Melange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine July 2020 | Page 46

Wow! My very own column. This is definitely a big reason to celebrate. Hi there, my name is Riselle and besides being a contributor and now, a brand new columnist for Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine, I also wear many other hats. A girl’s gotta do what girls’ gotta do to survive in this crazy world, am I right? I’m a blogger at The Traveling Island Girl, a travel writer, animal advocate, eco warrior, content creator and event consultant on the dual nation island of St. Maarten/St. Martin. I was born and raised on the Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao and one thing I love most, after my furry kids and my husband of course, is to explore the other Caribbean islands. The islands fascinate me, Each one is so different from the next, yet we are all very much the same. To me there is nothing like a good local Caribbean dish served with a side of culture. Yes, the islands fascinate me and I guess they fascinate you too. As an island girl born and raised, I get to experience both sides of the medallion. When I travel the Caribbean I get to experience other islands as a visitor and when here on my home island of St. Maarten I get to experience it as a host. So, I guess I am the right person to answer many of your Caribbean travel questions. So, in this first ever column by yours truly I would like to tell you about four very important Do’s and Don’ts when visiting the Caribbean. The Caribbean has a very rich history and even richer culture with deeply rooted traditions and values. Manners are very important to us and rudeness is quickly met with a stern look, especially from the elders. The very first and most important Must Do when in the Caribbean is to greet someone when you enter a store or place of business or before asking someone for directions. I know this is not exactly a North American practice but here asking someone for anything without first saying good morning, good afternoon or good evening or a simple hello is considered extremely rude. A big Don’t while vacationing in the Caribbean is making fun of our accents or our way of life. Yes, we may sound “funny” to you when we speak English but you may want to note that while you’re here, you are the one with the accent. Ever thought how funny you might sound to us? It’s hard to imagine that life in paradise is anything like life in the mainland but in a lot of ways it is. We too get up in the morning and go to our jobs like you do. There are schools, and banks, and shops, and everything else to make a functioning community.