Where over the world, say where,
You find an island there
So lovely small with nations free
With people French and Dutch
Though talking English much,
As thee Saint Martin in the sea ?
O sweet Saint Martin’s Land
So bright by beach and strand
With sailors on the sea and harbors free
Where the chains of mountains green
Variously in sunlight sheen
Oh I love thy Paradise,
Nature beauty fairly nice.
Oh I love thy Paradise,
Nature beauty fairly nice.
How pretty between all green
Flamboyants beaming gleam
Photo credit: April Jaye
Of flowers red by sunlight set
Thy cows and sheep and goats
In meadows or on the roads
Thy donkeys keen I can’t forget
O sweet Saint Martin’s Land
So bright by beach and strand
With sailors on the sea and harbors free
Where the chains of mountains green
Variously in sunlight sheen
Oh I love thy Paradise,
Nature beauty fairly nice.
Oh I love thy Paradise,
Nature beauty fairly nice.
Saint Martin I like thy name
In which Columbus fame
And memories of old are closed
For me a great delight
Thy Southern Cross the night
May God the Lord protect thy coast!
O sweet Saint Martin’s Land
So bright by beach and strand
With sailors on the sea and harbors free
Where the chains of mountains green
Variously in sunlight sheen
Oh I love thy Paradise,
Nature beauty fairly nice.
Oh I love thy Paradise,
Nature beauty fairly nice.
In 1958, “O Sweet Saint Martin’s Land” was composed by Father Kemps to celebrate the island of Saint Martin. Today, it is the anthem of both sides of the island. The song reflects the natural captivating beauty of the island and the spirit that lives on in the hearts of its inhabits through the years.Join us as we celebrate Saint Martin’s Day on November 11! To hear the song, click here.
Well, it finally happened. I had to change a tire without my husband there. In fact, not only did I have to conjure up the memory of how to change a tire, but I had left my American phone at home, my island phone was dead, and I had two teenagers in the car. Also, I was stupid enough to park in the mud on a slight slope, which made the whole thing more difficult. And you know what? It wasn’t actually so bad. In fact, in ended up being a good thing, in a way.
Of course, no teenage boy who has been promised a beach excursion wants to sit in the mud and change a tire. But the kids I had had a pretty good attitude, and I was a darn good thing they were there, especially R, who never complained once and worked really hard for an hour. Together, we managed to jack up the car, get the blown tire off, not get our feet smashed when the car slid in the mud and fell off the jack, jack it back up, and put on the mock.
As soon as that tire blew out, I knew I had two choices: get really stressed out and frustrated, or play it cool and have a good attitude. To be honest, if I was alone I probably would have thrown a great big hissy fit and cried a little. But with two teens in the car, I didn’t have that option. If I could keep my wits about me, it would be the perfect opportunity to model how one ought to handle a crisis. I decided to stay very calm and not freak out. By the grace of God, I was able to do just that.
We were quite a ways away from any buildings, so I just pulled off in a dirt patch and we got out to survey the damage. Yup, the tire was flat, and we were not going to make it any further than where we were. In hindsight, I should have made sure we were on level ground, but I was focused on staying level-headed. “Well,” I told the boys, “You two are going to learn how to change a tire.” And I silently thanked my dad for showing me how to do it way back when I was their age, because otherwise we would have been in big trouble.
I unloaded the massive amount of random stuff out of the trunk (you know, coffee pots, sheets, and spoons, the usual) and located the spare. After some hunting, I found the jack Ben bought and an assortment of tools. It took us what felt like seven years to get the car up, and I honestly wondered if we were actually going to do it. Even so, the whole time, we stayed pretty chill. Maybe it was a little overkill when I suggested we think up positive things about our situation (R looked at me like I had lost my mind), but better positive than negative, I guess. I’ve been in worse situations– Ben and I once changed a tire in the rain using a jack, a broken antenna, and an old fork, only to discover than the spare was also flat. We survived that, so we could totally survive this. Sure enough, couple hours later, we were back in Philipsburg with a new rim from the tire shop and a pumped-up tire. And R was armed with his newly-acquired knowledge of how to change a tire.
