Week Twelve

Week 3 of school and we have finally got in to a good routine.  The school day has been changed to 8.30am-2.30pm as our 8am start was a little too early for everyone.

We are managing to get our homework completed when it's needed as I have a really good bargaining tool - the swimming pool.  Patrick and Eleanor are not allowed to go out to play until it is completed.  Eleanor is practising her spellings without arguing and we are all finding time to sit down and read loads together.  

What a difference not having loads of responsibilities like work, after school clubs, housework, DIY etc .... I actually can spend time with my children and ensure they are charging ahead with their education out here in Bermuda.  This in itself is worth us all making the drastic decision to come out to this beautiful island.  It has completely changed the quality of our life and we are also doing it at a much slower pace - well, maybe not Neil!

31.01.17

On our patio area we have a resident lizard that sunbathes on our fence ... he's very chilled 

01.02.17

Chilled afternoon .... Art after school 😊

03.02.17

That's it ... my fringe is too long.  So I had to cut it myself!

04.02.17

Everyone got together to celebrate Harry's 1st Birthday in the cottage.  The children had a great time playing and Patrick face painted some of their faces.  Harry had such a great time and loved being centre of attention.

Signing off on Week Twelve
love The Wise Old Owls xxxx

Week Eleven

This week is even more uneventful than last!

So the excitement of my week was to do a big food shop and cook up a load of meals for the freezer for the next couple of weeks.

Fun in the sun??  More like the rain and wind!

Reality has well and truly kicked in and we are living a very normal life (well, as normal as it can be living in a hotel) .... the only advantage is I'M NOT ALLOWED TO WORK
👍👌💓😆😏

Neil is working very long hours and coming home from the Rib home soaked through to the skin. Even though he's wearing his wet weather gear!  Secretly I think he enjoys the journey back as I know the Rib drivers go a little faster than they should, just so that they can get everyone back as quickly as possible.

love The Wise Old Owls xxxx

Week Ten

The weather is really changing now and it's becoming quite chilly.  School is in full swing and the children are really enjoying themselves.

It's been a quiet week and we didn't get out and about much - so not many photos I'm afraid (or should I say you'll be pleased to hear!)

19.01.17

Kim's birthday week and what better way than to celebrate with Cake and Bubbles - Wine Wednesday became her birthday celebrations.  

Typical to form and the last two standing time got the better of us.  We stayed in the cottage as there was an electric thunderstorm and we were too 'scared' to leave after witnessing a bolt of lightning hit the water .... and also to make a dash back across the forecourt back to our rooms.  Well at 2.50am all we found were these two flannels to protect us ... not sure they were going to be much use!!  We made a dash for it and screamed all the way back 🙀

22.01.17

Yeah ... the sun has made an appearance and we all made a mad dash down to the Beach club for some Sandcastle fun ......

Here's hoping to some more sunshine next week!

love The Wise Old Owls xxxx

Week Nine - 2 Months

Now reality has hit.  The children have started their first full week of school and the HOLIDAY is over.

10.01.17

After school we went to visit the Gombey Dancers and learn all about their history and why they became Bermuda's traditional dancers.  The dancers costumes are very colourful and the music is really upbeat.

The guest speaker was very informative and explained each member of the troupe.  She then explained how the costumes were put together and why the masks are worn.  The instruments that are played by the band and then the story behind the actual dances.

"Bermuda Gombey dance is a mixture of British, West African and indigenous new-world cultures. Gombey is quite similar to the dance traditions like Bahamian Goombay. It actually refers to a specific type of drums of African origin. Some also relate Gombay to a Bantu word standing for "rhythm".  Gombey dance is also quite similar to Mummers that are a kind of seasonal folk play performed by troupes of actors during Afro-Caribbean styles of celebrations. During the Slavery period in Bermuda, Afro-Caribbeans who were slaves in the island introduced many Caribbean traditions that influenced Bermuda's version of Gombeys.

Today the snare drum generally used in pairs are part of the modern Bermudian Gombeys in addition to kettle drums and fife.  Usually male dancers perform Gombeys in groups of 10-30 in masquerade costumes with bright colours and odd angles.  The costume designs often reflect the plumage of tropical birds.  The energetic dance gradually picks up and grows faster with time and becomes a great spectacle.

