Vernaire Bass on Montserrat's Legacy and West Indian Women's Stories

Ever wonder what it takes to rise from the ashes of a volcanic eruption and transform a community? This episode's guest does.

Vernaire Bass is a strategic consultant, radio personality, and the voice of the Montserrat community. whose voice echoes the resilience and revival of Montserrat.

Our conversation travels from the gripping tales of Montserrat's shining history to the island's current rebirth after a devastating volcanic eruption 29 years ago. We talk about Montserrat's famous St. Patrick's Day celebrations and the meaning behind it and about Vernaire's new show, Women of the West Indies which airs live every Sunday and features different women of the Caribbean.

Listen to Women of the West Indies on YouTube and follow the show on Instagram and Facebook

For the latest Montserrat and Caribbean news, follow Vernair's Media House 664 Connect.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:06

Wow, I'm coming to you from a rainy St Martin today. I'm sitting here and I'm watching the rain fall and, yes, it does on occasion rain here in paradise as well. It can't always be sunshine, you know. We must have a way of keeping our hills green and lush. Now am I right?

Speaker 1: 0:24

Okay, so I'm your host, rizal the Traveling Island Girl, and I have here another really interesting episode to share with you, and I guess I realize that I say that about every single episode that I post here on Paradise Perspective Podcast. But really, seriously, this is another one of those really interesting conversations that I'm having with a really interesting guest. The guest today is my new friend, vernair Bass, and I say new friend because she and I had an initial conversation and it was like bam sparkles. You know, if two women could ever have sparkles and become Insta friends, that's what Vernair and I had. She and I have similar backgrounds and we have so, so much in common, and she has allowed me in this episode to share with you my other passions as well, because, like me, her passion is not only travel and the Caribbean, but also she has a passion for women empowerment, which is where I'm starting to head into as well. So this was such a great conversation that I had with her, but what you need to know also about Vernier is that she is a strategic consultant and media personality there in Montserrat.

Speaker 1: 1:38

She is the West Indian woman behind the Media House 664 Connect West Indian woman behind the Media House 664 Connect and she has a wonderful, wonderful new radio program coming out or it actually already came out, and yours truly is going to be part of that in the near future. So it's definitely something that you need to pay attention to. Her new radio show is called WOW, which is why I keep repeating the word WOW. It is the acronym for Women of the West Indies and it is so far, a very interesting show, so you definitely want to check that out. She is coming out with this radio show as a podcast very, very soon, which I'm absolutely looking forward to, but she is my guest today in my virtual studio and I cannot wait to share this episode with you.

Speaker 1: 2:29

But before we dive in, I just want to remind you to go ahead, leave a review for Paradise Perspectives, because this is how other people can find us as well, and go ahead and share it with your friends and family on Instagram and on Facebook, you can tag me at TheTravelingIslandGirl and I will make sure to give you a shout out in the next episode and also, of course, repost it with my friends and family there on social media. So thank you so much for lending me an ear today and, without much further ado, let's get this really interesting conversation going. Here's Fenerbahce. Take a listen.

Speaker 1: 3:06

Oh my goodness, I'm so excited that you're here, fener. I am so, so excited. I've been looking forward to having you on the Paradise Perspectives podcast for a while, since our first initial conversation, because you have so much to share, and it's not only about your island, but also about the upcoming endeavors that you're getting into. And before we say or tell the audience what exactly that is, I just want to ask you to please if you could just tell us who you are. Who is Vernier, and am I pronouncing it right? Actually, I have a feeling that I'm like going a little too deep into the name.

Speaker 2: 3:49

No, I think you're pronouncing it perfectly actually, because in the past I've had I don't know how people can see Vernier and somehow call me Veranda or Vanilla or Verain.

Speaker 1: 4:00

I get all types of variations.

Speaker 2: 4:03

I've always that person. You know, when you're in the room and they start saying names and then they get to mine and they're like um, that's me Yep, yep, and I, I'm getting the same.

Speaker 1: 4:14

I got Giselle, gazelle, griselda. I just don't get it. I get Roselle a lot. Even if I'm typing my name, the autocorrect corrects it to Roselle and I'm like who told you my name is Roselle? I have no idea. Anyway, vernier, I am so, so grateful that you could make the time for Paradise Perspectives today. Please go ahead and tell us who is Vernier Bass.

Speaker 2: 4:39

So, first of all, thank you very much for the opportunity.

Speaker 2: 4:42

I'm Venea Bass.

Speaker 2: 4:44

Currently I wear so many hats that it's difficult to put it all into one but, in short, I am the founder and CEO of 664 Connect Media, which is a regional media house which focuses mainly on Montserrat, because you can probably hear from my accent that I lived in the UK for a while for most of my adult life and teenagers, to be honest and I returned to Montserrat in 2019 with a view to contributing to the redevelopment of the island and also to raise the island's profile.

Speaker 2: 5:19

For those of you who may be unfamiliar with Montserrat, montserrat is a British overseas territory which is quite close to Antigua, and in 1995, we had a volcanic eruption which destroyed three quarters of our island and erupted continuously till 2010. So we lost most of our infrastructure, which is what forced myself and my family to migrate to the UK and then, obviously, since becoming an adult and, you know, gaining skills professionally, I decided to come back and contribute. So this is what gave rise to 664 Connect Media, and I also work as a business and marketing consultant and, obviously, through the Media House, I'm a journalist and reporter and graphic designer and videographer.

Speaker 1: 6:08

Yeah you do it, all, you do it all, and we have to because a lot of times we're we solopreneurs. We do everything. We're doing the marketing, we're doing the behind the scenes, we're doing the no, no, the posts on instagram or whatnot. We're doing everything, we're doing it all. So congratulations to you on, you know, coming back to montserrat, but also for starting uh, 664 media. I've been seeing your content for a while because I'm so, so interested in all of the other caribbean islands, and montserrat has been one of those places that I've always kind of like I knew a little bit about through friends, and, of course, I knew about the volcano that happened, but I was always wondering what it could have been like for you to get uprooted. So suddenly you know, like, of course we've we here in Samaritan, we've experienced hurricanes, but in your case, this was something that completely you had to leave like there was.

Speaker 2: 7:08

There was, I mean, was your house in the part of the island that got the most damage so luckily, um, as it relates to evacuating within the island, I never had to evacuate because my family home has always been in the north of the island, which is the safe zone. So the the island is actually made up of three volcanoes, which is essentially the three peaks that make up the island. So right in the north there is a volcano, but that volcano is now deemed to be dormant so it's dead essentially.

Speaker 2: 7:41

And then in the center hills we have another volcano, and then in the far south, the youngest volcano, which is about three million years old, is the one that is active right so and that is almost a good thing because in a way, the different mountain ranges has actually allowed us to still be able to inhabit the island, because the volcano is so far south, it's caused all the destruction there, so that is now considered to be the unsafe zone. Um, but my family, luckily, was always in the north, so my family home that I grew up in is still there. So the the crazy thing about that period of time when the volcano was erupting, like you mentioned, obviously saint mart, martin and other islands and including us.

