HURRICANING!

So you’re in a hurricane…what are your plans?
a) prepare all shutters and doors and lock yourself in
b) take a shower because you know you may not be able to for up to a week because water will be off
c) charge all electrical items knowing power will definitely be off
d) go for a walk

Answer: D!

I have officially played witness to my very first hurricane! Hurricane Earl hit the island of St. Maarten at a category 3 and moved up to a category 4 while on the island.

It’s pretty crazy in the days before the storm. The island is a fury of work…everyone is preparing; work places are closed, people buying food and supplies, boarding up windows and doors. At Ocean Explorers we moved everything from the shop into a safe storage container and then built support beams for the shop. We actually had chains holding the roof on!

Once everything is ready all you can do is wait. In the evening before the hurricane hit it was incredibly eerie…no animals or birds were out, the island was quiet, everything closed and boarded up, and the kind of “calm before the storm” weather you see in movies.

By the time the hurricane hit we were already pretty bored. You are stuck inside with no power or water so usually you just have bunches of people hanging out together for four days. We had the eye pass directly over us and I have to say that was the weirdest part of the whole thing. It was as though the whole island was holding its breath waiting for the next set of rage and when that rage hit…wow. Shout out of respect to mother nature. Racing winds and flying debris made it certain adventure to step outside. But we did manage to go for a couple of walks. On one we found a stray dog who we adopted as our “hurricane dog” aptly named Earl. Earl hung out with us for the hurricane period and then was let back out after it had passed.

Post hurricane was another adventure. The island goes in to “lockdown”, a period of time where even though the storm had passed you are not allowed out of the house. Anyone caught outside can legally be shot on the spot by a police officer, no questions asked. This is because much of the island has been damaged including shops. It is a prime time for looters to take advantage. After lockdown was lifted that’s when the rebuilding began. It took a couple of weeks for things to return to normal. Our shop faired pretty well all things considered but it was as though the storm shifted it just slightly so now all of our windows and doors don’t shut properly. The running joke is that we needed another storm to shift it backl!

Here are a few pictures from the hurricane Earl...

Customs Sucks

- Traveling alone? Check.
- Female? Check.
- One way ticket? Check.
- Been out of the country for over 9 months? Check.
- Traveling light? Check.
- Under 21? Check.

Apparently I was a perfect candidate for the lovely officers at the Canadian Customs in Toronto. I got pulled in to the little room in the back you never want to go in to, my bag was torn apart and every item laid out on the floor. A sniff dog came through. I was strip-searched. I was interrogated. And after what felt like hours (thank god my connection wasn’t until the next morning) I was told I was clean and let through.

I hate customs.

Vacation Home

So I ended up doing a surprise visit home last week. It was so strange being back; everything from driving fast in TWO lanes of traffic, to stop lights (we have one on the island), to seeing the copious amounts of food selection in grocery stores, to being back in the land of $4 coffees at Starbucks and donuts at Tim Hortons. The biggest difference was the pace of life. Everything there happened so FAST! People drive fast, they talk fast, they eat fast. It’s like we are all in some kind of rush to get to wherever we are going next instead of enjoying the moment. The other thing was that it was all planned out. It seems everyone loves to make plans even if it is for something happening days from then. I guess the island life is wearing off on me! :) Also I FROZE!!! It was FREEZING in Canada! I woke up one morning to snow!...needless to say I was not very impressed..



I was able to surprise my grandmother, good thing we had doctors present! She was very happy to see me and it was good to be able to spend some time with her (going to Cirque du Soleil) and my Opa (working at the ranch with suicide willie…a squirrel). I spent most of the week in appointments and with family and was able to see only a few people. It was still nice to be home and eating wonderful home cooked meals. After I flew to Victoria to see Amy for a day, we spent most of our time sitting on a set of steps by the ocean. It was incredible to see her after over a year and realize that so very much has changed in my life, in me, but it has not changed us. I then took a ferry to Seattle to see Catherine, we found a troll under a bridge (it’s the one from the movie “Ten Things I Hate About You”). Then a flight to San Francisco, San Francisco to New York, ten hour layover in the airport in which I made friends with the security guard, then finally back to my island!

It was strange to be away but also strange coming back, it made me realize, more then anything, that I am meant to be here. Kelley picked me up from the airport and we screamed and bounced around when we saw each other. Everyone was happy to have me back and I realize how much of a life and community I have created for myself here.

Now that I am back Kelley and her sister and I have moved in to a new house together. It is back in Simpsons Bay and half a block from the beach. We live in a three bedroom on the third and final floor of a beautiful old building. It’s got distinct “island style” and I love it! We have a balcony, full kitchen (with a gas burning stover which means we will be able to still cook when its hurricaning), and two bathrooms. The neighbourhood is not wonderful but it is more that it is just poor then anything else. We joke that we wont ever get into trouble because this is where all the gangsters grandmothers live. I am happy to be back!

Routine Island Dream

I have fallen in to a new group of friends and a somewhat normal routine. I am close friends with Kelley Mae. She works at Dive Safaris, which is our main competitor so, its pretty funny. We will be out after work, both with out work shirts on, and people give us the strangest looks. We do crazy things and have a lot of fun together. Alex is a carpenter for the ships but an all around handyman kinda guy. He is an incredibly talented musician when it comes to just about any instrument. Dominique works with the beach horse riding for the tourists in Cay Bay and her and Alex have a parrot named DC who I love. Jammie is another friend and he works for Alex. Kelley’s little sister, Karie, has recently come to the island as well so its out little group that travels around together. It’s pretty funny doing introductions now “Hi I’m Cayley, this is Kelley and this is Karie. Now repeat that ten times fast!”