While Gombey is now an integral part of folk art traditions of Bermuda, it was not accepted in the society in the earlier days the way it is today. After the slave revolt in 1761, there was in fact a legislature made in Bermuda banning Gombey. 

The authorities feared that some could easily hide their faces behind the colorful masks and commit crimes. Such restrictions continued until mid 1800s. However, over time people understood the depth and richness of the art and slowly started to accept it. Today Gombey performers represent the island and even perform overseas. 

In the island, the tradition of Gombey dance has been passed on through generations through personal coaching. The captain of each troupe decides the style of Gombey that the troupe would specialize in. Although all troupes look somewhat similar, if you watch carefully, you can see the subtle differences in beats, dances, costumes etc where they differentiate each other. Some of the elements to look for in a Gombey performance are cockfight, snake dance, freedom dance, fast & slow dance etc.

"The Gombeys are fast, powerful, fun and full of energy.  The troupes can be from any age range and one of the youngest dancers that we watched was only 3!  I adore them and cannot wait to see them again!

11.01.17

To be able to make the school work each of the Mummy's have been asked to volunteer one day a week or when ever they are needed.  So today (as I am now volunteering on Wednesday's) is my first day in school.

Patrick and Eleanor are loving that they have their Mum in school one day a week.  I'm secretly enjoying being with them too - it means that I am able to see how they work and how much they are progressing.

I think that this opportunity of just 5 in a class is going to be immense.  They will be totally exposed and will have to work really hard and I expect they will achieve great levels :-)

So this is the end of Week 9

lots of love The Wise Old Owls xxxx

Week Eight

As we now go in to the last couple of days of freedom before school starts we are making the most of our 'holiday' time.

03.01.17

Patrick and Eleanor are making the most of our Pool ....

I on the other hand am making the most of the last few days of my 'holiday' .... before the routine of school starts .... I'm loving the fact that I can actually read a book, a first since I've had children!  I'm also loving that I can have a sneaky G&T whilst watching the sun set :-)

Eleanor hanging out waiting for Daddy to come home

05.01.17

So this is Patrick and Eleanor's first day at school and this is the path from our block to the cottage where school is - in fact it's seconds away so they can even walk safely on their own. They were super excited to get started which is always good news for me.

This is the school cottage where they will spend the next 6 months .... their uniform is red polo shirts (with Land Rover BAR on the back) and navy shorts/skirts.  In total we have two classrooms and 5 children in each class for infant and junior ages.

06.01.17

Two days of school and all the children get the opportunity to swim together - what a fantastic way to finish week 1 of school (even though it was just two days!)

07.01.17

Sunny day = Beach day at our private beach club.  So we get to spend the day with lots of friends and Eleanor gets to look after Arthur. Kirsty and Arthur having fun on the swing.  Then Eleanor & Arthur played being pirates.

08.01.17

Neil's day off and it's raining!  So Games it is then .....

A rather quite week so only a few photos.  We haven't ventured very far from the hotel this week as decided we should just chill out before school started.  With Neil now back at work after his fabulous Christmas week where we were spoilt with family time we are now not sure when Neil will get time off.  He is super busy at work with a list of jobs a mile long.  

So life is now changing from holiday mode to normal routine and school life will change this dramatically - I think it might be a shock to the system for the children as they've had half a term off school!  It's all good though :-)

Signing off for Week 8

love The Wise Old Owls xxxx 

Week Seven

So Christmas Day is over and the hangovers have set in.  What an amazing day everyone had.  The food was fantastic, the booze was free flowing and there was lots of laughter all day. It was just lovely sharing a very special day with our BAR Family.

26.12.16

Boxing Day, and what better way to spend it by going for a walk and blowing out the cobwebs. Again we were joined by the Lashley Family and we went to explore Admiralty Park and Spanish Point.  On our way we found a Bermudian House decorated very elaborately for Christmas.  It has to be the one house on the island that has the most decs!

Patrick was happy walking up as he was Pokemon hunting  ..... he caught a Peekachoo!

