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Thread: Nuttin' moves fast in Jamaica...

  1. #21
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    Re: Nuttin' moves fast in Jamaica...

    http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/n...rvice-diaspora

    Listed below is the website for NLA that Rob mentions, thanks Rob for advancing the nation! Order of Merit for you!

    http://www.nla.gov.jm/

  2. #22
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    Re: Nuttin' moves fast in Jamaica...

    Quote Originally Posted by TuffGong View Post
    Fair enough, but it also might help explain why Jamaica remains a 3rd world country with a high murder rate, high unemployment, etc. JA needs to continue to modernize or be left behind, easy to say "culture" but it's this kind of issue that hurts investment opportunities and thus the chance to advance the nation.
    i might be slightly interested in hearing why you seem to dig spending a decent amount of time in a violent, ****ed up 3rd world country. do you think it's a place you'll eventually leave behind?

  3. #23
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    Re: Nuttin' moves fast in Jamaica...

    I keep getting called naive and ignorant so I thought I'd give a little context about myself, because I think many of you are making wrong assumptions.

    I first visited Jamaica 20 years ago. On my first visit I was invited by the hotel housekeeper (Negril hotel) to her home in rural Hanover where she lived with 3 small pickneys. I became a friend to this family and kept visiting regularly, usually staying with them on subsequent visits. I became like a father to the 3 girls. Grown now, the oldest is living and working in the US, the middle one living and working in Jamaica, the youngest now in nursing school in Jamaica. I helped along the way by paying for college for the older 2 & am now paying for nursing school for the youngest. They call me "dad" and are like family.

    What I loved from the start was the less-developed lifestyle. Coming from a big city in the U.S. where everything is rush-rush and life is full of stress, I would immediately relax in the Jamaican countryside. Life felt more real. People seemed more connected to each other and to nature. There was so much love within that simple household, and a sense of community in the town. Some visitors from the U.S. come to such places and say things like "these people are so poor, we should *help* them". My reaction was different, more along the lines of "these people live a nice life, I shouid *join* them".

    Later I met my now-wife in Kingston. She is a sophisticated city girl. Spending time with her in Kingston opened up a different side of Jamaica to me. Later through my wife's relatives I became familiar with another side of Jamaica which is the expat communities in London, New York, Boston, Toronto (sometimes referred to as "Kingston 11, 12, 13, 14,..." - real Kingston postal districts go up to 10), Sometimes tourists say things like "I want to see the real Jamaica" but in fact there are many real Jamaicas. Just like there are many real USA's.

    At some point I decided I wanted to move to Jamaica and retire there. The rural countryside that is, not Kingston. My wife BTW is younger and not ready to retire so this'll be me alone moving. Since at this point I know many Jamaicans, I got a number of offers from people to sell me land. I would have conversations like "Do you own this land?". "Yes, it's capture land". "What does that mean?". "I put a fence around it 10 years ago so now it's mine". "I don't think it works that way". "Yes it does. You can buy it from me and build a house on it". "But who actually has title to it?". "Mi nuh know". "I wouldn't build on property I don't have title to". "Well, you can apply to the government for title if you want that". Yes I really had conversations like that.

    Eventually I went through the official process involving realtors, lawyers, etc, and am hoping soon to own my own place.

    So, umm... I probably *am* naive and ignorant about a lot of things, but I think at this point I know Jamaica pretty well. Always learning though. Thank you to those who help out with informative replies!

    Peace and love,

    Richard

  4. #24
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    Re: Nuttin' moves fast in Jamaica...

    Very cool. Good luck to you. I hope everything works out. My wife and I were married at Mary Gate of Heaven 20 years ago this past April and will be visiting in the next week. We have visited Negril four times previously and are looking forward to this visit.

  5. #25
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    Re: Nuttin' moves fast in Jamaica...

    Quote Originally Posted by rtitle View Post
    I keep getting called naive and ignorant so I thought I'd give a little context about myself, because I think many of you are making wrong assumptions.

    I first visited Jamaica 20 years ago. On my first visit I was invited by the hotel housekeeper (Negril hotel) to her home in rural Hanover where she lived with 3 small pickneys. I became a friend to this family and kept visiting regularly, usually staying with them on subsequent visits. I became like a father to the 3 girls. Grown now, the oldest is living and working in the US, the middle one living and working in Jamaica, the youngest now in nursing school in Jamaica. I helped along the way by paying for college for the older 2 & am now paying for nursing school for the youngest. They call me "dad" and are like family.

    What I loved from the start was the less-developed lifestyle. Coming from a big city in the U.S. where everything is rush-rush and life is full of stress, I would immediately relax in the Jamaican countryside. Life felt more real. People seemed more connected to each other and to nature. There was so much love within that simple household, and a sense of community in the town. Some visitors from the U.S. come to such places and say things like "these people are so poor, we should *help* them". My reaction was different, more along the lines of "these people live a nice life, I shouid *join* them".

    Later I met my now-wife in Kingston. She is a sophisticated city girl. Spending time with her in Kingston opened up a different side of Jamaica to me. Later through my wife's relatives I became familiar with another side of Jamaica which is the expat communities in London, New York, Boston, Toronto (sometimes referred to as "Kingston 11, 12, 13, 14,..." - real Kingston postal districts go up to 10), Sometimes tourists say things like "I want to see the real Jamaica" but in fact there are many real Jamaicas. Just like there are many real USA's.

