Lanwij Poliis ina Pings: Ef ano deso den a we?

Mi yuus tu fi ier spiiki-spuoki piipl tel mi bout ou mi chat bad. Mi no tuu pie dem no main kaa mi nuo se dem no nuo no beta muo taim. Ina fiwi kolcha wi gruo fi skin op wi nuoz pan piipl uu no chat Ingglish gud. Bot mi kohn frahn yaad we a bie Patwa chat an fimi mada ahn faada neva tel mi yet se mi nofi chat “so” ina di ous. Dong tu yeside mi a chat tu mi mada pan di fuon a wahn bwai frahn toun tel mi se im neva andastan notn we mi se.

Wan die dis soma mi go ina ‘Pings Fabric’ wid mi mada. Mi an ar a pik out klaat an a wiet pan smadi fi kom kot dem. Wen di uman kom mi paint ahn se, “Mi waahn di aliv griin wan uova deso.” Siem taim di uman flai aaf ahn se, “It’s dere, not DEsso.” So mi luk pan ar an se, “we yu miin? A deso it de!”

“Bot yu naafi chat bad so.”

“Mis, duohn karek mi langwij. A so mi chat.”

Evribadi op a di kyashier staat luk pahn mi, kaa mi nehna uol mi bout a grong fi skuul di uman. Den fimi mada shii go jomp iin, “A so im tan. Lov chat bad! He knows how to speak properly! (Im kyahn chat Ingglish prapa!)”

A uu tel mi mada fi go se so? Mi staat pan ar yu si! Mi stil kyaahn biliiv shi uda se sopm laka dat. Ina poblik! Mi se, “Mumi, fi aal di wok we mi du wid wi langwij an di briid a kanvasieshan mi an yu av bout langwij diskriminieshan, ou yu fi se dat?”

Mi neva aax ar, bot miebi mi mada did fiil kaina shiem. Ano notn ef wi chat Patwa tugeda, bot wen wi ina poblik wi afi “fix it up” so piipl no tink se wi “chat so bad”. Ano skuul wan wi lorn se Ingglish beta dan Patwa, wi lorn wen wi rap wid piipl evridie. Muo taim wi diivn nuotis ou wi shif di kaina Patwa wi chat wen wi muuv chuu difrent difrent spies.

Mi laik tel de tuori ya, kaa i shuo se di wola wi elp fi pudong di langwij a di nieshan. Ano ai-kola, edikietid piipl wan.

Di siem piipl dem uu chat di langwij an uu kyaahn chat Ingglish gud ago luk pahn yu an karek yu, kaa fiyu Patwa jos soun tuu bad.

Wi fi du beta.

Taim fi Pazitiv Vaibz: No Muo Woklis! Chichiman! Dundus!

Umoch ada wod wi yuuz fi kos wi wananeda? Nof. A taim wi staat tel wi pikni dem se i no rait fi kaal piipl niem. Nof wie de fi sekl aagiment, an no gud riizn no de fi chrai mek piipl fiil laik se dem ano smadi. Wichpaat mi de a skuul dem no tap tel wi bout ou “tolerance” an “community” impuotant, an mi fiil se wi kuda du wel wid a likl kiampien bout ou wi kyahn chriit di piipl dem we wi muuv mongx beta.

Wuo biyan tu yu ef smadi maak yu se yu no naamal. Mi memba wahn albiino gorl a praimeri skuul uu wi yuus tu kaal “waiti” an den wahn bwai we dii av cleft lip dem kaal “nuozi.” Puo mi we neva laik plie krikit ahn futbaal dem kaal “gyal,” “sisi,” “chichi,” an di wola di kola-kola wod dem wi mek op fi diskraib man fuufa jenda likl difrent fran di naam. Yu tingk a lik nait mi gaa mi bed a baal a wish se mi nehn tan ou mi tan?

Mi eva se, pikni no jos mek op dem tingz ya wen dem go skuul—dem fala di piipl dem uu de roun dem an lorn uu fi kaal niem. Wos ting, pikni uu get buli no riili taak bout we dem go chuu kaa nof taim dem shiem. Ina fimi diez tiicha onggl du sopm wen fait brok out, bot muos a di bos-op bos-op ina skuul a kom frahn stuon outa mout, no grong.

