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Trying to get a straight answer out of a Jamaican (especially the male but dat lata;-) can be a miracle. You say one thing and we conveniently hear something different, leaving you wanting to kill someone. Basically how the &*& did you get that from what I asked...lol!
All this with nothing to hide. Most of the women are always hiding something $$$$$$! - more on dat too
Remittances is the term for what is being described above. In the developing world, when the unemployment is high and the average wage is low, remittances are a common occurrence. This happens world wide and is not exclusive to Jamaica. As we are all human and have many of the same wants and desires, when a family member is lucky enough to live in a first world country, there can be expectations on the part of those not so fortunate back home.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sweet_Dawta
Sweet Dawta - after reading your remarks, it seems that you have strong feelings in this area where you are intimately involved. That is understandable. While this does have an impact on the society, this is not something that a tourist would have to encounter since there would not be any family/blood relationships in the first place.
The begging issue presented by the original poster includes the "buy me a beer" and "give me a dollar" kind of thing that one will encounter when on a vacation as well as the phone calls (when a home phone number is given out) asking for anything from money to a chain saw. This behavior is more prevalent in tourist areas with the obvious wealth disparities and number of people involved, but is not a major factor when viewing the island as a whole from a broader perspective.
Your living outside of Jamaica for so many years offers you a interesting perspective on the situation and as I have also lived outside the US for so long I have different perspective on America as do those who live there. As Bnewb stated, the sharing of each person's perspective gives a better understanding of the situation.
I know that's right, ask and you shall receiveQuote:
Originally Posted by Sweet_Dawta
Since this has been a hot topic and i'm a new member why not get my feet wet and throw my 2 cents in based on my personal experience with Jamaicans so far.
Bearing in mind i haven't actually been to Jamaica yet (10 days and counting)
I cant really speak to the "begging" issue but I'm aware of it from what I've read so far but that being said i don't see how it is such a big deal,just go to any city anywhere in the world and you'll get plenty of that.
Ive lived in a rural farming community in the northeast US for many years now and got to meet quite a lot of Jamaicans and i will say that the ones I've met are certainly NOT lazy.
In fact you may wonder how somebody in the sticks knows Jamaicans.
What you may not know is that here in the northeast they plant,and harvest a large percentage of your domestic crops.
They are flown up here by the US govt and work for the summer on most of the farms in my area. And before the "they took our jobs people" chime in the reason they are flown here is at the request of the farmers. Why? (bear in mind i sold farm equipment and worked closely with all the local farmers) and i will go so far as to quote a local farmer/owner/friend "If i didn't have the Jamaicans every summer, i wouldn't have a farm any longer.Locals simply do not want to put in a real hard days work, no matter what you pay them,especially younger kids."
I will say i admire their tenacity.They sleep in vans on the fields or a barn(10 or 20 deep!) simply so they can send every penny home where it is needed. they make sacrifices that even "poor" Americans don't or aren't willing to make.
And after all that you think maybe they would be bitter or have a chip on their shoulder but no, they are just as friendly as all the locals, some even more so.
I don't think the issues that bug some will bother me in Jamaica,but whenever i see an outraged review of someone griping about a cockroach,mosquitoes,chipped paint,or a lumpy bed the first thing i ask myself is "why is this person even traveling here?"
Maybe its because I have left the soft comfy confines of my native home and seen some other parts of the world already,who knows.
I guess once i go ill know :cool:
2nd time i came to jamaica was after a long break of 25 years or so (first time was a microdot fueled blur in the mid 80s that involved the reggae sunsplash and a redneck construction crew) . I stayed on the beach at NBCC in the off season and was almost the only one there. i tried walking down the beach and was harassed and followed the entire time. was miserable and kinda felt trapped at the hotel. then i moved up to the seastar and was much happier on the west end. met rob and lisa by chance there and they helped fix my attitude. i would go for walks but id ignore most everyone hollering at me and kept my eyes forward and my feet shuffling. This spring i came back down and tried a new approach and i went and talked to every damn person who hollered at me and tried to sell me anything. sure about 75% of them were hustlers and i always told them in advance they were wasting their time because im a cheap evil sarcastic *******. however i did see and talk about much that id never had enjoyed in my previous trips. i did meet a couple *******s too but i will admit that but they can be readily found most everywhere. The thing is that the more you get higgled the less effect it has. heck my hometown beggars dont even have a chance after i spend a week in Negril and we do have a sizable homeless population in my city. maybe ive become jaded but i have booked a second stay at NBCC and i plan to walk the beach. i will joyfully engage the locals who wish to enhance my sharing of wealth(lol) but they are going to have to be polite or they get NOTHING!
"There are 2.7 million Jamaicans living at home and the official estimate is that, an equal number of Jamaicans also lives overseas. Last year, Jamaicans living abroad send home approximately US$2.6 billion. Just ahead of what the island earns from its major industry tourism, and ahead of what is brought in by the bauxite industry.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rob
Another significant figure is the estimated US$40 billion purchasing power of Jamaicans living abroad. It should therefore come as no surprise that the Jamaican Government is actively pursuing this potentially rich source of investment capital and political influence."
This was from a report a few years ago. Jamaica is UNIQUE as in PEOPLE and CULTURE. Which OTHER contry gets more in FREE money that its leading industries.
"Sweet Dawta - after reading your remarks, it seems that you have strong feelings"
I have strong feeling and a bit more understanding of the culture. Many of us have been affected by it over the years. It's one of the reason many Jamaicans, some in my family chose NOT to return. I have seen the sheer beauty of the island (waterfallS, mountains, rain foresst, cliffs, resorts) but sadly know many will never return because of the expectaion to give. They show up at the door asking sometimes for effing IPHONES.
Mek dis a Sad Dawta.
IT'S AN ISLAND THANG!
Jamaica is far from unique regarding remittances and the impact on the economy. In fact, they arent even in the top 40 of all remittance receiving countries according to the WorldBank as of last year. There are over 40 countries that get more money than Jamaica does:Quote:
Originally Posted by Sweet_Dawta
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTPROSPECTS/Resources/334934-1199807908806/Top10.pdf
We do not want to confuse the facts regarding this matter. As you presented them above, if it is true that "just ahead of what the island earns from its major industry tourism, and ahead of what is brought in by the bauxite industry", then that would mean that if the major industry (nearly the same amount as remittances) and the bauxite industry (less than what the remittances bring in) are added together (as you defined by the term "industries"), then Jamaica is not even one of the countries that "gets more in FREE money that its leading industries".
Please note, none of your posts have been removed by any of the Negril.com moderators. Every post you made is still on the site.
Sweet Dawta,
I was forced to edit your post after I responded to you. Please make the comments you want to add in a new post. Changing your previous response based on my reply is not being fair to anyone.
I do completely understand what you are saying, and have heard many Jamaican friends say nearly the exact same thing after being fortunate enough to get "off the rock".Quote:
Originally Posted by Sweet_Dawta
While I understand and even sympathize at times, I do have to point out that the family issues you are facing have no bearing on the experience that a tourist will have in Jamaica, which is the focus of Negril.com. Please be sure to take a few minutes to get familiar with the Guidelines as posted in the FAQ section above.
http://negril.com/forum/faq.php?faq=...faq_guidelines
" Why do Jamaicans find it so easy to beg?"
Wow...I would guess they are hungry, and having maybe grown up around it for the beginning of their lives up to now............and they have no other
skills or means of surviving OR help others to survive........that is WHY they do it, but I DONT think they find it easy.................they are too proud of a people to let that become EASY for them.......................
I have been to many places in the world, where "First Class BUMS Hit on YA"..............so its all over people need money