Seven people you always want to tip

1. Your gardener: there's no doubting that it's back breaking work trying to get your hedges in tip top shape so why not show a little more gratitude for a job well done.

2. Your mechanic: Though you may have developed a good relationship over the years it's always good to keep your car guy happy, you never know when you'll be stranded on the road after midnight.

3. Your babysitter: Let's be honest kids are a handful, whether its a toddler or a teenager the struggle to keep up and keep in line are very real. Let your sitter know he/she is truly appreciated. You might just need them in a pinch when you have a hot date.

4. Your waiter/waitress: If you're a regular at your favourite eatery there's nothing wrong with letting your favorite server know that you appreciate the service they render. You never know when you'll need to skip the long lines at dinner/lunch or when they'll score you an extra side or two on the house.

5. Your barber/hairdresser: Let's admit it we all like to look, smell and feel good and there's nothing that boosts your confidence like a fresh cut or a new do. Walking out the barbershop/hairdresser felling like a million bucks is tantamount to winning the lottery so show the love where its due.

6. Your tailor: unless you have a typical body frame you'll need some help to get that dress/jeans/suit to fit like a glove. These people can work wonders with a scissors and a sewing kit so don't be afraid to make these material magicians feel appreciated.

7. Your tire repair guy: if you live on an island like I do getting a flat on your way to work is just as easy as getting one on your way home from work. Either way it's the last thing you want to deal with at the time. Hopefully you have a spare and can make it to the tire repair shop. Luckily with the increase of imported cars in Antigua the tire repair industry here in Antigua is booming. If there's a regular spot that you patronize no harm in slipping him an extra five to show your appreciation.

At the end of the day good service is good service and when you come across someone who embraces that mantra feel free to show your appreciation.

Written by Shawn N. Maile

Before I'm 30

Life seemed so much easier during childhood. I saw my parents coming and going to and from work with what I thought was little effort on their part.I paid no attention to the gravity of the situation that was my life as at the time ignorance was most definitely bliss. I had no inclination as to what it took to survive in the real world as my duties were eat,sleep, school repeat.

Now my childhood is gone and I realize that the mother and father I once idolized were mere mortals. Born with a flaw that my childish eyes could never have detected. But alas I have come to know life for what it is, "the sum of my choices". I thank them for some they've made and wonder about those they didn't.

At 28 I find myself on a constant soul searching mission, desperately trying to figure it all out. Some days the answer seems all to clear:get an education, get a job and get married THE END. Other days it's just not that simple. On the days I seem to have it all figured out, all is at peace but on the days when nothing goes according to plan all hell breaketh loose. If I'm honest though I've made some mistakes along the way. Some laughable some not. Some that will take a life time to repay, others that will be forgotten in a day.

Now at 28 my journey into adulthood continues. The choices I've made and failed to make have brought me to this junction. There is no clear path forward but before I turn 30 I sure would like to figure some of it out.

OFF THE GRID

Every now and then we all need some time alone. Some time with just you and your thoughts. No cell phone, no tablet, no internet, just you and nature. Anyone who works in the social services sector knows that in any given day your day can go from 0-160 and stay there till the end of the day. All that being said, I had to unplug from the matrix. So I packed my hiking bag (Western Pack) laced up my Puma’s and took off on my off the grid adventure.

Instead of taking the usual path to the top of Monks Hill I decided to take a path we used to take as children growing up in Falmouth. What I didn’t know was that this area was now over grown and literally a jungle to get through, but determined as I was I pressed forward. I left home at 5:05 and by 5:15 I had scaled a fence and pushed through more stinny nectle^ than I ever had in my life. By 5:25 I had climbed a huge boulder and made my way through the rest of the bushes. As I started my climb up the hill I realized that my chest was heaving and hoeing like I was running from the police. Looking back and seeing the sun setting off to the west caused me to take a moment to take in the sights and snap a few pics. I picked up the trail to the plateau but again decided to go in a direction that I hadn’t taken in a long time. I ducked under a few fallen trees and was making progress. A turtle dove caught my eye off to the right of the path and I paused for a few to enjoy nature at its best. I’ve never really been one for bird watching but just standing there watching this creature in its element was calming.

I made a path up the side of a cliff and stumbled upon a few tombstones. I figured this must have been the burial ground I had heard so much about as a child but couldn’t recall if I had seen it before or not. I snapped a few pictures of these soldiers as they slept and kept on moving. It was a bit ironic coming across some “jumby”* beads after passing through a graveyard not moments earlier.

Ten minutes later and I had arrived at my destination. Monks Hill. From this spot I could see all of Falmouth, Cobbs Cross, and parts of English Harbour and Picadilly. Falmouth Harbor lay before me with its entire splendor. A few boats were docked in the harbor while some sailed around no doubt to the enjoyment of those aboard.

My sunlight was fading so I struck my tent. It took me all of five minutes. I laid out the contents of my bag; sleeping bag, two bottles water, two cups yogurt, a cheese sandwich, sweat pants, hoodie, video camera, pen, paper and David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell.

Now that I had “unpacked”, I proceeded to watch the sunset. As I sat there thinking of nothing and everything at the same time, two thoughts came to mind; this is probably how the scene from the Bible looked when Jesus was tempted by the devil having him look down on the city below him and offering it to him. My next thought was “I must be out my mind”. I sat enjoying the ambiance until the sun was way behind the hills. I brought no flashlight so had to resort to my camera light as my reading light.
I dozed in and out of sleep for the next four hours, waking up every four to eight minutes to check the time. Guess your body needs time to adjust when you’re sleeping in the middle of nowhere. By 1 am I was up and about. Took a bathroom break and stayed outside for a bit enjoying the midnight breeze and embracing my solitude. I lay with my head outside the tent staring up at the moon hiding behind the cloud filled skies. Wondering how the universe was conspiring for and against me in its grand scheme of things. After a bit of light reading to set me back to sleep, I began to feel like I was right where I should be.

I was surprised that the sun wasn’t out in its entire splendor by 5:00AM. If the sun wasn’t up then why should I be? After all it was Sunday on an island, so I took another forty winks until 6:30. I sat on the cliff facing east and watched a herd of goats making their way down the hillside. I was so caught up in their movements that I didn’t realize the sun was rising. I caught it as it left the horizon in all its golden yellow majesty. The warmth I felt on the outside did not compare to that on the inside. I had been thinking of this adventure for quite a while now. It was good to finally have it as something I did rather than something I wanted to do.

^stinny nectle is the island equivalent to poison iv.
*jumby is the island equivalent of zombies.