Merry Chrissmuss (Jamaican Style)

White washing the columns, cleaning the house, the smell of Christmas cake making its way from the kitchen, and the warmth of the house with all the cooking that’s being done…

The lights blinking in unison at first, then they begin to dazzle in different designs right before our eyes…

Who can forget the sorrel and egg nog? These are some of the indications that it’s Christmas in a Jamaican household.

Christmas is not just a “day” for Jamaicans; it’s the joy of preparing for the day that makes the season so warm and refreshing. The seasoning of the “Christmas meat” a day or two before Christmas day, and “drawing” the sorrel with ginger to make a fine, refreshing drink to go with that well-prepared meat, are the most important aspects of preparing for Christmas day.

I remember my grandfather used to make the most delicious egg nog right before our eyes, so visiting him in the country was always something I looked forward to.

When the special day arrives, the love of family is felt as everyone gathers to eat. Some persons don’t even own a dining table, but that fact remains unseen as everyone anticipates the delicious meal ahead. This is a time to catch up on the year’s events, and to reflect on what is to come. It is a time of laughter; a time of unity; a time to show how much we care.

May your holiday be filled with joy and good cheer and may your 2013 be filled with the love and prosperity that you deserve!

Merry Christmas to all my friends all over the world and a wonderful, prosperous New Year!! ~ JGIC

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Jodi-Ann is an Environmental Studies Major in Nova Scotia, Canada.

THE MOMENT OF TRUTH: FINAL EXAMS

The scariest thing children in Jamaica could hear from their parents is the ultimate threat: [In Jamaican] “If yuh carry nuh failing grade come in ya, watch me and you!” [Translation] “If you even attempt to get less than 100% on your exams, you’re toast!” Sadly, some parents didn’t understand what it’s like dealing with demanding professors and keeping up with extra-curricular activities, clubs and societies; as such they place the weight upon our shoulders to only achieve perfect marks. This is the most critical time, as weight-loss or weight-gain is likely to occur from stress-related snacking, your hair falls out and those rings appear around the eyes from lack of sleep (and the haunting thoughts of whether you are going to pass or fail).

On the other hand, we have our professors. They outline exactly what is to be done; sometimes, we do just that and exceed expectations and it is still not enough. Some professors just cannot be pleased, no matter what you do! You follow their instructions – not good enough; you don’t follow their instructions – makes it even worse! Sometimes, you are left with nothing to do, but throw up your hands and leave everything to fate. Often, we study for days and not a single word of what we have studied appears on the exam.

I grew up in the Jamaican tradition of “100% or nothing!” and I used to be so paranoid when doing my exams. So much so, that my brain would go blank for 50% of the exam, and the other 50% is spent writing unnecessary fillers to make up my word count on essay questions.

Studying, for me, was also traditional. My friends and I would gather around and “bill a chune” [compose a song] about a particular topic: [Tune: Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough”]

    V.1        “The Earth… is an oblate sphere,

                   It has 3 defining layers… (oooh)

                  Crust… (oh crust now) Mantle, and the Core!

                  The deepest, is made from iron ore… (oooh!)

Cho.          The crust… is the outer part!

                 (It is where the oceans are!)

                Below, is the mantle shelf!

               (Earthquakes occur from here!) (rept.)

I used that song to aid in my Geology exam recently and man, was I glad I got that idea from back home. Exams, in any country, aren’t meant to be easy, but in Jamaica, there is so much emphasis placed on perfection and excellence that it becomes apart of you. Once you are grown in that tradition, it becomes a part of your daily routine. As you get older, you live with the idea that only the best will do! ~JGIC

Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss it, you will land among the stars.--Les Brown

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Jodi-Ann is an Environmental Studies Major in Nova Scotia, Canada.

The Torch

 No, it’s not the Olympic torch, but a different kind of torch we speak of. A torch I almost attempted in order to rid myself of an offensive creature.

