My Experience Series: My Jamaican Experience 2

I finally made up my mind to join up with my big sister and her family
in Jamaica. So on wednesday,october 27th,2011,I boarded a flight from
MMA in lagos to london from where I would connect another flight to
Jamaica.

I had to arrive lagos a day earlier from abuja with one of my
sisters,and my boyfriend as at that time accommodated us for the
night. The next morning,he drove us to the airport where I nearly
missed my flight but for the system breakdown they were experiencing
at the airport,which necessitated the staff to be working
manually,causing a delay in my favour. My sister and boyfriend left
the airport
after I had boarded the plane.

On getting on board,I searched for my seat number and sat down after
locating it. I was feeling so good about myself as I kept getting
calls on my phone intermittently from people trying to confirm whether
my plane had left the airport. Lagos to Heathrow is about 6 hours,so i
got to london in the evening.

I passed through immigrations where I saw people of different races.
Since it was my second time in london on my own,I knew exactly what to
do unlike the
other time. I had previously changed some of the cash on me to
pounds,so I headed to the bus station where I boarded a bus to
Gatwick;because all the information I needed to locate my destination
was clearly indicated on my ticket,so I followed through till i got to
Gatwick airport.

I got there around 9pm in the evening,and then headed to virgin
atlantic stand to check in but they were not checking in my
destination yet, so I decided to hang around. A guy came to meet me
where I was, and asked if I was going to the caribbean,and I
replied that i was. He was happy to hear this,but I burst his bubble
when I told him we were not heading to the same caribbean country.

We got into a conversation where I discovered that we actually boarded
the same plane from Lagos,and he was also nigerian.

We quickly became friends as
we chatted like we've known each before that time. Our conversation
lasted far into the night before he became rather too naughty for my
liking when he tried to wrap himself around me;claiming he wanted to
keep warm as it was
a very cold night. He further tried to justify his action by saying
that we were no longer in nigeria where we should care about what the
society will think of such things,but I quickly replied him that he
must be crazy to think I will indulge in such act with him in a public
place.

In the morning,I quickly visited the rest room to clean up and change
in preparation for my flight. The guy left before me cos his flight
was for 9am. Regrettably,I couldn't take pictures cos i didnt come
with a camera.

My plane finally arrived and I joined the queue to be checked in for
the flight from Gatwick to Jamaica,which is about 9hours.

We landed at the Norman Manley International airport in Kingston,Jamaica on
thursday evening. I went through immigrations and the officer who
checked me starting asking questions about why my first visa was
cancelled and the likes. He then took me to their office where I met
some other people waiting to be questioned. I spent quite some
time there waiting for my own turn. At the office,there was also
another officer who was watching and listening as the officer who
brought me there kept asking me one question after another, but
luckily for me,he got a call on his phone which made him step out of
the office to receive it.

After he left,the other officer in the office stamped my passport and
asked me to go. I said my thank you and left.I was the last person to
be attended to at the immigrations that night. I came out to the warm
embrace of my big sister and her family who had
all been waiting for me,and we later left for home after exchanging
pleasantries.

Since I arrived Jamaica at night,I couldn't really appreciate the
environment till the next day. I must say that I was bit disappointed
though it wasn't like
I was expecting it to be like america or something,but none the less,I
quickly adjusted to my environment in the coming days. It wasn't easy
at the beginning adjusting to life in Jamaica cos I really had a hard
time understanding their life style,dressing,sexual beliefs and
behaviour generally. The children over here are rather very rude,dress
poorly,and sex means
nothing around here, though abortion is very rare because they don't
see giving birth to kids outside wedlock as a big deal. Age of consent
here is just 16 years, and marriage is not all that common,such that
you will see a lady having seven kids from seven different men! I must
add that there are still quite a good number of decent and good
Jamaicans,and I have met a few of them

My first major challenge on getting to Jamaica was how i would
continue my education. To my chagrin,I discovered that the
school my sister got for me was just to fulfil formalities required to
help me get an invite,it was not offering the kind of education I
desired. I then tried to get into one of the universities here,but
when my qualifications were graded according to their standards,I was
required to write another exam to upgrade. I didnt get the required
grade in the exam that would have gotten me admitted,but i was
directed to another university which was willing to take me,but after
almost a year there,I discovered it was a fake university! Well,
thankfully I have moved on from this initial disappointments and am in
a better place now.

In general,I love Jamaica and the people cos they love their country.
In spite of not having the kind of resources we have as a
country,jamaicans unlike nigerians,are a bit better off though their
government may not be a perfect one but are doing a great job.

For their level of economy,they are not doing too badly. I learned
that the nigerian embassy is working towards having direct flights
from Nigeria to Jamaica and vice versa,so that people can travel more
to both countries,as well as cheaply too. I also love the fact that
getting an american visa is far more easier here than from
Nigeria.

let me also add that coming to Jamaica also brought me closer to God
cos I gave my life to christ here. I have also met good and beautiful
people here;nigerians and jamaicans alike,who have helped me realise
my potentials.I also learned perseverance here. Three years since I've
been in Jamaica now,and am loving it. This is my jamaican
experience, ja bless!