November 17, 2024 - Week 43

After an intense week of singing, drumming, and keyboard lessons and completing the musical script for Christmas Carols/Story of Jesus' Birth, I could finally enjoy the weekend away on a Church retreat.

This was my first weekend away with a group of 20+ Jamaicans and I was a tad nervous. However, after two days, one night I am already missing the loud patois conversations that carried throughout the weekend.

I was paired with a young graduate who recently started working at the government's cybersecurity department. Before bed, we chatted about Jamaica vs. Canada's cultural experience, but the difference was best highlighted when we discussed the AC temperature. In my opinion, the best sleeping temperature is 18C, but for her she likes her temperature to be at least 26C!

We woke up early on the second day for praise and worship and the Jamaicans did not disappoint. At 7 AM everyone (without practice) sang in full harmony without music or lyrics. This musical gift of the Jamaicans never ceases to surprise me.

Nature also kept surprising me. When I went onto the balcony, I saw a few cows and ducks wandering the street snacking on people's shrubs.

On our journey back to Kingston, the bus driver made an unannounced stop at a pudding shop, i.e. he stopped outside the shop and told a full bus to wait for him! I asked people what was so special about the shop that he would make 20 people wait for him. Then I was told that it's the best pudding shop in the country; with that, I announced "As a tourist, then I must buy a pudding too!" And that is the story of how I very randomly managed to eat Jamaica's best potato pudding.