JOAN, MY VIEWS.

Carnival

2026-10-03T10:32:58.395-07:00

I guess Florida is different from the rest of the world, for as Carol pointed out, Carnivals are usually held around the Easter season (February to April), but Miami's and and Tamarac's was in October.

Rain or shine, we take in the music events😉.

For years, we in Jamaica had no carnival, so when we wanted to jump and wine, we had to hop on the unreliable, Trinidad and Tobago-owned BWIA (aka Better walk if able or But will it arrive?) and take a flight in excess of three hours to see greats like the Mighty Sparrow. (He died at age 91 on September 27th, 2026).

Walk good honorable sir.🙏

He has been greatly missed ever since he becane ill, for no other Calypsonian had his creativity, energy, ability to deliver subtle social commentary and he had a fantastic sense of humor too🤎.

We Jamaicans owe a debt of gratitude to the late, great musician, Byron Lee, late leader/founder of the popular dance band, Byron Lee and the Dragonaires, for importing Carnival into Jamaica so we could stop flying BWIA.

But I stray.

I am so happy I live in Tamarac, for they celebrate everything with free music sessions, and that's right up my street.

Last night it was really a practice session for the full carnival including costumes, road march etc on October 9, featuring Allison Hinds. (That will not be free though so I will skip it!😁.

It was a good evening with nice music and other features.

Everyone had a good time.

There was even a personal trainer there giving stretching therapy for a small fee.

Good for the old bodies. 🤣.

The event was held at the amphitheater and you could cool off at the water fountain afterwards if you so wished.

The water fountain was turned on right there for cooling off.

Kudos Tamarac.

Griffin Museum

2026-09-24T18:12:04.333-07:00

I enjoy visiting musea, so wherever I go, I usually take in at least one.

The Griffin Museum of Science and Industry is the most extraordinary one I have ever toured in my life.

I had never seen or heard about it until yesterday when we visited the Obama Museum on (infamous!) Southside of Chicago (https://share.google/qd4d6TQFCBio7tRoS) and saw the imposing structure from the 8th floor of that Museum.

Established in 1933, it is reputed to be the largest Science Museum in the western hemisphere and so far some 200 million people have visited it.

This extraordinary musem has 14 acres of inside display housing some 35,000 artifacts, showcasing just about every development known to us, from space travel to a coat that barks like a dog, if someone gets too close to the wearer.😁

The barking coat🤣.

I could get lost in this place just taking pictures of my favorite things and tracing their development.

Like the bicycle which I still ride😊,

to trains that I love to ride,

The fastest steam engine in 1893. Top speed 112 mph. We've certainly come a long way baby!

Inside the engine. The glowing red is burning coal which produces the steam.

An engineer had to sit in the hot engine for the entire journey

The Zephyr

to classic cars and carriages

Camille taken in by early cars

A solar powered car developed by the University of Michigan in 1993.

to aeroplanes which I hope to learn to fly in my next life when I reincarnate.🙏

A replica of the Wright Brothers plane.

There was also a whole room dedicated to tornadoes, another to glaciers, one to different forms of energy generation and on and on.

School kids got to experience a simulated tornado😉, and there was an entire floor dedicated to the U-505 submarine which played such a critical role in World War 2.

Replica of the U-505 submarine

The submarine's actual anchor. Much smaller than I would have anticipated.

This place was never in our plans, but it was surely a fascinating journey.👍

Love Chicago, just not the wind😊.

Such an inspiration ❤️

2026-09-23T17:28:47.521-07:00

Right when I needed my faith in humanity restored, I visited the Obama Museum in Chicago and it was.

In the Museum, you go on a pictural journey highlighting those who went before to pave the way for a black President of the USA.

This granite sculpture is a tribute to his mom.

Harriet Tubman's coat

This painting was done with charcoal and colored pastel only.

The Museum and complex is an awesome tribute to a wonderful human being and well deserved.

From every angle there is beauty, hope and inspiration.

Hail the man.

These pics were in the presidential library.

The sculpture at the entrance of the museum.

The art and sculptures both inside and outside are not only inspirational but a joy to behold.

Beautiful paintings in the library.

Surrounded by his books at a desk in his library.

A lovely sculpture outside the library.

People waiting patiently to begin the Museum tour.

Inspirational signs are all over the complex.

I love the art all over the Museum. A great selection

Tributes are everywhere to those who inspired him and paved the way for his success.

A section of the Oval Office.

View from the 8th floor is awesome.

The 7th floor is closed to the public as its the President's suite. (OH how we all prayed he would emerge and greet us😉😘).

The Science and Industry Museum next door.

It's huge!

Hope and inspiration at every turn.

Thank you Mr. President🙏.

Camille and I pose with the Obamas .😉

The courtyard.

Chicago day 2

2026-09-22T16:36:31.668-07:00

Camille came in late Monday afternoon so it wasn't till Tuesday that we continued sight seeing.

The weather was in the 50's and breezy in the morning, so we stayed inside the Big Bus for most of the city tour.

By afternoon it warmed up nicely so we hung around Milinnium Park.

