Dear Source:
I've been following the "Rudeness in Paradise" thread for a couple of days now because the subject is of particular interest to me. I often cite my experience in the Virgin Islands as a contrast to other Caribbean vacations. One vacation in particular that irked me was my trip to Jamaica. My wife and I found the people there to be intentionally ignorant. When greeting people and asking them how they were doing, they would simply ignore us and not acknowledge our presence.
One example I can remember is this bartender who always worked a certain pool bar at our resort. Each time I would try to drum up a bit of conversation but he was like a robot and never said a single word. I was always courteous, respectful, and well mannered, but it seemed like he was angry at me though I'd never seen him before in my life! As soon as another Jamaican approached, he started chatting away.
Now, in retrospect, I began to chalk this whole experience up to the fact that the average Jamaican made about $100/month and maybe he was bitter because we were on vacation and his economic situation was lousy. I really don't know though. Are people happier in the USVI because they make a lot more money?
The reason I even came to that conclusion is that I last visited the Virgin Islands in 1993 and it seemed like everyone was polite and genuinely friendly. There didn't seem to be any animosity that I was able to detect. Since then, I've been trying to move to St. Thomas or St. John to be part of that again and I'm one step closer as we speak; finally getting the entire family to come down and see for themselves in July.
That being said, this thread about rudeness has got me concerned. Have things changed in the attitudes of people since 1993? Granted, I am the eternal optimist and always find the good in people, but now I wonder if I'm not setting myself up for failure in my quest to convince my family that St. Thomas is the place for us to raise our family.
There are many reasons that I want to move, but they include the fact that people seem more religious, and we are very religious so it's hard to find friends in the Northeast who feel the way we do. People up here are into everything "Babylon." I'll assume your readers know what I mean. We are laid back, resisting the pop/Vegas/MTV culture type, but self-made so the USVI seems like a good place to be. I hate the winter. Anything below 65° feels like snow to me. We love the water, the simple life, and there are many more things as well–too many to list here.
I certainly understand that people are people, and that the people who live in the Virgin Islands are not on vacation, which means I don't expect them to be happy-go-lucky. What I do hope is that after our visit in July that my family is able to come away with the same sentiments that I took away when I last visited. That is, paradise, as it's called, is only paradise because of the people that surround you. They're good-hearted, humble, God-fearing, genuine, and benevolent. Only then does the clear water, coconuts, palms, and sun really matter. If the warmth doesn't come from the people, then it's only vacation, and might as well be New Jersey.
Mark Simkiss
Philadelphia
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