The Citadel and the Theatre

As I went out to move my car this evening, eight cats came scurrying from beneath it. I think it is warm and safe for the female cats who are avoiding the male cats.

Christmas music is still playing this week on the radios. I like that. Periodically they play one. I never felt inundated.

I took a few guests to the Citadel and the Roman Theatre this morning. These guests are from the U.S. though they are Jamaican citizens. One of the community member spent a few years as pastor at a church in West Kingston.

The Roman Theatre was great. It is the best preserved theatre of its type. It is huge and it is easy to see the glory that once was the Roman empire. It would have been Roman wealth versus native poverty. I wish the museums told us more about the practical uses of the theatre. It has enormous capacity so it would have been useful for civic meetings, rhetorical exchanges, and public sporting events.

The Citadel is quite expansive. It is the tallest jebel in the city and the Temple was dedicated to Heracles. There is an artifact of the fingers of a hand that were probably of Heracles, but no one knows for sure. A museum sits atop the jebel, which contains artifacts from various ages of development.

It was a hot day. I noticed that it was very quiet at various places. I could hear birds at times, but mostly there was silence. People were enjoying the quietude because it is a rare quality. I wanted to sit outside and take in the park-like atmosphere.

All the while I was touring these guests and engaging them in conversation, my phone rang. It was the same person over and over again. We were laughing at some of the customs here. If someone wants you, they will phone repeatedly until they get you. Forget any semblance of planning. I mean within a one minute span of time my phone will ring three consecutive times. People think nothing of it. In the States, we would call once, leave a message, and politely wait for the person to call back in due, but proper time. However, this is like OCD calling. They will be persistent because they want you now. I've had times when my phone was sitting on my desk and I forgot to carry it with me and I've had 30 calls from the same person. Today's caller only tried 22 times with 4 text messages.

I don't like driving here.

It took 40 minutes to get home from the Citadel, which is at best a ten minute drive.

I saw the film "The Life of Pi" the other day. The next day I went to church. I had to establish dominance with the street vendors who keep moving closer to the church steps to sell their Filipino food. Once I establish dominance, they will be held at bay. However, I don't like using authority in that way.

It put to mind Pi Patel's struggle with the tiger Richard Parker. Vivid scenes of the tiger snapping at Pi must have stayed in my mind. I was chuckling to myself when communicants came forward to receive the Body of Christ. When they opened their mouths, I kept thinking of Richard Parker. Fortunately, that image disappeared when I said mass today.

Off to get ready for the new year.

I don't know what that means. To see photos of the Citadel, click on the link below:

1. Pics of the Citadel and Roman Theatre.