flip flop diaries

Summer Time

2011-07-10T12:10:00.000-07:00

Summer is the perfect time for little excursions. We just returned from a little trip to St John where we wandered around town and ended up having coffee and some yummy baking at our favourite spot at Mongoose Junction. The ferry trip is a mere 20 minutes - and always enjoyable. Max usually decides on whether we sit upstairs outside or down below in the a/c. Today was a bit hot and we forgot to fully sunscreen ourselves so hid below.

Last weekend was St John Carnival – with the parade, festivities rolled in with some July 4th fireworks. We didn’t go over to see it this year – but heard some reports from George who is the tennis instructor at the yacht club who is an active participant in one of the Carnival troupes . He showed us pictures of his highly elaborate costume with huge wings and feathers weighing something close to 100lbs! Try imagine parading around in a costume like that for a few hours in about 30 degrees heat and humid summer conditions.

Julian is in Toronto right now staying with my sister Alex, her husband David and their son Nicholas who is a year older than Julian. Julian flew back with them after the Scotiabank Regatta which both boys raced this year.

This year’s Scotiabank Regatta had over 80 children sailing Optimists. The children range in age from 7 -15 years and came to the event from different islands in the Caribbean as well as parts of the US and Canada. This was Julian’s second Scotiabank Regatta following some other regattas he raced this year including one in Tortola in May. The boys had three days participating in a racing clinic where they got some on and off the water instruction and practiced race starts and mark roundings. Alex, Mark and I were out on a friend’s boat to watch the racing over three days which was a lot of fun. – and pretty impressive remembering the ages of many of these children.

The whole regatta was a fun event with evening dinners and entertainment including crazy pyro dancing juggling entertainers. There was an opening event International parade at the beginning of the regatta where all the racers walked with their flags – including Nicholas who was enthusiastically waving the Maple Leaf and representing Canada.

Julian is sailing in Toronto with his cousin at the Royal Canadian Yacht Club’s sailing program for four weeks. Julian is having a great time but has reported back to us that the “water is cold”. He is also having a great time with his grandparents who are visiting Toronto this week. We all miss Julian while he is away on his first trip away from home.

Meanwhile, back on the rock Max has become a well-known personality at the yacht club. It constantly amazes me what Max manages in any given day – extra snacks from the bar – meals from sailing instructors – he bats his eyelashes and flashes his toothless grin and has everyone catering to his every whim. Max has a six-week sailing camp and is quickly becoming a confident little sailor. We live very close to the yacht club right now which is great for summer camp and activities.

We are still trying to buy a house and recently came very close. The transaction, however, could not be completed due to issues with the title, survey and dispute between sellers and neighbours. At the 11 ½ hour we were in mad-rush mode to find a place to live as we had to be out of rental that we have given notice on – and did not have a house to move into. After a bit of rusging around, we managed to find a good place near the yacht club for a while until we figure out our next plan of attack.

On the business side of our lives, we are busy, busy. Today, however was lovely. We managed a nice day as a family where actually didn’t work and had no emergency power issues. A very rare day indeed! The power utility on the island has been terrible and seems to be getting worse. The number of people who have come to us in the last few months who are fed up with rolling blackouts and outages has been very interesting. We are definitely keeping busy and we are only just getting into hurricane season.

On the recreation side – after all that is WHY we moved here – we have accumulated a couple of boats so far this year. After a lot of looking – we purchased a Sea Cat 25 – with twin outboards from South Carolina. After boat surveys and getting it shipped here, we had some engine work, new fuel tanks replaced and some other boat work completed. Like everything here – it took a while.

Now you see it

Finally in May we got her in the water, and that weekend managed one trip to Tortola when we took Julian to his regatta. A couple weeks following this trip and after some significant rain fall, we discovered the hard way that one of the automatic pumps was not doing its job – resulting in that hull filling up with water and then flipping the boat over.

Now you don't

Yes – there is nothing quite like showing up at the yacht club trying to find your boat in the mooring field – only to discover it has rolled over. The boat, previously unnamed is slowly collecting a variety of very fitting new names that will be put to vote. The mini-disaster , however, has not been as bad as expected as engines were salvaged.

Julian also acquired a boat this year. For his ninth birthday, Julian became the proud owner of an Optimist sailing dinghy which he promptly named “Optimus Prime”. Unlike the previously mentioned boat, this little tub with its little sail gets off the beach and out for a sail at least twice a week for sailing lessons and sails. Julian appears to be better at keeping his priorities straight - and his boat upright.

Hopefully we’ll manage a few more excursions and boat time this summer. This time of year is harder for us to take off and be away from the demands of generators but there are always those little day trips to make us feel like we have escaped the routine...even if it’s just a morning coffee in St John.

Dinner with Alex when she was visiting St Thomas

Back to the Blog

2011-04-17T06:59:00.000-07:00

It's Sunday morning and after a run and three cups of tea, I have managed the motivation and courage to tackle our outdated blog. Seeing that my last update, however, was some seven months ago, I will no doubt jump around from story to story like I am changing channels on the TV. We have had a number of family visits over the past five months. In November last year, my parents were visiting with us for a couple of weeks before we all flew to San Juan, Puerto Rico to board a Celebrity ship for a seven-night cruise. The cruise that took us to St Martin, Antigua, St. Lucia, and Barbados was a lovely way for the three generations to travel together. We explored the ports together by hiring a car or taxi and then explored the various points of interest.

Returning to St Martin was fun with a drive around the island, stop at Orient Beach, croissants and cafes in Marigot and lunch and shopping in Phillipsburg.

Antigua, is a big destination for sailors where there is a huge race week in the Spring. The island is pretty with some typical Caribbean architecture combined with old churches and scenic vistas. The weather was a little unsettled the day we arrived so we enjoyed a taxi ride and tour where we saw a few of the island highlights. St Lucia which had been hit but Hurricane Thomas just a few weeks before our visit was lush and volcanic with acres of banana plantations and vegetation. We did see some of the area that was impacted by the storm and heavy rains as we drove up some incredibly steep roads. We also went to the University which was situated high in the hills with some incredible views.

Barbados is a beautiful island, much more developed with a larger population (around 250,000 people). We had a highly informative (and chatty) driver take us around the island for the day. We visited the oldest church on the island, past all the resorts on the west coast and then over to see the beautiful beaches and vistas on the east coast. We had a great time walking along the beach and finding shells. The onboard experience was fun for all of us. Among many great memories, Julian and Max in the formal dining room is among my favourite. The boys rose to the occasion getting quite used to having their chairs pulled out for them and all the attention. Julian ordered escargot EVERY night to start - and Max requested his regular tomato salad.

Going to see the shows was fun and the boys enjoyed the music and dancing.

Then it was Christmas which was filled with school concerts, parties and family events. Max's class did Humpty Dumpty and Julian had his first year of doing carol bells. Over the Christmas school break, Mark's parents came to St Thomas. Despite Mark and I having to work, the boys got to spend a lot of time with their grandparents swimming and doing beach outings. We took the ferry over to St John and explored some beaches and trails in the area. St John is a beautiful place to explore with 2/3 of the island a national park. We visited Cinnamon Bay - which has trails and a National Park Info Centre. More recently, I had the opportunity to be a parent chaperone with Julian's class to visit this beach and park. There was some very interesting history here and the students had the chance to do a "dig" and then sift through the sand and debris to find artifacts.

Julian wins his fleet in BVI regatta

2010-09-28T14:40:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, I took Julian over to Tortola in the British Virgin Islands where the BVI Yacht Club was hosting a Back to School Optimist Regatta for boys and girls. We went over with about six other boys and parents from St Thomas in a couple of boats. It was a lovely day, smooth crossing that took us about an hour from Red Hook in St Thomas to Nanny Cay on Tortola.

Julian who has sailed two other regattas in the beginner (or green) fleet has been fairly quickly introduced to race starts, making his way around a race course, and (possibly most importantly) how to avoid running into other boats while sailing as fast as you can.

And sailing fast he managed (well, most of the time at least) with some good starts and even better finishes. The end of the regatta produced a first place for our little Julian who was possibly more excited about the t-shirt and awards than his standing. What a fun day - we met some other great boys his age who live in Tortola and had a fun trip there and back.

Unfortunately, Mark and Max had to hold the fort and keep people with generators happy. Max actually had a sailing lesson that day at STYC which Mark watched. Max will be the next little racer.

september storms, sailing and school

2010-09-12T06:46:00.000-07:00

Hurricane season has taken on a whole new meaning for us since we have moved to St Thomas. What used to be a foreign news story is now a part of our seasonal business and life. And while the official season begins in June – the actual storm activity usually begins in August and September after a couple months of humid and windless conditions.

This year forecasters have been predicting a more active storm season with multiple named storms. It’s a bit of a sport and certainly always the topic of conversation. Despite the warnings and broadcasts for seasonal preparedness, human nature lends itself to varying degrees of procrastination - putting off the things we deem necessary but not quite as fun. Why bother with mundane house projects and shopping when you can go to the beach? Indeed. When news reports were quickly confirming that Hurricane Earl was, in fact, making its way for an uninvited visit to our islands, it was somewhat like finding out that you had 20 dinner guests arriving in an hour when you didn’t have any food and the house is a mess. Mayhem. Grocery stores were filled with people (stocking up on some of the oddest items), gas stations had long queues and storm shutters were being put in place.

I was at the grocery store three times the day before the storm - the final visit to buy some beer for the guys who helped us move the boat. There was an older man buying provisions in front of me - three bottles of single malt scotch and a variety of canned items. He smiled at my little six-pack and said he hoped I had more than that to get me through the storm. I went through another mental check list. What did I have at home?

Of course, we can include ourselves in this group of procrastinators as we were scrambling to move our boat from the yacht club which had declared the mooring field closed Sunday morning, to the safer haven of the boatyard. We were unable to get the boat out of the water before the storm and realized that we were relegated to the mangroves.

Hiding boats among the mangroves is a favoured option for many – especially live-a-boards. The concept is simple: find a good spot that isn’t too close to your neighbour, tie one end to mangrove trees, throw out a couple of anchors on the other end, hope for the best. The end product is a spider web of boat and anchor lines making the trip in and out an interesting challenge.

Our trip was fairly straightforward after we were kicked out of our first spot which was deemed to be someone else’s hurricane spot since the beginning of time. Apparently we were not versed in hurricane mooring history and thanked them for this new insight. Max was determined to steer the boat during this trip which was a little tricky in light of all the anchor lines waiting to catch unsuspecting keels and propellers. We slipped into a nicely protected spot under the watchful eye of various new neighbours who were all more than willing to lend advice on where we should tie and how far our anchor should be from their line. Mark climbed into the mangroves and tied the boat, I threw out and secured a couple of anchors and then we went back to shore in our friend’s dingy. Good luck little boat. Be safe.

As I type this out I am actually having a hard time recalling the blur of what fortunately turned out to be a close call. Hurricane Earl was a category four storm that hit us August 30th in the early evening. Our team at work really stepped up to the plate before and after the storm - and were out until the 6pm curfew and(just before) it was lifted. School was scheduled to start this day and was cancelled once the storm was confirmed. Our two little men were dragged to work with us until we decided it was time to be safe at home.

At home - we watched the wind whip by with some impressive gusts and from a very unusual direction than the consistent easterly Tradewinds. As it increased in intensity, we watched the system take over - sinking a few boats and clearing some areas. We stood outside for a while watching the excitement until things started to crack and fly by at a concerning rate. I was having flashbacks from Wizard of Oz while I watched airborne branches, pots, debris . No witches on bicycles but I brought the boys bikes inside, just in case. The video clip below is taken from the deck.

The aftermath of this storm has been interesting and consuming. The day after the storm, Mark left the house first, breaking curfew with our (quasi)"essential service" status to be followed pretty quickly by the boys and I. There were many trees, branches and things blocking roads not to mention every police vehicle out with flashing lights. Julian sat in the back seat taking photos with my phone (great attempts...) – trees down, boats with no rig, and a lot of debris. Before we even awoke, we were getting call after call regarding generators that were down or not running properly. It was a very, very busy week where our team was working long days and getting many people up and running.

A good portion of St Thomas and St John was without power for up to a week. For those with functioning generators that provided seamless power – the outage wasn’t too inconvenient. However, for the many people without generators, there were huge problems where they couldn’t get water from their cisterns, couldn’t keep food from spoiling in their freezers or didn’t have ways to cook. After we got through the initial back log of emergency response – we then graduated to the next level of dealing with machines that had been running for a week and were getting tired. Refuelling became another challenge as the port was closed for a couple of days and the diesel supply was limited. We were desperately trying to get diesel from our supplier and others to fill our fuel truck and keep up with the demand. Patience levels were wavering and we all had to move quickly to keep businesses and homes running.

One of the other challenges was cellular service. For a few days the service was very poor. In fact the day after the storm it was just about non-existent which meant dispatching the technicians was difficult and customers had to be patient getting through to our office. Our phone lines were so busy that all lines were constantly ringing and there were always voicemails and messages. Slowly as service and functionality returned to the island – our demand continued as there was a steady demand for repairs and information on new machines. We started to sell smaller portable generators which were selling before they even arrived at the port. And we coordinated repairs of smaller units that were getting dropped off at our shop and quickly piling up. The schools and government offices stayed closed for a couple of days due to power outages.

Julian and Max finally started school on Thursday which was a very exciting day for everyone. Julian was so ready to start Grade Three that he was dressed and ready before I even got up that morning (5:45). Can we leave? Can we leave?

With a season unpredictable weather and busy school schedules - there is no time to lament the fact that the boat is now out of the water for a couple of months. Julian and Max, however, are continuing with their sailing program after school and on weekends. After ten weeks of a sailing program this summer, it is no wonder than even Max who just turned five years old is mastering sailing.

summer days

2010-07-15T17:19:00.000-07:00

I could begin this entry with all kinds of reasons why I have neglected my writing duties - a demanding business , even more demanding children, and a hectic schedule lying in the sun and working on my tan (oh wait a moment. that was the wishful me...) A couple of recent conversations with dear friends in western areas reminded me that the blog was set up to ensure we keep in contact with our friends and they stay in contact with us!

Enough of the pathetic preamble and onto a bit more substance. I am sitting in the living room listening to some great music on our newly set-up stereo system. Mark is beside me surfing the internet (looking for boats and a crane truck - yes interesting combination but for very separate personal and business applications ).

We have seen some of the heaviest rains in the past few days since we have lived here. Huge downpour, winds and flooding in many parts. I was feeling very happy to be driving my Toyota FJ Cruiser today in four wheel drive passing much smaller vehicles unable to pass through the water. All this rain also brings mosquitoes by the truck load (as I sit here with my electric swat at very close hand) and an increasing number of cases of dengue fever. The boys are now committed to their netting tents at night to avoid the nasty little blood suckers.

Summer is hurricane season and a very busy time for us. We have a team of 11 people right now - all working hard to keep up with the demand. It has been a consistently steady year so far introducing new opportunities and people to our business. Solar power has been a new part of our service offering by becoming an installer for solar thermal hot water heaters. Additionally we are an authorized dealer for a company distributing UPS systems.

The weeks fly by - so much that is accomplished and yet so much seems to be waiting to be done. And while we have come to understand many of the finer points of working and doing business in the USVI - there is always something new to hit us when we least expect it.

And as much as the business environment can change - so can our social landscape.

