ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN BARBADOS
TAKE CHANCES. ACT SOONER.
COME TOGETHER. THINK SMARTER.
FRE TAK E! E HOM ME E!
Electric Tourism Himalayan Peaks
June 2016 // Issue 6
Megapower in Action
March 2016 // Issue 5
p a d d l e b a r b a d o s . c o m
Paddle Race 18th June Barbados Cruising Club
Mark Harris Photography
> Kid's Short Distance - 1.5k > Women's Short Distance - 1.5k > Men's Short Distance - 1.5k > Open 3k Registration: 10am First Race: 11am Dippers Beach Bar open for lunch and cocktails! 2 Read more reviews and find out what’s on this month at ilovethisrock.com
The Business Issue Editor’s Note
June 2016 Issue 6
editor@ilovethisrock.com
Contents
5 Tea for Two
Whatever Goes Up, Must Come Down.
6 FAS
Two miners come out of a chalk mine. One of them is completely clean and the other is covered in chalk. Just before they head home, the clean one runs to the fountain and washes his face thoroughly. The dirty miner, meanwhile, watches him, laughs, and continues on home. Why?
Apsara-Samudra starts tea-time and has completely blown the competition out of the water.
The most influential event organisers in Barbados started with nothing but each other and created something that no one has rivalled in over a decade. We find out how and why.
8 Girls Have It Harder.
What are the key ingredients that successful, driven women share? So what happened to the others?
10 Vegware
A massive solution to so many problems in one entrepreneur.
14 Test Drive!
This old riddle teaches a lesson that everyone can use in everyday life. The clean miner looked at his friend and thought he must be dirty as well. This wasn’t good news so he needed to wash himself quickly. The dirty miner, though, was convinced of the exact opposite, so went home unwashed. There is a generation of young Bajans that is frustrated with the generation above and this is bringing about change. Entrepreneurship has a lot to do with invention but even more to do with problem solving. Find a problem and the solution is your business plan. What we noticed, though, is that the fixing young Bajans are looking for starts with the words "What Barbados needs". This level of love for their country shows that they believe better exists. In fact, it's a very good measure of untapped Bajan potential. You might say that what was once up has now come down.
17 Work Lunches
The youngsters who live like the chalk miners are convinced that they are just like their elders. They see comfortable, well-seasoned workers and they think the rest will come naturally. The sharper kids are realising that change is needed. They have noticed that things have slowed down up there and what used to be good and great has lost its shine.
20 Isle&Dine
We hope that this issue gives you ideas, confidence and faith. We want to encourage everyone to remember that thousand-mile journeys begin with one small step and that we can bring this island's glory back. One step at a time.
We took the new KIA Sportage for a spin because if we can review food, we want to review cars too!
Business meetings, pitches, coffees... They all count and we want to give you more options.
The genius concept hits Barbados and will change this rock forever.
22 You're Bajan But Did You Know
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Photo Credits: Lalita Vaswani. Lead Writer: Charlie Brown. Contributing Writer: Lalita Vaswani. Thank you to our friends and families for their endless support. Special thanks to Lalita Vaswani for being the official heart and soul of this publication, for your brilliant ideas and boundless creativity. To those who have seen the potential in us, watch this space. To those who don’t believe in us... We know you’re secretly watching us anyway.
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MAKE JUNECOUNT
BITE
PIZZA AT DRIFT
SIP
Every Friday and Saturday, Gianluca will be cooking up pizzas in his rolling wood-fired oven at Drift. Good question. Gianluca is the guy who was running the kitchen at Timothy Oulton so if you were wondering what happened to those pizzas, here's your answer. The popup follows in the line of the sushinights at Drift every other Thursday and it's just as good. Where we would recommend three sushi platters for two people, here we're happy that a pizza is good enough for anyone. The cheese-mix is the best we've had on the island, the Funghi has white truffle oil and the Siciliana has Italian sausage meatballs. The downside is that we've pretty much covered the whole menu already. At first glance four pizzas isn't enough choice for anyone but at the end of dinner no one will utter a bad word. It's like reading a really good book; it might not be your style but if it's written
JACOB'S JUICE FUSIONS
really well you can still love it. Which four pizzas? Four of the most universally ordered pizzas. Fair enough. As long as the ingredients stay as fresh as they are and the crust remains as thin and crispy we know we are on to something good. The best bit is how underrated Drift is. It's quiet, it's on the ocean, the stars shine through easily and the service is good. Now add pizza. Good pizza.
LEARN
Nina is a mother of three and Jacob's Juices is the new chapter of her life. She realised no one was selling real juice with real fruit... So she did just that. Nina makes everything at home by blending brown coconuts and almonds and then sticks the mix in a bottle and sells it anywhere she can. Sol and Rubis took her on and she runs around every day stocking their shelves. She's a woman on a mission and she's doing it well. Every time I ask how long I can keep it in the fridge she always replies "You know there are no preservatives so don't be foolish, just drink it now" which is another reason she can't stop working. If she added preservatives she would be able to make a batch a month and kick back for 29 days. Instead she went for fresh ingredients and preferred to have a shorter shelf-life, which means she has to make fresh juice every single day to keep stocking her gas stations. As we were raving about the coconut and almond juice, just last week, she calls us up with news. She added fresh mint. It's like a mint Magnum ice cream but even better. Completely outstanding. Nina, we're tipping our hat to you. Best drink in Barbados by far.
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GFISH WATERSPORTS 2-for-1 in June so that you and a friend can learn to dive for the price of one of you... So just split it and both of you learn half price! Otherwise you can always go without a friend and take a second course for free. Savings? $900 That's not something you ignore. Getting your PADI costs $450 but when you bring your friend you're both paying $225. Then when you get your advanced level its could be $380 but then just split that with a friend. Life: Changed. You're welcome.
