TiCtOc pon di rock LIVE AND DIRECT **TRIP REPORT** On a Zero budget.

[TiCtOc]

BOOM BOOM BOOM Once you go you know, if you don’t know you need to get to know BOOM BOOM BOOM

That is the sound I will miss terribly until I return, no sound systems where I live, none at all.Not even a little hum or a whistle NOTHING AT ALL.The only beat I hearat home is my heart pounding to get back to Jamaica BOOM BOOM BOOM!
I can only now dream of the BOOM BOOM BOOM until I return.
So I was holding back my emotions, I usually wait until my family are well out of the way before I get emotional they have never seen me upset about Jamaica, maybe they do not realise how much in love with it I am?
So we fill up the car, the musician jumps in to get out up the road and my eyes start to fill up.I turned the other way hoping nobodywould notice but my husband saw me and started complaining and shouting at me asking what the hell am I crying at I never cried before then the driver is looking at me in amazement as he has drove me everywhere for a month always seeing me laughing and smiling with my likkle bottle of rum I do not think he could believe I had tears then the kids were making jokes and the musician asked was I crying LOL world swallow me up LOL I couldn’t stop the tears they just bust out no controlling it this time I usually wait until a quiet moment or behind my shades and shed a tear but I had forgotten to put my shades onso..
BAWLOUT

[Sheba]

Hush.
No Woman nah cry.
It is always hard to leave. Luckily you were only leaving Negril at that stage.
Hope you had a ball for the remainder of your time.
Glad your internet connection is up and running. Looking forward to hear the rest of your adventures.
One love
B

[TiCtOc]

My first night in the country is usually a scary drama filled one! I never know what, when, why or how but I usually get afraid of something at least once but I must love it because I always return!

So my first night I head to my bedroom at 8.45pm WOW **Tictoc going to bed early ALERT,**
nighty night family an early night for me.
So I fall into a deep sleep and about 2am I had some freaky weird dream that I cannot remember but it was a bit scary and I jolted awake,EXPECTING to see a shimmer of light from the bathroom light that I left on but NO I am in total darkness, by total darkness I mean the darkest place Ihave ever been in my entire life and I was scared and my heart was pumping I knew I had a bad dream but could not remember it and now I was wondering if I had gone blind or was still dreaming .Where was the light?? where was my hands ??OMG.I can’t see?
Shouted my husband awake and shoved him a little to wake up I said put the light on put the light on, so a lot of grumbling ensued and he lolled out of bed and then SMACK into the wall to find the light! More grumbling and rassing and then whack he bangs into another wall at which point I discreetly laugh to myself LOL (excuse my wickedness lol) He was going mad waking up the house asking who has switched all the electric off why do no lights work.So his dad gave him a flashlight that worked on and off so another drama from my husband until he found another!He brought it in to the bedroom, we were told the electric company switched the electric off and also all street lights too so it was really pitch black.I have never witnessed it that dark before, Darker than dark, now I know why people talk about packing flashlights and candles omg I will always pack one in future!
So that was my first night scary drama over with as I always have a drama of being scared on my first night- different scare each time!- I expect it and know it will always happen at some point!They got me!
So I fell back asleep the torch/flashlight went off and after about half an hour I wanted to switch position so moved my leg up the bed fast I don’t know why my stupid leg was moving so fast maybe a duppy touched it LOL AND WHAM almost kneecapped myself into the dyamn wall , who the heck moved the wall so close?OMG I eventually fall asleep and the night gets cold so woke up again to get under the sheet,poked hubby a few times because of his incessant snoring then fell into a nice sleep and had visions of me having a nice lie in bed in the morning perhaps breakfast in bed even, I had no plans at all except to totally chill with all of the family and get all of our projects wrapped up.
I was thinking of lazing around on my bed the next morning with the sun shining through the slatted windows munching my breakfast in bedas I drifted off to sleep…
BANG, CRANK , RATTLE, WHACK, BOOMM , OMG WTH??
I jolted awake beforeI even had thoughts of being awake or it being morning.It sounded like the army was in town and coming to take me away.What was that? Hard to sleep in the country you know
JOLT---- SMASH ----RATTLE???

