Lille Log - Discussing discus ... lust or love?

There is something very ... what do we call it? 'Lovey-dovey' about this place; makes you want to just propose to somebody.

Maybe it's the female aesthetics - and I have been warned about paying too much attention to Frenchwomen, but what am I to do? I am a journalist after all; I have to be observant, I have to carefully inspect the happenings. I wonder what would be said if I was doing some investigative 'probing'.

Ok, back to the city's 'lovey-doveyness'. As I was saying, maybe it's the regular public displays of affection - you cannot walk for two minutes without almost being forced to see some kind of lip-locking or the sort, it's apparently a signature of the city, the iden-tity of the country.

I feel that even the most love-phobic Jamaican man or woman would fall victim to the lure of love or lust; some may argue that they are one and the same.

Well, I'm sure by now you are well aware that Jamaica got its first gold medal yesterday through Fedrick Dacres in the discus - YES, discus! If you haven't been following the sport and were not aware that we had some of the best young throwers in the world, courtesy of my good friend Julian Robinson at Calabar High and his excellent programme there, well, you shouldn't feel too bad because you aren't the only one oblivious to this new Jamaican throwing wave.

growing success

"What is happening in Jamaica?" asked an older German journalist. "Discus gold medal, wow! I thought you only liked to run fast in Jamaica, didn't know you liked throwing things as well. He (Dacres) is excellent!"

"No longer just sprint powerhouses, huh? Now you are taking over everything. Soon, we will see Jamaican pole vaulters," his friend offered with a knowing laugh.

We really aren't too fond of heights as a people now, are we?

It's the same conversation that led to me once again being told that I look too young to be a journalist.

Truth is, I no longer consider myself a 'youngster'. However, let me hasten to point out that neither am I a geriatric.

Maybe I should take it as a compliment that despite brushing the big 30, people here seem to think I am younger than I actually am; or maybe high 20s is consi-dered young in these parts.

I credit the good ol' country breeze and proper food for my youthful appearance, and have since realised that the journalist stereotype in these parts seem to look more like my bona fide friend and media 'big brother' Leighton Levy: old and bald!