Wilderness and Remote First Aid Certification

This weekend past I was fortunate enough for one of the most strenuous and momential experience I had in a while. I got my Wilderness, Remote, and First Aid Certification. It was not easy by a long shot but it was truly an educational experience. This event took place at Halifax Regional Search and Rescue Headquarters in Lakeview East of Sackville. The Instructor was a veteran in search and rescue for Nova Scotia Mr Blair Doyle. This was was very hands on andexperimential approach to learning. On the 3 day LONG day and night certification we slept outside in the cold and rainy weather. Unlike any experience any Bahamian has ever had who live South.

The three day course was designed for persons for strenuous outdoor conditions. From when i was younger I always wanted to do when medical emergencies take place. I always wondered how to deal with the person lost in the middle of no where with a life injury where their unconscious and on the verge of death. Well i am now certified in the the knowledge of rescue and paramedic preparations. In the extensive course that was over 72 hours long day and night I learnt the

• differences between Wilderness First Aid vs Urban First Aid,
  
• the Principle body system Homeostasis.
  
  
• Shock and Backcountry Management for Shock
  
• Emergency Action Principle
• Accessing EMS
  
• Primary Survey of the injured person deciding check list of issues and all problems that is around the issue.
  
• Obstructed Airways of Adult, Babies, and Children
  
• Rescue Breathing
  
• CPR
  
• S.O.A.P ing
  
• Soft Tissue injuries (Wounds, Corrective Cleaning, Burns, and Blisters) How to resolve issues
  
• Environmental Emergencies:
  
• Thermoregulation
  
• Hypothermia and Hyperthermia
  
• Cold Related Issues
  
• Water Injuries
  
• Lightning Strikes
  
• Correct usage of a Difibrulator
  
• Head and Spinal Cord Injury Management Immobilization and Evacuation Issues
  
• Minor Head Injuries (ears, eyes, nose, mouth, dental
  
• Musculoskeletal Injuries (sprains, strains, fracture, reduction, and improvised splinting)
  
• Poisoning, Allergic Reactions, seizure, strokes, gastrointestinal vs Acute Abdominal and Identifying it
  
• Back country water disinfectant
  
• Second aid
  
• Evacuation.

I now equip to handle these issues that might happen on the work place to the middle of no where. Often people say did you work to earn that certification and i can rest assure that not only did i work but toiled in freezing temperature carried sick casualty, woke in the middle of the night to a disaster with a missing while who went lost down a spring and 7 injured persons and how to manage a casualty disaster I even set up a outdoor make shift shelter for the night which beyond cold, rocky and familiar to the customs we take for granted every night which is a warm bed.

The Wilderness and Remote First Aid Certification was an experience of a life time.

Ottawa Round Table Discussion with Canada's DFAIT

DFAIT Canada/ Leadership Roundtable Discussion

I was fortunate to have travelled recently to Ottawa the Capital of Canada to participate in a round table discussion that was called DFAIT Department Foreign Affairs and International Trade. Their were many students from wide and far throughout the Caribbean from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, to Bahamas and Barbados. What was so interesting was the very great positions made by my student counterparts.

For me the questions posed wasWhat kind of programs is attractive to Caribbean students?Tourism was my platform as it is crucial to receive proper and professional training in the Hospitality and Tourism Industry. The cry for the longest is that Bahamians and other Caricom National are not trained sufficiently and hence the need to import persons to fill the top position like General Managers of Resorts.Technology programs was another important one was CARICOM nations all desire to become more advance.

What kind of programs where useful?I suggested at the discussion with the Ambassadors and Different University Officials that the exchanges are great start in fostering better relationship with the CARICOM member states and Canada.

As in any position, the question was posed of the challenges the program faced and the possible solutions. Everything and every program I believe has its obstacles especially with one time funding but its a time for everyone stake holders / students to be retroactive when faced with situation like delayed payments, delayed registration and the immigration fiasco with actually each Caribbean country represented had a big issue when entering Canada.

In my case it is a Tourism Program that I am doing my exchange school NSCC which is not a university but then the programs they have can reach more persons from the community with a greater need of training. I highlighted the impressiveness of it Culinary, Tourism, Ecotourism programs which have exceeded my expectations.

The round table had a highlight in which the Ambassador (High Commissioner of the Bahamas Mr. Mike Smith, who mentioned how program such like this Canada/ CARICOM Leadership Scholarship lead to great future partnership and pinpointed how it was years ago a student from the Bahamas came to Canada to do studies and its through some engineering pursuit Canadian company had the contract to come to Bahamas and lay the fiber optic cables that connect the islands of the Bahamas in technology. Mr Smith also added its is also Canada through relationships with Bahamas now benefiting from being awarded the Bahamas largest Capital project of recent which is a multimillion deal to reconstruct the Sir Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau Bahamas.

