all hallows eve

Last year was a quiet hallows' eve. We didn't really know any of the kids in the neighbourhood so didn't expect any of them to show up. Besides who'd want to make their way up our killer driveway. In any case MsStopYourNoise spends every Halloween doling out candy at her momma's place in Spanish Point, so these kids know she's naught to be home.

This year we pretty much expected the same non turnout even though we now know all the kids in the neighbourhood. But lo & behold they showed up this evening, knocking on our door with expectant faces - the King, the Ghost, the WitchBride & the Queen. Of course we were not at all prepared BUT we did have a stash of - and I'm sorry to say this - Werthers' Originals. Yes I know it's not THE candy to have but it's all we had for the day & it didn't dim the smiles on their faces either. Here's the gang minus Pele & his brother, who went a-scaring past the neighbourhood outskirts. The kids sure did ask for MsStopYourNoise & guess who had to inform them that she abandoned her own ship in favour of a Spanish one.

The little ninja was visiting our neighbours & popped in to say hello. As you can see he's adorable & a gentleman too. He proceeded to give ME his candy from his bag. He'll know not to do that next Halloween.

We also received Halloween pics from Georgia. Here's Smoochie & ThePoser in their Hallow's gear. Quite a twosome, don't you think? Their mom was riding the danger zone by getting their costumes last minute but she got them at a steal & it was happenstance that they co-ordinated with each other.

Seeing the kids with their Halloween smiles & personas, they sure do inject you with energy you didn't know you had at the end of the day. I guess it's easier to say that when they're not your own!

Happy Halloween!

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heat free workplaces

The cold weather has made its Bermuda debut earlier this year with a big bang. Things were fine & hot up until Tuesday & then bam, outta nowhere the island was taken over by these 'cool' winds. Ordinarily it would be fine but it's even cooler when you're on a scooter. And that's us during our commute to work. Out come much needed jackets & scarves, for the last thing we want is to be out of commission with the change in weather flu/cold.

Of course, we had to dive into our warmer clothing this week. That meant taking them out of our SpaceBags. It was just as fresh as we the day we packed them in. No bugs, no musty smell, no dampness just good laundered freshness. The irony is that we have to dress up warmer at work than at home. The reason?

Bermuda offices are not big on heating. Most of the office buildings were built with the much needed central air con for use during the summer, of course, but nary a thought to central heating for the winter. While Bermuda has a temperate climate, it is not part of the Caribbean islands. In fact being situated further north, we're not exactly privy to the hot temperatures in the winter but rather to a damp cool climate. So, while most office buildings did not think of having heating put in they still leave the air con on in the winter. It helps to maintain a damp free environment but it's still cold. Bermuda's cold weather is more or less equivalent to Canada's fall weather. Which is nice because we don't have to deal with snow & the -10^o C temperatures, but I do miss seeing the autumn colours of fall. Looking back, I just never thought I'd need my fall gear for use in Bermuda.

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pack 'em good

What's a fast easy way for kids to earn money on this island? No, not child labour but more like after school work. Most kids elsewhere will earn some dough by taking on chores at home. Making money while working from home? That system wasn't quite invented in my day. Guess I lucked out!

Kids here & now have it easier when it comes to making some extra cash on the side. For instance, Bermuda grocery stores are a big ticket item. Most kids line up to pack groceries for customers (in their school uniforms - even on weekends) & while the grocery store does not pay them, it's the customers that tip them. And tip they do - quite generously. We hear kids brag about much they've made in just one sitting. It's more than you'd think. Say about 50 big ones. It's true, out from the mouth of babes. Some might justify the big tipping to the fact that it's all relative here in Bermuda. Higher cost & standard of living should lead to higher wages or tips.

But do kids really need that much money? What are they really going to do with it? Seems like a waste to have tip a kid to pack a grocery bag because guess what? When they're not around we have to do it ourselves, if the cashier doesn't take it upon herself. Not that I'm complaining. I'd rather pack my bags myself - Heck I always manage to pack it so efficiently that our stuff always fits in the three compartments of the scooter on the first try - no re-arranging needed. Even Hubby is impressed. With the kid packers, we inevitably have to rearrange or sometimes even repack to get it to fit. C'est la vie! Not like I can tell the eagerly awaiting packer kid: No, it's fine I can pack it myself. Imagine the faux pas. I'd be hindering their lively hood. Not something I want to do when the general perceived misconception is that ex-pats are taking over most jobs! Not true people!

