Toby and Chelle become Eastenders

‘Eastenders?’ the UK posse ask – Yes, we’ve become Eastenders.  On an island of only 21 square miles it’s still possible to have and ‘East End’ and a ‘West End’….city’s do it, and as a small territory, we apply it to our whole island!

When looking round for our first place to live we realised compromise was going to be required.  We were keen to be sociable so put proximity to Hamilton as the priority.  We found somewhere ‘average at everything’ as I put it, and it did the job.  Our aim was during the next year to work out where we’d like to live and what was important to us.  We soon identified the ‘East End’ as our preferred location – no crazy traffic to get into Hamilton like there is from the West End, we have the joys of Flatts Village and the Swizzle Inn and easy access to some great quiet beaches like John Smiths.  We also have a growing number of friends this way which certainly helps!

So, the search was on.  Having found somewhere ‘average’ the first time, we then came across Ninjo’s (Naomi and Jon) place.  It’s somewhere I’d actually looked at myself when a few months after moving into our place we were being denied pets despite the contract not being clear about it.  I wanted to see what was out there and this place came up.  It looked great but we couldn’t move.  In a weird ‘Bermuda’s a small place’ way, we then made friends with Ninjo and when we went to visit, they directed me to the flat I’d ogled at few months beforehand!

Anyway, I’m getting distracted.  The point it, it’s a great place with a fab view and ideal location.  We knew we could be fussier second time round.  The first few places we looked at weren’t too promising though – all fine and an improvement from where we were but not ‘special’.  It seemed we’d need to pay more to get what we were after or live at either end of the island and have a crazy commute.  And then, out of no-where, came a cute and perfectly formed little cottage with amazing views.  If you wanted to be fussy, it is a little far out (25 minutes to get to work in the morning) but we knew immediately that it was right for us and put an offer in straight away.

To be honest, I was sold at the kitchen;

So cute!  Here’s a place I can bake 🙂  (Ignoring the lack of workspace!)

And then we moved into the lounge area and it just got better.  A comfy sofa to curl up on and homely pictures and lamps and ‘stuff’!

And the main thing is the view.  We get to see this every morning;

and it doesn’t look like much but on a built up island I just love seeing the trees!

We were missing the open space and now we have piece and quiet and views of water and trees – bliss!

I think we’re going to be very happy here! 🙂

A Bermuda Anniversary

***For this post, you can assume you’re reading in October – the catch up continues!***

I’m not sure whether it feels like we’ve been in Bermuda for a long or short time.  It’s that typical feeling during adult life when time feels like it’s flying by at an incredible rate but when you look back, lots has happened.  Well, in October, we celebrated our ‘1 year in Bermuda anniversary’.

To tell you all the truth, which we like to do (!), we celebrated the wrong day.  And when I say ‘celebrated’ – I mean in a public forum we advised it was our anniversary.  Toby was actually presenting at the local .NET user group and I was co-ordinating it so it wasn’t exactly a celebration!  It was only when we spoke to my parents that weekend we realised we got it wrong.  Needless to say, it wasn’t celebrated!

I guess an ‘anniversary in Bermuda’ is when you’ve done every event in the Bermuda calendar and you’re back round to the first you attended.  We therefore seemed to find more significance in the fact it was our second Halloween!  The lovely Tim and Tia hosted a party which we attended…this time completely ready for the need to dress up and the fact it doesn’t need to be scary….this is no UK Halloween celebration!  Enter Cleopatra and her Roman hunk!

And I’d like to publicise Kerry’s comment here; “Check out the tan!!!”  I agree, in a totally unexpected turn of events, pasty white Chelle is getting some colour.  Who would have thought it was possible?  That’s what a year in Bermuda gives you…

So, what else do we have?  We’ve certainly become localised.  In fact, that happened within a couple of months but we weren’t aware of some of the seasonal specifics until we’d completed a year.  When we first arrived were we told;

• “The summer’s amazing, it’s a bit quiet at the moment” – But we were busy exploring the island and so happy with what we found, we thought these people didn’t know what they were talking about.
• “XYZ is far away, I’m not sure if we can make it so far tonight” – Errr, it’s less than 10 miles and it’s a 20 minute scooter ride…..these people don’t know they’re born!  We used to travel 2 hours to get to work/1 hour to meet friends in town etc etc.  Geez!
• “It gets cold in winter” – Pardon?!  Are these weather reports not accurate?  It suggests it will be in the low 20 degrees in winter, that’s a reasonable summers day in the UK!

Well, having been here a year I can confirm the winter is rather dull, 10 miles is not to be taken lightly and winter is COLD! 🙂

We’re truly adjusted and with more than these silly points.  Day-to-day life is a little different than we were used to but we now have a nice routine and less surprises.  It’s been a fun year, but also a year we’ve not seen family and friends and the familiarity of home.  Nick and Leki visited the month before which was wonderful but it did also make us a little homesick.  We know we’re very lucky out here but we’ve made sacrifices and not seeing family and friends is by far the biggest.  We try to Skype regularly and are more active than we’ve ever been on Facebook which bridges a few gaps too.  If we’re honest, we might not manage to see some friends for 6 months anyway, but I guess knowing you can is comforting!

One great piece of news a year brought us was the opportunity to move.  We had a year’s contract on our apartment and while it was fine, our wanderlust had already struck.  I guess that will be the next blog…..

