History 101

 Often, when you hear 'history,' words like boring or tragic may spring to mind, but not history 101. 

For whenever Maxine "Queenie" Osborne is involved, everything changes.

😊

The engaging Queenie arrives on stage dressed in a school uniform. 

Yup it was our true history, as she traced events from Columbus' brutality to the joys that being Jamaican bring to life.

 It was  entertaining, delightful and   

educational.

In no time, this amazing actress and the versatile Tallawah Mento band led by Colin Smith O.M., had the entire audience rocking and participating in every skit. For the band was also an integral part of the act!

Maxine started out with laughs as she emerged as a troublesome lkkle pickney before delving into serious business like the wisdom of Miss. Lou, the ever-relevant philosophies of Garvey, the bravery of Queen Nanny and the unbreakable spirit of the Jamaican woman.

 I must admit that when it came to the description and uses of popular herbs, I learned a lot and like the rest of the audience, had fun.

Maxine even brought out the acting and singing abilities of some in the audience as we all happily participated in the skits and rocked non-stop to contagious Mento music.

 It was a seamless performance and the audience would have loved if it continued all night. But alas, the library closed at 8 pm.

Malachi gets down with Maxine.

Tallawah Mento band kept us rocking the entire evening.

Big up Director/Dub Poet Malacai and the talented team.

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Birthday Bash

With COVID and all that jazz, tot many people actually make it to

80  these days.

And most who do, certainly do  not retain an aura of youth!

Dr. Basil Kong (r)

Dr. Basil Kong is and great exception to that narrative as he certainly does not look a day over 60!

He celebrated the milestone with a wonderful bash at Old Fort Villas, just outside Ocho Rios.

The location was excellent, the food superb and the guests were all in a happy mood.

His cousin Ricky Kong, formerly of " The Jamaicans"and Beverly's Records on Orange Street, with the birthday boy.

Dr. Kong who holds a Jurist Doctor degree as well as a PhD, was born in Woodlands, St. Elizabeth and attended Springfield Primary school before migrating to USA. 

He lives in Georgia but returned home to celebrate his big day, attend a family reunion and enjoy the beautiful island.
 

Founder/ leader of Tallawah Mento Band based on Florida, Colin Smith, could not help himself, so joined the local Mento band contracted to entertain.

The guests all happily joined in.

Shai Hill Reserve

 I have never been interested in rock climbing but today got my first lesson and it was quite exhilarating.

This was at the Shai Hill Reserve which is located on Krobo land. ( I am now a proud member of the Krobo tribe.)

It's the top of this rising formed from ingenious rocks, that the girls were taken.

And I would do it again.

Getting a helping hand up

We should have visited the reserve last week but had to cancel due to rains. 

This is an historic site, as in the olden days, this was where Krobo girls underwent their puberty ritual. 

The puberty ritual lasted six months and involved training the young girls to become responsible women who understand their bodies, learn how to mill grain for the household, prepare nutritious meals for their children and treat simple illnesses using herbal medicine.

The board describes what illnesses this tree treats.

The circle in the rocks are made when rock is rubbed against rock to mill the grain.

During the six months that the girls are undergoing their puberty ritual, they are under the care of some mothers and Queen Mothers.

At nights, they slept in this cave.

Although this area has Serval Cats, they are nocturnal so we saw none. These are really tiny cats.

A stuffed Serval Cat

Because the grass was so high after the long rains, although antelopes abound, we barely saw some horns as they were laying in the high grass.

The grass is so high, all we could see of this antelope was it's horn!

Baboons abound.

They are everywhere, they rummage through garbage, steal from people in the area and even eat the poor little blue monkeys.

These tiny monkeys run away the minute they hear any noise because of the wicked baboons.

This means 'welcome in the Krobo language.

A few zebras are on the reserve. They were imported from South Africa.

The museum at the reserve

The guide had to chase away this baboon that turned over the garbage.

I had always heard that some of  our patois words came from the Twi language in Ghana but I have yet to hear a familiar word! However today I saw some small birds that we call Grass Quit and was told they are Chi Chi in Korbo.

 Maybe that has something to do with our mento song called "Chi Chi bud oh".

Who knows how these things evolve?