Our group is pretty active. We sea kayak a couple evenings a week and adventure to the French side to go surfing most Sundays. We hang out on the beach by LaBamba most nights and have a big bonfire and bring out the guitars and jembay drum. DC, the parrot, will sit on our shoulders as Dom spins her fire balls to the beat of whatever we happen to be playing. We've often had tourists come walking by and ask to take our picture or be in a picture with us...I guess we look like a bunch of island rug rats! :) The ocean tickles our toes as the moon rises and I often find myself taking deep breaths and feeling how happy I am to be living this life.

I've Been Adopted

06:50- hear constant mewing from under the equipment container...can't see anything.

07:40- see a small blur run out, across the sand, and into some shrubs.

10:30- Lu tells me she has called animal control for a kitten and that I should try and catch it.

11:15- catch kitten who turns around and bites me(damn kitten teeth are sharp!!), runs away.

13:00- catch kitten for the second time, put her in a box with some water.

13:01- decide she shouldn't have to stay in the box so long so take her out and discover she is the thinest, mangiest, dirtiest
kitten I have ever seen, and trust me, I've seen some bad ones.

14:15- decide I can no longer take the smell. Find some baby shampoo (which we use for mask defog) and give her a bath.
The entire time all I get is constant purring.

14:32- realize she's not the only one who got bitten today.

16:02- tell Lu to call the Animal Welfare people off, I will take her home for the night.

17:20- get off work and bring the kitten out to my car...she tries to climb up in to the electrical wiring.

17:23- get kitten out from a tangle of electrical wires and put her in my backpack to keep her contained.

17:25- realize I need groceries. Think "here goes nothing" and pull into the store, put my backpack on and start my shopping.


17:40- grocery attendant asks if I have a cat in my backpack, "uhhhh....no?" "then why is it moving and purring?" "uhhhhh...okay-i-just-found-this-kitten-and-dont-want-her-to-be-put-down-so-im-taking-her-home-for-the-night-but-cant-leave-her-in-my-car (said all in a rush)" "oh. do you want a bag of cat food?" "yes please"

18:08- get home. release "cat from the bag"

19:00- fall in love.




Now what?

Lion Hunting

Last week we received news that there had been two seperate sightings of Lion Fish (an invasive species that consumes most fish and has no natural predators here), one on the French side of the island and one on our side. All the dive shops had been asked to be on the lookout and capture it if possible. The French side had caught theirs within 24 hours and, not to be outdone, the Ducth side put together a team to try and capture the Lion Fish.

I ended up diving with one of the Marine Protection Officer's today. Tadzio and I found the fish, later names Marten, and, after fourty-seven long miutes of an aggressive hunt, finally managed to capture it. Lion Fish have venom in their spines that is so poisonous it feels worse then being shot (I was told this AFTER I helped catch it).

We are on a small island and this is big news for us, Lion Fish are a huge threat to our ecosystem here. As a result Tadzio had an article put in the local papers and he mentioned me, kinda cool! If you would like to read the article the link is

http://www.sxmislandtime.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11298:nature-foundation-staff-capture-venomous-lionfish-will-be-holding-an-information-session-on-wednesday&catid=31:general&Itemid=76

This article appeared on page four of The Daily Herold and page three of The Times...can you tell it's a small island?

Reality

Now that I am finally settling down I have had a bit more time to reflect on my travels and experiences. I recently started reading my journal from my time in Africa and I found some things that I would like to share. Part of the following is an excerpt from it...

The beginning…Africa. I said in my other blog post that the only way to describe Africa is “real.” I stand by that now more then ever. I had to learn to steel my heart. It sounds harsh but looking back if I hadn’t, everything I played witness to would have broken me. Take for example my daily drive. Imagine a family (mother, grandmother, and four children from ages 2-12) living in what I can’t even call a hut. Their ‘home’ consisted of a rotting kitchen table flopped on its side, a piece of sheet metal as a roof, torn garbage bags as one of the three walls, and an old car door as the last wall. They have to enter on all fours and only the youngest can stand. Six people sleep like this every night, through winters bitter cold and summers overwhelming heat. This is home to them.

Now imagine, if you can, tens of thousands of these homes all crammed together, and on top of each other sometimes, in what is called a Township. There are a few proper buildings scattered in no particular order; some are schools, some are gas stations, others are bars. There are lots of semi truck trailers here as they serve well for grocery stores, barber shops, and mechanics. Some homes are better off but they rarely have proper roofs…it’s usually scrap metal. There are beggars begging their beggar neighbors, children playing on the street amide condoms and needles, thieves stealing from each other, everyone trying to make some kind of living. There are no white people here. This is the Africa we don’t see.

The orphanage that I worked in was smack in the middle of Khalitshya. Any time we had to go for groceries, pick up donations, go out for a night…literally anything, we had to drive through this. Looking out at my surroundings felt surreal; how can so many people, all who have families and life stories, live like this every day.

It made me reflect on my life at home. It is something that I have thought about a lot, trust me, and I have come to the conclusion that it's not how much we do or do not have, what experiences we have, or the people in our lives…it is our perception and attitude towards those things, whether or not we appreciate them, that create our realities.

About the only way I can describe my experience in Africa is to tell you that I had a shift in reality.

Laundry

There are quite a few things that change when you travel but there will always be those essential tasks that need to be done. Laundry has become something that I have to plan out, it is no longer the easy walk downstairs to get it done. Since leaving home I have had quite a few "laundry experiences"...who knew getting clean clothes could be such an adventure!

While staying at the orphanage we would have to go down to the baby house and guard our clothes while they washed because otherwise the children would steal them. We would then have to either hang them outside (this time keeping an even closer watch) or hang them in our room.

On the ship we usually did laundry on passage. We would often end up wearing the same thing for days at a time (I know that sounds gross but for those of you who have lived on a ship you will understand) so there wouldnt be too much to do at one time. First, we would take one of the buckets and fill it halfway with fresh water and add soap. We washed our clothes in that, then used the deck as a washboard, then soap again before rinsing in another bucket. Leaving our clothing to hang on the life lines was always a bit risky with the wind...there were more then a few t-shirts and other articles of clothing that were lost to the ocean.

