Local Lens: Jamaica’s Meet The People Program

Two hours after landing in MoBay, I found myself wandering through a bustling hotel lobby in search of someone I’d never met before. Extremely excited, slightly nervous and indefinitely curious, my eyes darted around the room looking for a woman with one distinguishing feature I was certain of: the absence of a resort wristband. Although I was more familiar with the island this time around, I had no idea what to expect from the experience I was about to embark on. All I knew was that the Jamaica Tourist Board had diligently matched me up with a local who was eager to show me her homeland. In other words, I was about to go on a blind date with a complete stranger. Hey, if you want an authentic experience, you gotta step out of that comfort zone sometimes! Within seconds of meeting my host (hosts actually: I had the pleasure of being whisked around Monetgo Bay by two, lovely Jamaicans), I knew I was in for a treat…

Ready to see Jamaica through a local lens, I hoisted myself into Suzette’s truck and started firing off every question imaginable. I wanted to know everything — what her life is like on the island, where she vacations, what she eats etc. It quickly became apparent that we have a lot in common: both leos, both in PR, both have public sector experience (turns out, Suzette is a Councillor for St. James Parish). A match made in heaven! Although – I later found out – not a coincidence: the tourist board has been perfecting their Meet The People Program since 1968 so they know a thing or two about pairing visitors with locals. Side note: the program is FREE. Yup, all of the ambassadors volunteer their time to show you around so you can experience their country and step outside the traditional resorts! Back to my adventure…As Suzette educated me about flavoured Red Stripe (her fave is Sorrel) and the islanders’ love of KFC, we arrived at our first destination: Scotchies! Jamaica’s favourite jerk hut…

After devouring jerk pork and chatting with some of Suzette’s friends (the woman knows everyone), we sampled some of the best ice cream in the world (more about that in a previous post) and drove off into the sunset. We cruised through residential streets, ascended to Unity Hall and pulled up to a white gate…

We had arrived at our final destination: the home of Davon Crump (Suzette’s friend and the former president of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce). As we walked up the driveway, I couldn’t help but think how fortunate I was to get this incredible opportunity — I mean, when have you ever landed in a foreign country and been escorted to a private dinner hosted by complete strangers? Their generosity, warmth and energy filled my heart. And the sheer beauty of Davon’s home had me awestruck…

As we sat on the breathtaking patio sipping wine and exchanging stories, I remember thinking that there was no place I’d rather be at that moment. Bob Marley gently playing in the background, the sun setting in the distant horizon, bats swooping down to the pool in what seemed to be an orchestrated dance. Pure magic! The best part? I felt like I was catching up with long-lost friends: there were no pretensions, no formalities, no uncomfortable silences — just great, genuine conversations about everything from Jamaican politics to festival music. And of course, food. The lovely Roger Hamilton whipped up a family feast that had me thinking I was Jamaican at first bite. True to form, I devoured it all (oxtail, okra, spare ribs, mac and cheese, escovitch fish and good ol’ rice and peas) as my hosts discussed Jamaica’s food scene — from their obsession with tea to cultural dishes like mannish water…

It’s hard to put into words how special this experience was for me. The fact that complete strangers cleared up an entire day to welcome me to their homeland is both mind-boggling and heartening. While the idea behind the Meet The People Program is simple, the memory is one I’ll carry with me forever. A huge thank you to my generous hosts for basically restoring my faith in humanity: you showed me how quickly strangers can become friends by opening up your hearts and home.