Post no (Hurricane) Bill

Huwhatt? More than a month since my last blog?!! What have I been doing.. let's just say that work and life are far from balancing at this time of the year for me, with the former obviously weighing more than necessary.

But anyways, just to take off from my previous blog.. Hurricane Bill was just a quasi-threat. I was sooo ready, that the hubby just patiently told me off a couple of times that I was overdoing my hurricane preparedness. Well, one can never be too careful and always better safe than sorry for me - - especially with our 2006 experience.

Our office was "kind" enough to close down at 12nn that Friday afternoon to give us time to prepare for Bill's touchdown on Saturday. Yet, we ended up visiting John Smith's Bay (the beach nearest our place) and tried to take photos of the raging surf. Ignoring all island warnings, of course.

It was indeed a bit scary seeing the rough surf and the wind gusts. But come Saturday, there was no landfall. There was minor flooding from the surf and houses near the coast sporadically lost power but from our location, we surprisingly had the luxury of internet connection and cable tv... all day and night. Lucky b*st*rds, eh! :)

A sigh of relief for Bermuda as all Bill left were the debris on the road and beaches... and a hubby sneering "and i told you so"....

John Smith Bay during Hurricane Bill 2009

Hurricane Bill - on track to Bermuda

Been a while, whew. My schedule has gone awry for blogging: training in NY, middle of my busy season, Bermuda summer (yey!), and UK + mini-Europe trip (double yey!).

Hoping to get my schedule and my blogging back on track in the next few weeks. Just dropping by to flag something interesting.. it's the Bermuda summer = meaning, it's also the hurricane season!

First hurricane in the Atlantic for the year, and it seems to be heading our direction. Hurricane Bill's closest point of approach is expected in 72 hours (as I write this) at category 3 (100-120 mph). Preps, preps!

The last time we had this direct hurricane hit was in 2006 - Hurricane Florence. It was quick, not as bad as the island had expected (I heard island suffered so badly during Fabian in 2003, wasn't here yet). But my hubby and I personally suffered with the prolonged power loss - house opposite our apartment was directly hit by a lighting (and we were there just outside our apartment to witness it!). Another hardship was dipping our water supply from the well under the harsh wind and rain (all fun experiences haha).

Bermuda is expected to survive Bill if it hits. Only regret is that it's bound to happen in the weekend to impede beach time, hmph. More updates soon but in the meantime, island is business as usual... and hubby is also beaming with excitement (men!).

Search for an authentic English fish and chips shop in NYC

It's been more than a week now coming from a short break in NYC. I was sent for a 2-day training but decided to spend the weekend there with the hubby.. it has been 6 months since we last stepped out of the rock.. and it's been more than 2 years since we last visited NYC.. still remember that good time we rocked 2007 new year in new york with the hubby (we were just engaged then) and my little sis.

Anyways, what to do in NYC when we've been to most tourist-y areas the last time (though I still haven't been to the top of Empire State and up-close with Liberty!)???!! Shop, broadway, imax and of course, pig out! :)

First in line? What to do when you are with an insistent Brit who's craving for the "authentic" and "english" fish and chips in the land of the Yankees?? Go find one of course! Since we watched the fish and chips showdown on "Throwdown with Bobby Flay", the hubby has vowed to fly to NYC to have that authentic fish and chips the Brit duo made to crush the great Bobby. From the plane touching down to JFK and surviving one of the scariest cab rides we had to reach our hotel in Times Square, we just literally dropped of our luggages and went straight to the tubes to find that hole in a wall fish and chips shop in Greenwich Village aptly called "A Salt and Battery" (that's what I felt the hubby would do to a poor soul in the NYC streets if we did not find it!).

After a few wrong turns, we finally found it... hubby just left me in the middle of the Greenwich busy street to reach it, while I was still scrambling for my camera to take some photos.. hee... Suffice to say, the hubby satisfied his 3-month long craving.. while I left the shop with these thoughts:


- Does one need to order fish and chips in his most proper British accent to the shop owner hoping he'll get an extra slice of cod??!



- I've never seen someone so giddy seeing a "Sarsons" malt vinegar??!! Apparently it's the real deal - - what's wrong with our Heinz in the house?

