#medical schools in cayman islands

[caribbeanms]

Caribbean Medical Schools: Your Pathway to a Medical Career

Are you passionate about medicine and ready to embark on a rewarding journey towards becoming a healthcare professional? Look no further than Caribbean medical schools. With their renowned reputation and comprehensive medical programs, Caribbean medical schools have become a preferred choice for aspiring doctors from around the world.

At Caribbean Medical Schools, we understand that pursuing a medical education is a significant decision. That's why we strive to provide a platform where students can explore the numerous advantages of studying medicine in the Caribbean. Our goal is to equip you with the necessary information to make an informed choice and set you on the path to a successful medical career.

Why Choose Caribbean Medical Schools?

High-Quality Education: Caribbean medical schools are known for their commitment to excellence in medical education. Many of these schools have rigorous curriculum standards that meet or exceed those of traditional medical schools. Renowned faculty members, state-of-the-art facilities, and hands-on clinical experience ensure that you receive a comprehensive education.

Accreditation and Recognition: Accredited Caribbean medical schools are recognized by various Caribbean bodies, ensuring that your degree is valued globally. Accreditation by reputable organizations such as the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and other Health Professions (CAAM-HP) validates the quality of education provided by these institutions.

Diverse and Inclusive Environment: Studying best Medical Universities in the Caribbean offers a multicultural and inclusive environment. You will have the opportunity to learn alongside students from various backgrounds, cultures, and countries. This diversity enhances your ability to collaborate, communicate, and develop a global perspective on healthcare.

Increased Opportunities for Admission: With limited seats available in traditional medical schools, the competition for admission can be intense. Caribbean medical schools offer list of medical colleges in Caribbean, providing an opportunity for students who may not have been successful in securing a spot in their home country. This accessibility expands your chances of pursuing a career in the medical field.

Clinical Rotations and US Residency Placements: Medical Clinical Rotation for IMGS have affiliations with hospitals and clinical facilities in the United States and Canada. This allows students to gain valuable clinical experience during their rotations and enhances their chances of securing US residency placements. These partnerships provide a bridge for students to transition smoothly into their medical careers.

Emphasis on Student Support: Caribbean medical schools understand the importance of comprehensive student support. From academic assistance and mentorship programs to career counselling and residency placement services, these institutions strive to support students throughout their medical journey.

CARICOM's Medical Education Oasis: Unleashing the Potential of Caribbean Medical Schools

At the heart of the beautiful Caribbean, you'll find a vibrant community of world-class medical schools that offer excellent education and training opportunities for aspiring healthcare professionals. With a strong network of institutions linked through the CARICOM treaty, studying medicine in Caribbean islands has become an attractive option for students from around the globe. Our Caribbean Medical Schools provide a high standard of medical education, combining rigorous academic programs with a supportive and nurturing learning environment. Here, students could immerse themselves in the rich cultural diversity of the Caribbean while gaining the knowledge and skills necessary to excel in the medical field.

Explore Medical Courses in the World of Caribbean Medical Schools

Caribbean Medical Schools is your go-to resource for everything related to Caribbean medical education. Our top ranked medical schools in the Caribbean provides detailed information on various medical schools in the Caribbean, admission requirements, curriculum, faculty, clinical opportunities, and much more. Whether you are a high school graduate considering medicine or a transfer student seeking a new pathway, we have the resources to guide you.

Join us on this exciting adventure towards becoming a healthcare professional. Discover the world of Caribbean medical schools and unlock your potential to make a lasting impact on global healthcare.

Begin your journey today with accredited Caribbean medical schools!

[caribbean-medical-schools]

St. Matthew's University School of Medicine: Excellence in Caribbean Medical Education

St. Matthew's University School of Medicine, located in the Cayman Islands, offers a distinguished medical education with a focus on comprehensive training and global healthcare perspectives. Known for its rigorous academic programs and hands-on clinical experience, the school prepares students for successful medical careers. Our guide provides detailed information about St. Matthew’s curriculum, admission requirements, and unique opportunities such as state-of-the-art facilities and international exposure. Explore how St. Matthew's University can help you achieve your medical career goals and make a significant impact in the field of healthcare.

[tinyshe]

Digital Passport System Has Quietly Rolled Out Analysis by Dr. Joseph Mercola

Story at-a-glance

At least 21 U.S. states, along with the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, have rolled out digital vaccine passports, and four more states plan to release them soon

One of the most prominent names in the digital vaccine passport space is SMART Health Card, a verifiable vaccine passport developed by the Vaccination Credential Initiative (VCI)

SMART Health Cards, which can be paper or digital, can be obtained from pharmacies, doctors’ offices, state immunization registries and any other organization that has your shot records and other health information

Disguised as a tool for convenience and safety, digitized ids such as mobile driver’s licenses and vaccine passports will be embedded into everyday life, eroding your privacy and acting as a tool to control everything from food and sustainability to travel and mobility

Digital vaccine passports have not been issued on a federal level in the U.S., but they’re widely available, nonetheless. At least 21 states, along with the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, have rolled out digital vaccine passports, and four more states plan to release them soon.1 Advertised as a convenient way to store your health records, digital “passports” are poised to become much more than a way to display your COVID-19 shot status.

Already, digital passports are being required to gain access to events and venues that were previously available to everyone, stripping privacy and freedom from those who choose not to use them. Soon, they may merge with your health, financial and digital identity so they can act as a digital passport increasingly necessary to partake in society.

More Than 200 Million Americans Can Access Vaccine Passports

One of the most prominent names in the digital vaccine passport space is SMART Health Card, a verifiable vaccine passport developed by the Vaccination Credential Initiative (VCI), which is a “global coalition of public and private stakeholders including Microsoft, Salesforce, Oracle, the Mayo Clinic and other health and tech heavyweights,” according to Forbes.2

According to VCI, they’re committed to “empowering” individuals with access to a “trustworthy and verifiable copy of their vaccination records in digital or paper form using open, interoperable standards … Individuals can then use those verifiable credentials for medical purposes and to demonstrate their health status to safely return to work, school, travel and life.”3 More than a dozen nations already use VCI’s SMART Health Cards, including:4

Aruba

Canada

Cayman Islands

Cyprus

Hong Kong

Israel

Japan

North Macedonia

Qatar

Rwanda

Senegal

Singapore

United Arab Emirates

United Kingdom

U.S.

SMART Health Cards, which can be paper or digital, can be obtained from pharmacies, doctor’s offices, state immunization registries and any other organization that has your shot records and other health information. It can be stored as a digital file on your phone or computer, allowing you to easily present it, in the form of a QR code.

“For example, you might share it to show your vaccine status for school registration or travel,” the SMART Health Card website notes,5 adding that you may also be asked to present your vaccine passport at your workplace. They also stated, “In the future, you may be able to use your SMART Health Card to share and store other health information.”6

Sights Set on International Development

Already, more than 200 million Americans can access a digital vaccine passport. Dr. Brian Anderson, co-founder of the VCI, told Forbes, “We're not going to have all 50 states leveraging this approach. But the vast majority of the vaccinated individuals in the US — over 200 million of them — already have the ability right now to go and get one of these credentials.”7

This includes people who received COVID-19 shots at dozens of locations that are part of the retail pharmacy program, such as Costco, Rite-Aid, CVS, Walmart, Kroger, Walgreens and more. Further, as Forbes reported:8

“[W]hether your state is red or blue, your healthcare provider is increasingly likely to offer a digital vaccination record. More than 100 major health systems and hospital groups across the country now offer SMART Health Cards to patients. These include Kaiser Permanente, Tenet Health, Scripps Healthcare, Cerner and other healthcare heavy hitters.

Big regional healthcare groups in the SMART consortium span the country, from Centra Health in Virginia to UCHealth in Colorado and from CoxHealth in Missouri to SoutheastHEALTH in Alabama and Georgia.”

Ultimately, the goal is for vaccine passports to be used worldwide, presenting a formidable tool for technocratic control. According to Anderson, it’s not enough that COVID-19 is waning — vaccine passports, he believes, should be here to stay in order for people to travel and work freely:9

“Yes, we're going to get to an endemic phase of all of this, but that doesn't change the need to continue to protect the citizens of a nation from highly transmissible and communicable diseases.

