I AM JAMAICAN!!!!

1, 2, 2...counting order change!!

Over the past two days, who would not be proud to be Jamaican? You cannot believe what a boost it has been to me, the only Jamaican here on campus...I am sure all around my dorm people must have been wondering what was happening with that girl for all the screaming I did yesterday!! Usain Bolt has lifted our heads high by his scintilating performance ...world record and olympic champion. Sorry about Asafa but there is hope for relay gold. And what can I say about the girls? They just brought it home! 1,2,2!!! I don't think that has ever happened in the olympics not to mention how the american were shut out! I am so happy! Let us just take this good news to raise our country higher...we little but we talawa!

That girl, that girl Shelly Ann!

The Bolt himself!!

Pray for all the other athletes that the achievements of the previous ones will inspire them to pull out all the stops and produce our best olympic result ever!

HOPE

Beautiful!!!


Yesterday while I was about to cook dinner, I looked out the kitchen window and saw my first Norwich rainbow. It was there just for a few moments then it was gone. But what a blessing those few moments were at that very point in time. It reminded me that I am not here alone....that there is indeed hope. I will complete my task because God says so. I am closer than I think to the end than I was at the beginning!

Last Lap

Trying to get something on screen... I will be very happy when I don't feel tied to a computer!

In the new 'rabbit hutch' trying to distill thoughts from all these papers and books!!

It really is the last lap. I am just about done! It seems though that the closer it comes the harder it gets. The dissertation has had me going. My thoughts are varied... going in many directions still not too concrete. That is the hardest part, watching the time go by without finding my way. I keep hope though because I believe that God is with me and he has brought me to this place and is more than able to finish the good work that he has started in me.

If you guys recall I am doing a comparative analysis of the employment dispute resolution mechanisms of the UK and Jamaica. This will look at methods used in collective disputes (those involving trade unions and employers) and individual disputes involving non-unionised workers and employers. The position in the UK is that trade union representation has dwindled in the wake of hostile government policies between 1980 - 1997, the Thatcher years. That in turn has led to less usage of collective mechanisms simply because there is not so much need for them and the perennial ethos of volunteerism in British Industrial Relations is still strong. Concurrently there has been the extraordinary growth of individual employment rights given to workers by statute and the provision of the Employment Tribunal system for enforcing these rights. This has eclipsed the role of the trade unions to a great degree while putting tremendous pressure on government resources to provide them.

In Jamaica we have almost the direct opposite. Our Industrial Relations is built on Trade Unions which are of course umbilically linked to politics. Like the UK the Jamaican government provides assistance in resolving collective disputes in the form of conciliation and arbitration (IDT) and there is still a strong emphasis on volunteerism in Industrial Relations. Unlike the UK, however there was no conscious government effort to thwart unionism. Yet in the wake of capitalism and globalisation their power and influence has waned. Thus though the collective mechanisms exist, and their usage by the unions remain, the segment of the working populace that has the benefit thereof is diminishing. Importantly while non-unionised persons in the UK have been granted protection by more and more legislation giving employment rights, Jamaica has remained stagnant. True there are certain basic rights provided by statute but the crux of the matter is there is no dedicated dispute resolution mechanism provided for the enforcement of these rights rudimentary as they are. The IDT is not accessible to non-unionised persons, only unionised persons may approach. Where does that leave that 80% of Jamaica's non-represented workforce?

Well let me get back to it... and try to make all of what I just said coherent! Remember to keep praying for me and all of us trying to finish work like this. I am really ready to get done and go home right now.

Celebrating Jamaica's Emancipation & Independence - London Style

Friday the 1st August was a holiday in Jamaica - then we celebrated the date when slavery was abolished back in 1834. On the 6th August we will celebrate the birth of our nation, Jamaica's Independence day. It will be the 46th anniversary of the date. A church service of praise and thanksgiving was held at the St. Martin-in-the-Field church, Trafalgar Square in the heart of London on Saturday August 2, 2008, which I had the pleasure of attending. It was a 'sold out' occasion whith the church which has a capacity to seat 825 having standing room only. We were priviledged to receive the Prime Minister's Independence message 4 days early, read by High Commissioner Burchell Whiteman. The sermon was excellent delivered by Reverend Jennifer Thomas, who was born in Jamaica. There were melodious songs from the London Seventh Day Adventist Male Voice Choir and the National Pledge said by children of the diaspora all bedecked in Bandana outfits. I also had the honour of showing my patriotism by being an usher/volunteer. I am so blessed to be a part of a warm country...I keep praying that the situation at home will improve... very soon.

