Doc, Jitters, Monk, Deb - beautiful words that describe the "reality" of living in Jamaica, where ever in Jamaica - Negril, the bush, the housing scheme. Thank you. Please remember that Negril is a community that includes expats and Jamaicans - and I don't think my Jamaican neighbors life experience is any way less real than Jamaicans living in Whitehall, Brighton or out in the "bush" somewhere. Different reality, yes - but less real? No. Is my experience, their experience, my expat friends' experiences "sanitized"? In my opinion and in my experience absolutely not but I can't help what anyone else might think. What you read in my blog is indeed an uplifting depiction of my experiences there. When I write I focus on my positive experiences and feelings - every word I write is true but I'm not going to dwell on negativity there. Its just not the blog I want to write. That doesn't mean I am oblivious or live in a bubble distanced from some very real poverty and hardship that I see every day in Negril. I also see my expat friends struggle to pay outrageous JPS and water bills, make ends meet. Their life is not easy. So I'm not oblivious to that either, quite the opposite - I'm more in tuned with an expat's struggle to live their dream in their beloved adopted home than most people are. And, as Doc says, no one needs to know all of your business.
Suzen, I'm sorry my "head shaking" comment disturbs you and I tried to explain what I meant in the other thread so I'll try again - I was shaking my head in sadness, bewilderment because what Jitters describes is not her experience alone - I've read and heard many people say that, even my god son at times. It is in no way disbelief or trying to diminish her experiences. So again I apologize for what turns out to have been a bad choice of words.
I live humbly in Jamaica. I'm not a wealthy woman so to spend three months there does take some planning and budgeting. Do I lived a "charmed" life? No. Far from it as a matter of fact - maybe that's a bad choice of words. For me to live my life on my terms doesn't come out of thin air. Lets leave it at that. Am I blessed to be able to live my life that way? You bet - and not a day goes by when I don't take a moment to appreciate my life, my friends, my family and my homes.