I learned a few things from this situation. First, it’s super nice to have a helpful teenage boy around who is strong enough to raise the front end of a car. Secondly, I’m more capable of taking care of myself that I thought. Third, I need to be vigilant about how I handle things these days, since a bunch of kids and teens are watching me.
Finally, I learned that being a mentor isn’t just about fun outings and giving advice. It’s also about walking through everyday life with someone, in the good times and the bad, and showing them how to deal with life’s storms. I think that maybe the flat tires of life are the most powerful mentoring moments.
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What has been your most powerful mentoring moment? Comment below to tell me about it.
Sint Maarten’s Parotte Ville Bird Park is one of those secret gems tucked away in the island’s interior. You won’t find a website for Parotte Ville, but word of mouth travels fast enough to keep the visitors coming in. I’d been dying to go for months, but I wanted to take some kids with me. After all, kids make everything more fun. I used fall break as an excuse to take this Brother and Sister to explore Parotte Ville. Come with us and discover the magic of tropical birds in paradise!
Directions: From Philipsburg, drive north into the Belvedare region, like you’re headed to Orient Bay Beach. The bird park is on Bishop Hill Road.
Experience:
Bird Enclosure
Note to self: Parotte Ville is closed on Mondays. We ended up visiting the zoo on Monday instead, and made Wednesday our Parotte Ville day. As soon as we stepped in the gate, we were greeted by George, who gave us an awesome tour of the park. He began by introducing us to each species and handing us cups of bird seed.
I was glad to get some into on the birds before heading in. The kids patiently listened, but they had already caught a glimpse of the birds and were about ready to jump out of their skin with anticipation! The birds seemed pretty excited, too, and peered at us expectantly through the wire mesh of the door.
Once we were in, it didn’t take long before the birds began to gather on our seed cups. George introduced us to Alex, a ringnecked parrot. He’s one of the birds with the most personality, and he even comes when called. Sister spent most of her time at the park hunting for Alex.
Besides Alex, there are plenty of other birds to see! These colorful conures were my favorite. They were the most friendly, and were perfectly content to sit on our cups and snack. As you can see, they are also pretty photogenic.
Brother is a perceptive kid, and he wanted to check out all the different types of birds in the park. To his disappointment, not all of them wanted a bite of his bird seed. He decided they were still cool to look at, though. We both were awed by how beautiful the birds look when they fly. At one point, nearly every bird in the enclosure took flight as if on cue and soared clockwise around the park. It was stunning to see the parrots fly through the air. They fly so differently than other birds– almost like dancers in the air. I could hardly believe that I wasn’t standing in the middle of an untouched Brazilian jungle. Brother asked me if I snapped a picture of that moment, but it wasn’t the picture taking kind of experience. It was the kind of experience that you just have to be present in and enjoy as completely as possible.
You don’t find stuff like this where I come from. It’s amazing to get to hold parrots and see these birds up close! It teaches kids to appreciate nature and to treat wildlife with respect.
Herb Garden
I was interested in all the plants growing in the enclosure, so George showed me around. He grows a lot of herbs with healing properties, along with other vegetation. He plucked leaves from many of the herbs and let me smell them. Some I know and use, like lemongrass, but others were totally new to me.
Museum and Playground
As if the bird enclosure wasn’t cool enough, Parotte Ville also features a great playground and a museum. Sint Maarten doesn’t have a lot of playgrounds, so finding one is a pretty huge event. Sister was excited to play, and Brother was fascinated with the museum. Eventually, Sister decided to see what all the fuss was about and found the museum pretty awesome, too.
George gave us a tour of the museum. It’s his private collection of Saint Martin history, which he gathered from his family heirlooms and household items. There is another heritage museum in Philipsburg, which I haven’t visited yet, but this one has a different twist. George told me that the Philipsburg one focuses heavily on indigenous Arawak history. “But who’s going to tell my family’s history?” he pointed out. “I have to start somewhere.” I’d say this is a pretty darn good start.
