Drive away loneliness with busyness! Approaching island keepers around the world, the biggest challenge is loneliness

Source: Global Times

[Global Times special correspondent Zhang Xiaozhu] Because of the new crown epidemic, the work of lonely and lonely island keepers has been warmly welcomed. Because the isolated island is a natural grounding place, it can be away from the crowds and away from the epidemic. What can people rely on to keep this super lonely job of keeping the island? What is the magic of loneliness that allows them to repeat their work for decades? What is their day-to-day job? Let's get closer to the island keepers from all over the world and learn about the various stories of the island.

It is common for couples to keep the island

Like the protagonist of the recently hit Chinese movie "The Island Keeper", an Italian, Morro Morandi, has just finished his 32-year career as an island keeper, except that the 81-year-old island keeper, known as "Italian Robinson", lives alone on the island of Budelli near Sardinia, Italy. In 1989, Morandi, who was traveling alone at sea, came to this beautiful island because of a ship failure, and when the former islandkeeper couple retired and was about to leave, Morandi sold his ship and took over the position, staying on the island for 32 years.

Like Morandi's predecessors, many island keepers share this work as husband and wife, not because the task of keeping the island is arduous, but because the biggest challenge of this work is actually loneliness. The work of the island keeper is considered to be one of the loneliest jobs in the world, accompanied by only blue skies, seas, and small islands all day long. Many literary and artistic works place the protagonist on an isolated island, using endless loneliness to create an atmosphere or to carry out extreme human torture. The movie "Forbidden Island" uses small islands and lighthouses to create an atmosphere of horror and suspense.

In order to overcome loneliness, many island keepers keep pets like Robinson, and dogs, cats or parrots accompany the island keepers to watch the sunrise and sunset alone day after day. Busy work and reading are also a recipe for overcoming loneliness, and it's much better to do some pioneering, creative work like Robinson to make life full. In recent years, the Internet has benefited the island keepers a lot, and through the connection between the Internet and the outside world, they are no longer lonely in their hearts. Some religious islanders can also participate in online church activities. Justin Etzkorn, a Canadian female islander who has inherited her father's business since she was 16 years old, said in an interview: "In the online world, I am never lonely, and I have friends to accompany me. Instead, being on the bustling streets of the city makes me feel lonely, because I am surrounded by strangers who I don't know how to deal with. ”

The island lighthouse becomes a tourist attraction

A small island near San Francisco in the United States recruited island keepers and lighthouse keepers, giving an annual salary of nearly 900,000 yuan, but this money is not easy to earn, and it takes a lot of hardships and efforts. According to reports, in the past, the applicants for this position were generally husband and wife, they need to have a captain's license issued by the US Coast Guard, and their work is also very hard, often working from early morning to late at night. In addition to the daily maintenance of the two lighthouses, they also have to face sudden inclement weather, and are responsible for their own food, clothing, shelter and cleaning, as well as cleaning, because the island has some rooms open to tourists.

Some island lighthouses have also become tourist attractions in addition to their navigation functions. Lovers especially like lighthouse tourism, because the lighthouse symbolizes love and watch, and can be used as a witness to love. Many countries have charming island lighthouse scenery, and Iceland has even selected the top ten island lighthouse attractions. Cruise companies that specialize in maritime tourism have also launched island lighthouse love tour lines. Known as the "Land of a Thousand Islands", Finland has also transformed many sea lighthouses into special hotels, and many tourists who like to hunt are willing to spend money to sleep in these hotels with the waves.

The island keepers are all DIY masters

Some environmental volunteers and animal activists are also keen to be the guardians of certain islands. On the Greek island of Syros on the Aegean Sea, there is an isolated nature reserve that feeds nearly 70 stray cats, and a job advertisement to look after these cats has attracted thousands of cat lovers to apply for jobs. Some small islands in Tasmania, Australia, also recruit animal rescue volunteers. Many positions of island keepers are not long-term, but seasonal, such as national parks in some high latitude areas or private islands of the rich, and in the winter, island keepers are recruited to take care of them and carry out some necessary maintenance work.

Island keepers must have the ability to survive independently to deal with unexpected situations, and are generally DIY masters with super hands-on ability. Extreme weather, such as storms common at sea, often wreak havoc on homes and some facilities on the island, from carpenters and electricians to plumbers, painters... Island keepers must learn multiple skills and be competent for multi-faceted work. On a small island in the United States, Nelson, a 66-year-old islander, has been repairing and maintaining the villas of the island's wealthy and hosting them on vacation, a job he has been doing for more than 40 years. Nelson is especially busy in the summer, every day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., taking on a variety of duties, such as cleaning up fallen branches after a storm, registering and maintaining special vehicles on the island, supervising subcontractors to order construction and greening materials, making various repairs... If a family member plans to make ad hoc visits, Nelson is also responsible for stocking food and other supplies at their homes and arranging for visitors to arrive by plane or ferry.

Since the outbreak of the epidemic, unemployment rates have been rising in many countries, and the harsh home isolation ban has also affected a growing number of office workers. At this time, the advantages of the work of the island keepers are highlighted, this job naturally meets the quarantine ban, and is far away from the crowd, without worrying about the risk of infection. Some professional intermediary companies said in interviews with the media that since the epidemic, the advertisements for the positions of island keepers they have published have attracted far more job seekers than in previous years, many of whom are husband and wife looking for jobs together, and some retired elderly couples prefer such positions.