VI Monopoly

A Beaconite spent an enjoyable evening last week trying to become a property mogul in the Virgin Islands as she played the VI-themed Monopoly game recently released by BVI Finance. But becoming a property mogul was not easy. This became evident immediately when she became on the hook for $50 million for a tow truck after getting her car blocked in the middle of Road Town. Later, she also got caught littering and sent to Her Majesty’s Prison in Balsam Ghut, only to get out and have to pay out another $50 million in a lawsuit for bumping into someone’s yacht. But her future looked bright when, despite her extensive criminal history, and in the tradition of some well-known VI entrepreneurs before her, she earned a $25 million government consulting fee. She built a housing development on Sandy Cay with the proceeds, but ultimately went bankrupt when her opponent demanded $2 billion in rent on his luxury hotels in The Baths and on Coppermine Road in Virgin Gorda — properties which she had previously owned but had to sell to raise cash. But alas, that’s business. She thanks BVI Finance for producing the VI-themed Monopoly game and making this all possible.

 

Headache machine

After a tumultuous two-year love-hate relationship with his car, a blown crankshaft has prompted a Beaconite to finally sever the tie and sell his semi-trusty steed. As many fond memories as the Beaconite may have of that seven-seater, in recent months it seemed to turn into a never-ending headache machine. Properly tuned up, the car was a beast, game for just about any road in the territory, but it had become impossible to drive it without worrying about what would go wrong next. It’s a relief to be rid of that anxiety, and although hitchhiking can be burdensome and provokes a different kind of anxiety during spiking Covid cases, it brings a nostalgia that the Beaconite has so far enjoyed. When he first arrived in the territory, he was endlessly amused by the different types of conversations one encounters when hitching rides, awed by the vistas rushing past when he rode in the truck bed. Returning to that car-less state of his early days in the Virgin Islands has been a welcome trip down memory lane. And not worried about driving, he has been able to enjoy the view.

 

‘Read’y for 2022

Last year was a rollercoaster, but one undoubted high for a Beaconite was joining a fantastically engaging book club. On the last day of 2021, one member sent a heartwarming message to everyone about how wonderful it was to read such a variety of books and find a fun occasional escape from reality. She is already looking forward to reading the books queued up for the new year and hopes Beacon readers find more time to explore their interests and recoup from a stressful few years, especially with the hope that Covid-19 cases will rapidly dwindle after this wave. As her friend wrote, “Here’s to good books and a blessed 2022.”

 

Airlines and Covid

A Beaconite recently read that an airline official estimated regular operations would resume in air travel by 2025 if current protocols are kept in place. He talked about costly mandatory testing prior, during and after travel that resulted in the cancellation of millions of flights across the world as omicron surged. Identifying cases of Covid-19 has become much easier with testing, but with the recent milder variant, a rising number of cases has disrupted almost everything. Schools, supply chains, travel and business have all been adversely affected throughout the holiday season and the ripple effects are still ongoing. It’s unclear when things will die down to the “new normal” levels, and even less clear when the looming threat of Covid-19 will be overcome. The reporter hopes that one day in the not-too-distant future, the virus will become nothing more than a common cold.