No Filter in Paradise
Two friends, one's straight one's Gay, with different backgrounds, interest, upbringing & outlook in life come together to have a Fun & honest conversation and discuss their opinions on different topics... with no filter.
No Filter in Paradise
Ely on Finding the Balance Between Heritage and Progress on Bonaire | EP 209
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Ely Angel, Tourism Director of Bonaire, shares her remarkable journey from working in tourism at age 12 to leading the island's tourism strategy, while navigating personal growth, cultural identity, and finding balance between development and preservation.
• Growing up in Bonaire surrounded by family and cultural traditions like Simadang
• Starting work in tourism at just 12 years old to earn money for a PlayStation
• Navigating education challenges and living in the Netherlands during formative years
• Finding herself stuck in Cambodia during COVID-19, leading to deep personal reflection
• Balancing the needs of tourism development with preserving Bonaire's unique identity and culture
• Focusing on quality tourism rather than quantity to protect what makes Bonaire special
• Embracing her role as "the playlist girl" and following in her DJ mother's footsteps
• Working through communication barriers and emotional expression within relationships
• Leading Tourism Corporation Bonaire with a focus on sustainability and cultural authenticity
• Creating legacy through promoting Bonaire's rich cultural traditions and natural beauty
Join us for more episodes and follow our journey through the ABC Islands at No Filter in Paradise!
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Meeting Ailey the Playlist Queen
Speaker 1I don't have a hobby, I'm just asking.
Speaker 2I might get some flack for saying this, but I'm used to it.
Speaker 1Two years ago, when I started getting my own money, I was like, yeah, this is a whole different world y'all. The word struggle is something that I use to express my vocabulary. I'm a Daxingan.
Speaker 3My apologies.
Speaker 1I'm from Riba, but I feel like I'm going to be a new in the rover. Correct, because nobody can relate I don't want to be like the rover. I don't want to be like the rover. I don't want to be like my mom. I don't want to be like my mom.
Speaker 2I don't want to be like my mom. I don't want to be like my mom.
Speaker 1I don't want to be like my mom. I don't want to be like my mom.
Speaker 2I don't want to be like my.
Speaker 1Those discussions are not easy.
Speaker 2They're not.
Speaker 1I feel like I'm not the only one who's feeling this way.
Speaker 2A lot of our culture is that it's suppressed feelings, certain things that you feel like you're not going to get over, Like I'm always the one who's happy. It's a happy front. You feel it. You feel it. You just have to keep pushing, keep it pushing. Hey yo, what's up?
Speaker 3hola camistas guys, welcome back to the ABC Island's favorite podcast, no filter in paradise, a show about anything and everything between two friends. One is straight. I was going this way, not the doubts, not the doubts, no, no, no, because you didn't look at me. I was aiming that way. Don't do that. I don't think you're my only. I say nada. I was aiming like. This One was straight.
Speaker 1I'm not straight. I was going to go like that.
Speaker 3That's why I stuttered Coño, if you say so.
Speaker 2One is straight thank you.
Speaker 3This is why you, you pull shit like this the cleve. What's the game? The gay dude, hold up gay should I do me?
Speaker 2casal gays can also get married, just FYI, but anyways, go on now you make me look bad.
Speaker 3You always do this shit. Anyways, we met her. I briefly met her in Aruba. We partied with her in Aruba, right um missed all of miles's birthday party. It was one day. They gave me shit. It gives me shit still till this day. Uh, we got. Mr mrs ailey, are you okay? No, I'm not.
Speaker 2I'm not done with my coffee, god damn we got ellie in the building with us ailey thank you, because I keep messing it up.
Speaker 3That's why I started again.
Speaker 2Yeah, you stay messing up.
Speaker 1Buen dia.
Speaker 3Buen dia Welcome.
Speaker 2Thank you.
Speaker 3Parmento mijo.
Speaker 1Parmento ingles, I don't mind.
Speaker 3Mix, we mix it up.
Speaker 1Let's do it in English, it's fine, we are bilingual definitely, so bring it on.
Speaker 3I speak about four languages yes, what languages do you speak? Spanish, english, dutch, spanish any other ones like extra.
Speaker 1I love French, but I just can't say that I used to know a bit of French, but really but you learn it here in Bonaire. No, I yes, we had French in school, okay.
Speaker 3And then after that, oh, wow, yeah.
Speaker 1You could have chosen between French or Spanish, and I chose French. And then in the Netherlands I had a bunch of French friends from St Martin, uh-huh, oh, and I love French music. I From Saint Martin, uh-huh, oh, and I love French music.
Speaker 3I love French cuisine. I love and dance, that's all I know.
Speaker 2Wait, I don't know a French. Okay, give me a French artist real quick.
Speaker 1No, you're putting me on the spot. Yeah, because I'm here Wait.
Speaker 2I didn't know, like I've never heard, or maybe I have.
Speaker 3Okay, let me catch my Spotify. Okay, okay, music In Aruba they also. I don't know what they still do in Aruba. They do Leslie Franz Tambor.
Speaker 1Seriously yeah seriously.
Speaker 3For me it's like encouraging it now or I have no clue.
Speaker 2But I remember they have like one of their requirements for the employees is to speak Italian. Stop yeah.
Speaker 3That's why Stefano worked there for a little bit, a little bit.
Speaker 2What about Stefano?
Speaker 1Stefano Alan Cave.
Speaker 2Alan Cave.
Speaker 1Yeah, okarimi.
Speaker 2Okay, yeah, okay.
Speaker 3Yeah, sing a song.
Speaker 2Sing a song.
Speaker 3Sing a song Okarimi.
Speaker 2Don't play me, oswald Is that a real song.
Speaker 1I don't know who that is, though.
Speaker 2Okay, send me a playlist, apparently you're known for being the playlist girl. Oh, she's the DJ of the group.
Speaker 3What were you yesterday? We needed you yesterday. Legit, we had Amir playing, but everybody was asking, everybody was like what I had, music for sure.
Speaker 2So you are number one still, you see. No, this too, amir. He played really well on the boat. He did his big one For sure.
Speaker 3Shout out to Capitan Sure, so you are number one. Still, you see, no, there's two. He played really well on the boat. He did his big one, he did his big one.
Speaker 2For sure. Shout out to Kapitan. Shout out to.
Speaker 1Kapitan, yeah.
Speaker 2He ain't no, ailey.
Speaker 1I'm definitely the DJ of the group.
Speaker 2For sure.
Speaker 1I think in the previous life I used to be a DJ Like a big I used to fly me out, probably.
Speaker 3Yeah, I had a full long list. I believe he had a whole summer tour.
Speaker 2I know where I'm going?
Speaker 3yeah them playlists, they be cracking, they be cracking what's what's your go-to artist always like, I always play this, no matter what no, I have a mix.
Speaker 1I like to mix my songs. It really has um has to do with the feeling.
Speaker 3Yeah, I'll check the vibes. I'm the same I have a bunch of playlists.
Speaker 1But for yourself my favorite Favorite is Drake, really.
Speaker 2Yeah, I love me some Drake, champagne, poppy, young money Come play.
Speaker 1Let's go Drake is definitely my favorite artist.
Speaker 2Oh, wow.
Speaker 1No, I love Drake and I like old school songs as well, manera.
Speaker 3King Manera, but a dabble de manera outside of like hip hop, like maybe like rock or something.
Speaker 1I play heavy house music, afro house.
Speaker 2Okay, nice, I love some.
Speaker 1Afro house, but I can even go a bit into electronic house.
Speaker 3Okay.
Speaker 1So I can go from reggaeton to batimenti.
Speaker 3Yeah, the giggo.
