Match One

Hi to anyone that reads this. I know I have not been very good at keeping up with this, but here is the latest journal entry I have for my school project. Don't mind the appendix references, obviously my blog isn't going to have an appendix. Enjoy.

Wednesday April 11

Today is really the day! For me this day has been 3 months working here, and over a year of waiting at home, in the making. For others (the Chairman of World Cup Barbados, Inc.) it has been a 10 year process to get to this point. The excitement is in the air when you step on site. The early start of 5:30 definitely dampens the energy a bit, but the truth is that every person involved in this process is noticeably excited for the first ball.

Cricket in Barbados is not just big business, it is life. Maybe not life and death as it is in Pakistan and India, but it is as important here as baseball, basketball, and football collectively are in the US. Almost every conversation leads back to cricket, even in church services. With a culture like that it only makes sense that the first official World Cup match, in such an important stadium as Kensington Oval, would generate excitement, even if the two teams are a struggling England and a small time (minnow) Bangladesh. It was fun and exciting for me to be a part of it, and was exactly why I chose to be a part of this process.

The day started off well with my co-supervisor Lisle organizing our volunteers. Breakfast came late, but our ladies handled it well, eating on the run with little complaints. We only had 5 out of 7 show up to work, but managed to place people in the positions that were most needed and made the most sense for their personalities.

When I originally was given this stand, Hall and Griffith (see Appendix for pictures), I was somewhat disappointed that it was the smallest stand. I felt as though I was being given the easiest task and that Kaye did not trust my abilities. As my workload increased leading up to the matches I began to enjoy the fact that my stand was so small and would be less of a hassle than the other multi-thousand seat stands. If I had only known then what I know now, that's all I can say.

I will list the issues and then discuss the resolution, or attempted resolution. Dirty seats (pigeons nest in the ceiling of the upper section in my stand, you can easily understand exactly how the seats are so "dirty") in the upper level of my stand; a ticket being issued for a seat that does not and has never existed in the decades old stand (built in the 1960s, refurbished somewhat for the World Cup); a leaking toilet, ceiling, pipe, that created puddles and minor floods on three of the four levels of the stand, including an approximate inch of water covering the floor of an entire suite by the end of the day, which flowed off of the suite balcony to the seating section below; a power outage putting a stairwell intended for suite-holders' use into complete darkness.

The resolution to the dirty seat problem has not been completed yet. The cleaners say they clean the seats, yet when I check, the seats are still obviously not clean. The cleaners blame the pigeons for making a new mess once they have finished cleaning, but I find it hard to believe that the pigeons are able to make the same mess in the same place twice, let alone three times.

The ticketing issue was resolved by an understanding fan that moved over a seat, allowing the man with the phantom seat to sit with his wife. The stand was not completely full today, so this was not an issue, but if the section became completely full this would have been an issue that I would have passed on to ticketing resolution, which is the proper procedure.

The flooding issue was addressed by continuously requesting maintenance and cleaning services until some action was taken. It was not until the end of the day that I was finally told that the problem was bigger than something that could be fixed during the match, and that the only resolution to the current problem was to have the cleaners continue to mop up the water. Fortunately no one complained too much about the water and the spectators were not upset. I raised the issue of response time and lack of information with the Chief Venue Development Officer after the managers' debriefing later in the night.

The power outage was a temporary problem that affected a majority of the stadium. It was fixed in roughly 15 to 30 minutes, but during that time I worked closely with the security personnel and the security supervisor, Rhonda, in particular, to create a safe solution to the problem. As best we could we diverted spectators from the stairwell, advising them that it was safer to use the other stairwell just opposite that one. For the spectators and service providers that still chose to use the stairwell we positioned a security guard with a flashlight to light the way. Once the power came on the issue was fully resolved. There was not a single injury due to darkness.

Every one of these resolved issues was resolved with the assistance of our Venue Communications Center, or VCC. The VCC has become an integral part of the process, as it allows service streams that are on different radio channels to communicate through the volunteers at the base stations. After today I have total confidence in the VCC and will rely on them to assist me in the coming matches.

The day ended early with Bangladesh being bowled out for only 143 runs (some teams have made 300+ runs, which obviously takes much longer; See Appendix for a brief introduction to cricket.), and England only needing to make 144 to win. The English took longer than expected to win, but eventually scored enough to win, with one of the final sixes being hit over the player's pavilion, onto the concourse (see Appendix for pictures).

