A $350 Christmas tree? No thanks

As predicted, the annual BPSU party was off-the-hook and rammed once again. I really don’t know why I do it to myself every year but I joined the long line of people trying to get into the party. 

 It seemed to be the line to catch the last plane to heaven only to get to the door and find out that unless you are a BPSU member with ID “Thou shalt not enter the promised land.” Good thing this is Bermuda because you always know somebody who knows somebody. Anyway, I got my rusty dusty inside by hook or by crook.

It was wall-to-wall people talking, eating, drinking, dancing and having a Bermuda-ful time. Music was by ‘Juggling Jason’ with numerous musical dedications to Nelson Mandela. The last was the song ‘War” by Bob Marley. As he lowered the volume the choir sang: 

“We know we shall win because we are confident of the victory of good over evil.”

Maybe I should join the BPSU so next year I don’t have to wait in line like a scrub?


Christmas Trees

Once again its Christmas time and people are busily purchasing gifts, gift certificates, turkey, ham, eggnog and Christmas trees. 

I must admit I have given up on Santa Clause since about the age of five. To me, Christmas has never been about getting gifts but more about spending time with my family and getting fatter. 

Yet for many folks, they go all out with the whole Christmas tree thing spending upwards of $350 dollars for a 10ft tree. No worries as there are plenty of folks willing to take their money every year. Who said Bermudians don’t know how to make a buck? 

Maybe the OBA should consider the Christmas tree business as a form of revenue generation. They need only collect the trees after Christmas, hire folks throughout the year to water them and keep them alive for resale the following year.

Can I get a prize now, Mr Duperreault? 

The Round Table

At a recent function I was assigned to a specific table and told to go and see who I would be sharing the table with. I took one look at the list and figured that either I was placed at the wrong table or whoever did the arrangements had a strange sense of humour.

Listed at my table was Mr David Dodwell.

With me being pro-PLP and him pro-OBA, I figured this is either going to be a rowdy night or a silent night. One thing for sure, it was not looking like a holy night. 

Mr Dodwell walked in and shook everyone’s hand, said goodnight and then beelined to me and said,  “Goodnight, Mr. Famous”.  I returned the greeting.  

Sometime afterwards, he came over to my side of the table and I introduced him as ‘the tourism minister’ to my wife. We ended up talking about ways to improve tourism and how to make tourism more lucrative for Bermudians to enter the industry.

At one point, he spoke of how he follows my columns and hopes that I will follow and critique his from time to time.  

At the end of the night, we left the round table having a chance to view things from a different side of the table.  Perhaps this is our way forward as a country?