Speaker 1There's no filter, baby, there's nothing to say here To really nice house music, deep sounds and R&B. I love music.
Speaker 3I'm sorry to say, hang tough deep. How are you feeling at the moment?
Speaker 2Correct.
Speaker 3I understand.
Speaker 2If you love Drake, that means you're a heartbreaker Damn, I don't. You're a heartbreaker, damn.
Speaker 1I don't consider myself a heartbreaker.
Speaker 2Them Drake, drake, drake, fans.
Speaker 3They're all gangs.
Speaker 2I'm one, so I know.
Speaker 3What were you saying?
Speaker 1Sorry, no, but on the boat, then it's. Then we have a special playlist. It's called regatta boat party they play that.
Speaker 2Yeah, not legit by busca ese yeah by spotify.
Speaker 3I don't think they found it because he was playing from youtube the whole time no, that.
Speaker 2First he started off on youtube and then, when they started talking, it was like no, si elita te. And then I heard somebody screaming by busca. Then I heard somebody screaming and then they started playing it. And that's when they started playing like the tunes you know what you have to do.
Speaker 3You need to private. If it's your playlist account, make it private. Oh, you want to play this.
Speaker 1You gotta invite me to the party that's a good one guys, we have to invite Ailey, otherwise the music is gonna suck you can play the playlist, but it still won't be the same If I play it.
Speaker 2She's like I'll put this one on cue, I'll put this one on cue, this is next. Y'all, this is next. You really were a DJ.
Speaker 1You really were you know it's funny, because my mom is a DJ. Stop Wait what? Of course, yeah, my mom plays at Life 29. She plays Criollo music on Sundays. She's been doing it for, I think, more than almost 10 years, maybe more than 10 years now.
Speaker 3So you can't be saying like this is where you inherited it from, yeah, it was like oh my, that's crazy. My mom was a singer and she sings.
Speaker 1They used to have a band back in the days and I played at a radio station when I was like 17, 18. We used to have like a time slot at the radio station. Me and my friend just used to play at the radio. It was so fun, yeah, and since then I continue listening to your thing.
Speaker 3I'm the playlist girl. Yeah, for sure. Did you ever want to pursue something like that, like what your mom is doing, if it's singing or it's djing or it's ever feel?
Speaker 1like I'm kind of soggy. Uh, I think I still can. You know, maybe in uh something I always wanted to do like play music. So maybe when I make some more time time management time management. But now I do it for the fun, for my friends, and they enjoy it. So I like that.
Speaker 3I like that that's good enough right now. That's winning. I'm happy with this, like, yeah, all right, yeah, okay. So let's backtrack a little bit.
Speaker 2Let's jump on into it guys. So we're we are actually not sorry for what we just did, okay this was, this is a vibe. This wasn't for you guys, that's for us, this was for us now we're gonna get into the story now we are Okay, so please bang back the tempo. We want to invite Ailey Tota At your. When you were five, growing up, nabonero. Who was that little girl? What was she about? What was her surroundings like? Who was she in school? Give us that.
Speaker 1Nice. So my full name is Ailey Sierre, so let's start with that Ailey Sierre Angel. Most people know me as Ailey. I come from a low mama, bonaireana, and my dad is from the Uyghur South. Seriously, I'm.
Growing Up in Bonaire
Speaker 1Martin, I'm talking to the sixth year. I come from a family that I met in Bonaero, so we're very known for the family Diaz, which is also called Pisca. My family used to have a lot of events at their house, such as fishing tournaments, selling food or really cultural activities such as Simadang. So I grew up in a family very close and next to the ocean with a lot of friends. I used to wear skirts. You will see me pictures of me in skirts. I Okay, we definitely want one of those. Yeah, we can do that. Friendly, social butterfly. As always, I like you, I like you, I like you. Growing up, I liked you. I liked you as a friend, I liked you as a family. My mom used to say that I missed you. I was probably in the church growing up. I had a lot of friends, or a lot of family my mom and dad. I had a lot of friends. So I was probably in the church every Sunday church again.
Speaker 3So remember we were talking about earlier about the silver lining. This is one of them. Everybody that especially related to music at some level. Playlist lady do you know what playlist is to everybody that's part of music? A silver lining? Everybody half of Misa playlist to everybody that's part of music is silver line? Everybody. Wow.
Speaker 1And my mom still sings in the choir. So, yeah, I always go to church. I go to church on Sundays. I confirm, baptize a number of. I just have to get married.
Speaker 2Still hey Coming soon, man, calm down, calm down.
Speaker 1But I think we have a really nice household, a bit loving. Yeah, marci and my mom have also separated for a while. I have a really nice household I'm loving. Yes, thank you. My mom and dad separated a long time ago, but only child Part of my mom, especially my dad and my mom, but with my cousins, with my cousins and a lot of people around In our life In the neighborhood. I had a really nice childhood actually in the neighborhood. School was good but we were safe. It was really nice.
Speaker 2We were very safe.
Speaker 1I went to school to school to school to school to school to school to school to school to school to school to school to school, to school to school to school to school to school to school to school to school to school to school to school to school to school to school to school to school to school, to school, to school, to school to school to school, to school, to school to school to school, to school, to school.
Speaker 2I want to understand something about how tourism will start in 12 years. Girl, what?
Speaker 1is that? Yes, that's right.
Speaker 2How.
Speaker 1What are you doing? My mom has a PlayStation for me of Nikes and stuff and I was young, I liked my shoes you know good shoes and then I didn't wear a lot of pants and then I was walking home I I'm a strong person and then I met my mom and she was like I met my mom and she was like I'm going to a restaurant called Richard's and I'm going to Sebastian's Okay, I saw the sign.
Speaker 2Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1And then my mom used to go to the bar a lot there and have a drink after he was doing, and so I used to go to the bar and say I was coming over of what we call me, of home chili, and I know that I'm not going to stop by and I'm hoping, and so it don't know, richard, somebody signed me. Maybe you didn't bar, you know, so maybe I started even before 12. I can't remember, but with the medal in portrait coming up, uh, no, stop at the other thing kura nami, oman and tamil was my own man, and tamil, tabata bender, piscaco, serbiasco. I had to help them with the cleaning of the house, because the house was full of people. They had to buy food, drinks. Whatever they were doing, there was always an event going on. There was no cleaning, and then I told Richa that I wanted to do something, but I'm working for free.
Speaker 2Basically.
Speaker 3Give me something, Likis. I need to buy a PlayStation.
Speaker 1And then she told me okay, I'm going to come and play. I think it was five to ten or six to ten, something like that, but this one was on the phone, which was very good.
Speaker 2How old?
Speaker 3were you? Just two years old. Where did you sign me up? What Back then? That's good, it was super good Back then that's good Back, then that's good Back then that's good. Back then that's good. Back then that's good. Back then that's good.
Speaker 1Back then that's good. Back then that's good. Back then that's good. Back then that's good. Back then that's good. Back then that's good. Back then that's good.
Speaker 2Back, then that's good Back, broke friends.
Speaker 3Hey, mom Can't relate. What do you want?
Speaker 1No. So I was very young, I started to do different activities. I started to go to school. I started to go back a little. School was a little less important for me. Working was more fun and exciting.
Speaker 3Being in school? Did you continue school while you were still working, or at some point were you like eh?
Speaker 1um, see, see, definitely, most definitely my mom my mom was not happy. Um nah, she was very mad actually and uh, nah, school no at all. Yeah, so we focused and we were super different, enjoying life party a lot really at all yeah, really. I mean, I don't know if my mom will wear it, but I'll wear it because I'm Pami, I'll wear it, really I'll wear it enjoy it. It's always actually safe and relaxed. Not too crazy. I was always busy. A lot of house parties.
