Christmas is coming and the fowl is getting fat please put a ten cent in the young ladies hat.
It’s that special time of year once again. All the little children are so excited and so jolly. They wonder what Santa has in store for them on that wonderful day of Christmas. The malls are packed, no parking, everyone's rushing to start or to finalize their Christmas shopping. The Christmas trees are up and decorated with beautiful ornaments. It’s snowing which puts everyone in the Christmas spirit.
In Greensburg, I don’t really know how their celebration occurs, but when I return to Jamaica for Christmas break everything is going be different for me. It’s going to be a big celebration. Christmas time is one of our biggest holiday celebrations, except for our independence day which is in August 6. During this season, we have three nights of celebration. The first night is Christmas Eve; the second night is Christmas night and the third night is after Christmas which we call Boxing Day; in recognition for our boxers.

We have dinner with family and friends during the day then at nights we all go to the city of Montego Bay and dance and have a great time. Each and every night, there are thousands of people there and ready for the celebration. From children who have a curfew to adults who party until the dawn. Each celebration ends at dawn and everyone will discuss the things they did the next morning it’s a great experience. One year my cousin and I got lost downtown and ended up and this hotel party. I guess we looked older than our age because they let us enter the ball room. Everyone was dancing to ballroom music. It was a very classy event; an event that doesn't occur on a everday basics. It was fun and one of the best Christmas I ever had. If anyone ever decides on a perfect time to travel to Jamaica; the Christmas seasons would be the time.

Spontaneous

Something spontaneous just spontaneously occurred. I am wondering why people bother to smoke. I was at the Amtrak station in Pittsburgh when this tall, dark and mysterious man came and stood right beside me. He was dressed in the most deteriorating clothing. Suddenly, he started smoking, which I despise with a passion. He went from one cigarette to another and kept flicking his cigarette ash over my head. On his third cigarette, which he smoked in less than 30 minutes the ash not only fell in my hair but it caught my hair on fire, burning a portion of my hair off. I was so pissed and words could not express the way I felt then. Someone poured some water in my hair, thanks be to God! The good thing was that I was alive. The bad thing was I had just gotten my hair done. Now, tell me what you all would have done?

Touring some cities of Pennsylvania

I finally get to tour some cities of Pennsylvania. The first one was Pittsburgh, then Harrisburg, and last but not least Philadelphia. I said to myself when I arrived at each city I was going to the movies, shopping, parties and sightseeing. So I can compare what it is like to do the above in each city and then when I return to my island I can tell everyone about the different experiences that I had. The reason I chose these cities are: one they are the three major cities in Pennsylvania, two they seem to have a lot more than Greensburg I’m sure and three they are historical.

Party in Greensburg

` I finally found a place to party in Greensburg. Hip hip hooray. I went to this club called Johnny B’s, even though it wasn’t the most appealing place and didn’t have many people, I still had fun. The music was banging and everyone was dancing. That’s what makes a great party-not the amount of people but what the people came to do. I was having so much fun which showed in my clothing because my perspiration was all over my body. After all, the DJ played my favorite song “Run this town” by Rihanna, Jay Z, and Kanye West. I just lost control when I heard my song. Not only was i dancing like a star, but i wish that i was dancing witha star. The night continued very well; by the end, everyone was drained. We went to the restaurant to have breakfast, but everyone was so tried we didn’t get the chance to finish. We drove back to our dorm and called it a night.

The Most annoying words to me

I, for one, do think that “whatever” is one of the most annoying words when communicating. When you’re speaking to someone and they respond by saying “whatever,” it’s rude, it’s disrespectful and it’s certainly annoying. Many people might think that it’s today’s language, but believe it or not, if you continuing saying "whatever" you might say it to the wrong person at the wrong time. Some people may use it in everyday conversations without any meaning behind the word but the other person might take offense to it without you knowing. In order to have a great environment, one must respect others to prevent any unnecessary altercations.

