Discouraged

I feel discouraged. I haven't studied in three days. I feel discouraged. So I've just been sleeping, waking up in the night to study but watching tv instead.

I've been averaging 60-odd% in the questions that I've been working. That's no good because the passmark is 75%. If I don't finish everything by April next year, I'll lose the other two that I've already passed.

Exam is 2 months away and I don't feel comfortable about any of the subjects.

Maybe I should do one in November instead of two, do the other one in January. But jeez, I wanted to enjoy my December. Who wants to be studying throughout the xmas season? Plus I want to enjoy the three days of Jazz Festival in January. Also, I wanted to avoid the additional plane fare to travel to the USA to do the exams. Oh sh_t!

I'm so scared of failing.

Very scared.

Sigh.

How do we help them?

On my way home today, I decided to stop by Island Grill for some festivals. Before I came out the vehicle I observed that a young fellow who seemed to be selling stuff had moved closer to my door. "Oh Lawd," I thought to myself, "can I get a break from these sellers/beggars?"

"Miss yu can buy a socks from me?" Just as I expected.

"Don't need any socks." Even though I'm tired of them all, the beggars, the windshield wipers, the sellers, I try not to show the annoyance that I feel at not being able to move around without being accosted by one of them.

"Yu can buy me a soup when yu go inside please?"

As a rule I don't give money to anyone on the street. I keep thinking that I don't want to encourage a bad habit, they're young and strong, they're going to use money to buy drugs. However, I'm a sucker for someone indicating that he/she is hungry. So I went inside and bought him a proper meal (chicken sandwich, fries & pepsi and chided myself for not getting him some soup to settle the gas). While I was inside another beggar came up and ask that I put some money on the coins that he had in his hands so he could buy something to eat. So I had to dole out some more money.

I've been wondering these past weeks though, been turning it around in my head, what's the solution? How do we deal with all these sellers-cum-beggars-cum-windshield wipers?

I'm thinking that we need some unskilled work for them because of course they have no training or education. On the surface our construction industry (one obvious source of unskilled work) seem to be booming. You can't drive two minutes without seeing some new apartment building, office building going up. The problem is we don't hear people within the construction industry complaining of a dearth of unskilled labour.

Maybe we should set up some skills training centres so that they can learn a skill (plumbing, tailoring, etc) and create their own employment. The private sector should fund these as its in everyone's interest to have less unemployed young men with too much time on their hands.

Did I single-handedly solve one of Jamaica's problems? I doubt it.

I do wonder though if any serious thought is given by the power-brokers to how to solve that problem.

I hate you Blogger!!!!!!

Oh bloody hell!!!! I hate you, you Blogger!!!!

I just did a long post, a really long one. For half hour I waxed lyrical on the subject that I was posting on, only to have the darn post disappear just as I was contemplating what what title I should give it.

Google, if you're reading this, Blogger needs to get a 'recovery' thingy. You know, similar to MS Word, Excel. Damn you Blogger.

I'm going to bed!!!! *storms off in disgust*

Inefficient bank service

Some months ago I went into my bank to get a replacement ATM card since I couldn't locate the one I had. I was sure that I hadn't left it in the machine as usual but still couldn't find it. I got the new card and went home. Later that day when I tried to access my account online, I was having all sort of problems so I called up internet banking customer service people. They told me that the reason I couldn't get online was due to the fact that the I had a new ATM card (which had a different no. of course). So I thought, no problem, she could just fix that right there by me giving her the new number on the card to update her system. Wrong. She said it didn't work like that, the branch would have to contact them and advise them of the change.

Now why the dickans didn't the girl dealing with the replacement didn't say that, I thought irritably. Anyhow, I called the branch, they took the number and promised to deal with it promptly. A week later I tried to get online again. Still no access. Apparently the branch hadn't passed on the info to the internet banking people. I tried a month later. Same thing. Several months passed and during this time I called the branch several times. Each time they took the information and still no internet access. So I visited the branch, they wrote down the new atm #(aren't they supposed to have this info anyway?), promised to pass on the info. All this time, I'm still not able to access my account online.

So last Friday in a fit of rage, I went to the bank's website and typed the following message and sent it off.

