November 22, 2007

My Thoughts on Belize

Belize is not a country. It’s a tiny piece of Earth's real-estate located just right of Guatemala where people are struggling desperately to survive. Belize is powerless and can’t make an impact on the rest of the world and probably never will, not even via global warming. The people living there are lost in their own world. The government is comprised of a bunch of gangsters with their own agenda and as such, the country develops slowly. Belize is a tourist destination.

I like the third-worldness. It’s laid back and everything is in close proximity. Friends and family are just a five minute bike ride from home. If you're like me, everything's dandy until it's time to get a job.

Professional careers are limited in this place. Heck, I'd do photojournalism for a living but sadly, such things remain foreign to our education systems. Look at us, we do everything but kick ass in academics. We don’t produce scientists, designers, or engineers. If not for Andy Palacio, we'd never be noticed by the rest of the world. (Thanks for the exposure Andy.)

But who cares? Like I said, I like the laid-backness. Just one question. What would it be like if we weren't this lax, if we tried our best at everything we did, if we were really serious about education? Would we be cloning sheeps and making submarines? Would I be studying journalism as a major on some foreign planet?

8 comments:

Tracy Tillett said...

Belize is young, but even at this age, if we could have been governed by loyal people and people who have real interest in the country and people, rather than themselves, we would be in a much better state. These are the times we are reminded of how poorly our government had performed, and it does anger a person.
Sometimes enough to think of the idea of leaving this place, but then we remember this is where our family is, this is where we are from. Will that always be enough?

I'd study Art for the passion and beauty. If it were different, then my parents would approve of me studying art. Right now, they aren't so open as I would like them to be. I guess because they know the world we live in, they know Belize and they know how hard one has to work to survive.

Or maybe I'd probably be a mad scientist, like Einstein.

Domanick Fabro said...

heh, i originally wanted to study makeup design for movies...then somehow pathology got there, then IT and now drawing and animation. I settled for IT because its what we have.

as for our slump, what can I say we put those crooks there and we let them do the things they do.

Sometimes I wish we never got independence and were still a part of the UK.. ah well. I still love belize. but i wont miss it.

Leonardo Melendez said...

@T.T: Talk about survival, I'm feeling the "things haad out ya" pinch now. I've been talking to close friends and relatives (a.k.a. Dj Rabb), and the things I'm hearing aren't easy on the mind nor to one's health. I'll see how long I'll last in this place. For now, I'll stand my ground. Nobody said it was easy.


> Sometimes I wish we never got independence and were still a part of the UK.. ah well.

@Fabro: Affirmative. You know I planned to write along these lines but try telling that to a George Price aficionado. Who knows, I just might.

Daniel H. Schluckebier said...

You just became a closer friend for telling it the way it is. God I was waiting for someone to just lay it out. I am tired of this place i once loved this place but now so far all i want to do is to find my way out and begin my life she where far; somewhere with more opportunities. can't wait to see what life will be like some few years from now. Its hard I know...

Take care dude, seems you working hard trying to get somewhere. I sure hope we both make some time to hang out before I go back to Independence.

Vicky said...

"Belize is not a country. It’s a tiny piece of Earth's real-estate located just right of Guatemala..."

I couldn't have said that better myself. GOB is always selling out our assets, be it enterprises, natural resources etc.

I love the quietness, the diverse cultures, the natural wonders our country has to offer... but I think we are like ducks > way too passive. We need to get out of that 'comfort zone' in which we are. All we do is complain, but never do anything to change the way things are. We need to change our mentalities, mainly in the areas education and entrepreneurship. We gotta stop giving power to foreigners, and start steering this country in the direction we want to.

Everything has a reason why said...

hmnn.. Sadly i happen to love this tiny piece of earths real estate. Honestly, i love it... BUT I DO NOT LOVE THE STATE WE ARE IN... i hate the Government, their lack of management skills, i sometimes hate the way the people act... and i hate the lack of job.. Leo, i'm job hunting too..
but i love the land...

Beth said...

I know what you mean. I want to study therapy so bad but I haven't had the opportunity to do so... if I will? Maybe but not right now.

Tracy Tillett said...

comfort zone right, Vicky, this is where the saying applies Only in Belize..., too bad its doesn't end well.
We need a major change especially in Education; if a major percentage of our people were educated, we would be much better off and people couldn't be easily convinced or bribed about always voting in the same corrupt party. We'd know beyond close quarters.