Dead Yard -- Just Starting the Book!

I have just started a fascinating book -- The Dead Yard -- that can be found on Amazon's UK website, but still isn't available in Jamaica.

It's written as a travelogue by an English writer, and at this point in the book he just interviewed a woman who failed in her return to Jamaica and had to return to London. He also interviewed a couple who returned to Jamaica and stayed, but remained separated from any of the local Jamaicans.

He quotes the woman who returned as saying that the country you leave is not the country you return to.

I found this profound, and oh so true.

For Jamaicans who return, it's absolutely futile to try to return to the country of one's youth. It simply does not exist, except in the mind's eye.

The returnee who expects Jamaica to match the mental image conjured up by history is a recipe for failure, which means that one is better off coming home with a flexible, open mind that is willing to enter into an entirely new experience.

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Guineps

My mind is on Guineps. How good they are. How I have not tasted one in a long time. How they seem a little dangerous because of the large seed.

Picking and eating this exquisite fruit is one of my great childhood memories.

My favorite Guinep tree lived in the backyard of my Grand Aunt’s property. Ga’Ma, as we fondly called my Grandmother’s beloved sister, would bring out an old cane neatly tied with a hook from a clothes hanger made specifically for Guinep season. She would poke and grasp at the branches shaking them gently until the delicious green baubles came tumbling into my outstretched skirt. Then the long session of eating. Do you remember how that Guinep sounds when you bite into it? The delicious crack that it makes as the crisp skin gives way under your teeth?

That flavor cannot truly be compared to any other taste that I know…Heaven.

And speaking of Heaven…now I’m longing for a piece of Breadfruit.

What taste from home do you pine for?

Susan Andrea Warmington

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And to think -- I left Jamaica for this!

Dear Reader,

I live in Houston, Texas, the fourth largest city in America. It is a cosmopolitan and wealthy city and is famous for its energy resources. This is a little blog about what happens when the energy dies.

It is a few minutes before midnight on the 12th of September, 2008 and it is my birthday.

However, there has been no time for cake and other celebratory delights. My family and I have been busy readying ourselves for Hurricane Ike to come roaring into to town since the day before. We huddle close together as trees begin to snap under the force of the first round of howling winds.

This scenario is all too familiar to me as 20 years ago on September 12th, 1988 in my hometown Kingston, a similar giant named Gilbert waylaid the island with a ferocity that stays imprinted on my mind forever. I am still waiting for those birthday presents too.

It is now the morning of the 13th of September and Ike has tired of Texas and gone on to bully Kentucky. We have no light and no water. We walk around with our neighbors stepping gingerly over broken branches and other debris, all of us looking a little disoriented from very little sleep and a whole lot of fright. I hear quiet conversations revealing that some believe that Ike sounded like a plane flying way too close to the ground. I think that Ike sounded like a train pulling up way too fast in a New York subway.

Alright, so we can live without water and light for a day. The news we hear on our little portable radio is scanty. The authorities say there is a curfew until 3 pm but no news of across the board damage as of yet.

It is now the 15th of September and we are running out of food. There are 3 million people without electricity and announcements have been made that power cannot be guaranteed until October 6th.

Tensions are running high and there are 145 looting incidents with many arrests over the course of the 2 days after the hurricane. A curfew has been placed on the city demanding that all citizens be inside their homes at 8 pm. Thank goodness our water has returned so we are semi glad to bathe in cold water.

We drive up the street cautiously as not one traffic light is functioning. The streets have already begun to stink with backed up sewage. We are hoping to find a supermarket open and we are relieved to see that one is letting in customers. We join the long line where a security guard is letting in 10 people every 10 minutes or so. I stand up beside a large sign that says NO MEAT, NO ICE, NO PERISHABLES. I overhear someone say that they have no water and no way to bathe their young baby. Thousands still have no water and I count my blessings for the cold shower that I just took.

FEMA trucks are beginning to arrive with ice and food. These are no help to us as the trucks are way out on the edge of the city and we cannot risk running out of gas as most gas stations are closed or have a very short supply. Price gouging is also increasing gas prices so it is clear the city is in big trouble.

We have a blessing in the radio DJs in this city. They are the ones that have been keeping the city informed of where a fast food place is, or where a Supermarket may be open. They invite folks to call in with helpful information. A caller might tell you that a Supermarket that was just re- opened yesterday is not open today due to a generator malfunction so don’t waste your gas going there. Or someone might call in with a number where you might get an emergency supply of oxygen.

Thank the Lord that my family and I are suffering no health crisis. The ones that are sick are catching hell.

It is now the 19th of September and still no light. Schools have been shut for a week and children are going stir crazy. Many people have not been able to return to work and are wondering how they will manage.

God is always merciful and has sent us a silver lining. There has been a cold front from the North that has eased up the scorching Houston weather and has saved many of us from certain death. Saying that Texas is hot is an understatement. I sit outside and enjoy a tepid breeze stroke my already perspiring face.

