The internet is a dangerous place…

I had too much time on my hands recently. So I went off snopping around the internet to see what I could find. After looking through the usual suspects, I decided that it would be interesting to see what some people from my past were up to. So I plugged names into google and off i went.

And I found my ex bf’s blog. Hmm, now which girl wouldn’t open that? Just out of interest, obviously. Just wanted to see how he’s doing (the occassional text messages that I receive never contain more that ‘all is good – how’s u?’).

And he’s doing well. The blog is complete with photos and stories of all the people I used to know and used to spend lots of time with. It felt very odd to see them all again.

And there were lots of happy photos of him and his girlfriend. Now that was the bit I didn’t need to see. Exs are strange things. No desire at all to have him back. Am very happy in current relationship. I have completely moved on – to the extent of moving country and changing hair colour! But still have no desire to know about the girl who has taken my place. And to see them looking so happy together at all the places we used to be happy at.

But I can’t complain – I was the one who was snooping. I guess that’s part of the reason I don’t have my name on this page – so he can’t return the faviour so easily!

Grey day

It’s a rainy day in Kingston. I woke up this morning to the sound of the rain on the zinc roof and splashing on the road from cars driving past. It’s the kind of weather that we don’t get often in Kingston – cool and grey – and it is a nice change… as long as it doesn’t stay for long! It was that type of weather which is perfect for staying in bed all morning . Unfortunately it had to happen today, on the first morning of the school term, as traffic is nasty and requires an early start to get to work on time.

But at least work is mellow today, the boss is out of office! He’ll be back tomorrow so we are all enjoying some space today and getting ready for the onslaught which will be begin tomorrow. Maybe he will have returned in a happy mood from his holidays, with belated Christmas presents for all his staff members…

Sorry, just got distracted. I thought I saw a cow flying past the window.

I love sunshine!

There are some moments when I can’t resist the temptation. A friend of mine sent me a photo of the view from her house at Christmas this year. I used to live close to her…

(photo by Dani!) It is a very pretty picture I admit.

But I couldn’t resist it. I had to be mean. I sent her back one of me which was taken just after Christmas…

It’s a hard life but someone has to do it!!!!

Office Nightmares

My office was nice and quiet this morning until a group arrived for a meeting. They had to keep on passing through my office to get to where they needed to be. And it seemed like they kept on forgetting things as they had to come back and forward over and over again.

Which wouldn’t be too bad – I like a bit of distraction! However, each time they came through, they forgot to shut the door. So my a/c had to go into super-loud overdrive to compensate. And then I’d realise and get up and shut the door. And then back they’d come again and leave it open. Grrr. After this had been going on for about an hour, I decided that the nice polite ‘please shut the door behind you’ wasn’t working. So the next person who came through was given the message in a loud and angry tone.

But it made no differnce. The door was left open again. At which point I gave up. I decided to leave the door open, turn off the a/d and have some nice natural air.

At which point, they all suddenly got the message and started to shut the door behind them. So now it is getting very hot and stuffy in here.

I feel like I have become trapped in some office nightmare. I need to go and find chocolate… or maybe just go home for the rest of the day…

Various disjointed thoughts

Christmas Parties
I’ve been to lots of parties this Christmas. Big ones and little ones. Loud ones and even louder ones. Ones with lots of drink and ones with lots to eat and drink! Several of these have been held at private homes, so my heels have sunk into lots of different grassy patches. But I managed not to fall over on any staircases!

Christmas parties amuse me because they are filled with people who are no longer living in Jamaica. And every year you have the same conversation. ‘I’m planning on coming home this year’ they say. And then next year, you see them again. Yup, still planning.

You can spot them as well. They look so pleased to see everyone! And they dress differently, can’t put my finger on it – maybe something to do with pumps, but they look different. And their hair is different – they have long hair which they wear loose which is great in the winter but often doesn’t look as good by the end of an evening in Jamaica!

