Thursday 26 December 2013

Christmas 2013

Christmas 2013 has been unlike many that I have participated in  and experienced over the last few years, yet there have been similairities to Christmases of the past. However I will hoghligh what I did differently this year in the following paragrapghs:

Listen to music. Over the weeks leading up to Christmas, there was a lot of activity which was not of the season and I made a choice to listen to Christmas music just to part of the season.  There were lots of songs  available on youtube, some with the lyrics of the songs, some with videos,  and I listended to music while I worked especially on weekends.  Here were some of the top choices:
Take it easy and try to determine what you are going to use your time on now and in the future:  This is one of the hardest ones to deal with as this one ranges from:




  • How to be present in a place where you have been absent for most of the year. This one was fairly easy, just be present and particpate in an activity such as cleaning up or decorating.
  • How to be present to persons with whom you have lost contact either deliberately or through things you have committed to that they have not been a part of. This one can be solved in get together, "play games" either card or board. You may learn that you want to commit to  getting together and learning more than you know. This becomes apparent when  are dealing with children.  :)
  • How to be better to you and treat yourself better, Either treat yourself to things that you have not been able to experience either because you have committed to things elsewhere or overcommitted, or plan activities which you would like to participate in.This process was initiated with  going to a movie... "Best Man Christmas". 

Saturday 14 December 2013

I've been Reading: Middle East, (Jerusalem) & Snow

I think that I have said that I am not geographically inclined, so I was astounded to see the snow in Jerusalem photos and articles which were posted. Then I saw that articles on the bigger perspective, the Middle East.  I could go on and on about the similarities in people, our intrepretation of the Bible story of the birth of Christ, however I would like for persons to just enjoy the photos. For some persons, there may be questions about how the persons who are living in certain conditions  or are of certain age groups are going to manage with the cold.....

The Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock are covered in snow in Jerusalem on Dec. 13, 2013. Early snow has surprised many Israelis and Palestinians as a blustery storm, dubbed Alexa, brought gusty winds, torrential rains and heavy snowfall to parts of the Middle East.

An Ultra-Orthodox Jewish man prays at the Western Wall on Dec. 13.

Ultra-orthodox Jews enjoy the snow in the Mea Shearim religious neighborhood on December 12, 2013 in Jerusalem's old city, Israel. (Uriel Sinai/Getty Images)

Palestinians enjoy a snowball fight during snowy weather in the West Bank city of Nablus on Dec. 12. The Palestinian Authority announced that schools would be closed due to adverse weather conditions.

Vehicles are seen stranded in snow in Jerusalem on Dec. 13. The hilltop city of Jerusalem was paralyzed by its fiercest snowstorm in years, with its mayor calling out the army to help stranded motorists.

A young Ultra-Orthodox Jewish child plays next to a snowman in the Mea Shaarim neighborhood of Jerusalem on Dec. 12.

A woman swims in the pool at the David Citadel Hotel during a snowstorm in Jerusalem on Dec. 13.
(Mahmoud Illean/ AP ) - Two Palestinian women play with snow outside Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem on Dec. 12.

Two Palestinian women play with snow outside Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013. Early snow has surprised many Israelis and Palestinians as a blustery storm, dubbed Alexa, brought gusty winds, torrential rains and heavy snowfall to parts of the Middle East. (AP 
Mideast Israel Palestinians Weather
Mideast Israel Palestinians Weather
An ultra-Orthodox Jew walks in hailstones covered park in Tel aviv, Israel, Friday, Dec. 13, 2013. Early snow has surprised many Israelis and Palestinians as a blustery storm, dubbed Alexa, brought gusty winds, torrential rains and heavy snowfall to parts of the Middle East. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
APTOPIX Mideast Syria Weather
People play in the snow in Damascus, Syria, Friday, Dec. 13, 2013 as a blustery storm, dubbed Alexa, brought gusty winds, torrential rains and heavy snowfall to most parts of Syria and the entire Middle East. The snow has heaped another layer of misery on the already grim existence of many of the more than 2 million Syrians who have fled the civil war raging in their homeland.(AP Photo)
A haredi man prays during a snowy winter morning in Jerusalem, December 13, 2013. (Photo credit: Mendy Hechtman/Flash90)
A haredi man prays during a snowy winter morning in Jerusalem, December 13, 2013. (Photo credit: Mendy Hechtman/Flash90)
Snow in the settlement of Beitar Illit, south of Jerusalem, Thursday, December 12, 2013 (photo credit: Nati Shohat/Flash90)
Snow in the settlement of Beitar Illit, south of Jerusalem, Thursday, December 12, 2013 (photo credit: Nati Shohat/Flash90)

