By Rosemary Parkinson, Gleaner Writer

Left: Daugther Sara opening her Jamaican dancehall gear!  Right: All manner of wines and champagnes, expensive and otherwise. - photos by Rosemary Parkinson

No better words from the man himself, William Shakespeare. Calling my mother re the sad status of my non-flight to Barbados for Christmas, she said: "Miracles do happen, Rosemary," and I guess they do. I must thank neighbour Donette (Air Jamaica) for her efforts on the 23rd.

Unfortunately, not one soul was prepared to give up a seat. I also reached begging point with Air Jamaica's Captain Mike but a serious directive had just been issued. "Jump seats only fi those in airline uniform." Yes! me ask fi a uniform but that fell on deaf ears! Those of us who remember the joy of a jump seat when flights were full are not amused.

America's homeland security is at the bottom of this. Instead of interfering with jump seat President Bush, how about just zinc fence your country if you want to keep out terrorists? Nobody interferes with zinc fence. Zinc fence don't allow man to make mischief. Not even bin Laden can penetrate zinc fence. Consult Jamaican zinc fence experts and try and leave we jump seat alone, it's a Caribbean way of life. Down here we would not be so fool-fool to put any spurious body in a jump seat. This throne is relegated to friends and family in travel trouble. So get real.

Leo Blake, another neighbour, thanks for the transportation back and forth to the airport. Karlene Walters, Troy (the-New-Year's-Eve-hot-to-trot ageing-man) and Chris (Pork 'nockers,' Buccaneer Hotel, MoBay) for filling me up with white overproof rum and cranberry juice shakes, impeding my decision to take off down the runway with suitcase tied to my back. Blessings to the Matelon and Thwaites family who, on reading of my Christmas home-alone-cry, promised a great Jamaican Christmas in Kingston, and Norma Shirley, a full Christmas meal on her return from Miami.

The saga is, however, now all over. American Airlines rescued me with one seat in Business Class at a reduced price on the 24th. So Miami airport was hairy, so the flight to Barbados was long and delayed but I got into Barbados safe, sound and happy at around 11:00 p.m. having missed Mom's Christmas Eve open house but, still child enough to wakeup early Christmas day to open what Santa put under the Christmas tree.

Today, there will be nuff to eat. As I sit writing this, the aromas of ham waft through the air and I, ponche-crema in hand and aguinaldos (Venezuelan carols) in the background, have already tasted my Mom's brandy hard-sauce for the pudding to test its fitness for the rest of the family.

Big-ups to the Caribbean crew on AA. Trini 'Puss' Evans, Jamaican Jasmine Quallo and Grenadian Beryl Ann Hyson. Nothing like Caribbean smiles and the playing of a calypso or two to stop people from rioting in dem Amurrican plane. And as for dinner on the way to Bim - fresh salad of crispy lettuce, sliced mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, olives and artichokes with a great vinaigrette followed by a bowl of cheese ravioli in tomato sauce on one side, and rigatoni in cheese sauce on the other, accompanied by warm pannacota bread finished off by a divine chocolate and vanilla-rippled mousse cake.

Take note for 2007 Caribbean airlines.

AND NOW FOR NEW YEAR'S

Down in the southern part of the Caribbean, where North America has not quite made such a dent in tradition, New Year's Eve is aptly called Old Year's Night. Here in Bim, there will be huge parties with huge prices. US$80 upwards allows just passing the door and US$500 upwards, door and food (champagne extra) with designer clothes starting in the thousands. In the past for me it was dinner with the parents, then on to every nightclub, hanging out for champagne toasts and New Year countdown with fireworks on the beach.

Later more clubs 'uptown' to 'downtown' (in the Jamaican equivalent) right through with the wee hours of the morning catching us in Baxter's Road with all the ladies and men of the night, transvestites, lawyers, accountants, even prime ministers and glitterati such as Mick Jagger and Julian Lennon at Enid's a, side-ah-road joint, tables covered in plastic where Miss Enid, larger than life, served up some mean fried chicken, liver cutters (sandwiches) and plenty more rum. Accra Beach on the South Coast then beckoned where entering the sea in full regalia, including shoes, was a ritual that shocked old folks walking the beach.

Or, there was Bathsheba, its Atlantic seas hitting the shores in quick succession whilst the dawn appeared from Africa-way as we sat in awe watching. Most of these rituals are still carried on by others. Enid's gone, prices have rocketed as high as the fireworks displayed up and down the south and west coast, but the latter are worth parking at a vantage point with a cooler of champers.

This year, if Caribbean Star opens a seat, I will be in Tobago, sister isle of Trinidad. If not, I shall be on the West Coast sipping with friends of daughter Sara Collins who flew out on Christmas Day (after lunch of course!) to Canouan (Grenadines) with other models for shows by Heather Jones at Donald Trump's hotel. Yes! I told her to tell him: "you are fired." I want to thank the Hussey family for their lovely invitation for their New Year's bash, next time it will be Jamaica.

NEW YEAR'S, OLD YEAR'S

At midnight all over the world on January 31st - at different times and in different weather, the world will unite to ring in what every single person hopes and prays will be a better and more peaceful year than the one before.

This year in the knowledge of author Donald Walsh, (Conversations with God) I would like all of us to understand that there is enough. The world really does have enough. We just have to learn to share more.

Prayers go out for all those in hospitals across the nation - especially Melony Sybons in Montego Bay, who is in considerable pain throughout this joyous time and waits news of what her condition might be. In this vein, I ask doctors all over Jamaica to remember that. More care, attention, discourse, information, bed-side manners and humility for 2007. All those suffering from hunger, disgusting living conditions, illnesses, fear under the horrors of guns, beatings, or drug addiction and alcoholism, understand that the world can move out of the box. You have to believe in man's humanity to man ... as my beautiful mother says ... miracles do happen.