Driver! Don’t stop at all

Friday, May 25th, 2007

Drawing to the end of my series of images of downtown Kingston, I post below the first part of a drive I took last week with my good friend, Barry White.
I know, it’s the voice.
If all goes according to plan, Part II will include a drive round the main square, Sir William Grant Park (during […]

One step forward, two steps back

Wednesday, March 7th, 2007

The first item on the 8 o’clock news on CVM TV this evening was the parliamentary committee debate on the Offences Against the Person Act, in particular, marital rape. This might seem like old news in other parts of the world, but here in Jamaica, there remain laws left over from Victorian times that are […]

Bank on an M-16

Monday, March 5th, 2007

Teller: I’m sorry, Sir, but this line is for Gold Card holders only.
Policeman: And M-16 holders?
Teller: … That’ll do nicely, Sir.

Gun Street Girl

Monday, January 22nd, 2007

Best headline of the year so far:
MAN RUN OVER WITH MOTOR CAR, SHOT, ESCAPES
(source: Jamaica Observer)
It’s a fairly typical report of street crime in Jamaica, relying on unsupported interviews with the nearest person at hand, vague and incomplete police statements and victims that disappear, never to reappear.
I’d been scanning the local press since last Friday […]

Gone crazy gone mad

Friday, December 15th, 2006

Following the previous post about poor service, I felt I should balance it with a post about how difficult it is to run a small business in Jamaica, particularly when it comes to getting a loan. Shortly after we arrived in Jamaica last year, we considered taking out a loan to buy a car. Our […]