Monday, March 31, 2008

check out the website

http://www.876radio.com/

Jamaican Proverb

One One Coco full basket.

Determination will help you to achieve your goals over a long period time

Jamaican Proverb

A hungry man, is an angry man.

It pretty much speaks for itself

Friday, March 28, 2008

Cuss-Cuss by Louise Bennett

Gwan, gal, yuh favour teggereg!
Ah weh yuh gwine go do?
Yuh an yuh boogooyagga frien-dem
Tink me fraid a yuh?

Go weh, yuh favour heng-pon-nail!
Is me yuh waan fi trace?
Me is jus de one fi teck me han
An leggo pon yuh face.

Fi-me han no jine chuch, an me naw
Pay licen fi me mout.
Me wi tell yuh bout yuh - see yah,
Gal, no bodder get me out!

Me no know is what kine a chuch
Fi-yuh mout coulda jine -
Yuh lip-dem heng dung lacka when
Mule cyaan meck up him mine.

Gwan! Me an yuh no combolo -
Yuh foot shapeless an lang
Like smaddy stan far fling dem awn
An meck dem heng awn wrang!

Fi-yuh foot favour capital K!
Koo pon yuh two nose-hole -
Dem dis big an open out like
Miss Jane outsize fish bowl.

Go weh! Yuh cyann bwile sof egg
But still yuh waan get ring -
No man na gwine fi married yuh
When yuh cyaan do a ting.

Is grudge yuh grudgeful! Me cyaan cook
But me ben go dah good school -
Me got intelligency, yuh
Illiterated fool!

Me sorry fi de man yuh get -
De po ting hooden nyam
When yuh ackebus him salt-fish
An bwilivous him yam


Translations
teggereg - rough, uncouth trouble-making person
gwine - going
boogooyagga - low-class or low status
heng-pon-nail - clothes that are hung on a nail, hence out of shape, untidy
combolo - comrade
wrang - wrong
bwile - boil
nyam - eat

Thursday, March 27, 2008

The Jamaican Alphabet

a: Hay
b: Bee
c: Cee
d: Dee
e: Hee
f: Heff
g: Gee
h: Haych
i: Hi
j: Jay
k: Kay
l: Hell
m: Hemm
n: Hen
0: Hoe
p: Pee
q: Quu
r: Harr
s: Hess
t: Tee
u: You
v: Vee
w: Dab'low
x: Hexx
t: Why
z: Zedd

Jamaican Proverb

one one coco, full basket
which means if you take your time, you will slowly accomplish your goal.

Out of Many One

Welcome everyone. This site is aimed at teaching and reminding all those people, foreigners and Jamaicans alike, to join in and go back in time to look at Jamaican heritage and culture. We can all share our Jamaican experiences to give a better picture of what being Jamaican is all about.

For all the foreigners, you will learn to sound more Jamaican, understand how to enunciate your words, learn how to cook and experience Jamaican poetry and folklore.

Fi aal di jamaykan dem, dis is praktis ana lang waak dung mem'ry lane....

Enjoy Everybody.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Say what?!?

So, I don't know about some of you, but I have a Jamaican Grandmother. Notice the title-esque format. This is actually not a state of being but an official title conferred only on those who follow the Jamaican Grandmother's Code of Behavior also called the JGCOB.

Rule number one:
Grandma overrules all. This means mummy, daddy, annoying siblings, dog, puss, goat, you get the picture. What Grandma says goes.

Rule number two:
Grandma has a right to quote various Jamaican proverbs at you. She has a plethora of options, but you'll know her favorites, because everytime she says them, you feel about 5 years old. Her favorites may vary from Grandma to Grandma, but she's not Jamaican unless she has some:)

Rule number three:
You must eat what Grandma gives you regardless of how big the casserole dish is. If Grandma makes you a plate of food and insists that you eat it, this is JGCOB for her saying "I love you". You may never hear these actual words, but rest assured this is what she means.

Rule number four:
No matter how many times you are called from across the house, field, yard etc to retrieve an object less than 2ft away from grandma, you must comply. Failure to do so or *gasp* complain about it is interpreted not only has total lack of respect but that you don't love her (which is clearly worse).

and last but not least rule number five:

I will love my grandmother no matter what she says or does, no matter if she annoys me, or is miserable because push come to shove, my grandmother will "deal with the case" of anyone who tries to do me harm.

Tenks y'all!