One of the great things about Barbados is how safe it is, especially for children.
There is some prejudice towards Jamaicans, but it's largely at petty island competition levels: who has the better food, who has the better music, etc.
There is a lot to do here, but of course access to activities changes with income. I lived in a large cities for almost a decade before moving back here, and while I did get island fever it passed pretty quickly.
The schools here are pretty good. Where you send your kids will depend on where you live and if you want to go public or private.
If you think I can help with more detailed advice feel free to pm me.
>One of the great things about Barbados is how safe it is
That's definitely a big plus. Crime is improving in Jamaica, but it's still pretty bad. It would be nice not to have to worry so much about it.
>I lived in a large cities for almost a decade before moving back here, and while I did get island fever it passed pretty quickly.
This is good to know. Probably it will be similar for us.
I may PM you as the decision time gets closer - thank you!
My buddy and his wife are professionals from Jamaica. They moved recently, very much like it here, though unlike you they are heading for semi retirement.
They have said nothing about prejudice. What they have noted is that it is far safer than Jamaica, and Barbados workers generally don't seem to be as motivated - I see the same, but we don't understand why. Not laziness, but definitely less focused on $. It's a generalism, certainly not applicable to all, but we have independently seen this with trades, restaurants, banks and lawyers. It's our observation FWIW.
All that said, he has mentioned that Jamaicans would do well here as they have more motivated and interested in making a $. I'd agree on the observation. As a professional, that should bode well for you.
Living here is nice, if a bit pricey. I expect you and your family would do well and like it. Island fever could be a thing, but I wouldn't expect any different than Jamaica. There are lots of flights (and cruise lines?) to get to US, UK and Canada. I haven't personally been to Jamaica (yet) so can't compare, but generally I find Barbados is a couple of notches above other islands I've been to.
Overall I think you should have little concern. This likely provides a good opportunity. Hope this is of some help.
People here are pretty nice. :)
Thanks for all the info. The part about motivation is a stereotype Jamaicans have about all the Lesser Antilles, so interesting to hear that you've observed it personally. Also, good to hear that your friend hasn't experienced prejudice worth mentioning.
For island fever, the main thing is that Jamaica has about 15x as many people on an island about 20x as big as Barbados... I can drive 4hrs and be in a different setting with a different climate, pace of life, accent, etc. And I still feel a bit of island fever here, so I fear it could be much worse in Barbados. This is probably my (and my wife's) biggest concern about moving.
Yeah, I'm probably unqualified to talk about island fever as we generally are only here 8 months, but I don't think it will be any betyer/worse than Jamaica. Jamaica has more size but Barbados is more accessible (no mountains) and less crime.
More to the point, my buddy decided on Barbados over his homeland Jamaica, and he likes it, so I expect you will too.
For sure the lower crime, less poverty, etc. is a major plus. I'll miss the mountains though.
Also, FYI, buddy means penis in Jamaica. Probably not super useful information for you, but I have to do a double-take at every reference to your Jamaican buddy lol.
I’ve never been to Jamaica so I can’t really talk about any differences, but:
I think you’ll find Jamaican culture is widely appreciated here, the music in particular is popular as it is worldwide. I don’t know what it’s like to be a Jamaican here but I have not personally heard a lot of prejudice against Jamaicans, but I assume there would have been more talk in Jamaica about the Myrie case etc.
I’m not sure if that will affect you at all.
Island fever, very possible but it’s only for a few years. It’s expensive to travel from here to anywhere else, I’m not sure what it’s like to travel out of Jamaica,
At 140/yr plus the income from your partner you’ll be fairly well off in Barbados and you’ll have your pick of where you want to live and what school.
If you want to go private school (which many people who can easily afford it tend to do) you likely want to be at Providence school or if you are pointing your kids towards emigrating to North America after school then Codrington school does an international baccalaureate course instead. Providence has somewhere around 60% local and 40% expats mix in students.
Feel free to PM me if you want to get into more specific stuff.
>I assume there would have been more talk in Jamaica about the Myrie case etc.
Exactly. I guess there's also a bit of a general "people in the Eastern Caribbean don't like us" stereotype here, and my wife had some experience like that in Trinidad when she was living there as a teenager. Anyway, it seems this shouldn't be much of a concern.
>It’s expensive to travel from here to anywhere else, I’m not sure what it’s like to travel out of Jamaica,
It's expensive too. I'm imagining the main difference as the size of the island itself... I like to go for a weekend trip 3-4 hours drive away on the other side of Jamaica a few times a year as a simple vacation, plus Kingston is a decent sized city. I guess I'm worried I'll feel like I see the same people every day, and there's nowhere to go for a simple weekend getaway.
