Doing what?

...So, what do you do?

It's a very common opening starter of a question that expats are often asked here in Cayman. For some this may feel like the norm, for others not so much. A couple of weeks ago I overheard a couple of women talking about how this is such a norm of a question for North Americans to ask, while noting that in France, for example people just don't ask questions like these.

Which got me thinking...Why do we North Americans have this incessant need to find out what it is that one does for a living. Does it make a difference? Does it define who a person is or make/break them?

It's even worse here on the island. Bermuda was the same where expats take it to a whole new level...after the 'what do you do' question, it's the 'Where do you work?' follow up and then when they are told the name of a company that they don't recognise, a quizzical look is borne. Further explaining is mandatory and if one isn't given, you're then asked, 'Well, where is that? What is that?'

It is often easy to forget that at times people just don't want to divulge where they work? How is any of that important? A little semblance of privacy in a place where nothing is private is a good thing.

And sometimes it pays to remember: You are not what you do, you are what you are.

Don't share

Here's how small Cayman is and here's how well they respect each others privacy.

Billionaire guy builds a massive mansion of a house in Cayman. Someone with access to his personal website address, downloads professional pictures of the well appointed and tastefully decorated interiors of this mansion with the following message. Some friend, eh? The message is as follows:

"Guys if you are going to FW this Message pls remove the email address!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks! I was asked not to forward this but I had to share it with a few friends and family as he may not invite us for dinner. Please respect his privacy and don't share, thank you. Absolutely awesome!!"

Trust me, everyone's been sharing and I mean EVERYONE. This email has made the rounds, even though it specifically mentions not to share, right after strict instructions on how what to do if you do decide to forward it.

There's nothing like reverse psychology!

Needless to say, the house is gorgeous and no, I am NOT going to share.

Two?

Two? I think someone at The Weather Network over in Canada mistakenly ate a digit off Cayman's weather last night. It's probably never been 2 deg C in Cayman, EVER! Maybe they're wishing it was, so they'd feel better about themselves at six. Envious, much?

Barracuda

I've posted about the Barracuda before, while in Bermuda, but I had none of my snorkel visuals to back it up. Not this time! Here's a lone ranger, venturing out into our neck of the ocean, until my friend chased him away. Well in his defence, he was trying to motion it closer to us. I actually didn't mind that the barracuda swam away as fast as it did, as I only wanted him around long enough for a photo op, which I got. I guess just one barracuda is not so much of a problem, it's the many than encirle you, that makes it one. While it wasn't the clearest of days, I did manage to get a clearer video. Could it have swam away any faster???

Fish friends

Hubby & I went snorkelling today at Cemetary Beach. While snorkelling I was surrounded by fish that are clearly used to people hovering over them. I'm not sure if they were looking for food which I once again forgot to bring with me to the beach. Of course I snapped away with my underwater camera, which I am loving more everyday. As I was going through today's pictures, I came across this GEM of a one, which I HAD to share. Check this out! HOW CUTE IS THIS? It's like they already know me and are so happy to see me again.

Compare and contrast

While the Stingrays were moving in and around us at the sandbar in Stingray City, I also spotted a CowFish, with my snorkel gear. Oh, a good tip: Take your snorkel mask with you while at Stingray City to get an awesome underwater vantage of how these ray glide. You'll never know what else you'll spot lurking closeby, like this Cowfish. I still had to some chasing to get a closer shot. But here it is. A Cayman Cowfish. This time it was in much closer proximity that when I spotted my first one in Bermuda and while the Cayman shot is underwater, the Bermuda shot is above water, and taken with a camera that's not waterproof. So, which is the prettier one? I like them both, but then again I am biased.

CAYMAN:










OR BERMUDA:

Guessing game

For the longest time I have wanted to spot this on my own, and have been so envious when other fellow islanders have told me they spotted it on any given day. Well, wouldn't you know it, I did spot it but had no clue as to WHAT it was. First of all I barely saw it, so well camaflauged it was in the seaweed. When I did spot it lurking, it along with its friend seemed very wary of my presence, that I didn't dare approach it any further. I hung back and took shots and videos of it as best I could. I had to show hubby what it was and he recognised it in a flash. So, what is it? Care to take a guess. Anyone?

