Not the Bible

You know how there is always a Bible in US hotel rooms? Well, in Maldives it's a copy of the Holy Quran. We were too busy with resort activities to catch up on our reading.

More resort pictures

I try to keep the resort postings to a miminum on the official blog so it won't look like we are goofing off too much. Here are some shots of our "welcome" drink which was a Maldivian mocktail. The drinking tab can get pretty high here, with a double vodka and tonic going for $16. Better to stick to the beer ($4.50 on tap) and wine ($6). A big bottle of water is $3. Yes, you have to pay in dollars.
We knew that our room and boat transportation was complimentary, so we didn't mind spending a few bucks on drinks and resort activities. Little did we know that the Maldivians would eventually pick up the entire tab. We still don't know who exactly to thank, since several people had a hand in making the reservation.

We left a nice tip for Blue, the manager who took good care of us the entire time.

In the Field

Andrew is getting better at working with his Maldivian colleagues in the field. He went to the tsunami camp and helped me out by shooting pictures for the blog, then we went into the "town" on Hulhulmale for a business story on the small shops there. Of course, we stopped for lunch and then Andrew did his standup. Good TV only happens on a full stomach.

This week he also did packages on a new airline that is flying to Male nonstop from Bangladesh and the continued popularity of motorcyles in Maldives despite the high price of gas.

Teamwork

Andrew as a team player, holding Laura's makeup mirror while working on the English newscast with JD.

Too Ghetto for Male?

We were hanging our wash out on the balcony and I think the classy Nalahiya Hotel decided it was a little too ghetto for them. They festooned the balcony with toilet paper and left a plastic clothes drying tree in the apartment for us to use. I guess the Maldives wasn't ready for Drew's underwear on display. Here's Andrew working on his blog at the kitchen table while the clothes are drying.

Signs You Might Like

First, an idea for Bill when he retires: Here's a building automation control company that dares to ask "Who is your cooling people?" At the very least he could help improve their English.

Also, a special sign for Mr. Ed, a phone company that is offering to help you "make a buddy," and not just once but twice. They also promise a "bill" that never changes.

Words of Encouragement

The new trainees are mostly 17 and 18 year olds who have completed their "O" level, our equivalent of tenth grade. It was encouraging to them -- and to me -- when the Minister of Legal Reform, Information and Arts spent time at the station for a q and a session about the role of independent journalists as Maldives adopts a new constitution and holds its first multiparty presidential election. He also took time to shake hands with each of these young people and encourage them to serve as role models for others. He spoke bluntly about one problem we've had: female reporters posting sexy pictures of themselves on the internet. Two were fired and one case was referred to the police for criminal prosecution.In the politically charged environment of the Maldives, I have agreed not to post anything about Minister Nasheed on the public blog. However, TVM falls within the minister's portfolio and he was just being a good boss, welcoming the newest employees and motivating those who have been here for a while.

West Park View

While the dust was still settling from the diplomatic credentials story, Noora took Cathy and me to lunch at one of the few places where you can sit on the water, West Park restaurant. There are only two really good restaurants within walking distance of TVM and we get tired of going to the same two places, so this was a nice change. However, the slow Maldivian service combined with the cab ride made this a two and half hour lunch!

Hitching a Ride

It is easy to forget that we are on an island because the capital city of Male is one of the most crowded places on earth. We can go all day without really seeing the water. So every now and then our training team takes the ferry to the airport island to have dinner. While we were eating, a huge storm blew in and the ferry traffic between the islands was stopped for a while. We were standing in the rain when we saw a boat getting ready to leave the dock and jumped on.

It was the shuttle boat for the immigration workers at the airport! They were really nice and allowed us to hitch a ride. Otherwise, we might have been stranded at the airport. I hope they won't get in trouble for their kindness.

