the kingdom of saudi arabia

My cousin, LawrieLookAlike & his father, UncleTigerBeer both work in Saudi Arabia as ex-pats. While UncleTigerBeer & family first lived in Dubai as ex-pats, he eventually made the transition to Saudi. However, Saudi Arabia is nowhere near liberal when compared to Dubai, UAE. The UAE is the most liberal middle eastern country you can live in & contrary to what people think, this is not a recent phenomenon but one that has been in place since the 70's.

So, how different is life in Saudi? Last year, I told UncleTigerBeer that I'd visit him in Saudi sometime. He responded: Sure, I'll pick you up at the airport & be sure to bring you an abaya. Say what? I have never worn one in my life & I am not about to start now & I'm not even Muslim. Doesn't matter, he says. Anyway, I will probably rethink that idea.

LawrieLookAlike has been regaling me with some interesting tidbits about this kingdom this past weekend. How great is MSN & Google Talk & thankfully not blocked by the ISPs in Saudi. I'd heard second hand versions of Saudi's nuances before, but having someone tell you as it happens is getting a glimpse of a life that's normally censored to the rest of the world. Thanks Cuz.

I also looked up some Saudi blogs & the one I found most interesting is: Sand Gets In My Eyes by an American author. It's also added onto the Blogs I Read list. So check it out if you're interested about life in Saudi Arabia through the eyes of a woman & through the eyes of these Saudi women.

minus what ?

The negative notation that precedes numbers when it comes to weather talk is a somewhat a distant memory, now that we've been in Bermuda for a while. But not forgotten. Once you've experienced how -x^o C feel like on your face, you're hardly going to forget it. Hubby told me it's about -35^o C in Winnipeg, Canada & even though I'm not from Winnipeg, I feel for its population. The temperature in Toronto has been dipping below 0 for the past few days & while it looked like the normal winter weather was on hiatus, it's back in full swing now. Winter is back in Canada & for the rest of the world.

So, here's where the good about Bermuda reigns in. As in the good moderate sub tropical climate. The weather norm for Bermuda in January is a cool 17^o C at night with the daytime high of about 22^o C. While Bermuda ordinarily receives a good share of rain & is sometimes pelted with hail in the winter months, this has yet to pass. No complaints, however.

For those of you wanting & planning to visit Bermuda, I recommend that the summer months are the best. Anytime from May to October is what will mostly guarantee you a good time because the hot weather creates an ideal vista for you to hit the beach & indulge in various other weather dependent activities. Basically, if you're going to shell out $x,xx.xx you may as well maximize every aspect of what Bermuda has to offer.

the bermuda tea party

People are often surprised that I am not a coffee person but a recent tea addict. They think that growing up in India & Dubai would have cultivated me into an at least moderate tea drinker years ago. 'But you're from India, you're supposed to like tea.' Says who? Just because most Indians are huge tea drinkers & the Arabs have quite the penchant for Arabic style black tea, I was expected to be addicted to tea as well? I was in my late teens when I moved to Canada & teenagers are not addicted to tea no matter where they live. Well, after my move to the Great White North, I eventually caught up to the stereotype. The weather made me.

When we moved to Bermuda in 2005, I didn't re-locate with any tea. I'm talking about the good stuff like Tetley's Orange Pekoe. 'Bermuda will have good tea. It's a British territory & the Brits love their tea' was my thought. I thought wrong! Like chocolate, the American imported version of Tetley, whilst cost effective to import, somehow didn't quite cut it. It wasn't strong enough for a man, nor made for a woman.

Why would I need to drink tea in Bermuda, anyway? Well, we do have cooler months (we call it winter) & March was cool enough for a hot cuppa. I was so glad when a month later our stash of long awaited necessities arrived. The first thing I did was grab the box of 216 Tetley teabags & checked to see what the heck made it so different & much more potent than the American import. Voila, the Canadian Tetley is made exclusively in the UK & exported to Canada. That'll do it.

So, if you're relocating to Bermuda in the near future & are addicted to tea, then I suggest you bring some of the good stuff with you. The same goes for you Java lovers. Since I am not a coffee drinker, I can only draw on the experience of others. Many tell me that they miss the coffee they're used to & vow to bring some with them on their next trip.

FYI, there's no Starbucks here, so don't go looking around for one.

in case of emergency

So, you're stuck in a elevator. With seven other passengers. At a major department store. In Bermuda. What do you do? Wait, isn't the limit six - maybe that's the reason for the elevator jamming up.

Anyway, this is the age of modern technology where you're perpetually connected to the world whether you like it or not. So, you reach for that handy red emergency phone placed in the panel below the floor numbers. Mere moments later you're connected to the operator & explain your situation. They respond they've never heard of the department store you're calling from. Is this a joke? Bermuda's not that big & this is a popular department store, more like the only department store left. The air is beginning to get a bit stifling what with all eight of you crammed like sardines. You repeat the name of the store again. You eventually say it's in Bermuda. Well, therein lies the problem. The operator you're speaking to is in North Carolina, approximately 640 miles from Bermuda, over the Atlantic Ocean. Unbelievable! Does anyone have a cell phone?