A view of Jerusalem's snow-blanketed Old City, Thursday, December 12, 2013 (photo credit: Tamar Pileggi/Times of Israel)
A view of Jerusalem's snow-blanketed Old City, Thursday, December 12, 2013 (photo credit: Tamar Pileggi/Times of Israel)



Here are the links

http://photoblog.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/12/13/21890229-holy-land-blanketed-in-snow-after-intense-winter-storm?fb_action_ids=10153547831845147&fb_action_types=og.recommends&fb_ref=AddThis_Blogs&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=[617034408344151]&action_type_map=[%22og.recommends%22]&action_ref_map=[%22AddThis_Blogs%22]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/rare-snow-storm-blankets-jerusalem/2013/12/12/ee2bd22a-6323-11e3-91b3-f2bb96304e34_story.html

http://www.komonews.com/news/national/Rare-storm-leaves-Jerusalem-snowed-in-Cairo-with-first-snow-in-112-years-235765161.html?tab=gallery&c=y&img=3

http://www.timesofisrael.com/jerusalem-braces-for-storm-three-times-worse-than-what-has-been-seen-so-far/

http://www.weather.com/news/weather-winter/jerusalem-snow-photos-december-2013-20131212


Sunday 8 December 2013

I've been reading: Entrepreneur Spirit Caribbean Issue 5 2013

I've been reading Entrepreneur Spirit Caribbean Issue 5, 2013. How did I get a copy  of the magazine? One of my sisters saw it, thought I would be interested in reading it and brought it for me to read.  Talk about sisterly love! And  was she correct in thinking that it would be an enjoyable read and better than that I located the website which will be listed at the end  of the post.
ad-for-slider2First of all there is a photo of a beautiful lady on the cover, so you start thinking that this is about an actress, singer, model. Then you read the excerpt  "B's Homemade Ice Cream"and the name of the company rings a bell as you are aware of this brand on Facebook. It is one of those companies that you look at the  FBpage and  think to yourself that you have to try that brand and it is just a matter of time until you do, because there is something warm and inviting about it.
Then there is Andrea's Unique Art  which as the name suggests, shows photos of intriguing pieces of artwork. http://www.andreauniqueart.com/
There are at least three articles on the  Digital World,  such as Pink Splash Media, Yours Digitally, Creative Industries in a Digital Landscape which are thought provoking and can be used by anyone as they cover concepts that are close to home.  See http://www.linkedin.com/company/pink-splash-media
Islander St. Lucia is a great article on a business/businesses which are  located in another island, which looks great. There is an equally great website on the group. http://www.islandergroup.com/
There is a page on " Effective Tools for Energising your Business Pursuits", where  three books are highlighted, "Rich Dad's Guide to Investing" by Robert Kiyosaki of "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" fame, "How to say it for Executives" by Phyllis Mindell, as wella s Business Stripped Bare by Sir Richard Branson"
I loved  "Startup Weekend Trinidad and Tobago"  which covered developing and launching a Startup in just 54 hours. "The first event of its kind held in the Southern  Caribbean, Startup Weekend events havs been held around the workd and brings together a set of " passionate leaders and entrepreneurs with the aim to inspire, educate, and empower individuals, temas and communities" and "to develop deas, launch startups in 54 hours" as it was dynamic and inspiring.
Overall,  the articles which were read were great from the  view  that they were real life stories where most of the persons shared enough information to assist other start ups either persevere or re invent their concepts or get a push to another level.
The website looks really promising, however that is another story. http://www.entrepreneurspirit.org/