Speaker 2: 8:24

we experience natural disasters in the form of hurricanes, but the difference about a volcanic eruption is that it's a continuous natural disaster. It's not a natural disaster that came when and then you can rebuild.

Speaker 1: 8:38

It's something that is still ongoing because the volcano is still deemed to be active and can potentially not probably it's not going to erupt straight away but it's still potentially able to erupt now and which is why they've now declared that whole south side of the island completely unlivable. So it's like there's. I've seen pictures from friends of mine who had a house there on the south side and did find themselves having to evacuate, and they moved, having to evacuate, and they moved on to St Martin to build a new life. But I couldn't, you know.

Speaker 1: 9:14

For me, coming from a place where, yeah, I've dealt with hurricanes, it is almost unconceivable when you look at something like that powerful that can completely destroy part of the island, completely, deemed it inhabitable, inhabitable or inhabitable what's the word? And and then you lose everything and cannot go back to rebuild. That is the part that was so shocking to me. So if you don't and then of course in your case you could have stayed could you have stayed? Because of course a volcanic eruption comes with gases and this and that, so was it that it must have affected you in one way or another, whether it is that you know, all of a sudden there was less opportunities on the island, or what was the main reason other than the eruption that made you and your family then or move to the UK.

Speaker 2: 10:07

I think it was a variety of reasons. So one thing that I didn't mention is that obviously, if you look at most Caribbean islands, the cities or towns are usually located in valleys, because obviously that's the flattest part you know, to build because most of these islands are mountainous, Sadly for Montserrat, our capital, Plymouth, which is now deemed to be the buried city or the modern day Pompeii, was actually at the base of the erupting volcano, which means that the volcano completely destroyed all of the island's infrastructure.

Speaker 2: 10:39

And ironically, because if you look at the volcanoes like a peak like this, so on the southwest side that was Plymouth and then on the southeast side, that's where our airport was. So in both areas of the flow it took out the airport on this side and took out the capital city on that side. So both of our ports of entries were destroyed. And another important thing as well is that we had experienced Hurricane Hugo, which had a devastating impact on the island in 1989. Yeah, on us as well is that we um, we had experienced hurricane hugo, which had a devastating impact on the island in 1989 yeah, which destroyed about 90 percent of the houses on the island.

Speaker 2: 11:16

So six years later, in 1995, when the volcano erupted. We were just in the process of rebuilding. So we just got a new hospital, we just got a new port and all of these new infrastructure developments right. So then the volcano came and took all of that out. So, um, most of like our college, you know, like the main, the main um secondary school on the island was in in the south, like our sports complex and cricket grounds was in the south. So it really destroyed everything.

Speaker 2: 11:49

Because I remember back in the day, if you lived in the north, you know caribbean people like to say countryside right yeah, that's exactly, even though the island wasn't big like bunstrop is by no means big in general right, but I still remember people literally calling us like country bumpkins, like they some people had never been to the north. Some people would only come to the north to go to the beach and stuff like that. So us in the north were deemed to be the people that were living behind god's back and then. The irony now is that everybody had to move to the countryside, to the north of the island.

Speaker 2: 12:26

So one of the things that happened to me is countryside to the north of the island. So one of the things that happened to me is migrating to England was the first time that I moved. I actually moved to the USA, um, first this was in 1996 I think and then I was there for about nine months, didn't like it, returned to to Monterey and the the funny thing is, when I left to go to america I was still in my primary school. But then when I returned, my primary school was now the hospital, wow. And then I was now going to primary school in a temporary I guess what you'd call refugee camp, which had now been tense.

Speaker 1: 13:05

So we were going to school on the 10th so it was a, it was a major, so even.

Speaker 2: 13:09

I think one of the things that people neglect, obviously, those people who had to evacuate. It was a very sad time for them because we weren't in the time of social media so we didn't have, you know, facebook to go back to and refer to. You know, in terms of like memories, right, because a lot of the people who evacuated was literally a situation because when the volcano started, you had the ability to go home during the day, when you can see, and then come back out to the shelters at night time. But there were some dramatic explosions that literally destroyed complete villages, literally like that. When you see the power of a volcano, it's I always say it's like devastatingly beautiful, because in a lot of ways, it's like it's.

Speaker 2: 13:59

It's destroying but creating at the same time, right? So there were people who completely lost um all of their family memories and stuff like that, and I can't imagine what they would have gone through. You know, especially some people have never been back to the island because of that fact because, they can't take their children to where they they grew up right.

Speaker 2: 14:19

But then on the other side, for people like me, some may see as oh, you never lost your family home, you know, I can if I had kids, I'll be able to take them to where I grew up, but I lost my primary school like we lost everything that we knew, because our churches became shelters um the the way that we used to live um completely changed, and then, obviously, my mum at the time would have been in her early 30s with four kids having to think of what do I do?

Speaker 2: 14:49

because, almost like COVID, this was a situation that nobody had ever experienced before and you don't know if the volcano was going to stop in, say, a similar fashion to St Vincent, but ours just went on, you know. So she had to make that drastic decision to say you know, I need to make sure that my children are okay, and that's why we were forced to migrate to the UK. And then, obviously, with the volcano as well, it was literally a thing where it can be bright as day outside, like this, and one explosion it goes pitch black, as if it's nighttime.

Speaker 2: 15:26

And then some of the islands in the region as well would have received the ash. And obviously, if you have respiratory, if you have respiratory issues, then you know that you wouldn't be able to breathe properly with the ash, and then the other impact that the ash has is like when the ash lands on the ground.

Speaker 2: 15:45

So even now, it's 29 years later, and when you go to some areas, the ash is still there because it creates like this barrier on the soil which makes it very difficult for vegetation to grow, so there's so many like impacts of it and obviously it destroys, like coral reefs, and it's something that you can't it.

Speaker 1: 16:06

It's so destructive yeah, it's destructive, but creative in the same time.

Speaker 2: 16:11

It's so crazy because the island has grown. But I think one of the things that's really unique about our experience is that we're literally seeing God at work and we're seeing how the world was created, essentially the world was created.

Speaker 1: 16:28

Essentially, would you say that the eruption of the volcano kind of like put Montserrat on the map when it comes to tourism. In a very weird way, it kind of like brought the world's attention to it.

Speaker 2: 16:46

I would say yes and no, because in the early 60s we had transitioned from slavery into um more residential tourism and if you know anything about our history, you would know that, for example, liat Airlines was established here in Montserrat. So some people say leave Ireland anytime, but we were pioneered in terms of aviation.