This is what a couple, long time frequent visitors to Bermuda, experienced over the Christmas season. Oh not to worry, they along with the six others were eventually freed from their claustrophobic hangout. The emergency line set up in that elevator was linked to the elevator manufacturing headquarters in the US. Come on! How about linking it to front desk or the security office in the store? Somebody didn't update the information after installation. Tsk Tsk. Somebody gonna get a hurt real bad!

by the rocks

Although we've had fabulous weather for the past couple of weeks, it's not nearly warm enough to take a dip. While 22 deg C is warm enough to lie on the sand in the sun, its not hot enough to make me want to lounge around in the water. So, snorkelling is out of the question as the fish prefer to stay in deeper waters during the winter. We all know how I can't swim, so I am not about to take my chances. I can wait until the hot summer when they decide to venture into my turf. Man, I have got to learn how to swim!

Fishing, a popular activity on the island, is also curtailed in the winter months. Since it's darker earlier & the fish not necessarily wanting to hang about closer to the rocks, it can be a bit challenging if you're expecting to take home a large bite. But some still persevere & wait by the rocks in the hope of doing so. We're not one of them. If we had a boat, then we'd sure venture into deeper water (me with a life vest) & catch us something fresh. Once again we wait for longer days & summer weather.

This past summer we frequented the rocks by Shelly Bay Beach. It's a beautiful spot & the sunsets are spectacular. It's also home to a decent size children's playground & a very nice beach. While the sand is coarser than most beaches, it's waters gently ebb the shore & are ideal for snorkelling, swimming & fishing. If you're not into fishing, the calm waves & ocean hues will lull you. Unless you're there on a stormy day.

Our fishing spot at Shelly Bay was by the old chimney on the rocks right before you hit the beach. This is my favourite fishing pic of Hubby as he's getting ready to cast his line. If you don't have your own rod then I suggest taking a good book because what's worse than waiting for your bait to catch is watching someone else waiting for their bait to catch. Heck, you don't even need a rod. Just a reel with a hook will do. Just that most times your hook will snag against the rocks & you end up loosing it after a good yank. This happens to me every time & eventually I get bored & start throwing in some stale bread. Then come the fish in multitudes, smaller ones at first but then the larger few venture closer to see what's cooking. This fish feeding is very therapeutic, even more so than fishing.

come & get it

Travelling back & forth to Bermuda makes me wonder how Bermudians are treated when they enter their homeland. Surely their documents are not scrutinized as ours are & most are allowed through customs without being searched. Not so.

Bermudians don't actually have a Bermudian passport. Since Bermuda is a self- governing British overseas territory & not an independent country, the passport issued to it's citizens is a UK passport. Nowhere does it say that they are Bermudian unless they make a trip to Immigration to have their Bermudian status 'stamped' on one of the inside pages. In order to complete this validation, every Bermudian should technically be on the government Registry. If not, then entails a lengthy process of having to prove that both or either one parent of the applicant is Bermudian. A Bermudian co-worker told me that while his passport is Bermudian certified, it does not look authentic enough to him. So much so that his passport is scrutinized by Immigration practically every time he enters Bermuda. Apparently the stamp must not look authentic enough to Immigration themselves.

Previously, Canadians & Bermudians were able to travel to America sans passport. All they required was a citizenship card or a drivers license. But we're in the post 9/11 era & America has just changed their rules to toughen up. Fair enough given 9/11. Canadians & Bermudians now need to have their passports in tow when travelling to the U.S. More specifically Bermudians need to have their UK passports stamped with the customary Bermudian status. Well, apparently this has created chaos at Immigration in the past month. Thousands & I mean thousands, more or less 30,0000 Bermudians are scrambling to get their passports appropriately stamped. But some are having to go through the extended ordeal of discovering that their names are not & never have been on the Registry & so are having to prove that they are Bermudian. Imagine the stress & the frustrations of having to wait in line at Immigration to get through additional red tape. And while the staff at Immigration are doing their damnedest, they are understaffed relative to Bermuda's population size.

Wouldn't it be so much easier if Bermuda were to issue it's own passport? No stamp required. No hassles of any sort to be endured when new rules of other countries are implemented. No frustrations. No more drama than necessary. Sure, it may end up costing an extra buck or two but seriously wouldn't it save on a whole lot of everything else ?

intelligent design

A little three year old at church today had a box of animal crackers. He brought it over & so I pointed out to the bunch of animals on the box & asked him if he knew what they were. He pointed to one of them and said 'That's a man'. I looked at it & trying not to laugh, I said, 'No, that's not a man. That's a gorilla'. A future evolutionist? Perhaps.

We all get caught up in the various theories of evolution no matter how religious we are. It makes us stop, think & question what we know & believe. However, I've always thought that the theory of simple cells evolving into life on earth or how we as humans share 99% of our DNA with primates making them our common ancestor is pure hogwash. For one thing, the 1% difference between the primates and us is a huge 1% - it's that percent that sets us apart from them & our various abilities far surpass theirs. For another, our cell structure is simply too complex for us to have evolved from another species. Not that we're special. The same goes for any other species, they all have complex structures.

On the topic of evolution: I happened to watch a PBS documentary on one a few months ago. What caught my eye was it's brilliant showcase of Bermuda's aquatic life. It had all the different kind of fish that I was able to name from my snorkelling adventures. But when I listened harder it was a documentary disproving Charles Darwin's 'Theory of Evolution'. To give you a brief synopsis, it looked at the various species & explained with the help of modern DNA why evolution is impossible. It also highlighted that Darwin was not privy to the concept of DNA at the time his work was published which was approximately 150 years ago. Had he been aware, he would have hesitated on publishing his work.

I didn't watch the entire documentary because I started to research on how I could get myself a copy. I did manage to get one, for Hubby for his birthday. He wanted to watch it today, the day that started with the gorilla. Coincidence? I think not. In life, there are no coincidences. Or so I've heard.

