We are in Atlanta right now and visited the beautiful High Museum of Art. I wanted to see the contemporary art and was quite taken by the works of Howard Finster and Gordon Parks. The former was an evangelist who seemed driven to put his preachings into physical form, the latter a photographer who portrayed the segregationist Southern U.S., yet stayed away from stereotypes and cliches.

This is my first time to Atlanta (I had only been through the airport) and it is quite lovely, especially as all the leaves and flowers bloom. It seems to be a mix of gentrified buildings and corporate headquarters and sprawling suburbs. And I was quite astounded to learn that it is only just getting a city-wide transit system. Hence, the alarming traffic. Enjoy your Monday.

This is so charming.

As U.S. President Barack Obama visits Kingston today, he will likely not see very much of the city, especially the downtown and rural areas. So he will miss seeing the children playing, like many of us do. Photographer Adrian McDonald captured these precious moments in this beautiful photo essay that shows another side of life in Jamaica, beyond the stereotypes of poverty. Check it out here.

Keeping on my theme of U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit to Jamaica today, here is a good analysis of the reasons for his visit by the Washington Post. It comes down to oil and Cuba, it seems.

The US Presidency’s security detail lands in Kingston

U.S. President Barack Obama will touch down in Kingston today for a quick visit. By all accounts (I am not in JA), the roads he will travel on have been paved and lines repainted; trash collected, mosquito fog sprayed and the city has been cleaned up in general. Including those pesky human beings who live and work on the streets. Apparently, some vendors who have populated a street near Heroes Circle have had their stalls demolished. And the squeegee boys have been cleared out from main intersections. I wonder where these people went? How will they make their living for these few days? How will they find money to buy food to eat? How will they rebuild their stalls? Why was it necessary to do this? Surely the President is aware of the phenomenon of poverty. Surely he would not be offended by the reality of urban Kingston. And surely those vendors will rebuild their stalls as soon as the President has left. I wonder what all these people were told when they were told to leave. Especially the young boys who hustle the streets- I don’t imagine they are overly obedient. In any case, the city will be locked down later today and tomorrow and then life will get back to normal.

Happy Easter from beautiful Hope Gardens.

Yesterday morning, I was making my way up to the University of West Indies campus to visit the library. I was on a bus and it seemed to be taking longer than usual. Then we came upon the US Embassy. At first, I noticed that the line of people waiting for appointments under the covered walkway was absent. Then, I noticed many police cars, Jamaica Defense Force soldiers with their rifles and dozens of police officers walking around. Then I noticed a huge crowd and some media across the road. Something was clearly going on. A bomb threat? I thought. But the person I was on the phone with laughed and said “Jamaicans don’t care enough to do that.”

We now find out, a week before US President Barack Obama’s visit, that a “Caucasian” man (as identified by the media) threw a bag over a fence. He is now in custody, under investigation. This is very strange. I hope we get some answers.

I met Jovan a couple of years ago in the community of Mountain View. He is a bright, ambitious young man who lives in an impoverished area of Kingston. But poverty isn’t the only thing going on there. There are a few flourishing businesses, a brand new, solar-powered Internet Cafe and an active community organization run by Francena and Ann-Marie. Crime has decreased in this area and things seem to be turning around. But back to Jovan. He was working at Burger King when I saw him last, and he was proud of this job. It seems he is flourishing too, thanks to the help of a business mentor and former Cuso volunteer Donna Gabbadon. Donna apparently helped Jovan to develop a business plan for a bamboo venture when Jovan expressed frustration at the lack of opportunity in his community. Check out the inspiring story here. And here is Jovan in his own words:

Since participating in the mentorship program and developing his business plan, Ottey entered it into a competition organized by the Diaspora Youth Connect program, the Mountain View Community Development Council and Diaspora for Development. Placing second, Ottey will receive start-up equipment for his company. He is now hopeful, and his next step is to start his company, which he plans to name Innovative Bamboo Furnishing and More.

“I just want to create a life experience and right now I am looking ahead to target investors and the wider market over the next six months,” he said.