Greetings everyone!!!!

 

It has been some time since my last blog  – best part of a couple of years truth be told and quite a lot has happened during that time.

 

I am still in my job and have been away on trips to the USA, France, Trinidad and Ireland.

 

I have been using my camera over the last while but have always found some excuse or another that has prevented me to blog and/or upload my photographs to the extent that I had to buy additional memory cards – oh I am looking forward to clearing up that backlog!!!!

 

In the meantime, I give you the photo a visiting colleague from Head Office took of me a few months ago….the hard work and hectic lifestyle have clearly taken their toll. 

 

   

 

 

  http://www.esnips.com//3rd/flvplayer/esnips_flvplayer12.swf

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had a staff meeting this morning and it was confirmed that ‘Dean’ was coming. I was allowed to take some time off to buy some supplies as leaving it to Saturday (tomorrow) was not considered to be a good idea and I have to admit that leaving same to tomorrow morning would not have been a good idea at all. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello there!

 

It has been quite a while since I posted a blog onto my Space so I thought I should rectify the matter sooner rather than later.

 

My last blog entries were about my trip to Orlando, USA in January 2007 and if you have not read these blogs, please consdier doing so as I think you’ll enjoy reading about my exploits.

 

I am still living and working in Grand Cayman and in Easter I took another trip to Costa Rica and, of course, took plenty of photographs of my time there. A thoroughly enjoyable exprience I must say and if you ever get the chance to go thee, please do so. Since arriving back I have made a number of attempts to note my time there but I have been extremely busy but I will try and rectify that soon, I hope particularly sicne some memories start to recede into the background so to speak after a while and I would like to get what I can down before this happens.

 

The weather in Cayman was, for a few weeks there, very wet and rather miserable. It was as if someone ‘flicked the switch’ so to speak on May 1 and turned on the rain machine. When I am walking around Geroge Town centre during my lunch hour when it rains I do feel somewhat sorry for the tourists who are there for a day trip – it all seems a bit of a washout for them.

 

Last weekend was a public holiday as it was the Queens oficial birthday recently and I was happy to see that the weaher was good for the 3 day weekend and for most of the week itself, today included although some clouds are on the horizon. Well, it is rainy season over here after all.

 

What else? Well, I was out for the last ever episode of the ‘Sopranos’ a couple of weeks ago which was a very enjoyable evening out I must say. Don’t worry – I won’t spoil it for the rest of you outside of North America but I would recommend seeing the last season (8 episodes) as the show was so well made. The next morning I logged on to the bbc news website and left an entry for them. The went on to publish my comments but left out any references to the events of the last epsiode itself so as not to spoil things for anyone who never saw the show yet. I was surprised to see that my comment was the only really complimentary one of the bunch they published., the others came from America so maybe that means something, I don’t quite know. 

 

I was surprised, though, to log onto my email that morning to receive an invitation to talk about the show on BBC World television, especially as I am currently in the Cayman Islands. By the time I got the email and replied, bearing in mind that the BBC in London are 6 hours ahead fo us down here, it was too late although I did get some sort of open invitation to be on the programme in the future so you never know….international stardom beckons. 

 

Anything else? Not really. I have another sailing lesson this afternoon so I am looking forward to that……..other than that there’s nothing much to say of any interest.

 

If any of you have anything to say, go on ahead to do it as I would love to hear from you. Mind you, I was directed to facebook recently and it looks like fun – check it out.

 

That’s all for now although please see below the extract from the BBC News website that was published the next day about the tv show ending. My entry was edited presumably because it alluded to certain instances in the programme itself.

 

The final episode of the highly popular Mafia drama series, The Sopranos, has been aired in the US.

The award-winning series, which has run for eight years on cable channel HBO, centres on the life of a dysfunctional mob family in New Jersey.

Millions had been expected to watch to learn the fate of the top mobster and main character, Tony Soprano.

As the series came to an end after eight years and 86 episodes, the question was: "What happens to Tony?"

Irony and satire

It has been described as the richest achievement in the history of TV, likened both to a Shakespearean drama and a Greek tragedy – the tale of Tony Soprano and the Mafia crime family he controls.

Tony Soprano has got a depth to him that we’ve rarely seen in mobsters Paul Chicklet Hollywood screenwriter

Hollywood screenwriter Paul Chicklet says the character is a person audiences love to hate.

"Inside ourselves we know we should not be liking this person – he is a killer.

"On the other hand, he has got a depth to him that we’ve rarely seen in mobsters so we want to see what’s going to happen to him, just like we want to see what’s going to happen to our Uncle Ralph."

With its complex characters, social satire and rich irony, The Sopranos was always about more than the mob.

By portraying Tony and his associates as everyday citizens, many believe it held a mirror to modern society.

The Sopranos has been both a cultural and a ratings sensation – essential viewing for millions of fans on both sides of the Atlantic.

