Much talk about the way Jamaicans treat Tousists, could the way you treat them be the problem?

My Sister Denise is one of the friendliest people I know, when she first started coming to Jamaica with me, I realised her Hellos were not always being returned and at first being the big Sis I got an attitude at what I perceived as ill mannered treatment, but later realised they, the Jamaican women were surprised, at the 'evil, mean spirited'black American woman smiling and speaking to them, we found out later, this was the perception of us the Jamaican women had courtesy of thier men who were trying to keep the two groups seperated so that each group would be none the wiser..... Eventually the truth came out.

Over time I've heard some not so nice things directed at women who come into an area and totally ignore all except the guy they came with. Many use the mantra, what goes on in Jamaica stays in Jamaica for some this is just an excuse to be loose.

People watch and discuss you wherever you go and making people feel you think they are beneath you, can get your feeings hurt many times.

~ doctoro ~ wrote:

'uch talk about the way Jamaicans treat Tousists, could the way you treat them be the problem?'

I would say apart of the problem. There is an assumption by some tourists that every Jamaican is there to serve, meet and welcome them. A few can't even deal with the fact that there are Jamaicans who are doing as well or better than they are. Noone shows the very 'real' Jamaica with those nice, big, houses and pretty cars. While these boards are run and dominated by American tourists/voice, there is also another side. That being said, when the American dollar is supporting your economy, sometimes it might be necessary to grin and bear it.
Tourists-those taking trips lasting 7-14 days.

Be it in Jamaica or US, not many black women, I know , care for blondie having first shot at 'HER' man. The Jamaican men can be extremely disrespectful, chatting up a lady in front of her man. Weed induced tourists perpetuate the myth of ALL Jamaicans are nice/friendly, setting others up for unexpected encounters. I was pretty pissed at the one who asked if I had a day off while at a resort. Raatid, I am still asking God to forgive for my reply.

Though the American, Italian, Canadian, European dollar is supporting SOME of the economy,

huh? Tourism is the largest revenue source on the island. Fact.

Agree with doctoro and Macy Most communites don't see tourist dollars. Money sent down to familes is #1.

Maybe one day I'll tell my story of growing up in Jamaica. Life was great but see and know of situations that Macy speaks about.

~ doctoro ~ wrote:

'Jamaican women had courtesy of thier men who were trying to keep the two groups seperated so that each
group would be none the wiser..... Eventually the truth came out. '

I must have been chanelling this, when I wrote my post.

~ doctoro ~ wrote:

'Over time I've heard some not so nice things directed at women who come into an area and totally ignore all except
the guy they came with.'

They have thier own status, and I would never want to be in that catorgory[sp].

~ doctoro ~ wrote:

'People watch and discuss you wherever you go and making people feel you think they are beneath you, can get your
feeings hurt many times. '

So Very True and so Very Wise Words.......Amen.

Agree with doctoro and Macy Most communites don't see tourist dollars. Money sent down to familes is #1.

ok my mistake remittances are number one. Tourism number 2.

Doc: I guess I thought you were devaluing the 'tourism' contribution to the island. Although many do not see DIRECT tourism dollars I'd really hate to see the island without tourism. Imagine trying to live on the piddly bauxite (which matters NOT anymore as it's owned OFF SHORE ), sugar and coffee? Lordy...they would die.

My family tells me I'm the solution .......

"i hear ppl who come and stay 3 or 4 months out of the year and compare their experiences to the "real" jamaican living, well, you get my point. . . . "

"As you know jitters-there is NO comparison....I've tried to explain this to people-and ,well they don,t seem to believe me..I guess its one of those things that you just have to exp.for yourself,and then the reality will come full force one day to greet you... "

No I don't get the point...I guess "real" needs to be defined and I need an explanation...because I know lots of people, myself included who live in Jamaica 3, 4, 5 & 6 months...and its pretty, well - "real", by at least my definition of "real".

Real in the sense of we all live in yards and communities. We all pay rent, utilities of various sorts. We all buy groceries locally - we cook our meals, clean our homes - some of us even spend part of just about every day working to keep the business going stateside. I do go out more in Jamaica than I do in California, but that's also because of time and energy I have there that I simply do not in Cali. I visit with friends - they visit with me. We contribute to the community through volunteering at charitable events and donate our time to various community oriented projects. Some of us are retired - all of us live on off shore money that we spend in Jamaica. Bottom line is I've been racking my brain to figure out how I live there is any less "real" than how I live in California. Except of course California by the sense of the word and in comparison has a "developed" economy.

If I need an item for a recipe from the store - I can get it in California. Not so in Jamaica - the land of "make do". If the shelf is empty of tuna fish here in California, more will come tommorrow. In Jamaica its "finish" and who knows when it'll come - there was no Clamato on the island for almost 2 months. I don't get frustrated by that, as a matter of fact my full time resident friends get more frustrated than I do - because part of my mission in living there is simplifying my life and improvising in times of "want". So in Jamaica I "live" that reality.

