Jamaican terrorists

It's 7:30pm and I'm lying in my living room, watching tv. I should be out of the house and at UWI but I'm tired. Damn tired of studying. I left work a little late today and got in about six bells. I told myself that I'm just going to rest for an hour because it's not a good idea to leave work and get straight into studying. I tell myself that I'm just chilling awhile to unwind so that my brain will be more receptive to what I'm going to put in. In reality I really just wanted to watch the two episodes of KING OF QUEENS that start at 6:00pm and ends at 7:00pm.

Then I tell myself that I have to stay and watch the 7:00 news on TVJ because it's always a good idea to know what's going on in the country. I know it's just finding excuse not to leave. It feels too good just lying here.

Oh Gosh, Iranian President just challenged Bush to a debate on World Issues. Everyday there's another standoff. I can't stand it.

Speaking of Bush, I can't believe that terrorist Sheikh Abdullah El Faisal is going to be deported to Jamaica. Lawdhaffmurcy on us. As if our gun-toting criminals aren't enough, now we have to worry about terrorist threats because we'll have our own soon to arrive, fresh from England, in-house terrorist. Why is it, when the wretched people leave our 'peaceful' isles and go else where and learn their wickedness and get caught, they end up back here. Double damn!!!! Our tourism sector has been benefiting from the terrorist action around the world because the caribbean is still seen as safe. With the caribbean now finalizing preparation to host World Cup Cricket in 2007 what better opportunity to hone the skills he learnt overseas.

And what's with these Jamaica-affiliated terrorists anyway? Before we could even digest the news that fast on the heels of 9/11 there was another plane-related terrorist attempt, we bombarded with the news that the 'Shoe Bomber' was Jamaican. Jamaican by means of a Jamaican father.

Ok, it's 7:54 pm, let me head for UWI. If I wait until 8:00 I might see something interesting about to start on tv.

An Efficient Jamaican Police Force Please?

It is almost 3am but since I'm too worried to sleep I might as well blog. The most worrying thing about living in Jamaica right now is the crime situation. The events of tonight (or rather this morning) speak directly to that.

A little past midnight I was awaken by the persistent ringing of my phones. I checked the number and realized that it was one of my young relatives who was calling so I called her. Apparently, she had been trying to get her mother who had gone down to Montego Bay to visit relatives and wasn't getting through. Finally, at about midnight, her mother answered the phone and in a hushed tone, told her that she can't speak to her because someone was breaking into the house.

Apparently on reaching the house Montego Bay about 11pm, going through the gate with her daughter she was held up by some gunmen who demanded that they hand over their phones and money.

I have not been able to get the entire details but somehow they were allowed to go inside the house safely even though they had seen the faces of the gunmen. It would appear from the events that unfolded later that the gunmen returned to correct that error. The house is situated in one of those crime-ridden areas in Montego Bay so I really don't understand why they even decided to go to the house at that time of the night.

The gunmen returned to the house and made several attempts to gain entry. I was told that they seemed to be hammering the door with something in an attempt to break it down. During this time, my family huddled in terror in one of the rooms in the house. After it appeared that the men were about to gain entry, they started screaming for bloody murder at which point they men left.

After I spoke with my relative (who was apparently too distraught to think straight and call the police before even calling me) I called 119 and reported the situation. Now that whole situation of the police itself needs an entire post. I wonder about the training they receive, if they are coached on how to deal with the public (or their jobs in general), and the procedures/system in place to deal with calls to the emergency number.

The first person I spoke to was ok, asked all the right questions about address, phone number, etc. I called back to provide additional information about the address and was answered by apparently one of the minority that causes the police to get a bad reputation. After relating the situation again because he said he wasn't aware, didn't hear anything about it, I asked if he will be dispatching someone immediately. The man, quite insolently asked me what I thought he should do. Upon answering that I think he should dispatch someone forthwith, he asked "Well, why yu asking then?" and hung up. I thought my question was quite pertinent, since I've heard all these horror stories about calls to the emergency number. You hear of cases where on contacting the police people are told to call back later, no vehicle is available to go to the scene etc. I don't know how true this is but I've even heard of police upon being called, complained that the caller disturbed their viewing of a particular soap on tv.

Well, I called the police station that is nearby the house and spoke to someone who assured me that they were advised and someone had gone by the house. Now, if I explained that the family was holed up in one room, terrified and fearful that the criminals would return, why would the police just cruise past on the road instead of going to the house, looking around, speak to the occurpants to ensure that they were safe?

