Yardies, at home and a farrin (part 8)

[jakeswife 0]

Do anyone know what the process is that USIC does when they have your applicantant in hand. Do you both go thru an FBI check, state ID check with them. What else do they do with the documents, i.e verify marrage licenses.

So my question is this, I was married in JA, I have not filed my marriage here in the states, because I was informed that I did not need to file anything. Will this create a slow down of my process ?

hey i guess i can answer apart of the question. we also got married in jamaica so you will need to turn in a notarized copy of the married certificate. you do not need to file your marriage in the states because marriages in jamaica are recognized by the state.it should not slow down the process if the documents you presented are the original copies or notarized copy.

[SupportOAFJF 0]

Lawny deh a Auri school..mi know she a scare di pickney dem

[clairern 0]

Good afternoon ladies;

Been loggedon all morning but have two very critically ill patients and have been busy all morning and just now sitting down to catch up with you all.

Sunnnnnnnyyyyyyy. Today is D-day!!!!!!! I am excited and it is not even me...lol

I hope everyone else have a wonderful and productive day.

[Islandwoman 0]

or new topic

(i live daily with the other one)

I am bored to rass at work. I went from having two teams to NO team. So, I am literally twiddling my thumbs right now. I don't know what to do with myself. I have a privacy filter so I can iggle on my computer.

Remember that thread I started about Jamaican supersitions? It was so funny to hear some of them. Where is Lawny? I know she can give us tons of them.

Where, where ?!?!?! I never saw that - I only found the Stellas.

[Yaads 0]

Here are some superstitions from an article in the Gleaner (sorry it's so long):

Superstitions permeate many aspects of Jamaican life. Not surprisingly, the cultural influence most often cited is African. What may be unrecognised, however, is that the area with the strongest retention is death, including burial practices. Most of these beliefs are born out of fear of the unknown; fear of what happens after death and how it can affect the living. These actions are carried out because it is believed that they will protect those left alive from the wrath of the spirit of the dead, known colloquially in Jamaica as the duppy.

Many Jamaicans believe that when a person dies, his soul goes toheaven but his spirit stays for a while, sometimes permanently. Some say the duppy rises on the third day after the burial and returns to the house to wander around his/her possessions, finally leaving on the ninth night. Relatives and friends gather at the house of the dead to welcome his return and send him back to the grave. Often cause for celebration, wakes or 'set-ups' are held and on the ninth night; an all-night vigil is sometimes held.

Signs of Death

According to the Jamaica Information Service's (JIS) (1991) Jamaica Folk Customs and Beliefs, omens of death include: the unusual crying of animals, birds or insects; the crowing of a ####### inside the house. Similarly, the sudden occurrence and abrupt end of a rain shower on a clear day and a loud knock on the door or roof for no apparent reason are taken to mean death is imminent. If two people say the same thing at the same time, it means they will die together. If you add to a house or cut down an old tree, you must kill a goat or a chicken and shed the blood to prevent the death of someone in the house.

Coping with Death

JIS (1991) and Hopwood (2003) note the following beliefs are designed to protect the living. They tend to be quite specific and require strict adherence to instructions. Many include the use of water.

For example, one must not throw out the water used to wash the dead body unless the duppy is told first. Some say that the water must be emptied into the grave following internment.

All the mirrors in the 'dead' room must be covered so as to prevent the reflection of the living being cast upon the dead. This prevents the living from pining away. Some believe that the water and a light must be left on in the room and the room must remain unchanged for nine nights. The water must be emptied each morning.

To rid the house of the ghost of the dead person, you can also burn rosemary and scatter rice.

Place 10 coffee beans in the 'dead' room and no duppies can enter - they can only count to nine.

In order for the spirit of the dead not to return and haunt any family member, they must all say goodbye to the corpse and every child must be lifted and passed over the coffin while its name is said. No tears are to fall on the body or the ghost will return to haunt the mourner. The body should also not be kissed or the teeth of the kisser will rot.

Before the coffin leaves the house, the husband or wife of the deceased must put on a piece of black cloth with a white cross made of chalk. This is to be worn for the next four to five months.

Buttons must be removed from the clothes of the deceased and the clothes must be pinned or sewn without knots or the ghost will return. Pockets must also be sewn up or the ghost will return and fill it with stones and harm those left alive.

If you leave a wake, simply touch a person who is to leave with you - do not announce it - so that the duppy does not follow you home. You should also walk backwards and turn around three times since duppies walk in a straight line.

