Today is not going exactly as I had hoped in terms of writing, yet has been quite productive in other ways. I started out on the right foot with writing. I promised myself I would devote at least thirty minutes each morning to writing a proposal for a writing fellowship, due in mid-September. This morning, I spent 38 minutes on that project and made some real headway.
The next step, in my mind, was to make the online revisions to a chapter of a book on immigration policy that I am finishing up. However, a series of other issues took over before I could get to that.
First, I got a call from my research assistant. Last night I met with Oliver, an Australian who has lived in Guatemala for a few years. He agreed to work as my research assistant. He will help me set up interviews, accompany me to the interviews, write up fieldnotes after the interviews, and do other various tasks for me. Having a local expert will be a great help, as it will take me a while to learn to navigate Guatemala City. In addition, if I have an interview at 7pm in a poor neighborhood on the other side of town, a male companion is not a bad idea.
I was glad to hear from Oliver this morning, even though it took me away from my writing. He called to tell me that he has set up an appointment for Thursday for us to meet a friend of his who is very well connected in terms of migration issues. However, talking to him reminded me that I also need to get some documents ready for my interviews, and that I needed to contact Professor Miguel Ugalde to set up an appointment. When I called Miguel, he told me that he has arranged for us to go to the military airport where the deportees arrive on Friday. This is fantastic. I am anxious to witness this process, and potentially get contact information for deportees.
Once my phone calls were over, it was 9:30am, and time for Cecilia to come over. Cecilia is a private tutor, and we planned to talk with her about her home schooling the kids for us, or at least helping out with developing a curriculum and getting the kids on track. Despite my misgivings about home schooling, it may be our only option. Most schools in Guatemala are nearly done for the year – they finish in mid-October – and do not want to take new kids at this point. There are schools on a US calendar, but they have outrageous school fees - $6,000 just to enroll one child! We chatted with Cecilia a bit. She said she would suggest some schools to us, and that, if we decided to go with the home schooling, she’d be happy to help us out. Cecilia seems quite qualified. However, there are two things that give me pause. First, she charges US$15 per hour. That is a lot for Guatemala – la señora found it scandalous. Secondly, when I told her about the principal saying the girls were restless (inquietas), she recommended I look into the Monarch School, which specializes in kids who have ADD and other similar disorders. I take offense to even the implication that my kids might have ADD! So, we are not sure about working with Cecilia. For now, we have decided to ask around and continue to weigh our options.
Of course, this indecision means that the kids were running around the house all morning, and not really letting me get much work done. I was able to translate a document for my interviews – the Project Information Sheet. I sent that to my research assistant, Oliver, to look over. I also asked him to translate the Interview Guide. I was tempted to do it myself, but I convinced myself of the importance of delegating what I can.
With the kids in the house, it was difficult to make much progress on any other writing tasks. I spent most of the rest of the morning calling different schools, looking for teachers online, and searching for other activities for the kids. I set up an appointment for the kids to visit a gymnastics center this week. At least if they will be home schooled, they will have the opportunity to meet other kids in the gymnastics classes.
It looks like tomorrow will be a productive day. Miguel agreed to meet with Oliver and me to go over a list of contacts for people who work on migration issues at 9:30 in the morning. That will get the day off to a good start, and will get me out of the house. In addition, we may visit another academic institute in the area in the morning, as I heard they have issued a report on deportees in Guatemala.
After lunch, I gave into the fact that the kids weren’t going to let me work anymore, so long as they were in the house. I asked Nando to take them out. He agreed, and I got them ready. Finally, at 2:00pm, they left me in peace, and I set about writing this blog entry to get my mind back on track about what I have to do.
As soon as I sat down to write, la señora knocked on the door, inviting me over for coffee. I politely declined, telling her I really needed to get some work done, now that the kids were out of the house. She seemed to understand. I felt a bit bad about declining her invitation, but I have a list of things I need to do before the kids come back.
First step is to put the final touches on Chapter Five of my forthcoming book on immigration policy – Immigration Nation? Why Immigrants Come to the US and How US Immigration Policies Tear Families Apart – under contract with Paradigm Publishers, and due on August 31!
Showing posts with label deportees. Show all posts
Showing posts with label deportees. Show all posts
Travel, Conferences, and San Francisco
Posted in
blogsherpa,
budget travel,
conferencing,
deportees,
Guatemala,
travel with kids
Writing has become, for me, a habit. This means, on the one hand, that it is a hard to stop writing. On the other, it means that once I stop, it does not seem as easy to pick it up. It has been several days since I have written, and it is hard to just jump into it. However, experience tells me it will happen if I just do it, so here I am, typing away.
Since I last posted, I have been lots of places. I had a three day trip to Montego Bay where I met deportees, other contacts, and found a place to stay next summer – a condo overlooking the beach! I also spent some time on some of Montego Bay's absolutely beautiful beaches. Unfortunately, I returned to Kingston with an awful sore throat and painful ear. Even worse, I had only two days to wrap things up in Kingston, pack, and prepare to get my family to Miami and myself to San Francisco.
Miraculously, and with an abundance of help from my husband, we were able to get our apartment cleaned, our bags packed, and ourselves on the plane to Miami. We made it to the airport on time, and, after relieving our bags of the excess pounds, had no trouble checking in. We even had time to sit down and have breakfast before boarding. Even more amazing, as we were eating breakfast, an older woman approached us and complimented my girls on their good behavior! That was a first!! Usually, we get disparaging looks from folks who don't like to hear or see children. But, this lovely woman from St Louis was kind enough to come over to us and tell us how much she admired how well the children were behaving. Perhaps she didn't notice them playing tag when we were waiting in line to check in. Nevertheless, that set a nice tone for the day.
My husband, Nando, and my three daughters will spend three days in Miami before heading to Guatemala, while I go to a conference in San Francisco. Once in Miami, Nando's brother picked us up and took us to the Ocean Surf Hotel, where Nando is staying with the girls. Before leaving them, I got to spend some last few moments on Miami Beach. At 8pm, I caught my flight to San Francisco for a conference, the American Sociological Association Annual Meeting. After a five and a half hour flight, I made it to a hotel close to the airport, where, with the help of some antihistamines, I had a good night's rest. I woke up early to take the train into town for a preliminary conference in Berkeley.
At first, the conference was a bit of a culture shock. After hanging out with my family and doing research in Kingston, it was a bit of an adjustment to be in a room full of sociologists, where I was supposed to be networking and talking in academic-ese. I was very glad to see a friend of mine, Jessica, as I knew I could be myself with her. Nevertheless, I was surprised at how quickly I was able to get back into the groove. This was made substantially easier by the fact that everyone was quite friendly.
The preliminary conference was called “Making Connections,” and was organized by the International Migration Section of the ASA. These specialized conferences tend to be friendlier and easier to navigate than big, disciplinary ones. In addition, the international migration scholars were very friendly. People who sat next to me extended their hands in greeting and smiled. This level of friendliness is not always the norm in a roomful of PhDs, so I was pleasantly surprised.
