Seriously, between you and I, there are just some experiences that makes us as Jamaicans truley unique. Topping that list is anything and every thing about parents/guardians who are truley Jamaican – culturally so. Then again, they may not be your parents/guardians, but in true Jamaican-style a whole village raises a child right. Keep connected – the list bound fih get longa ova time!!
So there are some experiences not owned, but witnessed by you – that you just in true Jamaican-style feel a part of. Nuh true?
I’ve started a list. You can view it by clicking THIS LINK: You know you got Jamaican parents WHEN. Otherwise, feel free to share and add right here pon www.jamaicans.com just how you noa yuh gat Jamaican parents.
Here we go:
You remember dat ugly boot weh yu parent/guardian/WARDEN buy weh you try fi mash up cause it so ugly – but it so rebellious it laaast almost a lifetime. Thank God fih parents like-a-dat fih ha di good sense fi budget dem money wisely.
Some might even remember when dih shoes a bun dem, but dem haffi step same way, or fih some dem parent jus cut out dih toe part.
Memba dem bush tea deh. Everytime, well almoast ebbry time, yu belly run yuh get herb fih drink cuz a time fih a wash out.
But memba di garden outside a mint tea, leaf a life, rosemary bush, french time. Alomst ebbry mawning if is not porridge or chocolate tea you sure getting a draft of one o dem bushes fih tea wid you breaskfast. Some just get the tea without the breakfast!
Yuh eva drink hominy corn porridge and get the real corn in the porridge or the real corn in your cornmeal porridge or corn bread which of course was homemade.
Yuh remember when you find your shiny money and run go tell you mommy and dem sen you right back go put it down where you found it, so the greiving owner could find it back again too.
You remember when you mumma sen you go look fi something, and if she sure it deddeh you haffi go back and search till a mawning right weh she sen you till you find it and carry it to her.
You remember when everybody did haffi sit together every Sunday and eat off dem plate clean clean at every meal, regardless of what was not your favourite.
You eva eat out a you fren yawwd or full you belly someweh else, but by the time you reach home you betta mek space or else. But den agin, some people did lucky fih have a mumma weh cook so good, dih smell a di food alone just mek space.
Yu memba wen you have gas, you mother just pick off a leaf of peppermint or draw a handful of black peppermint and draw it, and you did haffi drink it hot hot till you a big belch down di place
Rememba when you couldnt sleep how you get warm condensed milk and nutmeg
Rememba wen anyting go wrang you madda, granny and all a di woman dem we in charge ova you guddung pan dem knee till daylight a pray, and some a dem well a stay lock up inna dem room especially wen a exam you aggo duh
Memba wen all yu a hear is wat a lovelely head a hair — dis becuz yu got dem big dodo platts deh inna yuh head. All wen people a seh yu head a suck yuh dung fi grow, you madda dis a step like johncrow in a bush jacket an some madda a tell dem seh is because she mix.. ar fadda a indian, chinese and God noas…
Tek cyah!!
Culturally yours
Anthea