The body must be taken out feet first and through the front door. If the back door is used, the spirit of the dead will not leave the house.

As soon as the body leaves, the room must be swept out.

Burials

Either one man or an odd number of men should dig the grave. After the digger makes the first dig, he should drink some rum.

The grave must be dug east to west and the body placed to face the sun.

When filling the grave, the diggers must stand with their backs to the grave and throw dirt in backwards through their legs to prevent the ghost from following them home.

A calabash tree should be planted at the head and foot of the grave.

Duppies

Duppies are said to live in the roots of cotton trees, bamboo thickets or in abandoned buildings. They eat bamboo roots, fig leaves and the fruit of a vine called the 'duppy pumpkin'. Although generally believed to be harmful (especially when used by an obeah-man), there are good and bad duppies.

Duppies can take on the shape of humans or animals and are also able to change themselves into different forms. They can talk, laugh, sing, cook, smoke, ride horses and generally do anything a human can. When they do ride, however, they are said to use the animal's tail as a bridle.

Interestingly, a number of Jamaican plant names feature the word 'duppy'. This use of the term 'duppy' in plant names to distinguish between edible and inedible plants shows how superstition helps to direct the relationship between Jamaicans and their environment. Generally, what is good for the duppy is bad for humans - this is an important lesson to learn from a young age. For example, there is the real chocho and the duppy chocho, the real coconut and the duppy coconut. There is the real tomato and the duppy tomato, the real soursop and the duppy soursop and the real cherry and the duppy cherry, etc. Similarly, certain plants like night-blooming jasmine are known to attract duppies and Jamaicans know to keep them away from their homes (Resford, J.,1984, p. 69). According to noted historian Edward Long, this belief in the good and bad qualities of certain plants and trees comes from Africa. (as cited, ibid., 1984, p. 69).

Again, the information included in these folk customs about duppies is consistently specific. The following are noted by JIS (1991):

If you are followed by a duppy, stop and mark an X on the ground and since they can only count to nine they will spend the night trying to count to X.

Do not speak to a duppy immediately or it will hurt you. If he is wearing black, he is harmless. But if he is wearing white, he is dangerous.

Use your left hand to strike a duppy.

Do not kill any green lizards in a graveyard as theyare believed to be duppies.

If you are in the bushes and hear a stick break, it is a warning from a dead relative that the area is unsafe.

If you feel a sudden gust of warm air, it means that a duppy is present.

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/pages/history/

[SupportOAFJF 0]

LAWD YAADS DAT BRINGS BAD SOME MEMORIES...I'M SCARED

[Islandwoman 0]

LAWD YAADS DAT BRINGS BAD SOME MEMORIES...I'M SCARED

Yuh beleive that stuff Kimmy?

[Yaads 0]

LAWD YAADS DAT BRINGS BAD SOME MEMORIES...I'M SCARED

Sorry

A used to officiate funerals for the church when he was still in JA. He believes most of what was in that article - specifically the burial and duppy stuff. When that is all you learn growing up it becomes ingrained in you.

Mek mi go dig up some "happier" superstition. Mi nah waan Kimmy fi bawl

[SupportOAFJF 0]

LAWD YAADS DAT BRINGS BAD SOME MEMORIES...I'M SCARED

Yuh beleive that stuff Kimmy?

LIVE IN JA ALL UR LIFE AND SEE SOME OF THESE THINGS U'LL SAY ANOTHER THING..IT'S SINCE I GOT HERE SOMETINGS DON'T MAKE ANY SENSE BUT LET ME TELL U SOME DO!!

[clairern 0]

wah gwan ladies!

just want to introduce myself~

jomo told me about this place- and now dropping in to check it all out

i can tell you have a pretty awesome community here-

its been fun reading all your stories

i'm in a relationship with an amazing guy from jamaica- 1 1/2 years going strong

im trying to figure out the best situation for our future, (k-1 or CR-1)

im finding this board an awesome resource.

anyways, thanks for having me

look forward to sharing this experience, jomo has been more than awesome with providing info already

Welcome to the yardie thread, Justucia

[jakeswife 0]

I must forewarn you though....THESE ladies can be a likkle "cookoo...cookoo" I'm 'bout the only sane one up here!

well~ ill fit riiiiiiiiiiiight in

im a bit "touched" myself

as my man says- 'baby- there is someting just not right wid ya'

thanks for the welcome ladies!

welcome , i am pretty new here myself but i managed to learn a hell of a lot just being here and reading the blogs. it's a blessing that i found this site because i was able to cope with all the ups and downs as i go through this process.i started this process in march and i just got an interview date for dec 11,08. you will have good days and bad days but i assure you when you log on you will get the support you need to take you through. good luck and stick around i know we are happy to have you here.

jakeswife

[SupportOAFJF 0]

LAWD YAADS DAT BRINGS BAD SOME MEMORIES...I'M SCARED

Sorry

A used to officiate funerals for the church when he was still in JA. He believes most of what was in that article - specifically the burial and duppy stuff. When that is all you learn growing up it becomes ingrained in you.