The kids learned about such ancient artifacts as rotary dial phones and film cameras, and I enjoyed seeing the coal-heated irons and the pictures of local fruits that hang on the walls. Brother knew the uses of a lot of the items, which impressed George. Although he did think the washboard was a cheese grater. When we left, brother commented, “The past was good, and now is good… I think the future will be good.” I have to say that I, for one, am glad we live in an age with washing machines instead of washboards. But I do appreciate history and former ways of life, and I’m glad he does, too.
Of course, we couldn’t leave without trying out the Flintstones car. By the end, the kids were happy but pretty pooped. We said good-bye to George, Alex, and the birds and headed to baseball practice. Later, Brother wrote a story about Parotte Ville.
If you’re in Sint Maarten, make a point of spending a morning at Parotte Ville! There are tons of awesome things to do on the island, but this is one of my favorite. I’m already planning my next trip.
Saint Martin, we missed Hurricane Matthew. We were lucky. Haiti was not. As part of the Caribbean community, it is not only our obligation but also our privilege to join as an island and help our Hatian brothers and sisters in their time of need.
You can help! The Hatian Foundation on Saint Martin is organizing a drive to collect food and clothing to help victims of Hurricane Matthew. The collection is daily at the Marcus Building on Pondfill Road.
We do not all have a lot to give, but remember how Jesus honored the widow who gave a mere two pennies to the needy. Out of her poverty, Jesus taught, she was willing to give to those less fortunate. We can give too, no matter how little we have to spare. Imagine if every person on Saint Martin gave one can. What an impact that would make!
Today, I delivered a few boxes of clothing to the drive. The boxes were a collection that was given by the Spouses Organization at American University of the Caribbean. It was quick and informal. I posted on our group page that I was willing to drive donations to Philipsburg, and the next day several people dropped off bags of clothing. Perhaps you can do an informal collection at your church, school, or work!
I drove up to the Marcus Building, where I found a mountain of donations and team of volunteers, including the president of the Haitian Organization. Saint Martin, you have already been so generous! The team told me that they are waiting on a container so they can ship the goods to Haiti.
They also asked that I request for you, my readers, to bring more food. They have a lot of clothing, but are in need of cans and other nonperishables.
As I walked out of the donation center, the beautiful, friendly culture of Saint Marin enveloped me in an island-wide smile. I’m now sitting at Carl and Sons, among friendly faces, listening to the sound of a live steel drum band play cheerful Caribbean tunes. Thid island is a wonderful place. Here, there is hope and joy. Let’s send a little of that to Haiti.
An open letter to the Saint Martin Department of Education and the government of Saint Martin:
For a year now, I’ve been working with Tom Burnett and the Player Development Program to mentor and tutor at-risk youth. We’ve seen heartbreaking situations, but none quite so awful as this week’s case. One of our teens got in a fight at school and is being sent back to prison—again. His first offense? Stealing food when his mom abandoned him and he was left homeless. This gave him a year, and the crime of having no family to speak of caused him to be detained a second year. Now, he is facing more time. I am advocating for this teen and asking you to reexamine his case.
As a community, it is our job as the people of Saint Martin to help our at-risk youth survive difficult childhoods and become capable adults. That is why I and the Player Development staff have been working so hard with this teen. We are teaching him to read, we are teaching him social skills, and we are teaching him responsibility. If he goes back to prison, we lose our chance to redirect his life.
I understand that physical aggression is wrong. But so is sending a child to prison and destroying his hope of a future. Prison has done nothing to help him with aggression. If anything, it has made the problem worse. Reform school has also taught him very little. Just last week, I sat across the table from him and coached him as he struggled to read the word “up.” If this child goes back to prison, he will come out illiterate, with no education, no connections, no support system and no skills. What is his future? Selling illegal drugs? Joining a gang? Going in and out of prison his whole life? If he goes back, his fate is sealed.
