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Not sure if this is the right forum, but here goes. The reason I'm writing this is a slight issue between my best friend and I. She wants to join me in a trip to the country of my birth. I don't, here's why.
I was born in a small island in the Caribbean. I spent most of my childhood there, before moving to Canada. As far as my birth-country is concerned, I have no sentimental feelings or attachments. Except perhaps one: the view of the ocean from the mountains. The northern part of the island has a decent mountain range, that rises above the tree-line. From the peaks, it's pretty much a wall of stone, right down to the ocean. I remember being able to see the ocean stretch off into the distance, until meeting the sky. That *might* be worth going back for some mugshots, although the narrow mountain roads and lack of guardrails might worry me.
So at best I am indifferent. At worst, I want nothing to do with it. It's been almost 20 years since I left, and I have no desire whatsoever to see it again. The house I grew up in has since become an abandoned squatters' hut, but that doesn't bother me at all. My aunt still lives there, but she's wisely trying to get out. Once she leaves, the only thing binding me to that place will be a mark on my passport. I wish I could erase that too.
I'll explain why I don't like my birth country, while trying not to overload my rant-cannons. Where to start now...
Lets start with some fine examples of government mismanagement. My father told me about something that happened just after the Vietnam war. The USA had a surplus of used helicopters, and they were willing to *donate* some. As far as I know the country had no helicopter fleet of their own back then, but they said no. Because a donation means no money exchanges hands. That means some shithead would not get his usual kickback. Perfectly good deal, torpedoed by the Good Ship Corruption.
Here's another one. The country imports food from other countries, but doesn't grow its own. It's warm all year round, and the country was originally a British sugar cane colony. They could grow their own food at lower prices, but won't do it. Why? Because the farmers are not members of their voting bloc. So food prices stay high, and the government stays comfortably in power. Everybody's happy right?
Of those are Dad's stories, I obviously didn't witness them personally. But he was a reporter back then, so I'm inclined to believe its true. And here's one I do remember. An interview in the local TV news, where a gentleman was complaining about police dereliction of duty. He witnessed 2 men trying to break into a car with a woman inside. He called the police, but they were indifferent. I don't remember exactly what was said, except the cops even hung up on him. The men eventually fled the scene, but the cops never showed.
Now government and police incompetence/corruption are not unknown in Canada and the US. But the difference is up here, if enough people got wind of it, there'd be a scandal. If a similar story of police dereliction got time on TV up here, someone's head would roll. There'd be a public discourse about it. But in my birth-country? Crickets.
My dad has ranted about this. The locals are *extremely* resistant to change, for good or ill. Plus there's the collective mob mentality: If you criticize the country, you're not patriotic WAAH!! *rant scream shout-out*
Speaking of the locals, I'm rather indifferent to them as well. There was a lady I met in one of my first jobs who also hailed from the island, but to her it wasn't a big deal. She was nice, too bad I've lost contact with her. Another girl I used to hang out with during my first college was ok, but she also had the idea that my indifference = hate or ashamed of my country. She has since given me the cold shoulder and we don't speak anymore. Then there was a group of students for a lab was a TA for. Once they learned I hailed from the same island as they, they became huge entitlement whores. Expected special treatment from a "brother", whined when I didn't give in, and were generally annoying. One accused me of lying about my birth country since I obviously didn't act like one of them, as if I could care. Unfortunately the latter group of EW's and chip-on-shoulder-types seem to make up the majority.
The above stories aren't the only examples of what a screw-up my birth-country is - both the government and the sheeple - but I wanted to keep it brief. Once my aunt's gone, the place can sink into the ocean for all I care. Well there's the oil fields in the south, but I'm sure a submercible drilling platform like the one from The Abyss can work those
Next time my friend accuses me of "seeing the glass only half-empty", I should show her this thread.
I was born in a small island in the Caribbean. I spent most of my childhood there, before moving to Canada. As far as my birth-country is concerned, I have no sentimental feelings or attachments. Except perhaps one: the view of the ocean from the mountains. The northern part of the island has a decent mountain range, that rises above the tree-line. From the peaks, it's pretty much a wall of stone, right down to the ocean. I remember being able to see the ocean stretch off into the distance, until meeting the sky. That *might* be worth going back for some mugshots, although the narrow mountain roads and lack of guardrails might worry me.
So at best I am indifferent. At worst, I want nothing to do with it. It's been almost 20 years since I left, and I have no desire whatsoever to see it again. The house I grew up in has since become an abandoned squatters' hut, but that doesn't bother me at all. My aunt still lives there, but she's wisely trying to get out. Once she leaves, the only thing binding me to that place will be a mark on my passport. I wish I could erase that too.
I'll explain why I don't like my birth country, while trying not to overload my rant-cannons. Where to start now...
Lets start with some fine examples of government mismanagement. My father told me about something that happened just after the Vietnam war. The USA had a surplus of used helicopters, and they were willing to *donate* some. As far as I know the country had no helicopter fleet of their own back then, but they said no. Because a donation means no money exchanges hands. That means some shithead would not get his usual kickback. Perfectly good deal, torpedoed by the Good Ship Corruption.
Here's another one. The country imports food from other countries, but doesn't grow its own. It's warm all year round, and the country was originally a British sugar cane colony. They could grow their own food at lower prices, but won't do it. Why? Because the farmers are not members of their voting bloc. So food prices stay high, and the government stays comfortably in power. Everybody's happy right?
Of those are Dad's stories, I obviously didn't witness them personally. But he was a reporter back then, so I'm inclined to believe its true. And here's one I do remember. An interview in the local TV news, where a gentleman was complaining about police dereliction of duty. He witnessed 2 men trying to break into a car with a woman inside. He called the police, but they were indifferent. I don't remember exactly what was said, except the cops even hung up on him. The men eventually fled the scene, but the cops never showed.
Now government and police incompetence/corruption are not unknown in Canada and the US. But the difference is up here, if enough people got wind of it, there'd be a scandal. If a similar story of police dereliction got time on TV up here, someone's head would roll. There'd be a public discourse about it. But in my birth-country? Crickets.
My dad has ranted about this. The locals are *extremely* resistant to change, for good or ill. Plus there's the collective mob mentality: If you criticize the country, you're not patriotic WAAH!! *rant scream shout-out*
Speaking of the locals, I'm rather indifferent to them as well. There was a lady I met in one of my first jobs who also hailed from the island, but to her it wasn't a big deal. She was nice, too bad I've lost contact with her. Another girl I used to hang out with during my first college was ok, but she also had the idea that my indifference = hate or ashamed of my country. She has since given me the cold shoulder and we don't speak anymore. Then there was a group of students for a lab was a TA for. Once they learned I hailed from the same island as they, they became huge entitlement whores. Expected special treatment from a "brother", whined when I didn't give in, and were generally annoying. One accused me of lying about my birth country since I obviously didn't act like one of them, as if I could care. Unfortunately the latter group of EW's and chip-on-shoulder-types seem to make up the majority.
The above stories aren't the only examples of what a screw-up my birth-country is - both the government and the sheeple - but I wanted to keep it brief. Once my aunt's gone, the place can sink into the ocean for all I care. Well there's the oil fields in the south, but I'm sure a submercible drilling platform like the one from The Abyss can work those
Next time my friend accuses me of "seeing the glass only half-empty", I should show her this thread.
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