Speaker 2: 17:13

So Liat Airways actually started here on the island, and then also in the 80s we had Sir George Martin from the UK, who was the producer for the Beatles, who came here and established Air Studios Montserrat. So during the 80s we were responsible or the island. A lot of the international superstars, especially within rock and roll, made their music here from the Beatles to Rolling Stones to Elton John Earth, wind, fire, luther Vandross what these were people, who were all coming.

Speaker 2: 17:45

I did not know that, yeah, and the police. Like all of those music, all those songs from the 80s who were like number ones were created here on the island. Even some of Michael Jackson's greatest songs were produced here in Montserrat. So that had essentially already put us on the map. And the reason why Montserrat was so attractive then was because these are superstars, right. So if when they were making their music at studios like air studio london, they will be inundated with fans and people would just be bombarding them. So we had, like duran duran, like literally all of the who's, who of the 80s, had produced their music here, because obviously Sir George Martin was the producer for the Beatles, so by virtue of that he attracted everybody here. But what was good about Air Studios is it was the peace and the tranquility of the island right.

Speaker 1: 18:41

I think in a way it's the same reason why so many millionaires and billionaires and celebrities flock to islands like angola it's for the peace that comes with it. You know they can be themselves. They don't need to run for from paparazzi and and huge amounts of people that run behind them. So, yeah, I can.

Speaker 2: 18:59

I can definitely see that and the thing is ironically is that I think as west indians, we don't place so much emphasis on musicians. We're more into sport. So if it was somebody like, say, brian Lara in his heyday, who would come to Montserrat and was walking around, he probably would have been bombarded, but you had. I think there was a story of one of his name leaves me right now, but I remember it was one of the Beatles who were given, so sorry, sorry.

Speaker 2: 19:29

So when John Lennon died, sir Paul McCartney actually came to Montserrat. That was his escape, wow. And I think he remembered giving like a local man a watch, for example, and the guy was just like okay, who are you? And it was a.

Speaker 2: 19:44

Rolex, but like nobody. He came back to Montserrat with like 12 bodyguards or something right, and he sent them home within a few days because it was just so unnecessary, because no one cared. So the locals really treated them like if they were just like normal people, and then that is what really that's, that was the beauty of air studios. But air studios wasn't actually destroyed by the volcano. Air studios was destroyed by hurricane hugo and because it had destroyed most of the equipment so, george martin kind of said you know, we'll just leave it.

Speaker 2: 20:23

And then that time as well was when music was making that transition from, say, um, I guess, from. It was moving more towards the digital era. It was moving more towards the digital era. So we're moving more from tape over to um. I don't think it would have been cds at that time, but it was basically where record labels were no longer willing to spend so much money on sending an artist overseas to make music when you can do more of it digitally. Right, you didn't need to have the drummer in the room, the saxophonist in the room.

Speaker 2: 20:59

You can do a lot more you know, separately so those are some of the things that we were known for pre-volcano, so our tourism industry was thriving, and the reason why I said that it was a yes and no scenario is because I think back then we were seen as another prominent island in the Caribbean, but then now these days, I feel like our tourism is more a celebration of devastation rather than progress. So people will come to Montreux to see the buried city.

Speaker 1: 21:35

And then most people will now see you as, because the island does so much more.

Speaker 2: 21:39

Yeah, so they'll now see you as the volcano island. And another person to mention as well is that, if you notice, I'm feeling hot, hot, hot. Yep, olé, olé, wait, montreux Arrow.

Speaker 1: 21:49

Yes, arrow. To mention as well is that, if you know, the song feeling hot hot, hot yep. Yes arrow.

Speaker 2: 21:54

So arrow is also from munster and would have been part of that whole. He wasn't so much the air studios era, but he was a musician who came out of munster and was making his mark internationally. So we would have been known for our music, our culture and stuff like that. But then after the volcano which is something that I experienced when I went to the UK we just became oh, you're from the island with the volcano?

Speaker 1: 22:20

Yeah, exactly, in a lot of ways it took away the prestige, yeah, and the beauty and all of that uniqueness that made Montserrat what it is before the volcano time, and I think it's something that all of us go through it's like for a long time. Up to this point, if you google Saint Martin, there's somebody still, and we are now only what is it? Seven years later almost? And we're still getting the question is the island okay to visit? It's seven years, it, you know. So I can only imagine in your case, this is 29 years ago and people are still not getting over the fact that the volcano erupted people are.

Speaker 2: 23:03

People are still asking, because lots of people think that the island was completely destroyed, so exactly. People don't even think that people live here. Yeah, so you get the question oh people still live there, or you know, and you know what's ironic, which is something that I find so strange, because obviously, if you grew up in the region, you should have done geography so you should know the islands of the region. There's people within the caribbean region who don't even know that we exist and I don't know if that's something to say about our tourism or whatever, but it's so shocking.

Speaker 1: 23:36

I think it has more to do with the education system of some places, or some teachers, I should say, because I remember getting, uh, you know, we learned about montserrat in school in Curacao, so I knew about Montserrat, but, like you said, it was made for us to believe that the entire island was destroyed, and it wasn't until I moved to St Martin that I started, you know, meeting people from Montserrat when I then learned that, no, it was only a part of the island, and the island is very much thriving with, you know, all of its good things still happening there, like, for instance, your, uh, your carnival, which it coincides with, or is on, saint patrick's day, which I need to ask you about as well, but, um, so, slight correction there.

Speaker 2: 24:25

Yeah, our carnival is actually during Christmas.

Speaker 1: 24:29

Okay, so we have a Christmas carnival in December, so what is the parade that you have then on St Patrick's Day?

Speaker 2: 24:37

So one of the unique things about our history and our heritage is that even my surname, for example, is Irish, so Bass is Irish, and my other family names are things like Osborne, and even my middle name, which I'm not really fond of.

Speaker 2: 24:51

Deirdre is the Irish name, so it goes right back to colonialism and slavery.

Speaker 2: 24:57

So back in the day, um, after the well, the indigenous people who would have been the Caribs or Tainos and Arawaks who would have inhabited the island, were the first people here.

Speaker 2: 25:08

But then from St Kitts, which is our neighboring island, we had the Europeans who migrated to Montserrat and they would have brought over the Irish indentured slaves, right. So there was lots of racism towards the Irish back then. So lots of the white Irish who were in the region were also indentured slaves. So the Irish would have been the first indentured slaves on the island alongside the indigenous people. And then later the Africans were brought over to help with the sugar trade and stuff like that. So a lot of. So what eventually happened over time is that a lot of the irish were eventually able to have their own plantations and stuff like that and then they became slave owners themselves and obviously, if you know how slavery works, you inherit the name of your slave master exactly yeah, so what was happening during that period of slavery is that, because there were so many Irish on the island, we're also known as the other Emerald Isle.

Speaker 2: 26:15

As in you know, ireland is also known as the Emerald Isle. If you look at those of our national colours, they're very similar to the colours in the Irish flag, and even when you come to Montserrat, you stamped a clover, a green clover in your passport, right?

