I, Island Girl

My name is Ary Yogeswary, and I am an Island Girl.

Well technically I am an Island girl as I lived in Bali, a small island in Indonesia where beaches are stretch beautifully as far as the eye can see and mountains rose majestically high and fill your breath with wonder. But I'm not the island girl Elton John was singing (Tell me what you wanting with the white man's world) , nor the one Andrew Sisters so persistent about (Native girls all dance and smile/ Help soldier celebrate his leave), nor any Island girl in fact that was so stereotypical in the other songs (naive, innocent, eager to help and please, etc). I will be polite as that is what my mom taught me, but I definitely not interested in celebrating anyone's leave except mine, and neither do I want anything from "white man's world". My world is perfectly fine thank you, that is why the tourists spend their money to fly across the globe just to be a visitor in my lovely world.

Speaking of which, I really couldn't fathom why people still have this illusion err stigma about Island Girl. The harsh reality is, with the over exploitation and uncivilized development of islands all over the world, your so-called big-eyed brown-skinned island girl is most likely had a job at the Golden Arch or busing table in Mermaid CoffeeChain, definitely no time to run carelessly free and "accidentally"run into you at the beach (except she was working in the said beach cafe). Most of them will also not be so dewy-eyed on seeing non-local visitors, and is definitely unimpressed with the western swagger. All this not only because tourists are way too much and losing their charm, but also because of the rise of (mobile) internet. Suddenly speaking with an accent can no longer woo these girls, unless you are Christian Bale or better, one of the Twilight's vampires (ewwwww....)

Of course, sadly, there are still so-called Island girl stereotypical alive and well. But surely, if the girl you just met start asking you to buy drinks for her entourage while expertly batted her eyelashes you will run the other way? Even if she's a naive-looking innocent-beauty island girl. Well except if the man is fully intentional embarking on a quest(s) to pursue the exotic-untouched pleasure; in any case I don't think he would find any due to the reason stated above, and I hope he won't find any due to the maliciousness of the goal. It is a pathetic goal anyway, why do you have to go across the world just to find a woman who adores you? Love is love, but surely you can get those in your home country? The tropical climate and easy life may work wonders on our skin, but kindness and love can be obtained all over the world.

My fiance get that a lot: that I am with him to obtain green card, that I want something from him. As if him being the most wonderful man I've ever met is not good enough reason. When I am alone with him, he'll gently kissed me and called me his sweet island girl. Coming from him, it's a compliment, a gesture of love. Through out our relationship he has acknowledged who I am: my island ways, my spiritualism, what I love, what I dislike, what I honored, my talent and skills, my education and work achievements. We met and fall in love far away from my island, but to him I will always be his island girl: physically (and spiritually) different from his countrywomen but is as honorable and respectable as them. Of course, to him all human are equal, that is the kind of man he is. Thus he came to me not as a conquistador to the "savage islanders" but as a gentleman to a lady, which is the right way because my pride and patriotism wouldn't have it any other way. 

So you see not all island girls are, well, island girls. We possess brains and skills and womanly qualities equal to any other women in the world. Ambitious island girls really should stop "hunting down" foreign suitors and start setting a thorough standard for themselves. A good man is a good man, regardless his race or accent; and being treated like a second class citizen is never an option. My dear ladies, we have people in United Nations making sure all human are treated equal, we might as well start doing that! On the contrary, adventurous love seeking tourists should really sized up. I mean, surely there is something good or interesting (or anything love inducing) about you guys other then, ah, being a tourist? Now be good and be civilized towards your fellow human in this island, and welcome to the 21st century.