**on-site Trip Report ~~ [[ Friday night/evening ]]....8/2

[smith744]

Good night..!!..

* whew *
i been-trying to post & stuff
..but if it ain't one thing
..it's another

* sigh *
those of you's who've been to Jamaica KNOW how things-go.

for example, internet up one second, then down the next

so,
last night
..jus' when the frog thing-y was 'bout done:::>> * poof * ... no more internet

* sigh *

so it go

[[ continue in a few minutes ]]

[smith744]

tonight,
i'm not gonna try to upload
...'twill be JUST-text

videos on Sat-day...[[ fingers crossed ]]
..i've got some good-GOOD stuff i'm fi sure you're gonna enjoy

ok,
where to start..??..
ummmmmmmmmmmmm

Conversations over-heard

Supermarket male worker,
walks up behind a cute female co-worker
and whispers:::>>> "...I'm soooo lonely.."

she smiles, and say::>>> "..You always say that.."
he-SAY::>> "..you gonna help me..??.."

another chat over-heard

male customer walks up to counter in hardware store
...leans across the counter and asks the female store clerk:::>>> "..Would the pretty lady like an ugly boyfriend..??.."

she smiles

another conversation
..this time i'm one of the car-RACK-ters (i.e., '.characters.')

the other day, i was strolling around the newly remodeled Lucea Market building. It's NICE inside what they did to the place. For example, new light colored paint job. And they brilliantly cut slits in the metal zinc roof, and replaced the slits with a clear plastic *zinc*.

* wow *
the place is super bright bright inside

anyhoooooooooo

i was walking around
shooting videos

saw two-ladies and an elderly Rasta-man in the far end in-back of the market building

being nose-y i went to see whagwan
..cause once upon a time, there was somebody always selling GOOD-GOOD food back there.

the middle-aged ladies were selling fish
where food was once sold, was a gigantic pot of soup simmering over a wood fire:::: getting ready for sale, later in the evening.

The Rasta-man shouted out to me:::>>>> "... WHEN you come back again, I want you to bring me a rich woman..."

mi-SAY:::>> "..Short or tall..????.."

"..No matter ... jus' as long as she got LOTS of money.."

* sigh *

lately, i've been getting this request from guys more & more & more
they all want a from-foreign woman

of course, i asked them:::>> "..WHY..??.. with all these beautiful, wonderful, blah blah raaa raaa Jamaican women..."

they jus' srunch-up dem faces and say they want a foreign woman
[[[[ MORE about this preferance in a later post.... i've been pressing them to give me details as to WHY ]]]]


anyhooooooooooooooooo

me & the Rasta-man go on chatting.
..he expands somewhat, that a woman older than him ((( 70 years ))) would be nice. But definitley an older woman, ideally with a pension, so that when she dies (before him) he'll be good to go with the inheritance etc.

'twas a fun time..!!..
BIG fun chatting with him and the 2-ladies

THEN::::::>>>>> down the aisle came an elderly lady
...lots of bounce in her step
...peppy

she approach we-four,
and told the ladies:::>>> "...GIVE him to me...!!!..."
...as she pointed @ moi

:-(


[[ continue in a few minutes ]]

[smith744]

* sigh *
i've been thru this "give him to me thing-y" or similar *requests*, more times than you'd imagine

anyhooooooooooooo.....

i politely,
carressed her hand in my two hands
..reverently lower-ed my head
...and gave my standard *speech*:::>> ".. Jamaican woman are *special*, and I (a foreigner) am NOT qualified ...... I don't have the necessary skills ..... maybe in another 20 years or so.."

without batting an eye, she-SAY:::>> "..I'll learn you.."

* sigh *
so it go

p.s... i later learned the lady was 80-years old

[[ continue in a few minutes ]]

[Seveen]

lol

[smith744]

one reason why today (Friday) i didn't post earlier is because my US $20 per day budget was slightly off-kilter... not by much

but, enough where i decided it'd be wise to do a likkle '.juggling.' with my photo-thing.

