Let’s take a look at one of these companies.

A well-known company manufactures tomato ketchup, tomato paste and tomato sauces.

This company buys tomato sauce in drums and plastic squeeze bottles, pre-labelled, from abroad. The drum is dumped in a vat and squeezed into the bottles. That’s manufacturing? That same company has many foreign fast food franchises. Franchise fees have to be remitted monthly in US dollars. That same company also imports and distributes wines and other exotics. So the minister gives it preference as a manufacturer.

Who is to say that those US dollars are not remitted for wine imports and franchise fees. Meanwhile I have to beg.

I distribute machinery not made in Trinidad.

DAVID SALINGER Maraval

Kiefer, who was seeded sixth, overcame an early setback to get the better of third seed Mann Shah of India. Kiefer, from the United States, prevailed 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (5).

Another third-seeded player, Lucia De Santa Ana of Uruguay, also had to rally from a set down to defeat second seed Remika Ohashi of Japan 0-6, 6-4, 6-4 to clinch the girls’ Under-18 singles title.

Milledge Cossu of the United States and Jose Dominquez Collado of Guatemala lived up to their number one ranking, in the boys’ Under-18 doubles, with a 6-4, 7-6(6) win over Kiefer and fellow American Jericho Grollman – the number two seeded duo.

And, in the girls’ Under-18 doubles final, Jackeline Lopez of the US and Ariana Salgueiro- Estela of Puerto Rico held off the challenge of Valaine Clarke of Jamaica and Amritalakshmi Shanmugam of India to triumph 7-5, 6-2.

I thought that by retaining my authentic sing-song Trini accent and loving Carnival, roti and soca music as much as I do, my Trini status could never be revoked, but I was sorely mistaken.

After carefully observing the other citizens of this country, it is clear that I honestly have no clue as to what it means to be Trini. Which is why, to this day, I struggle with assimilating back into the culture that raised me for the first 15 years of my life.

So now that I have admitted my flaws, the rest of this column discusses the list of things all fake Trinis need to do in order to become real Trinis.

The first criterion for being “ah Trini” is not giving a damn about Trinidad and Tobago.

This trait of a Trini involves corruption, importing drugs and guns, and above all things, littering every and anywhere.

Americans wave flags, and the Brits love their trademark tea; true Trinis represent the red, white and black by throwing a KFC box of the same colour out of a moving car on the highway.

A true Trini will never consume a meal or drink and properly dispose of garbage, so if someone chooses to return home with that silly idea of putting trash in bins, they should have their passports revoked and be deported to whence they came, forthwith.

The second criterion is being docile and willing to accept, as the Gospel truth, everything and anything that is said by someone who is supposedly in a powerful position in society; a “Trini to de bone” would never question authority.

For example, Sandals all-inclusive hotel in Tobago is a good economic decision says the Prime Minister; real Trinis wouldn’t dare challenge that asininity.

Police station in Enterprise to suppress crime – Trini politicians and police think it’s the best idea of the century.

Thirdly, every real Trini must have low expectations, so they don’t complain about anything; fake Trinis like myself need plenty patience for dealing with nonsense. It starts at the airport because as soon as you touch down, you will be greeted by airport staff, and Immigration and Customs officers who seem to lack basic manners and people skills. And trust me, the last thing you want to do is flash your foreign passport for them because you’ll be there all night answering ridiculously irrelevant questions.

And if you’re a fake Trini like me and you leave the airport to grab a bite, patience is also essential for dealing with the rudeness that passes as customer service in Trinidad. In other countries, you might expect that at fast food establishments only, but here, you get it at every government agency, ministry and all those “high end” restaurants you’ve heard so much about.

Low expectations prepare you for stuff like “yuh geh-in troo?” when you enter a business place; it’s apparently the standard greeting now; “Hi, can I help you?” is now an ancient relic. Don’t forget to tip! Fourthly, no real Trini bothers with road rules, laws and regulations. Breaking laws is intrinsically Trini but you don’t deserve a TT passport if you haven’t driven in the wrong lane under the speed limit, driven on the shoulder, high-beamed the entire oncoming traffic at night, and stopped abruptly to turn or switch lanes without indicating.