I think about Gilbert and his effect on Jamaica, and the spirit of camaraderie that was present during his aftermath. The helping hands that reached out to my Mother and I as we reached out our helping hands to someone else, with no thoughts of compensation. There is an aloneness here in America that is palpable, even in a time of disaster one feels that it is every man for himself. There is a suspicion that someone will make an opportunity out of your crisis.

I say to myself that I am a tough third world mama. I can handle a little darkness…right? Yet without family, friends, and the sweetness of your fellow Jamaicans surrounding you, darkness is very hard to bear. Should ah gone ‘ome from long time.

NB: As of today October 7th, 2008 there are hundreds left without electricity and water in and around the Houston area. Over 400 people are missing from Galveston which is about an hour away from where I live in Houston.

Susan Andrea Warmington

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Should a gone 'ome from long time

As I continue to mentally prepare myself to go home to Jamaica, my thoughts are bombarded with all the reasons why I stayed in the United States for so long.

Apart from the real and very serious problems of crime and economic struggles that Jamaica faces, these were not the true reasons why I overstayed my time in America. I may have convinced myself that they were, but they really were not.

One rationale as to why I made myself stay here was because other people told me that that was the right thing to do. I fed off of their fears and motivations and they would feed off of mine. So in collective moments of insecurity we would persuade each other that not going home was best. As Immigrants, we constantly exchange a communal panic with our fellow Jamaicans in the foreign places that we live in and with the Jamaicans back home. That dread of the happenings in the old country keeps us striving in our new one.

As Immigrants we are always busily striving for something. We strive for a house, a bigger house, a car, a more expensive car. We strive for acceptance, belonging, college loans. I think all this working for and towards prevented me from pondering what I could have achieved at home if I had applied the same creative force there.

Most Immigrants fuel their incentive to stay here with the acquirement of material things. I am no exception. In America there is a ton of niceties to be bought. And you can buy them at all hours. I can get new bar stools at 3 AM in the morning. I had to assure myself recently that although that is convenient it is really not necessary. My family in Jamaica does not have such conveniences and survive just fine. They also have the time and social life to use their bar stools. Mine look nice, but remain empty props. Everybody is too busy striving here to come over for a visit.

One of my favorite reasons that I hear Jamaicans say they must achieve before leaving America is winning Lotto. Do you know how hard it is to win the bloody Lottery? Yet some of us believe that is a legitimate reason to hang on. I am glad to say I did not get caught up in that particular one although I do on occasion take a gamble. After all, if you don’t buy a ticket you don’t have a chance…or something like that. Chances are however that while you wait unhappily for that to happen you could have been eating a nice fried Festival at Hellshire.

This desperate need for something big to happen is a genuine threat to a Jamaican’s return home. Perhaps it comes from the need to justify why we left in the first place. We came here to achieve something great, and look, here it is…in your face! We have convinced ourselves that if we have not achieved astounding wealth or celebrity status then you cannot possibly face the folks back on the Island. Lucky for me I am a household name…in my own household.

This frantic desire for attractive attainments, which may even be a reflection of others wants and not necessarily your own, is where the bigging up of oneself starts. As an Immigrant you may not have as much as people back home automatically assume that you have, so you struggle on to prove to yourself and others that you are indeed living the glamorous life, or so at least the place can look stush when your relatives come to visit. The relatives then can go home and brag about how well you are doing in Foreign. And the myth perpetuates itself. Never mind that you ran up some serious credit card debt, or returned half the things after they left.

For me personally, bigging up myself is futile. As a working Artist, I have resigned myself to having money sometimes and just getting by at other times. I will share with anyone in a heartbeat that the Immigrant life is not all that it is cracked up to be.

Yet, I remained here so long. Why?

I realized after sorting through the multitude of incentives of why I stayed way past happiness and wasted 24 hour shopping, that one cause stood out glaringly from the rest.

I was waiting on people to tell me it was OK to come home!

Wait! …not me!…Susan Warmington who has always been strong enough to do exactly what she wants…waiting for family approval, friend approval… something in the news approval, …somebody’s approval for me to go back to my own country?…no way!

But there was the grounds in all its dirty glory.

As this new awareness has hit me squarely in the face, I am determined to remain stalwart and not be unduly or subconsciously influenced by what others are saying or not saying about my plans to return home.

And when I start to feel a little nervous about living in Jamaica again, I sit down on my bar stool and drink a Red Stripe.

Susan Andrea Warmington

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Musings on Getting Ready to Go Home to Jamaica

Please give a very warm welcome a new guest author on Moving Back to Jamaica: Susan Andrea Warmington.

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I have lived as an Immigrant in the United States for close to two decades, and my heart yearns for my native Jamaica.

Very recently I made a concrete decision to return home despite fears for my future, and the future of my little island. This is not my first attempt to return home. In the past I made a feeble effort to go back, and was swayed by the discouragement of those who felt that Jamaica was too difficult a place to live in. The daily struggle of life in America quickly swept aside my hopes of relocating home, and it seemed easier at the time to just continue chasing the American dream. After all, I was already living here in the States.

In hindsight, I now realize that my first attempt to go home began imperfectly. Back then, I had jumped into job searching and apartment hunting without firmly wrapping my brain around why I personally needed to return home. I did not have as yet the answers in my own heart that could combat the unrelenting negative media about Jamaica, or continual warnings made by well meaning family and friends.

