My dear friend Ezekel Alan is at it again and I couldn’t help but republish this blog. Take a minute and check it out.
Get a kindle copy of Disposable People free!
Here’s something special: if you would like a free kindle copy of Disposable People get it today. Special promo – its listed as one of the best kindle books being given away today! Get it before it goes back on sale! Please go to http://www.squidoo.com/the-best-of-amazon-daily-free-ebooks-kindle-ipad. They handpick the top rated kindle e-books for the day.
Please remember to read the reviews on amazon and add yours.
I guarantee this is a read you won’t forget. This is the Jamaican Angela’s Ashes!
Look out for the Jamaica Observer review this Sunday.
NOW: you can also pick up a copy at Bookophilia bookstore on Hope Road, Kingston! Other bookstores coming soon.
Remember to like Ezekel’s fanbook page on Facebook so that I can get my Red Velvet cake.
Blessings
Love Outside of Valentine’s Day….
Valentine’s Day has come and gone but for me romance and love are all-year concepts that should be used to keep the fire burning. Not to say that on Valentine’s Day I do not appreciate the flowers and gifts but the small things and moments that tighten a bond are ongoing. Having spent a few days in Bangkok with hubby (no kids) I came home feeling as though I was floating on air and it led me to go find some poems he has written for me over the years. I will share one with you today. (If you don’t hear from me for a while it is because he has crucified me for sharing this with the world).
A Rising Insurrection
There have been whispers
that it’s a matter of human rights,
and that they are, indeed, human.
That it is a matter of expression,
freedom to express – that has made them grow so restless
Now, there is a restlessness that grows
beneath the skin, within the bones,
In the tap tapping of the toes;
this impatience grows even in the eyebrows,
which have begun to twitch,
with the tension, the anxiety, the itch.
The fingers too, they tremble,
with uneasy tenseness;
a rumbling disquiet, antsy agitation,
spasms in the leg, the hand, tremors running through field of hair –
all signs of discontent, growing despair.
A grumbling, simmering edginess,
corpuscles bulging, every bone, every muscle,
every sinew, every lung swelling.
The nervous tingle, stir, agitation.
The tension, the tenseness, the growing rebelliousness.
Every part of my body
festering with rebellion, forming its own gang,
fomenting insurrection, beginning to question
the authority of my lips to speak on all their behalf.
They claim they have a right that’s inviolable,
a freedom to choose their own personal way,
to use their own means to say,
how much they do,
so sincerely, love you.
And every single part of me loves you.
What Does My Loyalty to Blackberry and PC Say About Me?
Image via Wikipedia
Earlier this week I posted the following Facebook status,
“This is a public service announcement. Microsoft
and RIM please take note” I am a loyal supporter
of the PC and the Blackberry and have no intention
of switching as I am not tempted by the many other
gadgets from the fruit family sneaking into my house.
My only complaint is that I need a boom box on which
to dock my Blackberry. Thanks again for your kind
consideration.”
One of my friends from grad school (Go GWU!!!!!) being her usual straight as an arrow self responded with,
” Perhaps if you progressed with the rest of mankind then you
would have your pick from the many audio compatible device
out there already – there’s a reason no one has developed such a
thing for a dying product line :)”
I did not bother to remind her that during our program she had to take her fruit branded product for repairs while my PC stood the test of time even though it was quite aged. That aside it got me to thinking and wondering what it says about me that I am not even slightly tempted to make the switch. My husband has bought into the fruity fantasy. He has the phone, the rectangular not quite a laptop and too big to be used as a camera gadget and is lobbying hard for us to acquire one of the ginormous desktops from this family of equipment. It has always been the case in our home that we each have individual laptops but all of a sudden we need a family desktop – to do what I know not. So, he has been converted. Thank heavens the store at the corner from our lane is crap so he doesn’t get distracted there.
But seriously, is my love for Blackberry and PC a sign that I do not like change. Am I antiquated or just not cool? Am I lazy and just cannot be bothered learning a new system? Yes I am rolling my eyes at you if you are even thinking of telling me “oh the fruity system is not difficult to learn”. After thinking about it for the last few days I realize that I am none of the above. I am simply loyal and firmly believe that if something is not broken then it doesn’t need to be fixed. My place of abode is in Jakarta but my friends and family are in Jamaica and the US and I keep in touch through BBM. It is reliable and effective. Why switch? Again I am rolling my eyes while the fruity fans try to tell me about Apps. I am not an App girl – I need the basics. Yes they are cool but I don’t miss them.
Have a great one everybody and hug someone with a Blackberry as you go about your business this week.
Until next time…….One Love.
My Love for the Trenton..
There are those who may think I obsess about it and as hubby reminded me: when I have it, the enjoyment is less than what I expect or yearn for. This got me thinking that he is correct but strangely it hasn’t lessened my desire. I feel an emotion similar to my addiction to Law & Order whenever the urge hits me (see my previous post on this issue http://wp.me/p1fKKC-u). Living in Jakarta makes it even more desirable as the Muslim society ensures that the supply is limited given the low demand. As usual though I can count on the Chinese to provide me with an unlimited supply but absolutely none can compare to that which I love at the Spanish Town round about in Jamaica.
