Did You Know That The Oxford English Dictionary Now Includes the Word “Jafaican?”
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the venerable and recognized authority on the English language that began 150 years ago, regularly publishes updates with new word additions four times a year. It has now included the word “Jafaican” on its latest list. The OED defines “Jafaican” as “A non-Jamaican person who adopts or identifies with aspects […]
10 Benefits You Need to Know About Otaheite Apple
The Jamaican Otaheite apple is known by a variety of names that includes Malay rose apple, coco plum and Mountain apple. Its shape vaguely resembles that of a pear grown in the U.S. and sports an appealing bright red color with stunningly white flesh on the inside. Known botanically as Syzgium malaccense, it was introduced […]
Greensleeves: A Kaleidoscope Of My Jamaican Childhood
Alas my love, you do me wrong to cast me off so discourteously, For I have loved you well and long, delighting in your company. Greensleeeves was all my joy, Greeensleeves was my delight, Greensleeves was my heart of gold, And naught but my Lady Greensleeves. To the eyes of a seven year- old coming […]
Growing Pains: A Kaleidoscope Of My Jamaican Childhood
Mistakes are the growing pains of wisdom My grandmother was a loving woman but a strict disciplinarian. I was not beaten often, so I could accommodate the occasional impatient conks from her and the ear-twisting for my ‘stubbornness’ from my mother. But two events happened to me in quick succession when I was still in […]
My Fellow Jamaicans “How Yuh Get Suh Fat” & These Other Comments Are Not Appropriate Greetings
A very important thing to note when interacting with Jamaicans is how blunt or outspoken they are. If you have interacted with a Jamaican, or if you, yourself, are Jamaican then you know that these fellow country (wo)men speak it as they see it. They don’t generally “beat around the bush”. Some people may see […]
14 Things You Heard Growing Up Jamaican
As a young person growing up in Jamaica, you would often hear your parents, grandparents, or any other adult using a myriad of sayings meant to keep you in line or to impart life-long lessons. As you get older, you may even find yourself using some of these same sayings. Journey with me down memory […]
Christmas Time as a Child in Jamaica
As a child, Christmas, even December, seemed to take a long time to come around but when it did, what joy! I remember the weeks leading up to Christmas Day, my brothers and I would wash and put to dry all the available empty D&G and Red Stripe beer bottles so that when the truck […]
What’s the matter wrong with you child? : A Kaleidoscope Of My Jamaican Childhood
After my grandfather’s death in 1936, the family diversified into exotic fruits and vegetables – sweet peas and strawberries the primary ones. My grandmother grew strawberries in abundance, which she supplied to the Doctors Cave Hotel in Montego Bay and to Mr. Fisher’s cannery in Mandeville. In the early days, the strawberries were carefully-packed and […]
Black Patent Leather Shoes: A Kaleidoscope Of My Jamaican Childhood
I was inconsolable. It did not matter if it could no longer fit me. I wanted it back. I was robbed. I would never go back there, not in a million years. I wanted my black patent leather t-strap shoes. Between ages four and six, I attended the preparatory school of the West Indies Training […]
The 4 Differences Between a Guyanese Patty and a Jamaican Patty
Jamaican patties are known and loved the world over. The pastry features a flaky shell, multiple fillings, and a unique blend of spices that Jamaican cooks have perfected over centuries. The word patty is also used to describe the Guyanese patty and it’s leading to a great deal of confusion for those seeking authentic Jamaican […]
