Escape to the Country

Aching to get out of the busy Kingston life, Jasmine and I headed to Negril this past weekend!  Again, Negril is located at the westernmost point of Jamaica.  It is definitely a touristy spot, but a little more natural / less commercialized (i.e. no all-inclusives, etc).  It is also known for its beautiful 7-mile, white sand beaches!

Fruity Drinks @ Margaritaville!

So Friday afternoon, we set off... taking the public bus across the island!  Yes, it was quite the journey (over 4 hours, packed like sardines), but well worth it as soon as we took deep breaths of that clear country air!  After settling into the beautiful Caribbean Sunset Resort - which had a view of the ocean (see below), we went to Margaritaville for some fruity drinks (like a "dirty banana" - delicious!).  After, we spent the night dancing at a street party and then a rooftop club near downtown Negril... lots of fun and the welcomed change from chaotic Kingston.

Our hotel!

On Saturday, Jazz and I head into the country to visit our friends in Grangehill.  They had invited us to a "grave digging" party - basically a get together to celebrate the life of someone who has passed away.  The party takes place near the actual grave - the optimal place to remember the deceased person.  There was music, lots of food, and dancing - overall, a very positive celebration.

Grangehill is one of my favorite places in Jamaica... I love the open country feel, clean air, fresh fruits, and NICEST people!

Drive into Grangehil

Graffiti in Grangehill... They are of the "Gaza" music camp, clearly!

In the afternoon, we convinced our friends Jared and Jermaine to take us on a motorcycle ride through the fields.  We rode through the wilderness, past lakes and rivers... it was one of the most beautiful areas I have ever seen!  Of course, we took up this opportunity to go for a swim in the afternoon sun :)

On the motorcycle (with a machete to clear brush)

Jazzy pon di bike!

The beautiful lake we passed

Jazz and me in the clear, blue river!

Jazzy in the tree...

After spending the whole day in the country Saturday, we decided to spend Sunday lazing along the beach :)  Definitely the perfect weekend getaway!

Beaches of Negril!

Monday was the last lecture in my International Business Management course (the rest of the course is presentations).  The professor brought together all the lessons to date by evaluating the drivers of success in Jamaican companies across sectors - retail, manufacturing, tourism, and more.  Many of these firms had to take what we called the "international pathway" - start domestically, then appeal to the broader Jamaican diaspora (many in US/Canada/England), and only then expand to the developing nations.  Often, countries could "skip" a step, but the more sustainable methods involved taking these baby steps.  We also identified that some common key factors for success were emphasis on innovation, strong leadership and benchmarking against international standards. 

On Tuesday, we went to... FUN DAY!  Yes, fun day... a day when students at Trenchtown Primary School get to frolick around in a moon bounce, motorized merry-go-round, and a water slide.  Jazz, Ash and I spent the morning at the school, watching the kids have a ball.

Lots of kids, lots of fun.

These boys are too cool for school!

Jazz and I couldn't help but ride the rollercoaster...

Ash in the Moon Bounce!

Sadly, for us, fun day was not that fun!  We realized that because there was a fee required to participate (roughly $6/child), the majority of the students were unable to play... their families could not afford it.  Thus, they either didn't attend school that day or watched the kids who could afford it through the school fences... this clearly made me incredibly depressed.  It certainly put the poverty level more into perspective for me, but also made me angry that the government couldn't help fund such days for these public schools so ALL the kids could play.  What was refreshing, however, was meeting a Jamaican man at the event who worked as part of a non-profit that specifically aimed to rebuild Trenchtown.  The man was born and raised in Trenchtown, though he spent most of his life in the US.  He was focused on giving back to his community, making an effort to ask wealthy Jamaicans (local, in the US, and in Canada) for funding.  I seriously believe that one way Jamaica will truly improve is if the larger Jamaican diaspora from these regions actively works toward giving back to their motherland.

The walk to Trenchtown Primary... Tribute to BOB MARLEY

As Wednesday was a public holiday to celebrate the Christian holiday of "Ash Wednesday," we made the most of our Tuesday night!  Krista, Ashley, and I (along with a few other friends) had dinner at our favorite ital RASTArant Bravo and then spent the night playing dominoes at the bar above.

Krista, me and Ash playing dominoes at the (nameless) bar above Bravo

Rani and Bindi!

We took advantage of the mid-week break by lazing around and catching up on work. I spent Wednesday afternoon with my friend Rani, watching movies, eating Jamaican-Chinese food (YUM!), doing p90x workouts, swimming, and playing with her new puppy, Bindi! Too cute and full of energy.


