**Off-site Trip Report [[ part #1 ]]

[smith744]

* sigh *

i HATE these OFF-site reports

:-(

they're harder to do,
and they *feel* different

'tis a LOT better (for me) when i'm THERE and in-the-moment

* sigh *

oh well
so it goes
.
.
let us begin:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Last Wednesday/Thursday,
knowing I was soon-leave-ing,
i scurried over-to Negril
to get a hair-cut and beard-trim,
'cause the in-foreign prices were too-too expensive (for me)
and my Negril barber IS the best-est in the world/galaxy.

after jumping out of the route-taxi,
i paused at the round-about to shoot this video::::::::::::::::::::::
.
.

.
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f.y.i..... early last week, the party-signs, placards, etc started popping up ALL over the place (including in Lucea). Once again, the island is coming alive, and getting ready to BLOW-UP with the ValentinesDay festivities.

they loooooooooooooooooooooove ValentinesDay in Jamaica.
sometimes, i *think* ValentinesDay is bigger than Christmas.

[[ continue in few minutes ]]

[jamaicamarylance]

Valentines I found very Big in Negril. But in the country last year nope they did not want my gifts. I was kinda disappointed.... what ya mean you no want someting red to wear today. I do not want to repeat what one person say to me.... I tell him to gowan mon.

[smith744]

[[ continue-ing ]]

that day, my barber was off-duty

:-(

Jamaica is a tricky place, when it comes to when a business is open and when it's closed.

for a foreigner like me, this is a weird circumstance, and takes a lot of mental effort to navigate all those who's open who's closed and when peculiarities:::: it's really confusing & frustrating.

for example,
HurryHurry (aka Sinclairs) is closed on Thursday (or is it Wednesday) to let the employees have a day off, in order to have a full-staff for the prime-time weekend selling.

a lot of other Jamaica business do this, too.... some Wednesday ... some choose Thursday.

THEN,
there's the 7thDayAdventist businesses which close on Saturdays.,... and but some will open on Sunday (such as Mr.Browns Hardware in Lucea)
.
.
.
While in Negril,
i remembered a seeing post about Cherrios, earlier that day, before i left for Negril.

so,
i peeked into HiLo to see whagwan.
.
.
.


.
.
yep yep

Cherrios were there, and a whole bunch of other from-foreign stuff was in there, TOO..!!!..

* whew *

after being on-island for 4-weeks,
and shopping in Lucea and other Jamaica China-man supermarkets, and other places,
this HiLo visit scared the bee-jee-zus out of me.

it was like being in another country --- a foreign country.... NOT Jamaica (as I'd been experience-ing)

:-(

my my my
you/me/we-foreigners in these tourist towns, like Negril, are so-spoiled....!!!..

i could NOT believe what i was seeing on the HiLo shelves.

while in HiLo,
i remember-ed my To-Do list and the *need* to compare & contrast the HiLo produce with what's available in Lucea-market and other non-tourists places.

* sigh *

____No comment____

:-(

but,
let me just say this::::>> Folks ..... go to Sav, Lucea, SOME-place(?) else to do you produce shopping.

* sigh *

[[[ to be continued in a few minutes ]]]

[jamaicamarylance]

LOL smith and so so true.

Cheerios here we come.

[smith744]

Valentines I found very Big in Negril. But in the country last year nope they did not want my gifts. I was kinda disappointed.... what ya mean you no want someting red to wear today..

ummm

that's interesting:::: not wanting your *gifts*

ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

i need more info/details

mi gut tells me that something is missing from your account (as written)

ummmmmmmmmmmmmm

please, tell me, what one of your *gifts* was

i'm curious & nose-y
.
.
p.s... you said you were "..in the country.." ..... *country* where..??..
in country with-who..??..
in country why..??..

am having a hard-time *visualizing* this 'gift-rejection' thing-y

[Big_frank]

Bill; loved my 6 pack of Butterkist peanut butter cookies from the Hi Lo last week. About 35 J for big nuff snack. They have a Giraffe on the label. Good cookies.

[jamaicamarylance]

ummm

that's interesting:::: not wanting your *gifts*

ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

i need more info/details

mi gut tells me that something is missing from your account (as written)

ummmmmmmmmmmmmm

please, tell me, what one of your *gifts* was

i'm curious & nose-y
.
.
p.s... you said you were "..in the country.." ..... *country* where..??..
in country with-who..??..
in country why..??..

am having a hard-time *visualizing* this 'gift-rejection' thing-y

The country above Mobay
I had all kinds of gifts you name it flashy red everyting. The girl or young woman I should say took some later but not want to advertise it at school...college. The other young man her cousin which are both are neighbors for our stay......say no that is gay......The others on hill said no mon.
I thought is strange and said no romance mon...oh well to each there one.

[jamaicamarylance]

Bill; loved my 6 pack of Butterkist peanut butter cookies from the Hi Lo last week. About 35 J for big nuff snack. They have a Giraffe on the label. Good cookies.

Have to remember that Love those type of cookies, if there not my homemade cookies.

Cheers

[smith744]

[[ continue-ing ]]

i forgot to mention,
that day,
on my way
via route taxi
from Lucea to Negril (to go to the barber)
i had to make a couple of stops

first,
i had to stop at Mr.Bigga
to give him a dvd-copy of those videos i'd taken a few days before,
with info on how to find them on YouTube & on the negril.com message board.

mi-SAY (to self), as i sat in the taxi on the way to GreenIsland:::>> ".. if i stop, and get out of the taxi,,,, that'll mean I've got to catch ANOTHER taxi, with an additional fare, to go to Negril..."

ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

that (above) was my from-foreign brain and mentality talking ..... that was NOT the Jamaican-side of my likkle-pea-brain speaking.

i immediately switch to my Jamaican brain-cells.

.
.
.

when the taxi passed the GreenIsland HighSchool,
i lean-ed over
....i was sitting in the front seat...

and told the driver:::>> "..I wanna stop, and drop-off '..this..',,, [[showed him the DVD]] at Bigga's blah blah raa.."

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

we reach Bigga's

taxi pull onto the shoulder in front of Bigga's
Mr.Bigga is sitting in the shade at his shop, on his throne

he see's me .... waves... i wave.... i jump out the taxi .... trot to him ... he get's up ... comes toward me ... i hand him the DVD .... "..I'll call you back later about this.." .... "..OK.."

i turn around
trot back to the taxi
get in
we pull off::: onward to Negril

mission accomplished

NOT one of the other 3 passengers in the route-taxi said a word.
:-)
'cause THIS is how they roll in Jamaica, with the '..tourist-don't-use.." route-taxi system
.
.
* sigh *

i sure-love that Jamaican route-taxi system

BUT DON'T you other tourist/foreigners use 'em ----- the route taxi ain't for you
lol
lol
lol
lol


[[[ to be continued in a few minutes ]]]

.
.
lol
lol
lol

opps..
sorry

can't stop laugh-ing

lol
lol
lol

[Big_frank]

They have oreo type 6 packs as well (by Kingston's Butterkist brand)