Jamaican Exchange Student National Flag Colors

Climate Jamaica in is a tropical island in the caribbean, which remains warm throughout the year and without snowfall. During the winter months the average temperature is about 75°F, in spring between °F, in summer between 80- > 90 °F and in fall between70-85 °F. In the months of May to June, and October to November there is a so called rainy season in Jamaica and a hurricane season that spans from the beginning of June to November (“Weather in Jamaica”).

Clothing The general attire, according to Borade, includes traditional handcrafted clothes, which for women is generally a skirt with a blouse and a head scarf made to coordinate with the warm weather. For men, pale colored pants, shorts, shirt and jeans are generally worn and are made out of natural fabrics like cotton. There are no restrictions as to what people can wear in Jamaica but it is advised to wear clothing that are light colored (more weather friendly) and less revealing in order to prevent undesirable attention (Engel).

Etiquette According to Purcell, in a social situation, men are expected to be a lady’s gentleman by opening doors for her. They are also responsible for taking on the more vigorous chores at home. Women are responsible for house chores and making sure that their men are properly fed (1138). In a dining settings, proper table manners includes positioning the fork in the left hand and knife in the right hand, using utensils at all times and making sure that the hands are kept off the table if not actively eating etc (“ Award-Winning Culture Guide”).

Greetings and Courtesies People in Jamaica greet each other initially with a firm handshake an then later when a relationship is established, a kiss on the cheek and a friendly hug may be extended. Throughout the day the locals extend greetings such as good morning, good afternoon etc (“Award-Winning Culture Guides”).

Health Care According to Todd, the health care system in Jamaica is both privately and publicly controlled. Majority of the medications and ambulatory services are provided by the private sectors, while the majority of the medical care and other hospital related services to the public are provided by the government. In the year of , healthcare in Jamaica was made free of cost to all citizens, therefore funding for healthcare is primarily acquired through taxation and from the National Health Fund (NHF).

Religion Christianity is the dominant religion in Jamaica. This particularly includes the Protestant Church (62.5%) and the Church of God (24%) and also others like the Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholics, Jehovah's Witnesses etc. There are also a great deal of acceptance to other religious views such as: Hinduism, Rastafarianism, Muslims and Jews ( “Jamaica” 346).

Typical Daily Structure Meal times throughout the day are typically established and includes the ingestion of tea with a breakfast that may include food items like bread fruit, callaloo & cod fish. For lunch, the locals may eat fried plantains or dumplings and for dinner, Beef or fish with yam or rice (Purcell 1134).

Education Education in Jamaica is free throughout primary (ages 6-12) and secondary/High school (ages 12-17) but ceases at the tertiary level of school (college/ University). Every student is allowed to make their own academic choices, as there are a number of universities and colleges which offers a variety of majors such as law, medicine, social work etc. However, at the tertiary level, there are open admissions at community colleges where the only requirement is a high school diploma, But at larger universities a selective process of admission is followed and students are required to have at least passed a few subjects in an exam called the Caribbean Examinations council (CXC) (“Jamaica”356).

Exchange Rate The current exchange rate between the US and Jamaica is $1 US to $ JMD (“ The World’s Trusted Currency Authority”).

National Holidays In Jamaica, most national holidays are the same as in the US, in that on holidays like New Years Eve, people celebrate it by attending church, eating family meals, watching fireworks etc. Other holydays like Independence are celebrated on a different day than in the US and serves as a day that signifies the cessation of being a colony. This day is celebrated by presentations of fine arts, street parade (grand gala) etc. However, there are a few national holidays in Jamaica that are not celebrated in the US and includes Boxing Day, National Heroes Day etc. Boxing Day is the day after Christmas and signifies donating gifts to the needy/less fortunate and is celebrated by family and community get-together. On Heroes day, the national heroes are acknowledged and is celebrated by the laying of wreaths at monuments. In schools and other infrastructures, heroes in local communities are also recognized (“Public Holydays in Jamaica”).

Reference "Award-Winning Culture Guides." Jamaica. N.p., Web. 08 May guides/jamaica-guidehttp:// guides/jamaica-guide Borade, Gaynor. "Jamaican Clothing." Buzzle. Buzzle.com, 23 Jan Web. 04 May Engel, Hallie. "What Clothes Are Needed for a Jamaican Vacation?" Getaway Tips. N.p., 12 Mar Web. 04 May "Jamaica." Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations. Ed. Timothy L. Gall and Derek M. Gleason. 13th ed. Vol. 3: Americas. Detroit: Gale, Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 7 May Purcell, Trevor W. "Jamaica." Countries and Their Cultures. Ed. Carol R. Ember and Melvin Ember. Vol. 2. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 8 May 2016.

Reference Cont’d "2015 Public Holidays in Jamaica." Jamaica Gleaner. N.p., 11 Jan Web. 08 May gleaner.com/article/outlook/ /2015-public-holidays-jamaicahttp://jamaica- gleaner.com/article/outlook/ /2015-public-holidays-jamaica Todd, Locksley. "Financing Health Care Reform in Jamaica." Linked In. N.p., 22 July Web. 08 May "The World's Trusted Currency Authority." XE: (USD/JMD) US Dollar to Jamaican Dollar Rate. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 May "Weather In Jamaica | Climate Conditions and The Best Time to Travel." Jamaica-Travel- Secrets. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 May "2015 Public Holidays in Jamaica." Jamaica Gleaner. N.p., 11 Jan Web. 08 May gleaner.com/article/outlook/ /2015-public-holidays-jamaicahttp://jamaica- gleaner.com/article/outlook/ /2015-public-holidays-jamaica