Speaker 2A lot of hotel parties.
Speaker 1A lot of friends parties.
Speaker 3We could have definitely hosted a party over here.
Speaker 1Oh, for real, Like low key I've had a party you did. No, I didn't say it, but I've had a party I get in.
Speaker 2No, I'm not talking about it, I'm sure. I get in, never mind, I've been to one I know what you're talking about.
Speaker 3A different one. Sorry, I was somewhere else, but this was actually nice have a little DJ comida hand in pool.
Speaker 2This could be a thing it pool this could be a thing.
Speaker 3It could be a thing, right? Yeah, 100 percent for sure. And then we just feel a hop, like you know, the r&b music and I think hip-hop a bad thing.
Speaker 2Afrobeat what a concept. That would be buckwild 100 percent like a block party?
Early Career in Tourism
Speaker 3that would be buckwild I can't help but have a bunch of ideas. He would join us 100%, thank you Okay.
Speaker 2So I want to know after the bonnet, you're going to go to the Netherlands to study with Binh. Why with the Netherlands, and what are you going to study?
Speaker 1I'm going to study coffee.
Speaker 3Go for it. You have three more shirts.
Speaker 1you can take more, okay thanks, yes, so after that I went to Harvard. I stayed there for so many years. I didn't finish my Harvard and then in the end I only drove two years to Harvard Because I was just dealing with a lot of things, Finding my people. It was a teenage, I don't know what it was Rebellion phase.
Speaker 3Figuring out what you want to do, who you are and all that stuff.
Speaker 1Exactly, it was season 1. And then with the car, I had to go to the station again and then I started again my halfway season, my, my mom said, okay, I'm going to be a police, coast guard, I don't know. My mom said I'm going to study because my mom is a good student. And then she said I'm going to study and, you know, pursue my bigger dreams. And then at that moment, knowing the tourism, I was recommended to continue studying and pursue my bigger dreams. At that moment, knowing about tourism, I was like, okay, I want to go all out with this. This is what I like. I really enjoy working in tourism. Honestly, I really, really enjoy working in tourism.
Speaker 2And it flows so naturally yeah everything.
Speaker 1I did almost everything in tourism. So at a very young age, everything I did about almost everything in tourism. So at a very young age I was a little girl At that time. I was studying at the MBO At that time and then I left the MBO and went to the HBO In Brida and then I left the HBO. I was a little girl, a little girl.
Speaker 3A gap year. A gap year.
Speaker 1And then I opened up to take a gap year. My dad is going to be a doctor. I'm going to go on vacation. I'm going to just enjoy this time with him.
Speaker 2It's probably the last times when he leaves.
Speaker 1I'm going to go to Atlanta. I'm going to finish my master's. I'm going to finish my master's in Tourism Destination Management at Breda University, Nice. But yeah, I still regret it when I lost time. I didn't study in the academy, but I still had a struggle to accept it, but it's your journey.
Speaker 1It's your journey. It's your journey. It's your journey. It's your journey. It's your journey. It's your journey. It's your journey. It's your journey. It's your journey. It's your journey. It's your journey. It's your journey. It's your journey. It's your journey. It's your journey. It's your journey. It's your journey. It growth, professional growth.
Speaker 3So so what was the first?
Finding Identity in the Netherlands
Speaker 1like, oh shit, like mom's not here, nobody's here like I remember that moment when I was in my first night in my room. I was alone. I didn't see anything.
Speaker 3Not a room nothing.
Speaker 1No, nothing Really. Nothing Really. A room. I was alone. And then I've never felt so alone in my life. When I walk, I feel like I'm feeling alone. You know what I mean? This is it.
Speaker 3This is it. Nobody's there, zero friends.
Speaker 1It's like starting over in life and nobody cares about you. So that felt very lonely, and then I used to feel alone. I struggled with things and then my mom came to help me. She was the one checking up on me every single day. And then I created a new friend, sent me now london, just um, saliford, in the comfort zone. Um, at some point I used to go out by myself and make friends with people. I love meeting people, I love talking to people, so um people I love talking to people.
Speaker 1So, um, one of my favorite things to do that be on the on the beach by myself and reading a book and writing and stuff, you know, with my music really my, my favorite thing, Like honestly, like I don't know anyone else, I also sent you a letter I had that exact feeling yeah, but normally in the Ulanas it was nice to connect with new people and to know another culture and to know my mom or my mom, and to also send her a letter.
Speaker 1Every time, you know, I'm like this every time. You know, like school was very interesting but it won't be easy, so that was like why I have to do this, you know, like sorry, you feel like this guy is getting closer and closer is it?
Speaker 3bothering, distracting, I mean for the audio it'll be fine. So we'll use AI and stuff we can delete the background, but if it's bothering, you're just like I'm excited.
Speaker 1Maybe say I mean, should we be able to stop that's?
Speaker 3great. No, I'm just saying A, but listen, can you not do it for like 25 minutes? Give me 25. Like, can you hurt me, Maybe he did.
Speaker 2Anyway, sorry, let's continue.
Speaker 3Let's continue Maybe.
Speaker 2I should so struggle A the. So let's take it back a little bit. I promise you it's not going to be like that in the Netherlands, but apart from some of your struggles that you're discovering yourself, maybe you can touch base with it. We don't see it, but hopefully you can touch base with, like, if you travel, we don't see it, but if you can relate to the story and if you're going through it, that's something that's going to happen to us. So, coming from a small island, but not black, and the culture and the mentality, what are some of the struggles that you're going through? I can name different flags.
Speaker 1let's say what are some of the struggles you have faced. I have to say I have a lot of different struggles. First of all, I'm not comfortable with myself Not being the normal person who fits in the box. I didn't really fit in the box.
Speaker 2I always had a nice box.
Speaker 1This is what makes you so unique. So I was very difficult, because when you're a child, you don't really fit in or you don't accept it in a certain way. You don't accept it normally or accept it, and accepting people that's not the case. It's a little bit more difficult for me.
Speaker 1And on the other, accepting that's not the case because nobody can relate nobody can relate like, honestly, it's really hard for me because I don't want to go to the rover, because I don't want to go to the rover, because I don't want to go to the rover, exactly that was so hard, but I felt like it didn't Exactly. Exactly that was so hard To feel like another fit in of something different, because you know you have a bunch of love around you. You know you have a lot of love. My friends, my friends, respect me.
Speaker 2But that was so that part didn't make sense.
Speaker 1It didn't make sense. It didn't make sense. It didn't make sense. It didn't make sense, but it was a journey. A lot of people wanted to deal with the fact that there were goals but they were failing. They were going to school but they failed, but you know, the mentality was the same, but somewhere else. Dealing with separation from my family, I think that's a bit of a pain. I don't want to say what impact it has on their development or in separation, but yeah, I think that with by it's getting harder and also, for example, accepting that we don't really understand each other, but we understand each other.
Speaker 2That and at a young age, that's difficult because you're not as mature to understand each other. It's not helpful.
Speaker 1Let me understand. For them it's a bit of a hurt. It's a bit of a hurt. For them it's not a hurt, it's not a hurt. And yeah, but I can move with positive energy all the time.
Speaker 2So you know, you just just continue, but just keep moving, keep pushing so if you're going to work again, you're a teenager going through your every teenage phase that two teenagers are going through, and then all of this is also going on. What are the resources to fix all this?
Speaker 1honestly, I don't fix it because at the moment of COVID it's not working what what age? Gap teenage to COVID teenage teenage years, my student life in the Netherlands to deal with other struggles, but it's a beautiful growth. There was a time when covid was a big thing. I had to stop everything I was doing. I had way too much time to think way too much time to think, yeah probably has like five journals full, full.