However, this time around I decided to analyze my life in America solely on my own terms. I asked myself why I wanted to go home apart from the obvious reason of missing Jamaica. When one is deluged by the insistent material hopes of America, simply missing home does not seem enough to warrant going back.

I looked closely at my achievements in America which are quite plentiful and look good on paper. I had graduated college and made a family here. I had successfully performed in regional theatre in Atlanta, taught theatrical arts in New York City, sang for the Mayor of Chicago along with a bunch of other diverse achievements. I have even been cited in a book or two for my musical accomplishments.

Yet, I did not have to probe too deeply within myself to get in touch with the feelings of loneliness, isolation, and sadness that is so commonplace in the life of an Immigrant. The separation from my family and culture is something that affects me deeply, and the accomplishments that I have achieved here are not enough to keep me from feeling that I am very much a foreigner in a foreign land.

Whenever I move house here, I always find myself taking a long time to unpack boxes, or put pictures on the walls, as if I am not staying. There is always a feeling of being unsettled. I would jump at the chance to relocate to new cities or States thinking that that might quell the peculiar feeling that something was lacking. But it has never helped. This uncomfortable transient feeling is more than enough reason for me to make my way home.

Yet, there is something weightier that pushes me forward than this consistent transitory sensation that shadows my life.

The clincher that has convinced me that there is no turning back on my decision is simply that I do not wish to get old in America.

And as my middle years hasten me to join them with the promise of experience, wisdom, and strength of character; I am depending on them to guide me home.

My cause now is to continue mentally preparing myself and my family before we start the actual physical activities of the move. I find myself becoming more cognitive all the time of reasons why I need to go home, and I find myself becoming more comfortable with my decision every day.

Now when someone questions my choice to leave The United States, I simply answer, “Because I miss home.”

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A New Discussion Forum for Returnees to Jamaica

After lots of requests, I am happy to announce that I am creating a discussion forum for every Jamaican with an interest in Moving Back to Jamaica.

I continue to receive lots of email from readers with specific questions, and I enjoy getting them. At the same time, I know that some questions have easy answers, and the forum would be the place to ask for help from the community of readers of this blog.

The forum is divided into four sections:

1) Jamaicans Moving Back to Jamaica

2) Anyone interested in moving to Jamaica to live

3) Expats who are in the process of moving to Jamaica to live permanently

4) Those who recently moved to Jamaica and would like to share experiences and information

I welcome your participation -- it's free -- and I plan to place information in the forums that I don't really want to put in my blog, such as some of my more personal observations that are really intended for those who are truly interested in Jamaican living from many different perspectives.

Logging in easy -- if you have any trouble, just ask by leaving me a comment here. You can login as a Guest, but won't be able to actually make any posts.

Click here to be taken to the Transition Jamaica Forum. Or type in http://urlcut.com/transja

Here is what the screen looks like -- clicking on the images below will also take you to the forums.

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Just an Average Day in a Casket in Jamaica

On the way to the airport the other day, I happened to be driving in a taxi that was a time, riding behind a glass casket.

The dearly departed could be clearly seen bouncing her way to the eastern side of the island, and to a rather ostentatious end.

Perhaps this is something that every Jamaican who lives abroad should aspire to return home to accomplish... a fashionable and public exit.



P.S. Yes, that dark patch is the hair on a corpse being hauled through our city's streets. Given how bumpy our streets are, the overall effect can be quite dramatic.

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The Store is Re-opening for "My Move to Jamaica" Part I

I haven't been online to update my blog in a while, mostly because I have been spending a great deal of time in airports.

But my wife and I have been thinking that we should offer the MyMovetoJamaica Part I product again in time for those who are moving to Jamaica in August, just time to send their kids to school in September.

Over at her blog (http://transitionsunshine.info) she has been getting a great deal of interest from those who are about to move to Jamaica.

When her store was open a few months ago we had a great response, especially given how new hew blog was at the time. It's still new, but the information remains the most up-to-date source of specific information for those who have already decided to come to Jamaica.

One of the key things we learned is that the same information that we developed in the products included in Part I are not just useful to expats -- we found Jamaicans buying them also. I felt a bit of regret -- and a feeling that we should have addressed more of the concerns and questions that returning Jamaicans have.

Nevertheless, I believe that average Jamaicans who have lived abroad for more than 10 years, or who left Jamaica before they were 25 will find that the information is quite valuable, and will answer some questions that they probably aren't asking.

Stay tuned, the store will re-open on August 1st -- Emancipation Day.

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Making the Decision

All of my writing in this blog up until now has focused on what has happened in my move to Jamaica AFTER I made the decision to come home.

However, I am slowly realizing that it might be helpful to share some of what I haven't shared, about the process of deciding to come home.

There actually was a moment when I had resigned myself to living in New Jersey... a deep, dark time that I thought about staying in what some called "the arm-pit of America."