The documentary is titled LIFE'S STORY & is available at Exploration Films & also on Amazon. If you do decide to get it, well then enjoy!

we three kings

It's the 12th & last day of Christmas according to the Western Christian calendar. The day the three kings, also known as the Magi from the Orient made their way to visit the babe in Bethlehem. 'We Three Kings' is one of my favourite hymns. The even known as the Epiphany comes with the task of taking down the tree, the nativity & any Christmas decor & stowing it away safely until next year.

Well, we don't have any Christmas decor to take down because we didn't put one up. We've never really been in Bermuda to celebrate Christmas (a total of two so far). While I would love to have a tree here, it takes an awful long time to collect the kind of ornaments I would like on the tree & I am not about to blow a huge budget on ornaments. And while I did say that I didn't have to take down any Christmas decor, my parents in Toronto will have to. That's because I did put up the tree & the nativity set over there. (Well, they wanted me to & I could hardly say no!).

But I loved doing it. Most of the ornaments are handmade by yours truly. During our first year in Canada were a bit wary of buying a plethora of ornaments, so I collected a bunch of pine cones & spray painted them gold. Those ornaments adorn our tree to this day. Add to that the ornaments we've collected over the years. It's a simple theme that has carried us well through the past 10 years.

This season, my dad has promised to take down the tree & the nativity set with the greatest of care, since I'm not there to do it. I just hope he packs them away the right way in the right wrappers in the right boxes. The worst thing about the tree is all those lights. I prefer to string every branch with lights & it's definitely tedious (easier to take down than put up, however). So my advice to anyone considering a tree is get one that's pre-lit. 80% of your work is done for you right there & all you're left with is prettying in up.

For some of Bermuda's Christmas pictures, please check out the Bda Sun Album.

parrotfish

One of my favourite fish to see while snorkelling is the Parrotfish. I once hovered over eight of them, all different colours & shapes as they glided from one end of the Tobacco Bay shore to the other & they didn't seem to mind one bit. Boy was that an experience to remember. Parrotfish are abundant in Bermuda's waters, existing in a multitude of colours that are very vibrant much like the parrots of the world. They are also one of Bermuda's protected species - if you catch one you have to toss it back in. A fully grown parrotfish is about the full length of your arm & about a foot and a half wide. It's mouth, shaped like the beak of a parrot (hence the name), is an effective & necessary tool for scraping away the coral to get at the algae - their main diet (you can even hear then crunching away at the coral when you're snorkelling). They are also known as the recyclers of coral as they produce & distribute coral sands via their feeding activities. It is for this reason that the parrotfish is vital to Bermuda coral reefs.


Parrotfish can be found in the shallowest of waters, sometimes also spotted by rocks at the edge of the shoreline. They hibernate at night under rocks in a self made mucus cocoon that may take a half hour to break out of in the morning. Given their brilliant facade of colour, they are also colour blind. But perhaps the most interesting fact about parrotfish is it's ability to change sex when there is a shortage of males. Oh, you heard right & it's not possible the other way around. It's only the females that can make the sex transition. Mother Nature sure does have a very feminist sense of humour, in this instance. Imagine a scorned female parrotfish's train of thought: 'I don't need him, I can be him!'

i want candy

There is a huge difference between North American & English chocolate. Chocolate made in England is oh so decadent and full of rich cocoa giving it a wonderful true rich taste. North American chocolate, not so much. Read the label on a bar made in North America & you instantly notice the artificial ingredients. Bite into one & you will taste the difference compared to English chocolate, that is if your taste buds have ever been exposed to one.

Growing up in Dubai, we always had English imported chocolate to satisfy our cravings. Nothing fancy just your average KitKat, Snickers, MilkyWay, Kinder Surprise et al. After moving to Canada, it didn't take long for me to forget about the wonderful taste of English chocolate until (10 years later) someone brought some over from England. All it was was a KitKat bar but one bite brought back a slew of long forgotten memories to the forefront causing an awakening of my taste buds to what good chocolate used to taste like in the wonder years.

I didn't really expect much with regards to chocolate in Bermuda. I figured the market would be flooded with American products like a lot of items on the island. Until I spotted the English KitKat & boy was I excited. You can always tell the English chocolate apart from the North American chocolate by just looking at the wrapper. Since English chocolate is exported to many foreign countries, it accounts for its ingredients in different languages. Arabic is one of them & it's the easiest to spot among the various similar scripted languages.

So if you're in Bermuda & are debating on what kind of chocolate to take back to your friends, 'Get the one with the Arabic writing'! It's what I tell my friends here when we're out on our three pm chocolate break/sugar binge & let me tell you, one bite & they're very thankful. Makes you wonder though, would America ever import English chocolate, Arabic writing & all? I wonder if it would bode well with the public in this age of post 9/11

snail mail

If you're thinking about mailing me something, I'd say STOP. Email me instead. There's a very good reason. Because of its location, Bermuda isn't the most efficient when it comes to its mail. Outgoing mail from Bermuda reaches its destination far quicker than incoming mail. All incoming mail to Bermuda first makes a pit stop in the US before making its way here & that really does prolong the time mail gets to you. Especially packages. A friend told me that it took months for a Christmas package to arrive from her mom. In the meantime she had already made a trip back home. Her mom would have been better off just holding on to it.

