From white collar to blue collar to no collar at all, all work stopped in Jamaica and across the Diaspora for a few minutes on Wednesday morning to celebrate Usain Bolt's anticipated 200 metres victory.

It was as if there was a standstill right across Jamaica, and there are unconfirmed reports of a surgical team pausing, scalpel in hand, as Bolt approached the line. Chat-Bout was on the streets of Kingston and it was, in the words or an excited orange vendor who was selling flags with Bolts picture - ‘pandemanium.

Half Way Tree square

Eyeryone stop to celebrate

’Motorists were honking their horns, people were banging dutch pot covers or anything they could find, dancing, screaming, singing, jumping, hugging people they don’t know, all caught up in USAINAMANIA.  Jamaican flags are being sold on every street corner, and everybody is finding every bit of green black and gold in their closet.  The stores and vendors, fixed and itinerant, selling green black and gold t-shirts, headbands, scarves etc are making a killing, as everyone wants a memento, connecting them with this moment in our proud Olympics history.

After Bolt won the 200m, even the police forgot to do their job of monitoring traffic, and some were seen rejoicing, until it occurred to them that they were on duty. Several vendors in Half way Tree square left their stalls unattended to join in the celebrations, not caring if they lost items, and frankly even the petty thieves would have been too busy celebrating.Wherever there was a television camera of course, everyone was trying to ensure that they were being captured and as one excited vendor told Chat-Bout ”me come een like Usain Bolt … always ready fi di video light.”  Then the chant started “Bolt, Gold, Bolt, Gold, Bolt…”

Ja Flag sell off

Bolt even have him own flag

And before we even came down from the high of the Usainamania, the place got really quiet as everyone was glued to a television set trying to catch the 400 metres hurdles with Melaine Walker.  And in she bolted, leaving the other hurdlers to ‘eat her dust’, winning for the Jamaica the gold in the 400 metre hurdles. What a race! Jamaicans are beating their chests, ‘bigging up their status’ and feeling good about the performance of the athletes.

In some sections of half Way tree, walking space was limited as people congregated around television sets and celebrated in the street. And from Chat-Bout checks, right across Jamaica today it has been the same level of jubilation, as we celebrate our pride in being Jamaican.

And what are the people saying out a road?

Statement : “Yeah man, Bolt a di best. Wi proud a di bway!”

Response: “Bway?? A noh bway that? Anybody weh can break two world record inna one Olympics a  noh bway!! A di real big man that!”

“Mi a mek a killing tiddeh!! Anybaddy weh nuh bet pon Bolt a eediat!!”

“Mi sure say di whole a dem ago try fi obeah him… meckdem gway”

“Jamaica to di weeeerl!!”

“A Faada God Pickney dat”

“Usain a di bess!!”

“Dem say lightning nuh strike two time inna di same place, but dis yah one yah bruk dat deh record too!!” (The crowd popped up in laughter after this one)

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