The next decade....what's in store?
Musings of a yamfooted traveller still trying to shake off those last 20 pounds as she treks across the Caribbean
Here today, gone tomorrow. That's how it was with John....
If I were leaving work too late, I would take one of the hotel's taxi drivers home. John was the last one I took. That night when I called him to come for me, he said he had just turned into his driveway and had not yet come out of the car so it was good timing. I can't remember what we spoke about on the way home. Could have been the Bob Marley music playing on the radio.
The next day when I called him, there was no answer. His lady friend called back to say she was with him in the Casualty department, and he would be moved to the Surgical ward. Illness is private, so I didn't pry. Just told her to tell him get well soon.
Five days later he was dead. Gone. Just like that.
Live your life and live it well, and don't malice people, and don't have wicked intentions towards them, because just like John, you could be gone in a flash. What is the lasting impression that you would like the people you knew to have of you? Think on these things.
I don't know why I bother to buy food and cook. I'm never home. Always at work. And when I reach home, dinner is not wanted.
The time before the last that I had a day off, I cooked a large pot of lentil soup. I carried some to work one day for lunch. The rest was put in the fridge, and some in the freezer. A few days ago, I threw away the fridge one.
When I get back home on Wednesday evening, I will be throwing out the one in the fridge which I took out of the freezer thinking that I was going to be home to eat it.
Good thing the lentils were cheap! And I learnt my lesson. I will only buy fruits, breakfast foods (sardine, vegetarian cheese, bread rolls, oats), juice and water.
Last week Sunday, we went to Eddie Bullen in concert at the University. Bullen is a Grenadian who left here some years ago and went to Canada. He's a jazz musician.
Very nice music. He brought his song along. Fourteen year old Quincy was allowed to play three songs at different points in the show. Suppose you see his fingers glide over the keyboards! And with attitude too. He already has the showmanship, is very sociable and darn cute! During intermission I went to speak with him to ask him at what age he started playing. Only at age 6, so he been playing for only 8 years. He's very good. Listen out for him in a few years time.
Now while I was there enjoying the mood I was thinking....
I really need to go out more! I think this weekend I am going to the Morgan Heritage concert, to inhale some of the goodly weed!
By the laws of averages, I am not supposed to be here....
First, in 1972, I nearly died from appendicitis. Stomach was hurting me for a couple of days. When I refused food I was taken to the doctor because my mother knew I had to be ill. Dr Bell said take her to hospital immediately. Operated on that same night. Told mummy that if they didn't come out by a certain time, well.....
But I made it.
Then, when I was about 17 or 18, I was driving down Jacks' Hill, trying to keep up with a friend in front of me who lived on the hill. I had on the regular car lights. I switched it on at a point and saw a white concrete wall in front of me which I barely avoided. My brother was in the car with me. Not sure if he knew that was a near miss. I was going pretty fast.
Then in 2004, was being driven back from Alpart from cricket. We were in a line of traffic with a clear vision of what was ahead. The driver decided to overtake, then at the same time, the car he was overtaking decided to overtake the one infront of him, without indicating! I am sure I let out an expletive, then closed my eyes when I saw us going over onto the soft shoulder of the side of the incoming traffic. We were going at at least 80 miles per hour. If there was a lamp pole on the other side, or if a car was coming, that would have been it. "Cricket journalist killed in three car collision". But the driver was very skillful, and remained very calm.
So have you had any near misses that you still count your blessings for?
I always knew that sometime soon, parents of my friends would start to pass away. This past week there were two
Adwoa's father passed on, and so did LMT/Poor but Polite's. Both post on here occasionally.
Of course, it starts me thinking again "how many more years do I have my parents for?"
Longevity is in the genes. My mother's mother died at 91, and my father's mother at 88 or thereabouts. The parents are in their 60's now, so I am figuring another 20 years or so. I'm going to make the most of that time. Life....we don't know where it is going to take us.
Well, it seems to be a ritual with my neighbour. Granted, the music wasn't as loud as last week, but still loud enough to wake me up. Then to make matters worse, he had a bunch of young people talking loudly on his patio!
So that's it....I'm giving notice early tomorrow.
What? A "random" murder in peaceful Grenada?
I believe this is the fifth murder for the year. A man went to a bar in St David's parish last Friday. While he was walking home up a dark gap, some body (bodies?) held him up, took away his money and beat him to death. Of course in Jamaica, there would be some gun or knife used.
