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
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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I don't have a hobby, I'm just asking.
Speaker 2:I might get some flack for saying this, but I'm used to it.
Speaker 1:Two 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 3:My apologies.
Speaker 1:I'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 2:I don't want to be like my mom. I don't want to be like my mom.
Speaker 1:I don't want to be like my mom. I don't want to be like my mom.
Speaker 2:I don't want to be like my.
Speaker 1:Those discussions are not easy.
Speaker 2:They're not.
Speaker 1:I feel like I'm not the only one who's feeling this way.
Speaker 2:A 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 3:hola 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 1:I'm not straight. I was going to go like that.
Speaker 3:That's why I stuttered Coño, if you say so.
Speaker 2:One is straight thank you.
Speaker 3:This 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 2:casal gays can also get married, just FYI, but anyways, go on now you make me look bad.
Speaker 3:You 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 2:I'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 3:That's why I started again.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you stay messing up.
Speaker 1:Buen dia.
Speaker 3:Buen dia Welcome.
Speaker 2:Thank you.
Speaker 3:Parmento mijo.
Speaker 1:Parmento ingles, I don't mind.
Speaker 3:Mix, we mix it up.
Speaker 1:Let's do it in English, it's fine, we are bilingual definitely, so bring it on.
Speaker 3:I speak about four languages yes, what languages do you speak? Spanish, english, dutch, spanish any other ones like extra.
Speaker 1:I 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 3:And then after that, oh, wow, yeah.
Speaker 1:You 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 3:I love French cuisine. I love and dance, that's all I know.
Speaker 2:Wait, I don't know a French. Okay, give me a French artist real quick.
Speaker 1:No, you're putting me on the spot. Yeah, because I'm here Wait.
Speaker 2:I didn't know, like I've never heard, or maybe I have.
Speaker 3:Okay, 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 1:Seriously yeah seriously.
Speaker 3:For me it's like encouraging it now or I have no clue.
Speaker 2:But I remember they have like one of their requirements for the employees is to speak Italian. Stop yeah.
Speaker 3:That's why Stefano worked there for a little bit, a little bit.
Speaker 2:What about Stefano?
Speaker 1:Stefano Alan Cave.
Speaker 2:Alan Cave.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okarimi.
Speaker 2:Okay, yeah, okay.
Speaker 3:Yeah, sing a song.
Speaker 2:Sing a song.
Speaker 3:Sing a song Okarimi.
Speaker 2:Don't play me, oswald Is that a real song.
Speaker 1:I don't know who that is, though.
Speaker 2:Okay, send me a playlist, apparently you're known for being the playlist girl. Oh, she's the DJ of the group.
Speaker 3:What 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 2:So 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 3:Shout 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 2:For sure. Shout out to Kapitan. Shout out to.
Speaker 1:Kapitan, yeah.
Speaker 2:He ain't no, ailey.
Speaker 1:I'm definitely the DJ of the group.
Speaker 2:For sure.
Speaker 1:I think in the previous life I used to be a DJ Like a big I used to fly me out, probably.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I had a full long list. I believe he had a whole summer tour.
Speaker 2:I know where I'm going?
Speaker 3:yeah 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 1:I like to mix my songs. It really has um has to do with the feeling.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'll check the vibes. I'm the same I have a bunch of playlists.
Speaker 1:But for yourself my favorite Favorite is Drake, really.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I love me some Drake, champagne, poppy, young money Come play.
Speaker 1:Let's go Drake is definitely my favorite artist.
Speaker 2:Oh, wow.
Speaker 1:No, I love Drake and I like old school songs as well, manera.
Speaker 3:King Manera, but a dabble de manera outside of like hip hop, like maybe like rock or something.
Speaker 1:I play heavy house music, afro house.
Speaker 2:Okay, nice, I love some.
Speaker 1:Afro house, but I can even go a bit into electronic house.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 1:So I can go from reggaeton to batimenti.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the giggo.
Speaker 1:There's no filter, baby, there's nothing to say here To really nice house music, deep sounds and R&B. I love music.
Speaker 3:I'm sorry to say, hang tough deep. How are you feeling at the moment?
Speaker 2:Correct.
Speaker 3:I understand.