Fifthly, and very importantly, if you’re a young professional or returning student with a wealth of knowledge and ideas, no one wants to hear about that crap. You see that critical and independent thinking that fostered a contumacious mentality while studying at your foreign university; leave it over there.

True Trinis don’t try to change anything; they don’t upend the cart or challenge the status quo.

Trinidad is not the place for innovative ideas, modern thinking and advanced learning. No sah! Lastly, the sixth criterion for being a real Trini is speech.

Standard English only appears on exams. Only the fake Trinis try speaking it; all the other real Trinis speak Trinidad English Creole… apparently.

I am sure my sarcasm was not lost on anyone and it is quite sad that this is how Trinis actually express their love for our country (Tobagonians are a bit different).

Celebrating the day we gained independence while at the same time losing control of our country is a wonderful time for me because the national colours and flags cover ing b u i l d – ings everywhere mask the filth and fake pat r iot i sm for at least a couple weeks.

It is passing strange that coming on the heels of several questions surrounding the circumstances of the Super Fast Galicia that the Port Authority could so easily make a mess of this arrangement that has left us with a multitude of questions surrounding the Cabo Star and the Ocean Flower 2.

There are reasons to suggest that this is not a simple mistake. The debacle arising from the ferry service has already led to the demise of the Port Authority Board under Christine Sahadeo and is now pointing to the present board of directors and the line minister, who may also have to demit office.

How is it possible for the Tenders Committee at the port to consistently mismanage the procurement process for the acquisition of vessels for this service? Is the committee comprised of incompetent people or is it acting ultra vires to the well being of the people? Is it that someone or some people have more to gain from convoluting the process than to ensure that the country gets value for money from the contracts awarded? It is possible that the problems surrounding procurement of services at the port has nothing to do with the current minister or board, but may reside within the hands of the public officers that operate in the system. Perhaps the mismanagement is something endemic at the port and we may have to look in the direction of long-standing public servants for answers.

Once more corruption rears its ugly head and one wonders why, in the face of the Government that has shown more fight against corruption, this ferry fiasco has exploded, leaving so much speculation. Calls abound for the heads of the Prime Minister, the Minister of Works and Transport and the board, fresh elections and so on. To whose benefit are these calls being made? How will the country profit from new elections at this time? The stench of political interference wafts through the breeze surrounding this situation.

The efforts to have investigations by the Integrity Commission, the President and a joint select committee of Parliament suggest that the opposition forces smell the opportunity to score maximum points from the fiasco and are going in for the kill.

It also distracts from the incomplete probe into the circumstances of the Galicia, which must now take second place to the Ocean Flower 2 and Cabo Star.

Whatever the outcome of these investigations, the bottom line is that there is someone with a substantial amount of power within the system to so successfully manoeuvre the processes within the Port Authority, beyond the reach of the Cabinet, board and the line minister, and who used the urgency for the vessels for personal enrichment. Who has this power?

GARVIN COLE Tobago

Sure, there are guidelines that can help you to develop your personal style, but truly, you don’t need to follow them.

That being said, when it comes to matching your makeup to your outfit, I think the easiest way to do so without going overboard is to match elements of your makeup to a part of your outfit.

It’s not meant to be taken too literally. You can imagine how blue jeans, a blue shirt, blue eyeshadow, blue shoes, blue jewelry and a blue purse can be overkill. Unless it’s neutral, matching your eyeshadow or lipstick to the exact colour of something you’re wearing can sometimes look a little dated. Generally neutral colours such as black, white, grey, brown or beige can easily be paired with any other colour, or matched with itself.

If you want to pair your makeup look with your outfit but don’t know where to start, pick an element you want to highlight: your eyes or your lips. If you are ever confused, you can refer to a colour wheel for guidance.

Complementary colours are opposite one another on the colour wheel.

When you pair complementary colours, it can sometimes look costumey. For example, if you pair red clothes with green eyeshadow, it can be reminiscent of Christmas. Instead, if you use colours surrounding the complementary colour, you’ll get a striking yet subtle effect. For example, let’s look at the colour blue.

