Are they really pirates? Do they have patches covering an eye? Do they speak to parrots? I wonder how many of us have been to the Falklands? How many of us have met a Falklands Islander? How many of us is actually interested in going there or meeting them? And still, there're opinions about them, the way they live, how they got there, an so on.
I can understand that coming from the media - they want to sell- or from a government - they usually want to sell too! But to have so many people arguing about others without even including them is just... bizarre. In any case in which someone's life is going to be affected by another's decision, that someone should at least BE HEARD. Why? Simply because they count, they have moral standing. Their life is the one that is going to be affected by any decision - and that of their children. If we don't listen to them, who's actually the one that had ideas of neocolonialism in mind?
So, to leave speculations, assumptions, urban legends behind, we wanted to know a bit about how it's to live in the Falklands. Did we ask someone in Zimbabwe? No. Did we go and watch Pirates of the Caribbean? No. We just asked an islander. And guess what?! First, they're HUMAN BEINGS! And second, they did want to tell us about them. Why?! Because we wanted to listen.
Below a day in the Falklands by a Falklands Islander (by the way, the pic at the top of this post is part of her work! Thanks Jo!).
"So, a typical day. Yesterday will do.
The day started as usual at about 6am with a wake up call from Perry, who has just turned 4 months old. Once he was fed and changed I made a cup of tea and checked the goings on in the world online while he had a kick about on the floor. Then I got ready for the day, woke up Theo who is 4 years old and we sat together and had some breakfast and chatted about the day. School starts at 0905, so we left the house at 0850 for the short walk down the hill. Once he was through the door, Perry and I went to do a few jobs – paying some bills at the bank and collecting our mail from the post office. Then it was a quick visit to the supermarket for a few groceries and back home.
Perry fell asleep on the way home so that gave me a chance to get some jobs done. Dishes washed and put away, washing on the like, more washing in the machine, tidying toys and clothes away. Then at 1030 a friend from the nearby military base popped in to see me about a piece of sewing she wanted to commission. She had brought a couple of friends with her and by the time they left they had commissioned 4 pieces, which is great!By the time they left there was just enough time for another cup of tea before heading back down the road to collect Theo from school. Then back home again, lunch made and eaten, dishes washed and put away. Then time to feed and water the hens before going out for a walk in the sunshine to the post office to post some letters. It was so hot and sunny that we decided to pop into a local café for an ice cream and coffee. Theo’s best friend Lily was in there with her grandparents, so that was lovely to sit and have a chat while they played. Then eventually it was time to go home. We decided to make some biscuits when we got back, which always seems to take an age with a young child, not to mention the cleaning up afterwards! Then into the garden to get some new potatoes, and I cooked supper while Theo played in the garden. Once supper had been eaten, both boys had their baths, followed by watching a bit of TV while I cleared away dishes. Theo went to bed at about 8pm and Perry shortly afterwards. I then had a couple of hours to do some hand sewing in the peace and quiet!!
My partner, Stephen, is having a very busy time of it at the moment. He had been working out of town for a few days so he had an early start to get some work done at the office, before heading out of town again mid-morning. He got home at about 10pm so we had chance to have a catch up about our day before finally heading off to bed at about 11pm. No sooner had I nodded off than Perry woke up!"
Jo Turner
Falkland Islands
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