What are we trying to escape?

"I just want to get out"

I've heard that many times, along with "needing a break" and "I can't take it any more". All said in relation to living in Trinidad and Tobago. What a hellhole. Who would want to live here? The tireless retort is, "What about doubles? Roti? Carnival? Jouvert?", and other "prime" examples of "we culture". Then the retort to the retort mentions potholes, inadequate education system, corruption, the "development". Around this point is when the subject is changed or I just stop listening. But there really is a sense of "place", "space" and home here. There are ex-pats that--sometimes comically over-enthusiastically-- totally immerse themselves in "the culture", becoming more hardcore than many born and bred right here. They do amazing things: bird watching catalogues; save the natural beauty rallies; wining doubles-eating competitions; professing a love for Sparrow and David that is all-consuming; Panorama is and annual ritual; etc. After a while even they start to complain too! And of course, this raises a multitude of questions, not the least of which is, "Why the fuck can't we do it we-selves man??!!! This white-man hadda come and do it fuh we?!". There are many, many ways to answer this...jab into the dark. Which I will come to later.
Other phenomenon include that amazing way the Caribbean people can just OWN a place. A trumpet-playing acquaintance of sorts, residing in New York, says that when he's homesick henjust has to go by so-and-so street, a little stretch that is deisgned to be a replica of Frederick/Charlotte Street. ("Of course", i wanted to say,"without the pungent attacks on the nostrils, over-crowded "pavements", overflowing improvised rubbish bins (boxes and such);sometimes, just a heap. In the way.)
One thing we don't seem to export is the "who d ass u think u is" demeanour. Definitely a homesickness; I have not met an emmigrant who does not miss home. (That may just be out of guilt though). No matter the convenience of life somewhere else, they want to get home, if only for a lil while, a fix.
"Home".
Home.