I think many Jamaicans are living in the middle of a decision of whether to come home to live or not. There is an ongoing mental argument that includes the pros and cons, with the decision probably finally coming down to "the money."

Or maybe not?

I'd love to hear from the readers of this blog, either privately or publicly, anonymously or not...

Are you thinking about moving back to Jamaica? What are some of the things that you think about? What are some of the pros and cons? What is the percentage chance of you returning to live before retirement?

In this case, my decision process was not typical, for various reasons I'll discuss soon, and I think we'll all benefit from hearing from a few people other than me!

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Why a Skills Bank Wouldn't Work

In an email a few months ago, a reader brought up an idea that many professionals have had, which is to establish a skills bank of Jamaican abroad that businesses and government agencies in Jamaica could use.

The idea is repeated in an article by Ricky Singh in today's Sunday Observer in which he says:

SKILLS BANK
Strengthening the dialogue with Community nationals of the Diaspora located across the USA, especially in major centres like New York and Washington, undoubtedly holds promise for mutual benefits, particularly, it is felt, if pursued within the context of clearly defined policies and programmes. This may require having some basic data on the size, talents and resources of the Diaspora community.

Question is, for all the "ole talk" by Caricom government leaders ... there is an absence of evidence that any concrete initiative has been undertaken to establish what is recognised to be a valuable tool - skills data bank.

The argument by advocates of a skills data bank to include valuable human resource located among nationals of the Caribbean Diaspora in North America and the UK, is that it is essential to better mobilise much-needed skills in, for example, the health and education sectors in the member states of our 15-member Community.

On the surface, it seems to be a good idea.

In my reply to the reader who repeated the idea, I had an insight -- the reasons why a skills bank does not work can be overcome by technology that has only recently been invented, and is being widely used -- Facebook.

The reason why a list of people and their skills doesn't work is that no-one actually does business by calling professionals from a list, unless they are desperate. Here in the Caribbean, as in most countries, the first place that people look to find expertise is among a current network of contacts -- family, friends and colleagues.

It's just a better idea to find the person you want by asking around the people you know, to find out who they might know. A personal referral trumps a name on a list any day.

If, instead of having to make ten phone calls, you had a way to search all your friends' network to find out who they know and trust, and you could do this search efficiently, while they are sleeping, you would use it often.

Facebook happens to be an excellent tool for just that purpose.

The difference between a raw list of names and skills, and a social networking site is the network of people and their connections that brings a name on a page into relief.

I suggested to the reader that she join Facebook and she said that she's not really into that kind of thing. Many professionals aren't, but it's a guarantee that those who are reluctant to use networking tools will never become more than a name on a page.

The fact is, Facebook is already becoming the only skills bank of its kind -- there is no need to reinvent the wheel. The typical arguments that people have against joining -- not having enough time or wanting privacy -- are the very same reasons a "skills bank" won't work.

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Store Now Open

My first full package of products for expats moving to Jamaica is now available for order at MyMovetoJamaica.com.

While it's not for a Jamaican who has been away for a short time, and is returning home, it can be put to good use by everyone else who is planning a move to Jamaica.

The store will be open thru June 19th, and the introductory price will be in effect until then.

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Provocative Take on Organized Religion

The chances are good that when someone moves back to Jamaica, they are coming to a country that is extremely religious, and also extremely violent.

It's no accident that most of the religions practiced claim to be correct, denounce others that they see as incorrect and speak in a way that induces fear in the minds of those who aren't "members" in order to get them to convert.

Unfortunately, this is not only a matter of atheists vs. "the rest of us believers", but it also includes:

• my religion vs. the other religions
• my denomination vs. the others
• my church vs. the others in the denomination
• the time of my service vs. the others in my church
  
• people in the church who share my beliefs vs. the rest
  

I know people who will argue that baptism is not enough, but that it must also involve the right amount of water, at the right age, with the right words and in the right direction (backwards, forwards, etc.)

In other words, a returnee to Jamaica is likely to notice that here in Jamaica there are a lot of people being right about a lot of things, and spending a lot of energy making other people wrong. (Of course, this extends to politics as well.)

Against that back-drop, I read a post by Steve Pavlina this morning that is not for the faint of heart, or anyone who is not willing to think or is prone to react based on emotions only. His post is entitled "Ten Reasons You Should Never Have a Religion" and it reminded me of the dilemma I had when I left Jamaica at 18 only to discover that the kind of Baptist I happened to be, did not exist in the U.S.

In other words, a "Jamaica Baptist Union" kind of Baptist was not white, black, mixed, Southern or anything like the churches I found in the U.S. It was what it was, and its beliefs were just... local and specific to one sect in Jamaica.

I liked to think at one point that all Jamaican Christians were the same, only to realize that there were many who had already condemned me to hell because I wasn't baptized the right way, for example. I was amazed when a Christian friend of mine advised me of my peril, as a way to get me to come over to his church.

As I said, his post is provocative as it's MUCH easier to see where other religious people are making the errors in judgment he describes.

MUCH easier.

We however, are lucky, because we happen to be right, and we know that we are right. Right?

Being right and making others wrong does have a certain violent quality to it, even when its done "for their benefit."