Mi miself taiyad fi piipl a kaal mi aal kain a niem. Fi wa? Kaa mi no luk laik dem? Kaa mi no gwaan laik dem? So wa? We dat du tu dem? Notn. So wa mek  dem afi mek mi fiil laik se sitn rang wid mi? Di wod dem pan di puosta we ina red onngl tier piipl dong. Taim fi kot dem out an staat chat muo bout di wod dem we de ina griin ahn yelo. Out a nof wan, no? Mek wen wi se dat wi miin i. Di wola wi afi liv ina Jomieka tugeda, so mek wi chrai bil a nieshan ina we wi aksep piipl fi uu dem bi insted a fi a chrai shiem dem fi chienj tingz we dem naa no kanchuol uova. Mek sens?

Bles.

(Uman) Jres-Kuod—Sexizm ina di Foundieshan

Bwai, i foni iihn? Wen wi redi wi taak bout ou wi nuo ou fi dash it out ina di daans an ina di bedruum. Wi uman dem ful a chat an tel enibadi se a dem ron man, man no ron dem. Ef yu eva stodi jenda a yuunivorsiti dem tel yu se dis a gud sitn—uman naa jos tek chat frahn man so agen. Bot wen yu dig liikl diipi paas di grong, yu nuotis se uman stil a sofa aanda man-ruul ina nof ada wie, an muo taim nehvn nuotis ou di sistim set gens dem.

Kopl ierz bak, ina Aagos, wahn sikiorti gyaad a Morant Bie (Poblik?) Laibri ton we mi gud fren wen shi go de ina washn spageti schrap jres we kech ar kopl inch biluo ar batam (mi no nuo ou fi se “mid-thigh”—lol). Wen im tel wi se shi kyaahn go iin im shuo wi wahn sain uova di duor we se: ‘No deliberate exposure of intimate body parts or undergarments’. “Bot afta mi bres dem naa shuo!” shi baal out. Shi twis an shi torn, den shi ton bak tu di man ahn se, “Yu kyahn si mi nipl dem?! Yes, se sopm, mi jos se NIPL! Dis a fuulishnis!”

Wen mi tek a beta luk pan di sain mi si wan ting—jenda diskriminieshan. Di wola di ruul dem we dem kliem se nesiseri fi “maintaining the dignity” a di laibri onggl av sitn fi se bout ou uman fi jres. ‘No seta nofi de ina ier’; ‘No skimpi blouz’; ‘No swim suut/shaar shaatz, ar skort’. Yu no si wahn chren yaso? Mi fiil se ef wi ago av jres kuod, i supuoz fi mek sens wen wi kansida di niecha a di aaganizieshan. Ina disya kies ya, mi no si wa yuus de fi tel uman se dem nofi wier kluoz we mek sens fi smadi uu a jres fi soma-weda pan di ailan. Plos, a uu gi dem aatariti fi disaid wa kaina kluoz ‘appropriate’ ar ‘mades’?

Di piipl dem uu sidong a di Jomieka Laibri Sorvis ina dem AC afis a mek-op dem ruul ya mosi figat se wi liv ina chrapikal konchri, we tempricha no jrap luowa dahn se toti tuu digrii ina soma. A iidiat ting fi tel uman se spageti schrap, shaat shaatz an skort, an tingz laik dem de nofi wier ina govament “poblik” bildin—laik aspital. Wa mek wi uda wahn fi rap op wi uman dem ina klaat kyahn kom tu mi. A wa, wi fired se dem ago ton aan man ina di laibri wen dem a riid? Man eva ago luk ef im si sitn we im laik—dat naav notn fi du wid uman an ou dem jres. Fi tel uman we dem fi wier wen dem go eks an wai plies shuo wi gud jos ou diip seksizm ron ina di sosaiyati. So uman ano diisent smadi anles dem kova op dem badi? A atenshan dem a luk wen dem “ekspuoz” dem shuolda? Jres kuod laik di wan we wi si uova di duor a di laibri a oul-taim sinting we naav no plies ina tide sosaiyati, an no uman uu rispek demself no supuoz tu a aksep dat widout kwestyan.

