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A New Design

Greg Frucci — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 15:41:58 +0000

Image by greg frucci via Flickr

Oh Muse of Me…

I was just thinking about Bermuda architecture and how Peaceful it is…

You holding the Compass Rose for me and how that warms my soul…

the Bermuda Longtail and how he kept guiding me as if an Angel….

then it hit me as I glanced at my ring tattoo…

When you have a moment to breathe….

go look at the Compass Rose drawing you honor me by keeping safe…

go look at the Bermuda Longtail postcard I sent you from afar…

and think of my ring tattoo…

Some say the ring tattoo is a dragonfly…

some say the ring tattoo is a crop circle…

some say the ring tattoo is just a tattoo…

I see a beautiful, free spirit of a bird flying home…

I see the image of a Bermuda Longtail…

he was there all the time…

guiding…

beckoning me…

A new creation of architecture has been brewing for months now…

never quite finished in my mind…

something was missing…

I had to go to the indigo sea to find the missing piece…merely one of the pieces of a new life found…

The plan of the new creation was on me already…

The plan of the new creation was in me since my birth…

The plan of the new creation was in the sky as I sailed from this place…

a new home to be constructed…

A free form spirit without the boundaries of what is called normal…

A compass rose…a Bermuda Longtail…a tattoo…morphed and manifested into a new piece of Architecture…the house I shall design.

July 5, 2011…Wilmington, NC

A moment of inspiration… (coolchangeproductions.com)
The Bermuda Longtail…the unknown One… (coolchangeproductions.com)

A Battle

Greg Frucci — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 13:39:46 +0000

Yesterday…

I battled a monster at sea…

the wind roared…

the rain poured…

the waves pounded my little She…

The morning started different…

mellow…

the day ended the same…

mellow…yet…the day was opposing…

My battle ended as the night came…

tired, I ate and prepared to sleep…

upon my rest today…

sailing under a light wind as I dreamed…

I realize the battle of yesterday…

was a battle with me.

June 13, 2011…somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean

A Battle at Sea… (coolchangeproductions.com)
“…day Three to the East…” (a chapter from Part II: The Battle) (pathof300.com)
“…Sail to Three Hundred Degrees” (gregfrucci.com)

The Meaning of the poem:

“…day Three to the East…” (a chapter from Part II: The Battle)

by Greg Frucci

On the morning of the third day at sea, Petah awoke to a light rain with winds not uncomfortable. The simple sailor knew the day would be a challenge of sorts. What he did not know was the same thing his support team did not realize back in Masonboro…a violent storm was spinning up into something unforeseen ahead of him and he was about to sail into the storm’s center. As he had done the two nights before, Petah slept beside the wheel of his vessel in the cockpit while the autopilot was steering towards his destination. Even though the month of June in these latitudes was a hot one, the nights on the open ocean were chilly. This morning, the cold rain and winds woke him shivering even with the coat he wore during the night.

“This isn’t so bad…its just like Captain Secumptual said last night over the satellite phone…a little bit of rain with winds in the 20 knot range…I can easily handle this.”, Petah said out loud to himself.

Petah noticed he was starting to talk to himself frequently now. The days before, he mostly processed thought in his mind like most of us…now he was speaking with no one around. He began to laugh at himself hysterically.

“Well, I guess I have nobody to talk to except you Sailor Boy.”, looking into the direction of an imaginary crew member.

Petah spun around three hundred and sixty degrees, looking back toward an imaginary Self, “Your boat’s not made for this you idiot! You are stupid Petah!”

Petah began laughing even harder upon speaking the words. As the crazed sailor danced around the cockpit with the autopilot still engaged, a cresting wave crashed over the bow of the Little She soaking Petah. He stood for a moment in shock while attempting to gather his wits, then quickly scanned all directions around him to finally see the ocean becoming more intense. The rain was coming down harder now and the swells were getting larger seeming every moment. Petah furled in the storm jib to just a quarter of the sail out just as Secumptual had advised him to do in this situation. He already had two reefs in the main, but he felt the winds getting stronger by the second. Instead of lowering the mainsail while he had the chance, Petah lost his nerve for a moment deciding to call his team back in Masonboro on the satellite phone.

“Captain! Can you hear me?”, begged Petah.

He knew they picked up because he could barely hear someone on the other end talking, but he could not understand what they were saying.

“I can’t hear you…I can’t understand you! This feels a lot more intense than what we talked about last night…what should I do?”