While we were in port we could always try and find a laundry place but this also was at our clothings risk. Often times we would not be allowed to do it ourselves so we would have to drop it at a laundry place and pray that it was done in time for when we left (the ship would not wait for laundry to come back!). One of my favorites was when we were in Forteleza, Brazil. Cat and I decided we were going to do laundry so we got in a cab and he began driving. Turns out our cabbie was a typical Brazilain (no English whatsoever and very little Spanish) so we basically played this giant game of miming things out to him. We would take out an atricle of clothing and pinch our noses and then pretend to start washing it. He finally understood and about twenty minutes later we pulled up to a laundry mat. The next obsticle was trying to figure out how much we pay, how long it would take etc. Luckily there was a man with a bit of English so between us we managed to figure it all out. Once we had finished the washing we figured we might as well get them dried as. We placed our clothing into the dryer and the lady walks up with a lighter and lights something on fire in the machine, which started roaring to life. I was convinced I would never get my clothes back in one piece but turns out the fire also had incense so it was one of our best laundry experiences! One of our worst was in Antigua when we took our laundry to a private home to have it done and picked it up the next day to find all of our clothes tinted blue.

Since being on St. Maarten I have taken to doing laundry in a different way. I have discovered something very important...if you act like you are supposed to be somewhere, usually, no one will question you. I have taken to walking into one of the fancier hotels in Simpsons Bay, the Royal Palm Beach Resort, putting my laundry in the wash and going for a swim in their pool. After about thirty minutes I borrow one of their towels and make my way back to put the wash in to the dryer. Next I go lay out in the sun for a bit...one day I even got a free drink! The only problem to all of this was on my first time I was asked by a security guard which room I was staying in. I said 316...turns out they have four digit room numbers so I was kicked out. So since then I have had to be careful not to go when he is on shift. I have been asked twice more and my answer has been "room 8010" followed by a big smile. After collecting my laundry (which for wash and dry I pay $4 for compared to the $12 it costs anywhere else) I make my way out the back entrance and walk home.

Who knew I could write a full blog entry on doing laundry!

Things I Have Learned

If you get that creepy crawly feeling like you have something on your arm…you probably do.
If you are craving a specific food…there’s a guarantee it will be out of stock.
If you are considering making a sandcastle out of the sand in your shower…you should know there is enough.
If you think you will ever get the saltwater taste off your lips or out of the back of your throat…wrong.
If you think you can walk down the street without getting cat called…also wrong.
If you decide after six weeks that you would like a proper drinking glass…don’t buy the tall one because you will most likely end up smashing it against the open cupboard door.
If you are attempting to light the gas stove hot plate “thing” to make food…make sure you run water over your hand first otherwise it’s a burn to your thumb…every time.
If you think you finally have the mosquito net completely patched up…look again, you missed a spot.
If you forget about your midmorning reapplication of sunscreen…you will look like Rudolph for the next two days.
If you can’t hear your own thoughts because your ears are ringing too badly…you were probably at a Brazilian World Cup match.
If you get kicked out of the fancy hotel for doing your laundry there…it’s probably better to leave off mentioning they have too much chlorine in their pool and the free drinks have too much ice.
If you decide to buy a coconut…it’s a good idea NOT to hold it above the toenail that got shattered by a scuba tank…it’s going to hurt a lot (!!!!!!!) when you drop it.
If you get rid of one spider…five more arrive, let them be.
If you find a giant roach, the biggest one you’ve seen since living here…it’s probably going to be sitting on your can of Raid.
If you want to go out but it’s pouring with rain…wait ten minutes and it will have stopped….but make sure the place you are walking to is within a ten minute walk otherwise you will be jumping into random stores for another ten minutes.
If you are trying to buy street mangos…don’t…three out of seven times they will have some sort of bug (including fire ants) in them that will take you forever to get out of your flat.
If you smile first…locals will always smile back.
If you are new in town…make friends with the owner of your favorite bar…he might happen to own half the buildings in town and seriously offer to rough anyone up who gives you a hard time.
If your fan breaks…it will be on the hottest day…but don’t worry, it will be fixed by the time it starts to rain and cool off.
If you decide to buy a plant…keep it outside.
If you lose your cat…two more will move in…now you have three.
If you listen…you will learn.
If you are at the point where even the water bucket is feeling heavy… that means it’s Saturday..
If you are assisting with a discover scuba class…try not to laugh when the lady asks if sharks can climb on boats, that’s rude.
If you weren’t allowed to dive with your favorite co-worker, Astrid, by the end…that’s because all you did underwater was crack up when you were supposed to be showing customers stuff.
If you don’t watch where you’re walking when you get home...you will get attacked by the #@$%ing(!!!!) chicken that has a life goal of clawing and pecking you every chance it gets.
If you are defending your bikes greatness to somebody…don’t mention that the soles of your flipflops are almost gone from lack of brakes.
If you sweat soaked, waterlogged, and covered in sand…it’s 07:30.
If you need to go to the doctor…don’t bother, you probably know just as much as he does.
If you quote yourself as “living the dream” when you have a full set of scuba gear on while are carrying two more tanks during the hottest part of the day and are seven hours in to a thirteen hour work day…you are going to get some odd looks. ☺

Dusk

I’ve found that even though I spend the vast majority of my day in the water I still want to be around it. I have gotten in to the habit of walking along the beach at dusk. I usually see the same people; the old man walking his two aging golden retrievers, the two women wrapped in shawls, and the little boy who sits on his porch throwing stones in to the water. I love the transition time, there’s something magical about the way the blue of the sky deepens to let out the stars.

Picture Update

Here are a few pictures of my place:


these first couple are of my yard and the entry to the place that i live.






what i find on my steps almost everyday when i come home





bed.

bathroom.

kitchen.


birthday gift from Catherine =)


*note...the spiders and cockroaches were not allowed to guest star in these photos but that does not mean that they are not present =P

On Island

Life on island is a little different then life in Canada, as you can probably imagine. For one, going to the grocery store is always a guessing game. Most everything here is shipped in so many things might not always be available.