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snorkel haven

One of my favourite places to snorkel is Tobacco Bay. Known as one of the island's snorkel hotspots it's partly surrounded by rocks which attract all kinds of tropical fish. The rough waters are eliminated & allowing gentle waves that make it a snorkel haven. The fish that inhabit these crystal clear waters are not shy at all. They take no notice of the snorkellers who watch their every move & are delighted when the select few decide to share their grub with them. They flock to food like moths to a flame. That's the thing about fish - they never know when to stop eating.

Tobacco Bay is also where I learnt how to snorkel & I love the calm waters it has to offer for I am no swimmer. It would help if I were but to compensate for that here's my mantra from my past snorkel experiences in the water that's more than FIVE feet deep:

1. I will not panic.

2. I will snorkel as close to the rocks as possible (helps when you have something to grab on to when # 3 happens).

3. I will stay calm when water gets in my tube.

4. I will not have head on collisions with other snorkelers (it's happened with no concussions to report).

5. I will not panic when I find myself hovering over jellyfish (because really the tops of the jellyfish have no sting factor).

Don't let the list throw you off. Really, it's a piece of cake (see me do it?). Once you see the fish doing their thing, get captivated by their sheer numbers, size, species & blend of vibrant colours, you let go of all your inhibitions & actually start to enjoy yourself. You can even hear them eat or munch away at rocks. It sounds like snap, crackle & pop & no there's nothing wrong with your ears.

I always spend more time snorkelling than I intend to & end up with temporary snorkel mask impressions on my face & wrinkled finger tips when I'm done. But they disappear in a matter of minutes. Pretty soon I hope to be a strong swimmer so I can eliminate #s 1, 2 & 3 off my list.

p.s. That's me snorkelling in the pic, taken last Sat. Even with the mantra list, strike a pose, there's nothing to it!

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the catch is one gig

One thing we miss about Toronto is the internet. Not so much the high speed but the unlimited downloads. There is fierce competition in Bermuda between internet providers. Dial up is one way to go but seriously, once you're exposed to the joys of high speed you don't ever go back to dial-up. It's the e-mail vs snail mail equivalent. Even dial up does not come cheap. Everytime you sign on you are charged 25 cents - it's treated like a phone call & with the regular phone line you get about 50 free ones a month. There's DSL but the phone line has to be upgraded to about $90/month & that does not even include the DSL charges. Not to mention DSL tends to be somewhat unreliable at times.

What we've indulged in is reliable wireless, higher than high speed internet faster than DSL, no phone line required, same pricing as the upgraded phone line plus there's unlimited surfing. Sounds like the perfect solution, doesn't it? But wait, as always there's a catch. Our actual download quota is limited to one gig a month. Yeah, that's not much at all. Especially when there's music to download & not to mention missed TV shows that can be watched with no time restraints nor commercials. This would definitely help when the cable's out of commission. But then I know I will go over the quota. Damn, damn & double damn. There'd better be no kids reading this!

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this strong house

Today was a rainy day. It started off with the usual clouds & spitting rain which then turned into massive dark clouds, big drops of rain (aka tank rain in Bermuda), thunder & lightning. My mom who's visiting, was on our patio rain watching. I had to call her in when I heard the first clap of thunder. No sooner had she come in, that I saw a bolt of lightning stream right in front of our place. I knew it hit something but figured it hit the wall that surrounds the driveway. It actually struck the house. The wall above the upper balcony. Bits of Bermuda stone was scattered on the patio & surprisingly enough on the street below. A little shallow depression has been created in the stone facade. Not really visible unless pointed out, which is a big consolation.

This strike was apparently quite powerful. I have to say I have never been that close to a lightning strike & I don't intend to have it repeated. Ms.StopYourNoise lost power at her place. Our cable's out. I'm not even sure how long it will take to get our cable restored. This is Bermuda and everyone works on island time. So I guess we'll have to wait for it.

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♫ burn, baby burn ♫

Speaking of garbage, what does a small island like Bermuda do with all it's garbage? Do we recycle? Well, Yes & no. Bermuda has facilities to promote recycling & while some do, it has been reported that the recycling plant is full. So where does it all go? We actually have an incinerator. It's a big bad boy too! Garbage pick up is Tuesdays & Fridays in our neck of the woods. I am ashamed to say that we don't recycle here. Me, the recycling queen for most of my life, has not recycled in Bermuda - it's shocking I know. I'd always get on my parents case about not recycling enough & now we have an case of role reversal. Ironic! Bound by law, Toronto households now also have to compost organic matter, in addition to most things.