    At some point I decided I wanted to move to Jamaica and retire there. The rural countryside that is, not Kingston. My wife BTW is younger and not ready to retire so this'll be me alone moving. Since at this point I know many Jamaicans, I got a number of offers from people to sell me land. I would have conversations like "Do you own this land?". "Yes, it's capture land". "What does that mean?". "I put a fence around it 10 years ago so now it's mine". "I don't think it works that way". "Yes it does. You can buy it from me and build a house on it". "But who actually has title to it?". "Mi nuh know". "I wouldn't build on property I don't have title to". "Well, you can apply to the government for title if you want that". Yes I really had conversations like that.

    Eventually I went through the official process involving realtors, lawyers, etc, and am hoping soon to own my own place.

    So, umm... I probably *am* naive and ignorant about a lot of things, but I think at this point I know Jamaica pretty well. Always learning though. Thank you to those who help out with informative replies!

    Peace and love,

    Richard
    Being thought of as being "naive" is not such a bad thing. When it comes to Jamaica, we are all a bit naive. Your story is not unique as many of us have stepped up to help Jamaicans we love and respect in many, many ways. You should understand that we, too, have learned many lessons from trial and error and are not looking to burst your bubble and your dreams. Many of us envy you for stepping out and trying to make them come true instead of just dreaming about it. Also, you must realize that your story sounds as familiar as an echo as well.

    While growing up, I was always imploring my parents to invite a foreigner into our “family” so I could get a college education. Just a joke. Doesn’t happen here, right? In Jamaica, it does and quite often. Making a good friend of a foreigner who can help is a treasure and a gift that can keep giving for a long time. There is nothing wrong with it but it is important to understand it is by no ways a unique experience with many of us. I put 2 pickney through a good part of their schooling at Kingston College.

    Later, I met a “younger” lady from Kingston “11” where I lived in Seaview Gardens with her family. We eventually married. This is where I learned about the “Real” Jamaica. I also pretty much moved to rural St. Elizabeth where I lived with a Rastafarian (until my best friend’s death last year) in Accompong Town home of the Leeward Maroons on a 10+ acre farm growing our own fruits and vegetables as well as attempting (with various degrees of success) in selling them.

    I have been doing all this over about 36 years and consider myself “naïve” still. I am still learning and I don’t make as many mistakes as I once did but every trip is another chance to make more.

    Peace and Guidance
    Free Opinions Offered. No tipping required. Hours: Open when I feel like it.

  6. #26
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    Re: Nuttin' moves fast in Jamaica...

    Wow, that's great, Accompong. Our stories have some similarities. And soon, we'll be almost-neighbors. Google Maps says 15km from my new place to Accompong (if I was a bird flying in a straight line over those mountains ).

  7. #27
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    Re: Nuttin' moves fast in Jamaica...

    Quote Originally Posted by rtitle View Post
    Wow, that's great, Accompong. Our stories have some similarities. And soon, we'll be almost-neighbors. Google Maps says 15km from my new place to Accompong (if I was a bird flying in a straight line over those mountains ).
    Sent a PM

    Peace and Guidance
    Free Opinions Offered. No tipping required. Hours: Open when I feel like it.

  8. #28
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    Re: Nuttin' moves fast in Jamaica...

    Quote Originally Posted by rtitle View Post
    I keep getting called naive and ignorant so I thought I'd give a little context about myself, because I think many of you are making wrong assumptions.

    I first visited Jamaica 20 years ago. On my first visit I was invited by the hotel housekeeper (Negril hotel) to her home in rural Hanover where she lived with 3 small pickneys. I became a friend to this family and kept visiting regularly, usually staying with them on subsequent visits. I became like a father to the 3 girls. Grown now, the oldest is living and working in the US, the middle one living and working in Jamaica, the youngest now in nursing school in Jamaica. I helped along the way by paying for college for the older 2 & am now paying for nursing school for the youngest. They call me "dad" and are like family.

    What I loved from the start was the less-developed lifestyle. Coming from a big city in the U.S. where everything is rush-rush and life is full of stress, I would immediately relax in the Jamaican countryside. Life felt more real. People seemed more connected to each other and to nature. There was so much love within that simple household, and a sense of community in the town. Some visitors from the U.S. come to such places and say things like "these people are so poor, we should *help* them". My reaction was different, more along the lines of "these people live a nice life, I shouid *join* them".

    Later I met my now-wife in Kingston. She is a sophisticated city girl. Spending time with her in Kingston opened up a different side of Jamaica to me. Later through my wife's relatives I became familiar with another side of Jamaica which is the expat communities in London, New York, Boston, Toronto (sometimes referred to as "Kingston 11, 12, 13, 14,..." - real Kingston postal districts go up to 10), Sometimes tourists say things like "I want to see the real Jamaica" but in fact there are many real Jamaicas. Just like there are many real USA's.

    At some point I decided I wanted to move to Jamaica and retire there. The rural countryside that is, not Kingston. My wife BTW is younger and not ready to retire so this'll be me alone moving. Since at this point I know many Jamaicans, I got a number of offers from people to sell me land. I would have conversations like "Do you own this land?". "Yes, it's capture land". "What does that mean?". "I put a fence around it 10 years ago so now it's mine". "I don't think it works that way". "Yes it does. You can buy it from me and build a house on it". "But who actually has title to it?". "Mi nuh know". "I wouldn't build on property I don't have title to". "Well, you can apply to the government for title if you want that". Yes I really had conversations like that.

    Eventually I went through the official process involving realtors, lawyers, etc, and am hoping soon to own my own place.

    So, umm... I probably *am* naive and ignorant about a lot of things, but I think at this point I know Jamaica pretty well. Always learning though. Thank you to those who help out with informative replies!

    Peace and love,

    Richard
    Great story, but I'm a bit confused about postal codes ending at 10. My house is in Kingston 17.

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