A Freelance Writer’s Life Abroad: Inside Peek at My Life as an American Living in Jamaica for a Year, Part II
June 2, 2010
In yesterday’s post on living abroad in Negril, Jamaica as a freelance writer, I told you some things I liked about it. Today, I’ll tell you a few things I don’t like.
Things I Don’t Like about Living in Negril, Jamaica — Even in an Apartment Close to the Beach
Sweating: I was born and raised in the south (Florida, Georgia, Alabama), so I’m used to the heat and actually quite enjoy it.
But the sweating is what I can’t stand. I’ve taken to carrying a face cloth in my bag to dab my forehead, neck and arms as I walk because I sweat like the dickens. By the time I get wherever I’m going, I’m usually a wet mess.
Neat Makeup: Because of the got dang humidity here in Negril, you can forget having your makeup stay where you put it in the mornings. I don’t wear much anyway – usually just a little blush and lip gloss – but my blush is usually gone by the time I get from Point A to Point B.
This means, if you’re meeting Mr. X for a lite lunch and you schlep even a few feet in this heat, you’re not going to look fresh, which brings me to my next point . . .
Spending Money: Living in Jamaica reminds me a bit of living in New York City. Money just seems to fly out of your pocket here in tiny little Negril – just like in the city.
For example, if you don’t want to be a sticky, sweaty mess by the time you meet a friend for lunch, you take a cab. While it’s usually only 100 Jamaican Dollars (JMD), about $1.15, it adds up if you do it several times a day – and spend money when you get wherever you’re going. [See currency converter for converting JMDs to US $$]
Hence, while the cost of living in Negril can be cheap (ie, accommodations), you can easily spend as much as you would in the states in incidentals because you tend to be out more here. So I’m finding that I have to be very aware of my spending habits – something I don’t think about in the states because I work at home and rarely spend money during the week.
Utility Reliability: Jamaica has power outages, water outages and of course internet outages. It can last from a few minutes to a few days. And, while they don’t happen all the time, they do happen more than we’re accustomed to in the states.
In the week I’ve been here in Negril, the power has gone out for a couple of hours one time, and when I was at a friend’s place, the water was off for about half an hour.
Because of stuff like this – conservation is huge here (which is a good thing). My sister said Negril went for 2.5 days without water in April. You never realize how much you use water until it’s not handy. At home, I recycle things like wine bottles and water bottles. Here, I fill those suckers with water and stick’em under the sink.
After all, a girl can’t be stuck with perm in her hair and no way to wash it out (sistas know EXACTLY what I’m talking about here).
Buying Groceries in Bulk: Because of the above, it’s not wise to buy groceries in bulk here. If the power is out for a few hours, food can spoil very quickly in this heat. Hence, I’m finding myself at the market every couple of days – or eating out more than I’d like to. I hate this because I hate grocery shopping in general. When I go, I usually buy what I need for a couple of days.
Already, I’ve had chicken go bad because I put it in the fridge (instead of the freezer) and didn’t cook it for a couple of days. This is something I do all the time at home. Here in Jamaica, because of the extreme heat and because my fridge doesn’t get ice cold, it went bad.
One good thing to come out of this is that I’m eating less meat (which I happen to love!).
In spite of all of this, of course, I’m enjoying myself immensely living in the tiny hamlet that is Negril, Jamaica. I’ve made a few friends – and seem to cultivate more every day. At home, my friends are hither and yonder (New York, Princeton, Chicago, Florida, etc.).
I have to travel to see them, or them me. I never made a lot of close friends in Atlanta – I still have the same ones I had in New York years ago – who’ve scattered to the winds. Hence, I get lonely in Atlanta sometimes.
Here in Negril, my friends are everywhere I go. I’m starting to feel part of this lively little Jamaican community.
Loving it!
Living life irie mon,
Yuwanda
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Related Posts
A Freelance Writer’s Life Abroad: Inside Peek at My Life as an American Living in Jamaica for a Year, Part XIA Freelance Writer’s Life Abroad: Inside Peek at My Life as an American Living in Jamaica for a Year, Part VIII
A Freelance Writer’s Life Abroad: Inside Peek at My Life as an American Living in Jamaica for a Year, Part V
A Freelance Writer’s Life Abroad: Inside Peek at My Life as an American Living in Jamaica for a Year, Part III
A Freelance Writer’s Life Abroad: Inside Peek at My Life as an American Living in Negril, Jamaica for a Year, Part I
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June 2nd, 2010 at 3:13 pm
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June 3rd, 2010 at 2:48 pm
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