If variety is the spice of life, then Jamaica must be the 'isle of spice', because variety abounds here... and not just among the fruits and ground provisions.
Jamaicans are 'colourful' in skin tone and personality, and there is probably no other adjective that could encompass us all, so I will stick to colourful.
Our motto is "Out of many, one people" and we do not complicate things with labelling such as... 'African Jamaican', 'Chinese Jamaican', 'Indian Jamaican', etcetera. A Jamaican is Jamaican, irrespective of ancestry or skin tone.
Where skin tone is concerned, we have far more variety packed into our 4,111 square miles than you would find in a similarly-sized area anywhere else..... pale with a hint of pink, pale with a hint of yellow, and a multiplicity of earth tones that would mesmerise the most diligent art student. But the truly beautiful thing about this place is that it is all normal.
All of it.
Every. single. shade.
Normal.
This is the reason I dream in colour, because... what else is there really?
Then there is the 'language of the people'. We cannot discuss colour without addressing the colourful language...
English is our first language and is considered 'proper'. It is what we teach in our schools, sing in our churches, and write in our newspapers. As citizens of this former British colony, we use the English of our former colonists, so my colour may be different from your color, my favourites may be different from your favorites, and so on.
However, the 'language of the people' - which only Jamaicans (or those taught by them) will understand - is Patois {pat-wah} which is sometimes referred to as Jamaican creole. It is a spoken language that has no rules, so there is no proper Patois, and you will find variations from one end of the island to another. As a consequence, most attempts at translation will fall woefully short, and I will wrap this up with two brief 'case studies' for you (translation in brackets).
Did I mention that Patois is never spoken slowly? I don't believe I did... so keep that in mind as you read, and since there are no rules governing Patois, my spelling gets a pass. ;)
In response to his mother's query about the broken vase...
James: "Ah nuh mi!" (I did not do it)
Mother: "Yuh too lie!" (accusation: You are lying)
Counsellor tells Susan that her 10 year old daughter is pregnant with twins...
Susan: "Yuh too lie!"
(Expression of incredulity, not an accusation: That can't be true or I can't believe it.)
Counsellor: "Mi dead serious." (Not death-related: I am very serious)
Susan: "Woiee! Mi dead now!" (Expression of grief: Susan is not literally unto death)
One phrase may have a variety meanings, because - with Patois - context is everything. (And you thought the English language was complex? :D )
Colourfully contextual or contextually colourful.... Jamaica, land I love.
Read Part 1 if you want to know what I am rambling about and why, or click here for all my previous posts on island life.