Speaker 2:If you love Drake, that means you're a heartbreaker Damn, I don't. You're a heartbreaker, damn.
Speaker 1:I don't consider myself a heartbreaker.
Speaker 2:Them Drake, drake, drake, fans.
Speaker 3:They're all gangs.
Speaker 2:I'm one, so I know.
Speaker 3:What were you saying?
Speaker 1:Sorry, no, but on the boat, then it's. Then we have a special playlist. It's called regatta boat party they play that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, not legit by busca ese yeah by spotify.
Speaker 3:I don't think they found it because he was playing from youtube the whole time no, that.
Speaker 2:First 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 3:You need to private. If it's your playlist account, make it private. Oh, you want to play this.
Speaker 1:You 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 2:She'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 1:You 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 3:So 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 1:They 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 3:I'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 1:like 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 3:I 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 2:Let'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 1:Nice. 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.
Speaker 1:Martin, 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 3:So 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 1:And 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 2:Still hey Coming soon, man, calm down, calm down.
Speaker 1:But 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 2:We were very safe.
Speaker 1:I 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 2:I want to understand something about how tourism will start in 12 years. Girl, what?
Speaker 1:is that? Yes, that's right.
Speaker 2:How.
Speaker 1:What 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 2:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:And 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 2:Basically.
Speaker 3:Give me something, Likis. I need to buy a PlayStation.
Speaker 1:And 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 2:How old?
Speaker 3:were 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 1: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. Back then that's good.
Speaker 2:Back, then that's good Back, broke friends.
Speaker 3:Hey, mom Can't relate. What do you want?
Speaker 1:No. 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 3:Being in school? Did you continue school while you were still working, or at some point were you like eh?
Speaker 1:um, 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 2:A lot of hotel parties.
Speaker 1:A lot of friends parties.
Speaker 3:We could have definitely hosted a party over here.
Speaker 1:Oh, 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 2:No, 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 3:A different one. Sorry, I was somewhere else, but this was actually nice have a little DJ comida hand in pool.
Speaker 2:This could be a thing it pool this could be a thing.
Speaker 3:It 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 2:Afrobeat what a concept. That would be buckwild 100 percent like a block party?
Speaker 3:that would be buckwild I can't help but have a bunch of ideas. He would join us 100%, thank you Okay.
Speaker 2:So 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 1:I'm going to study coffee.
Speaker 3:Go for it. You have three more shirts.
Speaker 1:you 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 3:Figuring out what you want to do, who you are and all that stuff.
Speaker 1:Exactly, 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 2:And it flows so naturally yeah everything.
Speaker 1:I 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 3:A gap year. A gap year.
Speaker 1:And 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 2:It's probably the last times when he leaves.
Speaker 1:I'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 1: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's your journey. It growth, professional growth.
Speaker 3:So so what was the first?
Speaker 1:like, 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 3:Not a room nothing.
Speaker 1:No, 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 3:This is it. Nobody's there, zero friends.
Speaker 1:It'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 1:So, 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 1:Every 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 3:bothering, 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 1:Maybe say I mean, should we be able to stop that's?
Speaker 3:great. 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 2:Anyway, sorry, let's continue.
Speaker 3:Let's continue Maybe.
Speaker 2:I 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 1:let'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 2:I always had a nice box.
Speaker 1:This 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 1:And 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 2:But that was so that part didn't make sense.
Speaker 1:It 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 2:That and at a young age, that's difficult because you're not as mature to understand each other. It's not helpful.
Speaker 1:Let 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 2:So 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 1:honestly, 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 1:You 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 3:Where were you when COVID hit?
Speaker 1:I was in Cambodia. I was in Cambodia. I was in Cambodia.
Speaker 3:I was expecting Holland or Bonaire. So we understand where you were sitting and, like you know, you're a different country.
Speaker 1:With COVID. Oh my God.
Speaker 3:So people have a perspective.
Speaker 1:I 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 2:We're getting into that too, um.
Speaker 1:And 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 3:when are we gonna get?
Speaker 2:out, throw this whole thing away, like at this point.
Speaker 1:Yeah what are we doing, damn? So at one point I was like I was like.
Speaker 2:I was like. I was like. I was like I was like.
Speaker 1:I 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 3:I've been using it.