We have just said good-bye to some very good friends, Frank and Annette, who were one of the first people we met when we arrived in this crazy place. Mark and I were doing race committee for the Rolex Regatta when we met this Californian couple who were dividing their time between the tropics of St Thomas and the jungles of LA. Deciding that they were going to try new adventures, they have sold their home here and have said good-bye to the Caribbean. We had a fun last week with them staying with us which included great dinners, a farewell party, and watching the final World Cup game while eating enough nachos to keep a Mexican family fed for a week. We will miss them.

The sad thing is - our other very good friends - two families in fact - are leaving island soon to pursue business and employment elsewhere. It is feeling like a bit of a mass exodus this month.

And here it is, summer. The island is quieter in many ways with less cruise ships and passengers as well as the many locals who take a break from the island. While Mark and I slave away in our Caribbean headquarters, our two little beach bums have been homing their sailing skills at a sailing camp at the St Thomas Yacht Club. Julian, age 8 1/2 is shaping up to be a very good little sailor. He participated in his first big regatta in early June, the Scotibank International Opti Regatta which welcomed close to 100 sailors age 6-15 from the US, Canada and many islands in the Caribbean. I did race committee for Julian's fleet and it was a really wonderful experience watching Julian perform with these other more experienced kids.

Max, who is not yet 5 years old is the typical second child who is doing everything to keep right up to his older brother including sailing the Opti all by himself. We had both boys out sailing a couple of weekends ago. We rigged up two optis and Max would not let me sail with him. No way. In fact, it took all my negotiation skills to persuade him that Julian should go but wouldn't steer. Mark and I were sailing in a sunfish and sailed off in one direction for a short period keeping a close eye on the intrepid sea dogs. Moments later, Max was sailing by himself and had persuaded Julian to jump out of the boat and into the water. Brotherly love. There was a fair bit of musical boats going on that day and it was great fun (despite the huge bruises on my legs).

Looking back at the last few months, there are probably many great stories. Our visit back to the west coast at Christmas is a very distant memory and still quite a blur considering the short time we were there.

In January, I went to Miami and ran the Miami Half Marathon for a second try - (without sister Alex this time). It is a great race despite the 15,000+ people - and a nice (flat)and scenic course to run.

In March, Alex and our nephew Nicholas visited us and we had many great adventures together. The three boys had so much fun that they cried the morning their cousin left and Max asked after them for weeks afterward. We went to St John a couple of times, snorkeled, explored, sailed and had an exceptional trip taking a boat to the Baths in the BVI.

In May, we took a weekend trip to St. Croix for exploration (and a little business). We did all the touristy things including an ATV tour through the rainforest and trails that took us to old sugar mills. It was a riot! Having said that, I was a little nervous with little Max sitting behind me. I had to turn around and check he was still with me when we hit the big pot holes and bumps. The architecture is very pretty on St Croix and there is a great old fortress and other interesting pieces of historical architecture that mark the period of Danish rule.

More recently, we went to Florida where we visited Miami, Ft Lauderdale and Orlando. The trip was a perfect change from our island life allowing us some time to explore, shop, eat out and even visit the wonderfully exhausting world of Disney. We visited a very fun Children's Science Museum in Miami where the boys controlled their own little tugs boats, loaded cargo with cranes, and drove a fire truck. It was great fun. Unfortunately - Spirit Airlines decided to go on strike the day we were to fly home and we had to pay very full price tickets to fly back with American. The only good thing that came out of it was a really nice relaxing extra day by the hotel pool (which somewhat helped me recover from the shock of having to pay a few thousand dollar to get home.) Another mojito to calm the nerves please.

That is all for now with more stories soon.

Thanksgiving in the Virgin Islands

2009-11-29T14:38:00.000-08:00

Our third evening of turkey left-overs and the end is near. Despite a crowd of twelve - we really had enough food for a small army. It was a lovely evening here.

I am a little behind in blogging so will post more on the pictoral side than my regular diatribe.

We had a fun little break in Miami over Columbus Day weekend in October (there are a lot of holidays in this place...) where we visited the Miami Zoo, a huge water park and some other parts of this crazy city. Mark and I even managed to get together with our suppliers and went to the Broadcrown warehouse (our generator supplier) which was a worthwhile visit.

Max met a parrot named...Charlotte. Yes, hilarious.

In late October, my parents visited for two weeks after their Panama Canal cruise. We had a great visit which included beach visits, dinner parties with friends, visits to school Halloween concerts and yacht club events. This was their second visit (Dad's third) since we have lived here so they have got to know a few of our friends and have discovered a few favourites such as Magen's Bay, Iggie's at Bolongo and Cafe Amalie downtown (which I think they visited at least three times for lunch!) As usual - most of the photos involve us eating.

Last week the boys were off school for "Thanksgiving Break" which was a week off school allowing those families who desire to celebrate the season with families elsewhere - the time to get away. Of course, these school breaks present some challenges for Mark and I when things are still pretty busy at our business. However - we still managed to squeeze in some fun!

The week before the Thanksgiving break, our friends Christian, Beverley and their daughter Helena were visiting the BVIs at Bitter End Yacht Club from Nova Scotia. While we had hoped to visit as a family - it was just a bit too busy to disappear from work that week. On the Friday, Mark rented a 26ft power cat with Julian and they powered over there in about two hours. After lunch, some sailing and a quick catch up - they said goodbye to our old friends from Vancouver and Victoria days and got the boat back to Red Hook before the 5:00 deadline.

Julian was invited to join a sailing clinic with a couple of the older children at STYC and he had two days of instructional Opti sailing. We followed up the clinic with his very first regatta in St. John where he raced with seven other boys and girls in Johnson Bay near Coral Bay. This little regatta was designed for the novice racer - "green fleet". Despite being the youngest in the group, Julian sailed nine races and did a great job figuring out starts and mark roundings. It was another proud parent moment.

Max accompanied me on the trip and managed to stay quite entertained launching fenders off the committee boat, chatting up a storm and eating his body weight in chips. Max was frequently heard yelling out "That's my "bwa-ther" Ju-ween" or "Tack!".

And I actually wonder how everyone on St. Thomas knows Max???

Import Supply is busy. We are keeping fingers crossed it stays like this over our "slower season" but so far we have a growing list of repairs and machines to maintain. What is also exciting is we are introducing renewable energy products to our customers in the hopes this sector will also take off and "shine" - so to speak.

And to add to our already hectic schedule of business, children, sailing and other activities we seem to be volunteering for - we are moving into a new house next weekend. This three bedroom place has a ideal location in Frenchman's Bay - about 2 minutes from Antilles School and 15 minutes closer to town. We'll be here until we make a decision on what to do regarding real estate which we have been monitoring - closely.

Other exciting upcoming events includes our trip to the west coast. We are looking forward to our first trip back to Victoria and Vancouver in almost two years. I may not recognize Vancouver. Mark and the boys arrive the 20th of December and I'll arrive shortly after on the 23rd. Max has literally not worn longer pants since he left Vancouver as he quite simply refuses. It will be a fun visit for all of us and we look forward to seeing our family and friends - even if we do freeze!

Sunday at Coral World

2009-10-04T17:41:00.000-07:00

A quieter weekend for us as we get over colds. We managed, however, to make the trek to Coral World where we have a family membership (our mini-version of the Vancouver Aquarium). Julian fed the stingrays, Max led the way deciding what to see and when, and we all enjoyed a quiet visit with relatively few other visitors.

Coral World is a great spot - with a few shows including the shark feeding show, the sting ray feeding show, and even a sea lion show where they come out to do a few tricks inside the fish tank display area (I still can't really get over this show where we are all crowded on one side of the room behind a "rope" watching mostly trained teenage sea lions do tricks...)

A few pictures of today's outing.

The boys have been in school for over a month and we are back to a routine of getting them to school by 7:30 and then off to work. We have become accustomed to getting to bed earlier during the week and getting up with the sun. The days are already starting to get shorter. Having said that, there is only a difference of about one hour of extra daylight during the summer months at this lattitude. It gets dark just after 6:30 right now and the sun rises about 5:45.

Life at Import Supply remains steady with a constant stream of machines to service, repair or assess. The ongoing challenge is managing both the workload and our team when the demands and priorities are constantly changing. We are currently servicing over 400 machines every month on the three islands so it does feel like a juggling act some days. We are in the midst of getting our website finalized and have been running a few hurricane ads over the past few months. Interestingly enough, despite our communications efforts, we do have to remind ourselves that business on the island is still very much word-of-mouth. Being out in the community and meeting with people still seems to get better results.

Friday night we did something we frequently used to do in Vancouver. Order take-away sushi. And while this won't seem like anything too exciting for our Vancouver friends, it is truly a treat these days at $9 for a california roll. And at the rate that Julian and Max eat sushi - you can appreciate that we don't do this too frequently.

We are off to Miami this coming weekend which is not only Canadian Thanksgiving but Columbus Day. We are fitting in some appointments with some planned visits to the Miami Metro Zoo, the Science Museum and a waterpark. I am already mentally preparing myself for driving on busy freeways on the RIGHT hand side of the road. We are looking forward to our mini getaway and the boys are extremely excited about everything from the airplane to staying in a hotel!

We hope this update finds everyone healthy and doing well. Keep in touch - we love to hear from you.

Architecture

2009-10-04T16:34:00.000-07:00

We drove around today armed with a camera with the objective of taking a few pictures of things that we see every day. There is, in fact, some pretty gingerbread architecture in the main town. Mark and I frequently comment how the colours look so lovely but fitting in this environment but would translate poorly in a Vancouver neighbourhood. I could only imagine the comments from neighbours if we painted a house a coral green or pinky-orange shade in Point Grey!

Here are a few images of town.

The white building below is the building that houses the Office of the Governor of the USVI.

Back to School

2009-09-05T13:46:00.000-07:00

Julian and Max were back to school last week and not a moment too soon. After nearly three months of summer vacation, a little structure and a regular schedule have been enthusiastically welcomed by both our boys (and their parents). Max has joined Julian at Antilles School and has started PreK. Julian started Grade Two and is officially in Lower School now moving up from the Early Learning Centre. I can't get over how much Julian has grown this summer - and not just his hairThe school has adopted a uniform this year - polo style school shirts and khaki shorts, pants or skirts (for the girls only!). And while their was mixed reaction to the uniform announcement, I must admit that it makes things simple and straightforward.

Update - At long last

2009-07-12T08:47:00.000-07:00

At last I have made time to pick up the laptop and write a short update. (The laptop has some sort of problem which we cannot seem to get fixed here. There are times when it just will not turn on..... As you can see it is on now).

We are house sitting for some friends who are up in New York and the Canadian Maritime provinces till early December. They have been very kind (and trusting!) and have allowed us the use of their fabulous home, just up the street from the house we rented for over a year, near the village of Red Hook on St Thomas' eastern end. So far we are doing well, no broken dishes etc to report!

The boys are both in sailing camp at the yacht club - which is very near where we live. Julian is turning out to be a great little Optimist dingy sailor. Max is just beginning, but from experiences on our IC24 I am pretty sure he will be catch on quickly. Max, who turns 4 next month, has given up any form of nap in order to be in sailing camp. Evidently he is pretty active at camp as once this week he fell asleep at the dinner table. As I write this he enjoying a long Sunday afternoon nap to catch up....

This is the busy season for the business. Extra busy this year as we parted ways with our General Manager. We have hired a temp to work with a couple of projects, which is helping. Apart from a slightly higher work load for Charlotte and myself, not having a manager has allowed us to immerse ourselves in all aspects of the business. This has highlighted a few things that we need to do to create efficiencies and serve our clients better. How is the business going? Despite a softer global economy, we have added a few new service contracts and repair side of the business continues to boom.

And what of the effects of the global economy? We know that there are less cruise ship visits planned for next year and that the number of actual passengers is also down. "On Island", as the locals say, there is now doubt that the economy has slowed. Housing sales are way off, rents have come down. Some of the tourist oriented stores are having a hard time or have closed "in town". In keeping with Darwinism the weakest stores are the ones that have gone. Housing prices which had become stratospheric are apparently starting to come down according a few realtors we know. The good news in all this for us is that those businesses, households and government offices etc that already have generators continue to need them serviced and repaired.

The weaker economy afforded us an opportunity to book a long weekend using a nearly affordable "locals" rate at the Bitter End Yacht Club on Virgin Gorda in the BVIs. (BEYC is a sailing and water sports oriented resort). We had visited Bitter End years ago when we chartered a sailing boat with another couple, but had never stayed.

It was a really enjoyable adventure. To get there we took a ferry from Red Hook to the Western end of Tortola in the BVIs. Then we took a taxi (driven by a wonderful man, Mr. Forbes, who shared with us his life story and historical points of interest on the island) to the Eastern end of Tortola. Then we took a launch over to the resort. We left the house in STT about 7:15 am in the morning and arrived at BEYC by about 11:30 am.

Bitter End is an all inclusive - you can use the fleet of boats: Hobies, Lasers, Optis, Rhodes 19s, Hunter 216s, IC24s, kayaks etc. Day trips to places like the "Baths" of Virgin Gorda, a spectacular bay filled with giant boulders from some long forgotten Ice Age are also included. About the only things not included are sailing the BEYC Express 37 (sorry Trev Salmon & Tom Hawker) and "adult beverages". There are at least 2 dining rooms and food can be ordered a la carte or for those wanting to get back out on the water, there is a buffet. It must be said that the food and service were really wonderful. It did seem to us as thought the resort must not be fully booked, which was nice as we were never waiting to access the boats, or find a seat in restaurant etc.

After checking in we stopped right away for lunch. The boys really enjoyed the trip over, but were hungry and really wanted to get into the pool. We sat down to wait for our lunch, but due to an ordering snafu (literally the only service issue we had during our stay) we had a bit of a wait, so the boys enjoyed a session of jumping off the dock right in front of the restaurant.
This proved to be well timed as they were soon joined by another family with 3 similarly aged children from Colorado. For the rest of the weekend our boys and Liza, Ethan and Devon were inseparable.

Accommodation is in a series of free standing, two unit buildings.
We had a unit right at the end which afforded us a wonderful view of the forest canopy and a view out towards Necker Island, owned of course, by Sir Richard Branson.
Each unit has a wrap around deck and a great hammock. Max liked it so much that he fell asleep there Saturday afternoon.

That afternoon I sailed in a "regatta" in Hobie Waves. Not the fastest catamarans, but certainly fun in the 15 knot trade winds.

Saturday we took the boys for a sail on a larger Hobie. We sailed around to the bay where the more upmarket Biras Creek Resort is located, and then back around Gorda Sound between Virgin Gorda and Prickly Pear Island.

The boys were so exhausted from Friday's fun that they both fell asleep on the trampoline that more or less forms the deck of the Hobie Getaway.

We had a slower paced afternoon, even finding time for Max and myself to have a nap!

Sunday was breezier, and the laser "regatta" was cancelled do to a forecast weather system. I had a great morning on a Hobie Wave, then we packed up, said our good-byes and at 2pm took a launch to Gun Creek on Virgin Gorda.

We took a taxi to Spanish Town, the main settlement on Virgin Gorda. (The island has a population of 3000). The drive across Virgin Gorda was very interesting, wonderful scenery and spectacular beaches and reefs. From Spanish Town we took a ferry to Red Hook. On the way back the tropical wave did hit, and the heavens opened up in a torrential rain shower. Thankfully we were going East so any squalls associated with the wave had little effect on our little ferry. Once at Red Hook, via Cruz Bay, St John for Customs and Border Protection we hopped in our truck and arrived home in time for dinner. We all slept very well that night.