 In the evening, studio 40 was finally reunited for the first dinner together in a long time. While we cooked, we read out loud from a book titled "A Small Place" by Jamaica Kincaid. Jamaica talks about her experience growing up on the island of Antigua, presenting it from the tourists' perspective - what they see versus what is really going on. In fact, many of the quotes from the book were used in the documentary "Life and Debt" about Jamaica that I am always referencing (probably the best documentary on Jamaica that exists). It is a short and great read, which really expresses the difficult conditions in which locals from these small islands tend to live - very different from how the tourist may see life on the island. The overall tone is bitter and sarcastic, with bouts of anger when talking about Antigua's colonial past or touristy present. Some powerful quotes (though I recommend you all read the whole text!):

"So when the natives see you, the tourist, they envy you, they envy your ability to leave your own banality and boredom, they envy your ability to turn their own banality and boredom into a source of pleasure for yourself."

"Not only did we have to suffer the unspeakableness of slavery, but the satisfaction to be had from, 'We made you bastards rich' is taken away, too."

"They [the natives] are too poor to live properly in the place they live, which is the very place you, the tourist, want to go."

"An ugly thing, that is what you are when you become a tourist, an ugly, empty thing, a stupid thing, a piece of rubbish pausing here and there to gaze at this and taste that, and it will never occur to you that the people who inhabit the place in which you have just paused cannot stand you..."

You get the idea... anyways, it is crazy to read and see the similarities in Jamaica already. I'm excited to continue reading the book over the next home-cooked meal :)

Erica, Ashley, Krista and me at the lecture

To end this post, I want to discuss one of the more intellectually-arousing events I have attended: Dancehall DJ Vybz Kartel (Gaza camp leader / "Di Teacha") lecturing at the University of the West Indies.  Yup, Kartel was invited to speak to the public about his image, particularly his use of bleach to lighten his face.  This phenomena of bleaching is prevalent in Jamaica, but highly stigmatized.  Vybz Kartel, however, has openly admitted that he does such.  This behavior, combined with his millions of tattoos, inspired the lecture - appropriately titled "Pretty Like a Coloring Book."

The event was something between a lecture and... a concert.  On one side, we had quieter attendees who just wanted to listen to Kartel.  On the other side (shoving themselves into us) were who we nicknamed "the teeny boppers" - girls who were die-hard Kartel fans.  Kartel, luckily, approached the event more as the former.  He even had a powerpoint presentation!  Some memorable phrases/discussions:


- Many claim that Kartel has sold his soul to the devil - an explanation for his darker tunes, quick success, etc.  So smart little Vybz posed to the audience, "how exactly DOES one sell his soul to the devil?"  He even had people in the audience try to answer, which just made everyone look silly.

Di Teacha!

- Many asked why Kartel - knowing he has so much influential power over Jamaica, especially the youth - does not use his power for "good" and be a role model.  Kartel's response?  He is an "entertainer."  An entertainer does not need to do "good" for the world, or, as he stated, "carry the weight of Jamaica's problems."  In my opinion, this answer is consistent with his lyrics and image, but that doesn't make it correct!


- Kartel differentiated between "Adidja Palmer" (his birth name) and "Vybz Kartel."  The former is a member of the Jamaican community and a father to 7 children.  The latter is the entertainer.  When asked if Adidja Palmer always agrees with Vybz Kartel, he chuckled and said no... its often blurry where the two agree.  Interesting...

WHO is Vybz Kartel?  Straight from the powerpoint.

- Kartel made the argument that skin bleaching is similar to men once wearing earrings.  It was originally treated as a "pirate" activity, but has now become commonplace.  Similarly, Kartel believes that the stigma around bleaching has diminished, such that it too is socially acceptable.


- We have to big up Kartel for citing his sources throughout... Wikipedia and Google.


- Kartel ended by stating that "life is a colorless coloring book.  But life gives us the crayons to color it how we like."  A cool way to put it, I think!  But I wouldn't expect anything less lyrical from di teacha!

- A funny cartoon in the newspaper about the event after the fact:

Packed outdoor auditorium

Leaving this event, I was strangely satisfied.  Though I didn't love Kartel's answers, I thought it was wonderful that he had a forum where he could discuss his views and defend himself.  UWI had provided a positive environment where members of the broader community could have a discussion - a nonviolent and progressive endeavor.  Sadly, just as we were leaving, we heard about a terrible shooting several towns over in Spanish Town - gang violence against the police.  It was certainly a shocking juxtaposition - the nonviolent discussion versus such violent expression.  To me, this shows that there is clearly a lot of room for development in Jamaica, but (hopefully) we are moving in the right direction...