Garbled transmission, yet he was still connected to someone.

He had called his mentor, Captain Secumptual. He could hear Petah and could feel the stressful fear in his voice far out to sea. Harker Lynn, the Dockmaster was there too as they both had been trying to contact Petah most of the night when it became clear the earlier weather forecasts had changed into a tightly formed Gale Storm. Petah’s friends back home were tracking the Little She as she was sailing dead center into the developing storm. The villagers and supporters could do nothing but watch what happened. Secumptual was yelling into the phone.

“Drop your sails, turn northeast and run the diesel for a few hours! You are sailing into the middle of a gale! Do you understand, Petah? You can miss the worst part of the storm if you turn the boat!”.

Secumptual and Harker could hear loud noises similar to what high winds create…moments later…nothing but silence. The satellite phone went dead, followed by heavy cursing from all around the Dockmaster’s office.

Petah heard nothing of what was being screamed at him over the phone, so he turned it off. He looked up into the thick clouds with pounding rain pouring onto his face and understanding why…satellite phones do not work very good unless the sky is clear.

“Improvise, adapt and overcome…stop being a weakling!”, Petah screamed the words of his Father into the wind-driven rain.

Placing the satellite phone away, the now calm sailor moved to drop the sails. He knew he would not be able to go forward and lash the dropped sail to the boom because the cresting seas were about ten feet now with some waves crashing over the bow, so he released the main halyard and let it drop freely. Only because the sailboat was pointed into the wind, the sail dropped neatly off to the side and nestled between the raised portion of the cabin and the safety lines. Petah hoped the sail would stay there as he powered through what he thought would be just a bad portion of the storm…but this was just the beginning. The battle with the sea this day would last another eighteen hours and into the night.

There exists nothing…

save, for this moment in Time…

Seeing only what is before me now…I go…

Present, is where I Am.

Allende Tennessee walked into the Dockmaster’s office just as the attempt to contact Petah had ended in frustration. He saw the boats position and direction with the storm overlay illustrating a potential disaster within a few hours. Allende felt the intensity of his friend three hundred miles to the east…far offshore in the open ocean. Allende remembered his words to Petah as he sailed away from Masonboro a few mornings ago, “Be strong and stay alive, my Brother…you know I have your back.” Many people said these things to Petah over the years, but only a few humans such as the villagers of Masonboro and a select few friends such as Allende would actually put into action their words spoken. Allende didn’t hesitate for a moment, pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed a number.

“Master Chief…a buddy of mine could use your help…do you have any ships between the coast of North Carolina and Bermuda?”, spoke Allende with the calm of a combat veteran.

“No Al, but I do have a C-130 on a training flight out of Elizabeth City to Bermuda…what’s your buddy’s position? I’ll have them divert and check him out.”

“Thanks Chief…I owe ya one. His vessel, a thirty foot single mast sailboat, is the Little She…the Skipper’s name is Petah.”

“Copy that. I’ll call you with an update as soon as we make contact with the Little She.”, the Master Chief paused for a moment and continued, “And you don’t owe me squat, Sergeant…except mabe some booze.”

The Atlantic Ocean had an eerie feel about it in Petah’s mind. The sailor had never in his life seen anything like this. For the past four hours, after the attempted conversation with his friends back in Masonboro, the seas had grown into violence. Petah attempted once to take his hands off the wheel to grab a can of Ravioli just a few feet away in a side pocket of the cockpit, but when he let go as the Little She climbed up the face of a twenty-foot wave, the boat veered off course, was hit by the breaking crest sideways and almost capsized. He didn’t let go again for several hours…even when he had to relieve himself…he just stood there steering the boat with no water and no food.

Petah said nothing except and occasional, “Shit!”, as the Little She and he would fall off the top of a huge wave into the trough below between swells…all the while, horizontal rain in his face. Petah was soaking wet and would stay that way for hours. He was freezing, hungry and tired, but he remained focused on his goal…making it to the other side of the storm alive. As he looked beyond his vessel, he saw the white water cresting of waves and the pounding rain similar to heavy thunderstorm rain hitting the surface of the water. Even with the forty knot plus winds, the sea had a slickness to its surface because of the heavy rain.

