Work and economy · St. James · written in Patois with an English translation
Montego Bay a di place weh mos visitor fus touch dung pon Jamaica soil. Sangster International Airport a di busiest gateway eena di island, an di big cruise ship dem come een a di harbour regular. Fram di airport, di famous Hip Strip — di stretch a Gloucester Avenue — run alongside di sea, full up a shap, restaurant, craft stall an di worl-famous Doctor's Cave Beach wid i clear blue wata. Tourism a serious business fi St. James. Tink pon all a di people weh i feed: hotel worker, tour guide, taxi man, craft vendor, fisherman weh sell di restaurant dem fish, farmer weh supply di kitchen dem, di higgla pon di strip. When di ship dem een an di hotel dem full, money flow tru di whole parish. But every Jamaican wi tell yu seh di business have two side. When hard time lick di worl — like when pandemic stop all travel — MoBay feel i fus an feel i wors, caa so much a di work hang pon di visitor dem. An some people aks how much a di tourist dolla really stay eena di community, versus how much go a di big all-inclusive dem. Still, MoBay proud a i title: di tourism capital a Jamaica. Nex time yu land a Sangster, memba seh a no jus beach yu a look pon — a di livelihood a tousans a St. James people.
Montego Bay is the place where most visitors first touch down on Jamaican soil. Sangster International Airport is the busiest gateway on the island, and the big cruise ships call at the harbour regularly. From the airport, the famous Hip Strip — the stretch of Gloucester Avenue — runs alongside the sea, packed with shops, restaurants, craft stalls and the world-famous Doctor's Cave Beach with its clear blue water. Tourism is serious business for St. James. Think of all the people it feeds: hotel workers, tour guides, taxi drivers, craft vendors, fishermen who sell fish to the restaurants, farmers who supply the kitchens, the vendors on the strip. When the ships are in and the hotels are full, money flows through the whole parish. But every Jamaican will tell you the business has two sides. When hard times hit the world — as when the pandemic stopped all travel — MoBay feels it first and worst, because so much of the work depends on the visitors. And some people ask how much of the tourist dollar really stays in the community, versus how much goes to the big all-inclusives. Still, MoBay is proud of its title: the tourism capital of Jamaica. Next time you land at Sangster, remember you are not just looking at a beach — you are looking at the livelihood of thousands of St. James people.
Montego Bay a di plies we muos vizita fos toch dong pon Jamieka sail. Sangster International Airport a di biziis gietwie iina di ailan, an di big kruuz ship dem kom iin a di haaba regla. Fram di iepuot, di fiemos Hip Strip — di schrech a Gloucester Avenue — ron alangsaid di sii, ful op a shap, restarant, kraaf staal an di worl-fiemos Doctor's Cave Beach wid i klier bluu waata. Tuorizim a siiryos bizniz fi St. James. Tingk pon aal a di piipl we i fiid: huotel woka, tuor gaid, taksi man, kraaf venda, fishaman we sel di restarant dem fish, faama we soplai di kichin dem, di higla pon di schrip. Wen di ship dem iin an di huotel dem ful, moni fluo chuu di uol parish. Bot evri Jamiekan wi tel yu se di bizniz av tuu said. Wen haad taim lik di worl — laik wen pandemik stap aal chravl — MoBay fiil i fos an fiil i wors, kaa so moch a di wok hang pon di vizita dem. An som piipl aks ou moch a di tuoris dala riili stie iina di komyuniti, vorsos ou moch go a di big aal-inkluusiv dem. Stil, MoBay proud a i taitl: di tuorizim kyapital a Jamieka. Neks taim yu lan a Sangster, memba se a no jos biich yu a luk pon — a di laivlihud a touzanz a St. James piipl.
The history and the figures come from the sources above. The Patois is mine.
Hear this read aloud in St. James →