My BFF is getting married in October and as her Maid of Honour, I had the privilege of planning/hosting her sexy Bachelorette Party and beautiful Bridal Shower [so far].  It’s been so much fun, but it’s only the beginning…..!

Let’s get sexy first.  I’m in Miami B!tch!
I can’t remember how many times we played the LMFAO song but we definitely lived up to the ‘drink all day. play all night. let’s get it poppin.’ truth of South Beach, Miami Florida.

Planning for 10+ girls (with all sorts of personalities) for a 4-day trip is no easy walk in the park.  Everything from arranging plane tickets to figuring out where the parties are at, to creating the perfect itinerary and making sure rooming situations are good, is your job.

Here are a few things that worked for me.

1. Set a Budget, they are not meant for breaking.  Budget for a) plane ticket and accommodations, b) budget daily spending for food, partying and other ‘mandatory’ activities you would like everyone to attend to (i.e. shows).  Your guests will really appreciate this, trust me.
2. Accommodate to your best ability. You can’t make EVERYONE happy, and you can’t ask everyone where they want to go and what they want to do. Remember, your job is to make Bride happy, everyone else will learn to suck it up.
3. Research. If your Bride or your friends are anything like us, food is a priority.  Whateverthe priorities are within your Bridal Party, research everything online before going.  We found the most AWE-mazing, non-db, super nice and connected promoter – all because I Googled Miami Pool Parties about a million times. lol I know we all like to be spontaneous and go with the flow…but with a big group [of girls], planning is essential.  It doesn’t mean you don’t leave any room for excitement, have a little fun. (;
4. Use visual tools to help plan the trip. Not being too familiar with South Beach, I used Google Maps and mapped out all the restaurants, clubs, beaches and other interesting hot spots on the map.  We knew exactly how far our hotel was and whether we could walk or take a cab.  It also really helps with the itinerary and planning your days out, which is my next point.
5. Create an Itinerary but don’t make everything mandatory to attend.  People like to know what they’re doing and when, mainly because we want to know what to wear and how to do our hair that day/night.  If you are a close group of girlfriends, its easy to do everything together.  If there is a large group and you’re in a big city, I would suggest that you leave some ‘free time’ for girls, who may not enjoy the same things as you/Bride enjoys whether its for shopping or visiting a monument; they will appreciate this.  Of course, all dinners and partying are a must-go event!   It was also very important to schedule ‘get ready time’; add an extra 30 min safety always.
6. Have Themed Nights. We had so much fun dressing up and making sure we were noticeably a Bachelorette Party.  You get free stuff, other girls are nicer to you, boys buy you drinks – it’s really all good in the fun!  Our themed nights consisted of Black/White & Sexy Ballerina (with corset tops).
7. Ignore the drama.  There will be drama, but ignore it.   Ignore it and it will go away.
8. Ask other MOHs/ Bridesmaids for help. People are very willing to help if you ask.  @millieng sent me her entire Vegas Bachelorette  itinerary for her BFF, but then we changed our plans and went to Miami! haha
9. Buy anti-acid pills.  If you’re Asian, you’re likely going to have the “Asian glow” – the effect of being flushed red after one sip of alcohol. Pepci Ac and Zantak work well and it’ll make everyone look less buzzed in pictures!
10. Have fun! Enjoy it and pray that you’ll only be MOH once. :P

Stay tuned for Part 2 – Showered with Love!

-C

It’s amazing what you see when you steer outside the ‘tourist bubble’.  Tourism is great for Jamaica as it creates jobs for locals and stimulates the economy. But outside of that, people here appear to live in much poverty.

People & Culture

As we were driving along the roads and passing by the numerous fruit stands, jerk centers and craft markets – all I could think of was “What do these people do all day?”  ”Do they just wait all day for tourists to come by?” “Do they have any ambitions for a better life?” “Do they even know what’s outside of their life as it exists?”

Life there in the small towns seem so simple.  Wake up, get the stand ready and then wait.  Sitting, waiting, wishing?  Of course I can only imagine what is going through their minds and what they do all day but as we drove by, I could feel their desperation for us to buy something.

In my interactions with them, I found that they were aggressive but respectful. They repeatedly ask for you to check out their shops, “just take a look and don’t have to buy”, but once you give them a firm No, they will back off. And sure guys will make comments, but it’s probably because people here wear long sleeves in 30 degree weather, and well I don’t!