For several hours, the Little She headed into the wind and on-coming waves. Petah could not see anything beyond twenty feet or so in any direction due to the heavy rain. He felt blind. The boat would climb up the now twenty-two foot waves and become airborne as it crashed down the other side of these fast-moving waves. As the boat slammed down into the trough on the other side of the wave he climbed, the boat would vibrate with such force, Petah could feel the violence in his bones ending with the mast still vibrating as he began the climb to the top of the next wave. Petah began to wonder if he should turn his boat around and “run with the storm”.

“This is just a bad part of the storm…if I keep going forward to Bermuda, I will make it through to the other side of this small section…it must end soon!”, Petah said to himself.

The rain stopped suddenly. The wind lessened as the rain disappeared. The waves were still in the twenty-foot range, but the tired sailor felt his hands ease from the strong grasp he had on the helm. He focused on the distant rain wall in front of him…it was almost black. The time of day was almost noon. Petah looked in all directions around him…three hundred and sixty degrees and all he could see in the distance was a black rain wall.

Certain times in Our lives…

an Angel will appear…

from out of seemingly nowhere and out of a place unknown…there…

we See our salvation.

“Sailing Vessel Little She, Sailing Vessel Little She, this is Coast Guard C206, do you read me? Over.”, came a call over the VHF radio from inside the cabin of Petah’s vessel.

“What?”, Petah whispered silently to himself.

Petah looked up and saw a United States Coast Guard, Hercules C-130 aircraft heading straight for the Little She about two hundred feet above the surface of the violent Atlantic Ocean. He began to cry for a moment. To Petah, it was like seeing an Angel. Within the bizarreness of what was unknown to Petah, he saw something beautiful and it touched his Soul. He regained his composure quickly, picked up the hand-held VHF radio attached to the helm, turned it on and responded.

“Coast Guard C206, this is Sailing Vessel Little She…I read you loud and clear.”, stated Petah with the fake calmness he struggled to muster while looking skyward.

“Sailing Vessel Little She, this is Coast Guard C206…are you in distress…do you have engine power…do you need our assistance? Over.”

“Coast Guard C206, this is Sailing Vessel Little She, I have engine power, I am OK and I am considering turning around one hundred eighty degrees and running with the storm.”

“Sailing Vessel Little She, that would be a very wise decision, Sir. The storm is worse on the other side of the eye. Do you have an EPIRB on board? Over.”

At this point, Petah realized he had sailed into the eye of a very nasty tropical system. He was scared before and now he was terrified, yet he maintained his composure.

“Coast Guard C206, I am going to turn the boat around when I climb the next wave…and yes, I have an EPIRB on board and I know exactly where it is. Over.”

“Copy that, Skipper…we will stay on station with you…radio us after the maneuver. Coast Guard C206, out.”

Petah stopped following the circling aircraft with his eyes, put the radio back in its holster on the helm, grabbed the helm with both hands and let out a big sigh. This was a time to focus all of his energy to Self. Time seemed to stop as he remembered the words of Secumptual, “You’re a surfer, Petah…if you ever have to run with a storm…surf your boat down the face of a big wave as you would a surfboard…drop in, turn and go…it’s the same.” Petah was about to do something he had never done before. He was in the middle of a situation unlike anything he had ever experienced…everything was new, very real and it was all happening whether he wanted it to or not.

The Little She began to rise up an on-coming wave of twenty feet. With the bow pointed towards the sky, Petah could see the white and orange-colored C-130 flying low in front of him, yet his focus was on timing the turn of his boat at the top of the wave he was now on. As he had done many times before on the surfboards of his past, Petah felt his vessel of the Present begin to level off on the top of this wave. Without hesitation and with complete determination in his core, Petah turned the wheel as fast as he could to starboard. The Little She responded with grace as she turned quickly and began to descend down the face of the same wave. Petah brought the wheel back to center, felt the boat begin to gain speed straight down the wave and gave the wheel a little more to the starboard. He was surfing now at a slight angle down the wave. His comfort level with where he was in Time, began to rise. As the Little She approached the bottom of the wave into the trough, Petah felt the vibration of a boat which was now moving faster than it was designed to go. In the trough now, Petah straightened out the Little She, looked behind him and waited for the next wave to lift him skyward where he would repeat this process.

“Sailing Vessel Little She…nice manuver, Skipper. Over.”

Petah grabbed the handheld, “Coast Guard c-206…there’s a first time for everything, I suppose. I’m going to throw out a drogue to slow the boat…I just did twelve point four knots down that wave and my hull speed is only 10.”

“Sailing Vessel Little She…another wise decision, Sir…do you have access to weather information? Over.”

