Out of the Frying Pan & into the Fire I viewed a television program that depicted a gentleman reflecting on his young life during the sixties. Inspiringly, I picked up my diary which I maintained since my elementary school days. My former teacher, Mr. Clark (now a National Commerce Bank senior executive and a major sponsor of Jamaica’s National Volleyball Team), taught us the importance of keeping a diary. Plus, he nudged us to write about our daily activities.
Final Journey “I was a pretty young gal wen I was young ” said Aunt Hilda, her voice trailing off as she gazed afar – way back into the distant years. It seemed she was reliving every episode of her life. I remained silent, holding a tuft of her hair in my hand, waiting patiently for her to continue. “You’re still beautiful, Aunt Hilda. Even more so now,” I said, trying to bring her back from her journey into time.
My Trip to Jamaica! For several years I wanted to return home to Jamaica for another visit, but circumstances keep me from doing so, well that day I wished for finally arrived in which I boarded the Boeing 737 jet, in-route to my homeland. I was happy because I was to see my brothers and sisters, whom I have not seen for quite some time and also my schoolmates. Except for a few bumps on the highway in the sky, the flight was okay.
Making Money In The Forex Market “Many of my friends are talking about making lots of money in currency trading. However, I feel a little nervous about it, because I have seen all the advertisements telling us to be careful how we invest our money. Is investing in foreign exchange trading really legal, and why has it become so popular recently?”
Reflections on my School Days I was in the fifth grade at Ewarton Primary School. I was a fifth grader who was very accomplished as he was competitive. Throughout my previous years at the school, I have won a nationwide art contest; skipped a grade, and maintained an ‘A’ average. In the fifth grade, I ranked first in my class. Naturally, during the preparation for the annual ‘Class Challenge Quiz’....
Is Patois Doomed in a Global World? Jamaicans are going to have to learn "global" English if they want to prosper in the world of tomorrow. Yes, I enjoy the beauty of Jamaican patois, when it is used to express gentle thoughts, and I acknowledge the power of Jamaican patois when it is used to express anger or frustration.
Gully-bank (Part2) The Old Harbour Road is in a mess. Skipping between traffic I make my way over to the other side; trespass through big-nose Buro’s yard and onto the gully bank which leads to Strebor Avenue. Men are already beneath the shed.
Ah...The memories of JOS I read of the newly opened bus depot in HWT and it brought to mind the buses of my time. When I lived in Jamaica, JOS was the company that provided bus service throughout the corporate area. Jamaica Omnibus Service or Chi Chi bus as they were called, probably due to the sound heard when the doors were being closed. Needless to say, this was before the name "'chi chi" took on a whole other meaning.
Gully-bank - Part 1 Along the gully bank beautiful concrete homes now replace the1951 Hurricane-Charlie Relief Board-houses. Telephone and hydropower lines run from rooftops to roadside poles and noticeable everywhere are spawning signs of social improvements. This is Homestead, south west St. Catherine, just a mile outside the old capitol, Spanish Town.
Reggae Review in 2007 Reggae and dancehall in 2007 national and locally lost steam. The riddim-driven albums by VP Records (USA) and Greensleeves (UK) that drove dancehall hits in past years seem to have come to a stand still this year. Creatively it was more of the same and that made room for the new sound of Tarrus Riley and Da’ville whose hits tunes were not riddim driven.
Countdown to Chrismus Abroad....Toronto Style Once again its that time of the year when merchants remove ghost and goblets ‘fan-gan dangles’ from racks and shelves and replace them with toys and other yuletide commodities. Store windows now display moving train sets, snow angels, miniature ornaments, creatures, and such delights. Inside the malls, evergreen trees are fully dressed with mountains of presents beneath while mannequins ‘cut pose’ in the latest fashion trends.
Ms. Dulcie Sey: Sage Dem Dung!!! Greetins and Exaltations! Ow is aall mi wanderful folks doin? Ms. Dulcie is mekin hout ar Chrismas list fi de cantankerous granpickney dem. Fi mi grandchilren dem no deserb even a starlight, dem gi me bodderation, so till me feel like sey me a go ave body come down.
No Matter Where I Go, The Jamaican Influence Is There When I was asked if I would like to go on a mission trip to southwest China, I said “Yes” without hesitation. I did not wonder, what am I going to do? I am not a dentist, a hygienist, nor a dental assistant. Besides, I do not speak Chinese except for “Ni Hao” You see; I believe that it is not enough to just breathe.
Memories of School in Jamaica When I think of school in Jamaica the first thing that comes to mind are Khaki school uniforms, lunch boxes, and a smiling teacher in the morning to greet you at the end of your trip from home to school. The school I attended in Kingston was a primary school and had an aggregate of students from different walks of life. They were students of different ethnicities and backgrounds, but what made the relationship between the students in my school special was that we were; “out of many one students.”
Jamaican Marriage Customs Getting married is, of course, a rather significant commitment between two people. In Jamaica, the wedding ceremony is an integral part of the celebration, with elaborate plans and large gatherings of family and friends. While many of the old-time traditions are no longer practiced, some have survived the test of time.
Moving Back to Jamaica from a First World Country After visiting South Africa last December (and especially after touring the Alexandria and Soweto Townships,) I am facing the fact that my Move back to Jamaica has a lot to do with moving from First World to Third. In Johannesburg, it is possible to move from First to Third and back again at will, simply by driving a few miles down a road, or by crossing a highway. The transformation is complete, entire and total -- almost like entering an airplane in one country and exiting via the stairs into another. Everything was instantly different -- the buildings, the signage, the colour of the people, the poverty, the way the cars drove, the smells, the dust. I liken it to flying from Washington DC to Accra on a direct flight. Moving Back to Jamaica is not very different.