Hopefully one of us will find time to update the blog more frequently.

April's absence of showers

2009-04-08T14:02:00.000-07:00

No rain in many weeks. The one cistern is bone dry and our second one has a very visible bottom. The pool could also do with a top-up but in the list of water priorities - the pool is a little lower on the totem pole. I have become Charlotte the Water Police ensuring there are no wasteful water infractions.

And you know things are getting desperate when I actually have to take our dirty laundry to do at the office which is fortunately equipped with a good kitchen and laundry area.

The frustrating and almost comical part is - all the other parts of the island HAVE had rain - and a lot of it. Meanwhile, in the east end of the island - we are gasping for our last drop as the rain clouds pass us by - laughing.

The forecast for the weekend is rain - so we'll see if it actually makes its way over to these eastern parts. How a mere few miles on an island can make a huge difference.

So here it is April. The boys have only two months of school remaining and are off at the end of May. It's a very long summer holiday - but we seem to keep busy.

March was another steady month with work and activities. The International Rolex Regatta was at the end of March - and Mark raced (without me) on the IC-24 we are babysitting for a couple of years. This three-day regatta is a big event on the island - and there are some pretty impressive pieces of fibreglass tied up at the docks and racing. Mark's fleet is a competitive fleet - and despite his new crew - he managed some impressive finishes. But no Rolex watch.

I have been doing a little freelance writing work - and have had some pieces published in a sailing magazine here as well as some work writing for a mega yacht guide. It's fun work and I've been trying to drum up even more work.

The boys are growing and thriving. Max is becoming much more articulate and is at the age where he copies almost everything his older brother says. Everything is about garbage trucks and cars - with the occasional "bad guy" thrown in. Max likes to take his brother down to our front yard to find "co-nu-nuts" and then shakes them listening for "juice". Pool time and visits to the beach are still high on his list of favourite things to do.

Julian is busy with school - math homework and spelling every night which he has been accomplishing with growing confidence. Between soccer, sailing and swimming - he has been keeping busy with still plenty of time for play dates and outings. Julian has become a board game champion - and plays a game called Connect Four - with such expertise that Mark and I have a very tough time beating him. Not much competitiveness in this family.

April is also what we like to call the start of Hurricane Preparedness season - and we are working on marketing and customer outreach to increase business. Mark has also found an additional niche area and is completing customer permits required for commercial generators. Every business on the island is complaining that sales are down and that no one is spending - so it will be interesting to see how the rest of the year unfolds.

April means Easter and Carnival - so there are many festivities on the island. Will have more to report soon.

a new generation of pirates...

2009-02-07T14:22:00.000-08:00

weekend update

2009-01-31T15:20:00.000-08:00

I have managed to wrestle the laptop away from Charlotte for a few moments....

I checked the electronic thermometer in the kitchen at about 6:30 this evening. A lovely 29C. Do we miss January in Vancouver? Did you really need to ask?

Julian had a soccer scrimage this morning then his sailing lesson. After sailing Max and Julian and I returned to the house for a swim in the pool before lunch. A busy morning. Julian is progressing well with his sailing and last week after his lesson took Max out for a sail in the Optimist for about 10 minutes.

My parents who were here for 10 days left a week ago. They enjoyed hiking in the National Park on St John - and took Julian for a hike there the day before they left. Tomorrow we plan to go to St John and have Julian guide us along the trails.

When Charlotte was away in Miami for her run last week I had a friend's daughter look after the boys ad I got out for a local long distance race on a Farr 40. The fleet, such as it was, consisted of 2 Farr 40s, a C&C 37R, 2 J27s a J24 and 3 IC24s. It really is lovely sailing here. I have yet to need foul weather gear, in fact the odd bit of spray is welcomed as it helps to cool you down. Just like Vancouver in January...

As for the business - we have been busy installing a number of generators sold late last year. Service work is up, but new sales seem little slower this month. Hard to tell if it just January - which is usually quite slow - or whether it is the greater global economic malaise. Expectatations are for business to pick up as we head into Hurricane season in June. Time will tell, but fingers crossed we should be fine. We have heard that some of the local tourist oriented businesses - jewelery stores etc are down as much as 20%. Apparently our little island in the middle of nowhere is linked to the global economy!

Mark

run in the sun

2009-01-28T12:01:00.000-08:00

A few months ago, my sister suggested a "girl's trip" for the two of us. We decided that we'd make it a marathon destination and started researching the options. I had no idea there were so many popular events - and the whole marathon destination concept appears to have really blossomed. After considering dates, events and flights - we chose our city. Alex ended up with the slightly shorter stick with our choice of Miami - a mere 3 hour flight for me and a considerably longer one for her with a three hour time difference.

Being relatively new to running compared to many people I know - including my marathon running sister - I was very excited about this event. And working toward an event like this did require some discipline and training - which is slightly more challenging on the 13 mile long and very hilly island of St. Thomas. Most mornings found me running the Charlotte Amalie waterfront - a very "ground hog day" experience - passing many of the same police officers directing traffic, local tourist guides and people heading off to work. My longer runs over 10 miles provided me with route challenges looking for slightly flatter terrain and some semblance of a sidewalk or shoulder. As a result - I would also have to run a route a couple of times - adding to my already "spot the crazy running white girl" notoriety. Ah.. those nutty Canadians...

Alex and I arrived late Thursday January 22 - staying at a hotel close to the race start line. We had a couple of days to enjoy Miami before the race without too much walking and very early nights. The morning of the race - we got up at 4:15 and made our way to the Biscayne Boulevard where 15,000 other people were looking far too energetic. All I could think was - how long was the queue for the women's restroom?

After standing around for about 15 minutes waiting for the start, we were off...very slowly. The route immediately took us over our first bridge - the MacArthur Causeway which was immediately opposite where all the brightly lit cruise ships were tied up. It was pretty spectacular. At one point on this bridge, we ran by some music speakers playing the "Love Boat" theme music.

The route took us over to South Beach - up the coast - then back across a series of smaller bridges and through downtown. There were people cheering, a few school bands, crazy costumes and all kinds of hilarious signs - of which my favourite was "Run Like You Have Stolen Something" - which had me laughing so hard my stomach started to hurt. Note to self - no laughing when you run.

As I approached mile 12 - the course separated the slightly wimpier half marathon runners from the hard-core marathoners. I was feeling great but couldn't even begin to fathom this was the half way point for Alex.

I finished the race under two hours, smiling and excited. It's a funny thing - both watching a race and being involved. Over the years, I have been out to cheer Alex on as she endured long miles and certain physical pains. There is an emotional component to being involved - whether it's from the sideline or crossing it. And watching Alex finish her third marathon - well under 4 hours and her personal best - was not only exciting but had me screaming from the stands with tears running down my face.

So - needless to say, we are already planning our next running trip. So far it looks like I will be the one flying much further west - and in the meantime, I will be the token "running girl' in St. Thomas.

winter in the caribbean

2009-01-11T09:41:00.000-08:00

I just celebrated my one year anniversary of life in the US Virgin Islands. This time last year, I arrived with Julian to this house - almost completely empty - and started the process of setting up our new life. And for me, the first couple of months had some challenging moments: from trying to get bank acounts and telephone accounts set up - without a social security number - to simply making my way around an island that has neither addresses nor maps ("turn left at the Smith's house then right at the yellow building to the house with the white gate.").

Julian is a fabulous little companion who consistently reminds me there are different ways to look at things. No furniture in the house? What a cool place to play ball without Mum yelling at me. And if I think back to those first couple of months from his perspective - he is a pretty resilient boy. Poor kid - new school, new (empty) house, no Dad and brother for a couple of months, and a lot of mosquitoe bites.

Of course, the high point was being reunited as a family and despite the fact that Max just about disowned me for taking off for so long - there was nothing nicer than all of us finally moving here together. And then as a family, we started new schools, started in a new business, unpacked our boxes into a new house and bought a few mosquitoe "fryers" to save the few patches of skin that were still untouched.

One year later - we are starting to feel like locals. Remember - this is a small island with minimal number of main roads - so the chances are pretty good you will drive by most everyone you know at some point during the week. And I have to laugh when I walk into our local grocery store and am greeted by "Where are Max and Julian?". Sometimes I leave the same grocery store ready to scream when I discover there is no milk and next to no fresh produce. But with a few months of shopping in St. Thomas under my belt, I now know to avoid certain stores on certain days and stock up on a few frozen things just in case all else fails.

Living in a smaller community - there has been a warm welcoming as new residents to the island. We have got to know people through the schools, sailing and work - all of whom have kept us busy with dinners, playdates and time on the water.

Business wise - we have a mere nine months under our belt. We have learned a lot - but there is still much more to absorb and translate into our own business practices. It also takes so time getting to know people and letting them get to know you. With a team of 14 - we have made a few changes and also spent some time getting to know who can do what. It's a good group - but things do work differently here and I have to remind myself - it's not the same as Vancouver. And what this means is we have been learning to be more patient with some things. I'm not saying I have become more patient - but I am learning. Mark on the other hand has amazed me with his self restraint in the crazy St. Thomas traffic.

We have been getting back to school and work this week after a few days off and a LONG school vaction break. Mark's parents are now visiting with us for a couple of weeks. It's fun to play tourist when we have visitors - as there is still a lot we have not seen. Hard to believe on an island that is 13 miles long. St. Thomas may be small but it's diverse and has a lot going on.

So onward and upward to year two and see where that takes us in our adventure. And if it's anything like the first year, I can hardly wait.

Christmas in St. Thomas

2008-12-27T07:31:00.000-08:00

Season's Greetings to our friends and family.

I write this entry taking a quick break from "assisting" Julian with building his gift from Santa. A nice gift - but did Santa seriously realize there are some 700 pieces to assemble this Lego Mars Mission set? Oh well - a fun thing to do together...or watch Mark do.

The Christmas season has not been without its excitement and busy schedule in St. Thomas. Starting off with school Christmas concerts and ending with a New Year's Day Party - we have had a packed calendar.

Just before all this craziness started, we were very happy to welcome our friends the Ellsay family to St. Thomas. Chris, Christine and their three children Andrea, Ryan and Cari (ages 4,6, and 8) are sailing around the world on a 42-foot catamaran. This adventurous family left Parry Sound, Ontario in June and made their way through Georgian Bay and the lakes of Ontario to New York and then headed south. Having completed the Caribbean 1500 cruising rally which began in Hampton, Virginia and ended in Tortola they met up with us. With our children all being close in ages - the pack of five got on like a house on fire. We had a few evenings with them including one at our house where we all decorated our Christmas tree and then another - far more eciting from our perspective - visiting their boat and eating freshly caught mahi. This boat seems far bigger than the average 42-footer. And at one point there were 10 adults and eight young children on board - and it still felt spacious. The Ellsays left a week before Christmas heading east to other islands with the hopes of being in St. Martin by Christmas.

On December 19th - Santa flew into the St. Thomas Yacht Club for a visit with all the children. It was a fun evening and always fun to watch the children sitting patiently waiting to have their name called to sit with Santa and receive a gift. Despite previous years experiences, Max marched up confidently to Santa and sat on his lap.

Christmas Eve was dinner at our house with friends. We sat outside and drank champagne before dinner and then it got a little too windy to stay out there. Christmas Day was fun and relaxing and then we spent the evening with our friends and neighbours for dinner.

A few more days to play then back to work on Monday. The boys are off school until January 8th and then Mark's parents will make their way to visit us for a couple of weeks.

Happy New Year.

December

2008-12-17T16:11:00.001-08:00

I have spent the last few weeks ignoring the early warning signs of Christmas by swiftly changing the radio station when anything resembling a Christmas carol is being played and ignoring any Christmas displays in the stores. I did, however, have a good laugh at the inflatable snowman displayed outside our local Home Depot, partly deflated and looking like he was melting in the heat. Some things really don’t translate well across borders.

For obvious reasons, it hasn’t felt like December. The month of November went by very quickly with my parents visiting St. Thomas. They arrived November 1st after a five week cruise that took them down the west coast, through the Panama Canal, up the Amazon and through the Caribbean. Quite the adventure. Needless to say, there was a sharp contract from their highly catered trip with chocolates on their pillows each night to visiting with us. They may have found offerings on their pillows left by little lizards – but believe me, they weren’t chocolates. Mum and Dad’s visit resulted in beach trips, visits to the yacht club and ferry trips to St. John. Julian and Max truly enjoyed all the extra attention and had two additional people to wake up each morning.

In addition to having a busy family visit, November was steady with work, school and sailing. And now it’s the week before Christmas.

Of course, with procrastination, there are consequences. The Christmas season has hit us like a hurricane. One friend warned me a few weeks ago, “When the Christmas trees arrive, you have to go right away or they’ll all be gone.” And she wasn’t kidding. Fortunately our local Cost-U-Less was also selling something that resembled a freshly cut Christmas tree, tied up so tightly there was no knowing what was hiding within the branches – the few branches there were. Charlie Brown would be proud. The tree is happily displayed in our living room with all of our decorations carefully shipped from Vancouver. It’s a weird and new concept to have your tree in a room where the breeze blows the branches and decorations.

And then there is the work assisting Santa’s big day. All I can say is I am a new fan of on-line shopping. Who knew it was so easy and that shipping would be so fast? The best part is I didn't have to set foot into a single shop and battle crowds. The line-ups at the post office are another story but I am learning to go with my phone, a book and other things to do while I wait.

This week Julian has a Holiday Breakfast and concert hosted by his class and Max’s class has another event finishing up the week and term. On Friday night we are heading down to the Yacht Club for a family dinner as rumour has it Santa is dropping into the club for a quick visit. Santa apparently quite likes St. Thomas as there have been multiple sightings over the past couple of weeks. Julian went to one event attended by all schools on the island and reported to us that evening that “Santa didn’t have a beard and he looked different.” Oh I wish I had been there to see that. However, all the children of the island came back from this event hosted by the Governor of the island with a lovely book and stories about talking to Santa.

The weather has cooled and the winds have picked up. I have quite a few more stories and photos to post but want to get this posted quickly first as our laptop has finally returned. More later.

hurricane? what hurricane?

2008-10-19T13:22:00.000-07:00

This weekend has been simply beautiful weather. In fact I just got back from sailing for over two hours in Cowpet Bay. Great breeze. I have been talked into sailing in a women's regatta in a couple of weeks and am trying to get in some practice sails. Believe me - there are not enough days for me to prepare for this event as I have done NO small boat sailing - let alone racing in over 20 years. Dark glasses, hat - maybe I'll go unnoticed.

And while you may think I should have had my fill of "breeze" - it still amazes me that not only did we go through a hurricane - but how the weather can change so quickly and dramatically.

Fortunately - Omar did not hit us that hard and moved through very quickly. The two hurricances that did really hit this island hard - Marilyn (1995) and Hugo (1989 )- were not only strong hurricanes - but they sat on the island for a long while, severly clobbering buildings, infrastructure - everything. The memories and experiences from these storms are still very vivid. We frequently hear different renditions of how residents survived the storm. The good news is the island is incredibly organized in its preparation of an oncoming storm.

St. Croix was hit quite hard this week. Much of the island was without power and several boats sunk, docks were lost and there was damage to many homes. Clean up and repairs are well underway.

After weathering the storm at our neighbours home - we returned to our house finding everything in place. No leaks, drips or anything broken. We still had a lot of clean up and getting everything back in place. Shutters to open and everything back out that we had warpped and put away in heavy black plastic bags. But it was all there!

The rest of the week was fairly busy playing catch up at work. I am anticipating some new interest in generators and even running some advertisments next week for some machines we have in stock - Hurricane Omar Generator Blowout.

Last night Mark and I went out for dinner with our friends John and Tara to St. John. We jumped on the ferry and took a taxi to a little restaurant that overlooked the islands. It was actually a fun adventure as well a good meal.

Back to work and school tomorrow.

Did I also mention we had an earthhquake last week that measured 6.8? We were outside on the deck when it happened and our concrete house barely moved but the metal roof made quite the racket.

Hopefully that is our quota for potential natural disasters.

Thank you everyone for all your kind (and frequently comical notes) to us. We love hearing from you.

omar goodness

2008-10-14T10:21:00.000-07:00

My plans to go sailing yesterday were interrupted by a storm. Once out of the August and September period - there is a lesser probability to be walloped by a hurricane. However, this is still very much storm season.

Tropical storms and hurricanes usually start in the south east and move in a north westerly direction. This storm - Tropical Storm Omar - which passed over us in a fairly mild manner during the weekend has been building and is now circling back - first over Puerto Rico and then over the US Virgin Island and BVI. It looks like the forecasters are saying it's still a tropical storm with winds gusting to 70 miles an hour and will not reach hurricane status until it's over us.

Having said that - the island has gone into preparedness / panic mode resulting in many people driving and shopping in the same areas. It didn't help that the cover of the local paper read Forecast paints bull's-eye on islands with a big map circled in red around St. Thomas.

The problem is - if the storm lasts long enough - it may take some time to get new supplies into stores. The power may go down for a period of time and it could be more challenging to get around the island if there is severe flooding (which they are predicting).

This morning - the first order of business was to get a quick lesson from our landlord on how to secure the hurricane shutters. They are very sturdy folding shutters that slide on tracks in front of all our sliding doors and lock into place. I started to work on a couple by myself until various large lizards and other jumping and crawling things started leaping out of the folds. I've decided that Mark can help me with the rest when he gets home.

The second order of business is fill vehicles tanks. I've seen before with storms and other hurricanes - that residents start to get panicky with petrol. Today was no exception and the queues were long. I did, however manage to (over)fill my tank. Unlike others, I didn't fill several jerry cans and load the truck up with extra reserves.

From one line of slightly anxious people to the next - I made my way over to CostULess where I was met with a parking lot overflowing with vehicles, people and carts full of water and supplies. At this point, of course, I had convinced myself there would be no water left except a half case of perrier. Much to my relief, the store was loaded to the rafters with everything as it was their shipment day.

What do I buy? How much do I get? The first few things seem fairly obvious - extra batteries for the flashlights and lanterns. More water jugs because if the power is out - we won't have a functioning water pump. Canned foods, dry foods, juice and UHT milk. Wine.

I run into many people we know - some who live on boats and are getting ready to leave the island to a more protected area to moor in the mangrove protected island of Vieques. I am thankful I don't have to make a four hour open-water crossing on a small boat.

I bypass most fresh produce and nothing more for the freezer just in case we are without power for a while. I keep doing a double-take at my cart - it's quite unbelievable that I am actually buying these items. Someone has replaced the real Charlotte with a canned vegetable and chef boyardee consuming mother. I watched one fellow walk down the aisle with a case of SPAM and decided that it would have to become pretty desperate before I reach that stage. I opted instead for some canned wild salmon. It should go quite nicely with the chef boyardee. Maybe some canned peaches for dessert?

Then some things are a little less obvious like making sure we have enough cash on hand in the event the banks are closed. Mark has called me twice to ask me how much to take out. $1000? more? Do we need to worry about having cash on hand for the business? Neither of us know the answer to these questions so we'll have to guess.

Max's school has just called me and asked to have him picked up at lunch as the school will shut down early. All the public schools were closed all day and I don't know what the plan is for Julian's school.

Never a dull moment! Fortunately - we feel fairly prepared and the other option for us is our office building which is not only connected to city water and a generator - but it also has an apartment with a kitchen and full living facilities.

If you are interested - you can track the storm on http://www.wunderground.com/ or on the national hurricane website. But remember, it's not a hurricane.

long weekend

2008-10-13T04:56:00.000-07:00

Long weekends are good for many things. They provide that little extra time to accomplish projects or activities that don't normally fit into a weekend. And I must say, one of the best things about renting a house is the time that has been freed up by not having to do gardening and house maintenance tasks. When I now hear a local Home Depot advertisement suggesting some nasty sounding clean-up or maintenance project to do over my holiday weekend - I can completely ignore it - guilt free! Of course, I am not getting off quite that easily. There are still plenty of other "chores" to fill my time. And what we don't have to maintain at the house - we are fixing, cleaning and repairing at the building that houses Import Supply and our tenants.

This weekend, however has been a nice balance of play and work. Julian and I started the weekend on Friday as his teachers had a professional day and there were no classes. We got most of the errands out of the way - buying Julian some soccer cleats, going to doctor appointment for immunizations, and the almost daily visit to the grocery stores. Our local Marina Market is a small place with fairly good selection - a one-stop-shop where you can get everything from a loaf a bread to a bottle of wine. Depending on the day however, there may only be wine as the bread, dairy and produce shipments have not arrived.

Another humourous aspect of living on such a small island is how people get to know you and your family. Should I actually go shopping in Marina Market without children - the first question any of the check-out cashiers will ask me is "Where are the boys today?" or "Where's Max?". Clearly, the boys' have established a reputation for being enthusiastic connoisseurs of their produce...or something.

Mark raced a laser in a dinghy regatta this weekend. There was a variety of weather conditions - some gusty winds and pretty impressive rain squalls. We went down to the club and watched everyone rig up their boats and set off from the beach. Max pulled all the boat trailers in and out of the water wading in the water until he was neck deep. Julian fed fish from the dock with his friends.

The concept of Thanksgiving seems foreign to us right now - first of all as Canadians in a US territory but mainly as we don't have any major seasonal triggers. No sudden changes of colours or leaves to rake. We did, however see some perfectly shaped pumpkins in the store - all set to be carved. I can only imagine how much they cost - but that is something I am getting used to. In fact, I barely batted an eyelash today when I bought a loaf of bread for...$7.00. Let's hope it isn't stale.

I found a scorpion (mainly dead) in the living room this weekend. Julian was very excited. I was a little less enthused when I watched Mark take it away with our BBQ tongs.

Very stormy weather now - rain that reminds me of driving through a car wash. We'll have to watch this storm.

message from mark - special correspondent

2008-09-30T18:45:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that Max and I have been here 6 months and Julian and Charlotte have been here nearly nine months. What is it like to live here? I will attempt to put pen to paper (or more aptly finger to keyboard) and describe a few of the wonderful and different experiences and perceptions I have had.

St Thomas is physically beautiful. There are plenty of beautiful beaches and the water, at least at this time of the year is warm like bath water. It is a few degrees cooler in the winter season. The ocean is appropriately aqua marine blue, the clouds, when there are clouds, are billowing white.

I remember talking to friends who had moved from Vancouver to LA. They spoke of finding the weather there monotonous. The weather here is anything but monotonous, especially at this time of year. August and September are the most humid months. September through November are apparently the wet months. It never really rains all that long, usually less than 30 minutes at a time. When it rains it sure can come down. Our roof is clad with metal and when a rain shower passes it often sounds as if someone is dousing the house with a fire hose. It can rain 3 to 4 inches in a showery afternoons. The temperature has so far ranged from about 25 Celcius to the low 30’s. There is usually a decent breeze blowing at the house, which helps to keep us feeling cool. In short the weather here is pretty near perfect. Another way to gauge it is: I have only worn long trousers about 6 or 7 times since we have been here. Six times for evening events when it was deemed that shorts would be inappropriate (one was a black tie event and I am not sure I can conceive of how shorts could have been worked into that event in a socially acceptable way) and once for a business meeting.

Living here has changed my perspective on a few things too. For example I could never understand the light fixture with integral ceiling fan that you often see in houses in the southern US. I have now come to understand ceiling fans area requirement for good sleep on a still night.

The joy of driving a nice German sports sedan on the road to Whistler also seems like a distant memory. There is no point in owning an expensive car here, the road surfaces are uneven and tend to develop gaping potholes after a rain shower. Locals tend not to be amongst the most careful group of drivers and the resultant body damage, missing side view mirrors etc must not be repaired, but instead displayed as an island badge of road warrior honor. The island is mountainous and the road surfaces hard on tires, which by some unspoken law cannot be changed till the cords show through. Better yet, if you have a space saver spare tire or 2, those should be substituted for the full size tires and used indefinitely.

As there are no alternate routes to most locations, there are frequent rush hour traffic jams caused by traffic volume. The best part of the morning commute is seeing the West Indian police officers, neatly dressed in their uniforms and white gloves standing in the middle of the four lane main road through Charlotte Amalie directing traffic with shrill blasts on their whistles and numerous hand gestures.
When you drive here you do have to be careful not to follow the car in front too closely. Islanders usually avoid expending the extra energy that would be required to activate their turn signals. They do however stop their vehicles in the middle of the road at a moment’s notice to chat to friends at the side of the road or in the car in the oncoming lane (which will of course also stop to chat). As this is expected behavior those new to the island should remember to breathe deeply and smile and not lay on the horn, as this only works to prolong the conversation.

One wonderful USVI custom is that you MUST greet anyone you wish to speak with (in person, or on the phone etc) with “Good morning”, or “Good afternoon” etc. If you walk into a bank and join the bank line up, you should, for instance, announce “Good afternoon” to the group of people ahead of you in the line. Most will respond in kind. It is a great ice breaker. Some locals (and government clerks) will in fact not acknowledge that you are standing infront of them until you address them appropriately – but once you do they are all extremely polite and willing to assist.

Before we moved here, I had been told that “things move at a slower pace in the Caribbean.” I had no tangible way of quantifying what that meant. I have a better handle on it now. Getting to a destination takes longer because of the aforementioned roads and traffic. When you arrive at a Bank, a government office, grocery store etc be prepared for many wickets or tills, but only one or two will be staffed and the lines will move more slowly the closer you get to the cashier. The pace of business is also a bit slower. From what I can tell this is because there is less choice of service providers. The good electricians, for example, will be very busy and will not call you back as they could not get to your job till possibly next month.

Charlotte and I have found it difficult to keep pace with the sheer volume of requests for new generator quotes and service through this, our first Hurricane Season. I suspect this speaks more to the former owners hard work building up the business over 25 plus years, but it is confidence inspiring to see things continue to move forward somewhat.

The house has a pool, which has turned out to be invaluable. It serves as a way to cool off on hot days. Electricity, as with most of the Caribbean is incredibly expensive here. We have heard storys of people turning on the AC for a month and finding their electricity bill has gone up $1800 for that month. As a result we have tried not to run the air conditioning too much, though we have given in a few nights in the last month. The pool is also a great diversion for the boys. There are quite literally in the pool almost every day of the week. The boys love going in the pool and just having the pool here at the house has resulted in a marked improvement in Julian’s swimming. Max while not actually able to swim yet is able to dog paddle a bit and really enjoys swimming in the “po-po” as he used to call it.

The yacht club is about 5 minutes from our house. It is a great spot. The dining deck, covered with a large shade sail is about 15 feet from the water’s edge. There is a reasonably active one design IC24 fleet. There are a number of very good sailors that have come out of the STYC, including a recent America’s Cup helmsman and Olympic medalist who sometimes sails in the IC24 fleet. As far as cruising opportunities, the BVIs are the chartering capital of the Caribbean and they are just next door (we can see them from the house). There are of course also a large number of wonderful islands to explore “down Island” through the chain of Caribbean Islands. We have been busy enough so far, that we have not yet had a chance to charter a cruising boat. Hopefully soon.

There are more wonderful things to write about, seeing sea turtles, picking ripe Papayas in the yard etc. Perhaps I will be allowed to write about them on “Charlotte’s blog” in another six months!

six months

2008-09-27T03:15:00.000-07:00

It never fails. The weekend comes along providing the perfect opportunity for a little extra shut eye - and I awake before the chickens – and Max.

The sunrise this morning, however, made the unfathomably early rise worthwhile. After another very heavy rain last night, everything looks so lush and green. And as the sun rose, the water turned that wonderful emerald green colour as a few boats made their way out of the harbour to St. John. I really love this view – and while there are many spectacular vistas on the island – many from a higher vantage – I don’t think I could ever tire of watching the activity out this harbour and the views of St. John and BVI.

I actually can't believe the amount of rain we have had in the last few weeks. One downpour after another. Last Sunday the rain was an all-day affair giving us the excuse to read books, play snakes and ladders and make cookies. We gauge how much water is collected in the cistern by the pool level. It currently sits level with the pool deck - so I think it's safe to do a few loads of laundry this weekend without running out of water.

This morning we all had a quick dip in the pool before I headed off to a yoga class with my friend Tara. The yoga class is pretty good and is quite popular despite the fact the studio is heated. And no, I don't mean that it lacks air conditioning - the room is actually heated with a space heater. I am sure there is a good explanation as to why the class has to be conducted at this temperature – otherwise the yoga instructor has a warped sense of humour - or the poorest circulation in medical history.

Julian is taking sailing lessons on Saturday afternoons during which time Mark can also be found out in the bay sailing a laser. Often Mark takes Julian out on the laser after he has finished his class and the two of them buzz around the bay for a while. They come home in their surfer shorts, rash guards and sun glasses looking salty and relaying stories of their latest sailing adventure.

Business at Import Supply has been steady. The past few weeks have been so busy it has been hard to keep up. My accounting skills are slowly shaping up and I am beginning to get a much better handle on what needs to be done and when. As a US territory - we have payments that are not only made to the IRS but also to the local Virgin Islands Government. Getting all these things straight have been a bit of a challenge as a foreigner (FICA. FUTA. 501 forms, 401 forms...eeek)- and an even bigger challenge for someone lacking book keeping and basic accounting skills. It's amazing what you can force yourself to learn when it comes to your money.

On October 1st - Mark and I will have survived our first six months in business- together. Not only have we navigated through the labrynth of generator sales, service and basics of running a business - we have actually shared an office. Of course, no one really knows whether they really and truly can work with their spouse until they try. The determination of roles and responsibilities became apparent over time. Mark plays a more operational role - working closely with our General Manager and the technicians. And while I have honestly being trying to learn more about the basic mechanics of a generator, Mark plays a far more convincing role showing up on a work site to meet with customers. Besides, I don’t really have the right wardrobe for this work.

We have 10 employees working on services and two office staff including a new office assistant who is (thankfully) an experienced book keeper. Two technicians are also new hires and Mark is arranging for another person to do services on St. Croix on a contractual basis. Each employee is provided with an Import Supply truck equipped with GPS trackers allowing us to know where anyone is at any given time. (Note to self: trackers may be useful for Julian and Max..)Getting the company vehicles in shape is ongoing and time consuming. We have built up our fleet from the acquired sad and broken-down scrap yard heap of metal to a much more respectable looking fleet of jallopies. If there is a vehicle deal out there - Mark has found it! The most recent acquisition was a Mitsubishi truck purchased from a Welsh woman who recently had her work visa rejected. It was an unfortunate story that involved her moving here with all her belongings including her nice, little truck only to find out that she couldn't teach and would have to return to the UK. Mark met her two days before she was due to leave - in a desperate position to sell the truck. The next day, he was burning around the island in his newest little toy. Of course, like any new toy that comes into our house, there is "discussion" on who gets to play with the new toy. Newer truck and it's standard! So far I'm fighting a losing battle.