Speaker 1: 26:32

I'm coming to Montserrat just for that green clover and my man, I'm on my passport. I mean that that's just yeah.

Speaker 2: 26:38

So the reason why we celebrate St Patrick's is not for the same reason as the Irish, but we celebrate St Patrick's because in 1768, there was a planned slave uprising. Unfortunately it failed because someone informed on the slaves and then as a result of that some of them got hanged and persecuted and things like that. So we celebrate that day because ironically it happened on.

Speaker 2: 27:03

St Patrick's Day because the slaves knew that the Irish masters would have been celebrating and having a good time eating and drinking and being married to St Patrick's Day because the slaves knew that the Irish masters would have been celebrating and having a good time eating and drinking and being merry for St Patrick's Day exactly so they wouldn't be paying so much attention on them.

Speaker 2: 27:18

Yeah, yeah, so whilst they were drunk we will just free ourselves, basically. But then the coup failed and then so that is why we celebrate St Patrick's as that, you know failed slave uprising. And then Munstra is the only other place outside of Ireland where St Patrick's Day is a national holiday, exactly so we celebrate. I'll say that these days, the St Patrick's Festival which is probably why you know about it more than our carnival has totally taken over, and surpassed the exposure of our carnival.

Speaker 2: 27:55

So our St Patrick's is a week long celebration and we have international acts coming in. We have a variety of events taking place throughout the whole week. So whether it's tours of the island, sea tours as well, we have like art shows, fashion shows, theater productions you know the museum will put on like a special exhibition. We have like tea parties. It's a whole vibe. It's really cool during St Patrick's because the whole island transforms. Last St Patrick's I was trying to be young. Well, I literally went from zero to hero and the week after st patrick I was dead, like oh my gosh, you could have, just couldn't, anymore my buddy was like I don't know who you think you are, but this is not gen z you need to rest.

Speaker 1: 28:48

You know that may be why because because of course you know when you see that St Patrick's, the events around St Patrick's day are happening in Montserrat, it looks kind of like a carnival vibe.

Speaker 1: 28:58

I think that's probably why me and a couple of others might think that that is your carnival time. So my excuses for my little mistake there, but thank you so much for the education on. You know, not only when your carnival is happening, but also about the volcano and what the history of the island is like. You know there's like so much that is not not really said about the island and I think you know, like most of us, we just take whatever we see online and we go with that instead of actually doing a little bit of research and finding out more about the places that we travel to. But so again, vernier, thank you so much for that little educational part about the island. You know, after all is said and done, at the end of the day, paradise Perspectives is about getting all of that information from a local's perspective right before we head on and bombard your island during saint patrick's day. But um, you know this is.

Speaker 2: 29:59

This is the value of your podcast as well, though, because you know, some of these stories are untold stories and unless you you speak to a local, it's very difficult to you know capture these things about an island. So kudos to you for hosting a podcast like this thank you, I have to.

Speaker 1: 30:17

I have to, briefly, really quick, go back to something that you mentioned, when you said when the studio was still, uh, you know, when all these artists from the UK were flying down to record and you said the locals didn't really care. I am so happy that I didn't know about this, because I would have been a crowd of one and I would have been all over Simon Le Bon from Duran Duran.

Speaker 1: 30:39

I just want to put that out there because it's super important for people to know that, yes, I would have been that deranged fan that would have been all over this business. Been that deranged fan, that would have been all over this business. But okay, you know. Thank you again for all of the information about bonzerat and, yes, this is a travel show, but there is something so, so important that I want to discuss with you, and that is your new show wow. And I want to say wow now because that's the name of the show. It is wow, wow is wow, wow is the acronym for yeah sorry.

Speaker 1: 31:17

It's the women of the West Indies which you know, it's you, it's me, it's so many other women that we do not talk about, we do not mention and should get their, uh, you know, their little moment in the spotlight, because we have so much to say. It is so, it is such a vibe, being a woman of the west indies, so I'm so glad that you started the show, so, so, so happy that you did, because that's where you and I are so, so much alike. We both are all about, you know, empowering women, giving them a voice, and that's exactly what you're doing with this new show. Uh, you know the wow or women of the west indies yes, um, you know what's so interesting.

Speaker 2: 32:02

First of all, I didn't realize how many times I say wow in the conversation until until recently. Like literally, I'm like wow and I'm like wow. I say wow a lot, I do.

Speaker 1: 32:16

I think if I'm going back when I'm editing this show, I'll probably be like oh, there's a, there's another wow, and another wow, and another wow. So there's, yeah, there's a lot of wows, but that's, that's what makes this even so much more attractive when you see it. Uh, you know, and you have done such a magnificent uh um job with the visuals and and making it bright and inviting, and you know, you've done it all and, like we said in the beginning of this conversation, we both are solopreneurs. So kudos to you for not only how it looks visually, but how you present yourself. And, of course, you've had years of you know, experience in radio. But that is just. It's just so, it's wow.

Speaker 2: 33:05

Thank you so much. I think for me, it's the reason why wow is so important to me. It's like I feel like, well, I know it's an idea that I've had for at least three years, right, and I don't know what it is. Sometimes you get these ideas and they just stick with you. And I'd written out a whole proposal for wow and I was pitching it to different stations and stuff like that, because since I've come back, what I've really been doing, even with my other show in the hot seat, was to really shine a spotlight on people.

Speaker 2: 33:36

So, whether it was and and for me it's never really been about celebrities, it's really about those grassroots people who are just doing things because sometimes interesting stories absolutely, because we all have a story to tell, right, and and sometimes you have a philanthropist, you might have a maid, you might have a caretaker, and these people are all doing valuable work.

Speaker 2: 34:01

Sometimes, when we see these celebrated people or the people who have received some element of the spotlight, we suddenly think that they're so different from us or they're adding more value to the world than us and and in some ways on the island, I'm probably one of those people who people see all the time because of the work that I do. So I felt like it was important to spread that to the region. So with 664 Connect, I was doing that with mainly locals and I'd had experience of interviewing politicians and other people like that throughout the region and even in the uk and the usa. But I really wanted to shine a spotlight on women of the west indies, because we live in a very patriarchal society and that is throughout the region as well. So even you know, through doing 664 connect media and and you know, sharing the news, I think mia mutley is the only female prime minister in the region well, no, no, no, we had one I mean up to who's the prime minister now?

Speaker 1: 35:05

no, the prime minister now is a man, but up to during that whole, yeah, so you had everything.

Speaker 2: 35:11

Yes, we did yes yeah, but that's true, the fact that we can yeah I know it.

