I got back from London last week and although it seems like it has been a long week alot has happened. Firstly, with regards to my time in London, I would definitely recommend going to see The Lion King. The choreography and costumes were just fantastic and although I didn't sing along(honestly) I still managed to remember all the song lyrics 'Hakuna Matata, what a wondeful phrase....'
On Thursday I was lucky enough to be invited to attend a Strictly come dancing Salsa master class with Darren and Lilia from the show. I have never done anything like this so was rather apprehensive but hey, it was all in the name of charity, and actually turned out to be really good fun!
On Thursday evening and Friday I attended a higher education event for local sixth formers. I was a representative on the Manx Graduates stand. I spent alot of time talking to students and explaining the benefits of the Manx Graduates portal. I found it quite strange to be back in the same hall I was in as an eager 6th former laden with University prospectuses almost 5 years ago. Where does the time go!?!? It is definitely worth taking the time to register on the Manx Graduates site and I hope that Manx students returning to the island as well as local employers continue to benefit from the facility.
PDMS is sponsoring the Social media Club's 'Super Third Thursday' tomorrow with a lunchtime seminar event at the Hilton - 'Enabling Internal Communities' . I'm looking forward to seeing some old and new faces and this is my first experience of the Island's SMC!
Wednesday, 23 June 2010
Thursday, 10 June 2010
London's Calling!
Im flying off to London tomorrow afternoon and I can't wait!
Although I am only spending the weekend there (wish it was much longer) I am so looking forward to seeing some close friends.
I have tickets to see the Lion King Musical on Sunday afternoon at the Lyceum Theatre. I loved the film as a child so I can't wait!!
Hakuna Matata, K x
Although I am only spending the weekend there (wish it was much longer) I am so looking forward to seeing some close friends.
I have tickets to see the Lion King Musical on Sunday afternoon at the Lyceum Theatre. I loved the film as a child so I can't wait!!
Hakuna Matata, K x
My Experience as a Graduate of the Class of 2009
In January of my final year at university, I was somewhat surprised when a career adviser assured me I should send out no less than fifty job applications. However, with my final exams and my dissertation looming, finding the time to fill out the lengthy job application templates became ever more challenging. Although the option to continue my studies by enrolling on a Postgraduate programme was appealing, I felt enthusiastic about getting into the workplace and starting out on the career ladder. In two words though, there was one slight problem: The Recession.
The career advice turned out to be somewhat optimistic. I was leaving the protective academic environment of University for work in a period when graduate recruitment had been cut significantly and competition for roles was fierce.
Though this might be better viewed as a ‘challenge’ rather than a ‘problem’, it was definitely an additional hurdle to overcome that few of us had expected when we started studying. It appeared that life after study was going to be far from the ‘Land of Milk and Honey’ that I had been expecting.
Towards the end of September I returned to my family home on the Island and immediately registered with a number of the local recruitment agencies. At this stage there seemed to be a number of temporary positions available in the finance sector but very limited graduate level opportunities. I quickly realised that it was better for me to be ‘temping’ and out in the workforce rather than sitting at home becoming somewhat disillusioned. I took up temporary work in the local banking sector on the premise that I would keep applying for jobs relevant to my interests and qualifications. Although there were days of frustration, on reflection I am glad that I spent the time working in an industry about which I had no previous experience. I was fortunate to work in different departments within the company which meant that I learnt much more about the sector than I had originally anticipated, and this general insight may prove to be a useful foundation on which to begin an MBA programme.
As part of my initial flurry of applications during my time at University I was already registered on the Manx Graduates (www. manxgraduates.im) website. When I heard the software company PDMS were recruiting for a marketing graduate, I registered my interest via the Manx Graduates job portal and was then asked to submit a discussion paper on the subject of ‘B2B Marketing and Social Media’, to complete the first round.
Thankfully, I made it to the second round. For this, I was invited for an Interview at PDMS’s new headquarters in the Isle of Man Business Park. This involved an in depth interview with the Managers responsible for HR and Marketing, on topics ranging from my previous work experience, my degree and my goals for the next couple of years. I was fortunate that nerves were far less of an issue having dealt with interviews in a number of recruitment agencies and for various employment roles.
The final stage saw me present on the title ‘Why I want to progress a career in Marketing and What I can bring to PDMS?’ to a group of senior managers including two of PDMS’s directors. During this presentation I outlined how both my natural and university developed skills compliment a role in marketing. Combining study for an MBA with work, I would be afforded the opportunity to apply the general business education while I learn it. Skills such as time management and scheduling will also be important factors.
After a couple of weeks of waiting I was given the news that I had been successful in the final stage of interviews and that I was being offered the job. I was delighted. I accepted the offer and enthusiastically looked forward to my first permanent job as a graduate.
The UK Graduate Careers Survey 2009 revealed that the emphasis for graduate job-hunters in 2009 was on job security and securing one of a dwindling number of places on a company graduate development scheme. With this in mind, I was very fortunate that the development of the Island’s Graduate MBA Scheme has given me the perfect opportunity to work for a leading software development company (PDMS), whilst also providing the training to further enhance the skills I gained during my Undergraduate studies.
A couple of months on and I am now settled in my new role as Marketing Executive at PDMS. I am extremely fortunate to be working in such an innovative and forward thinking company with a fantastic team of colleagues.
I will commence my MBA studies at the Business School in September. As well as the academic challenge of the course, I believe I will benefit from relationships forged with my fellow graduates, gaining a valuable insight into management challenges in other sectors of business.
With the MBA, the Department of Economic Development will be meeting the full costs of tuition, exam fees and the additional costs of the mentoring process. This is a superb opportunity and I would encourage my fellow Manx students who have graduated within the last 3 years to find out more about the MBA Graduate Scheme.
I was already extremely privileged to graduate from University with no student debt unlike many of my peers in the UK and that was only possible due to the generous support that the Isle of Man Government provides to the island’s students. This new scheme offers great potential for further skilling the islands population and drawing back Manx Graduates.
The career advice turned out to be somewhat optimistic. I was leaving the protective academic environment of University for work in a period when graduate recruitment had been cut significantly and competition for roles was fierce.
Though this might be better viewed as a ‘challenge’ rather than a ‘problem’, it was definitely an additional hurdle to overcome that few of us had expected when we started studying. It appeared that life after study was going to be far from the ‘Land of Milk and Honey’ that I had been expecting.
Towards the end of September I returned to my family home on the Island and immediately registered with a number of the local recruitment agencies. At this stage there seemed to be a number of temporary positions available in the finance sector but very limited graduate level opportunities. I quickly realised that it was better for me to be ‘temping’ and out in the workforce rather than sitting at home becoming somewhat disillusioned. I took up temporary work in the local banking sector on the premise that I would keep applying for jobs relevant to my interests and qualifications. Although there were days of frustration, on reflection I am glad that I spent the time working in an industry about which I had no previous experience. I was fortunate to work in different departments within the company which meant that I learnt much more about the sector than I had originally anticipated, and this general insight may prove to be a useful foundation on which to begin an MBA programme.
As part of my initial flurry of applications during my time at University I was already registered on the Manx Graduates (www. manxgraduates.im) website. When I heard the software company PDMS were recruiting for a marketing graduate, I registered my interest via the Manx Graduates job portal and was then asked to submit a discussion paper on the subject of ‘B2B Marketing and Social Media’, to complete the first round.
Thankfully, I made it to the second round. For this, I was invited for an Interview at PDMS’s new headquarters in the Isle of Man Business Park. This involved an in depth interview with the Managers responsible for HR and Marketing, on topics ranging from my previous work experience, my degree and my goals for the next couple of years. I was fortunate that nerves were far less of an issue having dealt with interviews in a number of recruitment agencies and for various employment roles.
The final stage saw me present on the title ‘Why I want to progress a career in Marketing and What I can bring to PDMS?’ to a group of senior managers including two of PDMS’s directors. During this presentation I outlined how both my natural and university developed skills compliment a role in marketing. Combining study for an MBA with work, I would be afforded the opportunity to apply the general business education while I learn it. Skills such as time management and scheduling will also be important factors.