- Fish and chips doused with malt vinegar and salt, I do get. But then dipping it in curry??!! I do get.. NOT!


Oh well, as long as my shopping buddy..erhm.. sponsor is happy then I'll go with it! :)

NEXT STOP>> the search for the best Filipino food in NYC!

"Guantanamo Baywatch - Uighur, Please"

From "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart"

Gitmo and four Uighurs are released from Guantanamo and sent to live in a house in Bermuda.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Guantanamo Baywatch - Uighur, Please
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Jason Jones in Iran

Bermuda day and the Gombey dancers

May 24 is Bermuda day -- and one of the most celebrated public holidays. From one of the Bermy websites:

"Bermuda Day, an annual public holiday, began life as a celebration of Queen Victoria’s birthday. Nowadays, it marks the beginning of all summer activities and is the day that most Bermudians take their first dip in the sea."

Luckily, it fell on a Sunday this year which gave us a long weekend. Woohoo!
There are a number of events marking the national day but the highlight is always the Bermuda day parade. While we would normally skip the festivities in town this time of year and just take the day off watching marathon dvd's - - the 3-day weekend finally forced our bums off the couch and witness the day's parade. Parade started at 1pm - yet we opted to watch the parade a bit farther from Front Street, the center of the festivities, to have more room for taking photos.

Bermuda day is known to have a very colorful parade of floats from different groups and other representations in the community. As to myself, I am excited to see and take photos of the gombey dancers. An excerpt of their origins:

"The origins of Bermuda's Gombey dancers can be traced to a mix of Afro-Carribean and Native American influences. All of the body and faces of the dancers are covered to avoid identification, as slave-owners frowned upon the practice of their slaves participating as Gombeys."

Nowadays, the Bermuda Gombey Dancers spring up in the most important events in the island. And they are definitely the stars of the Bermuda day celebrations. The colorful costumes, dancing to the drum beats and whistles, they sure fire up the crowd upon their arrival. So off we went to find a good spot for photo's. It wasn't easy! Not with the Bermy's already marked their spots in the long stretch of Cedar Ave. Apparently, they would reserve their spots as early as 3 or 4am on this important occasion where they would convert the area as their own picnic grounds. Not that we complain, it is their day anyways.

But lucky us, we spotted them within an hour standing under the heat of the sun and trying not to overtake the Bermy's places. Lovely! :)

Unfortunately, the sun prevented us from waiting for the Filipino float, which was my second reason for watching the parade. We were just at float 13 after an hour. And we were told that the Filipino float was still in the garage waiting for its turn - at #36! It was a rather hot day, with more or less 30 degrees that afternoon. And what a day to forget boosting up on sun block! I am fine - but not my pasty white hubby who'll just burn under the sun than develop a nice tan. Sheesh. Oh dear. Maybe next year.


More photos here:

http://www.facebook.com/album

Bermuda in the news! (... and it's not a good thing)

As a "guest worker" or an expat, I have learned to be apolitical in Bermuda.

But there are things that still stir..

Guantanamo and the mouse that roared
Great Britain is not amused.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8098341.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8096925.stm
http://www.royalgazette.com

Hail the Fed!

Yay, you did it! One for the history. :)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/8087015.stm

Maybe I can catch you in Wimbledon someday. More years to you.

"1 large mochaccino, please"

That has been my scripted line every morning, since my busy season (ugh, only bean counters and "audit-whores" will get this) has started. It has been a 10-12 hour shift for me the past 2 weeks and throw in a range of hours during the weekend (like today! wtf). Complaining? Nah.. lucky to have a job in this economic climate (sorry, that's a lot of BS!!).

Anyways, this blog will just be a rambling non-sense (nobody reads this anyway, haha). Starting with a pop quiz: THERE IS NO STARBUCKS CAFE HERE!!!! That was one of the very first surprises presented to me when I stepped foot on this island - - on top of having no malls, no McD's (KFC is the only international fast food franchise here!), etc. There are a number of cafe's around town and I've tried most of them, but none really got me into my starbucks habit. There's one coffee bar with yummy Godiva coffee but it's a 10min walk from my office and in Bermuda, that is a looonngg walk. So scratch that from my daily list.

