Sunsets, Rum, Sand and Gizzadas 97 Days in Negril

[Hussyband]

There is a you tube video... Makos kitchen? ... I will have to check on the name. Anyway, it is a series of videos some guys took of this Jamaican fellow cooking multiple meals. One of them, he is cooking eggs, and going on about how "Jamaicans" (his words, not mine) prefer eggs from the market, because they are better. Kind of made me laugh, as I try and buy farm eggs when and where I can in the US, avoiding the market eggs.

[Lady Jane]

Ty K3, great visuals. Post when you can

[Kahuna3]

It rained again late yesterday afternoon; a heavy downpour lasting about forty minutes. Then it cleared up and the stars came out. There are puddles all over the place and the ground is soaked. The tropical sun heats the earth and the humidity soars. Bea loves it – says it’s good for her skin. Great for the plants too, they’e flourishing. I find it kind of hot.

Walking to the gym this morning, about half way there, I felt a gentle brush on my skin just below my calf. I looked down; we’d picked up another ‘dog friend’. She followed us all the way there and waited outside the door until we were done. She’s a smallish, regular looking kind of beach dog. Pretty well fed, actually. I gave her some fresh pipe water in a bowl from the gym. She sniffed it but didn’t drink. I named her Tessanne.

We walked back towards center town. Tessanne must have been thirsty because she drank from the first mud puddle she came across. Bea popped into Zhang’s Wang and bought a small can of cocktail wieners, for Tessanne. She opened the can and offered the dog a wiener. Tessanne sniffed at it but she didn’t eat it. I don’t blame her, I wouldn’t eat one of those things either.

Center Town was very busy, even busier than it was Christmas Eve. Everybody seems happy too. All pumped up for New Year’s it seems.

We stopped in at Hammond’s for coco bread. The place was jammed, patties and baked goods literally flying out of there. The young lady behind the counter had her hair up in curlers, the foam-covered, bendy kind. We saw many women walking around with their hair in curlers. One woman had her hair covered in a shower cap kind of thingy. I love the way Jamaican women dress up and do their hair and makeup; they look soo goood.

Ladies, maybe you have experienced this: Some Jamaican men will rudely butt in front of you when you are in a queue? They hold their money out and order in a loud voice. It happens to Bea frequently. But today she stood her ground. She wouldn’t let the guy butt in and she held her money out and ordered loudly, right there in the Hammond Bakery – you go girl!

Then we went and picked up some more stuff – seems we shop for a little bit of food almost every day. Unlike back at home where we go to Costco once a week and come out with two hundred pounds of stuff. We stopped in at several places, here’s what we picked up: ackee, tomatoes, water crackers, papayas, diet coke for rum mix, callaloo, onions, plantain chips and six packs of jackass corn. What’s jackass corn, you might ask? Little snack biscuits, see the photo below. I love ‘em, but not as much as gizzadas.

Tessanne stuck with us the whole way. I introduced her to a group of six Jehovah’s Witness ladies who were standing on the sidewalk at the traffic circle. When they heard that I’d named the dog Tessanne, two laughed out loud and one said, “Oh no, not Tessanne!” Then she asked, “Does she sing for you?”
“Yes,” I replied.
“I guess it’s OK then,” she said. Then she offered me a Watchtower.

We also scored six eggs at the Quality Traders! We had to ask at the cash, because the egg racks were empty. They had a limited supply of eggs hidden in a cabinet near the cash. I felt like we were buying contraband. In fact the whole store looked like it had been ransacked by a voracious mob. There are lots of new arrivals in town who are stocking up.

So we are ready for New Year’s Eve; we’re having some guests over tonight before we strike out for the beach.

Right now I hear loud music coming up from town, which is not unusual, but today it’s earlier and louder than normal. Celine Dion (arrrrgghhh!) and Kenny Rogers feature prominently. They must be ‘testing’ their speakers.

We’re looking forward to this evening. Tonight we’re gonna party like it’s 1989 – because back then, I could really party.

Happy New Year Y’all!!!!

Likkle more . . . . . .


