Things we thought we would never do

Everyone knows you have to give a little, and take a little once in a while. We have noticed that life here includes new experiences and sometimes also includes a few character-building experiences that require patience. Patience is something that you can't afford to run out of. We have heard stories of people who come south, stay for a few months, get tired of the shock of the change, the bureaucracy, the many rules and bits of corruption here and there, the heat, humidity, sunburn, sweating, the higher cost of living, doing without their favourites, etc., and then go back to their homelands. I suppose it's important to have some stick-to-it-ness, to roll with the punches, to perhaps change your former selves, and change your expectations... definitely leave northern expectations behind. Life is different here.

Here are some things that we thought we would never do, or experience. Yet now, as we sit here in the Caribbean, it’s simply part of our lives:

Barefoot in the rain

As Canadians from the great white north, the concept of this is just not fully understood, and it almost never happens in Canada unless you are a bit loony, so to speak.... But when it rains here, get ready to go dancing and turn up the music! We stopped wearing socks when we got down here. Flip-flops (thongs) are the footwear of choice. Well worn flip-flops get slippery to walk in when they get wet so they come off right away. The rain is warm and comes down in buckets – it's fun when you're outside getting soaked and it feels just like standing in the shower. It is important to remember to keep some of your clothes on as the neighbours are likely to get their cameras out. Sometimes the rain water starts to get really deep due to the volume coming down, and we are walking in it up to our knees. Never thought I would do that....

Coexist with Bugs

In our previous lives we were very familiar with bugs. Bugs of all kinds – the flying, the crawling, the slithering, the creeping. You name it, we have seen it, but only if they hailed from north of the 49th parallel. When we moved south we found some new ones (see also previous post about bugs in Mexico) and some of them shocked us at first as they were so different. Another difference is that the bugs we used to know all lived outside, away from our air-tight homes, unless the occasional misinformed freak bug managed to slip inside, where they would promptly be obliterated by a nasty spray or be unceremoniously splatted on the wall or the floor. In the south, you are instead living in the bug’s world. Bug screens are mostly in place, but there are always gaps, and doors are usually open leaving bugs to eagerly get in to enjoy chewing on your body. We really aren't squeamish about them anymore and Cyndi has reached new heights of nonchalance when she sips her water or wine and finds a bug in it - simply stick your finger in, remove it, and carry on drinking. Mosquitoes seem to magically disappear during the day with the constant salty breezes we get from the sea. If a few do hang around at dusk, we douse ourselves in gasoline and light a match. That seems to work fairly well.... just kidding... but a light dusting of “OFF” bug spray works great. The biggest change we found is our introduction to the Cucaracha. It took a while, but Cyndi has changed from screaming while dancing on chair tops, to a purposeful stomp-stomp- stomp-and-wipe process that includes an evil smile on her face – awesome!

Embrace Tropical A/C

We have all had our spending experiences with electrical power companies, but there is one thing that really stands out here in Barbados: electricity is very expensive! One of the most expensive in the world actually, at about CAN$0.54 cents per kilowatt hour. It is no wonder that almost all locals try to minimize (or to go without) air-conditioning. We only use ours in the bedroom and then use the "dry" function rather than the "cool" function.

Most days, it’s really not so bad – we enjoy the fresh breeze and have managed to acclimatize somewhat to the warmer temperatures here at the 13th latitude. But some days, the usual trade winds that come from the east change to a more southerly flow off Venezuela, and it just feels so darn hot. That's when “Tropical-style AC” comes into play. On those days you have to take multiple “showers”. I say showers in quotes because we don't go through all the motions of shampoo, soap, lather up etc. By “shower”, it means standing under the nozzle with just the cold water running and then jumping out to stand in front of the fan in your birthday suit – no towel required - repeat as necessary. Or, just head for the beach and wear a wide hat while submerged in the sea up to your chin – all day long - kinda like being a kid again!

Short Hair

Styling your hair in Canada and keeping it trimmed and coiffed to perfection is just a normal part of personal grooming. Having been born in the mid 1900's, and growing up in the late “hippie” era, longish hair was the accepted style and people just seem to carry that original style with them through the years. I was always careful to have my ears somewhat covered and perhaps a bit longer, as I played in several rock and roll bands over the years. Moving south to the heat and humidity, it didn't take to too long to realize that my hair starts to curl with humid air and definitely contributes to the accumulation of sweat on your forehead... at least that's what happens to me... Cyndi has straight blonde hair and it doesn't really seem to be affected by humidity. And she doesn't seem to feel the heat either – don't know how she manages that...I think she gets that from her Mom. I digress... Anyway, I get that sweaty, unkempt look with hair wings poking out in all directions and Cyndi is constantly suggesting that I run my fingers through my hair to fix it. I finally decided it was time to get a haircut meant for the tropics. Out comes the clipper with a #3 attachment and in a matter of seconds my golden grey locks were on the floor. Feel the breeze!