Speaker 1:I'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 2:And 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 1:I 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 1:We 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 2:I was about to say I can give a suggestion. I feel like y'all should.
Speaker 1:It's still there. Naturally, I think it's still there.
Speaker 2:I 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 1:It'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 3:Who's gonna talk about the fucking emotions?
Speaker 3:like 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 3:I 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 1:I know I have to say it in a certain way Even go even more personal.
Speaker 3:I'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 1:It 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 2:Especially 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 1:Exactly, you feel it. You feel it.
Speaker 2:If 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 2:You 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 3:hey, 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 1:I want to be a mom all day. See Working everything.
Speaker 3:It'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 2:That's a blessing. Do you understand that? Sorry, mid-80s.
Speaker 3:Her mom is like. Why am I like this?
Speaker 1:No, 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 2:Nah, she's everything definitely shout out to.
Speaker 1:Ouma. Definitely shout out to Ouma, for sure, but mama.
Speaker 2:Y'all might have the conversation Like it's happening.
Speaker 3:But the thing is, when you open your mouth, you don't. When you open your mouth, your mama is popping up.
Speaker 1:It's funny, not like my mama.
Speaker 3:It's actually with everybody. Same.
Speaker 1:Not 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 2:I see it, this could be with anyone Like it could be a friend. Yes, yes, yes. Have you ever been to?
Speaker 1:therapy 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 3:You don't understand.
Speaker 1:Yes, I want to know that there's no feelings involved. I don't know who I am. I'm working.
Speaker 2:Let's just talk about this.
Speaker 1:I 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 2:It'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 1:The 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 1:It'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 2:And, 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 1:So 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 2:I mess with that.
Speaker 3:I 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 2:TCP.
Speaker 1:Good question.
Speaker 3:Take your time.
Speaker 1:Okay, for the end of January. I'm in this position this year, this year.
Speaker 3:I 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 1:Been doing september. It's my birthday, so done. Can you get the guy that's?
Speaker 3:gonna 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 1:We're gonna try to get it around that we did the same thing with Miles.
Speaker 3:We waited for him around his birthday to release this episode nice okay, continue see some of the struggles um struggles.
Speaker 1:Yeah, 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.
Speaker 3:I see my apologies.
Speaker 1:No, 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 3:Maybe I struggled with that, everything I see right now something to deal with?
Speaker 1:Yeah, correct.
Speaker 2:Something we're dealing with. It's not a struggle. Maybe I struggled with that. Yeah, everything I see right now the challenges.
Speaker 1:What 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 1:There'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 3:Another 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 1:The 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 2:it happens to the best of us, I swear.
Speaker 1:Yeah, 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 3:You have to also represent. Yeah, you have to take that serious. So I'm going to cooperate, but okay.
Speaker 1:Other 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 3:Sorry, but they pissed off a buddy handy.
Speaker 1:But 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 2:I 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 1:good 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 3:It's a perception, it's just an emotion of how people are feeling on the island. It's a perception.
Speaker 1:Those 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 2:be able. Fourth, and the truth, oh wow it's only good news, right it's like what do you prefer?
Speaker 3:I don't want to know. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:It'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 2:There'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 1:We want to preserve these things.
Speaker 2:We 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 1:I'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 3:It's their identity.
Speaker 1:It'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 3:Everybody.
Speaker 1:And 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 1:We 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 1:We 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 1:You know what I mean. That's how I see it.
Speaker 3:Do 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 1:Man Trust me I know what she's doing. It's not, do not come.
Speaker 3:Stay away.
Speaker 2:No being, no being, no being, don't come. I see what you did there, I'm not giving them.
Speaker 3:Guys, 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 1:Like I don't know how to explain it.
Speaker 3:I 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 1:visitors 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 3:You know like, things like that amazing sunset, sunrise.
Speaker 1:I 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 2:San Pedro.
Speaker 1:San Pedro, yeah, it was a different cast super nice, it was a really cool experience.
Speaker 3:I 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 2:San.
Speaker 1:Pedro with San Juan correct a lot of culture. Yeah, culture eats strategy all day right so other than that.
Speaker 1:We'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 3:I 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 1:it'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 2:It's also available we can.
Speaker 3:It'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 2:I love the two Love that.
Speaker 3:If 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 1:You, 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 2:You're not from here.
