Slow Flow
One hundred and twenty-five dollars. That’s how much a Beaconite pays for a Flow internet service that can’t seem to hang in there when the going gets breezy. For weeks, his service has dipped in and out with the prevailing Caribbean winds of late winter. For triple the cost of other internet services elsewhere in the world, one would hope for a little more reliability. The Beaconite has seen for himself the technicians who install fibreoptic cables into homes around the territory. They don’t appear to be doing anything wrong, but one wonders why a stiff breeze appears to be able to break the connection somewhere in the line. At the risk of sounding completely ignorant of these systems, is there a possibility that the fibreoptic network is experiencing hardware problem with keeping conduit junctions and splices physically connected? Could it be as simple as using a few extra zip-ties? Surely not, but one wonders what the could be causing such unreliable internet on the territory’s main island. Perhaps this is why internet and powerlines are run underground in other parts of the region, like Dominica. A friend of the Beacon who hails from that island told the reporter that while the VI is ahead of his home country in some ways, it’s clear that much of the territory’s infrastructure was built without proper foresight. For now, the reporter won’t be holding his breath for subterranean power, but maybe he will begin carrying a few more zip-ties. Just in case.
Health and wealth
This Valentine’s Day, a Beaconite sends his love to all the volunteers who helped make the Men’s Health Fair such a success last week. Across two days, they gave up their time alongside BVI Red Cross health professionals to reach out to men — a section of society often reluctant to see a doctor if it can be avoided. Right from when the Multi-purpose Sports Complex opened at 6 a.m. Friday, business was brisk and continued that way. As well as showcasing volunteers’ service to the community, the interest in the free event from people wanting potentially life-saving prostate examinations and other assessments put a spotlight on the high cost of health care in the territory, which acts as a barrier for some.
V-Day blues
A Beaconite must admit that she has not been much of a fan of Valentine’s Day. Ever since she spent one Feb. 13 a few years ago driving from store to store, flower shop to flower shop, looking for flowers with her mother to display at her grandmother’s funeral, she has never really enjoyed celebrating the holiday. You see, because of the holiday, it was rather difficult to find flowers for a funeral. The reporter’s grandmother loved flowers, particularly when they were purple — her favorite colour. And even when it is not February — the month of her grandmother’s first and final days on this earth — the reporter always thinks of her when she sees flowers that have bloomed a violet hue. She knows that her grandmother, Gloria, who was quite possibly the most strong-willed person she has ever known, would not wish her loved ones to feel sadness this time of year. So the reporter has decided to buy purple flowers for herself this Valentine’s Day in honour of the woman who taught her how to enjoy the simple things in life. For Valentine’s Day is about the celebration of love, and what is grief if not love?