Shootas

This is a story of a bad reality of Jamaica that I have to admit.
As you know, Jamaica is not only a breeding ground for reggae music, but also...

"Shoota" is a Jamaican slang term for gangster, originally from "shot-caller".
Umm, make sense, make sense...

Biggs (Ky-mani Marley) and Wayne (Spragga Benz) grow up together in Ghetto in Kingston.
Hoping for a better life with limited possibilities, they managed to grab enough money by robbery.
The money enabled them to purchase visas to the States.

At first, it didn't go well in Miami. They were deported back to Jamaica.
But Biggs finds a way back to Miami by complicity with local politicians. Cliche!!
There's always a way, maybe should be called, wayout? under the table.

They made success in Miami till their rivals showed up...

I didn't have a chance to go to Ghetto in Kingston while visiting there, which is not the place you

guys tourists step in just for fun, though.

Even taxi drivers try to avoid runnng through the downtown...

Because there are "Shottas" for sure. This is truly one side of Jamaica.

Life and Debt

To understand more what kind of situation Jamaica has been facing against, I decided to watch this documentary.
But I wasn't focused enough to catch the point perfectly... It was a bit boring to just listen to former President or some other senior officials talk about the economic and social condition.

Here are several points I managed to grab from the film.

IMF or World Bank loan money under strict condition that Jamaica never ever seems to achieve, like trade liberalization, privatization and so on.

For instance, they have to accept imported crops from the States, which originally produced in Latin American countries.

As you could imagine, it prevents domestic agriculture stop to grow since they are lower-priced.

Overall, it critiques the West and the West-oriented global organization.

All I can do is just pray for better tomorrow for most of people in Jamaica who are not wealthy.

I dare to use the term "tomorrow" instead of "future".

What I've heard from a Japanese woman living in Kingston for more than 15 years, people only set their eyes on this coming tomorrow every single day.

One Love

I watched this twice in a row. And at the third time with my little sis. Just desperately wanted to feel the atmosphere of Jamaica.

Kassa (Ky-Mani Marley) a rasta man, hoping for musical success. One day he meets a gospel singer girl, Serena at the recording studio and instantly falls for her. Love at the first sight?!

But Serena is unattainable for Kassa. She's a sheltered daughter of the pastor and he strongly forbids her to see him and wants her to marry one of his church members.

Meanwhile the record boss organizing the contest, tries to get Kassa's band to sign to his label on his terms not theirs.
He really wants a contract that will lead to his dream, but he isn't in dilemma at all. What he matters is "HIS" own music.

The plot goes as your expectation.

Although Kassa is set up by Serena's fiance, let's say, ganja thing..., they get together at the end.

I can get a sense of how Rasta people are being treated and how they live in their villages, which was good.

Because this is something that I wanted to see, but missed when I visited Jamaica last year.

Next time I'll join Nyahbinghi at Sunday in Kingston, hopefully.

All Night ♪

I love it like crazy !! Check it!

One Love Festival

It was miserable rainy the day before the event.
But it totally cleared up on "the" day. Maybe JAH did for us...
Under the beautiful sun, almost no clouds in the sky as far as I remembered, I was headed to One Love Festival.

After a hanging around the venue a little, we settled down in front of the stage in the shade of some trees.
The Sun started scorching here Yoyogi park, which was partly not good for your skin, but partly good. You can fantasize yourself just as being in Jamaica.
Actually, the sun in Jamaica was so strong. I almost heard my arms being blazed just like grilled chicken or something, even though I put lots of protection on them.

Listening to off-beat reggae sounds by indies or unsigned bands with Red Stripe and Jamaican soul food, jerk chicken, I noticed my eye were watering, missing Jamaica so much.

I didn't know how much I miss that island. Or Was I just being too emotional?? My little sis says it's definetely the latter. As you might know, I've been to many countries, relatively "many" , but no country never made me so sentimental. You'll see how it goes from now on...

Not that big, but there was a sound system there. It seemed people were coming together in the front of this, like being lured by the sound. They desperately needed nice riddim and nice vibes.

Having say that, they were clearly the most popular. No doubt about it. Gals and rudy raggamuffins came to shake hands with them or take some pics with them...

This elderly couple made all of surroudings happy. Just watching them dance without any camera-shiness was so peaceful. Respect !!

I'm not sure about what it was like on the second day. At least on the first day, Bob's songs were not played so often. I wanted to listen to his songs by a gigantic sound system. This is the only thing I was disappointed with.

Overall, I was soooo irie.