Thursday 28 November 2013

3WS

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shamrock
3WS that was going to be the name of the company which I was dreaming about. The polite version would be Three Way Solutions. I would offer 3 types of services, Accounting, Taxation and Consulting.
The Accounting aspect  would be easy yet complicated . There were the different types of service which would range from Outsourcing of persons, (albeit at a higher level than persons who were starting to work), provision of accounting services for different sizes of companies, and provision of services which bridged the gap between the level of accountng which was required for the audit of a company, provision of statutory accounts and the person who was doing their data entry on their accounting package.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleur-de-lis
Providing services relating to Taxation was for the love of money, Government, order, making a contribution to society, and  the development of knowledge.  Yes one of the key reasons was that taxation could be a bread and butter service. While it seemed to be knowledge based, the service which was provided is also based to a  large extent on your maturity level, your willingness to acknowledge the biger picture, your part in society and the gap between where you are and where you wanted to be.
The Consulting part  was thrown in, rather than admit that the third way was to take care of the business. However in reality  everyone loves to talk, share ideas and this would cover everything that people wanted to do, needed help with from a financial point of view as well as allow for growth and stimulation. After all, businesses and people needed to be nurtured.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_of_Padua

There was no way on this green earth that I was going to admit that  3WS was actually an acronym for Three Way Spirit! That would be to let the other side of me come out, the side that tried to be Catholic,  versus the love for food, ( read Indian sweets) and the love to roam.
This has been a struggle for me over the last few years, after all at the age of twelve or thereabouts, having attended a Hindu wedding and realising that the sweets were so good, eating "parsad" whenever I could even though I was a good Catholic, enjoying Hosay ( procession on the streets), again because of the access to sweets and the urge to walk, (sweets  purchased and tasted on the road).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Anne
3WS coud also be based on the different aspects of service to God. Serving of Food, as meals, or takeout, development of skills  from the practical such as cooking, in small quantities versus large quantities, using ingredients in ways which were different  to knowledge based skills and  the devleopment of people through knowledge. After all, teach a man to fish, he will be able to feed himself. File:Το εσωτερικό του Ναού της Αγιας Άννης.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:%CE%A4%CE%BF_%CE%B5%CF%83%CF%89%CF%84%CE%B5%CF%81%CE%B9%CE%BA%CF%8C_%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%85_%CE%9D%CE%B1%CE%BF%CF%8D_%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%82_%CE%91%CE%B3%CE%B9%CE%B1%CF%82_%CE%86%CE%BD%CE%BD%CE%B7%CF%82.jpg

Tuesday 22 October 2013

Listen to this: Take me to the King

Being a fanciful person, who has read more romance novels than technical books over the years, who  at times has struggled with working, when the need to wander and roam beckoned, who will listen to a song or a piece of music and be captivated with no sense of recognition of the importance of the singer, only to realise later that was the name of the song, or this person sang the song, or who will be entranced by a movie, mainly because of the music such as Make A Joyful Noise's Man in the Mirror  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RxTSoiqXg0, I found the song "Take me to the King" unforgetable. Whether it is the underlying concept which has been handed down over the years through different times and places, or whether it is concept of the kingdom of  King David or King Solomon or that of Christ as a King, for however rare a moment that was. The concept of Christ the King, was not necesarrily in the same vein as the preceding two kings, given the generations between each of them or the differences in the times, the locations, the lifestyles, the stories of their lives which are provided by the Bible. The most vivid imagery of the song  available at that time was to that of the Magnificat, the looks of Mary, the surroundings as seen in wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnificat
However one of the fundamental  concepts that separates Jesus as a King from the other Kings, is that he had lots of male figures around him, like the disciples, his father and all of the figures which have been developed to some extent in Catholicism.  However here is the link to the Song, Enjoy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8TAr9jgA9A

