Curacao

I had never heard of it, I did not know where it was located, and I knew of no one who had ever been there before. For me, it was just another stop on the ship’s itinerary. That may reveal the very narrow world I live in, or it may reveal the fact that after oil was discovered off the Venezuelan coast in 1920, a new era opened for Curacao. Curacao’s Royal Dutch Shell Refinery, built to distill crude oil imported from Venezuela, became the island’s biggest business and employer. This is when immigrants from other Caribbean nations, South America, and Asia headed to Curacao, and the refinery was considered important enough during World War II, that the Allies established an American military base at Waterfort Arches, near Willemstad. Tourism was not on the island’s radar screen nor was it a significant part of the island’s economy.

One Internet site described Curacao’s history in this manner: “Long lasting colonial dominance, looting, pillaging, plundering, busy slave trade, slave riots, prosperous times, Dutch trade spirit, feuds and invasions all characterize Curacao’s lively history.” Notice that no mention is made of tourism; “prosperous times” relates to the long economic boom that resulted from the establishment of the Shell oil refinery. The 1970’s oil crisis, however, ended the long economic boom and a reduction in international investment in the following decade led to a further economic decline. Shell closed the refinery in 1985.

In the history lecture onboard the Grand Princess, Thomas Judson, a southern California “educator” (his label), told us that Curacao is a prosperous island that, because of the refinery, didn’t need tourism, and this created a mindset that is completely wrong — “wrong” in the minds of tourists today who visit the island.

The island may not have needed tourism, however, once you traverse the Queen Emma Bridge from the “mega Pier” in downtown Willemstad, and enter into Punda, you realize what a cosmopolitan, diverse, and exciting venue this is for tourists.

Punda, on the east side of the St. Anna Bay (Annabaaï) is full of bright, pastel-colored, former merchant houses along the channel front. They adorn many of the postcards available in the souvenir shops, and they are one of the photographs on many of the Internet venues designed to attract tourists to Curacao. Today, those houses are occupied, at least on the ground-floor level, by boutiques, shops, and art galleries.

Punda’s main commercial streets of Handelskade, Breedestat, and Heerenstaat, are lined with beautiful, freshly painted, stores with their typical curved baroque gables and arched galleries. It is picturesque, clean, attractive, and tourist-friendly.

We walked most of Punda, visiting the floating market, central market, Willhelmina Park, the Governor’s Palace, Fort Amsterdam, and a McDonald’s before heading to Otrobanda on the other side of the St. Anna Bay.

We went to the local McDonald’s (following a sign to its location) to use their restroom. We were planning to buy a coke as well, but the lines were too long. There were no tourists at all in the place, and it was clear, because it was slightly off the beaten track, that it was a popular local hangout. From McDonald’s we headed back to the bridge.

I found it fascinating to watch as the Queen Emma Bridge, which lies across St. Anna Bay, swing open to allow ships into Willemstad harbor. It was built in 1888, and rebuilt in 1939 and 2005-2006. The footbridge is a low, wide, paved walkway that floats on 15 pontoons. To open, the entire bridge is swung open by an engine on the very end of the bridge that simply floats it and each pontoon section to one side, much as a straight arm (no bending at the elbow) is moved ninety-degrees from an extended position at one’s side, to a position in front of your body. While the bridge is open (which can last from 15 minutes to a half hour), pedestrian ferries take people from one side to the other. The whole operation is delightful to watch.

We waited only a moment while the Queen Emma Bridge was re-positioned (it was open for ships to move through while we roamed through Punda), and we walked to Mathey Werf (where another large cruise ship was docked) then along Klipstratt to the Kura Hulanda village. Although we didn’t go through the museum, we strolled through the streets where some 65 historic buildings had been restored. Some of the tropical garden areas were lush with falls and pools, and secluded areas for people to sit. It is a delightful area, and according to the literature, “a shining example of some of Curacao’s best 18th- and 19th-century architecture.”

What thrilled us even more, however, than seeing early Curacao architecture, is that we walked along Breedstraat in Otrobanda on the west side of St. Ann’s Bay, which is not designed for tourists. It is where locals congregate and shop, and we saw only three couples (from the cruise ship) in walking almost a mile in the area.

