This hasn't been the greatest time for tourists visiting Jamaica.

And, to get even more specific, the Canadians don't seem to be having a great time. First, there was the Montego Bay debacle with the frayed Mr Fray. It was a Canada-bound plane that was taken over in the stand-off while the Canadian Prime Minister is visiting to boot. The odds of that happening are troublingly small, yet it happened anyway.

Wrong turn

And then a group of tourists drove all the way from Montego Bay to Kingston and, having made the journey without incident, promptly get shot after making a wrong turn. Of course, these tourists also happened to be from Canada. Aw, shucks!

To digress a bit, there's something about the way the tourist board folks were (almost literally) chasing the tourists to make sure they were 'all right' that bothered, but never mind.

To round off a fairly rotten time for the island's public relations, here comes the Milk River mess. Steady, overnight rains caused the river to swell and, unfortunately for those staying at the world-famous spa and hotel, meant a very wet encounter unlike the one they had hoped for. Pretty certain that was not their idea of a mud bath. All this leads to is a little reminder that life is not always the beach we want it to be. If anything, life is more like another five-letter word that sounds close to beach that also shares three of the letters.

But one thing that is sure to make any tourist and music lover's day is the fact that Island Records, where Bob Marley and the Wailers got their start, is celebrating 50 years. Reggae kings aside, Island Records was also responsible for acts like Millie Small and Grace Jones (who are Jamaicans) and some Irish band named U2 (think I've heard of them). Nice to know that an entity with such worldwide appeal that has garnered such recognition, has roots in Jamaica.

Something to smile about

See, no matter how many things seem to go wrong in Jamrock, we can always find stuff that goes oh so right. Too bad that stuff is often overlooked. So, as we ponder what the girls from the (now-torched) Armadale Juvenile Correctional Centre will do next, or how badly the Reggae Boyz will look next time they play, let's try to find something to smile about.

PS: Labour Day came and went and, as usual, the politicians were out in their long sleeves and dress pants, putting a little soil on the newly planted trees for the cameras. Oh joy! Later!

Smile with me at daviot.kelly@gleanerjm.com