Everyone's experience is different as we are all different people.
As one who has actually been here for 25 years full time I find the comments interesting, but not unusual.
Eddie, alone or not, I am a white man. Had I been born in a non white family, when I am alone I would be what ever race I was born. I am not sure what the "white man" statement has to do with anything.
Jamaica is a diverse country. There are Jamaicans of virtually every possible heritage and mix of those heritages.
Norval Marley, Bob's father was a white Jamaican born in Sussex, England. When he was alone he was a white man, but still a Jamaican and father of the most famous Jamaican. No disrespect to Usain Bolt.
And possibly the fact I have been living here daily and started a business, dealing with the
sputtering and spitting as Accompong calls it, I am not outside of but right in the middle of the action and understand it.
When you move here, you make choices everyday that will effect your future. That is because it goes both ways. You are moving to a new country and the locals have to deal with a new person living among them.
Consider it a test if you will. It isn't just about your struggles relocating. Your neighbors and the surrounding area don't know you yet and have to find out what kind of person you are and how far they can trust you. They need to find out what kind of person you are inside. Life is hard here and most of the Jamaicans you meet have been lied to by many foreigners. They need to learn about you by the actions you take.
In an emergency, will you be a help or a hindrance? Are you a hard worker (or have been) and do you value earnings or do you throw money around without regard? Are you a socially public person or do you keep to yourself? What hidden vices may you enjoy? And in today's world, what kind of things do you post on the Internet?
This process takes years, not weeks or months. At less than two years, you still have a long way to go. At five years, you have just begun to allow the locals to know the kind of person you are. At 10 years the locals know who you are and will treat you accordingly.
And Tombstone in the 1800's? None of us were there so I don't even know what to say about that except I never read anything about cars, motorcycles, electricity or cellphones being in use back then.
My experiences are different. I don't hang around the ex pat crowd, I find too much dwelling on the negative and things you cannot change . Virtually all my friends are Jamaicans. Together we laugh, we cry, we celebrate, we mourn. We have discussions and even arguments. But I count on all of them when times get tough and help them when they need it.
I recently got in an accident with a route taxi. As I am sure many of you have heard it is always the foreigner who pays. But Jamaican witnesses came to my defense since it was the taxi driver's fault. Some of them I didn't even personally know. The taxi owner paid all the damages to both vehicles.
Acceptance is something you earn. And there are no guarantees that you will earn it. I know of some ex pats who have been here for decades and still have problems. I have found that you tend to be treated the way you treat others.
