Day 42 - Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Day 42

When I got up this morning, three of my friends from Jamaica were buzzing around in my mind. So guess what? I gave the three of them a call :)...So I called M, Ro and Ra.. I know for sure that Ro and Ra are doing exams,...Not so sure about M. I got through to M and Ra (who was very busy studying, as it is her final year) but Ro phone waah dash weh or shi did lock it off or something; Maybe she busy studying as well because its her final year too. Bwoy I don't want to see my next phone bill...My Jamaican friend who I met last week in Okayama, run up him phone bill a call him wife back in Jamaica...I won't say how much it guh up to but it nuff...Dem cut off him phone and him did haffi beg someone to buy one other phone for him that is pre-paid (sorry fi a scandal yuh suh mi fren but yuh done know)...A good ting him nuh know bout di blog yet lol....The problem is that, when him leaving Japan, him going to have to pay back every cent him owe the people dem.

I went to buy my groceries today and also went to Joyful (the ALTs who don't like to cook or who can't cook, ) paradise and even though some kids were there and I shocked a few of them (almost everyday I shock somebody new), it was ok. The shock comes in different ways. One time you will get the second stare with that mouth wide open look. Another time you will get just that blank stare for a couple a seconds, and when you say hi to them is like they snap out of the trance. Most of them will say hi back, but a few times they don't even pay yuh nuh mind. Another thing is the, "hey look there is a black guy, WOW!! I can't believe my eyes" kinda look where they touch either their parents or their friends and point at you. And the friend/parent will give you either the trance stare or the second stare...Am I ever going to get used to this?? Well early days yet I guess. The town has only about 30,000 - 40,000 persons I hear, which is probably the same amount of persons in my community back in Jamaica, the infamous WATERFORD (weh di Waterford massive dem deh, blap blap)... Of course by now unnu muss realise that some screws need to tighten up my head right :) Hey to think about it...I remember that sometime in about 1999 my mother had to run off Vybez Kartel and some of his cronies off my roof top because they were bursting clappers and fire crakers up there... Yes what was I saying again? 

Oh yes, 30,000 - 40,000 persons in Niimi but the area is very very big, probably as big as St. Catherine and Clarendon combined.

I faxed off my worksheet today because its the last day of the month. If I don't fax off this thing, then I won't get paid. Each day I have to get a stamp from one of the teachers at the school I go to on that day. Some people wait until late to get all the stamps at the different schools but this is dangerous...because if you can't find anybody to stamp it one day...den yuh salt and you will be paid late. One of the ALTs said our contract is very similar to the man dem weh fix the photocopy machine and the AC and dem ting deh. Is just that we are English teachers.

I also got my letter from golloyds today, to say I am now registered. This is the place that can allow me to wire money back home, because mi have to pay off back mi car loan else RBTT going to come a mi yard in Waterford wid police, fi tek weh mi car, and dat cyaaah work. Ok mi a tell unnu too much of mi business now lol... inna di laterz.