**on-site Trip Report [[ Monday afternoon ..... 12/23/13 ]]

Folks,
this trip
these on-site reports are the hardest EVER..!!..

I am OVER-whelmed (in the most-positive sense)
with how *things* have gone thus far.

This country's people are the best-est..!!..

for example,
people-wise,
a few minutes ago,
i pass-thru the Lucea-market
to see what/who i could/would see.

When what to my wandering eyes should appear, but a vendor-lady whom i hadn't seen in many a year.

See-ing people like her,
people whom i've seen grow,
struggleing to begin their biz-ness-es
and now
years later,
they're smiling and prosperous.

* whew *

what a feeling to see such progress
in sooooooooo many peoples

makes you wanna cry

well,
she, me, we exchanged howdy-do's, and glad to see ya's, bump-ed fists, shook hands, just short of huggin' each other ---- didn't wanna over-do things, ya know.

during our quick chat,
'cause we BOTH had things to do:::: she money to make, biz-ness to '.hangle.' ........... me:::>>> sights & people to see, budget & money to juggle, 'cause it's *try*-ing to jump out of my wallet like frogs in a black lada bag.

* sigh *

WHERE do the foreign-money GO, when you're in Jamaica..????..

don't make NO $en$e ---- none at-tall

:-(

neverthelss,
the nice vendor-lady tell me:::>> "..remember:::>> you have a balance.."

"..Huh..??.." <<<<::: mi-SAY

:-(

she-SAY:::>>> ".. I owe YOU Ja $30.."

she walked away, as my mouth FLY-open and,
d
r
o
p-ed to the ground.

* sigh *

'...land we love..' na tru

[[[ continue-ing in a minute or so ]]]

so tru

[[[ continue-ing ]]]

me an idiot..!!..

'member me tell you, that i had a funeral or something to go to on Sunday..??...

well,
NOT tru

:-(

it's NOT a funeral,
but a grave-diggin' i have to attend ON TUESDAY, afternoon

so,
Sunday was an *off*-day for me.

soooooooooooooooooo,
i went for a nice jog, to town & back

then walked again to town,
to get somethings from the hardware store, which was closed on Saturday, for owner's religious obligations, and therefore they open on Sundays, when 99% of the other business-es are closed.

*whew*
that was a long sentence, na tru

walked back to the yard,
with my two-new-metal-rakes,
and
begin to rake the yard,
to start tidy-ing up things for Christmas

did some bush/brush choppin' too.

But made a mistake::>> i THOUGHT somethings i was choppin' was weed-stuff ---- but dem were gunga-peas

:-(

* sigh *
so it goes, when you send a foreigner to do a Jamaican's work.

p.s... gunga peas are VERY-VERY expensive @ the market

[[[ continue-ing in a few ]]]

Hey Smith, long time.......homegirl

give that vendor lady a hug.............

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Homegirl

Hey Smith, long time.......homegirl

---

:-)

oh my..!!..

sure HAS-been a looooooooong-time, mi fren

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rambo

give that vendor lady a hug.............

---

lol
lol
lol
lol

HEAR-me, when tell you::>>> it took a LOT of restraint on my part not-to-hug her ........ plus, SHE (among a couple others) is on my *short-list* WHEN-ever ______ ______ _______ ______

ummmmmmmmmmm

but me STILL so so sooooooooooooo 'fraid

:-(

[[[[ continue-ing ]]]

oh-kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay

WHERE to start.... ummmmmmmmm


FIRSTly,
you-all STILL have time to GET down here ---- for Christmas Eve--- --- if i were you in-foreign, i'd charter a plane ASAP.

THIS PLACE is going c-r-a-z-y...!!..

i'm fastening my seat-beltS for tomorow eveing & night

today,
Lucea-town is pump-ed UP..!!!..

it's monday
and from past experiences
a Monday is usually a kinda slow day

NOT like it IS today, right-now, as we speak.

the WesternUnion line has been 'bout 40-yards loooong, out-side the office. 'Bout 100+ folks in line, waiting and waiting and waiting.

I was going to go to Digicell to check on some things, and get a new phone, blah blah ,,,, BUT the line & crowd around the counter was 2-3 people deep.

:-(

my Ja-mentor
realizing my *pain* with this no-phone issue,
swapped my chip (in old defective phone)
into her office-phone,
for me to use 'til i get my issues sorted-out.

'...land we love... la la la..'