You buy a delicious avocado one week and go back for more the next and there are none. You search three different stores for potatoes…none to be found.
Skim milk? Your choices are whole and 2%.
“Can I please have a green tea milky slush?” “No green tea sorry” “Okay no worries, can I have coconut?” “Sorry, none of that either.” “Mango?” “Nope.” “Guava?” “Sorry!” “Haha okay, what do you have?”

A little on St. Maarten:
At 18.02 latitude, 63.07 longitue, sandwiched between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, St. Maarten is the smallest land mass in the world that is shared by two sovereign nations. The island is 37 square miles boasting 37 of “the worlds unofficial greatest” beaches. There is a population on the Dutch side of 41 000 compared to the 36 000 on the French side, a lot of people for a little island! Most are illegal immigrants who have lived here for year without notice. There are over a hundred nationalities that can be found so the streets often buzz with different languages all working to express themselves. The currency is Euro on the French side and either US or the Netherlands Antilles “Guilder” on the Dutch. The island is duty free on both sides.

The weather lately has actually not been that great. As a result of high winds and rough seas we’ve had to cancel a few dives. But we are officially in hurricane season, which started June 1st, so this is to be expected. I think I have been away from home for too long though, I wore my jacket out last night and have been wearing my long wetsuit lately. The guys at the shop always make fun of me, I am apparently “impersonating a Canadian” because, in their minds, there is no way I can be this cold and be from where I claim to be from.

Shout Out

“To all the people out there tonight who are comforting themselves
If you should happen to see my light you can stop and ring my bell
I’m just sitting here in this room, strewn with half written songs
Just taking one breath at a time, like us all, like us all.”
- Ani Difranco

Nice To Meet You, Goodbye!

The one thing I have found with traveling is that I’ve meet people from all around the world. Some come in to my life for a night, some a few days, others a few months. Some I wish I hadn’t met, some I wish I could keep around forever, and some I’ve already forgotten. Saying both hello and goodbye has become a regular part of my life but living “on island” (as the locals call it) has been a big change for me. I am no longer the one leaving; rather I am the one being left.

Recently, I have met some pretty amazing people. I met a long time diver, Dave, who was here for three weeks and was wonderful. I learned so much from him and he was a lot of fun to have on the boat. I’ve met one person who I had one night of huge life chats on the beach, who challenged me and asked the hard questions I didn’t necessarily want to answer, and is now gone. I met one person who is dying and alone. I had to say goodbye to Astrid who has become an important figure in my life and I am heartbroken that she has to leave (her and her husband live on a boat and it’s hurricane season). I’ve met someone who I couldn’t say goodbye to fast enough and hope I don’t see again. I met someone who I’ve connected with really well and who might be a lifelong friend.

It’s funny how people come in to our lives at specific times. When something happens and there is a connection between two people what is left? If one person leaves and there is no time to keep that connection did it mean anything? But then there are the connections that are for maybe ten minutes but remain with you months later. Some people walk through our lives without notice. Others leave footprints in your memories like they had run through a field of fresh snow.

Brazilians

The world cup is on right now and I would like to say, from personal experience and close observation, that the Brazians are some of the craziest fans there are. My bosses, Lu and Jef, are from Brazil and we close down the shop and get the afternoon or morning off every time there is a game. Everyone on our team heads out to the bar to watch the game and about a hundred Brazilians come out. Jef hooked up an airhorn to a scuba tank and we all got kicked out of the bar the first game for being too loud. They wear their Brazilian shirts and jersey’s and bring a GIANT Brazilian flag that they wave in front of the TV while jumping up and down every time there is a goal. Jef and Lu never yell, if you make a mistake at work they explain how to fix it but never get mad. I figured out why…it’s because they take out all their anger when they are at the games. They SCREAM at the top of their lungs at the TV in Portuguese, wave their fists and curse the other team. Let’s just say they are intense!

Mark

He is 62 years old and has been on island for 39 years. He came for the first time from he USA in 1971with his father, the two of them were contracted to build a house, Mark’s first. After the completion the contractor was so happy with the work that he offered Mark a job and within two years he had bought out his superiors. He played his first game of golf with a friend when he 21 and was hooked. His best game was a 73 (apparently that’s pretty good) and his favorite player is Jonathan something-or-other. He lost his wife six years ago to the day when I met him. Four years after he suffered a stroke and his speech is pretty poor. He used to tell a lot of jokes but has trouble now remembering the punchline. His daughter lives in Colorado and is getting married in August. He lives alone and gets up every morning with the sun to walk along the beach. His favorite colour is yellow because it reminds him that the sun will always shine, even if it is hidden behind the clouds.

I met Mark on Saturday, June 19 2010. We started out talking at the bar and shortly after we were eating dinner, his first with someone else in much too long. He told me about his life and taught me about golf. He is a thin man, 5’8”, with a receding hairline and glasses. His skin is tanned and leathery, his hands callused from a lifetime of work. He is overly average looking with the exception of his eyes. Bright blue and sparkling they hold a kind of magic, wisdom, and a youthfulness I did not expect. He is a man of vast knowledge but has trouble conveying it because of his speech.

But sometimes, you just need to listen.

Diving

I don't think I can truly get across to everyone at home how much I love my job. The people I work with, especially Astrid, and what I do everyday is incredible. I get up most mornings to run along the beach, work for about nine or ten hours (diving, filling tanks, helping customers), get home exhausted, feed my cat (the local stray that has adopted me...named Olivia), make dinner, do something whether it's going out with friends or just relaxing or something, go for a walk on the beach and then go to bed.