In the past few days I can honestly say that the most useful course has been the HR course that I took with Dr. Pantera this past fall. The skills I learned in the class regarding problem resolution have been invaluable to me. I continue to use them daily, and with usually good results.

2 Weeks In Paradise

Well for some it’s paradise. As a tourist Barbados is the best place I have ever been. The weather is gorgeous, the people are friendly, and the beaches are amazing. If you are here for a week and have the money to spend you can do pretty much anything you can think of. From a leisurely sail to wild surfing, as a tourist you can do anything.

As a local it’s pretty much paradise too, except for the fact that you have to live with high prices for everything. (US$1.07 a liter for gas, ya there are about 4 liters in a gallon, crazy when the average builder makes US$37.50 a day.) Locals have the benefit of knowing all the good spots to go, and getting great prices on the cool stuff like sailing and so on. As with every island there is a local prices and a tourist price for almost everything except food and gas.

Now you might think since I am currently living here that I am a local. Well that is where you are wrong. There are three main classifications of people that I have decided are on the island. These classifications are not necessarily dependent on wealth, but more your address. On Barbados, it being paradise and metropolitan at the same time, there are tourists, locals, and what I am, a visitor/guest.

V/Gs are in a strange spot because they don’t want to be a tourist but will never really be a local, despite the reassurance that they are “becoming Bajans” A Bajan is a Bajan by birth, and you can never really become one. Bajan, if you couldn’t tell is what locals call themselves. Bajan isn’t just who you are, or how you talk, it’s a lifestyle. No matter how long you live here I don’t think that you could ever effectively live a true Bajan life.

So what that leaves me with is the V/Gs for my time here. Of course there is a downside to hanging out with temporary residents. These people are only here as long as work keeps them here, just like me. Of course that means that the three people that I have become friendly with already have their tickets out of here.

This rambling, as crazy as it is does have a point somewhere. I guess the main point is that while I love being a visitor I feel bad in a way that I will never really be a part of the culture. Maybe I’m all wrong and it will take time, like everything else here. Who knows, I mean I did already figure out the bus system, so I’m on my way I guess.

On a final note about this stuff, the other point that you may have missed is that Barbados is an amazing place to visit. There is plenty to see. I have come 5 times, this being my 6^th, and I’m still seeing new things, and finding new things. It’s a great place and if you ever get a chance I highly recommend it. Now truthfully a good portion of you that are reading this have probably been, or are in the process of getting a ticket to come here. This note wasn’t for you. It’s for anyone that has not put Barbados on their places to go list.

For anyone that I haven’t talked to at all I will tell you that I’m doing great here. I am loving it, despite my earlier ramblings. There are some things that are not as I would have hoped, but these things happen…it’s Barbados.

Lessons in Bajan Culture

As requested by Nick I will occasionally add new insights into the Bajan culture (well at least the ones that I know.)

- Never pass a person without saying hi (or “ya…alright” or “alright alright” or “good evening” (that’s a big one) )

Note: This only applies when you are anywhere outside of Bridgetown (or “Town” as everyone knows it. If you’re in Town and you say hi people will think you are crazy.

- Be friendly as much as possible and share with others. Even if you do not have much giving something is better than nothing. The strong culture of giving is something that is a key piece of Bajan life.

- If you are going to cook something, make sure you cook a ton of food. Apparently everyone eats huge portions here. Everywhere I go they give the biggest portions, but it’s all good healthy food, not like biggie sizing or anything.

1st Pics from Barbados

Early morning Boston - see you in 4 months



Some nice clouds that greeted me to Barbados


Kensington Oval-The place I'll be working


Welcome to Barbados!


Here's the house. My Apt. is in the basement, just walk to the right of the house.


Here's a pic of the kitchen and eating part of my apt. I'll have the other parts later.

Trip- Part II

Ok so here is part II of my running diary of my trip. It's outdated..about a week and a half now, but hey it needs to be posted.

9:23AM NYC [JFK]

So as Iook around the gate area for my flight I notice that it's filled with college kids. More swimmers apparently. Weird to think that i will be flying down on spring break air today.

Well I'm still going business class and that's just exciting. No I don't think I'm better than anyone, just more comfortable than the swimmers.

9:30AM NYC [JFK]

Boarding time.

