The Perfect Rainbow(s)

First there was a heavy shower of rain and then a rainbow streak appeared. It later turned into the perfect rainbow. And if that wasn’t enough, it was later joined by another rainbow. Yup, there were two clearly defined rainbows sitting steadily over the perfect resort, Grand Lido Negril. Shot on June 24, 2008.

The Perfect Rainbow(s) Photo Gallery

For more information on the perfect resort, Grand Lido, visit: www.grandlido.com

Every country is great, especially Jamaica.

Bonita Jamaica
Beautiful Place. Amazing People.

See you in Jamaica.

Jamaica Sets Sights On Beijing To Be Best Olympics Ever

By Teswayne Harris

Now that the JAAA National Senior Trials in Kingston, Jamaica have ended after a number of scintillating performances and a few surprises over the three day event, Jamaica nation is aiming to set an unprecedented medal haul and have its best Olympic Games in Beijing, this summer.

Beijing will be the 15^th Olympics that Jamaica participates in. Jamaica earned 3 medals in its first Olympics in Helsinki, 1948, but only 5 at the last one in Athens, 2004.

Even though Jamaica has won a track and field medal in every Olympic Games, except for Melbourne in 1956 and Tokyo, in 1964, not much progress has been made in the medal count since then. Eight years ago, in Sydney, Jamaica had its highest medal tally: 7.

Nonetheless, the island-nation is looking to have a double digit medal haul at the 29^th Olympiad in Beijing, equaling or bettering the 10 earned at last year’s World Championships in Osaka, Japan. If each athlete performs to his/her ability and barring injuries, this quest should not be a difficult one.

Usain Bolt, who ran a cruising 100m in 9.85 at the Jamaica trials, should anchor the Jamaican medal count in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m. His friend and former world record holder 100m, Asafa Powell, should also be in the running to pick up medals in the 100m and the 4x100m.

With a 100m world record of 9.72 under his belt and a national best of 19.75 in the 200m (both in 2008), Bolt could be the first Jamaican to capture the sprint double at the Olympics. No Jamaican has ever won an Olympic gold in the 100m; Donald Quarrie won the 200m in Montreal, 1976.

Also, Jamaican decathlete Maurice Smith should continue his impressive form from last year’s World Championships to earn his first Olympic medal. He finished second to world favorite, Czech Roman Sebrle.

Veteran 400m hurdler Danny McFarlane will seek to regain the same form he used to win a silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Finishing in the top three will be a daunting challenge not only for McFarlane, but also for the men’s 4x400m relays team. Though not impossible, medaling here would be a hard-earned brawta for McFarlane and others.

On the women’s side, 100m world champion Veronica Campbell-Brown’s failure to secure an automatic entry in the women’s 100m came as a big surprise during last weekend’s trials. Her season best time of 10.88 was only good for 4^th place. Each nation can only send 3 participants for each event.

Campbell-Brown rebounded to capture the 200m in a personal best time and world leading time of 21.94; however, she is still hopeful that the JAAA can use its discretion and allow her to defend the world title she won in Osaka, Japan last year.

“I will definitely be running some good 100 meters leading into [the] Olympics,” the world champion added, “but if it remains as it is, I will just focus on defending my 200m title.”

According to JAAA rules, only the 1^st and 2^nd place finishers get an automatic bid, the third place is awarded at the governing body’s discretion, even though it is usually given to the 3^rd place finisher.

If Campbell-Brown doesn’t run the 100m, Jamaica is still expected to gain at least one medal in this race. Kerron Stewart won the Jamaica 100m trials in a world leading time 10.80; Shelly-Ann Fraser took 2^nd place in 10.85. This was the same time that American Muna Lee, one of the main competitors for the Jamaicans, ran to win the U.S trials.

Like the men’s team, the women’s 4x100m relay team has been tremendously improved with the return of in-form sprinter, Sherone Simpson. With 10.87 at the trials, Simpson has gotten close to her 2006 form when she was the world’s fastest woman. With Simpson, Campbell-Brown, Stewart and Fraser, Jamaica should repeat as 4x100m Olympic champions.

In the 200m, Campbell-Brown and Stewart are expected to stay in close medal contention with world champion Allyson Felix and her compatriot Tori Edwards.

Another surprise at the trials was the ascendancy of Rosemarie White in the 400m. White defeated Novelene Williams, the pre-trial favorite and last year’s World Championship bronze medalist, in the one-lap event to claim her first national title. White’s ascendancy will definitely boost Jamaica’s chances to at least retain the silver medal in the 4x400m relay won in Osaka last year.

Another athlete who should be considered in Jamaica’s medal tally is 100m hurdler Brigette Foster-Hylton who returned to form to beat Delloreen Ennis-London, the seasoned favorite and Osaka bronze medalist.

Beijing 2008 should not only be Usain Bolt’s and Veronica Campbell-Brown’s best Olympics, but Jamaica’s best, if all goes well.

Every country is great, especially Jamaica.

Bonita Jamaica
Beautiful Place. Amazing People.

See you in Jamaica.

A Little Bonita Jamaica Therapy

This is not just a hibiscus flower. This is great therapy. Make time for nature and for Bonita Jamaica.

Photographed on the banks of The Great River, in St. James, Jamaica. Big up all Jamaicans and all friends of Jamaica.

Every country is great, especially Jamaica.

Bonita Jamaica
Beautiful Place. Amazing People.

See you in Jamaica.

The Perfect Sunset

The sun rises in the east and sets perfectly in western Jamaica. You've never really seen the sun set until you see the sun setting with perfection in western Jamaica.