Apsara-Samudra Just Out-Caked Sandy Lane
Photography: Carla Castagne
Tea for Two Apsara is the restaurant in St Lawrence Gap that has an Indian menu as well as a Thai menu... And both are outstanding. Check the website for their full review and you will read about the dinner. For now, we have big news to concentrate on. Tea for Two has started this month and everyone should pay attention. Marie, the brains behind this cake-child, decided it was high time that tea was done properly. It's a sweet and savoury affair where plate after plate opens your eyes, raises an eye-brow and slows your chewing.
Savoury What used to be an egg sandwich has been spiked with masalas and coriander to give it an edge it has never had. The bread on its own was worth a conversation. Then we had a Harra Bharra Roll which served in a spinach roll or the Chicken Pav which was served in an awesome tomato bun. The truth is that this wasn't the end. There was a chicken roti where we said again and again how balanced the spices were. Good job, well done.
Sweet Let's be clear. Cake is cake is cake. And then there is Apsara cake at tea. We have to start by
stepping away from cakes that focus on toppings so that we can understand what makes these exceptional. The photo above is an orange cake with a salted caramel and pecans. The magic is the cake itself. It could have been a sardine and marshmallow cake and we would still have been just as stunned. This chef knows how to bake a cake. It was moist and fluffy and the caramel and pecan topped it off. We will add that tasting fresh pecans are quite rare, but not here. The lemon drizzle had the same magic to it and the zestiness to it was perfect. Then the scones. Never tasted scones so perfect... Except at home. Marie explained how she insisted on using real butter-milk and that comes across immediately. At first you ask yourself what it is that's so different... Or even why you like it in the first place. Buttermilk. The clotted cream and the jam were fine just as they were and by the end of the three plates we discovered that it wasn't the end. The last plate was a selection of macaroons, mini apple crumbles and bite-sized passionfruit cheesecakes. This is where the last plate earns its glory. The macaroons and apple crumble were nice. The passion-
fruit cheesecake was an awakening of the tastebuds.
All of this to say that no hotel can produce cakes as homemade and as genuinely perfect to the core until the chefs stop trying to be chefs and remember that tea time is a homely occasion where it's about a mother's touch. Their selection of teas is surprising and the loose teas that they use are excellent. They even serve Himalayan Peaks for some of their blends. We championed their selection in the March issue and we are going to continue here. $150 for two people is literally half the price of tea at Sandy Lane and with an ocean view like the one at Apsara, the south coast has just gained a new gem. Served from 2pm Fridays & Saturdays ilovethisrock.com/apsara-samudra
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Dream
Big
come together
Never stop listening Freddy Hill, Al Gilkes and Sherlock Yarde are the names behind FAS Entertainment and, although it's easy to see how such an important promotions company can be so strong and successful, what differentiated them from the rest? Barbados is famous for its short-sightedness and the rhetoric goes, a Bajan would prefer $5 today over $500 tomorrow. Change the numbers but the mentality remains. The FAS veterans expanded their operation over many years but three elements that were crucial throughout were dreaming big, working together and planning long. That means $500 tomorrow please, each.
Dream Big In 1964, Al Gilkes organised his first show in Barbados. He had a mix of local and international
acts. His launch came with the help of a connection in the US who had given him an opportunity. Like dating, taking you chances is always the first step, not screwing it up is how you seal the deal. By 1967 Gilkes had earned a reputation that brought Stevie Wonder to Barbados for his first ever show on the rock. Going from zero to hero is an invisible process because through strife and struggle, entrepreneurs are working tirelessly to keep that game-face on. The tech-generation has a reputation for creating billionaires in twenty minutes but even our own home-bred Bitt was pushing for two years before they hit the press receiving a $16million investment. The co-founders, Abed and Gale earned almost no money in silence whilst they hammered away every day at their keyboards. Nothing happens overnight but by the time the
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public find out about a startup, it's generally because they have finally made it big. Everything before that is a one-line sentence that reads, young entrepreneur starts website from college dorm. Well yes... But two years ago. The rest is game-face. Be brave, be strong, keep pushing, always smile, never fail. Starting small is the first part of dreaming big. "We had to do small versions of high quality shows and grow" says Gilkes. So why was Gilkes the first person to bring in Stevie Wonder? What was everyone else doing? Not too far away, Freddy Hill was a very different character. "I run around, I'm the street man, everyone in the streets knows Freddy." From a completely different starting block, Hill was a chef on Harrison Cruise Liners and then kept at it until he worked his way up to manager at the five-star Sonesta Beach Hotel in Bermuda. He had a topof-the-line clothing store in Barbados and would commute between the two islands to check on things here. One passion Hill always had? Reggae. So when it was time to come back to the rock it wasn't long before people knew that Freddy was doing a big night. Freddy was busy being a chef and then working in Bermuda, but how is it that he is now behind the largest private entertainment event in Barbados? Both Al and Freddy shared one goal. To take entertainment and promotion to a whole new level in Barbados. It was time to go from promoter to business. When Freddy had a gig on, Al would rally up behind him and help him out with his PR connections. When Al was up to another big event, Freddy was there doing what Freddy does best, connecting with the people in a way that perfectly complemented Al. Sherlock was the numbers-man and together they became FAS.
three years earlier and have stuck with FAS ever since. The team that had been formed had taken a lot of risk out of the equation for Digicel. Would they have backed one of the young men as an individual? Probably not. Together they had Sherlock's numbers to back their proposal, a tried and tested PR agency and the ticket-manextraordinaire. Even if it was a risky proposal, no one else was in a position to pull off a stunt like this. So just relatively, their success came from the fact that they were simply doing what no one had done before. They had come together to be better, much better. Digicel, from their perspective, were waiting for the right opportunity to have first dibs on something big. Deal. At the first Reggae Festival the weather turned and created an atmosphere that people still recall as the best Reggae Festival experience yet. At 1.30, the sky turned dark and torrential rain came down. On the one hand, microphones and speakers had to be replaced at a high cost but, on the other, everyone came together, shared their umbrellas, helped each other, huddled up and created an atmosphere of togetherness that no company could have organised.
