“BUT THEY TOLD ME TO DUMP IT IN THE DRIVEWAY!”

Now, how am I supposed to get out?

What Happens When Cultures Value Rank Over the Rational.

Yup, that’s my jeep. And that’s my driveway (quick cultural query: why do US-Americans park in a driveway, but drive on a parkway? But that’s another story for another time. For now, back to the driveway and the jeep): and that’s also my pile of gravel. The gravel and the driveway and the jeep are all on the little island of St Thomas, USVI, a uniquely Caribbean culture that only happens to technically — and tangentially — also be US-American. Lucky for me that I can split my home-base between Brooklyn, New York (home to the largest West Indian population on the US mainland, by the way) and an actual Caribbean island, so over time I’ve learned a bit about the differences — and similarities — between “mainland” US culture and the ways of the Caribbean. When on-island, just getting through the day is filled with constant reminders that this is a full-throttled, full-on Caribbean culture, the result of centuries of brutal colonialism, slavery, exploitation and piracy, as well as a joyful mix of mainly African and some western traditions. Of course, day-tripping tourists rarely see any of this, disembarking from their cruise ships for a day on the beach. But spend a little time away from the beaches and the hotels, go where the locals live, and the richness — and challenges —…