Popped! Testing out the Jamaican Nightlife

Ashley and I learned Saturday that Jamaican nightlife starts and ends very late into the night... thus, we spent most of Sunday sleeping (obviously, on the couch with the sliding doors open and the fan on full blast).

We spent Saturday morning stocking our kitchen/apartment. Initial outlook: everything is really expensive here! Because the majority of the food is imported, it is almost twice the price as in the U.S.! Plus, the consumption tax is ~20%. Note to any potential visitors: please bring me peanut butter, because I can't afford it. And life without PB&J is simply unimaginable. But after a draining morning of comparing prices and trying to convert everything into US Dollars, we were able to successfully fill the fridge and cabinets!

During the afternoon, we decided to keep ourselves busy with a new task... straightening our hair. Yes, this is quite an effort in the U.S. itself, with the brushing and the pinning up, etc. etc. Now imagine doing it in the hottest and most humid place ever... CRAZY! FUTILE! UNPRODUCTIVE! Yes, all of the above. But with the help of a fan, we prevailed two hours later with straight hair. At least for about 20 minutes. But it was worth it.

In the evening, our friend Rochelle came by to hang out. She is from Miami but pursuing a graduate program at UWI. Already being here for 8 months, she imparted much advice... which neighborhoods are safe, nightclub and restaurant recommendations, and of course, where to go on weekend trips around the island! It is definitely awesome to have friends our age with cars and advice, especially someone who understands our silly "American" questions.

Shortly after, we were very kindly treated to dinner at a trendy outdoor restaurant (called Suzie's) by Jody and Holly, possibly Kingston's cutest couple (found through my Barclays network!). The two quickly shot down our excitement for trying to find a car, suggesting a driver instead... decision TBD. The taxis are adding up, but seem like the best bet for now. Luckily, they recommended the bus system for traveling to other parts of the island, saying it was safe and clean... hopefully a trip to the nearby and beautiful Ocho Rios ("Ochi") is in our near future! After dinner, Jody and Holly took us out to Fiction (not Friction), the bumpin' nightclub right by our apartment! Few observations:
- Jamaican rum is a little too sweet for my taste. And Jamaican drinks are STRONG!
- We got to the club at midnight... it was empty. Activity picked up closer to 2am, and was really packed when we left at about 3am
- Jamaicans can dance! Not just sway back and forth to a beat kind of dance, but feet moving fast kind of dance. Definitely a fun scene! We convinced two fellas to give us a dance lesson! Soon we had a 4-person synchronized dance team in the middle of the floor. Yes, attention on us, awkward Americans (as compared to the naturally rhythmic Jamaicans)
- There was a 60-year old man in the middle of the dance floor, breaking it down. Apparently he shows up every Saturday... he was old, but dang, he could dance!
- Despite the heat, people go out in jeans! I did not, but Ashley tried it out. Interestingly, the clubs are super air conditioned, so jeans were certainly the way to go! I just feel too constricted in pants when I try to break it down, you know? That's a joke.

All in all, quite an adventurous night out! Can't wait for next weekend :)

And I leave you with a picture of what Ashley has deemed my new best friend... UGH! Ash loves them, I freak out. Some of them have things on their throats that inflate. ICK!