Wendy In Jamaica: My New Jamaica Home

I have finally moved into #2 Waterloo Square, 6 Waterloo Avenue, Kingston 10! #2 is 450 sq ft and the patio is another 60 sq ft - patio is very spacious by local standards and I intend to spend many hours there. My place is north facing and never gets direct sunlight. With the shutters open - there are few windows here, only shutters - I get a lovely cross breeze. My place is wonderfully cool and think it will be a rare occasion that I turn on the AC. Electricity is expensive and I want to keep within my rental allowance.

Speaking of electricity, my place has 10 potential light sockets and had only four bulbs in place. I have made a significant investment at True Value Hardware and now have low energy/warm light bulbs in all sockets. The place looks much sunnier and I can actually see what is in the closet. Will still be very careful and keep lights off most times. I turned the HW on for an hour on Friday to wash some dishes and have not had it on since. As the ambient temperature is naturally warm, the water is warm and I can have a reasonable shower without the HW. When the temperatures dip in the winter months :) I will experiment with the HW.

Friday was a long day, particularly as I had painter and cleaner here until 9 pm. My place is an older apartment, though am very fortunate to have a wonderful landlord who has had the whole place, including the patio, repainted and every shelf, nook and cranny, curtain, etc. spotlessly cleaned. Also fortunate to have new towels, sheets and shower curtains provided and the wee kitchen is well stocked with most things that I will need. Kitchen counter is a bit old, but new ones being installed next week.

Spent Saturday and Sunday getting settled and making many trips afoot for groceries and household supplies. I had forgotten how expensive and time consuming it can be to be buying cleaners, spices, etc. when starting from zero. I have indulged in what might be the only 'shopping cart' in Kingston. Found it in a dusty corner of the grocery story and it has saved my back and life - though I get many odd looks and laughter as I pack my own groceries, decline bags and trundle off for a 15 minute walk home trailing my cart. No one here walks anywhere and definitely not at a significant pace hauling a cart :-)

Enough talking and now for a few pictures . . . very happy to have a place of my own. Now off to work in the morning . . . .

Waterloo Avenue - nice little street

Waterloo Square

Entrance to Waterloo Square with 24/7 security guard and gate

View of courtyard from my kitchen window and front door

Michael, who looks just like Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean, painting the living area. A very nice young man who is at trade school to become a welder - and who enjoyed listening to the CBC radio online with me! We also watched Bolt win the 200 metres. Michael was here all day Friday & Saturday.

He is the nephew of the cleaner, Claudette, who is the cousin of the landlord. Everyone here is related.

AND, they all have a at least one relative in Canada, mostly in southern Ontario.