Today marked my first run away from the track at Emancipation Park. This means running on the sidewalk, in the city. This is definitely a unique running experience. As Britta, Fred and I walked home last night in the dark, I remarked that it felt like we were in some kind of video game in which you are constantly dodging obstacles. In this case, it is uneven sidewalks, sidewalks that end abruptly for no apparent reason, slow-walking people, child-size potholes, motorcycles going 100km/h, fast-moving cars (there is no other kind in Jamaica), metal rods poking out of the sidewalk, fallen power lines, tree stumps, random posts, honking coasters and taxis, taxi drivers that offer you a ride and strangers calling whatever’s on their mind. So not only is running a physical challenge, but a mental one as well. A few times I wanted to look up and around at my new surroundings, but realized this is not safe. Eyes on the sidewalk!

But I survived and actually enjoyed it. One thing I will have to get used to is the attention. Jamaicans do not even like to walk, and this is a statement that leads to a caveat I have for this blog: when I state that Jamaicans like or do not like something or are all a certain way, I realize that this is a generalization. I am quite uncomfortable with this, but have decided that I am going to generalize based on my experiences and if they add up to a trend, I feel safer making this statement.

So returning to my generalization: Jamaicans do not like to walk. At all. When they do, it is extremely slowly. Some do like exercising, it appears, as I am in good company running in Emancipation Park. But even there, most are at a decidedly slow pace. As a result, a white girl running along the congested sidewalks seems to be an anomaly. People stare, give me funny looks and make comments. I will have to get used to this. 

Other random experiences from the run this morning: I ran by the U.S. Embassy, which already had a lineup of people outside, presumably waiting to address immigration issues. Walk signals do not exist here, or at least they are severely rationed. So to cross, you sort of have to walk into traffic where it is calmest, then wait in the middle of the road to complete the procedure. Running here will involve lots of stops and starts, I think.

Tomorrow is the first day of work for me! Wish me luck.