International Cricket Match Referee, Dev Govindjee travels to the Caribbean

The Hilton Hotel
Bridgetown

Barbados

Tuesday 23 June 2015

It is almost a week since my arrival to Barbados to be a part of the Caribbean Premier League Cricket event which has 6 Franchise Teams playing across the 7 different Islands ( Countries) of the West Indies.

My flight path after leaving Port Elizabeth on Wed 17th took me on a BA flight to Johannesburg then to London Heathrow- having left ORTIA at 9.30 we landed around 7 a.m. ( London time) on the 18th – this was an anxious flight as I had to make sure I got from Heathrow to Gatwick in time for the flight to Barbados- fortunately I had arranged on internet for a cab to be waiting my arrival not knowing how long it would take through customs & passport control- the God’s were with me as the flight got in earlier than expected and I managed to exit in another hour to be met by the cab and within another hour I was at Gatwick- even had time to shower in the BA lounge and after a change of clothes it was a much more relaxed 8 hour flight into Bridgetown Barbados where the time is 6 hours behind that of SA.

Naturally the body clock needed to adjust and a week later this is still in rather chaotic mood and the waking hours have been virtually anytime – thankfully I can manage on clusters of short deep sleep so the waking hours finds me working.

Barbados is 21 miles long and 14 miles wide and the Island Map called “Ins & Outs of Barbados” gives the reader the following welcome message :

“ Welcome to Barbados- a safe, friendly island colonized nearly 400 years ago by the British & declared a proud independent nation in 1966.

Barbados is beautiful & everything is within easy driving distance. Taxis enthusiastically ply their trade , it is safe to walk anywhere & people will happily give you information.

Enjoy your stay!”

Not sure how many other countries can include a Welcome message such as that ?

My first two days were taken up on meetings and venue inspection of the beautiful Kensington Oval Cricket Ground- scene of the 2007 World Cup Final and also where Rihanna in 2011 sang for the 1st time in her home country!

Did manage on Friday morning to do a long walk with Mick Martell ( the Australian umpire who forms part of my PCT) – we left the hotel and walked along the stunning Carlisle Bay – the Hilton forms part of the South Western corner of the Island of Barbados. The beautiful beach went on forwever with warm water which eventually forced us to take our tops off and in our walking shorts jump into the stunning Caribbean Sea!

By Saturday everything was in place for the opening match of this tournament with the Barbados Tridents playing the Guyana Amazon Warriors.

There are two Playing Control Teams (PCT) – I have an umpire from Australia , Guyana & Trinidad with me as well as a 4th umpire who is local.
The other PCT has been based in St Lucia.

The opening match went very well and we had no issues to deal with as the Barbados Tridents captained by Kieron Pollard defeated the Guyana Amazon Warriors captained by Denesh Ramdin- the sold out crowd gave me an idea of what enjoying cricket Caribbean Style is all about.

Sunday we ( the PCT) arranged for the taxi to take us on a 5 hour Island Tour.
This was just special as she took us along the stunning coastline from the hotel- each “suburb” is referred to as a Parish so from St Michael Parish ( where the Hilton is) we traversed the Island through St Thomas, St James, St Peter until we got to the northernmost point called North Point in the parish of St Lucy. We had made stops for photographs at various places of interest starting in the downtown Bridgetown centre at the Independence Square with the magnificent Parliament buildings and statues of Nelson and one dedicated to the two World Wars.

We found the journey fascinating as explanations given about the early history, the work on plantations of cotton and sugar cane, the unique Chattel Houses- wooden in construction and many colourfully painted- they were raised from the ground in order that the plantation workers could move these homes onto new land when they had to work at a different cotton or sugar cane plantation.

We also came across staggeringly expensive erf with views to the coast and modern Condominiums – a unit in one of these was bought by Rihanna at a discounted price ( as she is Barbadian) of around USD 25 Million.

Wonderful Marina developments where the rich & famous have their yachts and catamarans parked as if they were cars outside a home !

