Can you speak Jamaican?
Last weekend I was waiting in line for the ferry to Toronto Island. I met an elderly couple that were vacationing from Bristol, England.
We chatted for about 20 minutes when this gentleman asked me if I was from Toronto. I told him I was born and raised in Toronto but my father was from Scotland and my mother was from Jamaica. His wife got all excited and asked me if I could speak Jamaican.
I looked at her with surprise. Her husband rolled his eyes and turned away, embarrassed. I tried to explain to her that Jamaica is a British colony and they speak English. Her husband chimed in and said, “don’t be daft dear, they speak English in Jamaica. What are you talking about?”
I got a big chuckle out of this. Maybe she borrowed The Rastaman Vibration from the public library in Bristol. Yah Mon!
Stumble It!Posted in Personal at 3:54 PM
Comments
Well, there is a Jamaican patois, although it is really little more than a cultural dinosaur trotted out for the tourists these days.
Posted by: Paul 
on June 14, 2006 4:29 PM
Tell that to real Jamaicans, Paul. Hey, I hear Jay does a mean ALi G.
Posted by: Lissa on June 16, 2006 10:35 AM
Awesome! People rock.
Posted by: Shiz on June 21, 2006 3:31 PM
Yuh nuh dun know seh dat man cyan roll-up roll-up hyim eye dem till dem drop dun inna di back a fiyim head.
Out an Bad
Yuh nuh dun kynow every-where mi go mih stay cross-angry-missirebile
Posted by: Lamara on July 1, 2006 12:06 PM
White people are just stupid…You should have told her to kiss your rotted #$%*9 that’s real patois.
Posted by: Jamaican Girl on July 5, 2006 10:08 AM
“Yuh nuh dun know seh dat man cyan roll-up roll-up hyim eye dem till dem drop dun inna di back a fiyim head.”
If you think that’s english, then you’re smoking too much ganja, or you’re not smoking enough… Syeen?
Posted by: Toppa Tingz on July 7, 2006 9:04 PM
Jamaican Patwa Language - is the natural living language of all Jamaicans and there descendants its a language that we should be very proud off! Its about time that high-minded cockity people, who are not educated in their cultural roots stop denigrating our heritage. I suggest that its about time you and others find out about your roots. Get educated visit my website!
regards,
Marcia Barritt
Jamaican Writer/poet and publisher
Posted by: Marcia Barritt on January 13, 2007 7:19 PM
An attractive garage organizer gives your garage a more organizing look. It also separates your garage passage from driveway. And swimming pools are separated from the rest of the landscape by fixing pool fencing. A highest privacy fences can be a source of noise reduction as well.
Posted by: jay 
on January 18, 2008 4:09 AM