Speaker 3:There's not a local guys, we can tell, so it's nice so what are some things you learned from from Miles?
Speaker 1:there's a lot of things I learned from Miles. Actually, what?
Speaker 3:are the three key things like was that like being around Miles, learning from him that you took? Was that like he?
Speaker 1:works 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 3:Other 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 1:don't limit yourself to just the island no see, go crazy, and though that's beautiful so I want to.
Speaker 2:I 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 1:for 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 1:We 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 3:It's difficult. I don't want to be ahead.
Speaker 1:I 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 3:Other 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 1:The conversations are, we will continue to have. So yeah, I know that you are from Holland, correct something with German.
Speaker 1:More 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 3:And Canadian market as well. Yeah, what do you focus on most?
Speaker 1:Which 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 3:It's a big difference.
Speaker 1:Yes 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 2:I 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 1:When 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 1:The 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 2:so 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 2:I 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 1:It's beautiful right, it's crazy.
Speaker 3:I 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 2:We don't have much of that, so I really really enjoy. I speak to AD. No, it's really nice, very nice.
Speaker 3:I like how you said, like I'm just gonna be number one in my own genre because you handled me.
Speaker 1:Nobody else is doing it.
Speaker 3:Because nobody else is doing it.
Speaker 1:That's nice, that would be nice.
Speaker 2:We need more of that we definitely need more of that.
Speaker 1:We 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 3:Ah, 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 2:Like 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 3:I 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 1:It's balanced.
Speaker 3:It's balanced if you don't hold on to the culture, it's even deeper.
Speaker 2:It'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 1:It'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 3:it'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 1:definitely 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 2:Do you?
Speaker 1:understand that In La Manca it's considered a park.
Speaker 3:It's an area, a big chunk.
Speaker 1:It'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 2:Okay, 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 3:It'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 2:No, marine life in general.
Speaker 1:Exactly, we have a clean island. Yeah, like come on.
Speaker 2:And we're not clean.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and we don't have sushi right.
Speaker 2:Yeah 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 1:No, 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.
Speaker 2:Oh, so you can grill the beach, or you can't.
Speaker 1:No, no, actually you can't, but it's like way too often.
Speaker 2:And 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 1:Barbecue 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 1:I'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 1:You 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 3:I got one question go ahead it's what's your legacy that you would like to leave behind. No pressure.
Speaker 1:No pressure Legacy.
Speaker 3:No, I mean my camera. If you want to blame someone someone you already know who- to blame my legacy.
Speaker 1:My legacy I've always been a person, no matter what, I live open, social, hard working. I work hard.
Speaker 3:Finally she cursed. And you know a dj yeah, I was waiting.
Speaker 1:If 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 2:And 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 1:um, 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 2:I've not heard not one person not speak highly of you. Thank you.
Speaker 1:Ever 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 1:Like, 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 2:It'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 1:My 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 2:That's crazy.
Speaker 1:So 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 2:So 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 3:Yeah, 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 1:I 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 3:I 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 1:Salt 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 2:Correct.
Speaker 1:To 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 3:And the Yelga Mountains.
Speaker 1:It's crazy. We built boats. Hey, is that salt? It was huge and how do you export it? We export it.
Speaker 3:Salt from Bonero.
Speaker 1:Yes, 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 3:This is very exclusive we're going to take some it's Bonairean salt.
Speaker 2:I mean, it's not supposed to be hoppy to distribute in this way.
Speaker 1:It's very exclusive. It's Pyramin salt.
Speaker 2:Here you go we sell it in small packs there's a scene with the little things, that that's crazy.
Speaker 3:It's been fun.
Speaker 2:Before 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 1:What 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 2:We love Bonair.
Speaker 3:Aileen, 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 2:so you have five years in this role, right, correct? So yeah, we're coming back 100% follow up.
Speaker 3:We 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 1:We want Bonero.
Speaker 3:Curaçao 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 1:We hope to see you again, thank you. Thank you, it's awesome. It's an amazing experience.
Speaker 3:We have been here for 12 hours don't worry, we just blew the construction camera thank you.
Speaker 1:It's been a great experience, always welcome. We're so blessed to be on these islands and to living life healthy.
Speaker 3:I 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.