I was born in Halifax, NS, Canada, on January 21, 1982, My father, Bruce Macdonald, was quite young and still in university so my mother, Lois Stevenson, raised me on her own. She was a professor at Acadia University so we lived in the lovely small town of Wolfville, NS. When I was around 7, we moved to Moncton, NB, as my mother got a job at ACOA (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency). As a child in Moncton, I attended Hillcrest School, and then continued on to Moncton High. I loved Moncton. When I was younger, I was a bit of a tom boy. I played hockey for a while (the only girl on my team at that time!), but I wasn't very good at it and decided I'd rather be a "hippie". I remember going through my mothers old clothes in the garage from the 70's and enjoyed shopping exclusively and second hand stores! I got into drawing, painting, writing, and started playing guitar at 13. I remember all of the support my mother gave to me whenever I had a new hobby, and she always encouraged me in whatever I was interested in. I made so many beautiful friends in Moncton, but at the age of 16 my mother got a job offer from Industry Canada in Ottawa, ON, Canada, so I reluctantly moved there for my last year of high school. I attended Ridgemont High in Ottawa but had very few friends there and spent quite a bit of time in my room listening to Reggae music by myself. Interested in the social themes of the lyrics written by Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Capleton, Sizzla, and other famous Jamaican musicians, I got it my head to go to Jamaica to find out what had influenced such passion in their lyrics. After working at a Petro-Canada Gas Station and saving my money, and after I graduated High School, at 17 I flew to Kingston, Jamaica. That was the last time I would ever live in Canada.
Masa Kecil di Kanada
Saya lahir di Halifax, NS, Canada, pada tanggal 21 January, 1982. Bapak saya, Bruce Macdonald, pada waktu itu masih mudah dan lagi kuliah jadi Ibu saya, Lois Stevenson, mengurus saya sebagai "single parent". Dia mengajar di Acadia University jadi kami tinggal di Wolfville, NS, sampai saya umur 7 tahun. Setelah itu, kami pindah ke Moncton, NB, karena Ibu saya ditwarkan pekerjaan di sana. Saya sekolah di Hillcrest School lalu di Moncton High. Waktu kecil, saya "tom boy". Saya main street hockey dan ice hockey pada umur 10-12 dan menjadi satu-satunya cewek di tim saya. Setelah itu saya tidak tertarik lagi main sport, dan menjadi lebih tertarik kepada dunia seni. Saya ingat dulu saya selalu memakai baju sekon dari tahun 70an dan mulai melukis, menggambar, menulis, dan main musik. Saya ingat Ibu saya selalu mendukung saya dan mengasih semangat, apapun hobby saya. Wakyu itu, saya sudah punya banyak teman baik di Moncton, tapi pada umur 16 kami pindah ke Ottawa, ON, Canada. Saya tidak senang meninggalkan teman-teman saya di Moncton dan Ketika pindah ke Ottawa saya sering melamun. Saya mulai dengarin musik Reggae, dan sering komtemlasi lyriknya Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Capleton, Sizzla dan musisi Jamaica yang lain. "Kok bisa menulis lyrik kayak gitu?" Saya berfikir. Jadi setelah sudah kerja di pom bensin di Kanada, menyimpan uang, dan sudah selesai sekolah, saya langsung berangkat ke Kingston, Jamaica pada umur 17. Itu terakhir kali saya tinggal di Kanada.