For years I wanted to visit Negril. I'm a lover of nature and I especially enjoy discovering new sites in my country and learning about the history of my beautiful island. I boarded the Knutsford Express from New Kingston. My journey took me across the North Coast High Way for the very first time. My first stop was in Ocho Rios as the bus stopped to unload and load passengers. Firstly, I must point out that the comfort on the Knutsford Express is simply amazing. My next stop was in the beautiful parish of Trelawny and although it was a short stop I did get to take in some of the spectacular views. The next stop was that of Montego Bay before it was finally time to head on to my final destination in Negril.  The view along the way reminded me of just how naturally beautiful Jamaica is. The calmness of the sea and the lush vegetation brings a peace that can't be found in anything else, I simply rested my head and got lost in the beauty that is Jamaica. I would be staying

I haven't blogged in a while but how could I sit aside and not speak on the recent issues affecting my nation. Things happen from time to time that are beyond the control of anyone but our reaction to when these things happens is what shows the metal from which we are made. There in lies the major problem with the leaders of our country. They have little or no proper communication skills and it starts with the prime minister herself. I tune into the news every evening and follow updates on social media sites as it relates to the issues of the country. The prime minister is always more vocal when it comes to showing her power in relation to the opposition but so weak when it comes to the affairs of the country and communicating with the people who she claims to have nothing but love for. As a young lady in Jamaica I'm worried about the future of my nation and what it will be like for my fellow young people. At school we aren't safe, walking home from school we aren't saf

I attended  basic and primary school in the heart of Spanish Town. I then went on to attend high  school in Kingston. Through it all I remained in Spanish Town and for almost 24 years I've called Spanish Town, Jamaica my home. The stigma attached to my community is known worldwide and not much is expected of the people who call it home. Despite the odds against us several high achievers have emerged from Spanish Town. However, I'm not here to focus on Spanish Town today I'm here to speak about the struggles of young people in Jamaica. While the leaders of my country are busy arguing over apologies, having elections and making decisions about prions,our country is falling apart. Young ladies are being attacked and killed, young men with dreams of making a difference are being killed , young people are graduating with qualifications but no job opportunities. Our leaders have all these visions of hope but apparently our safety comes last on their list of priorities.  Walk

The first thing that pops into the mind of most people when I think about Spanish Town, Jamaica is crime and violence. Majority of the times when you tell people that you are from Spanish Town they automatically assume that you are caught up in some form of illegal activities. Starting high school I was told that since I'm from Spanish Town I must have seen people being killed or I must have bad man friends. The same label followed me to university as well and the sad part of it all is I just got used to it.    I attended the St.Catherine primary school in the heart of the capital and had to deal with the crime and violence several times. It grew with me until the point where it didn't move me at all. The fact that I attended high school and university in Kingston meant that I had to travel late hours at night. The fear was always with me as I didn't have any friends who lived in the same community as I did. However, I overcame it all and grew to become accepting o

   During the recently concluded World Championships Jamaica celebrated with our athletes for their great performances. On several occasions however, some were criticized for failing to deliver medals.i sat down and read the feedback of some of my fellow brothers and sisters. The thought then came to me, are we more critical of our athletes than we are of our political leaders. The super talented Javon Francis was criticized for not carrying the 4*400 team to a medal, despite running the fastest leg of anyone on any of the teams. We have our political leaders on the other hand who continually make promises and pretend to be caring but never live up to their promises. They are however still given other chances to continue to disappoint or their disappointments are quickly forgotten. If as Jamaicans we are going to be critical of anything we should choose to be more critical of those who have control over the affairs of our beloved country. Our athletes train everyday, make sacrifices to

For a week or two when Olympics and World championships takes centre stage the entire Jamaica is sent into a sea of excitement. We can't contain ourselves as we wake very early in the mornings and stay up late at night to support our athletes. The streets are filled with Jamaicans showing just how much our athletes mean to us. For that week or two, the problems that face our country are forgotten. Feuding amongst political parties is forgotten, social barriers are forgotten and the only thing that matters is ensuring that we get to watch each and every event that our athletes take place in, While watching the championships we can see the Jamaican colours in the stands each and everyday. The pain and struggles that we face each and everyday are placed behind us as we stand up and beam with pride as our athletes place our country on the world map. Over and over the negatives take centre stage but when our athletes dominate the front page the true strength and loving Jamaica

