Kerstin in San Pedro Sun newspaper

Community meetings are a main part of the Disaster Risk Reduction Project Kerstin is currently working in. For the latest community meeting in San Pedro the media was present as well. Yes, it is quite weird when there is a video camera put in your face for TV and you have to answer all kinds of questions while not looking stupid. But I guess I did pretty ok. Good enough to make it in the newspaper, and some people even recognize me the week later in the streets. Here is also the link to read the article online: http://www.sanpedrosun.com/community-and-society/2012/05/02/red-cross-implementing-saving-lives-in-the-caribbean-through-preparedness-for-disaster-project/ C...

In december, Holger facilitated a strategic workshop with the Caye Caulker chapter of the Belize Tourism Industry Association. The workshop focused on sustainable tourism development, segmentation of the tourist market and marketing techniques. The marketing angle of the workshop could be summed up by saying: "What tourists do we want on Caye Caulker and how can we put this island on the map for them?" Caye Caulker is a paradise for young backpackers, partying groups and romantically inclined couples. It has preserved its fishing town charm (as opposed to San Pedro). In fact, the general wisdom says that you either like developed San Pedro or authentic, down-to-e...

I have never advertised anything on this blog before. But I just bought this package (I wouldn't invest the 1000 dollars it usually costs ... ) of books and courses and love it. So I thought I'd share - I am sure some of you out there are looking for exactly this combination of blogging, passion finding, entrepreneurship at a BIG discount. Here's the poop: in the next 72 hours you can buy more than 1000$ worth of entrepreneur training books and courses for 100$. The folks at only72.com are running another of their (rare) offers. What is it? Basically, two successfull bloggers got together and sell a package of books and online courses at way below regular price. ...

Ich bin keine sonderlich musikalische Person. Ich habs probiert. Wirklich. Von Glockenspiel (ja, ich bin das Kind dem in der zweiten Stunde der Schlaeger abgebrochen ist und nie ersetzt wurde...) ueber Floete (im zweiten Jahr habe ich angefangen das Mundstueck zu zerbeissen um mich um die Stunden zu druecken...), Klavier/Keyboard (ich war so gut, dass der Lehrer jedes.einzelne.mal nach 5 Akkorden eingeschlafen ist) bis hin zu Geige (habt Ihr eine Ahnung wie nervig es sein kann so ein Geraet auf einem 90 Minuten Schulweg zu Fuss, per Bus, per Bahn und wieder zu Fuss – und das ganze wieder zurueck – zu schleppen?). Meine Eltern haben sich viel Muehe gegeben mich musikalisch...

I'm not a very musical person. It's not that I haven't tried. From lessons playing the glockenspiel (yes, I'm the kid whose drumstick broke in week 2 and never got replaced...) to the flute (in year 2 I started biting on the mouthpiece, hoping it would break and I could sneak out of classes...), piano/keyboard (my skills were so great that the teacher fell asleep within the first five accords. Every.Single.Time.) and the violin (quite annoying to carry that monstreous case on a 90min way to school by foot-bus-train-foot and back). My parents really tried to plant that musical seed. With minor success. But still, I like music. My last concert was at Frankfort Special. A...

That's what it looks like after 2 hours of snorkeling and not noticing that your shirt was a few inches displaced...

I have been in Belize for the better part of a year now. I arrived with a backpack full of things that I didn’t need or that I could’ve easily bought here. A few things I brought proved to be very valuable. For the rest I just begged visiting friends. Here are the 5 things that are essential when visiting Belize: Sunscreen For me, sunscreen used to belong in the same category as machetes, bug spray and rum: It’s something that people need where you go on a daily basis so you can safely assume that they have it readily available. This worked out quite well for me until I came across a batch of fake sunscreen that gave me the worst sunburn in years. Don’t fall for...

Belize has a national animal (Tapir), a national tree (Mahagony), a national flower (Black Orchid) and a national bird (Keel Billed Toucan). I was able to scratch Tapir, Mahagony and Black Orchid off of my list months ago, shortly after getting here. But that Toucan ... just didn't want to show! And it's not like I didn't try. At Maruba I even got up at 5 in the morning and walked along the road where they supposedly sit in the morning. Nopes. Didn't work. Earlier this year, we were staying at Chaa Creek and Frank and myself got up early again to go on a bird watching. Now - if you're a regular reader you know how big of a fan of bird watching I am. But ... Fr...

Um herauszufinden wie gut ein Projekt fuer eine Gemeinde war, muss man zunaechst einmal die Basis kennen. Fuer unser "Saving Lives in the Caribbean Through Prepardness" Disaster Risk Reduction Projekt waren wir in den letzten Wochen in 8 Gemeinden unterwegs und haben die sogenannte "Baseline" Umfrage gemacht. Dabei werden 100 Haushalte aus allen Teilen der Gemeinde mit 32 Fragen zum Thema Katastrophenvorbereitung befragt. 32 Fragen, die man im Schnitt 17 mal am Tag stellt. Das ganze uber zwei Wochen, fast jeden Tag. 32 Fragen, die einen irgendwann verfolgen vom Fruehstueck bis zum Abend. Und dann braucht es noch ein paar Tage um sie wieder aus dem Kopf zu kriegen um nicht...