Nov 7th

Went to church today at the Anglican church. 7Am is a bit early to be wanderin around Spanish Town but the service was familiar enough to be worth it. It was nothing like last Sunday.

Went to Ocho Rios yesterday. It was really quite a shock. Ocho Rios is such a pretty area. It was difficult to get used to seeing so many different white faces. I honestly had not seen another white person (outside of the PC trainees) for a couple of weeks. They all looked so awkward and bizarre looking in their tourist get ups. Everything was so expensive. The worst part was the beggars & locals asking (repeatedly) if we had money to change or if we wanted to buy sinsemilla. It was not only the request but the frequency of it that bothered me. I got very tired saying “No”. The worst thing is the guilt as if I should be guilty for being American. Sometimes, I think I should.

For the first time, and probably not the last, I’ve been having a homesick/wanting-to-leave feeling. Culturally, I’m feeling much better. At first the “black faces” made me uncomfortable. But the trips into the market & streets of Spanish Town have quelled most of my discomfort. I’m still not as assertive as I would be with white people, but I’m working on it. My biggest complaint is with the climate. I have been plagued with mosquito bites and sweated many a nite away, wrapped in sheets trying to keep from being bit. The fan in our room has removed some of the discomforts from both sources but, when I think about the house we’ll have on our island my outlook is not so gloomy. We brought enough netting to do ten or more windows (if necessary) And I guess I’m more interested in getting settled in than anything else. I want a place of my own again. I can then start to deal with the elements.

The only cultural surprise in Ocho Rios was the discovery of “nudity” here in Jamaica. Actually it could be termed a lack of modesty (in U.S. terms) when showering. On several occations I observed women bare breasted and washing in the public showers. I was quite taken aback and surprised to have no mention of it in our training. Everyday has been quite an experience.