Wa Gwaan Man?!?! Jamaica, That's What...

Ok, it's been FOREVER since I've blogged, I know.  I've even tried to start several posts and failed to finish them.  I have good reason.  Like the rest of us, I've been busy.  This post is supposed to be about my most recent trip to Jamaica, so I'm going to keep the personal stuff short, but here's my work life in a nutshell:  I'm currently running a business out of my home here in Portland as of the New Year (and just recently found out that I'll be doing so for the indefinite future).  It's my friend Bryan's business, Chopstick Art.  He's been doing this for 10 years and he needed a break, so I've taken over while he travels the world and pursues his dreams, and I couldn't have a more ideal, flexible job.  And, to date, our company has saved over 3 million chopsticks from going to the landfill.  Pretty cool.  I'm very proud to be managing this company. You can check it out here: www.chopstickart.com.  If you order something online from me and I recognize your name, I promise to put some lipstick on real quick and seal it with a smoochie boochie...you know, just so you know its really me :) I'm also teaching 10 dance classes a week and preparing for our recital which is coming right up, June 21st.  And...doing some side French tutoring here and there to high school students.  So...busy!  But a very full, rewarding and HAPPY life :)

OK.....now.....JAMAICA MAN!

Basically the story goes that I had no intention of international travel until my trip to China next year, but I'm not the one to pass up a once in a lifetime opportunity when it comes around.  So...one fine Saturday morning in January, I went out for coffee and a bit of shopping with my roommate/landlord Emily.  When we arrived home, our Jamaican neighbors next door were milling about in their yard.  Emily has known them for about 7 years or so, so they're good friends. They always seemed super nice, but their Patois (basically Jamaican pigeon, for those of you who are familiar with the Hawaiian culture) was SO thick and hard for me to understand that it was hard to have meaningful conversations with them, so I didn't know them very well.  They started chatting with us, and mentioned that in a few days they were heading back home to Jamaica for a few months.  Emily had ALWAYS wanted to go visit them, and they casually mentioned that we were more than welcome to come stay with them.  And then, they casually mentioned that their airfare tickets were only $500.  Round trip.  Emily's excitement grew and she said "What?!  If that's true, I'm going.  I'm going upstairs right now and checking online for tickets," and then she turned to me and said "wanna go?" I'm pretty sure that there was zero hesitation in my voice as I responded with a firm "yes".

Jamaica has always been on my list.  Ever since my first trip to Reggae on the River in 2003, I've been hooked on the music and the culture.  However, I don't like traveling to big fancy resorts where you only hang out with other Americans.  If I wanted to do that, I'd just go stay at the Mirage in Vegas for a few nights.  They have swimming pools, cocktails and sunshine there.  So having this opportunity where I could go stay with locals and REALLY experience the country on the ground level seemed like an opportunity I'd be stupid to pass up.  Long story short, we found tickets online that same day for $480 round trip...the last two available.  And, we were booked.

Jamaica blew my mind, and was everything I could have hoped it to be.  In many ways, it reminded me so much of Africa.  It had all of the things I really loved about Africa and none of the things that made that continent so very trying for me.  As many of you know, I really struggled during my time in Tanzania, for many reasons.  I don't regret my time there in any way, but I had to dig deep to find happiness and stay balanced.  It was so very refreshing to have an international travel experience that was uplifting and fulfilling in almost every way possible.

We stayed with our Portland neighbors, Gredel and John, at their home in Dumfries, which is 45 minutes away from Montego Bay, up in the hills.  Even though we were remote and in a "developing" part of the country, unlike Tanzania, we had consistent hot water and electricity.  Food, however, was equally scarce as it was in Africa.  Once we finally got our hands on some Jamaican dollars (100 Jamaican dollars is $1 USD, which is hard to get used to. Kept freaking me out when they'd ask me for $500 dollars for my lunch.  Yikes!), we made sure to stock pile food so that we had something to snack on in our bedrooms.  Yes, there was food, but locals basically eat just one big meal a day.  Yes, one.  And sometimes, it was goat stew.  So, when it happened to be something like Jerk Chicken (a main staple in Jamaica and very delicious), Emily and I ate as much as we could but we could only eat SO much in one sitting.  Our hosts kept complaining that we really weren't eating, but they didn't account for the fries we'd get at the shack across the street or the crackers we had stowed away in our backpacks.

Like Tanzania, the fresh fruits and veggies in the market were plentiful, but no locals on the outskirts of town seemed to grow them.  In a place where sun is plentiful, water is consistent, and imported food is expensive and lacking nutritional value, it is very saddening to see that people do not have gardening skills.  Oh the good it could do.  And like Tanzania, we often heard "he soon come", which meant that yeah, Richie was on his way.  He just ran home to take a shower.  4 hours later, he'd stroll up the walkway.  So, as Richie once said to us during our stay, "don't be too eager for any ting".  And, it became our steadfast motto.  We had no access to internet or phones, but that was actually extremely pleasurable for me.  I realized how much I really do love being disconnected sometimes, and how grounding it is for my personality.