Speaker 1: 35:18

Just it's so silly. And, and you know, and that's not the only thing, it's not only the women that can get to those positions of power, it's also this, what, what? I don't want to call them small, because they're not small, but also the ones that are less known. You know, the women that the everyday woman that stands up against something big that we don't hear about, and we as women of this region, are also so overlooked. A lot of times, you know, with my background, in content creation especially, we were constantly overlooked, you know.

Speaker 2: 35:54

So it's, it's, this is that's why I'm like, wow, this, this, this wow thing started and I'm like, wow, that was like, this is amazing yes, a key element of wow is I really started from a point of what women do um, because I think it's important to highlight the variety of. Most of us are known for our job roles, let's be honest. So it's really about highlighting the different things that women are doing throughout the region. So I've only done um three shows so far. The first show was, ironically, about me, and I have to say that it wasn't something that I had planned to do.

Speaker 1: 36:37

I actually quite like that twist. I love that twist, by the way. It gave us an insight into who you are, so I think that was kind of lovely, because you are a woman of the west indies with a story to tell as well. So, yes, I loved that you were the first uh topic of conversation in the first episode.

Speaker 2: 36:58

Yes, absolutely but I think you know, obviously I've been having pre-interviews with women like yourself. So Rizal's going to be on the show, guys, which is fantastic. I'm gonna be wowed, she's gonna be wowed. So I think the cool thing it was actually Avern who, avern Richardson who ended up being my guest interviewer. I was doing my pre-interview with her for the show and she was like so why can't you be a guest on your show?

Speaker 1: 37:27

and I was like wow, I love love that.

Speaker 2: 37:30

Wow, I'd never even thought about that and it really touched me because it was a moment where I had it was my wow moment, because I thought why didn't I feel that I was also a worthy woman of the West Indies with a story to share, right?

Speaker 1: 37:47

So that was my wow moment, Kudos to Miss Richardsonardson she's, she's just, it's one of those other women is she going to be? And I mean like, yes, she did the interview, but is she going to be?

Speaker 2: 37:59

he's going to be a guest as well okay, perfect.

Speaker 1: 38:02

So I'm looking forward to that too, yeah yeah, so, um.

Speaker 2: 38:06

So my second guest was I'm really starting out with, because the show is broadcasted on radio anguilla fantastic, thank you, radio anguilla for the opportunity and also here on our local radio station, zjv radio as well. So I'm really the good thing about introducing myself first was to introduce myself to the people of anguilla, because obviously people are familiar with me here, and then also the second guest was Tahira Banks Webster, which I love.

Speaker 2: 38:35

I love her. Fantastic, so empowering. So and, and the thing is again, these are not necessarily women who are deemed to be famous, but if you listen to that episode, you know that she had so many gems to share and her life experience was so extraordinary. And there's just this. This. The crazy thing is about all of the pre-interviews that I've had, it feels like I was talking to myself right in so many different ways. Even when we had our first conversation, it was like, wow, our lives mimic each other there are so many things that we share.

Speaker 1: 39:15

There is so much our backgrounds is similar um, our work in radio. I used to be a news anchor, which is something that a lot of people don't know, but there were so many synchronicities and so many things in our story that aligns perfectly. It's like it really was as if I was talking to myself. So, yeah, you're right.

Speaker 2: 39:36

And that's the thing. And it's weird because, speaking to the other ladies, I feel the same too and it's like is there something about? There must be something within us that kind of maybe it's like soul ties in a way, but I think there's a certain type of woman and then we all have similar characteristics. Yes, the stories are different, but the journey is almost identical and parallel in so many ways. And obviously my most recent episode was speaking to Colette Jones Chin, and I suggest that you guys go and check that out, because Colette is a creative in every sense of the word. She's a visual artist, she's a theater director, she's an actor, she's a poet, she's a writer.

Speaker 2: 40:24

I cannot wait to hear you know, and and then the the cool. Well, not the cool thing. It's not a cool thing by any means because it has a multiple myeloma cancer, which is the cancer of the blood.

Speaker 2: 40:37

But this woman has not stopped her tenacity and her drive and her determination and her courage and her bravery. It just takes your breath away. But it's also encouraging because again, here is another woman who's going through something so life changing, but she's still choosing to push forward, no matter what, and I think those are the gems and and those are the things that I really wanted to come out of. Wow, it wasn't so much about success. It's not so much about successes. It's not so much about, oh, I've achieved this and I've done that and I've done this, but what is the journey?

Speaker 1: 41:16

you said that it's the journey, the guess it is the journey yeah, that's where the story lies.

Speaker 1: 41:23

It's in the journey, and that is what makes the end destination and the end result so much more amazing. You know and I just just did a video on that on my other platform island girl awakening it's exactly what I was talking to. I was talking about today. So, yes, that's, that's. That's just amazing. Again, before we continue on that, I just want you to tell the listener where they can find you, because right now you do not have a podcast yet. Right now, wow is broadcasted live on those two radio stations that you mentioned, hopefully soon also at one of our radio stations here in St Martin. But until that time, how can they, if it's somebody that has never heard about you before or about WOW and do not live anywhere near Anguilla or you know near the island, somebody that is trying to is listening to this right now from the mainland? Let's say how can they listen to the WOW episodes and let's say, how can they listen to the WOW episodes?

Speaker 2: 42:27

So the WOW episodes are broadcasted live on 664 Connect Media but also on the Women of the West Indies Facebook page. So if you want to follow us on socials, you can follow us on Instagram, tiktok and Facebook at Women of the West Indies, and you can watch the show live on our Facebook page or you can visit 664 Connect Media on YouTube. I'm happy to say that I will be launching the WOW show as a podcast next month.

Speaker 1: 42:57

Yay, oh, I'm so excited for that.

Speaker 2: 43:00

Yeah, so all of the episodes. What I was trying to do was just have a catalogue of at least four episodes, so when I upload, it as a podcast. Those will be available to you and then you can start following me weekly via the podcast as well. But it's definitely going to be uploaded as a podcast as of the beginning of June but in the meantime, you can follow us at women of the west indies, um yeah, on socials.

Speaker 2: 43:26

It's a long name I I understand, but the wow show as a handle was not available and I think it's still powerful to be called women that's what I'm thinking too, because if you just call it a wow show, it doesn't actually say what it's about.

Speaker 1: 43:40

So yeah, I like women of the west indies, um, as a handle name and then so we can find you on instagram, on facebook and on youtube with that same name and I'll take that yes, um, okay.

Speaker 1: 43:57

So before we end today's episode, I want to ask you something that I ask pretty much all of my guests, and that is some don'ts for montserrat, like we already spoke about. You know the things that people do not do their research before getting there, etc. And they don't get. You know, like myself making little mistakes, like thinking that your saint pat Patrick's Day was your carnival, and stuff like that. So what are some of the don'ts that you could tell somebody who is interested in visiting Montserrat that they shouldn't do or they should avoid doing?

Speaker 2: 44:39

That's a very interesting question, the don'ts.