Chicago is reputed to have the largest/most green spaces of any city in the USA and they really keep their parks pristine and flowers brighten every walkway.

Sculptures and art work add to the beauty too.

Everyone's favorite sculpture is called The Bean because of the shape.

My reflection in the Bean

It has a lot of glass so you take on different shapes from each angle.

Section of the fabulous amphitheater.

We even took in the planetarium. Not a bad day at all👍.

Chicago

2026-09-21T13:58:53.855-07:00

If you follow the news, you would never visit Chicago!

Buckingham fountain in Grants Park

Today's CBS news headline is a perfect example.

It begun:

"Local News

3 dead, 14 hurt in Chicago weekend shootings, according to CPD."

Yep and that is the normal feed I usually see from that beleaguered city.

My own country Jamaica which has only a slightly larger population, (3.5 million to 2.7) had a similar problem because of our murder rate.

Happily it's being rapidly reduced now, so hopefully the reporting will reflect that soon.

What no one tells you about places like Jamaica and Chicago, is the beautiful, quiet side. I only discovered Chicago's pretty side on a visit there about two years ago.

In every country you have to know which areas you have to avoid, but in Chicago and Jamaica they always make it appear that everywhere is dangerous😡.

In my book, that city should be renamed the architectural capital of the USA as I have rarely seen such a diverse collection of beautifully designed buildings in a small space, anywhere in the world.

Entrance to Grant's Park downtown

Grant's Park is where Obama made his victory speech in November 2008 to over quarter million people!👏👏👏

The park was constructed on the site of tge great Chicago fire in 1871. Debris and rubble from the fire was used to dump up some of the land for the Park.

I was lucky enough to get tickets for Obamas Library for this Wednesday, so flew in on Monday.

The planetarium

A marina on Lake Michigan

So naturally I hit the streets right away to get acquainted with my environment and yes, it was pleasant.

For from what I have seen today, its still a beautiful city, pedestrian friendly and well maintained.

Glad I got to come before fall really sets in, for it is now in the 60's and as the nomenclature says, its really the windy city.

Ps. Public transportation is easy, efficient and cheap and downtown is really pedestrian friendly. For the pedestrian crossings seem to be camera operated, so as you arrive at the crossings, most automatically change for you to cross. 🫠👏👏👏 .

Love it.

My kind of church😉

2026-08-27T09:21:28.749-07:00

Papa San (Puppa San) has only gotten better with age. The super DJ who used to mash up Sumfest and other music festivals when great dancehall music prevailed, is still there.

Only the lyrics have changed.🩷.

Amazingly, during his chart stopping performance at the Faith Center, he revealed that he had only just come out of hospital after a serious appendix issue! WOW.

He is amazing.

I like the Faith Center too. It reminds me of the popular Church on the Rock which I attended for many years in Jamaica, to get my Sunday exercise.😉.

You know, Jamaica is reputed to have the most churches per square mile in the world. I will add, that no one in the world knows how to make a joyful noise to the Lord like a Jamaican. Faith Temple is clearly following the tradition. 👍.

It was a wonderful Jamaica Worship night.

And the lobby of the church was beautifully decorated too.

The young DJ who calls himself Prince SAJ, set the stage for Papa San and was good too.

I predict he will have his own church in a few years.

He introduced himself as a 26 year old from Spanish Town. He had a moving testimonial about being an unwanted child born to a teenage mother (14 years old!) who was really only a child bringing up a child. And as is so common in Jamaica, his father spurned him.

He has clearly come a long way and his high energy and original music ignited the church and set the stage for the great Papa San.

After the concert, there was a drone show, but the main event sell off😊.

Carol, Paulette and I had a wonderful time.

Nb. Some pics contributed by Carol.

Birthday bash.

2026-08-24T05:09:59.163-07:00

Guess what, Michelle has made it into the big leagues. Proud of her being now a certified yoga instructor. 🥰

When I saw the above on Instagram, I excitedly suggested to Shadrach that we should go, join her class and have the brunch with her. After all, west Palm is only an hour away and we owed her a visit.

It seemed like a great idea, especially since it was my friend Camille's birthday, so we could kill two birds with one stone by inviting another friend Sonja aka Sonia, and spend a pleasant, celebratory afternoon out of town. 💢💥🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒.

It sounded like fun till I learned that brunch was going to be "healthy." As that usually means things like a few sprigs of parsely and other tasteless green stuff🤑, I quickly changed plans.

So it was on to plan B, lunch at the lovely Seasons 52 where Michelle/Melissa/Shadrach took Norma and I to lunch on Mother's Day.

Seasons 52 on Mother's Day.

That was a far more palatable idea, as the ambiance and food there is great and guess what, Melissa works with the group, so we get a decent discount through her.😋

With the birthday girl

Seasons 52 is right on the waterway so you can watch the boats go by and even pick up the water taxi right outside.

We who drove from Tamarac, arrived early so relaxed by the water and in the lounge.

We had reserved a table outside by the water but as we ate and relaxed out there there, a tumultuous cloudburst accompanied by fierce lightening and thunder spoiled the setting. (That same lightening storm killed a mother and her 2 year old daughter in nearby Margate.)😭

Although they pulled down awnings, the sheets of water were blowing inside so we had to repair to the cold air conditioned, crowded, dining area.