Now just last Sunday, I texted (is that a word?) my brother and sister, boasting how I had just bummed a ride from two men while walking from the airport.....
Went to the airport to weigh (same weight, but I'm bloated so it should go down in two weeks or so..), had to walk back (2.5 miles) to go see my old (literally...I think he is early 80's) landlord and was just not in the mood. So just after the soldier's base, I stuck out my thumb. A few cars ignored me, then one stopped.
When I got in, they were having a conversation about a guy they had just passed speeding, and why they have to drive so fast. "They're not rapists or murderers" I thought to myself. Got a ride to Sugar Mill roundabout and when I got out, I told them I was going to write home to say I had done this and couldn't have in Jamaica. So they said that it's safe here.
Now I hear about this tonight....I have to rethink my walking up the hill to my present abode me one with a flashlight when it dark!
Well, there I was thinking that things were going to be just fine when I moved into my apartment last night.
Let me tell you what happened....
First of all, Friday night I slept in the hotel. Went to bed around 3:30am (work kept me up), then at 3:56am, got another call for some keys. So I started out the day later than I had planned.
Borrowed the hotel's van around noon, and just kept going all day. Went to get stuff from previous apartment, then clean that one, did supermarket and hardware/homeware store to get some stuff to help me settle in. I didn't even eat anything since breakfast at 10:30am! By the time I got done moving around the beds in one of the bedrooms, and sat to have a cup of tea, it was midnight.
By the time I got to bed it was about 1:45am. I cooled down the room with the AC while I showered (the shower heater contraption gave me an electrical shock!), snuggled into bed and fell asleep very quickly, not surprising after the hectic day I had.
Well, do you know, that at 7am this here Sunday, I awaken because I think I seemed to have left my TV on (was listening to one of the audio channels before I went to sleep). I hear music, VERY LOUD, so loud that it sounded as if I was having a party in my bedroom.
Nah nah nah nah nah. That cannot work. So off went the PJs and on went my shorts and T-shirt. I marched outside aiming to go next door, but spotted the neighbour on his patio reading.
Called out to him to tell him that the music is really loud, that I went to bed late and didn't expect to be up so early. His body language said to me that he heard what I said and that he was going to turn it down. He got up, used the remote to turn it down then asked me if it was ok. Nope. Then he said "but I can't even here it!". He must be deaf I tell you.
Anyway, I went back into the bed but I don't fall back asleep once I wake up, so that was it for me for sleep. Made my cuppa, and poured over the real estate pages in all four weekly papers. Made some calls, went on the road to check out a few places, but nothing yet.
I'll keep searching. Apart from the noise factor, which I really have no control over, there is the fact that the washing machine did not work when I tried it this morning, and the shower contraption is suspect. The latter two can be fixed I am sure, but I cannot predict when Mr Man Next Door is going to feel like playing music loudly at 7AM!
Remember this story? Well on my travels today (read the other blog entry), I stopped by because I saw a vehice in the yard and wanted to get a chance to see inside. Knocked, but didn't get an answer. So left them a note saying I been admiring it since 1997 and "if I ever got the chance to see inside, I would be delighted". Left my name and number.
You think they will call me? Hmmmm, maybe I shouldn't have put "Yamfoot from JAMAICA". They might get scared.
I meant to blog this long ago.
Grenada's society is so different......
They were having these dances which they call Passa Passa, I guess after the Jamaican dance they have in Tivoli Gardens. I've never been so can't say what the Jamaican version is all about, but I understand that is just a dance, where "uptown" and "downtown" people come together.
In Grenada, these dances apparently involve young women without underwear, flashing. Apparently too, there are videos made and then sold after.
Well, this didn't sit quite well with the government. The Minister of Education came out and spoke against it, so did another minister. Then hear this....they say they are going to call these young women in to let them know there are alternative ways of self expression.
The church got involved too. The news was big enough to get on BBC Caribbean report.
Now of course, in Jamaica, you think any Minister of Education could say they going to talk to 'dancehall queen' types????
That means I now have TV!!!!
Am moving officially tomorrow, but the cable people don't work on Saturday, so got them to go to the house today. So too the telephone people. So now I can watch away and talk away!
Next on the list is internet, but I have to live there for a couple weeks first and see if I like it, because doing anything major.