Orange is opposite to blue on the colour wheel. For the sake of not being too literal, let’s use a derivative of orange. The colour peach will still make blue stand out, but will be softer than using pure orange. Try pairing a peach coloured lipstick with your royal blue top for a chic look. Similarly, let’s look at the colour burgundy.

It falls somewhere between red and red-violet on the colour wheel. Opposite that is green and yellow-green.

Let’s move one shade away to yellow. Yellow will still compliment the colour burgundy, but in a more subtle way. You can even play with textures, so instead of pure yellow, opt for yellow gold. So with your burgundy coloured dress, try using gold eyeshadow. Or with your gold jewelry, use a burgundy lipstick. These pairings will still create contrast and impact.

If you want to create a softer, more wearable look, try matching your makeup to the undertone of your clothes. The harmony of colours will create a cohesive look. To achieve this, I like to stick to one undertone at a time. Let’s say I’m wearing a turquoise dress. I’ll prefer to stick to either neutral or cool toned makeup. Because I want this look to be more wearable, I’m not going to try to create contrast, because that can create a bolder effect. This applies to my highlight and blush as well. I’ll opt for cool toned blush such as pink or mauve, and avoid overly bronze or warm tones for my highlight. Opt for cool silver, soft pink or light champagne hues. Similarly, if you stick to an all warm-toned look, you will look balanced and put-together. Picture this: A white dress, gold accessories, a warm bronze smokey eye, a golden highlight, peachy blush and a bright orange lipstick. I’m sure you can imagine that if you swapped out the orange lipstick for a bubblegum pink, it won’t look as cohesive.

This was the case with 15-year-old Chelsea Fensom, who began playing the violin at the age of seven under Kenneth Listhrop, the conductor of the Trinidad and Tobago Youth Philharmonic (TTYP), of which both Chelsea and her older sister, Celeste, are members.

Celeste plays both clarinet and oboe with the orchestra.

Wanting to push young Chelsea further after she showed promise on the violin, Listhrop introduced her to the cello, where she blossomed. The cello then became her principal instrument, and she continued to hone her skills on her cello with the orchestra.

“We always wanted to have our children involved in music,” Carlos Fensom, the girls’ father told Newsday.

Carlos and his wife, Shermin, believe in the power of music and music education in helping children to “create a better balance.” “We never thought that it would have reached this level,” he admitted.

Just about to enter Form Four, Chelsea has already completed all eight grades of the Trinity College of London music examinations, in both violin and cello, earning a merit and a distinction, respectively.

In addition, Chelsea, decided to undertake the first level of the Trinity College diploma exams, the Associate of the Trinity College of London (ATCL), a highly challenging test comprising an evaluation of close to 40 minutes of pieces and a viva voce segment, along with comprehensive notes on the works performed. The high-level certification is equivalent to the first year of an undergraduate music programme. Working closely with Listhrop, Chelsea earned a distinction in the exam, and the record of having been the youngest successful ATCL candidate in the English-speaking Caribbean.

Chelsea has already begun to prepare for her ATCL diploma examination in violin, as well as the Trinity second-level diploma, the Licentiate of Trinity College, London (LTCL, equivalent to the final year of an undergraduate music programme) both for next year. (There are three in total, the last being the Fellowship of Trinity College, London, which is equivalent to a postgraduate course at a conservatory.) During her primary school career, Chelsea copped a distinction in the Pan Minors Programme at UWI, where she walked away with the Best Instrumentalist in Primary School Parang Prize for her performance on the violin. At the Biennial Music Festival last year, the young musician took the prize for the Best Instrumentalist (violin) and the second place prize in the cello category.

With the increasing number of distractions for young persons in today’s complex world, threatening to steal them away from the paths that keep them safe and focussed, music has been a grounding force for the girls.

Carlos expressed his relief that music has managed to keep his daughters out of trouble.

