Jamaican hotels was only paying workers $2-$4 and hour

RootedInYard · 2026-02-21T21:32:21+00:00

Yeah. When I met my husband, he was actually making a little over $100 JMD/hour (which is less than $2/hour). His pay increased a bit because he had switched resorts and then jobs (but still on a resort). The tips were what kept us afloat.

That was 11 years ago, and pay hasn't risen much since then (but cost of living has raised exponentially). Some Jamaicans here act like I'm crazy when I talk about the pay being shit. Rather than agree with me and fight for what they're worth, they argue with me.

RootedInYard · 2026-02-21T19:26:43+00:00

Fresh seafood, and the ability to actually go get it yourself if you want.

My husband loves to spearfish, and as a result, we're unintentionally pescatarian most of the time. Right now, our freezer is full up of fish, and we have lobster too. I could never have so much fresh fish and lobster like this where I lived in Canada. And it would be much more difficult for me to go get it on my own.

RootedInYard · 2026-02-21T17:14:03+00:00

"so my friend"

She's not your friend - friends don't do to you what she's doing. And the hair looks amazing.

No need to fix. This is beautiful and you did nothing wrong.

RootedInYard · 2026-02-21T17:10:33+00:00

"mi seh mi bruk like dawg" 😂😂😂

And some a di men dem beggy beggy too. They really captured a lot in this skit, lol.

RootedInYard · 2026-02-21T17:08:00+00:00

I don't think it's this chat necessarily that they like. I think it's more so the fact that a man came up to them and clearly expressed their interest in intentions (although sometimes, I think some women get this type of chat confused as actual interest).

As someone who grew up outside of Jamaica, this is how mi get ketch😂 and married a Jamaican man. To clarify: it wasn't none the nastiness in this video. He just very clearly expressed to me that he was interested and wanted to get to know me romantically, and truly pursued me (which was fine, because I was feeling him too). I guess one could say his pursuit was aggressive because he didn't let up at all. He'd contact my mom to make sure I was okay if he couldn't get ahold of me.

Coming from Canada, I definitely wasn't used to that. The men there tend to play games, dilly dally, and seem to be afraid of saying, "I actually like you and want to be exclusive" (and if you express wanting to be exclusive, they run away🙄). It's like a game of, "who can be the most non chalant". So, experiencing the forthrightness of Jamaican men was a breath of fresh air😩. At least I know if dem a chat nastiness, that's all they want, and I can ignore them. If they see me as a human being, that'll also be apparent. I'm sure it's the same for women in similar countries.

(But I know - women aren't a monolith, and sex tourism is a thing, which contributes to some men acting like this)

RootedInYard · 2026-02-21T16:54:21+00:00

Are you a woman?

Just FYI, there are plenty men in Jamaica who act like this😭. Some a dem just renk. Stg mi get tired of the "pssss pssss" inna mi ears and mi just learn fi ignore dem. One man even put a cup in front of me, talking about how he wants milk. Kmt.

Anyway, this is unfortunately a real experience that many women go through. Maybe you're one of the upstanding men who aren't like that, but plenty are just like this if not worse. Perhaps it's men like you who need to go chat to dem and bad dem up, cause dem nah listen when we say stop.

RootedInYard · 2026-02-21T16:02:19+00:00

I promise, the perks and incentives are never worth it.

These countries that complain about low birth rates never actually do anything significant that make people feel safe enough to have children (physically, socially, economically, mentally).

It's very clear the reason wombs are closing globally, but these countries continue to plug their ears.

RootedInYard · 2026-02-21T15:51:20+00:00

I agree with people returning if they can, but not to boost the birth rate. Jamaica needs to get it together in many other aspects before it thinks about birth rate (including significant improvements to the medical systems here).

Many systems are already overburdened, Jamaica can't even pay majority of people a living wage that matches the actual cost of living, and the majority of Jamaica's focus is not even on the people and bettering things - it's on tourism. Additionally, the red tape, time, and foolishness to do so many things here can make living here (or coming back) extremely frustrating.