With 14 Import Supply vehicles in what I like to describe as island condition" - there is always one in the shop or ready to be serviced. Car purchases, registration and service are almost a full time job in itself. On another note, we still don’t have local drivers licences because of the time and bureaucracy involved.
We have also had to work with an IT person to make a lot of changes to our computer systems. The phones were also a small nightmare for a short period. Phone lines had somehow crossed over cable lines – resulting in strong radio signals blaring music or radio chat over the phone lines. It was funny the first couple of days.

There are many quirks and quarks living and working on this island. Most things make us laugh (or roll our eyes) and others are just the way they are. You either accept it or move on. Fortunately, we spend a lot of time laughing.

boats and genips

2008-08-27T13:38:00.000-07:00

It was very still and humid today. In fact, the past few days have been without breeze and much more humid. And while the breeze almost always comes from the east, we've had days where it has blown more from the north. Fortunately - it still feels manageable - and cool enough to sleep. I may, however, reassess the situation tonight.
Max is back to school this week. To be perfectly honest - this realization only occured after Mark drove by the school, called me on his mobile and exclaimed "there’s a lot of parents dropping off children at Max's school right now."

It's amazing how quickly you can get children out the door if you need to.

Fortunately, we live about two minutes from the school. And after all, it's pre-school! (After that little bit of Monday morning excitement, I did triple check Julian's school calendar to confirm that he started Grade One the end of next week...)

With Max in school, Julian and I have been together this week and we've juggled a little work and little play.

This morning, we made our way to the boat yard to oversee the boat being hauled out. Typically, the IC24s and other boats of various sizes are hauled out mid-end of August and put on cradles or stands until the end of hurricane season. I had not been down to this particular boat yard in a couple of months and it was a very different scene from an earlier visit. The yard was full of boats neatly lined up. Even the marina and the lagoon area had a far greater occupancy level. Everyone had completed their seasonal preparations and boats were safely tucked away.

Amazingly, for this part of the world, the entire boat hauling operation was extremely efficient. Boat towed over, lifted out of the water at the scheduled time, gently placed into its cradle - and nothing broke.

Of course, what this also means is that we can't do any sailing on this boat for a month or two.

On a completely different subject matter and with no idea how to segue to the following subject matter, we have an enormous genip tree in our yard. I had never tasted (or even heard of) this little green grape-like fruit. In fact, when a friend was over and pointed to the heavily clustered fruits hanging from the tree, I thought she was pulling my leg with a name like "genip". I had visions of it being one of those lines you feed a newcomer so they are easily identifiable when you go to a store and ask for "genips". Ah yes...a genip....here’s another one….

But sure enough, these little things that taste like a cross between a grape, lychee nut, and a plum are a popular treat in the Caribbean. You can also find them in Spain where they are called waya. The downside to the genip is they are a lot of work. For the amount of sweet, juicy pulp you get in each fruit - there is a lot of careful snacking around a good sized pit. So far, I am the only one in our family who can bother to eat them. Julian just wrinkles his nose and says, "no thanks."

I've noticed they sell genips by the branch at fruit stands. Hmmmmm. Well maybe if Julian and I are bored on Friday.....

flip floppers in florida

2008-08-24T04:50:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe the summer is almost over. Despite both boys having three months summer vacation, the weeks have blown by (some weeks quite literally). Julian completed eight weeks of his sailing camp, Max enjoyed his school camp and Mark and I have been undergoing our own small business learning and training process.

To celebrate the end of the summer, we decided to take a small jaunt over "stateside" to explore a little of Florida. The evening before our trip was very stormy. Thunder, lightning and enough rain to fill the pool to the rim. In fact, when we awoke the following morning to the continuation of the storm, it did cross my mind whether or flight would depart. Fortunately, by the time we were due to leave St. Thomas, the weather had settled considerably. However, Tropical Storm Fay was having some impact even in this area and resulted in our three hour flight being extended an additional hour with some wait time for a gate and the lightning to cease before we could "safely" disembark.

An extra hour on a stuffy plane with two young children is always a great way to start any holiday.

Our week in Florida was an interesting contrast to our life in St. Thomas. Following a short stay in Miami, we drove north to Orlando. We rented a large car (big enough the boys could barely reach other in the back seat), and drove on large, fast freeways. Actually, the driving part was fun. Coming from the roughly paved 30 mph roads of St. Thomas, it was a welcomed change to experience a little first-world highway infrastructure.

The three and a half hour drive from Miami to Orlando was an unremarkably flat drive. As you approach Orlando, there were so many billboards on the side of the road advertising Disney park tickets, hotels,and other services that there was vitually no room for mileage signage.

Orlando is a theme-park destination. Parks, parks and more parks. Disney, Universal Studios, Epcot, Sea World, waterparks. Huge numbers of cars, coaches, people, children and strollers.

What were we thinking?

Braving the masses, we visited the Disney's Magic Kingdom. The smartest move we made was getting a double stroller the lug the boys and our gear around this massive park. We did a tremendous amount of walking.

We had a fun time - all of us. Despite the crowds of "happy" people, the heat and in a couple of instances - the RAIN! - there was enjoyment watching the kids on the rides and rushing off to see something new.

Max loved the mini-race cars and exclaimed "Again!" each time the ride came to an end. Julian was tall enough to enjoy rides like Space Mountain and Splash Mountain - and screaming with delight at the fast rollercoasters.

The morning was quiet enough that we walked easily onto rides and through the park. As the day progressed, the queues grew in size (and so did the people).

At one point, the effects of Tropical Storm Fay were being felt in Orlando and the rain soaked us. We ended up getting some plastic ponchos to keep some of the rain off - and fortunately for you, I resisted any photographic record of our neon batman look.

Disney was an experience and fun for the boys. However, it definitely warranted a glass of wine upon returning to the hotel .

We celebrated Max's third birthday in Orlando and Fort Lauderdale. Fort Lauderdale is an interesting spot of canals, bridges, boats and large waterfront properties. We had a fun beachside breakfast there and played on a very large beach.

We also did something else in Fort Lauderdale that we don't do in St. Thomas. Shopping.

As we get used to a small comunity, it was almost a shock again dealing with crowds large stores and all the selection. After getting some clothes and things we can't get in St. Thomas - I am pretty certain we have all had our fill of retail for quite a while.

And now back to St. Thomas. As we flew in yesterday afternoon, Mark and I remarked how this is the first time we have come back from a holiday trip and not been sad about coming home. It's great to be home and we are excited about work and starting school again. And maybe the roads aren't that great here and I can't always find the food I'd like or supplies we need - but it's a lovely spot.

OH! And today is Mark and my 12th wedding anniversary. Time really does fly by.

summer time

2008-08-03T12:49:00.000-07:00

There was the most dramatic tropical storm Friday night. Thunder and lightning like I have never experienced! The lightning was so bright it was like a spot light in the house each time it flashed. Julian slept through the entire storm, however, little light-sleeper Max came flying down the hall to land in more secure sleeping arrangements - wedged between his mum and dad. The rain came down so hard I was sure I'd find something leaking.
And I did.
One of the side slat windows in the guest bedroom was open resulting in a new indoor wading pool for Max. Thank goodness for tiles floors - between water, sand and potty training Max (a slow and painful process I may add..)- it's a constant battle to keep floors clean. There is, however, a good breeze that blows through the house managing to blow a lot of it away - well most things at least.

After all the rain, the remainder of the weekend was quite pleasant. We had a couple of birthday parties and some needed down time. We were down in Magens Bay and the water was crystal clear and the beach was quite quiet.

Julian completed eight weeks of sailing camp on Friday. He is becoming quite the confident little Optimist sailor - steering and tacking the boat. I went down to the Yacht Club last week with Max and watched them out sailing and it was quite the sight. Julian was having a great time and doing really well -- even though he spent more time looking back and not where he was going. Then again, there are a lot of people we race against who do the same thing.

Speaking of racing, Mark and I continue to go out racing on Friday nights and now have full use of an IC 24 for a year. We have taken the boys out on the boat a couple of times with friends and anchor at Christmas Cove and do some snorkeling. This week is the last Friday night race and then everyone hauls out the boats to ready them for hurricane season. Many people take their boats around the corner to the lagoon which is a protected area for boats, and there are sheds, boat shelves and other options depending on what your boat insurance wants you to do.

Hurricane season also means our business is busy with service calls and quotes on new machines. The summer has resulted in many rolling black-outs on the island where WAPA (Water and Power Authority)shuts down the power grid in specific areas to reduce and limit some of the consumption. Needless to say, as soon as the power goes down there are calls into the office because someone has a generator that hasn't switched on.

The island is still fairly steady with tourists and hotels are apparently quite full. Cruise ships continue to slide in and out of the harbour and the traffic on the road definitely isn't any lighter. It is more humid these days - but thankfully there is a breeze that makes it less oppressive. Generally, people run their air conditioning more this time of year but so far our house has remained quite comfortable.

We are planning a small break from island life and will be heading to Florida for a week. It will be a good opportunity to get a few things not found here and celebrate Max's birthday with Mickey and Donald. The boys don't know they are going to Disney - so it will be fun to see their faces when we get there.

sailing

2008-07-06T06:50:00.000-07:00

Mark and I have actually managed to go racing every Friday night for the past few weeks - without children! Babysitter comes at 4:00 and we are on a boat by 4:30 and ready to race.

There is a competitive little fleet of these modified J-24s - IC (inter-club) 24s. In fact, Peter Holmberg of America's Cup sailing fame is a regular as well as a few other sailing professionals.

One of the IC-24 owners, Neil will be leaving the island with his family for year in France. What has turned out to be a great opportunity is that he has asked us to look after the boat while he is gone. This past Friday we were out again racing with about eight other boats. It was actually a little windier than previous Fridays and we had some very quick races back and forth across the bay. It's actually a pretty tight fleet which means a few marks roundings were a little too close for comfort. We did actually have a run in with one boat - fortunately - he admitted fault and will be repairing the bent stantion.

Mark has been out a few more times than I have since we've been here and has been doing really well. In fact, I do have to report that he finished across the line in front of Holmberg in one race last Friday and was giving him a run for his money in a couple of others.

Last week, Alex was racing with us which was probably the first time the three of us have raced together in about 12 years. Again, it felt a little surreal doing this together in a completely different location. Deja vu - Cow Bay Regatta and Whidbey Island. It was a fun evening with few bruises.

One of the other nice aspects of this yacht club and its racing is the focus on youth. It is perfectly usual to see small children as young as three years old racing with their parents. Most nights we have had at least one child about eight or nine years old with us. And while we'll get Julian sailing with us soon, I think we'll wait for Max to fit into some sailing gloves first.

alex and nicholas visit st. thomas

2008-07-03T14:46:00.000-07:00

I am overdue on the blog front due to some very worthwhile distractions. My sister Alex and her 7-year old son Nicholas decided they had quite enough of disappointing spring weather in Victoria. So - they called and said - "could we come this Sunday for 10 days?"

Our first house guests!!! And I just found new motivation to finally set up the guest room!

So after hauling our bikes out of the guest bathroom, and dusting off the red carpet - we were ready for our visitors. Alex and Nicholas flew in on Sunday June 22. We were all very excited - and Julian after doing "how many more sleeps?" countdown was beside himself with excitement to see his cousin...and his aunt.

We had a really fun visit which included:

- swimming at the house day and night.
- Nicholas joined Julian for a week of sailing camp.
- Alex, Mark and I raced at the St. Thomas Yacht club on an IC 24 (modified J-24)
- the six of us went sailing to nearby Christmas Cove on nearby Great St. James Island where we anchored then swam and snorkeled off the boat.
- dinners out as well as creations by guest chef Alex for Mark's birthday.

Alex and Nicholas did their best to visit many of St. Thomas' beaches. They also escaped to St. John for a night to check out the Westin Resort.

It was so nice to have the visit. Alex commented on several occasions how surreal it was that we lived here. To visit us several thousand miles away - and to be sitting on the couch that used to look out on West 14th Avenue - that now faces a harbour and some islands in the Caribbean. The big fir tree in the front yard of our old home has been replaced by a large coconut palm.

Now Alex and Nicholas are back in Victoria - sailing on their boat for the weekend. The house feels a little emptier -- and the bikes have returned to their home in guest washroom.

school's out.

2008-06-14T04:50:00.000-07:00

There are a couple of events that signal the beginning of summer; changes in weather and the end of a school year.

Living in Vancouver - it's common place to discuss the weather. We follow the (mainly inaccurate) weather forecasts and then plan the weekend accordingly. Wasn't it a nice sunny weekend? Isn't all this rain and flooding horrible? Lovely day, isn't it? Storms, rain, sunny, hot, snow - there is always something weather-related to discuss in the elevator or in the coffee room. No lack of weather excitement.

And while there may not be distinct seasonal changes in St. Thomas - there's a similar preoccupation with discussing the weather. Winter months tend to be cooler with a lot more breeze and less humidity. Summer temperatures are similar but with greater humidity and a lot less breeze. And despite these very subtle changes in seasons - we talk about the weather. There is no escaping it. In fact, I caught myself yesterday launching into my introductory comments to our dinner guests, "isn't it humid today - I think this is the hottest day I 've felt yet." Riveting conversation. I need to read more.

But truthfully, some of the weather information is important, especially during the hurricane season. And weather reporting happens quite frequently here and during the summer months, internet and other reporting is monitored closely. And I never thought I would say this but I now welcome rain with great enthusiasm and a certain relief knowing that we are getting a little more water for the cistern. And while rain doesn't usually last too long - especially this time of year, it can come down with a vengeance.

Hurricane season officially runs from June until the end of November while most named tropical storms or hurricanes occur August through mid-October. Long time residents often refer to Hurricanes Hugo and Marilyn which hit St. Thomas severely and resulted in rebuilding much of the infrastructure that exists today. Before these hurricanes hit St. Thomas, there was a period of over 50 years before such a natural disaster had hit the area. Residents went from being a little apathetic to much more wary of tracking storms. So it will be interesting to watch. Hopefully from a good distance. Already from a marketing perspective - we have run some "hurricane preparedness" ads in the local paper and in the special "Hurricane Preparedness" supplement. A sophisticated advertising campaign, I'll tell you!

The school year ends early in the Caribbean - with Julian finishing kindergarten on May 30. Three months summer vacation! It was a very successful first term at Antilles School. In the absence of a school routine, we have Julian enrolled in sailing camp all day Monday to Friday at the St. Thomas Yacht Club. Already he is the quintessential mini-beach bum in surf shorts, rash guard, sunglasses and long-ish blond curls. At the age of six, he is already acquiring some basic sailing skills and doing really well. And we had to laugh when he reported to us after a day last week, "Guess what? My tiller extension came off when I was sailing - but they helped me put it back on". It was a proud moment for his sailing parents.

