Ocean breezes predicted today, tomorrow, and the day after that

You could be miserable, disgusted, and grumpy all the time on a subtropical island, but only if you tried really hard every day. It may be the reason why I don’t remember meeting many people who fit the profile as I grew up. Those who temporarily achieved such states were referred to as looking 'gribble' and seldom stayed that way long.

July 22, 2019, Monday 2:51 pm

Man, it feels good to finally be home!

Coming off the plane and breathing in that hint of salt in the air, the transformation is instantaneous. I fall in step with the warmth that is Bermuda. It is more than just the thermometer reading; that has easily edged upwards of 30˚C (and feeling way hotter with the humidity), but the warmth of people. It is this that I have missed. It is that kaleidoscope of people; whose names are unknown, conversing with you as if they have known you your entire life because that's just how life is lived here.

It had always been kind of comical to watch the shielding attempts of bewildered expressions of first-time visitors to the island. They would give hesitant replies to complete strangers that in a little over fifteen minutes became hearty exchanges. Bermuda warmth is contagious.

My brother and sister-in-law were right outside the arrival hall at L.F. Wade International Airport. Embraces were given to try to breach the countless experiences and vast ocean that had separated us for over ten years, but it could not be done. Cheek aching smiles and hugs just played on repeat. My son was 3 yrs. old when I left, and this moment was bittersweet as my daughter could not be here with us this time.

As we drove together across The Causeway, the always familiar blue myriad of ocean shades mixed with reefs begging you to jump overboard. The conversation was fluent. I had missed catching up with my oldest brother who had flown in from the Bahamas with his family by barely two months. There would be plenty of time for swimming later.

3:13 pm

Our family homestead is a convenient drop-off point for numerous family and friends as it's scarcely ten minutes away from the airport. Daily rituals saw us watching the airplanes come in for a landing. Locals know it was only done by airline pilots to show off breathtakingly aerial perspectives.

A bird’s eye view reveals that the island has a fishhook shape. But a slow fly by at parallel gives passengers an eyeful of colorful houses with pristine white roofs guttered for catching rainwater in separate tanks that everyone guards voraciously. The main source of drinking water is tied to the rainfall. As young children, we become water conservationists by default.

I take in another breath that is sprinkled with home seasoning. London Gatwick Airport, our point of departure, has already become a forgotten memory.

3:51 pm

As soon as the excitement wanes, I know there will be a ravenously hungry teenager, so I cannot prolong food shopping much longer. My brother agrees to swing us by the grocery store and back after our nearly eight-hour flight. I am grateful but know what awaits the minute I enter the doors: Prices to gouge your eyes out! I surely did not miss the high costs here. Officially, Bermuda still remains the most expensive place to reside.

Not long after entering, I run into a childhood friend. People seem to know you have been living 'foreign' when they don’t see you for years. Twenty-one square miles of island stretch leaves few hiding places.

I packed a fair amount of foodstuffs in our luggage to defray costs, but fresh produce and soymilk, I knew I’d have to buy. I passed by loaves of bread over $6 and packets of grapes for more than $12 and settled for individual oranges and kiwis while an elderly lady an aisle over asked my brother for some money to help with her shopping. It was heart-wrenching! I wondered how on earth the average Bermudian was coping with these prices as I walked away with only a handful of items and was dropped back home.

8:12 pm

I opened the door to my beautiful younger Cousin Ree and engaged in another hug-fest. It had been far too long. I grinned at her.

”I’m your present!” I yelled.

She brought up cake from the car. It was the birthday celebration that we craved as we had missed so many together. We caught up and giggled into the wee hours. Cousin energy is unbreakable.

July 23, 2019, Tuesday 7:16 am

An early start was the strategy, for as the hours crept by, the heat would be intense.

My son followed me down to the trail after a quick breakfast of bagel and fruit. The old railway trails whose trains stopped operation in 1948 have been commonly referred to as ‘the tracks’ ever since I could remember.

I used to walk with my then 2-year-old son often 'down the tracks', picking the tender fennel shoots for him that he loved to chew on and drawing his gaze to this or that boat, fish, or sea turtle on the northern shore. It was a frequent thoroughfare for joggers, walkers, and cyclists. Riders on horseback also came through with the occasional loud motorbike breaking the idyllic atmosphere. Serenity here is a natural expectation.

But early morning, clad in a bathing suit under my tee-shirt, I grew frustrated at finding an old swimming spot now inaccessible (probably from storm damage.) I slipped quickly through a gate while stripping at the same time get in the water fast. As my son slowly edged in after I submerged, I could hear people walking from the tracks further down.

We were both barely in the water for three minutes and I had slipped back through the gate to hear an early morning walker greet us with a laugh.

“Acegirl, ya real bold, “she said.