Of course I had to make a stop at Sandy Lane – the five star beachfront resort close to Holetown in the St James Parish - this is where Tiger Woods chose to marry Erin Nordegren in 2004.
The list of celebs who have stayed at Sandy Lane is worth googling!
From Oprah to Elton John, The Onassis clan and even RVP of soccer fame.

We were thrilled to come across three club cricket matches- stopped at one to visit the clubhouse and chat to the people there- it was also interesting to note British tourists who hire cars as it is quite easy to get around, stopping to also enjoy the Village Style cricket matches- the Sport in the Caribbean is unbelievably popular.

We stopped for lunch at one of many little quaint restaurants and then proceeded to continue our 5 hour trip which at times was through some lovely tropical warm rain.

The evening we took another cab to a sports Bar called Bubbas- huge screens in a beautiful setting where naturally Cricket was being shown and we watched a bit of the 1st match of the other group- in St Lucia – sadly rain affected that match and it could not be completed. The St Lucia Zouks ( with Kevin Petersen) playing the Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel who have Kallis in the line-up.

Yesterday ( Monday) Mick Martell ( Aus umpire) & I went into the downtown city centre- about a ten minute drive from the hotel- spent many hours taking in the atmosphere- clean, neat shopping lanes, closed off streets to allow walking only, the Marina with the famous Chamberlain Bridge spanning the Careenage. We enjoyed lunch at the Marina Restaurant & Bar at the Bridge House- lovely view across the bridge and good food- rained heavily while there so many tourists moved into the restaurant frpm the balcony seating areas.

We managed to do some shopping as well- the Caribbean Islands ( countries ) all have their own currency with a different exchange rate ! Things are very expensive because of our weak rand and that has always got to be taken into account. Two Barbados Dollars = 1 USD .

This morning took a walk on my own around the hotel and found the George Washington Home- interestingly this is the only city Washington had ever visited outside of the USA!
Had some coffee at the Barbados Coffee Shop – the slogan read “ Just another day in Paradise” and I thought – how fitting!

It is now 1 pm and time to get ready for tonight’s 2nd match – the Barbados Tridents play the Jamaican Tallawahs . This brings Kieron Pollard ( Tridents) up against Chris Gayle (Tallawahs) – so the toss is going to be interesting – with two towering figures alongside me- both metaphorically & literally speaking!

So on that note my 1st Caribbean update comes to an end- This is the first of a 6 week outing – from here I shall move to St Kitts on Saturday for my next group of matches- shall let you know all about
St Kitts once I have settled in there.

Always

Just

deV

To view Dev's travel photos, simply click on the link below

https://www.facebook.com/dev.govindjee.5?fref=ts

Rey's mouth watering Chicken corn soup

With winter at our doorstep and with every second person getting ill, including my family and I, why not indulge in a delicious bowl of chicken corn soup that will help you to recovery. With moms easy recipe anyone can become a master chef for sure....

                                1. Add 1 cup of cubed chicken fillet in a medium sized deep pot

  2. Add 1 tablespoon ghee to the chicken

        3. Add 1 teaspoon ginger garlic masala



   4. Add 1 teaspoon green chillies

    5. Add 1 teaspoon white pepper

   6. Add 1 teaspoon salt

      7. Add 1 cinnamon stick

      8. Add 2 teaspoons mustard powder

    9. Mix all of the above ingredients thoroughly. Now add 1 1/2 

                                    cups of water and cook chicken on low heat until done.

            10. Now add 1 liter of milk and 1 big tin of cream style corn

                                      to the chicken. Take 60 g of butter and melt with 2 tablespoons

                                      of flour. Make into a paste and add to the milk. Allow the milk to 

                                      boil. Before serving, add one small tin of nestle cream and add a 

                                                           dash of black pepper on the top

 11. Serve with garlic toast or croutons

International cricket match referee, Dev Govindjee visits Ireland

DUBLIN – update

Friday 5 June 2015

MY VISIT TO DUBLIN FOR THE ICC INTERCONTINENTAL CUP MATCH BETWEEN IRELAND & THE U.A.E. WAS ONCE AGAIN A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE.

