July 2013 - Farewell to Jamaica

Joe Martin writes:

I would like to describe my final weeks of work clearly, but thanks to Mr Brown, Mayor Fisher, a host of work colleagues and numerous bottles of rum, my memory is slightly sketchy.

Much of my final few weeks has been spent inspecting the guttering and drainage works that we commissioned over the past few months.  The majority of the works have been completed to a satisfactory standard, requiring us to just document the work to enable Mr Brown to sign off payment to workers in that area.  On the occasions that we found the we work to be either incomplete or not to a satisfactory standard we would visit the supervisor.to set a final date for completion.  As full payment is made entirely on the discretion of Mr Brown, people were incredibly nice to us when we went to meet them.

I was, however, very disappointed to hear on my last days in Jamaica that the funding on the market project, that I had worked on the previous month, had fallen through and that stage two has been shelved.  However, I have been promised that my work will be used when new funding has been found.

I would like to conclude by thanking all my work colleagues and almost everyone I have had the pleasure of working with whilst in Jamaica.  I have been shown huge warmth and love by everyone within the Black River Parish Council.  A particular thanks must go to Mr Kenneth Brown, who has committed so much of his time to me and made my experience so special.

It has been a fantastic experience and I feel that it has given me a much greater understanding of a foreign working culture and engineering practices.  I have gained knowledge in areas such as layout designs and regulations governing space.  I have enjoyed the responsibility placed upon me and feel that this responsibility, as well as working in a foreign culture with an, albeit small, language barrier, has increased my confidence within the working environment.

Finally, I would like to thank JDP for providing me with the opportunity to take the time off and fulfil my desire to experience an entirely foreign working environment and I feel that I have had that, and more, here in Black River, Jamaica.

Most of all though, I have made friends and family alike for life and have memories to last me a lifetime.