Happy Independence Jamaica my born land. I still remember the day I left you to live in another place. My parents said it was for a better life, for I had no say in the decision. As we boarded the plane that Tuesday evening and I looked through the window with misty eyes and an sorrow filled heart, wondering if I would ever see you again my beloved, I prayed for you, yes I prayed for you. I knew I loved you Jamaica and I felt your love for me, it had hugged and comforted me many times with its warm breeze, which helped lull me to sleep at nights when the sun had gone to rest. But I did not know how much until I left you. My memories of your warm sun and cool breeze, cool vibes, and slow living, Jamaicans, we never hurry for anything. The market sellers, the peanut man, Mr Fletcher wid him jerk pan.
Fatty Lou who sell suck suck (icy), and granny Mable the asham seller lady and her dogs who rush the gate barking when we the children use stone to bang it and bawl out ” asham! Jamaica how nice you were as I grew, I never imagined that I would one day leave you. Sunday day rice and peas and chicken, Thursday nights fry dumplings and cook up salt fish wid red herring. Monday was warm up wha cook yesterday, Tuesday was whatever yuh mada feel fi cook day, Wednesday was stew peas and rice day, Thursday was Ben Johnson day (no money, and a day before pay day) Friday was payday, so Kentucky fried chicken straight away, Saturday ah soup day. Jamaica for all you have given me in memories as a child, for all that you have contributed to the world. For all many have stolen from our culture, even our unique dialect (bling bling ah fi wud dat). Jamaica for sweet reggae music, for ska, reggae, mento, revival, kumina, rocksteady and dancehall rayyyyyyyyyyyyy (in mi sketell voice), From,Beenie to Bounty, Bob and Gregory, fi Obeah, de Bongo man dem, de Rasta’s. For Miss Lou, Mass Ran, and de one Oliver. For Port Royal wid de fry fish and bammy to de tun corn meal whey mi daddy use to mek fi we dog Sammy. For Ochi, Mo Bay, Negril, Portland and Kinston too, For red stripe, white rum, Dranco batty, to name a few. For rum punch, sorrel. sweet lemonade de one wid brown sugar, sour sap juice, carrot juice fi sure, Lawd Jamaica mek you sweet SUH, ok let me continue on some more.
For sweet sap, black mango, Julie mango and Bombay too, East Indian, hairy mango, number 11 just to name a few. Naseberry, star Apple, custard Apple mi favorite, tamarind, guinep, and Tinkin toe whey mek yuh hol yuh breath. Fi tip and bubble up, slide and wine, cool and deadly, duty wine and more. Ganja, yes, Ganja, chilom pipe, Craven A and Matterhorn, what ah people know how fi hol vibes ah only Jamaica mi si dis, yes, from I was born. Nyabinghi, Twelve tribe, Cockpit to de Bobo dread dem, Jamaicans we were unique in all we did, we solid in all we did and we nuh beg fren.
Sharon, Andrea, Dawn, Patsy, Irma, Mavis, Myrkel (Myrtle), Dorothy, Doris (maid) Sandra, Joyce, Pauline, Andrine, Marlene, Merlene, Enid, Miss Tiny, Miss Brown, Miss Minnie,Miss Olga, Miss Hilda, Miss Pinny, Blossom …ah de ooman dem dat
Trevor, Donovan, Denton, Delroy, Leroy, Horace, Mikey, Everton, Linval, Randal, Barrington, Lance, Gilbert, Sammy, Don,ah de man dem dat
Big yuh self Usain Bolt, Shelly Ann Fraser.
Iba (Honorings to ) Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Nana Of the Maroons (she told me she is called Nana not Nanny) Paul Bogle, and all the Heroes of Jamaica. Jack Mansong (3 finger jack) all who highlighted Jamaica to the world in a positive way, and even Shirley Duppy who passed through de odda day.
Jamaica Jamaica, Jamaica, oh I love you so. Happy Independence Jamaica, God made you special this I know for sure.
Big up Jamaica, we are trend setters, de whole world follow back ah we! Artistic creative, yes we bad tuh…lol We lickle but we tallawha……
Add your own memories of Jamaica….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldsaLw8478Q
MEANWHILE OBARA MEJI AH GWAN TIP AND BUBBLE UP TO DAH ONE YAH, GWAN RANKIN DREAD!! LOL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfW5xg2YNfo
KETCH WE CULCHA ALL DE WAY FROM AFRICA……….. THIS IS CALLED 60 REVIVAL, CELESTIAL ORDER ……THE WOMEN AND THEIR DANCE REPRESENTS TWO SPIRITS GREETING EACH OTHER………SWEET SWEET JAMAICA!
