That's a quote from Ian Thompson's wonderful book "The Dead Yard" (worth reading).
Life for most Jamaicans is very hard.
All you Negril-aholics out there, does this not bother you? Just wondering...
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That's a quote from Ian Thompson's wonderful book "The Dead Yard" (worth reading).
Life for most Jamaicans is very hard.
All you Negril-aholics out there, does this not bother you? Just wondering...
No.
Life for the vast majority of people in the world is very hard. I try to make a small difference in the quality of life when I see a need wherever I am.
We could bring back "paradise" if we look around and see the abundance that Jah provides instead of chasing materialistic ideals. Greed, corruption and chasing the dollar are ruining paradise worldwide.
Life is hard in in most of the Caribbean, does that mean we shouldn't travel there? I think it means we should all go as much as possible to stimulate their economies and put more to work..
Being married to a Jamaican and spending time with family each reach as well as supporting them financially throughout the year, I am keenly aware of what "real life" is like in Jamaica.
It does not diminish my love of Jamaica or my enjoyment of the time I get to spend there, but it does give me a different perspective than the typical tourist.
Our first ever trip to Negril in 1988, we stayed at Footeprints. In those days as longtimers will remember, things were much quieter. The 'security' at the hotel was one Lincoln Cameron, a rasta of advanced years. We stayed for two weeks and near the end of our holiday, we were sitting on the beach in the evening with Cameron, talking about stuff. We asked if he had ever left Jamaica or been anywhere else. He answered most honestly, ' No mon, everyone who comes here tells me that this place is paradise, why do I want to go anywhere else'.
A true tale, but relevent back in the day. Is it still? For us it is, We don't wish to spoil the illusion. Life's too short!!
Being a tourist Vs. living in Jamaica-two totally differnent ways at experiencing that Island...(and yes, great book I may add) If you think Negril is all about Jam.-couldn't be more wrong...Like comparing apple/oranges thing...
tanks for de replies!
goldilocks - well said.
jasperso - sorry, disagree.
ras walleye - me too, but i don't support mi wife's family. maybe you are de better mon? :-)
Negril is but a small part of Jamaica, and if I was a Jamaican I would not want my life or thoughts based upon what does or does not happen there...................looking through their eyes, all of us now live in paradise,................ when in their lives do they even image ever having the amount of money what we spend on air fare alone?........and its every year !
I would look at us as "rich" also...........
Its not WHERE we spend our time in "paradise" but rather the quality of what we do with that time................................
In every country I have been in, I have felt the desire to show that we can be nice no matter who we meet........the way past people have treated them, that alone can be a chore...............so if your desire is to go to Jamaica and be a "jerk" to your hosts.....do me a favor, go elsewhere, and help make my goal easier.
Please?
Life is very hard for most of the Caribbean people who face grinding poverty as a result of extremely high unemployment rates together with the ever rising costs of educating children, utilities (water/sewer and electricity), food costs, transportation, etc.
A movie came out a couple of years ago titled “Redemption in Paradise’ filmed mostly in Antigua (doubling as the mythical island of Paradise) with mainly Jamaican actors & crew which tackles the problems of crime, gangs and corruption. I haven’t seen the movie as cannot find it online to buy, but will try to locate when next in JA.
Here is the movie soundtrack featuring Tarrus Riley, Macka Diamond, Duane Stephenson, Lady G and Barbee;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NXTalAZf8Y
is there a direct correlation to tourism, and the fall of agriculural jobs? i agree totally that they need a economy more self sufficient on jamaican resources.. but in the mean time, i cant believe that if all americans stopped going to jamaica, that they would be better off.. no way..
rambo - "...being a jerk to your hosts..." - Hope you're not referring to *me* 'cause i'm the nicest guy since saint teresa :-) ... Except when i'm getting into a fight with some lowlife who hassled me the entire length of 7-mile beach ... But a guy who calls himself 'rambo' can hardly find fault with that, eh?
I agree. Only tourists call Jamaica Paradise.
More Jamaicans live abroad than in Jamaica.
I would certainly agree that the policies of the US do not often serve the best interests of many people throughout the Americas (and the world). I think it's a stretch to suggest that cheap tourism is even a consideration in these policies. The entire hospitality industry is exploitative, the relative impact just varies by nation. The hotels and restaurants in the US profit in part due to grossly underpaid, and in many cases illegal, labor.
What I gathered from the book was that Jamaica may have/would be better off if the British were still in power. There were still tourists when the British were in control.Quote:
Originally Posted by A_J
Life is hard in Los Angeles, too!
My daughter worked at Disneyland for 3 years and it was what she called "hell" and at minimum wage less union dues plus unpaid time in costuming and having to park off site and shuttle over to the park added up to just about working for free...
