All posts by jamaicaninchina

"Once upon a time, there was a Jamaican civil engineer living in New York City who hated his job. He followed his passion, started a sideline business publishing his own books, quit his job, escaped the rat race, ran off to a tropical island in the Pacific, and started a tourism business so he could give tours of the island to pretty girls every day! He now lives a nomadpreneur's dream life, while helping others do the same!" This is his story: Read more at : https://www.jamaicanonsaipan.com/
2011

Scene in Singapore!

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Fortunately for you, I have friends who have been to China, Laos, Singapore, (all the places I’ve been to), and all over the rest of the world. These friends have cameras, AND, also quite fortunately for you, they use THEIR cameras for taking stunning and captivating photographs of the places they’ve been. So, while I’m taking photographs of coffeepots, sea salt, supermarkets and backpackers sleeping on sidewalks, they’ve taken actual photos of these destinations. Who does that??!

I met Eric G. as he was passing through Saipan, and we’ve kept in touch and shared photographs since. Here are Eric’s own “Frenchman in Singapore!” shots for you to appreciate where this Jamaican in Singapore is right now! Thanks for sharing, Eric….saves me the cost of the taxi ride to these places!

In order to preserve the stunning colors, I haven’t compressed the photographs (for fast online viewing) as do for my own photos, so they’re a little larger than normal. You can also click on the photos to view them larger.

Frenchman in Singapore

Frenchman in Singapore

Frenchman in Singapore

Frenchman in Singapore

Frenchman in Singapore

Frenchman in Singapore

Frenchman in Singapore

Frenchman in Singapore

2011

First official review! (The Coffeepot Cookbook)

Because The Coffeepot Cookbook was inspired by my time in China, I gave ChinaTravel.net the first official review copy of the book. I just received an email from Aimee Groom, ChinaTravel editor, with my first official review: Yay!!! Thanks, Aimee.

“I wish I’d had a copy of The Coffeepot Cookbook back in 2009 when I lived four days a week in a back-of-beyond Nanjing hotel on a diet of spicy beef instant noodles and rice crackers! Feasible, functional and fun, the ever resourceful Walt has hit upon a genuinely great idea for the frugal and health conscious traveler and delivers it with his trademark humor. Plus he’s added a few new terms to the culinary lexicon along the way… silk-steamed spaghetti anyone?”–Aimee Groom, Editor, ChinaTravel.net


p.s. Nice work on the book, Walt! It’s a lot of fun!

 

2011

Singapore days! Singapore nights!

Here in Singapore, I’m doing things a bit differently. As mentioned earlier, I’m staying in hostel dorms rather than singles. Prices are a bit higher here, so a bed in a 6 or 8-person dorm costs from $20SGD to $30SGD/night. The exchange rate between US and Singapore is 1USDollar = 1.28SGD (Singapore dollar). So, a $25SGD room is about $19US. Since I’m still thinking in Chinese RMB, that’s about 125RMB, about what I was paying for a single hotel room on Hainan, and WAY MORE than the 40RMB I was paying in Xishuangbanna. Yeah, yeah, I know it’s a different country, but I’ve been spoiled!


That’s NOT my bed, I swear. I don’t wear sneakers.

In any event, it’s not so bad. It’ll only be for a few days, and people pretty much keep to themselves (or maybe it’s just me). And, anyway, as a nomad writer, I’ve got to experience new things and survive to write about them!

I wanted to take a photo in front of a “definitively Singapore” landmark, but I’ve been told that the famous Merlion Statue is under construction.
[The Merlion is an imaginary creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish. This half-lion, half-fish sculpture rests on undulating waves. The lion head alludes to the legend of Singapore’s founding by Sang Nila Utama, a Palembang Prince who, on his arrival on the island, saw what he thought to be a lion and thereafter renamed Temasek, Singapura or “Lion City”. The fish-tail represents Singapore’s links to the ancient sea-bound island which was Temasek and its long and successful association with the sea, reflecting how the forefathers traversed the oceans to come to Singapore and the nation’s subsequent dependence upon it as a port.]