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It hurts my heart to see the leggo bees videos coming out of Jamaica. Gully Queens, the new dancehall where ppl carrying cylinders to dance when sometime one and two man might buss a shot. The nasty tracing where they class up each other. I saw a video with a woman with connections to Jamaica cursing and took a bloody pad from between her legs and displayedit to the world. Man beefing, woman beefing and there is always a ready smart ophone to capture the foolishness.
Talk up MTH, talk up!
Happy Independence Day all Jamaicans. Reading Obara’s post made me cry and laugh. I couldnt decide if I really want to cry or laugh…My memories are basically the same. Same food set up, only thing I would add, it that because I loved porridge, my father would make it a lot for us (well really me, since the other children would complain). Mother didnt openly show love, but she did so with food. What wouldnt I give to be a child again in the country and smell the chicken frying and waiting on the dinner, with a slice of tomato… Read more »
Yes man big up cassette Jones wid de bad cd dem outta cross road, big up port Royal, parrot fish and bammi mi sey, big up dandy shady, base ball, and jacks, de man dem muss memba money foot ball, lol…big up mi beautiful island, but it look like gully queens ah run de place yah nung, mi nay use to si dem when mi lickle bit, dem nuff sah smh. Come back Jamaica, come back!
Me tuh
Looking back now I wasn’t suppose to migrate. For starters, when I took my first passport photo at age 6 it didn’t come out good. When my mother went for the picture it had a double image of a man on top of my image. At one point she had to go and get a police record for me (age 6); then the dilemma of me being a stepchild, eventually, I came. I remember my grandmother getting my young aunt (born in England) winter coat and putting it to sun, so that I’ll have my winter coat for New York.… Read more »
Good memories Cami
I want to read other migration stories. Link, link cause contact list short.
Hey Seeker, Queenie, Cb and sell….big up oonuh self!
Happy independence sweet sweet Jamaica! The land of my spiritual birth lol. SS I used to be at Puerto Seco on the regular when I spent summers in discovery bay wid mi granny. I can remember riding to the beach with about 6 of us in the truck back lol. Sitting under the guinep tree in the yard wid WI bag juice and my little singjay bf singing lexxus’ “Cook”. I can remember it like yesterday “gal yuh beta can cook tink yuh deh fi yuh pretty looks/waan live ah restaurant and come done man bank book.” Dwl. My first… Read more »
Sea Queen my neck of the woods St Ann we skull high school one day and spend the entire day at Puerto Seco beach with girlfriends and our little admirers.
Hey Sea Queen, Discovery Bay is where I spent the most time in JA growing up, with my aunt and cousins, even though I have family all along the north coast in St. Ann (also in Westmoreland, but I’ve only spent my time in St. Ann). Maybe we have actually ran into each other at Puerto Seco back in the day.! 🙂
Port Royal hmm fried fish or steam fish i love it! sky juice lol bag juice suck suck coconut water n jelly season rice bulla n pear june plum yoow i love june plum. I sneak them in my luggage all the time lol hmmm so many wonderful delights Jamaica offers. Mi gwan luk a flight lol
Hi Cher, remember blue draws or dukunu as they called it, yes mi love it is an african food prepared same way, lol dem sell it at nights on the streets of Lagos Nigeria
Wow Obara, about blue draws being sold on the streets at nights in Nigeria.
Happy Independence Jamdung! Obara yuh nuh easi a tall, yuh memba everyting you a drop foot to the voice of sweet Jamaica chune bad. Mi memba Jax, hopscotch games, gizzarda , pink pon top,toto, bluedraws. Dunns river falls from my home town St Ann. Love Jamaica. Tanks fi di great memories, thanks bloggers
Happy Independence Jamaica!
Happy Independence Day Jamaica Land We Love!!! hmm sweet sweet Jamaica nuh weh nuh betta dan yaad! great memories of this beautiful land.
Happy Independence Day to Jamaica and thank you for producing Obara Meji and Mavado (he is so sexy!!)
Not even mention the “crabbing” except wi use to guh “ketch crab” an di whole a wi.deh a road 2, 3 oclock a mawning, lawd as pickney it use to sweet mi. Lawd wi did fool, cause wi walk wid siren suh when anybody si crab wi turn on the siren fi alert everybody to the crab location an a suh wi deh run dung the crab dem a suh dem a run from wi. An wi guh inna di cow pasture an cow run wi dung lol. Den wi spot one heap a crab inna di cemetry an wi… Read more »
loooooool how di crab dida luk pon ur uncle Nunu yow i can almost hear him a chat seh di crab a luk pon him sum type a way wooooiiiie
ah De duppy crab side mi deh pon, lol
Lol KB di odda crab dem a run up an down inna di container an dem nah move ie nuh star! Den mi uncle seh, everywhe him move di cemetery crab yeye dem a move wid him an him tek one stick deh jook jook di crab dem an dem nuh run whe or nutten. Suh wi seh yow driva let off dem crab yah.an mi uncle seh no nuh let dem off yasso come wi carry dem back a di cemetery an leff dem whe wi fin’ dem. A ketch him ketch him fraid lolololol
LOOOOOLLLLL!!!!!! Duppy crab…LOL!
