood burner & it’s too wet, cold & muddy to go outside, & my daughter says, “Can I watch a film?”

Or when it’s rained constantly for 2 days & the road outside our gate is such a lake that it’s even over our boots, & my daughter says, “Can I watch a film?”

It did finally dawn on me that her penchant for films has nothing to do with meteorological conditions. She would happily watch one whatever the weather.

I will also miss those days returning from nursery through the park when a little hand slips into mine & my daughter says “Shall we skip mummy?” or “Shall we climb trees?” (Her favourite) When we are not in a hurry at all, and we can pick flowers, collect pine cones & explore new paths.

I will miss having a little one around to help me bake cakes, hang out the washing, someone who needs me & would rather do things with me, her dad or her brother, than anyone else. But of course that says more about me than her.

And everyone always tells you that growing children find it much easier to slip their little hand out of yours, than we do to let go our grip of theirs.

It’s just that nothing prepares you for it.

Still, on the plus side, maybe now I’ll get the puppy dog greeting normally reserved for my husband when they haven’t seen him all day & he returns from work.