Visitors from another planet…?!

**I know it’s been FOREVER since we blogged and there are a few things to catch up about so in the interests of pretending we’re good at this and blog as things come to mind, I’ll do them in different posts over the next few days!  I guess this is the sly ‘marketing’ part of my personality coming into play…**

 

Anyway, first bit of news is that we had visitors and they certainly weren’t from round here.  They were Nick and Leki!  This was back in September, straight after the paralympics and they were joining us for a well earned break.

As our first guests to the island it was very exciting!  Toby was probably a tad more relaxed but I was thinking about the things they might want to do and getting everything in order for them to have a great trip and for us to enjoy it too.  Having visitors is great because it’s like we start looking at the island through a fresh pair of eyes.  Yes, it really is beautiful.  Yes, it really is a great way of life.  Yes, the people really are that friendly…  Oh, how lovely Bermuda is!

I love how when you catch up with good friends it doesn’t mater how long it’s been since you saw them, you just start off where you left.  We chatted, drank, ate, relaxed, sun-bathed, swam and chilled.  It was like having a holiday ourselves.  Bliss!

 

 

 

I could talk you through the many and varied things we got up to.  But there really is only one story to tell….

 

Seeing Bermuda by boat

For Toby and I, one of our favourite things has to be getting out on a boat.  It’s so relaxing and peaceful.  You can find your quiet little piece of paradise, away from the crowds on the beach, anchor up and just bob along enjoying the crystal clear waters, a cool beer and excellent company.  This is what we wanted Nick and Leki to experience.

In the past we’d hired larger boats for 10+ people but we decided it would be good to have a smaller group for this trip.  We invited along Jon and Naomi to make a group of six which fits perfectly into the Boston Whaler boat and is also much cheaper.

We set off with coolers filled, armed with suntan lotion and 3 boys eager to show off their captaining skills.  Toby started us off and it was clear that this smaller boat, filled with 6 people and all their belongings was sitting lower than the other boats we’d been in and was getting more buffeted by the wake of other boats.  That’s OK though, we had skills between us and we knew by cutting through the wake, we’d not tip the boat side-to-side and it was much safer.  We were soon cruising along.

We had a couple of stops and in true Bermuda style saw a couple of ‘International Women’ out on the water so Naomi and I were waving like crazy people and laughing at how small the island was.

Off we set again, Jon at the helm.  We’re heading to Pompano beach where the sea is calm and a gorgeous turquoise colour.  To get there we go through deeper waters and nearer where larger boats travel much faster.  All is calm till we spot a large wake from a passing boat, and it’s heading for us.  This is REALLY large.  Jon calmly turns into the wake to stop it tipping us but a surprising amount of water splashed over and into the boat.  For a split second we’re all shocked and silent then start laughing.  Jon, as current captain, is thinking to himself that it wasn’t ideal and probably pulling from the back of his memory of wise old comments such as ‘slow and steady wins the race’ and he slows right down…..the bow lowers and the second wave deposits half it’s water into the boat – we’re now half full.  This is now not a laughing mater and Toby’s shouting “throttle, throttle!”, but it’s too late and wave three takes the front of the boat under the water line.  Nick who was at the front of the boat shuffles back and as the boat levels out, the top of the boat is level with the water.

We’ve talked about this since and at this point we all thought there was no going back.  It was only the sunshade, boat controls and our upper bodies out of the water.  It had happened so quickly, it felt like the whole boat would be gone in seconds.  We were all mentally calculating the swim to shore….

At this point Naomi shouts, “should I get out?” and on hearing “YES!” out she jumps, beer can in hand.  Wait a minute….the boat steadied…..next I hear “Michelle, OUT!”…..the boat’s now reached some sort of equilibrium and is not going down any more and the top of the boat is breaking the surface of the water.  Hope springs into everyone as the four remaining crew bail for their lives.  Bags are emptied and used as bailers, Jon collected electronics and they’re all hanging from his mouth trying to keep them dry.  In a fit of genius, Nick uses his stubbie leg as the biggest and most effective bailer ever!  In the throws of saving the boat, the engine was left gently idling along and continued to cruise away from Naomi and I swimming along behind.  Naomi not been an overly confident swimmer isn’t too happy about this but pleased the see the team appear to be winning the battle to save the boat.  We’re shouting “throw us a noodle!” but aren’t heard….so we keep swimming.

All this commotion and frantic activity definitely looked like a boat in serious distress, I think we had three boats come over to check we were OK which was heart-warming indeed.  (Small island!).  After I don’t know, maybe half-an-hour, the boat was emptied and and Naomi and I caught up to climb in and set off again.  Everything was of course soaking wet so we set about lying the clothes of to dry and checking the damage.  Nerves were frazzled and the adrenaline was still coursing.  We felt unstable…are we lower in the water?  I opened a hatch where you can store rope, lifejackets and other nautical things and of course it’s full.  Another 50 litres still to go!

We finished our little trip, headed back and tried to disguise how wet everything was to the boat owners and why the deck was so clean!  That said, I’m not sure who was more to blame.  I think the ‘6-seater’ I booked was really a ‘4-seater’ and we were sitting lower in the water than we should do.  Just saying.

Anyway, we evaded discovery and headed across the road to a little part where we laid our clothes out again like we’d been ship wreaked and calmed our nerves a little before braving the journey home on the bus!