Message: (Taken verbatim from the email they sent responding)
"What do I need to do? Who do I need to kill to get the bank to record the fact that I have received a new ATM card so that I can finally start accessing my account online again. It has been several damn months since I have received the card. Customer service rep. advised me that the branch will need to inform them (I can't do it myself!) so that they may update the system. I have requested the branch (New Kingston) to do this by phone (several times), I have gone into the branch itself to request that they do so and they recorded the information. Yet, I'm still unable to access my account online. So again I ask, what do I need to do, who do I need to stalk, in order to have access to my account online. Sheesh!!!

Let's see if this medium is any better!!!!

I got a call while I was at work today. It was a representative from the bank calling the advise that my request via the net has been dealt with and I am now able to access my account online.

Apparently you're not supposed to be polite all the while. I haven't confirmed that I can actually access account online as yet though.

Update: 20/Sept/06

Got in and clear voice mail message. Personnel from the bank calling again to assure me that I'm now able to access my account online and urging me to call if I encounter any problem. I still haven't checked as yet.

Nature

Jamaica is beautiful. So very beautiful. I found myself thinking that (not the first time) as I drove along the road this afternoon. No. I wasn't on my way to or from the country. I wasn't driving through Portland with its lush country side nor was I driving on Spur Tree Hill where you can get the most spectacular view of practically all of Jamaica. I was just driving in good, ole, polluted Kingston.

Maybe because it was overcast and about to rain, but somehow the leaves just looked a little greener, the grass a little more lush. "Ahh, Beautiful," I found myself thinking as I drove along Barbican Road to that big store to see what household goodies they had to tempt me with.

It was a lovely afternoon too. There was a slight drizzle when I was driving back home, a light breeze. Just nice. I actually like when it rains. As long as I'm home with no where to go, it's fine. There's a comforting feel to the sound of heavy rain on your roof during the nights. If you have someone to snuggle up to, it's even better. I don't mind a hurricane every now and then either to stir up some excitement. Unfortunately I live in a country where even a 'mild' shower can cause severe distress to people who live in the more rural areas. I use to be so amazed when we get a regular shower of rain here in Kingston and then watch the news later on and see that houses were under-water, people washed away, while others were left homeless. I wondered how was that possible when it 'just barely rained'

So now, if I hear that a storm is on the horizon, I desperately wish it away like everyone else. I find that now, I even feel guilty if I am enjoying a light shower. As if I was the one who called it. Even while enjoying it, I'm wishing fervently that no one is too negatively affected.

Nature is lovely. Such a pity we don't always take the time to enjoy it. Sometimes in the morning, I hear birds singing outside my window. Absolutely lovely.

Election time again

The politicians are at it again. Election is in the air and the politicians are reeling out the promises like there's no tomorrow. Who knows, there probably won't be any tomorrow for the loser.

I really haven't decided who I'm voting for yet. I'm tired of the PNP and their scandals but feel like I'd like to give Portia a chance to show what she has in store for the country. I'm not yet too impressed, but afterall it has only been six months .

I must confess too that I'm a more than a little curious to see how the JLP plan to execute all these changes that they have been promising. They have promised to roll back the Portmore Highway toll. They've also promised the country free education up to the secondary school level. How do they plan to finance all these I'd love to know.

Election should be anytime soon but of course we don't know the date yet. As our Prime Ministers are wont to do, the polls are being watched and it will be called at a time that's favourable to the party. The time is certainly not now as she's under seige by all these public sector groups demanding salary increases. That's another pet peeve. We need to have a fixed election date and eliminate the games involved in setting one. That way too there won't be need for an unnecessarily drawn out election campaign and the violence associated with it.

Watching the news as I write:

Living here in Kingston and being exposed to the more modern aspect of living in Jamaica, it is sometimes easy to forget that there are several areas of poverty in the country. Recently I mentioned to an expatriate that I worked with that he's not to be fooled by the 'good life' that's evidenced in New Kingston where we both worked because there are pockets of poverty in the country. Another co-worker who was listening insisted that it's the other way around, Jamaica is a poor country with pockets of wealth. Hmmm.

The reason I mention that conversation is this. I'm now watching the news and watching teachers plea for furniture for the students. The camera then focused on students sitting on metal chairs with a long ply board placed on them (I'm assuming because there's no seat where it should be). In 2006 watching the news, I'm watching parents plea for proper 'flush' toilets because the toddlers are in danger of falling into the 'pit' toilets that they have to use. In 2006.

Now those are isssues that need to be addressed by our politicians. Issues that will remain relevant even after the election.

Who do I vote for?