Jeez, as I said before, I really wonder about the training that they receive. Honestly. On calling back I was told that the patrol vehicle drove past by the house and didn't see anything. If the darn people are inside dead, what would they have seen, just cruising past. I shouldn't be the one to explain all this.

My father lived in Canada all my life. He had diabetis and quite frequently would go into a diabetic coma because sometimes he just didn't take his medication. In addition to hustling to Canada everytime my cousins call me frantically to advise that he's in the hospital, I'd call from Jamaica frequently just to check in. I remember calling one day and couldn't get in touch with him and had worked myself up to quite a state just worrying. I called my mother in the States. I don't know how this work but somehow she was able to contact the police in Canada (she said she called 911 from the States) who at 1:00am went to my father's house, and knocked him up and ensured that he was ok. Why can't I get that type of service here in Ja? People might say, well, that's a first world country, but shouldn't we be making strides in that direction?

I don't need to attend Police Academy to figure that if there are people distressed and fearful for their lives, I can't just cruise past in my patrol car, not see any obvious signs of distress and assume all is well.

Anyway, I insisted that they return to the house. They did, alerted my family that they were outside, looked around the house and ensured that no one was lurking in the vicinity, and promised to patrol the road.

The police is one of the public sector groups who are currently agitating for more pay. I have no quarrel with that, but can we the taxpayers who are funding the salaries see some good service for this. As I said before this really requires another post, but everytime I have cause to deal with the police I wonder is there any serious attempt to effect some changes?

Is this my first blog rant?

I came across a blog called 'On the Verge' Well, I'm on the verge of doing something unpleasant. I feel like hauling some some old tyres and vehicles and blocking the road, walk up and down with placards until the government does something, I feel like starting another gas riot like the one we had here some years ago.

If I have to drive on my road for another week with all those craters (they can't be called potholes anymore) I'm going to do something very drastic. My road has been in that terrible state since Hurricane Ivan (back in 2004). There's not just one, there are several very deep potholes on the road, so I do a motorised version of hopscotch each day. I swear, the only reason I haven't disappeared in one of these craters so far is because I drive a big-ass truck. What galls me is this, every time there's some 'important' person visiting, whether it be the Pope, or the Queen or her relatives, roads that smoother than my balcony floor are overhauled and 'fixed' if the person is going to be driving on it for two seconds. Yet I can't get a decent road to drive on every darn day. It's enough having to deal with high gas prices, why do I have to deal with other unnecessary expenses that comes from driving on these bad roads. You know, the cost of shocks, suspension joints or whatever the hell is affected when your vehicle drops into one of them.

I'm trying to remember if any country that I've visited had holes these sizes or any at all. As a matter of fact, now that I think about it, I don't recall seeing potholes in the other caribbean islands that I visited. I pay my taxes, is it too much to ask for decent roads to drive on?

My rant is over.

More on language

All this recent extended discourse, online and in the local papers about the value of the local dialect and how we can show that it's respectable and an accepted variation of the 'official' language without compromising our children's ability to become conversant with the English Language have me thinking in general about languages and how we communicate (That's quite a mouthful I know).

Is it right then for anyone to denigrate other country's equivalent of our patois? I'm just thinking about the way people communicate globally. If we (quite rightly) conclude that patois should be recognised for its cultural relevance and uniqueness, does anyone then has the right to degrade or speak disparagingly about other country's 'local speak' or variation to the 'official' language?

Just to illustrate my point - let's look at the USA. I know quite a few people regard 'american speak' as the way 'uneducated black americans' express themselves. Y'all (that's an example) know the kind of language that I'm referring to. Afterall some of us are guilty of using it at times. So 'aight'(all right) and 'yo' and 'ho' (whore) and expressions like 'his/her ass had better..........' should just be seen as another way of expressing oneself. Right?

Maybe we really shouldn't put anyone in a box based on how they speak. When you think about it, it really doesn't necessarily indicate level of education nor intelligence. Yet we're all guilty of doing that. I have bloggers in my blog-roll who blog predominantly in patois and they are all are all degreed professionals.