Oranges that are green.


Another view of a Cottonwood tree, this one out front at Charela's


Jackass Corn - but no corn listed in the ingredients?

[kaycee]

I get cut in line alot too. I guess they think I'm standing there for decoration or something?? Lol!

[ackee]

those "green oranges" look like tangerines..
Jackass corn..is flour and the grated coconut with sugar and spices..no baking powder so it is tuff enuf to bruk out yu teet!
love the angle of the pic of the tree

[Bluez]

Never heard of Jackass Corn... where de ginger bulla dem?

[Lady Jane]

I think the green oranges are tangerines too. Snacked on a few in Dec.

[Kahuna3]

The good people on this board often ask what they can bring down for some of the more needy people in and around Negril, and lots of people do that. Great. But there’s a serious shortage that has recently come to my attention; and it’s one that you are probably not aware of. This shortage is acute and it affects just one segment of the population here; young men.

But what is this shortage?

Belts.

Don’t laugh. The young men of Negril are having problems keeping their pants up. There are asses hanging out all over the place.

So if you have some spare belts in your closet, and who doesn’t? Bring them down, and pass them around. Size 28 thru 30 would be about right.

Nuf said.


Every time we walk through the Cambio/Value Master plaza there is a change guy that calls out, “HEY! . . Change, buddy?”

Same dude, every time, like clockwork. “HEY! . . Change, buddy?”

He’s probably asked me at least forty or fifty times by now. I always say, “No.” Or I just shake my head. Sometimes I just flat out ignore him. But I’ll tell yah what, it’s startin’ to wear on me.

Usually he’s sitting on a curb with a bunch of other change guys or taxi drivers, so he just shouts out. But today he was close enough that he approached me and stepped right up beside me.

“Change, Buddy? Good rate, one hundred five.”

“That is a good rate,” I said. “So I give you one hundred Canadian and you give me ten thousand five hundred Jamaican?”

“Oh . . . ninety-seven for Canadian.”

“Oh, so you assumed I was American?”

He just shrugged his shoulders, “Ninety-seven for Canadian,” he said again.

I never deal with the change guys, but a couple of years ago, for some odd reason, I succumbed to one of their solicitations and entered into a transaction with him. Of course, he tried to short-change me with the razzle-dazzle money shuffle, but I picked up on it and backed out of the deal at the last minute. I know there are some change guys that are legit, but I think most of the ones that approach you on the street are shysters and hustlers.

So, I wasn’t about to go for the ‘ninety-seven for Canadian’ that I’d just been offered. But I thought I’d have a go at stopping the change guy from shouting at me every time that I passed. So I said to him, “Listen, I never deal with change guys, nothing personal, I just don’t. So, I’m gonna save you some time. Take a good look at me,” I pointed to my face.

“Yeah,” he said.

“I am never, ever, going to change money with you. Never. So the next time you see my face, you can save yourself some time and just don’t bother asking.”

Sounds harsh, but I said it as nicely as I could.

“OK,” he said, and walked away.

Next time I passed him he looked me right in the face and said, “HEY! . . Change, buddy?”

This sign was posted on New Year's morning. Just in case you need an early break from reality.


This is where Jango works, now that he's been unchained. Smith's barber shop.


I love this notice - come and learn bar tending - at the Catholic Church.


This is put up by a gym - workout - then get shyte-faced on jello shots. I'm thinking of going.

[Crusher]

Yeah those change guys can be annoying as heck sometimes.

We travel around Negril with our friend Doc most of the time so it weeds out some of the chatter that we would get normally on our own. I know they are just trying to make a living and I can respect that but I have been around and don't appreciate someone trying to hustle me.

I have even had to correct some of the workers in the Cambio a time or two with counting errors. It happens.

I don't know how much those guys actually make in a day but its gotta be worth it because they are out there rain or shine!

[goldilocks]

[QUOTE=Kahuna3;118352]

Next time I passed him he looked me right in the face and said, “HEY! . . Change, buddy?”

Yes suh! Nohing you can do to stop a man from trying..................