Dust in Yuh Face

I remember visiting Accra when I was living in the U.S. and being struck by how much dust there was in the air, and how dirty everything got so very quickly.

Unfortunately, now that I am back in Jamaica I am re-learning that we have the same "problem." Or, to put it more accurately, North America and other colder climates feature clean, dust-free living.

I guess the reasons make sense. In those countries, keeping the cold out is a matter of life or death, so houses must be draft-proof. This means that during the summer, the windows cannot be opened easily and widely, resulting in the use of air conditioning.

Here in the Caribbean, the windows are kept open as much as possible, with the result being that along with the sun, the breeze and the sounds of birds chirping in the trees comes dust.

Yet, this is no consolation for the amount of cleaning that must be done to keep interiors clean. It also means that one must put up with lots of insects, bugs, lizards and other creatures.

Nothing wrong -- it's just another difference that a returnee must account for in their move back to Jamaica.