In my defense, Bermuda just doesn't make it easy for things to be recycled. Bottles & cans have to be in blue or clear bags in order to be recycled. Seriously! Whatever happened to using recycling bins. Those garbage bags that they are so adamant on having, takes 500 - 1,000 years to degrade if it ends up in a landfill. OK, so we don't have a landfill & it's off to the incinerator. Um, isn't burning plastic the worst thing to do? The toxicity, the fumes & not to mention the smoke from it being burned. Isn't that environmentally hazardous? But wait, we're a speck in the ocean, so I guess we're okay. But Bermuda does redeem itself a little. The one thing it does differently compared to Canada is having grocery stores indulging not in plastic bags but paper grocery bags of yester-year, except these are made from recycled paper. Go Bermuda!

Unfortunately, businesses here don't recycle here either. It's appalling the amount of paper we just shred shred shred. There's a lot of paper utilized, with the high number of offshore investment, financial & insurance companies here. In their defense confidential reports & documents have to be shredded, but we can still lay blame when the trees start to dwindle.

I recently watched a BBC documentary about India recycling plastic. Some of the poor unemployed population have become involved in this clean up process that also doubles as a source of income. Working as free lance collectors, they get paid by batches of plastic collected from the dumps. While it may not be the most appeasing job, it's honest work & for these people it's work that feeds their families & provides roofs over their heads. Some fortunate ones have been hired full time for the fascinating non-mechanized process of sorting & sterilizing plastic which is then bound & sent off to the recycling plant. I have to say I am proud. The land of my birth has engaged in a clean up act with plastics.

I for one have made a resolution. I'm going back to my roots & become a recycling junkie again. Maybe, in the process I can help save a few roots in the rain forest!

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♫ breathe, just breathe ♫

Fluoride may not be added to our tank rain water supply but at least we have fresh air. I don't think Bermuda will ever be polluted because being a tiny speck with hundreds of miles of the Atlantic surrounding the island does give rise to some perks. There's just too much water to dissolve all the toxins - in this case more really is good. Another Atlantic Ocean perk, no smog.

For those of you who don't know, smog is a combination of smoke & fog, brought on by hot weather & air pollution. It's a serious issue, a cause of a slew of health problems - and like most it always hits the children & the elderly the hardest. The smog in downtown Toronto has risen to unacceptable levels in recent years. Intense hot days during the summer months has prompted the city to issue smog alerts & smog days - the only thing missing are smog t-shirts. We sure could tell the difference when we were back in Toronto. The downtown air was just not happening. Hubby & I were glad to be back on the island & breathe the fresh un-polluted air - rush hour scooter commute does not count!

I don't want to trash my hometown so I will provide a bigger justifiable picture to Toronto's Summer Smog. 60% of it comes from America. That's right! The warm summer air that blows in from the south also blows pollutants from their many factories into our beloved Canadian zone. The issue of getting America to cut down their pollution has been raised many times over - but as a self proclaimed superpower, they reckon they can say no to anything that does not prove beneficial to them. Toronto does get back at them though. Want to venture a guess as to where our garbage goes? America is Canada's dumping ground because Toronto's garbage crosses the border to settle down in Michigan. This does not come cheap for Toronto but hey they mess with our air, we mess with their land. Revenge is sweet because they sure don't like Canadian garbage.

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looks can be deceiving

This is Bda's Green Moray Eel, no not a snake. Looks pretty sinister, doesn't it? When encountered at close range, it opens it mouth in retaliation making it look even more so, like it's about to attack you & inject it's venom (yes it does have venom). Scarier than a shark. What would you do if you ever came across a fish like this while you're in the water? Panic? Scream? Just looking at it makes you want to squirm & look away. It's definitely not a pretty sight.

In actuality, the 7 feet long Green Moray Eel is more afraid of us that we are of it. It's shy, near-sighted (I never knew fish could be near-sighted) & a nocturnal fish, which is why you will never encounter it if you're in the ocean by day. Nature has given this eel it's best defence by bequeathing it looks & colour that can set anyone who doesn't know about it's true nature, swimming away for their life. Oh, and the Moray eel's venom is not posionous. Just thought I'd leave you with that comforting fact.

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sassy smoochie

Since our GA visit, Hubby's niece, Smoochie has been keeping in touch with us via email & Google talk. She's only six but a regular internet hog. This child can send emails left right & center & neatly typed out too. Her brother, ThePoser - not so computer attached. He'd much rather spend his free time in front of the tube. But when they're both online they sing us the funniest songs (our favourite - The Rum Song, which I am trying to post on the blog), they say the darndest things & just make us laugh. Since they've both been back at school it's not often that we get to chat with them of late. Bedtime routine commences 20:00 EST.