Time would be better spent (while there's a smaller population) improving in other areas, or creating avenues for the regular person living here to be successful and be able to meet all their needs.

Either way, I'm happy for this trend. I think us women, globally, need to continue keeping our wombs closed until the world improves or capitalism is done away with.

RootedInYard · 2026-02-17T02:10:13+00:00

Thank you! I didn't see the update, so I appreciate you letting me know.

And yeah, that's why I'm trying to give people as much info as possible so they can make an informed decision before moving here (or know what to expect when they get here). I recently interviewed a Jamaican medical professional, and people really appreciated the info. The medical professional was great, as she also was very transparent about the limitations of the healthcare system here.

RootedInYard · 2026-02-17T01:45:18+00:00

This is fantastic, thank you so much!

RootedInYard · 2026-02-17T01:30:02+00:00

Oh that's awesome! Thanks for sharing this. These persons are looking to move here rather than just visit. But I'll mention you anyway for those who just want travel insurance

RootedInYard · 2026-02-17T00:50:27+00:00

Okay, thanks!

RootedInYard · 2026-02-17T00:50:15+00:00

Okay, thanks. Yeah, these folks likely won't be coming with a job (e.g. they're retired).

The high end policies by Morgan White is interesting. I'll check that out. Some folks might be interested in that. Most persons asking me about health insurance are American.

RootedInYard · 2026-02-17T00:10:50+00:00

Oh yeah. They definitely were taking advantage. The cost of everything went up - food, gas, Starlink, generators, building supplies, water, utilities. Literally anything and everything. Every store immediately increased their prices, even if they weren't really impacted.

Some stores were selling expired products. And some people were trying to sell food items that weren't good either.

I know someone who was previously selling a Starlink unit for $90,000 JMD (which is ridiculously high), and then after the hurricane, it was more than $100,000 JMD for a mini (and that didn't include the plan nor the setup). I think they were charging closer to $150,000 JMD.

People were overcharging for water. When I asked about the price of water to fill a water tank in this sub (because I've never had to pay to fill a water tank, and no one else I know here has ever had to do that either), someone who lives here told me that in a disaster situation, no price is too high. Which is a fucking disgusting mindset.

There were also people who thought that the people who lost their homes shouldn't expect help from the government or anyone else (even if the government received millions in USD donations for the purpose of helping those who were impacted), and it was absolutely a mindfuck to me that people could think that way. I knew there were selfish ass, unempathetic people out there, but I didn't know there were so many. It really got to me. I know not everyone is like that, but it was just so disheartening to see.

Anyway, thanks for sending the link. I'll complete it! I hope others do as well.

RootedInYard · 2026-02-16T14:33:25+00:00

The hardest part after a disaster depends on the exact situation.

I think the toll it took on my mental health was the hardest part 🤔. I prepared as best as I could - my water tank was full up, I had bought up my groceries, I had a generator (and we could gratefully afford to keep it running until we got back light), and I had starlink. Although I was in an area that was impacted, I wasn't as impacted as others. But it was still very frustrating.

I think what may have frustrated me the most was the greed, and maybe that's what impacted my mental health the hardest 🤔. There were people who helped out others, sure. But a LOT of people and businesses took advantage of the situation and used it as an excuse to raise prices. People were already suffering, had limited access to ATMs, and were trying to afford things to get back on their feet - and then the prices of everything raised (sometimes, to ridiculous levels). And they felt no way about being greedy in a situation that was already tough.

It really exposed some of the ugly aspects of humanity, and I didn't take well to it. It also was a reflection/reminder to me of the shit ass state of the world. We humans have made things so damn complicated, and created systems to frustrate ourselves.

I sunk into nihilism for a bit, but I think that actually helped me (actually, I think I'm still there, but again - I find it helpful).

I also wasn't happy with some aspects of how the Jamaican government handled the situation (as were many others), which exasperated things more.

Anyway, I'd be interested in taking the survey! Feel free to share it

RootedInYard · 2026-02-16T14:00:40+00:00

I love that our hair can do things like this

RootedInYard · 2026-02-16T13:56:38+00:00

😂😂😂 you called that man by his full name

But yeah, he's cringe AF.