I love meeting the divers that come to our shop. Sometimes they are new to diving and I get to be there as they take those first few breaths underwater. Sometimes they are long time divers who can teach me new things. I love showing people the little Blenny's and spidercrabs and Christmas tree worms and all the other things that people would miss if you don't show them. I love hearing their underwater exclamations of surprise. I love how exhausted i am at night and that it takes me all of 30 seconds to fall asleep.

I love the island. How slow things are. Sometimes I get so frustrated that it takes ssoooo long to do something and then I have to stop and ask myself what the rush is. I love the people. How at first they are boarder line rude and think you are some tourist but after the third time you come they finally get that you are local and they don't try and rip you off and actually smile.

Here are some recent pictures =)

Street Mango

I often buy my fruits and some veggies from a fruit stand that is just around the corner and across the street from me. It is run by a women named Alice who is this sweet little old lady who is incredibly senile and I have to remind her who I am every time I go. For the most part, the food is really quite good; very fresh and tasty. But you have to remember to wash it. And check for maggots.

Anyway, the other day I decided to get some mangos. They looked beautiful and deliciously ripe. I bought two and brought them, along with the rest of my fruits, back to my flat. I washed everything and put some of it in the fridge and the others in my food container (I bought a large, sealable container for things like cereal and fruit because of the ants and other bugs in my flat). I got up the next morning to an awful surprise. There were ants ALL in my food container. Hundreds of them. I started pulling things out trying to salvage what I could and trying to figure out where they were coming from all while trying very hard to keep them off of me.

They were coming from my beautiful mango.

And they were fire ants.

Something I Wish I Had

Now don’t get me wrong, I love it here. I have made my flat into a little home, which I love coming back to at the end of the day. I have pictures covering one of the walls etc. and lots of little things that make it “mine.” But two days ago we had a torrential downpour of water and it was cold (relatively) and I came back from a ten-hour workday and stepped in to my shower.

I realized I have had only one hot shower since January.

But I guess if that’s the worst thing I have to complain about then I’m doing pretty good =)

The Bus

As I mentioned in a previous blog entry I have a bike. It’s this tiny, white BMX with shitty brakes, which Laz is going to try and fix for me, that I love. But a bike can only get you so far and it is often very unsafe to be riding your bike on the road. Drivers here will come within a foot of you (I kid you not) and that’s when you are riding as far on the edge of the road as you possibly can be without falling off. So mostly I ride when there is lots of traffic, as crazy as that sounds, because then people are going so slow you just pass them.

Another mode of transportation, and only slightly safer sometimes, is by bus. There are TONS of local “buses” which will pick you up at any point along the road. There are no bus stops, which I am guessing is because these are no real buses in the first place. They are locals who have these big vans with signs saying “Maho” or “Ph-burg” or one of the other places they drive to. For $1.50/bus ride you can get around the island pretty well. It doesn’t matter how far you ride the fair is still the same. It is highly recommended that you have exact change and if not, don’t pay with anything more then a five, because otherwise they will get extremely grumpy and take forever to give you the change which probably wont end up being correct. But having said that, most of the drivers are really friendly and if you sit in the front seat they wont stop talking for the entire ride. You will get their life story, their wife’s life story, and probably their dog’s life story as well!

I absolutely love the buses! They are packed with locals and so far I have been the only white person in every bus that I get on. The other day was a particularly adventurous ride home. I had gone to Marigot, on the French side, and the one bus had just dropped me off and I flagged down the next bus back to Mullet Bay. As it pulled up I could see that this particular bus was in pretty rough shape. None of the buses are really nice or anything but this one just looked tragic. I couldn’t open the side door and someone from inside had to help me. When I stepped in I was immediately forced to do an awkward straddle over the giant hole in the floor while I attempted to close the door. Having successfully done this I made my way to the only empty seat; a lopsided, misshapen seat that was leaning precariously backwards. About two minutes into the ride we stopped for a guy to get off and as he opened the side door it unhinged itself and was less then halfway attached on to the doorframe. I exchanged glances with a girl about my age and we both laughed a bit as the driver got out and, using his entire body weight, threw himself against the door to get it back in place. Needless to say it was an interesting ride. I’ve never had the experience of watching the road fly by below you.

Another funny thing about the buses is that many people insist on having conversations on their cell phones. A couple of days ago when I went to Philipsburg, I had the pleasure of sitting behind a lady who was screaming, and when I say screaming I mean SCREAMING, into her phone at her son who had apparently cut school again. When she finished the fifteen-minute conversation she started talking to the bus on a whole about how her son is such a failure and even though no one answered her, or even acknowledged her, she continued telling us about her son for the next five minutes until she asked for the bus to stop.

You are never guaranteed a spot on the bus. Even if it is completely full and there are no seats left, the driver will often still stop for you anyways and you end up uncomfortably sitting on the floorboards by the door. About the only guarantee you have riding with the local buses is that it will always be an adventure.

Oh Shit.

Ever have those moments that can only be classified as “oh shit!” moments? I definitely had one today. Jeff and I were running the show, which was pretty cool. It was one of the first times that it was only us without Laz or Astrid which basically means that I’m done “training” because Jeff can now rely on me to get things up and running without instruction.

So there I was. 09:24 and Jeff is diving with two customers and I’m in a similar area but doing some mapping. I’m just having this thought process of what a lovely, calm day it is; only two customers, beautiful weather…hell, I should be able to be off work by 14:00! And just as that thought process was happening I start to get dragged by the line that attaches me to the boat.

What the?

I thought maybe it was a big swell or something and so continued on only to be violently dragged back a second time. Now I knew something was wrong I just didn’t know what. So I begin making my way back to the boat…not too fast, figuring out in my head what my safety stop time should be when I get to the boat…and all of a sudden I saw the boat. And I saw the sand below it. Moving. Fast. The mooring line we were attached to had broken.

“Oh. Shit.”