Dress Codes (for Women)—A Manifestation of Institutionalized Sexism

Jamaica is a land of ironies. On the surface, we are a sexually liberal people whose hedonistic propensities permit the most explicit displays of (hetero)sexuality. Our women are bold and they speak highly of their self worth, however, just under the surface of what seems to be progressive gender politics, they are marginalized by institutionalized patriarchy, and are largely blind to the discrimination they face in the most mundane of circumstances.

Two summers ago a close friend of mine, wearing a mid-thigh dress with spaghetti straps, was turned away from the Morant Bay Public Library with the security guard accusing her of transgressing the dress code posted prominently above the entrance of the library: ‘No deliberate exposure of intimate body parts or undergarments’. “But my breasts are covered!” she argued. Her bewilderment soon turned to rage as she fought back, “My nipples are covered, aren’t they? Oh yes, I said it, NIPPLES! This is an outrage!”

A closer look at the sign above the entrance revealed a most blatant example of gender discrimination. All the rules stated as necessary to “maintaining the dignity” of the facility regulated the presentation of women. ‘No setters in the hair’; ‘No naked or skimpy tops’; ‘No bikinis/ short shorts, skirts’. Does anyone notice a pattern here? If we must have dress codes, they must be relevant to, and help serve the purpose of the organization. In this case, I am convinced that it serves no purpose beyond restricting the freedoms and common sense of our climate-conscious women while furthering a classist discourse on what is ‘appropriate’ or ‘modest’ dress.

The decision makers at the Jamaica Library Service and other public facilities, comfortably working in air-conditioned offices, must have forgotten that we live in a tropical country, where temperatures consistently hover above 30 degrees centigrade. It is preposterous to qualify spaghetti straps, shorts, skirts, short dresses, and the like, which are typically worn by women, as inappropriate attire. Why we desire to drape our women in styles that hide their skin is beyond me. Are we worried that they will cause a stir by arousing the sexual interests of the male patrons of the library? The perception that we need to protect our women from the male gaze, or regulate their presentation in public, is symptomatic of the misogynistic culture we have created, where women are characterized as attention seeking harlots lest they cover bodies. A strict dress code, such as that prominently displayed at the library’s entrance, affirms and entrenches anachronistic standards that no self-respecting woman should accept unquestioningly.

We yaa luk pahn mi fa?

Yaav manaz? We dat iivn miin? Evriwe yu go yu ago fain se ‘gud manaz’ no set ina stuon. Muo taim wen mi de skuul a farin an smadi du sopm we mek mi skin op mi fies, mi afi iiz bak ahn se, “Wiet, ina fi im main im neva du notn rang. Di muos mi kyahn du a jraa im wan said an mek im nuo se we im du bada mi, so ef im kyahn pliiz no dwiit agen.” Bot den somtaim yaafi jos mek it gwaan.

Wan ting duo mi kyahn tek, nomata we mi de—wen piipl stier pahn mi. An mek mi tel yu, nobadi laik Jomiekan piipl fi stier ina yu maanin laik yu uo dem sopm. Wa die ya mi ina Madaz an wahn likl gorl a luk pahn mi, so mi luk pan ar bak. Wen mi ekspek di pikni fi tek aaf ar yai dem nou, notn di pikni du bot tier dem out aafa mi. Mi se tu miself, “bot de likl pikni ya no iizi!” Afta shi get ar tuu piis shi waak uova tu mi ahn se, “dat wehn at,” an a paint pahn mi yaibrou ring. Aal nou mi no ansa ar! Mi nuo ar? kmt

Wahn neks taim mi sidong a nyam wahn borga, an so mi lif op mi ed mi si wahn uman a tier rait ina mi maanin. So mi tek mi taim mout out, “we yaa luk pahn mi fa?” Mi se di uman riel op yu si, “Yu si mi a luk pahn yu, yu si mi a luk pahn yu!” Shi nehna luk, bot yet shi si we mi mout out.

Miebi a jos mi, bot mi no laik i. Wa die ya mi figa out ou fi kech di likl boga dem. Mi naamali no pie dem no main, bot nou mi staat plie dem giem—wen dem a luk pahn yu, luk bak. Yu fraitn fi si ou faas dem tek aaf dem yai. Som piipl laik di gorl ina Madaz naav no shiem, bot muos piipl tap luk antil likl afta dem tek anada prips. So nou mi nuo se piipl av manaz, dem jos naago yuuz i antil yu mek dem nuo se yu si dem.