However, last night Smoochie was online. Ordinarily, she'd send us an email & just wait for her inbox to reflect our reply & in the meantime bombard her mom with questions - "Have they replied yet? Why are they not replying? What's taking them so long?" Last night she just waited.

She asked her mom: "Well, what are they doing to make them too busy to be online?"

Smoochie's mom (after a hearty laugh): "You know not everyone has time to be on the computer all the time."

Smoochie says all exasperated: "It's not like they have a little baby or a dog to take care of."

To which Smoochie's mom laughs again & then proceeded to ignore her because she had had enough of the smart sassy comments from the six year old. So where was I? I am sorry to say it was my TV night (what with ABC's prime time lineup: Ugly Betty, Grey's Anatomy & then followed by 6^o & ER on at the same time - sheesh). I didn't bother to go online all evening & understandably she was very upset we weren't showing up.

Oh, but I love her sassiness. A woman needs to be sassy in order to make her mark in the so called man's world. The younger they start the better. Go Smoochie!

Smoochie's also not afraid of bossing her older brother around: "Smoochie", I say, "You can't boss him around like that. He's older than you." She retorts with her usual sassiness. "Well, only by a year!" Well, whatdya say to that?

She said one morning: "I notice I'm wearing a lot of skirts." (Never mind that her mom lays out her clothes for her - everyday!).

Looks tough doesn't she? That's cause she is!

Alright, Sassy Smoochie, where are you today? Why are you not online? I'm waiting!

man of war

It's been a while since we've hit the water so we decided to grace the beach with our presence this weekend. I had my snorkel gear packed, all revved up to go see my fish friends. The hot sun & aqua water hues were a perfect invitation for locals & tourists alike. Except I don't think the ocean was in a mood for people. It had it's defense all lined up - jellyfish & this infested water was a big deterrent. These, however, are the regular Moon jellyfish. Are there a worse kind, you ask? Sure are.

Introducing the Portuguese Man of War jellyfish. These are the ones to avoid. They invade our shores when the weather is stormy or when the waters have been unusually rough. At times they wash up on the shore & all you can see are these blue shaped balloons. The Portuguese Man of War has tentacles that can grow up to 150 feet. And this is what you want to stay away from.
LadyBug got stung by a Man of War tentacle last year. This was the first time we met them - at the beach & we were casually chatting until she thought she scraped her foot on a rock & got out. Soon her leg started to get numb & she had to go to the emerg. room. They fixed her up & then proceeded to tell her that had she been there yesterday she would have seen a diver who was brought in with Man of War tentacles wrapped around his chest. This can cause a heart attack & can be fatal. Lucky him, he survived.

LadyBug always jokes that after the numbness wore off, the circulation in her left leg has never been better & is wondering how she can get her right foot stung, bypass the pain & inconvenience in an attempt to even out the circulation. I say we revisit the war zone before she abandons us in a couple of weeks.

the L word

One thing we have had to get used to in Bermuda is driving on the left hand side of the road. Well, I don't drive the scooter but Hubby does. I refuse to drive one here. Especially when I see the crazy drivers on the roads. Or maybe it's because every female Cdn expat I know that has driven a scooter has met with an accident & some with serious injuries. So I refuse to become a part of those statistics.

Driving cars is no fun either but you're better in one as opposed to a scooter. As I've mentioned before, most roads here are a lane each. Friends tell me the one thing that they have had to get used to is driving closer to the yellow line that divides the direction of traffic. With both sides of traffic having doing the same it's no party.

Bermuda does have a lot of curvy roads & even though the speed limit is 35kms it can be a little daunting when looks like your side mirror is going to tag the side mirror from oncoming traffic. People really can't stick to their own side of the lane because on the other side of their respective yellow line are these Bermuda stone walls. More often than not its foliage or palm trees. Hibiscus flowers or stonewalls line the roads at every turn, every corner and every path. So if you're driving too close to your side you can bet your car going to have a lot of scratches. Those rocky stonewalls can inflict a lot of damage.

Often we see some cars or trucks ahead of us with a sign posted on their bumper with a big red L. I'd think: Oh how nice that they're reminding us to stay on the left side of the road. Or so I thought for the longest time. Months later a friend mentioned that he spent an afternoon helping his fiancé’s grandma do up the L signs, all precise with a ruler. I laughed & said: Oh so you're one of those, having to remind us to stick to the left side. He looked at me with a blank expression then burst out laughing saying: it's more to warn people that the L is to indicate that they're a 'Learner'. Ha! He sure did burst my bubble!

not duty free

I've mentioned before about how expensive laundry detergent is over here. It's not the only item. Almost everything in Bermuda is expensive due to shipping costs & duties. So both locals & expats alike stock up necessities & anything else when they're in the US or Canada. Some locals specifically make trips to the US to garner some savings that would otherwise be eaten up in Bermuda.