After a couple of weeks of waiting I was given the news that I had been successful in the final stage of interviews and that I was being offered the job. I was delighted. I accepted the offer and enthusiastically looked forward to my first permanent job as a graduate.
The UK Graduate Careers Survey 2009 revealed that the emphasis for graduate job-hunters in 2009 was on job security and securing one of a dwindling number of places on a company graduate development scheme. With this in mind, I was very fortunate that the development of the Island’s Graduate MBA Scheme has given me the perfect opportunity to work for a leading software development company (PDMS), whilst also providing the training to further enhance the skills I gained during my Undergraduate studies.
A couple of months on and I am now settled in my new role as Marketing Executive at PDMS. I am extremely fortunate to be working in such an innovative and forward thinking company with a fantastic team of colleagues.
I will commence my MBA studies at the Business School in September. As well as the academic challenge of the course, I believe I will benefit from relationships forged with my fellow graduates, gaining a valuable insight into management challenges in other sectors of business.
With the MBA, the Department of Economic Development will be meeting the full costs of tuition, exam fees and the additional costs of the mentoring process. This is a superb opportunity and I would encourage my fellow Manx students who have graduated within the last 3 years to find out more about the MBA Graduate Scheme.
I was already extremely privileged to graduate from University with no student debt unlike many of my peers in the UK and that was only possible due to the generous support that the Isle of Man Government provides to the island’s students. This new scheme offers great potential for further skilling the islands population and drawing back Manx Graduates.
Monday, 22 March 2010
Something Different in the Isle of Man
This weekend for the first time since I care to remember I completely bypassed The Courthouse et al. I had been reminded of some outdoor 'activities' I was keen to try out..Enter Go Karting at Jurby and Pony Trekking in Little London. I had the perfect person in mind to join me, a classic 'There is absolutely nothing to do on this island' victim.
Thankfully it was a lovely day and the sun was shining, we drove up to Jurby to the karting track http://www.duketrackdays.com/Karts.aspx There was no one else there so I was spared some embarrassment as I suited up in full black waterproof overalls and helmet..If I recall I was lapped 3 times but despite this it was good fun and definitely a different way to enjoy being outdoors. I have cousins visiting over Easter weekend and have already planned to revisit Jurby as I think it will be more exciting with more than 2 of us racing.
On the return to Douglas we looked out for Milntown House an estate created in the early 16th century with the hope of stopping off for a coffee or afternoon tea. Unfortunately due to rather hazy directions we couldn't manage to find it.
That evening I sampled some produce from Paddy's Market in Port St Mary - worth a visit if your in the area!!
Sunday afternoon came around and it was time for outdoor activity number 2. Pony trekking in Little London http://homepages.manx.net/ballahimmin/
There was a group of about 7 of us who set out on the trek, the scenery was beautiful and it was so nice to be out in the fresh air doing something different. Definitely would recommend the experience, just be prepared for some sore muscles in the morning!!
Thursday, 18 February 2010
NETCETERA RENEWS MICROSOFT GOLD PARTNER STATUS
Microsoft Gold Partner designation recognises Netcetera's Managed Web Hosting expertise Isle of Man, THE BRITISH ISLES, 28 January 2010
Netcetera (www.netcetera.co.uk), one of Europe’s leading managed hosting and datacentre providers, today announced the renewal of their Gold Partner status with Microsoft in line with the companies Corporation's Partner Network. The Microsoft Partner Network, formerly the Microsoft Partner Program, is a community born from the continued commitment to serve the needs of partners and to help them and their customers reach their maximum potential.
The Gold Partner designation recognises Netcetera's expertise and total impact in the Microsoft technology marketplace showcasing competencies in Hosting Solutions and Networking Infrastructure Solutions whilst reflecting Netcetera’s breadth and depth of experience, outstanding customer satisfaction and a commitment to the highest standards.
"The renewal of our Microsoft Gold Partner status will continue to provide Netcetera the opportunity to provide enhanced services to our clients," said Tim Cass, Netcetera's CTO. "In addition, it enables us to access exclusive resources to help increase our customer's revenues and provide new market opportunities and solutions to grow and develop their business".
Netcetera has again been conferred with Microsoft Competencies in Networking Infrastructure Solutions and Hosting Solutions and recognised as a Small Business Specialist. Microsoft Competencies certify an in-depth technical and business knowledge and expertise in specific domains and defined areas of specialization. This provides Netcetera with a platform to showcase their unique skills on offer to potential partners or customers and in turn align their business with Microsoft's latest software and technology initiatives.
The Microsoft Partner Program was launched in October 2003 and represents Microsoft’s ongoing commitment to the success of partners worldwide. The program offers a single, integrated partnering framework that recognizes partner expertise, rewards the total impact that partners have in the technology marketplace, and delivers more value to help partners’ businesses be successful. 2010 saw the continuation of the changes introduced the previous year to the renewal process of Gold partner status which brought about significant changes which involved both Netcetera’s partners and customers. Engagement in the renewal process included providing customer references as well as customers being required to complete an in depth questionnaire – The Customer satisfaction survey (CSAT). The survey is a fast and effective survey solution which Microsoft have provided and its completion is a necessity for re-enrollment at Gold Certified level. Partners must receive 10 or more survey responses in a quarterly survey period. The benefits of CSAT are compiled analytics which designate a numerical score for various aspects of solution delivery. This creates an opportunity for ongoing conversations with customers and can help understand their business needs and provide an opportunity to exceed their expectations.
"We are extremely pleased to have maintained the trust of both our legacy accounts and look forward to earning it from our new ones. The Gold Partner designation has allowed us to clearly promote our expertise and relationship not only with Microsoft, but our customers and partners as well." said Peter Skelton, CEO of Netcetera. "The benefits provided through this partnership will allow us to continue to enhance and grow the hosting services that we provide for partners and Netcetera customers."
About Netcetera:
Netcetera was established in 1996 and is the largest web hosting company on the Isle of Man in addition to being one of Europe’s leading managed hosting and datacentre providers. Providing co-location, dedicated servers and managed hosting infrastructure, Netcetera provide services to businesses in over 60 countries worldwide.
Netcetera’s 16,000 square foot ISO27001 certified facility located in the Isle of Man, allows the company to offer any business enterprise level co-location and hosted solutions. Netcetera can provide companies with the IT requirements they need from single server co-location and disaster recovery to fully customised and dedicated servers. Netcetera offers relief to companies and allows them to maintain a focus on their core business instead of managing servers, networks and firewalls often at significant cost savings. As a web host Netcetera offers a steadfast, cost effective service delivered through leading technology channels with superior quality bandwidth and expert personnel. All processes are well defined to ISO9001 standards. For further information please visit www.netcetera.co.uk
Contact Information
Netcetera
Press Office
UK: 0871 3096 461
press@netcetera.co.ik
Netcetera (www.netcetera.co.uk), one of Europe’s leading managed hosting and datacentre providers, today announced the renewal of their Gold Partner status with Microsoft in line with the companies Corporation's Partner Network. The Microsoft Partner Network, formerly the Microsoft Partner Program, is a community born from the continued commitment to serve the needs of partners and to help them and their customers reach their maximum potential.
The Gold Partner designation recognises Netcetera's expertise and total impact in the Microsoft technology marketplace showcasing competencies in Hosting Solutions and Networking Infrastructure Solutions whilst reflecting Netcetera’s breadth and depth of experience, outstanding customer satisfaction and a commitment to the highest standards.
"The renewal of our Microsoft Gold Partner status will continue to provide Netcetera the opportunity to provide enhanced services to our clients," said Tim Cass, Netcetera's CTO. "In addition, it enables us to access exclusive resources to help increase our customer's revenues and provide new market opportunities and solutions to grow and develop their business".
Netcetera has again been conferred with Microsoft Competencies in Networking Infrastructure Solutions and Hosting Solutions and recognised as a Small Business Specialist. Microsoft Competencies certify an in-depth technical and business knowledge and expertise in specific domains and defined areas of specialization. This provides Netcetera with a platform to showcase their unique skills on offer to potential partners or customers and in turn align their business with Microsoft's latest software and technology initiatives.