Wan ada ting mi nuotis—jenda disaid uu (kyahn) stier pahn uu. Man no riili luk pahn man. Mi memba wen mi likl an a go skuul wan maanin mi de pan di bos an a luk chuu di windo. Di bos tap a wahn bostap an mi yai kech wahn neda man yai. Az di bos a jraiv aaf di man baal out, “We yaa luk pahn mi fa, yaa batiman?” Yu naafi aaks ef afta dat mi luk ina no man yai agen. Yu si dat? Wi pofaam jenda iivn chuu uu wi kyan stier pan.

Wan neda riizn mek mi no tink i rait fi stier pahn piipl a se i kyam mek piipl fiil bad. Wen mi wehn ina gried fuor mi memba wan taim mi si wahn big uman uu ‘donggruo’. Mi staat paint tu mi fren dem ya nou an a laaf se mi an ar a di siem ait. Di uamn luk pahn mi ahn se, “A uu yaa luk pan? A maita gi yu sopm fi laaf bout!” Afta dat, mi lorn mi lesn—no laaf afta shaat piipl. Bot no onggl dat. Jos chuu smadi likl difrent frahn yu, dat no miin se wi fi mek dem fiil difrent. Evribadi disorv likl rispek wen dem waak ina di ruod. Aal ef yu luk pan di smadi kaa yu laik dem tu raatid, yu no supuoz tu a luk muo dahn tuu sekan bifuo yu tek aaf yu yai dem.

A di en a di die, weda farin ar Jomieka, mi no tink i rait fi stier pahn piipl. Tek a wan luk, an ef dem naa luk bak, tek a neda wan, bot fi jos a stier ina piipl maanin so? Nuo man! Dat a wan ting mi naago chrai fi andastan. Az mi se duo, jos stier rait bak pan dem. Dat wii tek di powa outa di objektifikieshan.

 

Ano We Yu Se…

Eva sins mi likl mi an mi mada no tap fait. Ina Jomieka i no naamal fi pikni ‘bakchat’ dem mada ahn faada, bot dat de ruul de neva mek no sens tu mi. Ef yu mada rang, shi jos rang. A so mi se, bot no tek mi advais, kaa mi no wahn nobadi go get baks dong kaaza mi. (Mi suuhn du wahn puos bout aatariti—frahn mada ahn faada, govament, skuul tiicha eks— ina Jomieka). A jos fi yu fain di rait wie fi tel ar fi shi no get beks. Eniwie, shiida get beks siem wie, faa shii big an mi likl an “wen shi wehn likl shi kudn chat tu fiar mada so!”

Wan ting shi yuuz tu tel mi nof, “Javid, ano we yu se, a ou yu se it.” An yu nuo wa man, shi wehn rait. Muo ahn muo mi get fi nuo se nof a we piipl ier wen yu chat tu dem ano di wod dem wan we yu yuuz, bot di tuon-a-vais, di expreshan dem pahn yu fies, ou yu set yu an an yu fut dem eks.

Dis maanin mi afi tel aaf wahn man im we kom rait fiesi mesij tu mi. Afta dat im rait mi bak a se mi neva andastan we im wehn miin fi se—Im aal kuot we im wehn se fi shuo ou a mi a mek mikl outa mokl. Wel sa, we yu wehn miin fi se no miin notn tu mi, a ou we yu se kom kraas.

Ef a wehn wahn difrant die mi uudn se notn, bot ai man taiyad tide an naa tek no fuulinis frahn nobadi.

Chriit piipl laik u yu wahn piipl chriit yu. No chat dong tu nobadi jos chuu yu av pozishan uova dem, kaa yu neva nuo wen wahn biga daag gwaihn baak bak afta yu.

Bot a wa dis?! Wi no waahn no dipuotii out ya!

Tide Glinna av wahn aatikl bout ou Ingglan a luk fi sen nieli touzn dipuotii kom a Jomieka kaa di govament uova de chap di bojet fi di jostis dipaatment. Mi no grii wid dis nontaal. Mi no nuo a wa kaina chriiti dat dem go sain wid Ingglan fi se dem wii tek bak enibadi we gaa farin go ton kriminal.