For many here, Sunday nights will never be quite the same.

Did you watch the finale? What will you do without Tony Soprano? Was it the best ever series? What was so special about the Sopranos? Please tell us what you think using the form below.

The finale of the Sopranos was perhaps the biggest TV anti-climax of all time. It certainly was not a fitting end to 8 years of compelling viewing. Phil
Phil Morel, Redmond, USA

I saw the last ever episode with friends in an Italian restaurant – all very pleasant. I thought the build up to the last moments of the show was very well done – we were all on the edge of our seats at the time. Goodbye Tony & co, we’ll all miss you!
Niall Maguire, George Town, Grand Cayman

The Sopranos speaks to the condition of the human heart – we love and care for someone we should "hate". It gives us all hope that no matter what we do, we still will be loved even when not worthy.
Abby Lentz, Austin, Texas United States

The finale was true to the series itself. It was not all tied up in a bow and neatly put away. It was a fitting end to the series which was never about resolution, but a story of the evil that exists in these character’s lives. It is frankly more amazing that the main criticism of the last episode is its lack of resolution. This wasn’t Seinfeld folks.
Dave, Seattle, Wa

The last episode is full of suspense but it seemed like a long hour waiting for something to happen. Clever writing but an unusual ending to say the least.
Stephanie, Denver USA

I did watch the final episode. I thought it was a great ending, very much in the tradition of the show. This was a great series. I’ll look forward to the movie. It will happen and it will be a blockbuster.
Michael Thomas, Jackson, Mississippi

It was a let down. I feel the fans were owed a much better finale than what went down. Is this really the finale of The Sopranos, or just a set-up to make a movie or bring it back? What a huge disappoint and waste of time!
I Gaviria, Middletown, NJ – USA

My first trip to the United States of America was not quite what I expected but that does not necessarily mean that it was not enjoyable. More a case of reality differing from my preconceived perceptions. Not so much ‘lost in translation’ although some aspects of the trip did come as a surprise I am afraid.

Christmas and New Year had come and gone and I was determined to spend a few days off Grand Cayman and visit another country – to get away from the island life for an extended weekend. I did not have to wait too long it turned out, Heroes Day was on January 22^nd so I decided that I would use this public holiday to my best advantage but taking the Friday off and have a 4 day weekend.

I had booked the flight on the Monday before my trip so the flight may have been a bit more expensive that it otherwise needed to be. I didn’t mind though as I was determined to take a break despite the fact that there were no charters operated from Grand Cayman that weekend. Easter would be a different story all together. I had decided upon the United States but where to exactly? The U.S. of A. looked rather large and foreboding but I eventually picked Florida as I didn’t want to spend too long flying. After much discussion with the travel agent, I felt that I would give Miami the ‘cold shoulder’ and head towards Orlando, another flight but it would not mean too much longer travelling. It also had the advantage of being near to the Kennedy Space Centre which did sound rather appealing. But what about accommodation and transport? Well, that was quickly settled upon by booking me into a 3 star ex-Radisson Hotel on International Drive with a hired car with an optional G.P.S. positioning system included.

Owen Roberts airport is quite a basic facility although it is quite sufficient for an island the size of Grand Cayman. Compared to Heathrow or any other international airport, it is like walking into a shed or some other basic structure as there are very little, if any, facilities available to the air traveller.

The check-in facilities are quite reasonable but I do find the waiting area rather basic with a fairly limited ‘restaurant’ with binds that do not seem to be emptied on a regular basis augmented with duty free shops selling iether worthless tourist ‘tack’ or cigars and jewellery. Finally, when one goes to board the plane, one walks over to the aircraft in the Caribbean heat which is not too uncomfortable but some sort of air-conditioned walkway would be welcomed I am sure. Nothing much to write about the place, in all fairness.

The flight from Grand Cayman to Miami was with American Airlines. The flight there lasted a little under 90 minutes and the service was satisfactory with only a minor hiccup at the check-in desk at Grand Cayman where I was first told that I required a visa to visit the States and then told that I didn’t require said visa after all. That’s all right then.

I had visions of ‘hell on earth’ when we arrived at Miami as far as passing through immigration was concerned but my fears were rather quickly dispelled as it soon became clear to me that, as our flight was on the first into Miami that Friday morning, there would be very little time spent in line waiting to pass through. The personnel were courteous enough – professional courtesy with very little, if any, personal warmth or feeling  - and the security measures involved were not inconvenient where all that was needed was 2 scans of one’s index fingers and a photograph. Other than that, there were the usual security measures or ‘hoops to jump through’ before I was able to enter the main area of Miami airport although I did wonder why I had to deal with the Department of Homeland Security official’s 3 or 4 times, asking me pretty much the same questions, each requesting a look at my travel documents which were now becoming rather dog-eared and thumbed.