Courier services are another story too. That overnight shipping guarantee doesn't hold water when the packages are destined to Bermuda. It takes about a couple of days for a FedEx or UPS package to make its way to you. But at least it's reliable. If you're mailing something you'd best make sure that you've got the address right down to the house name - increases your chances of mail being delivered right the first time. What house name you ask? Every house in Bermuda has a name. And this along with a postal code was how mail was delivered. Street numbers & addresses were only introduced about five years ago. Even so if you've got a house name on there preceding your street # & address, you can bet your mail will get to you.

I never used to include the house name for where we live. I am definitely used to the concept. When mailing Christmas cards to relatives in Southern India or any Indian non-cosmopolitan city, street addresses are not used. Even to this day! So mailing address are like this:
Mr & Mrs ---
'Name of the house'
Opposite --- Church or Opposite --- Post Office
City, Postal Code
State

I'd often ask my mom - how on earth would mail even get delivered to these places. Her response: Oh! the postman knows which house is which. Damn, that's what I call putting your training to practical use. Imagine your first day on the job as a postman. You'd have best read your training manual or paid attention to the mail route.

So, it's the same in Bermuda, or at least it was until five years ago. Of late, however, I have started to include the house name when giving out my mailing address. Turns out there's a bunch of apartments named after the same street that we're on & often their mail turns up in our box. And the postman will not bother to take the mail back & deliver it to the right address. MsStopYourNoise has had to drop it off at the post office one to many times. Not like it's going to take the postal worker extra time to do it right. Mail is delivered on a scooter for Pete's sakes. Anyway, I've included an example (courtesy of the Bermuda Post) of how mail should be addressed. FYI: Parish in Bermuda is the equivalent of Province (Canada) or State (US). Just in case you didn't know!

be happy, be safe

The dawn of the New Year always embodies a renewed sense of hope, a chance to better yourself, a fresh clean slate. Among various resolutions most also hope for peace whether in their homes, their neighbourhoods or in their cities. For Toronto, that may transcend to a new year with lesser crime, while Bermuda's wish for it's streets is one with fewer road fatalities.

This is an ongoing concern for Bermuda as most road fatalities involve scooter riders & speeding. Some blame the roads & the infrastructure, but if people were to slow down I doubt we'd see as many fatalities. The speed limit of 35kms is often a forgotten rule for bike riders as they indulge in their joy rides. Often it's Bermuda's youth that get caught up in the power game & some result in dire consequences leaving behind distraught family & friends. Some ex-pats tend not to adhere to the speeding limit, especially since many if not all are new to the scooter world. Maybe this year we can all slow down. Here's wishing everyone a Happy & Safe New Year.

three butter chickens

Merry Christmas everyone! Hope yours was just as good as mine. I'm blogging from Toronto where Boxing Day sales for the 26th reached an all time high. No, I did not buy the whole store (as ThePoser & Smoochie would have you believe). Hubby & I are having a great time here. After all we're home, where it's much colder than Bermuda, but home nevertheless & while we have no idea what's going on on the rock, I'm sure we'll find out soon enough upon our return.

Meanwhile, I leave you with this: The Indian version of 12 days of Christmas. Enjoy!

make it a movie night

We both really do miss the Cineplex's of Toronto - big surround sound, big picture & the comfy swing back adjustable arm rest chairs. It's not amusing when you're used to that level of theatre experience & have to then downgrade to a smaller theatre with the exact opposite of what Toronto offers.

You know where I'm going with this - Bermuda's theatres are a bit on the smaller side. There are about 5 of them & the movies that would ordinarily be released at any one theatre in Toronto are here a week later & are assigned at the ratio of one new release per theatre. And they're only here to stay for the week & a weekend. Two, if you're lucky. Rotation is rare, so if you miss it then your best hope is to catch it on DVD.

One of the theatres in town is known as The Little Theatre, because it's just that - little. The Liberty Theatre, also in town, fares a little better on the size scale - but a rather odd but bearable smell accompanies it. Our favourite is the theatre at Dockyard on the west end of the island. While it's similar in size to Liberty, it just fares better in terms of cleanliness, ambiance & has an old world feel to it. I love the combination of the pale cream walls & dark wood & the feeling it evokes. But we still prefer watching movies on the big screen. No comparison there.

here a toot, there a toot

There's one thing that we will never get used to in Bermuda, yet it happens everyday. It's the toot toot syndrome. Being on a small island it's a given that you'd pass someone you know on the street. Most who are driving will honk their horn as they're passing by or will honk & then stop for a mini chat - sure, it holds up traffic on most of the one way roads but who cares. It's the island way. Everyone is expected to wait as pleasantries are exchanged.

When we first arrived, Hubby had to start driving us around on a scooter - something that he'd not done before. I was scared out of my wits for it was so long since I had been on one. Thankfully, Hubby mastered it faster than you can say 'honk your horn'. But then when we were on the roads we noticed the horns were being honked a little too often. At first we thought we were doing something wrong because in Toronto they tell you not to honk your horn unless the driver's doing something wrong. Well, turns out honking horns or tootin' as they say here in Bermuda, is a common reflex motion for when you spot someone ye know on the road.