Then, after more than 3 years searching for my ritual morning coffee, a cafe opened 3 floors down my office. Story short, it has started my love affair with Cafe 4's mochaccino. And a "familiar stranger relationship" with that nice Italian lady barista. haha. Loveeett.. it's helping me survive my hell-hole so far. Ohh, and lately I would even extend my script to "... and one regular mochaccino" for the hubby who is finally opening up to other "perk-up potions" than just his typical English breakfast tea (with milk).

And another pop quiz: it's the only cafe open after 5pm! Yet, nothing's perfect... my mochaccino comes at a price ($4.5 a day!). A Bermy friend once said, "it's not the price of coffee that you are paying.. but rather the price of sipping that coffee in Bermuda."

Oh well, who dares argue? Not me, I need my caffeine jolt at these trying times. Hay.

Framed: "marriage"

The new international symbol of marriage ;)
happy month-sary hubby! :*

Bermuda beach #1: Warwick Long Bay Beach

Oh dear, blogging neglected big time!

Work has been so crazy lately (and still is!) that I'm lucky to have a few hours in a weekend. Thanks for the hubby prevailing over me last week and just dragged me to the beach. We visited the most relaxing public beach in Bermuda - Warwick Long Bay. Our favorite spot for a quiet beach and bbq time. Not my favorite for swimming though - Warwick Long Bay is I think for more competent swimmers. Water in other beaches are calmer and more kid-friendly although the area surrounding the coral reefs is relatively calm. I guess having less kids is part of the attraction of Warwick Long Bay especially for tired expats who just want to spend a relaxing time. It's my and hubby's most visited beach in the island.

Ok, nerdy time: Warwick Long Bay is the longest beach in Bermuda - stretching over half mile. It's the first of the string of public beaches in South Shore at the east side of the island (ends with Horseshoe Bay beach, the main stop for Good Friday kite flying). It's also known for steep cliffs which are accessible for walking and are great for taking panoramic photos of the sea (my blog title photo was taken from the cliff).

As what Bermuda is known for, the beach sand has a pinkish streak. And what I always find amazing is the sand never turns hot no matter the summer temperature is. I can walk barefoot anytime. Bermuda waters also IMO are one of the bluest I've seen. If one's lucky, it's also good for snorkeling, although there are far better beaches in Bermuda for that (to blog about those beaches in the future).

This was our first proper beach stop this year. We haven't really been taking advantage of the beaches in Bermuda the past years. I guess it's human nature to neglect the things that are easily within reach and are free. Hopefully this year will be different and we are really keen in enjoying the beaches this summer. Bermuda is really breathtaking - - I guess hubby and I just really need to take a look at the island from a tourist's perspective. The island then will look totally different than from the eyes of worn out and drained expats (ehem). And who knows, this might be our last summer in Bermuda -- might as yet make the most of it.


Oh well, until my next post.

Framed: "fugly"

My hubby thinks I am PMSssssing.

I say yes and I feel "fugly". Bugger off.

Bermuda Shorts #4: B.O.T.

Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory.

Pop quiz: Does that mean a British citizen can just pack up his bags and reside in the island?

Errrm... the answer is "NO" (booos in the background).

Ok, geeky trivia time - but please don't be too rude... or at least cover your yawn, haha. Bermuda as a B.O.T. has much autonomy in running its own government, which means, Bermuda has its own immigration control generally working under the concept of "status". If you have Bermuda status, then you are not under the immigration control. And the opposite goes otherwise. Bermuda status is generally held by individuals born in Bermuda to at least one parent who has Bermudian status. Ok, boring stuff over - - snoozing's up!

Oops, not that easy to escape the wet and gloomy UK for the Bermuda sun afterall.

Framed: "errr, wrong timing"

At this time, this does not look like an ad promo which will work. Really.


.. and anyways, ad promo or otherwise, there's no sign of slowing down in drinking Sol, Dos Equis or Corona in this island. Still winners.