Here is the link to the post. http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2008/05/10-reasons-you-should-never-have-a-religion/

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A Jamaican Returns From Canada

The story below was sent to my wife over at transitionsunshine.info and I thought that it was a good one to share... for reasons that will become clear.

If you have a story to share, happy or sad, or something else, about moving back to Jamaica, please let me know!

I stood in the kitchen, one dark snowy Canadian morning, watching my toddler and my 5 year old fighting and screaming over some toy or the other, my head pounding, Tylenol in hand as I tried to combat my third cold virus for that season. Sick or not, the kids had to be taken care of. There was no Grandma and no helper here. Mama was the primary caregiver and oftentimes the only one…rain or shine! Canada, land of immigrants. More like…land of solitude. Isolation. Here they call it hibernation. In winter, one could go days without so much as seeing a neighbor. Thank goodness for the grocery store. My mother- in- law says the grocery store had become my social life.

I left Jamaica eight years ago with my spouse for greener pastures. We had gotten tired of looking behind us to make sure no one was following, and combing the papers to see if anyone we knew had become the next murder victim. He had a good job with an IT company and I was a commercial lawyer with one of the more prestigious law firms in Jamaica. So we set sail for Canada. Things went well. We started a family and I became a “stay- at –home” mom. I enjoyed being a mom. My sister- in- law would teasingly say I had gone from being Miss Ann Taylor to being Miss Dollar Store. I did re-qualify as a lawyer and even started working. However, the stress of being a lawyer and a mother was perhaps more than I wanted to embrace at the time and so I decided I would put my career on hold.

However, as the years of mom-hood went by, I started to miss the “me” from my former life. The persona “dolled up” in the tailored skirts and high heeled pumps with laptop on shoulder as if it were an extension of myself. The jeans and sweats that I lived in were okay too but my blazers and fitted shirts seemed to wave at me every time I sojourned through my closet; a reminder of days gone by.

So as I stood in the kitchen that day, I made a decision. I was going to challenge my spouse to “cum mek wi guh home.” Of course I was met with amazement and disbelief. Chutzpah! However, over the weeks and months that followed, we managed to reach a compromise. I would go for a year with the children on a trial basis. My spouse didn’t want to give up his “good” job and have us sell our “nice” home, only for me to whimsically change my mind and desiring a return to Canada. “Dat did soun reasonable to me.”

So we went off to Jamaica. Had an associate lawyer position waiting in the wings. Had a new wardrobe to accompany me. Thoughts of bliss filled my head on that plane ride back to “yaad.” A nanny to help take care of the kids. Someone to wash the clothes and clean the house. A real social life. Tea at Terra Nova and brunch at the Grog Shoppe. And real friends. Not friends because they were the moms of my kid’s friends. Friends that I had chosen and who had soul in them and who knew “bout” party.

I had to convince my son though, that we were only going for Grade 1. Dad flew out in the middle of the night the following week. And the magnitude of what I had done hit me. I sobbed and sobbed. But I didn’t have time for much sobbing either. Hurricane Dean. What’s that? Hurricane? “Mi neva memba bout dem tings.” Quick. “Purchase a membaship at Price Smart. Buy Igloo. Buy tin milk. Plenty tin milk. KoolAid. Flashlight. Bun and tin cheese.”

We survived that. But then the mosquitoes started to bite….and bite…and bite. “Raise up bump”. Scratch. Blood. Dirty nails. Infection. Scab. Blood on the sheets again. I just changed the sheets…and it’s not my wash day. And it’s raining anyway…rain, rain , rain. It rained for the four months we were there. Beach. “Chu. Yuh crazy!”

That helper was a nice young lady. And she did have sense. But the foreign pickney of mine did “wan fi know,” “Mama, how come everybody here is wearing a black skin?” So in their little minds, first I was leaving them with a “black” person. And second, I was leaving them. This stay- at- home mom who was always there for every runny nose and every cut that needed a band-aid…was walking out of the house and leaving her precious children…and going to where…work??? “Man, it was trial and tribulation whenever I dropped them home from school.”

Ok, let’s talk about the traffic. Because “dat is jus a way of life in Jamdown.” I lived in the Waterloo area. I worked in New Kingston. And the kids went to school off Lady Musgrave. Thought I could pick the children up at school and get back to work within a half hour. Round trip… at least an hour and a half. Sometimes two, if it was raining, And it usually was. So I went back to work at 3:30pm to “practice law” for an hour and a half before I had to go home and relieve the helper. Intelligent Miss. But that meant she was pursuing higher education. So I had to relieve her to go to classes. I had dismissed her once, only to hire a new miss who was really a practical nurse who couldn’t find a job as a nurse. She “fool mi” in her pretty white dress. The uniform was brimming with intelligence, but the head was not. Once I asked her to spray the bin with Lysol and she used the toilet bowl cleaner. That was the first and last time she did that. She lasted a week. So I had to call up the other nice young lady and kiss her ass a bit.

