Tweet
At the request of the moderator I am opening a new part of my report. I guess I broke some kind of record. Anyway, I am away from my notes right now, but I promise to write when I get home tonight.
-
-
Re: OchoRios - Marilyn's Report Part II
I think you (and queenb both) broke several records! -
Re: OchoRios - Marilyn's Report Part II
I rarely read trip reports... Usually only folks I'm familiar with on the boards.
But after reading the Queen's report, I had to get the other half's story.
I'm with Grandma2 on this...
I want to travel with you and the Queen!!Comment
-
Re: OchoRios - Marilyn's Report Part II
After lunch at the Ruins one of the girls wanted to buy a CD. I think she thought it would sound better if she bought it in Jamaica. While we were in the store I noticed that it was a Digicel outlet. The attitude of the ladies who work there can best be decribed as strained and distant. I always noticed that the person who was free to wait on me never knew the answer etc and always directed me to the busy clerk so I would have to wait humbly for my turn.
I had been here yesterday to buy a CD for Curry ( my cook at Skycastles). Now I am bringing you 6 moe customers and we get the instant attitude. Everyone immediately diverts their eyes and attention. They go into conversation with each other duck for the supply room, or grab a calculator and start furiously working with balancing the book r something.
I finally get the expert and ask her if she can help me change my cell phone ring off of "Amazing Grace". Two reasons. I am clearly in Jamaica "sinnng", and everytime it rings I expect to be struck dead by a bolt of lightening, and two, for those of you who do not know the history of that song,it was written by the captain of a slave ship right after he had raped a slave woman. He went up on deck and repented by writing the words "Amazing Grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me." It sickens me to hear it.
ANyway. I am later to find out that she "fixed" it all right. She set it so it would not ring at all. This made me miss a whole evening with honey because he has to come from a long way and always calls first. I was out by the pool with my phone and he could not reach me. He thought I had made other plans or someting, so we missed each other. I bet she had a good time laughing about that one. We got it fixed later.
Well it's the girls last night in Jamaica, and I get 4 of them to go to Marguaritaville. We are joined by Angie's man. Tawanna and her Mandingo, Angie's guy brings a friend, and my honey's cousin and brother hover over me all night making sure I don't even breathe the wrong way. I am still real sick, so I mostly just sit and watch my girls give the men at M'ville a fair fit. The friend is hopelessly lost in Tabitha's eyes, and the other 3 are quickly taken. They dance, laugh, have fun until about 2 AM, then home.
Angie says her guy doesn't dance. He danced alone all night. I managed to get one in with him, then sat back down. Everyone had a marvelous time, and I am pleased that was able to get them off the resort and show them a little bit of Jamaica in the three days they were there.Comment
-
Re: OchoRios - Marilyn's Report Part II
loving this report, Marilyn, and hanging on to every word, but since you've spoken about why you hate Amazing Grace, let me just say now that I truly dislike the use of the word "Mandingo" as used above. Isn't that some term for a slave used for breeding purposes? I know it's a gigolo we're talking about, but I think it's less insulting to be called that than a Mandingo....unless there's some non-slave association with the word I'm not aware of.... [img]/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]Originally posted by Marilyn:
[qb] Tawanna and her Mandingo[/qb]Comment
-
Re: OchoRios - Marilyn's Report Part II
From Merriam Webster's online dictionary:
Mandingo
Pronunciation: man-'di[ng]-(")gO
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural Mandingo or Mandingoes or Mandingos
Date: 1623
1 : a member of a people of western Africa in or near the upper Niger valley
2 : the language of the MandingoComment
-
Re: OchoRios - Marilyn's Report Part II
Mandingo
A fine a** black man of modern times who covers the ground he stands on, has mischief in his eyes and you know he can back it up, and is sexy as hell.
All of which accurately describes the man in question. I don't know where you live, but here in the south among black folks, it is a title most men consider a compliment. I know the last time I had one I called him that often and he LOVED it. SOrry if it offends you I will cease using the term, but upon the young man's request I will have to come up with another alias as he did not want his real name used on the internet.
Also I don't know him real well, but he really did not strike me as the gigilo type. He was a rather hard working guy who drives a route taxi.
AND MUST EVERYTHING ON THIS BOARD BECOME AN ISSUE?Comment
-
Re: OchoRios - Marilyn's Report Part II
Marilyn ... girl you got me hollerin' with laughter at work.
your trip report is OFF THE CHAIN!!!! ... i'm loving it and can't wait for my own JA adventure in two weeks.
and thank you very much for the watersport info.
i will use the guys you suggested.
it looks like i will have a long list of places-to-go & people-to-do
OOPS!
uuummhhhh i meant (( THINGS-TO-DO )) ...ahahahaha
[img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]Comment
-
Re: OchoRios - Marilyn's Report Part II
Thanks for giving me the cultural context for the use of the term Mandingo in America.Originally posted by Marilyn:
[qb]Mandingo
A fine a** black man of modern times who covers the ground he stands on, has mischief in his eyes and you know he can back it up, and is sexy as hell.
