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A favourable World Cup impression <DIV class=KonaBody ssBEK="true">
A favourable World Cup impression
By Adrian Frater, News Editor
Western Bureau:
The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup is now under way and except for the hiccup experienced with regard to accreditation on the morning of the first warm-up game between the West Indies and Kenya at the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium, things have been rolling along quite smoothly.
While spectator support, especially for the first three warm-up games in Trelawny, failed to measure up to pre-tournament expectations, one could probably take comfort in the fact that some of the visiting fans are seemingly smitten by Jamaica as many favourable things are being said about our beauty and hospitality.
In fact, according to Pamella Mulder, the daughter of The Netherlands' coach Hans Mulder, she is already harbouring thoughts of coming back to Jamaica as a tourist in the future.
Insofar as the new Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium is concerned, it too has been winning a lot of admiration as no less a person than West Indies captain Brian Lara has been saying very nice things about the facility. In praising the facility, the world's best batsman said he hoped the venue would continue to host major international games in the future.
anti-social behaviour
Lara, who was criticised by airport workers for seemingly displaying anti-social behaviour on his arrival in Montego Bay, has apparently fallen in love with the beauty of Montego Bay and Falmouth, saying they were two lovely locations, which added an extra incentive to stage games at the Trelawny Stadium.
It would also appear that the great faith Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller has displayed in predicting that the Jamaican leg of the World Cup would be a success, has been spreading among a number of ordinary folks, the optimism of some bordering on the ridiculous.
A peanut vendor, who was charged the seemingly handsome sum of US$400 ($27,000) to obtain a permit to sell his nuts at the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium and Sabina Park for the duration of the tournament, had so much faith in the success of the tournament that he said he not only expect to recoup his investment but also make a decent profit.
The peanut vendor, who has increased the price of the customary $50 bag to a special World Cup rate of $100, said he felt absolutely proud to be a part of the World Cup setting and would be doing his best to sell Jamaica in a positive light to all the visitors he encountered during the tournament.
For my part, having had the pleasure of speaking to a few visitors and hearing the many wonderful things they have had to say about the beauty of Jamaica and the hospitality of our people, I can't help but wonder about the phenomenal impact we could have created had we spent more time properly preparing the country for this tournament.
I am still not convinced that we did as well as we could in terms of cleaning up towns such as Montego Bay, which remains a smelly frustration on account of poor drain cleaning. In addition, I believe more should be done to have our attractions create an indelible mark on the minds of our visitors.
In closing, it would be remiss of me not to salute the wonderful impact our volunteers and other support staff has been making. I experienced what they have been offering at the Trelawny Stadium and possibly for the first time in my life, I really understand why visitors are so glowingly about our hospitality.</DIV>
A favourable World Cup impression
By Adrian Frater, News Editor
Western Bureau:
The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup is now under way and except for the hiccup experienced with regard to accreditation on the morning of the first warm-up game between the West Indies and Kenya at the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium, things have been rolling along quite smoothly.
While spectator support, especially for the first three warm-up games in Trelawny, failed to measure up to pre-tournament expectations, one could probably take comfort in the fact that some of the visiting fans are seemingly smitten by Jamaica as many favourable things are being said about our beauty and hospitality.
In fact, according to Pamella Mulder, the daughter of The Netherlands' coach Hans Mulder, she is already harbouring thoughts of coming back to Jamaica as a tourist in the future.
Insofar as the new Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium is concerned, it too has been winning a lot of admiration as no less a person than West Indies captain Brian Lara has been saying very nice things about the facility. In praising the facility, the world's best batsman said he hoped the venue would continue to host major international games in the future.
anti-social behaviour
Lara, who was criticised by airport workers for seemingly displaying anti-social behaviour on his arrival in Montego Bay, has apparently fallen in love with the beauty of Montego Bay and Falmouth, saying they were two lovely locations, which added an extra incentive to stage games at the Trelawny Stadium.
It would also appear that the great faith Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller has displayed in predicting that the Jamaican leg of the World Cup would be a success, has been spreading among a number of ordinary folks, the optimism of some bordering on the ridiculous.
A peanut vendor, who was charged the seemingly handsome sum of US$400 ($27,000) to obtain a permit to sell his nuts at the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium and Sabina Park for the duration of the tournament, had so much faith in the success of the tournament that he said he not only expect to recoup his investment but also make a decent profit.
The peanut vendor, who has increased the price of the customary $50 bag to a special World Cup rate of $100, said he felt absolutely proud to be a part of the World Cup setting and would be doing his best to sell Jamaica in a positive light to all the visitors he encountered during the tournament.
For my part, having had the pleasure of speaking to a few visitors and hearing the many wonderful things they have had to say about the beauty of Jamaica and the hospitality of our people, I can't help but wonder about the phenomenal impact we could have created had we spent more time properly preparing the country for this tournament.
I am still not convinced that we did as well as we could in terms of cleaning up towns such as Montego Bay, which remains a smelly frustration on account of poor drain cleaning. In addition, I believe more should be done to have our attractions create an indelible mark on the minds of our visitors.
In closing, it would be remiss of me not to salute the wonderful impact our volunteers and other support staff has been making. I experienced what they have been offering at the Trelawny Stadium and possibly for the first time in my life, I really understand why visitors are so glowingly about our hospitality.</DIV>