Praying the Rosary in different languages

Last year or thereabouts, a night of prayer and fasting was organised in the Grand Stand of our Queens Park Savannah. The Grand Stand has  been known for many things over the years from Panorama Finals ( Competition between the various steel pan groups) on the night before Carnival to the Parade of the Carnival bands on Monday and Tuesday, however I was not familiar with the place or shamefully enough the location.
The night actually started at about 6:00p.m. or thereabouts with  the recitation of the Rosary. One of the orders which was chosen, elected to recite the familiar prayer in French, Spanish among other languages. Hearing familiar words spoken in other languages and understanding the use of  words which would be spoken in an every day langauge class  created a sense of there are other ways of thinking, which I have been trying to hold on to over the last year  Here are some of the images which I have located since then in an attempt to hold on the spark which was re created that night.

The Hail Mary in French
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoUbuesLqXI 

French

Je vous salue, Marie, pleine de grâce.
Le Seigneur est avec vous.
Vous êtes bénie entre toutes les femmes,
et Jésus, le fruit de vos entrailles, est béni.
Sainte Marie, Mère de Dieu,
Priez pour nous, pauvres pécheurs,
maintenant et à l'heure de notre mort.
Amen

Prayer: Dios te salve, Maria (Hail Mary) in Spanish
Dios te salve, Maria.
Llena eres de gracia:
El Señor es contigo.
Bendita tú ere entre todas las mujeres.
Y bendito es el fruto de tu vientre:
Jesús.
Santa María, Madre de Dios,
ruega por nosotros pecadores,
ahora y en la hora de nuestra muerte.
Amén.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name: Thy kingdom come: Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread: and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation: but deliver us from evil. Amen.

The Our Father in French

Notre Père, qui es aux cieux,
Que ton nom soit sanctifié,
Que ton règne vienne,
Que ta volonté soit faite sur la terre comme au ciel.
Donne-nous aujourd'hui notre pain de ce jour.
Pardonne-nous nos offences
Comme nous pardonnons aussi à ceux qui nous ont offensés.
Et ne nous soumets pas à la tentation,
mais délivre-nous du mal,
car c'est à toi qu'appartiennent le règne,
la puissance et la gloire, aux siècles des siècles.
Amen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npb1ZqcuYDA&feature=player_detailpage
http://www.ourladyweb.com/mary-avemaria.html

Monday 7 October 2013

House of Hades - Rick Riordan


I started reading this series as a result of one of my nephews leaving his sister's book around.  Over the years, the acquisition of each book meant  a delayed wait, while someone else  read the book, trying not to take the book before someone finished it. I was extremely happy to start reading the  series  after several books had been acquired, however I soon caught up with the others and that meant I was waiting and waiting. So I am happy to say that there is one more day to the release of  House of Hades, and  I am wondering is this going to be the end of the series? Will there be a shorter release period between books?  Don't know at all.  Just in case you do not have a clue as to what I am speaking about, here is a summary:

The House of Hades is the fourth book in the bestselling Heroes of Olympus series, set in the action-packed world of Percy Jackson.

The stakes have never been higher. If Percy Jackson and Annabeth fail in their quest, there'll be hell on Earth. Literally.
Wandering the deadly realm of Tartarus, every step leads them further into danger. And, if by some miracle they do make it to the Doors of Death, there's a legion of bloodthirsty monsters waiting for them.
Meanwhile, Hazel and the crew of the Argo II have a choice: to stop a war or save their friends. Whichever road they take one thing is certain - in the Underworld, evil is inescapable.



Some rules to think about in life - I

Many things happen in life, there are those that you understand through intellect, experience, wisdom, those that you accept and those that you just deal with, either through prayer, gritted teeth or a smile or a laugh. However there are rules or things that persons consider or examine which gets them through all of the above times. At this time in my life, here are some that I think that are important.

