It takes Cash to Care...

Old Jamaican Banknotes

“It takes cash to care” is a saying that my father continually repeats to me whenever the subject of money comes up. In a strange way his crazy saying makes sense. Whether its Jamaica, The Bahamas, Europe, or Canada money is a factor and its better to have an understanding of how it all works because if not you will reach your last dollar before you know it.

The Jamaican dollar is the national currency of Jamaica, which is sometimes expressed using the currency code JMD or currency symbol J$. There are various banknotes used in Jamaica with the most frequent ranging from $50 to $5000. Although these amount sounds like a lot they are actually not that much.

A neat little trick I learned to understand the conversion between Jamaican dollars and Canadian or American dollars is to move 2 decimal places left. For instance $1000 JMD is roughly $10.00 Canadian. My conversion trick isn’t as accurate as apps like XE Currency but it gives you a sense of what the money is valued so you can see and understand how you are spending your money.

Most Recent Jamaican Banknotes

The exchange rate for 1 JMD to CAD or USD continually fluctuates. For instance, 1 JMD is 0.0103 CAD and 0.94 USD. This basically means that for J$100 you get $1.03 Canadian.

The advice I would give to an exchange student or traveller is to walk with as little money as possible and try to have JMD on you. But if not American dollars is preferred over Canadian dollars; however, when you use USD you lose out because you’re losing $200 to $300 JMD at a time. 

Fun Fact:

The earliest currency in Jamaica was Spanish copper coins called maravedies but the dollar has been Jamaican currency since 1969.

Things to Know When Skipping Town

Random thought, here are some things I wish I knew before I arrived… Then again I was probably told some of these things but just didn’t HEAR until now:

1) Expect The Unexpected. The first night might be a bit rough and even come as a shock. Be prepared to be disappointed with your room arrangement because it may not be what you are accustom to. But if you can stay open minded and survive the first night of discomfort then you are off to a great start.

2) Pack The Essentials. That means ensure to pack toiletries even if they're travel size (ie. A toothbrush & toothpaste, soap, deodorant etc.) If you haven’t already over packed then try and pack bed linen. This doesn’t mean pack the bed-in-a-bag set you got for Christmas; simply pack a fitted sheet and a blanket. I would suggest a queen size sheet because you have more room to work with, with a queen sheet rather than a twin. But if you can adapt then you will get through the first couple of days without these things.

 3) Pack Light But Wise. If you can lift it then you can pack it. If you are like me, you might luck out and get a penthouse suite that comes without an elevator. So be prepared to lift those heavy suitcases up half a dozen or so flights of stairs.

4) Lost and Found. If you have no sense of direction like myself be prepared to get lost. Getting lost is a part of the adventure. But before you have an anxiety attack simply ask someone on campus for assistance because everyone is always willing to help.

5) Embrace the Island Hospitality. Everyone is extremely nice and always willing to give you a hand, I guess that’s a part of the island’s friendly spirit. It’s good to note that Jamaicans are very expressive; they tend to talk with their hands. And the idea of a personal bubble or personal space doesn’t exist on the island because Jamaicans tend to touch you each other a lot. Although most Jamaicans are friendly there are still some tricksters out there so stay on your toes.

Fun Fact

The first time you go on student exchange you will over pack and most likely you will never wear all the stuff you pack.

A Bit About Jam Rock

Although I haven’t gone out exploring as yet, I did learn some interesting facts about the history of UWI Mona and Jamaica. 

The long and colorful history of the 653 acres of the Mona estate goes back to the days of black enslavement. During this period the site of the Mona campus was a sugar plantation that connected the communities of Hope, Papine and Mona.

The rich Northern landscape then became a refugee camp for Jews during the 1900s, before finally joining a special relationship with the University of London (England) and becoming the home of UWI Mona in 1948.

The colourful history of Jamaica does not just begin and end with UWI Mona, its also encompasses the sensual history of Jamaican music.

The rhythm of the island is greatly influenced by African folk music and other Caribbean music, as well as other genres found in American and European cultures. 

Music in Jamaica began with Mento, before moving into Ska, Rocksteady, Reggae, and eventually reaching its height with Dancehall music.

Just like the cultural history of Mona, the musical history of Jamaica expands over many eras and has seen a great abundance of change.

Fun Fact:

The decorative shrubs that are located around Mona campus are actually wells that slaves who “misbehaved” were thrown into as punishment. However these wells were so deep that the slaves could not climb out, so instead of being a nest for punishment the wells were in fact death traps.

Sunrise In a New City

Okay it’s almost one month since I skipped town to become an ISLAND GIRL!!! My transformation has been rather interesting and is still a bit surreal. Right now I’m still in the honeymoon phase as I soak up all the excitement that my exchange at UWI Mona has brought and will continue to bring.  

So far I haven't really explored the island, but I’ve explored campus a bit. By exploring I really mean I got lost. But thank goodness I had my future husband Mr. Hollywood Face Rob to keep me on track :o) I kid I kid. 

Rob is a character in himself BUT he’s always a ball of fun!!!! 

I’ve also met a ton of other cool people who are here on exchange from places like: Finland, Samoa, Japan, The Bahamas, Nigeria, America, and of course CANADA!!!!

But while everyone back home is enjoying the brisk Canadian air with -40 temperatures, I'm here lounging on a beautiful tropical island as I try to work on my summer glow. 

Hopefully the excitement and bliss last forever, well at least until departure!!! 

Fun Fact: 

The famous Norman Manely International Airport, which is located on the Kingston Harbour was featured in the 2002 Jamaican film 'Shottas'.

Dreaming of...

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Winter Festivities

In about 2 months, give or take a couple days, I will probably be over packing as I prepare to go on Exchange. So in preparation for this monumental trip I decided to start jotting down some of the events and festivals that will be taking place around the island. 

As I was putting together my list of January Events, I realized that January in Jamaica is a jam-packed month filled with a variety of festivities, with the most famous one being Rebel Salute.

This huge cultural event was founded in the early 90s by the famous Jamaican promoter and 'deejay' Patrick George Anthony Barrett, who goes by the stage name, Tony Rebel. 

Rebel Salute is an annual music festival that is held on or around January 15 of each year. The festival began in the parish (town) of Mandeville, which is located on the south coast of the island, in 1994. And since 2012 it has moved to Saint Ann, which is located on the north coast of the island.

The event showcases some of the best Roots Reggae and culturally themed Dancehall music that the island has ever produced. But its primary focus is on conscious Roots Reggae music. This basically means that X-rated, explicit or violent song lyrics are absolutely unwelcome at this music festival. 

This is because festival promoters and performers take great pride to maintain and uphold the positive ambiance of the event. 

The festival strictly adheres to Rastafarian tenet, which endorses a vegetarian diet and forbids the consumption of alcohol and meat products. Although the event follows a Rasta diet, there are still lots of vendors who are willing to provide alternative food and drink choices for the millions of spectators. 




The one of a kind festival has grown into one of Jamaica’s biggest cultural events and will be approaching its 20^th anniversary in January 2014. The two day event is expecting a huge turnout, with attendees coming from all over the world!!!! 

Fun Fact: 

Reggae originated in 1968 with the Rocksteady hit "Do The Reggay" by Toots & the Maytals and has become very popular thanks to artist like Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff.

What we now call Reggae music has developed over the years from different music genres, such as, Mento (Jamaican folk music), Ska (Mento and Calypso), and R&B.