Since the on the Hyundai broke a few months ago, HB and I have primarily been listening to the one radio station that is broadcast from the BVI and plays music, 106.9. There are other stations broadcast here, but they primarily play church sermons. 106.9 plays a variety of reggae and hip-hop, so it's not really our usual fare, but I figure some music is better than no music to keep me company on my 30-minute drive to work. Lately, we've been happy the radio has been tuned to 106.9, as when we get in the car around 8:05 every morning, the same song has been playing.
The song that is brightening our day is not one that you've likely heard, unless you've been on Tortola. I have no idea what the title is, HB and I just refer to it as the BVI song. I've looked for a recording of it or lyrics for it online, but to no avail (so few BVI-centric items are on the internet). So here's a sampling of lyrics, sung in Caribbean patois, from what I can remember:
It's a beautiful day, such a beautiful day in paradise
The sun is shining, the palm trees sway; it's very nice.
Beautiful faces, Friendly places, ... something something ... be
This island nation is home sweet home
For you and me.
It brings a smile to our faces every time.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Cooking in the Dark
I know I promised there would be more, exciting information about how to import pets to the BVI today, but I am afraid I am going to have to postpone that until later in the week, as I want to share with you the difficulties we've been having lately with our utilties.
I've been avoiding writing about the inconsistent nature of our running water since it began a few days before Christmas. Having written so much here already about the questionable quality of our utilities, I didn't want to make it seem like the entirety of our existence on Tortola concerned battles with intermittent electricity and water.
You see, city water has been shut off about every other day since the 21st of December. Ordinarily, we could rely on the cisterns in our building to fill in the gaps of city water service, but our main (largest) cistern has a clogged pipe right now. We have three cisterns, but the two functioning cisterns have seemingly run dry trying to keep up with the demand. As a result, we've been making do with only having water occasionally.
We've had to take a few showers using one-gallon jugs of water that we'd stored for just such an event. Those have been ... refreshing(ly cold). When we hear the toilet tank start to fill at 4:30 in the morning, we both get up to take showers, in case the water cuts out again before the alarm goes off. Essentially, we've been doing our best to simply accept the situation and move on.
Last night, though, we returned from a swim at the beach to find the water still off, and as HB took a jug-shower, I started cooking dinner. I grabbed a gallon of water and filled a pot to boil my pasta, started sauteeing some vegetables, and the power went out. Now, thankfully, I did not need the oven for anything, as it cannot be lit without the electric starter. Also, thankfully, the stove burners can be lit quite easily with matches. So as I stood there in the dark, trying to cook dinner and maintain a semblance of normalcy despite the lack of electricity and water, I decided it was time to write about utilities again.
We lit some candles, and used our battery-operated lamps, and the electricity came back on about 20 minutes later. Dinner was delicious, and we had water again when I left the house this morning. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that the water will still be on when I get home tonight; otherwise, it's more jug-showers for HB and me.
I've been avoiding writing about the inconsistent nature of our running water since it began a few days before Christmas. Having written so much here already about the questionable quality of our utilities, I didn't want to make it seem like the entirety of our existence on Tortola concerned battles with intermittent electricity and water.
You see, city water has been shut off about every other day since the 21st of December. Ordinarily, we could rely on the cisterns in our building to fill in the gaps of city water service, but our main (largest) cistern has a clogged pipe right now. We have three cisterns, but the two functioning cisterns have seemingly run dry trying to keep up with the demand. As a result, we've been making do with only having water occasionally.
We've had to take a few showers using one-gallon jugs of water that we'd stored for just such an event. Those have been ... refreshing(ly cold). When we hear the toilet tank start to fill at 4:30 in the morning, we both get up to take showers, in case the water cuts out again before the alarm goes off. Essentially, we've been doing our best to simply accept the situation and move on.
Last night, though, we returned from a swim at the beach to find the water still off, and as HB took a jug-shower, I started cooking dinner. I grabbed a gallon of water and filled a pot to boil my pasta, started sauteeing some vegetables, and the power went out. Now, thankfully, I did not need the oven for anything, as it cannot be lit without the electric starter. Also, thankfully, the stove burners can be lit quite easily with matches. So as I stood there in the dark, trying to cook dinner and maintain a semblance of normalcy despite the lack of electricity and water, I decided it was time to write about utilities again.
We lit some candles, and used our battery-operated lamps, and the electricity came back on about 20 minutes later. Dinner was delicious, and we had water again when I left the house this morning. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that the water will still be on when I get home tonight; otherwise, it's more jug-showers for HB and me.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Tortola, Ho! Part 4a: Pet Import Permit
Once HB decided to accept the job in the BVIs, the matter that became front and center for us was how to move the dogs with us. Research was definitely the first step, and these are the sites that were most helpful for us:
Pet Import Info:
Pet Importation Information (not an official site; may contain incorrect information)
More Pet Importation Information (not an official site; may contain incorrect information)
Caribbean Pet Entry Requirements (great intro resource for people going somewhere other than the BVI)
The first website listed actually provides the first two pages of the BVI Pet Import Permit Application. The third page, which is not shown in that link, is the Permit Application itself, which is a brief, fill-in-the-blank form to provide the basic information about the pet, its owners, and its shots. The difficult part comes in all the things that have to be attached to the Application. To obtain a blank Application, you can call the BVI Department of Agriculture at 284-495-2110, and they will fax one to you.