I shushed her and laughed too, reassuring her that she hadn’t seen a thing. If there was a ‘No Trespassing’ sign up, it had fallen off long ago. My body was in withdrawal and I desperately needed that first dip.

1:28 pm

After the exuberance and emotion-filled hours of seeing my parents for the first time in years, there was fiery heat beyond any recollection. A relentless sun assured that climate change had also touched paradise. Resolved to never complain after years of face-numbing winters, I pressed on with my son in tow. En route to the bus stop, I grabbed a nearby leaf, split it open, and held it under his nose as I watched his eyes widen. Spice leaves. Plentiful. Evocative of fire-born ginger and cloves. Great for steeping as a tea and a natural air freshener. We picked handfuls.

11:04 pm

Only a few stops later and we’re off the bus. It wouldn’t be right to be this close to the South Shore without a swim.

Elbow Beach with all its luxurious proximity, still meant crossing the soft but burning sand to the water’s edge. Yikes!

Officially, beach sand is pastel pink because it is blushing according to Bermuda Tourism adverts. The scientific explanation is the breakdown of a tiny marine organism called red foraminifera whose corpse ground shells blend varieties of pink shades. In the contest of blushing versus ground dead sea life shell casings; it is easy to see where marketing hedges its bets.

I emerged from beneath the waves joyous to see familiar Bermuda Longtails across the skyline in the distance. White-tailed Tropicbirds have always been called Longtails by us locals due to their distinctive trailing tail feathers.

As these ocean birds return from the open ocean to mate in the spring, tourists were also commonly known as Longtails (particularly the female visitors) as they started visiting around the same time. Watching aerial love displays of these birds in summer is a mesmerizing experience not to be missed. I have taken vetted information that the two-legged Longtails also make for delightful viewing.

7:35 pm

Dinner was a simple veggie burger affair after showering all the salt and sand off bodies. I was about to suggest an evening stroll later on along the tracks, but I opened my old bedroom door to see this.

Saltwater and sun were heavily relied upon when I worked in local preschools and summer camps. Staff could always expect quiet afternoons irrespective of how much labor was required in organizing and supervising the young ones on beach trips. On returning, children barely made it to sleeping cots after lunch. Underestimated also was the sedative-like effect on adults. Seawater combined with sun will knock you out cold!

8:49 pm

The walk along the old trail connected me home as if I’d never left. I thought about how the sweet music of the tree frogs had become so ingrained in daily life when growing up that I often had not even heard them anymore. When I’d call home from overseas at night, I could hear the tree frogs in the background over the phone. It helped. They are an evening choir in surround sound. As a young child, I believed that was the sound the stars made as they twinkled. It made perfect sense. With minimal light pollution and a breathtakingly clear panorama of stars, Bermuda is a stargazing dream.

July 24, 2019, Wednesday 12:03 pm

As far as routines go, the plan for our days was a simple one: Spend time with my parents. Go swimming.

Beach hopping was tempting, but sun and sea dosage had to be titrated after being abroad for so long. My son and I hit Elbow Beach again. I decided to start with the safest options possible for him. Some beaches along the South Shore are known for strong rip tides and undertow. They have claimed the lives of one too many even seasoned swimmers over the decades. The most popular beaches now have stationed lifeguards during peak season periods.

To grow up swimming in Bermuda is to become an unashamed, blatant beach snob. For me and all others of my kin, standards are ingrained: The Bermuda Water Test. If I cannot see through to the bottom of clean ocean water, there is no way in hell I’m gonna swim in it!

July 25, 2019, Thursday 2:02 pm

I thought the long bus route through Devonshire and Smith’s parish to St. Georges would be a vision fest after so many years and it didn’t disappoint.

The bus passed Harrington Hundreds Grocery Store where my vegetarian compatriots and I would often swoon at product offerings and purchase the newest items to hit the shelves.

Spittal Pond Nature Reserve was also a point of interest along the route. It held vivid memories of primary school field trips and attempts friends once made to fortify a small cave there carved into the weathered rock.

The bus passed near a stately hotel of times past that in my youth was called Castle Harbour. It had memories of a crowded girl guide swim competition eons ago. How did so many years go by without my realizing what getter older really meant?

St. Georges had a new store or two, but the regular stalwarts were still there among others of ancient glory. I remember our family living not far from the town for a short time; its narrow streets and alleys always calling for curious exploration.

Nestled nearby, in Somers Garden, lay the heart of Sir George Somers. He was an English captain I and others studied in early education. In 1609, he had shipwrecked his vessel; the Sea Venture in the Bermudas. He was stranded here with settlers on the way to Jamestown, Virginia but died in 1610. He certainly didn’t deserve any accolades for making such a mistake. However, Bermuda then became known as Somers Isles despite bearing the name of the Spaniard Juan de Bermudez; the first navigator recorded with sighting the island. But the morbid fascination of a child remained: They cut out and buried just his heart? EWWW-WAHHH!!!