“The discipline of the music has carried over into the other parts of their lives,” he explained. The dedicated father continued, “Most of their friends are in music; they associate themselves primarily with other musicians around their age.” Not only has the music shaped their social lives, but it has also supported their performance in school. Celeste is currently in the final year of her studies in Computing at SAM while Chelsea’s efforts at St Joseph’s Convent, Port-of-Spain continue to yield top marks. “Music has a way of stimulating the brain,” Carlos affirmed. “It has done an excellent job in terms of the way that [the girls’] schoolwork has developed.” Not content with solely playing the strings, Chelsea is also a member of both Silver Stars Steel Orchestra and her school’s Mixed Steel Orchestra – where she is the orchestra’s cocaptain – comprising players from St Joseph’s Convent and their longtime neighbour, St Mary’s College.

Clearly influenced by varied genres of music, Chelsea, when asked about her musical tastes, was quite specific in responding, “Everything but country and K-Pop (Korean pop music).” Among her favourite musicians are world-renowned cellists, Chinese-American Yo-Yo Ma, South Korean Han-Na Chang and the late English prodigy, Jacqueline du Pré.

Chelsea described her love affair with the cello as an incremental process in which, guided by her teachers, Kenneth Listhrop and Francis Pau, her passion and commitment grew over the years.

“The more it consumed me, the more I practised; the more I liked it, the more I came to love it,” she told Newsday.

With a strong determination not to limit herself, Chelsea wants still to learn more instruments; young and eager, she began learning the French horn very recently. Interested in doing more than performing, Chelsea has also developed an interest in arranging. As a senior tutor at TTYP, she may well be arranging for the orchestra in time to come.

The TTYP hosts an annual series concert to mark the end of their vacation camp, in which young Chelsea is set to take part as one of the soloists in Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, along with fellow cellist, Tracell Frederick and violinist Keisha Daniel. Titled, Timeless Classics: Love Unlimited, the concert features an eclectic offering of orchestral arrangements, including a tribute to soul crooner Barry White and the Sounds of Philadelphia.

The first show was held last night at Queen’s Hall and the final show is carded for this evening at 5.30 pm.

With CSEC on the horizon, Chelsea seems undaunted still that she would be able to conquer both her music goals as well as her academic work. “During SEA, I completed graded exams; I don’t see why I should have any problems in the future,” the young musician told Newsday, confidently.

Using some of her teaching experience as a senior tutor with TTYP and at St Theresa’s RC School, she plans to open her own school for string instruments in the future. When asked what advice she might have for fellow youth musicians and music enthusiasts, Chelsea offered that the secret is in the small stuff.

“Set small goals such as learning to play a whole song in a day.” She urged young musicians to practise every day, “even if it’s just for five or ten minutes. Keep practising and working and believe in yourself,” she reassured.

Tourist alerts in different countries are advising citizens of the danger of vacationing in Trinidad, and now Tobago.

Can violent crime be eradicated? The answer is no. That pernicious evil in us–the inheritance of original sin–can only be brought under control, minimised but never fully eradicated. Violent and white-collar crime will, therefore, always be with us.

But are we doing enough to minimise them? Clearly not.

This is because nobody wants to touch the proverbial “big fish.” We refuse to believe the problem is a low detection rate. Our police have undergone training in Canada, the Unites States, the United Kingdom, Holland, Germany etc. We refuse to accept our police officers do not know how to detect and solve crime.

Why then this state of inertia? One inescapable reason is that powers higher than the police are preventing them from doing their job to the full extent.

The small size of our twin-island republic implies that the elite protects the elite. They form a tightly knit cabal that is almost impenetrable and from whom religious organisations benefit whether knowingly or unknowingly.

To assuage our collective guilt, we quietly allow the lower income group, often with little education, often illiterate, from disadvantaged families and geographically neglected areas to pay the price. They become the victims of hard labour or the hangman’s noose, notwithstanding the monstrous crimes some have committed.

Capital punishment in this parlous state of affairs will not solve our crime problems but only gives us the temporary satisfaction of washing our hands like Pilate.

We need aspire to a higher morality: as Jesus says to Peter in today’s Gospel: “It was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven: (Mt 16:17). We have been too concerned about what “flesh and blood” has to say to us in doing our duty–political patronage, the strong arm of business, the lure of money, our peers, promotion and job security. We forget many of our “heroes of faith” are martyrs.