The day of GSAT results can be a glorious day for some and a day of sorrow for others. Every year we see the smiles of the victorious and the tears of the disappointed. Many worked very hard and sacrificed a lot to ensure that they would be on the smiling side on this day. To the parents who ensured that they not only sent their children to school but they spent time with them to encourage them and help them with their studies I salute you. To the parents who just sent their children to school and expected the teachers to do it all and are now disappointed I encourage you to make changes as your child moves on to the next level. There might be sorrow now but joy can come in the morning. You can bloom anywhere you are planted, you just need to have the right attitude. Over the years we have heard stories of students who attended high schools lower in the academic scale who have come out with great achievements.  Instead of laughing at those who didn't do as well as others in the exa

Jamaica land we love!! I remember singing the national anthem every morning in primary school and having to stand attention to it during high school. Whenever I visit the movies the anthem is played before the movies begin and people can be heard complaining about having to stand. They sit and eat and talk while the anthem is being played. On the other hand I will see people who migrate from Jamaica to America dressed up in their American colours on their Independence Day and showing their love for their country. Is Jamaican pride something that we no longer embrace? Is the love for our country fading? What worries me is that instead of pride in our country increasing it continues to be on the decline. Once or twice a year we take pride in our country but for the majority of the year we are primarily caught up in the affairs of other countries. Our financial situation as a country can be improved or infrastructure can be improved but without a knowledge of our culture we will never ful

In recent times, our country has been sent into shock waves as it relates to the increases in acts of violence towards our children. It sends pain throughout our bodies as Jamaicans because our future is hurting. Calls from all sectors can be heard about what measures can be taken to ensure that we put a stop to this problem. It starts with each and everyone of us as Jamaicans because at times parents aren't around or even those who are around aren't setting the best examples for their children. Throughout the month of May, I decided to start a challenge called the Saccheen Laing read one book a week campaign. I decided to do this challenge as a means to show our young people that reading can be fun and we as the older ones do enjoy it. I added the element of posting a selfie after the end of the week along with a caption with a lesson that you got from the book. This challenge was an oasis in the midst of the Charlie Charlie challenge and other challenges that add no level of

As seems to be the case these days social media is the outlet to air every and anything. People would rather address their partners via social media, discuss family matters via social media and apparently bash their neighbours on social media. The social media world is buzzing today due to Usain Bolt's neighbour publicly bashing him for some of his bad habits. Yes, if these allegations are true they should be addressed immediately. However, I don't agree with the outlet in which she decided to use to get the story out there. If my neighbour threw something in my back yard I'm going to knock on their door and tell them about it I'm not going to take it to social media. If her neighbour was not a public figure I guarantee you she would not take this to the media. People will do any and everything to bring down the perception of people in the public. For the hundredth time I'm going to implore people to discuss their issues privately because once you put it out there e

So once again the world is buzzing to this new challenge called the Charlie Charlie challenge. My stance on this is very simple no spiritual quotes or scriptures. The world apparently has an obsession with jumping on to to idiotic concepts. This challenge is just the latest in a long line of challenges that are nothing but things for people with idle hands to do.  For the past couple of weeks I've been doing a read one book a week challenge. I shared the challenge on several social media sites and not one person decided to join in. The young in our world find the idea of silly challenges more attractive than they do actual challenges that will add substance to their lives. Our young people are very impressionable so they will soak up any and everything that they see around them and that is very alarming for our world. The reason why it's even more alarming now is because the good is starting to become a rare commodity in our society. Chalłenges such as this one just highlights

Apparently, the in thing is to say that the world is either filled with only fake people or you can trust anybody. Yes, I do agree that more and more these days we are surrounded by people who continually to show themselves to be untrustworthy.  From people who have little to nothing to people who have all the riches in the world people are proving to be hard to trust. Because of this perception relationships, business and everyday interactions have become somewhat more difficult. When you meet someone for the first time they tend to bombard you with more questions than usual. For those in relationships their partners are more skeptical of the things they do and say. For business owners they have to watch their employees keenly while employees have to be careful of those they work for. My question however is if everyone is speaking out about the increase in untrustworthy people who are those people who are indeed still trustworthy? Believe it or not there are still people in this world

I once had a friend who grew to be very close to me. Once when we were sitting at the edge of a swimming pool, she filled the palm of her hand with a little water and held it before me, and said this: "You see this water carefully contained on my hand? It symbolizes Love." This was how I saw it: "As long as you keep your hand caringly open and allow it to remain there, it will always be there. Ho wever, if you attempt to close your fingers round it and try to posses it, it will spill through the first cracks it finds. This is the greatest mistake that people do when they meet love...they try to posses it, they demand, they expect... and just like the water spilling out of your hand, Love will retrieve from you. For love is meant to be free, you cannot change its nature. If there are people you love, allow them to be free beings. Give and don't expect. Advise, but don't order. Ask, but never demand. It might sound simple, but it is a lesson that may take a lifetim