As expected the food was great and we had a wonderful afternoon.

Later, we started to drive behind Melissa and Michelle to head home we thought, only to end up at Yard House where Melissa works.

Melissa hailing up colleagues at Yard House. She is very popular there😉.

We enjoyed ourselves at Yard House though only having space for drinks.

Camille got birthday dessert at both Seasons 52 and Yard House but at the latter, she actually got candles in her cheese cake. We all enjoyed the cake with her 😋.

It was a really nice day all around and we were transported back safely by super driver Shadrach.👏.

A great day without healthy food.😁

Mothers day 2026

2026-08-23T07:47:39.111-07:00

It was a wonderful mothers day get together at the Season 52 in West Palm Gardens.

Delicious food, good ambiance and family.

A memorable afternoon.

Stealing land

2026-08-15T17:30:31.286-07:00

The big news in Jamaica concerning the destruction of illegal homes erected by squatters in Coopers Pen, Trelawny, reminded me vividly of one of the main reasons why I became disenchanted with the People's National Party (PNP) and joined the struggle to get them out of power in the 1970's.

It's a long saga, and I outlined it fully in my book, "Looking Back...the struggle to preserve our freedoms."

Link:LOOKING BACK......... by Joan Williams - Audiobook - Audible.com

The recent Coopers Pen development is a sad story about what happens when poor, struggling people are fooled by corrupt politicians who use them as pawns to gain power.

The destruction of the homes and assets of the residents is heartrending and everything should be done to assist them in their plight.

I indicated at the top that it was squatting (land stealing) which mainly drove me from the PNP, for I was first made aware of this initiative pushed by the late DK.Duncan, former General Secretary of the PNP, shortly after we had paid down on farm land in St. Catherine and were struggling to pay the mortgage before one grain of rice was reaped. Just about then Duncan and his fellow political criminals started to target medium and large sized land owners with "capturing." (They claimed they had the right to take some of our land as they had none and we had too much, hence they were going to capture some!)

Had the PNP succededed in this socialist thrust, we would have had far more gullible poor people losing their hard earned assets through legal bulldozing, as in many instances, that is the only option left to legitimate land owners who were targeted by these socialists.

For once free loaders move on to your land, it is a long and extremely expensive and tedious process to get them off.

In the case of Coopers Pen, the owners have been going to court from 2012 (14 years!) to gain access to their land. And in every case, the courts had ruled that they must get the use of their land for their own use as the squatters have no rights to it.

But look how it has ended!

About fifty families, some with babies just days old, were thrown out of their houses and their assets destroyed by bulldozers in the early hours of the morning.

The JLP which has been consistently in power since 2016 does not have clean hands in this matter either. For our constitution does not recognize parties but governments and it is the Ministry of Housing that has consistently represented (misrepresented?) the interest of the residents in Coopers Pen.

This incident once again not only demonstrates how terrible it is for people to be exploited by politicians, but also, the fact is that these politicians, whether PNP or JLP, don't really give a hoot about the poor.

Hampton School

2026-08-15T12:07:54.445-07:00

As I am honest, I will say up front that I hated most of the years I spent at Hampton School in St. Elizabeth.

When I was growing up, Hampton supposed to be one of the most prestigious schools in Jamaica, and since it was only about a mile from my home in Malvern, my fate was sealed before I was even born💫

When I attended however, it was more like a prison or the secluded covent in Britain that your read about, than a school. 😡

I will be honest though in that I loved the last two years of my life there (in sixth form), as we commuted daily to share classes with the boys at our brother school, Munroe College 🥰. (Oh boy, weren't those days exciting! One day I will tell you about them.)

It was my dislike for all things Hampton though why I washed my hands off that institution on leaving, and never got involved in the "old girls" affairs. (HOGA, Hampton old girls association is the name of the past students' group). (ME OLD? YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING.😉

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I learned about the situation below recently and had to get involved.

The information came via a video about conditions in Woodlands, St. Elizabeth and its environs, which suffered badly with the passing of hurricane Melissa. The video was forwarded to me by my cousin Everett Smith, a Florida based attorney who was born in Woodlands.

It's about a Hampton girl whose home was upended by hurricane Melissa. This further added to her misery as a day girl who had to use public transportation daily from the border of Westmoreland/St. Elizabeth to get to Hampton School. This distance means she has to leave her home in the wee hours of the morning in the dark and return at nightfall. That sounded appalling, especially as it related to her safety as a young woman.

Besides, what time would that leave for her to study, was my other reaction and how could she deal with personal issues such as bathing etc when the very bathroom of her home no longer exists?

These are what motivated me to contact Sonja Pringle, an active HOGA mrmber, to see how we could help. I am happy to see the ball got rolling quickly, thanks to the hard working Dawn Ebanks, president of HOGA.

Let's all rise to the occasion.

You see whether we like the school, me or not, there are situations that call for immediate action.

I am therefore calling on all who read this blog to assist this young lady. No donation will be too small and a spreadsheet will be sent to everyone showing all donations and expenditure.

