MOVING DAY IS FAST APPROACHING

Today was an exciting day for us- We got the keys to our condo and can start moving in (all our worldly goods that are on island amount to 6 pieces of luggage) so we will hop into a cab Monday and finally be in our own place !

We are staying at the corporate apartment til then as our new TV and the cable guy are not coming til Tuesday so we figured we might as well enjoy the amenities here til then plus our landlady is doing some finishing touches like resealing the hardwood floors and repainting today. Then thankfully no more moving for at least 3 years as that is how long our lease is. I had arranged for our goods to arrive on the 30th as I knew it would take only a day or two to clear customs but what I did not know was that it will take up to another 3 weeks for the stevedores to strip the container and then our crate gets delivered to us. So moving day will actually take place in 2 parts and its part 2 that I am really looking forward to. I cannot wait to be reunited with my blowdryer and my favorite pillow! Its been so long since we have seen our stuff that it will be a big surprise to see what we actually kept. Our landlady is a real doll and has left us with additional things to tide us over til our crate arrives including a coffee pot, dishes, pots and pans and the like. I am hoping that I actually kept a warm jacket of some kind as I am back in New York and Boston from the 14th-19th and its going to feel cold after being here. We are still wandering around in short sleeve shirts and shorts although its a lot cooler than it was as we are now sitting in the mid-high 70's.

It was a different kind of moving day for us too as my hubby passed his road test so we can buy a car and move ourselves around in our own time, instead of waiting for the bus, ferry or taxi to come. YAY!!! I decided to wait as I am too freaked out to drive here at the moment -my learners permit is good for 6 months so I have time to overcome my fears.

I am still having trouble with knowing what side of the road I should be walking, never mind driving on, on so for now the world is a safer place. Don't like those frikken roundabouts either and probably the thing that freaks me out the most is the bikes overtaking on both sides of the car and the narrowness of the roads as my depth perception is very poor. We have narrowed down our desired car to a Nissan March which looks a lot like a VW Beetle, a Dhiatsu Terios or a Suzuki Ignis (Both little SUV's) but that may change as we have not actually been in them yet and how much headroom we have remains to be seen. There are a lot of nice Peugot models here but think they are going to be way too small with the roof up (Peugot 206cc and Peugot 306 cc) and I really like the Rover MGTF but again think headroom is going to be an issue. We are going to the dealer next week and the choice will boil down to what we fit in! We also need a point of reference for pricing as there are tons of used cars for sale here but the prices are all over the place, so we figured lets get pricing on the new models and decide from there.

We went to the Crystal Caves (www.crystalcaves.bm) Photo above is of some people we met there.

Check out their website as our pictures did not do them any justice and they are absolutely spectacular. These caves are millions of years old and have amazing formations of stalacmites and stalagtites made of limestone. It takes 100 years for 1 inch to form so when you see the size of these things you can't help but be overwhelmed with how old they are. Two young boys discovered them by accident back in the 20's. They were playing cricket and lost their ball down a hole. They wanted the ball back so got a rope and a flashlight and eventually descended more than 120 feet into the ground.

We have also been checking out more of the beaches- there are tons of them but we decided to do Horseshoe Bay as its Bermuda's most famous and most photographed beach. It is famous for its pink sand and its as fine as baby powder. This is one of the more touristy beaches we have been too but it was gorgous and we had a nice day there

Going golfing tomorrow on the executive par 3 course at the Fairmont Southampton- I got a set of clubs today and want to try my hand on one of the easier courses here before I try out Belmont. There is a huge second hand market here due to the comings and goings of all the expats so I got a nice set of ladies clubs and a bag pretty cheap.

As I sit writing this, night has fallen and the whistling frogs have begun to sing. They will sing all night long and they are very loud especially when you realize that they are about the size of a thumbprint. Its like an orchestra playing all night long, although for some reason they don't sing once the temperature falls below 70- so far it has still been in the 70's at night so we have always been serenaded since we arrived.Unlike most amphibians, the Whistling Frog doesn't lay its eggs in ponds, choosing instead the small pockets of water that are trapped at the base of such large-leafed plants as the banana. These moisture-loving amphibians seek out damp spots under stones or in plant debris to avoid water loss through their porous skin during the heat of the day. I have never seen the little guys but they have little round pads on their feet instead of webs as they are tree climbers, not swimmers. What I have seen both dead and alive is the giant toad which is also known as spring chicken in some countries. They are the most frequent road kill I have seen here so far and while they are big and ugly, they were brought to Bermuda to control the cockroaches so I am glad that they are here.