Back home in Jamaica, we are used to seeing common creatures: small lizards, a flying insect or two, a spider… WHOA! Backtrack! SPIDERS! I hate spiders! A spider will be crawling behind me and the hair on the back of my neck would rise! That’s how much I hate spiders.

Well, I was minding my own business one morning when it all went down. I sat and was having breakfast in the usual fashion when it occurred to me that something wasn’t right. I checked my book bag to ensure that all my materials were there, and all was well there. I retrieved my water bottle from the fridge, checked my lunch bag (of course, I would never leave without that!), and took up my student ID.

[Picture this in slow motion with me now!]

I walked expeditiously to the door and swung it open, just as I put my right foot forward to step over the threshold, a massive spider swooped down and started dangling it’s disgusting, hairy legs about 3 centimetres from my nose. The shock I felt held me down in the doorway and the spider and I made eye contact.

“It has come to this!” I said to myself. Now, the creature was smack in the middle of the doorway, so there was no way to go around. I moved my eyes down to peek at my watch (for I fear if I moved, the horrid creature would squirt some silk at me and capture me!), and I had at least 25 minutes to get to class. I composed myself and thought of my options:

1. Stoop as low as I can, go under the creature, swing the door close and run away like a pansy!
2. Get an empty aerosol can and a lighter and torch the creature!
3. Miss classes in the hopes that the offensive creature would go away by Christmas!

 As I moved to attempt B, the creature started to wiggle its way up the silky thread. I watched it closely and attempted to move forward. The thing let itself go again and came swooping down! “That’s it!” I screamed. “Say hello to my little friend!” I got out… you guessed it… A book from my book bag and opened the pages under the bug and snapped it shut, ridding myself of the offensive beast!

The torch was my first choice, but knowing me, I might cause a mushroom cloud to develop just so I could eliminate a spider that was about 0.5 of a centimetre (yes, it's still massive in my book!).

If I was back home in Jamaica, all activities for the day would have been cancelled as I would have just given up and let the creature be! I was forced to face my fears, and get rid of the obstacle that was blocking my path.  

I’m still afraid of spiders (maybe not to the extent I was before snapping a book over it), but I’m sure none of them will ever be able to block my path ever again! That day, I was made to understand what it means to let nothing stand in my way! I was liberated! I got to school a few minutes late because I missed the first bus, but at least I didn't torch the house! - JGIC

"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face..." - Eleanor Roosevelt

 

Jodi-Ann is an Environmental Studies major in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamaicanGirlInCanada

Email: jokay2112@gmail.com

Mind Your Language

The purpose of this blog is to compare and contrast Jamaica and Canada with regards to language, lifestyle, basically everything. Canada, thankfully, is a culturally diverse country, but one universal language is spoken and understood by almost everyone: English.

This particular day, a couple of my friends and I went out to do some shopping. Let me tell you: as a Jamaican, I do price-comparisons. For example: “Hmm, this pair of shoes is CAD$65.00? In Jamaican that would be… [Calculation goes here]! Nope, too deer (expensive)! Not buying it!” So we wandered aimlessly around the mall looking for “bargains.” It took my friend to say to me: “Jodi-Ann, a dollar is a dollar, ok? If you compare like that, you’ll never, ever buy anything.” So I conceded and the shopping began. 

Now, my friends list consisted of people from several countries; I had Canadian, African, Antiguan, Bahamian, Japanese, Brazilian, Italian, and Saudi friends, just to name a few. So we were having a blast in the mall. After several hours of deliberating and purchasing just three items, we decided it was time to go.

We waited at the bus terminal for a few minutes; we chatted, using as much English as possible to accommodate our friends who weren’t native English speakers. The bus came and we all gathered at the back to chat about the day’s events. We were all excited and I personally became more and more excited as the conversation progressed. The more excited I became, the more Jamaican Creole (Patois) I used. At this point, the bus driver went through the light just as it turned red. So I turned to my friends and said: “The driver broke the stoplight!” (In Jamaica, when someone runs the red light, we say: “He broke the light!”) So everyone started looking puzzled and started wondering how they didn’t feel a jolt from when the light was hit.