Thank you. And please share this blog with friends/schoolmates who have a heart.🤎

,.....................,,.......................................

The young lady's name is: Anna Marie Wright.

Donations are to go to:

Zelle. Jordannem.ebanks@gmail.com.

PayPal. Jordannem.ebanks@gmail.com.

Update from Dawn Ebanks 08/15/2026

Spreadsheet not opening on my phone but anxious to share contributions so far:

1. Karan $10,000

2. ⁠Anonymous $10,000

3. ⁠Annette $40,000

4. ⁠Sonia us$100

5. ⁠Sharon us$50

6. ⁠Joan us$200

Total j$60,000

Total usd$350 j$54,250

Total J$114,250

Ps. Google Hampton School, St. Elizabeth if you require any other info.

A WhatsApp group chat called "Tatewood student" has also been established. (Tatewood is the name of a large property in Woodlands).

Link: https://youtu.be/wtmUzaCD-g4?is=w39LMukggbYC4z9u.

Nine months later!

2026-07-23T09:00:58.374-07:00

I have always had a special love for the town of Black River, as growing up in deep rural St. Elizabeth, Black River was the closest place we could experience anything close to civilization.

I expressed my love and extreme sadness in a blog, shortly after Melissa destroyed our town.

https://joan-myviews.blogspot.com/2025/11/i-weep-for-black-rivervictims.html?m=1.

Naturally when I returned to Jamaica, nine months later, Black River was a must visit for me.

That trip brought back the deep sadness at losing such an important part of our diverse history and great disappointment, as it appears so little has been done to try and address the devastation.

For nine months later, Black River I remains a picture of pure desolation.

The vivacity of the town seems also gone and everything seems lost.

How are people even surviving when commercial activity remains almost at a standstill and people's abodes remain so inadequate and depressing, I wondered .

Yes the government has said it will build a new town away from the raging sea. But 9 months later, what has been done to even try and bring back a little normalcy and comfort to the lives of the thousands thousands who lost their homes and small businesses and need to survive while the grandiose plans are being made?

Clearly the lack of action has nothing to do with the availability of funds, since the reports are that hundreds of millions of donated money, sit in the government's coffers while people sink deeper into despair.

It is disgrace too that there is so little sign that the infrastructure is being restored before the next hurricane strikes.

Not even the sea wall has been rebuilt or shored up to protect whats left of our beloved town.

The bridge which had been our pride and joy for so many decades, and which attaches Black River to numerous satellites districts in St. Elizabeth, looks like it can fall into the river at any time.

Driving along the Crane Road to Parotee is even more heart breaking as no structure, residential or commercial seems to have escaped Melissa's wrath.

That area is vulnerable, but living humans have to exist there while the plans are being made.

Nine months later, very few structures look in anyway habitable and in the interim, the area has become one big garbage dump.

Does the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) exost to deal with garbage or is that just a fancy name for another ineffective government agency?

I ask as every inch of that area is covered by nothing but hurricane debris, nine months later.

That same debris which will most likely end up in the water when the next big breeze blows and further destroy whats left of the fragile environment there.

I lived through another major hurricane called Gilbert. That was in 1988, and not only did Gilbert only devastate a few parishes but indeed the entire island.

We got a lot of support from near and far, but even before lights were restored everywhere, you could see signs that a serious and efficient government was in place, as people were quickly employed in every parish to clean up and restore the infrastructure.

Why didn't we see any people at work doing any cleaning up in Black River and its environmens? That area just seems to be at a standstill!

Who cares?

And don't tell me that the NSWMA is busy, as no where in south west or north west Jamaica did we observe even one garbage truck at work.

In fact, in town after town through which we drove from Montego Bay to Black River, we saw signs that people were being responsible, as garbage was neatly piled into huge receptacles along the roadways.

But they were all overflowing as clearly trucks were not coming through to clear the containers.

Jamaicans are supposed to be religious people and one has always heard the phrase cleanliness is next to godliness, but no one seems to have told the comfortable directors in the offices of the NSWMA about that!

Even in Duncan's, Trelawny where not too much hurricane damage was done, when you walk on the streets, the stench of garbage is overwhelming, for since the NSWMA does not seem to collect garbage anymore, people have resorted to dumping their garbage in the drains or that's where it ends up when the collection bins overflow.

Blocked drains and rain are incompatible, so I shudder to think of what awaits people as the government coffers overflow with donated funds, while the garbage piles up and the infrastructure remains vulnerable because nothing is being done while the money sits in banks as the people perish.

Yes, Melissa was a major disaster but the lack of government action which has followed has made life even more hopeless for thousands of our fellow Jamaicans😪.

It's a crying shame.

Age no deterrent!

2026-07-22T11:30:09.349-07:00

Would you undertake a major construction project if you were lucky enough to live to your ninties?

I am 80 and would never dream of taking on the task of dealing with contractors and workmen as it would probably send me to an early grave!.

Not the Wallaces though!👍

Mrs. Nellie Wallace is a 95 year old retired educator and her husband Everald, a farmer.

Miss Nellie

They beleive that no challenge is too great or impossible nor is age as a deterent when the circumstances call for action.

