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.

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.

Thank y'u Poopah Gezas, Summer is finally here. The wintry months for Jamaicans in Toronto can be very dreary especially after the yuletide season.

So You Think You’ve Eaten 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 stereotype of the Chinese eating dogs.

Queen Nanny Of The Maroons – The Mother Of A Nation Who is the mother of the Jamaican nation? Karla Gottlieb writes an article on Queen Nanny Of The Maroons – The Mother Of A Nation.

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 - 2011.

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.

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.

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” .

The Price of Bargaining - 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 "bargaining" in China.

Glorifying God And Searching For My Roots In Ghana Jamaican Missionary, Cherry Chin, shares her Mission Trip Report from her recent visit to Ghana, and how the country that gave us "ackee” has similarities to Jamaica.

Memories of Back a Yaad In this months "Memories of Back a Yaad" Kharl Daley describes a Day in the Market with a "Teef".

Memories of Back A Yard In part 1 of "Memories of Back A Yard " our regular columnist Kharl Daley reminds of a Jamaica past.

He was Chinese - 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 the challenges of moving from a place where there is diversity to a place where the majority is Chinese.

In The Mind Of The Ghetto Youth Writer Kharl Daley in this article from his own personal experiences gives an insight in the mind set of the Ghetto Youth in Jamaica.

School daze (think about why I use this spelling )…. remembering those days gone by Do you remember the "School daze " in Jamaica. The food, the fun, the teachers. Lets go back down memory lane to the days past...

Life Goals - 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 tell us her "ayi " ( housekeeper) and the sacrifices she makes to attain a goal for her family.

My New Form of Discipline - Letters from a Jamaican in China ShellyAnn Wauchope a Jamaican Teacher living in China shares her experiences in monthly letters. In this letter she tell us about "discipline" in China.

Shrine In the Valley William Layton Nelson takes us to his childhood home at Mount Horeb, St James Jamaica. He calls it his "Shrine In the Valley"