So, if it weren’t under construction, my photo would look like this, except with less people, and with a Jamaican hue. (Use your imagination) And to answer your question, I have no idea who these people are, but that’s what can happen when you post photos to a public blog.

Shao Yi, a couchsurfer I met online, gave me a little tour of the Little India part of town, and told me where I could find a “reasonable facsimile” of Merlion…

Shao Yi…(Let me know how the book develops, Shao Yi)

According to Shao Yi, said facsimile exists at a tourist spot called Sentosa where I took these photos…

Thanks to my friend, Greta, in Beijing (who’s originally from Singapore), I made some new contacts here. We met for dinner and then headed to a friend’s birthday party. A fun time was had by all!


Walt, Emilie, Kay and Michelle dining in Singapore.

By the way, how do you like my new shirt? This is my favorite style, so I bought three, and may go back and get some more before I leave Singapore. So, don’t set your fashion expectations too high as it concerns the diversity of my wardrobe in upcoming posts. No names, but some of you (Ken!) have a tendency to comment on this as if it mattered to me.

Ketan, the birthday boy!


Luigi, from Italy! Great conversation, Luigi. I’ll let you know when the Dating in China for Foreigners book is out!


Kay, Emilie (with the Ukelele) , Michelle, Ketan

 

 

2011

Announcing: The Coffeepot Cookbook!

The coffeepot cookbook

Here’s the second book I’ve been working on…and you thought I was only kidding!–Walt (This is a special preview for my blog visitors! If you order the paperback, I’ll give you a free peak (full copy) at the ebook right away, but the actual paperback will ship to you after April 5.

THE COFFEEPOT COOKBOOK! A Humorous, yet Actually Usable Traveler’s Guide to Preparing Healthy, Hearty, Happy Meals on the go Using Nothing but a Hotel Coffeepot…. and a Little Ingenuity!

by the Jamaican in China!

TOP TEN REASONS TO ORDER THE COFFEEPOT COOKBOOK, LIKE NOW!


10. Perfectly priced and sized for budget and backpack!
Weighing in at 6oz, 6″ x 9″ and at only $14.24*US, The Coffeepot Cookbook is the perfect gift for money-and-space-conscious backpackers and other travelers who want an entertaining, yet indispensable tool for the adventure (with real recipes, commentary, back-stories, travel tips, 1 dating suggestion, and more!)

9. Ideal for the chronically or situationally cheap.
You don’t have to be a backpacker, a nomad or a frequent traveler to enjoy saving money on pots, appliances (no more cancer-causing microwaves), or utensils. The Coffeepot Cookbook can can be used effectively right in your own home, apartment or section of the trailer park.

8. The perfect “going away to college (finally!)” gift!
It’s about time! You’ve been wanting to use that freeloader’s room as a home office, a guest room or storage closet. But just so you won’t feel guilty for not paying for a meal plan for the kid, give junior something useful for his dorm room: The Coffeepot Cookbook! See? You’re not really bad parent after all.

7. The perfect “time to live on your own (finally!)” gift!
It’s about time! You’ve been wanting to use that freeloader’s room as a home office, a guest room or storage closet. “Here. Take this book and get out.”

6. You need proof!
Think about it. No one is ever going to believe you that a book like this actually exists. But, you’ll get the next to last laugh when it shows up delivered to their doorstep. THEY’LL get the last laugh when they read it!

5. The coffeepot makes the man!
Display The Coffeepot Cookbook proudly on your living room coffee table the first time you invite her over, so your date knows what sort of experience she’s in for with you as a boyfriend.

4. The coffeepot makes the woman!
Men invariably set their expectations high when it comes to the women they marry–particularly when it comes to their skill in the kitchen. Can’t cook? No problem. Display The Coffeepot Cookbook proudly on your living room coffee table the first time you invite him over, and let’s nip that bad boy in the bud from the get go!

