The last update on Experience Aviation showed Barrington in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. He was fortunate to meet up with Jamaicans living in Dubai. This is what he had to say in his April 25 blog:

“Today was certainly a memorable for me as I had the opportunity to meet with fellow local Jamaicans here in Dubai. At a brunch organized by Nicole Williams, the wife of a Jamaican Emirates pilot, I had the opportunity to spend time with passionate Jamaicans who encouraged me to continue pursuing my dreams and encouraging students. Most of these Jamaicans were pilots for local airlines in Dubai and they made me feel at home.” For more on Barry Irving visit www.experienceaviation.org

Fidel Castro looks fit in new photos

Perhaps to the dismay of some members of Florida’s Cuban-American community, and delight of other Caribbean-Americans, a recently published photograph of Cuban President Fidel Castro showed him looking healthier than he has looked since his operation and mysterious illness last year. The photograph showed Castro meeting with a member of China’s Communist Party Polituburo, Wu Guanzheng. Reports are that Castro and top members of his cabinet met last week with the delegation from the Chinese government, for over an hour, and that the meeting “was very profound and fruitful.”

The photograph showed Castro dressed in a red and black jogging suit, standing erect and looking strong and healthy. Former pictures of Castro showed him looking, frail, gaunt, and either lying in bed, or shuffling as he tried to walk. The implications of the photograph and the report are that Castro is not only recovering his health, but could be returning to active participation in the government of Cuba.

McDonalds disgruntled with “McJob” dictionary entry

Fast food giant, McDonalds, has expressed outrage at the newest word entry into the Merriam-Webster dictionary. The fast food chain, known for using ‘Mac’ to precede items on the menu, now has to contend with the unflattering word “McJob (mek jäb') which is a noun for “a low-paying job that requires little skill and provides little opportunity for advancement”

According to the Associated Press, “McDonald's says it deserves a break from the unflattering way the latest Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary depicts its job opportunities.”

It’s another proud moment for Jamaicans in the Diaspora sending off 23 year-old Barrington Irving on is ambitious world flight adventure. On Friday March 23, Irving will start his journey that will make him the youngest aviator to fly solo around the world and the first person of African descent to make the trek.

Taking off in Miami, Florida, Irving will traverse Canada, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, Asia and the Caribbean, of course making a stop in his birthplace, Jamaica. Barrington will follow in the tradition of mentor Erik Lindbergh, grandson of the great Charles Lindbergh, and many other great aviators before him.

Born in Kingston, and raised in inner-city Miami, Irving hopes this great endeavor will inspire the underprivileged and uninformed youth of his hometown, and others throughout the nation, to strive for career success in areas that may have seemed unavailable to them.