A Day in the Life
My routine has gotten a bit smoother every week since I’ve arrived in Jamaica. By now, it is at the point that I have “go to” lunch spots, the workers in the shops that I visit have started to recognize me, and I can navigate my day without needing help from Cheryl or my coworkers.
I start my day by catching a route taxi to work. This is an inexpensive, shared taxi that drives the same route repeatedly. Sometimes I’ll get lucky with a clean, air-conditioned car with one or two other people, but just as often I’ll end up crammed in the back seat of an overfilled van that thinks it is okay to drive on the sidewalk, so long as it isn’t very far (and the police aren’t around).
The morning usually comprises meetings and wrapping up the last few odds and ends from yesterday’s to do list. Then, sometime between 12:00 and 1:00, I’ll leave the office to grab lunch. There are a few good lunch spots within walking distance, but I’ve started to frequent a hot dog stand called Bad Dawg Sausages at the Devon House most often. I even happened to stop by while they were taking promotional pictures a few weeks ago, and was featured in their advertisement on Instagram.
Admittedly, it's not a great photo of me, but it is neat all the same!
After lunch, I work on my projects for the day before leaving the office and catching a route taxi back to Liguanea. Occasionally my coworkers and I will take an afternoon trip to a local nonprofit to discuss partnerships or tour shelter facilities. After dinner, I will play with Cheryl’s grandkids for a bit before settling into my hammock to relax before bed.
This week, one of our afternoon trips was to check out a children’s home called SOS Children Services that raises kids in a family-structured group home. SOS is an international organization with multiple locations in Jamaica, and their facility in Kingston is very impressive. Each house has a live in caretaker that acts as the parent for up to eight children. The kids attend the school of their choice, are encouraged to participate in all sorts of after-school activities, and receive educational and emotional support from the staff at the complex.
Aaron, Cheryl’s grandson, has been dancing with a group from school for the last month or so, and on Friday the group put on a recital. I wouldn’t say that I have two left feet, but I’m by no means a dancer, so I was very impressed watching all of these young folks cut the rug on stage. Aaron likes some of the dances from the video game Fortnite, so he tossed a few of them into his routine during the show’s finale.