Ms. Pinto, our English Head Mistress, who not only ruled with an iron fist, but also lived on the property to ensure the safety of all the students, instilled in us to exceed at everything. Now, as a grown woman, I had to ask myself, “Was my school motto, (Age Quod Agis); to do whatever you do well, being accomplished by living in another man’s country?” Did I cheat myself and my country by leaving?

The competitors, especially the girls, with many pulled off the field on stretchers, reminded me that I was a Caribbean woman; full of hope and many talents. Wolmer’s , incidentally, was the very first school to win Champs so it was fitting that they should win this 100th Games. This experience, while it served as a reminder of the resiliency of the Jamaican people, the rich ancestry of my past, and the never say die attitude of all Jamaicans; also allowed me to examine myself and really ask, “Would I be living in Beverly Hills like so many others my age on the island?”

“Sandy, yu caan really look at it that way,” a native Jamaican friend of mine said to me while discussing the issue. “The fact is that your family made that decision for you at the time because they thought it was best for you. You cannot change the past.” he said. “Good for him to say,” I thought to myself, as he was the same age as myself, with a top position on the island. He also had disclosed that the minute he graduated from the Ivy League school that he had attended in the U.S., he had “his Doctorate in one hand and a one way ticket back home in the other.”

Who is to say where you would be if you had stayed in your own country, after your years of High School? Maybe, yes, as my cousin said, “Sandy, yu would have definitely landed one of those big jobs deh man.” Or maybe I would have ended up working in the bank, using my O Levels, as it was called back then, to at least position myself for somewhat of a stable future.

No one is to say of course, but the ever present thought in my head, similar to the other oldies sitting in the stadium in all our respective school ties and belts, squeezing into shirts that no longer fit, was where did all the years go and if only I could do it all over again?

The choice to leave one’s own country is never easy; the road is unknown and the way uncertain. Yet, the decision to leave and to live in a foreign land, will not only erase many memories of your past life but also rob you of the opportunity to grow as an adult in an environment that is your own; hence making you unsure of your capabilities and your own God given talents. Your footprints are etched in your own country’s soil, so understandable it will allow you to prosper.

Our successes on the world stage, whether you chose to leave or become a “foreigner,” as someone called me while on the island, reflects our Ashanti tribe attributes; given to us by our forefathers. We are warriors and will forever strive for the best. In the words of my Wolmer’s school motto, passed down from generations I say to you, “Age Quod Agis”; whatever you do, do it well. Hopefully I am living up to my potential!

If you are an illegal immigrant and are married to a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident and have been a victim of abuse, you may be able to get help.

If you’ve been the victim of emotional, verbal, physical, or sexual abuse at the hands of your spouse, you may qualify for immigrations benefits or a valid work authorization. Under The Violence Against Women Act, abused immigrants may obtain permanent residency and other immigration benefits that will allow them to leave their abusive situation.

For more information about free and confidential legal services call the Texas Civil Rights Project’s VAWA Program at 1- 888-364-8277.

NJ Supreme Court says bail can be higher for illegal immigrants

The state Supreme Court has ruled that county prosecutors may seek bail increases on illegal aliens charged with crimes who they believe face imminent deportation.

In a unanimous ruling by the state’s highest court, the opinion sanctioned the actions of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office in January when it asked for, and received from a Superior Court judge, a bail increase from $75,000 to $300,000 for Manuel Fajardo-Santos. Fajardo-Santos, an illegal alien from Honduras, was charged in August 2008 with molesting a child in Wharton.

Bail was set at $75,000, and the complaint against him stated there was reason to believe he was here illegally. But it wasn’t until Dec. 18 that the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged a detainer against him at the county jail, which indicated they wished to start deportation proceedings against him.

Woman pleads guilty to running marriage immigration scheme

DALLAS (AP) – A 71-year-old woman accused of recruiting family members to marry foreigners seeking green cards pleaded guilty Wednesday to taking part in an immigration fraud conspiracy.

Federal prosecutors say Maria Refugia Camarillo of Fort Worth faces five years in prison and a $250,000 fine when she is sentenced in September. She also must provide a $35,000 lien on her home.

