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If you have ½ a million dollars, you won’t need to read any further, just fly or boat over and deposit your cash into a business or purchase property and you SHOULD be “Good to Go”. (I was told this in 1993, but doubt it is as easy today) Actually, the Bahamian government has passed some strict banking laws during the month of December 2001. This was a major banking act to check on all major deposits to discourage money laundering or drug money entering the country. One better have documentation as to where your funds came from. If you have the proper documentation, you’re “Good to Go”. We traveled between Florida and New Providence, Bahamas from November of 2001 through February of 2002 four times to reach our point of debarkation from the United States to permanently live in the Bahamas. These trips attribute to a lot of the experiences mentioned. I started taking notes during this time and waited until I had lived here a full year before completing this book. Daily, I experienced something that needed to be added in the various chapters. For informational
purposes, Nassau is the capital of the island New Providence. The island
is made up of many communities all with specific names. People here are
referred to as from ”the specific community”, like towns. We finally ended
up living in a Beach House in Adelaide Village after almost two years in
Coral Harbour.
The Bahamian people have their own Lingo, far from the American slang I was used to. The first several months, I found myself constantly asking my wife, “What did he say, or what does that mean”? I have compiled a list of the common phrases or lingo to assist you while conversing with a Bahamian. Shopping for
groceries in the Bahamas is also a unique experience. The prices are high
and quite often the item you thought would be simple to acquire may take
several different stores to find. I have included a comparison list of
common items. Also included in this E-book is a collection of my favorite
Authentic Bahamian Recipes which were prepared by my new family members.
Get used to having to stand in line for up to an hour to pay your electric bill because your bank doesn’t have on-line bill pay yet. Get used to having to wait two to three hours to be served by a customer service representative at Batelco. Get used to driving down the road behind a large truck moving a piece of machinery traveling at 15 miles per hour, and there is no way to overtake the truck for 5 miles without jeopardizing all passengers in your vehicle. Get used to being a vehicle with signal lights and brake lights don’t work, be prepared to traverse off the road avoiding trees and shrubs for no apparent reason. Get used to having the customer service representative at Cable Bahamas telling you that you can have a premium channel added to your service if you purchase a cable box for $90.00. Then she will tell you they have none in stock. Get used to finding out your car needs an alternator for $560.00. Then call around and there isn’t one on the island to fit. Get used to flying to Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, or West Palm Beach to pick up your alternator for $220.00, and fly home to the Bahamas to have it installed. Get used to planning on a meal with a certain ingredient needed, then running all over the island in search of it. Only to find you spent $15.00 in fuel and it isn’t available today, anywhere. Get used to having wet feet right after it rains. The islands flood so severe because they never planned on drainage when building roads or housing developments. Get used to driving down a beautiful Oceanside road at high tide and having a wave crash across the roadway. Get used to mosquitoes and horseflies the size of Cessna’s. After living in the Bahamas for two and a half years, I now find that I would not return to the United States unless dragged there by my heels. Life in this turmoiled world is somehow more relaxed now. Visit my website
http://www.dillietree.net
,or for further questions, contact me at dreeve@coralwave.com
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