I feel that I have come to know so many contradictions within the island lifestyle, even just being here just shy of two weeks. This rock is just full of paradoxes (as am I), and I am just starting to realize the parallels between myself and this mass of land in the middle of the Caribbean Sea. These oddities, I am sure, are all relative; however, the culture shock itself is eye-opening, no matter how much I have tried to prepare myself by reading and research.
The main problem I have encountered is the very verbal need to monitor power and fresh water usage. This, I have come to discover, is not about the creation of pollution or the consumption of a fairly scarce resource. How can I decipher this, you ask? Because while residents usually complain about the air pollution and want to try to keep the water clean and have enough in case of a drought or another emergency, I have found no evidence of anything resembling a recycling bin. Apparently, recycling is not a philosophy in which these islanders believe in. They do, however, believe in conserving water and their power not for the risk of pollution, but for fear of a rather large power and water bill.
Quite honestly, I am appalled by the lack of recycling considering how many plastic bottles are used today. I feel guilty everytime I put an empty water bottle into the trash, and have found myself buying bigger bottles and jugs in efforts to waste less plastic. Yet I believe a shower can do wonders to the human mind and spirit, and I’m sure my parents (and my landlords) see that in the water bill. I am trying my best to conserve down here – turning the water off to soap up, attempting shorter showers, etc.; but sometimes, you just need a nice, long, hot shower. Even if it’s half outside.
This one gets me: the US Virgin Islands were bought from the Danes in 1917. This it seems, would give plenty of time for a minor switch in the side of the road to drive on to correspond with the mainland. (For those that aren’t aware, we drive on the left side of the road here). However, the government has passed up this opportunity – yet decided that cars used on the island should be American-style, with the driver’s side on the left. Um, HELLO?! Was anyone thinking? This is so confusing, even today, that the government has had to post bright yellow KEEP LEFT signs all along the roads to remind drivers 81 years later to stay on the left side of the road.
On another note, iguanas seem to rule the island here. And they are vindictive little creatures. You know why? Because they can be. These reptiles seems to be quite plentiful around the island. I can walk from my front door to the parking lot and spot three of these leaf-eating things on the grounds. But they are on the brink of endangerment or something along those lines, so the government has decided to protect them.
However, I have had a few unfavorable iguana encounters, with at least one worthy of at least an America’s Funniest Home Videos award. As I was walking through Coral World, the aquarium-type park 5 minutes away, one jumped out from what seemed like nowhere right in front of me and effectively scared the bejesus out of me. I swear it snickered at me. Why are these animals protected? So that people like me won’t swing them around by their tails and toss them back into the forest after playing potentially heart-attack-inducing tricks on them. And you know, I would do that if it weren’t for the fact that the fines are upwards of $3,000… and iguanas are kind of scary looking.
This last contradiction, however, I think is really important. I find it so unbelievable that these three islands contribute to the United States economy, have US citizenship, and can have a House Representative; HOWEVER, the House Representative is non-voting (what’s the point?!), and the island citizens cannot vote in the presidential election. They can vote in the primaries, but not the actual election. They are the people who would not pass up the opportunity to vote if given one, unlike some people on the mainland who don’t think their vote matters.
I never used to be a political person until I started earning money, paying taxes and spending money. I almost didn’t vote in the last presidential election because I’ve always thought politics was a bunch of bullshit. (By the way, I did vote in the 2004 election, but unfortunately my vote was extremely unsuccessful.) Now I see how political these people are, as if it is instilled in them. It reminds me a bit of Philadelphia in the sense that it is about that brotherly love, and their beliefs seem to be transformed into art on the sides of buildings and along walkways for all to see. And these citizens are so politically active and receptive of change needed.
The economic downfall has just seemed to take effect down here, little by little, as evidenced by the escalating grocery prices, power and water costs and lack of tourists on the beach. These people care about what happens to them and to us, but they just literally cannot do anything about it. It’s probably the Republicans’ way of preventing more Democratic voting, since everyone down here is essentially a hippie at heart. Sense the liberal bitterness in my tone.
There are endless contradictions I have come across. For instance, with one of my faucets, cold water seems to come from the hot water faucet and vice versa. My so-called high-speed internet seems to be on island time, as well as the rooster that crows everyday at 4 PM, not 5:30 AM. You have to say “good night” to say hello in the evening. There are what I consider to be outdoor chairs in my living area of the apartment. Islanders verbally complain that it is “hot out,” as if this is a major surprise. And that song Kenny Chesney wrote, “Everything Gets Hotter When The Sun Goes Down,” is surprisingly right on.
(Completely unrelated: Someone please tell Sarah Palin that the word is pronounced "NU-CLEE-AHR," not "NU-CYU-LAR." Nucular is not a real word.)
And on that note…
Don’t worry about a thing. Every little thing is gonna be alright.
XOXO
-Island Girl
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