johng,
What I wrote was not a personal attack and it wasn't meant as a challenge for you to defend. Whenever anyone makes sweeping statements that I consider counter to my experiences or those of others I know personally, I simply voice my opinion. Nothing more.
I didn't comment on other parts of your statement because I don't have enough personal experience enough to know if they are generally accurate or not. I only pointed out that living in remote, rural areas even for Jamaicans relocating from affaren or corporate areas can be quite dangerous. Not necessarily from loss of life but praedial larceny, theft and intimidation. A foreigner living his dream in those areas can even present more challenges. Access to markets for the things you grow can be difficult and higglers who come to you to buy often "extort" (my word) bratta from the seller. An example: If you want to sell 100 pounds of yams, the buyers want 12 pounds take away to make the deal. In other words, you have to give 112 pounds to sell 100. This is very common in rural areas.
I don't know much about living in areas like Negril so I didn't comment on that other than say it is expensive. Perhaps there you can fit in more easily if you have enough money to throw at the problems you most probably will encounter.
Marrying a Jamaican for residency is, of course, against the law but hard to prove if that was the reason for the marriage. My advice to anyone considering this would be not to do it but, if you did, make sure you get your Jamaican residency before bringing that significant other to your home country. "Opportunity is a scarce, scarce commodity" and once someone gets that opportunity their need to reciprocate diminishes.
Furthermore, it is hard to comment on your post because I don't know of your actual experiences in Jamaica. I know you have gone many times (I think) over many years as have I but I don't know if you have extensive experience in living rural for longer than a few weeks at a time.
I have a neighbor here in Accompong Town which will go unnamed. He fell in love with Accompong Town and in lust with a local woman. A marriage ensued and soon she went to the US and he subsequently came on trips to build his dream cottages on family land. The cottages are here, he is not. Her dream has come true and his dream has turned into a nightmare surrounded by tall weeds and macca. Many a dream has ended up this way.
Of course, I wish you the best of luck in whatever you decide to do with a move to Jamaica. The first six months are the hardest and the next six months a little better. If you have the resources to last that first year without any income or return on your investment or crops, you have a good chance to make it.
Best of luck in whatever you decide.
Peace and Guidance
