Gave Instead Of Lent 38-41

March 29: Gave my legs and body a few extra minutes of rest as they recovered from their soccer exploits.

March 30: Spent the morning and early afternoon at the beach with some staycationing friends and their children. Then gave American Airlines as much time as they needed to deliver passengers to the island. Poor people had had to be transferred from another carrier after missing their initial connection, so were glad to be here, however. Anyway, what's a few extra hours waiting for friends?

March 31: Gave our American visitors a little tour of the islands central and eastern sides and helped them try to connect with those who could help them locate the birthplace of grandparents

April 1: Gave a rib tickle to my little daughter who looked hard enough to see the rabbit coming through her ceiling.

Gave Instead Of Lent 35-37

March 26: Gave prayers for a friend's dearly departed mother, made better for having come after the Stations of the Cross.

March 27: Gave my violin a chance to put me into a violin rehearsal.

March 28: Gave back to one who fed me: cooked a full Jamaican breakfast of ackees (given freely by a friend from her tree on a hill), salt fish, fried dumplings, with some boiled green bananas. While we were well satisfied, I had to give some to another person who had cooked me the same breakfast a few weeks ago.

Gave a mini concert performance, with a dip into a new repertoire, to help the Pre-Twinklers stay in rhythm.

Gave Instead Of Lent 31-34

March 22: Gave up my night's sleep to be at the airport for a family pick up. But, it was worth it to sit in my car in the pouring rain.

March 23: Gave acceptable breakfast service to my house guest, who then appreciated the drive through the bucolic Barbadian countryside to Codrington: he enjoyed seeing stands of mahoganies and other trees, which are very rare on his island.

March 24: Gave thanks to the British for the quirky things they do and did and what they have left behind as traces of their time here as colonial rulers. The post box in a wall is one such sign.

March 25: Gave my morning to searching for my child's school folder, which she left somewhere. Poor dear had brought home another child's. When asked if her folder did not have her name on, she replied "Yes, but it was upside down." The prosecution rests.

Gave Instead Of Lent 27-30

March 18: Gave the students at the Barbados Culinary Institute a chance to impress with their cooking and service, by lunching at the Pom Marine Hotel.

March 19: Gave credit where it was due. I merely grilled a few asparagus, some portabello mushrooms, and tofu. Our housekeeper did the serious cooking of the barbecued ribs and chicken, cous-cous and rice pilau. My wife had arranged the invitations and the lunch time guests did most of the entertaining, including those who stayed or came back for board games in the evening.

March 20: Gave a thumbs up to a buddy who first cancelled his offer of soup, then called back to re-invite us for late afternoon fish soup. Worth the trip to sample his handiwork for the first time: nice fish and some delicious cornmeal dumplings.

March 21: Gave my emotional backing to President Obama to help get health reform legislation passed by the US Congress. Spring is a time for new beginnings.

Gave Instead Of Lent 25, 26

March 16: Gave a hearty applause to Marcos Bhagdatis for fighting off three match points against Roger Federer at Indian Wells, and holding on the 'steal' the match in a third set tie breaker. I love to see 'Mr. Perfection' make tennis beautiful, but looking at the sport as a whole it was great that after injuries and lot of problems last year, the Cypriot showed again that he has 'game' and his rebound up the rankings has new legs (see a report on the match).

March 17: Gave a huge groan of despair when I heard on the radio that the Barbados Secondary Schools Athletics Championships had available only two javelins for the athletes to use, and that was causing much delay in the competition. I have to ask if all the schools and clubs only have two javelins to share. If not, why did the organisers not make use of all or more of those available? A quick Internet check shows a javelin costs in the region of US$150-250. Here is a country so concerned about whether children have dyed hair when participating in athletic events but not concerned enough to make sure that the events can take place properly. Talking about excellence makes no sense if you love to wallow in nonsense, incompetence, and the mediocre.

Gave Instead Of Lent 23, 24

March 14:

• Gave up any semblance of a morning lie-in when a little finger poked me in the face. Have to see that the same as a sleepy hug at midnight.

• Gave Barbados a taste of me as a radio show moderator.

March 15: Gave thanks for the rain that came several times during the night, then for over one hour during the morning. A blessing but not salvation.

Gave Instead Of Lent 21, 22

March 12: Gave hearty applause that the people who serve the 12.30 lunch realised that starting to serve it at 12.20 is better than serving it at 12.50. Unitate fortior.

March 13: Gave a huge sigh for the refreshing 20 minutes of rain that fell today, but it brought no real relief to the months' long drought.

Gave Instead Of Lent 19, 20

March 10: Gave a guarded reply to a pertinent question. The question was not "Are there 12 days in Lent, Daddy?"

March 11: Gave our doubles tennis opponents the chance to be gracious in victory, while we were gracious in defeat. Goodness gracious!

Gave Instead Of Lent 16, 17, 18

March 7: Gave vent to my frustration. Not a pretty sight.

March 8: Gave a fulsome apology for venting my frustration.

March 9: Gave my faith a chance to breathe life.

Gave Instead Of Lent 14

March 5: Gave my little daughter a cookery and decision-making lesson. She wanted to make everyone breakfast, but we agreed that as it was a school day, she would cook her own scrambled eggs. She thought they tasted very nice.