MrWayans (Ms.StopYourNoise's bf) has a unique car which is always spotted on the road. Firstly, it's an American car so the driver's seat is on the left as opposed to most of the right hand drive cars on the island. Secondly, it's a some kind of snazzy station wagon & it's the only car of it's kind on the island. He always says that he gets a lot of toots & at times doesn't pay attention to who's tootin', until the tooter runs into him a few days later telling him that they saw him on the road & tooted at him. It's just funny to hear MrWayans say toot. I guess if you grow up here on the island you're used to the toots. For us ex-pats, it's something we may not get used to. So how do you let someone know when they're really doing something wrong. You definitely want to toot but you don't want them to think that it's friendly. Do what we do - we accompany our toots with dirty looks so they know we mean business.

chinese whisper

All was calm this Saturday morning until someone standing by the rocks noticed that the waves at Somerset (the west end) were an unusual 15 feet high. Apparently, an earthquake had occurred some many miles away last week & tidal waves were to be the after effects of this quake. So, Mr. Man got a bit worried & started to spread the word. People started to spread it further. The word got on the local radio station & after that it just went all haywire.

First, it was announced that the causeway linking Somerset to the rest of the island would be closed. Then came the news that preparations to evacuate Somerset were in place. People were just not ready for any of this. Who's really ready for any kind of disaster on a weekend? More confusion ensued as word spread around the rest of the island & people began to grow concerned for their Somerset relatives & friends. Eventually a little research was done & rumours were set straight. Yes, there was an earthquake last week miles away from the island & while we would be experiencing bigger than normal waves, it would not be a tsunami. And so a sense of peace overtook the chaos & calm was restored among those that were caught up in this rumour mill.

I am not sure how long this anxious event lasted because I was peacefully sleeping in. Even if we were awake, we don't really tune into the local radio station. Our source was MsStopYourNoise's boyfriend, MrWayans But it's easy to see how information can be distorted & magnified as it's passed around, granted a tidal wave is not something that should be taken lightly even if it may not show up.

leo leo di caprio

I just wanted to give a shout out to my cousin Leo in India. He's been doing some reading, which surprised me because I didn't think he'd take the time from his busy schedule of girl chasing & college studying to read anything I had penned. But I am pleased & impressed with his diligence. So I promised I'd write about him to make him look good, especially to the ladies.

I first met Leo on the day he was born, 18 years ago in Mangalore - India, but somehow I don't think he remembers that. I didn't see him again until last year & boy has he grown. We've been keeping in touch through the wonderful world of MSN for the last few years. He loves to give me a hard time by calling me silly names but really who's he kidding? He's got nothing on me. He told me that if I'd ever visit him, he'd put me to work & have me cooking for him. But he did a complete 180 from his idle threats when we showed up at his door last December. Here I was all ready for the match, gloves on, raring to go but the surprise was on me. He was quite the perfect host - his mom was proud, although I'm sure she would have set him straight if he started ordering me around.

Leo has the features of a younger Leonardo di Caprio - hence his blog name. He loves that name & puffs up with pride when I address him so. His sister, however, seems to disagree & says I need to get my eyes checked. What do you think about that, Leo? You think she's right? I await your answer.

To my family: if you haven't already guessed who Leo is, email me & I'll spill the beans.

houses & cars

Bermuda is only about 22 square miles & for such a small island, one of the growing concerns is the growing number of cars. The government has the harrowing task of doling out the ratio of one car per household. It does this by assigning what is called an 'Assessment Number' to each household. No assessment number, no car. However, a single house can have more than one household, if the house has been converted into apartments. Architecturally, a very common strategy as most houses are built with potential rental income in mind. The growing number of international business has contributed to the high standard of living, which has also given rise to asinine house prices. No doubt this affects Bermudians. Average house prices are about $800,000 & with a required 5% down payment which amounts to $200,000 You can see how this can be a bit challenging for the locals. So, for those that own a home, renting out their additional conversions not only eases the mortgage payments & living expenses, but also relieves the pressure of what would be a disastrous housing crisis for all.

Getting back to the growing number of cars on the island, most complain about it & correlate it with the steady stream of ex-pats. But in all fairness, most ex-pats I know don't own cars & still continue to ride scooters. Owning a car on the island, like everything else, is expensive. There are restrictions on car sizes for automobile dealers bringing in their wares. It's a small island with narrow roads & even narrower driveways. Small cars fit well in small spaces. My Cavalier would not have have made the cut, I can tell you that. A brand new car will cost you a pretty penny in Bermuda - the government import duty charged on a brand new car is 75% and I'm pretty sure the dealers are more than happy to pass that cost onto the customer. Yay! This is one of the reasons why used cars have a really good resale value. As it cost me, so it will cost you. Anyway, continuing on, the yearly registration fee, also depending on the size of the car, begins at $260.00
Petrol (for those of you who speak the Queen's English) or gas, is of course priced higher than the US. We don't really pay attention to what it costs per gallon because it only costs us scooter owners, a mere $8 - $10 a week to fill up.

You would think that the above aggregate mentioned would be a deterrent to future car owners, but the reality is that families need cars. Unlike India, where families can manage with a scooter outfitted with a side carriage to carry the wife & kids, Bermuda's winding roads would not be friendly nor practical to the attachment. So, while for families it's a necessity, others like singles or couples prefer to transition into car owners for safety reasons.
The steady automobile increase is a concern & is on the government's mind. In an effort to combat this increasing traffic on Bermuda's roads, the newly elected premier put forth a proposal in November to scrap public transportation fares all together in the hope to encourage more commuters to take the friendly way. Whether this will be implemented, remains to be seen. I can tell you one thing: if it goes through, there just might be less roadkill & the frogs will begin to repopulate thereby increasing their numbers.

the bermuda triangle

The first thing that comes to mind when you mention Bermuda is The Bermuda Triangle. Yet most don't know what area really forms the triangle. It is the ocean area between Bermuda, Miami-Florida & San Juan-Puerto Rico. A map has been included for your visual pleasure. This triangle brings about a certain level of apprehension for most people. Their minds delve into their archived knowledge of what they know about the Triangle as gleamed from the documentaries they've watched or the articles they've read. I was one of those people, as I am sure like most are before they come to the island. Coincidentally, there was an explosion of Bermuda Triangle documentaries on the Discovery Channel the month before our move to Bermuda. It didn't really ease any of our fears but rather magnified them.