Investigators said that from the 1980s until last year, Camarillo and others ran a scheme in which U.S. citizens would marry foreigners willing to pay up to $12,000. Once married, the U.S. citizen could petition for their foreign spouse to receive U.S. permanent residence, also called a green card, and later U.S. citizenship.

Citizenship for Permanent Residents

You may be eligible for naturalization if you have lived in the United States for at least 5 years as a permanent resident or 3 years if married to and living with a U.S. citizen (if you meet all eligibility requirements to file as a spouse of a U.S. citizen).

How long can an alien be in H-1B status?

Under current law, an alien can be in H-1B status for a maximum period of six years at a time. After that time an alien must remain outside the United States for one year before another H- 1B petition can be approved.

Jamaican Man back Ina Style fe 2009!

By Sandy Daley

U know se tings really gaan bad when me have to say that Jamaican man come back ina style fe 2009! We all know the track record with our Jamaican men, so let’s not front! Over the last few years, primarily because of a failed common law marriage and some painful experiences with Jamaican men, I have only dated the American brothers.

I thought to myself, “Alright, let me try the other side and see what they have to offer.” But bwoy, from my observations, and my girlfriend’s experiences with the Yankee men, “gimme the Jamaican man any day,” is what I am saying to myself nowadays. From the lawyer in Atlanta, to the manufacturing manager in Ohio, to the big shot IBM Software man in North Carolina, I have discovered, grudgingly so, that I prefer my Island brothers.

Yes, you too Mr. Trinidad. Everybody know se yu like Jamaican women under the quiet! It is not my belief that they were not all bad; maybe my timing was not in sync with theirs or something. I have also come to realize that the values that I grew up with in Jamaica, where having a woman is seen as an honor, most American men have not grasped that concept. Some do I am sure, but I believe that it is instilled in a Caribbean man from his days as a youth, running around in the country, barefoot. The Caribbean men seemingly knows that if he has a woman, it is his responsibility to try to take care of her.

Our Yankee brothers need to be taught, just like the Caribbean man. Now, if this was happening to me alone, then I would walk away and say that this was my entire fault, and I must obviously be doing something wrong. It unfortunately is not, and women are experiencing major letdowns all over the globe. I have one friend in particular, who every other weekend picks herself up, rents a car and drives across the border to visit her so-called “man”. I won’t say which friend of course, she might read this.

Actually, no, she won’t read this, she is probably busy on the phone as we speak, cursing him out, asking him why he has not sent her any money. Again! So, therefore I can continue with my story. I am all for love and the pursuit of happiness, but paying for a rental car every weekend out of my own pocket, losing time and money from my job and driving in the snow, rain or shine, is not a smart move in my opinion. Especially in the snow! Look how cold Canada can get! As I told her one day, “If he was your man, you would not be borrowing money from me, a single mother of two boys.” To top it off, she is always asking me to put money on your pre-paid cell phone for her.

And that’s another thing Why can’t this American brother get her a plan on her phone and han’t talk too long cause you are burning up my minutes.” I would be a very rich woman. Oh brother! I just chuckle and roll my eyes every time that she says this. “My relationship is very important to me,” she says. “What relationship?” I ask her. “I have more of a relationship with myself and I am a single gal,” I think to myself.

Those words bubble up on my tongue to say, but I, of course, say nothing. Besides the fact that she might call me mean-spirited, which she has done in the past on many occasioave her ditch her pre-paid? If I had a penny for every time that she said to me,” “Girl, I cns, she is my personal trainer, and a good one at that. Free personal training three times a week, and the sculpted tush that I have now, thanks to her, make me keep quiet. “No need to ruin the round rump” I rationalize to myself. “Summer is here and my rear is looking more and more like Jennifer Lopez’s or Kim Kardashian’s butt every day. So of course, I say nothing. In my opinion there is no penis that gratifying for me to drive hundreds of miles for, in the snow or hail. I suggested that she try to receive her, “sexual satisfaction,” for a lack of a better description for it, via the telephone. Everyone in a long distance relationship understands what I mean.