Personally, I alternate between standard english and patois depending on the situation because of the stereotype which I know exists. Example, if I have a complaint to make about the poor service of an organization and I demand to speak to the manager/CEO/Head of Department(as I'm wont to do) I know that the chance of me being referred to the head honcho depends on part how I sound. If I sound reasonable educated, manager will think 'Oh, she's at my level, she might be 'somebody' let me speak to her.' However, if I stop by the roadside to buy a coconut jelly from the goodly rastaman, I might say something "Whappen brethren, yu 'ave any cold jelly deh?" I do wonder now though, if that's not being condescending and just as stereo-typical as everyone else. Truth be told, I don't speak to the roadside rastaman like that because I have doubts of his intellectual capacity, I really do it because I love communicating in patois sometimes (it's quite liberating), I get a better response when I come across as being 'real' which might result in me procuring the product at a cheaper price :-)

We Jamaicans all know that telling a good Jamaican joke has to be done in patois in order to capture and relate the nuance and essence of it. Quite possibly, an American is able to do a rant more effectively in 'american speak' - we all therefore use language to our convenience.

So ah wha we fi do now?

Uhm, ahem, at the risk of being stoned, villified and accused of all kinda bad things, let me ask what ah know dat plenty parents want to ask but not saying anything.

Ah just wondering, you know with this new surge of nationalism and renewed appreciation for de local vernacular in the wake of the passing of the iconic Miss Lou, uhm, when de pickney dem chat bad (beg pardon, ah mean use the local dialect), we nuffi badda correct dem and tell dem fi chat proper Henglish?

Not dat ah don't agree wid what everybody seh, ah tink dere really is a place for we dialect. When me was inna England studying fi mi Masters and haffi chat the Queen's English day in, day out, without a break because the english people and the student dem whose native language wasn't english wouldn't understand, mi happiest time was when mi sistren dem call and bawl out pon de phone "Gal, yu a study? Mek sure yu nuh fail, yu nuh!" What a nice reprieve me get when dem call. Yu wouldn't undastan how good that felt.


But ah just wondering now if we nuffi correct de pickney dem becausen seh ah notice how everybady, from uppa class to middle class to bottom ah de class, all de people dem who usually reprimand de pickney dem (er, ahm, ah kinda including meself in that bunch) to "speak properly", is wha wi mus tell dem seh now? especially the sensible-ish one whe hear we a laud we dialect?


Mi ago feel kinda cute, not to mention hypocritical telling mi God son (as ah usually do) dat him must speak proper when last week me and everybady in Jamaica and de diaspara was saying how is bi-lingual we bi-lingual. Me haffi go whispa tell him to chat good, cause mi nuh waan nubady tek mi hawn.

Jus' kinda wondering still how to proceed hence forth..........

What unnno tink?

Happy Independence Jamaica! A letter for you

Happy Birthday dear Jamaica.

You're certainly getting on in age. Can't believe you're now 44! Wow! For a tiny island, you've made some serious strides boy (or are you a girl? hmm, I wonder). What I like about you is that you put so much energy into things that you get involved in and so you're relatively well-known. Unfortunately, you're known for the bad as well as the good. So yes, you've made your mark in the world of sports and you have the fastest man in the world now (Asafa Powell). You're known for the warmth and talent of your people, your beautiful beaches, and of course the pulsating reggae music. But you're also known for the notorious 'yardie' gangs, and drug mules. I guess I have to take the good with the bad, but it's really not nice being circled by sniffer dogs when I disembark from a plane coming directly from Jamaica. I don't get that treatment when I'm coming from another country. I remember while studying in England, my university mates from the other caribbean islands complained that everytime they tell someone (a non-West Indian) that they're from Trinidad, Barbados (or wherever they're from) the person would enthusiastically reply "Oh yes, I've been there. Isn't that the town next to Kingston?" I remember also while in England, during our independence celebration, BBC Tv did a week long feature on you. I remember feeling so proud, that big, big England rated us so much that an entire week was dedicated to us. It brought tears to my eyes and a big lump in my throat then.

But you know, I wish you'd grow up in other ways too. The other day I was online checking on your literacy rate and was shocked to see that it was among the lowest in the region. If I remember clearly it was like in the high 70's when everyone else seem to be in the 80's and 90's. And shouldn't your leaders get it together by now? Why is it that the people entrusted with your finances squander it so? You're too old to use that old, worn out excuse of 'youthful exuberance.' Why is it that you still do not have enough jobs so that more persons can live in a dignified manner-especially when they have invested much in education?