But you won't get off scott free with your suitcases laden with goods. Your duty bound to pay up when you get to Bermuda. Most residents know to line up & pay up before they pick up their bags & head over to customs. To make the process smoother the government recently imposed a flat 25% duty on all goods. Whether or not you will be checked at customs is predetermined at Immigration. And when I say checked I mean it. They will open every single bag of yours & go through all your stuff (with gloves on of course) to ensure that all your pretty purchases are accounted for. So it is a good idea to hang on to all your receipts. A 25% duty may seem a lot but it's still worth it especially when Bermuda stores lack the variety & the amazing price point that you will be guaranteed to find off the island.

But in reality no one really claims all of what they've bought. We always fudge amounts as does everyone I am sure because sometimes customs really do go overboard. Here's one area where we need them to slack off & not be over zealous about their job. We heard about this one instance where the customs dog began sniffing this guy's golf clubs. So the customs officer cut off the drivers (not one but all of them) to make sure it was not packed with any sort of illegal substance. Of course it wasn't but customs nonchalantly handed his clubs sans drivers back to him. The poor guy must have been mad with rage. Heck I'd be too. Those things cost a pretty penny. Were they expecting him to super glue the drivers back to the clubs? Guess he didn't go golfing as planned!

henna time

I have tons of greys. It's a well known fact. It all started when I was about 10. It's hereditary, I've been told. I was also told NOT to pull them out because if you do they come back with a vengeance. I should have listened because it's true. You get rid of one and 10 more will show up for its funeral!

After years of using commercial hair dye, I switched back to henna about nine months ago. Also known as Mehndi, Henna is very popular in India & the Middle East both for body decoration & for hair uses. It's all natural, a great conditioner & hair growth promoter. The only place I know to get it from is Dubai. Family & friends offer to send some or bring it over when they're visiting themselves. My dad's friends recently flew from Dubai to NJ & took the cruise over to Bermuda. They kindly bought me a stash of henna. Unfortunately, they were docked on the other end of the island & we were not able to meet up with them. Since they were in close proximity to one of LadyBug's many work locations, I asked if they could drop it off there.

Of course, it happened so fast that I didn't get a chance to inform LadyBug what it was. So when she picked it up she was informed that it smelled funny. She took a peek and said: Oh, it's Henna. Imagine her surprise when she was told that it's illegal to bring powdered henna into Bermuda. Her co-worker even gave showed her list & henna was actually on it. This I find ridiculous because they always have henna tattoo stalls at Harbour Nights every Wednesday during the summer. That list must be older than the Queen & has not been updated in eons when maybe back in the day Henna may have been mistaken for weed! Thats the only thing LadyBug & I could come up with.

I have come across many websites selling henna in America & the prices are highway robbery. And beware of those various henna colours because chemicals have been added to produce the variety of colours. Pure natural henna can only produce red colour results and a midnight black when mixed with indigo. Henna from Dubai costs a mere pittance compared to the stuff they sell on websites & it's nothing but pure goodness.

This past weekend I had a Tandoori BBQ/Henna Party for my Bermuda girlfriends using up my stash of Indian henna. Here are some of the designs we did on each other. After a couple of tries we all got the hang of it. It was a lot of fun & certainly addictive. The food was fun & the company was fabulous. Can't wait for the next one!

here's proof !

Hurricane photos are up on the Royal Gazette. Check it out now before they're gone!

the ick factor

There is a certain something I don't like about Bermuda & didn't have to deal with until coming here. It's a hate commonly shared by many on the island. Some deal with it better than most but most I know don't like to deal with it at all. This is the one species that should be extinct. Before you get all Steve Irwin on me, you should know that it can survive a nuclear bomb (of all things!) or if rendered headless can stay alive for three weeks before dying of starvation. Are you grossed out yet? There's a reason this post is appropriately titled.

It's the dreaded cockroach & the ones here are huge & the females can bloody fly. Most of them live outside which is great but no matter how immaculate you keep your place you will find the ODD ONE somehow against all odds invading your home. We are lucky enough that we have only had the odd one come in. And that's when nip it in the bud. Kill the one & the others will dare not come in.