Ok so sorting out the domestic scene, the children decided early that they just plain missed their dad. And Canada. And snow. And the millions of parks everywhere (even though they couldn’t be visited for 6 months of the year anyway). And what’s more they hated the heat. And the humidity. They were forever sweating buckets. They didn’t want to eat…ever. Only to drink. And things like Grace sausage, corned beef and plantain would not pass their lips. All of a sudden, mom became the bad guy…the evil one. Sigh…I missed Dad too. I guess I underestimated the power of a dad! And the power of the known. I tried to enroll my First Grader in soccer. He loved soccer in Canada playing only with kids his age and size. In Jamaica, everyone who played soccer in the school comprised the two teams, so it didn’t matter what your age or size. My little 40 pounder was at one time face to face on the soccer field with easily the largest lad in the school. The ride to the soccer field consisted of piling into a mini-van…the entire two teams; and in order to make everyone fit, they had to put the back seat down and everyone clamored on top of the back seat. And they were off…. Seat belt…what’s that? Speed limit…what’s that? This would be soccer mom headed off at top speed and full tilt, high tailing that getaway minivan. Cause it just wasn’t getting away from me or out of my sight. Needless to say, it was my decision to end that particular extra-curricular. He has ridden in a “van- back” in Jamaica since then…and quite enjoyed the experience, to my horror. In Canada, we would have immediately been arrested.

Now to Dad. We had an understanding that he would look for that dream job in Jamaica while I was there. The one that was created by the brain drain in Jamaica. Not! Salaries in Jamaica are not on par with salaries in North America. Not in IT anyway. And the cost of living is a good deal higher. No wonder there is a brain drain. And as “dem sey”…is who you know! This trailing spouse decided then and there that he wasn’t trailing after all. Or if he did, and we couldn’t buy food, then it would be on “fimi” head. What to do? Give up my dream? Sell my car? Resign my job? Look like a fool????

And that’s what I did. For family. Tis always the woman that gives. God just made us that way. To sacrifice. To persevere. And to stand tall in it all. So now, although I miss my homeland, I will stay away for a little while longer. But one day I will take my children back. And show them where I came from. And why it is better than any home away from home.

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A Change of Mind on Dual Citizenship

I have been carefully reading the comments made to my "Bad Mind?" post and in a conversation with Kim-Marie Spence who heads up CAPRI - the Caribbean Policy Research Institute -- a light-bulb went off.

She gave me a realistic example that stopped me in my tracks.

"What would Daryl Vaz do if he had to visit Cuba on state business?"

"Oh-Oh, I said. That would be a problem."

By serving Jamaica's best interests he could be forced to choose between breaking US law, and doing what's right for us, Jamaicans.

Oh dear.

He actually could face arrest if he visited the USA as a private citizen.

Also, right at this moment, he could get a call from the US about his taxes, and the IRS could decide to launch an audit of his finances at any time.

Hmmm... while the odds of him being called up to fight in Iraq are slim to nothing, IRS audits and other government organizations are been used to harass Americans who the government have found to be
out of favour.

Also, what would happen if took up the charge to champion Cuba-Jamaican relationships, only to receive a nice call one day from the U.S. Ambassador asking to meet with him. She might have nothing in mind other than a courtesy call, but he might attend the meeting with the thought that the recent letter from the IRS might be a response to his Cuban activities, and that she is here to "help make the point."

Poor Daryl. Or more to the point, poor Jamaica.

Some think that a compromise is in order, and that dual citizens should not be in cabinet, and can serve as MP's. (Why the Governor General is exempt from these requirements is beyond me... the post of Director of Elections certainly seems to be one that would actually benefit from having someone who is a foreigner, but that's another matter.)

I do stand by my belief that Jamaica would benefit greatly from those who have a foreign perspective, but in today's geo-politicalworld, they just cannot effectively occupy the pivotal, decision-making roles. Instead, they can serve in other positions, and this should be made clear to all Jamaicans in the diaspora.

"No," you cannot be Prime Minister, MP, Senator, etc. without renouncing other citizenship, but "Yes," you can be any of the following positions.... <>

The upcoming Diaspora Conference in June is sure to address some of these issue, for those who are interested.

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Moving to Jamaica -- Assisting Expats

In a recent post I asked for help in doing some research my wife and I are doing for an e-book that we have decided to write for expats moving to Jamaica.

We have been asking around and getting lots of ideas from expats on what information they have been looking for, and it looks like we are going to offer a variety of information products. Some of it will be free, and the rest will be for purchase. It will probably be presented in the form of 2 e-books, but we are looking at other ways of providing helpful information in the form of podcasts, a message board, etc.

The need is great...

Although we moved back three years ago, she in particular has experienced the challenge of moving to Jamaica as an outsider, with its ups and downs, and twists and turns. She has been tentatively writing about her experience at her blog, in addition to providing some useful information - http://transitionsunshine.info

What I find most compelling of all are the first-hand stories that she has been documenting, from expats who have moved to Jamaica. She has been surveying them for the past few weeks, and putting their stories together.

It makes me think that I should do the same for those who have moved back to Jamaica!

In fact, there is a lot in what she's doing that should be useful to Jamaicans who have been away for more than ten years or so.

