Share
20th March 2015
02:00pm GMT
"It took us leaving to appreciate what a great city Dublin truly is."[/caption]
The move:
We moved in March 2013 because my husband had been offered a job to work for Digicel’s Group head office in downtown Kingston. He got the official job offer in February that year and we had six weeks to pack up our life. We had no idea what awaited us in Kingston but we knew we had to get out of recession Dublin and try something new.
I wasn’t sure what kind of work I might get in Kingston as it is notoriously difficult to get a work permit, so I was happy to be a full-time mum for while.
Permanent or temporary:
Coming out here we thought we would not go back to Dublin for a good few years, but it’s been two years now and in that time, Dublin looks like a very appealing prospect. Myself and the kids went home last summer and I loved the vibe there. It took us leaving to appreciate what a great city Dublin truly is.
We will head home in April for an extended holiday and see how things go over the summer. I secured a place in school for the kids, who are super excited to see their family and friends. I also secured a small work project with Digicel recently and I am now itching to get back to work.
First impressions:
The very first impression was the fierce heat and the fact that you left a 'first world city' and landed in a developing country, so the 'convenience' lifestyle you are used to is gone and you have to adjust to the new culture and climate.
Biggest differences:
The lack of freedom was a huge change for us - you tend to drive everywhere - there's no such thing as popping out to to get milk, you need to plan everything ahead. I found the security really uncomfortable at first. There is a high crime rate in Kingston so there are security guards everywhere, in car parks, at supermarkets and at all housing complexes.
Cost of living:
It is expensive to live in Jamaica. Because so much is imported, groceries are super pricey - I could get a week’s shopping at home for €100 but here, I spend at least €360 a week - utilities are extremely expensive too; petrol is more or less the same. There aren’t really many options if you want to buy clothes or something nice for yourself so you end up saving money on the extras.
Food:
The food is good. It’s quite fattening though as a lot of it is fried and there is, generally speaking, a high sugar intake in the average diet.
There are some dishes that I love, such as callaloo, which is a mix between cabbage and spinach, sautéed with onions and garlic and allowed to steam. But I really miss the wealth of health food that we have access to in Dublin - it is very hard to eat very healthy here. Gluten free products are hugely overpriced and there’s only a few health food places.
Childcare:
We have an awesome Jamaican lady who has become part of the family. She does the housekeeping twice a week and when she babysits she overnights, so there’s no major rush to get home by midnight.
Living here, you do rely on your friends to help out a lot too. As none of us expats have any family here, you become really close to your buddies and we are so lucky where we live. We have great friends in our housing complex and the kids all hang out together, which is great.
Local attitude to breastfeeding:
It seems that the majority of Jamaican’s bottle feed. Breastfeeding seems to be associated with poverty and bottle feeding is a sign of affluence. A friend of mine was offered formula five times within 24 hours after her son was born, even though she told the nurses she was going to breastfeed. I, for one, have never seen a Jamaican breastfeed in the two years I have been here.
Health system and pregnancy care:
The doctors I have visited for myself or the kids, have all been great and it is possible to book an appointment directly with a specialist without a referral.
As for pregnancy care, a friend of mine experienced her entire pregnancy here and her OBGYN was really hands on. At each visit, the consultant gave her a full physical and the nurses were extremely thorough. All bloods and routine testing was done quickly and efficiently and results were always back in a timely fashion. However, the scans are not as detailed as at home where we have 3D and 4D. When it comes to giving birth in Jamaica, most expats go home. There are no facilities for neonatal ICU in the private hospital and there is only a small ICU unit in the public hospital.
Best thing about the city:
There are lots of great things about Jamaica - the outdoor lifestyle, sports, great schools and being able to visit paradise beaches like Treasure Beach and Frenchman’s Cove. The kids are having an absolute ball here and have had access to so many things they wouldn’t at home.
Also, I have seen so many things that have just made me laugh so much. You do see a lot of crazy stuff here, like the time I was stuck in a traffic jam down the road from us only to discover the hold-up was an old man in a wheelchair hanging on to a moped as he hitched a ride up the hill.
And the worst:
The main thing is the heat. Trying to go about your business in searing heat is not easy for someone who thrives in cold weather (moving to the Caribbean might not have been the best idea). Also, the driving and the roads. The taxi drivers are lethal, but in general the driving is atrocious. There is also a lack of freedom that comes with the big emphasis on security. You can’t just decide to go for a stroll in the evening, for example.
Work/life balance:
Expats work long hours here. The work/life balance is definitely not better than at home. Any notion that we live on an idyllic Caribbean island sipping cocktails on the beach every evening would be far from the reality.
Favourite thing to do at weekends:
There is not much to do in Kingston at the weekends and very little set up for children. We have driven to the beach a few times, and we love to go up the mountains just outside Kingston, where Blue Mountain Coffee is produced. We also love to go to Strawberry Hill, a beautiful mountain top getaway. If there isn’t a kid’s party on, we usually see our friends and go for brunch in town.
Weekends are fairly chilled, but there is always an excuse to enjoy a drink - whether we go out on our own for dinner and a movie, pop in to the neighbours, or bring the barbeque down to the pool for a burger and some chilled beers. It’s a very social place in that sense.
Explore more on these topics:
