One Love: Jamaican Blogger Tag

In keeping with the excitement from the upcoming Jamaica Blog Awards and the camaraderie that has developed between Jamaican bloggers at home and abroad, I thought now would be a great time to do a Jamaican Blogger Tag.

A Blogger Tag is a game (so to speak) where bloggers of all niches endeavor to form links, possibly discover new information and new bloggers and have fun while doing so. It starts with one blogger (in this case, me) who chooses the topic of the Tag and then gives a list of questions or one general question which is wide enough to have its answer broken down into list form. After the first blogger answers said question(s), he or she will “tag” other bloggers to continue the tag.

The rules for this tag:

·         Title your post “One Love: Jamaican Blogger Tag”

·         Link back to the blogger who tagged you ( you may add a brief definition of what a tag is if you for the benefit of your readers)

·          Copy and paste the rules at the beginning of your tag.

·         Copy and paste the questions as well so readers know what’s going on.

·         Answer the questions (No duh! J)

·         Tag seven other (untagged) Jamaican bloggers to continue the trend. Kinda forces you to make friends, no?

The questions are as follows:

1.  Why did you give your blog its name? (If it is named directly after you, try and make your answer interesting. eg: Did you feel nervous at all about putting your name out there? Did you just lack creativity at the time?)
2. Why did you start blogging and why do you blog now?
3. Do you think being Jamaican influences your blogging style?
4. What do you think about the increase in bloggers in Jamaica?
5. What is your favourite thing about being Jamaican?
6. Ackee and saltfish or “ (mackerel) run down”?
7. Stew peas or stew chicken?
8. Tastee Patties, Juici Beef Patties or Mother’s?
9. Pantucky or KFC?
10. What do you hope to be the future of blogging in Jamaica?

My answers:

1) This blog was created to document my personal experience as a Jamaican student in Barbados. A common named for Barbadians is Bajan so I decided to have a mashup of the Jamaican in me along with the fact that I was in Barbados (which has now become my second home) and, of course I added my name like any good narcissist. Lol. From that Ja(maican)Baja(n)Nas was born. I used one N because it just made more sense.

2) This is my second blog. I caught the fever around the time of the first Jamaica Blog Awards and I created my first blog with a co-author. I wanted to win a JBA. This explains why I got swept up in the fever when I was nominated. I blog because I am an opinionated person and I like any outlet to share them. I blog because I am arrogant enough to think that people will give a damn about what I say. I blog because I like writing. I blog because it's therapeutic (though I lose my writing mojo so often). I blog because there are many opportunities that can be born from this and I dare throw my hat in the ring to benefit from any. I blog because I love it. I would certainly have stopped by now if I didn't.

3) Well, that's a given just by the name and subject of my blog and posts. So much of how I perceive society and culture is influenced by the fact that I am Jamaican. It has coloured how I have experienced a new country most definitely. I realize that many Jamaicans take life at home and their nationality for granted. Sometimes you have to leave your front porch to appreciate the shelter it gave. I can't tell you how often I have said "I am a Jamaican student in Barbados" to explain my response in situations over the past almost two years. I don't know what crutch I'll rely on when I complete my studies here but I cross that bridge when I get there.

4) I have noticed a lot more bloggers this year just from looking at the nominees on the JBA site. So many news names, at that. When I think about how many I know that were not even included, I realize just how large the community has become. I do also notice that there is usually a boom of new bloggers around the time of the JBAs and that 90% die out in about 6-9 months time and then about half of whose left, stop blogging within a year. I am thrilled with those who choose to stick with blogging especially if they have interesting topics and great writing styles. We need more interaction between bloggers, however, and not just during awards season. Some people earn a  living from blogging and many don't know this. In fact, it is said (with much disdain, I might add) that blogging is just a new trend in Jamaica that we picked up from "foreign" and apparently everyone and their mother has a blog and that somehow makes it uncool. My response is that we are in a day and age of globalization and being influenced by other cultures is not a bad thing especially when it provides potential for intellectual and financial growth. Also, I have yet to happen upon my mother's blog.

5) I cannot choose! I love the language of my people. Nutn nuh sweet mi like patois (Nothing thrills me as much as patois- our creole). Our food is world class. My time in Barbados really highlighted that (no offence to Bajans). We cook differently. Though there are other Caribbean countries who prepare meals with similar spices. I am here for all of it :D. I also must say that I love the spirit of my people. Yes, we are quite frank and we do not hide our dirty laundry as much as I would hope. But more than that, we are a people with a fighting spirit- we are hustlers, we are survivors. And dammit if we aren't "irie".  A we say buil' a vibes. Let's get together and feel alright! Big up Bob always enuh. (For my non-Jamaican readers, I basically said we love to create and have our own fun and I gave a shout out to Bob Marley).

6) I refuse to choose. Give me both! Gimme dem same time too! (Give me them simultaneously). Lately, "run down" has been winning. This is assuming both are served with food (Jamaican for boiled or fried dumplings, banana, breadfruit (can be roasted), dasheen and/or yam). Note: this is run down 

Source: National Library of Jamaica

and how to make it http://www.jamaicans.com/cooking/traditional/rundown.shtml

7) Did I really choose these questions? I'd eat stew chicken daily and stew peas every other day. But that's just because pig's tail (used to make stew peas) is more expensive. Lol

8) I much prefer the way Juici seasons their beef. So it would be Juici, Tastee's then Mother's in order of preference. Truthfully, I'm not turning down a patty regardless of where it's from. As for the other meals they offer, their menus are not constant enough.

9) The world knows I love Pantucky (jerk chicken done by a Jamaican on a grill with the real Jamaican jerk seasoning and preparation). I do love wings from KFC but pantucky wins. I particularly like it with white rice. My friends judge me for it all the time. (It is usually served with a slice or two of bread and with rice and peas at restaurants).

10) I hope we see an era in Jamaica where "blogger" can be an actual job and not just with regard to corporate or technology-based blogs. This means that the stigma attached to blogging would have to be removed. The narrow-minded views don't affect me but I know it's holding back so many and I would like to see it removed.

I tag:

Ricardo of Veritas

Carla of mooretalkja

Afaya of BeautyJamaica

Alwayne of Introvert Mind

Emma Lewis of Petchary's Blog

Shane of Reasoning With The Cunning One

Nella of As Told By Nella

Since I started this tag, I will tag TWO extra blogger and that will be:
Karee of Negril Stories
Jaevion of Status Quo Unresolved

My Problem(s) With Dancehall Artists

This post is an attempt to help dancehall artists build a better brand and hopefully become better entertainers. I will be writing as if speaking to the entertainers themselves up until the "P.S." section

Disclaimer: I will not be calling any names and singling any artists out as I do not wish to be attacked by any crazed or idle fans. Feel free to pass this on to some of your favourite dancehall artists.

Image

-          Physical appearance- Females: Exercise. Regardless of your body shape or size, this will help you out in the long run. More is required of women in general when it comes to entertaining and having a toned body and increased stamina can only help. Dress for your size. Stop stuffing yourself into your younger and much smaller sister’s clothes. Those “love” handles hate you for what you try to do to them. I get that we all want to look or feel sexy but if you were really honest with yourselves or had a team around you who really cared about your image, you would realize that what the camera captures most often are failed attempts at a contrived view of sexy. I get that dancehall is about extremes and expressing yourself with a lot of flare but sometimes simplicity can be a good friend to you. Practice proper grooming and get decent stylists. There are just too many fashion blogs out there for the mistakes that so many of you make. Spend some money on your look or try to look like you did.

-          Males: Exercise- women like eye candy as well. You already have a really low standard set in terms of how attractive you have to be to be able to become popular; there is no requirement to be handsome, cute or even “not frightening to small children and anyone with eyes that work”. This does not mean that you should look like you collide with a wall or blunt object every day. Honestly, too many of you look like death warmed over or like you recently had a dramatic bout with a chemical peel (Yes, this is directed at the bleachers- putting that much energy into something whose end product is reminiscent of a zombie clown makes absolutely no sense). Dress like you were not surprised that you would have to venture into a public place. At one point I had two theories: Some entity or organization was going around and dragging the men of dancehall out of their beds and forcing them to perform or some gang was robbing them of their decent wardrobe pieces- so much so that they decided to stop trying to acquire any sensible clothes altogether. The sloppiness with which most of you carry yourselves is truly disgraceful considering the fact that you are paid to be public figures and your own fans dress up to see you perform. At least try to match the efforts your fans make. Geez!

-          General Note: Stop looking like everyone else in dancehall or the latest musical pop culture “icon”. Try to present yourself in a manner that is unique and true to who you are, not who you see is “selling big” or who you think is likely to sell big;

-         Stop being so lazy. It’s part of why your fans are lazy to support your work on a larger scale.

Message

S.O.S: Stuck Overseas Studying- Peter M

Age : 21

Where you study: UWI Mona

Major: Law

What’s the biggest culture shock or some of the biggest culture shocks between where you study and where you’re from? The people, the country, the school etc..:  The general interaction in Jamaica is louder and more aggressive than back home in St. Vincent.

How well did you adjust to any change(s)? : …Still adjusting, but pretty well so far

What is/are the best part(s) about studying where you do? : Exposure to new people

What is/are the worst part(s)?: Inconvenient to travel back home frequently

How’s the food? (if not mentioned before): Excellent. Love Jamaican cuisine. Could have had more eastern cbean food readily available but I manage.

What do you miss most about home when you are abroad studying, if anything?:  Ease of travel anywhere I felt like at minimal cost

Would you migrate there at a later point in your life? Why or why not?: Still up in the air, not sure. Depends on economic climate and security

Any other interesting things you’d like to mention?: Jamaican girls are quite attractive

Bajan to English to Jamaican Dictionary (Some of what I’ve learned so far)

I thought I'd share some of the fun things I've learned in terms of language while I've been in BIM and try to break down some language barriers while I'm at it. Bear in mine that I am not a linguist. I am merely a learning Caribbean girl.

1) Sain- Something- Sumn/ Sup’n

Sentence examples:      (Bajan) Do sain fa me

                                     (English) Do something for me

                                     (Jamaican) Do sumn fi mi

2) Malicious- Curious/Inquisitive- Faas

Sentence examples:      (Bajan) Wendy Williams does be too malicious when it comes to celebs

                                     (English) Wendy Williams is too inquisitive when it comes to celebs

                                     (Jamaican) Wendy Williams too faas when it come to di celebrity dem

3) Gine- Going- A go/ Gone a (in relation to a person going somewhere)

Sentence examples:      (Bajan) I gine campus mart

                                     (English) I am going to to the campus mart

                                     (Jamaican) Mi a go di campus mart or Mi gone a campus mart

4) Wunna- You (Plural)- Unu

Sentence examples:      (Bajan) Wunna does really make me sick

                                     (English) You (all) make me sick

                                     (Jamaican) Unu sick mi

On a related note:

Bajans also say “yuh all” while Trinis (Trinidadians) say “all yuh” (sometimes sounds like ‘all ya’).

At first, I was thrown by how some things were said by Barbadians or Trinidadians but when I put them next to things said by Jamaicans or those of another Caribbean country, it somehow makes sense in terms of how words and phrases evolved. Eg: Wunna makes sense when I look at how similar it sounds to unu- it sort of sounds like “unu” with a ‘w’ at the front. Another example is “all yuh”. It’s just an inverted way of saying “you all”/”yuh all”.

5) Hey/Hay- Here- Ya so

Sentence examples:      (Bajan) What gine on hey?

                                     (English) What is going on here?

                                     (Jamaican) Whaa gwaan ya so?/What a gwaan ya so?

Note:  It may seem confusing to those of us not versed in Jamaican patois but “go” and “going” is conjugated (in Jamaican patois) depending on the subject being referred to as well as the preposition it follows as well as the tense. It’s just something I’ve learned to speak much better than I’ve learned to explain. Maybe when we become standardized, it’ll be easier. ;)

Jamaican Patois Bible: Some Thoughts

This morning I had the great pleasure of reading this article published in the BBC News Magazine online about the translation of the bible into Jamaican patois. I felt the need to share my thoughts on Twitter and it spiraled into a need to make a blog post.

My tweets read (abbreviations were made due to the 140-character limit on Twitter):

“Wow. The bible being translated into patois. All those linguists n they spell "wey" as we. No one sees the problem here?” Perfecting the spelling of patois is a very important issue to me. Spelling is key in the written word as I’m sure we can all agree

“Are we unaware how difficult it would be on this side of the world for a country to have creole as its first language?”

“The parents and children have a hard time reading and writing English. Do we really think they'll be that much better doin it w patois?”

“Unless the Bible is an audio version, I don't see how it's useful to anyone except the linguists who want to find purpose for their degrees”

"Also, if you are trying to make a language standardized, one would think you would keep the spelling of words constant”. The reason for my gripe here was based on the fact that happy was spelt two different ways in the article based on excerpts from the same book. eg: ‘appi vs api

“Ok, so you want to cater to the potential esteem problems of a child who only knows patois. Teach him English”. The esteem issue was brought up in the article in relation to children who enter school with only a proficiency in Jamaican patois who are then mocked by peers or whoever else. Seemingly, teaching them patois would be a step towards solving this esteem issue.

“Is it not clear that we will be limiting our children? Are they only to be able to function in Jamaica? I need to speak to someone abt this”

“Who worries about the esteem issues of the child whose parents are strict about them speaking only English?”

“The White English man? WHUCK?! So the black English man speaks patois? That's what you're telling me? Look here nuh!”. This was in reference to a sentiment shared at the end of the article about the patois-speaker feeling inferior due to the fact "…the model is the white English man, his language and educational standards… and we have not been able to attain it…”

Whuck is a word that is the hybrid of two other words which I will not elaborate on.You may seek clarification here though- it’s the post from the blog from whence I borrowed the term. Note my use of both English and patois in one tweet. But maybe I didn’t exaggerate my patois enough because it seems that that is necessary for our language to be differentiated. I’d just like to point out that some words are the same in English as they are in other languages eg: cul-de-sac (same in French as it is in English though literal translation may be slightly off). But I digress…

“Changing the spelling of Mary to Mieri? Well, we're just going all out, aren't we?”. Ok, this tweet does correspond with the point I made above but it was not intentional.

At the end of the article, I was left with these thoughts:

Sunset in Barbados

I just finished my first semester at UWI, Cave Hill, Barbados. It was quite the challenge but turned out much better than I expected. It taught me a lot about myself, Barbados and people overall and it gave me a new appreciation for the region and especially my country- Jamaica. So while the sun sets temporarily on my first time to Barbados, this is a summary of what I have taken away with me.

I learned that there is something to being open to new things, people and adventures. I now have new friends that I never would have met otherwise. I saw some beautiful beaches (Beaches in Barbados are all open to the public and they are GORGEOUS and clean. Pictures are further down in the post). I tried new food- UWI, Cave Hill has a “week culture” where every island gets a week that they showcase the things about their island which makes it special and I didn’t try as much as I wanted but I did try some. I must say that the island that comes the closest to home in terms of preparation of food is Belize. Bajans have a specialty called macaroni pie which is essentially baked macaroni and cheese but they add ketchup. The thought is quite off-putting to my palette but the secret is to get a Bajan to home-cook it for you. My neighbours, who have become family, made some for me and my housemate, Nico and it was DELICIOUS! Oh, I need the recipe!

I learned that there is a very ugly side to competition- whether in law school, a reality show, the work world or just life in general. It has taught me to be very careful of people and to be very mindful of my things. There are people out there that do not care for you to succeed even if it has no effect on their own success. Or maybe it does and I just think differently. There are people who are quite content to try and rob you of your blessings or the results of YOUR hard work.  Also, no matter how genuine of a person you are, selfish and manipulative people are bound to find themselves in your life. It is for you to identify them and act accordingly.

My word of advice: 1) Always remember, “what is fi yuh cannot be un-fi yuh” so if you are to be endowed with something, you will be and no one can take that away. Just have faith.

2) Never let ANYONE make you feel that you should not stand up for yourself and defend your own property. They will do their best to make you out to be a villain but when you are in the right and the truth is on your side, you will be protected. “Men who act in earnest need not worry about consequences”- Marcus Garvey

The Science of “Doing Road”

Disclaimer: This convo will be hard to understand if one is not familiar with Jamaican patois and especially Mavado's song "Do Road" . The post picks up in the middle of a group chat on BBM.

N: Dem nuh know u nuh dealid nutn str8, dawdie?