ALMOST LEGAL......

Almost legal for us to drive here. We both got our learners permits on Thursday (YAY!!!) I was really nervous even though I studied hard for this test-the first question threw me a bit as the terminology on some of the questions is very British so it took a minute to figure out what the question meant in English ( I see JP cringing over that comment!) Can you imagine how embarrassing it would be to flunk after having your first learners permit almost 30 years ago? Thankfully we can now move on to the driving lessons next week- Hopefully by the time we move, we will have wheels. You really do not need them but its just more convenient especiallyfor doing things like groceries. Now that we are in a condo and have full facilities at our disposal we are buying groceries in small amounts as walking home with a lot of bags in the heat is not much fun and if its raining like it was this past week, you only have one free hand as the other one you need for the umbrella. We had some bizarre weather Thursday and Friday with a big front that blew in and apparently there was a tornado watch or warning on Friday morning. There was some pretty wicked thunder and lightening and then just after lunch it turned into a Bermudaful day. (Hot and sunny) One thing that I really like here is that even when it is raining its still hot out, the temperature doesn't seem to change at all, its just wet!

We moved again yesterday to the executive apartment that the company owns for a 2 week stay until our home is ready Nov 1st. For the first time in months we have a real place to stay that has furniture other than a bed to sit on!. It is really close to the office so I can sleep in for the next two weeks til 7:30, get cleaned up and still be at work by 8:00 ( I can see the office out the window, although its down the hill about 2 blocks) Its a pretty nice condo and has all the bells and whistles you would expect a place to have- All the latest gizmos and appliances and is quite nicely furnished. There is a convection oven and convection microwave too but I have no idea how to use them- good thing that I don't do the cooking because I have no idea where to start. We had a few blonde/senior moments yesterday when we wanted to go out and could not for the life of either of us figure out how to lock the freakin door!. We gave up and left the place unlocked and finally figured it out this morning. You wouldn't think that you would need an instruction manual to close the doors but you do! Then it took the 2 of us to figure out how to work the remote control for the airconditioners. Maybe we were just having a bad day but it was ludicrous how long that took! This place normally sits empty about 3 weeks out of 4 as it is only used by my big boss from London and he just left and won't be back til after we take possession of our condo. (For the total rent we are going to pay over the terms of the lease, you would have thought we were buying it and not renting it as the rent will cost more than what we paid for our condo in Calgary)

We picked up our wireless home phone and wireless internet device so even though we are not in our home yet, our home phone is working already-its like a cell phone in some respects as if the battery is charged you can take it anywhere on the island and it would work but its as big as a normal house phone with a stand so not a cell phone substitute. The internet device is pretty cool- its something called EVDO and its basically a USB key - install the software on your computer and hit connect and voila- internet connection without cables, phones etc. It was the quickest way for us to get the internet and the wireless phone was our first choice because we did not have to go with the Bermuda telephone company- it takes weeks or months from what we are told to get a home phone line with BTC- the wireless home phone is with cellularone and all you do is take it out of the box, plug it in and you are can make phone calls. I am looking into something called SKYPE for long distance over the internet as my neice in Taiwan uses it and calls Canada for 2 cents a minute but my brother just told me about it yesterday so have to do some research- I have no idea how it works but it sounds pretty cool.

This weekend we went to the King Edward VII Gold Cup which is a sailing competition and got to check out the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club- its normally closed to the public but they opened it up for this event which lasted all week. They had a variety of matches and the finals were today. We were surprised that there were very few specatators for the finals, especially as Bermuda made it to the finals but there were only a handful of people there today. There were quite a few boats out on the water watching the event but still it seemed that the only people who were watching knew the competitors. (Sailors from all over the world compete in this event.) It was a beautiful day and even when there are no events like this taking place, we can sit down by the harbour for hours and just look out to sea. Haven't been to the beach for about two weeks as we have been too busy but think we will go next weekend and we will be going to the caves too. I am still looking at getting tickets to the grillin and chillin event at the aquarium for later in the month but am still trying to justify the price of tickets for that.

We went up to Blu's the other day at Belmont Hills Golf course. We have decided that this is the club we are going to join and it is gorgeous! The course is in immaculate condition and the restaurant (Blu's) was excellent. We had a table with an ocean view and ate dinner while the sun was setting. I can definitely see us spending a lot of time there, whether it be to eat, golf or just go for a drink there.