We need more people–including clergy, no matter the ilk–to witness to public morality costing nothing less than everything. As the fourth century Church Father Tertullian observed: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church”–both physical and metaphorical.

A moral society is the higher aim of politics. What we have been hearing for decades is ‘ole talk’ when it comes to moral reconstruction.

If we default on that goal as Church and society then we should point a finger at ourselves as we celebrate our 55th anniversary of Independence and sing lustily “yuh hear lie? King Liar! Teacher Murphy say if yuh tell ah lie yuh going to hell as soon as yuh die.” For that is what we’ve become–liars who give lip service to the vision of a moral society.

Mitchell said, “In the same way that we have a responsibility, I want you, new home owners, to realise that you also have a responsibility.

Your responsibility is to honour your financial commitments.

Pay your mortgage and your monthly rent on time.” Speaking at HDC’s key handover ceremony held at Omardeen’s School of Accountancy auditorium on Cipero Street, San Fernando, Mitchell distributed keys to homeowners from various parts of south and central Trinidad.

By 2020, Mitchell said, government intends to complete construction of 5,000 units at an estimated cost of $2.5 billion. “And we will complete it with the little assistance that we will get from Central Government, but mainly from the proceeds from our mortgage conversions of lease-to-own and rentto- own.” Only on Friday, there was a media tour of five of seven housing development projects under construction along the East West Corridor.

Yesterday, the Minister reiterated that 350 quality units would be delivered before the end of the year.

“In all, across the country, we have 23 housing developments in our portfolio that are right now under construction that would add approximately 5,000 units to our Housing stock. And, as I have said, time and time again, we intend to complete all 5,000 by 2020.” On the issue of squatter regularisation, Mitchell said the ministry worked over the past year on upgrading and improving the living conditions of those certificate of comfort holders who were living on State lands prior to 1998.

“We are now able to offer over 4,000 certificate of comfort holders, that is, we are now able to offer 4,000 families marketable deeds of lease and statutory leases in areas such as Jacob Hill, Wallerfield; Glenroy, Princes Town; La Paille, Caroni; KP Lands, Valencia.” Mitchell said the affordable mortgage programme administered through the TT Mortgage Finance Company was adjusted to encourage greater access and greater affordability to people seeking financing for their home and land purchases.

For those who wish to access the two per cent financing regime, the qualifying monthly income increased from $10,000 to $14,000 and the property value from $850,000 to $1million.

“In terms of the five percent facility, the lower limit of $10,001 has been moved to $14,001 with a higher limit of $30,000. This would allow for the purchase or construction of properties up to $1.5 million on the open market as well as HDC properties.”

No matter how great a company thinks its product is or how vastly skilled, knowledgeable and talented its staff is, one of the things that customers are most likely to remember is their direct interaction with the company.

Excellent customer service is seriously lacking at most places we spend our money in TT.

Too many customer service representatives lack good manners.

It seems as if they have non-work-related issues that are affecting their ability to provide the customer with a pleasurable service experience.

On too many occasions we have to, unfairly, experience rude and discourteous behaviour which has become the norm in TT. We have to wait extremely long on the phone before someone answers and deals with our issues and also wait unbearably long in lines.

Many customer service representatives also lack knowledge of the product or policy, the ability to follow through, and are unskilled in resolving a complaint.

Too many businesses have unresponsive and outdated technology or haven’t properly equipped the public on how to use it.

On too many occasions we are unable to get a hold of a real person to solve our problems and there are too many unfulfilled promises, lies and other deceptions.

Excellent customer service creates loyal customers for life; customers who are willing to refer a particular business to friends, family and colleagues.

Providing excellent customer service on a regular basis starts with a genuine desire to delight customers but businesses also have to think beyond selling their products or services. They need to consider the cumulative experience their customers have when they visit a store or website, what they think and feel, and what businesses can do to make it better.

A company with excellent customer service is more likely to get repeat business. Consequently, the company will benefit with greater sales and profits.

Contrarily, companies with poor customer service may lose customers which will have a negative impact on business. It costs a lot more money for a company to acquire a customer than to retain them due to advertising costs and the expense of sales calls.

