| Well, religious
‘though the Irish purport to be, I couldn’t really see that happening in
the GPO “back home”... unless, maybe the nuns...
Real Estate
\ Renting
To rent an
apartment in Bermuda, you’ll be looking at paying at least $900 approximately,
and upwards per month for a studio; from about $1,000 and upwards per month
for a house share; and $1,500-$2,000 and upwards per month for a one-bed.
As with most things in Bermuda, apartment-hunting is most successful if
progressed by word of mouth, so, with a little good luck, and quite a few
friends, it is actually possible to find somewhere “reasonable” and relatively
central. To buy property in Bermuda, you need to at least have in the region
of $400,000 and upwards.
Immigration
and Initial Start-up
If you’re coming
to work in Bermuda, be prepared for a long haul as regards paperwork.
I needed references (including one from my local police station) and education
\ training records going back years and years; obviously, the Immigration
papers themselves; and a Medical, including a full-sized x-ray.
The cost for
me was $253 (+ the $253 to be paid by the agency I was coming over here
through), then the cost of my Medical, x-ray and sending by courier to
Bermuda, together with flight from Dublin (IR£700), all told, about
IR£1,000. The initial application \ Immigration process
\ work permit approval took about three to four months to complete). You
also need to take plenty of money with you, alternatively, a few credit
cards – probably both would be more appropriate.
Secretaries
over here all get paid the same rate until you get a permanent position,
so there are no delusions of grandeur as regards who gets what pay initially
(not really accustomed to discussing my earnings so openly with practically
everyone I meet but that’s what happens here!). We also get no holiday
entitlement for six months. Bit of a shock to me, as the average holiday
allowance in Europe is 4-6 weeks annually. The agency sets you up
to stay with a “host family \ landlady” initially, until you find your
feet. Once you get over the somewhat demoralising realisation that
your whole life is now 100% completely out of your control, it’s time to
get with the programme and get on with things...
Cost of
Living
Well, Bermuda
is the singularly most expensive place I have ever been to. Everyone
told me this before I came here but I still wasn’t quite prepared for my
first day’s grocery shopping, when a few items (which would cost about
Stg£20 in the UK) amounted to $46 – still recovering from the
shock of that particular jaunt.
Dress Code
Dress code
in Bermuda generally is more formal than I had expected. Beginning
to see more and more of those Bermuda shorts about now – nice for us gals
to be able to have a look at some (not bad!) gams for a change... suppose
I shouldn’t say that really as next I’ll be accused of being sexist.. ah
well...
Banking
I had gotten
my bank account set up about six weeks prior to my arrival in Bermuda.
I’d had the documents prepared and sent over so that I only had to pick
up my chequebook and card – otherwise, I’m told it’s an arduous process
to get it done in Bermuda. There are quite a few ATMs and most places
accept major credit cards anyway.
Industry
Main industries
in Bermuda - Finance \ Insurance \ Accountancy \ Law firms \ e-Commerce.
Some Oil \ Telecommunications.
Internet
There are two
Internet computers in the local library, usage on both is free (one can
be used for half an hour, the other for fifteen minutes). Alternatively,
there are a couple of other Internet Cafes, one of which charges $5 per
half hour, haven’t tried the other.
Beaches
Have so far
been to Shelly Bay Beach and Elbow Beach. The first day that I stood
on Elbow Beach, it actually took my breath away. It is stunning and
I can’t really think of another word that best describes the beaches here.
The beaches are unspoiled, pretty and uncommercialised but non too comfy
in 85º heat, as there is no shade (unless you take your own with you).
On the larger beaches, you can hire umbrellas for about $6; chairs $6 and
long chairs for $8. I haven’t quite reached the “bronzed goddess”
look just yet – big red tomato would be closer to the truth - but
I am trying very hard. As a matter of fact, think I overdid it today
and am extremely sore just now... I’ll never learn.
I’m told
there are private beaches here that cost about $10,000 per annum to be
a member (where do I sign?), and even then, you’re not guaranteed “acceptance”
– other members must refer you.
One day, I
walked to the beach, which took me about 45 minutes. I met two girls
who were talking by a wall and I asked them for directions. They
told me I had about another twenty-minute walk ahead of me but one of them
then offered to take me to the beach on her scooter, while the other one
lent me her helmet. Taking my life in my hands, on I hopped.
Sweet.
Climate:
Am being warned
of humidity – can reach 90º. It has been quite sunny and hot,
although, changeable, while I’ve been here. For about one week, we
had really bad storms, thunder and lightening. At the end of the
day, waiting at the bus stop in the rain, is still waiting at the bus stop
in the rain, no matter what country you’re in (albeit in prettier surroundings).
Like I say, if I can get used to the weather in Ireland, I can get used
to anything...
Insects
Won’t go into
this in too much detail as it kind of feels like I’d be tempting fate a
bit, but have come across thus far (noisy crickets and frogs aside), one
enormous spider’s web – minus the spider mind you and as his web is just
outside my bedroom, I have more than a passing interest in his whereabouts...
Also - little lizards, which I was psyching myself up for getting accustomed
to until I was told that they can jump, and a friend of mine had two of
them jump onto her, one into her hair (!). Then there are the cockroaches...