CLICK ON THE COMMENTS TO VIEW THE ANSWER!

Stingray City

I am re-posting this today, even though I originally posted the video on Friday, April 10th. I wanted to elaborate and include pictures along with the video, but I was half asleep when the lone video went live, that I didn't trust myself to even type out a longer description for the post. So here goes...

Stingrays have received such a bad rap that is so undeserving of these creatures. We were at Stingray City in Grand Cayman a week ago and it is by far the neatest thing one can indulge in here on the island. Out in the wild, on a shallow sand bar situated right smack in the middle of the ocean is Stingray City. I cannot tell you how surreal this experience is/was. Imagine a shallow 'sandbar' in the middle of the ocean, where the water is really only waist deep, and what you have is many stingrays converging to be fed by the many tour boats that dock in close proximity. These stingrays have been coming around for years and are quite used to the human presence lurking in their territory.

They are fed squid by the tour operators and by visitors alike, which they suction out of your hand. You are cautioned not to wipe your hands to any part of your body, because the squid scent will attract them to that particular body part, and suctioning will begin. Some do this anyway and end up with hickeys on their arms. I didn't feed the stingrays but I certainly kissed one and got a back massage too! I can tell you that they are very slimy creatures.

What was sublime was feeling the stingrays brushing up against your legs as they glide through the water, much like a cat brushes up against you. Check out the last pic in the group above. It is for this reason that you are advised to slide your feet through the sand as you walk around and not swim or lift your feet underwater. Can't have them rays getting the wrong idea, right? And lastly I leave you with what a stingray looks like from the underneath. Looking at that smiley happy face, how can anyone resist? So, come on in, stay a while, you'll be hooked.

STING RAY VIDEOS: The first video is NOT TO BE MISSED. Check out what the tour guide does with the 'stinger'. Of course he's used to them. He's pretty funny and dare I say he's got a lot of moxie. ENJOY!!!





* PICS AND VIDEOS TAKEN BY ME W/ MY OLYMPUS STYLUS SW 850 UNDERWATER DIGITAL CAMERA.

Nothing fake about it

A friend actually had the gall to say that the picture below is not real.











Well, I think the video below will prove plenty.

Butter me up

A few Sundays ago we were greeted with thousands of white butterflies and I cannot tell you how beautiful it was. They were everywhere, like little snowflakes fluttering away in the wind. Unfortunately they also encountered one too many cars on the road and quite a few lost their lives for it. Little white butterflies lain on the roads, like little snowflakes that you would not like to see melt away. Butterfly roadkill is just as sad.

Baby love

We found an awesome spot to snorkel on the island on Saturday and I went nuts with the camera. Needless to say I am so very pleased with the way these shots came out. It was fabulous seeing miniature versions of the larger fish we are used to seeing. Baby fish are so adorable and these ones were NOT shying away. Take a look...




A baby Spanish Hogfish

A juvenile Yellow Tang with a Baby Hogfish

The juvenile Yellow Tang (just because I love it so much). These fish lose their brilliant yellow hue when they older and adopt a much deeper blue hue, to be called a Blue Tang.

A baby Ocean Surgeonfish with a couple of baby Damselfish.

A Seargant Major

Stay tuned for tomorrow's pics...It's going to be raining Stingrays!

The heat is on

I was half asleep when I wrote the last post and it seems that this is a continuing trend. I looked outside today and notice that there was not a cloud in the sky, not to mention the sunshine was blinding, the heat that could become unbearable if stayed out too long. Hot summer days are here and that also means it will lead to one thing - Hurricane season. I hope we have no surprises in store for us this year and all is relatively calm.

The right side

I'm back!!! I have been away...away last week to a cold land.