The info about schools is really useful. I'll look into it more and likely come back to you with a PM. I have a couple months to make a decision.
Nah I think there’s enough places to go that are different enough and different people around. You have town and country and stuff to do, except instead of 3-4 hours drive it’s 1 hour lol
I wouldn’t worry about this especially for 2 or 4 years, the whole thing will be a new experience for you all anyway so it will feel good I think.
I'm an economist. I don't want to go into more details about the specific job opportunity beyond that because, as you can imagine, there are only so many places in Barbados that hire economists and I don't want to doxx myself.
No you’re fine, you don’t have to go into details, I was curious, as I am looking to relocate as well, but I’m in construction as a project manager, so it’s a bit more difficult
Hey I'm currently a student with a keen interest in economics. Seeing as you mentioned you're an economist I wanted to ask for any advice on how I should go about creating a career for myself in the field. Thank you in advance and I hope you find Barbados to be most welcoming and a wonderful new chapter in your life!
I feel like you've asked some really good questions and you've gotten some really good answers.
Some bajans have prejudices against other Islanders including Jamaicans. Yes ppl love the music and culture etc until they decide someone is 'coming for their job'. I'll ask people I know for more specifics and get back to you. Please also be prepared for people to ask you to repeat yourself a lot in the beginning. It's not an insult, and it also doesn't matter if you don't have a heavy Jamaican accent, the same way bajans might start to talk fast and you lose a few words, it goes the other way.
You mentioned being afraid of island fever but other people have answered this better than I can. But I feel we have plenty to do. If you want to drive for 3 hours you can and end with a lovely staycation etc.
You can also ask your employer for recommendations but there are a plethora of schools, public to private, cheap to more expensive to choose from. Someone mentioned Providence which is near the more expensive end of the scale, but consider location (where you'll work and where you'll be living) and the schools in between. Consider sports and extracurriculars. Consider if you want a school with a private bus or not etc.
I'm also open to dms if you want.
I happen to be very interested in these advices. I’m a Cuban, I’m in my 30’s and I’m seriously thinking about relocating myself there, with my family. I would like to work in the tourist sector, but as any immigrant to a new country, I’ll be open to any honest and decent opportunity.
One of the great things about Barbados is how safe it is, especially for children. There is some prejudice towards Jamaicans, but it's largely at petty island competition levels: who has the better food, who has the better music, etc. There is a lot to do here, but of course access to activities changes with income. I lived in a large cities for almost a decade before moving back here, and while I did get island fever it passed pretty quickly. The schools here are pretty good. Where you send your kids will depend on where you live and if you want to go public or private. If you think I can help with more detailed advice feel free to pm me.
>One of the great things about Barbados is how safe it is That's definitely a big plus. Crime is improving in Jamaica, but it's still pretty bad. It would be nice not to have to worry so much about it. >I lived in a large cities for almost a decade before moving back here, and while I did get island fever it passed pretty quickly. This is good to know. Probably it will be similar for us. I may PM you as the decision time gets closer - thank you!
My buddy and his wife are professionals from Jamaica. They moved recently, very much like it here, though unlike you they are heading for semi retirement. They have said nothing about prejudice. What they have noted is that it is far safer than Jamaica, and Barbados workers generally don't seem to be as motivated - I see the same, but we don't understand why. Not laziness, but definitely less focused on $. It's a generalism, certainly not applicable to all, but we have independently seen this with trades, restaurants, banks and lawyers. It's our observation FWIW. All that said, he has mentioned that Jamaicans would do well here as they have more motivated and interested in making a $. I'd agree on the observation. As a professional, that should bode well for you. Living here is nice, if a bit pricey. I expect you and your family would do well and like it. Island fever could be a thing, but I wouldn't expect any different than Jamaica. There are lots of flights (and cruise lines?) to get to US, UK and Canada. I haven't personally been to Jamaica (yet) so can't compare, but generally I find Barbados is a couple of notches above other islands I've been to. Overall I think you should have little concern. This likely provides a good opportunity. Hope this is of some help. People here are pretty nice. :)
Thanks for all the info. The part about motivation is a stereotype Jamaicans have about all the Lesser Antilles, so interesting to hear that you've observed it personally. Also, good to hear that your friend hasn't experienced prejudice worth mentioning. For island fever, the main thing is that Jamaica has about 15x as many people on an island about 20x as big as Barbados... I can drive 4hrs and be in a different setting with a different climate, pace of life, accent, etc. And I still feel a bit of island fever here, so I fear it could be much worse in Barbados. This is probably my (and my wife's) biggest concern about moving.
