**on-site Trip Report ~~ [[ Monday afteroon ]]....8/29

[smith744]

Good afternoon, folks..!!...

:-)

Question:::>> have you EVER been so happy & contented, that it feels like you're experience-ing something illegal, immoral, etc. ...???...

* whew *

Jamaica is like that, for me
this place is too sweeeeet
the people are fantastic:::: kind, generous, and full of fun

p.s... i quickly scanned that thread about beach vendors buggin' tourists etc.,,, I'm feeling the poster, but from what i know & have experienced a significant portion of the *problem* is the tourists' fault

all that '.survival.' third-world this & that, respect-no-respect chit-chat is a bunch of baloney.


the tourist accepts & tolerates & makes excuses-for the foolishness, therefore it'll continue
...i'll try to expand on this at a later time

but right now, i'm feeling TOO-TOO-good


..continue in a few minutes..


oh
oh
oh:::>> before i go,,,, here's how i deal with the trouble-making beach-front AND CLIFF-side folks:::>>> WITHOUT saying a single-word, i just wave them off....and keep on steppin'

if i'm in the mood, i just say ".No." or maybe ".no thanks." ... always without feeling some kind of guilty-need to explain myself or my words. If my Patois was up to par i would probably say::>> "..GOway.." <<<<::: FIRMLY and with strong conviction.... NEVER with that sheepish mamby-pamby overly-polite & politcally correct stylee that i've seen a too-many tourists doing.

my frequent responses::::

#1...soon come back maybe
#2...no
#3...i'm busy right now... ain't got time to chat with you

again...
more post to this thread in a few

[Markospoon]

[QUOTE=NEVER with that sheepish mamby-pamby overly-polite & politcally correct stylee that i've seen a too-many tourists doing.


You are killing me Smith.

My side is hurting.

I once saw a grown man, almost wilt like a flower on fire, when a "local" put the pressure on him.

I once wrote that Jamaicans admire coolness and confidence.

Even if you are faking it, just be cool.

[smith744]

[QUOTE=Markospoon;10428][QUOTE=
I once wrote that Jamaicans admire coolness and confidence.

Even if you are faking it, just be cool.
[/QUOTE]
i've *found* that there's no need to fake ANYthing
JUST be who your ARE... be yourself... be honest & DIRECT

for example::>> at home, in-foreign, IF similar situations (i.e., vendor encounters ala Negril) should arise:::: WHAT would you do then..??..

as for moi.... here in Jamaica, under ALL situations i do the SAME-thing that i do back-*home* in the good-'ole-USofA

Jamaica or USA... same thing... same way
folks here ain't no different


got a likkle story for you all

soon come back

[smith744]

no offense intended, but that ".guest in their country." thing-y always rubs me the wrong way... ESPECIALLY in Negril.

everything about that likkle town is bizness
..one gigantic theme park
..like a big USofA shopping center

moi..??... i am a *customer*... a patron... the buyer

dem..??.. they the buy-ee

everybody selling

it ain't no visitor guests thing-y in Negril

...likkle more in a few minutes..

[smith744]

continueing my Sunday (above story)

after leaving those guys

i continued my walk

i couldn't believe:::>> ONCE again, a likkle further/farther(?) down the road ANOTHER guy asked if i was a preacher..??..

:-(

mi-SAY:::>> "..No sir... i'm going to work at the resort... i'm a bartender..."

and continued my walk

eventually i reach JahB's to check MissJoyce.. to say 'hi'

When she saw me, she commented on my attire
..which for those who KNOW me, 'twas not my standard get-up/costume

i told her that I had jus' finished doing 4 weddings on the beachfront
..@ US $200 a pop

she & I laughed together

i left

as i walked out of JahB's
.. a likkle girl pickney, with a wee-voice, respectfully said:::>> "...Good bye, Pastor.."

* sigh *

so it goes

[smith744]

on this topic, a final word & observation

here in Jamaica, folks got too much to do
..running here & there trying to make a living
..trying to live their lives, like everybody in the world

no time for wasted chit-chat

HOWEVER over der in Negril, it's a whole *different* animal
...mi always wondered:::>> How come they got so much time to wanna chit-chat with me (and other foreigners)..??..

all the folks i know be-working, or trying to find work, or be about some kind of something

ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

then one-day it hit me
..THEY ARE working
......working the foreigners/tourists

...more to this thread in a few minutes..

wanted to upload some videos but youtube acting silly today

[smith744]

New Topic

I wanted to post earlier
...still on my '.Do Nothing.' vacation

but all-trip
...something something would happen
.....do mash-up my nothing-ness

this morning,
a guy wanted me to do some video-taping for him
...tape & put pon his laptop

he was in the midst of a legal thing-y against some folks who were trying to '.thief.' his family land, which is located IN LUCEA .... prime-prime property...!!..

i'll try to post more about this later
,,,but *whew*,
..you won't believe the behind the scenes stuff i saw, as he took me to his home, and in some back-alley-ways around Lucea. Eye-opening stuff

bottom-line:::>> Jamaicans are cool people... resourceful... nice.. kind etc.

from time to time, a *different* ugly * message* is conveyed/implied about the island-residents

HEAR-mi when i tell you...!!!...:::>> it's all bull manure.

they got a saying down here:::>> that goes someting like::>> "..Show me your companions, and I'll see who YOU are.."

so,
if YOU got problems with such-a-such Jamaican,
then *maybe*/perhaps you need/should change who you dealing wit [[ period ]]

'cause there sure-nuff nice folks down here
..don't waste time on the non-nice ones.

however, IF you like drama, feel like MotherTheresa and need a *project*, or Dr.Phil and wanna practice some kinda theraphy thing, or whatever::::>> then more power to you

i'll pray for you

[smith744]

a suggestion & tip

IF Negril is *game*
...then as with all games
.....have fun with the thing

if dem having big-fun taking your money
..then you're entitled to have fun when you give it up or if you decide NOT to give it up

learn the rules of the game

ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

how that saying go..???...
the one about the player
......something something 'bout not getting mad at or not blame-ing the player blah blah raa raa

likkle bit more soon come

[dave]

sheepish mamby-pamby overly-polite & politcally correct stylee that i've seen a too-many tourists doing.

mi tink it must be someting in da air there that causes this to happen
this kind of foolishness doesn't happen at home as much as it does on 'vacation'

[Rambo]

I was raised and always told to respect my hosts.....and maybe it is my way of showing them..."I'm US, BUT I am nice.....lol(after seeing the way some are treated..)
and I didnt see any of those vendors dragging me up the plane steps to come down, so what ever takes place is by my decision.......

never had a really BAD vacation anywhere, I had to work at a couple..lol though......but I felt is was worth it......