HAPPY 4/20

Images from www.clipart.com....Picture from SMS Quotes - SadaBlue

We are JAMAICANS.....We entertain visitors and make them feel special.

The President's upcoming visit reminds me of when I was a child and heard that an uncle or auntie was coming from America and were going to stay with us. It was spring cleaning time no matter what the season (yeah we have none).

Cobweb teck dung, windows clean, best linen teck out fram de chest, not to mention the good crockery whey always pon show in a de cabinet. The board floor clean wid spirit and bismack, it shine so till yu cudda see yu face in a it. The garden must tidy up...all de old junk whey nah trouble nobaddy dash whey out a street. Granny guh market and buy de prettiest fruit and vegetables...yes man....nuff meat and fish fe two weeks, no more bush tea and crackers and gold seal margarine. Strictly cocoa tea and bread wid anchor butta! Ice cream, jello set and we better deh pon we best behavior even doh we kno say no beating till dem gone back a foreign. Mama used to gi wi de look whey say "jes wait till dem leave...mi and oonu baxcide!".....Yes we did poor...but Mama meck sure she ask fe har partner draw from de banker so she can buy new curtains and meck sure the house have food. My mama always say we must treat we guest properly because is not wha dem bring come fe yu....is wha dem leave wid. Yes....nobaddy caan say dat when dem come stay wid we dat we house did dutty and we neva gi dem food fe nyam. Nobaddy can eva say we neva teck de time fe up an dung wid dem. Nobaddy caan say we neva gi up we bed fe meck dem comfatable. Even doh sometimes we feel vex becaz we did ask Mama fe suppen and we nuh get it because she say she nuh have nuh money an we see how all of a sudden she find money fe pretty up de place and buy big food. But guess wha? wen de foreigner reach a yard an de smell of foreign permeates de air, nutten sweet so! Mi did love wen dem open dem suitcase in front a yu an say, "This is for you! Me bought it especially fe you!".....An wen dem start to talk wid de American accent mix up wid de patois! Lawks! nuff time we haffe hide we face so dat Mama nuh see de laugh pon it....WOOIIEE!...Yes pawper....nutten nuh nicer dan wen foreigner come fe visit. Mama neva yet talk bout de money whey she spend, she just glad fe see har family an show off bout how har pickney dem doing well in school.

As an adult, I carry on this family tradition. My house smiles whenever someone is coming to visit because it knows it will be thoroughly cleaned....lol....Nothing is too good for me to prepare for my family and friends. Yes money could be better spent on something else but guess what? What is a few dollars in comparison to harmony and unity amongst family and friends.
I am thankful that my Jamaica is being spruced up, regardless of it being because of the President. Some of us are secretly happy. At least we won't be ashamed to take anyone home anymore.

-SadaBlue-