Driving Backwards....

   HOLA! (I was going to say hello in French but Im not sure what the correct spelling was and

      I know my "personal editors" would have something to say about it, so Im sticking to an safe greeting)

FACT OF THE DAY: Did you know that when there is a hurricane forecasted that the ENTIRE Island

          gets a curfew and goes on Lockdown. If the storm is scheduled to hit at 3:00, by 2:00 everyone   

          must be indoors (whether in their homes or some place of business that is a "shelter") and if they 

         are caught on the street they could be "arrested" (not really but harassed and forced inside).

            (I know that was in a question form but it wasn't really a question which is why I didn't put

                  a question mark at the end. Its just a fact.)

   OK.. so one thing that I've learned which is VERY different here is the driving situation. The Caymen Islands are a Brittish colony (even though they pretty much govern themselves) so they drive on the "wrong" side (other side..don't get offended) of the road.

  We walk to and home from work everyday and I am always looking the wrong way before I cross and have decided that Im either going to get hit by a car here...or...if I can finally figure it out..Ill get hit by one back in the states. Even deciding on which side of the road I SHOULD be walking on is confusing..do I walk on the the side that I THINK the car is going to be coming from my back, or on the side that I THINK the car is going to be coming at me.  Very hard to figure out.

  

  Another thing that is really different are all of the signs.

  GIVE WAY? That seems very demanding..and give what? A milling dollars? Is it supposed to say Give Away? And who am I giving it to? Just Kidding,  this is obviously their version of our Yield sign. (But I think ours makes more sense.)  Also: their speed limit signs are about 3 1/2 feet off the ground and are little red and white circles with black writing, and there are sings that say "LEFT turn after full stop" (instead of RIGHT turn after full stop...in case you didn't understand the weirdness of it..[is weirdness a word?]) 

       Now there are MANY cars here that you would also find in the states, Mercedes, BMW's and Honda CRV's for instance (SHOUT OUT to my car at home) and then I saw the .......

  Everyone here suggests taking the bus...Its only 2$ CI (Caymen Island dollars) [SIDE NOTE: the CI dollar is equivalent to 1.25 US...so I came here broke but will come back rich (hopefully)] and it goes pretty much everywhere and anywhere you want to go. We kept saying that we never saw a bus on our 15 minute walk to work and how could that be? Well if we knew what we were looking for then we would have realized that we HAD seen the bus and it would have also explained why people we always honking at us..(apparently when they drive by you they honk and if you turn and look at them then they just stop and pick you up) I just thought I was sexy..but I guess not. What they should have said was "Do you guys take the VAN!!!"

    

  I had thought when I came here that I would never again have to see those silly "advertisement cars" You know the ones with the big "RedBull" cans on them or the "Geek Squad" VW bugs [Do I need to get permission or put one of those little trademark things on those? Because I don't know how so consider it done in theory] and I was partially right. I haven't seen even one of those, specifically, but that does not mean that they don't advertise on cars.....

  But they are WAY more interesting and 'classic' looking. Tortuga (Turtle) Rum is made on the island and comes in a whole bunch of varieties (none of which Im familiar with..sorry!) I guess if you have to advertise on a vehicle THIS is the way to do it!!

  SOOOO...totally off topic (Im done talking about driving/cars for now) I have a question to ask all of you. If our "resort" told us that we were NOT allowed to bring any pets into our room then WHY is it ok for them to let their "pets" it??

 

(An exact replica of the monster...I put myself in as a size reference)

     I refused to take a real picture of him...(the cockroach whose mom crossbred with a horse) because I am trying to pretend that it didn't really happen, but it did. HE was running across our wall at the speed of light, thank goodness Morgan was there to crunch him for me (UGHHH I HATE crunchy bugs). I am VERY upset about it and I sleep in a cocoon of sheets with one eye open. Spiders, ants, flys...I don't mind any of those...only bugs that CRUNCH or have a million legs...(My skin is actually crawling remembering it)

  Now onto something much less distressing. I saved the BEST for last. There has been an OFFICIAL ORANGE JULIUS SIGHTING!!!!!

   This is one of my FAVORITE childhood drinks, and you just cant get it in the states (well there used to be one in Albany but I don't know if its there anymore.) I haven't actually found the store that sells them yet, (YES i did take a pic of an empty cup next to a garbage can, and then blew it up EXTRA LARGE, don't judge me...or do... whatever ) I CANT WAIT to sip its juicy deliciousness...my friend and I tried to recreate the original recipe a few times but it just never came out right. Maybe hell come here and try the REAL DEAL!!! (and you bet your bottom [can I curse on here? Because I really like to say.."and you bet your ASS"] that Im going to do a WHOLE photoshoot when I get my hands on one. 

    Ok Thats it for now...oh Id like to end todays blog with a SHOUT OUT to ALL the "American" companies that I have already found here during my 6 days on the Island...

    Burger King, Dunkin Donuts, Texaco, Papa Johns, Pizza Hut, Lenscrafters, Esso (which is Exon/Mobile) KFC, Dominos, and last but not least....Starbucks (its actually not the "store" but they serve all Starbucks coffee.) [Again verbal trademarks in effect.]

   

   One Love (thats how the homies say goodbye.)