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Re: Trip Report (IT'S FINISHED!)--Meeting the parents (ALL PICS INCLUDED!!)
Day 2-- Christmas Eve Day
I am up and ready to get on the beach by 8 a.m. I have that nervous/excited feeling in my belly b/c today is the day my boyfriend and his father pick me up from the hotel. I can't wait to see my boyfriend and spend the holidays in Jamaica with him and I am nervous to meet his father.
I spend the morning on the beach, ignoring the PSSSSSSSTTTT!! and the other cat calls thrown my way. I walk the beach and buy some sugar cane to chew on while I lay in the sun. I share some of my sweet treat with a group of young Jamaican children playing in the sand. We build a sand castle together and chase each other in and out of the water. It passed the time and helped keep my mind off of the days events. By noon I saw the Air Jamaica plane, that my boyfriend was on, fly overhead the beach and I head to the hotel to get cleaned up. I am excited and soooooo ready to see him.
As I am walking across the street I see Stretch coming up the street to the hotel. He wants to be there when my boyfriend gets there. I head up to my room to get showered and cleaned up. I decide a nice summer dress is the right thing to wear now that I have gotten some sun and my legs aren't the color of chalk. Once showered and checked out I put my bags in Stretch's car and wait for my boyfriend to get there. I am starving and very thankful for the lunch Stretch carried for me. It was the yummiest fried chicken, rice and peas, and macaroni salad I ever ate. I inhaled it and was just throwing my trash away when I see this beautiful BWM pulling up the street.
I had no idea my boyfriend would arrive in such style to pick me up.
I see my boyfriend in the passenger seat and there is no doubt it is his father driving. The car stops, my heart is racing, and Stretch pats me on the head, his way of letting me know everything will be alright.
The car door opens and out steps my boyfriend. My immediate reaction is WHEW!!! THANK GOODNESS HE IS FINALLY HERE That reaction is immediatley followed by, man is he white!! I know my boyfriend is very light skinned but it is only in Jamaica that he looks so pale in comparison to the surroundings. Next his father steps out of the car and I walk towards him. I extend my hand and say it is so nice to finally meet you. He says something along the lines of "No man! Nuh hand shake! gie mi a hug!
I give him a hug and can tell this is a very warm, nice, caring, man. I can also tell that he is smooth and does well with the ladies. It was the way he strided towards me and the look in his eyes. My boyfriend is similar in many ways, it is just this charm that he naturally has. After meeting his father, I see that he comes by it naturally. The hug ends and I step back from my boyfriends father. I feel his eyes on me as I turn to look at my boyfriend. He is busy chatting away with Stretch, getting my bags out of Stretch's trunk. My boyfriends father, whose nickname is Roots, is looking at my face and getting a good look. I was hoping there wasn't any fried chicken on my face anywhere!
In a matter of moments the three of us are standing in the street chatting. Stretch, my boyfriend, and myself are making plans to meet up in Kingston and Roots is talking up some guy he recognized on the street.
I am relieved the initial meeting is over and that things went well. Stretch begins making the long drive to Portland to visit his family and spend his vacation time at home. My boyfriend and I pile in his fathers car and begin the three hour drive to Mandeville.
I sat in the car and listened to my boyfriend and Roots chat in the car. Man, I have never heard Patois like Roots spoke before in my life. I am pretty good at understanding Patois, and usually have no problem in conversations... but this was entirely different. Roots is from St. Elizabeth and I have never been there before... the patois is so quick and mumbled. I was fearing anytime his father asked me something... I was so afraid I would't understand. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] Fortunate for me, when I was addressed it was all things I was able to understand and after a three hour car ride I began to decipher the cadance of his speech.
Here are some of the pics we took in Mandeville
The view from Spur Tree.
I enjoyed the car ride and took many pictures along the way, once I get my prints back I will post them.
Once we got into Mandeville we stopped and bought some fruits to eat. Sweetsop, bananna, papya, and mangoes. I was looking at the bags of fruit and my mouth was watering. I just wanted to get to the house so I could break open one of those sweetsop's. YUM!
Then we pull up to Root's home and I am awestruk at how beautiful it is. The yard is so pretty, bright, and green. I can't wait to get inside to see the rest.
Root's house.
A lychee tree in the front yard.
Washing hands from the pipe in front yard.
Our feet in the driveway. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/704555_dwl.gif[/img]
Overlooking Root's neighborhood.