12:15 PM <Barbados time>Flying

I'm eating warm nuts [almonds and cashews] and drinking ice water out of a real glass. I'm also miles away from the guy sitting next to me. now that I know what it's like up here can I ever go back?

Ya, probably. As nice as this all is I have a real sense that I don't belong. And you know what I said about not being bett just more comfortable....I think I'm alone on that thought up here. Oh well, it's still nice, and man is the food good.

One thing I can say for sure though is that it's much quieter up front, a nice feature for a guy that hates constant sounds [fans, air conditioning, etc.]

I'm also spending my time exploring my new camera to figure out all the options. I'm intent on getting some great pictures on this trip. Barbados is a beautiful island, so I'm boud to see something amazing.

2:15 PM <Barbados time>Flying

After a short nap I woke up and realized that I'm about an hour and a half away from Barbados. I'm almost there and I honestly can't wait....all my nervousness is gone and I'm just looking forward to getting off this plane.

3:35 PM <Barbados time>Flying

• Invinceable, not a bad movie.
• The clouds over the Carribbean are amazing.

3:40 PM <Barbados time>Flying

3 miles away...kinda unbelieveable really.

3:57 Barbados

Landed

4:25 Barbados

Through immigration

Barbados 1st post

Ok so here's the situation. There was a little miscommunication regarding my internet access at my new home for the next 4 months. For now I have none at my place and all I can do is write from work. Of course that means writing when I have time which is at the end of the day when I'm dead. So for now there is not much I'm going to write about. But I will say my 5 days on the island have been filled with adventures. From landscaping with my "landlord", to playing cricket with 5 and 6 yr olds, to going sailing with a boat of people from all over the world that were at least a decade older than me, to getting a guided tour of one of the most famous cricket grounds in the world, I would say that I have had a great 5 days.

Work consists of meetings, meetings, and more meetings, but that is the life of event managers. I will have pictures and better posts coming, but for now this is all I can do. Hope you enjoy it, the little that it is.

Trip- Part I

5:45AM Boston

Well I'm at the gate and nothing too exciting going on except for the Holy Cross swim team hanging out . There on their way to Barbados too, which is cool, but weird if you ask me. * SIDENOTE: One girl appears to be from saaandwich.*

Oh and for the record I'm writing this on my handheld thing. You know, it's not as cool as I had hoped. Anyway here I am.

New rule: anything I write has to go in "The Book", no editing.

5:55 AM Boston

Boarding time.

6:05AM Boston

Seat 1A...It might sound stupid but this is strangely close to the front. Hey, I guess someone's gotta sit here right? I hope you enjoy the views from my seat.

6:10AM Boston

The plane's leaking fuel so we get off and go to another gate...well it's getting interesting at least. Oh and sorry, no pics of the first seat.

6:25AM Boston

Ah, the wonderful feeling of cold leather on a chilled plane. Plane 2 isn't warmed up yet, but at least it holds it's fuel.

7:00 AM Flying

Just passed the Cape and The Islands. There is a beautiful sunrise that cannot be done justice, even by my nice new camera *thanks ginger* The plane window just ruins the lighting.

As I'm flying over miles of coastline I'm thinking about how much i love the ocean and have alwats wanted to live on the coast. I guess the next 4 months is my chance. I'm excited to get there and just see what life there is really like.

Next stop is NYC [JFK] and my quest to find internet...if i have enough time that is.

8:00 AM NYC [JFK]

I don't know if everyone will agree but landing at JFK and going over Long Island to do it is just cool.

My thoughts on JFK are that it's a nice airport and at the moment is not too crowded. Plus the omelets at this restaurant in the terminal are great.

Next stop is an attempt to get this up before I take off for Barbados. Let's see how that goes.

8:56 AM NYC [JFK]

Ok so finally I found internet (for a fee but it’s worth it.) After asking a guy about the internet here and finding you can get on for a fee I went to find a power supply. Well you know how on a trip you always forget something. Ya, I forgot part of my power cord. This computer is the only link I have to home for the next four months and I was faced with the possibility of not having it. Understandably I freaked out, looking in every pocket of both bags I have with me. Nothing. And the worst part is I know exactly where the cord is….sitting nicely on my bed at home. Well lucky for me there was a computer store in this terminal and they had a replacement for the part I needed, all is well in the world of Merm at the moment. Good food and helpful in a pinch, I’m telling you terminal 9 at JFK is a great place for me, other than the mysterious problem with my cell phone, but everything can’t be perfect can it.

