Tourists on the Island

 

 

What a week!  We have been to almost every beach on our little island as well as to Crystal Caves, the Dockyards, the Swizzle Inn, the Bermuda International Film Festival and a new farmer's market --- all thanks to Rosa's visit.  Though the weather wasn't Bermuda's finest, Rosa was still game to go anywhere and do anything and that is exactly what we did.  At the first glimpse of sun we were off to the beach and have found many spots that will certainly see lots of return trips.  It was amazing to be able to see our home through someone else's eyes and appreciate even more how lucky we are to have this opportunity.  What wasn't amazing was having to say goodbye today as she headed back to Toronto.  June seems like a long time away before we get to see her in person again.

Stevens-Christopher Race Weekend

  

The climate in Bermuda is perfect for exercise.  We have taken full advantage of the warm days that we have enjoyed since January and have been running along the trails and roads at least a few times each week.  This weekend, Jim, Morgan and I each challenged ourselves in a race.  Morgan set the tone on Friday evening running a 400m "Dash at Dark" with other 4 and 5 year old boys.  He was as cute as can be and didn't even let his little fall at the beginning of the race dampen his spirits.  He got to the end with a big smile on his face and told us that he just kept saying to himself, "I can do it, it's not much further, just keep going!"  Saturday morning was Jim's race and our little family headed off to the Bermuda Aquarium and Zoo for the 7.2 mile "Zoom around the Sound".  Jim impressed us (and himself) by running the race in only 69 minutes.  Finally, Sunday morning was my "Beach to Beach" 5K race that took me on a beautiful course along the ocean that began and ended at Horseshoe Bay.  We were all so proud to complete each of our individual races and love the healthy lifestyle that we are able to enjoy.  Although we couldn't find a race for Quinn (not too many available for the 2-year old set), he did lots of wind sprints at the National Stadium, Zoo-quarium, and beach.  He'll be all set when there is a race for him, for sure.

Dipping our toes

   

Although the ocean is still a little cool for swimming, we decided it was time to dip our toes to truly feel the Bermuda experience.  Quinn and I had our usual day of puttering around -- grocery shopping, a doctor's appointment, a run along the railway trail, lunch at Somersfield with Jim and a nap.  Finally 3pm came and we picked up Morgan and headed to the beach for some outdoor play time.  Morgan chatted with the various children coming and going from the beach and made an outstanding sand structure while Quinn spent at least 30 continuous minutes throwing pebbles and rocks into the water.  It doesn't matter if it is Georgian Bay or the Atlantic Ocean, it is always a thrill for him to see the splash that he can make.

Life is a holiday

 

 

Bermudians seem to really know how to live.  Although we have only been back to school since January, we are currently in the midst of a week long break for the students (staff had meetings and only have Thursday and Friday off work).  Morgan, Quinn and I have enjoyed the break heading off to the zoo-quarium and checking out the "touch pool" where Morgan was brave enough to hold a sea pudding, playing at Shelley Bay playground and beach, and taking the ferry to see the dolphins at Dockyards.  

Our house is also feeling more like a home now that we have done a little entertaining.  Sunday night Barb Smith (from Sterling Hall - here to do some in-service for the staff) was our first "official" dinner party guest, and the next afternoon, Jim's staff were thrilled to be invited to have a drink (or two or three) at our house at the inaugural February Break "whine" and cheese. We were really pleased with the turnout (around 45 people) and the fact that it didn't even seem over-crowded. 

The best news for me, though, is that with Jim having some extra time to look after the boys, Thursday was spent securing a new (to us) car!!!  We are the proud owners of a little charcoal coloured Hyundai Getz.  Now Quinn and I can zip around the island and take in the sights while Morgan and Jim slug it out at school.  All this and we get to wear shorts everyday!

Slowly feeling like home

It has been an eventful week for our little family.  We finally got our internet and phone hooked up, we have had a parent-teacher interview about Morgan's progress, we have a bank account and a paycheck in it, and I passed my crazy Bermudian driving test.  We are rockin' (that was a cheezy reference to the photo of the boys playing in our backyard).

  

Slowing Down

We have had a complete taste of life in Bermuda over the past little while. Our furniture and belongings finally arrived and we have spent hours finding places for what we brought as well as wondering why we made some of the decisions to leave certain items behind (how much space does an iron really take up?). It has been like Christmas all over again for Morgan and Quinn who have set up huge train tracks throughout the house, made farms, zoos and a variety of structures with all the toys that they missed having over the month of our transition.

We have also spent hours trying to deal with the many boxes our stuff came in. While the movers said, “Darlin’, just give us a call and we’ll be back to pick up the trash”, it took over a week of calling each day for them to finally make it all the way back to our part of the island. Our next challenge is to get our phone and internet installed. Though we went to their office the day after we arrived at the end of December, their visit to our house was scheduled for last Thursday. Unfortunately it was raining when they came and..., “We can’t work in the rain, sweetheart” was their response. They are set to come next Wednesday – let’s hope for sun.

Everything just seems to take a much longer process than we have been used to in Toronto. Jim’s new barbeque took 45 minutes to buy, not because I asked so many questions but because the sales woman knew so many people that she needed to chat with while she was helping me. We have spent a week trying to open a bank account because they seem to need everything except a blood sample and I am still working on getting my driver’s license (it doesn’t seem to matter that I have driven in Canada for almost 20 years!). We knew that the pace in Bermuda would be different when we made the decision to come...and we are being proven right every day.

The Adventure Begins

It has been one week since we arrived on this little island and we have been very busy the entire time. For the first couple of days we stayed in the luxury of the Hamilton Princess hotel where we had internet access, room service and beds. We were anxious to move into our new house (as was our bank account!), but because our shipment for Toronto had not yet arrived, we needed to rely on the kindness of strangers right away. A few people came to the rescue and offered mattresses for the floor, sheets and blankets, lawn chairs and a little table to put in our dining room, and one pot. With those things and some plastic plates and cutlery, we have quite nicely camped our way through the beginning of 2009. We are hopeful that all of our belongings will arrive on Thursday and we can start getting even more settled. In the meantime, we have enjoyed beautiful 70 degree weather, stunning views of the ocean, visits to see the dolphins and the zoo, and a very successful first day of school. Check out the picture of our boy in “P1”, as his grade is called.