Guests of Neita's Nest were out and about celebrating Bob Marley's 70th Birthday in Kingston, including visits to Culture Yard in Trench Town where the new Bob Marley statue was unveiled this past weekend.

"It's lively" said Hedi and Berith from Sweden on their return from home to their bed and breakfast host. 

Bob Marley, still livelying up the world at 70, is a national treasure and a hero to the world. Here is a well-articulated call from Columnist Ian Boyne for Marley to be named a National Hero here in Jamaica.
Read more about it....

Fast forward to Dance Hall, and here I will share comments from master choerographer, Jackie Guy MBE in an open letter from London:

Beloved,
Finally, Finally, Finally recognition for a dance hall artist, outside the dance theatre circle/basin.  I have always felt that the Bogle, Butterfly and Gully Creeper were three of Jamaica's best dance hall movements, which are echoes and spirits of our African Ancestors, emerging out of a country (Jamaica) whose soil is soaked in blood. 

These three movements are gravity pulling, shape flowing and life giving.  Give thanks to Ibo Cooper for this 'Act of Light' in recommending that Master 'Bogle' Gerald Levy be universally recognised for his contribution to choreography in Jamaica. 
We here in the Diaspora are rejoicing. I am so grateful and honored to have seen the value of these three unique dance hall movements, and made sure it was in my choreography. 

Jackie used the Bogle in his 1992 work History of the Drum which he took to southern Africa, and in 2013 he incorporated both the Gully Creeper and Butterfly in the CHASE-sponsored dance Bankra (featured in image above) for the National Dance Theatre Company, in tribute to the late Professor Rex Nettleford, its founding director.

The Ester Boserup Thesis Prize winner for 2015 has been announced, and this little bed and breakfast in Kingston, Jamaica is celebrating! 

And, the winner is, Steven Jensen! We celebrate with Steven and his wife Heidi who have both stayed here over the past two years, because the final research for his PhD-dissertation, for which he is being awarded, was done right here at Neita's Nest in 2013.

When Steven wrote to us to make his booking, he said that he was "intrigued" when he made the connections between Neita's Nest, Hartley Neita and the biographies of former prime ministers Donald Sangster and Hugh Shearer. "I found it fascinating that you had that book recommendation on your website." He went on to say that he found the book on Hugh Shearer "very helpful for my work and for my knowledge of a unique period in history."

"I am doing research on the history of international human rights during the Cold War and I have uncovered Jamaica's pivotal role in this story which starts immediately upon gaining independence in 1962. Jamaica was a driving force in the international human rights diplomacy in the 1960s and in particular the UN Ambassador Egerton Richardson was outstanding (I rank his contribution to human rights internationally as highly as Eleanor Roosevelts contribution - if not higher) because of his remarkable skills and vision and the long-lasting effect of his endeavours with full support from the Government."

The positive synergies continued from there, and during his stay we invited Professors Rupert and Maureen Lewis, as well as Hugh Small Q.C. to join him here for dinner. These informal discussions led to introductions to and/or meetings with persons integral to the research such as, the former secretary to the late Ambassador, Ms Elaine Melbourne, and to Richardson's son and daughter. They were able to provide much insight into the man, Ambassador Richardson, this quiet man who made such a mark in world history.

You know you are doing something right when your business has grown annually. You have every reason to celebrate when you have a 38.5% increase in occupancy, 2014 over 2013. But, when 12 per cent of these guests were repeat visitors, then you have to stop and take stock. 

And we have. So, to honour our repeat guests, and to put our first timers on notice, Neita's Nest announces our special 5% discount for all repeat guests (we know who you are), and, if you are staying four nights or over, your gift will be a miniature reproduction of Jamaican artist, Ewan McAnuff's oil on canvas of the spectacular view from our verandah.

What better way to celebrate our five years serving you, than to treat our repeat guests in a very special way?