Speaker 2: 44:42

One of the things I'll say um about coming to the island is understanding that our island is in the process of redevelopment, so there's lots of things, infrastructure wise, that may not be available. Firstly, if you're traveling to the island, you have to access the island via antigua. Antigua is our main transit point, so which would connect you to most of the international airlines. Um, we used to have a ferry. We tend to have a ferry on a very um periodical basis, so mainly during the peak periods, which is Christmas and St Patrick's, we'll have a ferry, but during the other periods of the year it's quite there's not a lot of people coming to the island, so we can't justify it. So I'll definitely say to check out the two local, the two airlines that come to montserrat fly montserrat and win air which are accessible from antigua, which is only a 15 minute plane ride to montserrat. Um, the other thing to really consider as well is that montserrat is very much cash based. So if you're coming to the island, be prepared to use cash more than your card, because we don't necessarily have international banks here. So that's something that you definitely need to consider. If you're thinking that you're coming to a very metropolitan island, you are not. You are literally coming to an island, which is very much the way that the Caribbean used to be. So Montserrat is very much a place where you come for peace and tranquility. It's a perfect place to bring your family. If you're someone who's very much interested in nature and hiking and things like that, I'll say that Montserrat is the right place for you. But if you're looking for somewhere that's going to be having a buzzing nightlife and partying and all of that, this may not be the island for you. You may want to stop off in Antigua on the way back or on the way here. So those are some of the things to consider In terms of finding out information about the island.

Speaker 2: 46:40

As it relates to traveling around the island and activities on the island to do, I'll recommend that you visit visit munster atcom and you can also follow the munster at tourism division on um at island of munster at. Of course, you can follow 664 connect media, where I provide, yeah, up-to-date information about events and activities that are happening on the island. So mine the feed moves very fast, but it's where you can find out information that's happening every day. If you want to learn a little bit more about our political landscape, you know, about activities and things that are happening on the island. 664 connect is perfect for that, but if you're looking at things some more touristy side of things, I'll suggest that you go to visitmonstrutcom. In terms of other don'ts, one thing to know is that we don't have white sand beaches.

Speaker 2: 47:29

We have black sand beaches because we're a volcanic island, exactly, yeah, so if you're looking for white sand, this may not be the island for you, but obviously there's beauty in both as well, right? So yeah, I would say say that Munstra is definitely a beautiful island, but we are an island in the process of redevelopment, so definitely bear that in mind for everything that you're going to be able to do here.

Speaker 1: 47:56

on, the island, but just rebuild the infrastructure. To be honest with you, vener, you just sold it to me because that's exactly why I travel. I travel to find peace, and you have just created this new space for me. That I'm thinking is it because, uh, I'm, I'm in love with anguilla? For that same purpose, so I can imagine. Or for that same reason, so I can imagine, you know, I can already see myself there in, in, uh, montserrat, for a week of peace. That sounds amazing, maybe.

Speaker 2: 48:26

I should one of my retreats should be in Montserrat, I'm thinking and the cool thing is as well, is that Montserrat is a type of place like I kid you not, most of the times when I go to the beach, I have a whole beach to myself oh yes and that can obviously be scary from a health perspective if you can't swim.

Speaker 2: 48:49

But from another perspective, one of the things that really irritates me is when I go to an island and you're trying to relax and decompress and every five minutes there's someone selling you something you know like. You want to just be able to go to the beach and enjoy nature. And another thing to note as well is that Montserrat is probably 99% crime free. Crime doesn't really exist here on the Island. We're the type of Island where, if you use your mobile phone, someone will take it to the local radio station. I remember in 2017,.

Speaker 2: 49:27

I was traveling to Montserrat. Right 2017, I was traveling to Montserrat. This is when I was still in the UK and I remember meeting this family on the British Airways flight to Antigua. So I was saying, oh, you guys should come over to Montserrat. Blah, blah, blah. You know Montserrat is so safe. To Montserrat, blah, blah, blah. You know Montserrat is so safe. If you lose your mobile phone, they'll take it to the local radio station. Kid you not fast forward? They ended up coming over for St Patrick's. One member of their family lost their mobile phone and they went to the radio station and collected the mobile phone. So it is really that the island is so small and the community is so close-knit that really and truly like crime here is probably stealing someone's animal like I got your goat, give me my goat back yeah, give my goat back.

Speaker 2: 50:20

Someone is trying to eat, you know, but outside of that, crime is oh this is like, so like this reminds me of seba seba.

Speaker 1: 50:30

It's like that too. It's like like almost completely crime free. All right, so, veneer, thank you so much for this conversation. But one more thing, because I'm always curious about so much more, that is you. You know that you have to say. I want to know what it was like for you going back after so many years. What was it like to settle back into that quiet? Because, let's be honest, you kind of like you, can get used to all of the noise of the UK and all of the livelihood of it. And then, when you come back to this peace and quiet, what has that been like for you to kind of settle back into island life and Montserrat?

Speaker 2: 51:22

do you want me to be honest? Yes, please. That's why, of those questions, that you have to answer in two ways, because you have to reflect on the good and also the bad as well so coming back into a society like this where I lived like all of my adult life.

Speaker 2: 51:39

So all of my teenage and adult life was spent in the uk, which is obviously very fast paced. Everybody's really driven. I remember when I came back to Manchester I was like why do people walk so slow? Because in the UK you don't realize. Yeah, like I remember times being in the UK when I'll be like walking for the train station. I'm like where are you running to? Like why are you moving so fast? But you really don't.

Speaker 2: 52:06

You have to physically moving fast, like we move faster in the uk I remember coming to montserrat and like sitting on the veranda and looking at, like, say, an old woman walking up the road and I would walk that in a minute like 10 minutes later she's still coming up the road, right. And that is literally the definition of life on a small island, especially an island like ours, which is in redevelopment. Like everything is slow, everything takes time, everything is bureaucratic and I'm like I'm not used to this you know I was, and then even from a technological perspective as well.

Speaker 2: 52:50

I remember coming from the UK where I could literally go out jogging and I can come home go out jogging with just my mobile phone and come home with a bag full of shopping because I can pay for everything on my phone. Oh yeah, super easy and just the accessibility of everything. So everything in the UK was, and is now, more or less cash-free, but in this society it's very cash-based. So even in Munster you're still processing checks and stuff like that, right.

Speaker 2: 53:17

Wow so that transition was difficult for me because I was just like, am I in a global country, like what is happening? So even things like that, and then even things like you know, munster is very much disjointed, like I said, because we're rebuilding our infrastructure. So in the UK, you know, you have a city, you know if you go to the central location, you're going to get all the banks, you're going to get all the supermarkets. You're gonna get all the banks, you're gonna get all the supermarkets, you're gonna get all your clothes, you're gonna get everything in one space. But in monstera you really have to to know where things are.