No woman No cry

I wanted to read a book on Bob Marley for preparation of "One Love Festival" that I'll be going with Linda and my little sis in May.
Contrary to my expectations, this was the only one available among my library grid.
I just thought much more published...
Anyway, everything would be more enjoyable with some knowledge ahead.
That's one of lessons that I've learned even in my frigging miserable life.

Overall, this was a sort of a bio of Rita Marley as Bob's wife and also one of his back up singers.
If you're crazy about Bob himself and his sounds, this book might not be the right one as the title tells literally. You might want to go to something different straightaway!

But, having said that, I knew almost nothing about this world phenomenal movement in 70's.
So it was worthwhile for me...

His music has attracted people all over the world and it's true, no doubt about it.
But this is just his one side. You wanna know a little dirty? to "Keep it Real " .
He was a real magnet for chicks.
I knew he was quite a one nighter but this gives you more details about that kind of thing from his "official "wife, Rita's perspectives.

If I were her, I just couldn't stand.
You're on the road with him, staying at a seperate hotel room from his.
And he rumples his bedclothes with a woman who is not you at least...
It's torture, isn't it, girls?!

Only one time, just once in her marriage life with Bob, they had a quarrel over his flirtatious relationships, Rita says in the book. At that time, Bob told her, "You don't have to give birth to all kids that I need in my life. Your body will be ruined."

Then she realized any kind of argument wouldn't cut it and never let an argument happened.

Do you think it makes sense? Theoretically, it seems to be barely OK... but I think I need to learn more about Rastafarianism to understand him better.

Launch Spanish learning!!

One thing that rejoiced me the most in 2009 occurred in the Big Apple when I had to stay overnight for my connection flight to Tokyo from JM.

I immediately noticed my taxi driver and his assistant guy were Hispanic by a language they were speaking each other.
I really wanted to talk to them in Spanish while my vocabulary was extremely limited.
My brain was desperately struggling to find Spanish words that seemed cool and would make them laugh.

In time the car stopped in the front of the airport hotel we were going to stay.
I was, like being stading on the edge of a cliff, no time left at all, and finally this poped up out of my mouth in a loud voice when I was just about to put my one foot on the ground from the car.

" Muchas gracias! "

They looked a bit surpriced but gave me biiiiig smiles !!
What an experience !
I was so exhausted and a bit under the weather, actually.
But it's gone, it has, totally!!

Come to think of it,
I might had fogotten pleasure of making myself understood in a foreign language even if it was just a greeting word...

Like this way, I've just taken up learning Spanish.
Luckily, I have a tutor, Linda. Totally indivisual contract.
My English, it was crazily a long way to come up to here,
so I'll take it slow.
Hope to understand survival travel Spanish by this fall.

BTW, the first thing I did once stepping into the room was, Chinese delivery order !!! Almost every American TV drama has a scenes of munching away paper-made boxed Chinese on the bed or couch... so I wanted to try.Hahaha.
It was yummy and I was happy.

Cool Runnings

Have you ever watched a movie shot in JM?
I have. It's "Cool Runnings" !
It's a comedy of Jamaican national Bobsled teams debut at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. And half-based on the true story.
Track and field guys who disqualified for summer Olympic in Seoul, try the most top-lebeled sports event in the world somehow or other in a completely different play from they've been involved.

Actors don't have as strong Patwan dialect as I had been exposed to during my getaway in JM last autumn. But I recognized quite a typical phrase "Yah man" several times in the film.

Actually, I had been wondering if Jamaican women also use this often since it includes a word of "man" literally. Then I asked one local guy. Yes, they do! Yah man !!

Miss JM, miss this paradise that I stayed like crazy...

My perfect night in JM

This is it !!
This is the night I craved in Jamaica.



Sadly, I coudn't have that kind of night. (> <)
What I really experienced was ...
I barely exposed myself in what is called club in Kingston,
I was extremely fatigued though...
Actually before the club, I almost fainted at the Bob Marley Museum, maybe because of a combination of heat stroke and anemia.
But I did night out. I was desperate !!

It was about 11PM or so when we arrived.
But the night was sooooooo young for local guys,
which I had absolutely no idea.
One of the guys there, who slightly looked like Will Smith (^ー^) spoke to me,
"Hey, Let's go dancing later together !! It'll start around 1AM."

"What? 1AM?"
No way, Jose, I just can't. I can't stay that much longer.
My mo-fo taxi driver is waiting on the street
and I have to leave JM tomorrow.
In that way, I had some small chat with guys here and there over a couple of beer and left. That's it.

I'd definitely stay in bed till evening and head for a club totally vigorously if I had the next time.