The walk down to Admiralty Park was pretty nerve racking as we had to be really careful walking along the roads and bends as some of the cars weren't sticking to the speed limit of the island which is supposed to be 21mph (35kph)!  They don't seem to believe in paths ... so Neil was up front and Kevin was ensuring we were safe at the back.

Once at Admiralty Park it was stunning but very windy.

Whilst on Clarence Cove Eleanor managed to take some beautiful Selfies .....

As it was so windy and not a beach day it was just better to keep on walking down to Spanish Point and take in the views.

 

This is our second visit to Spanish Point and it wasn't quite as windy as last time.

Spotted this road on the way home .... 

So after a full on day of walking The Wise's and the Lashley's took on the traditional playing of games on Boxing Day - Cluedo & Charades.  It was just like being back at home!

We even got to enjoy some birthday cake c/o Nate whose birthday was yesterday.

27.12.16

We're packing in as much as possible whilst Neil is off work this week - the Wise's and Lashley's set off to the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI).  There was lots of information of all the old ship wrecks around the island and lots of items that had been retrieved from the sea.  It was a really interesting place to have a look around and learn about the ocean, marine life and they also have a large shell and coin collection.  There is also a new interactive America's Cup exhibit where we tried the grinding machine and had a go on the interactive goggles - it was virtual reality of actually being on one of the boats.

My deep sea divers ...

Never too old for a Merry-go-round ride .....

28.12.16

Today we travelled up to Somerset Bridge to walk the first part of the Railway Trail.  Our starting point was to the smallest draw bridge in the world where only the smallest of boats with a small mast can fit through.

 Somerset Bridge

 These concrete platforms used to support the rail tracks

Leading up through the trees we were off on our adventure ....

Family of four having fun ....

What a gem.  We found a sign post up to Fort Scaur and the views were amazing (more photos and information of the Fort will be in a separate post for the 'Railway Trail')

As we were walking up through Somerset towards Dockyard we finished at the end of the Railway Trail.

We then explored the top of Somerset and went to Somerset Long Bay where we had a paddle and the children could play in the park.

Patrick found what looked like a Centipede and took these amazing photos ...

The beach was deserted and amazing ....

After a bus trip home we witnessed an amazing sunset whilst enjoying a glass of vino .....

29.12.16

Last night's pink sky at night meant that it was a nice sunny day today.  So what better way to spend the day than a group of us going down to Admiralty Park and spending the day in Clarence Cove.  Paddle boards and snorkels at the ready ....

 Neil snorkelling & Patrick paddle boarding (braver than Mummy!)

 Clarence Cove (within Admiralty Park)

 Patrick & Neil found a tunnel but had to lie down to get through

Neil swimming after a couple of Puffer Fish

 Patrick is off with Ben, Kevin & Moss for a bit of fishing

   Ben & Kevin about to jump off the cliff - preparing with wet suits and seeing how deep it is below

Neil jumped off .... whilst he climbed back up the rock face the rock gave way in his hands and he landed on rocks and cut his foot open - look away if you're squeamish!!

So back home and to reality that, yes we do live in a hotel room and yep things go wrong too! Just to show you that there's no escaping maintenance - the bathroom sink blocked up! The children's bathroom is being utilised as my kitchen sink area and it is where I have to wash up the dishes.

It's a bit like posh camping being in the hotel and I wanted to give everyone an insight in to how we are living.  So the photo below is one half of my kitchen.  I can cook in the microwave and it's where we are storing the crockery, cutlery and glasses.

This is the children's bedroom that they are sharing. Thankfully they are used to sharing so most of the time they get on really well.

Our bedroom

The other half of my kitchen which is in our room where we have the tea and coffee facilities.  It's also the space I have to prepare meals and the children's pack lunches.

01.01.17

Happy New Year to everyone .... Nothing was open so we decided to take a walk around a very deserted Hamilton.  In fact it was very spooky not seeing anyone about.  We did discover the Masonic Lodge Hall (this photo is for Dad)

On our walk we discovered these steps which had some beautiful poems on them ....

Scarily we are now in 2017.  We have been in Bermuda a month and a half and it has whizzed by.  So I'll sign off for Week 7 and rejoin you on our adventures in Week 8.

love The Wise Old Owls xxxx