The Microsoft Partner Program was launched in October 2003 and represents Microsoft’s ongoing commitment to the success of partners worldwide. The program offers a single, integrated partnering framework that recognizes partner expertise, rewards the total impact that partners have in the technology marketplace, and delivers more value to help partners’ businesses be successful. 2010 saw the continuation of the changes introduced the previous year to the renewal process of Gold partner status which brought about significant changes which involved both Netcetera’s partners and customers. Engagement in the renewal process included providing customer references as well as customers being required to complete an in depth questionnaire – The Customer satisfaction survey (CSAT). The survey is a fast and effective survey solution which Microsoft have provided and its completion is a necessity for re-enrollment at Gold Certified level. Partners must receive 10 or more survey responses in a quarterly survey period. The benefits of CSAT are compiled analytics which designate a numerical score for various aspects of solution delivery. This creates an opportunity for ongoing conversations with customers and can help understand their business needs and provide an opportunity to exceed their expectations.
"We are extremely pleased to have maintained the trust of both our legacy accounts and look forward to earning it from our new ones. The Gold Partner designation has allowed us to clearly promote our expertise and relationship not only with Microsoft, but our customers and partners as well." said Peter Skelton, CEO of Netcetera. "The benefits provided through this partnership will allow us to continue to enhance and grow the hosting services that we provide for partners and Netcetera customers."
About Netcetera:
Netcetera was established in 1996 and is the largest web hosting company on the Isle of Man in addition to being one of Europe’s leading managed hosting and datacentre providers. Providing co-location, dedicated servers and managed hosting infrastructure, Netcetera provide services to businesses in over 60 countries worldwide.
Netcetera’s 16,000 square foot ISO27001 certified facility located in the Isle of Man, allows the company to offer any business enterprise level co-location and hosted solutions. Netcetera can provide companies with the IT requirements they need from single server co-location and disaster recovery to fully customised and dedicated servers. Netcetera offers relief to companies and allows them to maintain a focus on their core business instead of managing servers, networks and firewalls often at significant cost savings. As a web host Netcetera offers a steadfast, cost effective service delivered through leading technology channels with superior quality bandwidth and expert personnel. All processes are well defined to ISO9001 standards. For further information please visit www.netcetera.co.uk
Contact Information
Netcetera
Press Office
UK: 0871 3096 461
press@netcetera.co.ik
Thursday, 28 January 2010
When should You consider upgrading to a Dedicated Server?
A slow web site will be having a negative effect on your business. With the increase of download speeds on home computers users will not want to wait to load your site – they will simply look elsewhere. The average user will leave your site after waiting 8-10 seconds for a page to load – and most of them will never return.
Therefore, in order to enhance your business opportunities it is crucial that you have a fast, high performance website. The most effective way of ensuring you have a high speed website is by switching from a shared to a dedicated server. The primary reason for this is that if your site is hosted by a shared server you are in effect operating as a member of a group. If for any reason another client on your server has an increase in web traffic or increases the size of their web site there is a pretty good chance that your speed and performance will be affected.
By choosing the option of having your own fast dedicated server you are given exclusive access to all of the resources on the server allowing you to customize your plan. You are not required to share the space, memory or bandwidth for your site which enables optimization ultimately increasing your processor speed.
In terms of scalability, fast dedicated servers offer greater options. If your website is experiencing an increase in visitor numbers and as a result is becoming slower than desired you can simply add more RAM if required, or even add a load balancer to your server to split the load across two dedicated servers, or more.
Another benefit of a dedicated server is the availability of your own unique IP address. Added to these benefits is the fact that a dedicated server offers heightened security as no one else will be able to access the server other than you, this makes the risk of viruses extremely minimal.
If you have a high amount of traffic hitting your web site, are involved in SEO (Search Engine Optimization) projects, or simply want the best possible support service for your web site, a switch to a dedicated server is the fastest move you should be making.
Need to improve the speed of your web site?
Contact one of our Hosting Specialists to see how you could benefit from Netcetera’s superior network reliability and service.
www.netcetera.co.uk
Therefore, in order to enhance your business opportunities it is crucial that you have a fast, high performance website. The most effective way of ensuring you have a high speed website is by switching from a shared to a dedicated server. The primary reason for this is that if your site is hosted by a shared server you are in effect operating as a member of a group. If for any reason another client on your server has an increase in web traffic or increases the size of their web site there is a pretty good chance that your speed and performance will be affected.
By choosing the option of having your own fast dedicated server you are given exclusive access to all of the resources on the server allowing you to customize your plan. You are not required to share the space, memory or bandwidth for your site which enables optimization ultimately increasing your processor speed.
In terms of scalability, fast dedicated servers offer greater options. If your website is experiencing an increase in visitor numbers and as a result is becoming slower than desired you can simply add more RAM if required, or even add a load balancer to your server to split the load across two dedicated servers, or more.
Another benefit of a dedicated server is the availability of your own unique IP address. Added to these benefits is the fact that a dedicated server offers heightened security as no one else will be able to access the server other than you, this makes the risk of viruses extremely minimal.
If you have a high amount of traffic hitting your web site, are involved in SEO (Search Engine Optimization) projects, or simply want the best possible support service for your web site, a switch to a dedicated server is the fastest move you should be making.
Need to improve the speed of your web site?
Contact one of our Hosting Specialists to see how you could benefit from Netcetera’s superior network reliability and service.
www.netcetera.co.uk
Thursday, 21 January 2010
The use of Social Media in B2B Marketing - Discuss
Today’s global economy is genuinely borderless. Information, capital and innovation flow all over the world at top speed, enabled by technology and fuelled by the consumer’s desire for access to the best and least expensive products. The latest addition to the world of marketing is the increased use of the world wide web and the uptake of social media platforms to broaden marketing strategies.
When one business is marketing to another social media can be used to increase a company’s reach and new visibility, impove brand recognition and enhance the service which the company can provide their customers through a ‘new’ idea of market research which can be gained through a new medium of interaction and engagement with their existing and potential customers.
It is important for B2B companies to be involved in social media primarily through channels where their current client base are located. Although the world we are living in is rapidly changing the online world of social media can at first be a daunting place for someone who is considered to be a traditional marketer and is not familiar with the entire range of options available to them. Therefore it is reccommended that B2B companies initially increase their marketing from an area integrated with social media which they already are familiar with.
By developing their use of social media in this way it will help to ensure that the basics are covered first allowing them to maximise the value and benefits which social media offers through professional and clear cut processes which is vital for the successful integration of social media.
The development of a clear cut strategy focussing on the content will enable the successful execution of a companies entry into the field of social media. The increase of web traffic to a companies website will in turn bring the opportunity to exploit the potential of new business leads in a relatively cheap manner.
It is important to remember that social media can be extremely time consuming and for this reason may not be the best option for very small businesses. The pro’s and con’s need to be evaluated to decide if it will be worth the investment in time for each individual company. The benefits of social media for B2B marketing differ somewhat from those of B2C marketing. The principle reason for this is the market size of which they target with B2B markets generally being on a much smaller scale to B2C markets, this means that due to the likelihood of repeat sales the value of a B2B individual customer is much higher than that of an individual B2C customer. Another point to remember is that due to the nature of B2B marketing all sales should be nurtured and maintained to the highest level.
It should not be forgotten that all marketers themselves are consumers and therefore can use their own channels of social media, whichever they choose to be involved in be it Facebook, Twitter, You Tube or other forums to give positive and negative reports on products which they consume and this in turn is fed back to their contacts and spreads through ‘word of mouth’ which is widely believed to be one of the best forms of marketing and advertising.
I believe that if any company uses social media within its marketing strategy the main ingredients for a successful recipe are : Prove the principle and set achievable goals and targets.
When one business is marketing to another social media can be used to increase a company’s reach and new visibility, impove brand recognition and enhance the service which the company can provide their customers through a ‘new’ idea of market research which can be gained through a new medium of interaction and engagement with their existing and potential customers.
It is important for B2B companies to be involved in social media primarily through channels where their current client base are located. Although the world we are living in is rapidly changing the online world of social media can at first be a daunting place for someone who is considered to be a traditional marketer and is not familiar with the entire range of options available to them. Therefore it is reccommended that B2B companies initially increase their marketing from an area integrated with social media which they already are familiar with.