Vaccination verification will be increasingly important at an international level. And so if we want to enable all of our citizens from every state to be able to participate in the safe travel across international boundaries and to participate in international commerce, it'd be important for our government officials from every state to enable this.”

Digital IDs Can Be Tied to Law Enforcement, Retail and More

Right now, vaccine passports are highlighting access to one facet of your health records — COVID-19 shots — but they’re unlikely to stay that way. Disguised as a tool for convenience and safety, digitized ids, such as mobile driver’s licenses, are coming and will be embedded into everyday life and used to control everything from food and sustainability to travel and mobility.

GET Group North America is among those working fervently to create “secure ID credentials,”10 which includes the release of an international standard for mobile driver’s licenses and mobile IDs (mID). The standards were approved August 18, 2021, for publication, clearing the way for “global ID and Driver’s License Issuers to confidently deploy mDL [mobile driver’s license] solutions, and for Verifiers around the world to implement or adopt mDL readers.”11

GET’s Mobile ID also intends to go far beyond a typical driver’s license to act as a digital identity that will tie in to retail, health care, law enforcement and travel sectors. The pandemic accelerated what was previously a gradual transition to digital, using the public health dogma that it would be better to not pass physical documents and IDs back and forth.

mDLs and mIDs are also intended to provide a streamlined identification verification system that can be used globally, doing away with different IDs for individual states.

“[E]lectronic authentication can give the mDL verifier confidence in the presented ID without requiring specialized knowledge of the hundreds of card design and security features applicable to the driver’s licenses (and their variants) that are issued by 56 states and territories,” the Secure Technology Alliance wrote.12

Ultimately, the IDs will also morph into vaccine passports, so that one digital ID will create a digital trail of your every move. Some have speculated that the introduction of digital IDs and vaccine passports in the U.S. is laying the infrastructure for a social credit system.

China’s social credit system, a massive undertaking of government surveillance that aims to combine 600 million surveillance cameras — about one for every two citizens — with facial recognition technology, has the reported goal of being able to identify anyone, anywhere, within three seconds.13 As investigative journalist Corey Lynn put it:14

“Simply put: the pandemic is to mandate an experimental gene therapy that the CDC likes to refer to as a ‘vaccine.’ That ‘vaccine’ is for purposes of getting everyone onto a vaccine ID passport. The passport is to force everyone into the new global social credit system.

That system is to bring the global population to full obedience, as the globalists control everyone’s access and spending to anything and everything in life, through the use of the new CBDC (central bank digital currency) system they are building toward.”

How Digital Passports Could Affect Your Finances

Globally, a unified front is emerging to put systems, including ever-expanding plans for digital currency, vaccine passports and digital IDs, into place for control and power,15 like the ability to track — and tax — everything you do.

If you buy the “wrong” products or foods, you could be penalized by being heavily taxed, for instance, and there’s no limit to how high the tax could go or what products or activities could be affected.

“It’s a total enslavement system,” former BlackRock portfolio manager Edward Dowd explained. “And then they can cut off your digital currency if you behave badly, like they do in China … digital currency and social credit will be tied. If you’re a ‘bad citizen,’ they turn it off and you disappear.”16

In the documentary “Cash or Card — Will COVID-19 Kill Cash?”17 producer Kersten Schüssler also asked some important questions, like what’s at stake if society truly goes cashless? The answer is both your privacy and your freedom.

The World Economic Forum (WEF), for instance, has been vocal about its agenda of moving away from cash and to a digital currency, including in the U.S., for years.18 But the pandemic led to a drastic acceleration. In Germany, where people have been famously reluctant to embrace payment by card or app, the number of people paying by card increased by 26% since the start of the pandemic.19

But keep in mind, the digital footprints or financial data trails that you leave every time you pay by card or mobile app are being watched closely. Information like how much alcohol you drink or how much you spend on vacation can all be tracked and “sold to the highest bidder.” We’re at a point where once fledgling startups have morphed into immense information empires, in control of our information and our privacy is in their hands.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear how valuable digital technologies are in acting as a safety net to allow many activities to continue, but because governments haven’t dealt with fundamental issues to protect privacy and digital rights, these information empires continue to own and operate the Internet and global means of communication.

These monopolies lead to uncontrolled power that, in turn, leads people to be even more constrained where they are living in a society based increasingly on surveillance, with digital payments and further surveillance as a necessary part of this plan. Eventually, your entire financial life may also be tied to your digital ID or passport. In a figure that describes digital identity systems in our everyday lives, WEF envisions that digital IDs, i.e., vaccine passports, will encompass:20

Health care — to access insurance, monitor health devices and wearables and prove qualifications (for providers)

Smart cities — to monitor devices that transmit data about energy usage, air quality and traffic congestion

Telecommunications — for individuals to use devices and service providers to monitor them

E-government — for individuals to file taxes, vote and collect benefits

Social platforms — for social interactions

E-commerce — to shop, conduct business transactions and secure payments

Financial services — to open bank accounts and carry out financial transactions online

Food and sustainability — to verify the origin of produce and enhance traceability in supply chains

Travel and mobility — to plan trips and go through border control between countries or regions

Humanitarian response — to access services and demonstrate qualifications to work in a foreign country

22 Ways to Stop Vaccine Passports

Avoiding vaccine passports and digital IDs of any kind is an important step to stopping the advancement of global totalitarian control. How can they be stopped? Journalist Lynn highlighted 22 steps you can use to opt out of the madness and protect your privacy and freedom:21

Do not comply, whether or not you’re coerced, bribed, guilted, intimidated or manipulated into complying. “Civil disobedience is necessary.”

Contact your investment adviser or asset manager. Give them a list of companies involved in vaccine passports and pushing the agenda, and tell them you no longer want to support them.

Avoid all digital identities and vaccine ID passports offered by banks, driver’s license facilities and other industries as a means of increasing “access” or “convenience.”

Tell your friends, family and acquaintances about the real goal of digital identities, which is to “put you on the Blockchain to surveil and control your every move.”

Contact your local sheriff. There are 3,081 sheriffs in the U.S., which should be contacted by phone, email and mail. They have the power to not enforce illogical or illegal demands.

Share messages of truth around your community. You can spread the word using flyers, postcards, stickers or “swag with a message.”

Don’t support establishments that require proof of a shot or negative test. If you do, give them a card that reads, “I will not be a human experiment of a gene therapy jab for a virus that has a 99.98% survival rate.”

Email your state representative to block vaccine passports and digital IDs. Support and consider donating to those who are taking action against injection mandates and passports.

Move your money from large banks to small, family-owned banks and small credit unions. “If 10% of people did this, it would create a huge shift.”

Build family or community energy and food systems, as “resilient energy and food supplies will go a long way against their digital financial blackmailing systems.”

Boycott Amazon and big box stores that are “building the infrastructure to enslave humanity.”

Use cash as much as possible, as it allows you to avoid being tracked via your bank account and keeps your spending behaviors from being analyzed and used to manipulate industries, supply chains and markets.

Leave your cellphone at home and avoid any and all data-tracking apps.

Limit the personal data you share online, on paper and anywhere else.

Call your senators and demand that they oppose the Federal Vaccine Database Bill H.R. 550, which would allow the development of a federal vaccination registry.

Avoid purchasing “smart” products of any kind, such as smart televisions and Alexa devices. “These products are all used for surveillance purposes via audio, some visual, and data aggregating, not to mention potential integrated mind control technologies.”

Establish financial security outside the system, such as by learning or teaching trade skills and establishing networking and teamwork opportunities for people to build and work together within their local community.

Clear as many debts as you can so you aren’t beholden to anyone. “Invest in people, learning trade skills, family and community, hard assets, proper schooling for your children — which might mean a local homeschool network — local farmers, any necessary supplies or equipment you feel you need, your health and peace of mind.”

Maintain resources — medical, legal and otherwise — to fight the COVID-19 tyranny22 and stay updated on legal action and legislation against COVID-19 mandates.

Be aware that it is not legal to require a person to get injected while it’s still under emergency use authorization. “Though the FDA has approved Pfizer’s Comirnaty jab, Pfizer has chosen to not yet produce it for the U.S., and instead are continuing to supply the EUA jab.”

