I’m now a columnist in the only newspaper worth reading in Seychelles and will be posting my twice-weekly contributions here a couple of weeks after they’ve run.Here’s Number One:
Today in Seychelles
June 8 at 6:27pm ·
Sands In Seychelles Today
‘20 Years a Seychellois’ by Sandra Hanks
Much to the chagrin of no few in this country, I am now a new and regular addition to this publication and will be contributing two columns per week. I will be writing of a wide variety of subjects that for one reason or another grab my attention and prompt thoughts I find worth the time and effort to put down in words for general consumption by Today readers.
Experience grown from responses to articles, blogs and social media has shown I am often disagreed with and my take on situations challenged; a circumstance that is more than okay with me, as my raison d’être has long been to promote discussion in efforts to broaden the width and plumb the depths of interactions while sharing information and seeking out unfamiliar opinions for examination and comparison.
Topics will range widely, often inspired by timely events, ridiculous situations, frustrations, observations and escapades, and, as any who read my work know, I take no prisoners. That is to say that I call ‘em as I see ‘em and, this being my column, I see no reason to frame reflections in vagary, nor do I have any inclination to modify my writing for easy reading. I like words, so I use them, and if some are unfamiliar a dictionary is a very handy tool.
To those who will attempt to shut me up (or down) by attempting to throw the fact that I wasn’t born in Seychelles of Seychellois parentage and my Creole isn’t that of one born here, allow me to point out that according to the latest in demographic information I have lived in Seychelles longer than 30% of the population while fully participating in all aspects of life, embracing family and raising children here.
I will also mention there are THREE official languages, and English is one of them.
I am a ‘naturalized’ Seychellois, a designation that could be interpreted to indicate it was no random accident of birth, but rather a fact that out of all the countries in the world I chose this one to call home: ‘Home’ meaning ‘the place I do my best to keep tidy, protected, safe, and conducive to happy, healthy life’.
It often happens when I say or write something someone disagrees with or feels offended by, responses lobbed like grenades in my direction have less to do with valid contradictions or challenges to observations or postulations I have made, but instead suggest an unhelpful, ‘love it or leave it’, and, ‘go back to where you came from’ message revealing a thin-skinned mentality that rejects any constructive criticism while favoring genuflection at the altar of ethnocentrism.
With no inclination to fall to my knees under most circumstances, that is not going to happen, so here’s a caveat … If you don’t like what I write, there are three options open:
1) Don’t read it
2) Read, then react through civil comments that make some sense
3) Read, then ponder … reading ALL the words with no cherry-picking
I look forward to lively dialog, passionate exchanges of information and perspective, and sharing my obiter dictums with readers of Today.
A collection of my short stories:
I'm in this one, too ...
And I'm in here, as well ...
Paradise Preoccupied 
Good Read!
Thanks, Greg.
I have oftener wondered why one would choose to live in a country for so long and become a naturalised citizen but not bother to learn and speak the native language fully? Yes, English is spoken widely in the Seychelles but isn’t it courteous to be able to converse fully in the native language? The same courtesy you advocate in your blogs? ?????
BTW, this would apply to any country you choose to reside in from Timbucktoo to Christmas Island.
As a mish-mash of the languages of early settlers, a French-based Creole that is limited in scope and nuance so constantly augmented, usually nowadays with English and almost completely useless outside of very small pockets, I do encourage proficiency in at least one of the other official languages of the country. Your assumption that it is somehow uncourteous to converse in English is … well, typical and tedious. I also converse in Creole, and it was actually no bother to learn.
Snotty arrogance is not an attractive trait and it is not allowed to stand unchallenged on my blog.
My comment is neither snotty, nor arrogant. It is a valid point and, as I’ve said it would’ve applied regardless of the country that you’d chosen to lay your hat in. The point you made about creole being a mish-mash of other languages is irrelevant and doesn’t hold water. I’ve heard this kind of comment before from naturalised citizens when they’re challenged about why they haven’t bothered to learn the native language. As an example, the British who have homes in Spain and live their permanently always retort to “well they all speak good English here” when asked about why they haven’t bothered to learn Spanish.
To fully integrate into a society, any society where one has chosen to reside permanently, it is important to learn the native language and communicate with the locals. You will feel more connected when you understand the nuances and behaviour of the people around you, instead of connecting with those that are just like you, i.e the naturalised Seychellois whose mother tongue is English. Just an observation!
I’ve been here for a long time and am well connected. No worries.