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house hunting has begun.
and what an interesting experience this is shaping up to be.
since people don't move around much, the few realtors on the island are only knowledgeable with the expensive properties bought & sold by brits, arabs & north americans.
since i am trying to avoid moving into a subdivision, surrounded by wealthy non-islanders, i am seen as a bit of a freakshow. i really like the neigbourhood i live in. the houses are nice. the people (although i've only met a few) seem polite, hard working & decent. the hills & valley are LUSH with no CACTUS. there are goats, horses, dogs, bids, frogs & lizards. (i'm still looking for a live specimen of tarantula. yep, they are very low-key, but they're here. i find them squished on the roads).
i was shown a nice place in an 'emerging neighbourhood'. indeed, the homes are big, attractive & expensive. but lots are small. there are no trees. it's a sub-division in a flat field. i suppose if i plant plenty of trees, in 20 years, it'll be a nice place... for the person i sell it to. to go this route would guarantee me good return on my investment. arghhh!! i am not here to find an investment property. if i wanted that, i would have bought north of orangeville ontario. i appreciate wanting to be able to sell, when the time comes, & profit but...
i may build. i have the builder. there are a good number of properties. i am in no hurry. then i can customize our home.

grant nordoff, my good friend, is presently researching a company in canada that has had a recent breakthrough with solar panels. the antiguan govt is setting its sights on solar energy. me & my new (or retro-fitted) home may just be the connection between the two. due to the voracity of tropical storms, the electrical infrastructure isn't 100%. most homes have a gas generator for temporary outages. but they are smelly, expensive & sit idle 90% of the time.
i foresee a revolution in solar energy. it is silent & can contribute to powering one's household every day. while the numbers aren't all in yet, the investment could well pay for itself in just a few years. with the price of electricty being at least double what it is in canada, canadians could pay close attention to this energy resource that can even generate power at night.

the photos on the right are as follows:
- st john's policeman.
- blackboy (aka blackie), antigua's best home builder & master of working with concrete.
- barbuda land turtle. (pet of zachary's)
- a common thorn bush; a foe of anyone running along the road, since they grow out at face height. (i pulled a couple out of the bottom of my runners: 1/2 inch + & totally intact.)

finally, i would like you to meet a friendly, neighbour who introduced himself to me with polite words & big handshake. he drops by almost daily, asks me 20 questions, asks for a drink, a chat & moves along to hang with the neighbourhood munchkins. he's a charming young man who has been something of the neighbourhood welcoming committee.
i figured i would introduce him to you. he & his friends don't watch much TV. he's never sat in front of a computer. but since he is only 6 & going into grade 2, it doesn't seem like he's been deprived. he's very bright little boy & there will be plenty of time for technology, later..
meet sinclair:
Q: what's your favourite pass-time? A: riding horses. riding PICKLE (horse's name)
Q: where do you live? A: that blue n white house, cassada gdns. (no street name or #'s here)
Q: any siblings? A: 2 brothers, 4 (or 5) sisters. i don't live with them.
Q: what's your favourite school subject? A: math.
Q: do you have a pet? A: my cat DAILY.
Q: favourite kind of music? A: i like TWINKLE, TWINKLE LITTLE STAR.
Q: were you born here in antigua? A: i was born in canada & left as a baby.
Q: who's your best friend? A: i have 2: shaquille & BJ.
Q: what do you hate the most? A: mosquitoes & ants. (the scars on his legs are brutal).
Q: what's your favourite food? A: chicken & chips. KFC, oh & macaroni & cheese.
Q: where is your favourite place to go? A: restaurants in town.
Q: may i put you on the internet? A: what is the internet?

that's all for this installment. will we find our dream home? will i meet any more antiguans besides sinclar? will antigua embrace this crazy snowflake? to find out, check back soon...