Reflection on my Time in St. Martin

As I now look back on my time in St. Martin, a week and a half after finishing the program, I walk the earth with a shifted mentality. My eyes have changed to observe my surroundings, curiously pondering the mechanisms in place that have formed the communities, religions, and cultures throughout the world. I peer into restaurants, considering the prices on the menus, the customers entering and exiting, and the role that the workers play. Some are in the kitchen, while others are in the front, I question and observe patterns between the people in each of these roles and ask myself why this is the case. I recognize the role that history and colonization play in today's society. I recognize the unfortunate inequalities that persist, ingrained into day to day life. My knowledge has been expanded, my mind opened, my eyes widened, and my heart deepened. I find myself observing the structures throughout the towns and cities I bypass, making comparisons to St. Martin. I remember the wise words that Jah Bash gifted us with and often find myself recalling and reciting his words in the situations I have found myself in, slowly sprinkling his wisdom throughout the world.

Now, as I am in Brazil, another nation built upon the racist inequalities of European colonization and slavery, I am noticing the similarities to St. Martin. The small town I am residing  and working in, similarly to St. Martin, is another small coastal place that economically depends on tourism. I am finding that there are in fact many similarities between St. Martin and Itacare. First and foremost, in both places the lingua franca and most practiced religions are a direct result of colonization, demonstrating the harsh and abundant effect of colonization in both Brazil and St. Martin. Additionally, Brazil, as the last country to abolish slavery, still struggles to mandate equality throughout the country in which skin color is still associated with social class. In Itacare, Brazil, there are also issues within the education system, leaving the children here at a predisposed disadvantage. The youth of Itacare only go to school for half of the day, either before or after noon. During the primary educational years, children get half the schooling that we get in the US. At the highschool level, kids are not prepared for college and it is no coincidence that the majority of locals in Itacare do not have a college education. In addition to the faults within the lower education system, most families do not have the funds to send their children to college in another town or do not have the resources to study enough for the college entry exams. Children must invest their own time and resources into filling in the empty gaps within their education. While some schools have English classes, others do not and either learn it on their own time or never get around to learning a second language. Furthermore higher education is uncommon. The closest university to Itacare is over an hour away and is inaccessible for many. Those who do end up moving away for university are those who are considered to “make it out” and never come back while those who do not leave for University are likely to stay in Itacare forever, creating the same brain drain system that exists in St. Martin. Youth education facilities, social standards surrounding education, and lack of job opportunities in both St. Martin and Brazil leads to a lack of education knowledge in these communities.

Yet another similarity between St. Martin and Brazil, is the lack of access to common goods. Here too, exists a tragedy of the commons. There is not equal access to  potable water and safe and clean sanitary facilities. Furthermore, inequalities exist within healthcare and outbreaks of STDs and STIs are common here. Sexual hygiene and practices come with risks to the health of men, women, and children in Itacare. Some kids are impregnated prior to reaching their teenage/ highschool years. Women’s health and safety practices are at risk. It is apparent that inherent inequality is a common theme within the political, social, educational, and economical realms of Itacare and St. Martin.

While important to recognize the harsh realities of both of these places, it is also essential to recognize not only the physical beauty that lures tourists in, but also the unseen charm within the culture of these places. In both places, where resources and money is not abundant, culture is rich. Despite the hardships the people hear face, they wake up each day smiling and happy to be alive. I have noticed that people here have an appreciation for the minute details in life and a connection to the people and nature that surrounds them. The importance of community is what holds these places together. As I am living here and in Brazil and while in St. Martin, I am/was  constantly learning. Learning from the people, the culture, the waves, and the trees, demonstrating that each and every person in the world has something to teach and something to learn.

Diving into a community as an outsider, has forced me to forget my preconceived thoughts and to unlearn many habits. I am now in a position where I know very little, I am for once a minority and must submit to my lack of knowledge. It takes courage and vulnerability to admit that the Portuguese I have is broken and that I cannot fully express my knowledge or feelings. Learning to find happiness within this discomfort is a challenge, yet what travel is about. I have discovered the importance of discomfort, of getting out of your shell, showing the world what you have to offer, and opening your heart to the lessons that can be learned.

