This is the parish of St. Thomas. It is a private, tiny beach on the eastern shore of the island. Have a lovely Monday.

Finally, rain. When it started to pour I was in Woolworth’s and people cheered.

Forecasters are calling for rain today. Yesterday it sprinkled for a few minutes and that was it. Tomorrow is a national holiday and it seems everyone has already left the city. Happy Emancipation Day! This is a mural painted by youth in the community of Burghers at the Peace Centre.

Photo Courtesy of Jamaica Gleaner

It seems Usain Bolt is in a bit of trouble at the Commonwealth Games. (Too bad this is the headline this morning, for the Jamaican team is smashing records and is atop the medal standings.) According to a journalist, Bolt apparently said he is not having as much fun at this event as opposed to the Olympics, and claimed that they were better.

Bolt is denying this. We weren’t there, we don’t know what happened, but I would tend to believe Bolt. For one thing, even without knowing his character, he has received so much media training that his Jamaican patois has almost been scrubbed away (although I’m sure it returns when he is back on Jamaican soil). In addition, with that kind of success and fame, there are always people trying to gain from it, such as this journalist, who Bolt accuses of trying to generate headlines.

It has always struck me just how much Bolt has apparently practiced to take on a more “American” accent. I can understand from a marketing perspective, but somehow it strikes me as sad that he has worked this hard to change something so unassailably part of who is is as a Jamaican. It was never even that difficult to discern what he was saying, actually. (For another take on the issue of patois and subtitling, check out this Guardian article.)

In any case, this is probably a misunderstanding. Bolt is a professional with multi-million dollar contracts. Hopefully this incident will cease overshadowing the stellar performance of the Jamaican athletes.

Jamaica’s “Gully Queens”
Could some progress be occurring? A recent story in the Jamaica Observer profiled the Colour Pink Group, a non-profit organization that is training a group of young, gay, homeless men was respectful, fair and balanced. Please check it out here. The story focuses on Mr. Jermaine Burton, a tireless, talented young man who is dedicated to helping these marginalized men. It is not sensational and provides a straightforward story about an NGO trying to help a group of people. This is how it should be done. Thank you to Ingrid Brown, the writer.

The link above is to a documentary by Vice Media about these gay men who live in a gully in corporate Kingston. It is one of several that have appeared lately, and I think I like this one the best. It seems the most free of an agenda, other than providing an accurate portrayal of the unfairness of the situation. The reporter inserts himself into the story, which can always go wrong, but he does it in a way that works. Nothing is gratuitous and the reporter also does not portray these young men as victims or free of responsibility in the way that they behave. For an international audience, this would be the most accurate and fair portrayal of the situation, I would say. Check it out at the link above. It is 24 minutes that is worth your time if you want to learn about how Jamaican society treats its most vulnerable citizens.

On Saturday we visited Castleton Gardens, a beautiful sanctuary just outside of Kingston. The Gardens were established in 1862 in an attempt to experiment with different kinds of plants to see if they would thrive in Jamaica.

Although the grounds were greener than Kingston, the drought is still affecting the Gardens. The plants are still growing but the grass is yellow. Despite this, people are still lighting fires to clear away brush. We heard from the tour guide that the river is at the lowest point it has been in decades. It is about one foot deep now.

On a similar note, a fire burned last night in the hills overlooking Kingston in an area called Jack’s Hill. Luckily the fire was contained but the air was acrid with smoke for hours.

The United Nations Human Development Index has just reported that Jamaica fell in its rankings for 2013. I think this Gleaner story is slightly skewed to the negative, but the country has indeed fallen by 11 rankings. It is still on the list of “high” development, however.

The Human Development Index, as described by the United Nations,

highlights the need for both promoting people’s choices and protecting human development achievements. It takes the view that vulnerability threatens human development and, unless it is systematically addressed, progress will be neither equitable nor sustainable.

The HDI measures a nation’s quality of life using statistics related to income levels, life expectancy and education levels. Income and education are definitely challenges currently being faced by the government, however, it seems that its focus is meeting the IMF targets so that the loans flowing to the country will continue.

Jamaica’s counterparts in the Caribbean have fared well, especially Cuba, but excluding Haiti, whose development is ranked as “low.” The top nation is Norway, while the bottom nation is Niger.

In the two-plus years I have been here, it seems like running has become more popular. I see way more people on the road now, early in the mornings and at dusk, after it has cooled down. The races are now packed with participants and there seems to be a group run every morning, before the sun even rises. It is wonderful to have the company and camaraderie and heartening to see so many people taking interest in their fitness.

This is a picture from this morning’s run. Enjoy your day.

Up and coming artist roots/reggae performer Chronixx was on Jimmy Fallon’s show last night. Check it out here. Congratulations!