A repeat...

Andrew,

My wife last night had asked me "how about the cost of hambuger and the cost of living in St. Thomas and you answered it this morning.
We are looking to buy a bed and breakfast in the VIs and have been following this interesting and informative board for a few weeks. We are visiting the VIs in mid December. We have only has short stops there before.
so far the only real estate agent has only given us listing on apartment rental complexs, Doesn't sound that bad to me, but my wife is set on a bed and breakfast.
We are selling our small weekly newspaper and should have a litte to invest. Your depection of a slower lifestyle is just what we are looking for. Thirty years of being in the front line fighting city hall has been fun, but tiring.

Don

Greetings Don,
I looked at some apts on STT, but was disappointed with the whole package. Little things like code volitions, renters laws and other gray area problems led me away from the choices.
I ended up going back over to STX and purchasing several newer villas, with excellent track records for surviving hurricanes. Direct hits and no insurance claims filed. The prices were much better there, and I looked for units that were in the working mans range of pay. That way they stay rented year round, and a reaonable income is generated to keep me in beer money.....
B&B's are around, some are little work, some are a lot....I'm not sure that I would want to get involved in "another mans world" where the rules are made by him, and I might not understand why things are the way they are.....but if you like fighting city hall, you get plenty of chances there.
I wish you luck, have a great time during your visit, and keep us posted on your experiences.

Andrew

I'm glad you have had many positive experiences on the islands or are somehow prompted to promote the islands.

I'm not sure everyone will agree that they are the friendliest people you'll meet in the world however. As a polite customer, opening with good morning, how are you and a big smile, many times I met with ferry operators and cab drivers who never acknowledged my existance, made no eye contact except with which pocket had my cash, and answered important questions with hardly a grunt. Of course they weren't all like that and certainly not like that to everyone. Most were very friendly to other locals while I waited.

Greeting Steven,

You are so right about those that are just there for the money. I guess that some of us expect that and don't count or overlook that fact. The nature of the people and the islands however will most likley be in the eye of the beholder.
Perhaps it's not what I choose not to see Steven, but more in what I do choose to see. I must point out that I do like it there, and thats half the battel.

There seems to a lot of fear with going to the islands, a foreign land to some, and many many questions. The news always reports the worst, and most just see that as a another reason to avoid the visit. Perhaps you had fears as well, but have visited or now live there and have a different opionon, and sharing it helps others to "average out" their take on planning a trip there.

My post wasn't to "sell" the islands, but to remind new visitors that it is a civilized U.S. country, that english is spoken there, and there is a good chance that if they give the islands a chance, they will find many things to enjoy and remember from their visit.

Please continue to post your comments, so everyone will benifit from them.

Andrew McGregor

Hi, my name is Tony and I have been on island now for one month. I have been reading and posting on this board for about 7 months all while we were planning our move to St. thomas. I read everything i could get my hands on regarding the virgin islands, from this site to ordering the settlers handbook , the vi daily news paper, the island trader and participated on this board from which many questions were answered with much knowledge and warmth and understanding ( thank you Islander. east ender, Ronnie and countless others). I grew up in England and Japan , have lived in Alaska, San francisco, L.A. ,Taiwan and spent time in New York city,and have been to many other countrys, always wanting to see everything and learn all that I could from other religions and customs, but no place has made me more excited to come to in the world as here in these islands. When I would read postings of people who would say that the local people here were rude to white people, or that there was alot of crime, or that there was a heavy feeling of prejudice from the local police towards white people I would get very upset. The feeling I would have was that they must come off as superior and or negative or they only saw one side of the people who love there island and were maybe a little defensive. Now im here, and will remain for some time to come, and I have my own opinion, and after being here for a month and working for 2 weeks, looking at the new messages which I have not replied to, I feel finally that maybe I have some right to post what I have experianced for myself. I have never been treated so rudely as I have been here, my heart is broke. Most of my local co- workers at my job are very, very nice but will acknowledge that the majority does not want you here. They are sad about this also and say " keep your chin up" " dont let them steal your sunshine" and my local friend who makes me laugh says " they just mad cuz they so ugly". I will stay, make new friends, swim on the beach, and try again tomorrow.
this is the last thing I ever wanted to post on this site, but its been my experiance.

Please keep us posted Tony...good luck getting setteled.

