Top Five Things Jamaicans Want President Obama To Experience During His Visit To Jamaica

Within just a few days, the President of The United States, Barack Obama will grace our shores.

He is scheduled to make a two-day official visit to Jamaica on April 8-9, while on his way to the Summit of the Americas in Panama.  

Jamaicans have been expressing their views on what they would like the president to experience while visiting our island home.

We have selected the top five suggestions from hundreds of Social Media comments and they are as follows:

Jamaican Food

Jamaicans have been expressing that the president should be served our national dish of Ackee and Salt Fish with dumplings and bananas and other  foods such as Jerk Chicken, Curried Goat and even Tin Mackerel and Rice.

Ackee and Salt Fish is Jamaica’s national dish and a favorite for locals and visitors to our island.

Reggae/Dancehall

Our locals have been expressing that the president should be taken to a street dance, such as  Passa Passa, Bembe, and  Mojito Mondays  etc. He should be given a Red Stripe beer  and two beautiful Jamaican ladies  to keep his company while he is on the island.

Reggae is often considered the official music of Jamaica and Dancehall has swiftly become the most popular  genre of music played in Jamaica.  The raunchy dancehall Street parties attract locals and visitors from around the world who can’t seem to get enough of the sometimes violent and overly sexual lyrics with a combination pulsating afro-Caribbean beats.

Potholes

Since the announcement of the President’s visit to our island, the Jamaican Government has embarked on a project to patch some of the overwhelming number of potholes that have been on the roads for decades. Jamaicans have expressed that in order  for the president to have a true Jamaican experience, he will need to feel the effects of the “knee-deep” trenches in our roads.

Potholes in any country are seen as a symbol of  a poorly functioning system of government. Visitors to our island often look forward to the experience of driving on our winding bumpy roads as they say it evokes an authentic island vibe that adds to the overall Jamaican experience… not a good experience for us locals though.

Marijuana

Our citizens have been commenting that the president must get a draw of the “highest grade of ganja” in Jamaica ( A Joke of course)

Jamaica is seen as the weed capital of the world even though marijuana is still not fully legalized here.  A recent bill of rights passed on February 6, 2015 saw changes to the Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Act which made the  possession of two ounces or less of marijuana a non-arrest-able, ticket-able offence, that attracts no criminal records.  However Ganja is freely smoked at Rastafarian events as it is a part of their religious practices.

 The Natural Beauty of our Island

Locals have been suggesting that the Jamaican Government should take the US president on a road trip to experience the beautiful beaches, cascading waterfalls, enchanting caves and the mystical mountains of our island.

Jamaica is reputed to have some of the most beautiful natural resources in the world and we take pride in the beauty of our island. While there are many socio-economic concerns that are affecting this small Caribbean island, the natural surrounding beauty cushions the effects of the bad which gives rise to the popular saying “Jamaica-  No Problem”.

Jamaicans are very much aware that the president will be in the island on official business, These comments are made in light humour  and by no means were made to imply anything negative about Jamaica or the US president. It is also a symbol that we appreciate all who visit our island shores. We love when you experience the uniqueness of our culture and once you have immersed yourself in the authenticity of the overall vibe of our island we accept you as a one of us and ensure that you will have a wonderful stay.

Check out Kerry’s website HERE

Download The Jamaican Blogs™ App for your Android device: HERE

Remember to share this article on Facebook and other Social Media Platforms. To submit your own articles or to advertise with us please send us an EMAIL at: [email protected]