Never stop Listening Working together meant that they knew they were aiming for the $500 tomorrow but with the certainty of nothing but faith. Farley Hill needs a crowd no smaller than 8,000 to break even. Risk? Definitely. What the Reggae Festival does successfully every year is improve. Year-round, Freddy has his ear to the ground looking out for new artists. More than that, the people-man is talking to everyone to find out which acts will be successful. Freddy is always looking to deliver progress and every year they manage a line-up second to none. One of the hardest parts of the planning process as
trying to be of help to the local artists. Hill realised that local artists weren't getting enough attention because they were performing in the shadows of their Caribbean counterparts. The plan was to proactively push Bajan artists by giving them a full night so they wouldn't have to perform in the shadow of their dancehall counterparts. The one thing Hill couldn't guarantee was Bajan support. Day in and out, year after year, Bajans just weren't coming to the show to support their own. Strategically, they were in hot water. Cancel the all-Bajan night and look like you don't care about Bajan artists anymore or keep it on and lose money every year in the hope that the people of this nation will change. The FAS solution was to spread the Bajan artists out throughout the nights so that there were no gaps and continued support. The result was positive. The day you stop learning is the day you start losing. Start now, you can only learn on the go.
Come Together The newly formed team had a PR man, a street man and a numbers man. The synergies were perfect and although they were all in it for themselves, together was where their success lay. Their whole was greater than the sum of its parts. Sponsorship was a huge part of taking promotions to the next level. The industry was full of smalltown nights but, to break the mould, to really make an impact in Barbados, they needed more. When you look at the Reggae Festival today, we have to remember that Digicel was actually a sponsor from the very beginning in 2004. They had only arrived in Barbados
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Girls have it harder than boys girls who are pushed at home to become responsible for themselves develop a strong sense of independence, confidence and are much more likely to reach success than their male counterparts. without this foundation, girls are more likely to be negatively affected by the media, bullying and school friends.
We did a lot of research and interviewed successful, confident Caribbean women with different backgrounds to find out what they all had in common. The goal was to look at teams of women at work and understand what fostered creativity, efficiency and teamwork. Women in the workplace are essential to any organisation's progress and ever-more common research suggests that they outperform men in similar positions. An article published by Harvard Business Review went to the point of explaining how men with confidence were seen as good leaders and more likely to be voted into solve a crisis than women, even if they held no real competence. Women, who exude the same levels of confidence are called highly strung, bitchy or just plain angry. So why is it, then, that some girls develop into stronger career-oriented women whilst others leave school and disappear into family life? The first stages of the interviews went well and everything was straight-forward but, the deeper we dug, the wider our story grew. The media played a significant role throughout history, defining what was right and wrong, but girls bullying other girls reinforced the media's influence, further oppressing girls' confidence. Girls were almost always subjected to more bullying or peer pressure than boys. What surprised us the most was the influence at home. Those who grew up with parents as a prime influence were more able to rebound from problems like these and, even if they went through traumatic experiences, they were more likely to learn from them and become stronger. Conversely, when the outside world's influence outweighed parental influence, girls were more susceptible to losing their identity and that entrepreneurial streak, that we are trying to find, would be lost too. Our conclusions are broad and there are always
exceptions - by no means do we believe that our answers are exhaustive but we couldn't ignore the strong patterns and decided to broaden the reach of this article. It's common to hear how today's inspirational leaders went through life-changing experiences which then provoked them to set out to prove the world wrong. It's not unique to women, men go through the same motions. Do boys and girls have the same upbringing though? Not really. Girls in the Caribbean do tend to grow up having it much harder than the boys. There is an inherent education young girls receive from their mothers here to ensure that they become strong and, most importantly, independent. Boys, in the mean ime, are usually outside playing. Our Caribbean girls grow up learning how to prove themselves at home for years, all whilst developing a strong sense of emotional intelligence. Does this mean that all girls who grow up in a household with a lot of expectation become confident, career driven women? Not entirely but that's not far off. All of the stories from our subjects showed a responsibility in the father to build a daughter's self-esteem. This appears to be a crucial element in allowing a daughter to forge her own identity which then leads to greater self-confidence and resolve. To describe this differently, it's almost as if a strong fatherly connection creates a protective barrier from externalities that could have, otherwise, been damaging. Is it always a father who createes this role? Not necessarily, but as long as there is that strong influence from someone, the concept is the same. Identity, self-esteem, confidence and resolve are, by no coincidence, what we tend to find in powerful women. So we have a girl who grows up in a house where her mother expects everything of her and she goes through hardship at school but
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because of her father's influence, she learns from her experiences and grows from them. Where do things start to go wrong? We found that it's when a girl's self-esteem no longer comes from a secure, solid place like a father figure, but instead comes from a myriad of external sources. We mean what she absorbs from her iPad, what her school friends say and how bullies intimidate her. That sense of identity no longer comes from an immovable person, but rather lots of fastpaced, ever-changing values. It is now easier to see how, in conditions like these, your daughter's identity will only be valid until the next trend comes along. And that's not a long time in today's world.
