According to the Urban dictionary’s definition of Romance, “True romance is doing something special or unexpected for someone you love, even though you don’t have to. Romance, is for showing the person you love that you’re thinking about them. It can be shown by a handwritten note, going for a walk, or even by making someone a sandwich…that reminds your partner why they fell in love with you in the first place.”
“Man nuh pet nor powda”
Traditionally, Jamaican men are at the very least clumsy with verbal expressions o f tenderness and affection. Interestingly, it is also distinctly Jamaican for men to launch ‘lyrics’ at many women they encounter daily. Sadly, the lyrics often stop flowing in a relationship context. It seems the ‘lyrics-ing’ is critical to the extent that the man gets the woman. The keeping and satisfying of the woman with sweet and affirming words may not be our ‘Yard-man’s’ strong suit. In the spirit of equal rights, the same can be said for the Jamaican woman. Stemming from (mis)perceptions of what constitutes manliness, some women unwittingly under-stimulate their men in the romance department. Truth be told, many women do not even think of men as needing romance. Due to Jamaicans’ traditional take on gender roles, it is easy to limit a woman’s love needs to paid bills and full cupboards. It is just as easy to mistake sex and good cooking as fulfilling the sum total of a man’s love needs.
“Baby mi waan roast yuh breadfruit,” said a Jamaican man to my friend. “Baby mi like yuh breast dem’” said another to me. Some men’s idea of lyrics can sometimes be offensive, off-putting or thought by the women to be contrived. Some men are graded “E” for effort, or “A” for originality, depending on the woman’s preference. It is interesting to see how women treat with this idea of romance; both demanding it and yet sometimes demeaning it. Romance and romantic situations often include some level of vulnerability. And yet some women have no love for a vulnerable or tender man, sometimes going as far as to question his sexuality.
Washing the dishes is the new foreplay
In long term relationships, typical romantic gestures of flowers and chocolate can get stale. In such cases, mundane tasks done out of consideration for a partner’s needs can take on an even greater level of sentimentality. Surprising a partner by cleaning the house or cooking a favourite meal or with a just-because massage can earn maximum bonus points.
To Read More: Purchase your copy of Volume 9 #7 March-April 2018
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According to the Urban dictionary’s definition of Romance, “True romance is doing something special or unexpected for someone you love, even though you don’t have to. Romance, is for showing the person you love that you’re thinking about them. It can be shown by a handwritten note, going for a walk, or even by making someone a sandwich…that reminds your partner why they fell in love with you in the first place.”
Traditionally, Jamaican men are at the very least clumsy with verbal expressions o f tenderness and affection. Interestingly, it is also distinctly Jamaican for men to launch ‘lyrics’ at many women they encounter daily. Sadly, the lyrics often stop flowing in a relationship context. It seems the ‘lyrics-ing’ is critical to the extent that the man gets the woman. The keeping and satisfying of the woman with sweet and affirming words may not be our ‘Yard-man’s’ strong suit. In the spirit of equal rights, the same can be said for the Jamaican woman. Stemming from (mis)perceptions of what constitutes manliness, some women unwittingly under-stimulate their men in the romance department. Truth be told, many women do not even think of men as needing romance. Due to Jamaicans’ traditional take on gender roles, it is easy to limit a woman’s love needs to paid bills and full cupboards. It is just as easy to mistake sex and good cooking as fulfilling the sum total of a man’s love needs.
“Baby mi waan roast yuh breadfruit,” said a Jamaican man to my friend. “Baby mi like yuh breast dem’” said another to me. Some men’s idea of lyrics can sometimes be offensive, off-putting or thought by the women to be contrived. Some men are graded “E” for effort, or “A” for originality, depending on the woman’s preference. It is interesting to see how women treat with this idea of romance; both demanding it and yet sometimes demeaning it. Romance and romantic situations often include some level of vulnerability. And yet some women have no love for a vulnerable or tender man, sometimes going as far as to question his sexuality.
Washing the dishes is the new foreplay
In long term relationships, typical romantic gestures of flowers and chocolate can get stale. In such cases, mundane tasks done out of consideration for a partner’s needs can take on an even greater level of sentimentality. Surprising a partner by cleaning the house or cooking a favourite meal or with a just-because massage can earn maximum bonus points.
To Read More: Purchase your copy of Volume 9 #7 March-April 2018
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