The article should be condemned because it was very disrespectful. What I'm saying is I understand why the writer is so angry. The writers anger is misplaced and should be directed towards the Jamaican goverment, who has been selling out the country for years. The Jamaican goverment runs the country like its the tourist industry. They have a busboy and waiter mentality, that is to cater to everyone except the Jamaican people. I can't count how many times I have heard Trinis making comments about how they have to give Jamaica handouts. You don't sell out your country to people who think so low of you. When people degrade your country and your culture you don't invite them in your home. You don't go to their home and ask for a drink of water either, because they will spit in it before they give it to you.
You gave me one example of someone talking bad about Trinis but its not something you hear of often. The difference is that this is a regular thing with Trinis.
Hopefully this is my last post on this subject.
Do u need a hug, really it sounds like you are having quite a bad day. Though like I said u seem to have a bad case of tunnel vision and kinda sound like them old men playing checkers in the village on sunday. You whole thing about Jamaica this Jaimaica is slightly disturbing because where i grew up in the states, all of us WestInidan kids stuck together an though we were all different islands and would tease each other about our different islands that never broke the unity between us. So of my Other West Indians friends and yes the yardies that i showed this post 2 where just shell shocked with your bitter tirade over ....what were u arguing about again, seems like the point was lost.
As for you statement about trying to be Jamaican you must be damn mad, I am what I am a TrinBagonian in the true sense of the word. I love my other island folk and the other west Indians attached to the main land. You on the other hand got some serious soul searching to do cause you seem to be mad an probably disgruntled at yourself. This craziness about hating Ja culture not sure where u getting from, prob the same place you getting your volumes of information about us that is soooo pinpoint accurate. I had no idea you were an Anthropologist and a specialist in regards to Trini's and the rest of the smaller isles, Though you still smaller than some of them. Pls I hope u do continue
with the train of thought.
You have Jamaican friends and that's great for you. I also met some Trinis that were really cool, but I tend to look at the whole aspect of everything rather than the small minority. I'm sure there are Sunnis and Shiites that get along very well, but for the most part they're killing each other. Your statement is like George Bush showing the rest of the world a small part of iraq thats peaceful and try to use it to say the war is a success. I'm a different person than you are and probably alot different from the Jamaicans you grew up with, or hang around with. Like I said, most Jamaicans are oblivious to the way other islanders think of them.
Many Jamaicans are just caught up in the happy party, enjoy yourself part of the culture and is blind to the world because they care nothing about the economic and political aspect. This is why they go to places like the cayman Islands as well as other islands and get treated like shit. They are stunned at the treatment they receive. Jamaicans are so caught up in there culture that they don't even know the culture is suffering from over exposure. I said before, Jamaicans have an aggressive, confident culture. Where ever they go they will set up shop and be Jamaicans. Jamaicans are so proud of their culture that they try to share it with everyone. This comes across as Jamaicans trying to force their culture on others. I have never seen a Jamaican holding anyone hostage and forcing oxtail and brown stew chicken down their throats. I have never seen a Jamaican holding anyone down and forcing them to listen to reggae music. I talk about the Trinis because they are the biggest rivals, that doesn't mean the hate and resentment doesn't come from others also.
Example:
I work with a Antiguan and someone from Dominica they all seemed cool. One day I overheard them talking about the fastest man in the world. They were saying that the fastest man in the world is a african. They don't watch track & field but their logic for saying it was a african was because africa is the motherland, and africans live a rough life so they have to be the fastest. I decided to correct them and explained to them that the world fastest man right now is Asafa Powell who's Jamaican. Immediately their attitude changed, I became another arrogant Jamaican, all I did was state something that was fact. Another time we had a conversation about hip hop. I mentioned the fact that Hip Hop originated from Jamaican culture. Once again I was a Jamaican bragging and boasting. All I did was make a statement that was fact just to enlighten them. There is another guy we work with who's american and guyanese. This guy really likes Jamaican culture and talks about Jamaican entertainers alot. The other two gets upset because the man talks about reggae and try to remind him that he's not Jamaican. The antiguan guy came to work one day talking about how he bought a beef patty and the cashier called it a Jamaican beef patty. Is logic towards that was he has been seeing patties in Antigua since he was a boy. It got to the point that one of them started saying all Jamaican women are whores because he saw a few Passa Passa dvds.
After they see that I'm getting serious they start claiming they're only joking. These are people who go to Jamaican clubs every weekend and Jamaican restaurants regularly, but for some reasaon they can't hide the resentment they have for Jamaicans. You claim its just about football but ask some of my relatives who has tried to work in some of these islands and they will tell you how they are treated. These people as much as some of them admire Jamaican culture, want their own cultural identity. They feel threatened and feel as if Jamaicans are trying to impose their lifestyle on them. I can admit that some Jamaicans do go to these countries with the badman attitude. The question is why should I or any other Jamaican feel ashamed. Some of you might want to sugarcoat things but I tell it like I see it. Our cricket team can't even get along, thats why they suck so bad. From what I've heard, the Trini and Jamaicans on the team are always arguing back and forth.
One poster mentioned how she has Jamaican friends, but also had to mention that Jamaicans don't appreciate other cultures. The poster also mentioned that Jamaicans try to impose their culture on the rest of the caribbean. So even though the poster has Jamaicans friends he/she still has animosity towards Jamaicans. I bet your Jamaican friends don't even know that you feel that way. So my point has been proven once again.
You all can go your way and feel that because we all might end up at a Jouvert party together that everything is all good. I can go my way and feel that just because I can basically have any woman I want( whether it be a Trini or whom ever) because of my good looks, that everything is all good. I have to focus on reality, I'm not preaching hate I'm bringing things to light. How can we focus on these issues if we continue to be blind. It's not just about football, that rivalry is an extension of all the animosity we have towards each other.
I have to focus on this because all the negativity is starting to affect my people. Instead of Jamaicans holding their heads up and say look at me I'm Jamaican and I'm setting a great example. They are starting to hold their heads down and separate themselves and say look I'm not like them.
If anyone read my post correctly they would see that I did not say that anyone was trying to be Jamaican. I said sometimes they are accused of it. Where in any of my post do you see me preaching hate. I call it how I see it, if you all thing life is just what you see in your little box then that's your problem. The average Jamaican would be shocked at what I'm saying because the average Jamaican only has Jamaican friends.