These Christmas parties mark the start of the soca season in Jamaica. Everyone starts to jump and wine. And starts talking about going to Trini… and then i become like one of those Jamaicans abroad ‘I’m planning on going this year’ and next year, I’ll still be planning!

School Reunions
I had a school reunion this holiday. 10 years since we left school. So we all gathered at the appointed time and place to inspect each other. and it was enjoyable. Most people look the same but some tried to confuse us. They brought outsiders to the event – fiancees and such people. One girl in particular I spent a long time looking at and trying to work out who she was before someone explained that she was a fiancee so I didn’t have to pretend to know her!

But people are doing well. Doing things ranging from PhDs in neuroscience to tv presenting to futures trading on wall street. But the sad part was that I estimate that only about 1/3 of us are still living in Jamaica. These are people who have had one of the best high school educations available in Jamaica and are now contributing to another country.

The joke at the end of the evening was that I went to another party with my bf. This was an invitation party and we were at the gate when I suddenly heard people calling out to me and asking if I was on the list, and if so, could I get them in. I looked and it was some people I used to go to school with who’d also been at the reunion. I was on the list, but couldn’t take anyone in so I had to leave them outside.

The amusing bit is that I was thinking how times have changed. In school days, these were the kids that were in on every party and would never need me to get them in anywhere. Instead, I’d have been the one who would have had an early curfew so wouldn’t have attempted to go to the party!

New Years Eve
I started the new year right – I went to church with my bf! Haven’t been on new years eve for ages so it was nice. Afterwards, I went home, put on a dress and heels and went out drinking and dancing. I’m one of those girls who likes to dress up from time to time. Not all the time, but I figure new years is one of those occassions.

So I went out in my dress and ridiculous heels (hey, I’m short, I need help!) and danced away. And then, when I figured most people were to drunk to notice anything, I headed to my car and got out my comfie flip flops and went back and was able to smile the rest of the night. All the way through until the sun rose on 2006.

And it was a wicked party. The theme was ‘come as what you perceive yourself as being.’ Now, that’s too complicated for most of us to think about. But some people went all out. I was amused by one lady who was dressed as a french maid, hmmm. There were also a couple of guys who came in their sports wear – unfortunately for their perception to become reality, they looked like they needed some more exercise!

I’m back!

(Belated) Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!

Ok, So I haven’t posted in ages… well, Cable and Wutless have been being their usual selves.. so broadband was down loads over the season… haven’t been in the office much (yeah!!!) … so have been on holiday from the internet. And yes, I could have made an effort … but there was too much other fun going on to be bothered!!! So anyway, am back now… but missed the great ja bloger meet up during my away period – sorry guys! Will try and join you next time round!!!

Anyway, am back in the office now, first day back this year … so have to go and search for some coffee to get me going - will be back later – and there will be stories!!

Cruel things done in the name of Christmas

Case 1 – the miserable santas
Some of the computers in our office are not working properly. So we have called our IT support company, who have sent along 2 of their young male employees to look after us. And both of these y9oung men have turned up wearing red fluffy santa hats. Apparently it is company policy that they have to wear them so as to ’spread Christmas cheer.’ But they look so uncomfortable in them that I think they are speading misery.

Case 2 – the annoying elves
Whenever you go near the shopping plazas at the moment, you are accosted by elves. These elves are employed by one of the mobile phone companies to hand out brochures and to encourage you to walk into their stores and ‘dance out.’ Now all these elves do is get int he way (they hunt in packs), and harass people. Get rids of the elves I say!

Case 3 – dire music
Ok, I like Christmas music. I like carols, I like cheesy songs, I like fab 5’s christmas music. But what I don;t get is why does everythign have to be on repeat? Just becuase some people might like ‘all I want for Christmas is You’, doesn’t mean that I should have to listen to Myriah’s warbling about 4 times an hour. You don’t do that with normal music – why do we have to do it to Christmas music?

bah bumbug

But despite all of that, I’m still excited that it’s nearly Christmas!!! The tree is up! Presents are nearly bought! Fun parties are happening! And the sorrel has started!

