The Savvy Villa Traveller

Jamaican Saying: Nuh fatten cockroach fi fowl roun’ di corner.

English Translation: (Imagine you are a chicken.) Don’t fatten your cockroach for another chicken around the corner.

Meaning:
Be careful of spending all your energy cultivating or building something that you have no ownership in or that won’t benefit you because someone else who didn’t contribute anything or didn’t invest as much may easily come in and get all the benefits of your hard work … and you will have nothing to show for it. Make sure you get some benefit out of your efforts.

Wow, some of these old Jamaicans who came up with these sayings must have looked into their crystal balls and seen what happens all the time in the corporate world!

This was something I didn’t have to think about until I became a mom. Every time I fly with the baby this question brings me anxiety beyond belief. Fortunately I have never had to do this but I’m sure it is a matter of time. I had a false alarm on the last flight to Jamaica. I could feel my pulse racing and my mouth getting dry. I am not one of those people who can change a diaper in a minute. I need the changing table and a space to neatly lay out the wipes and diaper cream before I get started. Anyway, as I walked down what seemed like a long walk down the aisle to the restroom, I could feel the anxiety growing. I couldn’t tell the last time I used an in-flight bathroom. I remembered them as small and cramped with barely enough room for me let along a squirming baby. I could just imagine myself fumbling in there and a long line growing with impatient people waiting for me to get done. I thought of all the germs parading around in the bathroom and worried that they would get on my baby. Clearly, by the time I got to the door I was a mental basket case. Well, I was surprised to see that there was a changing table over the sink which folded down to give me just enough space to change the baby. My friend who is a more experienced mom just rolled her eyes when I told her about the table which I was sure was a new invention. Turns out that they have been around for a long time. I just never noticed them before. I guess there are just some things you don’t think about until you become a mom.

Jamaican Saying: When trouble tek yuh, pickney shut fit yuh.

Translation: When you are in trouble, a child’s shirt will fit you.

Meaning: If things get really bad, you will be surprised at the extent to which you can adjust.

Last February we came back from Jamaica and finally arrived home at 1am and, of course, I’m due at work at 8am. Yikes. As if that wasn’t bad enough, we came home to an ice-cold house with no running water. The furnace had gone out and the pipes were frozen. Between being delayed getting home, and having a normally mellow toddler have a near melt down from having diaper failure plus the prospect of waiting for the furnace repair man, I was miffed. No, I was frustrated and mad! Plus we were freezing. As we put on layers of clothes and I wrapped the baby in blankets, I gave my husband one hour before I was checking into the nearest hotel. Fortunately the furnace company came within a half hour. First tip, have a great service contract on your heating company. The real question is at what temperature should you set your thermostat if you are going away in the winter months. I’m assuming of course that you don’t live in Florida but in a cold area like New York or Ohio, you get the idea. According to most sources, you should set the thermostat no lower than 55°F (12°C).

To learn more about preventing frozen pipes, click here

Jamaican Expression: Walk too fast,yuh walk two time.

English Translation: If you walk two fast, you will walk twice.

Meaning:
Take your time to do something well. If you go too fast, you may be careless and have to spend time correcting mistakes that could have been avoided in the first place.