  1. Try to see the big picture. Sometimes what you see, may not be the whole picture, sometimes you have to trust your instinct and sometimes you have to care enough about the other person or persons and  that is what spares you to see another day. There is a concept of "grace", which can be obtained from attending funerals with some form of reverance, some form of caring and this is one of the fundamentals of most religions. There are times when you may not attend the funeral for the grace which you will get, but for the feeling which you had for the person,  in recognition for all the good which the person did, for all of the times when they showed up and helped at an event when help was needed.
  2. Try to see one step further. When you feel like giving up, try to see one step further, hard as it may be to see in any direction under the current circumstances.  Every so often, stop and instead of staying where you are, try to look at things from another angle, try to see how to move whatever it is one step further. It may take days of trying, but once you understand that you have to go forward and in tough times, having a strategy may help you to learn something other than getting the job done. 
  3. Celebrate the future in the present. Tonight I listened to Mary J Blige's Have yourself A  Merry Little Christmas on the Music Speakeasy section of the Wall Street Journal website and I realised that I needed to start celebrating Christmas all now, as I may miss out on a big part of  he celebration if I wait until Christmas. I do not know what Christmas will be like, however I can start celebrating now. See the link for access to the  pre release which is located on the right side of the page.  http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/category/music/

Thursday 26 September 2013

Microsoft Surface

Surface RTI would look longingly at IPads. Having just bought a laptop  as I figured that a laptop would suit my needs more than an IPad, as the time spent at meetings was  less than the my needs which ranged from attending  meetings, notes at meetings ( to keep track of what went on, so that I could compare that info to the minutes which would be circulated,) preparing notes for studying than the impact and use of an IPad at a meeting. Now I can revisit my choices, see the comparison via the link below.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/compare#T1=microsoft-surface-rt


Wednesday 4 September 2013

The Joys of Discovery I - Harvard Manage Mentor

Many times when I become too engrossed in the "to do's" and I start losing sight of the intellectual stuff, ( call it the big picture)  in life, I get a silent nudge to start browsing. Realising that I was not leaving work early, not for an reason, missing appointments because I got caught up in just one more, today I left early, went browsing after an appointment that finished early and took some time just wandering around before reaching home. Tried reading but this time my brain  is churning and churning and I am unable to enjoy the power of words, the joy of discovery. So much so that I am sharing the link on Facebook, hoping to come back and read the article or hoping that it would benefit someone. Then I suddenly discovered  that Harvard Business Review has a Harvard Manage Mentor. For different prices, you can access skills packs which allow you to sharpen your skills.  "BUILD, BROADEN, AND REFRESH YOUR SKILLS FOR SUCCESS"

Making a presentation, creating a budget, negotiating a contract, Harvard ManageMentor® includes 44 modules that address these critical management issues and more.." Best of all, you can select the price which suits your pocket. Here is the link to the site:  http://hbr.org/harvardmanagementor?referral=01121. There are:

MASTERING FINANCE FUNDAMENTALS

  • Budgeting
  • Business Case Development
  • Finance Essentials

COMMUNICATING FOR RESULTS

  • Negotiating
  • Persuading Others
  • Presentation Skills
  • Writing Skills

IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY

  • Delegating
  • Meeting Management
  • Project Management
  • Time Management

MASTERING BUSINESS FUNDAMENTALS

  • Budgeting
  • Finance Essentials
  • Marketing Essentials
  • Negotiating

MANAGING MORE EFFECTIVELY 

  • Delegating
  • Goal Setting
  • New Manager Transitions
  • Managing Upward

 Suddenly I am back on track with hope, energy and enthusiam to learn and guess what I am sharing the link.

Sunday 18 August 2013

Certificate in Financial Planning - Module 1

Module 1 of the Certificate in Financial Planning (Financial Planning Fundamentals) has come to a close for me!.

How was it?  It was a good experience overall....

