SUN AND SHADE

Some days are with the Aruban breeze others without and as a third possibility, as today, with a swaggering breeze at daylight. If you take a look at the twigs and leaves in the tropical green trees you will see a sort of rocking chair effect on the branches. So they go lazily in all directions and sometime up and down too. Once a while it can be very cloudy but without rain. This ‘perpetum mobile’ shaking and tumbling of the air brings some cooling. The problem is it does not cover the whole island as good as the normal breeze. The rain is till now minimal. My message is go for the shade; too much sun without the breeze is no good.


LOST MESSAGE

Till now, June 1, 2005 at about four o’clock in the afternoon in Aruba, there are no posts of this month visible on this bulletin board. Today I took the time to go through the interesting trip reports posted in the last days of May. As a local person, interested to learn to understand English better, allow me to comment the reports from Jil and Bill.

The clear and nice word choice, as realized by Jil alone is worth reading her report. The ‘good feeling’ on the beach was apparent. It is a shame the lobster was not as it should be. A disappointment which was soft spoken out (about) compared to what Bill stated.

Bill’s report is not too harsh, as one or more of the persons commenting it thinks. There are indeed some differences in what Bill expected and what is common practice on this island. The adding of a charge to the dinner bill in particular, so it is wise to look for this information on the menu before you order. It must be stated on the menu, otherwise they cannot charge it.

Meanwhile you, dear reader, are thinking what the lost message, linked to this post is about. Ok here it comes; Bill closed his trip report with an advice to us, islanders;

“If I had a message for the people of Aruba, then, it would be this. You really are just on the cusp of something that could work so well, and more power to you! You have such potential, and that’s admirable. It’s all so easily within your grasp. Just understand – greed is working against you. It truly is.”

I have looked up the word ‘cusp’ in The American Heritage dictionary and think maybe we can replace ‘on the cusp’ with ‘at the beginning’ but it is not satisfactory. Bill, are you there?
Maybe you or the persons who commented your article can help me out.
Thank you Bill for mentioning the potential, but explain why you think it’s all so easily within our grasp. Maybe it will help if you give us some hint about your age and occupation(s). I am a retired person. For the first time I am writing such a long story in your language, of course I have used a spellchecker, so cut off any intended comments on my knowledge of your language. For my work to read some English and write all the correspondence in Dutch was enough. On the island we use four languages, but it is not always a plus, because the result can become that you are not good enough in any.