bermuda houses

Houses in Bermuda are everywhere. They need to be in order to house the 65,000+ population - both local & expat alike. But the houses are also colourful, and I mean big bold colour. The popular choice by far is pink - mirroring the island's unique pink sand. But colours can go wrong, can't they?

The house across from us went from white to a funky mint green. When they started off with the chimney, I knew we were in trouble. It doesn't even compliment the grass or anything else for that matter. How can it? It's a funky mint green. It was a real eyesore for a couple of days but I think we're used to it by now. On the flip side, the massive pink house, next to it is changing it's palette to a calm pale yellow. But the transition is taking forever, so it's half yellow & half pink right now - the contractor must be on hiatus. My personal favourite is the house on our way to work - boldly standing out in a muted magenta - much like the bougainvillea flowers that are scattered all over. If only more homeowners were that daring! I mean the island is colourful enough but a bit more colour never hurt anyone, right? Unless it's a funky mint green!

Want to know what Bermuda looks like from space? Sadly, a dot is needed to mark where Bermuda is. That's how small it is. The dot's bigger than the island itself. Something we've noticed wh watching the weather channel. Looking at the pic, you'll notice white dots littered on the island - those are the roofs, all a pristine white because they have to be. Made out of Bermuda stone (soft limestone), they are slated with grooves to catch the rainwater. Precious rainwater that is collected in tanks underneath each house. Our water source. If weeks go by with no sign of wet weather, many older homes with smaller tanks run out of water. It then has to be bought & that does put a dent in your wallet. If the dry spell continues, water is rationed & many wait for weeks before having their order filled. Lucky for us, Ms.StopYourNoise has two 35,000 gallon water tanks under each apartment, of which we share one tank with our neighbours. That doesn't mean the taps go running. Oh no! We know all too well how easy it is to run out of water. Even though we are in the middle of the Atlantic, which doesn't help at all. The ironies just keep on flowing.

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say my name

I try to keep the blog interesting, writing when I only have something worthwhile to say. Thankfully I often get feedback from family & friends and it's definitely a good thing or I'd start to think I was boring.

I can always guarantee that my mom's brother, UncleTigerBeer will read what I have on here - (inside family joke on how he got that name). As an expat working in Saudi Arabia he not only has to be technologically well connected to his own family but to the rest of us spread out all over for all the daily happenings, mundane as it may be. So, not only is he web savvy for his generation, he's also 'big fan of the blog', his words, not mine. Which pleases me to no end.

I have been reading some blogs out there & am just in awe of some of the writing skills that these bloggers possess. I have to say, the best part of this experience, besides the feedback, is assigning code names. So, if you would like a particular code name assigned please email me & let me know now because sooner or later you will become a part of the Bermuda Sun cast - whether you like it or not.

Just kidding!

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what time is it over there?

I have been very fortunate to have lived in four different countries by the age of um..27 (I sometimes have to stop & think about how old I am). To be able to experience different cultures, make lifelong friends & growing up with families that are spread out has been fantastic to say the least.

Two of these countries are on the other side of the world. Bombay was a playground for my younger years and the Bombay I reminisce about is a cleaner, less populated, child & environmentally cleaner city of 25 years past. During those years, I vacationed in Dubai, eventually joined my expat parents & spent my high school years there. Most of my high school friends have now moved out to other parts of the world while most of my family still reside there. Migrating to Canada in my late teens along with my family & spending my university years in addition to some more was also an experience like no other. Toronto is truly home to us. And here we are now, Hubby & me, in beautiful Bermuda.

So how do you keep in touch with everyone? Enter the internet, the age of instant messaging & VOiP. It’s always fun when you first get in touch with an old friend or family member whom you have heard from in eons. Exchanging information has never been faster as snail mail is becoming a thing of the past. The only problem is keeping track of all the time zones. I have at least four to remember, not only the places that I have lived in, but also other places where family & friends have moved out to. To get rid of the time zone chaos enter my own personal world clock which I am pleased to share with you. It’s also listed on the Links list on the left hand side of this page. So the next time I am chatting with family or friends, we need not ask each other the most common question that circulates, ‘what time is it over there?’

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shark for dinner? almost.

The full moon in Bermuda always brings out fishing enthusiasts to the rocks. Not only is it a peaceful night but also one that makes for an interesting night of who caught what as a lot of fish converge by the rocks to breed & feed. Sharks also make it across the reefs when the tide is high but thankfully most go back into deeper waters before the tide changes.
Hubby went fishing last night with SharkBoy. Towards the end of the night he did hook something that made his fishing rod bend like crazy & also pulled more of the fishing line while it was locked in place. Big strong fish? Well, it was. SharkBoy said it was a shark, as he's never seen anything run so fast like it's tail is on fire. But it was also a smart fish. Engaging in tactical measures it made its way under the sharp rocks causing the line to snap and that's how it broke free or we'd be feasting on shark right now! Probably has the hook & bait still in it's mouth. Hubby said it was the thrill that counts - the thrill of at least hooking a shark!

cup match weekend

It's cup match weekend here in Bda.
The island shuts down as it does every year on the Thurs & Friday for a 2 day cricket match with the East vs. the West pitted against each other. This is a very Bermudian event. People of all ages converge to watch the match live. Bermudians also camp out on any grassy spots they can legally do so complete with camping gear, food & all the fixens. Hamilton becomes a ghost town with virtually no one on the streets. The grocery stores are closed. The islands major newspaper, The Royal Gazette shuts down too, so you can forget about snuggling with the daily paper on your extra two days off.

The life of most ex-pats, however, does not change. Most companies here are either British or American & so require you to work of Bda holidays. Yes, it bites but they do try to throw in some added incentives. So it's not all that bad. And when the work day is a half day its nice to be able to enjoy the beach on the sunny hot days we're having or just bum around doing nothing.

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