Dem fi av som kaina sistim fi se aarait, ef yu liv ya fi eks-tiin ier den yaa fiwi waata fi kyaa. Luk umoch man ahn uman wi sen aaf gud gud (alduo som a dem kyaa jogz pan plien gaa di piipl dem konchri—dem loki dem got nehn bum-op), an chuu Ingglan naav no gud sistim fi intigriet puo piipl we naav no kalifikieshan som a dem en op a du aal kaina oslin fi mek a moni. Den nou Ingglan ago luk ahn se, wel, dem nehn baan ya so kom wi sen dem back we dem baan. A dem kaina sitn de mek piipl kil dehnself. Di mount a smadi mi miit ya uu baan a Jomieka bot gruo a farin—”Oooh, di plies dienjaros bad man. Mi mada se piipl a get riep ahn rab evriwe” (somtaim mi miin fi aaks dem we dem mada get dem tuori de fram bot mi no bada). So imajin wen di laaya dem tel smadi uu de Ingglan fran dehn likl se dem afi go gu bak a Jomieka! Ataklaps! lol

Bot siiros bizniz nou, we dem fi kom ya an du? An out a wi an Ingglan a uu muo beta av we i tek fi kip dem? *kistiit* Dehn se wid indipendent, bot wi no indipendent a raas. De worl ya set op a wie, kaa aal ef Jomieka no laik di dipuotii palisi we wi av wid Morka, Kianada an Ingglan, wi kyaahn se notn. Yu mad? Yu mosi wahn Ingglan go chap di likl jregz a ied we dem a gi wi an go tel dem piipl nofi kom ya kaa dem wii get dehn ed shat aaf? hmph.

A so di ting set stil. Wi niid fi aida prizn dem wen dem kum bak out ya (bies pan we dem wehn get lak op fa) ar mek sohn ous ahn sitn fi dem sekl ina wen dem kom—adawaiz, we yu tink dem gwaihn du fi nyam a bred? Dem naago pangka pangka laka mi ahn yu ef dem yuus tu fi a mek big moni pan di ruodsaid dem a Landan. Bot den dat uda tek moni we wi no av.

Eni we wi ton maka juk wi iihn?

Jomieka Aanda Man Govament

Tide ina wan a mi klaas dem wi chat bout se ina muos lichicha buk di mien karakta dem a man. Wen wi bok op uman,a wahn man a tel di tuori, ar wi a riid bout ou dem muuv mongx man. So wahn uman raita frahn Spien a se uman a kom iin nou an a rait bout uman an di rilieshanship dem we dem av wid dem wananeda—uman tu uman, mada tu pikni eksechra. Bot chuu muos kritik a man siem wie, dem no riet dem kaina buk ya. Dem taak se a “uman buk” an se di raita dem a rait fi uman, laik se man kyaahn si wid uman karakta.

Bot den fimi ed staat wanda (ki ki) an mi se tu miself se wiet, waa gwaan wid uman ina Jomieka? Mi nuo se di uman dem braita so ano laik se wi kuda av no glaas siilin we uman til a chrai brok chuu. Dat udn mek no sens. Bot wach nyuuz tinait ar riid di piepa a maanin an tel mi we yu nuotis—muos a di biga eds dem ina govament an di miidya a man. Ton gaa di “In Focus” sekshan a di Gliina wan sonde an tel mi umoch a di “critical perspectives on issues of our time” a kom frahn uman. Glenda Simms rait sitn evri nou an agen yes, bot nuotis se a uman bizniz shi rait bout (Tanks gad se smadi a rait bout i!). So uman naav notn fi se bout chried, liidaship, intanashinal palitiks an dem tingz de? Mi nehvn afi bada menshan govament, kaa wi don nuo se a bie man ful op Gaadn ous. Nou ina wahn konchri we uman wap-op man skin wen i kom tu skuul wok, ou kom man til a ron (sumoch) tingz?

Sopm no rait wid waa gwaan yaso. Di sistim niid fi chienj-op kaa ano man wan av tingz wid sens fi se.  Matarafak, wid ou di uman dem a riek-op di aiyis awaad dem ina skuul mi raada ier we dem av pahn fidem main.