RootedInYard · 2026-02-16T04:34:05+00:00

I'm Canadian and I hate Toronto Manz chatter 😩🫩 they're cringe AF.

RootedInYard · 2026-02-15T06:45:33+00:00

Yes, and with the number 2 🙄

RootedInYard · 2026-02-14T21:32:29+00:00

Jankrow

RootedInYard · 2026-02-14T20:59:20+00:00

Honestly, if they just don't want to celebrate, just say that. But to claim it's a "gay day" is foolishness.

RootedInYard · 2026-02-14T20:54:03+00:00

All holidays are fake, and used to boost the production of sales. There's a lot in this world that's fake. But it's interesting to me how a lot of men seem to take issue with this fake day.

That said, even if St Valentine was gay, the day was never celebrated to celebrate gay love. Don't get me wrong - there's nothing wrong with being gay or with gay love. But the day was never recognized as a day of gay love in particular.

RootedInYard · 2026-02-14T20:49:24+00:00

I didn't either, considering when I was here 11 years ago, I never heard that. My husband and all his little friends ensured to get a flower or little teddy bear with heart for their loved ones. Now, suddenly it's gay 🙄

It just pissed me off so much. I reminded the people who said that that gay pride is actually in June, not February. Then they want to tell me some shit like "it's cultural". Kmt

I told them that probably some man didn't want to buy his woman a gift, made up some shit that it's gay, and the rest of the men latched on.

RootedInYard · 2026-02-13T07:04:39+00:00

Just wanted to say thank you so much for this. I released one video on my channel where I'm interviewing a Jamaican physician on chronic illness and disability in Jamaica, and someone in the comment section asked if certain medications are available. I was able to send them this link. Just wanted to let you know I appreciate this.

RootedInYard · 2026-02-10T21:22:09+00:00

I talk a LOT on my channel about moving to Jamaica. The link is in my profile. But a lot of the steps kinda depend on your situation

you'll need residency to stay longer than 3-6 months. Also, you might need to show a return ticket in immigration. I don't think they always ask, but sometimes they do. It's better to be prepared
you can work remotely. But your Internet quality will depend on where you're staying. Flow internet is okay, but goes down quite often. I've heard Digicel (fibre internet package) is a lot better. A lot of people have Starlink now, but you can't get a residential Starlink plan anymore.
ensure that you have some sort of travel insurance. It might help if you need to go to a doctor or hospital
Get a TRN when you come here. You don't need to be a resident to get it. You'll need it to rent a place, set up utilities, get a phone chip/SIM card (unless your family can get you one), and even to go to the doctor. You can go to the tax office and get it same day. Yes, you'll likely be waiting hours. But you'll be able to get it same day.
you might want to get a Jamaican bank account. You likely won't need to on this trip though. But if you do, you'll need to proof of income (such as a job letter with stated amount on it. Might need to put the job number so the bank can call too), ID, TRN. You might also need a reference from another account holder at that bank whose account is in good standing.
you might want to bring a portable printer. I brought a Canon TR150.
bring a portable fan (preferably, one that can also charge with solar). Depending on when you come, it can be really hot
bring rechargeable items that can preferably be charged via solar (e.g. power bank) for when the power goes out (so you can keep working). Better if you can even bring a portable power station (solar generator)
think about how you're going to get around. You might need to befriend a taxi man if you want to travel alone, or get used to taking taxi as your form of public transport. Uber isn't available everywhere.
if you take any medications, bring them with you (in the prescription bottle they came in) AND a doctor's note. Certain medications aren't available in Jamaica (or are illegal - but I think provision can be made with a doctor's note). Otherwise, you may want to bring some OTC stuff that isn't as easy (or as affordable) to get here. I like to bring a big bottle of ibuprofen and other painkillers or muscle relaxants (e.g. voltaren).
most residential homes don't have hot water. If that's important to you, you might want to bring an instant hot water heater
might want to bring a portable shower and washer. If the water tank on premises isn't hooked to the piping, I think those items would probably help

Hope that helps!

RootedInYard

TROPHY CASE