The trip to Ottawa was that of an exciting and educational one. The National Art Gallery of Canada was a walk to remember and the Canadian Parliament is a very nice place and I had a opportunity to sit and watch a interesting experience as parliament was in session live in the House of Commons.

I commend the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs for their vision and follow through with Canadian/ Caricom educational advances

My Secret Hideaway

You know what you do when you do it to me

I cant save you from your self, but I could offer you a new start.

But I cant take away your fears, but I could part the lips of your broken heart.

Do you want me to take you home and show you what my love can do?

Do you want to go to HEAVEN with my arms around you?

You take my breathe away if only you would stay

Its only You and I and that's the way we will stay

Take me there to your secret hideaway

I'm so IN LOVE with you, but I feel you know THE TRUTH!

Everytime you catch me staring I know that you see right through

You get so close to me that I can almost take away

I do want to go heaven with your arms around me

I want to take you home and show you what my love can do.

You take my breathe away if only you would stay.

It only you and I and that how it would stay

Take you there to my secret hideway

I'll take you there to my secret hideaway.

I want every part of you the good the bad the old

I do want to take you home and show you what my love can do.

It only you and I and thats the way we'll stay

Global Village Certification

Several weeks ago I participated in a workshop called The Service Excellence in the Global Village which focused on learning to provide great service across cultures. In the certification workshop many things were learnt so I can deal and manage customers, coworkers who are from a ethnically, culturally, and linguistically different from me. The Nova Scotia Tourism Human Resource Council awarded me with a certification in such an even equipping me further on the workforce.

Often I believe we sometime become insensitive to other person lifestyle, cultures, sexual preference. But in the real world the key to success is not being CLOSE minded to anyone because they are different from you. Because i learnt their is a day that will come when I might be different from someone else and i want the courtesy, respect, compassion, and olive branch extended to me.

The World is indeed a Global Village and this means that everything and everyone is at our doorsteps and we must learn to adapt to others. The Global Village Certification will help me while working in the Hotel Industry to deal with different cultures, manage different personalities on my team, and it will showed that I am equipped with the skills of knowing the difference.

Racism to the 10th Power

I was reading a blog from my dear friend Ms. S. Johnson and this picture cut through me like a knife. I had to copy and paste her blog have a look tell me what you think because I strongly agree with many of her points. As an ADULT it had me pause and think of the dispicable taste and humour in the New York Times the day after US President signed the Stimulus Bill. This is definately NOT FUNNY but its the biggest piece of CYNICAL BULLSHIT I've ever seen. And i think thier shoudl be a call to accountability from the media in the Bahamas and Internationally because they can get away with publish any foolishness. I found this beyond offfensive but again I let you decide. Mr Col Allan editor of the New York Times can defend but this is very apparent innuendo towards a very esteemed leader of the Free World.

Tell me what you think because word cant explain my emotions to such things in 2009

By: Ms. S Johnson, England

Nowwww...let's all be very honest. Come on now...COME ON NOW!See for those of you that don't know, President Obama signed a stimulus bill on Wednesday I believe it was. I'm not sure on the actual day but it was this week. The DAY AFTER, while they ran a picture of the president signing the bill and a story about it, on the very next page, The New York Post decided to run this cartoon. The editor, Mr. Col Allan says that this cartoon was in no way shape or form racist. Apparently he is standing by the cartoon and refuses to issue an apology saying that this cartoon was referring to the recent police shooting of a monkey that was attacking a woman. I say BULL SHIT!

This is the most outright racist thing I have ever seen. However...I digress. Now I want you all to remember that the president has been getting death threats left right and centre. I also want to recall that there has been a lot of supremacist groups making plans to have an all out black massacre since there is "a NIGGER in the white house now and they are all screwed". As a matter of fact they have already started with their vandalism and arson on black churches and then there was that oh so lovable, generous man who drove from Louisiana to Washington with a riffle claiming that he had "present" for the President. Now for those of you aware that I am NOT American, or do I reside or plan to reside in the United States, you may wonder why I bothered to write a note about this. Well, because he's a positive BLACK role model in a society where racist people have claimed the reason they hate all black people is because we are a lazy, ignorant, crime having, adulterous bunch who love to pull the race card to get a free ride without actually doing anything to deserve it. All Black women are moody, BIG and slutty and all black men are violent thugs, with no brain and now future, as far as these people are concerned.

