Nethersole & Negril

Monday, April 16, 2012


Noel Nethersole: was Minister of Finance between 1955 and 1959. He was a Rhodes Scholar who distinguished himself within the Supreme Court of Jamaica. In his ministerial capacity, he sought to achieve centralized financial control, the establishment of modern techniques for financial management and the growth of modern financial institutions.


Statue of Noel Nethersole @ BOJ
Part of his vision was the establishment of a stock exchange, a development and central bank through which sound fiscal policies would be governed. Nethersole did not live to see the establishment of a central bank, but plans were well underway by 1959.  He is considered the ‘Father of the Central Bank’ and his statue stands in front of the Bank of Jamaica.


Negril: might bring spring break to mind for some, but for Jamaicans, it represents what used to be a quaint, seaside town. Negril is located just over an hour’s drive from Montego Bay in the parish of Westmoreland. It was named Negrillo by the Spanish in 1494 and the name was shortened over time. It is a resort town on the white-sand beach that’s reputed to be seven miles long, but isn’t. It has been rated as one of the top ten beaches in the world.  West End is used in reference to the cliff resorts south of downtown. 
Seven-mile beach, Negril

Negril isn’t the same as Ocho Rios or Montego Bay, in that it’s more rustic in nature. Tourism development started in the 1950’s with vacationers renting rooms in people’s homes. Negril’s reputation as a warm and welcoming town spread and in the 1960’s several resorts sprang up. 

Cliff @ Rick's Cafe
Negril is home to an extensive coral reef and the The Negril Marine Park, The Negril Lighthouse, a branch of Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville, Rick’s Cafe and a duty free shopping zone. The developments have had adverse environmental effects; however, people can still enjoy scuba diving and snorkeling in the protected reef areas.
An aside here: In digging up information, I found out that tourists have hurt themselves jumping off the cliff/s (which are approximately 30 and 40 ft.).  It brings to mind the Jamaican proverb that says ‘coward man keep sound bones’.

For the letter N, I give you some Jamaican terms:

Nanny- A Jamaican $500 bill that carries the picture of ‘Nanny’ Jamaica’s only female National Hero. If I’d thought of her first, I’d have featured her in the person category. She was one heck of a Maroon warrior and gave the British soldiers hell in the 1700’s.
Nengey-nengey – to grouse or complain constantly.
Nuff- Plenty, too much, many, tons, a lot, ECT.
Nyabinghi- The traditional and orthodox Rastafarian movement which espouses black supremacy (which is supposed to be symbolic) and visions of an Ethiopian Zion; a Rasta spiritual gathering with drumming and chanting.
Nyami-Nyami- describes someone who eats too much.


Thanks so much to those who have downloaded Don't Get Mad...Get Even. It's currently the #1 free short-story collection in the Kindle store. Get your copy, if you haven't as yet. 

If you have read the stories, and are so inclined, I'd appreciate a short review wherever you choose to post. Thanks!



30 comments:

  1. Thanks again for doing the wonderful guest post:) And as usual, i love your post. i love learning history!


    Nutschell
    www.thewritingnut.com
    Happy A-Zing!

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    1. Glad to share, Nutscell and thanks again for having me.

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  2. My husband thinks I Nengey-nengey and I think he Nyami-Nyam too much.

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  3. Clarissa,that comment made me laugh.

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  4. If I got to go to Negril, I would never nengey-nengey ever again!

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  5. Oh, I thought I had downloaded your short story collection and just saw that I hadn't. Off to do that now. Congrats on being #1, that's awesome!

    Tt's a shame to think of tourism and over-development taking away some of the charm of what is obviously a beautiful place. The picture of the beach at Negril is gorgeous. Love the proverb!

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    1. Hope you enjoy, Julie! Development has pretty much taken away much of the natural beauty of resort towns in Jamaica. Portland, on the other end of the island, has much to offer by way of eco-tourism.

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  6. I definitely like to learn more about Nanny. Sounds like a fodder for an historical novel.

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    1. She was a character all right, with reputed supernatural powers.

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  7. Pretty white sand beaches. I need to write a story set in Jamaica. Maybe it could be a gay romance between two hot beach men with rippling muscles.

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    1. It's good that the pic. is sparking some creativity.

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  8. I'd love to visit Negril.

    It's great learning Jamaican terms.

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  9. Negril sounds like a wonderful place to visit, but I'm a bit saddened by the adverse environmental effects.

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    1. Apart from that, we help things along by our carelessness with the environment. :(

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  10. Negril sounds like a good place to visit. Nanny sounds pretty interesting, too. More interesting, in fact.

    Sonia Lal, A to Z challenge

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    1. As I noted about, if I'd thought about her first, I'd have featured her. The lives the runaway slaves led is definitely interesting and their descendants still live among themselves in several parishes.

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  11. I've been to Negril in my younger days. Saw the sunset at Rick's cafe. Spent the day at the nude beach. Would love to blog about that story BUT what's done in Negril stays in Negril..Yea mon!

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  12. Thank you for the lovely introduction to Jamaica. I've loved going back through the older posts. Lots of things I didn't know there.
    All the best!

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    1. Hey, Ron. Good to know you found some stuff of interest here.

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  13. The weather here in Wisconsin has been horribly cold, and Negril looks like a dream right now. . . a place where I could be a nyami-nyami and do nothing else.

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    1. Hi, Michelle,
      Wishing I could be that way all the time, but I only have to smell food to gain a few pounds.

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  14. very cool theme, I learned a lot, thanks!

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  15. I was Nyami-Nyami and am paying for it now with insomnia. Ugh!

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    1. Not sure where my reply to you went, but I hope you feel lots better now.

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  16. It's so sad when quaint places like Negril become commercialized and overly developed. But it's beauty and serenity creates wide appeal. Thanks again for the great information.

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    1. Tourists do seem to prefer unspoilt places. I guess technology - and all that goes along with it - has its drawbacks.

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