3. The revolution will not be microwaved!
Come on. Admit. You’ve either done it or thought about doing it last time you were in a hotel and getting fed up with a steady diet of ramen noodles. You knew there HAD to be more uses for this thing “the man” didn’t want you to know about. Power to the people!! (No justice! No peas!)

2. We have a money-back guarantee (visit the site to read it very very very very carefully)

And the number one reason to order
 The Coffeepot Cookbook right now…..drum roll, please…

1. Get it before it’s banned!
Let’s face it, you’re not going to find this trend-setting book next to your Gideon Bible in the bed and breakfasts, motels and hotels around the world. In fact, once the International Hotel Owners Association gets wind of these coffeepot recipes, chances are they’ll move to get it summarily banned in all continents and all languages. Get it now before the book burnings begin!


6″ x 9″; 52 color pages; $14.24* plus shipping for the paperback!

Click the button below to order the paperback

(Fast one-page checkout! Delivered to your doorstep in 7 days!…give or take)

Coffeepot not included.

Or Order ebook
*NOTE: I really wanted to make this cookbook full color AND charge only $12.00, but to do so, would mean I would lose money on every sale. (That would be like ME paying YOU to read my book. And how silly is that!!?) Then I thought about making the cookbook black and white, but whoever heard of a black and white cookbook???? So, you get a full color cookbook for the painstakingly-researched, consumer-friendly yet still marginally profitable price of $14.24–Walt

Anyway, there’s more fun stuff on the site!

2011

Jamaican in Singapore!

Someone made the following comment on the previous “Last Days in China” post: “Good luck on your trip home. I enjoyed following your travels.”

Home? Who says I’m going home? But for that matter, where is home? As I say in Living True To My Self, I’m a minimalist, vegan nomad. “I function with less, won’t eat any flesh, and my home’s where I rest.”

The story is simple: my China visa expired on March 7, so as is, um, advisable, one should leave when one’s stay has concluded. In the famous words of Felix Unger: “Never overstay your welcome, or you’ll never be welcome to stay over.” However, I do plan to return for more fun and excitement.  In the famous words of Walt Goodridge, “There will always be a Jamaican in China!” (And the blog title will be the same wherever on the continent I roam…

Which brings me to, drum roll please….Jamaican in Singapore!

I’m in the area. It’s a quick flight, and Singapore, Bali, Indonesia, Malaysia have been on my list for quite some time. So, off we go!

My escape from China started with an early morning 5:30AM taxi ride to the Sanya train station. It takes about 30 minutes and costs 25RMB (on the meter) from the UFO Hotel.

Jamaican in Singapore

I have to take the high speed train to Haikou since that’s the international airport on Hainan. Cost of train ticket: 88RMB. Length of ride: 1 hour 20 minutes.

Jamaican in Singapore

Jamaican in Singapore

Sunrise from Sanya.

Jamaican in Singapore

Conveniently, the MeiLan station puts you in the basement of the Haikou airport. So a few escalators up and you’re there! In order to make the 20kg limit on checked-in luggage, I had to throw away a few items…final weight: 19.8kg.

Jamaican in Singapore

Whew! That was tiring….After I took this photo of my plane departing, I had to run real fast to get back on it before takeoff. But the pilot was a real nice guy.

Jamaican in Singapore Hey! Is that the same little red car I spotted on Day 1 in China, Beijing??? Hey, are you following me?

I land in Singapore and change 300RMB to Singapore dollars (SGD) (Exchange rate: 1 RMB = 0.20SGD) so I ended up with about 60 Singapore Dollars for my taxi ride to my hostel.

Jamaican in Singapore


Jamaican in Singapore

My friend, Greta, had suggested Prince of Wales Hostel as a place to stay. This experience will be a bit different as I booked a bed in a dorm! The cost is 22SGD/night. That’s about 17US dollars per night. That’s about what I was paying for a single room on Hainan, so I didn’t want to go higher than that. That means I’ll be giving up my privacy and actually sharing living space with people!! Haven’t done that since….well, I’VE NEVER done that! Okay, that’s not true, when I was a homeless, entrepreneur upstart, I did “couch surf” with friends until I got on my feet!