Add gas and it was a total loss...
The only reason she really stayed so long was cause she loved the unlimited access for her and all the free passes she got for friends/family.
Happiest place on earth??? Not for employees...
kim in socal >>>>> Excellent analogy!!! :)
I think it goes both ways. A friend of mine got married and moved to Italy a few years ago. Now he is experiencing what most of us do on a daily basis..get up, go to work, come home, and go to bed. He talks about how he misses the life he had in Jamaica...while he may be making more money, he no longer has a "life". It's gone from work to live to live to work....
Been back seven times since then A_J and will be going again in April. Never had any problems with 'lowlifes' in Negril. Maybe I'm a different kind of person!!Quote:
Originally Posted by A_J
I've been to many countries that have people hassling you too. I even get that at my Marta rail station in Atlanta...lol. Now your comment about the country going downhill has me curious. Have you been all over the country? How many years experience are you basing this on? If you got hassled so hard that you , if I recall right, had to punch someone, why didn't you move to another hotel? The cliffs sound like something you'd enjoy more.
for many life is hard all over da world........Quote:
Originally Posted by A_J
Jamaicans make the best of it and actually it's not so hard for some Jamaicans in Jamaica
I know Jamaicans that have made it to the good olde USA and now they really have to work for a living.......
and most Jamaicans in the states will tell you that Americans deserve everything they have cause they work so hard....
mi know many Jamaicans that made it the good olde USA and had to return to Jamaica......
mi have lived among the Jamaicans so I have a different perspective than most tourist...........Quote:
Originally Posted by A_J
and NO it does not bother mi how dem Jamaicans have it der.......
the thing that we have here in N America that they don't in Jamaica is more opportunity.........
that is why so many Jamaicans try to get out of Jamaica........
and wi actually have more Jamaicans living in Florida than all of Jamaica.........
so that should tell you alot why there are so many Jamaicans in N America.......
Cool Runnings, Marko
spottycatz - re it being my fault - yeah it must've been that "hassle me" sign i was wearing on my back :-)
mr twister - yes, been all over the country. mi wife's from Kingston so i've spent time there. it's been about 10 years. maybe it's not actually gone downhill in that time but it's just me getting more and more tired of it. true, the overt hassling disappears outside the tourist areas, but the "take care of mi" culture seems to be pervasive. if you're the white guy, you are expected to pay for everything & it's perfectly fine for even the most remote acquaintance to aks for tings. ("hey, nice cellphone, can you buy me one?" "nice kicks, can i have them?"). one of my theories is that the tourism-based economy has led to this, because the source of wealth is it literally falls out of the sky with the tourists and you grab what you can get. rather than something to be earned with hard work. i'm not that widely travelled worldwide, but i've visited a couple other countries with similar per-capita income as Jamaica and have not experienced this.
Something to think about - 45% of Americans don't pay income tax.
It's a slippery slope when we make generalizations based on our experience only. Paradise is where and what we make it.
It's Saturday, I'm drinking coffee and relaxing. My living room is paradise for me right now :)
I watch the whole thing last night, omg! everyone one this board needs to watch this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEQYGmGZR-o It has spanish sub-title but it in english.
Nurse Marcia, I could'nt have said it better! Paradise means that for that moment or time frame it could'nt be better. Everything is Irie!Quote:
Originally Posted by Nurse Marcia
Paradise is what you make of it. I have many friends that live in Jamaica both expats and of course Jamaican...and no, life is not easy. But its not easy anywhere. Life is not easy! Paradise to me is living my passion. Which I do...I go from one soft spot to another. I live for three months in Negril, I live for nine months in Bucolic Northern California. I live in paradise all year long.
Nurse Marcia & rastagirl777, if there was a "like'" button, I'd click it!
Kim in socal, that was an excellent analogy! Playing/vacationing vs Working/living, makes sense doesn't it :)
There is great beauty in all of Jah's creation be it a boundary water lake in northern Minnesota, the high desert of Arizona, or the lush green and blue of our favorite island. That being said the only paradise I have found on earth is in my Empresses arms.
We both work 6 or seven days a week, often 10 or 12 hours a day so we treasure every minute we can spend together and even more so those we can spend home in Jamaica.
