Independence day Events

According to the JIS.GOV, The ceremony commemorating Jamaica's 47th year of Independence for today at Kings House.

Presented by their Excellencies the Governor General Sir Patrick Allen and the Most Honorable Lady Allen, the traditional celebration promises the usual pomp and pageantry which it has been associated with it throughout the years. It gets underway with a march by uniformed groups and guests are asked to be seated by 8:30am in order to welcome the arrivals of the Governor General, the Prime Minister, Opposition Leader and other members of government.

The general public is invited to this ceremony which will include Independence Day messages delivered by the Governor General, the Prime Minister and the leader of the Opposition. There will be patriotic songs, massed bands, traditional dances and a march past by various uniformed groups.

Dress code for the National Independence Day Ceremony is lounge suit- jacket and tie for men and for women, elegant skirt, dress or pant suit.

Source: JIS

Rum War Dem A Start

Okay I don't know about you, but Christmas is not Christmas without deh white dem. (Jamaican white rum). We use it for sorrell, Christmas Cake, Christmas Pudding and so on. So why did the people at Wray and Nephew dem lay off their workers right before Christmas. Isn't that shooting yourself in the foot?

According to what one of the protestors that was laidoff told RJR news, "For years, Wray and Nephew (has been) a coming that has been making a lot of money ... they just decided one morning that we no longer need the Engineering Department so all of you guys go home ... persons with 10, 15 even 20 years of experience ... what are we to say to our families, a week before Christmas when we cant feed the babies.

Now the company workers (at the engineer department) do have a union, so I assume someone gonna have to answer to the layoffs.

Cuts are going on everywhere on the island, just as it is all over the world. The recession that the United States is feeling is a Global thing. Everything trickles down. What is sad is that many of the smaller islands do feel it more. When you don't make nothing, you don't have nothing and people try to take that "nothing" away from you, it hurts.

For more of the story at Wray and Nephew read -------> HERE

Digicel Continues Its "Rising Stars"

Digicel Rising Stars continues its wining streak ( the American Idol of Jamaica) by showcasing the great talents on the island. With the end of Season 5 quickly coming to a close, the focus is on Cameal Davis. I love her voice. She is only 22 but she has a great stage presence an a powerful voice.

Back to Finalists

Check out this interview with another rising star, "K'Alee" ----> Click Here

Corrupt Customs System Getting Facelift

The Jamaica Chamber of Commerce is putting its full support behind Commisioner of Customs Danville Walker.

"A clear vision and commitment to cleaning up the system are urgently needed," the JCC said in a statement issued yesterday. "Those involved in corruption must be made to suffer the full extent of the law, with no exceptions. This must include the forfeiture of all assets gained through these illegal activities, as provided for by the Proceeds of Crime Act.

For many who have had to go through Jamaica's custom system you know the level of dishonesty that lurks there. Sometimes it is not what you know but "who" you know that can get you by. This holds true for the customs office.

"Finance Minister Audley Shaw recently exposed the facts to the nation regarding tax compliance. The JCC agrees that tax compliance must improve and, to this end, insists that the new commissioner of customs be given the necessary resources, independence and priority to enact changes in the customs system, which will yield positive results for the nation's treasury and serve as a starting point in collecting outstanding taxes," the group said.

I hope something gets down, because down the line this will hurt the tourist industry.

For more on the story click > HERE<

Woes of Air Jamaica

The cancellations, Delays, bad service, higher prices, these an more reasons why Air Jamaica is failing.

Here is a brief history, as provided by Wikipedia.com

Air Jamaica was established in October 1968 and started operations on 1 April 1969, connecting Kingston and Montego Bay, with New York and Miami^[2]. At that time the Jamaican government owned a substantial part of the airline, with Air Canada owning a minor share and providing technical, maintenance and logistical help.

During the 1970s, Air Jamaica expanded rapidly. Flights were added to Toronto and Montreal in Canada, to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in Puerto Rico, to Philadelphia and many other destinations, especially across the Caribbean. Long-haul services to Europe were started on 1 April 1974. Air Jamaica used Douglas DC-8s for a large part of the 1970s, but the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 and Boeing 727 jets became a part of the fleet towards the end of the decade when the government bought over Air Canada's small share. During the 1980s, growth slowed. Nevertheless, new routes were still opened, to Baltimore and Atlanta.

More...

Air Jamaica has served Jamaica well in the past, but in order to be more competitive, it has to be stable its pricing and work on quality customer service. Even if the airlines is having its woes, if the service provided was exemplary, then the people would still be willing to support it.