At this point, I was confused and I asked them who said anything about the bus driver hitting the light. Then it dawned on me. I was the one who said that the driver broke the light. I felt the heat rise in my cheeks making me hot with embarrassment at the realization of my misuse of vocabulary. I quietly explained that I meant that the driver ran or drove through the red light. After about 10 seconds of silence, the back of the bus came to life with uproarious laughter from my friends. The laughter lasted a few days… literally! I was reminded constantly about the matter until it died down and I made another faux pas. The blunders were frequent, but taken in stride. Every day brings a new challenge and a new experience. “Life lessons” I call them, and I embrace each with dignity!

“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” ~ Maya Angelou

 

Jodi-Ann is an Environmental Studies major in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamaicanGirlInCanada

Email: jokay2112@gmail.com

Life Goes On

It is said that we have a holiday for everything in Jamaica. “The Reggae Boyz won their FIFA World Cup qualifying match? Let’s declare a national holiday! No school tomorrow!” “The public bus operators are going on strike? National holiday everyone! No school/work!” or “It’s gonna rain tomorrow? Let’s declare a national holiday!” Ok, maybe I exaggerated on the last instance, but you get where I’m going, right? Well, we see where the slightest incident is cause for staying home and missing school/work. Not quite so here.

Recently, the public bus operators in my region went on strike. Luckily for me, I lived on campus, but as for the other students, it was a disaster. This was not the type of strike that I was used to. Back home, when you hear of a group going on strike, it’s just for a few hours, maybe two to three days, tops, and it’s back to work/school again.

After two weeks of the bus strike in the dead winter, I realized that this was gonna take a while. School was still in full swing, and people had to find a way to get to work or they would lose their jobs. Some students ended up dropping out for the semester as they lived too far away, and a few people lost their jobs. A much needed public service was unavailable to citizens, and they still had to find a way to get around it or face the consequences; consequences as detrimental as losing their jobs.

In all of this, it was business as usual: no declared holidays, no black-out days, and life just kept going on. Nothing stopped. Personally, I had to turn this unfortunate incident into a positive. A five-minute bus ride turned into a 30-minute walk so I could get to where I needed to go. I also learned that circumstances do not define who you are, it is what you do to overcome these circumstances that shows your true character. 

I was hoping that some classes would be put off or something (especially Economics, ugh!), unfortunately, that wasn't to be. 

The bus strike went on for six weeks, and life went on through it all. The good thing is, I managed to remain healthy through walking everywhere, and I became more acquainted with where I live and learned about a few short cuts. However, when the buses did return, I was never happier to see a bus driver.

"No matter the circumstances, keep pushing forward. Life stops only when you do." -JGIC

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Jodi-Ann is an Environmental Studies major in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Check out her online store at http://jwbookstore.creativesolutionsmall.com to purchase books and electronics.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamaicanGirlInCanada

Email: jokay2112@gmail.com

It Just Happened...

 Well, we now had a full blanket of snow and classes were in full swing. I was on my regular mojo – it was like a rhythm: wake up early, breakfast, classes, work, study, sleep. The cycle became so much a part of me that if one thing should be added or subtracted, I’d be completely thrown off.

A full blanket of snow fell overnight, so I was all wrapped up, cozy and warm… and I overslept! I had to wear my heavy boots; and in order to wear those massive boots, I also had to wear my large pair of jeans and so on. I basically dressed 30 pounds heavier in order to greet the weather. I walked up to the lunch room to eat with my friends; we chatted for a while and even snapped a picture before I noticed that I got carried away and had to make a mad dash for class.

The equation, then, is: late + mad dash + snow = recipe for disaster.

I asked myself: “If I take the snow-ridden, shorter path at the back to the lecture theatre, I’d make it to class with exactly two minutes to spare, right? If I take the usual route, I would get to class at least four minutes late. If I take the internal route, I’ll be at least twelve minutes late… what to do, self?” Friends, do you know what I was told to do (Yes, I do have live conversations with myself every now and again!)? I was told to take the internal route and get to class late.

