wwp@yahoogroups.com:
Re: Broaden the view - a theme suggestion
John Riley 2010-Jul-07 21:04:00
On Jul 7, 2010, at 7:54 AM, prague wrote:
> I went to Cuba once ( http://bit.ly/cDk73O /
> http://www.360cities.net/image/havana-skyline-panorama-capitol-gigapixel... )
>
> On the way home, the flight was delayed. Sitting around the airport for seven hours, I met a guy from Nigeria, who lived in Jamaica. He complained that life in Jamaica was far too violent (compared to Nigeria!). Guns everywhere.
Jamaica is infamous for being one of the most dangerous places on the planet. Most people who go there stay inside resorts with high fences patrolled by heavily armed guards and have no contact with the real culture. I had two Jamaican students in my class the last two semester. They had won sponsorship from the Jamaican government to study in the U.S. They confirmed what I had read about the violence, saying that an inadvertent comment to some guys could be taken as an insult and result in your being shot to preserve "honor".
Jamaica is third in per capita murders, following only Colombia and South Africa. The South Africans I have met told me terrifying stories about the security measures they had in their houses and how dangerous things were in general. That was a few years back, so I hope it is getting better.
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_mur_percap-crime-murders-per-capit...
I have long wanted to travel to Cuba, so I am jealous of you. U.S. policies make it nearly impossible to go to there.
John
John Riley
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