WESTERN MEDIA When you have had a good look at the Barbie illustration you quickly realise that westernised culture does a good job of twisting and warping expectations. There are enough videos and articles going around Facebook where the power of Photoshop shocks us easily but if this is what fathers are up against, how are they ever supposed to convince their daughters that they are beautiful, strong and healthy young ladies. It's a constant duty to ensure that your daughter knows what's right despite being bombarded from every direction with the fallacies of Westernised media. This is a real problem. Although things could go wrong at some point for any child, those with a healthy parental relationship were the ones most likely to rebound. Without those immovable values, their externalities defined what looks right and wrong and were more likely to lead girls to deeper problems. Eating disorders are a serious result of this and, perhaps unsurprisingly, they are also positively correlated with the pervasiveness of Westernised media. Studies have been conducted around the world
When do I introduce the topic of sex to my daughter? There is no age. The earlier you can, the better. the last thing you want is for someone else to introduce it before you do.
where eating disorders in young girls were measured against Western culture. A study on the island of Curacao found that no cases of anorexia or bulimia were found among the black population, while incidence rates among white and mixed-race residents where comparable to those found in the U.S. and the Netherlands. Other studies monitored the movement of culture with globalization and the prevalence of internet access and concluded that it was either the movement of people itself or the spread of the culture that caused a significant increase in the number of eating disorders. Both anorexia and bulimia have been labelled, time and again, as the good girl's drugs because, they are so much more common in affluent families where daughters rebel, not by using substances or by tattooing their faces but, instead, by internalising and taking control of their lives by focusing on one thing you can't stop them from doing. So does this all mean that all girls exposed to Western culture will start having problems? Not at all. What we found repeatedly was that as long as young girls have a sense of belonging in a safe environment, like home, they develop stronger self-confidence, a better sense of identity and a resilience that can outweigh external influences. This means that, even when they are exposed repeatedly to bullies, unrealistic images of Photoshopped women and ridiculous reality TV, everything just bounces off and they move on stronger and wiser. They then set out to prove the naysayers wrong. It's this core trait that allows young ladies to have a much better chance of growing and learning from their experiences, despite everything they go through outside the house. These experienced young ladies are the ones we are most likely to see in positions of power as good leaders, effective managers and driven entrepreneurs.
Further Reading: Harvard Business Review, Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders, Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic Prevalence of Eating Disorders: A Comparison of Western and Non-Western Countries. Available from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Eating and Body Image Disturbances Across Cultures: A Review. Available from: http://brown.uk.com/eatingdisorders/soh.pdf http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/articles/culture-and-eating-disorders
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Government Failure?
or businessOPPORTUNITY? 10 Read more reviews and find out what’s on this month at ilovethisrock.com
You walk into Raw Juice, you pick up a box of three cashew and raisin energy balls and a Popeye Juice. You want to live healthy and junk food isn't allowed in your house. You can't stand the smell of pollution and you get so angry when you see people littering everywhere. We have some really bad news for you. Your footprint is a lot deeper than you might want to believe.
Entrepreneurship begins with a problem. Solving that problem is your business plan.
Biodegradable vs Compostable They aren't the same and you have probably misunderstood biodegradable for a long time. Biodegradable is supposed to be a nice thing where banana skins are eaten by insects and birds which then takes the nutrients back into the food chain. To a degree that's what it is. So what happens with biodegradable plastic bags? It turns out that they end up in the food chain too and that, is not good at all. What about biodegradable plastic cups like the ones Raw Juice hands you? What about the plastic containers for your cashew energy balls? The clear plastic containers do biodegrade into much smaller pieces of plastic and eventually even turn back to basic petrol compounds. The compounds are so small that fish can eat them and so abundant that when we eat fish we are eating the plastic cup that we threw in the bin. Thank goodness we don't eat fish in Barbados. Imagine if fishing was one of our main industries; we would be shooting ourselves in the foot every time we walked away from a store. Polystyrene would be a disaster as well because it really is a double-edged sword. On one hand it isn't biodegradable and on the other, crack it even slightly
and polystyrene dust comes out. Crack it properly and we have thousands of airborne polystyrene pieces that float onto the beaches and back into the food chain that we proudly dominate. Guyana, Antigua and Dominica have banned polystyrenes specifically because of how bad it is for their population. In fact, Guyana had to ban it because so much polystyrene had accumulated in their sewage systems that it was blocking their pipes. Is there a solution? Yes. Do we need the government? Not really but it wouldn't hurt, much. This is the perfect time to bring in compostable items because they are very different. This whole time, we have been using the word biodegradable, when we actually meant compostable. Compostable items can be left in a composter and they will biodegrade into a substance that can be readily used to go back into the food cycle. Compostable items will break down into an organic substance that we can use again. The difference between biodegradable and compostable is about whether we can use the residue to go back into nature. Biodegradable just isn't enough.