What I can't post on the other blog

Regarding Diplomatic Credentials: I think my position on this issue has been misrepresented, so this post is just to set the record straight and be clear. Background: As new diplomats come and go in the Maldives, they routinely meet the president to present their credentials. Earlier this year, this ritual was upgraded to an elaborate outdoor ceremony with a uniformed honor guard and a brass band. It's interesting video that absolutely should be shown on television. Especially when TVM remembers to turn up the natural sound so we can hear the band! The problem: The official video of the ceremony, shot by the VIP crew and not news crews, usually includes a press release which includes lavish praising of President Gayoom. Here's an example that was actually read by an anchor on the English news: "The diplomats congratulated the president's achievements in implementing the democratic reform agenda and wished him further success. They also applauded the important role that President Gayoom has played in promoting awareness on environmental issues in the global arena." The Dhivehi version was MUCH longer. The problem is that we don't know exactly what the diplomats (from Indonesia, the Ukraine and Libya) said because they were never given an opportunity to speak with reporters. The president's press office is simply putting words in their mouths. The routine pleasanteries associated with a diplomatic ceremony of this type are elevated to the level of official recognition, and seem somewhat out of touch with reality. Only yesterday the British state minister was calling on Maldives to hurry up with the pace of reform, and an NGO issued a report saying most people don't believe the election will be fair. But in the world of the VIP crew, the press release implies that three separate countries are endorsing Gayoom's presidency and its "achievements." Newscasters are compelled to read this stuff, which would never make air in a more mature democracy with a more vigorous press. The video further contributes to the impression of an imperial presidency. My strong recommendation is that TVM avoid airing this type of story, especially during the election season. Reading this self-congratulatory stuff from the president's office undermines the very real effort TVM is making to be free and fair. TVM has chosen not to follow my recommendation and outside observers can draw their own conclusions.
Update: This post was removed from the other blog because it prompted a nasty round of text messages from our boss, the minister of information. I was bluntly instructed not to make any further posts criticizing the president's press office. Now that the election is drawing near, emotions are running high. However, the real reason not to run this story is the fact that the coverage agreement requires that whenever we show the president as head of state, we have to give all the opposing parties a chance to respond. The credentials story was a mere formality that wasn't worth chasing after eight parties to get a soundbite, even if we had the crews to do so. Better not to run it at all, rather than give the parties and opportunity to say that TVM is violating the equal coverage agreement. I didn't want to blog that because it would be a red flag for criticism when TVM is still learning the ropes. So I sent it privately in an email to Nasheed and everything is fine now, as he understands I have no motive except making the election coverage free and fair.

Laundry Day

We did our first load of wash. Drew thought it was pretty funny that there are no clothes dryers and his shorts and underwear were displayed on our balcony for all to see. We are on the 8th floor this time and the only bad thing is that the restaurant is right over our heads. They start moving the chairs around at 6 am.

Andrew on TVM

Andrew is becoming quite the star because the cameramen love to feature any "white" visitors in their cutaway shots. Here he is at the Labor Minister's news conference with TVM reporter Hassan Ziyau. The Maldivian reporters have been very kind about showing him the ropes.

First day on the job...

... in a tie. Andrew looked great and did some nice work on his first day as a reporter for TVM. He covered two news conferences, one on the donation of medical supplies by the Pakistani medical association and another one on the efforts by independent NGOs to launch a voter education drive. Good job Andrew. And the tie knot looks really good. The interns met the rest of the team at the morning story meeting.

Unforgettable July 4th

We got down to business with our first visist in the TVM newsroom on Thursday, our first day in the capital city of Male. Our serious program to improve political coverage begins Sunday.
But first, a one-day trip to a resort. This time it was the Chaaya Island Dhonveli resort. Although it has the reputation of a surfing destination, we had a great time snorkeling, swimming, eating and having a cocktail or two because alcohol is strictly forbidden in the rest of Maldives. No time for a dive trip: strict regulations require a checkout dive and waiting a day. However, we had a blast using one of the over-the-water bungalows for a day. The turquoise water and blue sky created postcard views everywhere. We even saw a small reef shark and a couple of rays swimming right up to the bungalow.

Singapore stop

In addition to the regular posts on the main Terry Anzur Coaching blog, we'll be posting the fun stuff on this blog that's intended for family and friends in the US.

It takes three days to get here and we stayed awake in Singapore by taking advantage of all the free tours of the city, soaking up colonial atmosphere at the Raffles hotel and taking the free boat ride and discovering the underground network of shopping malls and restaurants.