Reading reports on the Internet buzzing with excitement surrounding the prominence of Jamaican athletes in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, the one question that keeps popping up is, "What's the secret to their speed and agility? How do they do it?"I thought about this and have my own theories:
1. Could it be the cuisine? Jamaicans LOVE their spicy meats from various parts of various animals, boiled or fried in generous quantities of oil and smothered with copious amounts of savory greasy gravy. And cooking isn't cooking without a some dosage of Scotch Bonnet pepper! Most Jamaicans are also addicted to eating "food", otherwise known as ground provisions. These starchy items range from yams (white and yellow), Irish potatoes, dasheen, cocoa, green bananas, plantain, etc. Jamaicans also have a love affair with boiled flour in the form of boiled dumplings or 'spinners'. Our food is so well known that some spices in supermarkets worldwide are identified by the adjective "Jamaican" e.g Jamaican curry - specially mixed and categorized from other kinds of curry powder, Jamaican Jerk Seasoning, etc.
2. Or is it the weather? Professional athletes and trainers know that muscles perform better when warmed up - and God knows that it pretty warm in Jamaica. Could that be it? Muscles grown in such balmy weather work better? Is that the secret?
3. What about the music? It's stimulating, inspirational, it's the spirit and the soul of the Jamaican people. It's in our blood from birth, stirring up our passion and zest for life. And we're not only talking about reggae music - there's pocco music, goatskin drums, the bass, soca and calypso, gospel......
4. Maybe it's the physical territory of Jamaica? The famous Blue Mountains, the white sand beaches, the grassy plains? The land is rich with resources: Jamaica has one of the world's largest deposit of the aluminum ore bauxite, and is a major contributor to the sugar industry. They're coffee is ranked the best in the world, and the rum is excellence par none. Maybe the land also has a direct effect on the people living on it.
5. Or is it the ethnic mix of the people? Jamaicans comprise a hardy crew, derived from a combination of races and nations: English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish, African, Indian, Chinese, German, Lebanese, Spanish, Dutch. But first and foremost - they're Jamaican: cut them and they bleed black/green/gold.
Personally I think it's all of this...and none of these, that makes us special.
It's just good, reliable, authentic, indigenous "Jamaican magic" that from birth we feel, sense, know and embrace.
And that magic has the world under our spell.
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