[TiCtOc]

Hello Tic, I'm a Lurker here for the last several years and love reading the stories.......

I've been to Jamaica several times and love it there! I haven't been in awhile and don't know when I'll get back.

But I stopped by to let you know........ this is by far the BEST trip report ever.......I have loved it from you frist post before you even left home....... and the part about have to leave early to get to the other airport.........only to have to go back to the one near you to leave........was just off the chain!!!!!!!........and I would have done the same thing.......

I am so missing your reort and I hope that you get back to it real soon............I can see that you are a fun loving person with a wonderful family.

BIG UPS TO YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

that is very kind and sweet of you thankyou x

[TiCtOc]

What time is this?
LA LA LA LAAAAAAAAAAAAA
HUH?
LALALALALA LAAAAAAAAAAAAA???
ARMY HAS BROUGHT THE CHOIR?
It was still a bit dark in the bedroom
6:30 am It is praise the lord time OMG I did not remember about morning praise I forgot to put it on the planner! Whole house is opened up and all the family are singing praises and then readings from the bible --HELP
I am not a very good morning person.
Praise god thankyou for letting me be here please let me roll over for another few moments!
Then my son came knocking on my door telling me the cats need feeding and his nana has given him some delicious tea that tasted like chocolate and marshmellows .It was MILO
He ended up having 1 milo and two cups of tea.We are not tea drinkers back home so another novelty for him.
I was trying to savour the moment and enjoy the day but my husband was going mad, he does not like having to control his behaviour and behave then he got woke up early by singing LOL and then he is saying I spent the money so I better replace it and organise some more NOW and he kept sayingit and saying it and moaning and grumbling about every single thing in the universe for most of the day.Everything in it’s own time though..
He is like that sometimes , infact most times, I had hoped along holiday would chill him out as I always do but my plan always fails I him.And I have given up trying, now I tend to shut my ears off or plug my ipod in!
I can’t deal with negative grumbles from anyone else probably because I am surrounded by a cloud of grumbles on a daily basis from within my home!No one can grumble more than him so I can’t take even one grumble from anyone unless it is an absolute emergency as I get more than my fair share at home.
So I cannot let it steal my joy and happiness and have to bust out of the grumble bubble!
I called our niece who is my age , a Jamaican lady who is pregnant who the pushchair was for.She said she is up and ready and she soon come. She used to live here where I am staying now and we used to have lots of fun and late night chats and sleepovers and cooking sessions but now she hasher own little family and I miss her here. So 30 minutes later she arrived andwe caught up and she was pleased with the baby pram/pushchair . Husband was still grumbling he wanted water from the shop and other things which we did not need, tap water is fine here and it is not a home where you sit drinking beer and he is not much of a beer drinker anyway he was just finding something to grumble about so when my nieces time came when she had to leave he said he was going to get dropped off in town and asked did I want to go so I said no- you just go because we did not need to go and needed to be careful with money so he got mad again and said I should go so I thought great I will get dumped down there for unnecessary items then have to make my own way back CHO!
So I jumped in and my niece got out with me in the town ,she didn’t have to but she is nice like that, heavily pregnant too, so I got a few basic items and I only had 2000j in my pocket and I needed 120j for taxi fare home so I added up the price of the contents of my shopping trolley carefully, then got to the till and realised I had not added tax dayamn that part always gets me I hate that.The price should be inclusive I am no good with percentages, just tell me a total.I cannot cope with adding all percentages allthe time on bills and shopping and hotel!Tell me the amount you want from me dammit! Hardly any other country adds it separately.
So I realised I did not have enough money left for a patty which my son had requested so she gave me some money for two patties she is such a lovely person and it was probably her taxi fare home because I heard someone say they were going to come and pick her up.She would give her last dime to help.I said I would pay her back tomorrow as she was not coming back tothe house but was going out of town.
My niece knows everyone in town she is so lovely all the drivers know her and know exactly where we want to go by saying a persons name not an address of their house , if you say you wanna go tictocs house for example and its 5 miles away every driver knows where that is, its cool!