Be there for those who have received the injection and are having adverse events or choosing not to get boosters. “Help them through it and find medical professionals that are aware of what is happening and will assist them.”

“Visualize a better future for all, where these corrupt individuals are stopped in their tracks.”

[sorasfishing]

#Noctislistening - Jou Edition (4 of 12)

#noctislistening digidestined series for more!

Brought to you by @earlgreymon​‘s Digidestined FM and @tangledupblue​‘s Digidestined-inspired playlists. Go listen right now!!

I must say I needed Jou’s musical vibes these past few weeks. There’s a lot going on and I hope things slow down for me soon. But at least I got my music to give me solace!

Last time, we had a dance party with Miyako (#3). Next up, we will bop to the beats with Koushiro (#5)!

This is really for the OTP. One True Partner - Gomamon!!!

Digidestined FM (Jou version) @earlgreymon​

I had only heard of Kings of Convenience but never really got into them. At my university I explored radio broadcasting so for a few semesters I was a radio host at the university’s indie radio station - so I heard a lot of music in the same realm. (*cue younger Noct borrowing many CDs and burning them onto her laptop to find a new band to like*)

Anyway, other than bringing me back to those days, this song, “Cayman Islands” is incredibly zen. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

Sleeping At Last has a similar sound. In fact, so do the other artists and music mentioned for Jou. I listened to “Saturn” by this band - it’s my favorite planet. :D

It’s been a while since I’ve listened to The Civil Wars, but I liked them and I was sad that they broke up. :( For this playlist, I listened to “The One That Got Away”.

I remember listening to one Sigur Ros’s songs years ago but I confess I forget the name of the song x( I liked it though, lol. A friend sent it to me! So I listened to “ Glósóli”.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Of the artists that Takeru recommended to Jou (other than Sleeping At Last) I am more familiar! MIKA is so much fun! I was in love with his first album when it first came out, and I had the pleasure of getting my “I love you MIKA” sign getting stolen by the man himself! lmao.

For this playlist I decided to play “Popular” featuring Ariana Grande, but I must admit I haven’t followed him much after his 2nd album, though like with many artists I’ve been listening to in these headcanons, I would love to listen to more of his stuff!

James Arthur has one of those swoon-worthy voices :) I listened to “Falling Like the Stars” but I know him more from his “Say You Won’t Let Go”, and his X-Factor videos on Youtube *starry eyes here*

~*~*~*~*~*~

Seal of Approval @tangledupblue​

Boy’s got classical music and ocean/rain sounds?! This playlist is incredibly relaxing and calming. Perfect for Jou who needs it when it comes to being so hardworking in his studies and eventually in his medical profession - things that can cause high levels of stress.

Many of these artists I wasn’t really into but I learned to appreciate them more now in recent years, mainly for their soft beats and soothing sounds. :)

Naming my top 6!

Debussy - Claire de Lune // I kid you not, this is one of my favorite classical pieces of all time. I got to play this with my high school wind ensemble. I love this to bits!! (Note: there are so many versions of this - piano, orchestral, acoustic - I love them ALL)

~*~*~*~*~*~

Kina Grannis - Beyond the Sea // I don’t remember how I came across her, but I ended up listening to all of her music and I love her chill vibe and her voice is so soothing! 

Thaïs - Méditation

Enya - Orinoco Flow

The 1975 - Medicine // Aww! This is a pretty song ;_;

Ane Brun - Alfonsina y el Mar // This one is really lovely, I love her voice with the strings and the piano in the background <3

~*~*~*~*~*~

If the title doesn’t tell you already, with this playlist Gomamon knows that Jou loves him as much as he loves Jou!  💙 💙 💙

Are you in a sea of calm right now? Tell me your favorites from Jou’s playlists!

[alien-at-the-dinner-table]

The Eyebrow

I recently quit my job. For most of you, this sounds like a fairly normal thing. I mean, if you’ve ever had more than one job, there are only two ways to not be doing the first one: quitting or being fired. Of course there is the secret third option of faking your death and traveling to the cayman islands, but a prerequisite in “evil mastermind” is required there. For me, this was one of the hardest things I have ever done. When I gave my two weeks notice I thought I was going to die. I was sweating like a cornered nun, and at one point I forgot to breath and quickly ran out of air. The  truth  behind the unreasonable terror, the reason I nearly blacked out when telling an airpod adorned millennial I was done? I have an anxiety disorder. Shocking I know! Who would have guessed right? Until a few years ago, I certainly didn’t. I always thought that everyone hated their birthdays, dreading every single sleepover or dinner. I thought everyone would cry for months as they went to bed at the prospect of getting a shot. To be specific, I have a generalized anxiety disorder, with a very high probability that I also have obsessive compulsive disorder as well. I only got diagnosed with anxiety this last January, but only out of necessity. For those unaware of what it is like, you probably have some ridiculous caricature of what mental illness looks like. To be fair, I do things that are quite silly or odd, but that is more of a me thing than anything else. When approaching a teacher for a question, you will probably see me leaning back as I walk, looking extremely uncomfortable like a cartoon thief about to be caught.  But mostly the things my anxiety and OCD make me do are quiet. I used to get up in the middle of the night to re-count my pages for my running start classes. I sometimes get an eyebrow twitch. That happened mostly when I developed a crush on a classmate last year. Because God forbid I act cool one time. Upon seeing him enter class I would have to hold it down lest it fly right off my face. It was real bad when he wore a suit to school. My poor, emotionally unstable brain couldn’t handle all that class. I stared at the table and was unable to think of any coherent thought other than “i like bird” for a good 15 minutes. I plan everything out by time, including my job. I have that down to a tee. If you asked me what I would be doing at 8:24 I would be able to tell you. I do garbage at 8:30, so I would be restocking the coolers out front or the back coolers. I save the restocking of  the condiments for after  9:30 because that is after when I clean the bathrooms. I have so much free time because I have every single task assigned a time. I did that on my own, I was given only vague guidelines when training for the job. So I figured everything out on my own. And my old boss loved it, in fact he hired me because of it. In my interview he asked if I was the little girl who would always come in and color code the mentos by the  register. I had been doing that since I was 10.

 My anxiety has gotten worse as I have gotten older, and I eventually had to go on medication. That was in January as I said earlier. In the beginning of December I was quite happy. Then one night after work, I felt a bit nervous. If I didnt fall asleep right then and there I would get only 7 hours and 34 minutes of sleep. If I slept in I would not like how little of the day  I would have left, but if I got up right at the 7 hours 33 minutes (every second I am awake is ticking down!!) I would be very tired, and how productive will I be if i'm so tired??  At 2 in the morning I was still awake. In a slow burn panic attack, I calmly got up, walked to the bathroom, and promptly threw up. Funnily enough, I was super calm, thinking to myself “that was the best darn puke I’ve ever had!”. The next few days were weird, because the nausea never quite left me. I get nauseous when I am having anxiety, but I thought I was sick. So I panicked. I felt worse. I stopped eating as much. I couldnt sleep. I ate what I could because that is what I would do as a kid. I felt worse. I threw up. Repeat. After 3 weeks of this, I had lost 10 pounds and was on the verge of a break down. Then the straw that broke the sleep deprived camel's back came in the terrifying form of a P.E. bag. The start of Christmas break was two days away, and I was running on no sleep, and little to no food. I got unto the bus after a huge physics test. As soon as I sat down I dropped the bag. Cut to 3 seconds later- I cant find my bag  and immediately assume I left it in the class. So in a panic I hop off the bus before it pulls out of the school and look for it. Realizing my mistake when I do not find it, I walk home. Walking in a daze I hoped that my little sister had grabbed it. I got home. I asked if she had grabbed the bag. Replying with an eloquent: “what?” my world dissolved. I then promptly broke down and began to sob big, sad tears while my poor confused father tried to comfort me. I then missed the next day, sick to my stomach, shaking, and once again in tears. That was the day that my 3rd period class won an ice cream party. It was then decided that I should see the doctor. We got in a few days later, and I needed a blood test to make sure that nothing else was at play. If anything else hadn’t proved beyond a doubt that I had anxiety, my reaction to getting my blood drawn did. Shaking like a chihuahua doing the ice bucket challenge, I fought off tears as my mom held my gray hands. Fun fact: that can happen when your body goes into such a state of panic that your blood vessels retract into your body! Fun right? Anyhoo, a few weeks later and I began my medication. 

