a (monster) note on economy
i’ve been enjoying my annual winter retreat in tobago for the past 2 weeks. thank you god, for blessing me in this way! tobago is a gorgeous caribbean island in the republic of trinidad & tobago, and i was there with my ab fab o. not much is going on in tobago, i can report. days flew, as a simple activity such as getting refreshments on the beach can be a long walk between waiting for coffee to boil or for shop owners to return from their naps. people seem to work as much as they need to, to get by. no more, no less. so if the fish is quickly caught and sold, why go fish for another? if there is a cold beer somewhere in the immediate neighborhood, why the heck not take a sip? no stress, man. big bambu. not halfway stupid! (oh, and btw - there were also many eloquent & hardworking entrepreneurs around. strictly sober. don’t want to overdo the caricature!).
besides the turquoise sea and the voluptuous surroundings, i noted that many houses were only halfway built. or less. and how shops, like the wannabee upholstery above, appeared with merely a promising sign to a business not to be seen. had people gone bankrupt while building? we are after all in a state of financial crisis. neither did the building projects look recent, nor in the becoming. people told me that it is the rule more so than the exception, that no matter how poor people might be, they all own a piece of land. they have an heir. as good as everyone seemed to thrive. well-fed and happy. very friendly and open. that’s how i got all these explanations. the unusual home and business building scenarios i’d witnessed, is the norm. a very efficient way of visualizing your goals, i must say.
a beautifully simple way to stay on track:
my biggest nagging question (that i felt silly to ask anyone) was; but how can you be so sure you are building your house in the right location? what if you spend 15 years on a house and then get a job offer abroad? or what if someone decides to build a tourist resort in your backyard, or if your private beach becomes overflown with old european mamas who desperately need to get laid? or what if life shapes with possibilities in other ways than you expected? how can you just stay here??? how can you be so calm? so joyful? so relaxed?
the simple answers are that people who thrive where they are, have no real need to move?? or that the idea of buying land outside of your heir, might add another 20 years to your home-building project? i guess the average tobagonese joe also don’t expect a foreign job offer, or would be interested. why move? for what? ah, well… all romantic speculation. i have no clever answer. should have asked.
i find it fascinating how a society can work so much more simple and relaxed, than the crisis-effected ditto to which i belong. i know of course that tobago is affected. few tourists. weird western speculation in land and property. but all in all peaceful (not like trinidad, but that’s for someone else to describe). people simply refuse to spend the bank’s money. that may seem primitive, less educated. but i think not. spend what you have. invest it immediately. in living a great life and in something solid when in surplus.
i also made a stop in the great city of london. loved the millennium bridge and tate modern. bought a gorgeous pair of earrings. fair trade was everywhere at reasonable prices. green initiatives were prominent in the streets and on the thames. and the underground pipes are being fixed. it may cause londoners a hassle in the tube for a couple of years. but it is a move toward a greener city. it functions. speed. great service. expensive, no mercy. homeless people. beggars on the streets. constantly being addressed and removed by the law enforcement or social services. from the windows of antiques and funky vintage gear. and spring flowers neatly planted to spread joy amongst the commoners and the tourists. london is a melting pot and must be a bliss for the wealthy.
back home in copenhagen. where we ride our bikes and get the worst service from b-2-c. where we work so hard and so efficiently, and stress ourselves to perform on as many levels as possible. preferably simultaneously. where people try to avoid trouble at the price of very little contact with ’strangers’. where people fear the unknown. and are full of prejudice.
yet i love my home. i thrive in my big coat and my boots that need cleaning. i drive my bike to work in the office. i feel passionate about my job. i don’t count the hours. but the hours count me. so why not try to make a difference for the better in regards to the norms and features less charming? refuse to do it all. pick your own goals, or be less ambitious. smile to people in the supermarket. say hello. keep your focus on the soft side. and for the love of god: if we could pick up a little bit from tobago, where people do not want to owe money to the bank, but prefer to do things in a more gradual manner. spend what you earn. earn what you spend. (others support my view, only in slightly more sophisticated terms. i’m a decent blogger after all!). tobago rocks.
tags:eco friendly, economy, investments, money, tobago, zen
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