The Virtual Yard Chat on Wednesday, 6 April was one for the books! It commenced with check-ins with each person, followed by passionate discussions on Cayman’s arts and culture scene and government’s role in preserving cultural heritage as well as promoting up and coming talent. From local music in radio station programming and cultural arts education in schools, to jobs for Caymanians outside of the more traditional career paths such as finance and law, to a debate on the need for tourism and the damaging effect of cruise ships, as well as the economic impact investing in culture in the Cayman Islands could make, the Chat was spirited and emotional throughout.
Members from different parts of Scotland, Canada and England contributed to the conversations which included lots of laughter, and touched on their own activities and plans including modeling opportunities, travel to Europe, heavy school workloads over Spring break, meet-ups with other Caymanians, and Cayman Connection events such as the Spring Social and the Botanic Park Herbal Remedies Walk. The Cayman Connection April calendar stimulated members to share their excitement for upcoming events such as the Regional Connect in Edinburgh on 9 April and the signature event of the month, “Trouble in the Streets” – An Encounter with J.A. Roy Bodden, Cayman’s Most Prolific Cultural Historian.
The 90-minute get together culminated in sincere appreciation for the opportunity to interact with Mr. J.A. Roy Bodden at the end of the month which led to discussing his works, and reading generally; members were keen to provide recommendations on books, encouraging those with less interest in novels to find literature that speaks to one’s interest as well as taking advantage of technology (such as the Kindle) to make read easy and pleasurable. A CC Book Club invitation was extended to those in attendance, and is open to all members, free of cost at this time.
Virtual Yard Chats are held on the first Wednesday of each month at 6pm BST and are a fantastic way to meet other members, connect with friends, share your thoughts and opinions on a variety of topics, and have a enjoyable evening from the comfort of your home.