Travelling teaches us different things, the same way that staying in our place of origin teachers us certain things.
I am now realising the extent to which, somewhere deep inside of me, I have a bias that the Caribbean, with all of its corruption, poor excuses for self-governance and traditionalism, is the BEST place in the world.
I guess I am discovering within me something that I did not know was there. When I look at the world, I tend to find a space to enjoy what I have come across and to play with the beauty before me. I never compare places, I enjoy and observe the perks and the cons of each place. However, I just realised a few weeks ago that I have the Caribbean on a stage by itself, then in a lower court, I have the rest of the world. Maybe it is because the Caribbean is what I align myself with the most so I know its treasures and pitfalls (gaping manholes) better. Maybe…
Or maybe it is because the natural beauty of the world in the Caribbean is more accessible. So often the ‘Most Popular’ or beautiful places advertised for visitors, outside of the Caribbean, are cities and antique buildings.
Maybe the Caribbean just has the things that I love best in the natural world. (Warm water for sailing, coral reefs, true multiculturalism, mountains, rivers, an amicable climate and people to go with it.
Maybe the Caribbean is the best place in the world because people here acknowledge each other’s existence whenever they cross paths. It does one well to be greeted by another being with a friendly disposition.
Island life (apart from the adoption and inculcation of Western capitalist culture) is a true joy to experience. It is a complex art of appreciation, community and humour, facilitated by the tropical climate.
Off to enjoy more of Europe, now aware of my underlying bias. 😉
Á la prochaine!
Á la prochaine!
Great Perhaps 
Awareness! Revelation of self to self! We all have our biases, and there is much to be biased about in the Caribbean, which is why so many outside of the region consider it a true paradise.
As far as acknowledging each other’s humanity with the nods and smiles and “good mornings”, that is one of the African vestiges that linger despite the strategies of cultural erasure over centuries. It’s “mbarre”, (not sure of spelling), a West African principle that recognizes our fellow humans’ right to exist (co-exist) on this earth. It is wonderful and humanizing and we are losing it fast, at least in the urban parts of our country.
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