**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.

[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......

[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]

Once upon a time (Sunday before last),
i was walking down beach road
minding my bizness
dressed in my Sunday-best
...white shirt, dress pants, bow-tie

a guy on the OTHER side of the BeachRoad
..him sitting in shade under an umbrella
..with another guy

he beckons to me, to come over

* sigh *

don't just hate it when they're in the shade, and you're in the sun, and they want YOU to come to them

cho..!!..

if dem want me
then why don't they get out of the shade eh..??..

* sigh *

sometimes,
under similar situations i tell 'em to COME TO ME

nevertheless,
moi, feeling playful
..KNOWING that this encounter was gonna be one of those waste-of-time moments, and having a few moments to *play*, walked across the BeachRoad

OF COURSE i looked BOTH-ways before crossing that NOW-treacherous *highway*
...looked both ways 4 or five times, AND looked behind me, too

RAN (fastly) across the road

"..Hi,,, blah blah... how many weddings did you do today..??..", asked the guy

i HAD to chuckled
...he thought, or perhaps pretended to think that i was a preacher

i explained, that "..No... i'm just a foreigner/tourists on vacation.."

"..Oh,,, how long you here for..??.."

* sigh *

NOW he done crossed the line, with the stupid stuff/questions

mi took a deep breath

circled the two guys (who were sitting at a table)
..eyeballed them closely
and said::::::::::::::>>>>> "..Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh,,, i see,,, YOU're the police .."

i peered at their waist trying to see under their shirts

"..Where are your pistols..??.."

dem laughed
i walked off

* sigh *

bottom-line:::>> in Negril it's ALL a joke... a game... if you got time:::>> play with them... have fun

if got no time to waste:::>> keep on steppin' and ignore 'em

..more on this story in a few minutes..

[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

[dave]

in Negril it's ALL a joke... a game...

Sooo much truth in so few words