At the end of the day, however, I was exhausted. I came to my hotel room in downtown San Francisco with my room mate, Wendy, and tried not to fall asleep, as it was only 8pm. Wendy and I chatted about the ups and downs of our jobs, and I was able to stay awake until 9:30pm. I managed to stay asleep most of the night until 6am, when I really couldn't sleep anymore.
I got up and got ready to conference again. (For us academics, yes, “to conference” is a verb.) I went to two sessions on transnationalism, which is a subfield my work on deportations is engaging with. I also ran into tons of people I haven't seen since last year's conference, or since I left Kansas in May.
I am debating with myself how much I want to take advantage of my time here and enjoy San Francisco. Despite two nights of rest, I am still exhausted from all of the travel. But, the weather has been gorgeous here, and it would be a shame to waste all of this sunshine we have been seeing.
Hopefully, I will be able to get a good night's rest tonight. I am a bit nervous, as Nando is flying to Guatemala first thing tomorrow morning with the girls! I am hoping he has no problem getting out of the country or getting into Guatemala! Really, there should be no problem, but the potential for things not going right worries me. I asked Nando to call me as soon as he gets into the waiting area to get on the plane tomorrow, and again once he gets to Guatemala. Hopefully, by this time tomorrow, I will have nothing to worry about.
Since I last posted, I have been lots of places. I had a three day trip to Montego Bay where I met deportees, other contacts, and found a place to stay next summer – a condo overlooking the beach! I also spent some time on some of Montego Bay's absolutely beautiful beaches. Unfortunately, I returned to Kingston with an awful sore throat and painful ear. Even worse, I had only two days to wrap things up in Kingston, pack, and prepare to get my family to Miami and myself to San Francisco.
Miraculously, and with an abundance of help from my husband, we were able to get our apartment cleaned, our bags packed, and ourselves on the plane to Miami. We made it to the airport on time, and, after relieving our bags of the excess pounds, had no trouble checking in. We even had time to sit down and have breakfast before boarding. Even more amazing, as we were eating breakfast, an older woman approached us and complimented my girls on their good behavior! That was a first!! Usually, we get disparaging looks from folks who don't like to hear or see children. But, this lovely woman from St Louis was kind enough to come over to us and tell us how much she admired how well the children were behaving. Perhaps she didn't notice them playing tag when we were waiting in line to check in. Nevertheless, that set a nice tone for the day.
My husband, Nando, and my three daughters will spend three days in Miami before heading to Guatemala, while I go to a conference in San Francisco. Once in Miami, Nando's brother picked us up and took us to the Ocean Surf Hotel, where Nando is staying with the girls. Before leaving them, I got to spend some last few moments on Miami Beach. At 8pm, I caught my flight to San Francisco for a conference, the American Sociological Association Annual Meeting. After a five and a half hour flight, I made it to a hotel close to the airport, where, with the help of some antihistamines, I had a good night's rest. I woke up early to take the train into town for a preliminary conference in Berkeley.
At first, the conference was a bit of a culture shock. After hanging out with my family and doing research in Kingston, it was a bit of an adjustment to be in a room full of sociologists, where I was supposed to be networking and talking in academic-ese. I was very glad to see a friend of mine, Jessica, as I knew I could be myself with her. Nevertheless, I was surprised at how quickly I was able to get back into the groove. This was made substantially easier by the fact that everyone was quite friendly.
The preliminary conference was called “Making Connections,” and was organized by the International Migration Section of the ASA. These specialized conferences tend to be friendlier and easier to navigate than big, disciplinary ones. In addition, the international migration scholars were very friendly. People who sat next to me extended their hands in greeting and smiled. This level of friendliness is not always the norm in a roomful of PhDs, so I was pleasantly surprised.
At the end of the day, however, I was exhausted. I came to my hotel room in downtown San Francisco with my room mate, Wendy, and tried not to fall asleep, as it was only 8pm. Wendy and I chatted about the ups and downs of our jobs, and I was able to stay awake until 9:30pm. I managed to stay asleep most of the night until 6am, when I really couldn't sleep anymore.
I got up and got ready to conference again. (For us academics, yes, “to conference” is a verb.) I went to two sessions on transnationalism, which is a subfield my work on deportations is engaging with. I also ran into tons of people I haven't seen since last year's conference, or since I left Kansas in May.
I am debating with myself how much I want to take advantage of my time here and enjoy San Francisco. Despite two nights of rest, I am still exhausted from all of the travel. But, the weather has been gorgeous here, and it would be a shame to waste all of this sunshine we have been seeing.
Hopefully, I will be able to get a good night's rest tonight. I am a bit nervous, as Nando is flying to Guatemala first thing tomorrow morning with the girls! I am hoping he has no problem getting out of the country or getting into Guatemala! Really, there should be no problem, but the potential for things not going right worries me. I asked Nando to call me as soon as he gets into the waiting area to get on the plane tomorrow, and again once he gets to Guatemala. Hopefully, by this time tomorrow, I will have nothing to worry about.
Ocho Rios and Dolphin Cove
Posted in
blogsherpa,
deportees,
Jamaica,
travel with kids
Nando and I have always gone out of our way to avoid tourist traps. Our idea of an ideal vacation includes a lot more mountains, palm trees, rivers, and isolated beaches and a lot less people, shopping malls, and theme parks than you find at Ocho Rios.
We decided to spend the weekend at Ocho Rios because I had some interviews with deportees there, and because it is only two hours from Kingston. When we first arrived, I was not impressed. The beach was too small and the buildings too high for my liking. However, once I gave in to the fact that we had to appreciate Ocho Rios for what it is, I was able to enjoy myself.
Ocho Rios may once have been acclaimed for its natural beauty. Today, however, its claim to fame is more the variety of activities designed to attract tourists – theme parks, all-inclusive hotels, Bob Marley's birthplace, snorkeling, and dolphins.
Ocho Rios does have a beach where you can sit and relax. The water is crystal clear, and the sand is soft and white. However, it is far from the nicest beach in Jamaica. The tall hotels and housing developments kind of take away from its scenic beauty. And, the port where cruise ships land leaves swimmers with less space to explore the sea. We spent our first day in Ocho Rios at this beach. It was okay, but I decided we had to do one of the tourist attractions if we wanted to take advantage of our time in Ocho Rios.
Soraya, me and Raymi at the Ocho Rios Beach
The tourist attractions are expensive, so we told the kids all of their options – climbing the waterfall, horseback riding, playing with dolphins, and a boat ride out to sea – and said they had to choose one. The kids took a while to decide between the horseback ride, which involved riding horses through the sea and up the mountain, and going to see the dolphins. We finally decided on Dolphin Cove. They love horses, but they might not get another chance to see dolphins. Plus, the advertisement for Dolphin Cove is quite impressive.
When we arrived at our hotel in Ocho Rios, there was a sign in the lobby advertising Dolphin Cove. Soraya saw it and asked if we could go there. I told her we would have to think about it, as it was very expensive. She asked me how much. I told her about fifty dollars a person. She said, “that is not a lot.” I told her it was fifty American dollars. She asked why it was American dollars, if we are in Jamaica. Then, she looked at the poster again, and said, “I know why; it's because it's all white people.” Sure enough, the people in the photo enjoying the dolphins and other attractions were all white. Places like Dolphin Cove often do have a lower price for Jamaican residents. However, it is still not affordable for the vast majority of Jamaicans.
