living in the developing world.

i get a lot of questions about what it's like living in the "third world." i don't really ever know how to answer on the spot, i should have a canned answer, but i don't. the truth is, i try not to dwell on the differences - because if i did, i'd be depressed.

i never try to get political or even deep about the answers i give though - like that "third world" isn't really a valid tag anymore as it's pretty inaccurate and dated. the term stems from the cold war, when there was a first world. there are tons of new tags - two/thirds world, describing the fact that said countries constitute 2/3 of the earths population - underdeveloped, subdeveloped or developing nations, describing where the country is in a great scheme of a world market... i say developing. it's kind of hopeful.

usually if i talk at all, it's about the quality of education and the opportunities that are given to people from early in life - creativity, logical and concrete thinking skills, etc... but really it's so much more than that.

the questions have been popping up more and more and i think it may be time to address it. i do in fact live here, and i think people are genuinely interested on what keeps me here despite all of their (often untrue) presumptions about living on a poor carribean island.

i'll be writing about the major differences that i experience daily - the things that affect ME. it's personal. i know there are some ex-pats that read this blog, and what i write is in no way meant to offend or take away from their experience. but life is life, and more importantly my life is my life and my values and morals and priorities are not the same as everyone elses. and that's fair.

my hope? to maybe better explain some of the things that i know my people wonder about, to give you a better picture of why we, as a family, are still here and why we think it's worth it (most of the time).