Conversely, another word that I can’t stand is, “I don’t care” which some individuals say anytime they do wrong and you try to correct the problem. The corrections might even be very beneficial to them. Their response is, ” I don’t care” when in reality they do care, they just don’t want to face the reality of being wrong or they just don’t want to hear your corrections

Magnum Tonic wine

Magnum Tonic Wine is the real Jamaican tonic wine. Magnum Tonic Wine is created with natural ingredients, which gives the wine a better quality and a very rich taste. It is safe to drink, it has low alcoholic content and it helps with sexual stagima for most men. Magnum Tonic Wine gives your system the boost and energy needed. This wine is filled with lots of vitamins and minerals. Most caribbean men love magum tonic wine; just for the simple fact that it enchances their sexually ability to perform well in bed. So liven up your life with a little pep from magnum so you and your partner can endure long intercourse all night.

Jamaican Beer

Many people throughout the island of Jamaica love to drink beer especially men, like my uncle Anthony. The most commonly- drank beer on the island is Red Stripe. Red Stripe is brewed in Jamaica by a Company called D&G. This company makes most of the island juices and drinks; for instance they make Jamaican soda, and fruit drinks. One main reason why people Jamaican's love Red Stripe so much is how it makes them feel, it leaves them “irie”. Irie is a term used in Jamaica to describe a feeling of being elated. My uncle Anthony normally has a Red Stripe almost every day for his lunch break from his construction job. He just can’t get enough of it. I’m sure all the beer drinker here in Greensburg would love the taste of Jamican Red Stripe.

Legal age to drink in Jamaica

I was wondering why everyone in the United States gets very happy when they reach the age of 21. It is because that’s the legal age to drink and they feel a sense of independence. I would like to inform you all that in the island of Jamaican the legal age to drink is 18 but the law isn’t really enforced. Many young people drink and smoke as they please. I guess that’s why I don’t find it fascinating to drink or smoke because I have been around it so much. People always ask me if I smoke; when I reply by saying no, they immediately come that conclusion by saying I’m being dishonest. They claim everyone from Jamaica smokes. That’s such a big stereotype. Not everyone from Jamaica drinks and smokes.

My Creativity

Last weekend which was the fall break, I didn’t get the chance to go home so I decided to do something creative. My creativity was the art of cooking. I went to Wal-Mart to do a little grocery shopping but to my surprise, Wal-Mart was very huge. I told my friends that I hadn't seen any stores this large within the island of Jamaica. Anyway, I know that they were saying this girl has got to be crazy. Despite the size of Wal-Mart, I continued with my shopping and found and bought the things I needed for my cooking. This dish is one of our cultural dishes that I created: it's called Jerk chicken with white rice. This dish is normally eaten on Sundays for dinner and it's very costly. The funny thing about it was that I actually thought about the class while I was cooking. i thought about how nice it would have been if I had brought some of the good food for you all to sample. Too bad it was on a weekend and all of you were probably home anyway. Next time I promise to bring you all some good old Jamaican cuisine. Even though I was left here on campus, I enjoyed the weekend because I had some home- cooked food.

Transportation

Transportation is everyone’s mean of getting from place to place. In order for me to accomplish things I must have a form of transportation. Well, here in Greensburg everything is different. Last week, I wanted to go to the mall so I called the cab to find out their hours of operation. They told me their hours are 6am-7pm I said “7pm this can’t be real”. So I hang up the phone as astonished as can be. I never thought the cab would stop running at 7pm I was thinking more like 11pm or 12am. It was already 6, so I decided that I would have to go another time since I can never spend one hour in the mall. In jamaica, cabs run all night long. It might take a longer time than during the day because there are less cabs out at night, but I am sure you’re going to get one to where ever you want to go.

Fall

Fall, the season that expresses the beauty of nature. I always hear people talking about fall and how beautiful, enchanting and delightful the scenery was, but I never encountered it. I had an idea of what autumn appears to be, but it wasn’t anything close to what I envisioned. What I imagine was just the trees having colors, but what I saw was all different kinds of vivid colors. The leaves on the trees are so luminous in colors. Even on a gloomy or dull day the trees stay bright and they take your breath away. I watch the leaves fall to the ground and each of the leaves have different colors, shapes and sizes. The trees are in abundance, which makes the scenery more appealing to one's sight. However, summer in Greensburg was awesome, but fall is and will be the best despite the cold and windy days.