Speaker 1You know, that's crazy way too much time to think and write and understand and dealing with a lot of um hope in the last because I'm going to everywhere best dramas throughout your life. That's very important to me sorry.
Speaker 3Where were you when COVID hit?
Speaker 1I was in Cambodia. I was in Cambodia. I was in Cambodia.
Personal Struggles and Growth
Speaker 3I was expecting Holland or Bonaire. So we understand where you were sitting and, like you know, you're a different country.
Speaker 1With COVID. Oh my God.
Speaker 3So people have a perspective.
Speaker 1I was in Cambodia. I was in Cambodia stuck because there were no flights and so, um I was doing a research in cambodia, um I write journal papers, um I publish crazy we're gonna go find your publishing.
Speaker 2We're getting into that too, um.
Speaker 1And so this cambodia, this place, cool, you know you had a lot of time to think, but by back into that too, yeah. So in Cambodia, I think you know you had a lot of time to think, but you're back, and you're back, and you're back, and you're back, and you're back, and you're back. I mean you're done with a master's in tourism, destination management and COVID like what am I gonna do?
Speaker 3when are we gonna get?
Speaker 2out, throw this whole thing away, like at this point.
Speaker 1Yeah what are we doing, damn? So at one point I was like I was like.
Speaker 2I was like. I was like. I was like I was like.
Speaker 1I was like I was like I was like I was like I was like I was thinking okay, let's break it down. Where does that hurt come from? Where does that pain come from and what can I learn from it? What can I use to grow? If I can't use it, I did.
Speaker 3I've been using it.
Speaker 1I've been growing in my mind, in my mind as a person. I can see my mind in everything, if one way or another. Whatever happened. Whatever happened, it kept pushing myself to beat all odds. No matter what, I kept pushing myself forward, always in positive light, when my heart was in the right place. That's how it was. I love that.
Speaker 2And I can imagine how your mom feels when she sees you and says, hey, you know what? I'm going to be a tourist again Working through this.
Speaker 1I mean if y'all are so close, only child. Yes, we're very close, but I realized that it's not easy to open up to someone. Lately I haven't opened up to anyone, but I think of my mom as an emotional person. I don't know if I can do it with someone else, so I don't want to see her hurt or I don't want to go through that. I mean, it's a little complicated but I understand what you're saying. But honestly, we're just there for each other, no matter what even without communicating with words without communicating with words, I Without communicating with words.
Speaker 1We communicate with each other through music. We communicate with each other through dancing. We communicate with each other through eating. We communicate with each other through love, through warmth, through discussions that are difficult. I think it's still there.
Speaker 2I was about to say I can give a suggestion. I feel like y'all should.
Speaker 1It's still there. Naturally, I think it's still there.
Speaker 2I think you make it happen. I feel like it sounds like you're bound. It's at a high peak, it's waiting for a barrier A to get to the next one, and I don't want to live with the same regrets as my brother. So get it in your head and take it in good health and all of this good stuff. Use the words.
Speaker 1It's not easy, but those, those those discussions are not easy they're not I do get it because I I can't even understand what you're saying like again two dudes.
Speaker 3Who's gonna talk about the fucking emotions?
Speaker 3like especially my dad not at all. So I put the piano and I'm thinking, oh damn, I got the same situation. Two dudes who's gonna talk about the fucking emotions? Like not at all. So maybe one thing. I saw something online I don't know if you've ever seen this ad. It's like dad, tell me your story. It's a book. It's a book. It's a book. It's a book with a question. It's a book. I have a plan. I have a plan to buy it and I'm gonna to him for a full year I gave it to him for a full year.
Speaker 3I told him I was going to be Turkish. I gave it to him and I was going to wear it on my birthday next year. I gave it to him. It was easier to see him and express myself instead of wearing it on my face. It was a lot of macho and I was telling people I was going to wear it Instead of saying it in my face. I'll support it. It's too macho and I know I don't have people like that.
Speaker 1I know I have to say it in a certain way Even go even more personal.
Speaker 3I'll say it in one word, on both sides. That's why my house is weird when I talk about this. When I answer my phone I say I love you, I say not. Never One word in my life I'll say it when I Never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never Never. Never, never to say, but when it comes to like heart emotions and like opening it up and stuff, forget about it.
Speaker 1It comes too close. It would only do good to talk about things, but it's just, it's just that's. That's just. That's just that. It's tough, it's that difficult.
Speaker 2Especially when a lot of our culture is that it's suppressed feelings, certain things, family just doesn't want to be over. Like if you're a brother, it's a happy front.
Speaker 1Exactly, you feel it. You feel it.
Speaker 2If you're a sister, if you're a brother, just keep pushing Exactly. But that's the toxic that we we have to unlearn in order for us to have healthy a healthy relationship going forward. And I think we've all dealt with grief and lost, and we all know a regret like I'm time to wish, like I can't. I can't, but you can. That's the reality of it, that man, you only have these people.
Speaker 2You only have the experiences and what you have? A war. What are you gonna do with these experience now that you have them, now that you have these people around you, but by that, then, with telephone constant, but by that not saying I love you enough, not saying all these type of things, or but they take advantage of hey, hey, what's up? How you feeling?
Speaker 3hey, let's have a great time that's something I'm going through right now, like I'm so busy, like she's very old and though she used to call me every now and then, a lot gets so sucked into the work world. My mom likes to work a lot, but she's like how do you do this and that? So every day my mom gets to work in the house. Oh, my God, you're so cute. You're so cute. Do you want a cookie? Do you want a coffee? Sometimes I think like shit, I have to. I want to be a mom.
Speaker 1I want to be a mom all day. See Working everything.
Speaker 3It's my issue Like I'm just sucked into the world because I'm not spending time with family. That's why I want to be a mom. She's in her late 80s.
Speaker 2That's a blessing. Do you understand that? Sorry, mid-80s.
Speaker 3Her mom is like. Why am I like this?
Speaker 1No, my husband is 80 years old. My husband is healthy, full of life. Still, I don't go out for a day, honestly. I try to see her every single day, I try to work every single day, but I don't go out Every day. Those things are super important, for sure, for sure, for sure, for sure. It keeps me grounded and um, loving, and so it's just beautiful.
Speaker 2Nah, she's everything definitely shout out to.
Speaker 1Ouma. Definitely shout out to Ouma, for sure, but mama.
Speaker 2Y'all might have the conversation Like it's happening.
Speaker 3But the thing is, when you open your mouth, you don't. When you open your mouth, your mama is popping up.
Speaker 1It's funny, not like my mama.
Speaker 3It's actually with everybody. Same.
Speaker 1Not like my mama, not to open up fully like that. It's actually with everybody Same, not with my mom. So I mean not to open up fully like that. It's just something about me actually.
Speaker 2I see it, this could be with anyone Like it could be a friend. Yes, yes, yes. Have you ever been to?
Speaker 1therapy Definitely, most definitely. Yeah, of course, most definitely was great to work um, and so eye opening time by therapy was like I need a lot of time professional person trust Trust is. It's not that I don't trust, but I have a deep feeling that.
Speaker 3You don't understand.
Speaker 1Yes, I want to know that there's no feelings involved. I don't know who I am. I'm working.
Speaker 2Let's just talk about this.
Speaker 1I mean I'm yeah, but my growth, say, but still it's something like you have a lot of emotions or feelings of what you've been through, of going through not everything that you're open to easily overcome, and all that means just just I just don't it, and that makes total sense.