Barack Obama is a family man, with a gorgeous strong and classy Black Woman on his side. Even if he is mixed, his wife certainly is NOT (take a long look at her hair). They both have high ranking degrees from prestigious schools and a background of hard work on their shoulders and two of the most beautiful children you'll ever see. This is a man who cares about his family and his girls unlike the rest of the black population, so white supremacist claim. SO THEN TELL ME WHY THEY WANT TO KILL THE ONE RESPECTFUL "NIGGER"?? BECAUSE THEY JUST PLAIN DON'T LIKE BLACK PEOPLE! Coming with all these excuses as to why they don't like black people...COME ON NOW! Lets be adults about this. Just say it. They are all a bunch of hate mongers with no morals or compassion and they just HATE ANYONE that's different (not white).

I've seen violent white people, I've seen deadbeat dad white people...I mean DOES ANYONE WATCH JERRY SPRINGER??? I've seen lousy, disrespectful, lazy, hateful white people. I've experience rude and mean and BOLD ASS white people...I still don't HATE ALL WHITE PEOPLE. So that excuse is just a lousy cover up for what they really want to say. WE HATE ALL BLACK PEOPLE JUST BECAUSE!I'm in a mood, so I'm no good at being neutral right now. Anyway...I'll let you all decide for yourselves.

If you wish to say something about this formally then head tohttp://www.colorofchange.org/nypost/?id=2031-577854 and let your voice be heard.

Disclaimer: Just to let you ALL know. I don't hate white people. I don't hate asian, australian, african, anyone! But I DESPISE ignorant ass jackasses like people who do things like this cartoon and YES I HATE WHITE SUPREMACISTS, because they are ignorance unified.

It's a Blizzard...AGAIN!

For the second time I have been caught in a blizzard while here in Nova Scotia. The first time was several Monday's back when I was the only student on campus. I went rushing to class thinking that I was a minute late. I pondered to myself I couldn't not be late for Wendi Dewey's class but when I reached, noone was there. Mr Semaney one of the other professor told me in his amazing Irish voice, "Son didn't you know" I replied, "didn't I know what? He said " Lad school is cancelled today we have a blizzard and yes we said last week under no circumstances does the college close" To my amusement and his he went to to add that its good to see Bahamians are on time come rain and shine. He also spoke about how I need to write about this storm experience to his great delightment. Which brings me to this point (lol) laugh out loud.

Today school was cancelled ironically after my Guest Services Test at 12 noon. Why not before i pondered. Just my luck! I wonder why didn't they cancelled class from the get go After school was cancelled for the rest of the day. I resolved in my my that I will just spend an hour in the Guest Services to complete my Fidelio lab. Well that hour turned into 2 hours and I end up once again the only student on the entire campus and the Blizzard outside was completely down. It like nothing I ever experience in my entire life walking from campus down the hill to the bus stop.

I guess you live, you live, you take all life sour experiences and make a sweet lemonade slush.

Social Spot The Pacifico

Last weekend was very fun. I had the opportunity to socialize in my busy schedule the Canadian way. Looking at local night life we have a long way to go in the Bahamas with night life and city night entertainment. The Pacifico is the name of the club that Ken and myself went to; it is supposedly an upscale club, but what impressed me about this club is the detail. It was 4 sections of club with separate decors and bars with model bartender.

This might seem crazy that i mention this but a key to a successful business is the power to have detail on decor and amenities added with the great hospitality and warmness of "Customer Service Representatives" also known as Lady Bartenders. Honestly the quality of a institutes in ambiance, services and technology make the difference. I think it was good experience even though it was techno music and "white people music it was apparent it was a culture shock for Ken as it was all they was playing.

I think all in all enjoyed my self. Even Kenwood after a while seemed enjoy it a bit more looked like he had more fun with me with my 2 older Canadian friends Kellie and Trish who i must say have been tremendous to me since coming here in making sure i have no need for anything socially. It's good to feel the love of positive people.

The Great Outdoors

This past Tuesday I was fortunate for my Outdoor:Guiding Nutrition Safety course to go on a hiking exhibit. We went to Suzie Lake this was one of the most tranquil and beautiful places I have ever went. At Suzie Lake as a class we went hiking to the destination. But being the Bahamian that I am with no pun intended was annoyed profusely of not reaching there soon the trail become tiresome as i was asking "are we there yet?" as the snow was deep and we had to trek a new trail our selves to destination. The fortunate part in all of this is that a teacher or instructor can make the most irritable situation FUN with his smile and personality I think its and psychological acquired skill he learnt being a tour instructor in his other profession.