Despite their persistence, and maybe I’m naive, people here seem to be very courteous, respectful and friendly (at least in the day time).  All of them with say “Good morning/afternoon/evening”, will help you when you need directions, and tell us about their culture.  Some of them seem to enjoy life for what it is – a true appreciation.  But maybe they were nice because they wanted something from us, but a part of me has the hope that they were just good people.  But maybe not.  One of our tires were deflated from going on  a pothole too fast and two Jamaicans quickly came to help us change the tire and pump up the other one.  He charged us only $1000 JMD no problem, that’s like $12 CAD!

Church also seems to be an important part of life here too.  In every little town, there is a church and on Sundays, they were packed with people.  There is also this sense of community/ “love thy neighbour”, as we saw locals helping other locals out; telling us about different things to do – i.e. visit Savana La Mar in the day and then go to Rick’s Cafe at night when it opens at 6pm – when in fact, the cafe is opened during the day.

Being in Jamaica also made me realize how much our Canadian culture is influenced by Jamaicans.  All the slangs that are used like, “What g’wan”, “Bredren”, “Boss”, “Seen” and “Respec” come from Jamaican culture.  Fly kicks, pimped out clothes, and hipsters may also be influenced from here.  Music, specifically reggae is a huge part of life and Bob Marley is the king.

In the end, I know I sound very optimistic about the people and the culture here, but I am a realist at heart.  I am aware that the crime and murder rate is extremely high and that there is a lot that I don’t know and don’t see daily. But for some reason, I have this glimpse of hope that things can be turned around because there is so much good in them too.

Nonetheless, I’m happy to have seen the “other side” of life by taking a road trip across the country.  It really makes me think about how fortunate we are and how much we should appreciate the little things in life.

Things to Remember When Travelling

With a renewed sense of inspiration gathered from my trip to Jamaica, I promise it won’t be another year til I blog again.

Peace!
- C

If you know me, you’d understand how important food is to my soul!  Mmmmm… the pictures really don’t do the food justice! Enjoy! (:

Food

Jerk Deliciousness

For those who enjoy  jerk chicken in Toronto, boy do I some news for you! Jerk pork and jerk lamb is actually the best thing EVER, AND jerk pork seems to be the ‘authentic’ meat of choice!  Jerk chicken… meh.  A key part of enjoying jerk meat is the hot sauce – good thing I bought some jerk seasoning and spices home for BBQ season! :P

My Top 3 Jerk Spots in Jamaica:

1. Jerk Lamb w/ mint + festival @ Sweetwood (Kingston)
2. Jerk Pork w/ bread @ G&B Jerk Center (Buff Bay)
3. Jerk Pork + Jerk Chicken w/ yam + bread @ Scotchies (St. Ann’s Bay)

Jerk Lamb w/ mint sauce + festival (Sweetwood, Kingston, Jamaica)

How they make Jerk. (Scotchies, St. Ann's Bay, Jamaica)

Jerk Pork (Scotchies, St. Ann's Bay, Jamaica)

(Festivals are fried dough that you can eat as a side with jerk foods.  It tastes kinda like translated in Chinese “cow tongue pastry” – the sweet fried dough that you have with congee.)

Curry Goat

Curry Goat w/ Rice & Peas + Veggies (3DIVES, Negril, Jamaica)

After chilling at Rick’s Cafe for some reggae and drinks, we stopped by a restaurant called 3 DIVES in Negril to have dinner.  I ordered the curry goat and it came with rice & peas and veggies.  Delicious! With a bon fire off to the side of the restaurant and a full view of the stars, I couldn’t ask for more.

Seafood & Fish

Moonshine cooking fish over an open fire (Negril, Jamaica)

Frying fish on the beach (Negril, Jamaica)

A top highlight was eating on the beach in Negril, where we negotiated with some Rastas to cook for us.  We first went to the fish market with ‘Bobby Culture’ to pick the fish we wanted and then ‘Moonshine’ fried the fish in an open fire.  It was a kinda expensive but the experience was worth it and there was something great about supporting the Rastas! lol

Lobster surprise dinner (Mille Fleurs Restaurant, Portland, Jamaica)

Coriander fish w/ Coconut rub wrapped in Banana Leaf (Mille Fleurs Restaurant, Portland, Jamaica)

Fish and lobster was also had in Portland at a fancy restaurant called Mille Fleurs at Mocking Bird Hill Hotel.  Pretty good, but I would say that the lobster doesn’t beat what I’ve had in Toronto!

Patties

Juici Beef Patty w/ Coco Bread!

On most days we had jerk, but I had a chance to try out the Beef Patty w/ coco bread (ate it kinda like a sandwich) at Juici Patties (one of their chain restaurants).  Funny enough I had it for breakfast and it was a good start to my day!