Speaker 2: 53:52

And again, this is what gave rise to 664, because it was really trying to make that transition easy for anybody who's coming over from the diaspora to have this central location to find out information, right. So that was difficult as well for me. But on the negative side of things now, um, in the sense where some of those things I mentioned previously, I knew that because I would come back on holidays, so those didn't really shock me, but the shock for me was more or less the people's reaction to me. So I thought I was gonna come back, I'm doing something which is positive. I feel like I'm contributing, like when I came back I was so hungry to make change, like I wanted to be the change that I wanted to see, and you know I was really pushing myself out there. But I think in the Caribbean they have more quiet confidence, whereas in the UK your confidence has to be a little bit louder just because you're you're up against thousands of people trying to do the same thing that you're doing.

Speaker 2: 54:57

And then also one of the things that I found difficult coming back is that my brain has already expanded, it's already been exposed to so much and I was never someone who really like stuck around menstruations when I was in the UK, because I felt like I'm in the UK, I need to have a rich mix of friends.

Speaker 2: 55:18

So I had friends from all over the world um, white, black, asianian, chinese, whatever you name it. So I had been exposed to so many cultures and things like that. So then, coming back, I found it difficult to shrink myself back to living in a small society which is almost like a fishbowl, and then also one of the things that I met when I came back was the resistance from those people who thought that, okay, who you think you be, you went to.

Speaker 2: 55:48

England and we were down here and we're holding the fort and you know, you just come back now where the volcano is not as active anymore. Things are more or less business as usual and now you're reaping all the benefits, right? So that was something that I was hit with as well, and in a lot of ways, I'm still receiving resistance because I feel like, because I have a platform as well, I think that some people have this parasocial relationship with me where they think that they know me and then they don't.

Speaker 2: 56:27

So I've had so many instances where I've heard from people that I'm the most hated person on the island and and things like that, and I'm like what, what have I done?

Speaker 2: 56:37

like all I've been doing is trying to positively contribute. And when you hear things like you're the most hated person and even when I was in the UK, I've never been somebody that's interested in gossip I feel like gossip comes from a very negative space and it comes from a place of almost perfection. I feel like any, every all of us make mistakes, we all do things and we all screw up. But when you are gossiping about someone, it's this air of oh, I would never do that. Like that's what they do and they're so wrong and they're so bad and they're so terrible.

Speaker 2: 57:12

But in a small society there is a lot of gossip and because I choose not to participate in that, it almost alienates me in some ways as well. In England I'd always had a mixed bag of friends, so I never really had to encounter that he say, she say, and that's something that I find to be a negative on a small island. So it was very much having to adjust to living life under a microscope yeah and that is what I feel like. It's like living on a small island and then the other side as well.

Speaker 2: 57:47

One of the things I miss the most about the uk is to be anonymous yeah, you don't have that because the ability to just go to the supermarket like looking however you want to look, looking rough, no one's gonna judge you. You can just go out and do anything that you want to do and come back, and sometimes you have those rough days where you don't want to speak to anyone, but when you're on a small island.

Speaker 2: 58:16

You just step outside and the whole world knows that you've been outside and who you spoke to and what you did, and so those are some of the cons to returning. But I'll also say, on the plus side again is that I have achieved so much since I've been here because, outside of all the noise and all the gossip and sometimes the hatred, I've just used that to propel me rather than sit back and and shrink within myself. I've used that as you know what people are going to talk anyway. Yeah, they are and they will, and sometimes bad publicity ain't necessarily bad because they're talking about you. So for it's like you know I must. If my mom's always said like people, don't throw stones at mango trees that are not bearing fruit.

Speaker 1: 59:11

Right, oh, that's so good to say. So if you weren't doing?

Speaker 2: 59:13

anything, nobody will talk about you. Yeah, but if you're doing things, you have to accept that people are going to have their opinion of you one way or the other.

Speaker 1: 59:26

Even if you just decide to not ever come out of your house again, they'll still have something to talk about, so really it doesn't matter. But this is again another reason why I love that you were starting the Women of the West Indies show, because these are just stories that a lot of people from outside of the Caribbean don't realize. When you go and you live abroad and you come back, you come back to something like you were, and that's what I always say, and it has a plus side and, of course, a negative side to it as well. But when you move and you go to the big country and you come back in the big country, you are just a number. Nobody knows you. You have that anonymity, which can be a double-edged sword a sword because when you do come back to the island, you have a little bit more opportunities just because you know everybody, you know. So it does have that also. That's on the positive side. You are not a number, but you're a name, you know. So you are someone. When you come back to your own uh thing, but it is, it's. It's. You know that what you said.

Speaker 1: 1:00:30

You can't just step out of your house and go to the supermarket, just as you are. That is the exact same reason why I left curacao. That's the reason why I left curacao I wanted a little bit more of that anonymity. But now, especially, you and I are doing kind of like the same thing. We are a, we have made ourselves into this, these personalities that people know, so you are going to get that anonymity is, at the same time, the thing that we, we don't have anymore and we, we, we can't use that anonymity anymore anymore. And we, we can't use that anonymity anymore. And I don't think you and I were meant to be, you know, propped in a corner and shut up.

Speaker 1: 1:01:13

We weren't meant to do that, so yeah, I agree.

Speaker 2: 1:01:14

Yeah, it's a double-edged sword because you can't have one without the other, like I created this like to be honest, I could have come back to Montserrat and just got an average job and just settled into society, and this is why I say that our lives have so many parallels. And I think that's the same thing that I see with all of the women who I've interviewed, even for a while and beforehand. There's just something within you and you can't put your finger on it, but this is your destiny and who you were meant to be so, even if you want to be anonymous, because you know what the crazy thing is about- me after all of the psychometric tests that I've done.

Speaker 2: 1:01:57

My personality has always been shy and people don't understand that, because I think people think that shy is one thing for me doing interviews and this is why for me, it was my wild moment to be interviewed because most of the times. I'm the interviewer.

Speaker 1: 1:02:15

I'm sitting behind my screen, I'm not seeing.

Speaker 2: 1:02:19

I'm not seeing. So even if 10 000 people.

Speaker 1: 1:02:22

Usually you're a doctor and now you've been put on in the spotlight, which is something that is different.

Speaker 2: 1:02:29

Yeah, yeah, and I think one of the other things with me I think maybe by virtue of my star sign, being a leo is that I will rise to the occasion if I have to, but I don't necessarily need to be the front runner, so I don't need to be the loudest person in the room but if I'm asked a question, I'm gonna have an opinion.

Speaker 2: 1:02:50

Oh yeah, so it's like. It's like that. That's what people don't understand, because for them, most people would see, you know, coming online, interviewing people, as daunting, whereas for me, because I guess it's my gift and my calling, I can just take up a mic and start talking oh yeah, but it doesn't have no problem, but put me in a social setting, and I think that's what people misunderstand me as well because when I go, outside. I just want to go home like I literally don't want to really be outside that much.

