The capital of the Netherlands should not be on the coast of South America. On a fundamental level, it is wrong - another nation's history superimposed over the will of its long-subjugated colony, its own dreams and ambitions put first and the local troubles pushed back to later. Yet the status quo is poison for the ruling exiles, too - for they know who they are, where their homeland is, where they are in relation to that, and just how hopeless the whole situation seems to be. The strain has not been kind on their aging figures.

Paramaribo, for its part, has become the unwitting and unwilling host to this drama. There's certainly an irony to its settlement, being a colonial project planted right on top of an old native village. Since its 17th century origins, it has grown into a diverse hub of different communities - Maroons, Indians, Creole, Javanese, natives, and the Dutch themselves. In modern times, the city sees a healthy democratic environment emerging, with competitive races for Parliament and a foreign-backed economy which keeps things running smoothly in the Paris of Suriname.

Being economically tied to the whims of the Americans may not be the most preferable option, and being a shadow version of the Netherlands isn't what anyone here envisioned, but when confronted with the other choices, the present seems downright pleasant. Paramaribo's position may not be perfect, but when it looks to its neighbors, there's a realization that it certainly could be worse.