By this time we were caught up in the current and moving fast. I had to swim hard back to the boat and threw my gear down. We have two lines, one at 20ft the other at 40ft, down, weighted at about 25lbs each that are used as safety stop lines for customers. I had to haul those up, which, for the record is not an easy job, as well as the broken mooring line, and was madly trying to take landmarks at the same time to know how fast and in what direction we were drifting.

At this point, I will admit, I was getting a little panicky. It’s a big ocean and there were still three divers under the surface with no idea what was going on. I remembered Jeff having a phone and hurriedly tried to find it but once I had, wanted to through it overboard. I couldn’t figure the stupid thing out! I finally got it and at this point had turned on the engines and was slowly making my way back in the direction from which I thought I had drifted. Luciana got on the phone with me and then once she realized what was going on she started to get panicky as well!

They ended up sending out another boat to come help me find the dive site meanwhile I drove along, searching for either the divers on the surface or their bubbles. As the other boat arrived on scene I spotted Jeff about 200m away and drove over. We set up a makeshift anchor so the divers could safely climb back onboard.

Everything turned out okay; everyone is back, no equipment was lost or damaged but it was definitely an extremely stressful situation, although also a big learning experience. It’s a good thing I have been an eager beaver with everything, especially driving the boat! Lu and Jeff thanked me profusely and we decided it has been an epic first ten days between the funeral, the mooring line and everything else that has happened.

I sure can’t say that life here is boring!

Shark on my Head!!!

“You seem to be running towards adventure, particularly danger, in the same way everyone else runs away from it.” – an old sailor I talked to at a bar stemming from a conversation that started with me telling him about my day at work…which went something like this:

I rolled out of bed, bright and early as usual, walked the 45 seconds over to the beach, and went swimming. After I was nice and awake I returned home for breakfast and to slip on board shorts and a shirt that would be coming off again just as soon as I reached my wetsuit at work. We had an awesome morning of diving (a wreck and a reef) and then headed back out for another dive.

Around 15:00 Jeff told me the news I had been waiting to hear all week. “The shark dive is a go, switch out the tanks.” Our little boat took us on a rolly fifteen minute ride and before I knew it Jeff was explaining how we would be mooring. Most mooring balls (lines that are attached to the bottom that we attach ourselves to so our boat doesn’t drift while we dive) are either on the surface or just below. In this instance it is located below and usually one of the crew will free dive down with the rope and tie off (we like to make a big show of it for the customers but it really isn’t that big of a deal). The only difference with this mooring is that I got my scuba gear on and tied off to the underwater mooring, then had to tie another line from the moorings anchor line to another line on our boat. It’s a wee bit complicated and with the current takes a fair amount of concentration. That is key. Concentration. Which I did not have. At all. Why? Well, when I looked down 60ft there were six reef sharks, between four and eight feet long, circling below me. Now as some of you may know I was once had a paranoia of sharks. I’m over that now as they are such stunning creatures but they still leave me more then a little breathless. I was finally able to complete my task and got the customers in the water. We descended down and Jeff (suited up in chain mail) proceeded to start feeding the sharks tin pieces of fish.



The sharks that day, according to Jeff, were abnormally ballsy. At first they were passing within a few feet of us but soon they were brushing past and I could feel the sleek roughness of their skin. One came from behind me and glided over my head, I literally felt it, and when I looked up all I saw was that shadow they show in movies with glistening razor teeth. I was so excited that I turned breathless (aka underwater hyperventilation) and had to calm myself so I didn’t use up all my air. Another shark assumed that my camera was something tasty so took a hold of it and I had to almost shove him off. The only way I can think to describe them was as a pack of street dogs. Ones you need to keep your guard up around but not ones that send you jumping over fences to get away. They are used to Jeff’s presence and were incredible around him! They would go under his legs and through his arms. There was a small one that he was almost “holding” while feeding a piece of fish. It was a surreal experience.

And the coolest part? This is my life. We do 1-2 shark dives a week, conditions permitting.
I will be diving.
With sharks.
Every week.

…


AS MY JOB!
=D

An Underwater Farewell

Today was a good reminder that we are all human. A man who was certified with Ocean Explorers passed away recently due to old age. He was in his mid-sixties and he and his wife did a lot of diving here. It was his dying wish to have his ashes buried at his favorite shipwreck. So today we took his wife and three kids (all in their early forties) out and had an underwater funeral. There were the four family members, a family friend, Jeff and who are also friends of the family, and Lazlo and I. The kids weren’t certified so one of our dives yesterday was a Discover scuba with them so they could be ready for today and it was our job today to make sure no one died at the funeral (bad joke but the wife made it so I figure it’s okay to repeat).

It was a silent boat ride out and we got right in to the water. The four family members led a strange procession, us and the fish, along a sunken path. We took his urn to the wreck and placed it deep inside; leaving for the lobsters to guard. When we came back up they brought out a large bouquet of white and red roses and had a small ceremony. After a few words the roses were thrown to the ocean in celebration of Bud’s life.

As we drove away I glanced back and saw red roses scattered across the surface of the ocean surrounded by white rose petals. The sun glinted and I took a moment to remind myself that this is it. This is mine; one body, one soul, one life. Carpe diem.

One Week Later…

I am starting to fall in to the rhythm of life here. Between knowing which grocery store has the cheapest apples to which side restaurant has the best smoothies to now knowing to watch out for all the animals in my yard (I was attacked by a chicken, tripped over a turtle, and almost stepped on a land crab all while I was walking from my steps to the gate looking up at the parrot). I start “work” at seven and we usually do two or three dives in the morning, then a quick lunch in between gear changes, then a dive or two in the afternoon. I’m done somewhere around four so they make for long days but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I am now familiar with the routine of how we dive and am starting to recognize dive sites; so much so that I know the best place to find the cleaner shrimp, moray eels, spiny head blenny’s, and Christmas tree worms. The customers have all been great so far which has made things a lot easier on me.