Obviously I still have issues. I double check all the locks before bed, and I eat the same foods for lunch every week at school. I turn on all the radios in the house when I’m alone because serial killers only attack when it is quiet. The time thing hasnt gone away, and honestly I’m getting a little tired of having a paranoid conspiracy theorist living in my brain. The meds helps a lot, by giving him a fidget spinner to play with so he  talks less. But he loves to make me question things. Like, did I really did put my phone in my pocket 10 seconds ago? I mean, do I specifically remember it? No? Better panic an absurd amount before checking it! My mom even mentions the word ‘dentist’ and he runs around screaming clanging cymbals like a bat out of hell. The really crazy thing is that no one realises when he is doing this. Growing up no knowing what a panic attack was, I know how to ‘hide’ them really well. They still happen, and honestly hiding them feels worse because doing that makes me physically ill. Telling people is weird too. I told a friend that I was going to therapy, and the end result was me fighting off the urge to cover my face with my hands. Not because it was horribly ignorant or shocking, I could feel my eyebrow starting up. She basically asked if I really needed therapy, and suggested investing in a fuzzy blanket. The stereotypes for mental illness make it really hard to know when you have a problem. Because people can’t see it, it makes it harder to explain that no, it really is that difficult. Do I like holding an apple core in my lap for an hour? No. But getting up feels so much scarier than looking weird. Going to therapy or being on medication is not something that ‘crazy’ people do. It’s what people do. Full stop.

[expresscitizenship]

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[lakelandg]

WATSON CLINIC RECRUITS ADDITIONAL PHYSICIAN AND PROVIDER

WATSON CLINIC RECRUITS ADDITIONAL PHYSICIAN AND PROVIDER

Watson Clinic is pleased to welcome an additional physician and medical provider to their team. Aned Orbezo, MDErin Temples, APRN Aned Orbezo, MD is a board-certified Family Medicine specialist atWatson Clinic Urgent Care Main at 1600 Lakeland Hills Blvd. in Lakeland.Dr. Orbezo received her medical degree from St. Matthew’s School of Medicine in West Bay, Cayman Islands.  She completed her…

[creativinn]

Botanical art exhibition focusses on Mother Nature - Cayman Compass

'Mangrove Swamp' by Margaret Barwick

The National Gallery of the Cayman Islands is hosting a new group art exhibition, inspired by the lush tropical landscape of the Cayman Islands.

‘Terra Botanica’ (translation: ‘botanical land’) examines the ways in which artists have documented, researched and celebrated the rich assortment of flora in Cayman. The result is a collection of detailed sketches, paintings, watercolours and photographs designed to capture the wonders of Mother Nature.

The pieces featured in the exhbition are primarily from the gallery’s permanent collection, including new acquisitions not previously displayed. There are also artworks on loan from private collections.

“The diversity of plant species found in the Caribbean is greater than most tropical and oceanic regions, with botanic origin stories as complex as the histories of its inhabitants,” said NGCI associate curator Kerri-Anne Chisholm. “Artists have turned to nature for inspiration for centuries, both for documentation purposes and owing to its abundance as a source of subject matter.

“Given the vibrancy of our own landscape here in Cayman, it is no surprise that so many artists [represented] in the National Collection have been inspired to capture this beauty within their work.”

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Participating artists are Moira Abbott, Margaret Barwick, Scott Brady, Stephen Clark, Penny Clifford, Bryony Dixon, Bill Ferehawk, Lorna Griggs, Teresa Grimes, David Hartwell, Guy Harvey, Bendel Hydes, Martina Jackson, David Jungquist, Zane Kuttner, Eloin Lufthouse, Nickola McCoy-Snell, Hannah Reid, Helene Schindler, Larisa Sved and C.E. Whitney.

Examples of pieces in the 'Terra Botanica' art exhibition at the National Gallery.

1 of 8

'Seagrape' by Lorna Griggs

'Banana Leaves' by Teresa Grimes

'West Indian Woodpecker' by Guy Harvey

'Poinciana' by Zane Kuttner

'Heliconia and Fern' by C.E. Whitney

'Almond Tree' by Moira Abbott

'Violet Nightfall' by Bryony Dixon

Each of the 40-plus works on display is accompanied by an interpretative label that includes information about the artist, along with the scientific and common names of the featured plants and their medical and traditional uses. This is reinforced by text panels throughout the exhibition which explore the history of botanical art and the evolution of photography, which ultimately replaced traditional scientific-drawing practices. In addition, a schedule of workshops, panel discussions and garden tours has been created to make the history of botanical art even more accessible to visitors.

While planning for the showcase has taken several months, the project has become particularly significant in light of the widespread destruction of the local landscape caused by Tropical Storm Grace.

“It’s a timely moment in which to celebrate the beauty of the natural environment and plant life of our islands,” said Chisholm. “Our team hopes the inspiring artworks will provide a space of solace and uplift for our community.”

About the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands Established in 1997, the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands is the country’s leading visual arts museum, exhibition facility and education centre, charged with promoting and encouraging the appreciation and practice of the visual arts in the Cayman Islands. This mission is achieved through exhibitions, education/outreach programmes, school tours, community festivals, and ongoing research projects. Holding up to six exhibitions annually at its central exhibition space and satellite venues around Grand Cayman and the Sister Islands, the gallery’s curatorial team strives to create a balance between exhibitions of quality Caymanian artwork and collaborations with artists from further afield. This is achieved by working with a broad cross-section of artists and ranging from site-specific work to more traditional gallery-based projects.

Admission to the gallery and the exhibition is free. Opening times are Monday to Saturday 10am–5pm. For more information about the exhibition and the related programme of free events, lectures, workshops and tours, email or visit www.nationalgallery.org.ky/whats-on.

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[milestonepropertiescayman]

Tips on Finding Your First Rental Home in the Cayman Islands

Here's a short list of things to pay extra attention to when looking for your first home to rent in the Cayman Islands.

Relocating is stressful. Relocating to a new country, even a tropical paradise like the Cayman Islands, is even more so. Apparently, it’s up there with divorce or the death of a close family member for the amount of stress and emotional upheaval it can cause. So, anything that can reduce the amount of stress during a time of fundamental lifestyle change should be welcomed with open arms. 

Finding somewhere to live is obviously at the top of the priority list for new arrivals in the Cayman Islands, whether you are coming here for work or retirement or, in these modern times, as a temporary safe haven during a pandemic. 

Having a trusted real estate agent in the Cayman Islands, one who knows exactly what you need and where to find it, will certainly be critical to your positive home-hunting experience. But there are also steps you can take personally that will help ease your way into a happy and settled Caribbean life. Here's a short list of things to pay extra attention to when looking for your first home to rent in the Cayman Islands:

Learn the Districts: Almost every new resident ends up on Grand Cayman. Despite being a small island – little more than 75 square miles in area – it is the largest of the territory’s three islands and is where the vast majority of businesses, homes, and facilities are located. Many different housing neighborhoods cater to all types of lifestyle and budget. If keeping travel times between home and work or schools to a minimum is important, then consider concentrating your Grand Cayman rental properties search to a small area around these destinations. If you want to be far from the tourists and the hustle and bustle of high-density living, then look at more secluded districts. Generally, properties on the waterfront are the most difficult to find and the most expensive, while homes in more remote and less-developed areas are more affordable and quiet but can lack services, meaning access to work, schools, shops, medical care, and entertainment becomes more difficult and time-consuming.

Know the Extra Costs: Landlords in the Cayman Islands will usually require a security deposit of one month’s rent, as well as the first month’s rent in advance. Payment is usually made with a local cheque or direct deposit into a local bank, which requires you to have a Cayman Islands bank account set up, or at least access to cash until you do. Similarly, you will need to open accounts with local utility companies (water, electric, tv, internet, etc.) and arrange payments in the local currency. A foreign cheque is unlikely to be accepted. 

