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| Charles' Stories Stories by Charles Croes, true Aruban :) |
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Tuesday, August 1st, 2006, 10:06 PM
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And The Beat Goes On
I was at the La Cabana Pool deck and noticed that everywhere you look there are headsets! It reminds me of the gunslinger kick that was born when cell phones first had their little holsters. All the guys walked into bars as if they had the “Old Western” Peacemaker hanging on their belts. Well – now it is headsets and earpieces - stuff pertaining to the ear and they are coming in all sizes and shapes. They are connected to circular things with a big “W” on the outside or tiny I-POD boxes that fit nicely into shirt pockets. Some folks are carrying recorders that are as small as a cigarette pack to as large as a table radio. Speaking of which – the radios are also head-set oriented.
I saw a guy over at the pool bar with a set of ear-plugs connected to a camera. As it turns out, he was listening to what he had just recorded. Cell phones have the bloody things to pick up your voice mail, write down notes and get into car accidents - at the same time. There was a lady with an ultra thin lap top that also had ear plugs. I would guess that the newest entry to the ear-phone group would be the sun glasses – they are a world on to themselves. Prescription headphones, who’da thunkit? I would be remiss to not mention the earphones that are by themselves. They just plug into the ear and the chords dangle. I did see one specialty item; A guy had a baseball cap with ear phones coming down the sides and a plastic tube that led to a beer can. A resort manager or sales person walks by and is talking into the air. Then I see the problem!! He isn’t crazy or demented. He is using his “Bluetooth” device on his cell phone and is talking to somebody out there. Walks by where we are and says “Thanks for calling and sorry I missed it. Bye” IN his world (blue toothed and all) and talks to the virtual person on the other end. Damn! - that is the kind of stuff Captain Kirk would wonder at. All-in-all, I would have to guess that about 35% of the folks I saw on the pool deck at La Cabana had something covering their ears. When did this all happen? Was I in a coma? At best is will slow down “ear lobe cancer caused by the sun” and on the down side it will increase deafness which will be solved by sticking in another hearing device. It also seems as if these ear pieces bring out another part of our personas. . A thin guy wore a big SONY headset that was plugged into a small little box which he had neatly tucked away in his open shirt pocket. He sat there and looked at the world and was in his audio trance. Probably had 2 billion songs tucked away in that little thing. Not too far away, was a man with “long-grey hair” combed and sprayed into a quasi “Beatles” arrangement. His shirt sported tropical birds and palm trees and the front was left open enough to see the battle scar he had acquired when dueling with his cardiac surgeon. Eyes closed he sings in a whisper -- “Strawberry fields forever… da-di-da-di da ….Albert Hall …..I’d love to turn yooooooooou onnnnnnnnnnn. His hands mechanically move to the Balashi next to him and lifts it to his lips and his lip-hung cigarette. All the while singing to a Beatles song. There was kid that wore a headset that was playing an invisible guitar and plucking it with an invisible pick. He held his left hand out as if cradling the guitar neck and his right hand strummed his stomach. He bobbed his head - as if giving recognition to the invisible audience that was there for this invisible performance. Next to him sat a young mom that watched her hubby play with what I would assume were their kids, while she sang something intelligent. She looked too intelligent to sing stupid songs. A guy (browned to the mahogany color that precedes “well done”) was lying absolutely still on his “La Cabana” towel. His stillness reminds me of the same ability that some reptiles have. Absolute stillness. Finally he moves thereby declaring he is still alive and proving once again that being “well done” in the sun does not mean being dead (not right off the bat anyway). He had the sunglass earphones and moved not an inch. He smiled not. He never even twitched. His was a private existence. We are warned by his stillness not to enter his private space. He has come to Aruba to be still and to cook himself. Onlookers are tolerated; however do not intrude into this ritual. He briefly moves a large golden chain that is around his neck. I notice a fang or claw or something dangling on it. Then he adjusts the chain on his wrist. This is serious tanning at its best. The pool deck hippy continues with Oobladi – Obbla da…. The kid continues his silent concert to the roaring crowds … Mr. Mahogany continues to broil and listen to his glasses…… I continue to wonder at all of this and then see the final and very last straw – a little boy, maybe 12 years old that has a thing that looks like a small baby lap-top with two sets of wires coming from it. Set #1 connects to this apparatus that has two joy stick handles and the other wire (#2) goes into …. You guessed it … a set of ear pieces that are jammed so far into his ear as to practically be a part of his brains. Thinking that it would be easy to talk to this kid– I mistakenly amble over to him and tap him on the shoulder. He stares at the screen and says NOT YET MOM!! I’M TANNING! Kind of sums it up. It isn’t how you listen to things on a pool deck as long as you listen to those things on an Aruba pool deck. I head back over to the pool bar and a ice cold plastic cup of beer – grab one and head over to the pool side and dangle my feet in the water. And there, making peace with this new world of audio and earpieces, I overhear the young mother saying to her kids – “Will you guys just talk one at a time? I can’t hear you with all this yelling! Then – puts the plugs back in. I sit there and listen to the sound of wind blowing through earphone wires. AAAHHH this is what they come here for. Another day in paradise charles Last edited by charlescroes; Tuesday, August 1st, 2006 at 10:46 PM. 
