Final: Then and Now: Island Culture, Day and Night

I wake to the rays of warmth cracking through the open shutters illuminating my face. I explored the emptiness of my home as everyone else went to enjoy the serenity that the island offers. During the day I take a stroll down a silent path surrounded by endless woodland, through the trees the scent of fresh buttery goodness seeps through attracting people to buy the freshly made bread. I continue along the path with my mind entirely focused on the cast plain of aquatic tranquility the rest of my family make our way as soon as they’re ready hoping to get a good spot where we could get colored underneath the light of the world. It’s always a hustle and bustle as the entire coastline, even on the other side of the island gets filled with people very quickly. My uncle and I would take the boat and make out way across the sea to another nearby island, the beauty of the day , is that the sun is glistens off the water and giving everyone a perfect view of the aqua colored seafloor. I immerse myself in magical atmosphere and lose myself. Laughter scatters indicating everyone having fun, throwing balls around and jumping in the water.  A prolonged sigh of sensation is produced as the water refreshes me due to it being a perfect temperature. This place is a realm of tranquility where all stress and depression is relieved and you just let yourself go. All of these people are immersed in their own things, not interacting with other groups or families. That is one of this place’s cultures; a perfect environment to relax and forget any problems. When lunchtime comes I am always excited. Everyone does sort of the same thing which is throwing a family barbecue. the fresh scent of homemade barbecue contaminates the air of the town attracting all to a feast of the ages.  The fresh caught fish are cooked to a point when you can smell the nicely done crisp layer down to the soft meat center. The fire burning bullied my face with the heat and I heard the crackling of the wood and paper. We would then sit around the table and start picking out the fish we wanted to eat, passed around any extras and then dug in. Never did I eat a meal when the food is so freshly cooked and tastes perfectly crispy on the outside and soft and warm on the inside. The meal had been devoured and sat around having enjoyed dining like gods. Most people just stay at home and some people would go back down to the beach, although, the sun would not be as scorching as it was in the middle of the day. A day like this is rewarded with a time to sit and meditate on my thoughts as I rested on a rock on beach and witness the sky burn a fiery orange as the sun fades over the aquatic horizon also having leaving a trailed reflection on the water’s face. A true sight to behold.

The sky transforms as the fiery orange fades to a deep blue to match the sea. Lights burn in the sky clearly visible and illuminates the night sky. My family and I would head down into town and before we even get to the end of the street we would hear music, laughter and a lot of fun coming from the marina. Crowds gather along the water’s edge to enjoy the endless festivities every night, comrades reunite and new ones are formed as they rejoice over freshly caught and cooked sea food and beers. We go further into town where we would go to our favorite local restaurant. We always order either fried calamari with chips or the four cheese pizza which are both incredible. The smell and taste of the food is always fresh and never leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Music fill the streets only to be drowned out by the laughter and sing alongs to local bands or karaoke. As you sit there you notice everything around you. Everyone is communicating with everyone, as for the younglings, we immerse ourselves in the warm feeling of night swimming and show our enthusiasm in the form of competitiveness over a fair game of pool or street football. Sometimes the bar gets packed when there is a game on and they always tense. At this time there are parties all along the coast and if you are quiet you can hear the never-ending party going on the other side of the island. We bid farewell to the night by retreating to our home where we say goodnight to our neighbours and lay, sleep and wait for the next day as we get to enjoy it all over again. The point I am trying to make is that there is a second culture to the island, a culture that you have to experience yourself to understand the feeling. It is a time where I’d rather be nowhere else. Everyone is connected with a random person and has fun with each other. The night becomes a whole party that no one ever forgets and this is why the night is different from the day, it is because everyone comes together rather than just pass by each other without a second glance. It is places like this where my greatest memories are carved on my own road and I would stop to see them again any day.