Sprays like Raid or Baygon work best. Some of you may have never heard of Baygon & rightly so. This highly potent roach spray is banned in North America but readily available in the UK, Asia & Middle East. And apparently also in Bermuda. But a little common sense should prevail when engaging in the Baygon/ roach war. You can't be hanging about your home once you have let Baygon saturate the air. Close shop for at least an hour, they say. Some people wonder why they have a pounding headache when they haven't bothered to stay clear from the fumes until it's worn off a bit. And it's definitely not safe to use if you have pets.

It's about to get ickier! And don't even think you can avoid the spray by getting slipper/shoe happy with the roach. If it's a female one you've just smacked then you can bet the eggs, if any have gone flying around the room. You are blissfully unaware of this fact until someone lets you in on the roach survival tactics. Defensive little buggers even in death, aren't they? So now you know!

Oh, I have heard of stories that will raise the ick factor to another level but I am grossed out enough as it is. I will say this, I prefer frogs & lizards to roaches any day. The frogs eat the roaches & the lizards eat the mosquitoes. But the island's frogs have decreased from 5 years past due to increased traffic that has contributed to frog roadkill. Oh why can't it be roach roadkill. Those miserable creatures. Oh, how I love putting them out of their misery when they encroach on my territory. Bring it on!

neighbourhood kids

We live in a neighbourhood where the grassy cul-de-sac becomes a playground for the kids in the area. There are the two local boys in the house on our right, who love playing football. Hubby & SharkBoy have christened the oldest one Pelé - because like the football player, he's quite good & also because they can't seem to remember his name. For that matter neither can I.

Also, just down the road from us are a couple of young local girls & not too far from them, a boy who was one day caught casually destroying foliage around Ms.StopYourNoise's property. He did a lot of damage & needless to say, he is now banned from coming anywhere near the house! Opposite them are two Indian kids who have been in Bermuda for a while. The boy is about six & is cute as can be. Their dad works at one of cafes that Hubby & I sometimes lunch at - a connection we only came across recently. Yeah I know, small island.

These kids are ever ready to entertain & be entertained. They would rather watch Hubby & SharkBoy work out. I was once helping Hubby with his kickboxing & had on these huge boxing padded gloves. As I looked down I could see the kids up to no good & clapped the gloves together & yelled - 'Hey come on'. They took that as an invitation to come up to our yard and there they were lining up so they could try some boxing moves of their own. Sometimes we give 'em candy - Werthers to be precise. Reminds me of when I was a kid where someone's mom or the other would always be handing some kind of sweet thing at playtime. We were a lot of kids back then!

We have been keeping in touch with the kids, ThePoser & Smoochie in Georgia & talk to them often. Today is ThePoser's b’day. HAPPY B'DAY KIDDO! He also shares this day with my co-worker, a cousin & a friend in Aussie & another friend in T. That's a lot of birthday e-cards to send out for one day!

lobster police

Oh, it turned out to be such a beautiful evening yesterday. The ocean took on a pale blue as the rain & winds died down. Once we saw how pretty it looked we had to go down for a drive to Devonshire Bay. One of the smallest beaches if you can call it that, but a popular spot for fisherman to sell their catch, which as of this month also includes lobsters.

Lobster season is here! Yay! We will be sure to scout those fisherman so we can bring home a lobster this year. It'll be pricey but so worth every penny. Last year, LadyBug graciously gave us one and it was delish! Boiled to perfection in just 12 minutes, accompanied with some garlic butter - yum doesn't even begin to describe it.

If by chance you do catch a lobster, you're to throw it back, unless you have a lobster fishing license or you'd be shelling a hefty fine of $2,000 USD. Even if you do have a license you are permitted to have no more than 2 lobsters in your freezer, at any time. We've heard of some that have caught one & not thrown it back or a certain licensed someone who last season had eight in his freezer. I bet they're not expecting the lobster police to actually show up on their doorstep checking to see if they comply. If we ever catch one, we're keeping it. And if who so ever wants to arrest us, alls I can say is that they better have a warrant!

bye bye flory

So Flory has passed us by. She was supposed to hover directly over us & wreak havoc but decided to veer off the the left as a Category 1. So all we've had is strong winds & heavy rain. For now though it's dying down & I hope it continues on that same trend. Most people are without power due to the strong winds that has knocked out power lines. Lucky for us, Ms.StopYourNoise has underground power cables, so we're ok for now. And thankful too.

We also managed to break through the duct tape barring our doors. Free at last. Ha, not like we can go anywhere. Yet! We've been told to lay off the streets. GoraGuy actually went into work. SharkBoy & LadyBug have guests from home that landed on the last flight in on Saturday before the airport shutdown. Oh it's just bad timing.