[[[ grin ]]]

turned-out to be NOT a bad day
several folks wanted pics taken of selves & dem pickneys & grandpickneys

bottom-line:::>> mi budget is BACK on track

New Bat-room
Actually it's not a bathroom
...it's a bathing area

I got a neighbor guy to *re-model* & re-build & renovate the existing *set-up*

pics & video soon come

i've got LOTS to share about the Jamaican procedures & protocols when it comes to contracting services

* whew *
can be a *challenge*

some of whatagwan will drive you UP-the-wall...!!!..

bottom-line::::>> Cost for nice new 4ft x 6ft bathing area with cement (rendered) floor::>>> JA$2,000 labor [[[ US $24 ]]

plus expenses::>> not sure yet.. probably not more than another JA$800-$1,000::: mainly for the cement ..... i'll let you know how it go, later tonight/Sat-day

i've got TONS to share relating to this project
learned lots

tempted:::>> to get-built a nice likkle 10x10 wood thing-y for me to live in
...'cause i LOVED the lower-cost of doing things in Jamaica

[[ continue in a few minutes ]]

[smith744]

p.s... '.juggling.' is fun
you should see the look pon folks faces when i pull out my receipt-book (with carbons)

in Jamaica:::>>>in bizness:::>> ALL-ways write-it-down with receipts et al

[[[ to be continued ]]]

[Marko]

mi wonder if all dem boardies dues are getting paid up.......
him might need dem for dat new board house

but go for the traditional 12 x 24 size so we can come visit you

but don't raise our dues........lol......lol

okay you can raise VVHT dues

Cool Runnings, Marko

[smith744]

TIDY-ing Up Loose-Ends & Clean-ing the House of *Friends*

this trip,
i had two outstanding *issues* (from previous trip(s)), that i HAD TO bring to a close.

#1.... the tailor thing-y.... details later

#2.... my young photo-assistant/mentor(?)::>>> Some of you's remember my-yute from long-time, who was like a photo-assistant (and un-official Ja-mentor) on some of my earlier trips.

I learnd a LOT from this kid,,,, now a young-man

they guy's got MUCH-MUCH game ...... PURE *ginneal*
...somebody will tell you what ginneal(sp?), if you don't know

nevertheless,
'bout a year & 1/2 ago,
i purchased a new JA$2000 cell phone
..'cause my old one was acting up

but, somehow the old-one fixed itself
so,
i had a phone mi no need

up popped my-yute
..he needed a new phone

'cause he was my buddy, mi-SAY:::>>> "..If you want,,, here's a deal for you... you get this nw-phone, but pay me 1/2-price..... JA$1,000... on Friday, when you get paid....... OK..??."

my-yute-SAY:::>> "..OF COURSE, man..!!!.."

* sigh *

never saw him again
..for almost 2-years
..and he lives jus' down the lane
...about 300 yards from mi yard

so,
this trip
at an odd-time, compared to my previous vacation-*schedule*(s)
...WHO do i see sauntering down the lane...??..

yep
yep:::>> 'tis my-yute

i call out to him:::>> "..Oy Oy.."

he's shocked to see me

"..You got my money..??.."

he waves & beckons
we approach each other

he-SAY:::>> "...*Friends* don't sell to *friends*..."

WHAT THE ____________ !!!!

* whew *

my-yute got balls na tru

mi-SAY:::>> ".. I love ya 'bro,,, but biz-ne$$ from here-on::>> WE DONE.."

* sigh *
honestly & truely i like this guy
but he failed the-*test*

later i'll tell you about the tailor

[smith744]

Jamaica::: "..Land of the Couth.."

folks-here got manners
dem no like rude behavior

pickneys are well-trained in proper-behavior

the other day,
on my way-back from checking the camels,
...was running/jogging good-good
.....cruising,,, feeling fit & strong

i passed some playful children,
who wanted to *cheer* me on

dem-SAY::::::>>> "..Run MISTER-old-man,,, Run MISTER-old-man.."

* sigh *

i need a haircut & shave
...'twill knock-off 'bout 20-years (maybe)

ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....

almost 8pm Jamaica time

i gotta get back
up-to country

deliver my photos

likkle more
will-TRY hard to post/up-load on Sat-day

have a good night everybody

i KNOW i will
..'cause thus far::>> not 5-minutes goes-by when something-something happens down here

likkle more

[irieworld]

smith please come back with the "tell ya laters" I swear you get me interested in a topic and then disappear. Sigh. I am still waiting on things from years ago. Nonetheless ever so happy to read your posts. You make me smile out loud, which is a fine thing.