Jamaicans Encouraged to Renew Passports

Jamaicans Encouraged to Renew Passports Volume 2, Issue 1 May 2004 KINGSTON,(JIS): Tuesday, April 06, 2004 The Immigration and Passport Division, mo...
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Jamaicans Encouraged to Renew Passports Volume 2, Issue 1 May 2004

KINGSTON,(JIS): Tuesday, April 06, 2004

The Immigration and Passport Division, more commonly known as the Passport Office, is encouraging Jamaicans who still possess the old blue passports, to apply for renewal over the next 11 months. This will facilitate the phasing out of old passports to the new machine-readable passports, which were introduced in September 2001. Senior Director of Immigration, Citizenship and Passport Services, Carol Charlton, told JIS News that while the Passport Office had a schedule to indicate when persons should take in their old passports, it was not mandatory, and Jamaicans would be able to travel on their old passports until the expiry date. "All passports are valid up to the period for which they were issued. We have passports that were issued under the old system, [which are valid] to 2011. They remain valid," Miss Charlton emphasized. There are roughly 800,000 such passports. She pointed out that there were advantages to traveling with the new passport, as it allowed for ease at points of entry and also provided increased credibility for the owner. Members of the public, who are applying for the new passport, should take in original documents, as photocopies will not be accepted. Applicants are asked to take their birth certificate, and in the case of married women, a marriage certificate. Miss Charlton also made note of a special category of applicants - persons who were born abroad to Jamaican parents, who under the Constitution had an entitlement to Jamaican citizenship. "We must be satisfied before the application is entered into the system, that this person does have a legitimate claim to Jamaican citizenship, and there is a section in the Citizenship Unit, where this is done," she added. The cost of renewing passports is J$2,500 for adults and J$1,500 for minors - one day to 17 years old. The Senior Director is also appealing to the traveling public, to photocopy the data page, which is the front page of the new passport and place it in a safe place when traveling. This will help persons to be able to quote the number of the passport, in the case of theft or loss. Miss Charlton told JIS News that the new passports were smaller in size, they possessed an electronically read bar code, and had the photograph scanned and covered in laminate, rather than pasted in the book. Further, children's passports would now be renewed every 5 years, because of the significant changes in the face of a child, from one day old to 15 years. The change in passports comes against the background of new international standards, which have been developed and adopted by several countries over the last decade. The standard has been designed and established by the International Civil Aviation Organization, with the intention that all countries will comply with a specific size for the passport, which has certain security features, and which will enable them to be checked on readers at points of entry. Excerpt from article. To see the whole article click on the Jamaican Information Service (JIS) website : http://www.jis.gov.jm

GOV’T TARGETS SECOND & THIRD GENERATION JAMAICANS OVERSEAS March 31, 2004, A News Release from the Jamaica Information Service Kingston, Jamaica State Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Delano Franklyn has said that engaging the interest of second and third generation Jamaicans living overseas is an important goal the Jamaican government is seeking to accomplish as it moves to strengthen its ties with the Jamaican overseas community. He noted that while “those [Jamaicans] who left in the 1970s, 1960s and even before had maintained very deep affinity, deep love, and real connections with Jamaica,” local Foreign Ministry officials are constantly “thinking how best to continue the interest of second and third generation Jamaicans.” According to the State Minister, to a large extent, descendants of Jamaican parentage residing abroad had demonstrated a continued interest in the country “through our music, sports and our athletic events”. “Many of them have been able to not only give support but have visited Jamaica largely as a result of the fact that Jamaica is now regarded internationally as a brand name,” the Minister added. He said that an overseas survey that was conducted last year revealed that Jamaica was highly ranked in its recognition as a brand name. The survey was commissioned to find out what were the best known brands internationally. “Out of 150 names, Jamaica ranked 14th,” he said, adding “the reason we are so known internationally is largely as a result of the positive contributions we have made and that Jamaicans in their own way have penetrated the cultures of other countries.”

Inside this issue: Special Feature

2

Reflections of Childhood

2

Editorial

3

Your thoughts on paper

3

Jamaican Summer Party notice

3

From the kitchen

3

The Music Scene

4

Excerpt from article.

A new Jamaican store opens

4

To see the whole article click on the Jamaican Information Service (JIS) website :

Editorial Board

4

http://www.jis.gov.jm

Swedish-Jamaican shoe lover….