An attempt at an English home-cooked weekend dinner

Wow, the past week has just been busy at work that I just had did not have time for anything else. I have never been so glad last Friday. And I promised myself, not to come in to work this weekend regardless if it means breaking my back for another volume of work next week (Ugh, that's already tomorrow!).

So, weekend was spent with what?? With having a very English meal plan!! - - at least for Saturday and Sunday's dinner. The hubby has always whined about being sooo deprived of English dishes here in Bermuda considering that this is a British overseas territory and the island has a quite a number of Brit expats. Bermuda is leaning towards more American or Caribbean dishes -- I guess due to the proximity of both locations where supplies are easier to import, and American and Caribbean influences reach the island faster than the brits. Oh well, back to this weekend plan. Hubby and I went through the English heritage cooking book I bought months earlier and decided to go for English fish and chips for Saturday and roasted pork loin with apple sauce for Sunday.

Not once in every restaurant we went to did the hubby like the fish and chips. He always complains that fish and chips here pale in comparison to the UK's local fish and chips shops. I, on the other hand, is never a fan of battered fried fish. We Filipinos like our fish either fried whole or grilled with just some seasoning, and rely more on our dipping sauce for flavor (often a blend of vinegar, soy sauce, local lemon, and chilies). But as hubby and I would often have compromises in our meals, this weekend ended up with the English meal winning.

Bermuda markets are not abundant with fresh fishes - surprise, surprise! So surveying the limited varieties of fishes at the supermarket, we ended with cod fish for the Saturday night experiment. As for the batter, ours was a bit of contradiction as we ended experimenting with Guinness Irish beer. Why? Because I remembered Jamie Oliver using this beer for his fish and chips in one of the Iron Chef America episodes. The result, the fish turned out a little bit darker than expected haha. In the end though, I think it turned out decent enough given our very first attempt. Hubby finished his portion in 5 min - - he said he liked it. Either that, or he was just too hungry haha. ;)

Today was for the roasted pork with apple sauce one. This was actually a first for me eating roast pork with gravy and apple sauce. Often times in the Philippines, we use the same dipping sauce as described above - - and with rice! :) I love this one, and there's even enough leftovers for tomorrow (not that i would love that!) - - which means less chores on a Monday night and just concentrate on chilling out and watching 24, yey! :)

Una margarita para el Cinco de Mayo

"one margarita for cinco de mayo"

I've been giving in to my margarita cravings lately. It could have been a perfect opportunity for me to just drown on margaritas tonight - - it's cinco de mayo! Too bad with the onset of this "swine flu", seems this Mexican special holiday is cancelled this year. Even in Bermuda! I remember last year's was louder - - but I did not have these cravings back then, argh. Today it's just library-ish silence. Pfft.

Going back 5-6 years ago tequila was like soda to me. But now I would be lucky to survive 2 shots (or servings of margarita) - - age, blech! :)

Movie night at Liberty Theatre

Survived watching "Wolverine" in the only cinema showing it in Bermuda - with an analog sound and a green vertical line continuously popping on the screen... the whole thing reminded me of playing with an atari when I was a kid.. LOL

Bermuda can really do with a sophisticated digital THX / dolby cinema.... but then again, beggars can't be choosers, right? :)

Anyhoo, I never intend to be a movie reviewer but I did enjoy the film for its entertainment value. And I've been an X-men fan even before the movie adaptations with Wolverine as my favorite mutant.

The hubby just patiently watched with me although I caught him with a drool at one point. He seldom likes Hollywood-y films and is never a fan of "comics characters" - - he finds them very American (or not very Brit) and refers to comics as cartoons. While I, who grew up to watching and reading US-based comics characters, refer to them as graphic novels. Oh well, the same goes with the hubby - - beggars can't be choosers.. hee :)

Knockout! p.2

Ugh.. Hatton knocked out in less than 2 rounds..

Hubby, to the couch you go! :)

images from yahoo sports

Framed: "the ring"

Before this day is over, let me greet the hubby a happy "month-sary". mwah! :)

Knockout!

It's an interesting night tonight for me and the hubby. It's the BIG fight between the Philippines' Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao and England's Ricky "the Hitman" Hatton. Odds are with Manny to win it via knockout but hubby's really bent on Hatton winning. Of course, we gotta love our own!

