Setting up the ribbon After "yeah, man" the third word I heard a lot in Jamaica was "respect". It wasn't used in a sentence. It was a one word statement. If you want to tell someone how important they are or how much their actions or words mean to you, this is a really good way to do it. That one word emphasizes the point very well. It's always good to end an experience on a high note . . . with a little respect. And, in Jamaica, I received my respect. I had two mural dedications in two days.
ROSE TOWN - The first presentation was in Rose Town at the Rollins Enterprise Center where my new mural on panels was just installed. The ladder was still up and a man was cleaning up little smudges as I arrived. I'd say that was freshly mounted.
The U.S. Ambassador, Donald Tapia, was there for the ceremony and ribbon cutting. It was my first time to see him during my stay. His schedule was crazy busy so I was pleased that he made time for my mural. The ambassador sat in one of the four seats set aside for dignitaries at the event. While he had a spare moment alone, I slipped in next to him and said, "I don't think I'm supposed to give presents to embassy people, but I have something for you." I gave him a copy of my Jamaican folk tale Anansi and the Market Pig as a way to say thank you for bringing me to this island.
Now, I didn't know who the four reserved seats were for, so after a little talk, I thought it was best to vacate the seat for whoever belonged there. As it turned out, I belonged there. So, I got to turn around, sit down, and get to know the ambassador a little better. I thoroughly enjoyed our time to talk.
No matter in what country the ceremony may be, all kinds of people need to speak at events like this. Everyone needs their moment in the spotlight. A representative from the Embassy Public Affairs Office spoke, and she did her homework. She knew this was mural 60, in 26 countries and 4 continents. I was impressed with her preparation.
The ambassador spoke, as did I, then a local member of Parliament, and Greg Bailey represented Edna Manley College. The ceremony was short, sweet, and desperately hot - even at nine o'clock in the morning! Greg almost broke a sweat, which just never happened the entire month I was in Jamaica. Shortly after the ambassador cut the ribbon, he needed to hurry on to his next event. We closed up shop and left too.
STANDPIPE - Just like when teaching a lesson for the second time, things always go smoother. The ambassador showed up again, and it was so nice to be greeted by name. This time I knew I was supposed to sit near him. More people showed up to speak. Other people showed up to be seen. And, many people in the community came to genuinely thank me for the project.
ROSE TOWN - The first presentation was in Rose Town at the Rollins Enterprise Center where my new mural on panels was just installed. The ladder was still up and a man was cleaning up little smudges as I arrived. I'd say that was freshly mounted.
The U.S. Ambassador, Donald Tapia, was there for the ceremony and ribbon cutting. It was my first time to see him during my stay. His schedule was crazy busy so I was pleased that he made time for my mural. The ambassador sat in one of the four seats set aside for dignitaries at the event. While he had a spare moment alone, I slipped in next to him and said, "I don't think I'm supposed to give presents to embassy people, but I have something for you." I gave him a copy of my Jamaican folk tale Anansi and the Market Pig as a way to say thank you for bringing me to this island.
Now, I didn't know who the four reserved seats were for, so after a little talk, I thought it was best to vacate the seat for whoever belonged there. As it turned out, I belonged there. So, I got to turn around, sit down, and get to know the ambassador a little better. I thoroughly enjoyed our time to talk.
No matter in what country the ceremony may be, all kinds of people need to speak at events like this. Everyone needs their moment in the spotlight. A representative from the Embassy Public Affairs Office spoke, and she did her homework. She knew this was mural 60, in 26 countries and 4 continents. I was impressed with her preparation.
The ambassador spoke, as did I, then a local member of Parliament, and Greg Bailey represented Edna Manley College. The ceremony was short, sweet, and desperately hot - even at nine o'clock in the morning! Greg almost broke a sweat, which just never happened the entire month I was in Jamaica. Shortly after the ambassador cut the ribbon, he needed to hurry on to his next event. We closed up shop and left too.
STANDPIPE - Just like when teaching a lesson for the second time, things always go smoother. The ambassador showed up again, and it was so nice to be greeted by name. This time I knew I was supposed to sit near him. More people showed up to speak. Other people showed up to be seen. And, many people in the community came to genuinely thank me for the project.
the Mural Man with the Ambassador When it was my turn to speak, I told them that I'd been away for a week and this was like coming home to Standpipe. It was a good way to start a speech. I explained a few things about the mural, focusing a lot on their loodie board. I confessed that I'm an American and I would just toss the dice. But, I loved how Jamaicans used their whole bodies to roll the dice. It was kind of a dance when they played and it was so much fun to watch.
I spent a while talking about my two secrets concerning the mural. I knew everyone could tell that I illustrated things about Jamaica and their local community, but most people didn't see the secret text "Standpipe" that was hidden in plain sight until I pointed it out. It was an audible "aha!" moment in the crowd with an unexpected round of applause.
The second secret concerned the domino with the numbers 5 and 9. I told them it was a huge controversy while we painted. So many people stopped to tell us that dominoes didn't have a nine. I seriously wondered if I was crazy (always a possibility) but I distinctly remembered seeing nines in dominoes. A Google search proved I wasn't imagining things. But, the tiles only go to six in Jamaica. But, then I shared the reason for those numbers. It was my mural number 59. And now, they knew both of the secrets and they could explain them to their friends in the community every time they shared the mural.
The final person to speak was a representative from the community. And, he could not have possibly been more gracious and sincere with his thanks. He really didn't have to say anything. His smile said it all, and he was truly so very pleased with the project. Respect.
It was still another hot morning in Kingston. I was drenched by the end of the ribbon cutting. Greg almost broke out in a sweat for the second time in two days. Almost. And, the ambassador had to race off to another event. But, the dedications left such a warm feeling in my heart that will last a lot longer than twenty minutes of blistering heat under a Caribbean sun.
I spent a while talking about my two secrets concerning the mural. I knew everyone could tell that I illustrated things about Jamaica and their local community, but most people didn't see the secret text "Standpipe" that was hidden in plain sight until I pointed it out. It was an audible "aha!" moment in the crowd with an unexpected round of applause.
The second secret concerned the domino with the numbers 5 and 9. I told them it was a huge controversy while we painted. So many people stopped to tell us that dominoes didn't have a nine. I seriously wondered if I was crazy (always a possibility) but I distinctly remembered seeing nines in dominoes. A Google search proved I wasn't imagining things. But, the tiles only go to six in Jamaica. But, then I shared the reason for those numbers. It was my mural number 59. And now, they knew both of the secrets and they could explain them to their friends in the community every time they shared the mural.
The final person to speak was a representative from the community. And, he could not have possibly been more gracious and sincere with his thanks. He really didn't have to say anything. His smile said it all, and he was truly so very pleased with the project. Respect.
It was still another hot morning in Kingston. I was drenched by the end of the ribbon cutting. Greg almost broke out in a sweat for the second time in two days. Almost. And, the ambassador had to race off to another event. But, the dedications left such a warm feeling in my heart that will last a lot longer than twenty minutes of blistering heat under a Caribbean sun.
Cutting the ribbon in Standpipe
RSS Feed