Happy Independence Day to Jamaica and all Jamaicans! Even though I wasn’t born in Jamaica (proud Jamerican!), but I have so many fond memories going there in summers to stay with family. Every time I used to go, I would have the hardest time coming back to the U.S. because I didn’t want to leave. Yard life sweet! I remember beef patty and coco bread, fresh bulla cake to snack on, going crabbing at night with my cousins, swimming at Puerto Seco beach every day, eating manish water, fish and festival on the beach, getting roast yam and fish on… Read more »
@SS going crabbing and Puerto Seco beach, yuh ah bawn Jamaican mi lub, lol
Yes, Obara! Nobody can tell me different. LOL!
Yes Nunu and money foot ball, whey de man dem deh? Money foot ball oooo
An when they tek yuh stuff Seeker dem guh nyam it. After yuh feel nice ie nuh man, yuh mine deh pon di two roas’ breadfruit and stew plum inna yuh luggage, cho lol
Right, Nunu! The amount of free food and “goodies” the Customs people must get everyday… cho man! Once I almost fight one of them for my nice, big pear (avocado for the non-jamaicans) I was trying to sneak back.
yuh si because mi know de Obeah wuk yah good, dem nuh tyr dat wid me at all, grunggggggg
Well mi memba when mi tek mi chuppance buy asham an Miss Lurleen red chicken a school gate and den mi likkle bredda stawt bawl suh mi haffi tek mi bus money buy pencil, 2 soldier crab an 1 goldfish tie up inna bag.lol one ting bout jamaica yuh get anyting fi buy a school gate lol
yes Nunu, but wha yuh know bout chuppance, Nunu, an not even mi knw chuppance, lol, yes we use to buy cake from one red ooman ah school gate, and one day de husband come cuss har an sey she have sore foot and drain mout wata ah night and nuh bade before she mek de cake, de whole ah de pickney dem tease who use to nyam de cake, me was one who did love it, lawd Jamaica!, lol
Mi say mi no stop laugh at the tip and bubble up..raaaayyyyyyy..you know a we as a nation tan..we no normal…Mi leave “Yard” fi almost 9 years but fortunately it was for Cayman which is populated with mostly Jamaican or People with Jamaican parents of ancestors. ..But no weh no betta than yard…And I am back home now. Yes man we eat a certain way. .Sunday we eat like Kings and Queens..when mi use to visit my grandparents mi neva knew we did supposed to be poor because the house always full a food.. Sunday my grandmother use to always… Read more »
Queenleelee yuh right bout the Sunday ting. Sunday a two meat day ie nuh man.lol Sunday a di day yuh nyam outta two plate, one fi, as mi granny woulda seh, di meat kin’ an the other fi di rice an peas an mac/ cheese etc. An if yuh feel extra nuff, yuh have yuh salad dish
@Queen LEE LEE, YES I AH TIP AN BUBBLE UPPPPP, in between slide and wine, ah wha do you, lmaooooo off at henka, lawd patois sweet…..mi madda use to cook de big breakfast pon Saturday an Sunday all steak wid banana an yam, and tight flour dumplin, Jamaica oiceeeeee
Nunu yuh cyaan go whey just suh, gi we some ah yuh memories man, cho!
Happy Independence Day to all the yaad massive an crew! Yail Cam and Obara. Mi gawn listen to Eric Donaldson “land of my birth” yah now
I missed all the comments and hailing. HAIL UP all bloggers and peepers. This post gives me the idea to add to we we migrated base on how the post started.
NuNu Pusss…((muah))! KB big up and tight hug for TOY.
Cami ooooooo, lolol Happy Independece
Goood Mawing Obara Meji, yu nu left out a ting…well maybe ring-ding, dolly house wid yu dutty pot, and the roast dumpling, Sunday morning river bathing…lol
Me a fly out-a-state so me we link when me reach or return.
LOVE and LIGHT to my fellow Jamaicans at home and abroad. ASI
Mi use to just watch the games dem cause mu was the baby so dem neva want me play..as mi sistah would say..mi you dirty up mi pretty sistah…and put mi on a stone fi watch ..and when mi was old enough them say mi no know wah fi do so mi still just mostly watch. Mi is a Kingstonian who use to go prep school so them use to no meck mi play cause dem play ruff. .but mi know the game them well..
DANDY SHANDY, BASE BALL, MARBLE, JUMP ROPE, SWING SONG, JACKS, LOL…JAMAICA OOOOOO!
Unoo memba lunch time when dem use to mek ball outta box drinks box an when dat lick yuh. Yuh nuh git up back til bell ring fi guh a class. What a sumn did hot