A Professor Perspective- Linda Piper

Another beautiful day at "the office" in Jamaica.  As we write,  the students are sitting at their computers working on marketing and promotion materials for Hotel Mocking Bird Hill (hotelmockingbirdhill.com) as well as a customer service plan, an analysis of occupancy rates, and intercultural management issues.  Today, the faculty members at this Port Antonio location are working on gap analysis and customer opinion surveys.  On average, the work totals about ten hours a day as we continue to talk about the project during meals and at night.  

We are managing to have some fun and relaxation, too, with trips to the beach and walking the winding trails on the mountain, watching the amazing variety of bird species, swimming in the hotel pool, and relishing the spectacular views and tranquility afforded by the terrace of our villa. The delicious meals (a tantalizing combination of authentic local Jamaican cuisine and Canadian favourites) served at candlelit tables overlooking the jungle canopy are a treat served up at the award winning restaurant called Mille Fleurs owned by eco-conscious Hotel Mocking Bird Hill.  The food is locally sourced, with an emphasis on paying local farmers a fair wage and organic and sustainable production.  The hotel complex produces 65 percent of its own power supply through renewable energy.

Tomorrow a smaller group of us are heading to some other eco-resorts to continue with our interviews for research on ecolabels and ecocertification experiences of ecotourism entrepreneurs.

Try a recipe for a quick, easy and delicious dessert and get a taste of Jamaica:
BANANA BAKES
3 large bananas
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 tablespoon rum

Peel a thin strip from each banana and scoop out the fruit from the skins, keeping the skins intact.  Put aside skins.  Mash bananas well, blending with the lime juice and rum.  Place the  mashed banana inside the skins, marking the top of the fruit mixture with a criss-cross pattern.  Bake at 425 degrees F for 7 minutes.

Linda