With Julian in sailing camp for eight weeks and Max in a camp at his Montessori school - the two boys will have a busy summer. And with the steady pace we are running at work, Mark and I won't exactly be spending the entire summer drinking rum cocktails by the pool (just part of it). This is very much our busy season with "hurricane tune-ups" , new sales and a lot of services - there's a steady pace of work. So it's a busy start to the summer.

vancouver visitors

2008-06-07T04:54:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, a Princess ship sailed in with our friends Pam and John. Pam and John were on a 10-day caribbean cruise celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary and looking so tanned - it made us look like we just arrived.

We met them at Crown Bay where the cruise ship was docked and set off for a mini tour of the island. First stop - Casa van den Driessche to see our home and say hello to the boys who were being cared for by a babysitter.

We drove up the north side to get some of the spectacular views down island, driving around the twisty, narrows roads. By the end, Pam and I were starting to feel like two little car-sick kids in the back seat. We stopped at Magen's Bay to wander along the beach and dip toes in water. The beach and park were very quiet and we almost felt like we had the beach to ourselves which was lovely.

From there we went for some lunch in an area called Bolongo Bay - to Iggies - which is a fun place right on the beach. We had some conch fritters and mahi-mahi fillets and washed then down with Presidentes and rum and ginger beer.

A very short visit but so nice to see some "old friends" .

flip flopper down

2008-06-01T05:34:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was Memorial Day weekend - and one I won't forget.

After being without our pool for a short period - the repairs were complete and it was finally time to fill it up! Three truck loads of water and 12,000 gallons later - we had a pool. What was really amazing was the temperature of the water from WAPA - it was like a bath.

The weekend included a lot of pool time and we had a very busy and social three days planned.

Our neighbours and the parents of one of Max's classmates had invited us out on their 70-foot motor boat for a day trip and lunch. It would be their first trip out on their new boat and we were the first guests. We met them in the morning - climbed aboard and set off around St. John and the islands off St. Thomas. It was a beautiful Caribbean day. The sea was a sparkling emerald green and there was a nice breeze to keep the edge off the burning sun. An absolutely perfect way to spend a day.

We anchored off St. John looking over a very exclusive area of the island called Peter's Bay. I'm attaching some pictures of the homes in this area as they were beyond belief. Not your typical holiday homes. (Click on them and make them larger.)

Our hosts served a fabulous lunch - warm quiche, salads, cold chicken and fruit - as we sat around a big table on the deck looking out to the beaches of St. John. After lunch - we did a little swimming off the boat and Julian decided to try his luck with some fishing with their first mate.
Where the day takes a turn for the worse is when I stood at the top of stairs leading down to the stern platform - and a large (and quite heavy) platform door came crashing down on my foot.

Unbelievably - I managed to refrain from colourful language but became instantly concerned I had lost my toe. Without too many details - the incident resulted in a good mess on the deck. In fact, if I remember correctly - hosing the deck down happened as quickly as the emergence of a first aid kit. Needless to say, our day was cut a little short and we swiftly returned to St. Thomas with a call and scheduled appointment at the emergency clinic.

What continued in this comedy of errors was our difficulty getting ashore. There was no available slip for the boat at the marina. So we'd go in by tender. When the electric winch attempted to lower the tender from the upper deck to the water - the motor appeared to burn out. The half-lowered zodiac swung from the port side crashing into the side of the boat with Mark and the first mate trying to keep it from slamming into the boat. These were true Kodak moments, I'll tell you. Fortunately - Mark actually figured out what was wrong with the winch and the boat was safely lowered to the water. At this point, I am pretty certain our hosts were ready for a stiff drink except for the minor detail that Carmen is pregnant and due to have her baby in about two weeks. So while the stuck tender problem was being managed by the men- two less than able women - one with belly that is ready pop and another with a toe that is trying to stay together were trying to manage three small children from falling out of the boat.

After we said our good-byes and got into the tender - we slowly motored off about 100 feet before the engine cut out. I know they say things happen in threes - but seriously? At this point - all I could do was laugh. But then I couldn't really do this because my bladder was too full from not being able to get up after the accident.

The boat drifted for a while and then started up again. And then cut out. And started up again. Finally, we were at the dingy dock.

After stitches, x-rays and some minor surgery. I am now sporting a fancy new "sandal" to help the bone and laceration heal.

As a "footnote", I am reflecting on all my years racing and sailing on boats and the many injuries I've witnessed. Cracking heads with booms. Fingers caught between lines and winches. Falling off boats and into cockpits. I often marveled at shoe-less sailors wondering how they were not constantly breaking toes and cutting bits open. The moral of this story? I'd better stay away from power boats.

changes - big and small

2008-05-18T17:30:00.000-07:00

We had some new (sailing) friends over for dinner last Saturday night. One couple originally from L.A. - and another from New York. We started out the evening sitting outside (in a heavy fog of citronella candles and OFF) - and heard some more interesting relocation stories and perspectives on life on this island. Some similar themes - with different interpretations.

How does one end up here? How long do you stay? What do you enjoy and what drives you crazy?

When I think back to the conversations that Mark and I had - usually when we were away on holidays - we kept returning to the same question. Why don't we live somewhere warm? And because we kept asking this same question over-and-over - we finally said, "let's do it."

Some of the people we've met - like the couple from New York came down here with jobs - John is an architect. Our lawyer in St. Thomas also had the same situation and moved down here with an offer. Others have retired here or made a move more gradually. But the common theme was a desire for change.

There's no doubt that our lives have been transformed. And if I review the past five months - the only thing that has remained a constant for me is Mark and the boys. We have virtually changed every aspect of our lives.

And so far - it's a change that seems to be tailor-made for us.

Some of the changes have been fun - requiring no adjustment period. Wearing "summer clothing" 12-months a year - no suits, no ties. Having a pool and being outside more. Greeting everyone with a "good morning" or a "good afternoon". Duty free booze. Sitting outside in the morning and having a cup of coffee. Being on the water and watching boats. Never having cold hands.

Some of the changes have taken greater concentration. Driving on the left and through some questionable intersections. Remembering to take our garbage with us in the morning for "drop-off". Finding lizards and their droppings in our bedroom (always in exactly the same spot)and the occasional frog in the house. Keeping a cooler in the back of my vehicle - so that cold or frozen groceries can arrive home with some memory of having originated in a freezer. Slowing our pace and expectations of when things will get done. Learning to live with power outages and other challenged infrastructure.

There are also the things we've had to change related to our new geography. We carry social security cards and USVI driver's licences. We have US medical insurance including an air evacuation policy that will fly us anywhere in case of emergency. We buy things called "mosquito magnets" to keep our flying friends to a minimum. We are extremely careful with electricity consumption and even more carfeul with water usage. When it rains - it's a good thing. The cisterns fill up and we know that we are getting some more water. In fact, I can say we all have a better appreciation of these resources and laughed when Julian explained he hadn't washed his hands because he was saving water. And while power outages are an annoyance - they do, in fact generate business for us.

We spend a lot of our time differently - and that has a lot to do with the pace here and our situation. We are working hard - but have greater flexibility. Some days we meet after work at the beach and go for a swim. Most of the time, however, it is a "normal" work week with school, work and home time. We are, however a 24/7 emergency operation and that does mean the occasional "my generator didn't start" call resulting in some quick dispatch solutions.

When it comes to the daily routine - some things are different and other things don't alter too dramatically. We wake up at 6:00 when the sun rises and pours into our rooms. The daylight hours are the same all year round with about 12.5-13 hours of daylight a day. The boys go to school in shorts and sandals and we put freezer packs in their lunch kits to keep their food from spoiling. Mark and I get to the office quite early - sometimes I go for a run first and guzzle two large bottles of water immediately following. I'm still getting used to running in the heat.

Surprisingly, our commute isn't that much shorter. The distance is less, however, I frequently sit in traffic. I drive to school and work with all the windows down avoiding iguanas and large potholes on the roads while listening to 96.1 Pirate Radio. I slow down in town and buy the local Daily News from an older lady sitting by the road who hands it to me in exchange for a dollar. As I enter town - there are white-gloved "traffic cops" guiding traffic with their authoritative whistles. I am pleased to say - there isn't a single Starbucks in the Virgin Islands, however, I've discovered a couple of good local places that make a great latte.< / It is a small enough community that you get to know people much faster and they quickly realise we are the "new generator people". Mind you, with our new and improved and larger-than-life Import Supply decals (pronounced DEE-cals) on our vehicles - it isn't too difficult to figure out. And speaking of advertising - we ran an advertisement this week in the Daily News as well as an advertorial. Marketing efforts are slowly advancing.

Change has been good and this is just the start.

http://tropicalhomes.vidaily.com/
Tropical Homes / Vi Daily News ad link.

work and play.

2008-05-16T16:18:00.000-07:00

Friday night. The boys have just finished some mac&cheese and are watching a movie. It has been a very busy week and I'm enjoying a "well deserved" glass of zinfandel. Speaking of which, Mark and I have got into the habit of chilling our reds. It's warm enough - everything needs a quick chill in the fridge these days.

It has been a very busy week at Import Supply. We've had some good sales this week including finding out we won the RFP for a major contract - ironically for the power authority in the Virgin Islands. Yes - even the power authority needs help. There were a number of power outages this week - resulting in a few service issues and new people deciding they have had enough with relying on our power authority.

Yesterday - we delivered a massive two-megawatt generator - one of the largest ever installed on the island. It was all hands on deck and one of the largest cranes on the island lifted the generator and fortunately, managed to safely land this very heavy piece of equipment at the assigned space.

This week we have also branched into new marketing activities for Import Supply. From business cards, to some new decals for our vehicles and some very modest attempts at advertising in the local daily newspaper. Oh! And we had to order some new t-shirts for our technicians - including some mini-Import Supply gear for Max and Julian. Shameless advertising.

Last weekend - Mother's Day - Mark and the boys took me out for a surprise boat trip. We went down to American Yacht Harbour - just across from where we live and jumped into a 25-foot power boat with a cooler full of snacks and cold drinks. We buzzed over to St. John and around a few of the smaller islands off St. Thomas - swam off the boat and enjoyed being out on the water. A great day - with minimal sunburns.

generating some business

2008-05-05T13:41:00.000-07:00

As I sat in very slow traffic this afternoon caused by the same road work they've been working on since December, it dawned on me that I've been in St. Thomas for about four months. And while that isn't a long time in the grand scheme - it has been enough time for us to feel like we are settling in with our routines.

Our first month of Import Supply has been similar to Julian's approach to learning to swim. Jump in and hope for the best (in our case however- there's no life guard or watchful parent!)

At this early stage - I'd say that one of the biggest challenges is picking up the pieces. From computer systems to accounting procedures - we are inheriting other people's ways. And like buying a house that needs renovation within a budget - we have to stick to the "must-do" changes before tackling some of the beautification projects.

Take for example our fleet of vehicles. And I use the term pretty loosely. Within our first week we had two of them towed off the property and sold for parts. By the end of the month - we had purchased two work vans and three SUVs. We now have fourteen vehicles with distinct island characteristics but are at least functioning well as work trucks to do service. We even have a fuel truck. (Yes, this is Charlotte writing these words. Can you picture it now?)

Mark is driving a Toyota 4Runner that is in pretty good condition. It came complete with fuzzy dice, leopard spot mats and skull licence plates that glow red in the dark. There's even a big "kangaroo bar" (or in this case maybe an iguana bar) to protect him from any head-ons. Julian loves this car - except for the fact that the electric back windows ceased functioning well before we got the truck.

And if this doesn't make you laugh - I was actually hoping to inherit this truck as it's nice to drive and was uncharacteristically clean for an island vehicle. The only problem is the seat track is stuck and I can't quite reach the pedals. So I don't drive it that often.

But back to the shop. We have a large building near the cruise ship terminal where we run our little operation from the top floor. There are a number of tenants who sub-lease space from us which also provides us with a little additional income. Our office space has a mid 1970's decor - which we hope to update at some point. However - we have essentially a one bedroom apartment space that will allow us to expand and also allows us kitchen and other space to meet and function as a team. Pictures to follow soon.

The main order of business for us right now is to push generator sales. This is our busy season leading up to hurricane season. In fact - I am working on some catchy little advertisements (Don't Get Caught With Your Power Down)for the local newspapers and have even submitted an article - When Being Backed-Up is a Good Thing. (okay - Mark vetoed this latter title). Building awareness and customer outreach is the big focus right now.

The other newer aspect of the business we are working hard on is preparing permit applications for our clients. All commercial generators require permits from the Department of Parks and Natural Resources - so Mark has been visiting different generators, taking photos and preparing lengthy applications on behalf of the clients. By calling around we have been getting almost more work than we can keep up with.

So- that is just a small taste of what we have been starting with. In addition to getting to know our team and learning their strengths and abilities - there is still a huge amount to learn. Mind you - it's amazing what you can do if you have to. Who would have ever thought I would be overseeing the finances?

A few photos of the house... and the truck

2008-04-29T18:32:00.001-07:00

150 boxes later

2008-04-25T13:26:00.000-07:00

Finally our container was "released" from customs at the port - and our furniture and belongings were trucked to our new home. The road to our house is pretty rough (many potholes and uneven cement) and our driveway is incredibly steep. Full marks to our moving company - not only did they get everything safely from Vancouver - down to St. Thomas - but the truck drivers managed some tricky terrain and inclines to the house!

Four men, two trucks and 150 boxes later - we had a house. Actually - we had a toy store with some furniture. Needless to say, there was a lot of excitement. Train sets, cars, electronics. What to play with first? Julian and Max were also very excited.

Last weekend was spent unpacking and organizing and now we have a place that feels like home.

I am still uncertain as to what we packed two feather duvets and a quilt - but was relieved that neither a space heater nor ski gear got mixed up in our loads. While we clearly over-packed - everything seems to have a home.

This past week at work has been busy - but short. Carnival festivities in St. Thomas began last week but the big events have been running from Wednesday through Sunday. What this actually means is that there is another unofficial holiday when no one works. As of Wenesday lunch - everyone disappears to town to sample local cuisine and warm up for events later in the evening. Julian and Max had time off school and many businesses are closed. Take for example our water delivery - no one in the office since Tuesday afternoon, so we have had to get water elsewhere...

What is Carnival? From my limited knowledge, Carnival is a celebration based on folklore, culture and religion.

There is an energy and buzz on the island. The events and parades are loud, colourful and joyous with elaborate costumes, steelband competitions, calypso music and food. It's a family affair - young and old dancing and clapping. Ancient African traditions of parading through villages in costumes and masks are important to Caribbean festival arts. The parading and circling was believed to bring good fortune, heal problems, and "chill out angry relatives who had died and passed into the next world". Feathers are a huge component of the costumes and are symbols of the human ability to rise above problems and illness - to travel to another world to be reborn and to grow spiritually.

Today was the Children's Parade - starting at 10:00 (also known as 11:00ish Caribbean time). While I know I 'll receive little to no sympathy when I say it was incredibly hot today, I've never seem the perspiration roll off Max's face as I did at the parade. We wandered along the street - had a johnny cake and beef patty - and watched steel bands, small children with batons and very colourful costumes parade by. Both Julian and Max's respective schools had floats in the parade - and we saw their teachers and other new friends from school.

After a festive morning of Caribbean celebrations, we drove over to the St. John ferry dock to drop off Julian and Mark. Mark was going to do a quick check in with a client and took Julian for the ride over and some lunch on the island. Max and I went home for other duties including a nap.