“Coast Guard c-206…negative, Sir…can you advise? Over.”

“Sailing Vessel Little She…we will fly around you for the next twenty minutes or so and we will be able to advise you on a heading in about fifteen minutes…keep your radio on…do you copy? Over.”

“Coast Guard C-206…thank you, Sir and I copy…Sailing Vessel Little She out.”

While an on-coming wave lifted his boat, Petah rigged a drogue using a five gallon Orange Box bucket with a line attached to one of the Little She’s stern cleats and tossed it overboard. The drogue snapped off within five minutes.

“Shit…that’s not good.”, mumbled Petah.

Over the next fifteen minutes while the Coast Guard aircraft circled over the Little She, Petah began to feel what Secumptual had told him to do…surf. He was standing with his right foot forward of his left foot while steering his vessel, just like the goofy-foot surfer he always had been. The horror of the beginning part of the day was becoming something powerful in his Soul. As his boat ascended each and every wave, he would look behind the Little She to see what the next wave would be like…they all seemed a little different and he would make tiny adjustments to the way he would surf them. The absence of the drogue mattered little to Petah now…he just changed his angle down each wave to slow the Little She as she descended. Petah was becoming Peaceful…this he knew.

“Sailing Vessel Little She, Sailing Vessel Little She…do you read me? Over.”

“Coast Guard C-206, I read you loud and clear. Over.”

“Skipper, keep your current heading until approximately mid-night tonight, by then the bad part of this system will have passed you by. The winds will decrease as will the swells. You will then be able to turn back around and continue on to Bermuda. Do you understand? Over.”

Petah’s excitement about his new-found Strength began to diminish as he realized he would be loosing so much of the distance to Bermuda already covered. In Petah’ mind, he was thinking the crossing from Masonboro would only take six days…now it would be at least seven.

“I understand Coast Guard C-206. Thank you for everything you have done…all of you. Should I return to the United States…or…how does the weather look for the rest of the way to Bermuda? Over.”

“The weather forecast is better on the way to Bermuda…you should have good sailing the rest of your trip once this system passes, Skipper. Over.”

“Bermuda it shall be. Over.”

“Sailing Vessel Little She…hit the EPIRB if you need us. Good luck on your journey. We are departing your area now. Coast Guard C-206 over and out.”

Petah watched the huge aircraft turn and head east. As it disappeared into the clouds, he felt the intensity of being alone at sea now more than ever. Petah knew he had conquered something today…actually many things…the biggest of which he would not realize until the next day. The tired sailor kept a heading west back the way he came as the Coast Guard suggested until mid-night all the way back to seventy-two degrees longitude losing a day and a half of distance. The seas had calmed down to about eight feet with winds less than fifteen knots switching to a direction good for a turn back to the east. Petah turned the boat with ease back to the direction of Bermuda. He sailed staring into the night for the next three hours as if in a daze.

Back in Masonboro, the Dockmaster’s office was overflowing with people. Allende had gotten a call from the Master Chief about Petah being OK and running with the storm, yet some of the weak ones were freaking out since they were not understanding what that meant. Allende, Harker, Secumptual, the villagers of Masonboro and a few others knew Petah would be fine regardless of the fear most were expressing.

He was exhausted and starving now. Petah engaged the autopilot, drank some water and ate two cans of cold ravioli. As he lay on the cushions of the cockpit after changing into dry clothes, he felt the wetness of the cushions creep onto the flesh of his backside. He didn’t care, he just wanted to sleep. The intensity of the day was gone now with the waves and wind dying almost as quickly as they had come up eighteen hours earlier. Petah fell asleep and dreamed.

Follow a Way of Being…

regardless of what others say…

the Path of Peace is there…for…

I have found Home upon the Indigo Sea.

¹ “A Battle” from Inspiration From A Muse: Poems To Her

Need a last minute getaway this summer?

cheriforzani — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 20:57:58 +0000

I can highly recommend a cruise to the pink sands and aqua waters of pristine Bermuda, whose beaches are in my humble opinion, the finest in the world.

I just returned from a 1 week cruise to Bermuda from NYC on Holland America’s Veendam and it was wonderful. I cruised with 3 generations of my family on a girls trip and all of us were ready to stay onboard to do it all over again. The exclusive to Holland America Lanai cabins are wonderful for groups traveling together.