Fried Chicken

Fried Chicken w/ Rice & Peas (Boston Bay, Jamaica)

On our way to Reach Falls and passing by Boston Bay, where jerk supposedly began, we somehow stumbled into a little bar/restaurant where there was only curry goat and fried chicken available.  But no jerk!  Apparently the area has gone downhill for a while now and have left.  Anyways, we opted for fried chicken!  It was pretty good and wasn’t super battered like KFC with sauce that tasted close to the canned bean sauce. lol

Ake and Salt Fish

A Traditional Dish - Ake & Salt Fish for Breakfast (Montego Bay, Jamaica)

A traditional dish in Jamaica is ake and salt fish for breakfast!  I wasn’t use to eating fish or salty foods in the morning but it was something I had to try. Ake is a fruit  (looks like scrambled eggs) and the combination goes well with the fish. Not my fave but I think you should still try it!

Tropical Fruits

Tropical fruit plate to start my day! (Polkeris, Montego Bay, Jamaica)

Mmmm grapefruits in Jamaica were my fave! Spoiled by the B&B we stayed at in Montego Bay, we would start off every morning with a plate of fruits.  Ting!-  a carbonated grapefruit drink in Jamaica is also the bomb!

Jam-Fusion

Jam-Italian spaghetti w/ Jerk spices (Evitas, Ocho Rios, Jamaica)

Jam-Italian and Jam-Chinese were some of the Jamaican fusion foods that I tried.  Jam-Italian foods was Italian food that is fused with Jamaican spices.  Jam-Chinese (no pictures) was Chinese food w/ some kick!

Rum & Red Stripe

Red Stripe Beer

Appleton Rum and Red Stripe beer is the local favourite and helps to cool off in the hot hot weather!  New discovery is Ting! and rum! Too bad I can’t bring back some Ting!, but rum I can! Who wants a shot?

To be continued…

A trip to Jamaica this January has been one of the most eye-opening experiences I’ve had in a long time. Coupled with great company, a sense of adventure, a hunger for authentic foods and a beautiful country all on its own, I’m thankful that I had the opportunity to learn about the culture and interact with people of Jamaica (which for the most part was positive).  This is the first time I’ve traveled to a Caribbean country (plus Mexico) and not living at an all-inclusive resort, and wow, what a different experience.  For the most part, I stayed in Montego Bay and drove from coast to coast.

Don’t get me wrong, I love resorts –  it’s like a fantasy dreamland where you can escape the stresses of real life and just hang back, relax and be in the comfort of the 5-star resort with the bestest friends in the world.  Excursions are set and a guide takes you where you want to go, tells you what to do,  and how much to pay.  Excellente!   This trip  however was the opposite except that our days were planned most of the time.  But we ventured out on our own, navigating through the roads in a rental car looking for the adventure destinations and food spots, negotiating with the locals for best prices and best of all, got lost in all of Jamaica’s beauty.

Ready for the ride?

Next to my backpacking European trip in July ‘08, I think Jamaica’11 ranks near the top of my list of vacations…

On the Road

Jamaica is an amazingly breathtaking country from North to South and East to West Coast.  I know, because I saw it with my own eyes.  :P It is divided into 13 Parishes (kinda like Provinces) and I was fortunate enough to visit or at least drive by (lol) 10 of them; everything but St. Elizabeth, Clarendon and Catherine.

Every city had its similarities;  a collection of small stores in a strip mall, a super market, crafts market,  a Digicel/Clairo/Lime (the Big 3 telecommunication companies), jerk/fruit stands and Burger King/KFC.  In each city there wasn’t something – a building, piece of architecture, etc. – that made it noticeably different than the other.  In fact, it was hard to distinguish between a bigger city and a smaller town, except for the number of tourists walking around!

West Coast and East Coast however had distinct differences.  The North/West Coast (hot vacation spots like Negril, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios) had more access to beaches, view of the sea,  the “city life” (i.e. casinos/clubs) and was bombarded with resorts. I say bombarded because while in Negril, a city known for as “Jamaica’s Seven Mile Beach”, it was difficult to find a stretch of beach that was available for the public/locals.

Driving along the North West Cost of Jamaica

The East Coast was more secluded and seemed to be frequented by few tourists. The drive was more scenic with fields of palm trees, banana trees and other crops.  The towns we passed by were smaller but still encompassed the essence of a town as mentioned above, and people were more surprised to see non-Jamaicans.