We've been having a friendly banter all day - - we'll see who's sleeping on the couch tonight haha :)

A limited edition of Pacman's bobblehead doll distributed in the US - - I want one!!!!

Stuck in the Rock

I am suffering from rock fever. I need to get out. Problem is, I am still waiting for my travel documents to be able to get out of the island. I thought I was being very diligent renewing my UK visa 3 months ahead of scheduled holiday. And historically, I receive my visa 3-5 days after. But what do I get? I am still without my passport for a month now! After weeks of sleepless nights thinking about what has happened to my passport, I finally received this efffing message from the embassy:

Dear Applicant,
Your application has arrived safely at the New York office. However, you may or may not be aware that we are experiencing IT problems in Bermuda meaning that biometric information cannot be sent to London. Biometrics is a mandatory part of the application procedure and so regrettably your application cannot be processed at this time.
We are working hard to resolve this issue as quickly as possible and apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Regards,
New York Visa Team

WTF - all the while that I was cursing the UK embassy in NY, turned out the tech problem was with Bermuda.. what is effing new??!! And there's no info as to when they are gonna fix the problem. Everything takes forever and a day to get fixed here. My hubby's laptop is still being fixed by a "reputed" company here for almost 2 months now. Beat that.

This means foregoing my weekend getaway to NY this month and a work-related training. Argh. And if I don't get it on time for my visa application for Paris and Luxemburg - - there really goes my summer holiday.

In the meantime, I am so stuck in the rock. Boo. Big big BOOOOO.

Framed: "home sick.. burp!"

my lovely home-cooked Filipino-ish dinner.. this does not happen in Bermuda everyday :)

Bermuda Shorts #3: Water is power

Bermuda's paradox: for an island surrounded by vast water, maintaining one's water supply is an extra challenge.

Rain water is the main water supply of the residents in the island. If you walk around Bermuda, you will notice that residences' roofs are made of limestone with glides (resembling flights of stairs). These glides are necessary to collect the rain water and divert it into each house's water storage tanks. That's why it is also very important that roofs are cleaned regularly. Ohh, these limestone-made roofs can also resist hurricanes.

Of course, it's not all backward here as groundwater resource is also available and if I recall, Bermuda has a desalination, sea water distillation and / or a water reverse osmosis plants. That's a big improvement when back in the day, water was also imported from North America (!!!!). But then again, that kind of water supply comes with a price. Rain water supply means a lot of savings per household. However, the issue begins in between rainy months as queues for water suppliers can be so bad. It happened once in our old apartment, hubby and I had to shower in the office for a couple of days and fetch water from another source for our toilet use. How uggghhh is that!?

So here in Bermuda, water is king. [Gollum: "my precious.. my precious.."]

Framed: "bean counter's life"

A peek at a bean counter's life.


P.S. Not much the island life, eh? But 2 more days hun and you'll be up and running to get your groove back :)

Rockin' the DIY-in'

Everything is just efffing expensive here in Bermuda that DIY-ing is a biggie for survival. Today, I am just so happy to finally find a jewelry cleaner which works a lot better than having my blings cleaned in a jewelry store. (Don't get me wrong, it's just in the Philippines it costs around $2 to have your blings cleaned that it's common to have our blings cleaned "professionally").

Revitalizing jewelry cleaner works great - - only it costs more than 2x the US price. But, it's still value for money when you have to pay more than that for every cleaning.

I bet hubby would be proud - - these are his presents afterall, ye!

Revitalizing, you make my DIY-ing rock! :)

Bermuda Shorts #2: Kite flying on a Good Friday

Good Friday is one of the huge holidays in Bermuda - - this marks the official day for kite flying. The most popular place would be the Horseshoe Bay beach where it's more festive and where the kite flying competition is usually held. But since it can be so crowded, others will detour to parks, picnic grounds or other beaches. Meaning, one may practically fly a kite anywhere.