Even the local shopping area was clean. There were a number of places to purchase liquor, but the shops were much as you would expect in any large city: small sports shops and restaurants, numerous clothing stores, a pharmacy, but no tourist shops of any kind. School had just let out, and there were many kids in bright turquoise knit shirts with bermuda khaki shorts walking the sidewalk toward the local bus terminal. Many had already arrived at the terminal as we walked through the area to get back to the ship — docked in the distance just beyond the bus area.

As we leave Curacao in the distance as I am writing this, several things are clear. First, Curacao is only 40 miles long and 10 miles wide at its widest point — just 171 square miles — with a population of only about 150,000 people. It is located just 40 miles off the coast of Venezuela, 42 miles east of Aruba, and 30 miles west of Bonaire. (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao are the islands that make up the ABCs of the Netherlands Lesser Antilles). Second, it is not a lush, tropical island. (It gets only 20 inches of rain annually.) Rather, it is flat. Less than a dozen hills (no mountains at all) can be seen across the whole island. Third, the refinery smokestacks (I can count 15 that dot the interior; however, they are fairly tightly bunched together) make up part of the horizon as one looks out over the whole island.

Because we took no excursion on Curacao, we did not see the large desalinization plant on the south coast, the beaches on the northwestern part of the island, any of the 40 dive spots, the Hato Caves where the geologic history of Curacao can be learned, the ostrich farm, the cactus, divi-divi trees, or Christoffel Park (4,500 acres) that contains Mount Christoffel (1,239 feet), the highest elevation on the island. But we had a chance to look at the waterfront, observe the local people and their activities, and we found what we did to be a pleasant way to pick up the flavor of the Caribbean and Curaçao.

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For a quick summary of Curacao’s past history, check out Curacao Central, a site at which you can locate hotels, restaurants, snorkeling locations, and beaches.

This website, Curacao History, offers essays (other websites) that will take you through specific periods in Curacao’s history. Dates are provided with brief summaries, but in-depth information is a mere click away, and you get a complete examination of the particular dates and events.

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Copyright April 2010 by And Then Some Publishing, LLC

Life is unfair

by Richard L. Weaver II

Life is unfair — deal with it! This was an assumption I had throughout my life; I never thought otherwise. And, I determined to level the playing field (get my share) by doing my best. I always thought that if I did my best and succeeded (that is, did well), I would get exactly what I deserved. The problem, I discovered, was that people did not always perceive (or fully realize) another person’s preparation or qualifications; thus, they felt they were not being treated fairly (equally) because they thought they were equal, but if one dug just a little distance below the surface they would discover grave differences, not just minor ones. The problem boiled down to what they “thought” and not what were the facts.

It wasn’t until we had children that “life is unfair” became a fairly commonly used phrase.

We had two boys and two girls, and our job as parents was to continually justify the different treatment each of our children received. It was never the same; not even close. We know of someone else with two girls who were three years apart, and almost since the younger girl was born, the husband felt the girls should be treated equally. What is good for the older child is good for the younger one as well — no matter what it is. This occurred — and became a major bone of contention between the parents — throughout the girls’ childhoods (until the older girl turned twelve). This, of course, is total nonsense, and the father should have been jailed for child abuse. Okay, if not abuse then mistreatment and misconduct at the least.

At the John Tesh Blog, on the topic, “Life is unfair, better get used to it,” Tesh discusses the coddling kids get as they mature: “...we cannot hurt anybody's feelings. So we try to make everyone feel like a winner and we protect kids from anything that may be stressful. No bumps, no bruises, no disappointments, but also none of the challenges of real life.”

It is just this kind of coddling that distorts reality. Children should not be protected from unfairness. Think about it. At “Life is unfair," the writer offers a brief list of issues people consider unfair. Using their list, the most obvious inequities occur when you consider a person’s race, nationality, parental heritage, physical traits, mental capacity, social status, economic status, experiences of life, birth order, age, and religious heritage. Often, there is nothing that can be done about these issues; life is unfair, and children must not be protected from it.

At personal-development.com, in an article, “Life is unfair,” Chuck Gallozzi begins his essay with these sentences: “Yes, there are injustices. Guiltless people are sent to prison. Terrorists make plans to strike at innocent citizens. Facts regarding the poisons in our food are hidden from us. Olympic medals and Academy Awards are presented for political reasons instead of merit.” Certainly you can think of many other injustices that provoke, annoy, and perhaps enrage you; they are not difficult to locate.