ARRIVED IN DUBLIN VIA JHB & LONDON LAST SATURDAY to REALLY FOUL WEATHER WHICH HARDLY CHANGED AT ALL- HAD A FEW FREE DAYS DURING WHICH TIME I DID SOME VENUE INSPECTIONS AND ALSO POPPED INTO THE CITY CENTRE WHICH I HAVE VISITED A FEW TIMES BEFORE BUT WANTED TO SHOW THE UMPIRE FROM INDIA WHO WAS ON HIS FIRST TRIP TO IRELAND.

THE MATCH GOT UNDER WAY UNDER GLOOMY SKIES ON TUESDAY WITH THE PROSPECT OF IT BEING WASHED OUT A VERY STRONG ONE- BUT THEN AGAIN, THE UNPREDICTABILITY OF THE WEATHER HERE PROVED ITSELF ONCE AGAIN WITH SKIES CLEARING, RAIN STOPPING AND PLAY GETTING UNDER WAY – PLAYED LATER THAN THE SCHEDULED CLOSE- LIGHT IS NEVER A PROBLEM AS SUNSET HERE AT THIS TIME CAN EASILY BE AROUND 10 PM!

THE HOTEL ON THIS TRIP WAS VERY CONVENIENTLY SITUATED- THE HILTON AIRPORT DUBLIN HOTEL IS ABOUT 15 MINS FROM THE AIRPORT AND PROBABLY THE SAME DISTANCE FROM THE MALAHIDE CRICKET CLUB WHERE THE MATCH WAS SCHEDULED TO BE PLAYED.

OVER THE PAST 4 DAYS THE PLAYING CONTROL TEAM WENT OUT EACH EVENING TO EXPERIENCE THE CUISINE ON OFFER IN THE VICINITY AS WELL AS IN MALAHIDE WHICH IS ONE OF THE UPMARKET AREAS OF DUBLIN.

ACROSS FROM THE HOTEL IS A TESCO – THIS OPENS 24 HRS A DAY SO THAT TOO PROVED CONVENIENT FOR THE ODD PURCHASE.

DURING THE PAST FEW EVENINGS WE HAD MEALS AT THE NOBLE HOUSE NEAR TO THE HOTEL- THIS WAS A SPECIALIST THAI RESTAURANT. I ALSO VISITED A LOVELY COFFEE SHOP CALLED INSOMNIA WHICH FORMS PART OF THE EUROSPAR FRANCHISE- DELIGHTFUL THE WAY THEY MADE LIGHT MEALS ON ORDER- ONE COULD CHOOSE FROM A VARIETY OF FILLINGS AND HAVE A WRAP OR A BAGUETTE MADE UP AND TOASTED.

THE HOTEL ITSELF BOASTS A LOVELY RESTAURANT CALLED BURNELL- I AM ACTUALLY SITTING IN THAT RESTAURANT AS I TYPE- ATTRACTS MANY BUSINESS PEOPLE WHO COME AND CHAT OVER LUNCH IN ADDITION TO THE REGULAR STREAM OF TOURISTS.

THAT REMINDS ME- WHILE WATCHING THE MATCH AT MALAHIDE CRICKET CLUB, I WAS AMAZED AT THE NUMBER OF PLANES COMING IN TO LAND AT THE NEARBY AIRPORT- IT SEEMED ALMOST LIKE EVERY TWO MINUTES A PLANE WOULD HOVER ACROSS AND LAND AT THE AIRPORT- I GOOGLED THE CURIOSITY AND WAS AMAZED THAT OVER 450 FLIGHTS COME INTO THE CITY EACH DAY- SUCH IS THE POPULARITY OF DUBLIN & IRELAND AND SUCH IS OUR LACK OF KNOWLEDGE WHEN UNDERSTANDING THESE THINGS. WE LIVE SUCH SECLUDED LIVES AND HAVE NO IDEA HOW BUSY OR POPULAR CITIES AROUND THE WORLD ARE COMPARED TO OUR OWN ONES.