In any event, Audrey shows me the accommodations, share the rules. (No outside food allowed on the premises; no food in the dorm. So I guess there’ll be no coffeepot cooking here.
Jamaican in Singapore

First order of business after settling in: food! (I don’t eat airline food, and I typically don’t eat less than 24 hours before a plane flight) I checked Happycow.net and found a list of vegetarian restaurants. On the way to check out one on the list, I discovered this one, which was a bit more inviting. It was a bit before the evening shift, and the cooks were sleeping, but my new best friend (whom you’ll meet soon, was nice enough to get the cooks started a little earlier than usual. I simply had to wait about 20 minutes, and while I waited, I had some dessert.

Jamaican in Singapore

Have you noticed how “flat” some of the photos appear? I’m wondering if that means the lens is sub-par and thus an indication that the camera in China might be a knock-off. What do you think the chances of that are?

 

Jamaican in Singapore

Chloe, my new bestest friend, and first official Jamaican in Singapore photographer. She just started working at the restaurant a few days before.

Jamaican in Singapore
The food

Jamaican in Singapore
The fan

Jamaican in Singapore
the finale

I should tell you that Singapore seems to be the most vegetarian friendly place I’ve ever been! There are huge vegetarian signs everywhere!!! I mean everywhere! There will be no shortage of places to indulge my proclivities.

Jamaican in Singapore

Later in the evening, I met up with some couch surfers and we hung out on Arab Street in Little India until about 11:30pm! Great first day in Singapore! Stay tuned!

 

2011

Last Days in China….

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The last few days in Sanya, have been a bit hectic. I met a lot of nice people, finished a second book I’ll be announcing soon, found a great, reasonably-priced apartment (with a kitchen) for anytime I return to Sanya, and two days before I was scheduled to leave, my camera died, which meant I had to do something I hate doing: shopping. (I think I have evidence the camera I got is knock-off…stay tuned.) But before I tell you where I’m off to next, I’ll share some shots from The Last Days in China.


Met up with couchsurfer, Gemma at one of the hostels  in the area!


Met a new friend at Wang Hao Supermarket and we hung out a few days later at the amusement park near the UFO hotel. Turns out the ladies are new Mary Kay reps in Sanya! I have a warm spot in my heart for Network Marketing companies, as the one I had joined many years ago helped free me from corporate confinement to live true to my self!


Hang on, ladies!


Afterwards, we had dinner and a great time!


Said a few goodbyes to the ladies at Wang Hao who had gotten in the habit of seeing me come to buy my raw cashews every day at the same time!

I met June at Wang Hao supermarket. She was right behind me on line and helped me out when I was having trouble asking for change for the bus. She ended up being a vital part of my gastric happiness in Sanya (think “sea salt,” but keep it a secret)….


June also helped me purchase the camera I now use to document my travels. Yes, this shot was staged with the camera I had just purchased.


The sales girl who took my money!


Hung out with June and friend at a cafe overlooking Sanya Bay!


Posed for the obligatory Jamaican in China photos


and again…and again….

dinner in Sanya
Norway meets China. Harald, from Norway and Pan Hui, from China! Harald and Pan Hui helped me look for apartments…Harald, a dentist from a former life, is a great thinker and conversationalist..


Solved the world’s challenges with Harald…..(Next time, look at the camera, Harald!)

dinner in Sanya

Had the greatest vegetarian meal in Sanya, courtesy of a dinner invitation from my friend from the beach, Norwegian artist (painter) Jan Erik, and author wife Feng Xian Lin. They’ve also co-authored, designed and published various books. You can check out Jan’s paintings at www.willgohs.info

Hunan cooking and culture Feng Xian Lin

One of the books Fenx Xian Lin authored is a Hunan cooking and culture book. So you know I was treated to some great food….my last night in Sanya…darn….Now, I’ll have to wait until I return to show up un-announced with my chopsticks in hand and nothing in my stomach!

China meets Romania

Beijing transplant, Sandy and Romanian expat, Adrian…Can’t wait to hang a bit longer next time!

