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