15.04.07
as we approach our 8th month living in our new home away from home, i have stayed in touch with friends who have often been curious about how things are, down in this small, tropical country. sometimes the questions are unique. there are also some interesting topics which come up on a more regular basis. so i thought i would post my first set of FAQ's for anyone. i know that 8.5 months ago i would have said "i did not know that" to many of these questions. these don't come in an specific order. just sit back, prepare to be enlightened & enjoy...

where exactly is antigua & how big is it ?
antigua is one of the caribbean's most easterly islands; closest to the atlantic ocean. it is south & east of jamaica, cuba & puerto rico. antigua is not a large island. mountains reside in the south; a few in the most northern tip. its the size of the GTA. slap a strip of the 401 from top to bottom and you'd traverse in 15 minutes. but there is no 401 (thank god), so such a drive is about 45 minutes of winding, scenic & rugged roads. the population is... well, it really depends on who you ask. best estimates have it ranging from 65,000 to 90,000. for more information, this link should serve you...

what's with the goat ?
barber is still on the scene & doing well. he's grown up a lot (think: taller than a german sheppard in 5 months), including acquiring a respectable set of horns. due to his relentless quest for luscious vegetation (including our plant nursery) & his urge to play a bit rough, he now stays on a long chain which is moved to new edible foliage a couple times a day. not only does he like to head-butt you where you stand, but has become skillful at hooking you (ouch!) with his 6 inch horns. barber is an endless source of fascination since he is not like any pet i've ever owned. not too bright, he'll never know his name. he loves to get into everything & still wants to sit in my lap, knobby knees & all. barber has taught me that i don't like goat meat any more.

how's the weather, anyhow ?
the weather doesn't change much. bearable heat by day (but stay out of the direct sun) & nights that cool off enough to make you slip under a summer sheet, at least partly. the summer does get hotter. it rains almost every day but its not as bad as you think. 100% chance of rain today = sunny skies interrupted by a sudden 10 minute downpour. rarely overcast. rarely drizzly rain. in the middle of the night you'll briefly be awakened by the roaring sheet metal roof. when you awaken the cistern (a major your source of tap water) will be up a 100 gallons.
a/c? don't use it. sweat much? get used to it. thank goodness it is constantly breezy.

what about hurricanes ?
hurricane season is june 1st to december 1st; peaking early september. because antigua is a leeward island most hurricanes pick up most of their steam after they pass. but antigua still gets hit. don't worry, i'll keep you posted it happens.
so far, we've experienced a couple very serious rainstorms, complete with flash flooding. the marvel with these storms is they can be so localized, you could be standing on a corner having a conversation with someone and only one of you may get soaked.

what language do folks speak in antigua ?
english of course. ummm... then again, it depends on who you speak with. scratch that, it depends on how an antiguan is speaking to you. technically it is english. some call it a patois, not unlike jamaican slang but it is different. lois has a cousin who speaks such that i can understand him. then he turns to his friends & well... let's just say i'm hearing charlie brown's teacher.
one gentleman i've known since i arrived. i talk to him almost every day. great guy. when he speaks i do a lot of nodding. actually, he must think i'm dumb, sometimes. no doubt he is asking me questions, and like a bobble-head i'm smiling & nodding when i don't have a fricken clue what he just said. i've told him i have a hearing problem (i sorta do) we both pretend. he's good enough to repeat himself a couple times & we're good.

how's the house hunt ?
good question. we're still at the father-in-law's pad. we've put offers on 2 homes which came to nothing. we still on the hunt. let's just say it brings me pain to write about it. and i'd like to dedicate a full blog on the subject, so stay tuned.

getting any work down there ?
i haven't really started marketing myself. just beginning with the wedding photography. until i have the space to set up all the workstations & put begin building the antiguan creative collective, i've got all i can handle. antiguans seem to be very... thrifty... there is lots to do, but word-of-mouth is the most effective form of marketing. as the island's economy grows (which it is doing right now), more corporate communications is needed. the fruit hangs low. one just needs to know how to pick it.

