“Out of many, one people.” This is a common motto that seems to resurface in every personal encounter we had with the natives of Jamaica. During our trip we met descendants of different nations who call Jamaica their home. Of all the people we met, we personally connected with four: Keveisha, Dwaine, George, and Vija. To us each person individually embodied and exemplified Jamaica’s motto of embracing people of different cultures and beliefs. Keveisha, Dwaine, George and Vija warmly embraced us with open arms and will forever have a memory in both our hearts and minds.
With the simplicity of his life yet he’s grateful. Simplicity is key to embracing and accepting who you are.
Of all the sunsets, jerk chicken, clear ocean waters, and scenic views our experience would not have been the same if not for our interactions with these four people.
The first person in Jamaica that we had pleasure of connecting with was Keveisha. She is an employee at the resort we stayed at on our first few days on the island. The resort was nice but we eventually wanted to venture out and explore the city. We expressed with her how we wanted to meet the “people”, visit the market and most importantly learn what life is like for young women in their early twenties in Montego Bay. She went above and beyond to show us everything we could possibly see and be a part of in the short time we were there. We went from dance hall parties; mini road trips and sharing common girl problems (like trying to decided whether to wear heels or flats to the club & if anyone had lip gloss etc.LOL) We easily connected with her. Through Keveisha we instantly understood the importance of human connection and how we have more in common than we are different.
Dwaine
The second person we had the pleasure of meeting is Dwaine. He proved how powerful traveling is and how we should all treat each other with love and respect, no matter who you are or where you come from. We met Dwaine through Keveisha. To us he was a historian – Lol. There was nothing we asked him about Jamaica’s history that he didn’t know the answer to. He was such a kind person that he helped us find our Hotel for our last few days on the island, and took us out for dinner on our last night. Then a few hours later he woke up 5 am in the morning to drop us off at the airport the following morning. Dwaine is the epitomized of a complete decent gentleman and carried himself with dignity and respect.
He treated us as if we were his sisters, with the utmost respect, never once complained, always laughing and smiling no matter what was going on. Through him we learned the importance of being patient. Dwaine taught us how important it is to treat every person you meet with kindness regardless of his or her beliefs, race or social status. He will forever be a friend to us and we will never forget how hospitable he was to us throughout our stay in Montego Bay. And he never asked anything of us in return. I guess all we need to do now is pay it forward when we have an opportunity to do so.
The third person we met in Jamaica was George. On our third day in Jamaica we ventured out to Negril for the day and he was our bus driver for the day. George was the only Rastafarian we had the pleasure of interacting with throughout our stay. Naturally, like everyone else we had met before him, he was very friendly and open about his life. He was a man who didn’t need much and really appreciated connecting with people and sharing his beliefs about life. Through our conversation with him he shared his hope and dreams with us within 10 minutes. During that short period of time he reinforced the Jamaican saying “No problem Man”, letting us know that life is too short to stress over things. From George we learned that when you share you release and bless.
Vija
The fourth and final long time friend we made was Vija. Vija was also an employee at Riu resort that we had met at the front desk. On our last day while walking to the market in downtown Saint James we ran into Vija in the street. The coincidence was unbelievable but from there he dropped all the plans he had for his Sunday off from work to show us around the city. Vija wanted to make sure that the street peddlers didn’t bother or cheat us out of our money. As long as we were safe he was okay. He had a very relaxed spirit about him. He was able to give us the perspective of a middle class Jamaican postgraduate student. He discussed normal things with us like how he had just gotten an iphone but someone stole it and how he is just started his job as an intern at the resort and aren’t paying him yet. Yet Vaji remained optimistic and very grateful for his life. We talked about how in Jamaica job opportunities for college grads is challenging because it is harder for people with degrees to get jobs. Yet again it proved to us how we all share the same commonalities, in life no matter where we may find ourselves any where in the world, we are all seeking for the same things in life.
Overall, Keveisha, Dwaine, George, and Vija gave us both an incredible introduction to Montego Bay and Negril. They taught us what it means to be proud of who you are, and to live life simply. They reminded my sister and I that where you’re from has a lot to do with how your perspective and perception on life is shaped. It also represents how LOVE & PEACE go hand in hand.
Our suggestion is when you travel it is best to explore outside of your comfort zone and places created for tourists to go. We had fewer expectations and it worked out for us because we chose to take full advantage of each experience and relax.
Find and befriend those that are from that country or a local, they will teach you so much more about the land and who the people are, more than any tourist guide or book can. There was also a certain level of comfort we felt the entire time we were off the tourist destinations because it reminded us so much of Nigeria on many levels. From the parts of Jamaica we got to see good and bad, we absolutely loved everything about its rich culture. We plan on visit again but next time Ochios Rios, Dun River Falls and the famous Kingston.
You might also like