Also the time spent in Jamaica - call it what you want "living", "staying", "visiting", "traveling" - I make sure I get out and about even if its only during a crazy 3 week period while friends from the states are visiting - taking them on bike rides through the bush, to the beach on Sunday (Half Moon), up to Zimbali, even on Wild Thing (which I must do once every year, lol) I make sure I get to ride to the south coast at least once; go to Rebel Salute and this year we made our first road trip to the North Coast. In California I don't go to the beach which is a mile away. I'm in the city only for work and its been many years since I've been to Fisherman's Wharf, Coit Tower or even Golden Gate Park for something other than free music. In California I'm watching TV, on the computer - electronic distractions that I don't have or choose not to deal with as much in Jamaica. (Its too effin' hot to sit on the computer all day there, only when I have work to do). So in that sense, it is a vacation, it is an adventure. Living the day to day with adventure thrown in. I'll take that any day of the week. As a matter of fact - there's no reason WHY I can't do that here in California - except for the fact that work is so slammingly busy during the months I'm here for the most part I'm too tired, too overwhelmed or just too damn lazy to make the effort here. But I should, I really, really SHOULD.

I don't own my home in Jamaica. I do in California.

I don't drive in Jamaica. I don't drive in the US either unless I absolutely, positively have to - and then you'll never see me on a Freeway.

Do we live in one room salabies in the bush with no plumbing or electricity - no. We do not. But in thinking of how and where my Jamaican neighbors live - they don't either. That's in Negril, Orange Hill, Sheffield, Sav and Redground.
Are we expats? No. Are we residents? - a few of the folks I'm thinking of are actually applying for residency but for the most part - no. Now, my expat friends maybe their experience is more real? Because they live on money they make on-island (some may have to supplement with off shore money). They go to work 6 days a week. They are there all year 'round - during hurricane season and dealing with that. They deal also with the day to day frustrations of various government beauracracies when applying for citizenship residency and even moreso, renewing their work permits. They battle rodent, cockroach, flea and tick infestations as part of their day to day life - me personally - I deal with some of that but only for three months (thank god). They deal with water outages and shortages, current outages and surges. They deal with not being able to get things they need readily, even supplies for work.

So I agree there is a difference in how I and my fellow "part timers" live in Jamaica than my expat friends but my experience also differs from others who come for a few weeks or a month, stay in hotels, eat out, disconnect (or not) etc. In the 30 years I've been coming to Negril I've made friends and in the past 10 years become part of a community. I think that, the community part, is truly what makes me feel like I'm living there, like its a home, not a "destination" - my friends and neighbors, just like in Bodega. When I go to Negril, I'm going "home" just as much as when I return to Bodega from Jamaica, New York, Orlando or anywhere I travel throughout the year (which is a great deal, btw).

I think the real deal, thus what this all has to do with Doc's original post about how we all treat each other - is that no matter what, we are foreigners in the Jamaicans' eyes. Which is true - we are, we are as foreign there as they would be in the States or in Canada or Europe no matter how many months each year they are there or for how many years they've lived there. I do feel I am treated differently than a tourist though in that I know people in my neighborhood and and shop owners on the West End, lots of the vendors know me, lots of the drivers as well. So I don't get solicited much there, thus having to say "no thank you" all that much. I can talk with folks readily without feeling like they want something from me. Now remember I said "West End". I do get solicited on the beach when I go - last time I was there was at sunset and I only said "no thank you" five times...earlier in the day that might have been more often. I bought a nice bracelet from a vendor I did not know across from Ricks - asked how much, he told me, I bought it. I don't haggle. If I feel the price is too dear, I say "no thank you" and leave it at that. And even with the rejection I've had to hand out to jewelry vendors, fruit vendors and boy toys - never have I ever felt hostility or threatened or even pressured. And yes, I'm thinking of times that I was alone, not with the hub. Not saying it doesn't happen - just saying that so far, knock wood - it hasn't happened to me.

So again...please tell me - what is "real living" in Jamaica? Or is it living in the "real" Jamaica? And how exactly does that apply to how we treat our Jamaican neighbors or how they treat us, in your views.

Here was "real" for me in 1969...

A two bedroom flat in Beverly Hills....
A driver....
A housekeeper....
A good salary in US dollars.....
Formal diners (in uniform) with the Kingston "elite"
The most beautiful women I'd ever seen.....

Two years that was the "real" Jamaica for me

So again...please tell me - what is "real living" in Jamaica?

Real living in Jamaica is when you don't have the option to leave when things get rough or tough......my opinion