I didn’t get to take my son to the graveyard at St. Peter’s Church so that he could see the divided burial plots; an ugly racial hatred perpetrated by early White colonialists that separated Black people from them even in death.

Oppressive heat drained us both as we made our way to the bus stop.

4:01 pm

Picked up snow cones from the stand along the roadside to our house. My son savored this cool relief for the first time as we both enjoyed outside vistas on the balcony at home. Promise a child a snow cone as a reward here and they’ll be as good as gold. These carefully constructed edibles are a welcome slice of blizzard and are the go-to treat everywhere in summertime.

July 26, 2019, Friday 10:26 am

My cousin had warned me about how Horseshoe Bay in Southampton had been so viciously changed, but far too many childhood remembrances were pinned to that spot, and I could not resist going. Baba, a long-time family friend, agreed to drive us there. He hadn’t been since it had changed either. We both "Oh my WORD-ed" and said “MY GYAD!” (an old Bermudian expression of utter disgust), the whole way down to the beach as a length of monstrous boardwalk had been built and pop-up tent stands were placed near the entrance selling services and equipment. Heavily commercialized, my heart ached for what was once so naturally beautiful. It was as if some morons had decided nature was wrong and needed to be fixed.

But the ocean heals everything, and with no one being more than walking distance from any shore, my son and I relish this time.

We walked the length of the beach, dipping in and out of the water, and then made our way back to the beach house grill for nibbles.

Droves of sparrows waited near the outside seating area too close for comfort. Accustomed to plentiful scraps of patrons they had become all but domesticated. It was indeed a very different state of affairs.

July 27, 2019, Saturday 12:18 pm

As my son and I walk along South Shore Road, I stop rooted in utter amazement. At the edge of the grass is a hedge full of honeysuckle. I had not seen this plant anywhere since it grew at my grandparents’ family home. I grabbed a flower, stripped the base, and sucked. It was even sweeter than I remember! I passed one to my son, and he became immediately hooked. He stood there picking flower after flower until at long last I dragged him away.

1:00 pm

I finally got up to my brother’s house for more family time and to sample his signature merchandise: Native Drinks.

He would be reflected with pride in my grandmother’s eyes were she still in this realm. It is higher respected wisdom that values the medicinal knowledge of the local plants.

3:22 pm

Brought my Dad some sailing literature to read through and a Lego sailboat he and his grandson could work on together. My 13-year-old is aware that he comes from a proud legacy of knowledgeable master sailors.

4:28 pm

When my son asked me who I had greeted at the bus stop, I told him that I had no idea. Here we just speak to everybody; a lesson ingrained from infancy. In early adulthood, I learned it was an enduring heritage marker of the people of the African Diaspora. Elaborate greeting rituals remain an enduring custom all over the African continent.

Many a well-meaning island visitor would see themselves as being really polite in asking someone a question without first giving the customary greeting and receive only vacant stares. Saying "Good Morning, Good Afternoon", or "Good Evening" to people in passing is a big deal unless you ultimately want complete and total vilification. Silently (if you’re lucky). Painstakingly. Decisively.

These are the essences that cannot be captured on camera or film. Just the way someone angles a head nod or hollers out to you from the window of a passing car. Family is everywhere you look, even if you didn’t bring any with you.

July 31, 2019, Wednesday 11:12 am

As it was doubtful that my son would remember his last visit to the Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo (BAMZ) at 2yrs. old.

I chose to solidify this experience; a permanent field trip fixture of every Bermudian school child, into his consciousness.

When I worked there briefly as a very young teen, it bore none of the majesty that it now possessed.

After our visit, we lingered outside by the turtle enclosure and then Flatt’s Bridge with its mesmerizing powerful ocean current. Two young boys did backflips off the rail into the clear water below. I never attempted a backflip until my mid-teens, and even then, only under professional instruction at a pool. I could not begin to think about holding a candle to such seasoned water rats. (Note: Water rat is an affectionate Bermudian term for people who stay in the water more than out of it.)

6:12 pm

After attending a family celebration with my parents, I slipped into the city of Hamilton (Bermuda’s capital) to observe the inner workings of my martial arts family.

Weekly training at my previous small dojo on Angle Street in Hamilton saw many a practitioner begin a session and face dragon fire, sweat-drenched workouts that sent them puking out the door (and not returning.) You hydrated well before and after class and learned from your wounds instead of just licking them. I owe my steely mental discipline with iron-clad resolve to many of those getting-my-butt-kicked-all-up-and-down-the-floor years where no time-outs or breathers were given.