I wasn’t having it. So I overruled my thoughts and ran to the back door. The first mistake I made was closing the door (the door only opened from the inside), so I was now trapped outside on the ice. The snow slapped me hard in the face and those heavy boots were not very helpful.

I gingerly stepped on the ice and hoped I didn’t slip with the whole school watching from the cafeteria. I took two millimetre steps to get to the muddy banking where it was safer to sink the boots. That in itself took more than five minutes; so automatically, I knew I would be late. I looked up to the internal passageway and saw students walking merrily to their classes in the warmth, and cursed myself for my stupidity. 
 

I kept moving in the muddy path until the building where my class was held came into view. “Finally!” I sighed. As I stepped on the concrete path, with just 10 metres to go, all I heard was SPLAT!! My body connected with the floor and my books lay scattered before me. I had to scramble to my feet before anyone saw me; in the same breath, I grabbed my books and sped to the entrance! I looked around and saw no one in my immediate area, and tried to plaster an awkward smile on my face; you know, the "I didn't fall and hurt myself" awkward smile? Yea, that one! 

I met two students coming out of the building with a knowing smile and I was left to wonder if they saw my fall of shame! I got to class nevertheless…wet, in pain and very, very late! Lesson learnt! 

End Note: Back home in Jamaica, when one realizes that he/she is late, the only obstacle in the way is traffic. We never have to worry about snow, ice, sleet or impossible weather (except hurricanes) to inhibit our movement. Another lesson learnt the hard - and painful - way! - JGIC 

“Those who would bring great things to pass must rise early.—Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty.” – Matthew Henry

 

Jodi-Ann is an Environmental Studies major in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Check out her online store at http://jwbookstore.creativesolutionsmall.com to purchase books and electronics.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamaicanGirlInCanada

Email: jokay2112@gmail.com

Learning the Hard Way

Trypanosoma Levisi. These two words have been haunting me since I first heard them. Science is my first love; more specifically, Biology. So going to Biology class for me was supposed to be fun and exciting and I anticipated going to my early morning sessions of Biology… that is, until this happened:

 

I have always prided myself on getting very high grades, whether I study or not. For one thing, I listen keenly and remember everything I listen to; secondly, I was blessed with a photographic memory, so once I see it, I’ll remember it. Our first class then was on the parasite Trypanosoma Levisi, and there were two major problems with the parasite. First one, is that no matter how hard I listened, I couldn’t get past what I thought was “Trip on the sofa” and two, I have never seen the creature, so I was doomed, as we had a quiz coming up.

I went home and tried hard to piece together what the professor tried to tell me about a sofa. Did a parasite live there? Are all people doomed because this parasite might infest the sofa and ultimately give us germs? I was in a quandary, and I was at a loss as well, because the day for the quiz was here.

There were two questions posed for the quiz, each worth 5 marks. The first question was “What is the Trypanosoma Levisi?” followed by: ”List two major characteristics of the Trypanosoma Levisi.” We had 20 minutes to complete the quiz, and friends, I can tell you that I pre-accepted my first zero within the first 10 seconds of receiving the paper. And so it was: I decided to close my brain to the idea of prior knowledge, and start accepting new knowledge as it came to me. If I wasn’t clear on something, I quickly raised my hand to ask for clarification, and I became very much acquainted with my new love: Google. That zero put things into perspective for me. I am still haunted, however, by the trauma that I was forced to go through because of “Trip on the sofa Levisi.”

 

As a mature student, I thought I knew all the basics of being successful in university. Sometimes, it’s best to just sit back, watch and learn. I was surprised at how much new information I gathered from this one class, even though I did this very same course previously for my first degree.

It was Henry Ford who said “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.”  

I plan to stay young.

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Jodi-Ann is an Environmental Studies major in Nova Scotia, Canada.