We set out for Dolphin Cove early Saturday morning. We found a taxi that didn't rip us off too much, and arrived there before 8 am. That was nice, as the place was empty when we arrived. I have to admit, the park was pretty nice. It is like an amusement park, but better. Instead of rides, you have unlimited access to sea kayaking, mini-boat rides, snorkeling, resting on the beach, and watching the dolphins play. The first thing we did was sea kayaking. At first, we used two kayaks, with Nando and I each in control of one. Soon, however, Tatiana and Soraya, my eight-year old twins, wanted to do it alone. And, they were able to. It was an enclosed area in the sea, so it was quite safe. We did have a minor incident, but it was more funny than dangerous. Nando's kayak got too close to the rocks, and a wave came and filled his kayak with water. Raymi, who is five years old, was in the kayak and had to jump over to mine. The lifeguard had to come and rescue Nando and take his kayak back to shore. After that, Raymi had a ball jumping from one kayak to the other.
Tanya and Nando Kayaking at Treasure Reef
Tatiana giving Raymi a ride
The next attraction was a mini-boat ride. This is a small motorboat that you or the guide can drive. The guide showed us how to ride the waves, and the girls loved it when the boat jumped up. From the boat, you can see a beautiful waterfall that pours down into the sea, as well as catch a glimpse of Dunn River Falls. It was awesome to be out on the sea in this mini-boat, and Tatiana even had a hand at driving the boat. Soraya was happy to sit on the end and bounce over the waves.
From there, we went to do snorkeling with the stingrays. When you first get into the water, the guides let you hold a stingray. Tatiana and Soraya had a lot of fun doing that. Then, they give you snorkeling gear, and you can explore the mini-reef yourself. I love snorkeling – it feels like you are viewing another world that people rarely have access to – the underwater realm.
After that, it was time for the main attraction of the day – the dolphin program. We had only paid for the kids to do the dolphin program. So, the three girls got into the water, where a dolphin trainer let them touch and kiss the dolphin. For about twenty minutes, they got to watch, up close, the trainer and the dolphin. It was magical to see those beautiful creatures up close. The kids were a bit disappointed they didn't get to swim with the dolphins, but I didn't want to dish out the extra cash for that.
The kids checking out the dolphin
After the dolphins, we spent the rest of the afternoon between kayaking, snorkeling, the mini boat, the stingrays, and the nature trail. On the nature trail, there were parrots, a couple of snakes and a huge iguana. Animal lovers that they are, the girls greatly enjoyed holding and playing with the animals. Sometimes their animal love can be a problem.
When we were snorkeling, Soraya saw a sea animal that looked cool and tried to catch it. She finally was able to pick it up. It turned out to be a “fire worm,” and it sprayed some stuff on her hands that burned them. I had to rush her up to the information desk, where they put some cream on it. The burning sensation finally went away, and Soraya went straight back to play with the stingrays.
I had to leave the park a bit early to go do my interviews, but Nando and the girls stayed right up until closing. It really was a magnificent day.
On Sunday, Soraya woke up feeling a bit under the weather, so we decided to take it easy. Just before noon, we went over to Island Village. This is basically a huge shopping mall, full of touristy stuff to buy. We ignored all the shops, and went straight to Margaritaville, a tourist trap restaurant par excellence. Despite that, it is actually a great concept for families. It has a nice pool right in the middle, with a decent waterslide. And, it is right on the beach, and you have access to the private beach if you dine there. It also has showers and clean bathrooms. We parked our family at one of the tables. The kids had a blast sliding down the waterslide and venturing out onto the beach.
Soraya chillin at Margaritaville
The beach was pretty nice, if you ignored the huge mall and unsightly port. The sand was white; the water was crystal clear; and it got quite deep as you swam out. I went in the sea and the pool a couple of times, but also took it easy, and just watched the kids run around while I enjoyed fajitas, pizza, and fish n chips.
We left Margaritaville around 4pm, and headed out to take our bus back to Kingston. As planned, the kids were tired and slept most of the way back. Overall, it was a nice mini-vacation, and I am glad to have had a break from the routine here in Kingston.
We decided to spend the weekend at Ocho Rios because I had some interviews with deportees there, and because it is only two hours from Kingston. When we first arrived, I was not impressed. The beach was too small and the buildings too high for my liking. However, once I gave in to the fact that we had to appreciate Ocho Rios for what it is, I was able to enjoy myself.
Ocho Rios may once have been acclaimed for its natural beauty. Today, however, its claim to fame is more the variety of activities designed to attract tourists – theme parks, all-inclusive hotels, Bob Marley's birthplace, snorkeling, and dolphins.
Ocho Rios does have a beach where you can sit and relax. The water is crystal clear, and the sand is soft and white. However, it is far from the nicest beach in Jamaica. The tall hotels and housing developments kind of take away from its scenic beauty. And, the port where cruise ships land leaves swimmers with less space to explore the sea. We spent our first day in Ocho Rios at this beach. It was okay, but I decided we had to do one of the tourist attractions if we wanted to take advantage of our time in Ocho Rios.
Soraya, me and Raymi at the Ocho Rios Beach
The tourist attractions are expensive, so we told the kids all of their options – climbing the waterfall, horseback riding, playing with dolphins, and a boat ride out to sea – and said they had to choose one. The kids took a while to decide between the horseback ride, which involved riding horses through the sea and up the mountain, and going to see the dolphins. We finally decided on Dolphin Cove. They love horses, but they might not get another chance to see dolphins. Plus, the advertisement for Dolphin Cove is quite impressive.
When we arrived at our hotel in Ocho Rios, there was a sign in the lobby advertising Dolphin Cove. Soraya saw it and asked if we could go there. I told her we would have to think about it, as it was very expensive. She asked me how much. I told her about fifty dollars a person. She said, “that is not a lot.” I told her it was fifty American dollars. She asked why it was American dollars, if we are in Jamaica. Then, she looked at the poster again, and said, “I know why; it's because it's all white people.” Sure enough, the people in the photo enjoying the dolphins and other attractions were all white. Places like Dolphin Cove often do have a lower price for Jamaican residents. However, it is still not affordable for the vast majority of Jamaicans.
We set out for Dolphin Cove early Saturday morning. We found a taxi that didn't rip us off too much, and arrived there before 8 am. That was nice, as the place was empty when we arrived. I have to admit, the park was pretty nice. It is like an amusement park, but better. Instead of rides, you have unlimited access to sea kayaking, mini-boat rides, snorkeling, resting on the beach, and watching the dolphins play. The first thing we did was sea kayaking. At first, we used two kayaks, with Nando and I each in control of one. Soon, however, Tatiana and Soraya, my eight-year old twins, wanted to do it alone. And, they were able to. It was an enclosed area in the sea, so it was quite safe. We did have a minor incident, but it was more funny than dangerous. Nando's kayak got too close to the rocks, and a wave came and filled his kayak with water. Raymi, who is five years old, was in the kayak and had to jump over to mine. The lifeguard had to come and rescue Nando and take his kayak back to shore. After that, Raymi had a ball jumping from one kayak to the other.