Andrew

Tony: When you say "the majority do not want you here", do you think that is because of your person or your job? As you know, the company that you work for is very controversial... I wonder if *that* is confused with *you*...

EE:
I wasn't aware of the controversy concerning Home Depot. What is the issue and how prevalent are the negative feelings?

Tony, I too was wondering if the association with your employer may be the source of some of your troubles. The controversy mentioned by East Ender concerns not only whether "it" should be here, but also who "it" would hire. I know a lot of locals are resentful because they believe that many of the jobs are going to imported non-locals. Just something to consider that might put it in perspective.

Also, I can completely understand your shock at the levels of rudeness you can encounter from some locals. I amuse my stateside friends and family to no end with stories of the lifeless checkout girl at Kmart, or the man at the Post Office who pretends to be deaf, or... But remember, those are just SOME locals. Even you mentioned certain co-workers that were very nice---try to focus on them.
Otherwise, we may lose you before December! 🙂

Actually the rudeness Im refering to is by some of the dollar ride taxis, or any taxis for that matter, the employess of almost any of the stores ive been in, from k-mart to pueblo to cost u-less and others, and to walking down the street and someone saying " step aside!!" when your already almost in the street and have said "good morning" with a smile. It is not all of the people, just most of the people, ( that I have met) and they do not have any idea I work for Home Depot. Many of my co- workers I work with now Im finding out are from different islands and they seem to have a broader view of mixing with people from outside the V.I. This is not a racial statement, it is an observation about people who have met other people from other cultures. When the other co- workers of mine say that most of the locals do not want us here they are telling me only what they want to say, I dont know what else they would mean by those words. I didnt expect everyone to be on their best behavior, I just didnt expect to be invisible to some and have so many roll their eyes at me and make a sound Ive never heard with their teeth. It comes down to this I suppose, There are nice people and mean people everywhere,St thomas has there share.
You know how that one mean person can ruin your day after meeting 10 nice ones? I usually meet 10 mean ones and one nice one per-day. If anything regarding Home Depot, I went to coral world and said I worked for HD and they gave me the local discount even without a V.I. drivers liscence and asked me all about what I did there. One of the locals on the bus noticing I had a H.D. handbook asked me 3 times with a smile what I did there before I understood what she had said ( Im finally getting the understanding of even the heaviest St. Thomian accent ) She was very excited about me being an employee there. I have not really gotten one rude reaction to being with H.D. Its when Im in a store, on the street, or on the bus that I get the rudeness. When we do open I suppose I will see the real reaction to our status here.
I do understand you have to concentrate on the positive. I did that when I was called a "Bloody Yank "in England, when" I" was responsible for Hiroshima in Japan, when I was the kid with a british accent in Oklahoma ( and Im half mexican? go figure that one) Here, Im still not sure what I did yet...Am I responsible for slavery and bringing the white man? For letting the cruise ships park in the harbor? For bringing in jewlery stores the Hard Rock Cafe and Macdonalds? Only these people know what it is that makes them be this way and they seem to prefer to keep it quiet, ignore you or yell at you. The guy in the car in front of you wants to talk to someone in the middle of the street and the taxi driver tells you to hurry up and give him the money. Its whatever they want, when they want it. I am NOT talking about all locals of course, Im only talking about about the ones who will apparently be upset with your mere prescence in front of them. I do understand the custom of letting someone stop in front of you to talk, im just pointing out an interesting paradox. Apparently the taxis are not on "Island time" unless the are off duty. Anyway, I will do the best I can, thank you for listening.
Tony

Tony, if it makes you feel any better, I am black-American and I have had the same less-than-pleasant experiences on-island that you mention. Think of it as equal opportunity mean-spiritedness!

BTW, I'm surprised your experiences at Cost U Less have been less than cheery. That is actually one of the few stores where I feel there is a sense of community. But there is this one woman there, if you catch her on a bad day...woah!