Speaker 2It's more normal. But the only difference is, therapy doesn't give you a perspective of the actual person or the people in life who might have contributed to your hurt, and that was you not being able to communicate with certain people. And that's, I would think, a certain perspective, because you were a certain age when certain things happened, but you didn't get a story from the goat's mouth and you were told well, look, this was what I was going through. You didn't see this. I protected you from this, but this is why this happened. Antoere, a therapist can't say it's not, and you're a therapist, you can't say that you don't have tools Correct.
Speaker 1The best therapist I know is someone who can overcome these things. Correct Someone who can give you tools to, for example, to really start to work on your emotions and build them up Correct. You know like those tools were very handy to have. Like I said, it was teenage years. Correct very handy to have like. Like I said, it was teenage years.
Speaker 1It's been teasing and and a bunch of bullying all of that uh, coming up to you know everything, and though this is to yeah, grief, and it's like, okay, wait, there was a lot of things built up, break it down. It was a lot more difficult. I think it cost a little too much.
Speaker 2And, as a divorced woman, you're also grieving at that too. That's also a person now from your daily life you can walk through the day now you don't have a mask. You'll be grieving that person as well.
Speaker 1So separation is hard, you know Separation is for the. Separation is hard. You know, separation, separation. You know we don't have a team. We don't have a team. We don't have a team. We don't have a team, we don't have a team. No matter what, we're gonna be together, no matter what the end of the world no matter what, and that's my perspective love is to know me. I don't know another, you understand. I don't know another. I live up to that.
Speaker 2I mess with that.
Speaker 3I mess with that so I want to forward now to part of being who you are today, the position you have today, as a director, I guess, like the tourism board of Buneiro correct what are some of the challenges becoming becoming the person you are today as a director? Is there something that is struggling to overcome your first year into this position?
Speaker 2TCP.
Speaker 1Good question.
Speaker 3Take your time.
Speaker 1Okay, for the end of January. I'm in this position this year, this year.
Speaker 3I january, six months. By the time you're seeing this, it's 10 months, yeah oh yeah, maybe eight months it comes out in september september is my month.
Speaker 1Been doing september. It's my birthday, so done. Can you get the guy that's?
Speaker 3gonna be. We're gonna release. Doing September. It's my birthday, so done. Can you repeat that's gonna be, we're gonna release it the same on my birthday.
Speaker 1We're gonna try to get it around that we did the same thing with Miles.
Speaker 3We waited for him around his birthday to release this episode nice okay, continue see some of the struggles um struggles.
Speaker 1Yeah, there's a lot more. It's not, you know, like the word struggle is something that I think is not really in my vocabulary.
Leading Tourism in Bonaire
Speaker 3I see my apologies.
Speaker 1No, no, okay, it's like to issue as an opportunity something to deal with yeah something we're dealing with. It's not a struggle.
Speaker 3Maybe I struggled with that, everything I see right now something to deal with?
Speaker 1Yeah, correct.
Speaker 2Something we're dealing with. It's not a struggle. Maybe I struggled with that. Yeah, everything I see right now the challenges.
Speaker 1What were the challenges? Challenges like when you're in a comfort zone or when you're dealing with someone you take more time, one of the challenges when you're dealing with someone.
Speaker 1There's a good balance between my work life and my personal life. I worked three days a week, literally. It's important to have time for yourself. It's very important to create time for yourself. So I worked three days a week because I love my job. I really honestly love my job and I like the opportunity I have to say you know what I studied, what I know? I really like it.
Speaker 3Another challenge is doing this why you don't like being in front of the camera. You don't like being in front of cameras it's new to me, it's new to me, it's new to me. We're happy to add that experience You're doing really good People don't know you, but they look at you and they're like what the fuck? What is he talking about? You're doing really, really well.
Speaker 1The first interview I had, I was like, oh my god, I hope you understand what I actually Feel about a man. I would love to speak To a man To the T, I hope, in my head, because actually I speak Pajamento full. I would love to speak Pajamento to the T. That's my language, so I want to do it to the T of you. Know that? Why did I say that? I was like every word I was saying in another language like struggle.
Speaker 2it happens to the best of us, I swear.
Speaker 1Yeah, just that Wardrobe was a thing. You know, like I like to feel comfortable. So wearing professional every single day and being, you know, looking good every single day was something that was different Because we have to wait for the majority to be ready, so we just have to go with the flow, but with the position comes as well. You know, looking good every single day was something that was different Because you know we're going to work, we're going to be busy, we're going to go with the flow, but with the position comes as well. You know how you carry yourself.
Speaker 3You have to also represent. Yeah, you have to take that serious. So I'm going to cooperate, but okay.
Speaker 1Other than that, it's not a crossroad with Bonero. It's very important. Tourism is a pillar of the economy. It's very important for the island, but it's not the same as tourism challenges. Finding a balance in that is very difficult. It's about choices you make. You have to make some critical choices. It's something that takes more time make. You have to make some, some critical choices and so um. It's not in favor of everybody it's what's best for the island.
Speaker 3Sorry, but they pissed off a buddy handy.
Speaker 1But maybe you don't see it right now, but in about three years, you'll see why we did it correct and I I know it's been a long time and I'm still new to a new role in my way, when I met a very young director and but I, I think I'm still under, but I but in the movie what we saw, pressure in the book, but it's okay. I always dealt with pressure. I love some pressure. I love some pressure. But so pressure to money. But in the movie, right, I'm mr Samara, pressure me missing turquoise possibly move it does it pressure a time it. I look with a feel, the, the, the, the, the Turk, and two the band, international partners for a time a local partners and to but the home feeling of a corpo. Yeah, they say the album, the challenges dance. You, missy, keep in some some par challenges down, cool, but I see game of a good name. Yeah, I'm a pencil on top of my head, but I think look, I think dig deeper, because I mentioned the last one.
Speaker 2I mentioned. How do you work on finding a balance between the bringing in the tourism what type of tourism you're bringing in, but still to maintain the identity and culture of Bonaire? Sing over rule or look. Can that intertwine?
Speaker 1good question, good question. I'm all about that. It's not only about facts. It's really not only about facts. It's about also perception Dealing with perception, dealing with sentiment, not based on facts. It's not a fact.
Speaker 3It's a perception, it's just an emotion of how people are feeling on the island. It's a perception.
Speaker 1Those combinations are something extremely important. So, when I give this quote, I'm going to give it to you and I'm going to think, well, I'm going to give it to you. What do you think? Do you want to be free to be able to talk, to be able to know, or to be able to talk to?
Speaker 2be able. Fourth, and the truth, oh wow it's only good news, right it's like what do you prefer?
Speaker 3I don't want to know. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1It's like but the perception yeah that you don't know but the fact is it still happens, yeah, but you don't know, so it can affect you dealing with perception, I think, I think, I think a lot of things are taken into account and so dealing with the facts.
Speaker 2There's facts, perception, and so finding a balance in the relationship and then I think it's been very big on what happens to the locals, feeling one type of way over the hey, no, we want to preserve our nature.
Speaker 1We want to preserve these things.
Speaker 2We want to do this, we want to do that, but they're not as happy with outsiders coming in, and so how do you deal with that? I don't have a hobby?
Speaker 1I'm going to ask. I'm going to ask this is funny. There's a story about the perception of the locals. I have a question, Ask me a part. Funny is there's a story about the perception of the locals and there's a difference between the locals who live in Bonaero and the locals who don't live in Bonaero. So it's really different. Most people are okay with tourism in general. What I see with the people, with the people, they really feel like they know the island or they don't know the island.
Speaker 3It's their identity.
Speaker 1It's their identity as an island. Yeah, let's face it, there's like a feeling of segregation. In the Netherlands, it's more like a group of Japanese. That's not how we grow up. Honestly, in'm not the type of person who goes to a restaurant because it serves tourists.