Air Jamaica Increasing Flights

Well good news for anyone planning trips to Jamaica, Air Jamaica is now planning on increasing flights to some North America and other Caribbean areas.

The package, which is being rolled out as the airline's summer schedule, will also see the company reintroducing some new flights, such as the early bird non-stop Kingston to Miami flight and the one-day fare to Fort Lauderdale.

The airline will also now offer four daily flights to and from New York, and will be increasing its flights to six weekly to Los Angeles.

Source:Jamaican Observer

Air Jamaica is Increasing Flights

Air Jamaica is increasing its seat capacity from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York to both Barbados and Grenada, effective April 1, 2008.

Paul Pennicook, Air Jamaica’s Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales, announced that the Caribbean carrier will continue to serve the New York-Barbados route with daily nonstop flights, upgrading the existing A-320 Airbus aircraft to the larger A-321 which carries an additional 38 seats.

Flights to Grenada will also be increasing.

Source: Caribbean News

New Changes for YawdFromAbroad

Well I just want everyone to take a look at Sistah YardFromAbroad New site. I love the feel of it. I am getting tired of Blogger myself. It seems like you don't really have any control over anything. I am actually going to expand this site. I had a bit of a setback with my surgery and had to do some additional healing.

I guess I thought I could just have major surgery and just get up and do everything like I was doing before. Even now I feel like I am getting a cold, (I hope not). See if I was in Jamaica I could just grab a bush (bush tea) and boil it and I know I would feel better.

Again big up to Yard

Legless Man Smuggles Drugs

Well, it isn't the first time and I am sure it won't be the last. It appears Dean Stewart 22, thought he could get away with smuggling drugs in his hollowed out prosthetic limbs. Stewart who boarded the Air Jamaica Flight 15 to New York City in November of last year, never knew what he was in for.

He was busted after the plane landed. Stewart a Jamaica told immigration he could not walk and the prosthetic leg could not be removed. Inspectors became suspicious because Stewart's round-trip ticket had been purchased in cash three days earlier, and Department of Homeland Security records showed he had traveled to the U.S. three times between June and August for brief visits.

According to Stewart (at his indictment at Brooklyn Federal Court), he did indeed know he was smuggling drugs, but did not know how much.

It seems he has done this so frequently that he must of thought he would never get caught. The sad thing is they took his prostethic leg (yes he really is disabled) and he had to appear in the courthouse in a wheelchair. (i know that leg cost some money).

Source: New York Daily News

Why Not To HiJack A Jamaican Airplane

*******************DISCLAIMER GRAPHIC LANGUAGE************************

This states why people will not try to hijack Air Jamaica

Altton Ellis-Godfather of RockSteady

Alton Neamiah Ellis, 63, has been in a hospital for weeks now undergoing Cancer Treatment. The Jamaican Observer reports that his nephew, Owen "Blacka. Ellis states,"His kids and wife were being vigil at his bedside," Ellis, know for such tunes as, Cry Tough, Can't Stand It, All My Tears Come Rolling, Tumbling Tears, Can't Stop Now, and Girl I've Got A Date.

I grew up with my parents and Auntie playing these tunes. Please keep him in our prayers.

Jews in Jamaica

For the Jamaican Jews, practice of their religion and recognition of their identity remained a struggle under Spanish rule. Yet, genealogical records show Jews as having managed to live into their eighties and nineties.In addition to a Jewish market and a good number of Jewish shops, the Neveh Shalom Synagogue was established on Spanish Town's Monk Street in 1704.




Jamaican Jews were limited by law to ownership of two slaves only, unless they owned plantations, and few did. In addition, they were charged with only using Jewish indentured servants although this restriction was loosely imposed and therefore largely ignored (Arbell, 2000, p. 50). It should be noted, however, that the Jews, having introduced sugar cultivation technology to Brazil in the 1520s, are largely credited with doing the same in Jamaica circa 1530. With the decline of Spanish Town as the seat of government and business, the Jews turned their attention to Kingston towards the middle of the 18th century. The first synagogue is said to have been built in 1744 (Arbell, 2000, p. 29), and perished in the Great Kingston Fire of 1882. Another, an Ashkenazi Synagogue, appeared in 1787.



The Jewish community is preparing to celebrate 350 years of free religious practice in Jamaica. Today the numbers have dwindled to close to 200
Considerable attention is given to prominent Jewish families such as the Lindo, deCordova, Henriques, Ashenheim and Matalon families and the pioneering distinction of these families and others in all aspects of Jamaica's history and development, industry and commerce, politics and education and culture.