By developing their use of social media in this way it will help to ensure that the basics are covered first allowing them to maximise the value and benefits which social media offers through professional and clear cut processes which is vital for the successful integration of social media.
The development of a clear cut strategy focussing on the content will enable the successful execution of a companies entry into the field of social media. The increase of web traffic to a companies website will in turn bring the opportunity to exploit the potential of new business leads in a relatively cheap manner.
It is important to remember that social media can be extremely time consuming and for this reason may not be the best option for very small businesses. The pro’s and con’s need to be evaluated to decide if it will be worth the investment in time for each individual company. The benefits of social media for B2B marketing differ somewhat from those of B2C marketing. The principle reason for this is the market size of which they target with B2B markets generally being on a much smaller scale to B2C markets, this means that due to the likelihood of repeat sales the value of a B2B individual customer is much higher than that of an individual B2C customer. Another point to remember is that due to the nature of B2B marketing all sales should be nurtured and maintained to the highest level.
It should not be forgotten that all marketers themselves are consumers and therefore can use their own channels of social media, whichever they choose to be involved in be it Facebook, Twitter, You Tube or other forums to give positive and negative reports on products which they consume and this in turn is fed back to their contacts and spreads through ‘word of mouth’ which is widely believed to be one of the best forms of marketing and advertising.
I believe that if any company uses social media within its marketing strategy the main ingredients for a successful recipe are : Prove the principle and set achievable goals and targets.
Tuesday, 1 December 2009
Appetites Quality Foods
Located In the Heart of Douglas's financial and business hub, Appetites is an extremely popular destination for all your lunchtime needs.
Daryl Williams established Appetites in 1995 when he recognised that with his passion for high quality food he could tap into a niche market providing the people of the Island with 'fast' lunchtime food that was made from fresh ingredients and tasted delicious.
Over the years Appetites has become extremely popular and has seen its trade increase steadily and there are now many local customers who regard themselves as loyal fans of the one stop lunch time shop.
Daryl along with his team at Appetites works hard every day in order to meet the challenge of supplying their customers with delicious foods made from the very best fresh local ingredients.
Every week a new menu is produced with different options for each day,there is a great variety ranging from delicious home-made soup of the day to the hot dish, baguette and salad of the day.
Appetites also operate an office delivery service which allows their customers to purchase one of their delicious sandwiches from the comfort and ease of their own office, allowing you to enjoy their variety of fresh sandwiches even if your time is limited.
Appetites also has a wealth of experience in providing superb delicious food for all your special events and outside catering needs. the team can adapt their services to suit your requests offering a wide variety of options ranging from full breakfasts and lunches to working lunches providing a choice of finger buffets and canapes. The success of this outside catering service as well as the shop itself has meant that Appetites now has an Island wide reputation for delivering and providing high quality food of an excellent standard.
Daryl Williams established Appetites in 1995 when he recognised that with his passion for high quality food he could tap into a niche market providing the people of the Island with 'fast' lunchtime food that was made from fresh ingredients and tasted delicious.
Over the years Appetites has become extremely popular and has seen its trade increase steadily and there are now many local customers who regard themselves as loyal fans of the one stop lunch time shop.
Daryl along with his team at Appetites works hard every day in order to meet the challenge of supplying their customers with delicious foods made from the very best fresh local ingredients.
Every week a new menu is produced with different options for each day,there is a great variety ranging from delicious home-made soup of the day to the hot dish, baguette and salad of the day.
Appetites also operate an office delivery service which allows their customers to purchase one of their delicious sandwiches from the comfort and ease of their own office, allowing you to enjoy their variety of fresh sandwiches even if your time is limited.
Appetites also has a wealth of experience in providing superb delicious food for all your special events and outside catering needs. the team can adapt their services to suit your requests offering a wide variety of options ranging from full breakfasts and lunches to working lunches providing a choice of finger buffets and canapes. The success of this outside catering service as well as the shop itself has meant that Appetites now has an Island wide reputation for delivering and providing high quality food of an excellent standard.
Wednesday, 19 August 2009
VLM Airlines withdraw Island Route
As i was driving along the promenade this morning on the way to the Energy FM building where I am currently doing some work experience, I thought back to how I meant to write about VLM Airlines and had not got round to it.
I often hear people on the Isle of Man saying -'The Island is great...as long as you can get off it every few weeks' .
I could not agree more with this. However, since the collapse of EuroManx and the subsequent takeover of BA Connect by Fly Be the island's passengers have had to deal with less then reliable services as well as putting up with other issues and complaints with regards to Fly Be, or as a local travel agent recently referred to the airline 'Fly maybe'.
More often than not there are delays on flights both to and from the island on Fly Be's principle routes to the island, Manchester and London Gatwick. If you want to change your ticket you will pay at least £80.00 and if you arrive early you will not be allowed to change on to an earlier flight. - A change from the good old days of Manx Airlines and EuroManx.
A couple of months ago i booked with VLM airlines on their route from the Isle of Man to London City airport which i feel is by far the most convenient airport for accessing the city. The DLR is on your doorstep and there is no messing about with the Gatwick Express. I unfortunately had to change my plans and called VLM to reschedule my flight. I was told they do not fly that route on a Sunday (which was the day i needed to fly) so immediately thought 'Great I'll have to buy a whole new ticket'. However VLM actually apologised to me and offered me either a full refund or to book me on to another flight for no extra charge!! The best was yet to come... 'You can use the ticket up to a year from now' .
Today whilst in the news room at Energy FM a press release came in about 'Another airline withdrawing from the Island' It was VLM. Turns out that after ceasing their London City - IOM routes during the summer months due to the lack of business passengers they realised that it was not worth them resuming the service from September. Whilst Air Arran will still be covering this route it is a great shame and loss to the Manx travellers - both business and pleasure that VLM have pulled out...Will anyone actually realise this or will it be another case of hindsight?
I often hear people on the Isle of Man saying -'The Island is great...as long as you can get off it every few weeks' .
I could not agree more with this. However, since the collapse of EuroManx and the subsequent takeover of BA Connect by Fly Be the island's passengers have had to deal with less then reliable services as well as putting up with other issues and complaints with regards to Fly Be, or as a local travel agent recently referred to the airline 'Fly maybe'.
More often than not there are delays on flights both to and from the island on Fly Be's principle routes to the island, Manchester and London Gatwick. If you want to change your ticket you will pay at least £80.00 and if you arrive early you will not be allowed to change on to an earlier flight. - A change from the good old days of Manx Airlines and EuroManx.
A couple of months ago i booked with VLM airlines on their route from the Isle of Man to London City airport which i feel is by far the most convenient airport for accessing the city. The DLR is on your doorstep and there is no messing about with the Gatwick Express. I unfortunately had to change my plans and called VLM to reschedule my flight. I was told they do not fly that route on a Sunday (which was the day i needed to fly) so immediately thought 'Great I'll have to buy a whole new ticket'. However VLM actually apologised to me and offered me either a full refund or to book me on to another flight for no extra charge!! The best was yet to come... 'You can use the ticket up to a year from now' .
Today whilst in the news room at Energy FM a press release came in about 'Another airline withdrawing from the Island' It was VLM. Turns out that after ceasing their London City - IOM routes during the summer months due to the lack of business passengers they realised that it was not worth them resuming the service from September. Whilst Air Arran will still be covering this route it is a great shame and loss to the Manx travellers - both business and pleasure that VLM have pulled out...Will anyone actually realise this or will it be another case of hindsight?
Thursday, 13 August 2009
Tuesday, 28 July 2009
Isle of Man- Swine Flu And Your Business Seminar
Living on an island which is perceived by many as being somewhat identical to Alcatraz has it's ups and downs. One of the obvious benefits of the Isle of Man is it's well known status Internationally primarily in the Business World as being a 'Tax haven' . The Economic Recession? There is much talk on the island that we have not been hit in the same way as the U.K however how true this is i am not sure of.
The outbreak of the Influenza / H1N1 virus more commonly known to the public as 'Swine Flu' has now been categorised by the World Health Organisation as being at the level of a pandemic. With over 100,000 suspected cases in the U.K it is no surprise that panic has set in. This public panic is not helped by the frenzy which has been created by the media.