Tanya and Nando Kayaking at Treasure Reef
Tatiana giving Raymi a ride
The next attraction was a mini-boat ride. This is a small motorboat that you or the guide can drive. The guide showed us how to ride the waves, and the girls loved it when the boat jumped up. From the boat, you can see a beautiful waterfall that pours down into the sea, as well as catch a glimpse of Dunn River Falls. It was awesome to be out on the sea in this mini-boat, and Tatiana even had a hand at driving the boat. Soraya was happy to sit on the end and bounce over the waves.
From there, we went to do snorkeling with the stingrays. When you first get into the water, the guides let you hold a stingray. Tatiana and Soraya had a lot of fun doing that. Then, they give you snorkeling gear, and you can explore the mini-reef yourself. I love snorkeling – it feels like you are viewing another world that people rarely have access to – the underwater realm.
After that, it was time for the main attraction of the day – the dolphin program. We had only paid for the kids to do the dolphin program. So, the three girls got into the water, where a dolphin trainer let them touch and kiss the dolphin. For about twenty minutes, they got to watch, up close, the trainer and the dolphin. It was magical to see those beautiful creatures up close. The kids were a bit disappointed they didn't get to swim with the dolphins, but I didn't want to dish out the extra cash for that.
The kids checking out the dolphin
After the dolphins, we spent the rest of the afternoon between kayaking, snorkeling, the mini boat, the stingrays, and the nature trail. On the nature trail, there were parrots, a couple of snakes and a huge iguana. Animal lovers that they are, the girls greatly enjoyed holding and playing with the animals. Sometimes their animal love can be a problem.
When we were snorkeling, Soraya saw a sea animal that looked cool and tried to catch it. She finally was able to pick it up. It turned out to be a “fire worm,” and it sprayed some stuff on her hands that burned them. I had to rush her up to the information desk, where they put some cream on it. The burning sensation finally went away, and Soraya went straight back to play with the stingrays.
I had to leave the park a bit early to go do my interviews, but Nando and the girls stayed right up until closing. It really was a magnificent day.
On Sunday, Soraya woke up feeling a bit under the weather, so we decided to take it easy. Just before noon, we went over to Island Village. This is basically a huge shopping mall, full of touristy stuff to buy. We ignored all the shops, and went straight to Margaritaville, a tourist trap restaurant par excellence. Despite that, it is actually a great concept for families. It has a nice pool right in the middle, with a decent waterslide. And, it is right on the beach, and you have access to the private beach if you dine there. It also has showers and clean bathrooms. We parked our family at one of the tables. The kids had a blast sliding down the waterslide and venturing out onto the beach.
Soraya chillin at Margaritaville
The beach was pretty nice, if you ignored the huge mall and unsightly port. The sand was white; the water was crystal clear; and it got quite deep as you swam out. I went in the sea and the pool a couple of times, but also took it easy, and just watched the kids run around while I enjoyed fajitas, pizza, and fish n chips.
We left Margaritaville around 4pm, and headed out to take our bus back to Kingston. As planned, the kids were tired and slept most of the way back. Overall, it was a nice mini-vacation, and I am glad to have had a break from the routine here in Kingston.
Emancipation Park and Fieldwork with the Kids
Posted in
blogsherpa,
deportees,
Jamaica,
Kingston,
travel with kids
June 8, 2009
This morning, I called Evelyn, a deportee, to ask her when we might be able to meet up to talk about her deportee resettlement agency, “Land of my Birth.” She let me know that she couldn’t meet today, but that I should call her tomorrow to set something up. My plans to start my fieldwork foiled, I spent the morning working on a book review.
After lunch, we decided to walk over to Emancipation Park, which is just under twenty minutes walking from where we live in Uptown Kingston. Emancipation Park is reminiscent of a plaza in a Latin American city. It has a large fountain in the middle, with several brick paths leading away from it. Each path is lined with some sort of vegetation – palm trees, flower bushes, or these interesting, warped trees. From these well-maintained gardens, you can see the high rise hotels that predominate the skyline in New Kingston as well as the Blue Mountains that encircle the city.
I stayed at the park with my daughters, and Nando went downtown to the market to buy some vegetables. The veggies are outrageously expensive at the supermarket. I saw a cauliflower for about US $6.00. Vegetables are a bit more reasonable at the market downtown. We agreed to meet Nando at the apartment later on.
There are about half a dozen security guards at Emancipation Park, and they are pretty hard-core. I wasn’t surprised that they asked Tatiana not to climb up the light post, but when they asked me to take my bare foot off of the bench where I had perched it, I thought that a bit extreme. A few minutes later, the guard came back to warn Raymi to take her bare feet off the bench. Raymi had bent her knees to rest her book on her legs, but that was against the rules.
As usual, Tatiana, Soraya, and Raymi quickly made friends. They found two girls about their age, and set about playing like they were in summer camp. Running around barefoot, Raymi scraped her foot and her toe began to bleed. I took her to the bathroom to rinse it off. She continued to fuss about it for a while. An elderly Chinese woman sitting next to us told Raymi she should spit on it to make it feel better. Raymi decided against taking that advice.
It was a relatively cool afternoon, and there were quite a few people walking around the track they have set up around Emancipation Park. It made me want to join in on the exercising. But, I wanted to keep an eye on the kids. And, I hadn’t brought my running shoes. Maybe one of these days.
I feel like having the children in some ways enhances my personal safety. It certainly gave me a reason to be in Emancipation Park and appeared to ward off any potentially unwelcome advances. People seem to be less likely to bother a mother than they would an otherwise unattached female. Taking the kids to the park is part of my fieldwork. If I were alone, I would have to go to the park by myself, and sit there with a notebook, taking notes. That might look a bit odd.
After the park, we went to Juici Patti to get some food. I really wanted some of their conch soup, which is delicious. But, they were out. So, we just got patties, and then ice cream for Raymi and Soraya and carrot cake for Tatiana. On the way home, Raymi spilled her ice cream on the floor, but didn’t make a fuss of it.
This morning, I called Evelyn, a deportee, to ask her when we might be able to meet up to talk about her deportee resettlement agency, “Land of my Birth.” She let me know that she couldn’t meet today, but that I should call her tomorrow to set something up. My plans to start my fieldwork foiled, I spent the morning working on a book review.
After lunch, we decided to walk over to Emancipation Park, which is just under twenty minutes walking from where we live in Uptown Kingston. Emancipation Park is reminiscent of a plaza in a Latin American city. It has a large fountain in the middle, with several brick paths leading away from it. Each path is lined with some sort of vegetation – palm trees, flower bushes, or these interesting, warped trees. From these well-maintained gardens, you can see the high rise hotels that predominate the skyline in New Kingston as well as the Blue Mountains that encircle the city.