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Tuesday, August 1st, 2006, 10:26 PM
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Re: And The Beat Goes On
absolutely wonderful charles. totally perfect.
i hate to admit i have those earphones on my ipod that has 40 gig of audiobooks and music stored on it including the beatles.
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Wednesday, August 2nd, 2006, 09:39 AM
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Re: And The Beat Goes On
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Charles - Unfortunately what you describe is American behavior (some Americans anyway). I have to admit I bring my headset with me every year to LaCabana specifically for the pool area. I'm sorry but I find less and less parents supervising their children these days, and I dont want to spend my vacation day listening to screaming kids and parents who dont get up to supervise them! (similar to the young mother in your post). So instead of getting aggravated, I put on my music and relax! This never seems to be a problem at the beach- I never need the headset there. PS - I spent two days in June at Costa del Sol on the water in Spain. Huts are packed together. You NEVER heard a child screaming, in fact you never heard adults yelling loud either. Everyone spoke at a low tone out of respect for their hut neighbors. What a pleasure it was!
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Wednesday, August 2nd, 2006, 09:45 AM
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Re: And The Beat Goes On
last year at costa linda a bratty child was throwing the worst tantrum i have ever seen. hitting his parents, screaming, and any other miserable behavior he could do. i was not very happy. the father saw my face and walked over to me. he said the boy acted like that every time they were in public because he knew no one could smack him. i wisely told him the smacking police were still back in america. the grin appeard on the father's face as he disappeared with the kid. the rest of the week was very peaceful.
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Wednesday, August 2nd, 2006, 10:06 AM
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Re: And The Beat Goes On
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Wednesday, August 2nd, 2006, 12:07 PM
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Re: And The Beat Goes On
Corrine,
please understand that the above is an observation and not a judgment. By the way, I really enjoyed a post you made and commented to that effect. Costa Del Sol - Nothing like it - EXCEPT a small Greecian isnald called Hydra. And the beat goes on..... be well charles Quote:
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Wednesday, August 2nd, 2006, 12:45 PM
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Re: And The Beat Goes On
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The area of southern Spain was beautiful, especially some of the smaller towns up in the cliffs. I have never been to Greece, but heard it is wonderful! Maybe someday!
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Wednesday, August 2nd, 2006, 12:45 PM
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Re: And The Beat Goes On
Though use an MP3 player only on the treadmill I do appreciate their current popularity. Beats the heck out of lying on a beach between two blaring radios tuned to different channels. (Boy THAT used to happen in NJ all the time)
When things get too noisy poolside I nip back to the room to fetch a set of noise cancelling headphones which we always have in our travel packs and which we nearly always wear on the plane. No music involved. Just peaceful silence. Ahhhhh.