ANYWAY, LAST NIGHT WE WENT OUT TO MALAHIDE FOR SUPPER- THE INDIAN UMPIRE WAS THRILLED AS WE FINALLY GOT TO AN INDIAN RESTAURANT- MALAHIDE HAS SOME GREAT PLACES INCLUDING THE STUNNING GRAND HOTEL- SO OUR MEAL WAS AT THE JAIPUR WHICH SERVED SOME GREAT FOOD – MY THALI WAS VERY GOOD - CONSISTED OF FOUR TYPES OF VEG CURRIES WITH A NAAN BREAD AS WELL.

THE FOUR DAY MATCH COULD HAVE ENDED YESTERDAY- IRELAND NEEDED ONE MORE WICKET BUT THE UAE HELD OUT- SO WE WENT BACK THIS MORNING- ONLY START PLAY EACH DAY AT 11 AS THE DAY IS LONG AND SUNSETS CAN BE ANYWHERE AROUND 10 PM ! IT TOOK ONLY 4 BALLS THIS MORNING AND IT WAS ALL OVER- GOT THE FORMALITIES DONE AND HAD LUNCH THERE BEFORE GETTING BACK HERE TO THE HOTEL.
THE TWO LOCAL UMPIRES DROVE OFF AS THEY LIVE IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF IRELAND- ONE IN BELFAST WHICH IS ACTUALLY NORTHERN IRELAND AND THE OTHER IN ANOTHER TOWN.

THE INDIAN UMPIRE SHALL JOIN ME FOR SUPPER AT 7 – WE PLAN TO GO BACK TO THE NOBLE HOUSE THAI RESTAURANT NEAR HERE – HE FLIES OUT VIA DUBAI IN THE MORNING AND I FLY OUT FROM DUBLIN AIRPORT AT 2.30 TO LONDON AND THEN TO JOHANNESBURG AND SHALL BE BACK IN PE ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

DUBLIN IS SUCH A WONDERFUL CITY AND THE WEATHER WITH ALL THE RAIN THEY GET TENDS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE LUSHNESS OF THE SURROUNDS – THE EMERALD ISLE TAG BEFITS THE COUNTRY AND JUST GETTING INTO THE COUNTRYSIDE IS ALWAYS SUCH A PLEASURE FOR ANYONE WHO APPRECIATES NATURE AND THE BEAUTY THAT COMES WITH IT.

NOW IT WILL BE BACK HOME FOR ONLY 10 DAYS BEFORE MY NEXT BIG ASSIGNMENT- THE TRIP TO BE A PART OF A MAJOR SPORTING EVENT- THE CARIBBEAN PREMIER LEAGUE (CPL) EXCITES ME EVEN THOUGH IT DOES MEAN ANOTHER LONG TREK OF FLIGHTS VIA JOBURG THROUGH TO THE WEST INDIES AND ALSO AWARE THAT IT WILL BE 5-6 WEEKS AWAY FROM HOME!
I FLY OUT ON THE 17TH JUNE.

ENJOY THE READ AND ONCE AGAIN THE HOPE IS THAT THERE WILL BE SOME SORT OF INDICATION AS TO RECEIVING THIS – MY NEXT UPDATE SHALL BE FROM BARBADOS WHICH WILL BE MY FIRST PLACE FOR A WEEK OR TWO BEFORE I MOVE ONTO ST KITTS AND END UP IN TRINIDAD WHERE THE CPL 2015 COMES TO A CONCLUSION- MY DEPARTURE OUT OF THE WEST INDIES IS SCHEDULED FOR 29 JULY.

ALL THE BEST AND AS USUAL

LOTS OF LOVE

I AM ALWAYS JUST

Dev