Walk Everywhere

Up north, the first thing we do when we leave the house is start the car and then zoom down the street adding to the traffic congestion. Even though it's just a 10 minute walk to the store, we would still just hop in the car to pick up milk and bread. We were so dependent on having wheels that the thought of losing them was worse than watching Nightmare on Elm Street or Poltergeist. Shedding that 3000 pound beast from our lives has done many wonderful things. No car payments, no gas fill-ups, no worries about the price of gas, no repairs, no more insurance premiums, no more paying for parking, and no break-in thefts (we have had several over the years). And, I can't believe how fit we have become by walking everywhere. Yes, we are somewhat forced to do this now that we don't own a car, but it sure has had a positive impact on our health and on our weight. We hop on buses (great service) and use taxis when we need to but those rides are just a weekly event.

Swim Everyday

In our previous lives we used to live half a block from our community swimming pool. In those many years we only used it one time. It was a big pool and they had swimming lanes set up for those who wanted to do that. There was also a weight room and a sauna but it never saw the light of day from us. We made comments each time we went by it in our car and of course we commented that "we really should go there one day". Didn't happen. Now that we live here, we go swimming every day of the week - how did that happen?? The beach and the pool beckon us and we show up... amazing! Cyndi does a workout routine in the pool and we go snorkeling in the sea. Our arms have lost that flabby / wiggly / wobbly "Batwing" thing that happens when you do the chicken dance at weddings, and our core strength has improved immensely. Never thought that would happen.

Lose track of the seasons

Acclimatization - applied to those people who seem to have been able to change their bodies' daily routine to withstand warm temperatures and the occasional dip in the Caribbean sea. Humidity is the rogue factor, and the higher it is, the more it influences the ability for us humans to cool oneself by means of evaporation - sweating - causing one to sit in the shade with a gentle tropical breeze while sipping on a rum punch. When all of this happens daily, throughout a 365 day cycle, it seems we lose the ability to perceive what is normally labelled as "winter" by those who live in the north. Except of course when we are reminded by our family and friends who are still in the north that some sort of fluffy white stuff is piling up and temperatures are plummeting to where polar bears are happiest. Regardless, it all seems a long way off now, and our past haunting memories of the seasons are slowly fading away....

Daily Socializing

Yes, we sometimes think of that four letter word that we used to have to get up for everyday that seemed to get in the way of everything we wanted to do - especially socializing. Now that we have stopped doing the "work" thing, our social life has completely changed. It's great to be able to focus our energy on our own priorities every day rather than what someone else wants us to do. We never thought we would meet so many nice people in such a short time frame, go visiting, enjoy happy hour, have dinners out, spend time on the beach and at the pool, and even go to karaoke with them. Amazing!

Island Casual

I used to wear suits to work every day. Then I would get slightly dressed down from there when we went out for the evening on the town, or to visit family or friends. Cyndi used to wear classy looking outfits to work and also when we went out in the evenings.

Now, neither of us reminisce about wanting to get dressed up as that just isn’t the way it goes down here. Heels won’t work on cobblestones, old streets and sand. Electricity is crazy expensive so all those hair styling tools can only be on for brief periods. Almost every bar is open to the great outdoors and means makeup will sweat off or smear in an hour or two anyway. For us, it’s cargo shorts and tank tops, bikini tops, wearing thongs (flip-flops) on our feet where they belong, and the occasional t-shirt. Long pants and button down collars are for visiting the nice folks at the Immigration Office. Otherwise, we keep it simple down here, and that’s just the way we like it now. Besides, it's easier to fit all that small stuff into our suitcases each time we visit a new place.

Drink and Ride

OK - let's make this clear – we DO NOT condone drinking and driving at all. It is very dangerous and you put yourself and others at risk. Just don’t do it. With that being said, it seems there is a more relaxed feeling about that down here. Walk into any gas station and there will almost always be a beer fridge and bottle opener at the cash register. Commonly known as Wobbly Pops in the great white north - we have heard them called "Road Pops" here... While the driver shouldn’t drink and drive, that doesn’t mean he doesn't. Since we don't own a car here, we have accepted a ride home from friends who have enjoyed several refreshments over the course of an evening who say "I'm fine", and "the car knows it's own way home". He is a nice man and means well, but mentions the lack of road checks and the lack of enforcement... he says, “It almost makes it legal”, as he doges on-coming traffic while driving down the middle of the road. He puts on his yellow tinted night time driving glasses to help him to see a bit more clearly... yikes! Good thing the speeds are very low – even more so at night. Yes, we have learned to find other ways to get there and back again.

Become Wandering Nomads

I never thought I would be moving about like this, and having so much fun exploring parts of the world. When you can, find the right person to join you, or do it alone. I am lucky to have found that right person and we are enjoying all of this together while we are still young and healthy. I think I will write a separate post on being a traveling nomad - stay tuned...