I stayed at the park with my daughters, and Nando went downtown to the market to buy some vegetables. The veggies are outrageously expensive at the supermarket. I saw a cauliflower for about US $6.00. Vegetables are a bit more reasonable at the market downtown. We agreed to meet Nando at the apartment later on.
There are about half a dozen security guards at Emancipation Park, and they are pretty hard-core. I wasn’t surprised that they asked Tatiana not to climb up the light post, but when they asked me to take my bare foot off of the bench where I had perched it, I thought that a bit extreme. A few minutes later, the guard came back to warn Raymi to take her bare feet off the bench. Raymi had bent her knees to rest her book on her legs, but that was against the rules.
As usual, Tatiana, Soraya, and Raymi quickly made friends. They found two girls about their age, and set about playing like they were in summer camp. Running around barefoot, Raymi scraped her foot and her toe began to bleed. I took her to the bathroom to rinse it off. She continued to fuss about it for a while. An elderly Chinese woman sitting next to us told Raymi she should spit on it to make it feel better. Raymi decided against taking that advice.
It was a relatively cool afternoon, and there were quite a few people walking around the track they have set up around Emancipation Park. It made me want to join in on the exercising. But, I wanted to keep an eye on the kids. And, I hadn’t brought my running shoes. Maybe one of these days.
I feel like having the children in some ways enhances my personal safety. It certainly gave me a reason to be in Emancipation Park and appeared to ward off any potentially unwelcome advances. People seem to be less likely to bother a mother than they would an otherwise unattached female. Taking the kids to the park is part of my fieldwork. If I were alone, I would have to go to the park by myself, and sit there with a notebook, taking notes. That might look a bit odd.
After the park, we went to Juici Patti to get some food. I really wanted some of their conch soup, which is delicious. But, they were out. So, we just got patties, and then ice cream for Raymi and Soraya and carrot cake for Tatiana. On the way home, Raymi spilled her ice cream on the floor, but didn’t make a fuss of it.
Conversations at the Kingston YMCA
Posted in
blogsherpa,
deportees,
Jamaica,
Kingston,
travel with kids
May 30, 2009
This morning, I woke up and had my breakfast on our lovely patio, which overlooks a nice garden and a swimming pool, which is, unfortunately, bereft of water.
After breakfast, I began writing my methodological statement. As a first step, I read an interesting article by KU professor, Thomas Skrtic, where he describes an elaborate application of naturalistic inquiry to a multi-sited project. It gave me some ideas for my own project.
Skrtic (1985) points out that you can begin a research project with theories already in mind, or you can use grounded theory. In my research on deportation, I am using a combination of grounded and a priori theories (Skrtic 1985: 190; 193). We already know a lot about immigration generally, so I am curious as to the extent to which current understandings of transnationalism and immigrant incorporation work in the context of deportation. On the other hand, I am also open to the possibility that thinking of deportation could fundamentally change how we think about immigration and globalization more generally. Thus, I have a set of questions related to transnationalism and immigrant incorporation. At the same time, I will remain open to exploring other emergent themes as I talk to deportees.
After my morning writing and thinking, I was ready to go on another adventure with my family. Yesterday, the people at the YMCA told us that the swimming pool is open from noon to 3pm on Saturdays, so we made plans to go there today. As soon as we left the house, Tatiana began to complain about walking in the sun. I told her that it is not very far. Yesterday, we walked at least 30 blocks, and today we only were going to have to walk four blocks to get to the swimming pool. Luckily you can see the pool after about two and a half blocks, and Tatiana stopped fussing as soon as she saw that (sort of clear) blue water.
Once inside the pool gates, the twins looked around. Soraya asked me if everyone in Jamaica was brown. Tatiana corrected her and told her everyone is black. I told them that most people in Jamaica are black. I haven’t quite figured out exactly how best to approach issues of race with the twins. They are eight years old, and I am not always sure what they can and can’t understand. I suppose I could take a color-blind approach and tell them that color doesn’t matter. But, that would be less than true, since color matters so much in our society and others. I could tell them that I like black people, but that is too much of a blanket statement. So far, I have told them that I have friends that are black, white, and brown, and that there are nice and mean people, and that you can’t tell whether people are nice or mean just by looking at their skin color. Nevertheless, the kids really notice color, especially in Jamaica. When we were walking back home, a car with Latinos rolled by, and Soraya told me that she saw some white people pass by.
Back at the pool, Raymi, Tatiana and Soraya jumped in the water and eventually made friends with a few kids who also were brave enough to be in the deep end. And, Nando and I took a spot in the shade near to the life guards.
Nando is always making sure I am making progress with my research. So, he began talking to the lifeguard and asked him if he knew people who had been deported from the US. When Nando began to explain my project to the lifeguard, I interrupted to explain that I was in Jamaica looking for people who had been deported who would be willing to tell me their story. The lifeguard suggested I put an ad in the paper. He then went on to explain that he also thought the US and Jamaican governments should do something about all the deportees, and that they should help them reincorporate into society. I mentioned that deportees might have a hard time getting a job. He agreed wholeheartedly, and said they have to work in the informal economy, since they can’t get jobs in the formal economy. He told me he thought that at least 80 percent of deportees would like to have a job and conform to society, and leave behind their criminal ways, but that it is difficult for them in Jamaica, since they often don’t have relatives here, and many times have been out of the country for years.
Most people I have talked to seem to think deportees are dangerous criminals, so it was interesting to notice that this guy did not have the same set of assumptions about deportees as others do. He did think that they would be in need of rehabilitation, but seemed to think that rehabilitation would be possible. Perhaps deportees in Jamaica are not viewed as negatively as I thought.
This morning, I woke up and had my breakfast on our lovely patio, which overlooks a nice garden and a swimming pool, which is, unfortunately, bereft of water.
After breakfast, I began writing my methodological statement. As a first step, I read an interesting article by KU professor, Thomas Skrtic, where he describes an elaborate application of naturalistic inquiry to a multi-sited project. It gave me some ideas for my own project.
Skrtic (1985) points out that you can begin a research project with theories already in mind, or you can use grounded theory. In my research on deportation, I am using a combination of grounded and a priori theories (Skrtic 1985: 190; 193). We already know a lot about immigration generally, so I am curious as to the extent to which current understandings of transnationalism and immigrant incorporation work in the context of deportation. On the other hand, I am also open to the possibility that thinking of deportation could fundamentally change how we think about immigration and globalization more generally. Thus, I have a set of questions related to transnationalism and immigrant incorporation. At the same time, I will remain open to exploring other emergent themes as I talk to deportees.
After my morning writing and thinking, I was ready to go on another adventure with my family. Yesterday, the people at the YMCA told us that the swimming pool is open from noon to 3pm on Saturdays, so we made plans to go there today. As soon as we left the house, Tatiana began to complain about walking in the sun. I told her that it is not very far. Yesterday, we walked at least 30 blocks, and today we only were going to have to walk four blocks to get to the swimming pool. Luckily you can see the pool after about two and a half blocks, and Tatiana stopped fussing as soon as she saw that (sort of clear) blue water.