Sources:Jamaican Jews

Noel-Emergency on Alert

Noel, the 14th tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, is forecast to pass over Haiti's south-western peninsula in the morning, and its centre is expected to move over south-eastern Cuba later in the day, the United States National Hurricane Center said.

The weather system, which was upgraded yesterday from a tropical depression to a tropical storm, is expected to produce gusty winds and above-normal waves in Jamaica, especially along the eastern and northern coastlines.

At press time last night, maximum sustained winds were near 95 km/h (60 mph), with higher gusts, but additional strengthening was predicted for the next 24 hours.

At 4:00 p.m. yesterday, the centre of Tropical Storm Noel was about 470 kilometres (290 miles) east-south-east of Morant Point, Jamaica, or 205 kilometres (125 miles) south-south-east of Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Air Jamaica Ceo Quits

I have used Air Jamaica for travel several times. I like it for its tourist-like fanfare. It is kinda like flying Air Hawaain , you get the feel of the island. According to the Jamaica Observer (newspaper), CEO Mike Conway has resigned from his position.


Conway, who was two years into his three-year contract with the airline, yesterday declined to say whether he was pressured into resigning.

The former Air Jamaica boss said the 2,500 staff members at the airline needed a leader who was ready to "charge up the hill with whatever new plans were being proposed".

According to Conway, his employment agreement had a provision for him to be able to resign in the event of a change of government.

It seems not everyone is in agreement with some of the new policies being handed down by the government.

In an interview on Wednesday night, the new Air Jamaica chairman, Shirley Williams, said the board's first major task would be to find out definitively what were the reasons behind the carrier's annual loss.

"We don't have much time, so we have to get in there, brief ourselves, look at the problem and find the solutions," she said.

School Memories

When one looks back at school in Jamaica, you think of little boys in their Khaki pants and little girls with their crisp, pleated, skirts or jumpers. They were students of different ethnicity's and backgrounds, but what made the relationship between the students in my school special was that we were: “out of many one student.” Or what they say in Jamaica: “Out of many one people,” so that mind-set in my school between teachers and students, made coming to school and learning more beneficial.

We started the day with morning prayers. This is not and option but a mandatory part of the day. We then chose someone to recite a verse from the bible. In basic school (elementary), you spent your time trying to avoid getting chosen to write on the black board, (especially if you could not write well).

I remember learning to write, "join-up" (cursive writing) and how the teacher rapped my hand with the ruler because i didn't like to connect my "d's". Recess of course was fun time for us at school. We would play ring games, like "brown girl in the ring," "Puncienella likkle fella." "stucky ketchy""mother may I" "Capture the base," and many more.


There were also a lot of hand games, "Miss Mary Mack," was one. I like to play the jump rope games too. We had a hot lunch line (some schools didn't) and we would go up and get our tray. High School (typically) which is usually 4 years in the States, seemed longer in Jamaica.

A school child around ten years of age, would start 1st form (traditional in the British Educational System) and complete school at around age 16 with 5th Form. If you were smart you would go on to 6th Form (usually the Prefects in the School).

I had many happy days in School in Jamaica. Many wonderful memories. I think many kids in Jamaica miss out on these good times.

TrenchTown

Trenchtown is located in Kingston. (Jamaica's largest city). The name came about because the neighborhood had a large open trench running through it. Living in Trenchtown in the late 60's and 70's was hard. Two major rival Jamaican political parties , The Peoples National Party and the Jamaica Labour Party, had emerged in Kingston and enforced code that ensured only their party’s supporters had access to jobs and services.

They sponsored "dons" to enforce their authority in the so-called "garrison communities" and shot any opponents with guns. Trench town was controlled by the PNP, which put it at war with neighboring Rema, a JLP stronghold. The road connecting the two became the front-line in an all-out war. After a while the "dons" outgrew their masters and turned to drug trafficking and extortion, and Trenchtown, like other parts of downtown Kingston, was carved up into warring gang territories.

I remember working at the record shop on Orange Street and how sometimes we had to lock up early due to the fighting. It was hard times in Jamaica. Certain things were scarce (flour, sugar, overseas products).




One of the best things ever to come out of Trenchtown was a young upstart named, Robert Nester Marley. He is known better as "BOB MARLEY." To Bob Trenchtown was home. This was where he got most of the feeling for his songs. Trenchtown was the heart and soul he put in his music. Trenchtown had so many musical artist (aside from Bob) that called it doors home.

Alton Ellis, Peter Tosh, Bunny Livingston, Rita Marley and the list goes on.

