Yes, Welcome aboard Westender!
I believe You have found the right place.
We tall about it all here, the good the bad and the ugly.
We talk about Negril, we talk about Jamaica, we talk about other vacation destinations, and we share stories and pictures from our own various necks in the woods.
It's all good!
Yes welcome !!!! We are a "strong " bunch here. We yell , kick and scream BUT !!!! then we hug. There are lots of very nice people who post "over there " that have lovely pics etc and we can't see them ??? Atleast let us see their SPONSERS !!!!! pics ,I'm sure they would want that.
Welcome!
I went "over there" for a short period a couple of days ago and still have a headache. I'm proud of you going toe to toe with what you believe and know to be true. Don't let the haters get you down.
In the process of getting a headache I read a comment from someone who said something to the effect of how he was talking to some business owners, made a point of saying he was the only "tourist" in the group. The discussion I guess was about Jamaican policy, politics etc. and when he stated his opinion they basically told him to shut up, that he was just a "fuckin' tourist".
Now, I don't know who he was hanging out with - my circle of friends that I'm with day to day for 2-3 months each year are a combination of long standing and respected business owners (of longstanding and respected businesses most of us frequent) as well as expats who have been living there full time for well over 21 years (see what I did?) and born and bred Jamaicans and Negrilians. Our topics of conversation are often about the inadquecies in the country - poverty, education, infrastructure, environment - you name it. Never, not once and even before I began "living" there part time (or, if you prefer, staying there long term) was I ever referred to as a "fucking tourist". Not only that, my opinions are heard and valued and are as much a part of any discussion as anyone else.
Needed to get that off my chest. Folks like to drop names and talk about hanging out with the locals - but in this case obviously this vacationer was not respected nor taken seriously by the group he was hanging out with. Or he said something completely inane. Could easily be either.
Rant over. Carry on.
"Once in a while you can get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right..."