Jamaica Diary: Day 5
Today was a slow day, as I gather Sunday’s generally tend to be in Jamaica. The hotel staff is minimal today – the housekeepers don’t cook, the babysitter takes the day off, and most people go to church. Pentecostal Christian is the largest religious denomination.
For lunch, we went to a local dive called Sweet Spice. Joining us were a mix of both tourists and locals. The food was very good; I ordered oxtail, while Cedric, feeling adventurous, tried curried fish. Lately, when faced with a restaurant menu, I gravitate toward the most unusual dishes offered. I want to try everything; unfortunately, my sensitive stomach often doesn’t agree with my adventurous appetite. The oxtail, however, went over fine. It was braised with some sort of large beans, and the sauce was rich with marrow and fat.
Johanna was well loved at this restaurant – the staff positively fawned over her. Jamaicans are wonderfully affectionate with children. Everyone we meet here wants to smile and coo at the baby; Americans, on the other hand, often treat children as a great annoyance. On our flight from Indianapolis to Baltimore, a woman in the seat in front of Lou turned around and hissed at me “tell him to stop kicking my seat!”
“He’s not kicking it,” I told her. “he’s picking up something he dropped on the floor.”
My word, we are a self-absorbed culture; the contrast between here and there troubles me more and more.