In other news, we are expecting a tropical depression, named Seven to hit us by Thursday. I guess that would mean more wind & rain. When will the madness stop?

Maybe another day off? I sure hope so.

so we're trapped

Most split apartments here have sliding doors as the main door, complete with locks. But we had to get used to that idea, especially since we have always been used to solid door. Our doors are these proper sliding storm doors & it's great as it lets a lot of light in. In prep for a hurricane we still have to be cautious & run masking tape in an X pattern so IF anything does hit the doors they won't shatter, which is not likely as all our stuff has been stowed away. See pic for our handiwork.

Even though we have a covered patio, Ms.StopYourNoise's bf duct-taped the bottom of our sliding doors on the outside to keep the rain from coming in due to the strong winds. He promised to leave one door untaped. He did such a great job that now we can't open our untaped door because of the duct tape on the bottom of other door. Damn duct tape running interference!
So we're stuck inside until the hurricane's done & the taped has been removed. Ms.StopYourNoise called to check up on us. We told her we need to be let out when this is all over or we can't report to work. And wouldn't that be a shame?

An update on Florence: she's still expected at around 8am Monday morning. The wind has started to pick up now. On the plus side - No work tomorrow so it's another long weekend. Yeah Baby!

baten down the hatches

It's hurricane season. Unlike the Carribean, Bermuda is protected by the Gulf Stream so most hurricanes don't really come close to Bermuda as they hit the southern US. Bermuda, however, does get it's share of fun mayhem & the pattern for hurricane hits is about once every three years. Fabian hit Bermuda in 2003 & so we are just about due for one this year.

And here it comes - we are expecting Hurricane Florence to pass right over us by Monday. It did change its course in the last 48 hours & we're hoping it continues doing so for the next 48, unless it goes in turbo drive before it has a chance to change course. No, lets not think about that. For now it is projected to be moving further to the east but just in case, everyone's getting ready, stocking up on water, canned food, batteries & people securing their boats that are scattered around the various harbours on the island. For us newbies it's soaking up information & listening to the pros about their past hurricane experiences & funny stories. It's all that anyone's talking about.

There's really nothing to worry about. Bermuda houses are built to withstand hurricane weather. These houses are built strong & sturdy & the worst that will happen is that you may loose bits of your roof. This has been the case in the past. The best thing that one can do is stay inside. 2003's hurricane Fabian claimed four lives. All because they were out on the causeway (a low narrow bridge like road that connects the airport to the rest of the island.

We have been keeping track of Florence on the sharkoil website. Stay tuned for the aftermath. Right now it's the lull before the storm. It's a beautiful hot sunny day today & you wouldn't think there's a hurricane lurking around the corner.

amnesty month

I had once told Hubby I wouldn't consider moving to Bermuda if it didn't have a library. The Bermuda National Library, located in town can't compare to the Fairview Toronto Library at home. BUT it's got a slew of books, enough of a supply for me to read for the time we are here. It’s a good thing too or I would have gone insane in the months while I was waiting for Hubby's full work permit to come through. It was only after that that I would be legally allowed to look for work. Needless to say, the library kept me going. While its size & content is not comparable to Toronto’s, the Bermuda library does designate certain months as Amnesty Month.

I went in today to renew some books & to pay off fines. My mom's definitely going to say something about this. She'd get mad when I had fines on my account. Hey, Mom: Do you remember how you'd pay a fee per book we borrowed from the private libraries in Dubai during the summer? The way I see it, fines are a small price to pay for being able to borrow the number of books I read during the year, in Toronto or Bermuda. And this does not even include magazines, DVD's or CD's. But I'm sure she'll get my drift now & I hope I won't hear a word about my Bermuda fines, eh mom ?

Anyway, when I went in to pay my fines, the librarian said: 'Oh, we are not charging fines this month'. This, my friends, is what Amnesty Month is all about where fines are barely a blimp on your account & you won't penalized for hoarding that one book you should have returned ages ago. Now if only every library did the same. They may just loose big bucks in the process & then where would we be?

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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20/20

And I am not talking about Barbara Walters & her other ABC show!

