Week 16: Happy 2017! New Year, New Me?
Happy new year! Time has flown by and I feel as if I have been away from Jamaica for ages. My break consisted of lots of family visits in San Diego and reunions with my friends from Taiwan Tech Trek. My Canada visit was a much-needed break from the hot weather and spending time at home with my family. Things I noticed that I missed about Canada included:
Hot water (bless the showers)
Soft bed (I wouldn’t say my bed in Jamaica is the comfiest of them all)
Driving (it was weird to be on the right side again but it felt great to be able to go anywhere at anytime)
Things I noticed that I missed about Jamaica included:
Everyone saying good morning/good night to each other on the streets
Oxtail and Jerk Chicken (tried to mimic at home and it was not the same)
A lack of schedule (no obligations except work in Jamaica!)
Now that I am back, I realize more and more how little time I have left in Jamaica. Time is flying by! I think about what 2017 will have to offer and am excited to see where I am off to next. Will this internship have prepared me for my next career? Time will tell.
This weekend my friend from the Peace corps is returning to America. I am excited to see her again in Canada because she is only a few hours drive away. We went to Mas Camp, a stadium known for street party music such as dancehall and soca music. The event, Bacchnal Carnival was grand opening with the showcase of the new costumes for Carnival. It is a yearly tradition for the Caribbean islands based on folklore, culture, religion and tradition. It is tied to colonialism, religious conversion, freedom and celebration, originating with the Italian Catholics in Europe, later spreading it across to the islands where the slaves were brought to. It involves a week-long festival of dancing, music and the use of masquerade to celebrate the end of slavery. This event is the first one of the year to kick off the celebrations to come which is scheduled for April. I would love to plan my next visit to Jamaica to attend carnival! It would be an amazing experience.
I also met my friend’s family members this week. His grandparents immigrated to Jamaica from China when she was 24 years old (she is currently 90 years old) and worked tremendously hard to build a company. They retired to Miami around 30 years ago. What amazes me is her longevity and health is as young as a 50 year old. She has a hearing issue in the right ear but other than that, she was up and running around. I asked her- what is the secret to a long life? She said- meat, meat, meat!
One Love,
Tara