Now, it should be clearly noted that because of the coddling many children receive during their upbringing, their only, and I might add, natural, response to unfairness could be described in much the same manner as Gallozzi describes: “All too often those bemoaning the unfairness of the world are just whining that they’re not getting their way. They haven’t grown up yet. Their sense of unfairness is irrational because it is based on childish demands and unrealistic expectations. They want to return to the time that they were infants. For then all they had to do was cry (complain) and someone would come and attend to their needs.”

What I said at the outset of this essay remains true. If each of us — despite all odds and obstacles — worked our hardesst, applied ourselves consistently, and did the best work of which we are capable at all times, the “life is unfair” phrase would likely have little application to our life. These, to me, are winning ways.

But, such a stance doesn’t really address the issue of this essay: life is unfair. That is, how can we best deal with unfairnesses besides working at our peak level? There are several suggestions.

The first, and most important is to take responsibility for your life. If you don’t like your situation, do something about it. There is no need to place blame on yourself or others, but what you need to do is change your attitude. Instead of a victim, become an architect (of your life). Determine what it is you want, figure out what you need to do to become qualified to get (earn?) what you want, make a plan to achieve your goal, and take action.

The second suggestion is to become a team player. As you cooperate with others, you will develop important connections. With the team as your support group, you will contribute to promoting their best interests, just as they will be promoting yours. When others recognize your genuine interest in them, they will cooperate and contribute positively to your best interests, as well.

The third suggestion is to begin to operate based on your thinking and not on your feelings. The problem in believing that life is unfair is that it creates worry and anxiety, and because they require energy, you drain important energy from sound, sensible, reasoned decision making and problem solving.

The fourth suggestion goes back to the results of coddling. Those who are coddled often remain immature and go through life demanding that the world cater to their every wish. In this way, they set themselves up for disappointment, frustration, and resentment. Parents must let children know that things will not always go as they like and that the world is full of unrealized hopes and dreams, but that is not the end of the world. They must learn to not just face disappointments but to cope with them as well. Life is full of both ups and downs; they are unavoidable. What children must be taught is to accept the hurdles life throws at them, and like countless others before them, learn to overcome them and grow stronger because of them. Life is unfair, but the way we deal with it is what counts.
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At Oprah.com , in an essay entitled, “What to do when life seems unfair,” there are three suggestions for dealing with unfairness: 1) Get to the heart of the problem, 2) Don’t be a victim, and 3) Shift the way you see the world.

At ProgressiveU.com, there is an essay entitled, “When You Say ‘Life is Unfair’ I say ‘No Duh’,” by Bridge, that makes one of the same points made in the essay above: “We already know that life is unfair, so why bother wasting time to say it? Let’s embrace those challenges that better us in ways we could never fully understand at the time.”
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Copyright September, 2010 by And Then Some Publishing L.L.C.

Surprise comes in many shapes and sizes; it’s coping that counts

by Richard L. Weaver II

I was looking for a topic to write about; often I make notes or outline an essay subtly on a small pad in my lap during church services. This time it was the sermon topic itself, “Surprised by God,” by Georganna Mawer, that provided the spark that led to this essay. Surprise! The topic was right in front of me. This happens often, and I never cease to be amazed at the occurrence when I am looking for a topic to write about, and I find it offered, as if on a silver platter..

Surprises often jump out at us when we least expect them. (Of course, that's why they're labeled "surprises"!) Sometimes they are welcome, at other times they leave us in awe and utter shock. They can be small as when we find something around the house that has been missing for some time. Or, they can be huge as when a woman finds herself unexpectedly pregnant — exciting for many, but a surprise that can cause some to feel anxious, depressed, and afraid of what the future holds.

The most surprising thing that could happen in our future would be that it offered no surprises. Because the future has surprised us so often in the past, it would be inconceivable to have a future with no surprises. Those events that will be really startling and have important consequences, futurists have called wild cards. Wild cards have the potential to radically change many people’s thinking and planning. You plan a vacation, for example, and an important family member suddenly dies, and just as suddenly all your time, effort, attention, and finances must be directed elsewhere. Vacation plans now seem frivolous, meaningless, and beside the point.

What we must learn to do in the face of surprises — especially those futurists have labeled wild cards (those that push our buttons or trigger our adrenaline) — is to pull back and take some time to think. Before reacting with an emotional outburst, a nasty letter, or vile e-mail, we must think about the ramifications. The point is that we should never respond quickly just to be done with the matter. It’s a male tendency. That’s what gets many of us in trouble. It is when we are most prone to making mistakes — our emotions control us not our thoughts, and we are likely to say or do exactly the wrong thing.