Jamaican Dead Yard - A True Story When our 5-month-old grandson, Jaheim Miller died the entire town went into mourning, and as is the Jamaican custom, undertook a "dead yard" process that lasted most of a week. Dead yard is a kind of public wake, to help the family and the community come to grips with their grief. Friends, neighbours, and well-wishers come by every night for sound system music, dominoes, drink, smoke, and food; and they stay, very late into the night. The night before the funeral is the biggest dead yard celebration. Everybody shows up -- even all the taxi drivers who ply the road to town. In our case, because of this particularly tragic death, hundreds of people showed up. And the story ran in the Gleaner and the Mirror, so wherever we went in MoBay people seemed to know. I was amazed at the universal outpouring of condolence and support. The saying, "It takes a village," could never be more true than it is here.
Tenement Yard Part 3 - Hard-Aze Pickenies. Ever since infancy, things seemed ‘weird’ with Kyman. He would n ever show any interest in the stuff little boys his age like, but rather he loved to play with girl-toys and act ‘girlie girlie’ every ‘live long day". His mother Miriam, has been trying relentlessly to curve his ways, but ‘no bra-ba, nuh him’ and now she has to put up with all the stigma, taunts and teases.
The Story of the Jamaica Easter Tradition From The Hot Cross Buns Most people probably don’t realize that hot cross buns pre-date the Jamaican bun and cheese and led to their popularity. Sometimes called Easter buns, they are a big part of Jamaican culture, just like several other representative foods such as saltfish or ackee.
Living in a Tenement Yard - Part 1 ‘Tenement Yard,’ is not included in my Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary. I have had this dictionary from ‘Wappy kill Fillo’ and so it may very well be in a newer edition. I nonetheless came across a similar word. It is Tenement House—n: an apartment house used as a dwelling...one meeting minimum standards of sanitation, safety & comfort and occupied by poorer families...usually in a city.”
The Hero of Fern Gully - A True Story The red Hyundai Atos sedan was struggling uphill along the winding narrow road of the Fern Gully heading towards Moneague and away from the resort town of Ocho Rios. Behind it, a stream of headlights seemed to be concentrated on the small vehicle as the driver turns off the A/C in the hope that its tiny engine would realize a little more power.
Photo Essay: The Kite In this photo essay Jamaicans.com webmaster, Xavier Murphy, takes you on a kite making adventure from his October 2006 visit to Jamaica. His search for a traditional Jamaican kite has ended....
Domino ...." A Big Sinting Abroad." This month our senior writer, kharl Daley, tell us about the Dominoes leages in Canada bringing Caribbean nationals together.
Why am I so proud to be Jamaican? This month Karen Lee tells us why she is proud to be Jamaican. She explains some of the things people with Jamaican heritage have accomplished.
Avoiding a Plague - Letters from a Jamaican in China ShellyAnn Wauchope a Jamaican Teacher living in China shares her experiences in monthly letters. In this month's letter she talks about the SARS panic in China.
Back A yaad Memories Reminisce with our regular contributor, Kharl Daley, as he talks about his memories of his Granny.
Africa 101 from a Jamaican in South Africa Ruth (Wade) Kwakwa a Jamaican living in South Africa tell us about her experiences living in Africa. This extensive article starts with “Africa 101” and includes the similarities to Jamaica..
Year of the Dog - Letters from a Jamaican in China ShellyAnn Wauchope a Jamaican Teacher living in China shares her experiences in monthly letters. In this month's letter she talks about the Chinese New Year 2006, Year of the Dog, in the People's Republic of China.
Feature Films Shot in Jamaica Jamaica's natural beauty makes it a very attractive location for filming. Here is a list of feature films shot in Jamaica from 1953 - 1998.
Christmas 2005 in China - Letters from a Jamaican in China ShellyAnn Wauchope a Jamaican Teacher living in China shares her experiences in monthly letters. In this month's letter she talks about her third Christmas (2005) in the People's Republic of China.
How to Play Jamaican Style Dominoes Get a sturdy table, practice your best poker face and get your "card" drawing insults ready. Learn how to Play Jamaican Style Dominoes.
A Jamaican Christmas Letter from Abroad Our regular columnist, Kharl Daley writes a Christmas letter to his mother in Jamaica. Find out what he is sending home for Christmas.
Mrs. Braithwaite’s Christmas A new short Jamaica story by Pauline Binder about a mother, her daughter and a secret.
The Wonder of Macau - Letters from a Jamaican in China ShellyAnn Wauchope a Jamaican Teacher living in China shares her experiences in monthly letters. In this month's letter she talks about Macau, which was turned over from Portugal to the People's Republic of China.
A Failure to Communicate - Letters from a Jamaican in China ShellyAnn Wauchope a Jamaican Teacher living in China shares her experiences in monthly letters. In this month's letter she explains her experience learning about Chinese to Chinese racial slurs.
My Trip to Jamaica! William Layton Nelson takes us on his July 2005 trip to his homeland Jamaica. He says "Jamaica is truly, The Island in the Sun” .
Sickness is…. - Letters from a Jamaican in China ShellyAnn Wauchope a Jamaican Teacher living in China shares her experiences in monthly letters. In this months letter she explains dealing with illness in China.