Yesterday morning i attended a seminar delivered by the Director of Public Health on the Isle of Man who outlined steps and precautions that businesses should be taking to ensure that they are adequately prepared (as far as possible) for when - notice it is When? the pandemic reaches the island and not if?... Currently there are 12 confirmed cases on the island and there has yet to be patient to patient spreading of the disease.
However once this occurs 1.4 - 1.8 out of ten infected people can then go on to infect 14-18 others. Adults are not infectious unless they are showing syptoms. Once these levels occur on the Island it is almost certain that there will be border closures and therefore the importation levels of goods will be dramatically reduced as a result. It has been confirmed that at least one ferry a day will arrive into the Island's ferry terminal primarily bringing food and drug supplies to the island. This to many may be a worrying thought. However, the Isle of Man's population will be able to receive a diagnosis from a trained health professional unlike in the UK - untrained staff are manning the call centres there. The autumn - winter period is likely to see 30-40% of the Manx population affected by the pandemic. However, i reiterated that it was made clear that the media generation of paroxysmal public panic is of no benefit to anyone. There is no need to use Tamiflu as a preventative measure , it is only of benefit to those who have actually contracted the virus. Buying bogus Tamiflu on the internet is not going to help you. Consumers doing this have already aided tamiflu to overtake viagra as the number one selling product on the internet. The main message from the seminar was do not panic, there is no need. Instead, ensure you are prepared as far as possible for the outbreak this is done by implementing the relevant policies, registering bank staff and of course designating a flu buddy (to collect your Tamiflu from a flu centre.
Monday, 13 July 2009
One Year On
''Dear Katie,On behalf of all the staff at Cross-Cultural Solutions I would like to express our appreciation for your time spent in South Africa. As of today’s date, it has been 1 year since you began your Volunteer Abroad program. During your time in South Africa, you became a part of the local community, sharing your culture with the people you met while learning from them about a culture different from your own.Your work has touched lives and opened minds. Our local staff and the community where you worked will remember you as a caring individual who gave your time to understand a different culture and create positive change. We are touched by the schools, orphanages, and other local initiatives who continually tell us about the positive impact of CCS volunteers.We hope you returned home with a new perspective of your place in the global community and feel closer to the community in which you served. ''
I feel that that email which i received today sums up everything i gained from my volunteer experience in Cape Town. Annie my roomate at 3 hermitage and partner in crime is a fellow blogger and writes amazing posts, here is her latest one... 'One Year On' :
On Friday night, we decided to go out. We called a cab and told the driver to take us to Oblivion, a wine bar that the volunteers frequent. Everything started out fine, until we realized that it was taking much too long and that we were driving around in circles. We were a little nervous, because we were driving down narrow streets in pitch dark in an area we didn’t know. Katie, who is good at directions, tried to help the cabbie from the backseat. Leslie was getting a little agitated, and suggested that the driver call base and ask for directions. Thirty rand later, he acquiesced. He got the address from dispatch, but evidently still did not know how to get to that particular street. Instead of risking looking stupid by calling back, he chose to waste more of our time and money, and was getting frustrated. He slowed down and started following a teenage girl, who was walking on the sidewalk, and yelled at her for directions. She did what any smart girl would do: shrugged, picked up the pace and ignored him. "Your mother's a puss!" he shouted at her angrily. Things were getting tense, and Leslie would. not. shut. up. She was spewing contempt, and getting hysterical about our rapidly increasing fare. Katie and I kept shooting each other looks, wide-eyed. I was saying stupid shit like, "It's probably right up here," in an attempt to de-escalate the situation so we wouldn't end up on Dateline. Eventually, the crazy cabbie actually hit another car. Not hard - it was more like a scrape - but he just kept going. He drove to a little store, put the car in park and hopped out to go in and ask for directions. In doing this, he committed a cardinal sin. He left three females sitting in an unlocked, running car with an open door, in South Africa. He was probably praying that someone would jack it and put him out of his misery.
By some miracle, we eventually got to Oblivion. Thanks to Leslie, I am pretty sure that we only paid half the amount that was displayed on the meter. We ended up meeting a couple of guys that night, one of which was the son of a reverend. Leslie made out with him, and for the next few weeks we would frequently burst into, “The only one who could ever reach me, was the son of a preacher man!” Katie got a little drunk and grilled the other guy on race relations, which was pretty entertaining.
By some miracle, we eventually got to Oblivion. Thanks to Leslie, I am pretty sure that we only paid half the amount that was displayed on the meter. We ended up meeting a couple of guys that night, one of which was the son of a reverend. Leslie made out with him, and for the next few weeks we would frequently burst into, “The only one who could ever reach me, was the son of a preacher man!” Katie got a little drunk and grilled the other guy on race relations, which was pretty entertaining.
There was so much more to come. There would be a wine tasting excursion, trips to the mall, an overnight in a township, African dance parties in the Afrikaans room, a night that Katie and I never came home and thought we would be kicked out of the program, and many conversations that centered around Leslie doubting my judgment, but laughing at me anyway. After that weekend, we would go on to share a friendship with Tom, a special place in our hearts for Western Province rugby, and more nights at Oblivion and the Dubliner. We would share countless meals of chicken and carbs on the porch, Leslie’s hair dryer, secrets, cabs to Rondebosch for chocolate, inside jokes, our love for the staff, a penthouse suite at the Mandela Rhodes, and tearful goodbyes. Most importantly we share a bond with each other and memories that will undoubtedly last a lifetime. And it all started because of that one little weekend.
Posted by Annie http://annielost.blogspot.com/
Posted by Annie http://annielost.blogspot.com/
Its been an amazing year, I would do anything for a reunion right now...I am also graduating this week so off to Leeds tomorrow morning. So very excited to see everyone in Leeds again...
Saturday, 23 May 2009
Tamil Tigers Protest, London
On Tuesday 19th May, I joined Emilia (partner in crime since the age of 3) qualified radio journalist/presenter to be in London on her final news day. The Tamil tigers were protesting in Parliament Square, Westminster in an attempt to raise awareness of their plight and to get the UK and American Governement to take action and allow International Media, NGO's and International aid to enter Sri Lanka-Tamil. We ended up in a tent meeting women who had been on hunger strike for 168 hours and Emilia interviewed a man who had been on a hunger strike for 24 days. These people were so passionate about what they where fighting for and some of them had been camping there since April 6th. Overall the protest was peaceful and the Tamil people were there to show their support to their 'brothers and sisters'. It was definately an eye opener and once again made me realise that so often we ignore things right infront of us, especially if we are not directly affected by it...without thinking too much about the consequences for those involed. Watching Emilia and seeing what she had to do was great experience for me especially with my mad obsession with the News and reporting.
Tuesday, 18 November 2008
Sunday, 16 November 2008
In our hearts a hopeful song...
I can't believe how quickly time is flying by right now, I only have 4 weeks left of this Semester before the Christmas Vacation. Its scary, the academic work is starting to pile up and i dont think the horizon will be clear now until i finish my degree in May. Although after Christmas time always goes so much quicker.
I have not been home for 2 months now and it really has not bothered me, so after 3 months it will be nice to get back to some home comforts, i have now been away for longer than when i was in South Africa. I am still missing it dearly, and its strange what we learn and appreciate. The thing i miss the most is my Grade 5 class, i wish i could just go and spend just one hour with the kids and see their smiles and have some awesome hugs from them. I hope for them all that everything is ok and their troubles are somehow getting easier if that is possible. I am still emailing the teacher i was working with who is keeping me updated with Blossom Street news. Once i have some spare time in January or over the holidays i am going to try and organise some fundraising or getting some supplies out to the school.
For me, things have changed ever since i stepped off the plane in Cape Town. I still think i dreamt it all sometimes, there is so much out there, 'Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this.;The opportunities are endless if you just believe' Thats something South Africa taught me to believe in...XOXO
I have not been home for 2 months now and it really has not bothered me, so after 3 months it will be nice to get back to some home comforts, i have now been away for longer than when i was in South Africa. I am still missing it dearly, and its strange what we learn and appreciate. The thing i miss the most is my Grade 5 class, i wish i could just go and spend just one hour with the kids and see their smiles and have some awesome hugs from them. I hope for them all that everything is ok and their troubles are somehow getting easier if that is possible. I am still emailing the teacher i was working with who is keeping me updated with Blossom Street news. Once i have some spare time in January or over the holidays i am going to try and organise some fundraising or getting some supplies out to the school.