Me with the JDF Cadets who were the flag bearers; they did an excellent job.High Commissioner and Mrs. Whiteman with the children of the Diaspora

On Sunday August 3, I also attended a Funday at Chrystal Palace which was in aid of the Jamiaca Basic School Foundation. It was also again a blessing to see so many people identifying with being Jamaican and I 'buck up' a few friends and family... I pray that this gives me some impetus to really get going on the dissertation that so far has been eluding me...again your earnest prayers are requested. Anneke, Adenekie and the Nigerian Chika...all attending LSE.The Cast of The Harder They Come - the musical was in attendance and performed .... I plan to go and see it before I go home in SeptemberMe, Gail and 'wiggle'...yes she in happily in the 'family way' The lovebirds Anneke and Andrew

Fate... I saw David Fraser and his brood. Aren't they tooo cute?Enjoying some cotton candy on the fair grounds

Church Boat Outing to Blakeney

And so it was on July 27, my church arranged a boat trip out to the Norfolk coast to see a colony of seals. It was a great day out very sunny and we were able to do a picnic. We also visited the lighthouse station and went to the 'beach'. Now this place does not hold a candle to even the worst Jamaican beach... no white sand and no palm trees, just lots of stones and cold water. Needless to say I did not venture in! Here are the highlights. Kids at the beach... see the stones and gravel!Me ... with the lighthouse station in the backgroundMe on the boat ....it was cold by my standardsOur boat crew

Some of the seals.... they were fun to look at.

Norwich - Dog Country

Whoever coined the phrase ' dog is man's/woman's best friend' must have been a resident of Norwich. Man! Since I have been here I have seen a proliferation of Dogs; it appears that almost every household has at least 1 dog ...not being racist but I mean white household for I have yet to come accross a black family with a dog. I wonder why that is? Anyway I have seen all types and breeds, those I only see on TV to ones I never knew existed, like a Newfoundland....have you ever heard of that one? So I have seen poodles, dalmations, bearded terriers, chiwawas(?) labradors, St. Bernards just to name a few. Now this has been an easy task because just outside my school of study is a public park...Earham Park that is the treat for a dog and his owner. I have seen many people being walked by dogs and not the other way around! Having a dog is no cakewalk though, as the dogwalking session has to be fit into the daily routine or you will find your house in a real state of distress. It has been quite interesting watching it all. There are many concessions made for them like aisles in supermarkets dedicated to their wellbeing and parlours for hygeine. Along with having a dog comes the responsiblity of cleaning up! For that reason alone I would not go for that animal comradry, but I will occcaionally pet one when given the opportunity! A man and his pooch taking a walk on a beautiful summer day in Earlham Park, just outside the Law school.A sign in the park heralding the responsibilities of dog ownership.Yep...you gotta bag its and stow it properly....Or you will pay!
When in Rome, do as the romans do! Here I am petting my english classmate Helen's Labradodle WALTON (yes he is a cross between a Labrador and a Poodle) on my first visit to her home for 'tea'. He was just 6 weeks old back then in November. Now he is a huge beast!

The Final Coursework

Well, well! It has come to this. I can vividly remember during the orientation process the Head of school and employment law LLM course director Gareth Thomas telling us that we had no exams but rather would proceed through assessed coursework. We had to undertake 3 courses during the year and write 6 pieces of coursework, with a 5,000 word limit on each over a 10 month period (2 for each course). I was happy to a point about this because I am not a great fan of exams. But as time went on I realised that maybe exams were not so bad after all. When you have to do papers there is so much more that is expected and the research aspect is very rigorous; hours and hours of reading and distilling thoughts. You may read a 30 page article and only get 1 point... but alas, that is the way it goes. For me, submission of the final coursework was delayed as I was afforded an extension since I trekked home. So it had to go in on the 16th July by 3p.m. Can I tell you that it seems this was the hardest one? But then again each one seemed harder than the previous one. I was up all night... and even until 10 am on the day I was still not done. But I finally got it! I know that the hand of God was there typing away with me because of my own strength I would have most surely failed. Thanks especially to Paul and Timmy for thier prayers and support. All that is now over and the great challenge is firmly on the path before me... the 15,000 word dissertation then it will be all over. That is due for submission in September. Will keep you posted!!!

The paper is complete! Practical Employment Law Coursework# 2

Heading to law school from the library to submit my 'labour of love'