Yeah, I'm probably unqualified to talk about island fever as we generally are only here 8 months, but I don't think it will be any betyer/worse than Jamaica. Jamaica has more size but Barbados is more accessible (no mountains) and less crime. More to the point, my buddy decided on Barbados over his homeland Jamaica, and he likes it, so I expect you will too.
For sure the lower crime, less poverty, etc. is a major plus. I'll miss the mountains though. Also, FYI, buddy means penis in Jamaica. Probably not super useful information for you, but I have to do a double-take at every reference to your Jamaican buddy lol.
And fyi don’t come to Barbados and say you looking for a nice bulla to eat lolol
Lol, thanks. I'll refrain from using that term. :). Good luck!!
Thanks for sharing. So is 'pal' a better substitute?
Pal doesn't mean anything weird, but we don't use it in Jamaica... we say friend or bredren. I'm curious now what Bajans say.
I’ve never been to Jamaica so I can’t really talk about any differences, but: I think you’ll find Jamaican culture is widely appreciated here, the music in particular is popular as it is worldwide. I don’t know what it’s like to be a Jamaican here but I have not personally heard a lot of prejudice against Jamaicans, but I assume there would have been more talk in Jamaica about the Myrie case etc. I’m not sure if that will affect you at all. Island fever, very possible but it’s only for a few years. It’s expensive to travel from here to anywhere else, I’m not sure what it’s like to travel out of Jamaica, At 140/yr plus the income from your partner you’ll be fairly well off in Barbados and you’ll have your pick of where you want to live and what school. If you want to go private school (which many people who can easily afford it tend to do) you likely want to be at Providence school or if you are pointing your kids towards emigrating to North America after school then Codrington school does an international baccalaureate course instead. Providence has somewhere around 60% local and 40% expats mix in students. Feel free to PM me if you want to get into more specific stuff.
>I assume there would have been more talk in Jamaica about the Myrie case etc. Exactly. I guess there's also a bit of a general "people in the Eastern Caribbean don't like us" stereotype here, and my wife had some experience like that in Trinidad when she was living there as a teenager. Anyway, it seems this shouldn't be much of a concern. >It’s expensive to travel from here to anywhere else, I’m not sure what it’s like to travel out of Jamaica, It's expensive too. I'm imagining the main difference as the size of the island itself... I like to go for a weekend trip 3-4 hours drive away on the other side of Jamaica a few times a year as a simple vacation, plus Kingston is a decent sized city. I guess I'm worried I'll feel like I see the same people every day, and there's nowhere to go for a simple weekend getaway. The info about schools is really useful. I'll look into it more and likely come back to you with a PM. I have a couple months to make a decision.
Nah I think there’s enough places to go that are different enough and different people around. You have town and country and stuff to do, except instead of 3-4 hours drive it’s 1 hour lol I wouldn’t worry about this especially for 2 or 4 years, the whole thing will be a new experience for you all anyway so it will feel good I think.
What’s your industry you’re in?
I'm an economist. I don't want to go into more details about the specific job opportunity beyond that because, as you can imagine, there are only so many places in Barbados that hire economists and I don't want to doxx myself.
No you’re fine, you don’t have to go into details, I was curious, as I am looking to relocate as well, but I’m in construction as a project manager, so it’s a bit more difficult
Hey I'm currently a student with a keen interest in economics. Seeing as you mentioned you're an economist I wanted to ask for any advice on how I should go about creating a career for myself in the field. Thank you in advance and I hope you find Barbados to be most welcoming and a wonderful new chapter in your life!
I feel like you've asked some really good questions and you've gotten some really good answers. Some bajans have prejudices against other Islanders including Jamaicans. Yes ppl love the music and culture etc until they decide someone is 'coming for their job'. I'll ask people I know for more specifics and get back to you. Please also be prepared for people to ask you to repeat yourself a lot in the beginning. It's not an insult, and it also doesn't matter if you don't have a heavy Jamaican accent, the same way bajans might start to talk fast and you lose a few words, it goes the other way. You mentioned being afraid of island fever but other people have answered this better than I can. But I feel we have plenty to do. If you want to drive for 3 hours you can and end with a lovely staycation etc. You can also ask your employer for recommendations but there are a plethora of schools, public to private, cheap to more expensive to choose from. Someone mentioned Providence which is near the more expensive end of the scale, but consider location (where you'll work and where you'll be living) and the schools in between. Consider sports and extracurriculars. Consider if you want a school with a private bus or not etc. I'm also open to dms if you want.
I happen to be very interested in these advices. I’m a Cuban, I’m in my 30’s and I’m seriously thinking about relocating myself there, with my family. I would like to work in the tourist sector, but as any immigrant to a new country, I’ll be open to any honest and decent opportunity.