Presentations Day 1

Everyone who presented on the first day did a great job overall. I enjoyed myself and took notes for each presenter. The following are the countries discussed in class, and one thing I took away from each presentation.

Barbados (Erin): This presentation focused on the “Forgotten Cultures and People of Barbados”. The presentation was aesthetically pleasing as well as very informative. I was very surprised to learn about the “red legs” or 50,000 Irish indentured servants and slaves that came to the island as a result of the English.

Haiti (DeAsha): “The Development of Haiti”. I liked how she began her presentation with a creole greeting and how she used good images.

British Virgin Islands (Ebony): In this presentation the presenter discussed “How the holidays celebrated reflect the country’s History”. Good video at the end of the presentation.

Dominica (Rebecca): Clean presentation, concise and well organized. Excellent video at the end of her making a traditional drink! Great effort!

Anguilla (Ruben): Colorful slides, enjoyed the background music. Was easy to follow along with.

Martinique (Laura): Good images.

Bahamas (Sierra): Liked the personal pictures! Learned that Bahamas gained independence in 1973, not that long ago.

Suriname (Harley): Enjoyed the bright and colorful pictures and slides.

After watching the Research Proposals presented in class I came away with a few ideas for my own project. In class I jotted down a list of things I liked and wanted to replicate or use in my own presentation and then on a separate list took note of the things I should avoid doing.

What I observed and liked:

1)      Eye contact and facing the class: My peers that exhibited these behaviors seemed to be more sure of the information they were presenting, and looked good doing it.

2)      Use a loud clear voice!

 

3)      Having an apparent clear vision and outline for the project: Students who knew what direction they were taking their research were much more convincing and much more enjoyable to listen to.

4)      Using good pictures makes presentations more aesthetically appealing and enjoyable to watch.

5)      Moving, as opposed to standing frozen in one place makes the presenter appear more comfortable.

6)      I found the use of music in one particular presentation to be a wonderful idea and very pleasant.

 

What I observed and didn’t like:

1)      Avoid mumbling! If your audience can’t understand what you are saying, they are not going to follow along and pay attention.

2)      Instead of sharing unnecessary facts, focus on supporting your three main focal points.

3)      Use correct spelling! 

4)      Include a title slide.

 

5)      Know your facts: If it sounds like you don’t know what you are talking about you probably don’t, which makes convincing your audience that you do very difficult.

Overall I think everyone did very well on their presentations. After deciding what I did and did not like from others presentations, I believe it has helped me to mold my presentation and what I would like to see it include. Remember when you are presenting to connect with your audience and let your personality show. That coupled with correct and accurate information will make for a wonderful presentation!

Vacation to Paradise

 

As the end of the semester looms ever closer, the more I find myself daydreaming of a beach vacation getaway. For the fun of it, I began looking for flights to Saint Martin to see how much a plane ticket to paradise would set me back. Unfortunately, I do not have an extra $847 laying around, otherwise I would go ahead and book that two week vacation for May 5th down to the Caribbean nation of Saint Martin.

It doesn't look like I will be visiting my Caribbean paradise anytime soon, but that won't stop me from daydreaming about afternoons on the beach and nights enjoying a couple of drinks at one of the many nightlife attractions or bars that come to life as the sun sets on the water.

Roadblocks to Research

Information abounds about current day Saint Martin from what there is to do on the island to the customs of locals. There is much less information though, pertaining to the history of the border that separates the two island nations; Saint Martin and Sint Maarten. Unfortunately, my research is based on discovering the origins of when and how the border was determined between the two nations.

Initially I debated changing my topic to one that I could find more information more easily, though after careful thought I decided to take on the challenge and form an argument that would be more difficult to make – based solely on the fact that the lack of information and the folklore surrounding the borders origins was too interesting to pass up on. As I began to come across more and more information, I began to realize that the biggest roadblocks to completing my research were actually outside distractions.

The following are the three biggest roadblocks I discovered while conducting my research that you should avoid in order to make your research paper a success!

Major Distraction

1)      Put the Cellphone down!

Quit checking your Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts and get to work. There is a time to be social and a time to get work done! Make sure that you remove any electronic distractions from the room when you decide to sit down and get to work. Which leads me into the second roadblock…

2)      Set aside time!

Time management is huge when conducting an extensive research project. Make sure you allocate time for research and writing it will help lead to a much more interesting product and ensures you will receive a better grade as well.

 

 

3)      Ask for Help!

When it seems like information is impossible to find or you simply have no idea what next step to take to move your research along, ask for help. Whether its a librarian or your professor there is always someone who is willing and able to help you reach your end goal: completing your research project and final paper.

Acknowledging these three roadblocks and formulating a game plan to overcome them will help you earn a better grade and save you the grief of last minute project mayhem.

 

Saint Martin vs. Saint Maarten, What's the Difference?

Saint Martin is the world’s smallest landmass to be occupied by two separate governments. The Dutch and the French sides of the island are not separated by fences or guards, though the differences between each side of the island are staggering.

The two sides of the island have different governments, languages, cuisine, currency and overall general “feels” to them. They even have two different power companies that provide their electricity, which explains the routine blackouts on the Dutch side compared to far fewer on the French side of the island.

The French side of the island, Saint Martin, attracts far fewer tourists than the Dutch side, or Saint Maarten. About a tenth of the cruise traffic passes through the French side compared to the Dutch. Most people on the French side speak both French and English, though French is the preferred language. On the Dutch side of the island English is the preferred language.

Apparently the Dutch side of the island is reportedly much more friendly according to several travel blogs and articles, though this claim is obviously objective. While in Saint Maarten tourists can look forward to endless shopping on crowded and busy streets. On the other side of the island though, in Saint Martin the streets are quiet and lined with sidewalk cafes.

Another difference between the two separate countries is the difference in nightlife attractions. Clubs, bars, and more than a dozen casinos are available in Saint Maarten. Saint Martin, the French side, has far fewer clubs and bars and is geared more for travelers looking to spend an evening strolling on the beach than gambling in a smoke filled casino.

Nude beaches are the norm on the French side of the island while on the Dutch side, nudity is considered to be tasteless and obscene.

It is incredible that two such different cultures and people occupy such a small island. The benefit of traveling to the island and visiting both the French and Dutch side though is that as a traveler you can experience two separate cultures with a single trip.


Sources:

http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?v=2.1&u=ggcl&it=r&id=GALE|A227480183&p=AONE&sw=w

http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?v=2.1&u=ggcl&it=r&id=GALE|A292504019&p=AONE&sw=w