rob, are you the only white guy in antigua ?
heavens-to-betsy no. for starters, its a former british colony, so there are plenty of brits kicking around. i must admit, there are specific areas such as english harbour, hodges bay & jolly harbour where caucasian-types tend to congregate. we live in cassada gardens which puts me in the minority. but there are a few folk of the lighter variety. a mixed couple live just a few doors down. they are from joisey (new jersey). its not like i've ever felt unwelcome (read further)...

how are the local antiguans taking having a hoser from the great white north in their 'hood ?
frankly, i didn't anticipate such a welcome. if i am out in the yard, 4 outta 5 passers-by will either honk, wave or both. and i can safely say more than a couple complete strangers have stopped & struck up conversations with me. there's a small mob of teens & tweens out and about. they slide by regularly to get a glass of water, use a tool to fix a bike, or just hang out & talk it up. a more polite bunch of kids i have never met. 'please', 'thank you', teenage boys will keep an eye on che while he entertains them with his latest dance moves & i go inside to complete some chores. should we move from the neighbourhood, we are really going to miss the neighbours. but it seems the friendliness is everywhere.
i'd like to add that following... you know when you go on vacation and everyone is relaxed, and you say 'hi' to everyone and they say 'hi' back. but when the vacation ends, its back to people staring at the subway floor in complete silence. well, the people back at your vacation spot are still saying 'hi' to each other; still letting each other into traffic; still having conversations with complete strangers. its really nice.

how are ché & willow adjusting ?
ché is doing amazingly well. he attends an excellent pre-school which has him learning to read & making friends. his best friend Pia, carpools with him every day. he has met many young 'uns his age & enjoys the older kids from the neighbourhood. he loves the beach outings & family visits.
willow aka willow-bee aka willy probably gets too much attention from her doting parents. at 9 months she is almost standing, has 6 teeth & is into solid foods. she also loves the beach, arnie & puppy. and as long as she is attended to, is the happiest baby on the planet.
that said, both kiddles miss their fam's in canada & look forward to our thanks giving trek, north.

are you getting much of a tan ?
ché has become somewhere between bronze & golden brown. lois slathers him up every day with 45 sunblock & he wears a hat & shirt all the time. he wears a little wetsuit at the beach, but still he is 3 notches darker than before he left.
willow has managed to have darker arms than tummy, but she is slathered, covered & umbrella'd almost all the time.
lois is covering up after discovering a few freckles on her nose that weren't there before.
rob... well, i'm not that fish belly white i used to be. you know, the tan one gets from sitting in front of computer monitors 14 hrs a day. i have only gotten severely burnt once. it happened in an hour or so. i had already developed a darkness, but the red came out, followed by water blisters, followed by lots of peeling. ouch!

is there much to do down there, recreationally?
i suppose that depends on what floats one's boat.
after my last visit to canada; showing a couple home movies of us at the beach, i was asked if i was bored. i thought about it the next time i was at the beach with family. i guess i could say i am as bored of the beach as i am of my own children who adore being at the beach (which we do every couple weeks).
otherwise, there are family visits, friends unexpectedly dropping by (which is quite pleasant when one isn't crushed for time like we always seemed to be in canada), sunday drives, restaurants, our endless fascination with our horticulture & time at home together. every day slides by quickly. they grow up so fast... and we're there to enjoy every moment. we spend a lot of time doing educational games & reading with willow & ché; which they love.
AND. whenever we want, there are night clubs, fishing, photography, shooting video, online activities for us adults. lois & i have made new friends as well. as much as we can get out, there are folks who are ready, willing & able to show us a great time.
things we don't do: go shopping (for more than food), endure 2+ hour boring highway trips, watch TV (we opted out of cable)...
we plan to travel to the other islands, but so far we are enjoying the adventure here.

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