Welcome to another Jive. I am experimenting to see if I can just leave a link in the main printed paper and then have you go online to read Jason’s Jive. Hopefully I can write more details here. As you know I have relocated from Beltsville to Dallas, Texas and I am settling in well and adjusting to a lot of things. I miss Beltsville! Some things we take for granted till we move. So in this edition I will share some things and those of you who have ever been to Dallas will re

My dear reader, I never got to say goodbye, but the month of October has seen me relocate from Beltsville to Dallas. I accepted a transfer at work. Living here has been an interesting adjustment. In the mid 1990's I lived briefly in Brooklyn, New York, and it was fun...young, single (for a while), and 24 hours awake. New York does not shut down. Then in 2007, leaving the Caribbean island of St. Kitts-Nevis to relocate to Beltsville to join my family was a challenge...and now

Beltsville is changing right before our eyes. To me, this is a nice development. I know some readers would prefer the old, quiet atmosphere that was once Beltsville. But this is 2019, and we have to get prepared for change taking place around us. The little shopping place off Cherry Hill Road near the 7-11 is booming. That location gives you an idea about the level of diversity in the community. You no longer have to spend money flying around the world…just visit the shopping

Good day, my dear reader. Please forgive my forgetfulness. I did indicate that I would share my amusement park experience with you. Careful what you get yourself into. As you read on, you will understand what I am talking about. The fear and respect of roller coasters at amusement parks is a true sign of wisdom. Flashback to 1980. We had just left the political turmoil in Kingston, Jamaica, and were in transition in Boston, MA. One Sunday while we were there, we were taken to

Sometimes I sit down to write, and the hardest thing is what to focus on this month. On a daily basis I see a lot of things—crime in Baltimore, drug addicts, angered motorists, people hustling to make a dollar, others trying to sweet talk us out of the same dollar—and it goes on.Lately I have taken up an interest in limited gardening—no thanks to the deer who selectively attack my garden every year. Earlier in the year I bought some flower seeds from Home Depot and threw them

Dear Reader, I am back. Sorry for my unannounced absence last month. My father passed away on May 31, after battling an illness for the last two years. Most of my month of May was spent between my base in Maryland and The Netherlands, where my parents live. Death is never a nice experience. I am just thankful that dad has gone on to a better place and we continue to heal and move on.Father’s Day just passed, and I was able to reflect on the times I had been able to enjoy the

Let’s get straight into it. MUSIC! I sit to write the “Jive,” and I am listening to some jazz I stumbled upon over the weekend. Ronny Jordan is the name of the artiste; “After Hours” is the name of the song. I love it. You should check it out online on YouTube. Another artist I have discovered recently is Norman Brown—listen to his songs “After the Storm” and “Together at Last.” What do you think? I grew up in a family of music, the son of Amorelle Inanga, a music teacher and

Teenagers! I am sure this is one word that will make you reflect on your time when you were younger and the trouble you gave your parents. Those of us who are parents now, a different type of parenting skill is required. I got two teenagers and trust me, everyday is a different challenge with them. I try not to be too hard on them as when I reflect on my teenage years, I got away with a lot of things. I did not have the muscles to fight, as a teenager, growing up in Nigeria,

Well, hello my dear reader and welcome to another issue of Jason’s Jive. As I sit and start this Jive, we are getting ready for a massive snowstorm (February 19). I have mixed feeling as always, not knowing what to expect…. with all the technology, there is nothing we can do to prevent the snow storm. Moving on, in this issue, I want to share a few interesting situations I have had while driving on the road. I have been an Uber Driver for the last three years and have had so

Happy New Year and welcome to another “Jive.” Let's get straight into it. Netflix! I don't know how many of you, my dear readers, watch Netflix. I finally signed up the weekend before the big snowstorm to watch one movie, Lionheart. It was worth every minute. Due to the quality of the movie, I ended up watching another one, The Wedding Party, and this was fun unlimited. I understand there is a sequel available—The Wedding Party 2: Destination Dubai. I can't wait for this to b

Writing a column is a lot of fun, especially when you get feedback from the readers. So to my reader Yolanda, who was kind enough to tell me she enjoys reading “Jason’s Jive,” thank you for the feedback; it keeps me motivated. Travel! A lot of us like to travel and explore places, and I am one of those people. Talking to Yolanda, I realized it would be nice to write on this topic. Having lived half my life in Nigeria and the other half on the Caribbean island of St. Kitts, I

Good day my dear reader. How has your month been? Also, how was your Thanksgiving Holiday? There is nothing like being able to relax with family, eat a good meal, have a drink or two (water is my new friend) and enjoy good conversation. The government should make the day after Thanksgiving a partial holiday, so that folks like me who eat a lot of food, can recover, instead of having to go to work. (I am slim but can eat a good plate of food plus more. My metabolism rate is ve

Good day my dear reader. I am very sorry that Jason’s Jive was absent last issue. There was a bit too much going on with my schedule. Thanks for your patience. Let me get straight into things. I was stopped by a young man in the early part of November, enquiring about a job. I was so happy to offer him advice and information that hopefully, he can use towards giving himself an opportunity to get ahead in life and have a brilliant future. He is only 20, but I am already lookin

Hello, my dear reader. Welcome to another issue of “Jason's Jive.” So much has happened in such a short time. Big thumbs up to Sergeant Erika Monroe and her team for helping to coordinate the National Night Out on August 7. It was a fun event. It was nice to see the community and our friends turn out in numbers, and I am happy it did not rain that evening. It was great to see young people participating. The Beltsville Broncos Pathfinders Club had a very interesting foosball s

Hi folks! How has your month been? It has been a very challenging month for me with the heat. I work outdoors full-time in Baltimore, and by the time I get home to Beltsville. I am only in the mood to sleep, eat, wake up, bathe, eat, sleep....in any order that makes sense at the time. There are so many things to talk about, but I am going to have to show temperance and be patient with myself. Let me go straight into something that I would like to see taken up by the relevant

Welcome! This is a new column for The Beltsville News. The Jive dates back to my earlier years as a journalist based in the Eastern Caribbean island of St. Kitts-Nevis (population of 40,000). The column was written weekly to touch on general interest issues. I am hoping that as I introduce “Jason's Jive” to you that it is a column you can relate to. Let me introduce myself formally. My name is Jason Inanga, a resident of Beltsville since late 2007. Beltsville! What is it that