Once inside the pool gates, the twins looked around. Soraya asked me if everyone in Jamaica was brown. Tatiana corrected her and told her everyone is black. I told them that most people in Jamaica are black. I haven’t quite figured out exactly how best to approach issues of race with the twins. They are eight years old, and I am not always sure what they can and can’t understand. I suppose I could take a color-blind approach and tell them that color doesn’t matter. But, that would be less than true, since color matters so much in our society and others. I could tell them that I like black people, but that is too much of a blanket statement. So far, I have told them that I have friends that are black, white, and brown, and that there are nice and mean people, and that you can’t tell whether people are nice or mean just by looking at their skin color. Nevertheless, the kids really notice color, especially in Jamaica. When we were walking back home, a car with Latinos rolled by, and Soraya told me that she saw some white people pass by.
Back at the pool, Raymi, Tatiana and Soraya jumped in the water and eventually made friends with a few kids who also were brave enough to be in the deep end. And, Nando and I took a spot in the shade near to the life guards.
Nando is always making sure I am making progress with my research. So, he began talking to the lifeguard and asked him if he knew people who had been deported from the US. When Nando began to explain my project to the lifeguard, I interrupted to explain that I was in Jamaica looking for people who had been deported who would be willing to tell me their story. The lifeguard suggested I put an ad in the paper. He then went on to explain that he also thought the US and Jamaican governments should do something about all the deportees, and that they should help them reincorporate into society. I mentioned that deportees might have a hard time getting a job. He agreed wholeheartedly, and said they have to work in the informal economy, since they can’t get jobs in the formal economy. He told me he thought that at least 80 percent of deportees would like to have a job and conform to society, and leave behind their criminal ways, but that it is difficult for them in Jamaica, since they often don’t have relatives here, and many times have been out of the country for years.
Most people I have talked to seem to think deportees are dangerous criminals, so it was interesting to notice that this guy did not have the same set of assumptions about deportees as others do. He did think that they would be in need of rehabilitation, but seemed to think that rehabilitation would be possible. Perhaps deportees in Jamaica are not viewed as negatively as I thought.
The Kingston Sun
Posted in
blogsherpa,
deportees,
Jamaica,
Kingston,
travel with kids
May 29, 2009
We arrived at our lovely apartment in Kingston, and everything was just dandy, except … the swimming pool was out of commission! Now, the swimming pool was the primary reason I chose this apartment complex. And, it is very hot in the summertime in Jamaica.
On our first full day in Kingston, after lunch at home, we decided to set out for the YMCA, as we had heard they had a swimming pool there. I thought perhaps we could sign up for the pool, and if we were very lucky, there would even be an exercise facility. So, Nando, Tatiana, Soraya, Raymi and I left the house around 1:30pm, in search of some respite from the Kingston sun.
Looking at Google maps, I could see that the swimming pool at the YMCA was just a few blocks from our apartment, so we decided to walk. I asked the guard at the gate how to get there, she told me to keep straight down the road we live on, and we’d get there. After about a block of walking in the sun, Raymi began to complain. I asked her if she’d rather stay behind with the security guard, and she decided she’d prefer to go with us.
As we were walking, Tatiana told me she thought she knew why most people in Jamaica are brown – because there is so much sun. Then, she asked me if I would get brown if I stayed in the sun too long. I appreciated her logic – after all, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744 –1829) thought that Europeans would eventually get dark if they lived in the tropics for too long. Anyway, I digress, as Tatiana was not that interested in the topic and kept on walking.
After about four blocks, I asked another person, and he didn’t know where the YMCA was. So, we kept on. I asked another person, and he told us we were headed in the wrong direction. We turned back, and stopped in a Scotiabank to take advantage of their air conditioning for a few minutes. They also had a water jug, and we helped ourselves to cold water.
When we finally got to the YMCA, the receptionist told me that swimming is only on Saturdays from 12 noon to 3pm (!!!). Apparently, they are booked up with swimming lessons for the rest of the time. Since it was Friday, we decided we could come back the following day for the recreational swim.
From the YMCA, we needed to go to the Edna Manley School of Performing Arts to enroll the children in summer camp. Now, I didn’t want to take a taxi, since we are trying to budget our funds. So, I asked the swimming instructor how to get there by bus. He directed us to the bus park, which, according to him, was just down the road. So, we set out again, on foot.
On the way, a young man with a thick New York accent asked us if we could help him out with some money to buy his son some Pedialyte. Clearly, if his son was dehydrated, walking in the sun to ask for money to buy Pedialyte was not a good move. However, I never believe people when they ask me for money on the street, so it’s not like he needed a believable reason. I also thought this guy might be a deportee because of his accent and his financial situation, but did not think I should just ask him. Perhaps next time I see him asking for Pedialyte money. Anyway, Nando did give him a few coins.
Turns out the bus park was at least six blocks away, and the sun showed no sign of relenting. Nevertheless, we made it and found out that there was a bus that went in the direction we needed. After waiting about a half an hour for the bus, we finally got on. We were among the last to get on, since we didn’t know where to stand in line. So, we were squished into the standing only area of the bus. For the duration of the ride, the girls found it funny to play a pushing and poking game. Not surprisingly, all of the Jamaican children, both the school children without their parents and the pre-schoolers with their parents were very nicely behaved and looked on in awe at my misbehaving children.
We disembarked from the bus at the National Stadium, and a lady told us that the College was at the end of the road. It turned out to be a very long road, and we walked another 30 minutes in the sun to the end of the road. By that time, it was 4:30, and the registration office was closed. Luckily, the lady gave me some registration forms to fill out and bring back.
We had made it this far without getting a cab, so I asked the guard at the college how to get to Emancipation Park, which is relatively close to our house. He told us we could walk there. And, we did. Another 20 minutes in the sun. The kids complained the whole way. And, as soon as we got to the park, the children, who allegedly could not bear to take another step, immediately proceeded to run around the park. By 6pm, when we left the park, it had cooled down considerably, and it was pleasant to walk around. There is a track around Emancipation Park, so perhaps I’ll come back to do some jogging or at least speed walking.
On the way home, we picked up some delicious patties. We finally walked in the door of our apartment at 7:30pm, after about 6 hours of walking around. I am hoping the girls are as tired as I am and will go to sleep early.
We’ll see how long we can continue to survive in Kingston on public transportation and by foot. It seems so extravagant to rent a car. Plus, I am not sure about driving on the wrong side of the road.
We arrived at our lovely apartment in Kingston, and everything was just dandy, except … the swimming pool was out of commission! Now, the swimming pool was the primary reason I chose this apartment complex. And, it is very hot in the summertime in Jamaica.
On our first full day in Kingston, after lunch at home, we decided to set out for the YMCA, as we had heard they had a swimming pool there. I thought perhaps we could sign up for the pool, and if we were very lucky, there would even be an exercise facility. So, Nando, Tatiana, Soraya, Raymi and I left the house around 1:30pm, in search of some respite from the Kingston sun.