Mr. Everald

Mrs Wallace is a graduate of Moneague Teachers College who spent more than 70 years in the teaching profession.

Most of that time was teaching at Fyffes Pen Primary in Brompton, St. Elizabeth and later at Clapham Primary and Infant School in Brighton St. Elizabeth. (she did a few short stints at other schools over the years too).

When Hurricane Melissa struck, Teacher Wallace and Mr. Everald who should have been relaxing while enjoying their long years on earth, literally experienced hell on earth.

For the four bedroom home on the hills of Brighton where they had happily and quietly spent most of their lives, was totally destroyed within hours.

The remnants of their home.

Teacher Wallace told me the hurricane hit around 9am and the entire roof left in no time. So she and her husband spent the next 4 to 5 hours standing in a corner in one of the rooms. Her husband stood in front of her to try and shield her as much as he could, but they both got thoroughly soaked.

It was terrifying.

By the time it was all over (about 5pm) they realized they were homeless for the first time in their long lives.

She said it was God who sent some men from the community, including former students, armed with machetes to see how they were.

As she has difficulty walking, the men put their hands together to make a chair so she could sit, then they carried her to a neighbor, friend and church sister, Mrs Judith Warren who graciously welcomed them.

That's where they have been living for the past 9 months.

But the Wallace's are proud, independent minded people and decided that they had to build a new home as they couldn't impose on a good neighbor forever.

While most of their family scoffed at the idea because of their age, as Mr. Wallace had level land in the flatter section of Brighton, they decided were going to build a new house, come hell or high water.

And that's what they are doing with the assistance of Mr. Warren jr who is Mrs Wallace's godson. He is helping to supervise the project for them.

The new home being built is smaller than the one they lost but it will be much sturdier.

Relatives and friends are now so sold on the project that they are also helping them as much as they can, to realize the dream of a new safe, sturdy home.

You know what is the only tragedy in this story of good neighborliness, resilience, community, spirit, independence and courage?

The tardiness of the Jamaica Teachers Association (JTA) to assist.

You really only get a true impression of the usefulness of an organization by how it treats its professional associates.

Teacher Wallace paid dues and was a faithful member of that organization for almost seven decades.

After the hurricane, the JTA announced that it had a fund to assist its members who had been affected by Melissa. So she filled in a pile of paperwork and applied. A relative in Kingston has even followed up by telephone several times.

Would you beleive that nine months later, not even a cent has come from the JTA to assist this dedicated educator!

That is really shameful as the JTA is so strident when it wants something but clearly falls short when it comes to helping educators who have done so much for the country.

That is totally unacceptable.

On another note, Jamaica could easily win a prize for having the most potholes in the world.
The road to Brighton demonstrates perfectly what happens when potholes are ignored far too long. Inevitably they become monstrous gullies😡.

Sumfest 2026

2026-07-19T06:29:05.943-07:00

Thanks to the destructive hurricane Melissa which wrecked everything in its path in Jamaica in 2025, Sumfest this year had to be moved from Montego Bay to Plantation near Ocho Rios.

This is the same venue where Rebel Salute used to be held annually, but I understand it is not being held any more and other events there are discouraged.

I actually like this venue better but everyone who uses the main road or lives nearby, object to events being held there because traffic congestion makes life frustrating and even dangerous for them.

So the authorities don't normally give permission for things to be held there. But I guess they agreed to allow Sumfest this year because of the situation.

Maybe they should have postponed the entire thing though, for this is the worst Sumfest I ever attended.

Why?

Because for the entirety, they had no live bands but only recorded music!

And for the first three hours or so, they used no artists but just screaming DJ's.

I must admit though, the female Magnum dancers were extremely talented.👍

Queen Ifrica

When the live artists started to perform, the only one who was really impressive was Queen Ifrica and when the big stars, Vibes Kartel and Movado came on, only Movado had been worth the wait, in my book.😡

It was extremely well attended though so maybe the young people liked that crap, but I didn't.

We went, we listened but we were really not well entertained this year.

Ps. A friend brought to my attention the following statement which was posted to the organizer's webpage.

"Updates on the Return to Traditional Live BandsDownsound Entertainment has explicitly stated that this condensed format is a one-time, one-night emergency staging.Why it changed: The shift away from the traditional multi-night, live-band festival was entirely due to severe infrastructure and venue damage at the Catherine Hall Entertainment Complex in Montego Bay caused by Hurricane Melissa [05.1].The Future: Festival organizers have reassured fans that Montego Bay remains the permanent home of Reggae Sumfest. They plan to return to Catherine Hall for the July 2027 festival, restoring the traditional multi-night lineup that features full backing bands, comprehensive reggae nights, and traditional dancehall nights."

Pity I never saw the info re the change in program format before we bought tickets!😡

Still celebrating June 19-28, 2026

2026-06-29T15:30:59.509-07:00

My 80th birthday was on May 20th, but for weeks I was able to have family in and out and celebrated at every turn🙃.

With Jason from Ocho Rios.