Fast forward to 2 years later: now let me indulge you in what we in Bermuda think the triangle is about. It's nothing. Nada. It's basically just an electromagnetic anomaly. If you're in the water in the triangle, it's your compass needle that veers approximately 15° east of where it's supposed to be. So obviously this wreaked a lot of havoc with those old airplanes & ships but not anymore. We've been told that with the sophisticated compasses & monitoring systems that now outfit the ships & planes, there's nary a an occurrence like the ones of yesteryear.

the extinct volcano

Volcanoes have always fascinated me. In fact, I am watching a documentary on one right now, which is the inspiration for this post. The eruption of volcanoes brings about much fear for the civilization that has settled itself at the base of the mountain. While the vibrant red magma is so visually attractive & mesmerizing, houses are destroyed as it makes its way through the streets. The air is rendered unbreathable as tiny particles of ash & sulfur infiltrate the lower atmosphere.

But in some cases, a volcanic eruption is not the end of a civilization but rather the birth of it. Bermuda is one such example - the birth of an island resulting from a series of eruptions from an undersea volcano. Scientific theory has it that the volcano erupted about a 100 million years ago & blew itself into extinction about 70 million years ago. The extinction of the volcano, the hardening of lava & the creation of limestone caps all brought about the islands of Bermuda - all 140 of them. Most of these islands are connected through a series of bridges & causeways built in the last century. There are a couple of areas in Bermuda where the ocean depth plummets to unknown stats & this has given rise to the theory that it may be the crater of the volcano. But others dispute this theory. Volcanic rock, however, can still be found on the island.

I have to say that before we moved to Bermuda, the thought of this tiny island in the middle of the vast ocean did scare me. You start to wonder how on earth does Bermuda manage to prop itself. After indulging in some research, I came across a drawing depicting how Bermuda is supported by the extinct volcano that actually arises deep from the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. And now that I am on this island all that water around us doesn't seem so daunting. On the contrary, it's hues are so soothing & welcoming. I would have loved to attach that picture to give you an idea of what the volcano looks like under water but now I can't seem to find it. I have looked time & time again but it's disappeared. I'd gladly reproduce the drawing but heaven knows I am no artist.

bird of paradise

You may have seen this flower before even if you haven't lived on a tropical island. It's a popular choice for florists to incorporate them in their bouquets. Named as one of the most exotic flowers there is, the Bird of Paradise originated in South Africa & further evolved in Madagascar. Meant to thrive in a tropical climate, it is indeed a plant that rewards only the most diligent & patient gardener. When grown from seed, germination takes about a year & the plant only blooms after about three to five years.

The Bird of Paradise makes a unique statement in a bouquet. I'd see them in Toronto ever so often & you'd instantly know that it would be one pricey bouquet if you saw one of these sticking through. I thought I'd try my hand at growing one of these at home many years ago but once I read the instructions, I was discouraged.

Here in Bermuda this plant grows with such abundance & profusion with it's vivid colours majestically revealed. Cut flowers will apparently last for weeks with a once a week water change. Definitely makes it very tempting to go out nab me just one stalk to pretty up the place.

air miles

Let me begin with a reminder: Bermuda is not part of the Caribbean & is nowhere near it. It's considered part of Atlantic North-America - more or less parallel to Charlotte, Virgina or Nashville, TN to be exact, above Florida & the Caribbean Islands. Here's the irony though: if you want to travel from Bermuda to the Caribbean you have to pretty much get a connecting flight to the US, travel north to NY or maybe Philly & then back south past Bermuda to the Caribbean. There are no direct flights to the Caribbean. If that's where you're from, good luck my friend.

Travelling to Canada is a little easier. Apart from Air Canada which flies non-stop daily to & from Toronto (3 hour flight tops), we also have a few other choice airlines. But the choices are American & they include stop-overs. And while they boast their own entirely separate funky boarding lounge at the Bermuda airport, they really can't boast about their in-flight meal service, which at most times is next to nothing.

If you're a Brit expat, however, travelling back home can be a bit of a price shocker. British Airways has a monopolistic presence here in Bermuda. There is no other airline that flies direct to the UK from Bermuda & so they can really charge what they bloody well please. But they do have good airline food & great customer service. Or so I've been told.

With the growing number of expats from Asia, travelling home for them is a minimum 19 hour flight all preceded with pricey airfare. Most of these airlines stop over in the UK and that ups the ante on airfare. While in most cases flights originating from NY to anywhere in the world are a cheaper alternative, this unfortunately is not an option for our Asian friends. Most need a visit or a transit visa to even set foot in an American airport & these visas are no longer approved like they used to pre 9/11.