The other big thing Jamaica had that Tanzania did not was MUSIC.  I was shocked in Tanzania at the complete absence of music in the village where I was staying.  In Jamaica, reggae music was BLASTING...out of cars, on the streets, and from the boom box in our home.  24/7.  At parties, speakers upon speakers piled high above our heads and jams blasted well into the early hours of the morning.  Music and dance are both staples of culture in Jamaica, and I soon was learning some of the latest dance moves...like the "One Drop", or the "Whine".  Of course, I was in love with this, and jumped at every opportunity to learn new dances and also teach some of my own moves.  People were constantly in shock to see a "white girl" who knew how to dance.  Emily's a great dancer too, and since dance was such a staple part of their culture, we got a lot of love for it.  Dancing in Jamaica, however, is very explicit.  Here is one of the most popular songs in Jamaica right now, with the dance move the "One Drop". Basically, you bend over and shake your booty til there's no tomorrow:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-Tt8vzkzF0

 I...could go on and on about this country, but you'd probably stop reading my post, if you haven't already.  The water was so clear you could see through it for many feet down, the beaches were pristine and stretched for miles, the waterfalls were roaring and the foliage was lush.  The people of Jamaica, overall, were hospitable, friendly, and welcoming.  And, lets be honest, the men were pretty damn fine too.  I made some great connections and friends.  All that being said, Jamaica is a bit dicey.  We had Gredel & John's nephew, Richie, as our body guard basically at all times during our stay there, and he was a damn good one.  He watched our stuff while we swam in the ocean, and told the cab driver off when he was being too pushy.  And during our time there, I received repeated affirmation that I was so happy not to be staying in a fancy, smanshy resort.  For example, one of our last days in the city, Montego Bay, Richie tried to take Emily & I to a resort shopping area to get some souvenirs for friends and family back home.  Approaching the large gates to what appeared to be a mansion, we were told by security that we would not be allowed to enter.  No outsiders.  Even though we were clearly white tourists, we had not been approved, and could not be let on the grounds.  If we wanted to get in, we would have to email the head of security, get a password, blah, blah, blah.  Whoa.  What an obstacle course.  And if they wouldn't let us in, it was pretty clear they would never ever think of letting a local person in.  We left there and Richie took us to the downtown market instead, and I was happy our tourist money went to someone local who really needed it.

John & Gredel return home to Portland in one week and I can't wait to see them. They really do feel like extended family now and after hours upon hours chatting about life on their porch, I can totally understand their Patois.  Ok, well for the most part.  Here are some photos of my travels for you to enjoy.  I encourage you whole heartedly to go experience Jamaica, but to go with locals.  Or...you can just go with me next time.  I can't wait to go back....

The main public beach we hung out at. Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Random dude hanging out with us on the beach, picking up beach creatures...

Alice (my main squeeze) and I at Dunn's River Falls. She's the daughter of my neighbors here in Portland, and lives in Portland too but was home in Jamaica for vacation.  She took us out a lot and was a great host during our time there.

A guy in the market, selling his pumpkins!

Montego Bay, Jamaica

This picture I took from John & Gredel's yard, where we stayed. This was Pinky's teddy bear, hanging on the line to dry.  Pinky was one of my home girls while I was there.  Some people think this picture is weird, but I love it. I think it shows the love and poverty of the region...both things which were in abundance.

Pinky :)

This was the fence right across the street from our house.  I stared at it every day, and loved its reggae colors and broken ways.

This was in the neighborhood where we stayed.  These boys followed me around for a while and were doing anything they could to get their picture taken.  I have loads of pictures of them, but this was my favorite, when they climbed into this broken, abandoned car.  Tried and true, these kids were so very happy to be playing, even though by our US standards we would think of this to be dangerous and this car to be junk.  It's all about perception.

John!  One of our hosts!!  He looks like Yoda, I know.  And...he kinda talks like him too.  So much wisdom. I love this man very much. 

My sugar cane man!  He sat on the corner a few blocks down from our house and waited on a bucket all day for someone to buy some of his sugar cane.  I bought the darker colored one, behind him.  And then....

...after he peeled it for me, I took a totally offensive picture next to the town sign.  Well, Gredel had said "a lot of white women come to Jamaica for the 'big bamboo'".  You folks are gonna have to fill in the blanks, but this became a running joke during our stay, so I had to do something to remember it...

A very cool wall in downtown Montego Bay.

Long Beach

A road down the street from Opal's house, another friend we met during our stay.  This is what the area we were staying with looked like.  Lots of hills, dirt roads, and barred houses.

Our home with our hosts!  Gredel & John in the background, Richie in between us.  And, for the record, I'm wearing a swimsuit...so don't look up my skirt you sickos...

And last but not least, one of my favorite pics from our trip, my beautiful traveling companion and Portland roomie, Emily.  We had an amazing, amazing time, and I'm fairly confident this will not be our last adventure together.  One love <3