I can’t actually go on now on this topic because my heart rate has just
tripled and I’m freaking myself out a bit... Boy, there are some ugly critters
in this world (see now, my friends would have expected me into put that
sentence in the Social Life category...).
Medical
Trust me on
this but you really should have medical insurance before coming to Bermuda
(or going anywhere for that matter, I guess). I had sunburned my
eyelids (long story) on one of my first days here – I went to the doctor’s
and was prescribed some eye drops ($19) and am eagerly awaiting his invoice...
My two options
for Medical Insurance are Hip or Major. The Hip Insurance is a very
basic insurance and costs $14.25 per week. The Major Insurance offers
more extensive coverage, includes dental and costs $25.50 per week.
Restaurants
Lots of international
cuisine in Hamilton – Chinese; English; French; German; Irish; Italian;
Mexican; Portuguese; Thai; West Indian; and of course local seafood restaurants.
You are, for the most part, expected to dress up a little bit – ie, no
trainers; shorts; t-shirts.
Shopping
Plenty of souvenir
shops, where almost everything has “BERMUDA” emblazoned across it. Shoes?
Not a great deal for below $60. There are some European stores –
Benetton and Stefanel and some English – Marks & Spencers.
Social Life
Am beginning
to tap into the ex-pat community now, so things are getting a little easier.
I did feel quite isolated initially. Quite often, I meet friends
in Flanagan’s (a local Irish bar \ restaurant, and extremely popular).
Flanagan’s looks out over Hamilton Harbor and serves excellent food, so
I’m told. I can’t vouch for the food just yet, but the beer was spot
on (was thankful they served my tipple – a German beer). The bar
staff are very sweet and skilled and the service is prompt. Was quite
surprised by the numbers of strangers who offer to buy us drinks via the
bartender... don’t tend to get that in London or Dublin (must be my tan...).
We now frequent
a few other places where the ex-pats hang out and generally have a pretty
good time of it. There are a couple of places with live music, which
is really good fun. The ex-pats themselves tend to be American;
Canadian; English; Irish; and Scottish.
My friends
pick me up on Sundays now and about six of us take off to the beach to
play volleyball. Rather, they play volleyball and I read or listen
to music – not that I can’t play, I’m actually quite good but still a little
bit shell-shocked and spend quite a lot of time just gazing at the colour
of the sea...
The summer
“booze cruises” are starting now – they’re self-explanatory I should hope.
Basically, a ferry ride around the island for a couple of hours and
people eat, drink and be merry... We went down to the Harbour
last Friday to try one for the first time but unfortunately, the “music”
was heavy Techno. Not sure that we would have lasted two hours of
listening to (suffering through) that, so we gave it a miss this time.
Must be gettin’ old...
I do notice
the passage of time in Bermuda. I can do about 20 things, then I’ll look
at watch, and only five minutes will have gone by.
Tourist
Attractions
Beaches
Botanical
Gardens
Dockyard Glassworks
Golf and Miniature
Golf
Harbour Nights
(Artists; Buskers; Dancing; Horse & Carriage; Kids’ Attractions)
Mini Cruises
(including shipwrecks)
Museums
Ocean Discovery
Centre
Paget Nature
Reserve
Parks
Royal Naval
Dockyard
St George’s
Town
The Bermuda
Perfumery Gardens
Water Sports
Transportation
For me, I’ll
be bussing it for a while, which is no great hardship as the bus stop is
not far from where I live and, intrepid explorer that I am, I have a seriously,
chronically bad sense of direction, so, I’m far safer, for the moment,
on the bus rather than on the other alternative – the scooter (having
gotten lost on at least five occasions just coming home from work, someone
asked me how I would find my way around if I got a scooter. My idea
actually was that I would just follow the masses).
The local buses
are pink with air conditioning and have panoramic views. The bus
drivers in Bermuda are quite helpful and friendly. Also, people on
the bus are very polite and will turn to each other and say Good Morning
and smile (in big cities, it would more likely be “Good Morning”, smile,
“Wallet”). Friendliness, like unfriendliness, I guess, takes a
little getting used to! The bus stops themselves are nothing to write
home about – shelters with no seats typically, or just a blue or pink pole
by the side of the road (pink means the bus is going toward Hamilton, blue
means the bus is going away from Hamilton). What would happen
if you were colour blind??
Most people
‘though travel on scooters, these will cost about $55 per day to rent.
The other alternative is to buy one, which would cost anything from $700
upwards. You also need to take a test and have a medical done for
that.
There’s
also the ferries, which are reliable and are a picturesque method of transport
around the island.
Taxis are relatively
expensive – no surprise there, but the taxi drivers that I’ve come across,
like the bus drivers, have been helpful and friendly (one of them offered
to introduce me to the local brew – the “Dark and Stormy” – lovely ‘though
that sounded (!), I declined). I actually, probably will try the
“Dark and Stormy” on one occasion at least, but might just be safer to
have my friends around me when I do so (actually, now that I think about
it, not sure my friends would be the best advisers on alcohol...).
One taxi driver
took me home one night and when I said I would walk up the lane to the
house I was staying at, he said “uh uh, no ma’am – I take you to your door”,
even though it was difficult for him to get the car there. Sweet.
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