Our shop is located on the beach but it is about 80m to the edge of the ocean so we have a makeshift cart (which is falling apart) that we use to bring the tanks across the beach. But we have to get the tanks from there on to the boat which would be fine if it was just the tanks and just for us but we take the customers gear (everything but weights, mask and fins) to and from the boat as well. My body is slowly adjusting to hauling roughly 30 tanks on and off the boat, plus all the gear and boat stuff, each day.

The Job and Crew

‘Scuba Diving: noun. the sport or pastime of swimming underwater using scuba gear.’
That’s it! That is all the dictionary has to say on it. That does not nearly describe what the last couple of days have been for me. I started my internship with Ocean Explorers Dive Center on Friday. 06:50 found me making my way from my house over to the dive shop (just across the bridge and down the beach). I met Jeff and Luciana, a couple originally from Brazil who have lived and worked on the island for over ten years. The first day was mostly just a trial day; they see how I dive, I see how things run. They have a small dive boat that takes a maximum of nine divers at a time. That first dive Jeff led the way and I stayed near the back mostly just watching and enjoying being back in the water. When we surfaced Jeff’s first question was “why were you at the back?” “I thought that’s the way things go…instructor leads, dive master takes up the rear.” “Not on this boat!” The way they have it set up is that as long as the divers stay within visible range of us they can go where they please. If Jeff is with one couple he wants me right up at the front showing everyone else the underwater world I am learning to be a part of.

The next day I started logging hours and have become a member of the crew. It was exciting to hear Jeff up at the front of the boat as all the customers got settled introducing himself, “Good morning everyone. My name is Jeff and this morning we also have Astrid and Cayley on board with us.” =)

The company is small and all the more wonderful. They pride themselves on basing the dive on each diver’s skill and interests. Luciana runs the office part of things and works in the shop. Jeff is the instructor and also captains the boat. They live just down the road from me and have been very kind in helping me set up my life here. Astrid, an instructor, is a German lady who “quit the real world to find something better”. She is in her forties and her husband and her are living on a 39ft ship anchored in the bay and unfortunately she will be leaving in mid-June because it is now hurricane season here. Lazlo is (the other dive master) in his late twenties/early thirties and, as Luciana describes him, a single mother. He has a sixteen-month-old daughter who he loves more then anything. He works only weekdays because of those are the days that he can put his daughter in a day care center. And that’s the team! Only five of us and I feel really comfortable with them all, especially Astrid who I am so sad has to leave.

I can’t wait for the days to come!

Moved in all Official Like

I’m here! In St. Marten. It feels…surreal to have my own place. After living in close quarters with people for the last five months I’m pretty lonely here in my new pad. But I do have lots of roommates, just not the kind I prefer. The new ones are a bit on the either fiery or sneaky side of things (fire ants, cockroaches, and spiders). My new home is very…how do I put this? …Caribbean.

I am the proud renter of a small, one bedroom, flat type thing located on the property of an antique shop that is permanently closed. There are a few other renters located below me and in another building on the property, which is COVERED in old stuff. Single shoes, broken plates, hundreds of potted plants, bikes…anything you want, we got it…just so long as you don’t mind a little mold and mildew. My flat, when I first arrived, was very similar to the surrounding area. Broken dishes, old shirts etc. filled most of the cabinets and drawers. I spent the majority of my first day cleaning (aka throwing shit out) and organizing my stuff. I am proud to say things are looking much better and much more bug free!

My room has a fridge, sink, hot plate, single bed, bunk bed (I sleep on the bottom one because it is fully enclosed in mosquito netting), broken TV, shelving unit, radio four old chairs (three of which I have stuck outside), and side desk. I also have my own bathroom! The porch has one (now four) chairs, a couch, table, and two sitting chairs, large old moldy cabinet, and old propane tank.

On the property (which I am making sound large but it is actually very, very tiny) my land lady has: dogs, cats, rabbits, chickens (which are frickin LOUD), ducks, turtles, and land crabs…I think that’s it. Let’s just say you have to watch where you walk.

So now you are up to date on my flat! It’s wonderful. I don’t know how I can convince certain people that it’s amazing but it really is. I love it already and I’ve only slept here two nights!

Today I rented a car and drove around St. Marten (it certainly doesn’t take that long!). I found lots of little bakery’s, café’s, restaurants, and beaches. The big event of today was that I bought a bike!! It’s this little white BMX bike whose brakes are a little iffy but will get me where I need to go.

I am on the Dutch side of the island in Simpsons Bay, The dive shop that I will be working at, starting at 07:00 tomorrow morning(!!!), is an eight minute walk. I live one road off of the main street in a pretty active part of the bay. There are lots of beach bars and restaurants that are open into the wee hours of the morning.

Last night, I went to the restaurant/bar across the street and had the most delicious enchiladas. There happened to be a hockey game playing (Canadiens vs. Penguins) and although the Canadiens are not my team and I don’t usually watch hockey, I was the only Canadian in the bar and all the Americans were rowdy about their team winning. We won 5:2. So basically, I have established myself as a Canadian and will be joining the bar tenders (G and Brian) and waitress (Bonny) this Sunday for another game.

St. Marten is wonderful so far and I can’t wait for diving tomorrow!

I hope all is well with everyone is keeping up with my adventures =)

How the Other Side Lives

Have you ever walked along a dock? Have you ever seen one of those 1/2 million dollar, 55ft power yachts that puts 50g's a year into maintenance? Have you ever looked at one of those and wondered what a day out on it would be like? As of yesterday, I can tell you from personal experience that it's ridiculous.

One of Kara's friends, Dustin, is friends with the captain of one such ship. The guy who owns it owns 5 properties on St. Croix and 2 other yachts so you can just imagine the kind of money he has. Yesterday afternoon we sped out to Buck Island and went swimming, snorkeling, and I went diving. There were drinks on hand and it was the kind of afternoon I imagine celebrities having. Actually they had done a photo shoot with a bunch of foreign models on the ship the previous day.