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(Oxo) degradable plastic = oil based plastic + an additive to make it fragment in oxygen and sunlight Degradable products fragment into lots of tiny pieces
Fish then eat the plankton, undigestable plastic and all The fragments can be washed into the sea and ingested by plankton
Plastic accumulates up the food chain and can reach humans
Biodegradable = can break down naturally, with microbes, warmth and moisture But in what time scale? Being ‘biodegradable' is no guarantee it can break down fast enough to be included in food waste recycling
Compostable = can biodegrade in under 12 weeks Completely compostable Vegware is made of plant materials
Microbes, heat and moisture break down the structure
It is designed for commercial composting with food waste
The resulting compost retains nutrients vital for healthy soils
Does a solution even exist?! Countries around the world have implemented solutions of all kinds to deal with pollution and it's a nice idea to have reusable bags. Some countries have banned supermarkets giving out bags altogether. In one fell swoop France had to learn to go to supermarkets with cardboard boxes at the ready because there was no alternative at the check-out. In fact, Cost-U-Less already does that here. But what about all the plastic cups and polystyrene that we pick up everywhere we eat? We want to have a solution for all that plastic refuse but let's not start pretending that we're going to turn up at a juice bar with our own cups. It makes no practical sense. What about every $10 lunch out of the back of a van that is packed in a polystyrene box with a knife and a fork that just add insult to injury? Heat affects polystyrene which allows it to penetrate your food... And that's carcinogenic! We interviewed Jo Pooler from Bico when we found out that they started importing Vegware. What we learned blew our minds. To discuss the region's energy and environmental laws, we invited, Lisa-Ann Fraser, an Attorney with a Masters in both Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Law and in Legislative Drafting. Her passion to bring further reform to the laws that address climate change brought great insight into the business and politics of international and regional legislative frameworks that guide us.
Vegware produces all of the cups, plates and cutlery that we see every day with one big difference. All of them are made from organic materials and nothing is compromised. They aren't expensive and you can't see any differences. The transparent cups are made from plant-based materials like corn-starch and are 100% compostable. By definition this means that they are certified to decompose in a maximum of 12 weeks using an industrial composter. So Jo tested the products at the Lion's Share. We wrote about the lunch spot back in November 2015 but we didn't know that Steven, the owner, had made a composter. Jo dropped some Vegware in his home-made composter and within five weeks everything had deteriorated into organic refuse. Five. Weeks. Steven, could take that refuse and use it to grow more food for his restaurant because those cups were corn-starch to begin with. Our problem is solved and we can start using the solution immediately. We don't have to wait for government intervention, laws, prohibitions or extreme plastic-bag rules. Jo set out to live in a clean Barbados. Rather than looking at how we can clean-up the mess, she looked for the root of the problem - the rest is just symptomatic. The government can continue
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arguing with itself and repeating how the people should not worry themselves but for every day that passes we are failing ourselves, and our children. Cin Cin, Mama Mia, Animal Flower Cave and From on the Rocks are companies that have started using Vegware to replace their polystyrene takeaway boxes. Think about all of the street vendors, smoothie joints, lunch vans and beaches that can instantly, starting today, go from highly damaging to being 100% compostable. Is pricing an issue? Actually, no. Asking herself the right question was the crucial step to starting her business. She could have looked for a solution that cleaned up or educated the children. Instead she asked herself if we really have to use our polystyrene in the first place. The impact is unprecedented.
The person who can replace all the plastic products is going to do very well. Fact.
Why were you not the person to think of finding compostable products for your country?
Barbados Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) The populations of small island developing states are acutely vulnerable to environmental degradation, climate change, overexploitation of fisheries resources and land-based pollution. Moreover, we share a number of disadvantages, including small populations, a narrow range of available resources and an excessive dependence on international trade. This makes us all vulnerable to global changes. In addition, we suffer from lack of economies of scale, high transportation and costly public administration. Ms. Fraser added that, when looking at the vulnerability of small island developing states like ourselves, we may think of the Kyoto/Rio/ Johannesburg Declarations but we forget that the international commitment for SIDS was signed right here in Barbados. It is commonly known as the Barbados Declaration. This document addressed priority areas and specific actions needed by SIDS which included climate change and sea-level rise, waste management, natural and environmental disasters, coastal and marine resources, and human resources development. Why were you not the person to think of finding compostable products for your country?
Take a step back and think about how you can fix everything there is to fix around you. Each and every single one of these is a business opportunity. The greatest fallacy is to believe that government will take care of it. Do it and become a successful entrepreneur as you do. It will change the rest of your life. Take a step back and think about how you can fix everything there is to fix around you. Each and every single one of these is a business opportunity. The greatest fallacy is to believe that government
will take care of it. Do it and become a successful entrepreneur. As you do, it will change the rest of your life.
Waiting for the government to implement a law is like waiting for
a
London
bus.
You
will
get
battered
waiting
in
the
rain until you finally give up. At that moment three will arrive the same time and they will all be going in the wrong direction.
Spot the difference
Exactly.
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June Car Review The 2016
Kia Sportage 3 Testers. 3 Angles. The Kia Sportage is possibly the best-selling executive car in Barbados and the new one is a massive step forward. We really wanted to have a play so we called them up and asked if we could test-drive it... And they said yes. What we decided to do was scoop up three people from different walks of life to see how the Sportage works for them. Our three amigos were told that they will be test-driving a car and that they had to be 100% open and honest about what they thought. We rode with them to look for signs of joy and what might annoy. Conclusion: We had a brilliant day out.
James Civil Engineer Current Car: Nissan X-Trail Single, 34 Years Old Loves: Working out Gets Irritated by: Technology
Suzie Supermum Current Car: 2013 Kia Sportage 3 Children, 45 Years Old Loves: Home-making & Entertaining Gets Irritated by: Traffic & The Hiccups
Lalita Lawyer Current Car: BMW 1-Series Single, 32 Years Old Loves: Good Food Gets Irritated by: Negativity
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What we tested:
What surprised us:
•
2000cc Petrol Engine
The KIA Klub
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Push-Button Starter (key in pocket)
•
Reverse Camera and Sensors
If you have a KIA, you can sign-up. Because of what? A lot more than we expected and they managed to pull this together because of the strength of the Ansa McCal group.
•
Electric Seats with Heating... And Cooling(!)
