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Jamaican/Miconian
When was the last time you visited "JAMAICA" to relax and enjoy the beautiful island, eat the foods, mingle with the people, soak in some sea and sun, visit Buxton Hall & the Chapel?
If only for a moment relax, read the Gleaner & Observer on line, and see how many
you get.
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Hustling in Junction
published: Thursday | October 25, 2007
The streets are filled with vendors.
Junction in St. Elizabeth isn't as busy as it once was, but, for Miss Martha, the fruit vendor, it's as comfortable and exciting as ever.
"When people come Junction, dem come a town. People who live inna St. Elizabeth haffi come here more time when dem a go bout dem business. So now, we will deh here fi supply dem wid dem fruit and some other man will sell dem juice and so on and so forth. Mi grow right around here, so mi know 'bout Junction from a longer time," she said.
Miss Martha was sitting on a bucket turned upside down on the sidewalk and she was wearing something that looked like an apron with two very wide pockets at the front. A boy in a khaki suit walked up while she was speaking and was feeling some bananas in a box in front of her. When he found one that he liked, he handed her a $50 note. She stopped speaking, took the money and, to my surprise, reached into the top of her blouse and started feeling around in her bosom area. I wondered if I was supposed to be seeing all of this, until she pulled her hand out with a small, black plastic bag that was tied in a knot. She untied the knot and took out some coins and handed them to the schoolboy who was already devouring the banana. He then hopped along his way.
"Yes, as mi was saying to you mi child, Junction used to be more crowded dan now. By dat mi mean dat it used to have more excitement. Things used to gwaan yah man! When we likkle we used to find fun inna just coming out here and looking at all a di people dem. Dem yah young people nowadays nuh inna dem ting deh. Dem want di one bag a loud music and dancing, dancing," she said.
An elderly woman was leaning on the wall beside her. "Dat is quite true mi daughter," she interjected.
"I used to sell right here you see mi child, and mi haffi stop! Yes man! Inna fi mi old age now me fi go mek likkle pickney rude wid me? You mad? Dem yah pickney yah nuh have no manners. No likkle home training," she said, shaking her head.
Noise
I struggled to hear the women. The noise from the passing cars and the people yelling to each other from across the road almost drowned them out. "Yes man. So dis is Junction. A nice place, but it used to be better," said Miss Martha.
I said goodbye to the women and walked a bit further down the road. I saw a man in a purple shirt and wide-brimmed hat. He was an older man with dark skin. A woman crossing the road beside him had two well packed plastic bags in her hands. She smiled when she saw him and I could hear her say "Morning, Pastor."
I walked over to the man in the hat and introduced myself. He told me his name was Reverend Taylor. I asked him what business he was undertaking in Junction.
Get it all
Pedestrians make their way along a busy street in Junction, St. Elizabeth. - photos by Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer
"Well, I live very close by here and I am from the Methodist church. Whensoever I need some foods to put in the house and so you know, I have to comes here. Junction is the place where I gets it all," said he. He looked me up and down, much to my chagrin. "You goes to church around here?" he asked. I told him I didn't and he smirked. "Well, you needs to visit us over there at the church you know," said the reverend.
I told him I would think about it on my next visit to the area and went on my way.
I then met a woman standing at a small wooden cart with wheels. It turns out she uses the cart to sell sugar cane and papaya. "I am Molly," she said.
"I don't live here, but when time fi di likkle hustling, you know mi haffi come see if likkle money can mek. Mi have two pickney a go school so you know we haffi do what we can," Molly said.
I asked her how things were in Junction these days. "Well, you know it slow sometimes, but at least it more quieter than some other place. Mi like it. Some people will tell you dat it boring but di truth be told, it nuh really bad. Junction can work wid!" she said.
robert.lalah@gleanerjm.com
When was the last time you visited "JAMAICA" to relax and enjoy the beautiful island, eat the foods, mingle with the people, soak in some sea and sun, visit Buxton Hall & the Chapel?
If only for a moment relax, read the Gleaner & Observer on line, and see how many
you get.--------- --------- -------- ------------
Hustling in Junction
published: Thursday | October 25, 2007
The streets are filled with vendors.
Junction in St. Elizabeth isn't as busy as it once was, but, for Miss Martha, the fruit vendor, it's as comfortable and exciting as ever.
"When people come Junction, dem come a town. People who live inna St. Elizabeth haffi come here more time when dem a go bout dem business. So now, we will deh here fi supply dem wid dem fruit and some other man will sell dem juice and so on and so forth. Mi grow right around here, so mi know 'bout Junction from a longer time," she said.
Miss Martha was sitting on a bucket turned upside down on the sidewalk and she was wearing something that looked like an apron with two very wide pockets at the front. A boy in a khaki suit walked up while she was speaking and was feeling some bananas in a box in front of her. When he found one that he liked, he handed her a $50 note. She stopped speaking, took the money and, to my surprise, reached into the top of her blouse and started feeling around in her bosom area. I wondered if I was supposed to be seeing all of this, until she pulled her hand out with a small, black plastic bag that was tied in a knot. She untied the knot and took out some coins and handed them to the schoolboy who was already devouring the banana. He then hopped along his way.
"Yes, as mi was saying to you mi child, Junction used to be more crowded dan now. By dat mi mean dat it used to have more excitement. Things used to gwaan yah man! When we likkle we used to find fun inna just coming out here and looking at all a di people dem. Dem yah young people nowadays nuh inna dem ting deh. Dem want di one bag a loud music and dancing, dancing," she said.
An elderly woman was leaning on the wall beside her. "Dat is quite true mi daughter," she interjected.
"I used to sell right here you see mi child, and mi haffi stop! Yes man! Inna fi mi old age now me fi go mek likkle pickney rude wid me? You mad? Dem yah pickney yah nuh have no manners. No likkle home training," she said, shaking her head.
Noise
I struggled to hear the women. The noise from the passing cars and the people yelling to each other from across the road almost drowned them out. "Yes man. So dis is Junction. A nice place, but it used to be better," said Miss Martha.
I said goodbye to the women and walked a bit further down the road. I saw a man in a purple shirt and wide-brimmed hat. He was an older man with dark skin. A woman crossing the road beside him had two well packed plastic bags in her hands. She smiled when she saw him and I could hear her say "Morning, Pastor."
I walked over to the man in the hat and introduced myself. He told me his name was Reverend Taylor. I asked him what business he was undertaking in Junction.
Get it all
Pedestrians make their way along a busy street in Junction, St. Elizabeth. - photos by Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer
"Well, I live very close by here and I am from the Methodist church. Whensoever I need some foods to put in the house and so you know, I have to comes here. Junction is the place where I gets it all," said he. He looked me up and down, much to my chagrin. "You goes to church around here?" he asked. I told him I didn't and he smirked. "Well, you needs to visit us over there at the church you know," said the reverend.
I told him I would think about it on my next visit to the area and went on my way.
I then met a woman standing at a small wooden cart with wheels. It turns out she uses the cart to sell sugar cane and papaya. "I am Molly," she said.
"I don't live here, but when time fi di likkle hustling, you know mi haffi come see if likkle money can mek. Mi have two pickney a go school so you know we haffi do what we can," Molly said.
I asked her how things were in Junction these days. "Well, you know it slow sometimes, but at least it more quieter than some other place. Mi like it. Some people will tell you dat it boring but di truth be told, it nuh really bad. Junction can work wid!" she said.
robert.lalah@gleanerjm.com
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