Also, for those of you under the misconception that Holland America caters to an older demographic, not so with this cruise. Bermuda cruises cater to lots of families and even though we cruised before school was out, there were plenty of children and teens onboard, and the childrens programs were very good. We also saw a lot of groups and honeymooners onboard. For teens there is a teens only area at the top of the ship that offers hammocks, a lagoon/waterfall to cool off and lots of video games but most importantly, a place to meet and hang out with new friends.

I think one of the nicest aspects of this cruise is that it spends 3 full and one half day in Bermuda, one day in St. George and the rest docked in Hamilton making exploring the island by bus and ferry easy and inexpensive. I also liked the smaller size of the ship, the great library and the fact that there were no announcements save for embarkation and disembarkation day and then only essential information.

A not to be missed event is Hamilton Harbor nights on Wednesday evenings, a free street festival on Front. St. that featured what just might be the best band I’ve heard in a decade (“Prestige”), with dancing in the streets.

There are some fantastic deals on sailings in August, so if you haven’t booked your summer vacation yet, consider a cruise to Bermuda.

The Celebrity Summit also does a 7 night sailing from Bayonne and the NCL Gem cruises from NYC, all departing on Sundays.

Deluxe Veranda Suite on the Veendam

For more information or pricing, contact me at cheri@bookavacation.net.

Tommy Outerbridge & the Sharx

theflyingone — Tue, 24 May 2011 13:38:56 +0000

This first video is an oldie from the 70s. Tommy Outerbridge sings This Shit is For Losers with the Sharx. Great spirit, great man.

Every Man needs one

Rich Cumbers — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 21:25:53 +0000

It’s the ultimate man symbol, the one where we (think) we still rule, and where we like to think women cannot possibly take over. The domain is sacrosanct and ours (for the time being). I am talking about the BBQ. Charcoal or gas, matt black or shiny chrome, every man that I have met seems to have a desire to cook outdoors with fire.

There is a lot of passion in the BBQ world; you only need to ask a fellow BBQ owner whether they use gas or charcoal to understand that divisions exist within this world; the age old debate about whether gas can really give you the same flavour as charcoal will never die. Growing up my family only ever used charcoal. I watched my dad (who is well known to put on a great BBQ amongst our family & friends) from a young age and he managed to transfer this ‘skill’ to me. The first BBQ I bought with my wife was charcoal, my best man & I built it and we used it on those special days in the UK when the sun was out. Even with my history of charcoal, I am just as happy cooking with gas.

I now live and work in Bermuda, a climate that is a lot more suited to alfresco dining, and the evening temperatures range from warm to balmy in the Spring/Summer/Autumn. My requirements for our BBQ were fairly simple:

I need to be able to get home from work and be cooking within 15 minutes
I would like a BBQ that I am able to clean it quickly and efficiently
Due to the salty air in Bermuda I needed something that would be durable

Taking my list above gas is the only one that allows me to cook almost immediately and with little fuss. On Saturday I found the one that fit the bill, a shiny Weber Q300, which of course is a gas powered beast.

The Weber BBQ is very well built and having put it together myself I am confident that it will last the 3 years that we are here for. I am now really looking forward to balmy summer evenings where Su and I sit out on our little patio and enjoy some BBQ food and a glass of chilled white wine. On that note the weather is getting a lot better, but it is still changeable. Saturday was superb sunshine (where it would have been rude not to have had a dip in the ocean), whilst Sunday it was so windy that my BBQ cover was blown clean off! My parents arrive next week, so here is hoping the weather behaves itself and we can enjoy some al fresco dining!

travel stuff :: bermuda

fortheartofit — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 02:55:48 +0000

i had to take a train to/from boston today and this song was in my head the entire trip!

beach tomorrow!!!!!!!

Bermuda so far

Rich Cumbers — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 05:18:41 +0000

I official suck at actually blogging. Ever since I knew I was moving to Bermuda I thought “Hey my life might be a lot more interesting now and I can blog about my experiences and the new life that Su and I are embarking on”. Well 8 weeks into the adventure and it’s only now that I actually sit down and write something!

Su and I left Gatwick on the 22nd of October, Su’s mum Lin, and my mum and dad, were at the airport to wave us goodbye. I admit to having a tear in my eye, I blame my mum. Upon arriving in Bermuda we were picked up by a taxi driver called Derrick (a local legend who seems to know everyone on the island) and taken to our temporary accommodation.