Ok well I’m getting outta here. Enjoy till later tonight.

Back again, honestly.

Ok so here I go again with another attempt to start this thing. Unfortunately for my investors the Book of Merm has not had the same level of input as Covering the Spread, and thus has not enjoyed the same amount of readership. But that is about to change. Mark my word (and as it is already written in the Book of Merm we all know it's Merm Law), this blog will be something interesting.

Up until this point I really haven't had a lot that I could write about. Any of you that know my life know that the things that have happened in the past year (the good and the bad) are not really things that are blogable. They all involved people that really didn't need to read about things like that. But I will say the one thing I did miss out on including is a bit about my new lady friend. We aren't so much new together as we are in a different stage of being together (everyone that knows me should understand and if you don't, oh well, can't win em all). She's an amazing girlfriend, and not to rub this in anyone's face or anything like that, I don't think I could be happier than I am right now.

Moving on to the second biggest deal in my life, Barbados. So if you are reading this and just happened to find it randomly you would have no clue what Barbados means to me. But, if you have even spent a second talking to me in the past semester (that includes the lady that cleans my dorm) you'd know what it means. Well, for those that have no idea I'll tell you. Barbados is where I will be spending my remaining 4 months of college. The 75-85 degree weather; the sunshine; the beaches and the warm tropical water that comes with them; the slow pace of life and (hopefully) the nicest people in the world; the Cricket World Cup and 30,000 people a game (11 games = 330,000+ people); one of the best experiances in my life (again hopefully).

I see this whole thing playing out like a really boring reality show. In my occasional fit of dillusion I scare my self with thoughts of all the bad things that could happen, but honestly will it? probably not. So, like I said, it will be a boring reality show in which I'm the "star" and my life, while filled with fun and cool things, won't have too much drama. On an island the size of Southern NH what could go wrong? So I guess a list of the characters that I currently have in play in this show would be good. That way, should anyone really care to read this thing, you will have an idea of who's who.

Jon's Boring TV Show (I'm taking suggestions for better titles-feel free to make suggestions)
Characters -in the order I think of as I'm writing this thing out:

Me: Well you guys know me. I'll be the intern thrown into a different culture and pace of life that needs to adapt ASAP, but not too fast, cause then they'll think I'm too American or something, who knows.

Kerrigan: The guy that has helped me with everything so far. He takes awhile to get things done sometimes, but he is so busy I'm just happy he found any time at all to set this all up. Thanks to him I have a place to stay, a job, and a chance to meet the right people for the future.

Mark Hill and family: The people I am staying with. I called Mark once, and emailed a few times. He seems like a nice guy and I'm sure his family is great(6 kids and a wife, that is a lot of people!). I think he works in the office that I will be working in, but I'm not 100% on that. His house is roughly 3-10 miles from work, a few beaches, and the cricket oval (thats what they call cricket stadiums). Being so close to everything will be cool, as long as I can figure out just how to get around.

The Earthworks Guy: A guy that owns a pottery place and has a connection to my parents. I've talked with him a few times over the summer and he sounds like a nice guy and hopefully someone that can help show me around.

Ocean Echo Stables Couple: Ok so at this moment I forget both of their names, but I think his was Bernard. I met them when Amber and I were down there last year. They own a horseback riding place on the East Coast and give riding tours through the most amazing places I have ever seen. They were a down to earth couple with a few kids and were just really nice people. I plan on getting in touch with them when I'm down there and maybe if I'm lucky I'll get to see the horses again.

The LOC: This is the collective of people that make up the Local Organising Committiee in Barbados. These are the people I will be working with and spending a majority of my time with. Once I get to know them I will probably include more characters, but for now this is where they'll be.

The other interns: What other interns? Let's see how that goes.

OK, that's my list....for now. I'll have more to say as I get closer, but for now I think this is good. 21 days left and it still seems unreal. I won't fully feel it till I'm on that plane leaving Logan. For now I'm going to try and make the most of my short time here, see as many people as I can and have as much fun as I can. Then it's off to B'Dos and an experiance of a lifetime.


I'll get less serious some day.

Names

Mexirick: u know he's important b/c his first name is just a letter

No truer statement has been said today. One letter first names just ooze confidence and importance. Good call.