October 19, 2016 · Delhi, India
Being diplomatic is not my forte, but this night I was having dinner with two ‘Ambassadors’ of the self-made island country known as the Seychelles.
A group of originally uninhabited islands off the coast of Africa, in the Indian Ocean. It was started by colonialist (French/British) and slaves brought from a variety of places in Africa, Asia and the Indian sub-continent.
What they had in common, was that they did not have a common language, so they created one. Colonialism has past, the past has past, and about 100,000 people of about as many shades, share a single language and culture.
I find this absolutely amazing. People and especially women have more rights and more influence in their government than in any of the 31 countries I have visited on this trip and the 71 in my lifetime.
The biggest issue facing them in this semi-paradise, where education and healthcare are free, is consumerism and materialism. Trying to find that balance of having enough but not too much.
By the way as far as I can tell they do not see themselves as a racially diverse society, they see themselves as Seychellois. In the Seychelles it is very possible for these two friends of mine MarieFelicia-Ramalingam Kutti Ramalingam and Patsy Moustache to be birth sisters, but it does not seem to make a difference if by birth or not, they are like sisters, maybe even soul sisters.
It was great to have a chat with an Oxford graduate with more degrees than me. And my friend Pauline (MarieFelicia-Ramalingam Kutti Ramalingam) who I met through my dancing partner and wife of my Irish village postman, Mathilda Twomey who is now the Chief Justice of the country they share. Where else in the world can a the postman’s dancing wife become the Chief Justice, another Patsy Moustache (pictured on the left) get multiple degrees from multiple countries and the other MarieFelicia-Ramalingam Kutti Ramalingam (pictured in the middle) a woman with no post high school degree, represent their country internationally.
There is so much I learn when I travel, I hope others can learn from independent ladies like these. By the way the ladies in this country are quite able to manage for themselves. It will not be a safe place for Donald Trump to visit unless he wants a gender re-assignment, or any other male who does not respect women. With the Chief Justice knowing about dance, I doubt Trump would be able to dance around the law and if he tried, he would not be left with a middle leg to stand on.
I have great respect for these women and all the people of a country who found a way to communicate and appreciate equally.