This delicious Lychee cake my friend Mitzie gave me in mid July, brought the celebrations to a close I guess.😁

Hope I can get one for every birthday from now on.😋

El Yunque

2026-06-26T11:39:55.252-07:00

El Yunque is a rain forrest in Puerto Rico and when we visited recently, that's where we went.

With our guide Nelson.

It's on 28,000 acres of land, the highest point being 1975 above sea level. It has over 200 species of trees, however less than 70 are indigineous.

To develop the Park to what it is today, the federal government bought up land in the surrounding areas from residents, but three families refused to sell and they are the only people still living there.

This tiny 'waterfall' is 86 feet high

There is an observation tower from which you can see much of Puerto Rico, but we were there on an overcast day.

It's 91 steps to the top.

View from the top.

In September 2017, Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico. The memorable event to outsiders however is prehaps the picture of President Trump throwing paper towels to some devastated survivors😡.

However the damage on the ground was real as 2,975 people died, most roads in Yunque had to be reconstructed and even now, many hiking trails and picnic areas are still closed and many bamboo trees are just springing back.

The river below is named after the nearby town

During Maria, its waters rose almost to the height of the road!

After we finished exploring the forrest we headed back to San Juan.

The streets of Old San Juan are cobblestone and the architecture Spanish.

Columbus fort

Columbus' statue

Dom Rep

2026-06-24T18:01:37.867-07:00

I have been to the Dominican Republic several times but usually end up in the environs of the capital, Santo Domingo.

So when our ship stopped in Amber Cove, it was a totally different experience.

This area is so named as it produces some of the clearest amber gems in the world.

An amber and a larimar stone.

There are eight shades of amber here and the darker ones are the oldest.

There is an interesting museum nearby which gives excellent information on both semi-precious stones.

Entrance to amber museum

Map showing areas where amber and larimar are mined.

They filmed parts of Jurassic Park around the Amber Cove area.

This stone has a lizard inside.

We never bothered to book a shore excursion for the Dom Rep. The pier area has lots to see and of course numerous shops as its a popular tourist spot.

These steps take you to the bar, zip lining and lockout areas in the pic below.

View from the top.

You can rent these cottages just below the bar.

These small huts in the water are for rent too.

Another view of Amber Cove.

Traditional Dom Rep costumes.

After we finished with the pier, we chartered a taxi and toured the city of Puerto Plata which is only 12 km away.

This section of the Dom Rep and Jamaica have many similarities in terms of the topograhy, lifestyles, animals, commercial activities etc.

The big differences are of course that they drive on the right and motorcycles are everywhere, most operating as taxis even carrying up to 5 people!

Construction of San Felipe Apostol Cathedral (in the main square) started 1502 but wasnt completed for almost two centuries.

A section of the Umbrella street in Puerto Plato.

Fort Columbus

Section of Puerto Plata square

Pink Street

Inside the Cathedral

Umbrella Street has unique and interesting souvenir shops.

Using an old-time coin operated telephone.

We enjoyed touring Amber Cove and Puerto Plata without taking an organized tour, as it was less hectic, less costly but just as comprehensive.

We had an excellent tour guide in Alberto.👍.

The Turks and Caicos

2026-06-23T12:54:09.580-07:00

I have always heard of Turks and Caicos Islands but never had an interest in visiting as I also heard they are so small that they are like our beach towns eg. Negril or Ochie.

Well for my continued 80th celebration, we took a mini cruise and the first stop was Grand Turk.

This is the second largest of the 8 habitable islands that make up the archipelago. The largest is Providenciales and it's the only one with an international airport whereas Grand Turk is the only one with a cruise ship pier.

Tourism is their main source of income.

These islands remain British colonies so like us, they drive on the left.

Grand Turk has the look and feel of our own Negril, but it is smaller and less developed.

It's only is 7 square miles and imports virtually everything including Jamaican patties. Things are therefore quite expensive. For example, gas is US$8 per gallon today.

Our tour bus was a converted school with manual transmission and all.

It has no traffic lights but I hear the accident rate is very low.

The biggest danger they say, is the hundreds of wild donkeys on the island that operate as if they own the roads! There are many Jamaicans here so I am surprised no one has come up with the idea of capturing them and taking them home to sell, as our farmers are always complaining about the chronic shortage of these valuable, expensive and necessary animals!😉.

Astronaut John Glenn

Their tourism authorities have been smart enough to capitalize on the fact that the late astronaut John Glenn had splashed down a few miles off their coast in 1962, so they have a small exhibit of the event at their cruise ship pier.

I am happy we made a stop in Grand Turk as I learned a lot.

All aboard🫠

2026-06-21T12:57:29.773-07:00

All went well in Orlando and we are now off on the Caribbean Princess.

Never been on a Princess Line before and must say I am impressed with all so far. Beautiful ship, well laid out buffet area on the 15th floor and with our cabin being on the 14th floor, we won't have to go far for food.😁

Madelynn and I have bottom bunks and Michele and Michelle top bunks.

The lovely tshirts are compliments of Michele.

She also decorated our cabin door😅.

Now we are ready for everything.😎

Legoland

2026-06-20T18:14:21.869-07:00

I have been to Orlando several times but had no interest in visiting legoland. That is, until my granddaughter Madelynn who lives in Colorado, came to join us there to take a cruise to continue celebrating my 80th🫠.

