British Jamaicans have a huge influence on the culture in Jamaica as well as other Foreign Nations that have strong linkages in the island.
However I'm noticing that there is a huge bias towards US and Canadian customers here in Jamaica. Understandably due to proximity lesser travelling distance and time, being in the same region of the world has a strong influence.
Culturally, in terms of weather systems even meteorological factors. Sharing the same time zones, working with the same or similar supply chain for most products, especially food produce. All of these factors carry a heavy influence and provide a strong connection for mutual advancement.
Still I don't think it's beneficial to alienate or disrespect the connection to the British Jamaican friends and family, and their support network altogether. Despite this I can give many examples of this being an issue. Possibly caused by that fiercely competitive, indomitable spirit of typical American people. Where companies here blatantly favour their US customer base and I suppose they rely more heavily on them to maintain revenue income.
For example;
Digicel and FLOW international packages even now in 2021 only include UK landlines no mobile phone calls. And these packages include ALL US and Canadian numbers and even has gone as far as China. This obvisouly helps facilitate long distance relationships, families overseas, business connections also to stay in touch with their closest people in Jamaica all of the time. The UK family has been mistreated by these phone companies for some time. Not even a PLEASE CALL ME was allowed to a UK mobile the last time I tried!
In most supermarket chains here as it relates to food products looking in the Freezer compartment and specialist food sections there are mostly US imported products. This has only improved slightly in recent years, to include some European brands and UK brand products that are here are limited and only available in certain stores at a premium price. Such as Sovereign, General Foods and Loshusan in "uptown" Kingston in places like Barbican and Liguanea where there are more expats to support the niche markets.
In fact, I even noticed whilst looking at the Annual Calendar featuring recipes from General Foods that there is no mention of Mother's Day UK on their Calendar which includes an extensive list of Holidays (National, Observed) and Special dates. But the US Mother's Day is noted, this is typical and it seems that UK Mother's, are decidedly not so important if they are not even included . If they can't even get a telephone call with the same ease as their US counterparts.
According to my general, somewhat limited technical knowledge of telecommunications there is no technical, logistical reason using modern technology for UK calls to be more expensive than any other call.
All of the Mother's Day celebrations are reserved only for the US Mother's. As retailers here again are mostly aligned with their US neighbours and have adopted as such their culture of thinking predominantly of one mainstream marketplace.
Strangely enough Father's Day celebrated in June does not pose any such division as it's celebrated on the same day on both sides of the Atlantic.
The cost of flights to the UK is already twice as much or more than the average flight to the US or CANADA. Why do we pay all of the highest premiums to maintain our relations with "yard" and yet get less appreciation, acknowledgement or respect even?
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