Oh, I don't know. You're probably going to say that I'm being hard on you - afterall even though you're no longer on the cusp of adulthood, you're still a small, small island. I know you're going to say that other big countries have similar problems. I guess I'm being like my mother. When I was a teenager and pointed out to her that the other parents were allowing their children(my friends) to go partying she'd say "I don't care about what they do, you're my child and I love you." So it's the same thing here, I complain because I care.

Anyway, let me not spoil your special day by giving you a lecture. Like the typical birthday celebration, you put aside the negatives and enjoy the party. Let me focus on the many things that I love about you, the things that I missed and dreamt about during the short period that I was away. The things that make you so very unique, things that us Jamaicans laugh about and say, only in Jamaica. Like the fact that I can pull up to a roadside vendor and get the sweetest jelly coconut in the world and probably some sugar cane to go with it. Or the fact that we turn anything into a profit making business - hence the rise of the 'rent-a-dread' that's so popular among white female tourists. There are so many things to love about you, the vibes, the energy, the language, the people.

Happy Birthday Jamaica.

Miserable

So my blog is back from its wanders and I didn't have to do anything. I hope it noted how the other blogs didn't run off from home without a word, leaving their owners in distress :)

This is the long Independence holiday weekend and I should be thrilled at having several days of not being reporting to work. But that's not the case, spirits are very low. Just last week I was bubbling with anticipation of going to Reggae Sunsplash tomorrow. Now, I'm heeing and hawing and wondering if I should go. One part of me wants to go not just to see Beenie Man, and Junior Gong, Steel Pulse, UB40 and the rest, but also for the lyme. I wanted to see what the new Reggae Sunsplash is going to be like. Plus, I want to be at the first Sunsplash after its 10 years absence. Was also looking forward to climbing Dunns River Falls Sunday after Sunsplash, in addition to testing out my new swim skills outside of a 'swimming pool' environment.

A part of me wants to just vegetate in front of the tv, locked in my house for the whole weekend not speaking to anyone. It's just one of those days where even though I know I have loads of things to be thankful for, that fact is not comforting to me. I'm here, beseted with negative ruminations and introspection. It's one of those nights where I'm bothered by everything, the little guys at the stoplights begging coins (why are they on the streets fending for themselves instead of enjoying their childhood anyway?), why am I not eagerly running home to a loving husband and 4 children (being an only child I've always wanted a big family)? Why do I at this stage of my life feel like I want to go spread my easel by the waterfront and paint the sunset instead of doing the 9-5 routine, why do I want to now throw caution to the wind, give up the the safe and orthodox life and go audition for a play/movie? I wonder if this is mid-life crisis I'm going through. But isn't the 30's too early to be going through a mid-life crisis? Am I being impractical for not accepting the affection of my very patient suitor - he's been waiting 15 years without a sign that he'll be rewarded for his patience (he must be the last of the very patient type). Am I going to grow old alone? Ok, I won't be alone I know but aren't I going to have my own family? Am I being punished for wanting the person to be 'just so?' I'm not being too picky? Or am I? So these are the thoughts running through my mind now - is there any 'right' answer?

So, should I just sulk the long weekend away? Should I put on a happy face and go frolicking on the warm Ocho Rios beach after enjoying a night of pulsating reggae music, feasting on jerk chicken and boiled corn, imbibing the laughter of friends? Let me sleep on it.

Oh, there another grouse. Why can't I win the damn lottery anyway?

Blog gone for a 'walk'

I don't know what's happening with my blog. Apparently I can create new post. I just don't get to view it. I haven't changed anything. I created a new post and went to view other blogs, then my blog decided to go for a 'walk' too. I wonder if it's also viewing other blogs.

TVJ News

I think I should stop watching the news. I can't stand the disparity in how people are treated man. I was so touched by two reports during this evenings news.

Report 1: This poor man was on tv crying and recounting how he and his 12 year old son was in the market selling and in the evening his son went missing. This happened July 21st and he has been searching everywhere since then, not eating, not sleeping. The man was in so much pain. And of course again I was in tears too (yes, I'm an idiot like that). In addition to that, the man kept receiving these calls on his cell, with the caller not saying anything when the phone is answered. One such call was even received while he was being interviewed.

Report 2: This dreadlocks (should I say 'dreadlocked') man reported that police came by his house (not much of a house really) with a warrant and searched it, destroying everything in sight. After they were through and not finding anything, they proceeded to beat him with their guns, as well as administering kicks and boxes. When several people in the community came out and started protesting, police administered kicks and boxes to them too and shoved several of them in the police jeep. These poeple were later released without being charged.

