Dear Campus,
Yes, I am Jamaican. And no, I cannot talk in my language.
Why? Because it isn’t another language, I speak english. If you would like to hear me say something in patois, just wait until I get heated. No, I can’t understand every other Caribbean person’s dialect on campus. Oh and no, I am not pronouncing Caribbean wrong. It’s Caribbean. I would also like to clarify that I don’t know Bob Marley personally, nor do I listen to him on repeat every single day. And no, I don’t only listen to reggae.
Don’t get me started on the lack of Caribbean food on this campus. I just want to remind you that eating the Jerk Chicken in the dining hall doesn’t make you any more culturally diverse than you already were. It’s not even actual jerk chicken. It’s chicken in jerk sauce. Can we please get a themed dinner that is Caribbean everything? Flags.Food. Music. Everything. I love Spring Street and it is very cozy but it would be nice to spice it up. Maybe a bakery that sells real beef patties…? A restaurant like sushi thai or blue mango would be nice. Real authentic Caribbean cuisine; emphasis on the REAL.
It’s great that you play Sean Paul songs at every party here, but Temperature isn’t the only song we know. Work by Rihanna also doesn’t count. It would be nice if you could diversify your playlist away from Gyal You a Party Animal. I now know the lyrics by heart. When we dance at parties and move our hips no we aren’t being slutty, whining is in our blood and it’s how we have fun. Still, that does not mean that we can all dance. And another thing, we don’t all smoke weed.
Thanks for reading and write back soon!
Best Regards,
A Likkle Jamaican Gyal
P.S. Jamaican, Guyanese, and Trinidadian aren’t the only people of the Caribbean