Maaya Anjiluu Av Sens

Mi jos kom kraas sitn we shi rait we mi laik.

“Mi kom fi nuo se piipl wii no memba we yu se, an dem wii no memba we yu du, bot piipl naago jos figat so ou yu mek dem fiil.”

Unu wach out fi unu wananeda. No du nobadi notn we yu no wahn dem du yu.

Waak gud.

Eni we mi go mi kyaa fimi beli…

no chuu i naa shuo pahn mi (yet)!

I wehn aal luk beta dahn dis 😛

Notn no swiit mi so yeside mi gaa suupamaakit an di bucha man tel mi se dem get axtiel! Sel mi siks poun de maasa! Mi bai op mi skelian, mi taim, mi swiit pepa, mi tumieto an mi onian an siizn im op gud gud wid sohn pouda siiznin we mi kyaa frahn Jomieka. Dehn av wahn aaf ded pepa tu we dem kliem se ties laik skach banit an mi bai tuu fi spais op di pat.

Mi se! Mi mek chrii poun a it sima dong bifuo mi presha im fi twenti minit. Miit a jrap aafa buon an mi jos dash iin tuu tin a bota biin fi tik im op. Di rais don siem taim az mi ton aaf di faiya, an mi dish dem out wid grievi a ron dong said a pliet! 🙂

Chos mi wen mi se a umoch mont nou mi tiesbod dem no glad so! Mi no kieta we nobadi se, Jomiekan fuud a di bes! Rait ya nou mi av chrii muo poun ina di frij a suok fi neks wiik wen mi tiesbod dem redi agen fi rezorek.

Mi wehn fi tek sohn picha bot di fuud neva de de tuu lang fi mi go grab kyamra. Neks taim. An in kies yu wehna wanda, ano mi wan nyam di wola i aaf (Laad, mi krievn bot no so!). Nou mi nuo, ano wi wan lov koutiel niida! Wahn wait bwai im chrai piis an lik aaf im ten fingga dem bifuo im kum bak fi muo.

Tangk gad fi fimi muma, kaa ef a nehn shii mi udn lorn ou fi kuk an ja nuo se mi udahna sofa op ya.

Lieta!

Wan Aksent Kuda Chrang So?

Yu eva se sitn tu smadi we no chat Patwa yet?  Ier dem, “Oh, slow down. You’re accent is too strong, I didn’t get that.” An so yu sluo dong likl onggl fi si dem twis op dem fies likl muo? ki ki

Ano farin piipl wan, kaa som a wi swier se ef wi roun op wi mout gud di Patwa we wi chat gwaihn kum out ina Ingglish. Bot ano so i go.

Wa die ya mi wehna wach di dakimenchri “Life and Debt” (2001)  ina wan a mi klaas dem an wahn paat in de we sohn rasta man a chat bout ‘di sistim’. Mi se aaf a we dem se de ina Patwa, bot no sobtaikl no de ina di muuvi! Mi afi jos shiek mi ed an a se di pikni dem mosi a swier se di aksent we dem a ier chrangga dahn sorosi. Bot ano waata-dong i wahn fi waata-dong. Patwa an ingglish maita kom fran di siem faambli a bush, bot a difrent tii dem mek.

Den dis wiik nou wan a mi fren dem sen mi wahn aatikl fran di Obzorva, ina we di projuusa fi “Rise Up” a baal out se dem stan a beta chaans fi win wahn aska ef dem kuda kwalifai fi di ‘Bes Farin Langwij Muuvi’ kyatigori, bot dem no kwalifai, kaa aalduo muos a di muuvi de ina Patwa, nobadi no kansida se Patwa a wahn neda langwij. Wat a piisa sinting! I mek mi laaf likl mi naa lai, kaa wi kuda avaid dem ya kaina prablem ya ef wi jos disaid fi loud op wi ting. Bot ano Jomiekan piipl yaa chat tu. Matarafak, di piipl dem we ron tingz av di muos fi se bout se Patwa “is NAD a langwij”.

Lisn disya wan ya shii uu a chat Patwa an Ingglish mixop-mixop ina wahn vidyo we niem “Jamaican Accent”.

Eniwie, a dat mi av fi let aaf tide. Ina di maroz.