Speaker 1: 1:03:22

To be honest, like I'll prefer this is my comfort zone, right here, in front of a microphone and in front of a camera. I am, I feel, at home. This is, this is my comfort zone me, put, put me in an event or anything, and you know, I just don't have that. It's the same exact thing. That's another thing that you and I have in common. I am an introvert. I do not necessarily. Just because I do this doesn't mean that I like to be in public areas with crowds with you, which is why, on the other hand, when you said that I can have the beach to myself, that black sand beach all to myself when I visit montserrat, yes, please sign me up. That is my jam, that's what I like to do and that's the misconception, because like I said, it's these parasocial relationships with you.

Speaker 2: 1:04:11

So you see me, I'm in front of the camera, I'm boisterous, I'm talking, my hands are moving oh gosh, all over the place, but let me have to go out to a social event I'm having about 10 conversations with myself in my head before I get there I'm probably gonna find three different outfits. One person in the room that I know that I can vibe with for the rest of the night and then and then, and then.

Speaker 2: 1:04:34

The crazy thing is as well. It's like once you get me talking, you probably can't shut me up, but just to get me outside oh my gosh, to just get there and that initial step into that public space.

Speaker 1: 1:04:46

And I get that a lot because I do a lot of YouTube videos, you know, with promoting St Martin and then. So I get a lot of people. They think of me as a friend, as their own personal island friend. So when they get here they're inviting me out for drinks. And that's when I'm like, no, no, thank you me out for drinks. And that's when I'm like, uh, no, no, thank you, thank you so much, but no, I don't, I don't necessarily want to make that step into. You know, just, of course I go out and of course I go out with friends sometimes. But even my friends have said it to me so many times that like we don't see you it's, it's because I'm just super comfortable being right here in front of my little laptop and my, my microphone and that's my comfy space.

Speaker 1: 1:05:28

You know, don't get me into any. Yeah, no, I totally get it for near it thank you, thank you thank you? Yeah, it really is, and it really is. But it's so nice to connect to somebody who actually gets it, you know, so thank you for that and thank you for it.

Speaker 2: 1:05:44

I hear all the time this this is the common statement yeah, I hear you, but I never see you. And this is the crazy thing as well. I think that my voice is no, it's better known that my actual physical. So I'll be somewhere and someone will be, like someone.

Speaker 1: 1:06:05

I know that voice, I know that voice, I know that voice and they're like oh, so you're the veneer all the time yep, yep, yep, yep. Um, thank you so much, not only for being on paradise perspectives podcast, and I can't even speak Paradise Perspectives. Thank you so much for being on the show but also thank you.

Speaker 1: 1:06:30

Thank you for bringing this unique and very much needed conversation to the air, you know, with the women of the West Indies. Thank you so much for doing that. We all need our spotlights every now and then. We all need our voices to be heard, and it is so beautiful to learn about all of these other island women. So thank you for that, and I cannot wait to hear more, and I cannot wait until you are in the podcast area or in the podcast world as well.

Speaker 2: 1:07:03

Arena.

Speaker 1: 1:07:04

Yeah, exactly, because right now, to be honest, I listen to it, but I listen to it on YouTube. But the great thing about a podcast is that I can scroll on other stuff while I'm listening to you, so I can still do my work on my phone while I'm listening. So I cannot wait until you get in that whole podcast arena, like you said. So, thank you again for being here. So I cannot wait until you get in that whole podcast arena, like you said.

Speaker 2: 1:07:26

So thank you again for being here and thank you very much for the opportunity. I very much see WOW as an opportunity to give people their flowers whilst they're still around. So thank you so much for giving me my flowers and for featuring me on your fantastic show.

Speaker 1: 1:07:41

Give me the opportunity to speak about my island from so many different perspectives oh, wow, I I need to get you back actually, because there's so much more that I want to that I want to know about montserrat, so we're probably gonna have to have another conversation at one point or another whenever you're ready.

Speaker 2: 1:07:58

And also, thank you so much for highlighting um saint martin, but I have a question is it saint martin or saint?

Speaker 1: 1:08:12

I know that is like that. I just actually I just did a video about that and an episode here, just like two episodes back. I think that I wanted to clarify it because there is a difference, and yes, there's a difference, but what I have come to learn is that it's very simple Saint Martin, s-i-n-t-m-a-a-r-t-e-n is the Dutch way of spelling it. So that's when we say, when we're referring to the Dutch side and Saint Martin is the French name for it, and which is spelled exactly the same way as the English would spell it. So when we're referring to the island as a whole, we normally use St Martin, as in S-A-I-N-T-M-A-R-T-I-N. At no point, though. Please don't ever call it St Martin with two E's, please stop doing that, saint Martin, with two E's.

Speaker 1: 1:09:07

Please stop doing that. That's the only thing I have to say on that.

Speaker 2: 1:09:09

But yes, saint Martin, just the way you hear it, that's how we actually say when we're talking about the entire island fantastic, so thank you so much again for having me, and I look forward to when the episode comes out, because I feel like I'm, like you know, doing my rounds with the media, oh yeah yes, so excited for our listener to, to be able to listen to this conversation because it's so juicy.

Speaker 1: 1:09:34

Thank you again. You're welcome now. Didn't I tell you this was going to be an interesting conversation? I did not lie now, did I? I mean, vernier is so knowledgeable when it comes to montserrat and it is no wonder really that she is the voice of the community there. So, yeah, and, and she's a new friend, my goodness, I, I can pick them, can't I? So happy to have vernier in. Uh, you know as one of my new friends and I hope she is now yours as well.

Speaker 1: 1:10:03

So, for anything about the new show, which is, which she does live on Radio Anguilla and CJB Radio there in Montserrat, she does that live every Sunday so you can listen in or you can go to YouTube and type in 664 media. But to make it easier for you, you can go to the show notes and you will find a link that will take you directly to her YouTube channel. All right, and, like she said, she is soon going to be having all of these episodes of the Wow Show. She's going to have them available on a podcast. So that's coming out very, very soon in the month of June.

Speaker 1: 1:10:43

Right now, at the time of this podcast episode, it is the end of May, which reminds me that I need to remind you that it is the last week for you to sign up to join us in St Martin for the Island Awakening Retreat. That is happening from the 4th of June until the 9th of June. You do not want to miss this, so go check out the link in the show notes where you can get more information. There is only one room left in the villa and I'm hoping it is here, my friend, so go check that out. My name is Rizal, the Traveling Island Girl. It was lovely being your host of Paradise Perspectives again, and I hope you take a listen again next week. Thank you so, so much for being here and I'm gonna leave you with the beautiful sounds of us and you, so you can imagine you and I walking on the beautiful beaches of the Caribbean sometime soon. I hope you can take a listen again next week. Bye for now.