This past week I was invited to talk to students at NST (National School of Technolody). This is a small school granting Associate Degrees in South Miami-Dade County. It was an oportunity to talk about my book, but also to express views about living abroad, adjusting and adapting to new places, making the best of every move and contributing to your new home. The students were attentive, more or less involved and if I could make one of them a writer, I did well.
BUT, does this mean I am now famous? or at least that people will talk about me? Who knows? I have friend that teaches at NST and she asked me, reinforcing what we all know: is not who you are but who you know.....I am very grateful, don't get me wrong. It is wonderful to be recognized and to be made feel important.
Being famous involves more than one talk, surely. The trick is to stay out there to be talked about, right? In this time and age, everyone is famous for something or another... or just because you're famous. No great achievements are required. I don't know if I want that: fame for the sake of fame. So maybe, I don't care to be famous after all. What I want is to put out there the easy social interactions, the friendships, the way you can truly make a difference in your community, the sunsets, the beaches, the slow pace, the whole lifestyle you find in the Tropics. When I was actually living in there, I took so much for granted. Everything was there for me to enjoy, and I thought it would be forever. It didn't.
This time of the year, for example, Curaçao is getting ready for suspended animation. School is almost out, expats are going home for the Summer, locals are planning vacations.... everything stops: children's after school lessons, adults' club activities, meetings of any organization. The heat and the rhythm of the Tropics is really felt. When I was there, it was annoying and a bit depressing, now I miss it. What to do?
BUT, does this mean I am now famous? or at least that people will talk about me? Who knows? I have friend that teaches at NST and she asked me, reinforcing what we all know: is not who you are but who you know.....I am very grateful, don't get me wrong. It is wonderful to be recognized and to be made feel important.
Being famous involves more than one talk, surely. The trick is to stay out there to be talked about, right? In this time and age, everyone is famous for something or another... or just because you're famous. No great achievements are required. I don't know if I want that: fame for the sake of fame. So maybe, I don't care to be famous after all. What I want is to put out there the easy social interactions, the friendships, the way you can truly make a difference in your community, the sunsets, the beaches, the slow pace, the whole lifestyle you find in the Tropics. When I was actually living in there, I took so much for granted. Everything was there for me to enjoy, and I thought it would be forever. It didn't.
This time of the year, for example, Curaçao is getting ready for suspended animation. School is almost out, expats are going home for the Summer, locals are planning vacations.... everything stops: children's after school lessons, adults' club activities, meetings of any organization. The heat and the rhythm of the Tropics is really felt. When I was there, it was annoying and a bit depressing, now I miss it. What to do?
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