I recently in my search for a job, applied to a hotel chain in a Jamaica. Seeing that I was home on Christmas holidays, even if the money couldn’t fully manage my semester’s expenses, it would add a nice fruit to the basket. I thought to myself, gaining some experience while learning hotel work ethic would be a blessing to my career in the long run.

A few hotels did respond swiftly to my applications; the first was one of the major Jamaican all inclusive chains.

I n I was informed as I did my pre-interview investigation by a staffer on property, that the vacancy that I was interviewing for demanded me working 14 hours daily, with one single day off weekly. This only fueled my disappointment, for I knew that would be too stressful for me. Iyah man need to get 7 hours sleep a night and at least have some personal time to socialize with my family. After all, nuh holiday mi deh pon?

Having already confirmed my attendance for the interview with the Human Resources Department, to not show up would only have been a slap in the face. I am told that managers do remember names and resumes that they hand picked. So to not show up for an interview is like an insult or offence that lingers on and on. The more job interview practice the merrier yaah… Nuh true?

Interview Stage Area

I arrived bright and early for the interview. Another young man was already seated and soon after, two other persons, a business suited young woman and another muscular male candidate bordering on his 30’s.

Before long a junior employee from Human Resources had us fill out official application forms. As soon as most of us were finished, the head of the Human Resource Department was notified and then he alighted from his office to guide us to the main ballroom for our first set of interviews.

Having fun was mostly on my mind, yet being cautious was a reminder too, for maybe the important opening could someday became available. The third to be interviewed of 7 candidates, I tried to remain as professional as possible. Frankly, I usually enjoy interviews, for I am an interactive person who likes to meet new personalities.

The interviewer was candid, doing background checks in terms of my exposure and then he swiftly ran through company policy. The hotel like most all inclusives, are sold to couples. The interviewer tried to make the distinction between the types of properties his hotel chain had marketing to visitors. From the traditional family hotel to the risky adult brand, the characteristics he mentioned were similar with those I see advertised and showcased in local newspapers from time to time. It wasn’t until we got past most of the obvious questions that the Human Resources manager continued to describe the property that I was applying to work on as “not as raunchy” as some of their other properties.

Mysterious And Shocking

As a child of JAH trodding Zion’s road, I honestly was left awed by his next outbursts. To repeat what he said, it goes like this: “I must be aware that guests do come on the property, who are homosexuals and that as an employee, I will have to just see the situation and allow it to flow even if I am not comfortable with same sex couple relationships. These folks are guests and they pay big bucks to come here and we have to see that they have a good time and keep coming back to spend more money, naturally.”

That shocked me to the bone but then I am young and I don’t know half of what is going on in Jamaica. I started thinking, for the frontline manager of this hotel chain to be making this a part of his routine job interview questioning, then the hotel must be selling their property to gays as a segment of their niche market.

How can this be…when the law of the land distinctly prohibits the flaunting and practice of homosexual behaviour. I was sadden instantly, for I started to see through the huge gratuity the all inclusive hotels give to staffers. All for a buck, line and management in the tourism industry is remaining silent on an issue that is explosive and yet held behind the gates of the plantation style accommodations.

I don’t stay at hotels, so I wouldn’t know what really is going on at these properties but obviously other Jamaicans know. Why hasn’t there been an outcry? Is it that we have to earn a dollar by any means necessary and that has hushed up every souljah?

Global Citizens Of Babylon

A young Jamaican recently said to me, the biggest problem with Jamaica is that we are too Americanized. We don’t have any identity and what ever identity we have we are now trading like we are all harlots and now me believe har.

Before completing my interview process which actually lasted about five hours. Yeah, in rounds two and three, Divisional Manager and General Manager also fired off a few questions as well. I really had a hard time getting the job. Firstly I refused to accept that I would have to work 18 hours a day, six days sometimes seven days a week as the DM said.

Yeah, after I had already made up my mind that 14 hours a day was far too much before I went to this dark place, this woman manager now had the gaul to see a sensible youth man sitting before her and a talk bout 8am–12pm at nights or sometimes 2am at dusk, depending on if the guests are still awake. Then she goes on, “You work 7 days straight sometimes into two weeks because the property may be full to the brim.”

What slavery, these people had me so worked up by the time I got back to the south coast in Spanish Town. Youths are out of work and they make super profits and they find it hard to have two shifts and divide the work, but man must work 18 hours a day and live on their property. They think its so glorious, playing it off as such comfort and luxury with exotic food when them a exploit Jamaicans under the quiet.

It nuh sound ludicrous…You telling me nobody in dis yah country don’t know that this hotel chain is promoting our homeland as a haven for homosexuality? An industry that they have been programming the youths to be proud about, in which the government continues to pour money in for who to gain, only a few rich corporate cartels. The evil tempter’s seem to have us packed as Jamaicans, losing the struggle of the righteous resistance of Reggae. We are making the clan man drown us in the mirth of passion and pleasure around the golden calf.

Beware Red Light District, Casino’s, Homo’s At Large

Our own brothers and sisters are selling us out. Yuh think big timers who visit those hotels don’t know what’s going on in deh? It’s sad ’cause AIDS is on the increase. Driving the spread of HIV across the Island, are sea and airport resort towns. Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, Negril and Kingston metro, are most infected. The rising trend in bi-sexuality, homosexuality and habitual sex workers among the “gen-xers’ and ‘cyber gener’ are threatening the community.

Yow Rudy’s, this is our home, the home where our children are supposed to grow up as Jamaicans. Slave driver dem pon base disguising re-engineered new work orders as globalized freedom of trade. It’s a new system of slavery which politicians call progress but which simply translates to more government funding of national AIDS projects.

The Ministry Of Health (MOH) through the Chief Medical Officer Peter Figuero, is recommending the legalization of homosexuality. He was one of the persons who advised Col. Prescod to erect condoms in local penitentiaries and we know the riots that ensued there after.

President of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), Mr. Josef Fortsmeyer has been vocal about the setting up of official “red light districts” in tourist areas, to better manage the AIDS epidemic. He argues that the sex workers will be checked regularly and thus the visitors and locals at risk would be assured that the sex workers are healthy before making a purchase.

A Wha Dis Fadda Going On In JAH-MEK-YAH?

Since the beginning of Y2K, America’s number one travel destination has been Las Vegas. The UDC along with former tourism director Robert Stephens, wants to resurrect Port Royal for us to get caught up in more idol worshipping.

Local tourism tycoons, Stewart and Issa are using their special interest clout to get government to allow the construction of a gambling mecca on the Island. Issa, the man behind the Hedonism brand of resorts, which offers nude weddings at a premium has been the staunchest advocate of casinos. The government of Jamaica under PJ Patterson’s leadership, has not objected but are in fact slowly allowing hotels to line their halls with slot machines. Coral Cliff in Montego Bay and Double National Gaming companies that are legal in the country since the mid 1990’s, are evidence of our Nation’s moral slippage. It’s a march that continues around the golden calf of Mammon and the evils of mysterious Babylon are dominating the spirits of men straight to hell.

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