The new purpose-built facility without decades of blood and sweat on the walls plus added window view felt surreal by comparison.

The old guard and I shared a disbelieving head shake or two concerning an introduction of class water and rest breaks in an airconditioned facility. The next generations always seem to have it easier but talking with old training partners and observing technique execution was well worth the trek and the reminiscing.

7:44 pm

I did not remember that it was Harbour Nights until stepping back outside. The weekly celebration of all things Bermuda festive was in full swing; complete with local crafts and handmade souvenirs against the backdrop of live singing and music at the center flagpole on Front Street.

A Gombey troupe came through as we walked along, most of their high-flying antics and forceful footwork already done. They were winding down. Bermuda Gombeys commanded a dedicated following wherever they went as sightings were never guaranteed except on Boxing Day, New Year’s Day, and the May 24th Bermuda Day holiday parade. Wherever and whenever you heard the Gombey rhythm, you’d follow them hypnotically dancing through the streets for hours with their signature beat of drums and whistles.

August 1, 2019, Thursday 9:21 am

Emancipation Day is the first day of Cup Match. The rivalry between opposing teams Somerset (red and dark blue) and St. Georges (light blue and dark blue) and their fans builds from early summer. Dividing lines cut across families, partners, and friends in no-holds-barred good-natured dirt slinging that lasts indefinitely.

Last Thursday as my teenager and I climbed on the bus, the driver stopped the lady passenger wearing St. George’s colors behind us. He informed her twice that this was a Somerset bus going to Somerset for Somerset fans only. When her face finally registered comprehension, she smacked his arm as she walked past to take a seat. All within earshot roared with laughter.

Side note: Bermuda bus drivers are the best! They will stop for you if they see you running for the bus and even call another driver to wait for you while you transfer to continue your journey. I never realized how much I took them for granted until I had to contend with bus drivers from other jurisdictions.

The two-day holiday of serious cricket playing taking place right before the weekend, derived from a historical commemoration marking the end of legalized slavery in Bermuda in 1834. I am thankful for and embrace the spirit of my Ancestors who took successive days off to celebrate a year later. They continued to be annually absent from work on this date and finally the white-controlled establishment reluctantly, begrudgingly, and officially acknowledged the holiday after some 44 years.

Bermudian heritage comes from pride and determination that cannot be circumvented. A force to be reckoned with? B'lee dat!

Cup Match celebrations of my youth were marked by the most serious food preparation, as my family camped out within walking distance from the club stadium among family and friends. We’d listen to radio commentary of the game and could hear the crowd roar after a six was scored or a wicket taken.

Forays over to the grounds were limited as it was jam-packed with supporters and entrants had to negotiate the heat, dust, official game commentary, music, and maneuver to a spot to be able to actually see the game.

It is the only time of year legalized gambling is allowed on the island. Crown & Anchor tables for this purpose stayed full all day and late into the night with bets placed in cold hard cash on the luck of the dice, but I was never much of a gambler.

2:39 pm

My brother and nephews arrived to take their nephew and cousin out kayaking. It was an exciting prospect and I ended up going myself for the last paddle of the day.

P.S. Spotted plenty of turtles.

August 4, 2019, Sunday 2:11 pm

Sure had been missing Sunday Brunch Bermuda style, so I decided to head out with my little man to Grotto Bay Beach Resort & Spa Hotel in Hamilton Parish for all-you-can-eat at its best. Our stomachs were unused to the rich fare and struggled through to the main course while keeping pace for dessert. My choice of location was two-fold; to dine and engage a sense of adventure for the limestone caverns on the premises. This area of Hamilton Parish is rife with caves and with the hourglass sand fast disappearing, it was the perfect combination.

August 5, 2019, Monday 3:15 pm

We took the long slow bus ride to the western tip of the island for the Royal Naval Dockyard in Sandys Parish. I remember hearing from childhood that my paternal Great Grandfather came up from St. Kitts, Nevis in the late 18th century with others to help build the Dockyard; a massive undertaking. The realm of ships, boat slips, and moorings now played second fiddle to the visitor attractions of shops, activities, bars, and restaurants inside and out of the Clocktower Mall. Strolling through the cool interior, we found a place to have lunch with a long-time family friend and picked up tee-shirts and trinkets for the return flight.

We caught the ferry for a scenic trip down to St. Georges, traveling the length of the island in less than an hour.

The last time my son had been on a ferry, his feet didn’t even touch the floor.

Residence on the island for long periods can give locals a bad case of rock fever; a dangerous and virulent strain of the more widely known cabin fever. It can only be remedied by regular trips abroad. As a result of this and more, Bermudians remain some of the most traveled people on the planet. But there is never a worry. No matter how far we go, we always come back. We always come home.