Eight I first travelled to Jamaica with my future mother-in-law to visit my fiancee who was working as a teacher in Kingston. The year was l972. That summer my husband, a naturalized Canadian from India, and I were married here in Canada and travelled to Jamaica to begin our new life together.

From my visit earlier that year I knew I was going to love it, and Sunit had already made some good and warm friends. Sunit taught at Penwood Junior Secondary, and I got a job at Priory School.

We lived in the Priory Apartments. The next two year were wonderful. Our daughter Miriam was born in January 1994 at Nutall hospital. (In my pre-natal class was Beverley Manley). We made friendships in those two years that changed my life. People were so friendly and Jamaica was so much fun. There were things that happened that were hilariously funny and things that happened that were sad, but certainly nothing was boring. We wouldn’t have traded those years for anything, and even now, 25 years later, we enjoy the memories.

I came to this web site just because I still love Jamaica and I hold that country and it’s citizens in my heart. I teach school in Scarborough and every year I’m glad when I see that I have Jamaican children in my class.

I’ve never been back since we left in July l994 (we’ve never been able to afford it – we now have 3 children, a house, and a dog!) but I feel connected through Jamaican friends. I can make a mean batch of rice and peas to this day.

Jamaica you are a wonderful, beautiful and delighful country. I pray God’s blessing on you. May your people always be under Your care and may that island prosper and grow safer and more productive each year. May there be men and women willing to work to solve the problems that exist and may all who are blessed to be called Jamaicans remember with love the island that they call home.