those same ppl that smile and nod at you in your neighbourhood, may be the same ppl that rob you someday . . . that's just the reality in jamaica!!!

YUP

I'm sorry some of you want to direct your anger at me for simply posting my experience. Jitters, as I tried to say before I'm not disagreeing with you about hostile vibes - like I said before you are not the first and won't be the last to say they experience this! I just said I never felt them, I stated WHY that might be the case and no ...no rose colored glasses. Been coming to this place far too long and experienced far too much, those damn things were stepped on and shattered long ago. I can almost pinpoint the day that I woke up and continued to wake up year to year with something that gwan there that rocked my world. I do stay in Negril mostly. I don't get out and about too too much but do try to experience more and more of Jamaica each time I go. Mostly though, for three months - its about doing my day to day, hanging with my friends...pretty mundane stuff. But I don't live in a bubble period-and the moving about I've done in Jamaica over the past 30 years has mostly been off the beaten path. Funny, its only the last few that my feet have actually stepped on the more beaten path to check something out that I'd never had (YS falls for example - what a disgrace that I'd never been there before this winter).

I'm sorry if you feel I'm condescending - not my intention. And while some of you might shake your heads and say, oh poor girl, her trusted friends will no doubt f her over eventually - well, that might be the case. I'd like to think not. The friends I have there I've had for 20+ years. And the only "friends" I've had there that have at worst been nasty or betrayed my friendship were not Jamaican. And there's only 3 of those people that I lamented giving my friendship to at all

Macy-I was simply trying to point out that HORRIBLE things happen all over the planet, even in Disney theme parks. I'm so sorry for the horrible things that have happened your family. I try to believe in Justice everywhere and on some level there is - lets not discount Karma. In Jamaica it can swing around like a whip, I've seen it happen.

But I fear this thread has turned into a huge Negril-bash (and somewhat of a Jamaica-bash) so my statements were simply to put into perspective the dangers that are out in the world. Its like that bad dog that no one likes but its YOUR dog - and bad as it is I feel the need to defend it.

I love this board because I can speak my mind and we can all complain about our bad dog. But you guys must know what I'm talking about - cause most of us go back again and again and again.

So, its my turn to step out of here for a while. I think we all know how we all feel about violent crime anywhere in the world and our frustration makes us want answers and accountability. In this case I think we realize neither is coming too soon.

Catt- to be honest I wouldn't say it has changed all that much in all these years. Yes there are some added layers, but being smart about how you move around should not be misconstrued that ALL visitors or travelers aren't welcomed or that 9 out of 10 times people using local systems like route taxis won't be fine.

My whole problem with people using route taxis is when it is advocated en masse as opposed to just a few people naturally exposed to it and thus moving in and out of a system with little added stresses to that system that I'd like to point out is already NOT REALLY working that well, for example, causing unsafe roads which people then complain about...especially when there is a limited resource for female users in the sense that trusted drivers at certain times of the day are a limited resource and people's enjoyment of their vacation or whatever seems pale justification against someone who is at threat of getting home with less hassles than they already face. Most people don't care or won't see it that way, be they Jamaican, tourist, or what have you, but I don't see what difference that makes either.

You are a mix and tumble visitor- but as far back as I can remember, which is going back many years, and as a non tourist which you moreso than many others know what I mean when I say that, I can remember females checking out cars with hard ass stares as to who was the driver before they got in. It used to infuriate me or at least frustrate me because for the life of me I couldn't understand what the difference was between taxis and why one was no good but another was just fine and greeted with a smile. It took me a long time to figure it out because nobody would explain it and I understand that now too.

It's always been that way for as long as I can remember, and that is because there is a lot of attacks against women as I soon learned to my great chagrin.

I would wager there are precious few women who regularly use route taxis to move around who do not watch what car they get into. That's because sexual predation is a tremendous issue, within the family, in the work place, everywhere..."mankind cares not for his sisters anymore..."

i've said it before and i would say it again, i would have sincere reservations about raising my daughter in jamaica, and if i ever had one probably would not.

while I am on my box of ivory soap, let me also just say I find it incredibly ironic that many of the very same people, and am not pointing any fingers or calling any names, if the cap fit, but isn't it ironic that many of the same people who vociferously pinhole industrious and opportunity seizing jamaicans such as those who try to establish themselves as a charter cab, how they seem to relish crushing these opportunities and how they will also raise up their voice and complain to the heavens about higglers touts and lay abouts who higgle and lay about because there is so little opportunity...

i just feel that if you love jamaica and feel a way about her shouldn't people try if they can and feel moved to, to make it better.

we as americans owe much to this small nation, could you imagine america without hip hop culture I could not.

well i hope no one felt they had to delete their post on account of me or my views, as there is no tone in a post let's assume everyone is just conversational, at least as far as I am concerned.

lest anyone be fooled, there are many different strata to society in jamaica, not everyone is trying to stay AI because they are in hiding and don't want to be found out lmao by whatever game they may or may not be running. This is another pet peeve of mine, along with people who moan about foreign food invading Jamaica- which is exceedingly ironic considering how Jamaica's cuisine developed. Anyway, I wish everyone would consider AIs to be an "authentic" Jamaican experience, just like I could stay at the W or the Waldorf and have two different but definitely New York experiences.

almost every friend i have from town looks at me like i am nuts to want to stay anywhere but an AI, and god forbid I suggest they check in somewhere on the west end or something other than an AI. they wouldn't eat food from 3/4s of the places I do lmao.

even major and minor acts want, or demand, AI.

back to women's issues...