And she takes everything in her stride and she is constantly on her mobile phone she must go through millions of phone cards!Always someone calling her to chat about something and everyone always waving to her and saying hi all the neighbours and shopworkers.She used to have a shop in the town but now has a new one out of town.She has always been an inspiration to me as she is a very good hearted person who will help wherever and whenever she can and she started with absolutely nothing and has become a strong independent woman now.
The song nuttin 2 sometin comes to mind and it proves you can do whatever you set your mind too. She is not afraid of nothing or no-one and takes everything in her stride yet still manages to be nice to everyone and make things happen.

[TiCtOc]

She’s a lovely woman always made time for me and my family even when it meant missing work and losing money to show me how to get toplaces or how to feed my family or where to shop.She would never leave us in the lurch or stuck for the sake of money NEVER.

And that works both ways.I would drop whatever I was doing if she needed me.
So I headed back to the family home and saw a few goats along the way and I saw something looking at me what the heck is THAT?
2 huge bulls or cows looking at me LOL
Dogs looking both ways to cross the road!
Then our nephew came to the house after school, He used to come to Negril with us but the family has expanded now and we will have tostart thinking about bigger accomodations to keep up the family holidays either bigger or low cost,Maybe we could all go to Westport cottages or NBCC for awhile as they have space, Westport is definitely the most economical though plus they have a kitchen.
All the children have been playing happily for hours all the cousins and the cats and they all had their little gadgets out and was just being happy nice kids yay no complaining.Even hubby is on best behaviour for a single moment!
My sister in law had already dealt with the fishman truck before I got out of bed so I gave some money for the fish and she spent ages cooking and cleaning the fish and then after a few hours dished out a delicious meal.Yay just what I always wanted and I really really enjoyed it, best meal since I got here and the sauce yes sirrrrr or YES YES as that man in Negril would say!
I still have not made my coleslaw though. I will tomorrow LOL will tomorrow ever come?
I found a spot earlier near the gate, I sunbathed stood up resting my neck on the gate staring at the palm trees in front of the amazingmountain views.I heard a cockerel and watched pretty butterflies dancing around.
My father in laws brother came to say happy new year and we went and saw the local neighbourhood fix it man he fixes everything , gatesbuildings, everything.he was working on a big 3 storey house an English familyhave just bought facing my in laws house , it looks like it will be very niceand room for a pool spiral staircase very nice hmmm stop giving me ideas!
The sky is red now sun setting over the mountains.

[TiCtOc]

[irieworld]

I was laughing out loud at your scary first night in the country! It sounds like your niece is a lovely, inspiring, strong woman and you finally got your home-cooked JA food, yay! Loving the second installment of your trip. Stay warm--it is cold here in New York, too.

[TiCtOc]

I have a tiny bit more money arriving tomorrow from backhome and I am not in anyone’s good books and it is my final cash injection andI think I may be in big trouble when I get home but I cannot say it has notbeen worth it! It has been brilliant for all of us and we never quite know whenwe will be able to return so we always make the best of it each and every time.

It all gets paid back and then we save again.
I have to think carefully about how to do my next trip asthe amount I am spending each year has gone way beyond buying land and buildingan extremely nice house when I add up the totals.
The sun has set once again and it has been a perfect day inJamaica.The temperature in the evenings are luke warm, body temperature justlike in my home at home but I do have the heating on, so it is not cold but nothot , just right, the days are sunny now and the evenings are cool.
The kids are happy, my belly is happy and my husband has notmoaned for 20 minutes now ha ha.
Life is sweet.

[TiCtOc]

I could manage on a next to zero budget I need verylittle money to be happy in Jamaica mac and cheese 90j for FOUR meals, patties90j, coco bread 50j water FREE beach FREE swimming FREE walking dancing laughingtalking FREE. Sunshine FREE and I would just get a low cost room.But I have tocater to everyone and not just myself.

The sun has come up and today is a new day, I hope thingssettle down so we can just chill with the family.I want to sunbathe outside buthave no lounger and the chairs from indoors will get sun damage so I am goingto work on this problem today LOL Life is good when over Christmas and new yearthe only major problem you have is finding something to sunbathe on!
Like I said yesterday everytime I speak I am reminded of atune that is played in Jamaica there is a song for everything and lastnightssong would have been called MY LIFE AINT EASY LIKE 123
But today is a new day in beautiful Jamaica and I will havemy fun regardless.