Our Canadian theme of the day happened when we purchased a new barbeque at the local Cost-U-Less. I had discovered what looked like a fairly decent bbq to replace the one we'd inherited at the house that recently met its final demise. After we transported our new purchase home and hauled the 120 lb box into the house - we discovered the bbq was in fact, fabrique en Canada. Mon dieu - Canadian products show up in the oddest spots! Speaking of which - why is maple syrup cheaper here?

trucks, ships and toys.

2008-04-14T17:09:00.000-07:00

With two weeks of working in the Import Supply business under our belts - we are slowly transitioning from the "what do I do now?" state of shock - to stumbling though a few decisions and learning about the business.

One of the first orders of business related to the lifeline of daily service calls. The fleet of Import Supply vehicles. And I use the term fleet very loosely. In fact, after closer inspection, a couple of the vehicles were sold our first week to the highest bidder for what I can only assume to be parts and scrap metal. Another two SUVs will be on the auction block as soon as we can secure some replacements. Island vehicles take a good beating from the road conditions, heat, and general vehicle apathy. We have bought another service van and an older Toyota 4Runner and are now looking for a couple of vehicles for ourselves. Buying vehicles in Florida makes a lot of sense from a financial perspective and we may end up doing this as pickings are slim - and very tired!

On the business front - we have had a busy time learning the ropes. From the accounting-side to understanding what the office people do and how the technicians operate - there is a lot to grasp. As we approach hurricane season - there is not only a big push to ensure everyone is serviced but a number of quotes for new sales. The work is steady.

Getting to know the team will take time - but they have been very friendly and helpful - especially after they received their first pay cheque from us.

We have had a spectacular stretch of warm and breezy weather. Today was the first day of rain in almost two weeks and I was wondering whether we should check the cistern level. After the amount of rain we had today - I would guess it has been nicely replenished. Tonight there is thunder and lightning and the sound of rain on the metal roof is deafening!

Julian is thriving in kindergarten - reading with confidence, improving his printing and speaking some Spanish. The teachers and resources at Antilles are great and we've been very impressed. Max is tolerating his new school and is taking a little longer to show his enthusiasm. When we tell him he is going to school in the morning, he replies "No cool. Po-po (aka pool)"

After a quick call to the shipping company today, we were informed that our shipment will arrive tomorrow and could be delivered on Wednesday. While I won't hold my breath - the sheer fact that it has been located is cause enough for celebration. I literally will be able to break out the champagne glasses. Well - hopefully not break them. It will be lovely to have something more than deck cushions to sit on in the evenings. The boy's toys will feel like new again and I probably won't even see Mark for a couple of days as he figures out how to hang the new plasma TV and set up the satellite equipment. Days and days of entertainment. Looks like I'll be doing the unpacking....

We had a very busy weekend with a dinner and auction event for Julian's school. We also had swimming lessons, sailing lessons, a beach visit and a wrap-up event for the Rolex Regatta. A lot of fun.

IS under new management

2008-04-02T16:34:00.000-07:00

April 1, 2008

News Release

ST. THOMAS, USVI - M&C Holdings Inc, LLC announced today that its acquisition of IS is complete. IS, located in St. Thomas is the leader in generator sales and service in the US Virgin Islands. Effective April 1, IS will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of M&C Holdings.

M&C Holdings' successful acquisition closed Tuesday following six months of negotiations, planning and newly acquired grey hairs.

"We are thrilled to be finally doing business in sunny St. Thomas," said M&C's co-president, Mark van den Driessche. "It's a great little community that has a growing demand for back-up power. And of course, the sailing doesn't seem too bad either."

Founded in the early 1970's, IS has been meeting the needs of US Virgin islanders in a territory that faces an inconsistent and unreliable power supply. With frequent power outages, businesses and residents have been turning to back-up generators for reliable power alternatives to ensure they can do business and conduct daily life activities.

"It's a pretty exciting time and it will get even busier as we learn the business during this lead-up to hurrican season," said M&C Holdings co-president, Charlotte Wardell sporting new flip-flops for the occasion.

IS sells, installs and services generators throughout the US Virgin Islands. With a team of 12 employees, IS currently services over 500 generators located on business, government and residential sites.

- 30 -

Media Contact:

Julian van den Driessche

340-779-6513

rolex regatta

2008-03-31T16:48:00.000-07:00

The east end of St. Thomas was buzzing with boats, people and extra traffic to and from the St. Thomas Yacht Club this weekend.

There were 90 boats in this regatta - and both Mark and I had the chance to work on race committee - volunteering over the three days of racing.

I went out on Friday - working on the committee boat. There were eight classes - so that meant eight race starts for two races. From J-24s to a Frers 80 and Andrews 68 - there was some amazing sailing to watch. Having said that and despite some serious distractions, there were times to record and sequence flags to hold up. There was no lounging in the cockpit drinking rum cocktails while watching the race. No sir. In fact, I made the mistake of bringing my camera out on a couple of occasions between my official duties - before realizing that this was not the time to be sneaking photos. In fact, there was a fairly stiff breeze around 20-25 knots and some large rolling waves. Our committe boat was a 47-foot catamaran - and the motion slowly turned a few people interesting shades of green.

Mark worked on a different committee boat with the IC-24s laying marks over two of the days and also had a great time, meeting a number of interesting local people.

Other than sailing and drooling over boats, we have had a busy few days preparing for our business close. Today Mark and I made our way to the laywer's office - hopefully for the last time for a while - where we signed the final papers. Tomorrow we drive to work and start our new venture as the new owners. It will be a very different week - exciting and terrifying - and there will be a lot to learn.

Max has started his school and trundles off with his little knapsack and lunch kit. He is slowly adjusting and finding sufficient transporation-themed toys to occupy his time.

Off to get some extra sleep and will report more soon.

flip flop four...finally

2008-03-24T17:15:00.000-07:00

I write this after finally getting our internet working after no access all Easter weekend.

Not only did we get it connected - but now have wireless router allowing us to actually use the laptop in the office or any other area in the house.

To back track a little, we left Victoria after four weeks staying with our families. We arrived in St. Thomas March 19th after four flights.

Four really seems to be our number.

Despite a lengthy trip flying with connections in Vancouver, LA and Philadelphia - we not only arrived ahead of schedule - but our TEN pieces of luggage, boxes, and car seats were the first to arrive off the plane. Hindsight has me wishing I had taken a picture at the airport with all our belongings. However, the reality of the situation was an emotional departure from Victoria and an exhausting arrival in St. Thomas keeping two small children, our bags and my sanity together.

From the airport, we drove to our new home. Mark and Max were finally able to see the house they've heard so much about. It was about the same as I had left it - and fortunately no new tenants lurking in cupboards.

Our first full day in St. Thomas was very busy. After the boys managed to sleep 13 hours - we decided Julian could handle school the next day and dropped him off. Mark, Max and I went to Import Supply to meet with the current owner to discuss final closing details and next steps. There was a mountain of mail waiting for me in the office.

The rest of the day was filled with administrative tasks and shopping for supplies. After paying bills, getting groceries and trying to get our social security numbers we collapsed back at our house. The evening was spent lying on chaises longues cushions on the floor (our temporary sofa) eating pizza and drinking Caribs (and apple juice).

Arriving just before a four-day weekend meant a bit of a stall in our very long list of tasks to be accomplished before month's end - however - it did have the advantage of allowing us to catch up on some sleep and enjoy the island as a family.

It seems so much busier on the island right now. The airport was a zoo when we arrived and hotels, beaches and local attractions seem to be hopping.

We went to the yacht club for dinner on Friday night and signed Julian up for pee-wee sailing lessons. The upcoming Rolex Regatta begins next weekend so Mark and I volunteered to do some race comittee and other work for the race. A number of race boats are here now - so it's fun to see. In fact, Mark thinks that Renegade is anchored in the bay just below us right now. Binoculars are packed and in transit - so it's hard to tell.

We visited some beaches on the weekend - Max can't get enough of the "po-po" (which incidently is a Max word for: puddle, pool, ocean - any body of water...and it can also mean pillow - so one has to carefully assess the translation).

We were also encouraged to participate in the Easter Egg hunt near out home and the yacht club. A very large number of children scrambling for eggs. Julian loved the event running as fast as he could collecting eggs. Max threw a classic terrible-two tantrum and screamed and cried.

Our furniture and belongings are on a train right now. They will travel across Canada to New Brunswick and then will be shipped to St. Thomas. In the meantime, we are making do with with our few bits and pieces. It is making us realize that we don't really need a lot of our "stuff".

Busy week starting tomorrow. Julian back to school, Max starts his new toddler school and Mark and I get ready to learn more about our new venture.

I really need to get to bed earlier.

Victoria. Vancouver. visas....vamos!

2008-03-12T21:47:00.000-07:00

Good News - we have our visas! What a lot of work and excitement for what is essentially a stamp in our passports. Mind you, a very important stamp for us.

We have spent over two weeks as a family in Victoria. And as of next Tuesday - we will be getting on a plane to St. Thomas to start this new chapter.

In the meantime - we have been busy finalizing our move. Sold a car, the boat and have organized the last of our things. Our furniture and household items are ready to ship now we have the visa and should be there in 3-4 weeks.

Enjoying our time with family and have greatly appreciated all the help and hospitality!

next step - get Mark and Max

2008-02-18T14:27:00.000-08:00

Another long weekend! President's Day weekend meant we had some extra time to play and get ready for our journey to BC to get "the boys". We re-discovered Coki beach as a great snorkeling beach where we fed the fish and saw some great marine life. The beach has a very sandy bottom with some reefs a little further out. The water is very clear and a gorgeous Caribbean blue. Angel fish and other smaller tropical fish swim right up to you and will eat out of your hands. The only down side is it's quite the popular beach.

Julian had a busy week at school. As we are leaving on Wednesday - we'll miss over a week of school before spring break. We'll also be away over his birthday - so the class is doing a little birthday celebration for him at school tomorrow. What this means in reality is that I am bringing cupakes to school tomorrow. Sounds straight forward but try finding a) a bakery or b) muffin tins when you need it.

Julian lost tooth number two today which was a big event considering this time he didn't swallow it. I'm sure the St. Thomas tooth fairy will visit.

It has been six very positive weeks in St. Thomas. Having said that - it has been a very long time to be away from Mark and Max and we can't wait to see them. We are also looking forward to seeing family and friends.

I am not, however, looking forward to wearing socks.

getting tings done in deh Caribbean

2008-02-11T14:37:00.000-08:00

Before we moved down here, a number of locals offered helpful hints on how we should approach life in St. Thomas. Take time to greet everyone - formalities are important. Be patient - some times it takes longer to get tasks completed. And get involved in the community.

Coming from a large urban community more inclined to avoid eye contact, greeting everyone takes a little getting used to. When I run along the waterfront in the morning, there are a lot of people to greet. And if someone doesn't look at you and say "good morning" - chances are they don't live here.

Julian who has always been a very social and extroverted child - has fully embraced the meet and greet. In addition to a very enthusiastic "good morning!" he will usually launch into a supplemental "show-and-tell" conversation. Everyone will know Julian soon.

Patience is also an important skill. Some tasks have been accomplished extremely quickly. Others require some knowledge of the system or just being prepared to wait. Take for example any shopping. I've been looking for some outdoor furniture since I've arrived and while choices are limited, I found possibilities in three different stores. In all three cases, however, the furniture was boxed up with no price. When I asked the price - no price could be found. Could I come back in a few days? In some of the stores, the selection is endless but you have to order it - and ordering means waiting a couple of months for it to be shipped. Waiting also assumes that you are patient.

Grocery shopping has also been an exercise in planning and remembering who gets deliveries on what day. Before I actually figured this out - it was initially a bit shocking how sparce some of the grocery stores could look before they received deliveries. Figuring out what to make for dinner is challenging at the best of times, especially when there's close to no fresh produce in the store. So now I know: among my local stops - on Tuesdays and Fridays, the Marina Market gets their fresh fish and on Sundays, the Fruit Bowl gets their fresh produce. Clearly - an island very dependent on its shipments.

And speaking of dependencies - power. There was another power outage today in the Red Hook area near our home. The outage didn't extend as far as our house - but the entire Red Hook "village" area was in the dark. I approached the local hardware store that had posted a hand written "YES - WE ARE OPEN" sign on the door. After one of the staff greeted me at the door and let me into the very dark store - I was led down an aisle by flashlight to find some lightbulbs (yes, ironically).

Very surprisingly - there were a number of businesses in this area that did not have back-up generators. The pharmacy and a few more touristy stores that fully rely on power to conduct business. Obviously, from our perspective this is all good. I see some future sales visits to these shops in my future.

When I was in Red Hook today, I had coffee with a realtor, Nancy who showed me around in November and set us up with our house. (Fortunately, the coffee kiosk Lattes in Paradise did have a back-up generator and very nice coffee.) Nancy has lived here over 30 years - and in addition to being a lovely person with a hysterical sense of humour, she has some great insight into the community. She is also a sailor - so we chatted about sailing and what the area has to offer. As new residents - there will be a number of "communities" we'll get to know. From the business community and those within the boys' schools and sailing, to our local community, there will be many new faces and a lot to learn. And it will be a great adventure.

Now I just have to work on my patience.

meanwhile, back in Vancouver...

2008-02-05T09:37:00.000-08:00

Mark e-mailed me some photos of the moving truck outside our house in Vancouver today. Correction - he e-mailed the photos to Julian who was very excited to see photos of the truck but equally annoyed to be missing the event.

"Daddy's really lucky to see the truck," said Julian.

Somehow - I'm not exactly certain Mark is seeing it that way. One of his e-mails to me today described last minute chores like washing mud of bike wheels in the cold and slush before they were loaded in the truck.

We have lived in our house on West 14th Avenue for almost seven years. A lovely house with many happy memories. We moved in as a family of two - and are leaving as a family of four. I'll miss the house - however, the bigger void will be left by the community we are leaving. We are truly blessed with the best family, friends and neighbours anyone could hope for. It's a good thing I'm not there sobbing at the front door.

Yes - somehow Mark drew the short end of the stick - dealing with the final details of the move and finishing work while looking after Max. The transition part has been tough.

Over the past few months, there have been many kind offers of help from family, friends and neighbours that have been greatly appreciated. There were also hours of packing and organizing help from Mark's parents, my parents, Carol and Eric, and Sarah. I know Mark has really appreciated all the help, support, and offers over the last few weeks.

So what happens to our belongings now? They sit in a warehouse until we can provide the shipping company with our visa papers. Once they have these documents, the container goes on a train to New Brunswick where it is loaded on a ship destined to St. Thomas. The actual travel time will be approximately three weeks. Or so they tell us.

Now it's more hurry-up and wait - while two houses sit empty.

wild things

2008-02-03T13:06:00.000-08:00

At some very early hour this morning after the chickens and Julian decided it was time to rise, I took my cup of coffee outside to conduct a quick survey of the landscape.

The weather was lovely - sunny and windy. The ferry to St. John was leaving the dock. And a small creature with long legs was lying under the chaise. A very dead and sticky frog. I was - however - very pleased it wasn't floating in the pool. We've actually seen quite a few frogs - including one that Dad had discovered in his bedroom before he left.

After a quick breakfast, Julian and I decided to explore Coral World - an ocean park and attraction on St. Thomas. We were the first car in the parking lot (thanks to the chickens) and had the run of the park for much of the morning. We watched a scuba diver feed some hungry fish. There was a pool of baby sharks that you could pet following their feeding time - apparently a "hands-on" experience. Julian wanting to avoid any "hands-off" experiences showed absolutely no interest in putting anything in the pool. A stingray pool also offered a similar poke-the-fish experience. There were sea turtles being fed (romaine lettuce)and many interesting tropical fish and birds.