And so like everything else that's expensive on this rock, so is travelling. In the wake of 9/11, security personnel add ons have caused airport fees to rise to asinine levels. Of course the burden is borne by the customer who is liable for these costs for both the departure & arrival ports. How nice! Add to that Air Canada, like other airlines, are blissfully aware of the sheer number of it's country's citizens working as expats in Bermuda & are honning in on their strategy of price discrimination. Especially during Christmas. Come on airliners, give us a break in this season of giving!

i've got a lovely bunch of coconuts

Know what I miss? Coconuts! The big green kind pictured here. The kind where you cut the top off, gulp down the liquid & then scoop out the jelly inside. When left on the tree long enough, the liquid dries up, the jelly hardens. Most don't know about the jelly when it's in the soft stages (and when I say most, I mean most non-brown people), but the jelly is the best part. Yum! I can attest to that. So if you're ever in a tropical country & are presented with one of these, I recommend you take advantage of it. Not only are they delicious, but soothing for your system, especially for that common problem that ails most when travelling.

During our Indian holiday, we indulged in one of these everyday. They were a dime a dozen. Ok, maybe not, but they were the equivalent of a dime each. In Cuba, however, the cost was nada - but only because we were at a resort & the property caretakers would ever so kindly chop one down at our request. They were surprised, however, when we'd ask to crack it open after, to dive into the jelly. I guess they figured we'd have not known about it. Others began to follow suit (other non-brown, non Spanish people). And we loved educating the masses. Anyway, I thought Bermuda would have an abundance of these coconuts - being a tropical island and all. We went a year without spotting any coconut trees because the island predominantly hosts palm trees. More specifically, palmetto palm trees. Doesn't do a lot of good in my opinion. Ok, so maybe it provides shade, cleans the air & bears fruit that's used in pig feed but I haven't seen a pig on the island & it still doesn't bear coconuts.

But lo & behold, we at last spotted a couple of coconut trees & right on our street too. Guess we weren't paying attention before. The problem is that it's on private property. Add to that, these coconuts are pretty high up. The one pictured is just about ready & I actually stood there for a few seconds hoping it would fall off so I could claim it for my own. Sigh, better luck next time, eh? Maybe!

turtle love

Bermuda has recently celebrated the return of its loggerhead turtles after three decades of no show from the waters around the island. It was thought that the loggerheads had gone extinct as one had not been seen for years. Until last summer. The return of the loggerheads signifies a change for the better - environmentally.

However, caution is still required. One of the major pollutants is the plastic bags or balloons found in the ocean. Once let go, helium filled balloons, eventually pop & end up in the ocean. Unbeknownst to them, turtles think that the balloons or plastics are food & of course ingest them. Unfortunately, these inedible items are unable to pass through the turtles' system & so become permanently logged in the their system resulting in bloating. This further gives rise to infections or of the turtles eventually dying of starvation. It's a sad fact.

Personally, I love turtles (I have yet to spot one while I'm snorkelling but all in good time). And what's not to love? Who can forget Squirt from Finding Nemo - my favourite character. In reality, this species has a lifespan going well into the 100's. Seeing a tiny baby turtle making it's way into the ocean to forage for itself - that's a major feat. Add to that the ability to survive in the vast ocean for a couple of centuries. It is no one's fault but our own that we have begun to invade & damage their habitat with our rubbish, contributing to their disappearance & decline. The government has been urging it's residents to dispose off plastics responsibly & to be ever so mindful before indulging in helium filled balloons. The time has come to be environmentally responsible. Lets give the turtles a helping hand, shall we?

the spanish rock

Taking advantage of the hot weather this past weekend, Hubby & I went 'hiking' by Spittal Pond atop to the Spanish Rock. The trail itself is rich with local flora & trees that encompasses you as you make your way through. As usual, the views are nothing short of spectacular. The Spanish Rock greets us, perpetually stationed, firmly grounded & exposed to the elements, it awaits for smooth hands to run over the inscription it bears.

A sign not too far from the rock reads:
'One of the earliest signs of human visitation on Bermuda, this deeply carved rock inscription bearing the date 1543 was originally believed to have been carved by Theodore Fernandino Camelo who was given a grant by the King of Spain to colonize Bermuda. However, there is no other evidence that Camelo fulfilled his purpose. Historians now believe that it may have been carved by survivors of a Portuguese vessel which was stranded on Bermuda for 60 days in 1543. Under this interpretation the initials are believed to be R.P. = Rex Portugaliae followed by the cross of the Portuguese Order of Christ.
The bronze cast made from a lead mold taken in 1893 now caps the site of the original carving. which was destroyed by weathering and vandalism before 1940.'

make me an offer

Ex-pats & Bermudians alike prefer to buy most of their necessities off the island. For ex-pats it's the trips back home that have them scurrying to cross items off their shopping list. For most Bermudians it's a vacation/shopping trip all rolled in one. But what do ex-pats do with their collected wares when they're ready to move back home permanently? This is where the 'Leaving the Island Sale' comes in. There's also a site where these items & many more tangibles can be advertised for sale.

It's called e-moo. e what? Oh sure it sounded funny to me the first time I heard it too but it grows on you. So what is e-moo? It's a local website that features hoards of items for re-sale. Anything goes from appliances to baby items to electronics & even cars! Items that are brand new, some barely used & most in good condition. Most sell off their used merchandise at practically the price they paid for it x number of years ago. And if you do manage to buy something, you can pretty much sell it for the same price when you're ready to leave. There's something good coming out of having to pay duties on everything that's brought on the island. And even so, many a good deals have been procured via e-moo. It's like depreciation doesn't quite exist in Bermuda.

toe talk

One of my favourite things about Bermuda? It's almost December & I can still wear open toe shoes/sandals. Those who know me, really really know me, know how much I'd rather wear open toe shoes all the time. I hate having to wear regular shoes & will avoid doing so as much as I can. I've been known to be stubbornly attired in my open toe shoes even in the dead of Canada's winter. And I love walking barefoot (no not like Britney Spears who took barefoot liberties while making trips to public washrooms).

