Welcome from the Island

You Can Take the Girl Out of the City . . .

I have a friend that lives on the top of a mountain just outside Montego Bay. She…

Men: No Means No — Even if It Isn’t Sex-Related

The Politics of Patois

Is taking on your new country’s dialect respect or appropriation?

Baby (Island) Fever

“Upstanding” members of society in Jamaica will tell you that this is a very religious country. It has more churches per capita than any other. That may even be true. But don’t let them fool you.

Soon Come

Adjusting to Island Time

One of the most annoying phrases I’ve encountered since moving down here is, “[XXX] soon come.” I hear it pretty often, everything from “Me soon come,” to “The mail soon come,” to “The report that was due three days ago soon come.” There are…

My New Life as a Millionaire

Money, and spending it, is crazy here. A lot of people have asked me if it’s cheaper or more expensive here…

A Rose by any Other Name?

Even surrounded by uncommon names, I still stand out

Visiting the Homeland

My uncle Balfour came to Jamaica for two weeks in July on family business (we still own land in Ginger House — just up…

Fall in Negril

Negril has always been one of my favorite vacation spots in the world. While living in Minnesota, I visited there four times: the…