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

Bring a underwater camera if you’re planning to take pictures near water; otherwise you’ll ruin your camera, again.

Bring water shoes for waterfall adventures, it will save your feet big time!

Be open to trying new foods, you won’t know what you’re missing otherwise.

Always negotiate but don’t low ball too much. People here are trying to make a living too!

Don’t stop (while walking) for anyone and act like you know where you’re going when in a foreign place.

Most importantly, “Don’t worry, be happy. Everything’s going to be alright.”

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

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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)

(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

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

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

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

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

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 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

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 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

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…

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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.

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.

Other things to mention about driving in Jamaica:

There are 4 major “highways” that get you around Jamaica. They are pretty easy to follow and you know when you venture off the main road (unless it’s dark outside).

Drive on the left side of the road (right-hand-drive).

Jamaican drivers drive FAST and crazy.

Watch for potholes!  They are EVERYWHERE!!

If you have a flat tire, no worries – a nice Jamaican car guy will change your tire and help pump up the deflated one for $1000 JMD!

Honking is gesture of ‘thank you’, ‘hello’, ‘go ahead’ and not a sign of anger or rage.

And oh yes, be really really apologetic to the Police Officer when you violate traffic rules… it’ll save you a ticket or two!

Adventure (Highlights)

Dunns River Falls

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

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

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

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

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!

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… the best years of your life.

For the past two years, life has been challenging on a personal and professional level.  I never thought that life could be so hard, being that things have always worked out for me, or so at least I thought. Despite the ups and downs, 2010 was still a great year and one I call, the ‘come back year’.

Over the last 6 months, my career – which I’ve worked so hard for – has turned around and I can’t be happier genuinely loving my job and being passionate about what I do every day. The next step is to be even more awesome and be a game changer in an ever-changing industry.

On a personal level, friends and family have never been so loving and supportive – I’m so thankful for you.  In relationships, I allowed myself (until recently) to be vulnerable, so much so that I wasn’t my own anymore. It’s a scary feeling.  But love is always a risk and I won’t stop taking them until I find it.

With new lessons learned, both mind and heart, I am really looking forward to a New Year.  People say that your 30s are the new 20s, but heck – I can’t wait to live the best years of my life as a 25-er.  Drink up friends, cause 2011 will be the year of many many celebrations.

No resolutions this year, but a promise to remembering my own little words of wisdom.

#NTS (Note To Self) for 2011.

1. To Thine Own Self Be True.
It’s not worth it if I have to change who I am.

2. Don’t stop believing, keep on moving.
2010 has taught me that anything is possible.  If I am truly passionate about something, I can make it happen.  It doesn’t mean things will always work out or that I’ll get it on the first, second  or third try – but if it’s worth fighting for, don’t give up.  Good things happen to those who have heart and fight to accomplish.

3. Stick to the Budget.
SAVE. SAVE. SAVE. Enough said.

4. Celebrate the good times.
It’s never too busy to celebrate, whether mini GNOs or grand parties, life is to be lived.  There are so many things to look forward to in the New Year, so I hope we will have a drink or two.

5. Take risks, be spontaneous.
Do things that are out of my comfort zone.  Some things on my list include, let someone else take the lead, travel somewhere foreign, attempt side projects, continuously meet new people.

6. Be Awesome.
It’s not good enough to be great, be awesome.  Professionally and personally, I want to reflect back in a year’s time and honestly feel like I was awesome in everything that I put my mind and heart into.  It’s a big challenge but hey why not?

Happy New Year!

- C

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One week down and it continues to be more exciting!

It’s been an interesting week to say the least and to be honest, my life and the opportunities that I’ve come across this week continues to grow.  No, they are not all job opportunities but they sure are important ones – opportunities to meet new people, to be introduced into different insights and perspectives, to be challenged in ways that I did not test and to learn – each and every experience deemed unique and exciting in their own way.

But none of this would have ever been possible without the love of and support of AWESOME people.  Surround yourself with awesome people, not just when you need it, but all the freakin’ time!

Say hello to,

• Friends that know nothing about your work and you can just be silly with
• Friends who know every single thing about you and can read you better than you can yourself
• Friends who will be straight with you and set you right
• Friends who will throw down some beers when life is a female dog
• Friends who you do stuff with with because you just love their company
• Friends who you haven’t talked to in years but that’s okay
• Friends who you can call at 4am because sh!t went down
• Friends who will just listen because you have to vent
• Friends who will have career talks with you because you need to figure things out
• Friends who tell you they have no idea what to do but will share  their experiences, mistakes and learnings with you
• Friends who genuinely care
• Friends who are half way across the world and find a way to get updates
• Friends who believe in you
• Friends who will introduce you to their other awesome friends because they think you’re awesome too
• Friends who will give you a hard time if you haven’t called in half a year
• Friends who do not judge
• Friends who are mentors but have become real friends
• Friends who are work friends that will care when you’ve parted ways
• Friends who will call you in the middle of busy season just to say what’s up
• Friends who will be there through thick and thin

… and these my friends, are what I call awesome people, you!

Thanks for all the support and love – emails, text messages, dm’s, phone calls, telepathic messages (haha) – I got them!

Cheers to the AWESOME people in your life and a second hooorah to my heroes!

I, Cheryl Ho, will make you and me very proud (:

- C

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