I CAN NOT put into words what i'm experiencing right now..... i want to describe the scene and vibe, but words fail me. It's so nice, that for a moment i wanted to shed a tear of pure-JOY, 'cause i FINALLY got to be here for pre-Christmas stuff.

there're people EVERYwhere
all in cheerful moods
Ja-game-faces have been suspended

mothers & daughters & aunties walking side-by-side, arm in arm
children with moms, with dads --- all strolling along with that peppy bouncy step.

for the past 2+ hours,
i've been outside people watching
..had a Heiniken,
..a couple patties,
..come Hippopotomus strawberry cookies

for some(?) reason there're no jelly coconuts for-sale today
:-(

i dropped into Hammond's Bakery
yep
yep
there's NOW a Hammonds IN-Lucea

there's an *interesting*-ly different clientele that i-saw-today that *seems* to be patronizing that place. I'll try to explain in a later post.

the *plan* was to get a Hammond pattie ((( @ Ja$120 )))
but they were sold-OUT..!!..

:-(

while people watching,
i was sitting on this short-wall area, along with the other old-folks my-age,,,,, we were all people watching, chatting, and listen-ing to the best-est Ja-music you ever wanna hear, BLASTING from the popular local bar across the street from our sittin' spot.

music so nice that
i
HOPPED UP
and went to see WHO & HOW & where-from the music come

i saw the DJ, with is computers, click click click click-ing:::; spitting-out the tunes


mi-SAY:;;:>> '..CAN you record that music, AND play at same time...??.."

he-SAY::::>> "..Sure.."

soooooooooooooooooooooo,
when i told him mi-WANT a cd,,
he dashed across the One-Way
to the China-man supermarket
came back with a blank cd

i gave him Ja$200

mi-SAY:::>> "..I'll soon come back to pick it up.."

he nodded

1.5 hours later (now) .... i got a cd

tonight will play it
if it sound good
then
tommorow
i WILL get 2-3 more
BELIEVE DAT...!!..

ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
pausing to gather my thoughts...
soon come back

[[[ continue-ing ]]]

why i love this place so

last sat-day night
in a computer place
idiot me,
left behind my Ja-exercise book
with some of my trip-notes
and phone numbers

today, monday
my gut told me no-worries

so,
i strolled into computer place
mi-SAY:::>> "..did you find blah blah blah..??.."

boss-man look pon his likkle desk-area,
and pull up my likkle notebook thing-y

* whew *

'..land we loooooooooooooooooooooooooooove la la la la la..'


i'm trying soooooo hard to get over-to Negril and other places

the way thing going now,
it might not be until AFTER Christmas when i get to Negril .... maybe on BoxingDay .... i kinda remember Lucea-area being no-so-busy on BoxingDay ((( december 26th )))

speaking of Negril....
today,
i kept asking myself,
WHO is in Negril:::>> Ja-tourist-industry-wise

i couldn't believe how many of my Negril Ja-associates in saw in Lucea today ---- for me it was neat likkle homecoming meeting seeing all of them ---- them out and about doing their Christmas thing-y

but i still wonder who was dealing with the tourist/foreigners ...??...
soooo many of them were in Lucea

oh well
so it goes

oh
oh
oh:::>> at Lucea Market
i saw/chatted-to Devan Anthony Husmo
the Rasta-painter-guy that folks ask about from time to time

he looking good..!!..
doing well
still doing his painting same way<<<<:: he told me

said he had a Facebook page

if interested,
his Ja-cellphone number is::::>>> 396-9837

[[[ continueing ]]]

last post for today

they closing up here

quick story

yesterday
sunday
i jogged to Lucea-town

strolling and cooling down
i pass the police station

chilling ... strolling ... after a nice likkle run

"...Hi, Bill.." <<<<::: came a nice female voice from INSIDE the police station.

i tripped & stumbled

my head snapping out of it's socket

NOW,
i've been through this before,
where some somebodies call mi name

BUT NEVER from INSIDE the police station..!!!..
:-(

mi look (cautiously and 'fraid-ly)

'twas my Ja-mentor's sister
she now a police, from just over year

* whew *

mi no know if it's a good thing or a bad thing that NOW police-people know me

ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

so it goes

lata

will try to post ChristmasEve
after grave diggin'

smith744....My son and I just bought 3 paintings from Mr. Husmo on the beach last wednesday.....I will try and post some pics of the paintings! He is a great guy and even told my son that he gets a discount on a future purchase next reach for being such a good kid. Enjoying your trip reports very much....bless