However, there is another way. We are dedicated to this child and his future. We are dedicated to mentoring and shaping his character as well as his intellectual mind. If he is kept out of prison and allowed to remain with the Player Development Program, we can give him the tools he needs. First of all, we can address his aggression. Two of our staff are certified Anger Replacement Training (ART) coaches. We have had many kids go through our program and were already planning for this teen to join our class this fall. Secondly, we can teach him to read and do math. These things are necessary skills, and while he has never learned them in school or in reform school, he has actually been improving in our program. Our records show that our kids progress an entire school year in reading every three to four months. One-on-one tutoring makes a difference. Third, we will teach him responsibility and social skills. Already we have seen improvement in this area. I took this teen to the zoo last week. He was extremely respectful and helpful with the younger children. He saved my sanity! He also volunteered to help out the zookeeper with some of the day’s tasks, which was much appreciated. At our program, he is constantly helping the younger kids with their baseball skills and assisting Tom Burnett with things that need to get done. He is respectful at all times and we have never had a problem with him.
I see a lot of potential in this teen. I am confident that if he can stay in our program, and be surrounded by a support network that believes in him, this child can learn to make good decisions and become a responsible, independent citizen of Sint Maarten. I take personal responsibility for my part in teaching him social skills, reading, and responsibility. Please reconsider sending him back to reform school. He has been let down by everyone else in his life, and he deserves so much better.
Sincerely and resepctfully,
Breana Johnson
Happy Bay in Saint Martin isn’t easy to find, but it’s worth it. If fact, you can hit two beaches and take a short hike all in one day when you go to Happy Bay! Once you arrive, it’s like paradise on earth.
My friend Stacey, who sadly has moved back to the States at this point, told me once that she appreciated how consistently I share my photos of our adventures together. Looking back on our trip to Happy Bay, I realized that I never actually shared them, since I’m stingy with my photos until after I post a blog! So here’s the blog and the very late photos– sorry Stacey!
Why to go. Stacey and I went to Happy Bay with Andrea and Lala, two other spouses from American University of the Caribbean. We were all hoping to add another beach to our list of “been there” beaches. I’m hoping to hit all 37 SXM beaches before I move in April, and Happy Bay was number 21! Even if you’re not counting down beaches, Happy Bay’s a nice place to spend an afternoon. It’s perfect for sunbathing in the soft sand, far away from traffic and the distractions of commercialism.
How to get there. To get to Happy Bay, you have to drive to Friar’s Bay. This beach is on the French side of the island on the western coast. If you drive north through Marigot, you’ll see signs to a turnoff on your left. After a short drive through a neighborhood (short provided the cows do not block the road), you’ll end up at the beach. Friar’s Bay is a nice family-friendly beach with calm water, which I’ll write about another day. You have to walk north on the beach, past all the great-smelling food places on the beach. You’ll find a little trail heading up the hill. If you can’t find it, the employees at the restaurants will be happy to point you in the right direction. Take the hike until the shaded path spills out into the sandy sunshine of Happy Bay.
View of reef from the hiking trail
The hike is short, but beautiful. I want to say it’s somewhere between a quarter mile and half a mile. We managed in our slippers (flip-flops, for all you mainlanders), but close-toed shoes would have been nice. On the way, I spotted little rocky beaches with gorgeous live reef glistening beneath the surface of the clear water. I was pretty much drooling with anticipation of coming back to snorkel there someday. Still haven’t done it, but it’s on the island to-do list.
The beach is standard length for the island, but the sand goes back quite a ways. There’s no development to ruin the beach and surrounding forest, although there are a couple of abandoned houses that took Hurricane Louis pretty darn hard. Some of my friends have explored around them, although I have not. The water is nice, but not particularly good for snorkeling. There are a lot of boats and jet skis that use the bay and stir up the water. If you just like sunbathing, though, this is a good place to do it!
This donkey and his iguana buddy were just chilling near Friar’s Bay
Watch out for sea urchins in the rocks and men hiding in the bushes. No, not kidding. Unfortunately, we’ve often run into issues with creepy men in bushes at beaches here. We’ve never heard of them doing anything harmful, but they like to watch girls on the beach. It is very weird. In other words, I won’t be back to Happy Bay unless Ben comes with me.
As far as Saint Martin beaches go, I’ll give Happy Bay a 4 out of 5. It’s nice to look around and see nothing but nature (aside from the people and boats in the bay). It also has a spectacular view of Anguilla and feels just like what you imagined a Caribbean beach would be like. Definitely Istagram-worthy.
P.S. Why not pin this image on your Pinterest and add a little “happy” to your boards?
