Jan 31, 2019
Intro to Journalism
Warm weather to winter
By Orlando Clark
Student Writer
The land of wood and water, the beautiful island of Jamaica is blessed with many beauties and tropical wonders. Rivers, seas, mountains, and trees, all complemented with a warm island breeze. Coming from an island in the Caribbean that has a tropical marine climate where any temperature below 80 degrees would be considered as cold by most of the locals. I lived in Kingston, the nation’s capital. The city where bottled and bagged water get more sales than goods on a black Friday sale. At the time of this blog, the temperature for the week will be 84 to 87 degrees, and this is the rainy season in Jamaica.
So used to walking the streets of my community in tank tops or wife beaters, shorts and flip-flops. Drinking cold drinks, drying my face with one of my many handkerchiefs or face rags. My friends and I used to hunt spots with trees, seeking shade to evade the basking heat. Our houses were too hot for us to stay indoors, the sea breeze from the nearby shore was our only hope in salvaging garments from our perspiration. I remember days when I would be tormented and angry with the climate of my country, wishing we had experienced snow like America and European countries.
Fast forward a few years to my third year in college, temporarily migrated to the mid-west of America. Waist deep in regret and nostalgia. It took wind chills of minus 50 to show me that I was wrong for pining over the temperature back home. I transitioned from wearing three pieces of apparel to not being able to flex my arms at my elbow. Now I appreciate the days when I could roam the streets of Kingston, in open toe sandals. One thing I hate most about Iowa at this point is the Sun. I have to say, the sun in Jamaica is more honest and true. When I looked out my window in Jamaica and saw the sun, it said one thing,” it’s hot out here”. Not the good old Iowan Sun, he is a real trickster. Look out your window and see the sun in Iowa, please don’t assume that it will be warm. It could be as bright as the lights from the pearly gates because it won’t. Before coming to Iowa I have never checked the weather forecast willing. Now the weather app on my phone is as important as my wallet.
Literary Mustangs 