The moment we landed in good old Toronto, I wanted to head back to the heat in Cayman, especially since I have been away from the cold for more than a year. There's other things I have been away from too... like the first day I took the car out for a drive. My mantra for the first half hour was STAY ON THE RIGHT, STAY ON THE RIGHT, STAY ON THE RIGHT. Then the satisfaction when I subconciously did stay on the right without having to remind myself to do so. It's the little things, you know.

Along the way to West Bay

Somewhere along the way to West Bay, Grand Cayman is a beautiful spot to stop and take stock of what gorgeous views this island has to offer. And you know I'm not one to not stop and smell the roses.

Leading 'de' way

On 'de' way to Rum Point.

Shallow? Yes.

Any less gorgeous? Oh, heck no! Although this is where having some hills would come in handy.

But who's complaining?

Seven Miles of serenity

March!

Still cold in Toronto.

Probably still damp in Bermuda.

But HOT HOT HOT in Cayman. It seriously does not get any better than this.

After such a relaxing day at Rum Point (our first visit - pics coming soon), I've got nothing to complain about.

For now, I have some gorgeous shots of Seven Mile Beach. And I know right now you're wishing you were here and I don't blame you. This would be enough to make anyone abandon their post.

Who's the alien now?

HOLY! Ok I knew there were snakes in Cayman, having witnessed one such a snake earlier this year wiggling its way not too far from our door. It was later killed, but NOT by me. I draw the line at snakes! Bermuda has NO snakes, none whatsoever. My Bermuda folks can say this with relief in their voices. Cayman, well this is a different story.

Like I said, I knew there were snakes here BUT THIS!!!! THIS IS INSANE!!!

Chicken eating chicken

When it comes to chickens, Cayman is very much like Bermuda, in the sense that dem chickens run around free like no body's business. I'm used to it by now, but I can't ever get used to the American tourists when they voice their delight in their southern twang: OH look y'all, they've got chickens running around free.

When it comes to KFC, Bermuda's got nothing on Cayman. The KFC in Bermuda is NOT KFC grade chicken. Not that I know WHAT type of chicken KFC uses - I have heard horror stories. Bermuda's KFC is probably the only fast food franchise that was allowed to stay on island (McDonald's was kicked out a long time ago). Unfortunately, Bermuda's KFC chicken had a different non KFC batter altogether, and don't get me started on their fries. They use McCain's fries!!! The Canadians will know what I'm talking about here. And not that McCain's fries are bad...they're frozen fries that you cook up and are actually quite good, but here's my thing: If I'm going to go into KFC I'd want to eat authentic KFC fries, and not some substitute, even if that substitute is Canadian.

Cayman here, has the authentic KFC, which in a way can be bad, because after years of staying away from fast food, we're finding it all too hard not to resist the urge of the drive thru. And getting back to the free running chickens, we often spot them running around the KFC joint in town. Ok, so they can't read but man all I can think of saying to those chickens is RUNNNNNNNN!

So what brought on this clucking of a post? I was exiting Foster's today and in the parking lot was a young chicken, OBLIVIOUS to the reversing cars that was within inches of making it a pureed mess, all because this chicken was pecking away at a thrown away chicken bone. And I was all like: Dude, that's just wrong. It's like Mad Cow, but only Mad Chicken disease. Ok, so at least this chicken was eating its 'cooked' counterpart, but that's still wrong!!! Everyone knows chickens don't need protein, they need grains.

Weaver stamps

Stamps that are far too pretty to be separated to put to use. Each row of stamps that, as a whole, tell about the Cayman tradition of weaving. Remember weaving? I've talked about this before...

I'm posting this here so you can see what this set looked like as a whole and the story it told, just in case you happen to get an individual one like say...the boy in the third column, and have no idea as to what he's doing. Yeah, I'm helpful like that! :-)

365

I can't believe it's been a year already for me here in Cayman! How did this happen? I remember my Cayman landing like it was yesterday, and sheesh not only was it exhausting, it was daunting, because I moved here alone, while Hubby was wrapping up things in Bermuda. And while here during those first initial months, I would not have made it without my good friends, local & expat...so, THANK YOU!

