Jamaican Culture and Philosophy Essay

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Being a part of two cultures at the same time is both exciting and challenging since, while most elements of the two may be perfectly compatible, others may not mix well. However, continuing the legacy of the people of both Trinidad and Jamaica is an admittedly fascinating challenge. To help others learn more about the two cultures, one may consider focusing on the essential factors that define people’s lives, i.e., leisure and arts. Thus, I would put a soccer ball, a pack of doubles, and a decorated shell in my backpack to help people get in touch with the cultures mentioned above.

Although reggae is the first connection that people make in their minds once someone mentions the Jamaican culture, there is also a plethora of other things that make the Jamaican culture unique. For instance, the fascination with soccer, or football, as Jamaicans call it, can be deemed as one of the defining characteristics of the local population. Therefore, a soccer ball is a standalone symbol of Jamaica and its cultural legacy (Dummore, 2015). Apart from being an important part of Jamaicans’ leisure and the local children’s pastime, the sport can be viewed as the bridge between Jamaica and the rest of the world as international competitions are very common and popular in the state.

To show that the Jamaican culture offers as much for artistic growth as it does for physical development, one should bring up the fact that decorates shells attract a lot of tourists’ attention. Shell jewelry might seem insignificant and rather silly, yet it reflects the very essence of the Jamaican philosophy rather successfully. With no gold or gemstones in it, the shell jewels set a striking contrast to the down-to-earth culture valuing gold and other precious elements. The shells represent the idea of appreciating beauty for the sake of how it looks rather than how much it costs. Serving as a reminder of the necessity to focus on the spiritual rather than on the expensive, shells are the embodiment of the Jamaican lighthearted philosophy (Oackley, 2015).

Speaking of Trinidad and its culture, one must admit that its traditions balance out the active and vibrant lifestyle of Jamaican people, adding the notions of comfort and coziness to it. Considerably more relaxed than the one of Jamaica, the local lifestyle allows focusing on art extensively, and the art of culinary is one of the most essential parts of it. A combination of fried bread and chickpeas is unusual enough to create the impression of an exotic environment. Mango, tomato, garlic, and other additions to doubles might not seem extraordinary to most people, yet the unique combination of the fried bread, the beans, and the topping make the breakfast taste in a very exotic way (“Trinidad and Tobago”, n.d.).

A football, a shell decorated in a traditional Jamaican style, and a pack of delicious doubles as the representation of the Jamaican art and the Trinidad cuisine can be used as the props for helping people explore the culture of the identified countries in a fun and exciting way. Even though the specified items do not necessarily create a complete portrait of the cultures in question, they, nevertheless, serve as the symbols of what Jamaican and Trinidadian people hold dear to their hearts. Therefore, I would choose these elements as the building blocks for my story.

References

Dummore, T. (2015). Encyclopedia of the FIFA World Cup. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press.

Oackley, R. (2015). 9 handmade things from Jamaica we want to get our hands on right away. Web.

(n.d.). Web.

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