She loves to build things and wanted to visit that iconic theme park.

So we all did.

So off we went and not only was the theme park where they used some 32 million lego pieces to make beautiful structures, people and animals impressive, but so was the botanical gardens.

This banyon tree was planted in a 5 gallon container in 1936.
Look at it now!

Some of the characters and buildings made from lego pieces.

Animals in the gardens made from lego pieces.

Tribute to FIFA world cup.

Yup, we also had lots of fun and light family time❤️.

The Michelle's in playful entanglement.

A great prelude to the cruise.

The other side.

2026-06-13T22:46:41.515-07:00

It's nice to occasionally stop to observe how the other side lives.

That's exactly what I did when I got a good deal from Grupon on a Ft. Lauderdale tour on the scenic waterway, dubbed the "Venice of America."

Fort Lauderdale is reputed to be the yatching capital of the world, based on the number of super-yachts registered there.

I love the water and this city has lots, for the Intercoastal Waterway (man made) is a 3,000 mile navigation channel running parallel to the Atlantic Ocean.

It can take you inland from Massachusetts through Florida to Brownsville at the Mexican border.

It's on the banks of this waterway in Florida that some of the world's super rich build a few of their holiday homes, parking their super-yachts out front.

I love the sculptors outside this mansion.

This was once owned by the fake tv psychic who called herself "Miss Cleo. " She went to jail for tax evasion and government seized and sold her home.

Houses here normally range from $30 million up. A residential, empty, open lot in the area just sold from $53 million!

A sand bank where people can park their boats and swim in shallow water.

This 375 foot super-yacht which has a helicopter pad, cost a $325 million. It's owned by a Japanese billionaire but has only 18 cabins and a crew of 36!

It carries a large fishing boat in the center back!

The front view.

The Waterway is so busy that the Ft. Lauderdale bridge opens up every half hour to let boats go through.

Tourism in general is down though, mainly because Trump has alienated the Canadians who had usually flooded Florida for their vacations.

The beaches are relatively empty.

Its so empty that many life guards are not needed anymore.

The waterway is busy though with all sorts of contraptions moving around.

The yellow boat is the
water taxi that services Ft. LAUDERDALE.

Our little tour boat

Colorful pedestrian bridge

I love being out on the water, so always enjoy the Intercoastal treks. However my big annual event is going home to catch me some big fish.🎣

Can barely wait till next month.

Buju sell off!

2026-06-06T19:38:49.881-07:00

Bujus performance at the Tamarac Sports Center, was a big success.

The organizers must have printed 14,000 tickets for on Instagram they announced this week's that it had sold out, and tonight one of the organizers mentioned the above figure.

Camille came up from Miramar to attend.

The crowd looked larger to me though but who am I to estimate crowds?

I like Buju but had not seen him perform since he came out of jail.

He did not disappoint.

I never stayed till the end though for the last time I went to a music festival in Tamarac and stayed till the end, (when Morgan Heritage performed), it took me over 45 minutes just to get on the shuttle bus. I pledged then "never again," as I can get a belly full of my favorite performers on YouTube anytime, without the hassle.😉.

Link: (https://youtu.be/0OzJXY1x8IU?si=hmy7nHcqCJde1tXr)

We were not allowed to bring chairs tonight but when we got to the park we noticed quite a few people there with chairs!😡

I think I will write a letter to the organizers to complain about that and the fact that our monitor stopped working before Buju performed and they never even tried to fix it.

I love our mayor though for its because she is a music lover why we have such chart stopping performers coming to perform at Tamarac.

This one was called Yard on the Lawn.

Miss Kitty kept the crowd animated.

This event was a huge success and Miss Kitty was excellent, keeping us in anticipation during the band change before the star came on.

Big up Tamarac.

Reflections on 80.

2026-05-24T05:38:11.084-07:00

The thing about life is that we never know how long we will retain our memory. That is why I am so happy I started this blog about quarter century ago and record almost everything. (Wish blogs were invented long before though.)

I was reflecting on becoming 80 which sounded so remote up to a week ago.

But now I will soon move away from that landmark and end up where I wonder?

This is why I am saving these pics to remind me of all who helped me celeberate, from nearby Plantation and Lauderhill to distant Sebring all in Florida.

Last year I had big plans with friends to go on a cruise around sections of Southern Africa from Mauritius to Cape Town in 2026, to celebrate this milestone. However, my heart objected, informing me that I have to stay close my cardiologist.

So, I will be finishing off the celebration next month with my immediate family, on a cruise in the the nearby Caribbean. (Some have school till June).

It is what it is.

To get the celebrations going, we started started in Plantation where my good friend Carolyn hosted a wonderful dominoes session.

(https://joan-myviews.blogspot.com/2026/05/dominoes-forever.html)

Horace, Carolyn, uncle Lesly, uncle Ruddy, Hollden at dominoes on my birthday.

Then it was off to lunch with my Trini friend Helena.

Not only was the Trini curry goat delicious, but I have to thank Helena for reomtroducing me to Indian food. For you see, I was in Sri Lanka exactly a year ago, and while it was a great experience, there they not only curry almost everything, but the hot spices nearly killed me!🤢.

