PM: When I'm stressed, I put on a pot

BY LUKE DOUGLAS, Observer writer

Friday, January 08, 2010

PRIME Minister Bruce Golding admitted Wednesday evening to feeling the pressure of his job, but disclosed an unorthodox way of tackling the stress of the nation's problems -- He heads for the kitchen.

"Whenever I'm stressed -- and right now I'm stressed -- I go to the kitchen because I'm so turned on by the consuming power of that flame," the self-confessed "frustrated chef" told a gathering of Masters in business administration (MBA) graduates and students.

"Whenever I put a pot on the fire I just put all my [worries] in that pot and I just..." he said trailing off, to peals of laughter from the gathering.

The occasion was the eighth annual Caribbean MBA Conference at the Hilton Kingston Hotel. Sponsored by FirstCaribbean International Bank, the conference was hosted by the Caribbean Business Clubs of Harvard Business School and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

The prime minister, whose Government has been soaking up heavy flak for announcing four tax packages in a year, as well the length of time it is taking to sign a US$1.3-billion stand-by loan facility with the International Monetary Fund, disclosed that he is an avid fan of the Food Network -- a cable TV channel from which he draws not only culinary inspiration, but renewed faith in the uniqueness of the Jamaican brand.

Golding said he keenly watched the Food Network a few nights ago as female chef from New Orleans, in preparing a five-course meal, included two Jamaican-influenced dishes -- jerk chicken and something called 'Jamaica Me Crazy' which he heard about for the first time.

The prime minister noted that Jamaica's music and culture had brought the island to the world's attention, but that the country was still not fulfilling its potential.

"We have such a powerful brand but we haven't began yet to exploit it," Golding noted.

Thanking the elite group of scholars for the continued interest in the region, he challenged them to use their perceptiveness to find solutions to the Caribbean's economic and social problems.

"Your commitment to the Caribbean dream cannot be questioned. All of the Caribbean looks to you because we expect great things from you," Golding said.

Participants at the conference, which ends today, are discussing topics including entrepreneurship in the Caribbean, lessons from the financial crisis, new and emerging industries, and the power of regional integration and collaboration.