And so I had arrived on American soil! Only another 2 hours to wait until I could board my connecting flight to Orlando – time for a cup of tea and a bit to eat then and, oh, a quick telephone call to my parents in Derry, Northern Ireland to tell them where I was, enquire how the weather was back home – you know, generally rub their noses in it so to speak. Always enjoyable. The cup of tea would come first though – one must get one’s priorities straight after all!

I found the flight gate easily enough and was relieved to find that there was indeed a sandwich shop and bar a couple of yards nearby. A nice sandwich and cup of tea perked me up somewhat and I was now in the mood to call home, it being early evening in Northern Ireland. My US$10 phone card provided me with 10 much needed minutes of a phone call and it was nice to call home and tell them that I had arrived in the States for the first time with temperatures early 20°C whilst they were experiencing rain and somewhat cooler conditions. The connection was reasonable although they found it hard to hear me so there must have been an issue at their end, not mine.

I followed my call with a nice larger, well I was on vacation although I wanted to be careful with my alcohol intake as I had a drive back to the hotel (as well as American drivers) to contend with in Orlando. One would do rather nicely then.

The flight to Orlando (American Airlines once more) was on time and took less than an hour to do so. Orlando Airport is different from Miami Airport in that a short train ride was necessary to get to the outside of the facility so that was quite interesting, travelling over a lake at one stage. I went to collect my hired car with some trepidation as I was a bit concerned about driving in the States but found the people at the car-rental company had decided to ‘promote’ me from an Hyundai to a Chrysler – a superior model by all accounts.

I collected the car and was quickly shown how to use the G.P.S. navigational system. I found, though, on that occasion, that I had some difficulty in getting the machine to work and found myself lost soon afterwards. Now, usually when I get lost I try and head back to the spot where I got lost and try again but the thing with American motorways or freeways as they call them is that if you make a turn (especially if you don’t quite know where you are) the journey back can take some time as you have to find a suitable turn-off in-order to head back. I also found that, whilst I was looking for my way to the hotel, that American drivers are quite rude and ‘road-rage’ really is prevalent in this part of the world. I quickly lost count of the number of one-fingered salutes I received from other drivers, some of them from middle-aged women. Quite a shocker really.

I began to realise that the best way was to use the toll booths and get directions there and found the staff there quite helpful and with their help, found my way back to the hotel, the G.P.S. device relegated to the cars boot. One more thing about driving in America – the driver is seated on the left hand side of the vehicle but is expected to drive on the right hand side of the road – easy to get confused when one makes a turn although ‘advice’ from the other ‘more informed’ drivers will surely be forthcoming if deemed necessary.

Arriving at the hotel some 2 hours since leaving the airport (a journey last was supposed to last some 20 minutes by the way) I found the staff courteous and helpful with my accommodation holding 2 double beds with the usual en-suite facilities and so on. I was surprised to see that the safe in the room had a key to be retained whilst out of the room as opposed to a P.I.N. number and a keypad which I had used previously. The swimming pool was luxuriously warm and it certainly helped me relax after spending the best part of the day travelling. A quick rest in the room, a change and then head out for a bite to eat and a drink (or two) I thought would round off the day nicely but things did not quite work out that way I am afraid.

I decided that I would drive up to the Universal Studios facility as it had restaurants, bars and some night life. The evening started well as I negotiated my way up International Drive but once again I made a wrong turn and found myself lost, the G.P.S. device still being relegated to the boot of the car as I had no real faith in its ability to help me find my way back. Driving on the freeways of Orlando is a little different from driving during the day – the traffic is a lot heavier and they seem to go a lot faster. I soon decided to ask for directions which helped but at this stage I had travelled some distance from where I wanted to be. The stress of finding my way back to International Drive soon took its toll on me as I began to curse myself for getting lost twice in one day. It did become quite upsetting at times. Once again I found the drivers quite mad and the people I spoke to quite helpful and I eventually found my way back to International Drive some 2 hours later, feeling relieved and eager for some anticipated nourishment.

I found a ‘Red Lobster’ restaurant and asked for a table to sit at rather than having my meal at the bar. It was now a little after 9pm. The place was extremely busy but the staff were very courteous and within a few minutes of asking for a table the electronic pad I was given beeped and a table was found, my server speaking with what sounded like an English accent but hailed from Wyoming or some other part of the States that to drive there would involve a journey of some 27 hours or thereabouts. Not down the road then.

It was then that I made yet another mistake. I ordered a starter and a main course. My god, my heart sank when she came with my lobster brisk and a large salad with a generous supply of freshly baked bread. How was I going to get through all that as well as my main course I wondered. I hate to think what my stomach was thinking. The food was absolutely superb and the portions were extremely generous but I must admit that I had to leave just under a third of the main course back It is no wonder so many Americans are over weight. It was now approaching 11pm and what with the effects of getting lost, finding my way back and then having a very large meal; I found myself aching for bed. No chances of getting lost this time