J for Jamaica

Sad to leave the lost city of the Incas? Well, I promised you an unforgettable adventure today, and that's what you will get! My friend Jazz is from Jamaica, but has lived in Mumbai for the last 3 years, with her husband Rick and 1 of their 2 daughters. She has most kindly said yes to take us along to her home country, Jamaica! (Thank you so much, Jazz!) So, get your things together - off we go!

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When my dear friend Eli asked me to do a piece on Jamaica for her Blog challenge – I was delighted, I am always eager and happy to tell anyone who will listen about my island paradise. Although I’ve been a non resident since 1994 I go home each year to recharge my spirit. Before we begin please turn your speakers up start this video and let the music of Jamaica wash over you as we take our tour.

Jamaica is a tiny island only 4,244 sq miles (10,991 km²) with a population of approximately 2.7 million people… that’s 18.3 million less than currently reside in Mumbai where I am presently - but it’s a little country with a lot of heart. It may be tiny to some but it’s the third largest island in the Caribbean and it captivated the colonists when they first saw it… it was dubbed XAMAYCA by the Spaniards who briefly had control of it which translates into “Land of Wood and Water”

On the outside looking in it would seem that Jamaica just naturally has all the makings of an island paradise… sunshine – check, beautiful beaches – check, great food – check, good music – check, good rum – check… what’s not to love? But I can tell you that the thing that will have you going back to Jamaica time and time again is it’s people. Fun loving, easy going and friendly – as the popular advertisement says, “Once you go, you know”

Many things go into making Jamaica and Jamaicans the flavorful people that they are… think of a big pot bubbling on the fire and throw in some strong African flavor, now add some European coloring – not nearly as much as the African but enough to make a noticeable difference… Now you want to add some East Indian and Chinese spices to the mixture and just a dash of the Middle East… What you’ll create in that pot is something spunky, spicy, flavorful, full of attitude and uniquely Jamaican. It is only fitting that our motto is “Out of Many, One People”

The official language of Jamaica is English – this is what is taught in schools, but many Jamaicans may say it’s too confining when trying to express our true feelings, so you’ll find that most Jamaicans speak a mixture of both English and patois. Patois is a local dialect with English and West African derivatives primarily but its inflections are unique, different and very colorful.

Much like our dialect, Jamaican food reflects the diverse mix of ethnicities – and you can sample an array of mouth-watering dishes representative in the roots of at least four continents. Spicy and original, infused with a bit of our personality - not to be missed is the delectable Jerk chicken, grilled over an open drum and infused with the most aromatic and tasty local herbs. Don’t forget the fried fish and festival; curry goat and grilled lobster just to name a few.

You will always need something wet to wash down all that good food and my Jamaica does not disappoint; home to Appleton Estate, which produces, some of the finest rum in the world, the biggest decision is not what to drink but when to stop.  J Be careful if you go for a tour of the estate though – they have thirteen different varieties and you are allowed to sample them all – needless to say you will probably leave a lot happier than you arrived.

We also brag that we produce the best coffee in the world – not being a coffee drinker I can’t cast a vote myself – but the trip up the mountains to the Blue Mountain coffee plantation is worth every breathtaking second.

One thing you don’t want to do while in Jamaica is stay indoors… Raft down the river, climb one of the many waterfalls, dive from the cliffs in Negril, nighttime reggae party on the beach or just lay around… Jamaica is a tropical paradise and outside is where you want to be!

Much of what I’ve described might sound very touristy and you might be wondering  “well what do the locals do”  - Jamaica does have it’s other side, children go to school, adults work, we are home to three universities and have a thriving business sector but when work is over Jamaicans do play and they can be found enjoying any of the numerous things I’ve touched on in this piece.  There are upsides to living on an island paradise ;) Additionally the party scene in Kingston (the capital city) on the weekends could rival a scaled down version of New York City. The choices are many and partygoers go hard until the sun peeks its head over the horizon…

And that brings me to our music…  Reggae music has been one of the farthest-reaching elements of our culture… If you say Jamaica or reggae music, many people will undoubtedly respond – Bob Marley, or maybe if you are from the younger generation Sean Paul  - technically the newer evolved form of Jamaican music is called Dancehall and the older beat with a more steady rhythm is what is known as reggae. Reggae music when it evolved was all about social injustice, love and religion – giving voice to the many struggles that Jamaicans have faced over the years and as such it resounded with the youth at that time. It found an international voice as many UK stations played it over the air during the 1970’s. The most well known reggae artist to this day is Bob Marley and although he died in 1981 his music still resounds with each ensuing generation because his brand of consciousness still speaks to people of all ages.

The most important thing to remember about Jamaicans is that they love to laugh, they’re laid back and they can always find the lighter side of life… this is demonstrated by many of the more popular sayings that we have for example you may ask a Jamaican “how are you” or “how is life” and they will respond “everything is Irie” – it means it’s all good, everything is fine – another popular saying is “no problem man” , it doesn’t mean we have no problems – it means I choose not to let my problems ruin my life… it’s all good – no problem – life goes on – take it easy – everything is Irie…

In Jamaica if there is one motto we embody it is One Love, One Heart, One People  - Out of Many we are One…  no matter what their ancestry a Jamaican will only identify themselves as Jamaican  - not African Jamaican or Chinese Jamaican or Indian Jamaican – we are all simply one people, we are Jamaicans. And once you come to Jamaica you are no longer a stranger but a friend

Thanks for tagging along and I hope I’ve managed to bring Jamaica a bit closer to you in some way, take care now and as we say, “walk good”

Thanks dear Jazz, for showing us your Jamaica:-) 

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Please also check out Jazz's blog Jerk Masala. Some great written pieces there:-)

Well, I don't know about you, dear reader, but personally I thinking of jumping off this tour-the-world-in-26-days, and just stay put here in Jazz' s Jamaica.. Seems like a pretty awesome place to be, don't you agree? 

If (and I repeat IF), I manage to get on that plane and leave that little country with a lot of heart, I will end up somewhere starting with a K tomorrow. But only IF... 

1-30 April I participate in the A to Z blogger challenge, and this post is written as a part of that challenge. Check out some amazing participating blogs here. My theme for the challenge is Dream Destinations. I hope you had fun coming along? Please stay tuned for a new destination tomorrow. 

Go to a-to-zchallenge.com