For me, things have changed ever since i stepped off the plane in Cape Town. I still think i dreamt it all sometimes, there is so much out there, 'Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this.;The opportunities are endless if you just believe' Thats something South Africa taught me to believe in...XOXO
Sunday, 12 October 2008
Lessons in Life...
In Cape Town i felt at home, i had not felt that relaxed in a long time, which is ironic due to the life and crime situation over there. I did not realise this until i returned back to my student life in Leeds which is in iteself a big Northern England city which is not the safest place in the country.
I was walking down the main shopping street in the centre of the city with these huge developed buildings and shops around me and thats when it struck me, i was not only thousands of miles away from life in the Cape in some ways. It was weird to me when i actually for a moment was like oh hey i can carry a handbag with no problems, i can leave a club (although not reccomended) alone at night and catch a cab home to my house...Things i guess i took for granted before. This is not always a good thing because it has made me more relaxed in Leeds as i have seen so much worse. I do indeed miss the security guards at HB1.
So whilst i learnt and saw so much during my volunteer trip i am still now coming to terms and i realise new things every day. I am still in touch with the teacher that i worked with at Blossom Street and am definately going to try and get back there when i can. I have a really hard few months ahead of me now with academic challenges that i need to overcome and once May comes around and i have completed my degree my options will be endless. I can travel the globe, study abroad, In england, join the working world. There are so many options i am so excited!!
I was walking down the main shopping street in the centre of the city with these huge developed buildings and shops around me and thats when it struck me, i was not only thousands of miles away from life in the Cape in some ways. It was weird to me when i actually for a moment was like oh hey i can carry a handbag with no problems, i can leave a club (although not reccomended) alone at night and catch a cab home to my house...Things i guess i took for granted before. This is not always a good thing because it has made me more relaxed in Leeds as i have seen so much worse. I do indeed miss the security guards at HB1.
So whilst i learnt and saw so much during my volunteer trip i am still now coming to terms and i realise new things every day. I am still in touch with the teacher that i worked with at Blossom Street and am definately going to try and get back there when i can. I have a really hard few months ahead of me now with academic challenges that i need to overcome and once May comes around and i have completed my degree my options will be endless. I can travel the globe, study abroad, In england, join the working world. There are so many options i am so excited!!
Thursday, 11 September 2008
Every End is Just a new Beginning...From one 'Home' to Another across the Oceans..
Im now back home on the Isle of Man and have been for nearly 10 days. It is crazy how time has flown and the summer is now coming to an end. I am going back to Leeds a week tommorrow and start classes on September 29th. 4 Months have flown... I have so many feelings and memories from Cape Town. When i get a chance i will update this blog Asap. Im missing it all so much, every little thing .... Enkosi s'ikelel i'Afrika Xoxo
Saturday, 23 August 2008
You Need Love to light the shadows on your little faces...
Its 5pm on Saturday. Channon and I have just got back from the airport run. About 25 people left on the delta flight. It was surreal and so emotional. This journey has been totally amazing. I left London over six weeks ago having no idea what was ahead of me. I couldn’t have expected anything as amazing as this. It has exceeded my expectations 100 per cent.
The last couple of days have been very hard mentally and emotionally. Yesterday was the last day of placement for me at Blossom Street. I bought all the kids in my grade sweets and we had a little party. The girls did a special dance for me. Every single child had made me a leaving card and it was so hard not to cry the words they had written completely touched my heart. The principal then came to my class and read the thank you card I had written to the staff out and presented me with a letter of thanks and a small gift from the school. He thanked me for all my time and energy and told me he feels like I have really found ’home’ here in Cape Town and he couldn’t be nearer to the truth. Half 12 came and my driver arrived with everyone else already in the van. I went through to the other grade 5 class and stood in the middle of the room and all the children came and hugged me. I saw Apillele one of the little boys who has completely stolen my heart and I just burst into tears. I totally want to bring him home with me. I was just holding onto him and then I had to let go because I didn’t want to upset him. As I went to the entrance the teachers where all standing on the step waving me into the minibus. Mrs Abrahams who I have been working with was crying and it was so hard. They must think I am crazy, they have this western world white girl coming to their school and I am leaving in tears how can I explain that to a 9 year old? They have no idea how much they mean to me, how much I care for them and how much I hope every second that they will be ok. I don’t know what else to say. It has been a totally amazing experience and I have gained more than I ever could have imagined.
I climbed into the van and just put my I pod on ‘Wherever you will go’ came on and I realised how fitting it was. All these children need is love. We came home and it was tough. Annie was already home and she was a mess too. We had lunch and then started to do some packing…Channon and I walked to Little Mowbray to go to the shop and I realised that there is so much more I wanted to do and see and now I am out of time. These 6 weeks have gone in the blink of an eye. The weather was amazing so we slept in the garden before getting ready to go out for the last time as a group. We went to Cubana in Green Point and the whole house came which was awesome as this second group have really all integrated so perfectly and we had a great evening. I didn’t want to wake up this morning as I knew what was coming. The long goodbyes continued. Channon , Kate and I went to La Med in Clifton for brunch and one last outing. A couple of hours later and everyone was standing outside with their luggage and I sware I thought I had a lot of stuff with me it was crazy. We stopped at Home Base 2 for the last time and said our farewells. Cape Town international was pretty crazy and some of the girls had problems with their bags but all worked out. Once they had chacked in it was time for us to go back to the van and home back home. I really don’t think it has hit me yet. Theres only about 7 of us at home now. The fact that I am leaving tomorrow is hard enough but ill be travelling alone and I think that is when it will hit me. I am flying to Johannesburg in the morning and then on to Heathrow tomorrow evening. I don’t know what else to say at this point. There is just no way to describe how 50 people in 2 groups over 6 weeks can all click so well and experience so much together. It has been an emotional roller coaster at times but I wouldn’t change a second of it….. Love K xx
The last couple of days have been very hard mentally and emotionally. Yesterday was the last day of placement for me at Blossom Street. I bought all the kids in my grade sweets and we had a little party. The girls did a special dance for me. Every single child had made me a leaving card and it was so hard not to cry the words they had written completely touched my heart. The principal then came to my class and read the thank you card I had written to the staff out and presented me with a letter of thanks and a small gift from the school. He thanked me for all my time and energy and told me he feels like I have really found ’home’ here in Cape Town and he couldn’t be nearer to the truth. Half 12 came and my driver arrived with everyone else already in the van. I went through to the other grade 5 class and stood in the middle of the room and all the children came and hugged me. I saw Apillele one of the little boys who has completely stolen my heart and I just burst into tears. I totally want to bring him home with me. I was just holding onto him and then I had to let go because I didn’t want to upset him. As I went to the entrance the teachers where all standing on the step waving me into the minibus. Mrs Abrahams who I have been working with was crying and it was so hard. They must think I am crazy, they have this western world white girl coming to their school and I am leaving in tears how can I explain that to a 9 year old? They have no idea how much they mean to me, how much I care for them and how much I hope every second that they will be ok. I don’t know what else to say. It has been a totally amazing experience and I have gained more than I ever could have imagined.
I climbed into the van and just put my I pod on ‘Wherever you will go’ came on and I realised how fitting it was. All these children need is love. We came home and it was tough. Annie was already home and she was a mess too. We had lunch and then started to do some packing…Channon and I walked to Little Mowbray to go to the shop and I realised that there is so much more I wanted to do and see and now I am out of time. These 6 weeks have gone in the blink of an eye. The weather was amazing so we slept in the garden before getting ready to go out for the last time as a group. We went to Cubana in Green Point and the whole house came which was awesome as this second group have really all integrated so perfectly and we had a great evening. I didn’t want to wake up this morning as I knew what was coming. The long goodbyes continued. Channon , Kate and I went to La Med in Clifton for brunch and one last outing. A couple of hours later and everyone was standing outside with their luggage and I sware I thought I had a lot of stuff with me it was crazy. We stopped at Home Base 2 for the last time and said our farewells. Cape Town international was pretty crazy and some of the girls had problems with their bags but all worked out. Once they had chacked in it was time for us to go back to the van and home back home. I really don’t think it has hit me yet. Theres only about 7 of us at home now. The fact that I am leaving tomorrow is hard enough but ill be travelling alone and I think that is when it will hit me. I am flying to Johannesburg in the morning and then on to Heathrow tomorrow evening. I don’t know what else to say at this point. There is just no way to describe how 50 people in 2 groups over 6 weeks can all click so well and experience so much together. It has been an emotional roller coaster at times but I wouldn’t change a second of it….. Love K xx
Wednesday, 20 August 2008
'I wanna be there when the people start to turn it around'
I just don’t know where the past ten days have gone. It feels like every time I blink a week passes. The easiest way to do this is probably to go back over the days.
