6/5/17
(Is it June already? This year seem particularly long with the recent political upheaval. It is like a spectacular show that never ends…)
Did I mention my family was relatively les well to do, solidly lower middle class when growing up? (If not, you should really read the rest of this blog which is arranged much better). When your family is on a budget, there is little room for luxuries like soft drinks, milk, meat, etc. don’t get me wrong, I was fed well, with nutrious food to eat, pocket money to spend and a caring environment to do my homeworks in. But we never have more than what we need. That’s why whenever I go to the supermarket in united States now, I am constantly amazed by the selection (ok, hyperbole: I mostly just go to the isles I need to). Just looking at the among of goods, you’d think there is no shortage of food and produces in the the world.
For the complete experience on Cozumel, I decided to do a stay in an all inclusive resort. (Mostly because I have never been to one.) As the name implies, everything in the resort is included in the price (well, except for the staff, the property, the furniture…). All meals and drinks are included, all activities are (mostly) free, and everyone is supposed to have a really good time (I think the real word is: drunk). I was actually looking forward to this, since I wanted to know how living in a world of never ending world of buffets and alcohol loaded people will be like. I eagerly took a cab to the resort at the north end of the island under a hot sun.
As expected, they served a glass of chilled cocktail, and wrist banded me immediately. I had a great room, and was introduced to the three restaurants (that requires advanced booking), the daily activities, the “free” kayaks and sailboats, and most importantly, the bars that dotted the property. It was, indeed, an adult heaven with a twist: there were also lot of families with kids of all ages present. This immediately set off a moral dilemma for me. As an adult, I understand the usage of alcohol for relaxation and addiction. However, I am still uncomfortable with having underage drinking. At the same time, I would love to be the kid who have access to unlimited buffet 24/7, free sofa all the time, pool within a few feet of the room and lots of activities to do. Then again, is that really good for the kid-me to have all these freedom (food) and no responsibility? In conclusion, since I am not a parent, I just enjoyed what I could, and pondered about these issues by the pool while reading National Geographic,drinking a beer while eating fruits.
So what is better: abundance or regulated input? Is luxury a threat to the society in general as people get more used to having things the easy way? I am actually pretty ok with either. As a child, I grew up not having much, so I can appreciate giving kids some freedom and over supplies. What actually make me frown is expectation. If I were a kid and my family only visits and hang out in the resort, my inpression of Mexico and its residents would be skewed dramatically by my experience. I would never appreciate the different way of life and culture, since I never seen it. I’d think life is pretty much much the same everywhere, and traveling is nothing educational. That, I think, does more damage than alcohol or sugar given to those kids.
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