BACK TO WORK I GO

Reality set back in at 6:30 Monday morning when the alarm clock went off and I had to go to work- I wish that I had won the lotto 6-49 before we left Canada as I really have enjoyed not working and could live the life of Riley for a very long time and not be bored, however I guess that its time to start earning a paycheque again! To live the life of Riley here in Bermuda, one definitely requires a good source of cash inflow every now and then.

First day was the usual blurr of meeting a lot of new people and not being able to remember more than 25% of their names. I have been immersed in a low cost culture for so many years now that it is such a novelty to me: Every morning I come to work and have a newspaper waiting on my desk, 2 on Fridays as the Mid Ocean News only comes out once a week. Then there is free coffee and juice all day (starbucks coffee beans!) and free soft drinks as well. They probably feed us too but I just have not found out about that yet. I am sure that my colleagues think I am a bit strange as I was all excited to get NEW stuff for my office. They take it for granted but it is such a change not to get hand me down office equipment. My first day I got my blackberry, a brand new printer in my office, new laptop, new adding machine, new hole punch etc. It felt like Christmas!!

My days start late here, largely due to us being on Atlantic time here and needing to be in touch with NY and Boston as well as London and Dublin during business hours so we work from 8:45 to 4:45 with an hour for lunch. I get in around 8:00 to beat the traffic and am really enjoying my ferry rides. I may start working out before work starts as we have a gym onsite(free!) and showers so could get a quick workout in. Right now I am just doing a lot of walking as my exercise.

We are getting very anxious to move to our new digs and have started to buy a few things we will need to tide us over until our stuff arrives. (Sheets, towels, a few dishes and things like that.) We shipped all that kind of stuff but it won't be here before Nov 1st . We are actually moving again next Saturday for 2 weeks to an apartment as my employer has an apartment that the execs use when the come to town and it will be vacant until the World Rugby Classic in November. This will be our 3rd place to stay since we got here but it will be the best place of them all as it will be just like having a home- living room, kitchen, etc. Hotels are great for a while but we have been living in them since July 18th and have had enough for a while.

This week was a quiet week as far as exploring goes. Hubby has been out doing a lot of exploring but after almost getting creamed a few times out walking we are taking it easy today and just hanging by the pool. (Lots of places there are no sidewalks and a lot of blind corners and the roads are very narrow.) He has found himself pressed up against a wall trying to make himself very small with trucks coming within an inch of clipping him and we are starting to understand why we never see anyone going for walks here, except on the railway trail ( kind of like the bike paths in Calgary)

Friday night we went out for a steak and I don't think I will be having another one anytime soon. It was cooked fine, good angus beef that was seasoned great but the texture is kinda mushy, not like Alberta beef. At 35 bucks for a steak I really wanted to enjoy it more- There is a place that specializes in steaks here so may give it another try sometime but I suspect it will likely be the same texture unless they buy it from a different supplier. (Its all imported from the states and I am told its because they corn feed their cattle, while Alberta beef is grain fed. It makes a difference as the beef here has the texture of TUNA- YUCK!) Saturday was just running a bunch of errands in Hamilton and today we are taking it easy and just hanging by the pool. When we first arrived we were trying to cram it all in at once, the way you do when you are on vacation and now we feel like we have all the time in the world to see everything so we will let it all unfold gradually.

Next week we are writing our learners permits (Thursday afternoon) and so we are both studying for that as the rules here are different and somethings are just new to us like round abouts and learning what the different signs all mean. I am sure that we will both get a learners permit but think that only one of us will end up passing the road test (not me!) If we get our learners we can book driving lessons- We have been told that if you don't book them and call for an appointment for a road test that it will take 6 or more months before an appointment is available, but if you do take them (even just 1) you can get a road test appointment the next day! As you cannot rent a car here, you have to pay to use an instructors car for your road test (60 bucks) plus the lessons are 50 bucks each per person. Will keep you posted on the success or failure of that!

Not much more to tell this week- just settling into a bit of a routine and enjoying the fabulous weather and scenery. We got tickets to see Beauty and the Beast which will be playing here for 2 weeks and are also getting tickets to the World Rugby Classic in November. There is a big sailing regatta OCtober 16-23 so we are definitely going to check that out and there is also a culinary festival here and I want to get tickets for that (www.bermudagourmetgetaway.com) Its full of celebrity chefs and great eats. The event I want to go to is called grillin and chillin and it is being held at the acquarium. There is a ton of stuff to do here so its going to be great checking it all out.

ONE MORE MONTH IN HOTELS....

