Tag: History

African Postman: The Legacy of Slavery in Zanzibar, Tanzania

July 4, 2012

Jamaica‘s Emancipation Day (August 1) is not far away. With our fiftieth anniversary of Independence we are looking forward – but we have also looked back at our history, and the history we share with other nations. One of those experiences, which can never be forgotten, is slavery. In Jamaica, we associate West Africa with … More African Postman: The Legacy of Slavery in Zanzibar, Tanzania

Illuminate Me, Baby

March 20, 2012

“Everything is illuminated in the light of the past.” So says Alex (played by the marvelous Eugene Hutz) at the end of the 2005 film “Everything Is Illuminated,” which has become a Petchary Instant Classic ever since I first watched it on cable with my son. Illumination is a beautiful word, isn’t it?  It glows, … More Illuminate Me, Baby

History

September 27, 2010

Well, whose history, is always the question.  In the case of this part of California, it of course all began with the native peoples, and then came the Spanish.  Sounds a little familiar to us Jamaicans. Take the exquisitely beautiful Monterey Peninsula, for example.  The Rumsien Indians lived there for thousands of years, moving seasonally … More History

Egypt

September 4, 2010

Yes, the very name allows all kinds of images to flit through our minds, doesn’t it?  The very ring, the sound of the name falls soft and sweet on the tongue.  Those lucky people who are planning slow trips down the Nile always say in an almost reverential tone, “I’m going to…(pause)…Egypt.” Reverence for the … More Egypt