Mek mi go dig up some "happier" superstition. Mi nah waan Kimmy fi bawl

[Yaads 0]

Love and Marriage

It is good luck for first cousins to marry as "cousin, cousin boil good soup." It is however not good luck for second cousins to marry.

A woman who sits on a table will never marry, and neither will a man who turns down his hat on a table or bed.

If a person wants to know the depth of love someone feels for him/her, knot a thread a few times and place a flame over it. If the flame passes over the knots the love is strong.

If you open an umbrella in your house you will not marry.

May is an unlucky month to marry, and Monday and Saturday are unlucky days on which to be married. If you marry on Monday it is believed the husband and wife will quarrel to their deaths, while if you marry on a Saturday it is believed the husband will die. It is also bad luck to marry on your birthday.

Wednesday is the luckiest day to get married and the best times on that day are 8:00 a.m., noon and 4:00 p.m.. Sunday at 4:00 p.m. is also a lucky day and time to get married.

If anything is broken during the wedding reception, the marriage will be an unhappy one.

Dreams

If you dream about fire, it means confusion

If you dream about new shoes,it means you will have a new lover.

If you dream about ankles, it means your enemies are planning to destroy you.

If you dream about a wedding, it means there will be a funeral and if you dream about a new house it means there will be a death.

Pregnancy

Pregnant women should never use a needle and thread or the unborn baby will be tied up in the umbilical cord.

Pregnant women should not walk under a wire. If they do, the baby will be strangled in the umbilical cord. They must step on the cord instead.

Pregnant women should never look at a dead body or the baby will die.

If a pregnant woman scratches her body while yearning for something to eat, the baby will be born with a mark at that same spot and it may resemble the food the mother craved.

Pregnant women should not stare up at a tree or the baby will be born cross-eyed.

If a pregnant woman climbs over a fence her child will be a thief.

Birth

If you say that an infant is beautiful, he will grow ugly. Should you say he is ugly, he will grow handsome.

Children before they are able to talk understand the language of animals.

The navel string must not be allowed to fall on the floor. It must be guarded by the mother and buried in the ground between three days and a year after the birth of the child. A tree is to be planted in that spot, known as the child's navel string tree, and if it is damaged or destroyed the child must be compensated. If the property is sold a new tree must be planted for the child from the sucker of the original tree.

A baby born with a caul (the inner membrane enclosing a fetus which may be found on the baby's head at birth) will be able to see duppies (spirit of the dead) without being harmed by them.

A new mother is not to bathe or wash her hair for the first three months after delivery as her pores are believed to be open and she is very susceptible to colds. Any cracks or holes in her house are to befilled for the same reason.

A child born during a leap year will be lucky.

A baby boy who resembles his mother will be lucky and so will a baby girl who resembles her father.

Luck

White dots on the nails and grey hair on a young person mean good luck.

Do not turn your hat down on a table or a bed, it will bring bad luck.

If your right eye dances you are going to laugh. If your left eye dances you will hear bad news, or something will happen that makes you cry.

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/200...lead/lead5.html

[Yaads 0]

LIVE IN JA ALL UR LIFE AND SEE SOME OF THESE THINGS U'LL SAY ANOTHER THING..IT'S SINCE I GOT HERE SOMETINGS DON'T MAKE ANY SENSE BUT LET ME TELL U SOME DO!!

A says the same thing! "It may sound like foolishness to you but when you have seen and experienced the things I have seen and gone through...yuh wouldn't tink a joke at all"

[PortlandAngel 0]

Good Afternoon Everyone, Just trying to get catch up at work since I played hooky yesterday to go to an interview.

With the custody issue, we were looking into it, my SO wanted to get custody of his daughter and it very similar to US, you have to proof that the person is unfit or mentally unstable. But its a long drawn out process and you will in most cases need an attorney. We stop pursuing it because we knew he wouldn't win and it was a waste of money, that could be spend doing other things for the baby.