The purpose of the course was to get me back into a mindset of studying at the tertiary level which I felt that I needed and this happened. Also my lecturer lived up to the excellent start that she opened with. Her technique was consistently good  throughout the course, and what I enjoyed about this module was the opportunity to learn.

Yes the computations were good, challenging at times, however the information on the Canadian system of Pensions and personal planning which is encouraged, took the course to the next level for me.

On the other hand  the reality of life stepped in and I got ill during this period which impacted on my attendance at class and the results of the second set of quizzes which we sat were also affected.

However I got a  good enough grade on my final score which makes me look forward to the next course. September here I come!

Sunday 21 July 2013

1st Module - Marketing - MBA Heriot Watt

I must admit I was daunted by the sheer volume of reading material which I was to cover in the Marketing book of the MBA - Heriot Watt programme, then I saw the class schedule and realised that there were at least two chapters to be read for each class and I was even more daunted. However after the first class where there was a lot of interaction, exercises which allowed for your experience to come through and for you to go along with the class if you were introverted, as well as the explanations and guidance offered by the lecturer from start to finish, I got back  to being excited over this module.
I have to admit the lecturer is extremely good, she has explained about the structure of the exams, has walked us through templates of the models which we are expected to use in exam questions, discussed exam planning and ways to earn marks and most of all, allowed us thinking time in class. The thinking time in class came early on that Monday evening,  after introductions by the attendees where we covered our experience and background and we realised that there was such a variety of experience and knowledge there, with most persons having some form of practical work experience as well as the technical knowledge in an unrelated field.
In short I am happy that I selected this course as a starter as I like the strategic element which is introduced up front.  I am reading the text lightheartedly for my class on Monday, even though there are two chapters which I have to catch up reading through, having been ill from since last Sunday and missing a lot of work. I am not worried, if I have time to spare, I will read up on some of the companies mentioned in the Case studies which form part of the chapters and which are current and real life and if I start to obsess, I will find the names of the companies on Facebook and add them to my page as a shortcut to finding out about them in real time.

Saturday 29 June 2013

I've been reading: "Forbes: 10 Biggest Mistakes Bosses make in Performance Reviews"

Back to I've been reading and the latest is

"Ten Biggest Mistakes Bosses Make In Performance Reviews" - Contributor: Eric Jackson

I thought that I would keep the caption large so that there would be enough interest to go and read the article. http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericjackson/2012/01/09/ten-reasons-performance-reviews-are-done-terribly/  Apart from the content of the article, there is a nice layout which encourages skimming or intense reading. Also I  especially liked #6  and 7, which I have included below

6. No pats on the back. It might seem like a simple thing, but lots of bosses just don’t give recognition to their people when they do a good job.  These days, we’re all busy and most people are over-worked and under-appreciated. But it never ceases to amaze me how much abuse people can take from the worst boss and the worst work environment, as long as they get some random appreciation for their hard work every now and then.  Maybe it’s just inertia, or fears about doing a job search in a bad economy, but I find most people want to stay where they are working at their current jobs.  Maybe they have their kids in a daycare nearby.  Maybe they have a decent commute.  Whatever it is, people can put up with a lot of grief.  They just need an occasional bone to be thrown their way.  Say thanks to your people when they do a good job.  It’s the cheapest bonus you’ll ever pay.

7. No recognition for doing the work of 3 people. More than just saying thanks, it’s important to remember that something structural has happened in the job market since the 2008 financial crisis.  Most industries have dramatically cut headcount.  As a result, the remaining folks have been asked to take on the responsibilities of their former colleagues.  We’re now going into the 3rd year since most of these major layoffs have happened.  On the one hand, the remaining employees are happy they continue to have their jobs, but a lot of them are starting to get burned out.  As mentioned in the previous point, a little thanks would go a long way.  Most times though, bosses say nothing. The old employees are gone, the new people pick up the slack, and life rolls on.  Except that there’s a deep undercurrent of resentment among lots of employees out there.