Negotiate: With a bit of persuasion, especially during uncertain times, many landlords in the Cayman Islands will compromise a bit on price or agree to refresh paintwork, flooring, fittings or outside areas to sweeten the rental contract. If it’s not a reduction in monthly rent, it could be an agreement to reduce the security or pet damage deposit. Every landlord wants a trouble-free tenant with impeccable references, and many can be persuaded to negotiate terms if you tick all their boxes. 

Pets: If you have a pet, or are thinking about getting one once you’re here, make sure your landlord agrees and, if you are in a condo or strata development,  that the rules of the strata management do not have restrictions regarding pets. If your lease permits a tenant to keep pets, then expect there to be a damage deposit – either refundable or as a built-in cost to pay for cleaning at the end of your lease. This type of problem should be easily handled in the rental agreement.

Hire a Professional: It’s a busy market, and hiring a real estate management service will definitely save you time going through columns of listings for the Cayman Islands home rentals. Real estate agents have extensive local knowledge, and once your wants, needs and budget are understood, your chosen agent will be able to offer informed advice and present the various options available to you. Doing it yourself is perfectly feasible, but it can take a lot of time and effort, so hiring a professional agent is really in your best interests and a lot more efficient. 

[caribbean-medical-schools]

Top Medical Schools in the Cayman Islands: Your Path to Medical Success

Discover the leading medical schools in the Cayman Islands with our comprehensive guide, designed to help prospective medical students find the right educational institution. The Cayman Islands are home to prestigious schools offering rigorous medical programs and cutting-edge training. Our resource provides essential details about each institution, including their curricula, admission requirements, and unique advantages. Explore the benefits of studying medicine in the Cayman Islands, such as advanced facilities and expert faculty. Whether you're beginning your medical career or seeking further education, our guide will help you make an informed choice for your future.

[multipleservicelisting]

The tourists who believe travel restrictions don’t apply to them

(CNN) — As pandemic quarantines go, this might be the best: sprawling on a hotel balcony overlooking azure Caribbean waters as you bake gently in the sun.

But it isn’t enough for some.

The past month has seen a slew of high-profile cases of tourists getting in trouble for breaking the rules while on a sun-and-sand vacation.

In December, Skylar Mack, an American student, was jailed for two months when she flew to the Cayman Islands and, instead of quarantining for two weeks at her hotel as the law obliged her to do, popped out two days later to attend a jet ski competition in which her boyfriend was competing.

In January, former British beauty queen and model Zara Holland and her boyfriend Elliott Love quarantined at her four-star hotel in Barbados for the required five days, before taking a second PCR test, as is required for travelers from high risk countries. So far, so good — except that when Love’s second test came back positive, rather than face further quarantine, the couple made a dash to the airport to try and catch a flight home.

Then there was the British couple, again in Barbados, who tried to spice up self-isolation by inviting a local resident over for sex (she was caught climbing over the hotel fence), and the Jamaican tourist who popped out of his hotel quarantine for a soft drink — and has ended up doing jail time.

Staying put in the sun seems like the easiest thing anyone’s been asked to do so far in the pandemic — so why are people breaking the rules?

‘Switching off’

Countries around the world have implemented travel restrictions. Shown here: a testing center in Rome.

Antonio Masiello/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images

“Whenever people are presented with an extremely frightening scenario, previous research has shown that they switch off,” says clinical psychologist Bhavna Jani-Negandhi, who believes that health warnings should be at an “optimal level for people to take notice.”

In the case of, say, the harmful effects of smoking, warnings can be tailored up or down, to increase the chance of people taking note. But with regulations that need to be kept at a certain level to protect the local population, it’s not possible to beat about the bush.

In the pandemic, says Jani-Negandhi, “facts cannot be tailored. It seems that some people are behaving in a manner that would suggest they are switching off to the facts — believing that it will not happen to them and that only the most vulnerable are at risk.”

What’s more, according to one travel industry expert, the lack of coherency on travel restrictions across the globe doesn’t help.

“There’s no consistency, and travelers are being badly misled by the fact that there are no global rules,” says Paul Charles, Virgin Atlantic’s former director of communications who now runs his own PR consultancy, The PC Agency, and has become something of a thorn in the UK government’s side over its regular flip-flopping of travel regulations.

Charles has a vested interest in getting the travel industry back up and running, of course; but he believes a global approach, led by the G20 countries, would be the ideal way forward.

He says that a “global consistent testing program, so that everybody could be tested on departure with high-quality results within 30 minutes” would transform the way we are currently traveling (or not).

However, in the meantime, he says, any restrictions have to be enforced for travelers to behave them.

“I think the rules have to be fully supported by law — in a pandemic, you have to have strict enforcement so you achieve the outcome of lower infection rates and lower deaths,” he says.

“That’s perhaps been one of the issues — governments haven’t backed up tougher rules with tougher enforcement. Economies around the world are being ruined because people are breaking the law, meaning tougher measures are being put in place for longer.”

‘It only takes one uncaring person’

Skylar Mack was jailed when she broke her 14-day quarantine, two days in

Courtesy Jeanne Mack

Strict enforcement is exactly what the Cayman Islands are going for. As far back as January 2020, “We began planning and preparing for what we expected to be the eventual arrival of the virus on our shores,” says Roy Tatum, Head of the Office of the Premier, Alden McLaughlin.

Early measures included bans on travel from affected countries, and additional screening of arrivals. But despite precautions, the first case of Covid-19 was confirmed in March. In response, the islands closed their borders and implemented a 14-day quarantine in government-controlled facilities for anyone entering the country, as well as implementing lockdowns and curfews, closing schools, and restricting access to care homes, hospitals, prisons and breaches.

The result? As of January 10, just 359 cases and two deaths during the entire pandemic.

“We have sacrificed much since the initial lockdown at the end of March, which has helped eliminate the virus within our local community,” says Tatum. “Today, people are able to live somewhat normal lives and many businesses have been able to open.

“The only way the virus is able to reinfect our community is if it arrives on our shores from the outside.”

But since “hundreds” of residents were prosecuted and fined for breaking the initial lockdown, there have been just seven potential quarantine breaches investigated, two of which have gone to court.

Skylar Mack was visiting her boyfriend, Vanjae Ramgeet, a Cayman Islands resident, when she fell foul of the law in November.

Allowed in as the partner of a resident, she should have quarantined for two weeks.

Instead, after just two days, she removed the tracking device that was making sure she stayed in one place, and joined her boyfriend at his jet ski event.

When police caught up with her, she was found to be not wearing a mask, and not social distancing.

Her initial sentence of four months in jail was halved on appeal in December. Ramgeet received an equal sentence.

But despite protestations from her family, who appealed to US President Donald Trump for help, and received a supportive tweet from his son, Eric, the authorities of the Cayman Islands — a self-governing British Overseas Territory — have not backed down.

“Should Covid-19 become widespread in our small community it would be potentially devastating,” says Tatum.

“We are talking about a disease that has the ability to kill people and destroy an economy. That the reason why anyone who deliberately flouts the important public health laws and regulations of our Islands that are in place to protect the wider population, should be subject to strict penalties.

“There also needs to be a deterrent to ensure people understand the seriousness of the virus and the importance of the public health law and regulations.

“It only takes one careless, uncaring person to move about our community to create serious health issues, including potential death by restarting community transmission.

“We have a small population and a close community that still treasures and respects our elders, who, as we all know, are very high risk.

“In addition, if the Cayman Islands had to go back into a lockdown situation, the effect on our local economy, and the impact on our children, elderly and indeed the broader population, would be considerable.”

‘You must be held accountable’

Barbados is allowing tourism, but travelers must quarantine on arrival.

Shutterstock

So far this year, it’s Barbados that has hit the headlines for tourists behaving badly, as they flock to the Caribbean. Many of thse traditional alternative winter sun destinations are out of bounds due to closed borders, which perhaps explains the slew of offenders descending on the region.

When Elliott Love, ensconced in the plush beachside Sugar Bay hotel, tested positive, he and girlfriend Zara Holland cut off their quarantine wristbands and checked out.

They caught a taxi to the airport and attempted to board a plane for the nine-hour flight back to the UK, knowing that the new UK variant is thought to be up to 70% more transmissible.