By the way, it's a public holiday here in Cayman, and what better way to celebrate than hitting the beach...Cayman style!

Smoke

Earlier in the day I had updated the Weather Buttons on the blog to now feature weather from Toronto, Dubai and Bombay, especially since I frequently seem to write about all three of my former places of residence. It's now a quiet Saturday night. I was just looking at the weather comparitively and just about did a double take when I saw Mumbai (Bombay)'s description. Take a look! They way we're running this planet into the ground, pretty soon this will be the forecast for all cities all over the world.

Pies in your face

While maneuvering around the Cayman Immigration website I stumbled upon these little gem of a couple of pies. Often I am asked what the make up of the expat population is here in Cayman and lo and behold, I can now provide you with visuals. I customised the pie charts a little and while they are from March 2008, it is going to be so very interesting to see what the March 2009 updated version is going to look like. I will hold off on further commenting for now until they're up, but I for one am going to be waiting...and watching.

Soon come

Not even in Bermuda did the newspapers use local lingo that made up a news article headline (unelss it was in quote). But Cayman did. Take a look here at one such article, where such is the evidence of how local lingo makes the headline. 'Soon Come'! Only in Cayman!

I think it's endearing.

Hungry like the wolf

Have you noticed the men have been acting little crazed the past day or so, a little out of the ordinary, just not like their normal selves. Why are they going all bonkers at work? They're not going bonkers at the women, they daren't do that. They're going bonkers at each other. Like a pack of werewolves, howling and barking. It always takes one a moment to stop and ask...Is it a full moon? And lo and behold, it IS. More than that it's also the days leading up to Friday the 13th. So it's a double whammy. It's the male equivalent of PMSing. And it's true. When I brought up the whole Full Moon thing at work just now, one of my male co-workers howled like a werewolf, as to drive my point further. I was not able to catch it in time on my camera (which I seem to carry around with me these days). I'm sure this Full Moon behaviour is not just exclusive to Cayman and that men all over are behaving like werewolves. And you could make your own observations...Do their teeth seem sharper today than compared to yesterday? Their arms a little hairier? Take a closer look and come and tell me what you find.

Weather wise

My former Bermuda landlady, Ms Stop Your Noise, emailed me today asking me how the weather was down here. Has it been cold? Is it damp like Bermuda? Does it get humid like Bermuda during the summer?

I was pleased to tell her that although we had a couple of days of a cold spell, Cayman was back on track with the hot weather. And thank Goodness! People here in Cayman are often surprised when we tell them that Bermuda is normally cold in the winter. And compared to Cayman it IS cold. And damp. I often tell them that during the winter in Bermuda we HAD to run the heater while at home to get rid of the dampness. And looking back I can't believe that we did this for three winters. We had no idea that we would be doing so when we first moved to Bermuda. The website sure didn't mention Bermuda's version of winter weather. Sure the cold was not comparable to Canada but that dampness sure was a pain to deal with.

So, I am thankful that Cayman is not damp in the winter, nor any other time and that most places here have central AC, which let me tell you, is a nice comfort to have during those hot humid months. Not to mention it regulates your home quite well, that one need not worry about clothes getting mildewy no matter what one did (like in Bermuda). Those days are long gone behind us.

Caribbean Twist

I love how my Caribbean co-workers put their Caribbean spin on things. Like this morning my Brit-Jamaican co-worker was trying to recall that recent movie that Ben Stiller, Robert Downy Jr and Tom Cruise were in, and in a moment of epiphany called it TROPICAL THUNDER. Didn’t stop him from still calling it that, in spite of me giving him the correct name.

Blunders like these would have been very appreciated by my maternal grandmother, who would have celebrated her 85th today.

And speaking of birthdays, my cricket obsessed paternal grandfather is celebrating his 87th birthday today!

