Jamaica’s National Heroine: Nanny of the Maroons
Much of what is known about Nanny, or Granny Nanny as she’s also called, has been gained from oral history. One thing, however, is clear: Nanny was an outstanding military leader who was a thorn in the side of the British in their battles with the Maroons, communities of defiant slaves who escaped plantation life for the nearly impenetrable hills in the interior of Jamaica. She outsmarted, out-planned and out-manouvered the British at every turn. Nanny, an Ashanti, was a…
Read more »
Jamaica’s National Heroes: Samuel Sharpe
Born in 1801 in St. James, Samuel Sharpe was a deacon in the Baptist church. Although he was a slave, he [caption id="attachment_7438" align="alignright" width="224" caption="Statue of Sam Sharpe, Sam Sharpe Square, Montego Bay"][/caption] was also an educated man. Since religious meetings were the only forms of organized activities permissible for the slaves, Sharpe travelled widely teaching other slaves about Christianity and encouraging discussions about the fight for freedom. Sharpe became a highly regarded of the native Baptists in Montego…
Read more »
Soulful Sundays: Desmond Dekker
As I write about Desmond Dekker, a Gregory Isaacs song (Love is Overdue) is coming to me from across the way. I'm thrilled to see that the music popularized by artists such as Dekker, Isaacs, Marley, Dennis Brown, etc., is holding its own against dancehall. [caption id="attachment_7429" align="aligncenter" width="540" caption="Desmond Dekker, photo from the Internet"][/caption] Desmond Dekker and his backup band, the Aces, won the Jamaica Festival Song Competition in 1968 with Music Like Dirt and had a string of…
Read more »
For My Grandmother, Doris
My grandmother Doris (Dor Dor) left us ten years ago today; thirty-three years and one day after we [caption id="attachment_7421" align="alignright" width="164" caption="Dor Dor"][/caption] lost my Aunt Joyce. It’s a bit ironic that the dates of their deaths follow so closely as of the three women in my family – my grandmother, mother and aunt – my grandmother and aunt were most alike in temperament. Both were born under the same zodiac sign, Capricorn, only 9 days separating their birth…
Read more »
Remembering My Aunt Joyce
Since November began, I've been thinking a lot of my Aunt Joyce who passed away on this date 43 years ago. She was a beautiful woman, funny, straightforward and very popular. Everyone called her Ms. Joyce, sometimes Ms. Spence, rarely ever Mrs. Spence. When she left us, she was only 39 - old enough to marry and have four children, too early to watch them grow up and see who would look most like her or take after her in…
Read more »
Travel Photo Thursday: Elephants
There are more than 30,000 elephants in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe so it's not a matter of whether you'll see a few elephants when you go game watching, but when. We first saw this mother's baby at the side of the road and stopped to take it's photo when we heard the unmistakable sound of an elephant on our right. When I turned round, I noticed her ears were fully open -- elephants use this technique to frighten other animals,…
Read more »
At the Customs Department
For some people, it’s almost easier to give up a body part than have to deal with the bureaucracy of government. I’m one of them. Before I left the U.S., I had shipped some personal items that I wanted to have when I arrived. The day after I was notified of their arrival, I went to the shipping company then to the customs department to pick them up. At the shipping company, I picked up the shipping forms, paid them…
Read more »
Surrounded by Beauty
Each morning I wake up, a new flower has bloomed or a fruit tree has put out blossoms. The colors are bold, the combinations delightfully unexpected. Take a look and see what I mean. [caption id="attachment_7387" align="aligncenter" width="571" caption="Name unknown"][/caption] At first, this did not appear to be a flowering plant. The leaves alone were beautiful enough. I was surprised when I noticed that a bud had appeared and even more surprised when I saw the color. I never would…
Read more »
Driving on the Left and Other Adjustments to Life in Jamaica
During the thirty-odd years that I lived abroad, I returned once, sometimes twice a year, to Jamaica so I never considered myself a stranger to how things worked. I realize now that those fleeting visits really never prepared me for the reality of everyday living. One of the things I knew would take a period of adjustment is driving. As a former British colony, Jamaica drives on the left. I had just started driving my mom’s car – from the…
Read more »
Soulful Sundays: The Maytals
Listening to certain bands and singers take me back in time. Toots & the Maytals, or The Maytals, is one such band. I remember one garden party that my church had, where we had a maypole – it was after Toots Hibbert, their frontman, who had been in jail – was released and his song, 54-46, That's My Number, supposedly his prison identification number was played so often, it could have been the anthem of the party. I was quite…
Read more »
