A tour of the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies is highly recommended to guests who want to get to know our city. It is a beautiful campus, rich in history, with 18th Century aqueducts telling a story of slavery days and plantation life, and archaeological digs unearthing relics of 15th Century Arawak inhabitants.   

Today, a different history is being written. The Norman Manley Law School, which is on the Mona Campus, recently retained its World Human Rights Moot Court, with victory over the famed and highly respected Yale University of the United States in the final held in Pretoria, South Africa. In 2010 too, Norman Manley, led by top oralist Merrick Watson, a former Kingston College cricketer, beat the world by taking the title over Sydney University of Australia.
 
Now, the Jamaica-based law school stayed on top of the competition, organized by the Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, and the United Nations Office of Human Rights, and which saw three selected law schools from each of the United Nations regions in the semifinal round of the competition.
 
“I am ecstatic that Norman Manley has once again brought home the World Human Rights title,” said principal of the law school, Professor Stephen Vasciannie.
 
The Norman Manley Law School team comprised Jermaine Case and Love Odih, with Leslie Mendez as the reserve speaker. The team’s coach was well-known human rights advocate and lawyer, Nancy Anderson, who teaches at the law school.
 
The Norman Manley Law School is named after the famed politician and lawyer, the late Hon. Norman Washington Manley Q.C., National Hero. One of the leading statesmen of his time, he was Chief Minister of Jamaica from January 1955 to July 1959, and was Premier of Jamaica from July 1959 to April 1962. He was one of the architects of the Jamaican Independence Constitution. He died on September 2, 1969.

The Norman Manley Law School opened its doors to its first students in September 1973. 

Are you heading to the Greenfield Stadium in Trelawny for Jamaica Jazz and Blues? Whether you are landing at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston or at the Donald Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, a tour of Kingston before or after this 3-day music festival will just round off your vacation. Book you seat on the Knutsford Express and your stay in Kingston at Neita's Nest bed and breakfast. You will be glad you did.

December guests of Neita’s Nest bed and breakfast in Kingston brought special joy in our home and left with joy in their hearts after a wonderful exchange of Christmas tree ornaments.

Our own offering included the sweetest handmade Jamaican angels all dressed up in our National Costume of Indian Bandana plaid and white cotton lace. ‘Out of Many, One People’ we are! And we must thank and congratulate our neighbour Yvette whose endless creativity churns out new designs each year. Craft Cottage also sourced delightful rasta angels and bejeweled shells, much to the delight of our guests. 

This tradition of exchange began only this past December and has resulted in an eclectic array of ornaments from around the world, each with its own story. Here is one. Greg’s late dad worked at Tom Smith Ltd., a London factory which made Christmas tree ornaments back in the 1970’s. He found some while clearing his dad’s attic recently and gave us a couple of the sweetest and most delicate, vintage items you could imagine.

With her own hands, Martine from Limoges made a red felt elf shoe, a perfect fit for any elf who might have tip-toed under our tree. With those same hands, this daughter of a French Chocolatier also gifted us with a box of the most delicious, surprise-filled, premium dark chocolates your palates could imagine! Had Christian not told us that they were of her own making, we would have missed out on the most important part of the savouring. Cela était bon! 

Then, there were a pair of Croatian dolls in their national costume, and hand-painted hearts marked Zagreb to remind us of Kolja and Petra who visited with us from the coastal town of Split in that same country.

Vinod and Sheila from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia brought practical pieces with intricate batik print and hand-carved wood to last long after the holidays are over.

From the Kennedy Centre, Jean brought us a lovely metallic memento which invites you to tour D.C. with her. And there were bells and balls from the Janzen family in Abbotsford near Vancouver. From Samantha, our Jamaican friend in Fort Lauderdale, a playful pirate reminding us of a history shared by all countries with Caribbean shores.

And so it was. History was made at Neita’s Nest over this past Christmas season. Here we are building lasting memories based on a tradition started over two centuries ago when some wise men found their way to a humble place in Bethlehem. Forgive the analogy, but I am at once excited and humbled by the fact that persons, from all over this globe, make a mecca of Jamaica and find their way to Neita’s Nest bed and breakfast.
!Increible!

We just did a walk through 2011 at Neita's Nest. Come walk with us and let's make plans for 2012. Happy New Year!