Eyes on Singapore…..Did he say, Singapore?????

2011

The perpetual pursuit of the perfect, plump, plausibly-priced papaya

In the  previous installment of the Papaya Chronicles, I shared with you that the best price I was able to get for a papaya was about 5RMB, at the supermarket. Whenever I shop at independent vendors, I get the foreigner price. Seems they can always tell I’m not originally from China. I think my accent gives me away. In any event, last week, when I went shopping with Peggy and Fanny, they took me to an outdoor market and introduced me to their favorite papaya vendor. I selected my single papaya, he placed it on the scale, and announced the price 2RMB. I couldn’t help chuckling out loud. He laughed, too, likely because he knew foreigners don’t often get to hear those words, “Two RMB,” attached to anything in Sanya (or China) except perhaps a bus ride.

So, I asked them to tell him to remember my face (hee hee), so that when I returned, he would treat me like a regular ol’ Chinese customer since I planned to return. Then, “happy as a pig in papaya juice,” I took my new acquisition back home and enjoyed it.

Yesterday, I returned, found Mr. Fair Deal Perfect Papaya Man, he remembered me (good eye for faces), and sold me TWO papayas for 4RMB. So, I’m not exactly sure what the unit price is (my ability to palm and weigh in kg needs some work), what I do know is that this….


Costs me 2RMB, not 5, not 8, and not the 15 Mr. Papaya near Lost Hostel wanted me to pay.

So, here’s my traveler’s tip for you: when YOU come to Sanya, Hainan, and want a plump, perfect, plausibly-priced papaya, take the number 8, 16, 10, 2, 7 or 10 bus to the stop closest to original Wang Hao Supermarket #1, not the Wang Hao nearest to the bus station, but the one that’s now the new location of the original Wang Hao after the owner of the building they were renting from didn’t renew their lease, forcing them to move to the new location near the International Hotel, (got it?), and then walk through the mall, out the back, across the street, through an alley, past the covered area with the meat vendors, past the vegetable vendor ladies who may gawk at you if you’re Jamaican, step over the dog lazing in the exit, and into the open area where the fruit vendors are located, make your way through the crowd and find this man….


Mr. Fair Deal Perfect Papaya Man.

Say, Ni Hao in your best Putonghua, and then tell him that Walt, the Jamaican, sent you. Pay for your papaya, and enjoy!

2011

Secret Sanya Sea Salt Safari! (…..don’t tell anybody!)

The ebook edition is completed, but my writing energies are still being diverted towards completing the paperback edition of Living True to Your Self. However, I’ve been able to raise my standard of living here in Hainan:

I was able to locate sea salt here in Sanya. Now, that may not seem like earth-shattering news to you, but it is for me.  I don’t eat table salt (check the ingredients of your favorite brand of supermarket-bought salt, and note the dextrose (sugar), aluminum (think “Alzheimer’s), and other unnecessary anti-caking and otherwise harmful ingredients. Sanya, being a coastal town should have natural sea salt readily available, right? You would think.

However, the authorities have convinced the people that consuming sea salt is bad and that it is most often contaminated. Whether true or not, it takes a bit of asking and searching to find it, as vendors are forbidden to sell it openly, and one has to ask (with the help of a Chinese person), the right questions, the right people, and, presumably not appear to be a government plant searching for violators.

I won’t reveal my methods, my contacts, or my supplier. I’ll just show you the hand-off.

Sea salt on Hainan

Psssst. Hey, buddy, wanna buy some sea salt?

2011

Living True to Your Self

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  • Living True To Your Self! by Walt F.J. Goodridge
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Here’s the front and back cover copy for my new book,     Living True to Your Self. I’m very excited about it, as it was first conceived exactly one year ago this week, but didn’t get the “green light” from the universe and my muse until I landed here in Hainan, China. So, technically, it’s the book that has taken the longest for me to write! You might consider this the “prequel” to Turn Your Passion Into Profit, as it lays the foundation for the belief system that makes turning your passion into profit possible! It’s scheduled for paperback release on or about March 15, but as a visitor to my blog, you can get an advanced preview! See offer below!