They were arrested as they went through security on December 29. Holland was given a $12,000 (US$5,900) fine, instead of a nine-month prison sentence, and was bailed for an undisclosed amount. Love — who was tried several days later, when he was no longer testing positive for the virus — was fined $8,000 ($4,000).

Neither Holland or the couple’s lawyer responded to a request for comment.

But they’re not the only tourists behaving badly in Barbados. On January 1, Swiss national Ismail Elbagli was fined $6,000 (US$3,000) when he left the hotel where he was quarantining, having tested positive.

Elbagli argued that his wife had received a call confirming a negative test that morning, and assumed it covered both of them. His fine was reduced from $8,000 in light of the circumstances.

In reaction to social media outcry that white tourists were being fined, while the only Black rule-breaker was jailed, Chief Magistrate Ian Weekes told the court that prison terms were a last resort, if paying a fine was not an option.

Neither the Barbados tourist board nor the government were available to comment on the restrictions.

However, Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George has laid the blame for the island’s increasing case numbers partially at the door of rule-breaking tourists.

And in a video posted to Facebook shortly before Holland’s trial, Prime Minister Mia Mottley said: “We are very clear that on those persons who are visiting us, and to the extent that anyone is breaching our protocols, the government of Barbados through the Covid Monitoring Unit will take the necessary action for any visitors.

“We believe that by far the majority of them are compliant, but the handful who have chosen to ignore our mores, ignore our customs, ignore our laws and guidelines… you must be held accountable.”

Why one traveler broke the rules

One traveler broke the UK lockdown to travel to Venice in June.

Andrea Pattaro/AFP/Getty Images

So what’s going on in the heads of people when they break the law when traveling?

For one rule-breaker, it was merely the idea of seeing how far they could go.

The UK resident, who requested to remain anonymous for fear of losing his job, told CNN he traveled from London to Venice for a vacation in June while the UK was still in lockdown and all but essential travel was banned.

“It was at the end, when lockdown was about to be lifted, and the news was saying how people are booking holidays and everything was getting booked up. I thought, I want to travel, but not with the crowds — when it’s still quiet,” he says.

“I’d seen images of famous landmarks being empty, so it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance.”

At the time, Italy was allowing travelers from the UK, so he was breaking no rules on arrival, even though he was on departure. “I didn’t see it as breaking the rules too much — I was thinking for myself, basically,” he says.

“Italy was more safe at that point than the UK, so by going, Italy was more at risk — but they were the ones with the open borders.”

He flew via Dublin, which was locked down at the time, but allowing transit passengers.

“But I had a couple of hours between flights and out of curiosity wanted to test what happened,” he says.

So instead of staying in the airport, as he was obliged to do, he went outside — and nobody stopped him.

“I was looking for a bus to the city center to see if there was time to get a Guinness. But there was no shuttle, and with nothing running I didn’t want to spend too much money on Ubers.”

The UK traveler doesn’t see his infractions in the same light as those travelers to the Caribbean who he calls “bad” and “irresponsible.”

But he says that one thing that made him feel comfortable with traveling when he shouldn’t, was seeing footage of travelers arriving in the UK at the start of lockdown. The UK never closed its borders (and has only recently stopped arrivals from countries exposed to the new South African variant); but when Passenger Locator Forms and then quarantine were introduced, travelers were filmed arriving, clearly unaware of the restrictions.

“That’s why I felt pretty safe [breaking the rules],” he says.

He also says that on return to the UK’s Stansted airport, he was not asked for his Passenger Locator Form, or told to quarantine for 14 days, as he was obliged to do at that point. He did do so, though says that a couple of days afterward, quarantine restrictions were lifted so he ventured out.

Psychologist Bhavna Jani-Negandhi says his behavior is understandable.

“When people see others break the rules, then they could wonder why different rules apply and they might try getting away with it,” she says.

But for some, arriving in countries where the travel restrictions are enforced by the law may come as a sharp surprise.

from Multiple Service Listing https://ift.tt/3nIuzJe

[thedaveandkimmershow]

The way Kimmer figured out the math is that we’ve been dating for thirty years as of today, July 5, 2020.

Me, I think it’s possible we’ve been dating for twenty-nine years if it turns out we were going out for three months before I proposed. To which Kimmer says

Nope.

We were going out about a year... then I popped the question. So...

Thirty years.

I’m pretty sure it’s not a normal thing for couples to remember the day and month of their first date... it’s just that for us it was the day after the Fourth of July.

So pretty easy for us to remember.

That makes it July 5, 1990.

Can you imagine that?

19.

90.

We were having a late lunch/early dinner last night at Anthony’s Beach Cafe in Edmonds and Kimmer started wondering about the Way Back When of our relationship. Like what songs or bands do we remember from when we first started going out. Of course that quickly turned into what songs or bands do we remember from high school... then jr. high... then grade school.

Kimmer’s better at that kind of thing than I. All I had was the classic rock and new wave from my high school years. She could actually pull things out going all the way back to her grade school years.

Then we did the same thing with movies... although this one was easier ‘cause it was just what are the movies we watch the most?

Easy A. Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day. Pirates of the Caribbean 1-4. America’s Sweethearts. Notting Hill. About A Boy. The Wedding Singer. 50 First Dates. 

And so on.

Next was places we’ve been. All the places we traveled to during our years together. Which is pretty much the entire west coast. Medical Lake and Spokane, WA. Silverwood, Idaho. Orlando, FL. Key West. Castaway Cay, The Bahamas. Cozumel, Mexico. Grand Cayman Islands. The Netherlands. Vancouver, BC. Victoria, BC. Grouse Mountain. Nanaimo. Juneau, Ketchikan, and Sitka, Alaska.

Pretty sure that’s mostly it.

Think of them as rings in the cross section of tree that describes our history.

Today we pulled a page out of our early dating years which, come to think of it, hasn’t changed much over the years but for a decade when we were super organized even with our free time. That came and went pretty quick, though, and this morning we got up when we got up, left our place when we left it, had plans but didn’t hesitate to change them on the fly.

We were actually on our way to The Cactus Restaurant right there at the tip of Alki but, as we were passing Salty’s, Kimmer said

“Hey! Let’s eat at Salty’s!”

So I turned the car around and we ate.

At Salty’s.

Just the two of us, outside on the upper deck. We managed to turn up a few minutes before the restaurant actually opened... so there weren’t a ton of people there while we were there.

Which made it super peaceful.

Restful.

Relaxing.

With a slight breeze.

Great food & drink.

Awesome wait staff.

Friendly guests at the table next to ours (more than six feet away).

And a righteous view of Seattle across Eliot Bay.

Anyway.

The way Kimmer figured out the math, we’ve been dating for thirty years as of today, July 5, 2020.

Thirty years.

And you know what?

In all that time, regardless of circumstance... God. Even regardless of this circumstance or these circumstances... our dates have always been a bubble we conjure from thin air that allows the two of us to be... just the two of us. That allows the sizzle and energy that was there from Day One... to continue to thrive freely.

I don’t know as that’s the key to our relationship... but it sure feels like one. After all, without the opportunity to energize our couplehood... I’m not sure how well we’d be able to do all the other things we that we do.

You now what I mean?

So I say HUZZAH! to 30 years of dating.

:-)

[sarahhlouisee]

10 Things About Me

Tagged by @runpeachy

1.) I’m a runner. I hope to eventually do a half marathon but don’t have quite enough motivation yet. Maybe this will be the year. I have started stair climbing at Red Rocks Amphitheatre to get some more muscle in my legs!

2.) I’m from the beautiful state of Colorado. My home <3

3.) I graduate nursing school in May. I am going to work for two years, and then apply to medical school. My dream is to be a doctor and help those in my country and help those around the world as well. Sounds super cheesy but I genuinely feel that is the reason I am here on Earth.

4.) I am obsessed with cats. This shouldn’t be a surprise

5.) I am also obsessed with traveling. Both touristy traveling and diving into the culture traveling. I have done touristy trips like cruises and non-touristy trips like staying in villages in Africa. 

6.) I have been to 18 countries. These include the US, Mexico, Costa Rica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, The Bahamas, Jamaica, Turks and Caicos, Aruba, The Cayman Islands, France, Belgium, Italy, Turkey, Croatia, Greece, India, and Madagascar. 