A frozen nose

You know that cold front that's been hitting Florida the past few days. Yeah, well it's also managed to hit us here in Cayman as well. So it's been UNUSUALLY cold the past three days. Now when I say cold I mean cold Cayman style. Perhaps COOL would be the right word to use. Anyway, most Caymanians tend to enjoy a cooler spot of weather here and there but when it gets anywhere below 23 deg Celsius. You can't really blame them (or me), when all they've known is hot 25+ deg Cel weather all their lives. I had to double up on my layers at work because with the a/c running even at a moderate temperature, it was freezing.

As we're walking to our cars today, one of my Caymanian co-workers says to me: Man it's cold, I can feel my nose burning. (!?!?!)

And it was about 23 deg Celsius. Welcome to the Caribbean.

I think the building across the street heard my laugh.

A fine balance

It is often difficult to stay away from saying things that are stereotypical. Or thinking it, for that matter. Especially when it comes to a particular race. Growing up in Dubai, I'd often hear my parents talk about workplace politics that involved a particular race (let's call them Race X from now on) and try as they might to avoid it, the inevitable common thread always revealed itself. Years later I now find myself working with Race X and so far I have been great at keeping the stereotypical thoughts at bay, especially considering I myself belong to a particular race. Until recently, that is. That common thread with Race X has not only revealed itself, but it has begun to fray, making it very difficult to keep an open mind while I work with this particular group of people. While from their perspective it may seem that this particular trait might be harmless, it is one that seems to be creating obstacles at work and negatively affecting workplace efficiency. I can now understand the government’s motives on placing restrictions on whichever expatriate race it is that is found on any given island in large numbers all in the name of wanting to promote a social balance.

Under the weather

Seems like everyone got this viral flu/cold/cough that's been going around. And I mean EVERYONE! Family & friends in Canada & the Middle East seem to be sick just as much as friends and co-workers here in Cayman. How do I know this? Well, there's Facebook that lets you know the intricate minute little details of one's health status, it's easy not to keep track of how every one's feeling.

Which makes me wonder...would you rather be sick on a Caribbean island, a desert or a freezing, wintry, snowy climate like Canada. Bear in mind that with today's Global Warming kicking up a scream, the desert's climate is much like a cross between the Caribbean and Canada. It may not snow but it definitely has been raining and it definitely has been chilly. Would you get better faster in a warmer Caribbean climate, bearing in mind that your recuperation environment is kept stable with the a/c running OR would you get better faster in a Canadian climate, with the heat running constantly that you feel like you're in a sauna. OR would it depend on motivating factors like: Caribbean climate = beaches = wanting to get better faster so you can hit the beach; or Canadian climate = -20 deg C temperatures coupled with snow = making you NOT wanting to lug your butt to work, giving you an excuse to stay in longer?

Which is it?

Go sip

Living on a small island you are bound to come across people who may know people you know, especially with those networking sites out where information flows like it's a free for all. It is only natural that once you find out the connections between your friends or acquaintances that you'd want to mention of this fact, but beware because on such a small island, this can run interference. I've learned from living in Bermuda, to keep quiet about certain things and to let things run their course. I find that it works out better this way because what happens when you start talking about knowing so and so? People start talking & gossiping. Now I'm not adverse to gossip. Heck my mother and I gossip every so often - life's little pleasures. But it's different on a small island. What's weird is that at times, I come across a decent amount of information about people I know here, that I tend to be ignorant if I am asked about so and so's specifics. I find that works out better too. It's just best to stay away and play the I haven't a clue card. Perhaps the only person I gossip with about island life & folk is Hubby, and that doesn't even count because he got that 'need to know' status. It's like gathering up intel to later make the best decision or to avoid an awkward situation, when you're at a crossroad. Intel gathering is important - you never know when any sort of information may come in handy.

On the same note, ever wonder where the word Gossip originated from? Well here's how and where:

Early politicians required feedback from the public to determine what was considered important to the people. Since there were no telephones, TV's or radios, the politicians sent their assistants to local taverns, pubs and bars who were told to "go sip some ale" and listen to people's conversations and political concerns. Many assistants were dispatched at different times. "you go sip here" and "you go sip there." The two words "go sip" were eventually combined when referring to the local opinion and thus, we have the term "gossip."