The photograph attached with this blog post shows a wasp on a flower. I took this picture a couple years ago in my mothers garden for a photography assignment. Today, while going through old photographs I stumbled upon this beauty.  Many times I've been stopped by people who say that I tend to focus too much on the negative aspects of my island. So today I decided  that perhaps I will venture into some of its beauty.  My country is a very beautiful island and what I actually do love most of all is the happiness of the people. I can find so much peace by just looking at the nature around me but this also makes me question how much do we still love and appreciate the beauty of this beautiful island. We spend so much time selling off its rich resources or spending time polluting it with our disgraceful practices. The beauty of Jamaica is with us now but will it still be with us for our children to enjoy in the future? Why is it that we claim to love our country so much but we

In recent times I have seen a lot of people on social media posting about finding the right partner and settling down. We all had dreams growing up of the fairy tale wedding and the happily ever after. With each passing day are we all not seeing that we need to put these fairy tale ideals aside and start living in the real world. Firstly, the idea that the ring needs to be perfect for the proposal to be perfect. Newsflash there doesn't even need to be a proposal or an engagement period. Secondly, the continued addiction to looking at wedding dresses and venues will set up yourself for a lot of disappointment later in when you realize it's unrealistic to spend so much money on the ceremony. Why are so many christans so eager to get married? Is the temptation of sex before marriage getting to you and you need to rush the process? When you go to a church as a young lady it's as if the young men have never seen a young lady before, the desperation radiates from their bod

It's a year when the world is looking forward to the upcoming World Athletic Championships. We here in Jamaica are excited as usual to see our track stars take the world by storm. As the build up to the  world championship continues some have become alarmed as to whether our athletes will be able to deliver the brilliant performances that we have come to expect. I however, am not alarmed and is excited at the prospect of the sensational new Jamaican starts that I'm seeing coming to the front of the pack. I love the sport of track and field and tune in from the basic school to the senior level. When I see the determination on the faces of the youngest in our society as they put out their all to become victorious it gives me a sense of hope that despite all the negativity that often surrounds my island the sport of track and field continues to provide an oasis to bring unity amongst all of us. During the boys and girls championship season we see school ties on coaster bu

   This morning, I woke up to the internet buzzing about some Kylie Jenner challenge as it relates to the size of her lips. I mean hundred of thousands of young people world wide just taking time to put their lips in bottles and make them swell in order to make fun of a celebrity. This recent development took me back to my blog about the obsession with celebrities. How often do young people come together to spread positivity compared to the times that they come together to take up some silly challenge after another or just poke fun at people. It's truly amazing how influential celebrities can be but most of the times we tend to forget that they are humans just like you and I. They do make mistakes, they do suffer heartbreak and they do have flaws. Our young people are so easily influenced and instead of spreading more positive messages for them to adapt those of us with the power,simply add fuel to the fire with our obsessions with looks, hyper-sexualization, inappropriate dressi

Can someone tell me why my friend had to die? Just 14 and I have to watch his mothers eyes run dry My friend wanted to be the fastest track star Only God knows how much more I miss him as each day goes by When the sun goes down my heart beats faster The fear in my eyes now permanent as the gunshots come closer as I walk by Such beauty in my country but the ugliness is always near by You tell me to sit still and make learning my priority  The window shakes and our screams get louder and louder Our books fall off our tables as our education is left behind just for a while I'm just 14 but I've seen so many around me die  Dead bodies have become the norm and it no longer makes me cry This is the reality on my sweet little island They tell me to make my future my priority  But is there a promise of even a tomorrow? The gunshots increase and I see my teacher calling out for us to leave Four bodies on the ground, lifeless with no soul Promises of bright futures now buried and I hear m

    This morning I woke up a gleaner article stating that certain roads are being fixed due to the approaching visit of the president of the United States. Of course, like many of my fellow Jamaicans I believe it's really a privilege that the president will be making his presence be felt on our beautiful island. My problem however, is the utter lack of respect that this government apparently has for the regular Jamaican citizens. I watch the news basically every night and almost every night there are citizens protesting about the conditions of roads in their community. My concern really is quite simple is it that we are not worthy of our roads being fixed,are we just peasants and need to reach a certain level in society or perhaps migrate and elevate our status before our concerns will be addressed in such a quick manner? Am I to believe that this is the same government who claims to not have the funds necessary to fix the roads that we as citizens have been complaining about?