Join the mailing list at her site for updates on her progress. There should be some kind of output produced in the next few weeks or so.

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Danville Walker -- our most famous returnee

Danville Walker is perhaps the finest example of someone who has moved back to Jamaica.

As the former Director of Elections, he was appointed during the PNP administration, enjoyed the confidence of the JLP, and brought a level of excellence to our electoral process that has resulted in it becoming a model for other countries.

I can share from personal experience from voting in the U.S. and Jamaica that our system on the island is a much more thorough one. This is far cry from the days when voting in some constituencies exceeded 100%, and the bogus voting I witnessed as a CAFFE observer in the late 1990's.

He and his colleagues at the EOJ have simply engineered a miracle.

It is a fine example of what most Jamaicans abroad aspire to do "someday":

1. develop a critical skill abroad
2. bring it home
3. use it to make a contribution
4. be acknowledged

The remittances currently that prop up the Jamaican economy are merely a proxy for this kind of substantial contribution.

Hats off to the man, and the way that he came home to work on behalf of his countrymen. Most agree that we want more men and women like him in political office.

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Danville Walker -- the Latest Casualty of the US Citizenship Issue

Losing Daryl Vaz from Parliament until a by-election is conducted is one thing. Losing Danville Walker from the post of Director of Election is quite another.

Now, we all have lost out, as Danville Walker, a giant of integrity in modern Jamaican history, resigned his position because of one of the archaic laws that remains in our constitution.

In the past week, we are learning that Marcus Garvey, our first National Hero, had applied for US Citizenship, only to be turned down. Apparently, if he ad been accepted, it would have made him unfit to hold political office in Jamaica.

Also, Alexander Bustamante, our first Prime Minster, pledged allegiance to Spain at one point, and it appears that he should also have been disqualified. The same applies to several parliamentarians and government ministers throughout the years, because they gained dual citizenship in countries that our constitution deems to be unsuitable.

However, those who pledged allegiance to Fiji, India, New Zealand or Guyana could have done so at any point
and still be eligible, simply because they are Commonwealth countries.

That it is an old law is hard to dispute. It penalizes the majority of Jamaicans who have migrated to countries that we care about, while giving a "bligh" to those we don't care about.

This isn't to say that Danville didn't do the right thing. He certainly did, and he did so in a way that honours our outdated document.

We in the Caribbean don't have much history of politicians resigning, even after major scandals, as they too trust that that wheels of justice grind slowly, with a huge backlog to boot. Trinidad had a similar situation to ours in which they had a tied parliament, and one party resorted to pulling the "citizenship card" to try to get elected seats overturned. Our politicians are merely following their lead. Their carnival-like elections however, don't cause blood to be shed in the streets.

This all does not augur well for those Jamaicans working overseas, who are now realizing that the government's ongoing encouragement to gain US citizenship came with a serious catch. After building a life in the U.S., they are forced to give up access to that life in order to run for political office.

We Jamaicans living at home who depend on remittances from overseas Jamaicans to keep our economy afloat now suffer from a strange situation in which a US citizen who gains Jamaican citizenship, may run for office in both countries (except the office of President.) However, a Jamaican citizen who subsequently gains US citizenship loses the right to run for office in Jamaica.

The constitution simply must be brought into line with modern day realities. Daryl Vaz never lived in the US for more than a year to attend school. It's too much to ask the Danville Walkers of the world to give up their citizenship in order to serve, as if they somehow cannot be trusted unless they do so.

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The Four Kinds of Information Available in Jamaica

Anyone who has lived in Jamaica for more than a few weeks knows what I am talking about.

There are at least four kinds of information, or in other words, four kinds of answers to an innocent question posed to a company or government entity. Those who move to Jamaica as either expats or returnees are the last to appreciate this fact, and get themselves in all sorts of trouble when they think that their should be only one.

For example, the answer to a simple question such as "How do get a driver's license if I already possess one from an overseas jurisdiction?" seems easy enough. However, the complexity offered by different answers makes it rough going for someone who is not used to "the runnings."

The Internet Answer
Only someone living far away would find, let alone believe, this first answer. Everyone in Jamaica knows that the project to put the organization's information on the "world-wide-web" was launched to further a politician's career, and once the lights were turned off the whole thing was abandoned due to either mismanagement or lack of funds.

The Written Answer
Once the overseas explorer has determined that the information they are reading online was useful for perhaps only a week or two back in 1999, they start looking for printed information. They might send a friend or relative to ask for information at the organization in question, and ask for it to be "sent up" to them.

Once the information arrives six weeks later they devour it, until they reach the last page where they read the fine print - "Copyright 1998." It turns out that their trusty agent either picked up stale information, which was all that was left, or didn't bother to ask whether or not there was more recent information printed.

The Spoken Answer
By now, some important deadline is looming, so the search turns to making phone calls in the hope of finding someone who can help. At first, no-one seems to work at the companies numbers, and it's curious to find that there are sometimes 10 numbers listed, or more. They all just ring and ring and ring.

