Light Bulbs and Darkness in Jamaica

I am pleased to see the steps being taken by the judicial system to sort out the mess that is the “Cuban Light Bulb Scandal”. It shows that the country is on a new path of accountability, and those who put themselves up to serve the interests of the public must not only enjoy the power of the position but also bear the responsibility.

However, I am surprised that no comment has been forthcoming about the PNPs earlier investigation in the matter shortly after the news broke. Today they have proclaimed themselves to be firmly against corruption but just a few short weeks ago thought it entirely appropriate to establish a panel to investigate the matter themselves. It was like setting the cat to guard the milk. The panel itself was of dubious expertise and unsurprisingly found that there was nothing of an illegal nature to cause concern but merely some mishandling on the part of their Minister and his Junior Minister. Such a result, viewed in the light of what has since transpired, is telling. It tells us that we cannot trust our leaders who claim to have no tolerance for corruption.

The scandal ridden 18 ½ years PNP administration has much to answer for. I do not subscribe to the view of this being a witch hunt. It is simply a matter of matter of accountability in government. Accountability of our public servants to those whom they have pledged to serve - the Jamaican people. I believe that if Jamaica gets used to this idea of accountability we will be on the road to solving many of the issues of governance that we face and be better able to address the negative fallout from its poor practice. This is not a political issue, and I advise Jamaicans to put down their party mantle in this battle and put on the armor of justice for the cause of Jamaica. I for one expect proper governance from any party who is going to serve me.

Additionally, to those who would seek to dismiss all this as a matter of “inefficiency and deficiency” I say Come on! Such thinking is just darkness. How long we can excuse such poor handling of the people’s business while the people toil under the economic fallout of the consequences? The child in that inner city school with dreams of being a doctor but having no proper lab equipment to learn with deserves better. The patients who go the KPH and can’t be accommodated in a comfortable facility in their time of illness and distress deserve better. All of us who rely on government services deserve the proper use and administration of our resources. We worked hard for it and we simply deserve better than it being squandered by inefficient government officers who live their lives removed from the very hassles of these concerns because of their privileged positions.

This is Jamaica, my Jamaica, the land of my birth. Going Home with Anthony Bourdain.

I waited excitedly for weeks to view the Travel Channel program No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain: Jamaica. I am a regular viewer of the Travel Channel and Bourdain’s No Reservations program is a favorite. I love his unfiltered and more than slightly jaded view of the world. I was looking forward to Jamaica getting the same treatment. Bourdain held no punches and I was not disappointed when he opened his show at Helshire Beach, my favorite hang out spot in Jamaica. It was sufficient to remind me of those impulsive Sunday trips to the beach for some sun, sand and the best fish and festival anywhere in the world. As he said, food always tastes better with bare feet. He reminded viewers that if they wanted the “One Love” Jamaica from the TV commercials that that is there too, but in essence this is the real Jamaica that the people know and live with on a daily basis. I was proud to see this but I’m sure there are those who would be disturbed by the unveiling of the pretentious veneer.

In my US experience, as soon as someone knows you are from Jamaica they automatically continue into the “How beautiful it is” speech. They want to go there one day or they went there and thought it was paradise. I smile and go along with the conversation… so where did you visit? It’s usually one of the tourist meccas - Ocho Rios, Montego Bay or Negril. They all had a great time at the hotels, drank some run and coconut water, ate some spicy chicken (Jerk?) and ate something that looked like scrambled eggs with fried bananas and some other things they can’t remember or can’t quite describe (ackee and saltfish with fried plantains and dumplings or boiled bananas with some other cooked food). Yeah, I feel happy that they had such a good time and of course very pleased when they want to go back. I enjoy the conversation and enjoy sharing my knowledge of the island, its people and culture. But underneath all this pleasant talk is the thought that that is not the real Jamaica. It’s just the public face we share with the world to keep earning those tourist dollars and keep the economy moving. I appreciate this as a fact of life for the way Jamaica must be packaged and marketed. Those commercials make me nostalgic for my vacation days in Negril and Ocho Rios too.

Yet again there are those people, few...but they are out there, who will want to have conversations about the other Jamaica I know. The one I lived when not on vacation. The Jamaica where people are hard working but struggle to make a living, where violence, crime and corruption are issues that threaten to tear the society apart, where dancehall is king and street dances like Passa Passa are the people’s party. I like talking about this Jamaica too and almost feel like I’ve found a kindred soul in my “secret” Jamaica Club.

