Mention the name St. Thomas and most people from the Caribbean would have heard of it. It is an island situated north of Puerto Rico and south west of St. Martin. It is a cosmopolitan island, which is part of three United States Virgin Islands. The other two are St Johns and St. Croix. It is said and documented that a well-known millionaire bought St. Johns from Denmark who originally colonized the islands and donated it to the United States Government. The United States decided to move into these islands when the change of political life came about in Cuba. There was then a need for easy access to the sun for United States citizens.
The pattern of life in St. Thomas is fascinating. It is very much the American way of life. A fast moving style with large amounts of private and commercial vehicles moving at a fast driving pace.
The scenery is attractive with large numbers of hills and mountains with houses and roads built between the mountains without destroying the beauty and usefulness of the mountains. The environmental requirements of the mountains are well adhered to. Amongst the infrastructure of buildings and roads there are fruit trees and greenery.
I have visited St. Thomas from time to time but had never actually sat down and look at the way of life until my most recent visit. It is an Island, which depends entirely on tourism as a way of life and throughout the year tourist ships visit almost every day. This creates a good opportunity for private enterprises for the inhabitants of the island. I was invited to a vender’s area to meet a friend and was able to see small businesses at work.
The temperament is of fast moving, fast-talking practices in order to communicate with the tourist and relate to their vending neighbors at the same time. Every description of material was available for sale. Overall the experience was a good education. Perhaps more people from developing Caribbean Islands should experience the way of life in order to improve their ability for small business development and management.
The Carnival period for the island is in June. During that period a large number of the islanders return from the United States to enjoy the carnival and visit their families. The island then becomes alive with the mixture of tourists and locals.