Driving along the East Coast of Jamaica

Other things to mention about driving in Jamaica:

Adventure (Highlights)

Dunns River Falls

Dunns River Falls (Ocho Rios, Jamaica)

A must-visit tourist spot when visiting Jamaica, and no tour guide is necessary though if you have a sense of adventure and can hold your balance. It was so much fun!  I’m coming back with some bruises cause I was too adventurous haha but it was worth the victory!

Rick’s Cafe

Sunset at Rick's Cafe (Negril, Jamaica)

Deemed to be Top 10 Bars around the world, Rick’s Cafe is a lively spot for tourists to hang out and watch the sunset over the sea.  It was a very ‘happening’ place with live music and lots to drink!

Rio Grande River

Tony, Captain of the Raft! Rio Grand River. (Port Antonio, Jamaica)

Rafting on the Rio Grande River is a gem in Port Antonio! We paid the ‘Captain’ who paddles a bamboo raft along the Rio Grande River.  Amazing!  We had a chance to paddle ourselves too, haha too bad I wasn’t very successful.

Blue Lagoon & Frenchman’s Cove

Rafting to the Blue Lagoon (Port Antonio, Jamaica)

World Famous  Blue Lagoon in Port Antonio is where the fresh water meets salt water.  We also went snorkeling around Monkey Island and swam in a pool of natural mineral water which is said to make you 5 years younger!

Reach Falls

Reach Falls (St. Thomas, Jamaica)

After visiting Dunns River Falls, I wasn’t sure what could top that but Reach Falls did!  Located in the parish of St. Thomas on the South East Coast, this waterfall adventure is not to be missed.  A tour guide is recommended in this case – he took us up the falls (which isn’t as easily navigated as Dunns River), into caves and ‘through’ the falls literally!  AMAZING.

To be continued…

Food, Culture & People, and Things to Remember!

It’s been over a month now since my return from Europe and yet almost everything here in Toronto has stayed the same.  Lucky for me though, I feel different (: – new perspectives, insights, and feelings about me, myself and I. On the other hand, I can’t say that my experience was ‘life altering’ either.  I think many graduates go to ‘find themselves’ but for me, the trip has only reassured me about the person that I am.

It’s a big world

I’ll admit it.  I do not know my world history, culture, or language.  Flying from country to country, visiting museum to museum, and (barely) speaking Franglais has confirmed that I am not a worldly individual.  There were so many instances where I would stand in front of a statue and wonder to myself, “what am I looking at?” only wishing that I had paid better attention back in highschool. *sigh*  Nevertheless, the culture was intriguing, and the architecture was stunning; things that were more memorable than any fact could ever be.

Tip: When in doubt, get an audio guide.  They cost on average 4-6 euros, but it’ll be worth it if you’re anything like me.

(Not so) Independent woman?

The answer is both.  Externally, I am an independent woman – I don’t need, I want it.  I don’t complain, I do it.  I don’t cry, I get over it.   But what meets the eye is not always true because at the end of the day I am a Type A that needs to be around people 24/7.

It’s not new information, but it became very evident during those three weeks.  It was nice to have someone to talk to all the time, someone to shop with, someone to laugh and share memories with….  I could never do it alone (without a purpose of course).  In fact, I wouldn’t want to as it would bring me no joy to have personal time half way around the world away from everyone I care about.   Ha, I guess you know you are a social butterfly when times like these remind me of quiet res nights when I would sit in Bran’s room (for no reason) while he played poker. lol

Tip:  If you can’t do it alone either just remember to be selective.  Go with someone who you bond with, trust me. (:

If I could it all over again… (shortlisted)

…I would bring a cellphone that worked!  My Blackberry Pearl failed me as I was only able to receive incoming calls and text messages.  Luckily I never got lost and pay phones and Internet access were somewhat readily available to us.

…I would bring more memory for the camera and a transfer cord.  For all those who complained that no pictures were ever uploaded, now you know why!  Belle and I had poor communication prior to packing regarding camera stuff so we only had a 2GB memory card for 3 weeks. lol

…I would plan our trip itinerary and make reservations earlier.  One of our biggest ‘omg’ moments was when we couldn’t use our Eurail Youth Passes to purchase train tickets from Paris to Nice.  And because we thought in advance reservations were not necessary, it costed us an extra $122!  Although it was worth it for Nice’s stony and sandy beaches, and Monte Carlo’s baller visit… it could have been used towards our shopping escapades!

In the end

Every story has an ending but I think this traveling one is far from over.  I don’t know where I’ll visit the next time I have vacation but what’s most interesting is that as I grow older I only realize that there is so much more to see, learn, and experience. (:  It only gets better from here, just wait and see…

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How about you?  How has your traveling experiences changed you, or what have you learned about yourself that you didn’t know before?