Cutie´s Famous Patties Wayne Wonder

Addresses & telephone, email Questionaire

Insert

May 2004

Swedish-Jamaican shoe-lover suffers culture shock! Lisa Carrol, is a 20 year old girl playing basketball for Dodge City Community College, USA. She was born and raised in Taby, Stockholm by Swedish mother Barbro Carrol and Jamaican father Pappa Bull. Lisa started playing basketball at the age of 9. Back then, she played for a basketball club near her home called Taby Basket. She got into the game easy and soon she was the star of the team! The team went to tournaments and camps all over the country and people started to recognize this young, talented girl who always made the game more exiting. At 14 years old she joined the Swedish Junior All-Star Basketball team. It was 20 girls in the team that a scout had chosen from all over Sweden and of course Lisa made the team! Now things started to get serious and she put a lot of effort into her basketball, practice almost everyday and games or tournaments on weekends. There was not much time left for anything else but luckily she used all of her extra time to study. A few years later at the age of 18, she got recruited by the Swedish team Solna Vikings. This team played in the Women’s League and that is how far you can reach being a women and playing basketball in Sweden.

Volume 2, Issue 1

So when she finished school later the same year she knew she wanted to go to the USA to study and ofcourse, play basketball! Since she had very good grades from school and was such a good player, she got a scholarship that paid her way to Dodge City Community College. She moved to the US all by herself and she had never been to the country before. Her coach, Paul Turgeon showed her around Dodge City and Lisa, coming from a capital city had a bit of culture shock when he showed her the shopping mall! Since Lisa has always been a fashion-lover and was about to major in Fashion Relations, Dodge City’s simple and “not-so-hot” shopping mall did not please her. However, being the polite and humble girl she is, she just laughed and understood she had to do her shopping elsewhere. Today Lisa still is in Dodge City and she will graduate in May. Then she will come back home to her family in Sweden who misses her a lot! By an admiring and proud dad, John Carrol

How To Catch a Fowl in Your Yard To Kill It Humanely When I was a child I lived in a small village called Long Road in the parish of Saint Mary. It was not uncommon for an adult to call a child to catch a bird in order for killing it and making a tasty dish! Detailed below is one method as I recall that us boys used to employ for catching a chicken. First, make a cone out of a broad leaf about four inches in length. e.g. A banana leaf. The size should be a bit larger than a cone made out of paper that a peanut vendor would use for selling roasted peanuts. The opening at the top of the cone should be approximately four inches in diameter. Secondly, get a thin stick to use as a pin about nine inches long on which a small piece of meat can be attached to make bait. Thirdly, pierce the cone with the pin, then attach the bait to sit in the cone before passing the stick through the opposite side of the cone. The bait is then secure within the cone. One or more cones are then placed on the ground out in the yard, where fowls or other big birds normally scratch for food. The bird catcher then stands a few feet from the spot and observe when a bird would get trapped in the bait. Should a hen, cock or pheasant approach, it will peck into the cone and try to eat the bait, but will not be able to let go in order to swallow it without opening its beak. At the same time it will not be able to see anything and will move slowly in no special direction. It is then that the bird can be caught easily!

The Doctor Bird Versus John Crow, Hawk or Any Bird that is Bigger Than Itself. The Doctor Bird is the National Bird of Jamaica- my homeland. It has a peculiar behaviour, in that it can take on birds much larger than itself and live! When I was growing up in St Mary, the one bird, which impressed me most, was the Doctor Bird also called the Humming Bird. The following is one of many observations I made on this amazing bird In action! Two john crows were sitting on a limb of a coconut tree and were pecking at each other. Suddenly, one flew up in the air and dived down on the other giving it a severe peck. A doctor bird suddenly turned up from no where. With great accuracy and swiftness, it dived at the troublemaker’s back. This troublemaker then decided to leave the area with great speed and manoeuvre but this little doctor bird positioned itself in the crow’s back like a horse and rider and repeatedly injected its long beak into the crow’s back. The crow, feeling the harsh punishment, tried to throw off the little doctor bird who only decided to let the crow escape when it was a fair distance from the other crow. The doctor bird seems to see injustices and rectifies it immediately, despite its size. It can fly at terrific speeds and is able to remain still in the air. It’s wing flaps have numbered up to over 85 per second. It is outstandingly multicoloured, looks smart and is hard working. That is our national bird. Written by Blossom Jackson Middlesex

Multicultural Books, PO Box 107, Greenford Middlesex Page 2

UB6 9YX. Tel: (020) 8813 1978

http://www.multiculturalbooks.co.uk J A M A I C A N- S W E D I SH C O M M U N I T Y N E W S L E T T E R

May 2004

Yours thoughts on paper!