Yohan Blake and Hubert Lawrence were here! You can never tell who you will meet when you stay at Neita's Nest. 

Just over a week ago, we had the honour of being the chosen location for these two interviews by filmakers, Andrew and Brett who stayed with us for 9 nights while gathering material for their TV documentary to be aired in the US later this year.

Interesting spaces like under the mango tree by our garden patio as well as the eclectic living room, were ideal. Hubert sat to breakfast with his hosts but, unfortunately, we did not have the pleasure of the same with Yohan since he always has to consider the source of his intake. Alas!

Nonetheless, when Yohan, the youngest 100m world champion ever, and Hubert, Jamaica's renowned author and track and field commentator stop by in the same week, you know we are having a Beast of a time!

Yes, some amazing things happen right here at Neita's Nest. 

Open House at Neita's Nest in mid-December was much fun with friends meeting friends. Many came to collect their orders of Christmas puddings for gifts and their own homes. They tarried a while as we offered delicious tastings of Berl's Pate and our own puddings. 

Most of our December guests arrived mid month and later, and we continued the exchange of Christmas Tree ornaments for the 4th year in a row. We enjoyed the advent of Christmas with our guests who hailed from Switzerland, The Netherlands via Curacao, Nassau, and Jamaican sisters reuniting from Atlanta and US Virgin Islands. Several other Dutch guests stayed, including one couple who was referred to us by our friends at MarBlue.

Then came Christmas, and ours was the venue for a family dinner for over 60 persons. The Energy Plus Mento Band carried the swing long after the delicious meal was served.

Sharing live with you 15 seconds of the fun, thanks to Josina.

Repeat guests Pat and Fred from New York vacationed here during the Season after doing some wonderful volunteer work in Accompong. My high school friend Liz, and her husband John, returned from Scotland after meeting here 40 years ago. Other new-found friends hailed from the Phillipines, the UK, New York, Hoboken, Paris, Los Angeles, and the Carolinas.

Happy New Year!!

Already, the year has started out with new-found friends from Chicago, Norway, Brazil, Burundi, Nigeria, England and Scotland, Ohio, New York, Atlanta and Alaska, with Denmark and Poland en route, and the first month is not yet over.  

It would normally be sacrilege for me to get into the Christmas Spirit from this early. No longer! 

I remember being reminded that Christmas was just around the corner; a means of getting the best behaviours out of us children, with the promise of all that Christmas has to offer in the next couple of weeks. What I do not remember is any glitter or tinsel, pepper lights or gift paper, jingles and caroling, Christmas Trees or ornaments, shopping or any special activity beginning before mid December. Only the baking of Jamaican Christmas Puddings to be shipped early to friends overseas took place in November. 

So, I used to get a little annoyed when the commercial activity began as early as November, and even October. In recent years, our October invitation to exchange Christmas Tree ornaments starting with our November guests, really fires up that Christmasy feeling, and our guests are equally eager to participate.

End your day with Dinner for Two while city lights flicker in the distance. If you are travelling alone, no problem. Just book early. Perhaps we can entice some friend of ours to join you for dinner. My treat!  

Bed and Breakfast stays don't get better than this!

What a wet September it was! The daily deluge reminded me of when I used to walk home from school in Brown's Town at the beginning of Christmas Term. Every year. As classes ended each afternoon, the rains came pouring down. And so it was this past September in Kingston. But, no one complained. It was a welcomed end to a long, dry summer. 

Then, after the rains...

...the Promise!

This is no artist's impression. Neither is it the result of some ingenious Photoshop work. 

For me, it looks like sun-kissed rain. 

This was the view one late September afternoon from our verandah at Neita's Nest, and our recent B&B guest, Lianne, was compelled to capture it. We are so glad she did. Now we can share it with you and keep it here for posterity.

The forecast for the first 2 weeks in October...partly cloudy with sunny skies, and temperatures in high 20s to low 30s. 

Come and enjoy!