While, I for one think yur Spot on Beach Bum...and I no longer even hang in Negril but out in the cockpit country-where this behavior is less apparent but the sense of entitlement as far as me(outsider) providing is still prevalent..And yes, I myself have traveled to other impoverished, 3rd world nations..and nothing comes close-even India -to amount of expectations that Jam's put forth on outsiders as far as giving is concerned.They seriously have it down to an art....
" Ones destination is never a place, but rather a new way of looking at things." (Henry Miller)
Like I've always said. Negril isnt' the only part of Jam..YOU can go to other areas of the country just as beautiful-if not more so-and not deal with the begging-or very watered down version..You love Jam but hate the begging and constant hassle-up on the cliffs is less but do some research and you;ll find other places that are just as "Jamaican" in regards to the culture but without all the tourist flare that Negril may have-but better yet..NO/Less beggy-beggy.. I for one can highly rec Port Antonio.
Last edited by suzengrace; 10-01-2011 at 04:36 AM.
" Ones destination is never a place, but rather a new way of looking at things." (Henry Miller)
Beach Bum,
I am not at all surprised by your take on the people you meet in Jamaica. Considering the number of posts that have been removed from this board (and others) because of your recommending of illegal and dangerous activities to others, you dont seem, in my opinion, to be coming into contact with the more law abiding Jamaican citizens. When you run in a crowd who support themselves by illegal production and disregard the basic safety of others, then your experiences are based on a small fraction of the Jamaican people, not representative of the country as a whole.
Sometimes when expressing an opinion as well as forming one, it is often best to get as much information about the subject as possible. To say you didnt bother to read the whole thread before responding does speak volumes on your view of yourself and others.
Spending 8 months over 6 years in Jamaica, while more than many tourists, does not automatically mean that the experiences you have had are representative of the entire country. How much time have you spent in Kingston or Port Antonio or Mandeville or even Negril with people who actually insure their vehicles and dont rely on illicit drug production to make ends meet?
Perhaps by expanding your horizons a bit, you will see that Jamaicans are not lazy as you have stated. Perhaps you would find that Jamaican pride and gratitude is so strong, that it is often better than money in the bank. After a hurricane, when current and communications are down and the banks are not open, Jamaicans shine with the strength, resilience, compassion and pride that not all people can claim.
This is just my opinion....
Negril.com - For the vacation that never ends!
On the head, Rob. I started out traveling around Jamaica for nearly 10 years before visiting Negril for a second time and only spent 3 days there the first time in 1983. Although bending of rules and begging is not exclusive to Negril or other touristy places, it does seem to provide a spot for those types to congregate and thrive without the peer pressure from the overwhelming majority of honest, hardworking Jamaicans that populate the rest of the island.Spending 8 months over 6 years in Jamaica, while more than many tourists, does not automatically mean that the experiences you have had are representative of the entire country. How much time have you spent in Kingston or Port Antonio or Mandeville or even Negril with people who actually insure their vehicles and dont rely on illicit drug production to make ends meet?
In rural Jamaica I have found the majority of Jamaicans to possess too much pride to beg just as here in So. Florida. Here I get begged almost as much as I do in Negril anyways!
Peace and Guidance.
Understood, Captd...but everyone has enough political and business issues to deal with in their home countries.
Personally, I think if you're on vacation...you're here to rest, enjoy & hopefully learn a little about the culture...not get into the heavy political/business dealings. But, maybe that's just how I prefer my vacation!
i must second this:
that was my first experience of jamaican people, when we went through Gilbert on my very first trip, and that shaped my opinions of the people almost above anything else - because when the chips are down is when you really see peoples' true characters. During the storm, and after it passed, hotels took us in and sheltered us, and anyone else who needed it, for free; chefs and restaurants fed us, and others who were hungry, for free; people got down in the mud with us and helped us find our belongings & wash out the mud; went door to door seeing who needed needed help, and giving it; - swept, mopped, rebuilt, not just 'their own' place, but everything they could reach regardless of local or tourist...... i could go on and on about how the people in the west end all worked together, giving whatever material things they had to others - including tourists - that needed it more than they did, even though they themselves had also been nearly wiped out. and people would NOT take our money even offerred in thanks. in the end we wound up giving away everything we had, not cause anyone asked us for it, but because we were so grateful for the way local people came to our aid, and each other's, and also cause everybody needed just everything, after so much of their stuff had been destroyed.After a hurricane, when current and communications are down and the banks are not open, Jamaicans shine with the strength, resilience, compassion and pride that not all people can claim.
that kind of generosity and caring and pulling together for the good of the community, is what kept me coming back.
and in spite of how the topic of this thread has worsened over the years, and has become disappointingly prevalent and tiresome in the main tourist areas, i know that's not the way the majority of the population rolls. I believe there is no "inherent" sense of "entitlement" - imho that mindset and behavior has has increased in direct proportion to the increase/influx of "wealthy" (perception, not reality) tourists. to me it seems more a kind of societal reaction to the tourism phenomenon.... not something that's a natural part of the society. i'm not saying that's it's 'right', or that it's an appropriate reaction - but i can see how it has come about, and increased proportionally, right alongside the increase in tourism. But because i know better from direct experience, i know it's just a portion of people behaving that way; not necessarily the prevalent, or natural, mindset of the overall population.
Last edited by MissBlue; 10-01-2011 at 11:52 AM.
5 stars to what Mz Blue wrote: "...to me it seems more a kind of societal reaction to the tourism phenomenon.... not something that's a natural part of the society."
Miss Blue,
Your post strikes the reality of Jamaicans right on target. I was also here in Negril during Gilbert and saw the things you are talking about with my own eyes. What I took away from that experience became the main reason why I ever considered moving to Negril. And while tourism continues to grow, I still know that same reality day after day, year after year here...
Negril.com - For the vacation that never ends!
one other thing i have to add - and i'm not intending to sound like a knowitall or a snob, but it's NOT always true that "once you go, you know". many people who've gone more recently have only expereinced a tiny part of the whole..... their experiences barely scratch the surface of the true nature of the people, or what REALLY goes on in the population, behind the tourism scene. you gotta look a LOT deeper before reaching conclusions about the whole society based upon what one has seen in few weeks, or even a couple months. most ppl think i'm nuts when i say i was GLAD that my first trip was during a disaster of epic proportions - but to me, i feel like i was lucky. i got a tiny peek behind the superficial, before 'mainstream' tourism took hold with such a vengeance and corrupted so much. i feel extremely grateful and lucky that i got to see that these annoying customs are only a small part, not the whole ball of wax, about the place.
Last edited by MissBlue; 10-01-2011 at 12:12 PM.
Miss Blue, I love your post. That was a great topic about the people being helpful during Hurricane Gilbert. Although I have had some bad experiences during my trips to Jamaica I still feel there are some sincere people that I am longing to meet. I have traveled outside the touristy areas and find that I have had some of the best times in Jamaica during those times. I recently traveled to St. Anns Bay to a impoverished community and it was so enlightening watching how the whole community cooked together, played together and worked together as one. They made me feel so comfortable sitting around their bar and listening to reggae. Just the Unity and the Natural Mistic of the whole experience have me longing for the next visit to venture out and have that One Love feeling that Bob Marley sing about.
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