Aaahh! Finally the sun has come to warm our cold icy gardens and bring us green grass and leaves. I am not usually greatly affected by the weather. If it rained, well the plants needed it, if it snowed, that´s just how it is in the northern hemisphere. I was always fascinated by the way Swedes can embrace the spring after waking up from their winter hibernation. Many lay out in the sunshine to get some warmth even though it's 2+ ° in the wind. About 4 years ago, I began to understand this fascinating phenomena because I too began to yearn the warmth of the sun. That maybe so, because Sweden has enjoyed beautiful and warm summer the last 4 years and I usually long for home in the summer. The sun invites people out of their homes to chat with their neighbours, it warms up those icy grim faces of winter to smiles and laughter. Plus degrees bring out the barbeque and the gardeners. Spring and summer is life renewed. For many of us, the lucky ones, we get the chance to live this everyday, but others have just today. In all that is happening in this crazy world of our, the warmth of the sun that gives life to the plants and us, maybe we can pass on that warmth so that it reaches those who won´t have that chance. Jamaicans don´t need the sun to spread warmth and laughter and Swedes, though cautious, also warm and inviting people..how about together we can spread that around. As Miss Diana Ross, so soulfully sang, “Reach out and touch, somebody's hand. Make this world a better place , if you can!” Enjoy

Volume 2, Issue 1

Dear Reader, We would like to hear your comments and ideas about our newsletter and other pertinent matters. Please feel free to write up via email or post to one of the board members. Thank you, The Editor

BOOK THIS DATE IN YOUR CALENDAR !! 3rd Annual

Jamaica's Independence Family Party Saturday, August 14, 2004

your springtime everyone! From my “Soapbox!”

in Stockholm

Althea Boman, Chief Editor

Watch out for further details

Cutie´s Famous Patties I say patties are Jamaica’s favourite fast food. At lunch time patty outlets are crowded, and this popular meat pie certainly holds its own at cocktail parties. The pastry can be filled with beef which is the most popular filling or chicken, lobster, shrimp, callaloo or mixed vegetables. If you haven’t made patties before I suggest that you start by making the cocktail size, those are a smaller version of the normal ones you buy. You can most certainly freeze them if you can’t eat them all at once but, of course, they taste the best when they are fresh out of the oven. In my struggle to make the perfect patty I have experimented with different kind of recipes. Even though the results sometimes haven’t been all that successful I have learnt that it is important never to give up and you will be able to make the juiciest Jamaican patties... Here comes a recipe you can try and good luck with your cooking – it will yield about 40 cocktail size patties and will take about 3 hours to make: Filling: Pastry: 1 lb. ground beef 2 stalks scallion 1 lb. flour 1 stalk thyme (about ½ teaspoon dried thyme) 1 tsp. baking powder 1 medium onion 1 tsp. salt 2 cups bread crumbs ½ cup ground beef suet ½ tsp. pepper ½ cup vegetable shortening 1 tsp. salt 8 oz. iced water (approximately) A pinch of tomato colouring in water, or (preferably if you can get hold of 1 tsp sugar browning it) a drop of annatto colouring to colour pastry To make pastry:

1.Sift the flour and salt 2.Mix the suet and vegetable shortening with some of the flour. 3.Mix suet mixture and remaining flour, and add baking powder. 4.Add water with colouring and mix until the ingredients are bound together and leave the basin clean. The dough should be firm. 5.Turn on to a floured board. Knead till free from cracks. 6.Divide dough into 40 pieces and shape into balls. 7.Cover and leave until ready to make patties.

J A M A I C A N - S W E D I S H C O M M U NI T Y N E W S L E T T E R

To make filling: Heat minced meat in a saucepan with just enough water to cover. 1.Use fingers or fork to separate lumps in the water. 2.Add seasoning, finely chopped, to meat and also ½ tsp. salt and sugar. 3.Cook until mince is soft, about 30 minutes on low heat. 4.Correct seasoning and add remaining salt. 5.Add bread crumbs and browning if a darker colouring is required. 6.Make sure there is enough gravy to make filling wet. Add butter , and allow to cool before putting into pastry. 7.Preheat oven to 350° F. 8.On a lightly floured board, roll out balls in circles. Put about 1 full teaspoon of mince in centre of circles and fold over to form a crescent. Press together and crimp with a crimper or a fork, brushing a little oil on each patty. 9.Bake for approximately 45 minutes until golden brown or deep fry cocktail patties. 10.Serve hot. ENJOY! Page 3

May 2004

Volume 2, Issue 1

One Love!