Later we went back to watch the sunset and sip on campaign. The ship had a large sun deck on the front and that is where we sat for most of the time. Now, I must make it very clear how much I love Argo..but, there is something to be said for racing across the water, wind whipping you around, and being on the kind of boat that people stop to look at.

Just another day in paradise. =)

Crucian Living

I've now been in St. Croix for just over a week and am finally starting to understand the island and know where I'm going. St. Criox is the largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands (27 by 7 miles) and has a sign stating it to be the "eastern most point in the United States." Who knew!? The native people of St. Croix call themselves Crucians and it is often hard to tell who a native Crucian is but everyone, for the most part, has been very friendly and more then willing to point me in the right direction of wherever it is that I am heading. It is gorgeous here and although it is very tied to the US in many ways (example: US Army recruitment signs all over and more police presence then I have seen in four months) it still holds the slow island lifestyle that I have come to love.

Even though I've only been here a week I have already had some awesome adventures and met some amazing people. Kara met me at the airport and considering we haven't seen each other in over two years we simply fell right back in to an easy rhythm of friendship. We have often been asked if we are related and I'm considering her to be the older sister I never had.

Kara is renting a space, just outside of Christiansted, situated on a large hill which overlooks one of the bays. I get to wake up every morning and look out at the beautiful Caribbean water. She has graciously let me use her car so when she is at work (3 1/2 LOOOOONNNNGGGGGG(!!!!) 11 hour days a week) I am free to explore the island. I've gotten lost probably more times then I can count probably as a result of my driving technique going something like this "the next two turns I'm going to take a right and then the next one a left then the next two rights." But I've also found some pretty incredible things doing it this way: old sets of ruins, secluded beaches, local hang outs, and delicious smoothie stands.

I've come at a very good time; there have been lots of events and parties happening this last week. The first one was last Friday night at an event called "Jump Up!" Basically, most of the streets in Christiansted are closed down and it becomes one giant street party with vendors and local bands on almost every corner. We found a stand selling a local drink made with Cruzan Coconut Rum, real coconut milk, and raw sugarcane juice...delicious! Later that night we watched "Dicks Garage Band" and I am now friends with the drummer, Seth, and key board player, Alec, and what Kara would call "the newest groupie" but in my defense they write their own stuff which, as some of you know, I can definitely appreciate.

Saturday I had the opportunity to go diving with Kara's friend Erika. We dove The Wall which is rated as the number one dive site on the island. We didn't feel the need to hire a dive guide so we were able to dive as long as our air lasted which was awesome! We were down for almost 80 minutes! Within the first five we saw a GIANT barracuda that decided we were pretty interesting so came over to investigate. It was a tense few minutes but he ended up going on his way. We saw lots of the normal Caribbean fish, including a couple of Spiny Head Blennies(!!), a couple of turtles, and some vibrant corals.

Sunday was the St. Croix Ironman Triathlon, a grueling 70.3 mile race around the island. It is a qualifier for the Ironman in Hawaii so there were quite a few professionals who were absolutely incredible to watch! Kara and I were out to support many of her friends who were participating. The race started at 06:30 and some people were still finishing their run at 13:00...blugh! The heat and humidity was horrible just standing their watching, I can't imagine what it was like to be racing.


Yesterday we hiked forty minutes to an amazing set of tide pools. It was a rainy overcast day but we were still sweating out way up the hills as a result of the humidity.



Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone.. Cheers to another incredible year!

Also, I have finally gotten around to adding pictures to most of the previous posts so you can see pictures of the orphanage, sea|mester etc.

Bug Bites!

First of all I would like to inform everyone that I am INCREDIBLY ICHY!!!! There are a million and one mosquitoes here and I think I have been bitten in every place possible...I think I have bites on top of bites. Part of it serves me right for swimming in the ocean, then walking the beach at night without bug spray but still. I'm having a lot of trouble concentrating on anything else. Hard life I know. Everyone should be feeling really sorry for me right now. =P

Anyways,
After program ended most people left within the first two or three days. These goodbyes were some of the hardest I've had to make. I know I said that about the orphanage too but there's something about having lived with someone for three months and being within 112ft of them EVERY DAY that makes you pretty close. A few of us chose to stay longer, usually a week, with the exception of Cat and I. We left today (actually I haven't left yet...I'm still sitting in the airport waiting for my flight).

Antigua is a beautiful island and if you ever have the opportunity to come here I would highly encourage it. Cat and I have spent the last two weeks adventuring around and enjoying our new found freedom of not having a strict schedule.


One of the big highlights was Shirley Heights. On Sunday evenings you can make your way up to the top of a hill from which you can see all of English and Fowlmouth Harbour. While watching the sunset you can enjoy the music of the steel drum band and munch down on a delicious dinner. Later there is live music and the party begins! Shirley Heights is rated as the #1 place to be in the world on a Sunday night by National Geographic. Just sayin.

We were also here over the 2010 Classics Regatta (which Argo sailed in!!!) as well as the beginning of the 2010 Race Week. We were able to get up a couple of mornings and walk up to a small set of ruins from which we could watch the races. The atmosphere is intense and there are some unbelievable ships here. The money that has been walking around Antigua is incredible! The rumor is that Johnny Depp's ship was here for a while as well as a few other celebrity figures.


After everyone had left Cat and I went to the opposite side of the island for some much needed R+R. We stayed in a small "hotel" just outside of St. Johns. It was absolutely beautiful. It's the low season for them right now so we were bumped up to an ocean view room(!!) that had AC and an incredibly comfortable bed.

I'm so sad to be saying goodbye to Antigua and Argo but excited for the times ahead. I am on my way to St. Croix (part of the US Virgin Islands)where I will be visiting Kara (one of the women I went to Africa with last time, in 2007).I haven't seen her in years so pretty stoked for that!

My plane is about to board so I have to run but I hope everyone at home is doing well and thank you for the birthday wishes!

Much love and light!