In my case, is it style before comfort? Doesn't it seem so? It’s actually the other way around. I have wide feet (thanks dad!) & this makes me adverse to any sort of restriction placed on my toes because the darn shoes start to pinch after a while. Fortunately shoe stores are now beginning to increase their wide toe selection to the market to cater to ones like me. Apparently there are lot of us out there.

But old habits die hard. It was no surprise when my good friend Kate, snidely stated last winter: So you're still wearing sandals. Sensing mockery on her part, I replied: Course I am, it's Bermuda & it's warm, so why the heck not.

So if you're like me & love the foot freedom, then come on over to my side where you can get away with exposing your toes all winter anytime, even with the a/c running at work.

the other kind of weed

We were away last week. The best part about coming back to our home away from home? It's the birds eye view of the island & its water especially when the colours are glorified & intensified on a sunny day. This is my wish for anyone visiting the island - that the sun shine & blaze to reveal the true colours that is the very essence of Bda's beauty.

However, as the plane neared the island something in the water caught my eye. There was a lot of brown something littering the waters around the island & it stretched for miles. My first thought was that it was run off from the sewage system. And because there was so much of it my next thought was how can Bda's water get so dirty so fast in just one week! Something at the sewage plant must have overloaded or gone bust. I'd already decided there was no way I was going in the water after this.

I didn't think much about it until we drove down on Sunday to spend some time at the beach for Hubby's b'day. En route I saw this brown stuff again & of course was pretty disgusted. It was not until we hit the shore that we saw tons of the same brown stuff on the shore. But it's not what I thought it was all along. Not run off but it was seaweed. Seaweed that browns up & dies out during the fall, floats & washes ashore. Apparently this is the time of year for it.

Where were we last Nov to not notice this? Well surprise surprise, I guess this was our first proper seaweed dump viewing perhaps because we decided to make a trip to the beach. So we'll know for next year. Oh, I am so relieved. The waters are safe & more importantly clean. It was not polluted with run off but with good ol' natural seaweed. Dead seaweed but nevertheless natural. Hey at least it's not crap.

the long way home

So it's dark by 6:00 PM. Not a big deal if the streets are lit up right? Well, that would depend on the street. While all major roads are lit, the inside smaller streets are not. It's pitch black when the moon's not shining & it's so dark that you can barely see where you're going. You'd best be carrying a flashlight or you'd be fumbling. The only way you know where you're headed is by looking straight ahead & trying to make a bee line for top of the slope all the while hoping you don't step on a tiny toad, or a frog or even worse a roach. On the days I commute home via public transportation, I'd be smart to remember to carry a flashlight. If not, I am left to my own devices & depend on the flashlight emanating from my cell phone to guide me home.

But as long as my path's lit I've no qualms about walking up our street from the bus stop. It’s a great workout because the street has a sharp slope leading to our cul-de-sac. But wait, there's still the driveway to account for (see the picture on the right). Those that have visited us thus far, never fail to comment on the workout they receive walking up to our place. Making up the driveway on a scooter requires quite the momentum & most cab drivers are reluctant at first to drive up there. But this is Bermuda, where most inside streets are not lit & most houses are up on little hills where each driveway is just as charming as the next.

time after time

I'd really like to know who in blazes invented Daylight Savings Time (DST)? Yes, I know I could look it up but that would cause me to deviate from my rant. DST just confuses the heck out of everyone & throws everything off all the while making winter more depressing.

For those of you who don't know, DST is a concept of having the clocks spring forward an hour in the spring to maximize the hours of daylight in the summer. The clocks then fall backward an hour in autumn. DST is practiced in North America & some countries in Europe. The rationale behind this brilliant idea (insert sarcasm here) is that less electricity would be used during the summer hours & an availability of more hours of daylight at our disposal to do with as we choose.

The problem is when we have to fall backward come autumn, which technically is when we align ourselves back with the rest of the world. Not only do we now have to get used to the early darkening during the fall & winter months, it is depressing when darkness takes over earlier. See I think they should just eliminate DST altogether. Why make one go through the enjoyment of summer hours only to have it yanked away at autumn? Who in North America would care if we didnt have DST? Seriously, thanks to DST, it's dark here in Bermuda by 5:30 on a cloudy day.

The concept of summer hours in the Middle East or India didn't exist & growing up, I didn't know any better. I didn't enjoy myself more in the summer due to the extra hour of daylight but at the same time didn't get bummed out when the time zone was cruelly changed back. Why do you think so many people harbour the winter blues? I believe there's a song about it & I bet it was a cowboy living in one of those DST observing states that wrote it.

Honestly, I'd rather have an extra hour of daylight in the evening rather than in the morning. I am not a morning person. Most of you know that by now. Besides even if you naturally are a morning person, you're on your way to work anyway. Do you really have the liberty of enjoying that hour of daylight in the morning? Most of us don't even have the luxury of a window seat at work and even if we did, that would be the equivalent of stopping & smelling the roses. Yeah! Who really stops to smell the roses?

Do you see the problem? The questions that arise all because we have been made acutely aware of the shifts in time & light that DST has brought about. Its a right pain & a huge inconvenience having to remember that the clocks need to be changed when the time arises. That meddlesome moron (apparently it was Benjamin Franklin - I knew it had to be an American), well, he should have just left it as is. None of us here would have known any better & we would have been happier!