In addition to the official animals in the park, there were quite a few stragglers. A very large pelican was loitering, waiting for feeding times. I actually watched one less than brilliant visitor intentionally approach the Pelican to have a photo taken - and came very close to becoming human shish-ka-bob. Iguanas were also soaking up the rays along paths in the park.

Coral World is on Coki Beach located on the northeast corner of the island. With some very clear water, white sand and an extensive reef - it's a popular beach that promises great snorkeling or diving. After our tour of the park, we went down to the beach. And because we had enjoyed an earlier start, the taxi-loads of cruise ship passengers were arriving just as we decided our sandcastle construction was complete and that we needed some lunch. Not a moment too soon.

Yesterday Julian was invited to his first Caribbean birthday party. One of the girls in his class lives around the corner from us and was having a pool party. And with Julian's birthday in a few weeks, I am imagining a similar event at our new place. Despite the close proximity, I was once again faced with having to find a location with no real address. I realize now how much I had relied on mapquest and yahoo maps to get me around in Vancouver. However, after a quick call and further directions - we arrived at a lovely house (clearly marked with balloons) that literally had children spilling out of the swimming pool.

Julian had a great time - confidently jumping into deep water and doggy paddling to the side. Of course, I was only half-listening to conversations as I was watching Julian struggle to the edge of the pool with his very newly acquired swimming skills. It was an interesting group of people - from several true St. Thomasians born on the island, to some other recent transplants. One family from Argentina arrived eight months ago - no english - and the twin girls attending school were already speaking english fluently.

It was a fun afternoon and just about the right amount of time to spend with that number of children fully-loaded on sweets.

Wild things exist in many places and come in all shapes and sizes.

and then there were two.

2008-01-30T13:04:00.000-08:00

My Dad left yesterday after almost three weeks with us. It was tremendous having him here while I've been trying to figure out life in St. Thomas.

Someone with whom to discuss options. Someone to entertain Julian while I waited three hours in line to get my phone hooked up. Someone who gave me a greater sense of security.

Dad enthusiastically took on the role of chef, pool and beach activity director, house organizer, navigator, and advisor. Dad was also responsible for happy hour - which may explain why Julian has been asking for beers.

I am pretty certain Dad enjoyed the adventure and hopefully feels more assured having seen where we live.

However, now that I'm a mother - I'm beginning to realize you never stop being a parent. And you never stop needing your parents.

Dad was barbecuing some lamb for dinner a few nights ago. A great dinner. Lamb, roasted potatoes, salad. A bottle of Ravenswood zinfandel for a mere $10. When he returned to the cooled grill to ensure the gas was off - a large rat jumped out from the grill testing Dad's heart strength. And my worst phobia. For some people it's spiders, for others it's snakes. For me it's rats. I don't like them in Ratatouille, the Nutcracker Suite or Charlotte's Web.

Naturally, as soon as I heard a full report of the flying rat (the size of a cat in my mind), I immediately swung into lock-down mode. Full outdoor lights. Doors shut. Kitchen santization.

Of course, the longer I obsessed about rats on the property, the more I had convinced myself they had moved into the house and were trying on my shoes. By the time I went to bed, I could hear one (or an entire family) in my box spring. The longer I tried to rationalize why there wasn't a rat in the house, the louder the noises were. So - I wandered down the hall to my Dad's room where he was fast asleep. Very fast asleep.

"Daaaaad," I said quietly.

No response.

"Dad!" I said a little more abruptly.

Snoring.

Despite better judgement, I woke poor Dad and dragged him to my room where we - (actually just Dad) - looked under the bed with a flashlight.
Nothing.
I still wasn't convinced. And without really having to ask - Dad said "well - we can take the bed apart."

I'll have to remind myself of this when Julian next wakes up with a bad dream.

But all is well - because I have a fancy new alarm system in the house and as soon as those rats read the signs - they won't go anywhere near the house - or my shoes.

boats. boats. and more boats.

2008-01-27T12:24:00.000-08:00

From cruise ships to little sailing dinghies, boats come in all shapes and sizes in this part of the world.

Wandering along Yacht Haven, a parking lot for multi-million dollar yachts with interior space several times greater than the average home, you can get a glimpse of lifestyles of the rich and famous.

Of course, the real action is with sailing. And there is no shortage of sailing boats. Another reason moving to St. Thomas became very attractive to us.

We visited the St. Thomas Yacht Club today.

Located a 1/2 mile or three minute drive from our home, it is a small club with a lot going on. They have a very active junior sailing program that Julian can participate in - sailing Optimists, small boats perfect for children learning to sail.

We met the club manager and had a good chat with him over brunch. A race was underway and he was going to head out to see how it was going. Did we want to come?

Actually - before I could even attempt an enthusiastic reply, my Dad was out of his seat saying "That sounds great!" We are a shy family.

So off we went. A short trip out to see a fleet of J-boats, IC-24s and a handful of other nice little race boats do a bit of racing in the area. A very nice way to spend the afternoon. (Mark: you'll be here soon - I didn't do any actual sailing - honest!)

The other type of boat we are becoming well acquainted with is the ferry that runs to St. John from just below our house. I can confirm with accurate conviction that the ferry starts at 6:00 am on weekdays. The ferry ensures that everyone is indeed on board and that there's no chance that anyone's left behind. Horns, PA systems - you name it - they have a way of announcing the boat is ready to go.

Boats, boats everywhere.

getting around St. Thomas

2008-01-23T13:01:00.000-08:00

I have been driving on the left hand side of the road for two weeks now - and have graduated from mumbling a repetitive mantra of "keep left. keep left. keep left" to whipping around ring roads like I own the place. Well, almost. Parking lots still result in confusion - but not sure whether that's just me or the other people who own the place.

The island is small - 32 square miles - 13 miles (20kms) long and 3 miles (5 kms) wide. For comparison sake - Salt Spring Island is 16 miles long (27 kms) and 8 miles (14 kms) wide. The main roads are quite good. Other roads including the one to our house are narrow and full of pot holes (as in large areas where cement is missing not places to buy local weed).

Living in the East End - I drive Julian about 6 miles to school. St. Thomas is also a very hilly island with some very steep inclines. A roller coast everyday that I hope the truck brakes can handle.

According to the census, there are over 52,000 people living on St. Thomas. And from the traffic, it appears that most of these people own cars. Children must own cars here too. When you add in a typical cruise ship day - we counted SEVEN ships in yesterday, that's roughly 12,000 tourists -- there's a steady ebb and flow of people and traffic.

There's a clear "rush hour" that starts just after 7:00 and traffic is very steady. While I actually leave the house closer to 7:45, I have a lot of company on the road.

All roads lead to Charlotte Amalie, the territorial capital of the US Virgin Islands. The downtown district still reflects some Danish (and pirate) heritage. While many of the streets have English names - some still bear those given by the Danes such as Dronningen's Gade for Main Street. The Danish flag flew on these islands from the 1600s to 1917 when the US purchased them for $25 million. And where was Canada when they listed these islands for sale?

There is some interesting Danish West Indian architecture. Some of the buildings have the second stories overhang sidewalks for cover from the sun (and tropical rain showers) and rooms are designed to take advantage of tradewinds. The green VI Legislature Building is on the waterfront downtown. Built in the 19th century, it served as barracks for the Danish militia, the US navy, and at one point the only high school on the island.

A popular trading port since its beginnings, Charlotte Amalie (pronounced Ah-mahl-yah) named after the Danish Queen remains the root of the island's economy. All three islands were declared free ports in the early 1800s in the hopes of bolstering the flailing economy at the time. Apparently, a wise move. Today, St. Thomas is the most visited island in the world by cruise ships. On any given day, the jewelery, clothing and liquor stores are overflowing with visitors - continuing their long-time merchant tradition of fleecing consumers of their hard earned cash.

For a small island - there is a lot going on. You may not be able to get there too quickly -- but everything happens on island time.

stormy weather.

2008-01-21T08:49:00.000-08:00

We've seen some good squalls over the past few days - and it rained so hard last night and this morning that I swear the pool is a good three inches deeper. I am assuming there is some kind of over-flow system for the cisterns? Guess we'll find out.

The wind was very strong - roof is still intact - but our inflatable pool raft was launched off the deck to the chickens (the chickens were hiding - so the raft survived). Towels and bathing suits are taking a long time to dry....

It has been quite humid - which means that in addition to having really big hair - everything feels quite damp. Paper is curling at the ends and towels never really dry.

We have been having a lazy day today. Everything was very quiet - reading books, listening to some music, drinking some coffee - when Julian noticed a rather large man climbing over the rails of our deck.

"Mummy - someone's climbing up!"

Not just one - but two men. After a brief cardiac arrest - I determined they were here to clean the pool. This was how they accessed the pool as to not disturb the tenants. Very considerate. Julian thought it was hilarious.

With limited supplies until our shipment arrives - we are making do with some very creative approaches to food prep. Bread for example can be toasted in the frying pan according to my Dad. Who knew? I have been trying to find a large salad bowl with no luck. Our one and only saucepan has been doubling as serving bowl and mixing bowl. Needless to say - we haven't been doing a lot of entertaining. Thank goodness for the BBQ.

The more time I spend inside the house - the more I pretend I am Charlotte the Interior Designer. Imagining furniture in the space. Where to put the sofa, chairs, coffee table. I think I am having furniture withdrawal.

first week and routines.

2008-01-17T13:47:00.000-08:00

Routines.

We create them and let them guide our day. And despite being somewhere different - we are right back to setting an alarm in the morning (which I'm uncertain as to why I bother as I have the added back-up alarms of a) Julian and b) many roosters running wild on the property.

Getting ready for school in the morning may sound easier when you can skip the step of dressing children in coats and boots. But add in the slapping on of sunscreen and some anti-bug spray - it's a similar ordeal. Julian has had two days at his new school - and it has been brilliant. The kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Qualls is lovely and Julian has already attracted a little pack of children who greet him with hugs when he arrives. Monday is Martin Luther King day - they had a class discussion and film to explain this piece of US history. I guess Mark and I will have to supplement a little Canadian history as time goes by.

This week accomplished many chores. From successfully getting the phone line hooked up - to opening a bank account, I am wondering whether this place has been getting a bad rap. I phoned two companies to get someone out to give me quotes on alarm systems -and they were both here giving me estimates the same day!

Today we jumped on the ferry to visit St. John. A 20-minute ferry ride from Red Hook - just below our house - gets us to Cruz Bay, the main town on the island. After a little shopping and exploring, we had a yummy lunch at a place on the water where the ferries came in. There is a lot more to explore on the island - especially as two-thirds of the island is a national park. We'll have to take the car next time.

There is a sailing regatta this weekend through the St. Thomas Yacht Club which we are going to explore tomorrow. It looks like there was a distance race and some racing for the kids today. It has been very windy - 25 knots of breeze the last few days. We're looking forward to getting involved in the local sailing here - and I've already started making some enquiries re-moorage if we actually bring our boat across.

(Mark - you'll be here soon and there will still be plenty of racing!)

I've come to the conclusion that shipping our furniture hasn't been a bad idea. From the stores I've seen - it's either pretty icky or outrageously expensive. Not too much advertised for second-hand furniture - and that would also mean deciphering directions to get to some one's home. There are no real addresses in St. Thomas. Everything is about landmarks and directions. "Past the marina, turn left at the green and white building - it's the three-storey building..." This also means I have to give directions to our house. I think I have it down pat now.

Time for a cup of tea and then get some groceries for dinner.

Ah yes -- routines.

are we there yet?

2008-01-15T14:30:00.000-08:00

I've decided that Julian is a better traveler than I am.

He sleeps on flights, makes new friends (I can't remember that last time I was invited to tour the cockpit of a 767), and appears completely patient with the entire process. He does, however, have a personal assistant who ensures there are treats, the odd new toy and some extra room to stretch out to sleep.

After 16 hours of travel, we arrived January 10. My Dad arrived first via Miami. Julian and I arrived 40 minutes later via New York. All 300 lbs of our luggage - six cases, three carry-ons and a child's car seat miraculously arrived with us - despite numerous connections.

We got the car, met the realtor and arrived at our new house. Considering I only briefly toured the house in November amongst a dozen other rental options over two days - our new place is about what I had remembered with no horrible surprises...so far.

Julian, my Dad and I have been "settling" into our semi-furnished house. There are beds and bedroom furniture - and a dinng table with chairs. The house seems quite large and spacious since it is so empty! It will feel like Christmas when everything arrives. I would love to download additional photos - but it appears that the one item I did leave behind in Vancouver was the camera's computer cable.

The past five days have been very full. From getting a few essential supplies,to getting some infrastructure hooked up, everything has been a process.

Getting a phone line for the house was a two-and-a-half hour ordeal that resulted in the promise of getting a line installed at the end of this week - for local calls only. It appears that I need a social security number for most everything. So I will be less of a risk to the USVI if I am limited to local calls.

Getting a cell phone was a snap compared to a land line. A Visa card can accomplish most anything. AT&T was more than willing to set me up with the best and newest. Internet set-up was also quite pain-free.

K-Mart is my new best friend. From kitchen supplies to pool toys - we have graduated from eating cereal out of the mini-cereal boxes - to dining with bowls, utensils and other luxury items! You name it - K-Mart has it all. Cleaning supplies, clothes, liquor, food, beer. We really don't have to go anywhere else.

Grocery shopping has been a little disappointing. Fortunately, it seems that the best grocery stores are in the East End where we live. We discovered a new one today and it was very exciting! I can't belive that we have been unable to find some good (fresh) fish. I may have to learn to fish. Dad has been our in-house chef. Lamb last night and sausages tonight. The menu has been pretty good!

Today's really exciting news was the call from Antilles School. Julian has been accepted and will start officially on Thursday. The school seems really good and Julian is really keen to start "my school". We celebrated with the purchase of a new lunch kit (from K-Mart).

Still much more to do - bank accounts, utilities accounts and finding a bit of furniture.

Julian is having a great time. His swimming has improved so much is such a short period of time. He'll be growing flippers soon. Mosquitos are the biggested challenge.

new year. new beginings.

2008-01-01T12:31:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year - wishing everyone a healthy and happy 2008.

In about a week, Julian and I'll be in St. Thomas.

As I sit among the boxes and organized chaos, I am not completely certain how everything will be completed before I head off. While the process of sorting, packing and throwing out has been quite cathartic, it has been taking weeks and weeks. Everything sorted into three piles: shipping, selling, and donating. The donating pile has been getting bigger and bigger.

Having finished my last day at work, Julian and I head off first. Julian will attend one of two schools we identified on the island when we arrive next week. Both schools are great and have lovely charm, diversity and resources.

We'll also settle into our (empty) new home - awaiting Mark, Max and all our wordly possessions. My Dad is coming out with the two of us and will help out for the first three weeks. The house itself is located in the East End near the St. Thomas Yacht Club (how fortunate!). Ironically, it was the first house Julian and I viewed when we were out in early November house hunting and doing school interviews.

Julian and I will have to return to Vancouver mid-February when we HOPE the visas will be ready. Once we have completed this process with the US Embassy, we will fly to St. Thomas as a family, start learning our new business, and wait for our container to arrive - hopefully three weeks later.

I am attaching some pictures of the house and the school.