Day 2-- Christmas Eve Day
I am up and ready to get on the beach by 8 a.m. I have that nervous/excited feeling in my belly b/c today is the day my boyfriend and his father pick me up from the hotel. I can't wait to see my boyfriend and spend the holidays in Jamaica with him and I am nervous to meet his father.
I spend the morning on the beach, ignoring the PSSSSSSSTTTT!! and the other cat calls thrown my way. I walk the beach and buy some sugar cane to chew on while I lay in the sun. I share some of my sweet treat with a group of young Jamaican children playing in the sand. We build a sand castle together and chase each other in and out of the water. It passed the time and helped keep my mind off of the days events. By noon I saw the Air Jamaica plane, that my boyfriend was on, fly overhead the beach and I head to the hotel to get cleaned up. I am excited and soooooo ready to see him.
As I am walking across the street I see Stretch coming up the street to the hotel. He wants to be there when my boyfriend gets there. I head up to my room to get showered and cleaned up. I decide a nice summer dress is the right thing to wear now that I have gotten some sun and my legs aren't the color of chalk. Once showered and checked out I put my bags in Stretch's car and wait for my boyfriend to get there. I am starving and very thankful for the lunch Stretch carried for me. It was the yummiest fried chicken, rice and peas, and macaroni salad I ever ate. I inhaled it and was just throwing my trash away when I see this beautiful BWM pulling up the street.
I had no idea my boyfriend would arrive in such style to pick me up.
I see my boyfriend in the passenger seat and there is no doubt it is his father driving. The car stops, my heart is racing, and Stretch pats me on the head, his way of letting me know everything will be alright.
The car door opens and out steps my boyfriend. My immediate reaction is WHEW!!! THANK GOODNESS HE IS FINALLY HERE That reaction is immediatley followed by, man is he white!! I know my boyfriend is very light skinned but it is only in Jamaica that he looks so pale in comparison to the surroundings. Next his father steps out of the car and I walk towards him. I extend my hand and say it is so nice to finally meet you. He says something along the lines of "No man! Nuh hand shake! gie mi a hug!
I give him a hug and can tell this is a very warm, nice, caring, man. I can also tell that he is smooth and does well with the ladies. It was the way he strided towards me and the look in his eyes. My boyfriend is similar in many ways, it is just this charm that he naturally has. After meeting his father, I see that he comes by it naturally. The hug ends and I step back from my boyfriends father. I feel his eyes on me as I turn to look at my boyfriend. He is busy chatting away with Stretch, getting my bags out of Stretch's trunk. My boyfriends father, whose nickname is Roots, is looking at my face and getting a good look. I was hoping there wasn't any fried chicken on my face anywhere!
In a matter of moments the three of us are standing in the street chatting. Stretch, my boyfriend, and myself are making plans to meet up in Kingston and Roots is talking up some guy he recognized on the street.
I am relieved the initial meeting is over and that things went well. Stretch begins making the long drive to Portland to visit his family and spend his vacation time at home. My boyfriend and I pile in his fathers car and begin the three hour drive to Mandeville.
I sat in the car and listened to my boyfriend and Roots chat in the car. Man, I have never heard Patois like Roots spoke before in my life. I am pretty good at understanding Patois, and usually have no problem in conversations... but this was entirely different. Roots is from St. Elizabeth and I have never been there before... the patois is so quick and mumbled. I was fearing anytime his father asked me something... I was so afraid I would't understand. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] Fortunate for me, when I was addressed it was all things I was able to understand and after a three hour car ride I began to decipher the cadance of his speech.
Here are some of the pics we took in Mandeville
The view from Spur Tree.
I enjoyed the car ride and took many pictures along the way, once I get my prints back I will post them.
Once we got into Mandeville we stopped and bought some fruits to eat. Sweetsop, bananna, papya, and mangoes. I was looking at the bags of fruit and my mouth was watering. I just wanted to get to the house so I could break open one of those sweetsop's. YUM!
Then we pull up to Root's home and I am awestruk at how beautiful it is. The yard is so pretty, bright, and green. I can't wait to get inside to see the rest.
Root's house.
A lychee tree in the front yard.
Washing hands from the pipe in front yard.
Our feet in the driveway. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/704555_dwl.gif[/img]
Overlooking Root's neighborhood.
dat is where real patois come from. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] 
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