“If you want to
understand  the place
you are traveling in,  
simply get to know  
the people who live there.”
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism

One might wonder why I have such an affinity for The Bahamas. Sure, I spent a year teaching here, but that was 51 years ago. How could something that happened that long ago still have such an effect on me? 

The answer to this question is clear to me. It’s not about The Bahamas. It’s about the Bahamian people, some who I got to know 51 years ago, and with whom I have maintained contact through the years, and others I met in my multiple visits to the island since that time. They are the reason I enjoy returning to Nassau when the opportunity presents itself.

Nassau is the capital of The Bahamas. It’s located on the island of New Providence. It’s a small town. When I meet a Bahamian I do not know, it’s not unusual for us to realize, in the course of our conversation, that we have mutual friends or acquaintances. Just this afternoon, as I was returning to my rented condo, I met a man who was digging a hole in front of his home to install a light post. We spoke briefly about his reason for wanting to improve the lighting in that location. Before moving on, I introduced myself. The gentleman then did the same. His family name is Poitier, and he acknowledged that Sidney Poitier, the actor, is his cousin. I told him that when I taught at Saint Augustine’s College 51 years ago, one of my students was Cedrick Poitier, Sidney’s nephew. The man smiled and told me that “Ceddy” had been at his home yesterday. Small world. That’s island life.

Walking through some of the neighborhoods here which tourists rarely visit affords me the opportunity to meet many other local residents. Many conversations reveal that we know people in common, which forms a connection between us. I thoroughly enjoy meeting people as I walk the neighborhoods, and, more often than not, people seem genuinely happy to engage in conversation with me. This, too, is island life.

In the past few days, walking down Bay Street, the main thoroughfare through downtown Nassau, I’ve run into to more than a dozen people I’d met on previous visits to the island. It’s a wonderful feeling to walk through a town in a foreign country and be warmly greeted by people who remember me. 

I would say that I have a good understanding of The Bahamas, because I’ve made the effort to get to know the people who live here. Through them, I have come to a better understanding of the joys and struggles of Bahamian life. 

I definitely don’t feel like a tourist in Nassau.