A_J.....I understand your point and it seems that you are well traveled in the country. I hope someday you find your love for the country again ;-)
Kind of a " the glass is half empty perception". It all depends on how you look at it. It's still my paradise, and that's all that matters.
a few thoughts,,,,
Coleen and I are driving to Dunns River quite a few years ago on the old road, as we passed Discovery Bay C said we have to have that picture - the multi colored water was gorgeous, but as we drove we also observed the small and by our standards rough houses along the road, as we made our way back to MoBay I spotted a rough sand road that would take us to some cliffs overlooking C's have to have picture, at the end of the brush wiping on the side of our jeep trail we came out into a clearing with one of the wood houses sitting in it, as C got out to take the picture I got out to say thank you to the homeowner for letting us use your picture platform and I began to notice,,,,,, garden with onions tomatos peppers, lime tree, banana tre, mango tree in a oh so beautifal quiet setting looking out over the "I have to have that picture" setting,,,,, and as I got closer to the house I noticed the owner sitting on the cliffs edge with a cane pole type stick and string fishing rig and as we said hi he held up a group of fish gilled over a cut tree limb,,,,,,, and in that moment it hit me, who is richer, me that does not see my house in light during the winter because I leave for work before sun up and work till after dark or he that tended his garden today and is out catching his supper in the most beautifal picture of our day. Paradise life maybe no, but definately has it's rewards.
Coinmon about 95 or 6. "What made you make the jump to the Island,,," , answer (as best I remember) " I was a jeweler in Des Moines and realized that I was never going to set the world on fire and make a fotune, I looked at living in Jamaica and realized that I would never set the world on fire and make a fortune there,,,,,, then I looked out my Des Moines window at a grey cold leafless colorless Feb afternoon and I remembered the sun and greens and aquamarine blues and that was my deciding factor,,,," . All things considered the weather is what made paradise for him. I should note that after some health issues he has returned to the states.
Fidel and myself sitting and talking after a day of fighting post Ivan (the storm) issues at the orchard in the hills. I sympathized with his issues and he looked at me and said (to paraphrase) "Chet I know you have employee issues and cash flow issues and business issues that consume your time 12 hours a day also, I have my issues, differant worlds differant issues but really when it comes down to the man the same stress". So right Fidel.
One thing that I have noticed in Jamaica and granting that it is "living life rough" is that those that have aspirations and dreams can achieve them through hard work. IMHO this would have to be observed away from the beach over many years of visiting the same people in the same neighborhood, I have seen very humble beginnings turn into some beautifal lives.
I was sitting on the front of a drop bed semi trailer yesterday running generators and sound board for a guy named Jake McVey (jakemcvey.com) participating in the Tri-State Rodeo parade and in my mind I was drifting,,,, I'm tired it's been a summer long stretch of festivals, shows and fairs, it seems like I have done this 18 years in a row, when I read obits those folks in their 80's seemed awful far away a few years ago and now they seem way to close,,,,,,,, and Jake broke into a song "The Best Days of Our Lives" and even though he is using a relationship as the focus he hit the chorus "these are the best days of our lives the ones that we didn't think we would survive the ones that turn into memories these are the best days of our years be it the laughter or the tears,,,,,,, and I thought to myself, hmmmmmm Chet maybe you should dwell on being thankful and quit counting the downsides,,,,,,
Nice post, Chet!! :-)
Yes Chet, It is a nice post..
I guess we have not figured out that paradise is not a place but a state of mind....I cannot agree that tourist are bad. I have traveled around several if The Islands and one thing they have in common for sure is poverty. A commonanality with that is forget tourism but look at some failed industry....Sugar is the one that comes to mind first...In the early part of the 20th Century sugar cane was grown all over the Caribbean and sent to be refined and sold to candy makers and soft drink companies. Lots of it sold by the pound in the stores... Several years ago sugar became evil and the market crashed as corn became a supplier for sweetners in candy and soda..
Then baxuite found it's way to the market to make aluminum...This created mining and very ugly country sides but much like Disney Land folks stood in line to get a job in the cane fields and in the bauxite mines. It was the Jamaican Tourist Board that really made Tourism jump with those "Come back to Jamaica" ads... Tourism is not all bad and can add money to a failing economy and give jobs that get you more than a pass on Space Mountain...I was in Jamaica this summer and traveled intothe mountains to a pretty good size town called Browns Town...no reason to go there other than see a Jamaica that you don't see on Beach Road. while riding up there the driver had a different view of tourism tha the folks on here that the folks that jump on the charter and run up and down Negril Beach...He pointed out that much of the activity we saw at the largest open market I have ever see was due to the jobs
Guess I'm a tourist, because to me, Jamaica IS paradise.
http://www.iberostar.info/ticker/ima...Xs8Xtill chill
I can't fix that. I can, however, see that some people in Negril have a good 10 days each Jan./Feb. We don't live destructively while we are there, and we leave our money behind when we come back home.
I hear that.
I'm waiting on The Dead Yard from my library.
A few years ago I really enjoyed this book, you might also, A_J:
http://www.amazon.com/Hell-Paradise-.../dp/0822958236
jasperpso, you couldn't have said that better.