skip to main |
skip to sidebar
I remember as a child being able to bite into a mango and enjoying the fruit as the sweet juices ran down my arms. At that time I was not concerned with being decorous, but only in how many of these succulent fruits I could get inside me before my mother curtailed my enjoyment. I remember eating the mango to the seed and stripping it down skin and pulp, leaving the hairs on the seed as close to bare as I could manage.
I don't know if its old age creeping in or paying too much attention to conventions, but nowadays I can only manage to eat that sunshine fruit using a knife as can't stand the hairs being caught in my teeth. Many of you may relate to the childhood days when you could roam and eat mangoes till your belly ready to burst, but for others this is just a pipe dream.
The Mango festival 2009 was officially launched on the 20th of May, 2009 by the ministry of Agriculture. New and old patrons can look forward to seeing more innovative ways of preparing the fruit and using it throughout the year instead of waiting to enjoy its benefits during the season. Mango drink, tea, chutney, stew and jam are all ways in which this fruit can be used apart from the traditional eating of the fruit.
The four year old festival is promising new activities being added to the mix which include display of the winning art by a schoolchild, different education themes, cultural activities and agro-processed products using mango and pineapple.The Ministry of Agriculture is also working to promote the Antigua Black pineapple as a versatile fruit in agro-processing. A mini promotion will be held in June to showcase the advantages of growing and using pineapple.
To help promote the festival the committee promises to produce a brochure that will be distributed to its overseas offices and get its website updated with the latest information.
Chefs and professional bar tenders also get to show off their skills on August 8th 2009, as they concoct mouth watering dishes and drinks using the two fruits. This has become a highlight in the food industry as they compete to produce a main course, dessert, alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages.
The next time you see me, I will be eating my mango and yes with my paring knife at ready to make the most of the mango season.
I was fortunate to be part of a workshop organised by the Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, held from the 13th to the 14th of May. It emphasised the need for journalists to be factual and not sensationalise the news, but give the public the facts as they have them and the importance of interpreting data correctly.
CTO facilitator JohnRose Johnson encouraged local journalists to write for the people and not politicians or big businesses. He also encouraged participants to look at various angles and be impartial in their coverage of issues.On how to handle pressure from the editor or interest groups who want to dictate how to treat a story, Johnson reiterated the need for media personnel to publish facts. Johnson said media personnel have a duty to report what is actaully happening and not their perceptions.
The workshop was very informative and taught journalists the importance of using the latest technology and "citizen journalists", who are usually at the scene of a breaking story.
Its finally here and drawing thousands of people with various ailments! The U.S Navy ship, Comfort is offering free medical, dental, surgical and eye treatment to the citizens of Antigua & Barbuda.
After months of waiting in anticipation to see what the medical personnel have to offer, many people are taking advantage of the free services. The ship will be in the islands for two weeks, from the 5th of May to the 15th. Three medical centres will be used in Antigua namely the Multi-purpose Cultural center at Perry Bay, and the All Saints and Johnson's Point clinics. Barbuda residents will also benefit from these services when the team sets up base at the Hanna Thomas Hospital from the 12th to the 14th of May.
Medical supplies will also be donated to various institutions around the country. According to Major Saint Lehtinen, the US Military Liaison Officer based in Barbados, the ship's main mission is humanitarian and disaster relief.
$35,000.00 will also be spent on refurbishing the mental hospital as the Ship's Engineering unit works hand in hand with the government Public works department. New doors, ceiling fans and other structural renovations are expected to be carried out at the mental institution.Other institutions that will receive a helping hand include the hurricane shelters and clinics. Animals on the twin island state will also be treated by a team of veterinary personnel.
Paying my water and electricity bills this morning reinforced my utter dislike for monopolies. Thinking I could take advantage of the time of the month, when there's likely to be less congestion at the Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) branch on High Street, I traipsed in a few minutes after 8 a.m.
A number of people also had the same idea, but I was not overly worried thinking it would not take too much time. After a few minutes standing in line, I realised that only two cashiers - one for the general public and the other for senior citizens and pensioners - were open out of a total of eight (8). From the mutterings around me, it came to my attention that the paying public were not happy with this particular situation as some of them were trying to pay before heading in for work.
I noticed an APUA supervisor scurrying in the background, but no one came forward to tell John Public what was causing the delay. A few people left the queue not wanting to raise their employers wrath by arriving late for work. It eventually transpired after listening in to another customer asking the cashier what was happening, that their computer system is down.