Gave Instead Of Lent 13

March 4: Gave a huge sigh of relief for taking for granted the gifts of sight and hearing. When I read about YouTube adding automatic captions (see BBC report), I realised how we could not enjoy all the same pleasures.

Gave Instead Of Lent 12:

March 3: Gave my little daughter the chance to be my violin teacher. She made me name all the parts of the violin. We then played 'Mississippi hot dog', Lollipop, lollipop', 'I'm a little monkey'. She was very tough.

Gave Instead Of Lent 11

March 2: Gave a friend a first hug for the New Year. Better late, than never. Studies have put her into a work, eat, home, class mode all year, and with a young son too, free time has been scarce.

Gave Instead Of Lent 10

March 1: Gave myself a scare by driving to the wrong venue for a meeting in the early morning, but gave myself a chance for redemption by just turning around, asking a doorman for the best early morning route, and heading in the other direction. I was still on time for the event.

Gave Instead Of Lent 7 & 8

February 25: Gave a fellow parent enough time to eventually exchange personal details: we see each other at least twice and week and now are no longer 'someone's Daddy or Mommy' to each other.

February 26: Gave my divided attention to a friend who decided to visit me, instead of my visiting him. He was in good form, after hearing good news from his doctor, and had driven himself for the first time since he fell ill.

Gave Instead Of Lent 5 & 6

February 23: Gave honest answers to questions, that did not find favour. Honesty and popularity are not always good friends.

February 24: Gave a home to a straying puppy for the afternoon. "Daddy, can we keep him?" He decided to go home when he was good and ready.

All Eyes On The Economy

Eyes have been on economic issues a bit more keenly in recent days, as politicians and technicians have spoken openly about some of the harsh choices that face Barbados at the current time.

It is encouraging, therefore, that on March 1, the government's economic programme 'will be set out in detail' when the Minister of Finance hosts a Public/Private Sector Consultation on Economic and Related Issues, at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, from 9am till 5pm. This will also be broadcast live on CBC TV8. The addresses will be from the Minister, the Central Bank Governor, on Economic Policy and Development, and Geoffrey Bell, an international consultant, on The World Economy: What Next? There will be presentations on The Response to Government's Strategy by the President of Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (Sir Roy Trotman) and by the Private Sector Association (Ben Arrindell).

I was heartened to read this morning a piece by Hal Austin, Managing Editor of the Financial Times, and a Barbadian, under the heading 'Public sector overhaul' (see Nation, page 8A). He makes the bold statement that 'Recessions are a period when good governments look microscopically at the way public services are delivered and seek innovative ways of improving productivity and efficiency'. My caveat to that would be to stress good, and to add should look. He talks about the efficiency of VAT as a sales tax and highlights shortcomings in tax collection and in tax payments, both of which reflect incompetence, but could also reflect malfeasance: my own working experience has unearthed many creative ways of not paying VAT and/or getting VAT refunds that were not really due. It's ironic that the same edition of the paper highlights how a 'glitch' has meant that the Department of Inland Revenue has just mailed out incorrect income tax refund cheques (see Nation report, page 5A): things like that have also been known to be shady, and a funky way of managing a cash shortage. Incompetence?

Finally, Dr. David Estwick, the Minister of Economic Affairs (and too much else to list), clearly feels that once the matter of wage freeze had been broached, he might as well tack on another thorn, and has stated to Parliament that the remaining properties within the 'controversial GEMS hotel chain' should be sold (see Nation report, page 3A). He noted yesterday that the GEMS parent, Hotel & Resorts Ltd. (HRL), which has benefited from Government loans totalling B$145 million, now had accumulated debt of B$229 million, while the book value of the properties was only B$74 million. That debt, he added, comprised a principal of B$160 million and accumulated interest of B$69 million, while it also owed the Barbados National Bank another B$2.3 million. A sad litany, indeed. In addition, Dr. Estwick disclosed that HRL had requested B$6 million in support from Government for this year because of the dire financial situation of what he termed "an ill-conceived project". In a time of crisis, he noted, this administration has to look for B$6 million - B$3 million in this supplementary resolution and another B$3 million in the next financial year starting April 1.The doctor recalled that it was the Barbados Labour Party, which, during a time when there was no crisis, started to sell off the GEMS properties, including Silver Rock, Worthing Court and Eastry House in 2005, and was looking for a buyer for the Savannah Hotel, Time Out and the Hilton Hotel. Time for some much needed surgery, dear doctor, is what I would say.

Gave Instead Of Lent: 4

February 21: Gave my brain the whole day off on Sunday.

Gave Instead Of Lent: 3

February 20: Gave a poor early morning imitation of "Driving Miss Daisy". My dawn passenger will be back in Canada in 3 weeks time.

Gave Instead Of Lent: 2

February 19: Today, I gave to friends packages sent by their relatives who they'd asked to meet me in Manhattan: wallet, Kindle, bike shorts, tennis gear. I also gave to my family little gifts picked up during the last week: a silver pen to my lady; Genga & iPod speakers for my little daughter--she enjoyed letting me hear how they worked while I was trying to take a rest; hats & pens to our helper--she's worn the cap all day. Each item has a story of a meeting that I may later share.

I gave an explanation of national debt problems to an audience over lunch.

I was also asked to give an interview to the Advocate on national economic and financial issues.