My dear doctor in Jamaica has told me time and time again to stop eating the goddamned pork from the spot I love because over and over again I get severe stomach cramps and diarrhea whenever I feast upon the best jerk pork in the world from my favourite spot. Let me clear up any misconceptions. There is nothing unclean about the preparation at that spot that gets me ill – I seem to be allergic to an ingredient in the secret formula. Do I care what that ingredient is? Nopes. Do I care that 8 out of 10 times I eat their jerk pork I get sick? Nopes, because it is so good it is certainly worth a little cleansing time.
Fun and joke aside, why do I yearn for pork so much when it is often not prepared to my likeness or makes me ill? Why do I even bother to yearn for this juicy, sweet, succulent trenton? Am I just not in control of myself and my desires or am I just predictably irrational?
What makes you irrational? Check out Dan Ariely’s video on the concept of being “Predictably Irrational” (link for video is on the right side next to this post).
For my non Jamaican readers please not that trenton is a term we use in Jamaica wen we talk about pork.
Until next time….One Love!!!!
Life’s Interference with Enjoying Small Moments…
Yesterday I was sitting outside in our backyard and decided to lay flat on my back and stare at the sky. In Jakarta I rarely spend much time looking at nature so the moment felt quite strange. Weirdly I enjoyed doing it and was reminded of the fact that clouds move across the sky at quite an unexpected pace (unexpected to me that is). The moment had me thinking of the fact that it has been a while since I last smelt a rose or looked at a sunrise or a sunset (not possible now in Jakarta anyway as we are in the rainy season). Without doubt I have allowed “life” to take control of me and sure enough the small pleasures of nature and “life” itself are passing me by.
I have a gut feeling I am not the only one which is why I am sharing the story and video below with my readers. The photo and write-up are from The Wedding Live Band’s – The Raw Note Facebook Page and the video is taken from Youtube.
Enjoy and let me know your thoughts.
“In Washington DC , at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, a man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.
After about four minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.
About four minutes later, the violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.
At six minutes, a young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
At ten minutes, a three-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent – without exception – forced their children to move on quickly.
At forty-five minutes: The musician played continuously. Only six people stopped and listened for a short while. About twenty gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.
After one hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.
This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities.
This experiment raised several questions:
In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?
If so, do we stop to appreciate it?
Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?
One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made…
How many other things are we missing as we rush through life?”
Video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myq8upzJDJc
Click “like” at : http://www.facebook.com/WeddingLiveBandTheRawNote
Until next time…….ONE LOVE
Changes to ExpatOnTheGo
It is already mid-January but it is still important for me to wish you all a Happy New Year. 2011 is behind us and we must now look forward to 2012 and beyond. Personally I have not made any resolutions but I have spent much time thinking through the things that will make me feel as though 2012 brought success to my life. This includes:
* writing more
* eating better
* deciding what to do professionally (in the long run)
* spending more time being physical and by this I do not mean punching my husband in the stomach on a regular basis
* hubby and I taking charge of our financial future in a proactive and decisive manner
* travelling more to new places
* truly living each day rather than getting up and going through the motions
If I can make serious steps in the above areas then 2012 will be a wonderful year. As part of my new thrust I am creating a new blog called BuildANation. The purpose of this new forum will be to promote ideas that can lead to good governance: whether it be through politics, youth development, diaspora development or any other avenue that can help Jamaica to grow and meet her full potential. What BuildANation will also do is to allow me to use ExpatOnTheGo primarily for my rants as an expat wife and mother. For this I am sure my non-Jamaican readers will be happy.
Thank you for your support in 2011 and I look forward to having you in 2012 and beyond.
Until next time…….ONE LOVE
Blogs I Truly Love ………
Blogs are a dime a dozen and of course we all have our favourites. My faves (not in any order) are…….drumroll………
1. www.ExpatOnTheGo.wordpress.com (of course I love my own blog)
2. www.EzekelAlan.com (A Jamaican who shares his wit & humour while trying to write & publish his book)
3. www.EnterAdulthood.com (Awesome blog geared to youngsters just entering adulthood but I love it for the well written articles about life in general.
4. www.marciaforbes.com This is my pitstop for Jamaican political fixes.
5. www.thediplomaticwife.com If you live in Indonesia you need to follow this blog as she knows all the spots to eat and hang. I love her since she pointed me to some really good pork ribs (hard to find in a Muslim city).
6. http://www.opheliaswebb.com/ Great writing and wholesome warm pieces.
7. http://www.frenchchristmas.typepad.com/ Great writing – very poetic
Should I Learn to Dive or Belly/Pole Dance or Simply be Grateful?