This brings to the fore the importance of communicating with the public and promting good will. A notice at the entrance could have prevented some customers from wasting their time in line and eventually leaving or at least prepare them for the delay.
Am happy to saw I didn't give up and a few minutes before the hour of 9, I paid my bills; however, I still don't like monopolies!
Its a new year with new hopes and aspirations. We saw history made with the swearing in of Barack Obama as the United States 1st African-American president.
I hope the rest of the world will look at Michelle Obama as more than a fashion icon but as an educated black woman who is also able to stand side by side by her husband. May the rest of the world also look at their children as an example of how black children are well-behaved and not the stereotyping so evident on TV and movies!!
Well after a long hiatus that's my spiel to kick off the new year.
Politics is heating up in Antigua & Barbuda as the main political parties -the ruling UPP & opposition ALP- jockey for votes in the upcoming elections this year. My wish is for the political leaders to advise and caution their supporters that violence of any kind will not be tolerated as we choose who will lead us for the next five years!!! That should be left for when voters cast their ballots they mark their X. After all we still have to live with each other after the dust has settled and wouldn't want to plunge our beloved country into chaos like we see on TV.
Having lived with refugees back in Zambia, as the country is a haven for those escaping conflict in trouble torn countries, I speak from experience about the heart ache these people suffer. Not knowing where some of the family members are or if they are even alive! So let us agree to differ and restrict our "war" to words.
We really must watch what we eat and I say this not only for the obvious health reasons, but also to prevent fatalities from happening.
Take for instance the workshop organised by the Ministry of Agriculture here in Antigua in collaboration with UNAIDS and the University of the West Indies. The workshop wants to increase awareness about the Giant African Land Snail, that was sighted in the Jolly Beach/Bolans areas in March of 2008.
The workshop drew numerous participants from the private, business and government sectors to help spread the word why the Giant African snail is not to be trifled with. Minister of State responsible for Agriculture Senator Joanne Massiah called on the relevant agencies to educate students especially those in primaries schools about the danger this snail poses to humans.
To the untrained eye, it looks like any other harmless slug, but according to the experts be very cautious and Do NOT HANDLE with your bare hands!
It feeds on anything ... vegetation, animal excretions and its own dead! It decimates agriculture affecting a country's economy and not only that, humans can contract meningitis(deadly infection which can kill in a few hours).
Dark in colour and growing to huge proportions this is not dinner nor a delicacy to be enjoyed by my Creole or French friends! Any sightings should be reported to the nearest plant protection agency.
www.wvagriculture.org
And to my beloved friends who love smuggling plant cuttings/fruits for the fun of it, or because they look pleasing to the eye ... STOP!! ... as hidden pests and diseases often lurk and cannot be seen by the naked eye. By bringing in these problems you introduce a threat to the local flora which incidentally will not have any known controls for the new invader.
So do the right thing and use the proper channels to import a plant or better still just take a photograph.
I will always uphold the peoples right to free speech, but sometimes certain individuals should think before they utter a word!
Take for instance the negative comments from certain individuals about why the Stanford 20/20 for $20 million should be included in the country's independence celebrations!!
Not only has Sir Allen Stanford revived interest among the Caribbean islands through his cricket tournament, but it has also enabled talent that would not have come to the fore thru the West Indies Cricket team be actively pursued!
But say we forget that particular aspect, what about the business it generates with people coming into Antigua spending their money on taxis, accommodation, restaurants and souvenirs! With Big brother America coming to grips with economic recession shouldn't we be thankful that the country is getting some hard foreign exchange that will eventually help government improve the services they continually cry need to be improved?
Some may argue that it is not much , but in my book every little in these times of rising costs helps.
So instead of crying foul especially whenever the Stanford name is mentioned, think about how you can also cash in!
The Mango festival 2009 was officially launched on the 20th of May, 2009 by the ministry of Agriculture. New and old patrons can look forward to seeing more innovative ways of preparing the fruit and using it throughout the year instead of waiting to enjoy its benefits during the season. Mango drink, tea, chutney, stew and jam are all ways in which this fruit can be used apart from the traditional eating of the fruit.
Chefs and professional bar tenders also get to show off their skills on August 8th 2009, as they concoct mouth watering dishes and drinks using the two fruits. This has become a highlight in the food industry as they compete to produce a main course, dessert, alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages.
