"There's a dent in the fairytale"

I like that one! A bit like "no Paradise without flies".



The Saba Soap continues, not much has changed. The longer I stay here, the more difficult it is, not to become cynical: I heard myself saying (and believing) yesterday: there is no fairness, nobody wants to hear the truth and nobody cares - people will hear what they want to hear. Does that sound like me?? I don't want to turn into a bitter, negative person!

Also, the longer I'm here, the more impressed I am with Marianne, who's been living on a tiny island more than 25 years now! And it's not even warm where she lives ;)


Jan and I obviously chose the hard way by going from not really knowing each other to living together in a very confined space. I had to leave my friends and diving in Thailand behind and of course Saba is a very, very small island - in so many ways. With Jan's history on the island, I will always be "his new woman" and there will always be speculations, as to whether I was the cause of his divorce. With the additional external stress and hostility of the last couple of months, it feels a bit like living through an emotional category 2-3 hurricane (like Omar) - except most hurricanes pass in a couple of hours and this one is permanent.

At least we can see that it's true that there is nothing like outside pressure to strengthen the ties of a relationship and besides, once we make it through this tough beginning together, the rest of our lives should be a walk in the park :D

Good news: project new house is starting to move after hibernating half a year :D If the forces (and Berti, they tile-laying guy) are with us, the floors will be tiled tomorrow. The electrics guy (not sure he's an electrician, but he does drive the bus for Child Focus) will come as well to see if the lights and fans we've picked out are ok. It should take 3-4 weeks to get them here.


We haven't been to St. Maarten yet - I've had to be in the office every day and work full-time the last weeks and for another while yet until my new colleague star. We are planning to go for 3 days in two weeks. We'll order the kitchen cabinets, get a solar-powered hot water system and then we'll of course do some re-fueling of positive energy and romance. It'll be sooooo good to get off the rock.

Looks like things are finally happening! This time I am not going to include a time frame though ;) But at least I've charged the batteries for my camera, so that I can take a couple of pictures of the house for you....Just have to remember bringing it.....And posting them.....


My 10 boxes of winter clothes and diplomas should be in Willemstad (Curacao) by now, ready to be shipped to Saba next time a cargo ship comes this way. It's about time as well: it's getting colder here - often below 25 degr. celcius, so my long wool coat and winter boots will come in handy ;))) It's quite exciting though: it'll be like Christmas opening up the boxes after a year with a wardrobe weighing 3 kg and consisting almost entirely of bikinis, shorts and tank tops.


Oh, and before I forget: Now that I know what wrong quotes can lead to, I'll make sure to give credit where credit is due: so thanks to Lars & Jacob for their quotes (above) - even if they may not be their own inventions. Any translation mistakes are entirely mine ;)

Hi-ho, hi-ho and off to work I go........have a wonderful weekend, I'll be back very soon :D

Karin xxx