I don't blame you Macy for raising your fam off island one bit.

I would and have gone completely apeshit on too many occasions as it is.

if you want to get yourself fired up about something to the point you take some action don't let it be because some crackhead spits a bombaclaat at you lmao, that's not a thing. Support some place like Theodora which incredibly lacked support!!!! But there are others!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As far as what Tammy was saying to change things, this is a cultural and societal sea change, it is going to take generations and the only thing that can do it is exposure, and a means of generating opportunities, but somewhere along the line that opportunity stream always seems to get choked off. Jamaica needs to do a lot more to get their formers to move back and educate the population.

How can there be massive sea change in a culture or population when significant segments of the population never even leave their parish or their town for that matter and are mired in ignorant, ingrained generational beliefs. on top of this you have some shit in the cocktail like the Maafa.

culture is culture but come on.

BTW,..... Has anyone heard anymore about this girl and hows she doing???

Just hoping and praying she's recovering from this as well as one could..

"Jamaica needs to do a lot more to get their formers to move back and educate the population. "
Great insight Monk, and so true. I was in a taxi and the radio was playing Portia's acceptance speech - I wasn't really listening but what caught my ear was when she said "Jamaicans at home and in the Diaspora".

Diaspora - great word, evokes the feeling of they are away now but hopefully will return. Sadly, many do not. A pretty steady stream of thought that I get from many Jamaicans is their desire to leave their homeland in search of better opportunity elsewhere.

Rastagirl777 you say "I know of a murder that happened close to 40 years ago that remains unsolved" ... I think you are fudging the truth here, maybe ?? something like not even 40 years. Wil Hojani the German from Sundowner disappeared 40 years ago, but definitely no signs of a murder in that disappearance. If you are fudging your statistics, for sure I am aware of what you are writing about, but that is more like 30 years ago.
Forty years ago the big tragedy was the death of either Hillman or Dalton, two Redground youths, due to their youth got involved in the qualude-thing back in those times. The other tragedy was the lovely lady from Hawaii who traversed down one of the steep staircases of a far out west end place, fell, and broke her neck. There were absolutely NO MURDERS in Negril 40, 39, 38, 37, 36, 35, 34 years ago. Negril was still a gentle place back in those times. Filled with "original 'Naygril' people".
You live in a fairly privileged tourist/visitor place, for sure a NICE neighborhood, the bathrooms their kind of gross me out, but being right there on the seaside for sure is NICE!
One thing you should realize about Negril is that, really and truly, it is a COMPLETELY different place than the town you write about from May through October. I think you would be fairly shocked at how the neighborhood surrounding the Lighthouse area of Negril changes from May to October.

"I think you are fudging the truth here, maybe ?? "

Not "fugdging" the truth, just bad at math. I'll go out on a limb and say 30 years maybe? Mid to late 70's, maybe early 80's. But hey, I know of several other murders from that point forward that have gone unsolved as well and that was the point of that statement. (40 years = 1972...30, 1982. So I'll estimate about or close to 30. Sorry for the confusion).

"Wil Hojani the German from Sundowner disappeared 40 years ago"
I do not know who this is.

" You live in a fairly privileged tourist/visitor place, for sure a NICE neighborhood, the bathrooms their kind of gross me out, but being right there on the seaside for sure is NICE!"
I'm the only one in my yard that comes in and out transiently. The house I live in is not rented on a constant basis to "tourists". Last year I was the only occupant. The rest of my "yardies" there live there full time and have for a long time. And hey! And don't dis my bathroom (s) (2, I've lived in two places there) We do the best we can and it's CLEAN. Besides, I don't know when the last time you came in to use my bathroom or even came into my yardbut as far as I know, not in the last 10 years.(lol, that's a little joke there-not 100% serious)

I'm done defending what what I post here and write in blog, my views and experiences. My experiences in Negril are what they are - they are "real" to me. Spoke with my neighbor last night and got filled in on the neighborhood - not 100% rosy news I gotta say. See, I do stay apprised of the haps in Negril best I can when I'm in Cali - and when I'm in Negril, I stay apprised of the haps here in Bodega. I can't speak personally to what my neighborhood or the rest of Negril is like from May-October (I do love being there in the spring but my reality HERE in California won't allow me to do that) but I don't exist in a bubble either. Your pereception of how I live anywhere is just that - your perception based on what I share.