While these points may seem to be similar, I like that the attention was given to looking at them from different perspectives. I like the acknowledgement of the state of the economy which most persons may not be aware of and may not be inclined to become aware of, partially because of the lack of direct impact on them that the state of the economy plays in their day to day life.

I also saw  The Seven Habits of Spectacularly Unsuccessful Executives,  which I think may be quite  interesting, so I have attached the link to it below.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericjackson/2012/01/02/the-seven-habits-of-spectacularly-unsuccessful-executives/.

Here are some posts by Eric Jackson which are listed on the above page of the site.

ERIC JACKSON’S POPULAR POSTS

Sunday 23 June 2013

I've been reading: Harvard Business Review:

As luck would have it, on my LinkedIn profile, I joined the group Harvard Business Review and one of the recent discussions was " The Most Effective Way to Make it Right When you Screw Up" - (how have you handled apologies in the past,) http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2013/06/the_most_effective_ways_to_mak.html?cm_mmc=npv-_-LINKEDIN-_-MAKE_IT_RIGHT-_-061913,  which led to three wonderful discoveries:

1 There is a Harvard Business Book store that sells ebooks or in a printed version and there are some economically priced books such as Nine things successfule people do differently by Heidi Grant Halvorson which costs US$3.99. See more on the author below:

Heidi Grant Halvorson

H
EIDI GRANT HALVORSON

Heidi Grant Halvorson, Ph.D. is associate director for the Motivation Science Center at the Columbia University Business School and author of Nine Things Successful 

People Do Differently and Focus: Use Different Ways of Seeing the World to Power Influence and Success. Dr. Halvorson is available for speaking and training. She’s on twitter@hghalvorson.













2 There are lots of blogs on Human Resources by this author such as The One Minute Trick to Negotiating like a Boss http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2013/06/the_1-minute_trick_to_negotiat.html; Celebrate the Mistakes that don't happen http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2013/04/celebrate_the_mistakes_that_do.html

3 There are other articles which cover alternatives to the current thinking such as how to deal with reduced sales/income and its impact on human resources such as Honeywells - CEO  on how he avoided layoffs. http://hbr.org/2013/06/honeywells-ceo-on-how-he-avoided-layoffs/ar/2. There are also comments on the article which provide information that is equally valuable.

Happy reading!

Wednesday 19 June 2013

Hotels of the Caribbean - Nevis

In going through Facebook (FB) pages while trying to get my mind into gear for studing for 2 quizzes which I had to sit as part of my CFP course 1 ( Certificate in Financial Planning)  I started looking at hotels which had Facebook pages. Some of the easier ones to find were discovered through links to other resorts on the island  or were  identified from links to the island page from wiki, while some I discovered through the tourism pages on FB. Here goes some of my finds from FB and some which I found through the web.
Nisbet Plantations


After listening to you, our guests, we're adding a second casual dinner night. Tonight is our new Saturday Surf & Turf dinner at Coconuts at Nisbet Plantation, Nevis





Did you know? The orchid collection at the Nevis Botanical Gardens is one of the largest in the Caribbean.

It's the 30th of the month. Time for our St. Kitts-Nevis Anniversary giveaways - $3 signature cocktail at Sea Breeze, free bottle of wine for the 30th guest at the Great House, and a free 30-minute mood-enhancing massage to a lucky guest! http://bit.ly/YDuRiC

historic St. John's Figtree Church


Save the date and start training! The annual Nevis Triathlon (#21 on our 101 Things to Do list) will be Saturday, November 30, 2013: http://bit.ly/WJ1Vth


 To protect our island home and celebrate love, we began a palm planting program in 2008. 

ruins at the entrance to Nisbet Plantation, Nevis. Learn more about our history here: http://bit.ly/14zBPgO





We're not sure, but we do know there are dramatic views of the Caribbean and neighboring St. Kitts when you tee off on Nevis at the 18-hole Robert Trent Jones Jr. Golf Course. 