Well, Bourdain got right into the nitty gritty showing this latter side of Jamaica – Coronation market with its fresh local produce where you can get every and anything, officially run by the government but practically controlled by the criminal elements. Run down shacks and strewn garbage where people eke out a tough living while trying to avoid being the next victims of crime in the country with the highest murder rate in the world. Passa Passa street dances where the ubiquitous young DJ’s try to get a buss and dance crews vie for supremacy and worldwide fame. Beef patties and chicken foot soup eaten on the run. Helshire, the local peoples Sunday beach and the entrepreneurs who make a living there frying fish, giving horse rides, selling oysters and carving out tourist trinkets. The Jerk chicken man on Red Hills road and the disorderly consumers who stop traffic trying to complete their purchase of the weekend treat. It was real and not very pretty, but still I loved it. This was home.

As I say, and as Bourdain confirms, Jamaica is a land of glaring contradictions. It more often shows the tourist paradise side of this contradiction to the world, but the other side also exists and occasionally gets its time in the sun. You wouldn’t be mistaken to think of Jamaica as either one of the contrasting notions, but to really know Jamaica, you must know both. Good job Bourdain, I was not disappointed.

P.S. That cave was a hell hole and even for a place “off the beaten path” that was too much for anyone except those cave loving explorers. I feared for his health.

I loved how that young kid at the blue mountain could explain so eloquently about the ackee. Well done kid.

The other sections can be found on you tube at: http://youtube.com/results?search_query=BOURDAIN+JAMAICA&search_type=

The picture on my Blog Header was taken at Helshire Beach on my last visit home.

Yes We Can! Si, Se Puede!

It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation.

Yes we can.

It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom.

Yes we can.

It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.

Yes we can.

It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the ballots; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land.

Yes we can to justice and equality.

Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity.

Yes we can heal this nation.

Yes we can repair this world.

Yes we can.

We know the battle ahead will be long, but always remember that no matter what obstacles stand in our way, nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change.

We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics...they will only grow louder and more dissonant ........... We've been asked to pause for a reality check. We've been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope.

But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope.

Now the hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA; we will remember that there is something happening in America; that we are not as divided as our politics suggests; that we are one people; we are one nation; and together, we will begin the next great chapter in the American story with three words that will ring from coast to coast; from sea to shining sea --

Yes. We. Can.


I am loving the US Presidential elections right now and I am rooting for Obama. I love what his campaign stands for and the change that his Presidency could represent. I know there are naysayers who worry about his lack of experience but I think good judgment, leadership, and management qualities can overcome those obstacles. I follow the campaigns closely and I am now officially addicted to CNN and MSNBC political coverage. I won’t go into all my political opinions here but thought I would post this video below because I find it inspirational. I think it is one of the best speeches I have heard in the modern era and believe, if he becomes President, it will be a landmark of a moment in history. I even emailed it to my little sister because I feel so convinced of its importance to history.

My support for Obama is not racially motivated but at the same time I think he could provide inspiration and leadership by example. I've always thought inspirational black leadership is sorely missing in America, the Caribbean and African countries. The days of great leaders who really stood for something revolutionary and united people to act around that have passed. I hope we can come to that point of revolution in spirit and thought again and create a serious movement for change.

However, inspiration and leadership is just that, inspiration and leadership. The action needs to be done to achieve the results...the American/ Caribbean/ African dream. So action is what is really needed by the leaders and the followers. People can be provided with the tools but it is always their responsibility to choose how to use it. I hope people temper this hoopla over Obama by this realism.

Information and Technology Transfer: Japan to Jamaica

Since my decision not to stress about my choices of Japan vs Jamaica I have spent some time watching the NHK channel on cable TV. This is a channel that gives news and features about Japan, including some from the point of view of foreigners living in the country. One feature about games played in the country was very interesting. Did you know the number puzzle phenomenon Sudoku was invented by a Japanese game maker? I have tried it a few times but have never been able to solve it. I also never noticed the secret patterns like hearts, waves, numbers and other shapes hidden in there. Related to this is the love of brain training games. I think I should try these because I feel like my brain has gone to mush and I’d really like to know my brain age.

Most interesting though, and what I am looking forward to in Japan, is the simulation games. Among other things, they featured a converted car that would allow you to simulate the experience of racing on a Japan roadway, and a skating ramp. Very Cool!

Another show featured the art of making Washi (paper) and showed how paper made from plant fibers is utilized in a range of products from home construction in screen doors, lamps and lighting sculptures, and high tech products like gear changing plates and mobile phones. It is durable, light weight, beautiful and environmentally friendly. Interestingly, they also showed how this art of paper making is being transferred to the Caribbean via Haiti using indigenous materials. Specifically, they have used the usually discarded parts of the banana tree. It is hoped that this will create small and medium enterprises, lead to employment opportunities, generate income, reduce the cost of providing paper to schools and create an environmentally sustainable industry. The project has been expanded throughout the Caribbean by the participation of several individual, including Jamaica, at a training event in Haiti. I thought this was very interesting and hope the participants get the support necessary to develop this enterprise.