•
Automatic Lights and Rain-Sensing Windscreen Wipers
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Bluetooth for Music and Telephone
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7 JBL Speakers
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Touch-Screen Console
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6-Speed Gearbox (automatic with tiptronic)
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Traction Control & Anti Hill-Slip
•
Electrically Folding Mirrors
OTR Price: $128,776.49
All the way through May you could have washed your KIA at Rubis for free. You get 5% off groceries at Tri-Mart, discounts at Consolidated Finance, 5% off furniture at Standard. Then! When you go to events like the Vaucluse Sol Rally, this 4th June, you get special reserved parking. It's genius, they really took a step back and said "What have we got and how can we make it better?" Stop for a moment and just think of the meeting they had. We need more like them When you buy a KIA Sportage they bundle in 12 months of free insurance, $150 free gas and $250 of groceries. Score.
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So What Did They Say?
James
Suzie
Lalita
Handling
Feels solid.
Sturdier than the older Sportage. Super safe.
Smoother than my 1-Series.
Exterior
Great job on the new body.
Much sleeker but I prefer my old Sportage.
Really nice in white and I like the new lights!
Interior
Really spacious. Is it bigger than before?
Really clean and modern.
Much bigger than I expected. I like it!
Sound System
Awesome, JBL make the best speakers.
The speakers are high up. I hear it all so well!
Good bass, good volume. Great sound.
Technology
Pretty intuitive. Bluetooth is cool for my music.
Easy. Must also get used to reversing camera!
Making calls is the best bit for me and they can hear me really well.
Day-to-Day
Very versatile, love the seats. Super comfortable.
The boot is much lower which is much better for loading shopping.
Bigger than what I'm used to but I feel safe.
Overall
Definitely top of the range which makes it worth the money.
They've really improved so much and made some big changes.
Never thought I would have enjoyed that test drive as much as I did. Glad I tried.
Final Words From the outset, the simple fact that we test-drove it gave us the chance to get past the marketing and straight to the point. You will always have the salesman in the back seat whispering about the joys of the car you're in and every now and again he will surprise you. MQI have some veterans who know a thing or two about selling cars. Kia have gone all out on the Sportage. The new body is definitely a massive improvement and Suzie's comment about the boot being much lower took us out of test-mindset and helped us realise that we have to use it in our routines... Not just playing around with our cameras. She had a very good point because loading shopping into high cars is a pain so just by redesigning it lower Kia have managed to solve that. Everybody loved the seats in the Kia and they found it very comfortable even after a long drive.
The steering wheel is sporty and the buttons on it make the technology distraction-free. It was no time before our three testers were changing the volume and making calls. The mic was actually pointed at the driver so the caller could hear them really well. You're still a shouter if you're sat anywhere else and want to get in on the conversation. Using the touch screen came naturally and everyone figured it out in seconds. The controls are well designed and they managed to pair their phones on their own. The screen then turns to camera view when you put her into reverse. Add
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that to beep sensors and the fact that you have a driver's licence and you have no excuse to park badly. Wouldn't that be the day... When we don't need to complain about other people's parking. Your turn: 467-2550
Wild Boar and Mushroom Risotto at Cin Cin
Lunch in the working week. Feel like you've done it all? Time to try something new. Summer Menu at Cin Cin Work lunches are getting better in Barbados and, when you realise what Cin Cin is serving, $89 never felt so useful. What’s the biggest problem with work lunches? It’s that we get back from a heavy lunch and pass out at our desks. It’s also the best thing about work lunches! Cin Cin has given us a light option (so we don’t pass out) and heavy options. The light route starts with the beetroot salad, roasted pinenuts, goat’s cheese-balls and the obvious mixed leaves. The goat’s cheese was the star of that course but it wouldn’t have been complete without the
pinenuts. Nice move CinCin. Nice move. Still on board? We then went with the fish of the day which was (drumroll) Mahi-Mahi and it was cooked to perfection. The alternative was the lamb cutlets but that was a little oily so we rated our fish. It’s the perfect balance… Until dessert arrives and you realise there was no point in eating light. There’s nothing to say here… Dessert is dessert is dessert. The heavier route we tried was an oxtail and mushroom risotto (truffle oil included) followed by the braised pork hocks. Frankly, it was a
suitable meal for a Swiss mountain cabin in the dark depths of winter but an hour later, mission accomplished, we had passed out. We might leave work with pen blots on our forehead and paperclips in our hair but it was worth every second. Bring on the summer!
$$$$$ ilovethisrock.com/new-lunch-menu-cin-cin Reservations: +1(246)424-4557
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Open Kitchen, Warrens Working around Warrens makes lunch repetitive because we always end up in or around a mall and the truth is that it’s usually fast food. How do we have a healthy, home-y lunch in a well decorated spot? We go to Open Kitchen at the Archer’s Hall Decor Store. In fact, it’s also good for coffees and out-of-the-way meetings because it doesn’t echo and nothing is made of plastic. Finally someone got the coffee-idea right. Their sharing tables are good because they make it easy to connect with other solo-lunchers and if that’s not your cup of tea you can stand up and remember that you’re in a decor store with a wine cave. Cha-ching! Time to walk around and test everything! Twice! The service is pretty quick so you don’t need to worry about making it back on time and the menu is straightforward which means that there is something for everyone. Grilled mahi-mahi with a Greek-quinoa salad for $45 is as reasonable as it gets. The soups of the day are usually well seasoned and hearty but the real star is the pizza. If you can, try the Ryan’s Special with fresh pesto and mozzarella because it’s light and filling at the same time. Otherwise, it’s worth checking their Facebook for the specials menu because it’s actually quite varied and you don’t have to end up eating the same dish every time you visit. The dessert selection is minimal but if you’re going for it you might as well try the warm poppy seed cake and a cappuccino or a macchiato.