12th August : Today I started at Fountain House in the afternoon. Fountain house is a mental rehabilitation centre for adults with mental illnesses who are being integrated back into society. I chose this as an afternoon placement as I wanted something that would help me gain another insight into a different aspect of the difficulties people face and dealing with adults is a contrast to the children at Blossom Street in the mornings.
13th August : I went to Blossom street in the morning and got to take th girls out to play netball which was pretty great then after lunch I went straight to Fountain house till 4. I got to see Nyanga today another township when Malinga dropped Annie there for her afternoon placement so that was really great to have another viewpoint.
Tonight I went for Dinner with Oli, Dillon and Dean. 3 of the boys who came to the island on exchange when I was still at school. Cant believe its been nearly 4 and a half years. Time passes too quickly. We went to Caprice in Camps Bay which was really nice spent the time catching up and telling old stories. Then we went to Oblivion in Claremont and met some of the other volunteers before sampling Tin Roof on a Wednesday. Was a really good night.
14th August :Rouge Spa/Tiger Tiger - Emily’s last night
15th August - Today I went to coffee with Luann ,Tahira, Erica and Leslie as we are the three volunteers leaving this week. I was not back in time to say bye to Emily this morning which was disappointing. Was nice to chat and I feel like my time here is slowly winding down although I know that if it was possible I would stay here . This evening Leslie, Erica , Annie and I stayed at the Madela Rhodes Place for the night just to feel a bit normal and get some relaxation in before the final week. We got upgraded which was a definite bonus considering the already great exchange rate.
17th August: I am sitting in the garden at 3 hermitage it’s a Sunday afternoon and the sun is shining. Leslie left last night so its quiet . Annie and I going to miss her and Erica this last week of our volunteering. Yesterday we got back from the Mandela Rhodes at 11am and I went over to Bishops to watch the annual Rondebosch Derby game. There was a pretty awesome atmosphere. A little girl lost her mum and was running through the stands so I picked her up and took her round the crowds and through the stands she was really distressed but we finally saw her mother so I felt very relieved. Saw the guys there as they where supporting and also caught up with some old faces which was also great. The city was buzzing as it was also the Springboks vs. The All Blacks game so all the crowds where making their way over to Newlands.
I came home and took a nap, the weekends fly by so quickly. When I woke up I went to Oblivion with Erica and Leslie for one last time before we dropped her at the airport. Tracy the owner came and said by to us and made me take her number incase I ever needed anything and even offered a job to us which was so lovely of her!! We definitely had some good times there..Why are all the people we have met here so lovely? It makes leaving so much harder..
19th August : 9.05 am Start of week 6 at Blossom street primary..
I woke up this morning feeling different. I guess it is because Leslie and Erica leaving these last 2 days has made things more real for me. It is just Annie, Channon, Kate and I now left from my original group that arrived 6 weeks ago. A lot can change in a week and I feel that it will give me the chance to prepare myself and get into the right mind set for leaving CCS. This has been a massive ‘journey’ and its not the end. Now comes the process of accepting and processing all that I have experienced in the last 6 weeks in Africa.
Dinner @ Cubana , Green Point with the girls
20th August A.M @ Blossom Street
The usual buzz in the classroom, however I feel that one of the things that I wont miss is watching the children get picked on within a classroom setting and it is always the same ones. I know there are many different ways to discipline and it is all the more difficult here with the childrens home circumstances varying so much.
I just took the girls out for netball and then the boys out for Soccer. The weather is getting great and today we are going for my second leaving lunch in Guguletu township. I am still not really ready to come home yet. Last night I went to Cubana in Green Point with some of the girls and I wish I had discovered it earlier as it was such a nice place. There are so many places here and so much to do that we have barely stood still.
We just had a staff meeting which brought up the issues of abuse that children at the school are suffering from. Physical and Mental and one child mentioned goes without food at home for days and over the weekends. There are some horrifying stories which I don’t want to really write about on this blog. It really struck a nerve again and I felt like I felt during the first week here. Why is There is such a huge widespread problem of abuse in this country? The people I have met here in Cape Town have all been totally amazing. I have felt so relaxed and calm here and have been made to feel so welcome. Leaving at the end of this week will be difficult. I am so lucky that I have done this.
A quote which I found on a piece of paper Jason one of my kids gave me today from his school planner :
‘We need to understand that greatness exists in all of us. We just need to learn how to apply it.’ - Unknown
12th August : Today I started at Fountain House in the afternoon. Fountain house is a mental rehabilitation centre for adults with mental illnesses who are being integrated back into society. I chose this as an afternoon placement as I wanted something that would help me gain another insight into a different aspect of the difficulties people face and dealing with adults is a contrast to the children at Blossom Street in the mornings.
13th August : I went to Blossom street in the morning and got to take th girls out to play netball which was pretty great then after lunch I went straight to Fountain house till 4. I got to see Nyanga today another township when Malinga dropped Annie there for her afternoon placement so that was really great to have another viewpoint.
Tonight I went for Dinner with Oli, Dillon and Dean. 3 of the boys who came to the island on exchange when I was still at school. Cant believe its been nearly 4 and a half years. Time passes too quickly. We went to Caprice in Camps Bay which was really nice spent the time catching up and telling old stories. Then we went to Oblivion in Claremont and met some of the other volunteers before sampling Tin Roof on a Wednesday. Was a really good night.
14th August :Rouge Spa/Tiger Tiger - Emily’s last night
15th August - Today I went to coffee with Luann ,Tahira, Erica and Leslie as we are the three volunteers leaving this week. I was not back in time to say bye to Emily this morning which was disappointing. Was nice to chat and I feel like my time here is slowly winding down although I know that if it was possible I would stay here . This evening Leslie, Erica , Annie and I stayed at the Madela Rhodes Place for the night just to feel a bit normal and get some relaxation in before the final week. We got upgraded which was a definite bonus considering the already great exchange rate.
17th August: I am sitting in the garden at 3 hermitage it’s a Sunday afternoon and the sun is shining. Leslie left last night so its quiet . Annie and I going to miss her and Erica this last week of our volunteering. Yesterday we got back from the Mandela Rhodes at 11am and I went over to Bishops to watch the annual Rondebosch Derby game. There was a pretty awesome atmosphere. A little girl lost her mum and was running through the stands so I picked her up and took her round the crowds and through the stands she was really distressed but we finally saw her mother so I felt very relieved. Saw the guys there as they where supporting and also caught up with some old faces which was also great. The city was buzzing as it was also the Springboks vs. The All Blacks game so all the crowds where making their way over to Newlands.
I came home and took a nap, the weekends fly by so quickly. When I woke up I went to Oblivion with Erica and Leslie for one last time before we dropped her at the airport. Tracy the owner came and said by to us and made me take her number incase I ever needed anything and even offered a job to us which was so lovely of her!! We definitely had some good times there..Why are all the people we have met here so lovely? It makes leaving so much harder..
19th August : 9.05 am Start of week 6 at Blossom street primary..
I woke up this morning feeling different. I guess it is because Leslie and Erica leaving these last 2 days has made things more real for me. It is just Annie, Channon, Kate and I now left from my original group that arrived 6 weeks ago. A lot can change in a week and I feel that it will give me the chance to prepare myself and get into the right mind set for leaving CCS. This has been a massive ‘journey’ and its not the end. Now comes the process of accepting and processing all that I have experienced in the last 6 weeks in Africa.