The game is on to find a number that actually will be picked up. Time and money are wasted waiting and waiting until the caller learns that lunch-time, child-pick-up-time, work-soon-done time, too-early-in-the-morning-time and too-close-to-lunch-time are all bad times to call. This leaves a 15 minute gap between 9:30 am and 9:45 am when someone will actually pick up the phone, but of course the gap caries between companies.

Once someone is reached, it's important to know that the person who answers is unlikely to be someone who actually knows anything. Their job is to answer the phone. Don't bother them trying to hold them to account for having accurate information. That's the exclusive province of those who don't ever answer the phones.

They will have some information to give. Just don't believe for a minute that it's accurate or complete. It's not to be believed, but at least it's based in part on the training they received back in 2005, so you know you are getting warmer.

The Only Answer that Counts
The deadline is now upon you and you are starting to get desperate. You spend your hundreds (or thousands) of US$ to fly Jamaica with all your feelings of frustration and your knowledge of "how things work so well in Toronto." You visit the offending office in person. As you walk in, your dress, hairstyle and accent give you away as a foreigner.

Behind the counter, the defensive forces start marshaling their tactics.

They know that you are not getting through in time for your flight, whenever that is, and they are not about the change the sacred process to fit your need to catch AJ015. This is bureaucracy at its finest.

You quickly learn that all the information that you gathered before is outdated. Acts of Parliament, new laws and new owners all combine to render your facts obsolete. You inevitably don't have the right documents with you. You need to visit another office to get a copy of your water bill in order to open a new business. You must come back tomorrow.

If you are loud and obnoxious, the way life in North America has taught you to be, you are in for several trips to the office, each designed to exact a penalty for your failure to "have some manners." Prepare for the long haul, by bringing something to eat, drink and read.

A nice German man called Kafka wrote some insightful books about being trapped in situations of never-ending torment. One book focuses on a man who woke up as a cockroach. Another is about a man who is forced to answer un-known charges made against him that are never ever shared with him, until he is mysteriously exonerated. You can more than identify as you start to deleriously believe that your tormentors are targeting you by name.

You complain to anyone who will listen. After all while, your audience seems to be getting tired of you.

After delaying your flight home and missing some days of work, you are talking with your friend/distant cousin / high-school classmate who out of the blue remembers that their good friend heads up a department at the office you have been visiting.

You wonder why they are now just remembering this important fact...

They tell you not to worry, and half an hour later they call back with mysterious instructions. Give them your information and all will be taken care of by that evening. So said, so done.

You have escaped from your purgatory and have no idea what you did to deserve it.

On the flight back home you realize that the only information that matters in Jamaica is the information given by someone who actually makes decisions, and all the information gathered before was really just window-dressing, and didn't really count. What counted was who you knew, or who you knew that knew the right person.

If you are still complaining that this is all not fair, that it is exclusionary, biased against foreigners with your last name, etc. is to engage in the irrelevant. Don't waste your time.

Instead, learn to fit your tactics into the "runnings" as that's the only way to be effective.

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The Disadvantage of Jamaicans as Dual Citizens

To Jamaicans everywhere, the news that Daryl Vaz was declared ineligible to be an M.P. should come as good news.

And I say this speaking as a dual citizen, born in Falmouth, Massachusetts, but a child of Jamaican parents. (I was granted both citizenships without having a say.)

The first is that we have clearly demonstrated that the rule of law is paramount. Regardless of our opinion about the value of this particular law, it does demonstrate that we can be governed by what is constitutionally ordained. This brings us well into the company of civilized countries.

It also has allowed our country to breathe a collective sigh of relief as our new chief justice shows her mettle, courage and wisdom in this very public way.

A this benefit is that it forces us to confront our constitution, and its growing weakness as it increasingly departs from present-day practice and common-sense. We have all meant to reform it, and now we simply must do so.

It is crazy that we have more stringent requirements for political office than the US, Canada and the UK. We are tremendously talent-challenged, over 2 million Jamaicans live outside the country and we are hardly likely to go to war with another country anytime soon.

It's a time to put practicality over pride.

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Aggressive Politeness

One thing that I have learned from moving to live in Jamaica is the importance of being what I call "aggressively polite."

It's a bit difficult to explain, except by contrast.

In the U.S., people assume that they are strangers, and that they have little in common, and that they need to keep to themselves and out of other people's affairs. (Unless they are famous, in which case the very opposite rule applies.)

By and large, people ignore each other.

Here in Jamaica, sometimes ignoring someone can be seen as disrespect. On the other hand, actively greeting someone, and assertively being polite is a practice that is welcomed, and is usually very warmly returned.

"Good Mornings" and the introductory chit-chat that is often just skipped in the U.S. are essential here, and people are taken aback when this small respect is not accorded in day-to-day conversation. The easy informality and geniality of Americans is seen as typical tourist behaviour when a foreigner oversteps their bounds in a conversation, and tries to get too friendly too quickly.

For anyone coming to Jamaica, these pleasantries have to be learned (or re-learned) as they can turn a simple conversation into a suspicious or even hostile one without warning.

Here in Jamaica, there are few virtues that are more prized than having a sense of humility and of respect shown to others, and these practices go a long way in helping to create it.

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