the jamaican travels to the foreign land

Oh Lordt... guess what I realized the other day... since I am on my computer everyday, an increased use of Zoom and other online meeting apps came easy for me because I  on my computer everyday from the time I was in College and also for work and my part time business. But guess what, there are many parents who don’t have an idea how to use Zoom or whatever online meeting app the school requires for the remote learning. So before everyone condemns these parents, find out the real reason they are protesting. Some parents are functional illiterates meaning they can’t read but they can recognize enough words to make it through the day and do their daily activities. And also CashApp. They know how to use CashApp. But then when teachers email homework to be done online these parents don’t have a clue where to start. And this MAY be one of the reasons they are protesting. So the schools may want to consider doing remote learning classes specifically for the parents. Oh and that reminds me. I

I have some friends that tell me I am delusional. Since my whole life has been based on Faith and dreaming big, and that has worked for me. I have to keep doing it. For example, some people told me I would never graduate high school but I did anyway. I got turned down for a student visa to the United States on my first application. I got it the next time applied. The admission counselors at my first US college told me there are no scholarships available for international students ( which I was before I got married)and I found scholarships anyway. Do you know that international students are charged three times the tuition that US Citizens are charged? Some people told me I won’t be able to graduate. I graduated anyway. When I graduated, everyone in my class tried to get a job at Texas Medical Center. Everyone said it is extremely hard to get a job there. I got a job there anyway. So to the people who tell me I am delusional, well my delusion has helped me. The same people turn aro

We are experiencing a revolution. People are waking up. They are changing 400 year customs. How can we be using the same map that was made in 1569 in 2020? How can we be practicing laws that were made in the 1500s, 1800s? Practicing 400 year old traditions. It’s time for a change. People are tired of these systems that don’t work. We honor the great politicians and other lawmakers who have put in policies to move us forward, but it’s time for the elderly ones to step down gracefully and give the younger lawmakers with the vision to lead people in modern times. If the elderly lawmakers don’t step down, the younger ones are going to remove them by force. I am just saying what I see happening. I am not giving threats or trying to start something. Just commenting on what I am seeing. If you are not about change, if you are not helping your community move forward, well unfortunately there will be more rioting, looting and burning of communities. That’s just the reality.

Did you know that F-1  Students ( Foreign VISA Students) cannot work in the United States without a work permit? You are only allowed to work on campus. For many years before I got married, I was an F-1student. The law states that if you are found working off campus you can be deported. So here I am in the US as a foreign student, I can only work on campus, the campus jobs pay minimum wage, it is not enough to pay my rent and cover my expenses. So for many years I had to depend on my family here in Smerica, because I didn’t have a mother ( she died when I was 5) and I received no support from my father. So how did I survive? I applied for scholarships and joined school organizations ( including the Student Government, Phi Theta Kappa and others). Then I had many uninformed, jealous people ( some of them my “friends”, saying I am a freeloader, I don’t want to work, I am manipulating the system. Why? Because I am not suffering the way that in their opinion I am supposed to suffer. If I f

Life In America The reason I am sharing my experiences is so that it can help others. Especially my younger family members in College or who want to migrate to America. Maybe you can learn from my experience and be better equipped to fight for your rights. I did all the “Right” things to get ahead legally 1. I got a degree ( 4 actually ). 2. I applied for jobs and even took the low paying ones until I could get a better one. 3. I looked for a home in a nice safe neighborhood with the right schools. 4.I applied for scholarships some of them I received. 5. I joined community service organizations and volunteered. 6. I go to church and also volunteer at church to give back to my community. Still that is not enough. Why? 1. With a degree I have to wonder when I apply for jobs if they will think I am over qualified, if they will think I am trying to take their job, I have to deal with employers who don’t pay me on time and cause me to get behind on my bills and put me in debt. 2.

Life In America. Ever since I moved to America, I have constantly been in school. Enrolled in some type of academic program. There is this person that every time she saw me she would ask me, “ Nichole you are still in school???!!!!””. I would smile and tell her yes. And I move on. What I don’t say to her is “Yes I have to be in school so I can afford the life that you have been privileged to have”. Yes I am always trying to improve my credentials because even with 4 degrees I am still struggling so that I can live a comfortable lifestyle and be in a position to help my family. And yes I am pursuing degree number 5. Because I like the finer things in life and I want to be able to afford them legally. I am also an overachiever. Also whenever I am at a job, I have to “dumb” down myself so that my managers don’t  think I am trying to take their job and my fellow coworkers are always trying to compete with me. I  am black but I speak proper English ( how is that possible?), how do I afford

True Story. Life In America. In order to survive, you either need to have a lawyer in your family, be married to a lawyer, have a lawyer as your best friend, or you have to be a lawyer, or know the law very well. If not, everybody including the government will try to steal your money. I started working at this healthcare company as a Superviser a few years ago. At the end of my first month of training, I only received half of the money I earned. I spoke to another Superviser who was my trainer. I made the mistake of showing him my pay stub. He told me to call HR. H R informed me that the Manager of my company changed the code in their system from “Pay” to “ Do Not Pay” and I had to speak with the Manager in order to receive the rest of my pay check. I spoke to the manager. He gave me this long lecture about how when he started out with the company he had to work his way up and he notice that a number of new recruits like myself just thought that because I had a degree I am better than