What do I mean by this I mean that Fred the instructor for this class I'm doing always with his witty smile always makes it seems as fun small stuff, a breeze at walking to the destination through hills, small water crossing frozen ice, and mud drops.

Once reaching to the lake and the hiking ground i sat amazed at pearly white snow and a cliff an scenery unlike anything I have ever seen. At lake Suzi we were all divided into different groups with responsibility of different task ie: Fire, Tent Building, Kitchen services, "Poop Duty" which was different from anything i have ever seen. Their are serious and specific health and safety codes that which must be followed. Simply this mean that no one can take a "dunk and leak" any where it s marked and literal flagged areas of "relief" with strict SANITATION requirements.

Fortunate for me i was assigned tent building. I also learnt something really interesting a new term called "Geocaching" which is a global positioning system that identifies where you are in the wilderness or woods and then it spots out items lost and placed by other group previously and once u find the container you put an item in the container sign you name as last person their and leave it their for another hiking group. Brianna my class mate left a candy said the next hiking group might want to have a sugar rush. :) My day at lake Suzie had another high light as I sled off the cliff step cliff hundreds of feet it was absolutely amazing and I was hesitant at first but after everyone tried it I did it as well. I simply enjoyed this day expedition.

Didn't You Know

Didn't I know your fears?
Didn't I share your pain?
Didn't i wipe away yours tears?
Wasn't i shelter from your rain?
Wasn't I there for you wasn't i always true?
Didn't you know that i be with you all the way!


Didn't I know your fears?
Didn't I share your pain?
Didn't I wipe away yours tears?
Wasn't I shelter from your rain?
Wasn't I there for you wasn't i always true?
Didn't you know that i be with you all the way!

Didn't you know.......
I will walk with you, I will talk with you, I will hold you in my loving arms, Said i wont leave you, I'll never leave you, I never leave you all alone, Standing right now!!!!!

The song goes simply like that but it reminds me of human frailties and reflections of the soul and how in life their is someone made their to comfort another. With negativity, and people trying to bring you down, persons have you character figured out knowing that its not what you stand for, and the people who come into your life just assigned to make you feel low because everything you do they have a problem with (in their dealing with their numerous personalities in their head)

I believe that ever so often getting caught up in life's journey we must be reminded in ourselves the importance of knowing someone true nature with the best interest and seeing the true personality and character for what it is. Looking at the positive in all situations and people instead of lowering them.
Maturity and experience has taught me to reflect in the goodness within and ever so often remind my self of the "Didn't You Know?" situations.

The Snow

Now I must confess snow is one of the most beautiful things a person can ever see despite people often not liking it. The snow is pure white like something that has literally dropped from heaven. Often you would hear that the Bahamas is so pretty the crystal white sandy beaches are something unequalled to none. I have never been in snow but i must say in it all the snow as it falls down is absolutely amazing. I often ponder to my self, to value the little things. It is the little things that mean so much. One of my new philosophy is stop take a fresh air look around at the beauty of the natural God given scenic he gave to us. Here in Nova Scotia my classmates say that the snow is so ugly and boring but it cause me to pause and reflect my own because its the beaches and the sun we take for granted home.

The beautiful snow....the dreadful cold.

First Day on the Bus

Let call the voyage on the bus "Montebello" after the route.

I found my self in the most peculiar situation today. But lets go back to yesterday first.

Prior to that
Yesterday was my first day of classes I was overwhelmed by Canada and its people who are the epitome of Hospitality in North American. unlike its brothers to a Country right below in the same continent. Everyone i met so far was very welcoming.

I even had to ladies in my class who strongly volunteered to drop me home on my first day which i allowed. However being the good boy that i am :) a gentleman true gentleman never takes a lady home on the first night. Or maybe its the good Bahamian "broughtupsy" proudly taught me so that was just that a ride.


My first day taking public transportation.

Now i can not tell you the last time I have ever caught "a jitney" in the Bahamas but i have a feeling it going to be the beginning of a very interesting experience here in Dartmouth Nova Scotia. Talk about ice skiing just to walk from Akerley Campus down to the bus station was like a ski tournament i saw on the television. I'm talking about real live action skiing from a Bahamian who has never been on ice.

But that wasn't it on my departure of the "Montebello" to my homestead i practically skied down the hill for 10minutes to my home. I'm thinking if i keep this up i be a professional skier by April. I skied so fast down the hill to my homestead the man of steal didn't have anything on me that hilarious but needless to say it was my first day catching the bus.