More social activities to unify the people
Letter to the Editor - Thursday, November 1st, 2012 at 6:36 AM
Dear Editor,
Since we all have been harping on this topic, I have been thinking long and hard how to become more involved in the development of this territory where I have been working for the last two years.
And just to add, I am from a very well-off family and so have no need to be here all for the money and the money alone. I think I am here mainly because I was more interested in working in a different environment.
I may be booted out of the BVI tomorrow. But the fact is… this is my home today. I swim in the waters and walk on this soil. I breathe the air of this territory. I love and respect the people – not because they are either expats or natives – but because they are PEOPLE.
When I left my country – fresh out of university two years ago, another of my friends also left for Mexico to take up a teaching job there.
He has been sending photos after photos showing him being immersed in cultural events – having a social ball. You may say Mexico is a totally different place, but the principle applies. I do get jealous.
The reason: I can’t find enough social or cultural activities here in the BVI to become involved in. All I see are people heading from home to work and then back from work to home.
On Fridays, all I see are VIslanders in their homes minding their own business while expats get together in their own little closed group drinking rum and playing music.
Is that any sensible way to build a society?
I mean, I have helped to clean beaches here. I have volunteered despite getting sour faces from middle and upper class VIslanders (not the ordinary ones).
What I am trying to say is that, we shouldn’t be waiting a year for the festivals in order to come together (those of us who do).
There is a great need for cultural initiatives to build social cohesion. We all need to play together and relieve the tension.
What a major initiative is the government contemplating that is aimed at unifying the people? Or, maybe I should ask if the government has any interest in doing so.
PROVE IT!!!!!!
With due respect, I really expect Myron as Minister of Culture or the Premier who is the Leader of the community to prove that they can unify these people.
I see a big occasion in the town centre with the Premier on stage calling for unity while expats and VIslanders dance together in an unprecedented show of unity.
Sometimes, all it takes is for a leader to break his/her silence. Haven’t we learned that from Nelson Mandela and the likes? I know Dr. Smith will match up.
Yours Truly
Expat lover of the BVI
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13 Comments
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I knew the pre expat Bvi and it was a warm cohesive community eventhough the only socia activity was Christmas and Auugust Monday.
In my opinion the lack of coming together is due to a lack of respect, rising crime and loss of self and values and more,imposed on BVIslanders. Their only resource which was the character of the people has been sullied, torn and ripped away. They have become a minority in their own country and forced to support values that are completelty alien to them.
Coming together over a drink cannot solve this unfortunate situation.
It is a Paradise lost and mourning this
death has resulted in grief, frustration anger, suspicion, regret and resentment.
We should remember that these folks always owned their land, their homes they strived for education and were respected wherever they travelled. Frankly they did not even need a Police force so “deveopment” was not a Saviour but instead was a death knell for what really matters in a lfe and living which is Quality and family.
WoW, well said!!!!
Sentiments very well expressed!
Your comments are spot on, and well appreciated.
Your responses to the calm and constructive letter shows how evil and selfish u all r. I remember visiting Tortola from the US where I live and the only thing I remember is the stench of sewage. You should be happy the expats are there to make you all feel sooo IMPORTANT. smh
Honestly, you said as if you live here. Just saying..
I saw a loving BVI also, but over the last ten or more years the quality of expats coming into the country has deteriorated to upstanding to drunk and disorderly around every corner, no respect for the country where you get money to build a life, when you leave your country where a dollar is one dollar. You come to a place where when you make the money that is double or triple in your country, you behave. I always say if you begging time and work in my country “respect it or leave: W e as a people and a government has to start doing some indept scrutiny of the people we allow to come and work or live among us. And I agree with seveneleven.
Very nice. 13 years ago I came to this beautiful island, just like you, with a nice background in my career and looking for more experience to be added to my live and profession. I start to go to every social and culture activity around. I wanted to make friends, have fun, learn, share my knowledge, help…. until I start to get frustration… I feel this place like my own home, I thought I could become involved but when you see you are not accepted, no matter how much respect you show to others, no matter how much you work for others, you are not from here… when you can’t grow as individual,can’t make real friends is sad, really sad… and you become just like another expat, going from home to work and from work to home and waiting for the opportunity to go somewhere…soon that will be soon… and still thinking this is my home now I love this beaches, my family is safe here… I don’t want to go… but I can’t continue like this forever….
Unfortunately, it is not just the expats that are limited in their social activities within the island. The locals are also limited in their social activities (young and old). For the most part, locals stick to their own little groups or cliques so to speak and are not as open or welcoming to expats/locals they may not be familair with on a regular basis.
The ‘loving’, ‘caring’ people that is marketed in the tourism product is not necessarily what is illustrated in every day life.
I do not agree with you, I came here twenty something years ago and was embraced by the locals both youn and old,I have made very good friends and I will say this it is the way the locals are treated by the EXPATS who came in in the late nineties that haas sent them back into being a closed people. Imagine inviting an expat to a family gathering, they tell their friends,they show up get drunk and start cursing the people in their own home or their own party. Close your eye for a minute and picture that.
I too came from abroad more than 30 years ago. We were all stunned by the beauty and unspoiled nature of the people. Invited to family gatherings, church gatherings and celebrations. I married a lovely local but as we watched the discrimination against locals and tried to picture what the future held for our children, we left.
Exiled from our own home, left to fight it out in a cold uncaring foreign land while drunken strangers enjoy our home, our beaches, our jobs and our right.
Regret and resentment indeed. I can well picture it, Lexus.
The frustration you are experiencing could be the result of your effort to change BVI culture to a culture that u have adopted or experienced.
It has always been the culture of the BVI to work go home interact with family and chosen friends. Indigenous BVIslanders culture ise not a culture to hang out on Fridays and gather at bars and restaurants. They were never heavy social drinkers and party goers.
I accept that and like it this way, otherwise I would have remained in NYC or settled elsewhere.
I appreciate this aspect of the BVI. It is not for everyone.
I moved here more than 15 years ago, and u are correct. The BVI I met was a quiet place where u worked and went home to family.
By 10pm most people were indoors.
Now I can find people out at all hours
people hanging out in front supermarkets like Fine Food and places like around Bolos and the printry to the back in the afternoons makes this place look run down.
That is NOT BVI culture, I see them and all I think to myself is, y’all don’t live nowhere? Ayo don’t have woman to go home too?
BUT times are changing and the BVI of old is not coming back every where goes through changes and instead of seeing a negative we could turn it into a positive
I can’t say what I would do because I don’t want nobody taking my idea and running with it, next thing they making all the money and I still running and picking up one cent in the parking lot
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