My name is Heather Stoute and I’m the operations manager at what I think is Barbados’ top attraction.
I live in St James now but I was brought up in Brighton, right on the beach. I used to swim for Barbados so I spent a lot of time training in the sea before we got a pool at North Point in St Lucy.
We could only travel there on weekends. Now you have the Aquatic Centre, everything is easy. I love the beach now but I don’t swim long swims any more. Not the ’round Barbados race!
I have a girl, Kim, anda younger one, the boy, Zane. My husband is Steve.
I went to Queen’s College when it was in town, opposite Queen’s Park, where the Ministry of Education is now; and, of course, there were no boys then. The girls used to hang over the wall and watch the Harrison College boys go by. My husband Steve was a Lodge boy, though.
He wasn’t one I saw going by.
I came up with Enid Blyton, historical romances, whatever I could get my hands on. I do some reading now; not as much as I should, probably. I work full-time and then you have household chores.
You see little boys watching other little boys play DS and PSP. It’s not a good thing. Children need to read more. It also comes out in their results. They’re not reading, so they’re not able to understand; it affects their vocabulary, so they’re not able to explain in exam situations.
But I can see with working mums, when you come in after a hard day and you have the television right there, you can put them there and get on with your chores.
I tell it like it is.
If I haven’t had good service, I let the people know. But, if I have had good service, I also let them know. I get up and go and tell them so.
I have lots of plants. I’m always digging up, replanting, cutting back. My garden wouldn’t make a TV programme, though; it’s not that beautiful.
I don’t like seeing adults taking advantage of children and animals.
I don’t believe in corporal punishment. I came up in a school where they didn’t have corporal punishment – they still don’t in Queen’s College. Many times you get carried way. It’s an aggressive way. You don’t need to beat somebody to get themto understand; actually, you need to talk a little more.
A little more talking and a lot less beating.
I love music. Anything from calypso to pop to alternative music.
Red Plastic Bag is my favourite calypsonian.
To me, dinner and dancing is a perfect night out. My parents taught me when I was five and, since then, I love to dance. But Steve doesn’t, though!
Bajan men don’t seem to like to dance. You go to functions and you see them liming on the side, chatting and drinking. But they won’t wander over to the dance floor. I don’t know why not.
I’ve been to Trinidad when I was swimming for Barados. I started swimming competitively when I was about 11 and stopped when I was about 16 or 17. I medalled in that meet, but only silver and bronze. I didn’t go anywhere else to swim for Barbados.
My children can both swim but neither was interested in swimming competitively. It’s a hard sport. You have to train a lot, in the early morning, in cold water.
I have a nice job. I deal with a lot of different visitors, each from somewhere different in the world, each with something different. I learn from them, they learn from me. As you talk to them, they talk back to you, telling you their experiences.
I usually arrive at 8 a.m., although we don’t open until ten o’clock. You have to prepare, make sure the place is ready, do all the little chores, make sure the shop is stocked, staff is ready to roll.
We close at 3:30 p.m. but the last visitor may not leave until after 4 or 4:30. In the season, you work longer hours because there are that many more people arriving and taking their time to leave. And you have a lot of work to do after they leave. Some evenings I may not leave until 5, quarter to five.
The best thing about my job is interacting with people. Training the tour guides, the rapport with the staff. Every day is different and that makes it interesting.
The only “bad” thing about my job is, sometimes, the long hours. Sometimes I work a six-day week. Sometimes you would likea little more time for yourself – but, in the summer, that usually balances out.
I love milk chocolate. People say dark chocolate is the “real” chocolate, but I don’t really like it. I do like a good steak, though.
I’m not a rum drinker.
I prefer white wine.
Bajans are very laid-back, friendly and passionate about what they believe in. But they can be a bit cliquish at times.
I’m a Bajan myself but I try to include everybody.
I love Barbados. It’s my home. Sometimes I’m a bit critical of it because I’ve travelled. I sometimes say: “When I’m back in Barbados, I know I’m back in Barbados.” Sometimes I feel our service could improve in Barbados.
Email bc@caribsurf.com