Sunshine in Greensburg

The best days and most exciting days for me are those days with a little bit of sunshine because it just brightens up my day. This is even better on the days when I have fewer classes. Sunshine in Greensburg is like having heaven on Earth just because it doesn’t come as often as it should and when it does appear, it seems so shy. It is either peeping out or shining inconsistently. But once I see a little brightness in the sky I am all for it.

A raining day in Greensburg Pennsylvania

When it rains it really pours. Have you ever been to London, England before? If you have, this is what a raining day in Greensburg looks like. It’s dark, it’s foggy and it’s depressing. You hear this hard roaring thunder that sometimes shakes the ground, flashing lightening and gusting wind. The heavy rain drops beat the leaves off the trees leaving all the leaves on the muddy ground.

The Weather in Greensburg

The weather in Greensburg Pennsylvania is so different form the weather in Jamaica. Jamaica is an island, so the weather is most likely always sunny. Here in Greensburg, the weather changes periodically. One minute its cold, then another minute it's sunny in a few hours it’s raining. This weather pattern occurs all through the day. Because of the changes in the weather, I was ill twice already. After all, my roommate and I were having a conversation, and it so happened that the weather topic came up. The weather here is so weird I exclaimed! Sarah, my roommate stated “welcome to western Pennsylvania that’s the way the weather pattern is here”. Because of the weather I mostly stay in my room which is located in the village called Apollo. There, I try to overlook the other side of the school watching the pouring raining running down the hill and the river flowing heavily as if it wants to overflow.

The National dish in Jamaica Ackee

INGREDIENTS :
• 1/2 lb. Saltfish (codfish)
• 1 dozen ackees
• 1 small onion
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 slices hot scotch bonnet pepper
• 1 small red sweet pepper
• cooking oil

METHOD:
1. Soak Saltfish in warm water to taste.
2. After soaking saltfish (codfish), place it in cold water and boil.
3. Clean the achee. Remove the seeds and all traces of interior red pit from the ackees.
4. Wash ackees five times
5. Cover and boil until moderately soft.
6. Drain, cover, and put aside.
7. Pick up(flake) the saltfish and remove all bones.
8. Saute thinly sliced onions and sweet pepper rings.
9. Remove half of the fried onions and peppers
10. Add saltfish and the ackees, and turn the fire/stove up slightly.
11. Add black pepper
12. Pour in to serving plate and garnish with remaining onions and pepper slices

JAMAICAN ESCOVEITCH FISH RECIPE

(Escoveitch: A variation on ceviche, the raw fish in lime juice popular in Latin American cuisine.)
Ingredients:
2 lbs any whole small fish or filets
1 lime
1/4 cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
oil for frying
Sauce:
1 cup white or cider vinegar
1 cup water
pinch of salt; pinch of sugar
1 cup julienned strips of carrot and chocho (chayote)*
1 hot pepper, such as Scotch Bonnet, cut in rings
1 large onion, cut in rings
6 pimento (allspice) berries

After you have washed fish, squeeze lime into rinse water to reduce fishiness. Dust with flour and fry. Set aside.

Boil together water, vinegar, sugar and salt. Add the remaining ingredients and cook briefly. Pour sauce over fish and leave to marinate in the refrigerator 4-24 hours before serving.

Recipe of my favorite Jamaican dish Curry Shrimp with white rice and vegetables

INGREDIENTS:
Serves: 4
2 lbs fresh shrimps
1.25 fl oz oil
2 onions, chopped
1/4 shin of a scotch bonnet pepper finely chopped up
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 sweet pepper chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
black pepper
1 1/2 cups water
Rice
1 ½ cups of rice with 2cups of water
This is interchangeable depending on the servings

Difference in the food

The food in Jamaica and the food here at school have two totally different tastes and yes I know you all are saying were you really expecting the food in Jamaica and the food in Greensburg to be the same? That’s Jamaica for God’s sake! Not being critical but this food here at school has no taste, no seasoning and most of all doesn’t appear appetizing. The only days the food is good are on the days when they have pasta. This is probable because I am a pasta fin addict. I just love pasta whether it’s good or bad. Another thing about the food is the proportion. For the amount of students there aren’t enough servings. They told me at that cafeteria that i needed to come earlier and i will get my serving. I laughed because I thought that what she said was quit rude yet so funny, but she didn’t know what I was thinking. I thought to myself what if everyone came early what would happen then?