Normally they’re only open for lunch but they have started serving dinner on weekends with a live music so check-in as Friday rolls around and you may have just found a new after-work lime.
$$$$$ ilovethisrock.com/open-kitchen Reservations: +1(246)622-1819
Brito’s Eat Fit Avenue Brito’s is the newest work-food entrant on the restaurant circuit and it's hidden in the centre of Warrens behind the Williams Towers. If you're not working nearby it won't be your first choice but when you get there the service is quick so you never have a long wait. The decor is clean with modern Bajan prints and details that separate it from most lunch spots on the rock.
are well sized and given the price of quality nutritious ingredients, it's impressive that you can get a salad and a fresh juice for well under $30.
Their choices aren't complicated. You order from their counter as you enter and then sit down and the food will come to you. They have good Moroccan chicken skewers served with rice or, our favourite, the salad bar. You get to create your own salad from an impressive variety of fresh, genuinely nutritious options which is a welcomed luxury because you don't get stuck with bowls of lettuce and a decorative slice of tomato. Tailor the ingredients to what you like... Or what you should be eating.
There are over fifteen different types of fresh juices including smoothies and protein shakes. Here Brito’s has gone one step further – they partnered with celebrated WFBB Pro and nutritionist Ryall Graber to publish the nutritional content for each juice. Try First Day of Summer which is a crisp mint-lime-agave-cucumber mix... It's only 61 calories. While there are a few wraps and sandwiches for the indulgent, the salads and juices are where the money is. Cropover body here we come.
You get to select two “bases” from arugula, mixed greens, romaine, couscous, quinoa or pasta. You then get to choose three toppings from over twelve options including smoked salmon, chicken, gruyere (holy cheese!), grapes and eggs. Finally, you choose one of their homemade dressings and leave the salad master to do the rest. Portions
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$$$$$ ilovethisrock.com/britos Telephone: +1(246)537-2348
Wednesday Work Lunch at ArtSplash Every Wednesday and Saturday, between 8am and 2pm the South Coast has only one place you should be. On a Wednesday it's the perfect place for a work lunch and on Saturday you should be showing your family what you tasted the other day. The market is a pretty simple u-shape walk-through with different food stalls like Gianluca's woodfired grill, Cliff Bakery's delivery and even Coco Baby, the vegan food around the back. Every week they manage to get in a new vendor with a different spin on food and it just brings work lunches to life. Gone are the repetitive days of choosing between the same three places. Now we have an always evolving market... And
we can pick up our fruit and veg whilst we're there. If we had any advice: get there early, buy Cliff Bakery bread and then go back to work. The chances that anything is left by 1pm are quite low... Especially now that everyone is clocking on. Olive, sea salt and herb loaf. Lord. Almighty. Best bread we've ever tasted. That said if you go early you will probably be able to pick yourself up a croissant or two with a coffee and you've got your breakfast sorted. Not the cheapest breakfast but definitely the treatest breakfast.
up to the rest and, that, is a major breath of fresh air. Saturdays are good for coffee drinking on the terrace and they serve Lavazza so you can't go wrong. There's a massive children's playground behind the building with slides and bouncy-castles and even a masseuse and/or reiki specialist in case you need a sudden fix! $$$$$ ilovethisrock.com/hastings-farmers-market Contact: +1(246)228-0776
ArtSplash
Some of the farmer's markets are really good for socialising and people go more for the friends than the produce but in Hastings the produce lives
Espresso Bar
We invite you to join us for a FREE Coffee at the new Espresso Bar at ArtSplash!
FREE COFFEE VOUCHER Open Mon - Sun from 7am!
www.artsplashbarbados.com
What if we could give people a truly Bajan experience from our very homes? AirBnB doesn't own any apartments but offers rooms to stay around the world and is valued at $25.5 billion (USD). Uber doesn't own any cars but operates a network of drivers in cities around the world and is valued at $50 billion. The rise of the sharing economy has given individuals the chance to make the most of their resources and its review system protects customers by forcing hosts to deliver well. Do well and you will earn well. Under-perform and you're out. So we have AirBnB in Barbados and it's working but, if Uber doesn't join in, does that mean we get left out of the sharing economy?
Enter Deidre, Heather and Denise. These three women have understood that we can all still maximise on our resources and now that they're doing it, it seems obvious. The curse of Why didn't I think of that?! Isle&Dine (Island Dine! Get it?) has kick-started the sharing economy from our kitchens. How many times have you had to convince someone that the best Bajan cooking is always in your mother's home? Now it's time to live up to that reputation. Register on the website as a host and you will be briefed on what is expected of you. Register as a Diner and you will never run out of new places to eat. So what's the big idea and how does it work?
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Dining You have registered as a diner and now you're ready to try someone's food. The listings show you when dinners are available. You find out which area they are in and then you get to look at the menu. Not your style? Look at the next menu and the next until you strike gold. Someone has a pepperpot that has been brewing longer than your impatient partner. You read the reviews and people loved their experience. And you can bring your own wine? Score. Check for availability, reserve and hey presto. The genius is that everyone cooks different things in different homes. Sea view? French food? You're a vegan and no one understands you? Sorted. There's something for everyone. You write down the details and on the magical day you set off. Everything is new. The location, the menu, the food, the style and especially the host. Dinner for two, here we come. At the end of the night you've met some people who are just as curious as you and who love pepperpot even more. You're so full they squeeze you through the door and roll you home. That's when you write your review and end up telling people that you didn't know what to expect but now... You're a convert.