Speaker 3Everybody.
Speaker 1And my president of tourism is still working in tourism, so it's not my reality. I mean tourism. Who doesn't like to go on vacation? You know, like it's it's. You know, we, we live on an island like, honestly, that's something, that's beautiful. You know, this is our home, so you are you are a visitor. Yeah, so we are. We have to be visitors to accept as visitors. And we are not visitors, but we are.
Speaker 1We are guests so let's respect each other on that, and so, as long as there's that, I think we can, we can, we can work with that, and so there's that, I think we can work with that. I think there's a lot of people who want to protect nature or invest in our culture. Bonair is super beautiful. There's so much to offer, but it's on us to protect whatever we have to offer. Bonair is special for X reasons. It's our duty to protect and maintain it, and it's important to protect and maintain our tourism.
Speaker 1We don't need a lot of money. Honestly, money doesn't mean a lot of money. I showed you the map. We need to focus on investing in quality tourism, tourism that can be spend more to get a bigger place, that people can contribute to the island, that people can choose good or bad. So, yeah, that people live from that as well, that they have a good quality of life, that they have two safe islands, live a good life, good work, create a family a nice environment. Because, like what? Create a family a nice environment? Because, like what I had, you know, I grew up with, I honestly, I had an amazing childhood and I would want that for the generations to come. So I really think it's up to us to protect ourselves for the generations to come. Everything I'm doing right now is not for me right now. Like honestly, it's 10 to 5 years older than me, if you're more lazy than me.
Speaker 1You know what I mean. That's how I see it.
Speaker 3Do you really want some of the nice attractions and what you want to do in Bonero? Because, this is something that people Aruba Porceo, because I've been saying it. Bonero is laughing and. Timoci is laughing. I, I'm like bro. We've been here for five days. I don't know if Bonero and Kira Zout have that same commentary. And think Kuri Hazuki 9. No, bonero, don't make me laugh.
Speaker 1Man Trust me I know what she's doing. It's not, do not come.
Speaker 3Stay away.
Speaker 2No being, no being, no being, don't come. I see what you did there, I'm not giving them.
Cultural Preservation and Legacy
Speaker 3Guys, hey, there you go Apart from myself, I must admit like being here, we keep repeating it almost every day, like slow the fuck down.
Speaker 1Like I don't know how to explain it.
Speaker 3I don't know how to explain it. So what do you think? What are some of the main attractions people come to Bonaire to?
Speaker 1visitors come to Bonaire, but the diving which Shark did. Congratulations, shark, you're a diver now that was amazing, right Bonaeruta, known for the slow life, very slow, very slow, very in tune with, with, with the moon, with nature, finding the beauty in little things, observing the birds honestly, like I saw you seeing flamingo yesterday, you know amazing, enjoying the world, sunset, sunrise, the birds honestly like I saw you seeing flamingo yesterday.
Speaker 3You know like, things like that amazing sunset, sunrise.
Speaker 1I love the moon. Um call my friend right now and let's just have a drink. Of people show up anytime, any day. Like most definitely diving, chilling, kite surfing, wind surfing, kayaking the nature. There's a lot of ways to live with the culture, you know. That's fantastic we experienced that actually what was that thing called?
Speaker 2San Pedro.
Speaker 1San Pedro, yeah, it was a different cast super nice, it was a really cool experience.
Speaker 3I didn't expect to say miss, shout out to Miles until that I didn't celebrate my husband and my wife. So I grew up with that as well.
Speaker 2San.
Speaker 1Pedro with San Juan correct a lot of culture. Yeah, culture eats strategy all day right so other than that.
Speaker 1We're going to do it. We're going to do it. It's an activity that started a long time ago, more than 50 years ago. It started for the culture again on a bigger stage, international travelers of local people. So we're going to do it, of course, the good weather and the slow life, the chill life, and have an awesome time and, yeah, that's what we stand for and so that's what we live to. Let's be the last thing. I have to look by hike of uh being in nature diving.
Speaker 3I love it's more being too much yourself than anything else there's no like external satisfaction. It's more like we do like dig deep. You just like enjoy a moment slow. My life is so fast paced slow down?
Speaker 1it's not, yeah, just enjoy life and be happy, like genuinely happy, and to be good to people and to if you have a party, all of that, we can do that too.
Speaker 2It's also available we can.
Speaker 3It's a good idea to go on a vacation too, but you know what I like about parties At nightlife at least. I know it's not my thing, but when you go out everybody is the same. By that I mean you don't have to go to the VIP table bottle service. Legit.
Speaker 2I love the two Love that.
Speaker 3If you're in a bar, you don't have to go to the other bar. You can go dancing, enjoying you can. We were enjoying it, we were singing, we were the Bucket, the Bucket. Yeah, super chill we were playing music at the local house. So but like, damn, it's still nightlife, but it's a different type of nightlife and we had a good time, because you can still socialize and talk and dance and have a good time.
Speaker 1You, believe me, to show off like and I mean today's- bottle of classes we like, and I mean today's bottle the classes were like bro, what the fuck like it's, it's so much you don't have that pressure here. No, no, no, but it's not the main thing. You know, that's actually very humble people, very, very relaxed, like chill it's okay, you're doing too much.
Speaker 2You're not from here.
Speaker 3There's not a local guys, we can tell, so it's nice so what are some things you learned from from Miles?
Speaker 1there's a lot of things I learned from Miles. Actually, what?
Speaker 3are the three key things like was that like being around Miles, learning from him that you took? Was that like he?
Speaker 1works so much um hard, so it work um ethic, like, like so right hand, which he didn't have to, so he still took me with him. Like that I appreciate that. His work ethic, the way he balances, the way he tries to enjoy life, I really find inspirational. Other than that, he's a very kind person. If he's not, honestly, he'll open the door for you. If you have a meeting or whatever. Anytime, any day, he makes it happen. So I'm with Alu because he's a genuine nice person to everybody around him. So that's also something I learned about him.
Speaker 3Other than that it's not true, but it's a secret someone just said off camera but it's, I hope I don't want to say off camera, but this is a risk taker. Wow, like this but a calculator risk taker, if he's gonna do something, he first makes sure like okay, there's the numbers, let's do it most definitely, but really, really good and just taking the risk and go out of good faith and dream big, no matter what dream big, most definitely go crazy
Speaker 1don't limit yourself to just the island no see, go crazy, and though that's beautiful so I want to.
Speaker 2I want to know this. I woke you, kiko um, the tourism board knows what I expect for the rest of the year. What projects do y'all have going on? Kiko bonaira put expect kiko the tour, the turista nam put expect local businesses like. What can everybody expect coming up for the rest of the year?
Speaker 1for the coming of the year. Um, we also have a new airlift, so our airlift is something that's easy to do, so it's something that's New airlines American Airlines, Canadian Airlines, KLM, etc. It's something that's important for us and it's also important for us to maintain our value. Maintaining those flights is extremely important. Other than that, we we really focus on product development in the product of Bonaero. We have a niche of Bonaero that we are still exploring and we are still working on it we are still focusing on product development in the terms of experiences that we have.
Speaker 1We make sure that that's the experience we want them to have you know, like the journey is taught to the T and the opportunity that they have to go to the local places to enjoy the opportunity that they have so that they directly benefit from tourism and product development if they want to explore it. But I think, we think product development is a thin line that will overdo things. I thought it has to be as as good as possible you don't want to lose your identity as an island.
Speaker 3It's difficult. I don't want to be ahead.