After years of wearing glasses & contacts I finally now have 20/20 vision. Oh technology is so amazing. All it took was about 15 minutes including prep time. The actual procedure for each eye took about 60 seconds. And even though it was a piece of cake I was scared. I mean who wouldn't be; it's your eyes, for Pete’s sake. It’s no small thing when a machine cuts the cornea of your eye to create the flap which is then flipped back to have the laser zap your cornea back into shape, to give you that 20/20 you so desire. Did I mention that while the flap was being created you loose your vision for about 10 seconds? - That was very scary (especially cause I was all alone - Hubby had to fly back the previous day for work). It was also the longest 10 seconds I have known but a normal cause & effect of the keratome machine doing its thing. Once the right eye was completed, I was hesitant to have the procedure done on my other eye. I kept wanting to say, 'do we have to do the other eye? Can’t we just leave it be? I am sure I will be fine with perfect vision in just one eye. What if it doesn't work on the other one?' It's amazing how many thoughts can run through your head in just a few seconds. But I had to bite the bullet & stop being a sissy. 60 seconds later I was done. Did I mention all of this was 100% painless? They do put numbing drops in your eye. I think the worst part was the nausea due to the burning smell that the laser emits while it's zapping your eyes into perfection.

The procedure was so smooth that the surgeon had five patients in the span of 45 mins (including 2 men in their 40's & a 61 year old woman). He must do at least 10 procedures a day, three times a week. But he was incredibly confident with more than 35,000 procedures under his belt and very vocal about the procedure while he was zapping away.

So, here I am a week later with 20/20 that I am very thankful for. Also, thanks mom for making sure I got home safe after the surgery. For those of you interested, check out lasik md.

stop your noise !

Just look at this thing. It’s called a Bermuda Whistling Toad & it's about the size of your thumbnail. And incredibly loud. How can something so small have a lung capacity unmatched to it's sound? Now imagine hundreds of them in your front yard, backyard or just any yard. Or even on the outside of the window like this one here. Oh they can be so annoying. Did I mention they were loud? Their constant incessant croaks are enough to keep anyone up so you can forget about sleeping with the windows open. On the bright side they do hibernate in the winter. Some of you know how loud they can be when we talk to you on the phone. You ask us, 'what is that noise'. Well take a good look at the culprit. They come in packs. So now you know. They’ve known to invade our patio & I just cringe when I’m out in the dark for the last thing that i want to do is step on one of them. Ugghh. I am beginning to share Ms.StopYourNoise's fear of frogs & toads. You want Bermuda road kill. Well, the frogs are it. It’s Canada’s equivalent of the squirrels. And here I thought we had escaped it all.

what, no promotion? strike!!!

Since it was the busy first week of the month at work, the hubby was working late yesterday & I was to take to bus home. I decided to call our landlady, Ms.StopYourNoise to see if I could get a ride home. Just because it's much more fun & she's a hoot to boot. She told me to wait at my usual pick up spot & when she hadn't shown up 30 minutes later, I began to take note of the crawling traffic on Front Street. I also noticed more people than usual trying to hail cabs. A women waiting for ride of her own told me the bus drivers went on strike as of 11:00 am that morning. Oh well, alright probably a pay increase issue. 40 minutes later the 'ms. stop your noise' still hadn't shown up & by this time I was feeling bad for her being stuck in traffic. She showed up just about that time & told me it took just 40 minutes to make through less than a mile. (One lane roads, people).

Anyway, so today I decided to read up on what the strike was all about & if it had been resolved, just incase I had to take the bus today. Here’s what I found: last year, The Bermuda Public Transportation board (PTB), created a new 'Supervisory Craft Foreman' within the PTB body shop. Two Bermudian employees of equal footing qualified for this post but union reported that the one employee awarded the position was less senior than the other candidate. So the matter was taken up & is still up at Labour Relations. But then on Sunday, PTB decided to have the employee perform in the new role in an acting capacity. Come Monday, this didn't sit well with the staff & so they organized a strike faster than you can say...well anything. From 11:00 am onwards you couldn't even see the shadow of a pink bus anywhere. Tourists & locals alike were stranded. On the bright side, it was a big pay day for taxi corporations & drivers.

What’s the real reason for the strike? Sure the union reps say it's an issue of seniority & that could be just a cover up & a politically correct reason to justify the strike. With the rest of the unionized staff backing up the non chosen employee & fighting for his/her rights, you have to wonder are the PTB union members one big happy family or if this is just a case of office politics. While it is admirable that they have chosen to strike for just one person's rights instead of a common right of say a pay increase, who in this day & age will stick their neck out for their fellow co-workers? But then every small obstacle cleared now paves a smoother road for the future. For all employees. Well there's something that can be done & take a stand they did. Oh these Bermudians sure do have guts.

But wait, who's rooting for the chosen employee, the one that was actually given the job?

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Post Script:
July 5th 2006

So its official. In order to placate the entire PTB unionized staff, the newly created position was dropped. No word on the originally chosen employee. Pays to be unionized in Bermuda, eh?