Therefore, the efforts that go into maintaining quality customer service can really be of great benefit over time. People who have a positive experience with a company will likely tell others about their experience. Therefore, quality customer service can be a source of promotion for organisations.

Contrary to this, a person who has a bad customer service experience will likely tell between 15-30 people about how poorly and unfairly they were treated.

Clearly, for anyone who is serious about “making it big,” so to speak, it’s imperative to realise the importance of providing first class customer service.

It’s not just about the customer always being right. It’s about treating customers like family. And that doesn’t happen by talking down to them or looking for any possible way to get more money from them. It happens by truly going out of the way for them and adding enormous amounts of value to the equation.

SIMON WRIGHT Chaguanas

And Jones, bound for Germany in January, is ready to shoulder the responsibility, adding that he sees the importance of delivering the goods and meeting the expectations.

The Seattle Sounders left back took part in yesterday morning’s training session at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Couva and immediately began to take aim at the Hondurans.

“It’s a massively important game for us. I think everybody is clear about that,” Jones said.

“The last time we played them it was not a pretty experience for us.

We conceded early and we couldn’t get ourselves back into the match and this time we need to make them know how that experience feels. We are at home and I think we can get it together and pull off a performance that will bring us three points,” he continued.

“I think I owe the country in the hex now. In the past few games, I had what I would say not awful but bad performances .This is like a final to us. We need three points to stay alive. I had a good week of preparation between ball work and fitness. I am looking forward to the game and very excited about it,” Jones added.

He mentioned that there has been constant dialogue between himself and fellow midfielder Kevin Molino about the forthcoming fixtures.

“Everyday, myself and Kevin have been talking about these games. And about how making it to a World Cup can change our lives.

I think that is in the back of our minds but first we need to take care of business on the pitch and that is the main focus now for Friday and then onto Panama,” Jones said.

“Looking back at the last match with Honduras (in November 2016), it’s not much we want to remember but I wasn’t pleased with the way I performed and now it’s a chance to step up. Hopefully by God’s grace and with the right approach we can get it down right on the day and give the fans something to be happy about and keep our chances alive,” the former W Connection man added.

In related news, Honduras have recalled veteran striker Carlo Costly for Friday’s match. The Olimpia player has returned to the national team after an 18-month absence, coach Jorge Luis Pinto has said.

The 35-year-old quit international football in March 2016 after publicly falling out with Pinto, but the pair have settled their differences, the former Colombia and Costa Rica manager told a media conference on Friday.

“Carlo is playing his best football in years. We hope that he can carry on that form for the national team,” Pinto said. “As the coach, I know what I should do, and he knows what he needs to do on the pitch.

We’ve brought him in to the team at an opportune time.” Honduras are currently fifth in the CONCACAF standings with five points, nine points behind leaders Mexico. TT are rooted at the bottom with three points.

Honduras squad (clubs in brackets) GOALKEEPERS: Donis Escober (Olimpia), Luis Lopez (Real Espana), Ricardo Canales (Vida).

DEFENDERS: Bryan Beckeles (Necaxa), Maynor Figueroa (Dallas), Henry Figueroa and Felix Crisanto (Motagua), Carlos Sanchez (Honduras Progreso), Jhonny Palacios (Olimpia), Ever Alvarado (Olimpia), Emilio Izaguirre (Al-Fayha, Arabia), Jhonny Leveron (Marathon).

MIDFIELDERS: Bryan Acosta (Tenerife, Espana), Jorge Claros (Real Espana), Alexander Lopez (Olimpia), Alfredo Mejia (Xanthi, China), Oliver Morazan, (Juticalpa), Esdras Padilla (Juticalpa), Sergio Pena (Real Sociedad), Carlos Discua (Motagua), Boniek García (Houston), Juan Delgado (Honduras Progreso).

FORWARDS: Anthony Lozano (Barcelona B), Rony Martinez (Baoding Yingli Yitong), Alberth Elis (Houston), Romnell Quioto (Houston), Carlo Costly (Olimpia), Ovidio Lanza (Juticalpa), Eddie Hernandez (Motagua).