Speaker 1I don't want to be ahead and I want to experience and benefit the local, so that's our focus. But in the future we will be able to benefit the local tourism, so that's our focus as a tourism board. Other than that, we will continue to manage data, sharing data and research, and we will also create a TICB as an organization. We will also take some vacancies and we will continue to create a TICB as an organization. We will also put up a map. I have to take some pictures and then I'll put it on the map like it's in our nature. It's an island with our nature not only our nature, but also people who know it.
Speaker 3Other than that, I have big plans to connect Bonero with South America, naturally, where we have zero planes flying to the other border so that's, very good but you want to tap in, like Brazil and all these places of Panama.
Speaker 1The conversations are, we will continue to have. So yeah, I know that you are from Holland, correct something with German.
Speaker 1More or less we have almost 50% of our tourists are from the Netherlands, then 25% to 26% from America, then 50%, 25%, then 20% to 30% from Corsica to Cuba. So we have a lot of islanders coming to Bonaire for 4 days or for work. And so we have a lot of islanders coming to Bonaire for four days or for work. And apart from that, it's a big spread between Colombia, belgium, germany, colombia, belgium, germany, switzerland, france, and that's the top 10.
Speaker 3And Canadian market as well. Yeah, what do you focus on most?
Speaker 1Which one do you really want to focus on distribution 60% touch and you want to have it more balanced, as in 30, 30 increases it's not by decreasing it, it's more like keeping it the same, but increasing the rest Correct. So in 2007, I started a tourism master plan. At that time I had 200,000 tourists a year. Now it's 180,000. So the 20,000 that we still have to grow in.
Speaker 3It's a big difference.
Speaker 1Yes in amount. We want to make sure that it's from the correct markets, correct markets. To make sure that it's from the correct markets, correct markets. As in the luxury rejecter, the seasonal escaper, it's not about being a surfer or kite surfer or enjoy culture and music and food, so it's not about focusing on that and, apart from that, it's about going to different islands. So go for it.
Speaker 2I might get some flack for saying this, but I'm used to it. But when you're working on your development, you really want to focus hard on promoting upfront and hard to push our culture further. But I feel like if you compare Dutch tourists compared to Americans, americans like us, americans don't like they don't give a fuck like they don't like they don't like they don't like they don't like they don't like they don't like they don't like they don't like they don't like they don't like they don't like they don't like they don't like they don't like they don't like they don't like they don't like where they come from. They believe in nature. They treat the animals as if they were. They treat the animals as if they were a human.
Speaker 1When they're alive they don't feel as disruptive as when they're in the forest or when they're in the forest, or when they're in the forest, if you want, if you want to go to an American tourist, it's really good to go, diving like there's nothing, a leisure market like sunsand, sunsand alcohol Very, very limited, Very, very, very limited.
Speaker 1The majority of American tourists that come to the Netherlands are 30, 40, 20, 30 people after the other. So I get you. So if you're an 30 years behind the other, so I get you. So creating an American doesn't mean any or everybody. It's really indeed focusing on who will choose Bonaire?
Speaker 2so yeah, we're not touching our flamingos, but the thing is noted. Word of mouth is a different part of traveling. For sure you have a part of them being for those reasons. But then you also have them that say I just went to Bonaire and I did this, and I actually Went partying a little bit and we did this. So now that word Okay, well then, I've been to Aruba before. I've been to this one before. Okay, let's go to Bonaire, yeah. So now you're gonna start Attracting these other people and the same is with.
Speaker 2I really want for you to focus but also educate the locals On how much to Be proud and more confident On spreading how much we love Our culture, spreading how much we believe in that. And I really enjoy, Luis Moca. For me you have such a young talent, Really embracing and making that type of music with a full, all-on culture. It was very shocking for me. What else can I say?
Speaker 1It's beautiful right, it's crazy.
Speaker 3I love it and he's making it like he's making it fun. Maybe it was a mainstream, but he's making it more he is. It was a mainstream, but he's making it like more he is, though like all these guys are wanting to collaborate with him, so I love that and we don't.
Speaker 2We don't have much of that, so I really really enjoy. I speak to AD. No, it's really nice, very nice.
Speaker 3I like how you said, like I'm just gonna be number one in my own genre because you handled me.
Speaker 1Nobody else is doing it.
Speaker 3Because nobody else is doing it.
Speaker 1That's nice, that would be nice.
Speaker 2We need more of that we definitely need more of that.
Speaker 1We need to continue to grow that and build that. So it's, you know, that's how we're going to protect our culture. It's beautiful, it's rare, you know, like you don't find it anywhere else or you find it, but very limited, and it comes from history. It comes from, you know, and it has a lot of history and it has a lot of passion and it has a lot of love and work, and so that's what makes Bonair Bonair because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, and then, because of that, I don't know what- to do.
Speaker 3Ah, there's a moment when you're like whenever we went out, yeah, there's a moment when you're like damn, I don't know what to say. The person I'm talking to like I don't know what to say whenever we talk about.
Speaker 2Like again, guys, we're not shitting on Aruba we're not shitting on it, we're just saying Aruba is the most overdeveloped from all of them.
Speaker 3I see development here and there, but, aruba, don't overdo it it's good to do it, but strategically. Do it well that you don't give up too much of your own land and culture for the outsiders.
Speaker 1It's balanced.
Speaker 3It's balanced if you don't hold on to the culture, it's even deeper.
Speaker 2It's deeper, it's personal, 100%, if you want to do it. Tell your friends Take care of yourself, don't worry about anything you can say this Really take this Like in school, like press Education, because Because cultural it's not like school, it's not like that, it's not like that.
Speaker 1It's like If that's what we asked, because culturally we don't have that School 0.0. We don't have that. And then I'm with Alou, for example, tcb who participate in school about the culture, what they do. We have events, we actively do a group gathering or participate in regatta. We organize regatta once in a while and then we dive deep in the history of the regatta and get to know what we're doing in the regatta why are we doing regatta?
Speaker 3it's more of a party. Yes, yes, it's more of a party. It's more of a party, it's more of a regatta. You can imagine, but I have a story you can imagine, but I have a story you can imagine, but I, at this point in September probably no flights, but hey look just to make it happen. Miles, pull your strings, you'll do it?
Speaker 1definitely no, there's, I get you, so we're looking at that too. So culture in different aspects you know, culture of music, food, norm and value, history and another band, naturaleza, when you get to know them so culture of music community, norms and values, history, and another band, Naturaleza. Whenever you meet them, always protect your Naturaleza. I mean, we have a marine park.
Speaker 2Do you?
Speaker 1understand that In La Manca it's considered a park.
Speaker 3It's an area, a big chunk.
Speaker 1It's a meter for the coast. Okay, I mean the baby is safe, yeah, yeah, yeah, it's okay, a meter before the coast.
Speaker 2Okay, maybe it's safer or whatever. Yeah, yeah, yeah it's okay, yeah, we don't need that. Don't do nothing everywhere I'm going to be, like that.
Speaker 3It's a pretty it's a it's long, it's long, Okay got it, even though we should just respect marine life in general.
Speaker 2No, marine life in general.
Speaker 1Exactly, we have a clean island. Yeah, like come on.
Speaker 2And we're not clean.
Speaker 1Yeah, and we don't have sushi right.
Speaker 2Yeah Well, we all are traveling enough. We're not comparing with other places, right what. They ain't traveling enough, because this place is very clean.
Speaker 1No, but we're not having a lot of sushi, because it's not normal. So, yeah, come on, we have to clean our island. Come on, you know, like Damn, or if you're going to clean an island, for example, you can grill the land and then put charcoal and sand there. That's killing. Stop, stop stop.
Reflections and Future Plans
Speaker 2Oh, so you can grill the beach, or you can't.
Speaker 1No, no, actually you can't, but it's like way too often.
