Welcome to my world. An altered state of reality in which I sometimes feel as if I am the only one experiencing issues and situations that are ridiculous, funny, frustrating and thought provoking.
There is nothing like an ice cold jelly, the tangy taste of tamarind ball or a bowl full of black mangoes as we settle into one of those plastic settees to watch another round of ‘School Challenge Quiz’ or a episode of ‘Hilly and Gully Ride’. Some things evoke those nostalgic feelings that allow us to reconnect with our culture in ways that remind us of how inspite of our many challenges ‘the land is green and the sun still shineth”.
We see them at all inclusive parties looking flawlessly made up, at bacchanal events gyrating, on pubic transportations, in clubs dancing and out in groups at bar and restaurants making merry and have a good old time. On the more seedy side the plethora of homosexual males working as prostitutes have grown significantly and in recent years, cross dressing men have also taken to the world’s oldest profession in areas such as New Kingston and have a thriving client list from the average Joe to wealthy business men who seek something ‘different’ for their sexual satisfaction.
Most people will agree that the family is the foundation on which any thriving society is built but what happens, as in Jamaica’s case, when that foundation is de-stabled for reasons that seem near insurmountable? Poverty, crime and corruption are all presenting factors that everybody talks about but what about the underlying issues that few seem eager to address? One such issue is migration and its resulting challenge of the ‘barrel pickney’ syndrome. While remittance may contribute greatly to our gross domestic production, the factors surrounding the fall out from migration are often ignored to our detriment.
He came, he sang, he cashed in. Rapper and business mogul Kanye West breezed through our capital city recently and everyone lost their mind. From fervent fans who got a chance to see him at a free concert staged at Emancipation Park to critics who said that even having him here performing locally was akin to sacrilege as he stands for nothing positive or remotely productive where Jamaica is concerned.