Interestingly, the tradition is to actually fly kites during Easter as it symbolizes Christ's ascent (i'm assuming you all know your bible stories?). Not sure why it shifted to Good Friday, though. Maybe as not to steal or share the spotlight with egg hunting and egg chocolate eating during Easter?? [jeopardy theme playing in the background]

It's a big deviation from what I'm used to in the Philippines where Good Friday is taken more religiously or spiritually, and is traditionally devoid of "fun" (hmm, not as apparent since the arrival of cable TV though). Bermuda's way is a "culture shock" of some sorts.. but if you're in Bermuda, you do as Bermudians do (hmm, at least on the fun part). Of course, not without a prayer to celebrate the true meaning of the "holy week".

Hot Spot #1: Bath, UK

I've been quite lucky to have the chance to visit a few places outside of my own country.... and outside of my current residence. Each place is a learning experience, but there are really quite a few which are just on top of my list.

2006 was my first UK experience with one of my new-found-friends (NFF) in Bermuda, Myles. I joined her to visit her sister in Chippenham. Although visiting the common tourist-y places was a must, what caught me by surprise was our unscheduled visit to Bath. It was such a lovely, breath-taking place. The Royal Crescent, the Roman Baths, the Bath Abbey, the parks, the theathre.. I say everything. Even the shopping experience was superb! :)

I will definitely go back. I will make sure I force the hubby to take me to Bath this July (still waiting for my visa, argh!). It'll be the first time with him, I am so excited.

I just lovveeetttt!! :)

Framed: "random stranger"

This random stranger's shirt pretty much depicts an expat's way of life in Bermuda.

4 bird encounters and a lovely Saturday afternoon

Hubby got me a Nikon DSLR last 2007, hoping he would upgrade my love of taking photos from the usual digital point-and-shoot mode. Not until last month did I really get into gear learning it. So now that spring is here, I've been forcing my arse out of the bed a few hours each weekend to study the more intricate uses of my cam. I don't want to sound stupid but it's not easy deviating from the usual 'auto' or point-and shoot mode - - it may take a while until I fully learn the aperture, shutter speed, ISO, etc. But I have years ahead of me to do it so I am really enjoying it at the mo. :)

So fast forward to one lovely Saturday afternoon I spent a couple or more hours just walking around Hamilton (the only city in the island) taking some photos. It was an usually busy day for the birds at the ferry station. I was hoping to catch the most wanted "Bermuda longtail" bird for a photo op but I wasn't so lucky. I ended up capturing a few birds in flight for my first encounter.

I'm not really too sure of the type .. me, who grew up just seeing pigeons and Philippine sparrows (maya). That explains my restricted knowledge.. or call that ignorance for that matter. But with a little research here and there brings me to "conclude" that these birds belong to the petrel class. But not sure if these are Bermudians or migrants (like me haha).

Second encounter, I was resting at the Hamilton harbor after a couple of hours walking. Then, this pair of pigeons just made out in front of me. Get a room, you two!

Then, here's a cutie li'l yellow one who was lost among all the pigeons at the harbor area. Again, I had to do a bit of research and this came closest to a kiskadee. I'm not even gonna bother if I got this wrong. Basta cute sya de bah.

Leaving the harbor, another bird caught my eye.. not the same type which takes flight but is as also stunning. This bird of paradise stood out in the midst of the Harrys resto's front bit. I so looove the color. Spring, weeee! :)

Sipping a margarita at Rosa's Cantina

Ola! Friday night, hubby still in rut with his busy workload and miserably trying to beat his April 30 deadlines. So kawawa. Boo hoo.

Opted to have dinner at the only Mexican restaurant in the island and grab some comfort food. Good choice as I have been craving for a few margaritas lately.

Not the best Mexican resto but beggars can't be choosers right? This is monopoly at its best, which is very common here. However, we've always been treated well in this resto and food's relatively cheaper given their huge servings.




So, carry na.

Our dinner just got briefly interrupted with a sudden screeching sound and a loud bang . A bike accident just below the patio where we were seated. Lots of necks stretched to check what has happened, including ours. Good thing that it was a minor one, biker was unscathed. Sure scared the hell out of him though - - that's why stick to the speed limit!! (Reference: Need for speed blog).

Sorry 'bout photo quality - these were just randomly taken from my blackberry.



Chin chin... have a good weekend! :)