Hosting Welcome to the future. You've taken some photos of your home, the dining room table and your selfie looks good on your profile. What do you even cook?! Well isn't the idea that you experience real life through the eyes (and culinary talent) of others? So the same is expected of you. What do you love making? What is it that people crave every time they visit? What about that secret recipe which is gluten free? These are all good and great things that people can only try in your house and they are exactly what makes you unique. Write up the menu, do some shopping, calculate how much you need to charge and you're ready to launch. Post the dinner and start receiving reservations. The real joy of doing this in Barbados is the pride we, Bajans, take in our work. Isle&Dine are working in such a way so that you can have different levels of participation. The obvious way has always been to just cook and present but what if there are people out there who love cooking too and being part of the preparation is the experience they would prefer? Suddenly you have yourself a niche. Come and learn to cook with us on Friday! Many hands make light work and the interaction with your guests will probably be the part that you find the most fulfilling. We will let you know when they are worth $8 gazillion. Until then, get involved and invite us! isleanddine.com
Statistics
from the Barbados Labour Department show how the active labour force in 2015 was equally male
and female (73k men and 72k women) but that unemployment rates were higher for men than women (12.3% and 10.3% respectively). Another informal way to see if women are doing well is to open a magazine like the Who's Who of Barbados and look at all of the women in senior management. The
rest of the world is not like this.
In less modern economies, women account for less than half of the workforce whereas economies like ours have a much more balanced view. None as balanced as what we have in Barbados.
influence than in most other countries.
Women have more strength and
you're bajan but did you know
The district of ‘Mile and a Quarter’ in St. Peter got its name from the time when Barbados was first settled and almost the entire population lived close to the coast. There were few roads then and, by law, properties had to have a narrow sea front and extend at least a mile and a quarter inland to allow their owners private access to the beach.
It is 61 years since Barbados was last struck by a hurricane. ‘Janet’ hit the island in 1955, shortly after Toronto suffered its last hurricane, ‘Hazel’. ‘Janet’ claimed 35 lives and left 20,000 homeless whilst ‘Hazel’ killed 81. Thirty-five souls perished on the same Toronto street after severe flooding.
JULIAN ARMFIELD
In 1962, the congregation at the pretty little church of St. Francis of Assisi on the west Author and BBC broadcaster Sandy Lane was the brainchild of Ronald coast was enjoying its to annual Christmas Julian Armfield came Tree, a former BritishBarbados politician, who Carol service whenand the priest announced for ten days, met and married a Bajan beauty, stayed raised enough finance to build the hotel a visitor had been invited forever. He quickly discoveredthat that life on a vibrant Caribbean island to join the in the grounds of an oldwas sugar choir As the choir was goingplantation. to be hugely different to thaton in athat sleepymorning. English village. The grand opening came in 1961, when at the back of the church, nobody could Narrated in anhotel infectious Absolutely Barbados follows it became the first ever luxury in upbeat seerhythm, the guest warbler but they liked what the tales fiercely about curious author island aswhen he explores and the entire Caribbean. The the around theytheheard he launched into a solo embraces everybecome aspect of Barbados’ lifestyle,ofculture andNight’. heritage,‘He ought to be a celebrities who stayed there have rendition ‘Silent of beguiling characters along the way. the stuff of legend; Mariameeting Callasa host swimming professional singer,’ whispered a wife to her in the bay with her pet marmoset on her husband. ’‘He is, my dear, his name is Frank Julian’s compelling story will enchant, amuse and enlighten anyone back; Aristotle Onassiswho being thecome spouse. lives inrowed Barbados,in BajansSinatra,’ abroad andreplied all those who to visit by the crew of his yacht; David either on holidayNiven, or to work on this gem of the Caribbean Sea. popular holiday Barbados is a hugely unimpressed by the cocktail menu, taking destinations for the British and one of the over the bar and inventing and mixing his triggers that helped to turn Also showcasing The Magnificent Seven of Barbados – Barbados from own concoctions; Sir Elton John adhering being just another exotic destination into Attractions, Views, Wonders, Beaches and scrumptious to the ‘Old Year’s Night’ black-tie dress Bajan Recipes. Recommended restaurants andgetaway watering was a pop song. the ultimate island code by wearing one around his thigh and holes areTypically featured throughout. Tropical’s song ‘Woh, I’m going to later giving an impromptu performance at Barbados’, released in 1975, memorably the piano; Pavarotti demanding the suite opened with Captain Tobias Willcock nearest to the kitchen. welcoming passengers aboard Coconut The hotel’s chic Dotto Boutique also yielded Airways Flight 372 to Bridgetown. It told some good stories. This was the place the story of a Bajan London bus driver who, where guests could purchase appropriate weary of big city life and British weather, attire for the evening’s festivities. Here, was escaping back to Barbados and into Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and her the arms of Mary Jane, his sweetheart. daughter Caroline tossed clothes from one Absolutely Barbados – One man’s mission to fitting room to another in a wardrobe crisis discover the heart and soul of a Caribbean frenzy while an American billionaire heiress paradise is currently the best-selling book bought a gold watch with no numbers, about our island in local bookshops and is declaring that: ‘By my watch, it’s always also the #1 Barbados book in Amazon U.K’s martini time.’ The ultra-reclusive Greta kindle Caribbean Travel list. Garbo, who travelled under the name of ‘Harriet Brown’, asked the boutique to make her a pair of baggy Bermuda shorts, which she proceeded to wear on every day of her stay.
One man’s mission to discover the heart and soul of a Caribbean paradise
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JULIAN ARMFIELD One man’s mission to discover the heart and soul of a Caribbean paradise
USD 6.99 on Kindle Available at most bookshops in Barbados for BDS 45.00
Dive like a fish. Like a GFish Reach for more. Two PADI courses for the price of one. Only available this June gfishbarbados.com +1(246)287-5289
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