I thoroughly enjoyed all of my time spent in St. Martin, but that does not go to say that there weren’t also difficulties. Something that I had to learn was to accept the polychronic concept of time that exists in both St. Martin and Brazil. Learning to slow down has been difficult beyond words.  I feel myself constantly looking for work, searching for projects and assignments to fill the empty spaces of my day. Growing up in the US, a monochronic clock is ingrained into me. I am used to a demanding schedule filled with tasks. I am used to running from one place to the next without a moment to step back and ponder what I am doing. However, while in St. Martin, time was treated more as an illusion, than a physical thing. Time to relax was valued, and time to eat and digest was built into the daily schedule. Adjusting to this very different concept of time was hard for me in St. Martin, and is still hard for me while in Brazil.  However, as I am forced to slow down, I am finding myself with more time to tune into my own thoughts as well as those of others. I find myself paying more attention to the details that are built into the systems around me. I have learned that our minds need time to rest in order to properly digest information. I have grown to appreciate the moments of stillness, but still occasionally find myself yearning for a fast paced life. I believe that it is within discomfort that growth occurs, so I am challenging myself to release into these moments of stillness, finding the innate delicacies of life.

St. Martin also taught me to question things that may be different and that it is okay to call out the faults within any culture. I have found myself thinking back on our discussions regarding gender roles, relationships, and sexuality. I still find it puzzling that within a culture built on standing up to oppressive systems, exists oppressive ideals. While I understand the role that the bible has on the concepts within the Rastafari movement, I am confused by the acceptance of the transgressions that are written. I would think that within a socially progressive movement, there would be alterations to all of the injustices within the bible. I think it is important to challenge religions and cultures around the world with a multifaceted approach in order to progress as a united world. The Rastafari movement has many important and beautiful ideals that should be applied within larger communities of people such as the importance of words, livity, usage of plants for medicine, an all encompassing love and so on. However, as a woman I cannot deny or excuse the complications that persist surrounding sexism and homogeneity.

Another concept that I have been having difficulty rapping my head around is the heroic view that people had of us in St. Martin. I felt that we were given too much attention. While what we were doing was important, it didn’t feel that we were giving any more than we were taking. I felt that the credit and attention given to us was demonstrative of the white savior mentalities that we were told to be aware of. I felt awkward and guilty about all of the publicity and photos that were being published of us. While I realize that the community was excited to show their culture and welcome in a group of students from a prestigious American university, I couldn’t help but question if our race and westernized social constructs shaped our roles. I am curious to see the difference in the way that New Orleans welcomes the USM students in comparison to how we were regarded upon arrival in St. Martin. While I am hesitant, I do truly hope that Tulane is just as welcoming and curious about the USM students. I think that it is interesting and important to reflect on our personal roles in St. Martin and the perception that was created of us. I am eternally grateful for meeting such influential people and participating in intellectual discussions, yet question the reason it was us in the room with the president rather than the local USM students.

Overall my experience in St. Martin was informative and gave me a deep understanding and curiosity of the inequalities and cultures throughout our world. I hope to continue to observe different cultures through the multifaceted and critical lense that St. Martin granted me with. I am forever grateful to the leaders, friends, and acquaintances I met. I left St. Martin with a gift from each of the people that I met including those on my program and will forever keep their wisdom close to my heart.

Amidst the paradise of both St. Martin and Itacare, there are problems that persist. This is what I believe I have learned both in St. Martin and Itacare. A tourists paradise can be a locals nightmare. It is important to look past the glamor, past the pristine beaches with the bluest water that I have ever seen, past the soft sand under my feet, and past the bars that light up at midnight exploding with reggae, laughter, and dancing, because, behind the periphery exists a population of people that are struggling. Struggling to put a meal on the table, to send their kids to university, and to submit to the idea that they will likely live in the same place forever. Behind the beauty, people are suffering from the systems that came to be as a result of colonization. Suffering from lack of resources, ill health, and unequal dispersion of commodities. While the cultures within both St. Martin and Itacare contain beauty and integrity, it is important to remember the disparities, the inequalities, and the cruel history that lingers within these societies.