There are many of us who cherish our affinity to the places of our birth and many of us are proud of our birthplaces. In the centers of cultural diversity many of us are often called on to declare our national origin. This is in spite of us being citizens of the countries where we have been living for many years but we are still regarded first and foremost as Jamaicans. This is a unique part of that which has added to our unique distinctiveness. It is common place for persons of other nationalities to express their understanding of the Jamaican lingo and demonstrate that they can speak the Jamaican dialect. The most common expression that is used to demonstrate this is "Wha'a gwaan man." "Wha'a Gwaan Man" is a tribute to Jamaica, to the motherland Africa, to persons of African descent and to Mandeville in Jamaica where I was born.