Nice, pretty, helpful computer, please post this for me?

My computer has been throwing a temper tantrum. I’m not sure why – I don’t think I did anything especially bad to make it hate me. When I came to work on Friday morning, it decided that it didn’t like me. So I couldn’t print, could access any communal documents and, worse of all, I couldn’t access the internet. Various people came to look at it, bribery was offered and cleaning done. But all to no avail. and then suddenly, for no apparently reason, it came out of its sulk yesterday afternoon. So I am now back in contact with the world. Now I am being sure to be polite and always say please to my computer and to use CNTL+ALT+DEL as little as possible.

So, since I was last here, I have…

- attended a 3 year old’s birthday party. Which was fun. And good for me – nice to see and play with the kids, and good to be reminded that however cute they are, I have no need for one right now! But also good to see the bf looking very sweet with small children… future potential??
- survived the first big Christmas party of the season. It was cold in the hills – but I partied until I had to take my shoes off at 6 in the morning. And more than one person told me that I looked slim – not sure how much they had been drinking but still pleased to hear it!
- been to see Pride and Prejudice – excellent film, hilarious audience (Sorry Guyana Gal for my typo – I’ve not been to see Bride and Prejudice yet!)
- discovered that my brother is reading this page… need to remember to watch what I say about him…
- not done my Christmas shopping!

The next exciting item on my agenda is to go and buy a christmas tree – hopefully that will be done this evening – if I can escape from my boss at a decent hour!!!

Welcome Home

I went to the airport today to collect a family member who’d been away for a few weeks and was coming back on the Miami flight. The flight was full as it is now the start of the Jamaican diaspora visiting season. Those who are coming down for Christmas all ready tend to be those who are retired and are coming for a month. Some of these are people who have been abroad for many many years but still view Jamaica as their home and want to be here for Christmas. You can see them, emerging from the airport, blinking in the bright sunshine, looking anxiously around for relatives who they haven’t seen for years, hoping that they will be recognised.

If you go nearer to Christmas, then you see the younger people. Those young people who have gone abroad to study, or to get their first job, most of whom go up saying that they’ll come home soon. These are the ones who are travelling in their fashionable clothes with smart suitcases, wanting everyone to know that they are making it abroad, that they are someone. They want to come home to live, but they can’t get… they have to finish their next degree, they have to get legal status, they have to earn some more money, and eventually it turns out that they have found a new life abroad and are too tied into it to come back.

But no matter what is going on in their lives, Jamaicans all over the world want to come home for Christmas. I know – I was one of these people. I saved for ages, took flights through New York and slept on airport floors – anything just to be home for Christmas. To come home for your sorrel and ham, to see the poinsettias growing outside, to feel the Christmas breeze, to meet up with everyone you left behind and hear the firecrackers at night.

And it felt good today. Good to go to the airport and to be on the receiving side at this time of year. Good to know that I don’t have to fit everything into 2 precious week, that after Christmas, I will not be packing my bags with cake and rum and coffee and memories to last me through the winter. But rather that I’ll still be here in January.

Walking upside down

I am feeling very proud of myself at the moment. I have just worked out how to stick a counter on my blog. For someone who knows nothing about coding or whatever, this is a good achievement.

The next thing that I shall attempt to do is get my phone set up so that I can finally email from it and download my photos… yes, I’ve needed to do this for ages but haven’t had the energy to deal with customer services before. I have tried today – I’ve spoken to 5 people so far and all of them have talked to me as if I am stupid but none of them have solved the problem! Apparently I now need to go to a shop and get them to do it there for some reason…

Anyway, the motive for finally trying to get this sorted is that I passed a good sign on my way to work that I wanted to take a photo of and share with you. I hardly ever remember to walk with my digital camera so the phone is the only option usually. The sign said:

‘Drivers do not parkon the side walk. It is for foot walkers only.’

My brain started to think, if this side is for foot walkers, maybe the other side is for hand walkers. I looked round, excited to see everyone walking on their hands on the other side of the road… but no such luck.