The Perfect Sunset Photo Gallery
Photographs best viewed as a slideshow.

Note: New photographs are constantly being added to this photo collection (group) so keep checking back for updates.

Bonita Jamaica
Beautiful Place. Amazing People.

See you in Jamaica.

Jamaican Wins Boston (USA) Community Design Competition

Congratulations to Jamaican Gregory Minott and his team members Troy DePeiza and Snehal Intwala. Keep 'teking it to dem'!

Jamaican Wins Boston Community Design Competition
Story from The Jamaica Observer

Jamaican Gregory Minott and team members Troy Depeiza and Snehal Intwala won the US$10,000 prize for Best Design for Building in the Dudley Square Community Charrette and Design Competition.

The Boston Society of Architects hosted the competition in association with the City of Boston, the Boston Redevelopment Authority, Common Boston and the Roxbury Masterplan Oversight Committee, as part of the public programming for the American Institute of Architects' 2008 National Convention in Boston.

The design competition focused on a parcel in Boston's Dudley Square neighbourhood that will become available with the removal of the two vacant buildings and the relocation of a police station. Prizes were awarded in four categories that Boston Mayor Tom Menino described as "the components at the heart of the city's strategy for the revitalisation of Dudley".

Teams drafted preliminary designs and then participated in a design workshop, in which they received advice and critiques from neighbourhood residents.

"(Their submission) was the most compelling in the sense that we could actually imagine it being built," said Kairos Shen, Boston's chief planner and a member of the jury that judged the 14 competition entries in a release to the media. "We all thought that, if you could do this, it would truly make the square a better place."

Minott's passion for making urban environments better places for people to live, work and play propelled him to enter the competition.

Born in Kingston, he lived in Mandeville and attended Belair High School, where he developed his love for art and architecture. He completed his bachelor's degree in architecture in 1997 from The Caribbean School of Architecture at the University of Technology (UTech).

He subsequently worked as an intern-architect for Lascelles Dixon and Associates in Kingston before going overseas to further his studies on a full scholarship at the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

There he received design awards for his projects, and completed a Masters of Architecture and Infrastructure Planning in 2002. He then worked for firms in Manhattan, New York, and New Jersey before moving to Boston in 2004, where he now works for Elkus-Manfredi Architects.

Bonita Jamaica
Beautiful Place. Amazing People.

See you in Jamaica.

Usain Bolt - The New Fastest Man on Earth

AP Photo/Stephen Chernin

Jamaican Usain Bolt is the new fastest man on earth, with a time of 9.72 seconds in the 100 meter sprint at the Reebok Grand Prix athletics meet Saturday, May 31, 2008 at Icahn Stadium in New York.

Jamaican Asafa Powell is now the number two fastest man of world. So the two fastest men in the world are Jamaicans. Bim!

Jamaican Usain Bolt Breaks the 100m World Record

by Teswayne Harris

Before the start of Saturday’s Reebok Grand Prix, many people were asking, ‘Who is Usain Bolt?” but after smashing the 100 meters world record in 9.72 seconds, Jamaican Usain Bolt answered this question, claiming the title: the world’s fastest man.

Bolt, the youngster out of Trelawny, Jamaica and a graduate of William Knibb High school led from the start and ended the race with his closest rival, Tyson Gay, five meters away in his 6^th

professional 100m race.

Normally a 200 meters specialist , the Puma-endorsed athlete used his 6’5’ frame to stride and glide to victory in front of the frenzied and partisan Jamaican fans, visibly attired in black, green and gold in the sold-out crowd of more than 6,500 at the Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island, NY.

Initially, the clock showed 9.71 and Bolt, obvious elated, kept on running until he was flocked by supporters and media officials. One of this biggest supporters was the Jamaican Minister of Sports and Culture, Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange who donned her Team Jamaica Bickle cap on Bolt’s head. Later on, Bolt proudly wrapped himself in a huge Jamaican flag.

It was unclear how Bolt would perform outside of Kingston where he has clocked his fastest times to date, 19.75 in the 200m, and more recently 9.76 at the Jamaica Invitational, the second fastest time in the history of the 100m dash. This was his first signal to the world that he could break the then world record of 9.74 set by his countryman Asafa Powell last September in Rieti, Italy.

Bolt, 21, did what Powell could not do at last year‘s World Championship: beat Gay. A defeated Gay was gracious in defeat, acknowledging that there was nothing he could do to stop the man who is known as “lightning Bolt”.

“We were on the same rhythm,” Gay added, “but his stride was covering more ground. He’s run 9.7 before [and] his body knows what it feels like.”

Now Gay will have to worry about two Jamaicans in the 100m at this year’s Olympics in Beijing. He faces Powell on July 25-26 at the London Grand Prix. This duel was billed as the world record holder v. the world champion, but Bolt’s record-breaking run has spoiled such matchup.

Bolt is well aware of Powell’s well documented failures to win a major title - World Championship or Olympic - despite holding the world record. He will aim to add at least one gold to the silver he collected at last year’s World Championship.

“The world record means nothing without gold medals in the World Championships or the Olympics,” he noted. “I don’t need to break the record now. It’s mine now.”

Deciding only to run the 100m as speed preparation for the 200m, Bolt is now the hands-on favorite for the 100m in Beijing. There is no doubt now that he will attempt to be the first Jamaican to capture the Olympic sprint double this summer.

With an outburst of laughter , he said, “I think I’ll be doubling.” After a false start, and a world record 9.72 seconds later, who wouldn’t be laughing.

Read even more all about it here: The Jamaica Observer

Bonita Jamaica
Beautiful Place. Amazing People.

See you in Jamaica.