Looking at Google maps, I could see that the swimming pool at the YMCA was just a few blocks from our apartment, so we decided to walk. I asked the guard at the gate how to get there, she told me to keep straight down the road we live on, and we’d get there. After about a block of walking in the sun, Raymi began to complain. I asked her if she’d rather stay behind with the security guard, and she decided she’d prefer to go with us.
As we were walking, Tatiana told me she thought she knew why most people in Jamaica are brown – because there is so much sun. Then, she asked me if I would get brown if I stayed in the sun too long. I appreciated her logic – after all, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744 –1829) thought that Europeans would eventually get dark if they lived in the tropics for too long. Anyway, I digress, as Tatiana was not that interested in the topic and kept on walking.
After about four blocks, I asked another person, and he didn’t know where the YMCA was. So, we kept on. I asked another person, and he told us we were headed in the wrong direction. We turned back, and stopped in a Scotiabank to take advantage of their air conditioning for a few minutes. They also had a water jug, and we helped ourselves to cold water.
When we finally got to the YMCA, the receptionist told me that swimming is only on Saturdays from 12 noon to 3pm (!!!). Apparently, they are booked up with swimming lessons for the rest of the time. Since it was Friday, we decided we could come back the following day for the recreational swim.
From the YMCA, we needed to go to the Edna Manley School of Performing Arts to enroll the children in summer camp. Now, I didn’t want to take a taxi, since we are trying to budget our funds. So, I asked the swimming instructor how to get there by bus. He directed us to the bus park, which, according to him, was just down the road. So, we set out again, on foot.
On the way, a young man with a thick New York accent asked us if we could help him out with some money to buy his son some Pedialyte. Clearly, if his son was dehydrated, walking in the sun to ask for money to buy Pedialyte was not a good move. However, I never believe people when they ask me for money on the street, so it’s not like he needed a believable reason. I also thought this guy might be a deportee because of his accent and his financial situation, but did not think I should just ask him. Perhaps next time I see him asking for Pedialyte money. Anyway, Nando did give him a few coins.
Turns out the bus park was at least six blocks away, and the sun showed no sign of relenting. Nevertheless, we made it and found out that there was a bus that went in the direction we needed. After waiting about a half an hour for the bus, we finally got on. We were among the last to get on, since we didn’t know where to stand in line. So, we were squished into the standing only area of the bus. For the duration of the ride, the girls found it funny to play a pushing and poking game. Not surprisingly, all of the Jamaican children, both the school children without their parents and the pre-schoolers with their parents were very nicely behaved and looked on in awe at my misbehaving children.
We disembarked from the bus at the National Stadium, and a lady told us that the College was at the end of the road. It turned out to be a very long road, and we walked another 30 minutes in the sun to the end of the road. By that time, it was 4:30, and the registration office was closed. Luckily, the lady gave me some registration forms to fill out and bring back.
We had made it this far without getting a cab, so I asked the guard at the college how to get to Emancipation Park, which is relatively close to our house. He told us we could walk there. And, we did. Another 20 minutes in the sun. The kids complained the whole way. And, as soon as we got to the park, the children, who allegedly could not bear to take another step, immediately proceeded to run around the park. By 6pm, when we left the park, it had cooled down considerably, and it was pleasant to walk around. There is a track around Emancipation Park, so perhaps I’ll come back to do some jogging or at least speed walking.
On the way home, we picked up some delicious patties. We finally walked in the door of our apartment at 7:30pm, after about 6 hours of walking around. I am hoping the girls are as tired as I am and will go to sleep early.
We’ll see how long we can continue to survive in Kingston on public transportation and by foot. It seems so extravagant to rent a car. Plus, I am not sure about driving on the wrong side of the road.
A rough start to a long trip
Posted in
blogsherpa,
deportees,
Jamaica,
Kingston,
travel with kids
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Our flight this morning was at 6:55am. So, I asked Mark, our generous friend who offered us a ride to the airport, if he wouldn't mind picking us up at 5:30am, or actually 5:45, as the Kansas City airport is never crowded, or so I thought. After finally getting my bags packed at 1am the night before, I set my alarm for 5:00am, and went to sleep. I woke up, and took a nice hot shower. Then, around 5:25 am, Nando, my husband, said to me: What time did you say the plane is? I said 6:55, so Mark will be here at 5:45, and, “Oh, sh#$, that is wrong. I fuc$#ed up!!” We need to be at the airport at 6:00am, so we should have left at 5:00am....
I called Mark, and, luckily, he was ready and came right over. We made a mad rush out of the house and, by 5:40, am, me, Nando, and the three kids were packed into Mark's minivan and ready to go. I told Nando, who was driving, that we have to make the one hour drive in 45 minutes, because if we are not there by 6:25 am, we are not going to be able to get on the plane with checked bags.
On the way, I checked the flight on my Blackberry, and, to my chagrin, it was on time. We made it to the airport at 6:27am, and the SkyCap guy tells us it's too late. Resigned to the consequences of my miscalculation, we go inside, and wait in line to talk to an agent. A few minutes later, I was able to talk to an agent, and told her: “We're on the 6:55 flight to Miami.”
“Do you have bags?”
“Yes, four.”
“Okay, you need to hurry, you are late.”
And, can you believe she began to tag our bags! Every one of our four suitcases was a couple of pounds over, so we had to take a few things out. One of the things I took out was Nando's power drill. That was mistake number two, as that didn't make it onto the plane. But, we did! We made it on board despite an unusually long line at the security gate, ten carry-on bags of varying sizes, and the power drill. We were that family who got on last that everyone had to wait for. But, we got on!
We boarded the plane and headed to our row of seats, row 45, all the way at the back of the plane. Two of our assigned seats were taken by a woman with a small boy. She had moved because they were seated apart. I asked the lady if she would prefer to move or sit next to my kids. She told me she didn't mind sitting by my children, so Nando and I went up to rows 36 and 31, and went to sleep while our kids entertained themselves and the nearby passengers for the duration of the flight to Atlanta.
I was glad our layover was in Atlanta, because they have a play area. Play areas are one of the best ideas airports have had! An indoor playground while you are waiting for your flight – fabulous idea. Unfortunately, someone decided to close the play area at ATL. I noticed they didn't close the smoking lounge! Now we know where their priorities are.
Despite the lack of a designated play area, the children managed to entertain themselves with the two carry-on suitcases full of toys that we brought with us while we waited for our 1:30 pm flight to Miami. Tatiana and Soraya's favorite item turned out to be these Pokemon books that explain all of the characteristics of each of the Pokemons. I was hesitant to buy this book in Border's yesterday, but the girls insisted they would actually be interested in reading them. I suppose they were right.
The flight from Atlanta to Miami was fairly uneventful. Except, there was an older gentleman seated in front of Raymi. She dug her feet into his seat, and he asked me to ask her not to kick his seat. Thereafter, each time she used the seat to dig her feet into, I told her not to, and even prevented her from doing it a couple of times. But, she's five, so she kept forgetting. So, the woman seated next to the man, perhaps his daughter, turns around and tells me to tell her to stop. I told the woman that I was watching her, but she's five and sometimes forgets. She told me: “You need to control your daughter,” to which I replied:
“Don't you talk to me like that! Now, I was being nice...”
