This top picture is one I took on my last night in Montego Bay, Jamaica and it sure does keep my memories going. I took a lawn chair and sat out by the ocean under a tree with my camera at the ready to catch a sunset. I do however have a this very same picture enlarged to 11x14 and matted and framed and hanging in my bedroom. I left part of my spirit there and I keep waiting to go back. I had always seen commercials of the Caribbean but never thought I'd go. Then in 1999 a friend of mine said she was going to the Sinbad Music festival in St. Thomas. She had been to 3 other festivals and was talking about how she enjoyed it. So I had to hurry and get tickets and make arrangements at the last minute but we made it. My ex had just passed that February and my twin daughters had just graduated with their Associates degree's and they were really feeling down because he wasn't there to see them graduate, plus the whole ordeal was so draining on us all. My ex had an aneurysm on June 19th of 1998 and that day was the day we had gotten married back in 71" that's why I remember the date. He wasn't given much of a chance to survive after the surgery but he stayed in a coma for nearly 8 months. I can't begin to explain how this affected all of us, especially the twins. So with a chance to not only get away, but to get out of the country, I jumped on it.

It was on Memorial weekend of 99 and the girls really enjoyed themselves, they took pictures with Sinbad (see picture above) & Kenny Lattimore. We got to see Magic Johnson, Biz markie, Tyson, Big Boi, Tom Joyner, and his crew, and a whole bunch others, but missed out on seeing Morris Day, that would have been great. Charlie Wilson really put on a show and Eric Benet was really good too, we also saw Halle Berry, we were able to put it together after we got home the her and Eric were talking and that's why she was at the festival. She is so tiny! It was really good times and the weather was great and at least the girls had a chance to laugh and have a good time. The water is a turquoise blue and beautiful, and the shops and clubs and restaurants are amazing. We even got to see a rasta! I wanted to take his picture but I read somewhere not to do that. He had all these little bags hanging off his neck and wore all black and a head full of lush locks, but also had a vibe around him like don't f@#* with me. So I would just steal glances at him when I could. How bout he was at the airport when we left and he asked us if he could take our picture? We let him, but I still wonder what he did with the picture. So far 7 years later and we still have all our limbs and minds, LOL, so I don't know.

One other thing, the taxi's are notorious for charging outrageous fees. So we took a taxi to a party that the festival was having and when we got there the driver said 20 dollars, well I only had a 100 dollar bill so I handed it to him. Just at that time a officer told him to move because he was blocking traffic, the driver told me to stand over there and I'll move and park and give you your change. Well, my stupid butt got out. It took about a mega second to realize this was a mistake, I ran, jerked the door open and hopped my big butt right in the seat next to him. He looked at me so crazy! I said give me my change. Talk about a disgusted look! I don't care, he gave me my change! I told him I'm from the south side of Chicago, we don't play that stuff and got out of the car. I just know he was planning on pulling off and leaving me standing there looking stupid. When I walked back to my girls they were cracking up and asked me what happened, I told them and we had a good laugh about that, he thought he had made a easy 100 bucks, wrong!!!


In 2000 another friend said she wanted to go to Jamaica and asked me to go with her. Well, neither one of us knew anything about the island so we went to a travel agent and he asked us where did we want to go, Kingston, Negril, or Montego Bay. My friend blurted out "Montego Bay" and I looked at her like, okay. She said she had never heard of it but it sounded good to her. So off we went in November of 2000 right before Thanksgiving. The weather was so beautiful, and here I was again for the second time in my life in paradise! At the airport we saw Ernie Hudson that plays on Ghost Busters. Talk about a stank attitude, he had some blond with him and he acted like he didn't want to acknowledge two sistas, so I hate his ass even now. If I turn to anything that has him on it, I turn it off. Also saw his ass at the airport when we left.

The first thing I did was run into the ocean and start soaking my hair! Talk about eyes burning and hair color fading! All's I knew was I read ocean water was good for making your hair tight, I forgot about the salt burning the hell outta your eyes. So now my fire red hair was reddish brown, but I didn't care, I was in Jamaica!!!

Enjoyed everything because it was all-inclusive. That's the way to go! We ate jerk chicken and every time we saw someone with a drink we would ask them what kind it was and we'd go get one. The shopping was a little rough because the women at this one market would get you all confused trying to get you to buy from them. And they would get a little semi violent and argued with each other. I loved seeing those dark skinned fine azz police in their uniform! I took several pictures of them. One jamaican passed by with locks down to there and had a bundle on his head and bowed his head and said "Hello lovely ladies" OOOKAAYYY? I guess it was in how he said it, made us grin from ear to ear.

I've got to mention this... we were eating dinner (did I mention all meals are free and you can eat all you want?) and there was a shrimp dish that shrimp in the shell, served on rice. Well, my friend was sitting across from me and there were some other people that we had met and we were all sitting at the table and I started hearing this loud, crunch..crunch....crunch and I looked up and all around to find the sound. I looked at my friend and she was just crunching and looking off at the ocean and I fell out laughing! She sounded like the mermaid that ate the whole lobster tail, shell and and all on the movie Splash! I said what are you eating? She said calmly, shrimp. I said girl are you eating the shells? And she looked at my plate and saw the empty shells laying on the side and said OH HELL!!! What they leave em on for? I thought you was supposed to eat what was on the plate. That was the funniest thing, we rode her for the rest of the vacation, that and the fact that she was using a 110 camera. We didn't even think they made them any more. But when we got home and got the film developed, that thing took the best pictures! So joke's on us.

At the hotel, there was a older man with dreadlocks and a rasta tam on cleaning up around the beach, I asked if I could take his picture and he said yes. I didn't have any money on me so afterwards I ran up to my room and got 5 dollars and found him and gave it to him. He bowed and said "much respect". Wow! That made me feel so good. I love this place!


My friend went back in December alone, yes she went back the next month, I think she thought she had found love over there. She didn't, but she had a good time any way. And I took my youngest daughter and my mother in June of 2001. My youngest did everything she could do, snorkeled, swam, paddle boat and you name it. She really enjoyed it. My mom was just in heaven, she had never been anywhere but the states her whole life, so it was one birthday present she'll never forget. I'm so glad I could take them there. And I hope we get the chance to go back.