The primary item that needs to be attached to the Application is a Health Certificate. In the case of people coming from the US, the Health Certificate must be filled out and signed by a USDA-certified Vet. The Health Certificate must then be sent to the USDA APHIS field office for your state and be stamped and signed by the APHIS vet. To find your APHIS field office, go to: www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/area_offices/
Note that if you are planning on flying your pets, most airlines require the Health Certificate to have been stamped within 10 days of the flight. As a result, you will need to plan on sending your Application (with attached Health Certificate) to the BVI by fedex, with a return fedex envelope. Application processing usually takes about 2-4 business days. In our case, we didn't know about the 10-day requirement, and so had to get a second Health Certificate filled out and stamped in order to get Flash and Roscoe on a plane.
So, getting a piece of paper filled out by your vet and signed by the USDA doesn't sound too difficult, right? Tomorrow, we'll examine all the components that go into preparing the Health Certificate.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
New Year
Happy New Year from the British Virgin Islands. A little trivia for your New Year's Eve party next year: Here, the 31st of December is known as Old Year's Night, not New Year's Eve.
HB and I were thinking last night that at this time last year, we had no plans to move to the Caribbean, or to move anywhere. All indications were that we would settle in to our rental in Florida for another few years, until we decided on our next adventure. Instead, our next adventure decided on us.
What was unexpected about your 2010?
HB and I were thinking last night that at this time last year, we had no plans to move to the Caribbean, or to move anywhere. All indications were that we would settle in to our rental in Florida for another few years, until we decided on our next adventure. Instead, our next adventure decided on us.
What was unexpected about your 2010?
Friday, December 31, 2010
Time Warp
Every morning of the work week, I wake up, eat breakfast, and as I step into my work uniform, return immediately to 1991.
My work uniform consists of a teal polo, embroidered with my name and the hotel logo, and a pair of khaki shorts. But these aren't just any khaki shorts. HB refuses to be seen with me in public if I'm in my work uniform because of these shorts.
Exhibit A:
In case this picture isn't clear enough, allow me to point out all the things wrong with these shorts. First, the waist is ridiculously high. Usually, the waistband sits about 3 inches above my belly button, and 5 or so inches below my breasts, although it appears that when I raise my arms to shoulder-height, I get an extra couple of inches of clearance. The zipper, if you can't tell, is approximately 12 inches long. The only longer zippers I have ever encountered were for coats and jackets. The bottom of the shorts fall just above my kneecaps, as exposing thigh-flesh might cause guests to be offended. The whole look is pulled together by the enormous darted pleats, more on which later.
Equally depressing is the rear view:
I don't think I've ever had a pair of pants or shorts that have made my butt look worse. Perhaps my biggest complaint against these shorts is that they seem to have been manufactured backwards, or maybe for men? While the pleats in the front create a voluminous, sack-like look, the designer of these beauties neglected to put any space in the back to accommodate one's hindquarters. As a result, when I sit down, I have oceans of fabric in my lap, while my derrière becomes increasingly discomfited.
Objections to these uniform shorts have been raised to hotel management, all to no avail. It seems someone accidentally put an extra couple of zeros on the uniform order twenty years ago, and we all have to suck it up until we run out of these monstrosities. For those nostalgic for the early '90s, send me your size, and I will gladly ship you a few pairs to help reduce our stock!
My work uniform consists of a teal polo, embroidered with my name and the hotel logo, and a pair of khaki shorts. But these aren't just any khaki shorts. HB refuses to be seen with me in public if I'm in my work uniform because of these shorts.
Exhibit A:
In case this picture isn't clear enough, allow me to point out all the things wrong with these shorts. First, the waist is ridiculously high. Usually, the waistband sits about 3 inches above my belly button, and 5 or so inches below my breasts, although it appears that when I raise my arms to shoulder-height, I get an extra couple of inches of clearance. The zipper, if you can't tell, is approximately 12 inches long. The only longer zippers I have ever encountered were for coats and jackets. The bottom of the shorts fall just above my kneecaps, as exposing thigh-flesh might cause guests to be offended. The whole look is pulled together by the enormous darted pleats, more on which later.
Equally depressing is the rear view:
I don't think I've ever had a pair of pants or shorts that have made my butt look worse. Perhaps my biggest complaint against these shorts is that they seem to have been manufactured backwards, or maybe for men? While the pleats in the front create a voluminous, sack-like look, the designer of these beauties neglected to put any space in the back to accommodate one's hindquarters. As a result, when I sit down, I have oceans of fabric in my lap, while my derrière becomes increasingly discomfited.