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Wednesday, August 2nd, 2006, 03:34 PM
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Re: And The Beat Goes On
Auntie,
you hae added another dimension!! Head phones that haev nothing! I love this be well charles Quote:
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Wednesday, August 2nd, 2006, 05:18 PM
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Re: And The Beat Goes On
Corrine... Marnie is twice Jamie's age, and in "that day and age," I would discipline her right there and then. If it took a little smack on the backside, so be it!! I figured that if she was going to embarrass me, I'd embarrass her!
 I remember one day at home she attempted to talk back, and when I told her that just wasn't acceptable, she decided to call Child Abuse... I picked up the phone to dial the number and she decided she didn't want to call... and the backtalk ceased ~ but only for that moment!Charles will kill me 'cause this is his thread, but I have a funny story to relate, and this brings it back to me. We had about 6 workers putting up a brick wall at our house, and at the end of the day Bob offered them a beer ~ he said to Marnie, (who was about 7 at the time) "go put 6 bottles of beer in the bucket and bring it around front." We waited and waited and waited, and finally here comes little Marnie schlepping an old rusty disgusting bucket around front filled with 6 bottles of beer EXCEPT, she opened each bottle and poured them into the old rusty disgusting bucket! Bob couldn't believe what she'd done (and they were the last 6 bottles of beer we had to boot) and when he started to chastize her she said..."well, you told me to put 6 bottles of beer in the bucket, and I did what you said, but I wondered why you wanted them in this old rusty disgusting bucket." We laughed about it for years, and I still relate the story when it fits the bill. Children that age take everything one says literally!!! Sorry Charles.... I'll shut up now!! Quote:
Last edited by Elaine S; Wednesday, August 2nd, 2006 at 08:11 PM.
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Wednesday, August 2nd, 2006, 07:46 PM
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Re: And The Beat Goes On
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Once in a while you can get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right.
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Wednesday, August 2nd, 2006, 09:03 PM
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Re: And The Beat Goes On
 Great story!
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Thursday, August 3rd, 2006, 03:12 PM
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Re: And The Beat Goes On
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Sometimes when Brett and I have date night, we'll ride in the car and not say a word. It's nice to enjoy each other's presence in silence. Anyone else ever feel that way? (Sorry, kinda got off the topic of Charles' story)
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Thursday, August 3rd, 2006, 03:33 PM
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Re: And The Beat Goes On
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Hokies - Hi! HEY - HOKIES - HI! Hello Hokies Howareya Hokies? that is such a great sounding greeting. HI HOKIES!!! Love it. Anyway - silence is nice and it tends to create wordless conversations. for us they can be the most profound. Off the topic? No way - It took me about three weeks to put it together and the thing that impressed me the most and is my underlying theme is: "The Visual impact of Audial choices" By the way, "getting off the topic" is best seen in how I started this response. be well charles
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Thursday, August 3rd, 2006, 07:18 PM
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Re: And The Beat Goes On
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Charles really likes your screen name, Cathy! To me, that is when you know you are comfortable with someone - when you both can be quiet w/o feeling uncomfortable! I agree with you, it is a nice thing to enjoy! I spent that day in Spain at the beach by myself! I didnt join the optional tour nor wanted to be with others from our group on the beach. It was pure relaxation!
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Friday, August 4th, 2006, 06:39 PM
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Re: And The Beat Goes On
It does seem that children from other countries are much better behaved than children from USA. Was in Italy a couple of years ago, and while on the beach there it was very peaceful and quiet, with many Italian children in the area. My feeling is that so many American parents are full time workers that they feel guilty punishing their children and let them get away with behavior that is unacceptable. Children just aren't as well behaved as when we were growing up. It seems that parents are afraid to parent, and are treating there children like friends rather than children. Just my opinion.
Mary Ann
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Friday, August 4th, 2006, 08:03 PM
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Re: And The Beat Goes On
Ah yes, but some of the Italian children are also much more accomplished pickpockets than their American counterparts. Good parenting, all around. This comes from a non-parent, so my opinion counts very little...
When I'm laying around on the beach, I want to hear only the sound of the water and the breeze, and maybe the sound of the waiter asking if I'm ready for another cocktail. Yes. Yes, I am.  Quote:
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 Everyone should believe in something - I believe I'll go fishing
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