Now as painful to me as these stories were, what hurt even more was that I didn't hear of anything being done. For the first story I didn't hear of police being involved in the search at all. I'm even thinking, dang! we're living in this technologically advanced world, certainly these calls can be traced. I'm very certain that such an attempt would have been made if other persons with 'better' social standing were involved.

For the second story, again I didn't hear of the disciplinary arm of the police looking into this alleged beating. Maybe I'm jumping to conclusion. Maybe the relevant investigations are being carried out. Maybe they just didn't publicise it, but forgive me if I'm a little skeptical because in other situation where it involves individuals who are at a higher level of the societal ladder, you hear of police and the relevant organizations falling over themselves to investigate the situation and you hear promises of no stones being left unturned until situation is sorted out.

Why is it that is no respect for the poorer people in society. I find all this so painful. Anyway, I looked up the number and called Jamaican for Justice to look into Report 2.

On a more positive note, and this shows the redeeming, beautiful side of our people. Last month, a young boy came on tv with his grandmother and pleaded for financial help, in order to do a surgery that will correct some paralysis of the spine (I think that's it). Well, I was so happy to see him walking out of the hospital after undergoing 9 hours of surgery. Thanks to the generousity of our people who watched the report and felt compelled to do something.

Emancipation Day

It's Emancipation Day here in Jamaica. It's also a public holiday so no work, yeah. This holiday leads into Independance Day on August 6th (next week), also a public holiday. This period is also my favourite time of the year in Jamaica because that's the time we get back in touch with our culture and Ole Time Jamaica. So, it's a showcase of old time dancing like brukking, maypole dance, Dinki Mini and some others (names of which have slipped me just now). I love this time of the year because it brings back wonderful memories of childhood days. Memories of waking up to Eric Donaldson's 'Cherrio, cherrio baby' or 'I'll neva leave you again, Jamaica, I'll never leave you again' - was it Tinga Stewart who sang that? Memories of running out unto the main road with the rest of Kingston to watch the Jonkonooo dancers pass by on Independence morning. Now, these were people dressed into some frightening looking costumes and all children were terrified of them. They don't dance Independence days anymore, so it's only when you attend the different events during festival time that you might see them. It's the time of year when we're treated to festival songs of old (meaning from the 70's,) that sounds -to me - much nicer than the present types. Back in the days (Gosh, I'm sounding like my grandmother here) the festival songs had more of a mento beat. As a matter of fact the festival songs contest has been renamed Popular Song Contest, which makes sense since they sound like any regular song on radio and lacks that special element which to me makes it a festival song.

Because today is Emancipation Day, the usual fare of slavery movies is on tv. It matters not how many times I see these movies, and I've seen them all, it's the same movies every year, I still feel angry all over at the injustice of slavery. It's the same movies that are shown during Black History Month. Years ago, I would feel a strong sense of hate for all white people whenever I view these movies and believe me I'm not racist in the least. I'm watching Roots now, and listening to slaves referred to as "Wenches who will breed plenty picanninies" and "young Bucks" and it just grates my soul. Grrrrrr.

On another note, there is a plethora of programme about Miss Lou (who is to get a State funeral). And no, this isn't a second tribute to the great woman even though I could wax lyrical about her for a week. Last night there was another nice little programme with her performing one of her songs with her late husband, Eric Coverley. Well, I'm not quite sure if she was the one who wrote this one, but it's an old time favourite:

It was unda de Coconut tree darling
It was unda de coconut tree,
It was dere dat you promised to marry to me
It was unda de coconut tree. Darling.

It was so nostalgic for me and needless to say, I was in tears. Again. I laid propped up on some pillows in my living room, singing along, amidst the tears and for a brief minute, I imagined that I was 6 or 7 years old again watching Ring Ding on tv and singing along. Oh well. I half expected to hear her shout the usual "Clap Dem" when it was finished.

Oh Well, after Roots (don't know why I'm watching this again) I think I'll go check out Augus' Yard happening at Ranny Williams Centre. They'll be having the usual cultural stuff that I mentioned earlier, Maypole dancing, etc and food (Roast Corn, yum-yum), and later showcase dancing from the different periods of Jamaica - from Ska to our current Dance Hall.