Objections to these uniform shorts have been raised to hotel management, all to no avail. It seems someone accidentally put an extra couple of zeros on the uniform order twenty years ago, and we all have to suck it up until we run out of these monstrosities. For those nostalgic for the early '90s, send me your size, and I will gladly ship you a few pairs to help reduce our stock!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Cleaning Tips
For those of you who, like me, are fighting extreme mold, here are a few housecleaning tips I've picked up from other folks who have more experience with humid climates than I.
First, if you want to re-wear a piece of clothing, do not just hang it in the closet, as it will mold everywhere it touched your body. Spray it with Febreeze, let it dry, and then hang it up. Something about the formula of Febreeze will prevent the mold from taking hold.
To prevent mildew and mold on non-porous, non-fabric household surfaces that cannot be bleached, clean with a 1:1 mixture of vinegar and water. Make sure to test this first in a small, out of the way section of the surface, as the vinegar may damage it, but for the most part, this has proven to be a safe and effective way to neutralize mold and mildew.
First, if you want to re-wear a piece of clothing, do not just hang it in the closet, as it will mold everywhere it touched your body. Spray it with Febreeze, let it dry, and then hang it up. Something about the formula of Febreeze will prevent the mold from taking hold.
To prevent mildew and mold on non-porous, non-fabric household surfaces that cannot be bleached, clean with a 1:1 mixture of vinegar and water. Make sure to test this first in a small, out of the way section of the surface, as the vinegar may damage it, but for the most part, this has proven to be a safe and effective way to neutralize mold and mildew.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Birds and Bugs and Lizards, Oh My!
As I make my way around the property at work every day, I often find myself wishing that I could carry a camera with me wherever I go. My pockets are certainly big enough to accommodate one, but I have a feeling that it would be frowned upon by management if, instead of carrying out my duties, I was constantly photographing all the various critters I see throughout the course of my day.
Since I originally posted about the Antillean Crested Hummingbird, I have seen one again, this time in much better light, and much closer, to the point where I could make a definite identification. The variety of birds here is surpassed only by the variety of insects. Giant bees and moths are not uncommon to see, and the other day, I saw an unusual variety of leaf-bug that exactly resembled the leaf of the royal poinciana trees on property.
I'm also in love with the lizards that we have here. They're about eighteen inches long, including their tails, significantly larger than an anole, and the way they move and look puts one in mind of nothing so much as a dinosaur. They're like miniature T-Rexes, with their short forelegs, and over-sized heads. Thanks to their diminutive size, they aren't nearly as threatening as a T-Rex.
Yesterday, though, I saw the first denizen of the hotel property of which I thoroughly disapprove. I came out of a room during the mid-morning to be confronted by a green iguana, on the ground about five feet in front of me. This unpleasant encounter came immediately on the heels of HB's first iguana sighting on Tortola the day before. While I don't mind the anoles and small lizards, iguanas are an entirely different matter.
About the size of a small dog (think dachshund), iguanas are, to me, one of the most primordial-looking creatures on the planet. Although iguanas in the wild are generally pretty harmless, they adapt to human encroachment quite easily, especially when fed by humans. Their long claws, sharp teeth, and the fact that they carry salmonella on their skin make them utterly distasteful, and sometimes scary, to me.
The iguana I met yesterday thankfully seemed to dislike my presence as much as I did his, as he took off into the bushes at top speed, running on the tips of his claws and crashing through the underbrush. Now that I know that there are iguanas on Tortola, though, I will be approaching my daily routine with a much-heightened vigilance.
Since I originally posted about the Antillean Crested Hummingbird, I have seen one again, this time in much better light, and much closer, to the point where I could make a definite identification. The variety of birds here is surpassed only by the variety of insects. Giant bees and moths are not uncommon to see, and the other day, I saw an unusual variety of leaf-bug that exactly resembled the leaf of the royal poinciana trees on property.
I'm also in love with the lizards that we have here. They're about eighteen inches long, including their tails, significantly larger than an anole, and the way they move and look puts one in mind of nothing so much as a dinosaur. They're like miniature T-Rexes, with their short forelegs, and over-sized heads. Thanks to their diminutive size, they aren't nearly as threatening as a T-Rex.
Yesterday, though, I saw the first denizen of the hotel property of which I thoroughly disapprove. I came out of a room during the mid-morning to be confronted by a green iguana, on the ground about five feet in front of me. This unpleasant encounter came immediately on the heels of HB's first iguana sighting on Tortola the day before. While I don't mind the anoles and small lizards, iguanas are an entirely different matter.
About the size of a small dog (think dachshund), iguanas are, to me, one of the most primordial-looking creatures on the planet. Although iguanas in the wild are generally pretty harmless, they adapt to human encroachment quite easily, especially when fed by humans. Their long claws, sharp teeth, and the fact that they carry salmonella on their skin make them utterly distasteful, and sometimes scary, to me.
The iguana I met yesterday thankfully seemed to dislike my presence as much as I did his, as he took off into the bushes at top speed, running on the tips of his claws and crashing through the underbrush. Now that I know that there are iguanas on Tortola, though, I will be approaching my daily routine with a much-heightened vigilance.
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