There...
[Cue drums]
Make WAAAAY for Prince Ali!
Last weekend I conducted an informal study - with the help of two assistants - on the differences between Jamaican and American movie theaters. (By this, I mean that I went to see Disney’s new Aladdin with Cheryl’s grandson and a friend.)
Differences:
- Jamaican theaters give you a tray to carry your snacks.
- There is an intermission halfway through the movie.
Similarities
- The popcorn is better than any popcorn you could ever make at home.
- Your friend sitting right next to you talks too much during the film.
- Someone in front of you is using their phone.
The results are conclusive: movie theaters are a great way to spend a Friday night!
The rest of the weekend was spent relaxing with the family. I went to a barbecue with Gregory, played a little UNO, and went to Cheryl’s granddaughter’s dance recital.
The work week was a productive one. I entered all of the evaluations from our collaboration workshop online, and most of the reviews were pretty positive. I also set up a few meetings on the other side of the island so that we could cover as many bases as possible on our Thursday trip to Runaway Bay up in St. Ann. A colleague from the Winrock office in D.C. was in town for the week, which provided the perfect excuse opportunity top try a few new lunch places near the office.
A group of us from the office left Kingston early Thursday morning so that we could be to the St. Hilda’s Diocesan High School by 8:30 for a presentation by DSP Carl Berry, a trafficking investigator with the Jamaican Constabulary Force (JCF).
The all-girls school had recently started an Anti-Trafficking Club, which is being supported by the JCF. The girls performed a skit about the perils of trafficking and demonstrated how children are targeted and can be lured into dangerous situations. Following the skit, DSP Berry lectured on how to identify and report suspected cases of trafficking, and gave an informative presentation on the process of investigating trafficking cases. After the assembly, the ATIP Club stuck around for a Q&A session with DSP Berry and the Winrock team. I was inspiring to see these young girls taking the initiative to tackle these tough questions! I’m confident that Jamaica will be all the better for it in the future!
Next, we moved on to attend a training at the Grand Bahia Principe resort in Runaway Bay. This was an HR training for hotel personnel on how to identify trafficking victims and situations in a tourism industry context. I’ve been particularly interested in this topic since I found out we would be working on it this Summer. Having lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for a few years before moving to Virginia for law school, I know that this type of tourism-based trafficking is one which was far too prevalent in my home state. Grand Rapids is a lovely city, and is a popular conference and concert destination because of its large venues and conference centers. And unfortunately, with the huge influxes of business people staying in town short-term, there is a demand for vulnerable traffickees.
Thankfully, DSP Berry’s training at Bahia Principe was very interactive and well-received. The tourism industry is huge in Jamaica, and trafficking puts the industry at risk. I got the sense that the hotel workers genuinely want to help stamp out this problem, and am glad to have been able to see their training.
Our last stop for the day was at the Women’s Centre Jamaica Foundation’s location in St. Ann to see if there was a way that we could collaborate to provide reintegration services for trafficking victims. WCJF is a continuing education organization that works with pregnant teens and teen mothers.
This weekend, I went to an orientation for a gym near my house. I figured it was about time to work off some of this jerk chicken and rice. It turns out my new gym has spin classes! This last semester I was going to cycling classes a few times a week, so having I’m looking forward to getting back in the swing of things!