J: Dem clearly nuh know... Pawdie

T: Uwi a fish. BURNS my SOUL for dem

J: Suh inna real life mi fi call ppl "pawdie/dawdie" & doh feel ridiculous?

T: Yes, u!

T: And hotskull

N: I call______ such. He usually threatens to never carry me on the "endz" as a result but he seems unable to grasp that whether on his endz or not, it's is pertinent that I "do road"

J: =)) =D

T: Lmao!

J: As stated in the portable pawdie booklet

T: Do road!

T: Please ensure that the young man understand the terms and conditions lest he gets "dash ovabode"

J: When 1 "does road" is the cutting like a "samari swoad" a simultaneous activity or a reaction of having done road?

N: The booklet is also available for download to BB or iPhone versions 4s or higher. There is also an app where one can proceed to "cut like a samurye sode"

T: The "samurai swoad" action is dependent on the context of the doing of said road

N: In section 4 (a) (ii), it clearly states that for one to be cutting like a samurai sword in the same time n space as one is doing road, one must have previously or have strict intentions to dash a bwoy overboard

T: I concur. Also the dashing of a bwoy overboard must also tie in with the "come back wid mi ting load" element

T: Once one has "loaded" said thing then and only then may they proceed to the dashing

T: A tad complex really

N: Truly. But one must learn the proper methods lest one does road inappropriately and makes a fool of one's self and end up banished to a life of cake soap and colouring books. *shudders*


J: No seriously, maw bawl.

T: But why? We are trying to "set di code" so we can clearly understand the concept of doing the road

T: Hear, hear Miss N. Only a "tuggie lawd" can readily know the difference

N: Let it be noted that it is essential that one's dogs lack food as well. Doing road with dogs who have food is quite tacky. Takes away from the intention and purpose of the "Do Road" Act 2011

T: That's an excellent point of information! Also, someone need to get your head confused as well

T: It is imperative that all factors of doing road are present of said action will fail

N: Ahhh, yes. Doing road may sound simple to the layman but a real mcCoy knows the intricacies.

N: A toast to the gully god himself, Mavado, for enlightening us

T: *applause*

UWI, Cave Hill: It's no Mona- my first day of school

So I experienced more disorganization. I was slightly unamused. Others were far more irritated but I was preparing myself for this for a while because I had received warnings. I was told that if I thought UWI, Mona was efficient, Cave Hill would amaze me. The sarcasm in that was not lost on me. From the people in Administration approaching at their own leisurely pace and then addressing you as if you were begging a favour rather than requesting what you were owed and promised to the campus bookshop closing indefinitely at about noon due to some issues with the system. There was no sign placed on the door to inform us of this though which I thought was the least they could do. Alas, this was another thing that made me realize I’m not in Jamaica any more. With every issue me and my classmates would have, we’d be responded to with “Welcome to Cave Hill” by those who’ve been through it before. *blank stare*

What I came to learn really quickly though is that the experience you get from this opportunity or circumstance (depending on how you look at it) will be determined by the attitude you approach it with. Honestly, the “hostility” from staff here is no more than that of staff back home. I’d actually say they’re not as bad as those back home. The only real drawback is the system that they have. It seems a bit backward. For example, you have to “renew” your student identification card every year which is really having it validated by getting a sticker put on it with the new school year. I see that this could be beneficial in that students who have not paid their fees would not be able to access benefits that are intended for those who have but at the same time, you have to join a long line just to get a sticker and you have to be in line with students who are getting theirs for the first time who will, no doubt, take longer. And while I’m on the topic of getting new id’s, at Cave Hill, you have a total of six(6) hours per WEEK in which you can attempt to do this. Now, you would think that they’d allot more time for this at least at the beginning of the school year seeing that you cannot access some services on the campus without your id and there are a good amount of new students each year.

But I digress. An important thing to bear in mind is that while some of the admin here don’t care, some of them do. At the end of the day, it’s about getting the most out of your time here- most importantly to leave with the degree you will have no doubt sacrificed for and then to have as great of a cultural experience as possible. The key to survival here is to not stop asking for help until you get it. It (balancing school and exploring and frolicking) has been done before and it has been done with great success so it can be done again.

Pit: I had to stay on campus longer than I intended. Well after classes had ended AND I was broke already on my second day here.

Peak: A couple of our classes were actually cancelled J