GENET ‘Natasha’ Clarke’s life has changed since she met US president Barack Obama last Wednesday and guided him on a tour of the Bob Marley Museum on Hope Road, Kingston 6.

“I have done so many interviews within the last couple of hours,” she told the Jamaica Observer. “(It’s more) than I have ever done in my 40-something years. My husband, who is all the way in Italy, said that my face is on every front page there.”

Clarke, who grew up in Freetown Clarendon, said she never dreamed of becoming a tour guide, nor did she ever fathom that she would one day meet the US president.

But Wednesday’s event has catapulted her into the public eye and has arguably raised the profile of tour guides.

“I knew he was coming to Jamaica. At the museum we were hoping and praying that he would come and visit with us.

So when her supervisor called and told her: ” “We have to get everything in line because we might get a visit today”, she said: “Yes, no problem”.

“In the back of my mind I figured (what it was) but I didn’t want to say anything. Not even my daughter I could have told,” she said in reference to keeping the information confidential.

When she arrived at the museum, Clarke said members of Obama’s security team greeted her and she was introduced to a woman who explained what would take place.

“I started to feel like this was an opportunity of a lifetime but I was not nervous; just excited. Like oh, yes. This is it. This is it,” she said.

Clarke said that when the president alighted from the Beast and entered the museum he greeted her by name and remembered her name at the end of the tour, unlike most people.

“He’s a down-to-earth person,” she said.

The former May Pen High School student started working at the museum in 1995 after relocating to Kingston in her early 20s. Six years later, she took a break to be a stay-at-home mom. The mother of two told the Jamaica Observer that she was called to rejoin the team two years ago. She takes us inside her career as a tour guide.

Tour guide Genet Natasha Clarke (NC)

What are your responsibilities as a tour guide?

NC: Our responsibilities as tour guide is to greet our quests, make sure that they are comfortable on the property the minute they are handed over to us and try to answer their questions as best as possible. We are not going to know everything but we enlighten ourselves as best as possible about Bob his life and the music so that we able to answer any question that comes out. All of us as tour guide we give you that. We bridge the gap culture wise between Jamaica and the rest of the world included the Bob Marley museum. Persons come and asked what’s the best place outside of the museum or outside of Kingston so we have to arm our self with that kind of information.

What are the qualifications to become a tour guide?

NC: A high School education is a must. Is not everyone is going to do as well but it is best to have some standard of education so that you can communicate well.

What is the value of the job you do?

NC: It is a very important part of our culture and the music it is inspiring it reaches far a side and not just because it’s Bob Marley but Bob would say the lyrics, it is easy to every nation whether you speak English, Patois, German, Russian I have met my fare share of persons

What do you enjoy the most about your career?

NC: It’s a privilege working in what is considered being in the tourism sector a part of it. You don’t meet the same set of people every day so that’s good that the best part of it. I get to interact with person that in your life time a normal person out there not been in this position would have never gotten to really meet. It expands your horizon, you have reason with persons from all parts of the world; you get their views and thing coming to Jamaica for the first time. They want to know what is going on with the culture, food, music etc.

What are some of the challenges you face on the job?

The biggest challenge is the language barrier. We are not able to speak every language. There are person who are embraces the Rastafarian way of life, they embrace music, Bob Marley. When some of them come in and they are passionate about him sometimes they don’t want to leave. We have to let them know that this is an experience and they need to go back to your country.

What advice do you have to others who wish to enter the field?

It’s not just being a tour guide. It’s been an ambassador for your country because you have to learn a lot about Jamaica. Any one who wants to do that they can.

What is you daily motivation?

I am a family woman with a husband and children; we have been together for seventeen years. What drives me is to know that I am there for them, their wants and need. They can come to mommy and I can comfort them. When they are happy I am happy. I can come to work and pull 110 per cent.