Welcome to a new store in Stockholm. Susanne (Susi) has returned from Jamaican with container loads of Jamaican things. You must go and see it. “Its a Jamaican Gift store with art, craft-work, t-shirts, slippers, national dresses, dolly clothes, rasta suits, towels, glasses, ashtrays, flags and nuff more things.......” We sell retail and wholesale

Jamaican Corner Segelflygsgatan 9 128 32 Skarpnäck Tel. 070-713 0723

By John Bull

Sweden welcomes Wayne Wonder! Wayne Wonder is “One love P”, an artist you probably heard about. He is one of Jamaica’s top ranked MTV stars. He has been performing around the globe and the 24th of March he came to Stockholm where he played at a club called Mondo. He held a concert for the Swedish people. This was the first time ever Wayne Wonder visited Sweden. He said, “It’s a beautiful country with nice people, a bit cold though.” The concert was a major success, 90% of the audience was ladies which is not so hard to understand because Wayne Wonder is an original `ladies man´. After the concert I got a chance to meet him and get an interview. We talked only for ten minutes but still I got to know some about him, his career and his life. He was very satisfied with the concert and he thought that the audience was great! They sang with him and showed him that they appreciated his music and that is what keeps him going. He started his career back home in Jamaica in 1980. Then, he was a part of a sound system called Metromedia Sound-system. His first single was called “It’s Over Now” and it was a hit in Jamaica. As the years passed, he made more singles, held concerts, and gained many fans. He made it clear that there is no limit for how good one can be and he is just going to keep on making his music forever. He said that the recipe to great success is hard work and positive energy. Now Wayne has been nominated for an Oscar and his records are making the gold charts. Above all that, he is a laid back and polite man who makes us Jamaicans proud. I wished him all the best in life and thanked him for sharing some time with one of Jamaica’s music kings!

Store hours: 10.00 - 20.00 Chief Editor Althea Boman

The Editorial Board & Contact Persons

Rävbergsvägen 29, 713 30 Nora Phone: 0587-10103 Email: [email protected] Publisher/Ansvarig Utgivare Lennart O. Anderson Knäckepilsgränd 39 165 76 Hässelby , Sweden

Chief Editor, Althea Boman

Chairman & Publisher, Lennart O. Anderson,

Tel. 0587 10103, [email protected]

Honorary Consul , Tel. 0705-93 15 81,

Mailing List, Hermine Söderberg Tel. 0586-72 58 47, [email protected]

Distributor-Email, Bertil Fougstedt

Distributor-Post, Walter Baugh

Tel. 08-774 27 76, [email protected]

Tel. 0302-162 11, [email protected]

Advisor, Reneé Fougstedt

Phone: 0705-93 15 81 Email: [email protected]

Syftet med detta nyhetsbrev är att skapa ökat intresse för Jamaica och dess traditioner. Vi vänder oss till människor – både yngre och äldre - som har anknytning till Jamaica genom sitt ursprung, i sitt arbete eller genom familj och vänner.

[email protected]

Tel. 08-774 27 76, [email protected] Music & Culture, John(Bull) Carrol

Advisor & Culture, Susanne Härlin

Tel. 070-609 72 06, [email protected]

Tel. 08-604 47 77, [email protected]

Advisor, Stanley Cummings

Secretary, Sarah Norberg Tel. 046-14 74 90, [email protected] Tel. 031 8420 80 , [email protected].

J A M A I C A N - SW E D I SH C O M M U N I T Y N E W SL E T T E R

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4

Frågeformulär Du läser nu det femte nyhetsbrevet. Vi i redaktionen undrar om vi ska fortsätta ge ut det eller om vi ska lägga ner. Vi lägger ner stor möda på att producera det och hoppas att du vill svara på följande frågor. Brukar ni läsa nyhetsbrevet? A) Ja, alltid

B) Ja, ibland

C) Oftast inte

Tycker ni att innehållet i nyhetsbrevet är intressant? Ja / Nej Varför? .............................................................................................. .............................................................................................................. Vad skulle ni vilja läsa mer om? Markera med kryss •

Intressanta Jamaicaner, t.ex. Harry Belafonte, Colin Powell



Jamaicaner I Sverige



Information från ambassad/konsulat



Pass- och visumfrågor



Information och rapporter från Jamaica



Jamaica anknutna fester, t.ex. Independence Day



Roliga historier från Jamaica



Jamaicansk mat, recept



Musik



Böcker



Film

Nyhetsbrevet kommer att publiceras på Internet. Har du e-mail så skickar vi information om nya utgåvor Har ni möjlighet att ta emot nyhetsbrev via e-mail? A) Ja

B) Nej

. Det sparar mycket resurser om vi får skicka brevet via e-mail. Om ni vill ha nyhetsbrevet till annan adress än den ni fått detta brev, anteckna adressen här: Namn: ................................................................................ Adress: ............................................................................... Varsågod och vika ihop det här pappret så att retur adressen stå fram, tejpa och skicka tillbaka. Glöm inte porto. Tack för din medverkan. The Editorial Committee.

Porto

Hermine Söderberg Elviravägen 5 691 54 KARLSKOGA