What is it Like...?

Travel Info
Is there anyone who can tell me what is it like to live in Jamaica?
In every society, there are rich/poor; Violent/non-violent, educated/non-educated...etc
I would just like to learn, from someone, who currently resides or has resided in Jamaica, what it is or was like for him/her.

Travel Tips

Well it seems everyone who answered is from Kingston or reside there at one point.
Montego bay is my home,its great if you have the money, what can i say,i was not rich you can consider my back ground as a middle upper one,my home was both in Mo-bay and the country,which was way less in traffic & less fast pase,just 7 miles out ,life can get really boring, but then the air is cleaner,river water is safer for consumption and recreational activities ,& stars are very clear in the night sky, and hiking in the near by forest of the Palmyra's mountain's,with my friends on days when we felt adventurous,in the evening soccer or foot ball as we locals know it,was the main event,there was no cable so i didn't sit around all day,however last year we recently got hook up by the local cable net work,sometimes there be a dance party at Wakefield or Dumfries,which are more populated communities.
Water some times would go so too would power,but for the most we were all accustomed to it.
Crime in country very quiet,now and then you'll have the excitement of a police chase from a dispatch in Adelphi dist,or some other problem.
Montego bay its all different life is fast and exciting on the hip strip & down town, for movies you can go to Bogue at Cinimax the entire area of bogue is newly built and features some of the more up scale shopping & dinning and even resdential areas were life for Montegonians is alot similar to that of the states,Montego bay though offer's alot .
There are area's that one wouldn't go like Gully and Norwood and Mt Salemt or other area's of the city without a friend from the area,however all in all it was safe during day time to travel around these area's.
Now to the city which has rich and super rich areas like Farm hieght's the richest communty in Jamaica,which feature's security 24/7 even celeb's from US- C A have home's there,and many rich Kingstonian's who also can afford it,average price for home like J$ 45 million and higher,many hotel manager's also reside there,and close by,like Coral gardens and Rose hall and Iron shore are all top line comunities which generally have super size homes with all the commodities available American style setting,mix with Jamaican design. in general power cut's are less in the these area's and responce from the islands provider's of vital service's are alot quiker, "and i mean fast!".
"I know" for in paradise community, bills had to be paid on time,miss it by a day and the second day your in darkness.

For me Paradise was a second residence in,every night there was the sound of shot's,from the near by community of Norwood,whether it was test fire or something esle i don't know,but it never bothered me.
Other than that day time temp's will make you miserable,but then there is the beach even thoug i'd never had enough time,like most Jamaican's who have bill's to pay.

Down town as i said is very fast pase,so be care full with your fanscy phone's like Motorola's and etc; as they are on the main list for thief.
For those of us who are educated and seeking to be,look towards UWI University of West indies or Utech and Northern University located in Manchester, Mandeville rich and poor Jamaican's alike go,but education in Jamaica is not cheap and some fees were subsidise by Gov.
Life in Jamaica is very hard especially for the poor among us,light bills can be a killer and phone bill's too are no different for those who have a land line.
The economy is not performing, there fore job's are hard to find, especially when you don't have an insider to set you up,many university graduates can't find work so they migrate oversea's,and if they do they are under paid,plus politicians,and other's are corrupt,like the police,but who can blame them,they are not being paid enough.
The biggest party time for us is Christmas,good food great parties and lot's of outings with friend's any other holiday is highly celebrated but not like this,this is why at this time every Jamaican,near or far look to the island.
But overall life with all the challenge's is good for people under such condition's become creative innovative,and adapt,you'll not find this any were esle in the world,ask the man who is a PNP supporter, in the country if he will vote PNP,and he will say yes,well statistic's say 89% of our pop; is educated but lets see, for even if his road has'nt been fixed in the last 18 year's even if the hospitals are not up to scratch i don't know but i hope it gets better,until then i just have to make due,but then that is very easy for the super rich among us who can enjoy all that life has to offer,on this our island. Source(s): Experience form a hard working Jamaican, for when you live here you take nothing for granted,life is good and i thank god for every day, of it.
Other Travel Tips

For me, it is frustrating at times. I know no other home, however, so for the most part, although I find life a bit challenging here, I feel safe and comfortable enough to live.

I am by no means rich, but I thank God everyday for a roof over my head, the meals I can look forward to every evening and the access to the many things that most of us who have it take for granted. I get frustrated because I am not fortunate to have a wealthy daddy, so I have to borrow a loan (something I did not want to resort to) to get my tertiary education. I'm not complaining, though. I just wish things were easier. I guess there are plenty here like myself, and plenty more who cannot relate to me. They'll probably give me a thumbs down, but I don't care. They might be rich, but I'm not and this my reality.
I've lived in city Kingston Jamaica just for a few years of my life, ie, when I was pretty younger. I attended pre- school (Basic School), it was fun. On holidays, I would go with my family to the beach, (Helshire, Duns River Falls...), to Coney Park, Coco-Nut Park & Hope Zoo, Port Royal via ferry, Blue Mountain Peak, and even Prospect Plantation in Ocho Rios.

While attending Primary School, my Family and I moved away from Kingston to Rural St. Andrew, there were still Supermarkets, Cinemas anf Fast food entities nearby, it just had less trafic to and from home, ergo less noise.

The food is always great: Around Christmas time, there was always a lot of Sorrel to drink, mmmh! especially with White Rum and tasty Christmas Cake/Pudding (Pudd'n).
Year round there was: Fried/Jerked Chicken n' Rice & Peas; Curry Chicken/Goat with Rice; Fried Fish n' Festival with Bammy, Pear(used in Guacomole), Fried Ripe Plantain; Ackee n' Salt Fish with boiled/fried Dumpling, Red Peas Beef Soup with Yam, green Banana, Carrot , Corn, green Peas n Sweet Pepper/Fish Tea Soup with same; Cornmeal/Rice/Homeny Corn or Oats Porage with Betty Condenced Milk, Chocolate/Cocoa Tea; Stir Fried Calalou/Salt Makerel Run-Down/Fried Liver with Fried/Boiled Dumpling, yam, Irish Potato & Green Banana; Stew Peas n' Rice. Most Jamaicans just love Jerk Pork.

Crime and Violence is a problem in every country and culture, thankfully it has never been a problem for me.
I lived in jamaica until i was 19 and came here for college. It depends on where u live that u will enjoy living in jamaica the most. If u live like grants pen, rema, tivoli gardens, you will live in fear every day. If you happen to live like in Norbrook, St. Andrew, or Strawberry Hill, Havendale Heights, Beverley Hills (yes there is one in jamaica and the houses are expensive but NICE).. mostly imprtant politician and s VIPs live in those areas. You will not have to experience no gun shots, no chaos or nothing. I live in Norbrook with my gram, we actually live like right down the road from the Prime minster. The poor people like to fix up shacks and locate them near where the rich people live. The rich people live quiet, and there are parties where u can go to as well.

Jamaica has 3 major universities, UTECH, UWI and this unimportant one in the country who no one really goes to. Most people want to get into UWI, consider it the Harvard of Jamaica. Most people are educated beyond educated, and some like the US dont care about education. They wanna be gang bangers. But all in all theres crime but theres crime everywhere u know.
As for me, I'm a teenager growing up, lived here all my life and couldn't even dream of living anywhere else. For me its cool, I go out a lot and hang out with my friends. I haven't been to many other countries but its seems pretty much normal. There's also a lot of recreational stuff to do as well. In terms of education, i attend a prominent high school here and currently doing the dreaded CXC. Yes its a really hard test that determines your future. But Overall I'd say that Jamaica is cool.