Jamaicans - the life of the party!

London is beginning to feel a lot like the Caribbean these days. Ok, maybe that's pushing it a bit, but this 'warm' weather feels much more like home compared to the chilly blanket that covered this city just a few days ago.

We keep running into some 'fella' called Usain Bolt everywhere we turn. Ok, perhaps we don't literally run into him, but from massive billboards to wicker statues, Bolt is the face of the Olympic Games.

Another popular figure in these parts is Jamaican musical legend Bob Marley, who pops up from time to time on shirts, cups, and in a stall with all types of Jamaican paraphernalia, incidentally, owned by a man that only goes by the name 'Bob'.

Speaking of Jamaican, we walked into the Greenwich Park facility for the equestrian competition here in London, quite expecting to be the only Jamaicans in the crowd.

Samantha Albert was about to open Jamaica's participation at these Olympic Games and with the sport hardly recognisable by most Jamaicans, or even associated with the island, we were ready to bear the responsibility of single-handedly cheering on the first and only Jamaican equestrian Olympian in history.

Wrapped in our black, green, and gold garb, we marched with a 'pep' in our step through the gates.
"Yow! Wah gwaan?"
What! Where was that coming from?
"Bwoy, mi glad fi see a few more yardie a dah place yah, trust mi."
Amazing!

Briskly heading in our direction and showing even more Jamaican colours than we were, Jermaine - who we later learned was a Jamaican who migrated to London years ago - seemed as if he had been forced at gunpoint to come to the equestrian event.

He, like us, was certainly not a fan of the sport, but with tickets as hard as they are to come by and a few Jamaicans in the mix, the thrill of cheering on a fellow Jamaican at the Olympic Games was worth the agony of watching horses prancing around.

But wait ... we weren't alone. Inside the venue were several other Jamaican fans. We cannot say whether they were really Jamaicans or simply preferred the bright yellow Jamaican jackets that they were sporting, but they were certainly lively. We all were, possibly, way too noisy for the sit-and-clap-hands crowd inside the venue.

Oh well! A Jamaicans wi name. We can't help but being the life of the party!

(from Jamaica Gleaner)