    No one can teach you
    how to live true to your self!
         Living true to your self is a unique experience
    that only     you can teach you.


     But, what if…

    But, what if you knew someone who did it? What if you had a friend who discovered his own secret, reclaimed his power, broke free from conventional ways of thinking and living, reinvented himself, escaped the rat race, and was right now living true to himself, happily creating his dream lifestyle traveling the world from a home base on a tropical island… with the freedom and the “effortless income” stream to prove it?

    What if he were willing to recall and share with you not just what he did, but how he did it? In other words, what if he shared with you, in detail, what he truly believes about himself, about other people, and about the world? What if he shared how he motivates himself, what he actually says (or never says) to himself in order to keep going, even what he thinks about at night? What if he shared what he does (and never does), when he does it, and even what he eats in order to create (and sustain) his dream life?

    What if he were willing to do all that, and you were willing to listen? You just might pick up a valuable tip, an effective strategy, a game plan, a way of seeing your self, other people, and the world that you never thought of before. It might be something subtle, or it might be some significant information, inspiration or idea that could make all the difference in your private journey to reclaim YOUR power, break free of YOUR limitations, and live true to YOUR self!

    And here’s the special offer: Order the paperback now, using the link below, and you’ll be able to download the ebook right away. Then, when the paperback is ready in a few weeks, I’ll send that to you as well! It’s a win, win situation!

     

    (c) 2011 Walt Goodridge. All rights reserved.

    6 x9; 216 pages; $16.00.

    www.LivingTrueToYourSelf.com (read more!)
    Order now
    More>>

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2011

Nǐ kàn shénme? (translation: Whatyou lookin’ at??)

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So, the other morning, I’m running bare-chested on the beach in Dadonghai, and, for some reason, people are staring at me. I’m really not sure why. Was it my slim, svelt, sexy physique? Was it the fact that no one else does this strange jogging thing in China except a few crazy Americans rarely spotted this far from the mainland? Was it the fact that I’m Jamaican? Was it the fact that I was the only one half-naked at this time of day (There’s a nude section of the beach, but those guys don’t come out until after sunrise). Well, I can’t be sure, but at least a few Chinese tourists thought it warranted taking a photo to document and share the strange things that happen on Hainan.

After my jog, I approached one of the paparazzi, and mimed and signed and pidgin Putonghua’ed a request while handing him my email address. Seems I was successful in my communication, since I just got an email containing this!

The subject line was 沙滩慢跑, which translates to “beach jogging.” Thanks, stranger!

2011

Dadonghai

I’m presently at the UFO hotel in Dadonghai, Sanya, Hainan. It’s much more centrally-located, close to supermarkets, a small, but great beach and many visitors from Kazakhstan, from Russia and all over China. Note for travelers on the Jamaican in China tour of Hainan: If you take the #8 bus from the airport, get off the bus at Summer Mall (夏日百货 in Chinese; Dadonghai Square), then walk back down Yuya and you’ll see an 18-story building (next to City Hotel). the entrance to UFO is behind the 18-story building.


UFO

The young entrepreneur proprietors of UFO, a great, small hotel in the heart of activity in Sanya, Hainan.


In the lobby

On the day before my first day at UFO–while I was using their wi-fi, I met Fanny and Peggy from Changsha, college students on holiday who came to Hainan to see the ocean for the first time. Fanny (left) is studying English (to be a translator), and Peggy is studying Interior Design to perfect her artistic talents

The girls were nice enough to go shopping with me the next day to help me communicate and locate some items I’d been interested in getting. So, we met at 8:00am the next morning and headed out by bus to the Number One Market!


Trying to find soy milk


Coconuts


returning after a morning of shopping


As is the custom at many of the hostels, Peggy made her mark on history by adding a painting to the wall of the UFO hotel.


Outside the UFO!

The girls had to leave to catch a train to Haiku, and then a boat to their next destination. So we said our goodbyes at the bus stop across the street!


See you someday!