All of which accurately describes the man in question. I don't know where you live, but here in the south among black folks, it is a title most men consider a compliment. I know the last time I had one I called him that often and he LOVED it. SOrry if it offends you I will cease using the term, but upon the young man's request I will have to come up with another alias as he did not want his real name used on the internet.
Also I don't know him real well, but he really did not strike me as the gigilo type. He was a rather hard working guy who drives a route taxi.
AND MUST EVERYTHING ON THIS BOARD BECOME AN ISSUE?[/qb]Comment
-
Re: OchoRios - Marilyn's Report Part II
Thanks, QK. I am aware of the Mandingo (Mandinke) people, and met a couple of them when I visited Senegal a few years back.Originally posted by QK:
[qb]From Merriam Webster's online dictionary:
Mandingo
Pronunciation: man-'di[ng]-(")gO
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural Mandingo or Mandingoes or Mandingos
Date: 1623
1 : a member of a people of western Africa in or near the upper Niger valley
2 : the language of the Mandingo[/qb]Comment
-
Re: OchoRios - Marilyn's Report Part II
Today is Tawanna and the other girl's last day. I have said goodbye to the others last night. Tawanna has asked me to wake her up and to be sure that she does not miss her shuttle. I tried to wake her up by phone twice already, but she is quite incoherant. I finally walk over to her place, and there is her friend's route taxi in the parking lot. Ooops, that explains the incoherance.!!!! I wait another respectful amount of time and call again. This time she sounds human. She has my iron and we still have information to exchange. She cheerfully :} and bubbly tells me to come on up. When I knock on the door HE answers wearing only a spliff, a smile, and some plaid boxer shorts. He is so funny because he has this whole little "Welcome to OUR home" attitude going. She is not dressed and they are not shy. I guess we are just one big happy family. :}
She is ironing her going away outfit on the bed. We exchange addresses etc., and she gives me the iron. I hug her goodbye and leave so that she can spend her last hour with her friend saying goodbye to him and Jamaica. (She'll be back though}.
I have this day to myself. I am going to miss the girls and all the stir they cause, but these will be my last few days too and I need to get my head together. I walk downtown and fight the cabbies who want to give me a ride. I really need the exercise. I run into Big John and I take him to the internet cafe so he can see his comments on the board.
Big John at Percy's restaurant
He remembers the couple who posted and smiles this big big smile. I go to the market, and down to the craft market to buy this Bob Marley bag that I saw. I go back to Sky castles and spend the evening by the pool. I cooked some chicken and rice and picked over it, my appetite is still not back.
Tonight I stay home and try to get my act together. I only have a few days left.Comment
-
Re: OchoRios - Marilyn's Report Part II
Great trip report Marilyn!! I do have a question about your view of Island Village though. Why do you say you "hate it" when you went there to use the internet and you went there to go "out." I think Island Village is a great area for tourist and great for the locals too. The locals are welcome there and a few of my friends work there. I also think the internet place was very nice; where else can you check out the board in Ocho??? I also think it's an ideal investment for Chris Blackwell, good for him. I stayed at Turtle Towers last time I went down and Island Village had a lot to offer being that it was so close. It is also good for the cruise ship industry because it is so close to where they dock. I was just wondering why you claim you "hated" it. ??????? [img]/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]Comment
-
Re: OchoRios - Marilyn's Report Part II
i am selfishly sorry that your trip is almost over because i will miss the installments a lot. i think we should get together a fund raiser to send you and queenb back, simply for our reading pleasure...oh, you two might get something out of it too. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]Comment
-
Re: OchoRios - Marilyn's Report Part II
Marilyn - I'm still enjoying your report. I've learned a lot from reading your report and QueenB's. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]Comment
-
Re: OchoRios - Marilyn's Report Part II
Lyss
My reasons
1. Originally they were charging an admission to the village itself. I guess the hue and cry was so great that they changed that one. But most of the things they do there are clearly geared toward excluding Jamaicans.
2. I don't go thousands of miles to party with other tourists.
3. The cover charges/drink prices/ food prices at M'ville are clearly set to discourage the locals.
4. ALthough an attempt was made to do unique things with the architecture it is clearly as super slick new mall that lacks the character and feel of Jamaica. It could be in the middle of Chicago and be the same. I prefer the estalished places. Almond Tree Evitas Bibibipps Little Pub, Amnesia, they are just more authentic to me.
5. M'ville put grass skirts on the employees. What I ask you does that have to do with Jamaica?
6. The service at M'ville is lousy.
Ok so WHY did I go. I found an internet hook up at the village hotel for $1.00 US for 15 minutes. However, the day I went to the one at the village center was a national holiday and my hook up was closed for the day. I really needed to check because a girlfriend back home was e-mailing me to tell me what to bring her back.
As to why I took the girls to M/ville it was a Monday night and the guys said there was nothing happening at the local clubs. They offered to take us to some strip club, but I did not think the girls would like it. At this point if I am going to do something like Girlfriend tours I have to think about what the customer might like, not what I like.
Besides I had had my Jus Cheers fix that past Friday, so I was ok.
One good thing about the mall is that I guess some folks go jobs. I am sure the cruise ship people like it, but it just seems out of step with Ocho Rios to me.Selfish confession, It has somewhat changed the vibe and complexion of Ochii and I don't like the change.Comment
Comment