Dinner @ Cubana , Green Point with the girls
20th August A.M @ Blossom Street
The usual buzz in the classroom, however I feel that one of the things that I wont miss is watching the children get picked on within a classroom setting and it is always the same ones. I know there are many different ways to discipline and it is all the more difficult here with the childrens home circumstances varying so much.
I just took the girls out for netball and then the boys out for Soccer. The weather is getting great and today we are going for my second leaving lunch in Guguletu township. I am still not really ready to come home yet. Last night I went to Cubana in Green Point with some of the girls and I wish I had discovered it earlier as it was such a nice place. There are so many places here and so much to do that we have barely stood still.
We just had a staff meeting which brought up the issues of abuse that children at the school are suffering from. Physical and Mental and one child mentioned goes without food at home for days and over the weekends. There are some horrifying stories which I don’t want to really write about on this blog. It really struck a nerve again and I felt like I felt during the first week here. Why is There is such a huge widespread problem of abuse in this country? The people I have met here in Cape Town have all been totally amazing. I have felt so relaxed and calm here and have been made to feel so welcome. Leaving at the end of this week will be difficult. I am so lucky that I have done this.
A quote which I found on a piece of paper Jason one of my kids gave me today from his school planner :
‘We need to understand that greatness exists in all of us. We just need to learn how to apply it.’ - Unknown
Monday, 11 August 2008
Women's day Weekend - 8-10th August
I have never done/seen/experienced so much in one weekend ever…
Friday afternoon and placement was finished for the week and it was time for our free weekend. Friday evening we all arrived at Newlands stadium at about 7 to watch Western province take on the Sharks. We had amazing seats so we were very lucky. It was a great game, Nick played really well and I guess if hes a star of the future it was the game to be at as he was starting in number 8. After the game we were waiting for our cab which was going to be an hour so after going to the shop etc we just sat and waited. Then the players started coming out and getting into their cars so we where lucky enough to get our shirts signed and have photos taken with them, once again courtesy of my very friendly American friend Leslie. Afterwards we met up with some people at Oblivion in Claremont before heading to Wadda which was an experience I don’t think ill be repeating too soon. Was a good night though.
On Saturday morning I went to Bishops to watch Max a guy from the island whose on exchange here play rugby, and also Dean which was good. Great to see everyone and the atmosphere there is pretty awesome and Rugby is all that’s on the horizon when it’s a match day.
Saturday lunchtime we met our ride to Langa, the township which we would be staying in that night. I was a little apprehensive as we arrived as this was the first time we had been without proper CCS protection so to say. Annie , Erica and I bought food and we had a bbq and we gave out dinner to some of the surrounding families near to where we where staying at ‘Radebe’s B and B and Coffee Shack’. All the people we met where amazing, we walked about and visited some people’s shacks/homes. Definitely worthwhile and it was only a shame we had to stay in after dark due to safety issues. I ended up sleeping in a room by myself which was scary but I just locked the door and there where bars on the windows so I soon dozed off before Alexander called me at 6 am when he ha arrived home.. Talked to Mum on Sunday morning which was nice to have a catch up and fill her in on everything I have been doing. Its hard to explain it all in a few words because there really is no way of doing it. A month here and now it really does feel great. The kids at my placement have given me so much just through seeing them everyday.
On Sunday Gavin our guide from Cape Extreme collected 6 others and myself and we set off for a wine tour around Paarl and Stellenbosch. We visited 3 different wineries which was great and Stellenbosch is a beautiful place. Anyway who goes to University there is truly privileged…We are trying to make a plan to go and spend a night there this weekend if possible before the others leave.
Paul one of the guys here said the other day ‘we need to stop abusing the rand’ and that was such a fitting thing to say…I have been really lucky with the exchange rate over here that during free time I guess we have indulged a bit. I feel like this has been a huge part of the experience as after definitely getting our hands dirty at placement it is what is needed to unwind and discuss the day. Today was the start of my 5th week at Blossom Street. I spent the second half of my morning helping Glenda and Kara two of the new volunteers with a new initiative they decided could help the school. - To set up a library. We organised all the books so far, they where all so old and falling apart there was dust everywhere but I think it’s a fantastic idea just one basic thing we take for granted. Most of the books are from the 70’s and have been donated from other libraries including schools in the UK and the States. Its crazy!!
I just chatted with Tahira the placement co ordinator and she is going to set me up with an afternoon placement this week. In either and AIDS/HIV childrens hospital or a mental illness institute so I am very excited and hope it works out because I have been thinking a lot about what I want to do when I return home and I definitely want to see another aspect of a placement outside of the education sector. So I will let you know how that goes and where abouts I am placed.
During my stay in Langa I found this quote on one of the flyers in the coffee shack I think its very fitting for what im feeling right now ….
‘The use of travelling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are’ - Samuel Johnson
Love K xx
Friday afternoon and placement was finished for the week and it was time for our free weekend. Friday evening we all arrived at Newlands stadium at about 7 to watch Western province take on the Sharks. We had amazing seats so we were very lucky. It was a great game, Nick played really well and I guess if hes a star of the future it was the game to be at as he was starting in number 8. After the game we were waiting for our cab which was going to be an hour so after going to the shop etc we just sat and waited. Then the players started coming out and getting into their cars so we where lucky enough to get our shirts signed and have photos taken with them, once again courtesy of my very friendly American friend Leslie. Afterwards we met up with some people at Oblivion in Claremont before heading to Wadda which was an experience I don’t think ill be repeating too soon. Was a good night though.
On Saturday morning I went to Bishops to watch Max a guy from the island whose on exchange here play rugby, and also Dean which was good. Great to see everyone and the atmosphere there is pretty awesome and Rugby is all that’s on the horizon when it’s a match day.
Saturday lunchtime we met our ride to Langa, the township which we would be staying in that night. I was a little apprehensive as we arrived as this was the first time we had been without proper CCS protection so to say. Annie , Erica and I bought food and we had a bbq and we gave out dinner to some of the surrounding families near to where we where staying at ‘Radebe’s B and B and Coffee Shack’. All the people we met where amazing, we walked about and visited some people’s shacks/homes. Definitely worthwhile and it was only a shame we had to stay in after dark due to safety issues. I ended up sleeping in a room by myself which was scary but I just locked the door and there where bars on the windows so I soon dozed off before Alexander called me at 6 am when he ha arrived home.. Talked to Mum on Sunday morning which was nice to have a catch up and fill her in on everything I have been doing. Its hard to explain it all in a few words because there really is no way of doing it. A month here and now it really does feel great. The kids at my placement have given me so much just through seeing them everyday.
On Sunday Gavin our guide from Cape Extreme collected 6 others and myself and we set off for a wine tour around Paarl and Stellenbosch. We visited 3 different wineries which was great and Stellenbosch is a beautiful place. Anyway who goes to University there is truly privileged…We are trying to make a plan to go and spend a night there this weekend if possible before the others leave.
Paul one of the guys here said the other day ‘we need to stop abusing the rand’ and that was such a fitting thing to say…I have been really lucky with the exchange rate over here that during free time I guess we have indulged a bit. I feel like this has been a huge part of the experience as after definitely getting our hands dirty at placement it is what is needed to unwind and discuss the day. Today was the start of my 5th week at Blossom Street. I spent the second half of my morning helping Glenda and Kara two of the new volunteers with a new initiative they decided could help the school. - To set up a library. We organised all the books so far, they where all so old and falling apart there was dust everywhere but I think it’s a fantastic idea just one basic thing we take for granted. Most of the books are from the 70’s and have been donated from other libraries including schools in the UK and the States. Its crazy!!
I just chatted with Tahira the placement co ordinator and she is going to set me up with an afternoon placement this week. In either and AIDS/HIV childrens hospital or a mental illness institute so I am very excited and hope it works out because I have been thinking a lot about what I want to do when I return home and I definitely want to see another aspect of a placement outside of the education sector. So I will let you know how that goes and where abouts I am placed.
During my stay in Langa I found this quote on one of the flyers in the coffee shack I think its very fitting for what im feeling right now ….
‘The use of travelling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are’ - Samuel Johnson
Love K xx
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