I guess my tone of voice did it and she kept her thoughts to herself. Now, I do try to limit the extent to which my children inconvenience others, but when we are going to be traveling from 5am to 10pm, I do let some things slide. And, I'm not that bad. In fact, as I was getting off of the plane, the man behind me told me he thought I was doing a great job of controlling my children!
After that plane ride, we made our way over to the international terminal, checked in for our flight to Kingston, and I spotted the famous Miami Airport restaurant: Carreta Cubana. We had some delicous empanadas, a Cuban sandwich, and a chocolate croissant. After that meal, fatigue began to set in – I should have had a cafe cubano as well. Fortunately, security was bearable, and we made it to the departure lounge, to find out that our 6:55pm flight had been delayed an hour.
We parked ourselves by the windows and I looked for things to entertain the children. Tatiana played on my laptop; Soraya watched a movie on the ipod, and Raymi found a woman to ask a million questions to. I sat down to relax and Raymi came over. She began to talk to a couple sitting near me, and told them we were going to be in Jamaica for 60 days. They asked me what I was going to do. I told them I was going to do research on people who have been deported from the US. The man told me that was brave.
It seems as if whenever I mention to Jamaicans the subject of my research they think that deportees are a dangerous lot, even though the vast majority are deported for non-violent crimes, and some are deported simply for being undocumented.
We made it to Kingston with a fairly uneventful plane ride. Tatiana and Soraya kept watching the ipod, and Raymi fell asleep. Not without kicking the chair of the woman in front of her, though. This woman, however, took it upon herself to ask Raymi not to do that.
Upon landing in Kingston, we got a taxi to our new apartment, and the woman who is renting to us was here to help us settle in. Finally, around 11pm, I was able to get to sleep.
Our flight this morning was at 6:55am. So, I asked Mark, our generous friend who offered us a ride to the airport, if he wouldn't mind picking us up at 5:30am, or actually 5:45, as the Kansas City airport is never crowded, or so I thought. After finally getting my bags packed at 1am the night before, I set my alarm for 5:00am, and went to sleep. I woke up, and took a nice hot shower. Then, around 5:25 am, Nando, my husband, said to me: What time did you say the plane is? I said 6:55, so Mark will be here at 5:45, and, “Oh, sh#$, that is wrong. I fuc$#ed up!!” We need to be at the airport at 6:00am, so we should have left at 5:00am....
I called Mark, and, luckily, he was ready and came right over. We made a mad rush out of the house and, by 5:40, am, me, Nando, and the three kids were packed into Mark's minivan and ready to go. I told Nando, who was driving, that we have to make the one hour drive in 45 minutes, because if we are not there by 6:25 am, we are not going to be able to get on the plane with checked bags.
On the way, I checked the flight on my Blackberry, and, to my chagrin, it was on time. We made it to the airport at 6:27am, and the SkyCap guy tells us it's too late. Resigned to the consequences of my miscalculation, we go inside, and wait in line to talk to an agent. A few minutes later, I was able to talk to an agent, and told her: “We're on the 6:55 flight to Miami.”
“Do you have bags?”
“Yes, four.”
“Okay, you need to hurry, you are late.”
And, can you believe she began to tag our bags! Every one of our four suitcases was a couple of pounds over, so we had to take a few things out. One of the things I took out was Nando's power drill. That was mistake number two, as that didn't make it onto the plane. But, we did! We made it on board despite an unusually long line at the security gate, ten carry-on bags of varying sizes, and the power drill. We were that family who got on last that everyone had to wait for. But, we got on!
We boarded the plane and headed to our row of seats, row 45, all the way at the back of the plane. Two of our assigned seats were taken by a woman with a small boy. She had moved because they were seated apart. I asked the lady if she would prefer to move or sit next to my kids. She told me she didn't mind sitting by my children, so Nando and I went up to rows 36 and 31, and went to sleep while our kids entertained themselves and the nearby passengers for the duration of the flight to Atlanta.
I was glad our layover was in Atlanta, because they have a play area. Play areas are one of the best ideas airports have had! An indoor playground while you are waiting for your flight – fabulous idea. Unfortunately, someone decided to close the play area at ATL. I noticed they didn't close the smoking lounge! Now we know where their priorities are.
Despite the lack of a designated play area, the children managed to entertain themselves with the two carry-on suitcases full of toys that we brought with us while we waited for our 1:30 pm flight to Miami. Tatiana and Soraya's favorite item turned out to be these Pokemon books that explain all of the characteristics of each of the Pokemons. I was hesitant to buy this book in Border's yesterday, but the girls insisted they would actually be interested in reading them. I suppose they were right.
The flight from Atlanta to Miami was fairly uneventful. Except, there was an older gentleman seated in front of Raymi. She dug her feet into his seat, and he asked me to ask her not to kick his seat. Thereafter, each time she used the seat to dig her feet into, I told her not to, and even prevented her from doing it a couple of times. But, she's five, so she kept forgetting. So, the woman seated next to the man, perhaps his daughter, turns around and tells me to tell her to stop. I told the woman that I was watching her, but she's five and sometimes forgets. She told me: “You need to control your daughter,” to which I replied:
“Don't you talk to me like that! Now, I was being nice...”
I guess my tone of voice did it and she kept her thoughts to herself. Now, I do try to limit the extent to which my children inconvenience others, but when we are going to be traveling from 5am to 10pm, I do let some things slide. And, I'm not that bad. In fact, as I was getting off of the plane, the man behind me told me he thought I was doing a great job of controlling my children!
After that plane ride, we made our way over to the international terminal, checked in for our flight to Kingston, and I spotted the famous Miami Airport restaurant: Carreta Cubana. We had some delicous empanadas, a Cuban sandwich, and a chocolate croissant. After that meal, fatigue began to set in – I should have had a cafe cubano as well. Fortunately, security was bearable, and we made it to the departure lounge, to find out that our 6:55pm flight had been delayed an hour.
We parked ourselves by the windows and I looked for things to entertain the children. Tatiana played on my laptop; Soraya watched a movie on the ipod, and Raymi found a woman to ask a million questions to. I sat down to relax and Raymi came over. She began to talk to a couple sitting near me, and told them we were going to be in Jamaica for 60 days. They asked me what I was going to do. I told them I was going to do research on people who have been deported from the US. The man told me that was brave.
It seems as if whenever I mention to Jamaicans the subject of my research they think that deportees are a dangerous lot, even though the vast majority are deported for non-violent crimes, and some are deported simply for being undocumented.
We made it to Kingston with a fairly uneventful plane ride. Tatiana and Soraya kept watching the ipod, and Raymi fell asleep. Not without kicking the chair of the woman in front of her, though. This woman, however, took it upon herself to ask Raymi not to do that.
Upon landing in Kingston, we got a taxi to our new apartment, and the woman who is renting to us was here to help us settle in. Finally, around 11pm, I was able to get to sleep.
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