I had never met hotter peppers in my life and thus I swore off curry.

But the Trini version was a delicious, gentle reminder that not all curry is hot and my once favorite roti, bussup shut, was most welcome.

Bussup shut.

Next we finished off the celebrations in Sebring where Camille and I drove to, to spend the long weekend with my lifelong, bosom friend Sunshine and my extended family.

Thr Golden girls aka the scrabble ginigogs😁

The octogenerian.

Today (23rd) is Givannis birthday, but that makes him a Gemini, not a great Taurean😁.

He turns 13.

Yep it was great to get out of the city and hang around with more "family."❣️💕

Cardiff is extra special too for athough he was born an Adventist so pork has never touched his mouth, he had no problem seasoning and cooking the most delicious pork shoulder for me.😄.

Big up Cardiff.

It was so well seasoned, soft and delicious that I even had some for breakfast next day!

It's been a great 80th celebration.

On to the next big landmark.😉

Dominoes forever🙃

2026-05-21T05:27:12.931-07:00

Only a domino lover can appreciate, not only the joy of the game, but also how much it keeps the brain active.

Last night's game, organized by my bosom friend Carolyn to help me mark my 8th decade on this planet, was a timely reminder.

Uncle Leslie bows, as his pleased partner Uncle Ruddy looks on.

For as I tried to follow 96 year old Uncle Leslie's strategic plays, it was so obvious that dominoes had played a major role in keeping him and even 90 year old Uncle Ruddy, young.

Unfortunately, the game is only being kept prominent by us older folk, as the younger generation is showing little interest.

But it is what it is.

Uncle Ruddy, Clover's widower.

It remains one of my favorite activities and everyone knows that.

Host Carolyn in background

No one more than Carolyn, the daughter of the late, great Jamaican, Doctor Clover Thompson, an outstanding public servant and educator, whose other life revolved around dominoes.

So yes, it was a great night, and my fellow Taurean Horace and I kept our flag flying by dropping a six love.🙃

It was a wonderful way to spend a significant birthday.

Black Forrest, one of my favorites😋

Good friends, delicious fare, great brain activity and camaderie.

Thanks guys.

Turning 80.

2026-05-20T04:41:56.910-07:00

Unbelievably, I made it to age 80!

It's been a hell of a journey filled with some sorrow but also great triumphs.

My greatest sorrow was of course the murder of my son Thor, but the birth of his son Shadrach, six weeks before his untimely death, and the love of friends and family made it easier to endure.

Yes, the road has been somewhat rocky but now I am good.

Thanks to my loving family, Michele, Maddy, Shadrach and Bernie, my extended faily and all my friends who helped, encouraged and assisted me along the way.

On to the next milestone.😉

Link: LOOKING BACK......... Audiobook by Joan Williams

Our unbounded influencence

2026-05-04T18:05:00.000-07:00

Very few people appreciate the role music played in lightening the load of our ancestors during slavery better than Colin Smith.

Smith who was awarded a Badge of Honor by the Jamaican government in 2025 for his role in the preservation of Jamaican culture, is not only the Chairman of the Louise Bennett Heritage Council but is also founder/leader of the Miami based Tallawah Mento Band. It's in that role that he was recently invited to Costa Rica in April 2026 to address the 2nd Marcus Garvey Symposium on the topic "How enslaved Africans used music to lighten their burden."

The heart of Jamaican culture in Costa Rica is in the province of Limón where it is estimated that of the over 65,000 population there, 75% have Caribbean ancestry, and also in nearby Puerto Viejo (translation Old Harbour!) where Jamaican colors and food dominate.

Some Tallawah band members pose beside the sign.

Like so many other places in Central America, thousands of Jamaicans moved there and settled after working on the Panama Canal and they retained their culture.

I first visited Limón decades ago after hitching a ride on a Jamaica Producers vessel which used to go there to fill up with bananas to meet its British quota.

What stood out in my mind then was not only how most people could switch from our patois to grammatical Spanish seamlessly but also how our favorite traditional dishes were easily available everywhere.

On my second visit, I learned that Hon. PJ Patterson, Prime Minister was honored there in 2001.

What I never knew then was that Garvey was held up in such high esteem there that each year on the 18th April, they put on activities to honor him.

He had been working there as a timekeeper and between 1910-1911. When he saw the exploitation of the black workers on the banana plantations there, he not only established a branch of the UNIA but also a hub there for his Black Star Liner.

In 2023, Costa Rica declared Garvey an honorary citizen for his contributions to culture and human rights.

It was no doubt a great honor for the Tallawah Band, one of the last surviving mento bands, to be included in this year's festivities.

They even performed on their first night in Costa Rica at La Caribena in the Capital San Jose, before going

on to Limón.

The performance there received overwhelming applause.

I really don't know that too many of our countrymen really appreciate how our culture is revered in so many corners of the globe and the fact that we may even still have many relatives in diverse places that we know little about.

Below are snippets of Tallawah's performance in Costa Rica.

Nb. Pics and videos contributed by Anette Smith.