7.) Hiking and Photography are my favorite hobbies. I have thousands of photos on my computer that I need to move into photo albums. I have been hiking since I was a little girl and I have done two 14ers. Hope to do more soon!

8.) I am obsessed with Starbucks. White Chocolate Mocha and Chai Tea Lattes are my faves.

9.) I am also obsessed with Disney. Like, embarrassingly so. I know every word to pretty much every disney song, and my favorite place in the world is Disney World in Orlando, Florida. It is a very nostalgic place for me.

10.) I am trying to pick up drawing flowers as another hobby and it is going terribly. I am not an artist what so ever and I don’t practice everyday as I should!

I tag @misseljebel Have fun!

[rhysand-vs-fenrys]

Obligatory Cruise Rehash!

Jamaica was really amazing in terms of just seeing a new perspective. The port there was strictly sealed- zero locals without a permit and limited interactions because the area around the port was so poor- they got mad at us for snapping pics of the shantytown as we drove past. It was such a sharp difference in terms of how it was presented vs how it is, it was both incredibly depressing and interesting- the world they didn't want us to see.

Our tour at that stop was a river tube ride for about 2 hours on a river that wound through an old sugar plantation. The man who had owned it when the slave rebellions started loved his slaves, had them eat with him in the main house, bought them clothes and candy, let them choose their work, and built slave hospitals. He also forced the kids to attend school and learn to read, so when the revolt happened, his property alone was spared (and he gave each slave a share of the profits from the land they worked afterwards). The buildings were in disrepair, but that just made it even cooler- all these old ruins appearing through the jungle. The history was so amazing, and all the old buildings overlooked the river. I got 19 mosquito bites (so if I get some horrible disease, that's why), but still!

One bad thing there- where we did the tubing there were also zip lines for other groups. A family from our ship (adult kids and parents) were doing them the same time as a few other groups. The woman pulled her handbreak on accident and didn't know how to release it. While they were talking her through it, their second guide heard one of the other group leaders say "go", so he sent her husband (it was a bit of a weird spot where they couldn't see either end of the line). He collided with his wife, they were both knocked out, and since her break was still on they couldn't pull them in. According to the people we rode back to port with (who were in their group) the woman's ankle "was completely backwards", she broke her jaw, her husband broke ribs and maybe hand. It took 20 minutes to get them down. The guides broke sticks to splint her leg, cut down some 180-foot bamboo to lay across the bus seats, and put both on backboard to be taken to the hospital. Both were screaming (we heard that part) and the roads in the area weren't paved, so the ride to the hospital must have been hell...

Back to the cruise review main::: George Town, Grand Cayman was fun, but completely tourist-ie. No local culture at all near the pier, but we got to go snorkeling over an old shipwreck in the harbor, which was badass!!! I do love history and culture on a trip, so it was kind of disappointing in that regard, but the water was lovely.

Didn't get to kayak at Great Stirrup Cay, someone got hurt or sick on the ship overnight (unrelated to the Jamaica incident) and we had to do an emergency turnaround to Cozumel, Mexico (but we stayed at sea and the stop only lasted long enough for a medical boat to come get the girl who was hurt/sick/whatever), so we missed Great Stirrup Cay. That was just the private island for the cruise company though, no culture or locals. I was looking forward to the kayaking more than the island.

Nassau, Bahamas was the worst stop tbh. It was pretty, but the port was wide open, opposed to Jamaica, so as soon as we got off the boat there was an army of taxi drivers trying to grab us and pull us to their cab. I had to give a few hard shoves, my idea of hell is pushy cabbies... we did a segway tour there that was a lot of fun, but the company was kind of a nightmare. They didn't budget for time so we didn't get any of the history tour stops we were supposed to and had to run for the boat or be left behind. It was ridiculous, the tour started 2 hours late because they forgot to reserve enough segways for everyone and had to wait for a group to return....

But the ship itself was nice! We had 3 full days at sea, where I went from one side of the ship to the other (staying in shade) just chilling on couches by the rail so I could watch the water. Got very little reading done, a lot of writing, and just in general relaxed. Won money at the casino, tried new foods, did some Christmas shopping (and bought myself a $75 perfume!), and just took a ton of sky pictures ^_^

I will share more pics later on, I am still traveling (it will take all day to get home), and tomorrow morning I will pick up Riley and Jessie!!!

[travelmantis-blog]

Cayman Islands Schools and Education

Being a British Overseas Territory, the system of education on the Cayman Islands is clearly influenced by this. Bearing in mind that there are many international students who live on the Cayman Islands, courtesy of the fact that their parents live and work on the islands, it is relevant to consider the educational opportunities that are available there.

Introduction to Education on the Cayman Islands

Not only is there is the opportunity to enroll for pre-school as well as primary and secondary school on the Cayman Islands, it is also possible to attain a variety of higher education qualifications while there.

In general, the Cayman Islands boasts high levels of education at all levels. There is the opportunity to enroll your child at a public school which is run by the government, or alternatively at a private school. The government policy on education requires that all children aged between 4 years and 9 months to the age of 17 years be enrolled at school. Therefore if you are an expatriate who lives and works on the islands, and you have school going children, it is imperative that you fulfill this requirement.

As a general rule, the Caymanian government encourages expatriates to send their children to private schools. This may be a good idea taking into account that you may only be on the islands for a limited number of years, and you will want to ensure that your children have access to education that will allow them to shift to another country, or your home country when the time comes.

If you do have a budget constraint in terms of sending your children to a private school, which you will have to pay for separately, the alternative is to make an application to a public school. The Caymanian government will entertain such requests taking into account your income bracket as well as whether there are places available in the public schools.

Note that Caymanians and permanent residents will not be required to pay for their children to attend public schools.

It is strongly advised that you explore the private school education options before uprooting your family and bringing them to the island with you.

Documentary evidence

If you are an expatriate worker, then in order for your family to live with you, you will have to met with immigration officials and provide copies of your work permit as well as apply for dependency permits for your family. If you have school-aged children, you will need to provide documentary evidence that they have been accepted into a local private school before your work permit can be stamped allowing them to come onto the island as your dependants.

It is also relevant to note that some private schools require the child to sit for an entrance examination or a placement test prior to acceptance. Once acceptance is confirmed, you will need to make an initial deposit to confirm enrolment before the school year commences.

The Caymanian government requires that all children starting school on the Cayman Islands complete a health screening before the school year begins, or before the child starts school on the island. This documentation will include your child’s immunization records as well. You will be required to obtain a Health Screening Certification and can opt to do this either at the Public Health Department or privately.

The health screening will include not only a general medical requirements but also sight and hearing tests as well as blood typing and speech and mental development. It is fairly comprehensive and you should allocate about half a day for the screening to be completed. It is also useful to bring along any documentation of family medical history that you have available in order to simplify this process.

If you are transferring your child from another school, it will be useful to bring along copies of transcripts and other academic and non-academic data for the purposes of your application to the new school.

At its discretion, the government can require students aged between 10 to 17 years to be drug tested (and you should not take this negatively) and also require character references for the child.

Public / State Schools

If you are considering enrolling your child in a public school, you will be required to pay a nominal fee of CI$750 per year for primary school, an annual fee of CI$900 for middle school and an annual fee of CI$1200 for high school. Note that this does not cover the cost of books and study materials and school uniforms that will have to be paid for separately.

In order to enroll your child in a government or public school, you will have to register your child with the Department of Education before the end of July. For the purposes of enrolling your child, the documentation that is required includes :

The child’s birth certification

Your passport

The original immunization card

Documentation proving the child’s residency category – this is normally found with reference to the child’s passport or a status letter issued by Immigration

Proof of residential address via a utility bill or a tenancy agreement which should be notarized.

Ideally you should take the originals of these documentation as well as two copies of each for the purposes of submission to the Department of Education.

It is useful to remember that there is no guarantee that your child will be allocated a seat in a public school and you will have to prove that you are unable to afford to send your child to an international school in order for your application to be considered.