In the face of surprises, we might want to take a long walk, breathe deeply a few times, and find time to research the facts. The world is not black and white — I am right and the other person is wrong — and there are any number of other alternatives to what is proposed or what has happened, and any alternative is strengthened when buttressed with facts. The key is thinking before acting.

Sometimes the answer lies in why the other person might think or act the way they do. When you count to 10, or even 100, when you feel like striking out and responding immediately, or take that long walk before presuming to know the “real truth” about a situation, the other person’s motives may become obvious. Think about it. Before ascribing sinister motives to others, ask, “Are they under stress that is causing them to react more strongly than what the issue warrants?” Before shooting back a potentially damaging reply, could the surprising event be but a feather floating softly across your horizon? Think about it. Can you simply watch it float by without reacting to it? Many answers lie in no answer at all!

Sometimes the answer to a surprise is not clear. Ask a friend, co-worker, another family member, priest, pastor, or rabbi how they would handle this. Think about it. Consider the possibility, as just noted, of not responding at all, and see how things are in a few days.

It is true that even with a boatload of suggestions, it won’t prevent people from occasionally doing something stupid or unfortunate. Just controlling our own behavior on a daily basis is a constant and formidable challenge. Even those who are older and considered by many to be mature adults struggle with this at times. There is no handbook, and even if there were, it is unlikely to cover every circumstance, all possible conditions, and each incident when and where you could be taken by surprise — and then, definitive instructions on how to handle it. Controlling the behavior of others — to limit the surprises they create for us — is totally outside our ability, much as we would like to believe that we can tell others what is wrong with them and what they should do to fix it! Even if we could, others are likely to take unkindly to instruction, training, or enlightenment from others who are outside the teaching, training, or instructional professions. Often, people take unkindly to instruction no matter the source!

There are ways to cope with surprises, but remember, a surprise would not be a surprise if you could completely anticipate and prepare for it. First, be yourself. As authentically as you can be, be aware that you are not going to agree with everyone all the time. Disagreements, arguments, and conflicts are part of life, and the best way to cope is to be yourself.

Second, be kind to yourself, and be gentle with others. Remember that other people, no matter how they have surprised you, are human beings who suffer the same challenges as you. Part of being gentle with others is to assume that their motives are pure and that they are only trying to deal with things as they see them. When you reveal empathy — trying to see the world as they do — it helps keep things in perspective. Be cautious in how you react to others

The third way to cope with surprises is to get plenty of rest, exercise, and good nutrition. Dealing with life’s stresses — let alone the surprises that are dished out along the way to keep you on your toes — requires all the strength, fortitude, and resilience you can muster. That strength of character, backbone, and courage must come from a firm, solid, and sturdy foundation.

The fourth way to cope with surprises is to be completely and brutally honest with yourself about how you contributed to any conflict, misunderstanding, or surprise. If the surprise came via e-mail, text message, letter, or phone call, you could make yourself a pledge not to respond until the next day — if that is possible. This will give you time to think about the roots of the conflict or misunderstanding. Even if you wait until later in the day, you will have time to consider what your response might mean and how you can react in a more positive manner. Instead of sending a response, call the person and chat or, better yet, talk in person. Try to avoid tacking one surprise on top of another since this may escalate the emotional involvement and further complicate what may have been simple miscommunication.

Surprise comes in many shapes and sizes; it’s how you cope with them that counts. They are going to happen, and preparation is possible. The better prepared you are, the easier they are to handle.
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At the CanyonRanch website, there is a delightful, short essay, “Coping with change,” full of practical suggestions: 1) Stay true to the authentic you, 2) Remember what’s important, 3) Do things that give you joy, 4) Live in gratitude, 5) Control what you can control, 6) Become the solution, 7) Try something new, 8) Talk about it, 9) Exercise, eat well, stay healthy. Good ideas in a well-written essay.

At DocStocSync, the article is entitled, “Coping with loss: Guide to Grieving and Bereavement,” and I realize it is a little off topic here, and the article is longer than those I normally recommend; however, the ideas in this article are excellent. It strikes me that if the surprise is large enough, and if the surprise truly shakes us to our core, then the steps for coping and the guide to grieving offered in the article are outstanding. They are too long to reproduce here, but the article is terrific.
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Copyright February, 2010 - And Then Some Publishing L.L.C.