Carolyn Cooper | Wa mek dem a import coconut water?

CHAKA-CHAKA SPELLING

 

Tingz bad wid wi fi true. Wi love foreign food too much. Coconut oil an powder did bad enough. From all bout: Trinidad an Tobago, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia an Sri Lanka. Now dem a import coconut water? From Guyana? Wa mek? Look how much jellyman a sell coconut water out a road! An if yu a one a dem tapanaris weh buy all a yu food a supermarket, yu can get Jamaican coconut water deh so.

Mi buy fi mi coconut water a Papine Market. Five coconut full up mi 3-litre glass bockle fi $750. More than half a gallon! Big up my jellyman, Misa Herman ‘Grey Beard’ Garrique, an Misa Hugo ‘Big Man’ Espeut!

An talking bout Papine Market! It no pretty. All now di fire-bun roof no done fix. From last year May! Nineteen month! Wa mek it ha fi tek so long?

An di vendor dem no get back no money fi dem stall weh Govament did mash up eena September. Di last time mi go a market, one a di vendor dem tell mi seh di bald-head woman come talk to dem, but nutten no come out a it. Dat a di MP, Fayval Williams.

Mi talk to di MP an mi tink she a try har best. But dat no good enough. Oonoo fi see di whole heap a garbage weh pile up eena di dump. It sick yu stomach. Mi no walk pass it wen mi go a market. But even if yu no seet, yu still smell it.

NUFF SMADDY LIVE OFFA MARKET

Still for all, mi nah stop go a market becau mi no like supermarket food. Nuff time, one soapy smell come offa di plastic weh di food wrap up eena. Mi no know if a di air freshener weh dem use. An sometime, di supermarket dem smell well frowsy. Then mi ha fi a wonder if Govament mek up wid di supermarket owner dem fi shut down all a di market dem an force di vendor dem out a business.

Wa mek Govament can’t fix up di market dem? Di politician dem love run up dem mout bout seh wi fi buy Jamaican food. Dem nah mek it easy fi di farmer dem sell dem food eena market. Mi know seh di supermarket dem buy from di farmer dem. Dat no mean seh wi fi kill off di long-time market dem. Nuff smaddy live offa market.

One good ting bout Christmas: nuff a di food wi eat fi di season come from right ya so: gungo peas, coconut, sorrel, rum, ginger, pimento, nutmeg, sweet potato, tomato, lettuce, cucumber, pear, carrot an beetroot. An di goat an di chicken an di hog! Mi know seh certain people navel string bury under foreign food tree. Dem better try dem best fi di new year. Dem fi stop waste foreign exchange. After Jamaica food so sweet!

 

PRAPA-PRAPA SPELIN

 

Tingz bad wid wi fi chruu. Wi lov farin fuud tu moch. Kuoknat ail an pouda did bad inof. Fram aal bout: Chrinidad an Tubiego, Tailan, Filipiinz, Maliezha an Shrii Langka. Nou dem a impuort kuoknat waata? Fram Gaiyana? Wa mek? Luk omoch jeliman a sel kuoknat waata out a ruod! An if yu a wan a den tapanaaris we bai aal a yu fuud a syuupamaakit, yu kyan get Jamiekan kooknat waata de so.

Mi bai fi mi kuoknat waata a Papiin Maakit. Faiv kuoknat ful op mi 3-liita glaas bakl fi $750. Muor dan aaf a gyalan! Big op mai jeliman, Misa Herman ‘Grey Beard’ Garrique, an Misa Hugo ‘Big Man’ Espeut! An taakin bout Papiin Maakit! It no priti. Aal nou di faiya-bon ruuf no don fiks. Fram laas ier Mie! Naintiin mont! Wa mek it a fi tek so lang?

An di venda dem no get bak no moni fi dem staal we Govament did mash op iina Septemba. Di laas taim mi go a maakit, wan a di venda dem tel mi se di baal-ed uman kom taak tu dem, bot notn no kom out a it. Dat a di MP, Fayval Williams. Mi taak tu di MP an mi tingk shi a chrai ar bes. Bot dat no gud inof. Unu fi si di uol iip a gyaabij we pail op iina di domp. It sik yu stomok. Mi no waak paas it wen mi go a maakit. Bot iivn if yu no siit, yu stil smel it.

NOF SMADI LIV AAFA MAAKIT

Stil far aal, mi naa stap go a maakit bikaa mi no laik syuupamaakit fuud. Nof taim, wan suopi smel kom aafa di plastik we di fuud rap op iina. Mi no nuo if a di ier freshna we dem yuuz. An somtaim, di syuupamaakit dem smel wel frouzi. Den mi a fi a wanda if Govament mek op wid di syuupamaakit uona dem fi shet dong aal a di maakit dem an fuors di venda dem out a bizniz.

Wa mek Govament kyaahn fiks op di maakit dem? Di palitishan dem lov ron op dem mout bout se wi fi bai Jamiekan fuud. Dem naa mek it iizi fi di faama dem sel dem fuud iina maakit. Mi nuo se di syuupamaakit dem bai fram di faama dem. Dat no miin se wi fi kil aaf di lang-taim maakit dem. Nof smadi liv aafa maakit.

Wan gud ting bout Chrismos: nof a di fuud wi iit fi di siizn kom fram rait ya so: gungu piiz, kuoknat, saril, rom, jinja, pimento, notmeg, swiit pitieta, tumieto, letis, kukumba, pier, kyarat an biitruut. An di guot an di chikin an di ag! Mi nuo se sortn piipl nievl string beri aanda farin fuud chrii. Dem beta chrai dem bes fi di nyuu ier. Dem fi stap wies farin ekschienj. Aafta Jamieka fuud so swiit!

 

 

- Carolyn Cooper, PhD, is a specialist on culture and development. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and karokupa@gmail.com