The Friday song choice

Jamaicans are cool man!

Jamaicans rated 3rd coolest nationality!

So of course as soon as I get wind of this I had to post it. My Uncle wants to know why we are not number one?!?! Hubby wants to know where the Italians are?!?! I just love the bit at the end where it says....

Not so cool: High murder rate and widespread homophobia.

It gets you thinking though...What are the impressions other people have about where you come from? It was not that long ago that people thought Jamaicans lived in huts and swung from tree to tree like Tarzan. I still get people that don't believe I am Jamaican simply because I am white!  Our national motto by the way is " "Out of Many One People". If you look at pictures of my family it is distinctly for want of a better word 'colourful'....

 When you say Jamaica they say 'Bob Marley man!'. Even though the guys that wrote the article are fans of Jimmy Cliff just like me...an excuse to post a song break.........

Once at work one of the young people I supported asked if I smoked weed. It's illegal in Jamaica by the way just in case you are wondering! Yes the weather is lovely but no I did not go to the beach every day actually. Actually living in Kingston it was a good 40 minutes to get to the nearest beach. Mind you I did enjoy a lot of childhood holidays in the sunshine at the beach with my parents. The downside being that you are far away from the rest of the world so travelling abroad never happened a lot unless we were visiting family in the UK. Whereas when I met my Italian hubby he had already seen all of Europe.

Whatever your image of Jamaica is I won't argue though....Jamaicans are cool man!

The Friday song choice

Sweet Jamaica

Just a quick follow up to the post I did a while back Tourism?. It kind of makes me sad.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Another-controversy-hits-Falmouth-Port

What is happening to my sweet Jamaica, land of wood and water....

Information overload

Well I have learnt so many new things since I have been pregnant that it's amazing. I really wasn't expecting it to be like this...so much to learn...I mean come on women have been doing this since the beginning of time. My mother finds it fascinating all the resources I am able to tap into cause 'they never had that in my day!'. As we have developed and learnt we have also become risk averse and have to watch our step through every week of pregnancy. Every little niggle I find myself trawling the internet and it's fascinating to find that usually someone has some sort of answer out there for the same question whether they be a professional or not. I stop myself for a minute then and realise that I only trust those who give me an answer that relieves my nerves rather than makes me anxious...what's the point in that!!!

My dad gave me some advice at the beginning...hubby is supposed to buy me a book and read it and then tell me what I need to do when the baby arrives...interesting! He also advised me to buy some body lotion and get hubby to rub my belly every night...I liked that idea better. I have looked though at the different books that are available...where does one begin and where does one end?!?! Everyone has got a bit of advice and sometimes (or most times) its conflicting. 

I never knew before that you could have a Gina Ford baby? I thought I was having a Montagnoli baby!

Body Image

How self conscious are you about what you look like? Have you ever gone topless at the beach while on holiday or maybe gone all out and taken your whole kit off? How much are we still really influenced by images of models and celebrities in the media? Do you really fancy being a size zero and think that it's a good image? 

There is a communal changing room at my gym. What no separate cubicle to get changed in? Yes ladies it has been deemed that we all have the same bits so we shouldn't be bothered about getting dressed together. Some ladies head straight for the toilets where they can have some privacy...though I doubt it's a very comfortable space to get dressed. Then there are those women who have mastered the trick of changing into your gym clothes with showing very minimal amounts of skin. They are fascinating to watch which is a bit bad on my part because they have obviously mastered this art because they feel the other women are staring at them. Then there are those who don't mind if you see them in their underwear but they go no further. Then of course you get those who just get on with it...get the kit off...get changed and get to the gym. Yes that's me by the way...I'm just not bothered.

We communicate through what we decide to wear and how we express ourselves using our bodies. If you go out in the community and show too much skin then certain assumptions about your character are "allowed " to be made. I'll admit that sometimes I make them. It's freezing cold outside for goodness sake...go put some clothes on! It's not just about showing skin but also how you carry yourself for the occasion. The British are supposed to be reserved but they are also very good at binge drinking and there seems to be nothing more a British woman likes to do when she has had lots to drink than 'getting her tits out'. In the UK you get the popularity of programmes such as 'How to look good naked', though the idea of a man who wears trousers half hanging off telling me what to wear is depressing. There is a difference between style and fashion ladies! Or you get to watch reality programmes of people who are significantly over weight doing everything to loose the weight....enjoy watching 'The Biggest Loser' anyone?

I guess that how comfortable we women are in our bodies will always haunt us. 

The Friday song choice

Ok so the postman did not arrive with a CD today but I think I have decided that every Friday I will post a song just because well.....TGIF........down memory lane for me with this one.........