Deportees

Now here is the kicker, the term, "Deportees" can be referring to imported cars from Asian countries or "criminals returning to the island." What comes to mind when I hear deportees though is the latter. You come back to the island with only the clothes on your back, loss of dignity and many times leaving your family behind. You handcuff to the airplane seat, with your paperwork in a manila envelope. That is all you carry. The majority of deportees though that come back to the island (contrary to opinion) are not all criminals. Their are many who have committed only immigration violations.

Sadly, the ones who do commit crimes abroad come back and lend their skills to the local gangs (bad bwoy dem). In the 70's and even some years of the 80's you did not hear about drive-bys in Jamaican communities. This is one thing that was brought back by the deportees.
A United States government commissioned study in 2004 done by the University of West Indies Professor of Criminology, Bernard Headley said the that over 5,000 Jamaicans sent back from the United States between 1997 and 2003, very few were guilty of murder.

Jamaica's Ministry of National Security though (at the time) Secretary Gilbert Scott argued that a large number of criminal deportees were indeed involved in serious crimes, focusing on drug related activities. The Head of Operation Kingfish, Assistant Commissioner of Police Glenmore Hinds said, "Deportees have always been involved in criminal activity, however, the level of involvement cannot be qualified."

Whatever the dispute in the reports, many Jamaicans know that crime has increased in Jamaica and they are hoping this new government helps in alleviating that. Sending back criminals to a country that is struggling to get back on its feet is a crime itself (that is my opinion). Wouldn't be so simple that if someone bothers you, you simply ship them over to someone else. Fact is that the deportees, many of them, when to make life better for themselves and their families, but were never properly educated about life outside of their native land.

Sometimes trading one prison, for another.

Transportation in Jamaica

Getting around in Jamaica is not sometimes the easiest thing to do. Some of the more adventurous travelers (tourist) sometimes even rent bikes to go into the high mountain areas. I remember someone asking me once do they have trains in Jamaica. Of course their are trains in Jamaica. However not more so to carry the Bauxite. In 1992 Passenger trains ceased operation. Although I have heard talk, due to the congestion with the cars the government is looking into bringing back rail operations.

Now cars of course are the best way of transportation around the island, and potholes are vehicles best friends. Rural areas have the worst upkeep history. Their are some roads that not only are still not paved, but are so underdeveloped that even the donkey is afraid to go there. Jamaica also has very little stoplights in the rural areas. I suggest bringing Dramamine or some other nausea medication for traveling country roads. They are known to be quite bumpy and sometimes can be very narrow. Riddle of the day if you are traveling on a narrow country road and another vehicle is approaching you, which vehicle has the right a way.

The answer is the one going down the hill, because that vehicle cannot back up. Though we do have many adventurous drivers in Jamaica. So even that answer may be a challenge.

One of the more cheaper or should I say "economical" ways of visiting Jamaica is by taking the bus. Their are daily excursions from many of the popular hotels to the attractions on the island. Local people use the buses sometimes to carry their wares to the marketplace. Jamaica has mini bus or robot. This is the bus that many of the "higglers," use.

Route Taxis are another way of getting around. However, if you are a tourist it is probably advisable make sure you get a "licensed taxi." Route taxis generally run between specific places, but if you're in the central taxi hub for a town you'll be able to find taxis going in any of the directions you need to go.

Route taxis don't run very far, so if you need to get half way across the island you'll need to take it in stages. If worst comes to worst, just keep repeating your final destination to all the people who ask where you're going and they'll put you in the right car and send you on your way. You may have to wait until the taxi has enough passengers to make the trip worthwhile for the driver, and many route taxis travel with far more people in them than a Westerner would ever guess was possible. If you have luggage with you, you may have to pay an extra fare for your luggage since you're taking up space that would otherwise be sold to another passenger.

















Jamaican -American style taxi




unlicensed Jamaican taxi




Becoming a fast form of transportation in Jamaica

Air Jamaica

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Air Jamaica is probably one of the best known air transports to and from the island.
It began its service April 1969. Their were nonstop flights from Kingston and Montego Bay to New York and Miami. At that time, the airline was owned by the Government of Jamaica, with a minority interest held by Air Canada, which provided the equipment, technology, training, pilots and some top management. Through a "buy-back" agreement, the Jamaican government acquired the airline by the end of the following decade.

I remember leaving New York in the 70's and hearing the familar "WELCOME TO JAMAICA"from the stewardess and other airline personnel. It was however the hot, Jamaican cuisine on the flight that kept me coming back to Air Jamaica.