Dancehall Music

Dancehall music

What comes to your mind when you think of dancehall music? Yep! Exactly what I was thinking, dancehall music is the “Real McCoy” people would do anything for dancehall music. In Jamaica, people are so laid back that they actually make up dances like every week for the different party events. Dancehall music is an outlet for people in Jamaica. It is a way to free their mind and release some stress. However, I decided to try out for the dance team here at UPG. The first day of auditions the teacher asks “how long have you been dancing?” This was a question for everyone. Some people said ten years, others stated five and so on. When she gave the first count most people were stumbling on their moves. I decided that the team was going to be a total disaster and that I wasn’t going to be a part of it. Any way, I wanted to do something at my leisure, but there wasn’t much other from clubs.

Soca

Soca is another type of Jamaican music. Even though it was invented in Trinidad and Tobago, we Jamaicans still listen to it and have singers who sings it. Soca is really seasonal in Jamaica; it is played only at carnival season. During this time of year, there is lots of hostility because the island becomes overcrowded with people. Even though the island is overcrowded and hostile, that doesn’t stop the people from having fun.
We have food such as Curry Goat, Jerk Chicken, Jerk pork, Jamaican Patties, and all the best tasting and greatest food you can ever imagine. Apart from the food, the costumes are to die for. Most people's attire is very skimpy, revealing yet exotic. They will be jumping, singing and dancing everywhere in the streets all day long.

Reggae one form of Jamaican music

Reggae is one type of Jamaica’s cultural music that is being played all around the world today. Reggae is indeed the most popular music in Jamaica. Many people listen to reggae for different reasons; some people for relaxation while others for fun. When I contemplate on the word “Reggae,” the only thing that comes to mind is unity. Reggae music brings our people together and puts you in a state of mind where nothing else matters but love, unity and togetherness. However, the best time of the year is Reggae Sumfest. Reggae Sumfest is a festival that occurs every year. This event is held in Montego Bay, a small tourist resort area, where artists from all over the world come to perform with our Reggae artists. This is one of Jamaica’s biggest events; it’s so much excitement and there are people everywhere.

A little about The island of Jamaica

Jamaica is a very small island with approximately 4244 square miles. In comparison to Jamaica, Pennsylvania is ten times larger and has square miles of approximately 44,288. Jamaica has two neighboring islands: one is Cuba and the other is Haiti. We share similarities in our cultures but differences in our languages. In Jamaica, our native language is English but we speak broken English which is known as Patios. As for Haiti, their official language is French, but this is only spoken by the government and small portions of the business world. Approximately 95% of the population speaks Haitian Creole, which is a blend of French, Spanish, Portuguese, English, and some African languages. In Cuba, their native language is Spanish. Moreover, each island has their own independent policies even though we come together for certain foreign policies. However, within the island of Jamaica our motto states “Out Of Many One People” meaning that there are many different people living in the island but we come together and unite as one. This is why Bob Marley made the Song “One Love.” If you haven’t heard of Bob Marley he’s a Jamaican Reggae legend that died from cancer. Jamaica is known for the beautiful scenery, succulent food, the religion Rastafarianism, the beautiful girl, the handsome young men and most of all the herb Marijuana.

Coming to Greensburg

I was excited on my way to Greensburg not knowing the things that I was going to encounter. I knew a little about Pennslyvannia but not enough to make or pass any judgements about the state. I knew it was very mountainous with lots of trees and that it consisted of many historical events. Some of these events would probable lead to my success. The best part about coming to Greensburg is the fact that I knew that I was going to get a solid and strong foundation towards my future and that it will become one of my milestones towards my success. Being an island girl from the city of Montego bay, Jamaica means so much to me. Even though our island is very small, we come together as one and we all unite. Greensburg is a huge transition for me. everything is different from the people to the food and most of all my surrounding.

1. Jamaica
2. Fashion
3. Sports
4. Fruits
5.Friendship/ Relationship