Children from one of the schools which was adopted by Nisbet Plantations


Nevis - St. Kitts Cross-Channel:  Oualie Beach on Nevis to Cockleshell Beach on St. Kitts






Fanny Nisbet’s plaque in the original oven for the Great House


Four Seasons 

The website for the Four Seasons is quit stunning, however the photos are not easily shared. I have thus provided the link. http://www.fourseasons.com/nevis/ : 

Nevis

Nevis

Golden Rock:  



Hermitage

http://www.hermitagenevis.com/special-offers/special-offers-1.html

Click to enlarge image c_house.jpg
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Tuesday 18 June 2013

Hotels of the Caribbean - St Kitts

Having spent most of my working years in one location, it was quite an experience to start travelling to different islands as part of my last job. Yes, previously there were one day trips to another island for the purposes of work which occurred at least once per year, but this set of travel seemed to generate a totally different type of experience. Whether it was my age that brought  a certain amount of  enjoyment or the understanding that there was a need for change which I enjoy or the knowledge that there was so much to learn and see all around. Whatever the reason, I am now looking at hotels in the islands  which I have not visited and sharing photos as well as captions of what makes them interesting at this time. Enjoy!

St Kitts Guest Room
Two bedroom villa, dining area http://www.marriott.com/hotels/hotel-information/travel/skbrb-st-kitts-marriott-resort-and-the-royal-beach-casino/
St Kitts Meeting Rooms
No, I am not a dining room fanatic, I just love the look of these rooms!
St Kitts Blu Seafood Restaurant
Capturing the romantic feel of the West Indies, this terraced oceanfront eatery is adorned with billowing cloth ceilings, palm trees and French doors. Catch of the day entrees are available for a casual lunch or elegant dinner.
St Kitts Hotel Grille
The warm and bustling feel of a city restaurant adds comfort to entrees including prime-aged steak, chops and seafood. Crisp, white linen tablecloths and a special wine tasting table are the signature features of this fine dining establishment
St Kitts Beach Bar
Our all new beach bar is a favorite among our guests, and it's easy to see why! Our friendly bartenders and servers will keep you smiling all day long; while your just steps from the sand!
St Kitts Beaches
St Kitts is blessed with lush tropical mountains, and beautiful white sand beaches; both of which you can gaze at from the St Kitts Marriott Beach Resort.

St Kitts Wedding
Our certified wedding planners can help orchestrate a memorable ceremony or reception with special menus, music, videos, photography and theming to showcase the magic of your union.
St Kitts Destination Wedding
Weddings in St. Kitts are a true dream come true, with our luscious landscape to our white sands beaches – the St. Kitts Marriott Beach Resort is the perfect destination for your wedding. Our team can help create the most intimate wedding while offering all the perks our resort has to offer.
Caribbean Beach Destination Wedding
Destination weddings are the preferred venue for many brides. The St. Kitts Marriott offers a selection of venues at the resort, including the soft white sand beach that looks out to the crystal blue waters and rolling green hills of the island.

 St Kitts Brimstone Hill Archway
Brimstone  Arch is listed as one of the nearby attractions!
St Kitts Brimstone Fortress
Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the island of St. Kitts in the Federation of St. Christopher (St. Kitts) and Nevis in the Eastern Caribbean. It was designed by British military engineers and built and maintained by African slaves.

Caribelle Batik St Kitts
Caribelle is set on 10 acres, and once owned by Sam Jefferson II, the great-great-great grandfather of Thomas Jefferson, its grounds have a great history. This landmark has many stories to tell including those of Tegereman the Carib Indian Chief as it is thought to be the grounds he had his village.
St Kitts Vacation
Enjoy the beautiful grounds of Caribelle
St Kitts Island Peninsula
This picturesque view of St. Kitts is one of the best on the island, and located just around the corner from the St. Kitts Marriott Beach Resort.
Christophe Harbour, St Kitts
Enjoy excellent dining options and gorgeous views at Christophe Harbour in St. Kitts.