Tony
I can understand where you are coming from and the way that you feel. I am a native Virgin Islander who now resides on the mainland and at times when i have visited the Virgin islands I have experiences some of the rudeness that you are experiening. This is especially true of the Taxi drivers at the Airport. I cringe to see that these are the first impression that visitors are getting of the Virgin Islands. As you have mentioned in your post that you are now realizing that many of your coworkers at HD are from other islands in the caribbean and they in your observation may have met other poeple from different cultures and have a differenct prospective of people. In my experience with the islanders from the other carribbean island and this is not and indictment of all islanders from the other caribbean islands because my great grandmtr is from one of the other caribbean islands and she loved her adopted home truly. What I am trying to say and I have heard this with my own ears from some of these poeple who move to the U.S. Virgin Island from the other caribbean islands is that they do not have the same pride for the VI as they have for the islands in which came from. I have over heard some of these same people telling tourist how wonderful their home island is and why they should visit their home island rather than the VI. You may not know because at this point you can not distinquish the different caribbean accents that you are coming into contact with. If I am not mistaking I believe that native Virigin Islanders are now outnumber in their own home land. What you are experiencing is alot more complicated than what meets the eyes and ears my friend.

Tony
I too am a native whos parents and grand parents are from other British islands. It is not uncommon to hear locals refer to other islanders as aliens so I am certain they would have no royal treatment for you, unfortunately. I live in the US and have been for some time to return for an extended visit in December. I will be taking my sons with me and hope they don't have a collision (they are yankees) with that type of rudeness and indifference. The problems of the native Virgin Islander is indeed deeper than the eyes and ears sense. Although desirous many are not as ambitious as the "down islander" who are outnumbering them... With Whites in America there were/are complaints of Af. Amer. being in high numbers and being of a threat... today the focus is on the Hispanics... The Virgin Islanders are not all rude, bear with them/us. Find the group that is fair. I am so sorry things are not better. Hang in there!

You know, Tony has hit it on the head.
That is why I would NEVER live on St. thomas and why SOME of the St. Johnians call it St. Trauma. I go to STT for goods, fill up my truck and go home to STJ. I agree with him 100%. Some of these people don't APPRECIATE the wonderful island that they have lived on. STJ is much more transient. I have only been here a year but I can't count the number of people whove come and gone that I personally knew. As such, few take the island for granted and if they do...they are outnumbered by those of us WHO LOVE ST. JOHN. Even our taxi drivers say 'thank you' or show a smile, most of the time. The worst part of STJ is the people who bring the attitude from STT over. Needless to say, I try to stay away from the ferry docks from 4-5pm. The most STRESSFUL days on STJ are, believe or not, are the week of carnival. Guess why?
Cause the trauma comes here for a week. I, for one, am glad to see it end. I have lived in typical suburbs where you never even knew your neighbor but i have never felt the rudeness that i can sense and see on STT. Cultural? Maybe Racial? Maybe
THANK GOD FOR ST. JOHN.

"Laziness hates competition."

To VI satin who stated that locals are not as ambitious as British Islanders I am hear to say if the British Islanders are so ambitious why are they not ambitous in their home land because the state of some of those British islands are less to be disired.. Before you go off making statements about locals being lazy or not ambitous, put yourself in the the place of locals. How would you feel if tons of people from the U.S Virigin Islands was migrating to one of those British islands and competing for scarce resources. I differently know for a fact that many of the same ambitious British Islands that you speak to highly about do not accept foreigners with open arms. Just take a look at the British Virgin Islands and the laws that they have on their books concerning foreigners. I am not against migration because many British Islanders have contributed highly to the development of the U.S. Virgin Islands but when statements are being made about how locals are less ambitous than British Islanders, I have to set the record straight. Another thing, do not blame the difficulties that Tony is having on locals I know for a fact that there are many British Islanders who also have terrible attitudes toward people who migrated from the Main land. Vi santin take a look at the taxi industry and who is the main set in that industry and the attitude that they have at the airport.

Rhea and any other offended,
Although my parents are from the British Islands, I am a Virgin Islander, and I speak highly about my island to anyone who will listen. It is heartbreaking when I periodically run into people who have visited or attempted to live there and had an awful experience. The USVI is too small for any negative remarks. As a unified foursome the islands as a whole is divided with many concerns. As I stated "Virgin Islanders are not all rude". I am responding to the concerns of someone who has migrated to the USVI and as the other person who values pleasantry on St. John, it is a shame when anyone feels that to compete for scare resources has to mean rudeness... whether of the USVIslanders or the British Islanders. Although no one can please everyone, it is important to treat people who visit or relocate with the decency of simple pleasantries... Visitors generate revenue to the area and potential economic strength...."when the mouth gets hungry blaring teeth won't feed de belly"... but a smile might.