Speaker 2And if you grill, people will be way too often take your stuff, maybe make a designated area, maybe something like that like a built in grill you can use that. That's very important grill is very important because you can grill.
Speaker 1Barbecue is very important you can actually grill there definitely for the other people barbecue, but you can actually grill there. So no, there's definitely concerns for the other as well, like Isla for sure we work with Korsaw and Aruba as a tourism board. We work with them with Saba and Sintostasis as well, so I have a lot of struggles with our experience on the island. Come on, there are a lot of islands that we can see before the other, like St Martin. I know St Martin a lot. I've been to St Martin for the sixth year. I love the island.
Speaker 1I've never been it's an amazing island, but you also see the development in Angabay. It's been a full other season with my friends, and so it's about queusas. We say manewak, um, it's important to choose for us, so we are behind point that's it no matter who comes, no matter who leaves, we will choose for us.
Speaker 1You understand, like there's a principle of choosing for us, so if you choose, there's a reason to. I'm happy with the environment to protect the people, the culture, etc. I'm happy with the environment to be around us. We're blessed 100% for sure.
Speaker 3I got one question go ahead it's what's your legacy that you would like to leave behind. No pressure.
Speaker 1No pressure Legacy.
Speaker 3No, I mean my camera. If you want to blame someone someone you already know who- to blame my legacy.
Speaker 1My legacy I've always been a person, no matter what, I live open, social, hard working. I work hard.
Speaker 3Finally she cursed. And you know a dj yeah, I was waiting.
Speaker 1If you didn't say that I was like I'm the playlist maker. No, this meeting I was like. I mean, I think about legacy. I have a very big um legacy to film my mom and my dad, constantino Pedro Diaz with Chana Diaz, and legacy to amazing.
Speaker 2And then if I can't do it with Chana's grandson for two days, professional, I'm happy yeah, I'm good and I feel like they're already saying that, but I'm going to watch some numbers, because you did record-breaking numbers, kava on tourism and all this good stuff that's always oh and though when you go to home.
Speaker 1um, so you know, if I can make, make some people happy or inspire of a life of growth, of development, hey, count me in, honestly from what I've heard, you already did that.
Speaker 2I've not heard not one person not speak highly of you. Thank you.
Speaker 1Ever since we've been on this trip, I've only heard great things yeah, and they, um, no matter what, and then we have a life here, so I just make the best out of it for this month.
Speaker 1Like, have fun come on, have fun, have a good time with this month and then share that love, that energy with whoever is next to you. And then I don't know what else to say. But and then I make the best out of this month. I make I just make the best out of my life and to share that with whoever is around me and choose my battles. So I'm going to choose my battles because it's okay it's okay to lose sometimes, it's fine.
Speaker 2It's also part of life, 100%, you know so I know you have a good day, you have a good regatta. Do you ever see yourself creating a new cultural movement on a new date, on a new something? It's so funny.
Speaker 1My mom and my dad. They were in the corner. The first thing they did was take me to the beach for two days, so that started when my parents and my grandpa Stop.
Speaker 2That's crazy.
Speaker 1So we still celebrate that, my family and I. We don't celebrate it anymore, but my dream is to continue doing that for the legacy of my parents, To celebrate culture and the beach. My dream is to continue doing that for the legacy of my parents, To celebrate culture and the beach, Not only in the ring, but also on the beach. We have a lot of opportunities to develop. We can continue to grow the bigger in the beach. Definitely what is more involved. So I'm not that involved right now with Ezei, but I started with my uncle and my grandma's work celebrating a harvest. After that we worked on a house, then we went to the village and we celebrated with the whole people.
Speaker 2So it's amazing, you're from Corsica correct, ok, ok, wait, this is crazy. Whatever you do, make sure you're a DJ, ok, so now we have to come next year.
Speaker 3Yeah, yeah, yeah, plan it, get involved. I hope you guys come back. I hope you guys. February, march I'm thinking February, but we'll see. We. I hope you guys can come back in February. I'm thinking of February, but we'll see. I hope you guys can come back in February. I hope you guys can come back. I hope you guys can come back.
Speaker 1I hope you guys can come back. I mean, it's music, laman sailing France. It's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun, I hope you guys can come back. It's a lot of fun yeah, I love it, I think it's a good time to take a shower. Actually, if you take a shower in Bonaero, it depends what you're looking for.
Speaker 3I think I've explored enough, but now I'm going to go to a salt salon, that's in Auro and I'm going to go to Snorkel, so they were like going to Snorkel for a while.
Speaker 1Salt Pyrton, nice place for Snorkel. You will see turtles there, that's one of the main reasons why we're going flamingos and you know even that flamingos in the direction. Yes, yes, yes, but even that also has something, has a cultural guard, a big cultural guard. Do you know what I mean? There's a big history of salt. What did salt mean to the world? Before you know, there was no refrigerator, people used to salt things.
Speaker 2Correct.
Speaker 1To keep them fresh. So Bonero played a big role in the time of the World War, etc. We still have salt in Bonero. We still have it in the industry. It's something beautiful.
Speaker 3And the Yelga Mountains.
Speaker 1It's crazy. We built boats. Hey, is that salt? It was huge and how do you export it? We export it.
Speaker 3Salt from Bonero.
Speaker 1Yes, yes, it's from Cargill, but we don't produce it super, super high. Our amount of salt is different compared to the world this is really purified beautiful salt.
Speaker 3This is very exclusive we're going to take some it's Bonairean salt.
Speaker 2I mean, it's not supposed to be hoppy to distribute in this way.
Speaker 1It's very exclusive. It's Pyramin salt.
Speaker 2Here you go we sell it in small packs there's a scene with the little things, that that's crazy.
Speaker 3It's been fun.
Speaker 2Before we close out, I have one more question for you. I want to ask you, and I want to ask you A good word what do you think about Good black, black? Yes, let's start.
Speaker 1What do you think is the word that is most important? It's people. It starts with people. People are very nice. People know each other as people. It's tranquility. It's tranquility, it's nice, it's a beautiful nature. You can communicate with each other in different languages. You can communicate with others. You can be kind. It's hard to say. It's beautiful. You can make all your dreams come true. It's beautiful here in Bonero. It's a small island, but you can reach for the stars and make all your dreams come true. It's a small island, true. I think that's something that makes Bonair Bonair. There's a lot of things that makes Bonair Bonair, but it's not that easy. But come through.
Speaker 2We love Bonair.
Speaker 3Aileen, thank you so much for being here. I think I'm going to say a lot. You're six months in one minute. That's impossible, that's insane. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you in six months. What have you done and what has been changing all that stuff?
Speaker 2so you have five years in this role, right, correct? So yeah, we're coming back 100% follow up.
Speaker 3We want to make Bonero the main show. That's something we're focusing on. We want to make 50% of our episodes traveling actually more than 50% that's cool.
Speaker 1We want Bonero.
Speaker 3Curaçao and Holland and Ar more than 50%. That's cool, let's go. So you want to be traveling all four and just finding out what everybody's doing? Like in the party, like so that's so cool.
Speaker 1We hope to see you again, thank you. Thank you, it's awesome. It's an amazing experience.
Speaker 3We have been here for 12 hours don't worry, we just blew the construction camera thank you.
Speaker 1It's been a great experience, always welcome. We're so blessed to be on these islands and to living life healthy.
Speaker 3I have distant family members legit you'll be surprised who they are. Distant cousins, Manson, I'm going. You'll be surprised who they are. Wait what? We're distant cousins. Anyways, Manson, I'm going to tell you off camera where they are Guys. Thank you for watching this episode. Like comment. Subscribe. Like comment. Until next time I'm going to be back. Bye, Bye, Bye, Peace.