It is the wee hours of the morning and for some reason I cannot seem to stay in bed which for me is strange because a lay-in is as precious a commodity as gold and platinum. So here I am, up writing a blog and torn about what exactly is my issue of the day. For the last few weeks I have been on a Jamaican political path but feel as though I am cheating my readers who follow my blogs to hear about my journey as an ex-politician turned expatriate wife living in a culture so opposite to hers that being zoomed up by a Martian would have seemed more familiar. So today I will focus on me and my life. Oh dear……
As many of you know I have not adjusted fully to my new life (6 years later and I still think of it as my new life). I still miss the things that I love and I am not just referring to jerk pork and stew peas with pig’s tail. I miss the campaign trail, the sense of purpose that does not involve teachers and swimming or golf lessons and most of all I miss having an identity outside of being Stephen’s wife or Alex and Amanda’s mom.
A Papuan Man Wearing His Penis Gourd....
I have lamented so much about these issues that I have not spent enough time being grateful: grateful for a life that has seen me grow both emotionally and physically (since becoming an expat I am at least 35 lbs heavier). Absolutely grateful for the friends I make livng abroad and for the things I get to see and to experience. Grateful for the time I am now able to spend with my family and for the joy in my kids’ eyes when I turn up for every event and meetings at school. My husband for the last few years has also been able to eat dinners and breakfasts cooked by me instead of by someone hired to make our lives easier. These are things which would not have been happening in our old life.
- Posing with a 200 yr old mummy in Papua
What I really need to do is to spend more time appreciating what I have and making the most of the opportunities in front of me instead of lamenting after the ones that have passed and gone. This is easier said than done but if I can adjust to living in a city where there is zero fresh air and 2% open space then by golly I can adjust my way of thinking about my life. What I should do is to start a list of things that I want to do, sort of like a bucket list but not quite so dramatic.
Let’s see, off the bat of my head I would want to:
Learn to ride a motorbike
Spend a month in Italy (here comes another 20lbs)
Learn to dive (I guess I need to learn to swim first. Yes I am from an island and cannot swim – I dare you to comment on this issue!!!!!).
Learn to belly and pole dance
Learn to drive a trailer
Be brave enough to bunjee jump
Run a marathon (not walk but run)
There is nothing stopping me from actually doing most of these things now but somehow I am stuck which is not good, not good at all. Maybe I should include them in my New Year’s Resolution.
Unto more exciting things – social commentary. I promise to be brief since this blog should be about me, but what am I without social commentary?
Can someone please tell me what’s up with this “Spoil the Ballot Movement” in Jamaica? Come on guys, think of something more productive. A protest must be creative enough to have a following or else doing something as counterproductive as spoiling ballots will seem like mischief. Do not misunderstand me, I am all for protests (check my history of arrest) but they must serve a purpose that is attainable or at least be able to effect change in some way. Spoiling ballots will only cost our country money that it doesn’t have. If you are serious why not start a campaign to raise funds and back an Independent candidate? Why not engage and mobilize youths to get involved in the process and to protest against issues of relevance such as an end to garrison politics or more youth inclusion in policy issues? I poke fun at Betty-Ann Blaine but I respect the fact that she does her thing without being counterproductive.
I invite someone from the “Spoil the Ballot Movement” to make me believe in your cause. Give me a reason to support your movement. An action in itself cannot effect change without a compass to betterment.
Until next time….One Love.
The Danger of Boredom
Image via Wikipedia
The situation in Libya was beginning to bore me. Living in this part of the world we tend to tune into the news first thing in the morning and day after day we are bombarded with footage of guns, warfare, death, danger and rubbles. It was beginning to seem monotonous and boring but this morning something inside me went off like a lightning bolt. I was embarrassed that I had stopped caring about the situation in Libya. Today the social development specialist in me pushed itself forward and my boredom became anger, pity and dread.
I sat glued to the tv screen as I watched males of all ages using guns with the same ease with which my 7 year old handles the Wii remote. Not sure if it was the $ 1 million bounty on Ghadafi’s head or the BBC reporter pointing out that the death toll really wasn’t that bad for 6 months of rebellion that woke me out of my state of boredom. I suddenly noticed that many of those touting powerful weapons seemed to be below the age of 24.
Do we truly understand the potential implications of youths with guns even for a cause? Have we grasped the fact that these ‘rebels’ are operating on adrenalin? Are we prepared for what we are creating? Where did the rebels get $ 1 million to offer as bounty for Ghadafi? What will fill the vacuum created by the need for the high created by this warfare? How do we tell these young men to find a nine to five job when the battle is over?
A large focus has been on whether or not the war was instigated by the Americans et al because of Libya’s oil wealth. Personally I do not care about that as the powers are doing what they need to do the same way vultures do what they were created to do. What are we doing in our respective safe haven corners? Have we sat with our children and discussed the issues with them? I certainly have not and it is embarrassing. I am ashamed and I hang my head in shame and shall remedy the situation posthaste. Friends, the days have gone when we sit on the sidelines and simply blame everyone else when all goes awry. No country is beyond chaos and no society is without blame. I cannot afford to get bored and separate myself from what is happening.
It’s not just London Burning anymore. Do you remember that song from your childhood?
Until next time……..One Love!!!!!
ExpatOnTheGo 