November 1st is moving day! We found a really cute condo in Paget which seems to have two of everything. It's a 2 storey, 2 bedroom, 2 bathrooms, 2 patios (one off the master bedroom, the other off the living room). We have air conditioning in every room with reverse heat for the winter???

It is in immaculate condition as our landllord has been living in til now and is moving to a new house. Its like a showhome and has great hardwood floors, wooden blinds and is very tastefully decorated and has tons of closet space. The rooms are all a nice size too. The landlord was initially planning to sell all the furniture giving us first dibs on it, and now has graciously decided to leave it all and rent to us our new place fully furnished, at no additional charge which is terrific. We also have a swimming pool and all appliances including a washer and dryer. I can hardly wait to do laundry at home again- we have been going to laundramats since July and/or doing laundry in the bathtub. We also have an assessment number so when one or both of us get our drivers license we can buy a car. (Only allowed one car per household and that is only if the landlord allows you to use the assessment number) We have heard rumours that the government is planning to ban the sale of used cars so we want to get our license fast and buy used while we can. There is a huge second hand market for everything here as people come and go all the time when their work permits expire so you can get anything you want in almost new condition for a lot less than buying new. Cars especially are expensive here with the 25% import duty on them and most used cars do not have a lot of miles on them as its an island, 21 square miles. Really you don't even need a vehicle here for the most part but we plan to use it mostly on the weekend to explore.

Scooter is out of the question for us, due to the large number of accidents we have seen and /or heard about through people we have met. We are old and our bones don't heal as quick! Scooters are great but the people driving them here are darting in and out all the time to get out of the traffic jams and even driving a car is going to be a wild experience watching out for the scooters all the time. Before we arrived we were sure that we would get one but now neither of us really wants to take our lives into our hands. When you are stuck in traffic and moving at a snails pace or not moving at all, I can understand why they do it but its annoying and dangerous. We may rent a scooter ( don't need a license to rent one, only to buy one as the rentals are 50CC, the ones you buy are up to 125cc) Another reason its scary- all the new residents and all the tourists who have never driven on the left before are let loose on the streets of Bermuda without licenses- just have to be over 18 I think and you need not have a valid license from the country you came from.

We will be going for our learners permit in another 2 weeks or so and then not sure how long it will take to do our driving lessons and get booked in for the road test. First we have to get a doctor to certify that we are healthy enough to drive. Even if I pass my test I am taking the ferry to work- it is 1KM walk from our new home to Darryls Wharf where I will catch the ferry. A pass that is good for unlimited ferry and bus rides is 55.00 per month and new residents who are working get a three month pass for free by showing your work permit and applying for it down at the Ferry Terminal. (3 months pass is normally 135.00) Right now where we are staying I have a bus stop right out the front door so its the bus in the morning and take the ferry home. ( Its about a 15 minute walk to the ferry from here and if its really hot, I plan to take the bus so I still look half assed fresh when I get to work! Also there are not a lot of sidewalks to walk on and if its dark I may get creamed) With the bus I have maybe 2 blocks to the office. Traffic is horrendous here in the morning and afternoon rush hour. I still can't believe it but its true- I am told that if I leave for work anytime after 8:00 I might not get there for 8:45 and I am less than 10K from Hamilton- probably more like 6 or 7K. I catch the bus at 7:30 and when I arrive in Hamilton 20 minutes later, go to my favorite coffee place, have breakfast and read the paper before heading to the office. Rush hour here looks like rush hour in any major centre, maybe worse and one thing I have noticed and its the same in Calgary is that every one who is in a car is by themselves- no one seems to car pool which adds to the congestion. By leaving earlier I get there faster and still have time to relax.

Once we get moved in and our stuff arrives by ship we will post some pictures of the new digs.

SPIRIT OF BERMUDA

Today the Spirit of Bermuda sloop arrived home to Bermuda from its maiden voyage.

It was quite the event down at Point Pleasant Park full of dignitaries, live bands and speeches. Tons of people showed up to watch her arrive and take part in all the festivities.It was a spectacular sight to see the sloop enter Hamilton Harbour with a flotilla of escorts ranging from tiny little boats that the kids learn to sail in to some pretty amazing yachts. The coolest part for me ,was the tug boat with the hose spray creating an archway for the Sloop. ( Very much like when the 200's were retired at WestJet and the fire department came out with the hose, only this is in the sea instead of on land).

All the ships in the harbour sounded their horns in welcome and I just kept thinking how lucky we are to be living here and being able to take part in stuff like this.