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Remembering Mi Ol Time Jamaica

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Remembering Mi Ol Time Jamaica
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Well anytime two Jamaicans get together they begin to reminisce bout what dem remember from ol time sweet sweet Jamaica? What you remember?

FOOD

Remember when FOOD was cheap and plenty? Now we have food crisis. Yuh coulda never predict that at all. And remember...

· When bulla cost 50cents and bread wrap up inna brown paper

· When we used to get free milk -cow's milk, cherry milk- in triangle box, free vegetable patty, free uniform material, and nutri-bun from school

· When government free lunch for primary school was called 'bullo slush'

· When Mother's was one of only five fish and festival stalls at Hellshire

· Milkshake at Dairy Farmer's

· Kelly's soft drinks

· Banana split at Oxford Pharmacy

· Car sweetie, gummy bear and ju-ju

· The fudge man and peanut man

· When icy mint cost one cent, and fudge was five cents

· Gino's Fast (Fart) Food· Chukka Mo ice cream bar

· Shrimpy man on his big head 50, selling more than just shrimp!

· Running a boat with manish water and some roast breadfruit or yam and saltfish...

· Tuck Shops!!

· Shouting at the tuck-shop: "One patty an' coco-bread an' a box juice!", until you got served

· Calling out “serve!!” to get the shopkeeper's attention

· Sky Juice and sno-cone

· Burgerman on Trafalgar Road

· Nutty Buddy

· Fanta

· Duckoonoo / Blue Drawers made with cornmeal, coconut, cocoa an yam boiled in a banana leaf

· When Halls, ax sweetie and icy mint used to burn your throatback like fire!

· When jack-ass corn could really bruk yuh jaw bone!

· Sharkey's

· Lannaman's Lollipop Land for Children with Dorothy Hosang

· Aerated water (soda pop)

· Nu Grape

PLEASURE AND LEISURE

LEISURE IN TOWN was Coney Park and Hope Gardens and movies. Remember... ?

· Getting lost in the maze at Hope Gardens

· Walking through the malls in Constant Spring at Christmas, lighting sparkles and hearing the song 'Arlene a Mussi Dream Yu Deh Dream'

· Empty lots in Harbour View

· Four lines of bumper-to-bumper traffic into Harbour View at Monty's Drive-In

· Thursday night drag racing in front of Epiphany (when Barry Lee was the manager) and drag racing in New Kingston and Red Hills gully...

· Running between the roller coaster, tilt-a-whirl, scrambler and bumper cars at Coconut Park

· Throwing up after going on one of the fast rides at Coconut Park

· When you could actually swim at Gunboat Beach

· Walking to and from the stadium for the International Games in 1961 and the only thing to frighten you was a 'puss' jumping out of a tree at 1 in the morning

· Teasing the character known as 'Bun down Cross Roads' and running away while he chased us and cussed

· Waving and shouting 'Clairol' to 'Clairol Rasta', whose locks were bleached blonde and who used to hang out at the shop on Windward Road near to Rockfort Road

· When you were leaving on a flight from Palisadoes airport to go to Miami for a week and the whole family would come to wave from the Ta-Ta (Waving) Gallery

· Skateland!!

· When Havendale was the place to live

· Boulevard Drive Inn (Now JPS)

· Times stores

· Brooks Shoppers Fair on Washington Boulevard

· Genesis gospel concert every New Year's Eve to New Year's day at National Arena... crazy concert fever!!

· When Grace Thrillers and Sister Scully were big hits

· Port Royal tower by the police station

· Swimming at Cable Hut beach and then going to Cane River to wash off!

· When you could walk yards out into the crystal clear waters at Hellshire Beach

· When Air Jamaica had stewardesses with looks and manners

· When 'light-skin' people alone get high-colour/collar jobs

· Matilda's Corner barber (where the Texaco gas station is now)

· The revolving Craven 'A' box at Tom Redcam Avenue and Old Hope Road

· Taking the train to MoBay

· The Kentucky 'turtle' building in Cross Roads

· When 22 and 67 were the new bus routes

· Teenage hikes to New Castle (and Hardwar Gap!)

· Riding your bicycle from Paddington Terrace to Sandhurst was normal and safe for girls or anyone

· Carib, Regal and Premier Cinemas

· 'Booming' a ride

· Going to Boulevard Drive-In with your parents in your pyjamas

· Running away from the taxi and scattering to avoid paying the fare

· Manor Park Plaza with the soda fountain (like in Happy Days)

· The 'walker' on Hope Road with the bruk foot and stick

· Christmas Eve on King Street walking from store to store at 10 PM at night and holding hands and walking in the middle of the road with all vehicular traffic banned and finally ending up at Time's Store to see Santa

· Listening to the Military Band on a Sunday evening at the band shell at Hope Gardens on a Sunday evening

· Saturday afternoon movies at the movie theatre on Constant Spring Road, a must!

· San Diego shopping plaza on Constant Spring Road with the black 'merican guy, listening to Santana and burning incense

· Hiding people in the back seat of the car to get in cheaper at Harbour View Drive-In

· Mr. Mac gas station at the bottom of Old Hope Road with the foul mouth parrot

· Going to Harbour View Drive-In just for food and the 'lyme'

COUNTRY AND TOWN LIFE

Remember the good old COUNTRY DAYS? When country meant seeing granny and climbing mango and apple trees and going to mango walk and running a boat round an open fire. Remember these things?

· Visiting granny in the country and coming back to town fat and full of country food with a couple bruises and scrape-up

· Sliding on a hillside on banana leaves, and getting some wicked chafe when the leaf itch on some bush and tear and leave your naked backside to the mercy of the bumpy hill... LOL, good times...

· Country girls!!!!!

· Story telling round the run-a-boat coal stove

· Mango and guava walk, and going to the river to take a dip!! Or going to common beach!

· Skipper, the donkey cart man that hauled manure one day then washed the cart and took children for rides at their parties (and no one died from the germs!)

· When travelling after 6.00 p.m. the only thing to be afraid of was DUPPY!

· Black heart man and three wheel coffin

· Duppy story and fear of the dark and shaking mango trees and anything that moved or breathed on a lonely road at night as a result... LOL!

· Going to the Chinese shop down the road for a treat of a bulla and a pepsi and some paradise plum. Also buying two Craven A cigarettes for penny farthing and hiding behind the house to experiment

· Anansi and Bredda Rabbit stories

· 'Hep pint' (half-pint) and 'pint bakkle' (pint bottle) sold by the man on his donkey cart

· Rasta man selling cobweb brooms with his 'Broom-man' and 'Broomie' shout

· When splinter was called glass bottle and mirror was 'looking glass'

· Not knowing what a gun-shot sounded like (not even knowing they existed??)

· Rexo Red Floor polish and shining the floor with a coconut brush

· When 'T' shirt was called ganzee

· Playing "drafts" and ludo and domino and card

· “Maskita one, maskita two, maskita jump inna hot callaloo...”

· The milkman and breadman delivering in carts, then in vans

· Jonkoonoos who actually came to your house on Independence Day

· When gym shoes used to be called ‘crep’, or ‘puss boot’