Private schools on the Cayman Islands

There are a variety of options available for private school on the Cayman Islands. Depending on whether you are interested in providing your child with exposure to the British school syllabus or the American school system, you can choose the schools accordingly. The two private schools that conduct the British school system are Cayman Pre and High School, and St Ignatius. Enrolment is available for children aged 4 years by September of the relevant year. If you are opting for the American school system, then you should consider enrolling your child either at Cayman International School or Triple C. Here you can enroll your child from the age of 5 years.

If you have children who have already completed high school, there is the option of attending the International College of the Cayman Islands and the University College of the Cayman Islands for higher education.

A useful tip is to register your child early in any of these institutions as there is no guarantee that there will be seats available when the time comes.

Private school fees

On average the school fees on the Cayman Islands for private schools is considered to be reasonable compared to many parts of the world. If you are looking at preschools, expect to pay about CI$8,000 per year for a full day. Alternatively, you can opt to enroll your child at a church-based school where the fees are only about CI$350 per month but note that religious studies are given a fair amount of focus in such schools.

If your child is aged between 5 or 6 years of age and about 11 years, then you should expect to pay about CI$3,000 to CI$15,000 per annum in school fees; while children in high school between the ages of 13 years to 17 years will be required to pay between CI$3500 to CI$17,000 per annum.

The general rule in private schools is that the first child will be required to pay full fees and each subsequent child enrolled from the same immediate family will be entitled to rebates of between 10 to 15 percent on the tuition fee. Fee payments are either to be made on a term basis or annually.

Special needs education on the Cayman Islands

The Caymanian government views the provision of special needs education as something that needs to be done and every effort has been made by the government to ensure that special needs kids have a solid learning platform.

If you are an expatriate with a special needs child, there are some options of private schools for special needs children that are worthwhile considering. In this regard, the government is very proactive in identifying special needs children and specifying the appropriate learning platforms that will be required.

One of the schools to be considered in this regard is the Lighthouse School.

Conclusion

All in all, for expatriate children, there is the opportunity to enroll in schools that provide international levels of education and since there is the opportunity to opt either for the American or British system of learning, most expatriates are able to rest easy that their children will be able to get world class education on the Cayman Islands.

[womeninbusinesspodcast]

How To Be An “Alpha Female” In the Investment Community? Evan Katz CEO of Crawford Ventures, Inc

Evan Katz is CEO of Crawford Ventures, Inc., a graduate of Wharton and Harvard Law School, and a twice-elected director on the Hedge Fund Association (HFA) Board of Directors (2014-2019).  He has received numerous finance and Wall Street awards and honors, and frequently speaks and is interviewed as an expert regarding hedge funds and investing in general, and also successful fundraising in particular.

Mr. Katz’s investor relationships include some 1,000 endowments, foundations, funds of funds, insurance companies, multifamily offices, pensions, and single-family offices, which collectively have several trillion dollars of investable capital, and allocate hundreds of billions of dollars to hedge funds (typically $10-$100+ million per investor per fund).

He and Crawford may be reached at (212) 904-0909, EKatz@CrawfordVentures.com.

“Best Practices from A to Z for Successful Hedge Fund Fundraising from Family Offices and Institutional Investors – 26 Top Fundraiser Secrets and Tips of the Trade” 

Tell us about yourself? – Grew up in Long Island, New York, was a finance major at Wharton, and then Harvard Law School (same class as Michelle Obama, then Michelle Robinson).First practiced intellectual propertylaw (patent, trademark, copyright and computer/Internet law).

Tell us about what you mean to be an Alpha Female in the investment community? – Play on words, because of the meanings of “Alpha Male” (aggressive) and hedge fund “alpha” (explain).

What type of funds do you raise investor capital for? – Mostly hedge funds, private equity funds, venture capital funds, and real estate funds.  I also raise investor capital for operating companies (mostly technology and medical life sciences companies).

What do investors look for when they invest in a fund? – The “Three P’s” – Performance (track record), pedigree (at or came from top firms), and process (e.g., infrastructure, repeatable edge).

How did you get into this business? – I was a practicing attorney, had a great career in intellectual property law, but discovered that I was even better at fundraising for my clients.

You support women in the investment world tell me a little bit about your experience? – We try to (a) hire women, and (b) raise capital for funds that are owned or managed by women.  And out of the 1,000 institutional and family office investors that we work with, many take that into account.

How is raising capital for a PE or VC Fund vs Hedge Fund Different? – Similar, but different professionals at the investors.  That is, different investor professionals cover HF, PE, VC, RE.

Tell us something that our listeners would find interesting about you? – Love to cycle, and had a wine-themed wedding.Also, very proud to have gotten 15 people jobs and 8 people married!

I saw you wrote 44 (previously 26 A-Z) Top Fundraiser Secrets and Tips of the Trade (Please share some of those secrets with our listeners) – PPT is on our website.  I will review several tips.

How can someone get a hold of you? –EKatz@CrawfordVentures.com.  And our website.

When you went to Wharton, what percentage of your class was women?  How did you feel about that?  And what do you think that it was like for the women? – About 15%.  Challenging.

How do those percentages compare to the HF and alternatives industry now? – Very similar.

You once mentioned that you have attended “100 Women in Hedge Fund” events, now “100 Women in Finance”.  What was that like being one of the only men in a room with 100-200 women? – Initially, awkward, then fine.  I also first met my wife at a 100 WIHF event.

How do you try to recruit and hire more women? – By every year attending dozens of finance, hedge fund and other Wall Street events.  And we used to attend women’s finance events, but now must do not let us do so.  So, we no longer can use that as a recruitment method.

How do you and the industry try to get more women and girls interested in finance and Wall Street? – It has to start when they are young, with math, science and the math/chess teams!  We recently did a CFO search, got 100 resumes and there was not one single female applicant.  Perhaps about half of hedge fund IR is female, but less than 10% of PM’s are.

How do the returns of woman-run funds compare to men-run funds? – Similar, but less tail risk!

And how do many women-run funds and global leaders tend to handle risk differently than most men? – I will discuss differences in both hedge funds and also in the response to Coronavirus.

Investors get hundreds of thousands of pitches a year.  And they often will not even open or read pitches from people they do not know.  So, hire someone who already knows investors and has longstanding relationships with them.  He or she will close orders of magnitude more investments then you cold calling.  Give the example of two people walking down the street.

Have the right fundraiser at your firm and fund.  For example, someone who knows investors that allocate to your fund type and strategy, and has raised money for such funds.

Similarly, a fundraiser who has raised money for a fund of your size and stage.

Pitch investors that are suitable for funds with your type of strategy, size and stage.  For example, if you are a higher volatility emerging manager, more family offices will allocate to you then most endowments and foundations, which tend to look for older and less volatility funds.

Nobody invests anymore in a one- or two-man or -woman band.  You need some infrastructure and people.  If you cannot afford great infrastructure, top service providers and a dedicated CFO, sell a piece of your management company in order to get operating capital.  Getting diluted a little will be more than made up for putting yourself in a position to make your fund 50-100x larger.  Would you rather own 100% of a $10 million fund, or 80% of a $500 million fund?

Stick with standard fund structures, places of incorporation (e.g., Delaware and Cayman) and also industry standard fee structures.  Give examples of HF and PE funds that had “better fee structures for the investors”.

Be nice to the administrative assistants and treat them with respect.  They deserve it and also are the ones who can help set up your investor calls and meetings.

“Polite Persistence” – Tick tock between e-mails and calls.  A non-response is not a no!

Make a fund video!  We live in a YouTube and video age.  It gives investors a “free look” at your fund and firm, without making them commit to a 30-minute call.

Make certain that your e-mails and PPT are mobile friendly.  Not minute font!

Never e-mail investors at night or over a weekend!  I work lots of nights and weekends, and schedule the e-mails to go out the next business morning.  All major e-mail apps support.

Highlight your fund’s strong points in your e-mail header

Always give some details in your e-mail.  Use bullet points.  But not too long.  And never just say “see the attached”!  Why they should bother to look.

Always attach your documents as PDF’s.  Do not use Dropbox links.  Investors cannot access them!  Explain why.  And they definitely cannot if they are on an airplane!

Don’t repeatedly call investors until they pick up.  They have Caller ID too!

Check out this episode!