Good Blood - Jamaica Day Eight

Today was another laid back day - or at least it started that way! Mid-afternoon we were picked up by my cousin Angel and her cousin in order to take me downtown to try to find some shorts (I only really had one pair). I was warned before we left to not wear anything that looked expensive and to do my best not to speak because it would be bad if people heard that we weren't Jamaican - though I know it's pretty obvious in other ways that I'm not. Anyway, apparently downtown is really where it's dangerous in Kingston and getting shot is not a possibility that's not goes beyond paranoia. At first when we got there and a lot of the shops seemed closed up Angel had her mum go into one of the stores to make sure that a war wasn't going on further up the street. This made me nervous to say the least - turns out though that it was all good. I liked it there - minus the fear factor - so bustling, insanely so.

After trying to rush through eating our dinner to make a movie that ending up being sold out, we headed to Devon House - the first Great House to be bought by a Jamaican black man. Beautiful grounds, and buildings, with very appealing 'I Scream' adding to the draw. While in the gift shop I got another view of my cousin's fame! (Haha, the reality coming from telling people about her and having them know her name or songs instantly and being in a few shops where girls got excited to recognize her). At this one, the girl nearly screamed in excitement, asked for her autograph, gave Clinton his purchase on the house (I bought something after, should have been quicker and it could have been me! haha) and then posed for a picture with her, doing a little dance once Angel had left the shop.

Later on we hit up a Christopher's Lounge - 'where the most sophisticated people in Kingston go to meet and mingle'. And though it was instrumental night the event co-ordinator asked Angel to come up and sing. And man . . . can she sing. I'd heard her songs on MySpace but to hear her live and see her in person - just sitting there lovin' it and thinking - this is my cousin! She did a remix (if that's the right word) of Marley's 'Redemption Song', blew the place away, then the crowd demanded she come back up for another which ended up being 'Fever' - all eyes were on her. A good day time - I was so hoping I'd get a chance to hear her perform live and am glad I did! I'm looking forward to hearing the track her and L.Vision put together. That won't be until late July when she makes her way up to T.O., or even later though.