Our temporary accommodation was a 1 bedroom furnished apartment owned by a lovely couple called Sandra and Jimmy. Location was perfect (we could walk into Hamilton) and the apartment itself was spacious, with all the mod cons. Su was obviously giddy with excitement as within 24 hours she was playing Laser Tag (think Paint Ball but with lasers rather than paint). Su still managed to stay as the girl we know and love as she wore an intricate yellow skirt with holes which permanently snagged on branches as she hid in the bushes. I guess you should always look your best even when you are stalking the enemy!

The following Monday I managed to hire a scooter for a few weeks. After a rather wobbly start, (which included taking a rather scared Su home on the back) I know have the knack and am able to buzz around quite freely. Riding a scooter on the island is great fun, it is very liberating and I still get a buzz when riding on the coastal roads. Where the scooter is not so good is when the rain comes. More often than not, when it rains in Bermuda it hammers it down. Once or twice Su and I have been drenched by a sudden downpour, but it’s all part of the fun (or so I keep telling Su).

Our temporary apartment was just that, temporary. We had to find a place to live on a more permanent basis. This is where emoo.com comes into play. It’s like a Craigslist for the island and is full of apartments and houses for rent. We had our requirements (2 bed so we have a guest room for visitors, decent area, along the south shore so we were close to the beaches) and eventually found the place for us. Now that we have a place of our own we feel that the island is home, especially now that we have a phone, the internet and cable tv!

Life in Bermuda is a lot of fun. The people are super friendly, they will always greet you and are very happy to have a quick chat. The island itself is very green, with some of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. The sea is very warm and full of colourful fish 2 foot in length. Snorkelling is a an activity that is fast becoming my favourite thing to do, each time I head out into the sea I seem to see brighter coloured, and larger fish than before.

Of course we both miss our lives back home. Friends (yes you Munns, and yes you Smyth, and anyone else who might get upset by not being mentioned), family and of course Grace & Faith. Dale sends me videos that keep us in touch, and Grace even sent the best birthday present ever, a video of Grace and Faith talking to us. Now that we have the internet at home I am very much looking forward to Skyping with the little imps!

All in all the last 8 weeks have been amazing, and I am sure there is more to come. This year will be the first time I have not seen my family at Christmas in the flesh (we will of course be Skyping). Su’s parents are flying out for Christmas so it will be the first time Su and I have hosted Christmas. Another first will be not seeing Paul & Lee, being rude with Trev and shaking my head at Anne who seems to prefer cleaning to almost any other activity!

Anyways enough rambling. Now I have finally posted something maybe I will post a little more frequently. Don’t hold your breath though!

A different world

bermudablogging — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 00:41:59 +0000

Returning to Bermuda after 22 years left me with feelings of awe at the familiar blue and turquoise water and utter dismay at what some call urban growth. Hamilton has become a bustling business center filled with professionals hurrying from one meeting to another and is certainly not the sleepy little town of 2 decades ago that had horse and carriage rides and little storefronts that welcomed its many cruise ship visitors . Touring the rest of the island revealed many changes but not as stark as the sight of Hamilton, now and forever changed into a city of commerce. For those that live there I am sure it is a welcome change but for those of us who have visited the island over the past 40 years, it is not the Bermuda we fell in love with so many years ago.

Getting a Visa for Bermuda

Rich Cumbers — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 18:54:09 +0000

Although Bermuda is a British overseas territory I still need to get a work visa before I can move out there. Amongst other things I need to get:

A police certificate
Medical certificate
Full-size chest x-ray
2 employment references, describing my skills and work ethic.
2 character references, which describe my character in general

Of all the requirements above the one that will take by far the longest is the police certificate. This is supposed to take no longer than 40 days to be produced (what are they doing for 40 days?!) but there are many online postings that describe having to wait nearly 2 months!

The other items on the list should be fairly straight forward, only the chest x-ray is going to take more time than I would like, but seeing as we have to wait for the damn police certificate we no longer need to be in a rush!

Please cross your fingers that the authorities can produce this certificate quicker than 40 days, I want to move to Bermuda!!!

Time for a change

Rich Cumbers — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 20:25:57 +0000

I think most people know by now, but in case anyone reads this blog and does not…..

Having worked at IBM Hursley for nearly 5 years, I am moving to a new company, new role…..and a new country!

I have accepted a role as Programme Manager for a company that works in Bermuda and so Su & I will be moving to Bermuda in the near future. This is an amazing opportunity, and I am very excited about both the new role, and the change to live in another country. We are now in the process of letting out our house, so if you know anyone who is looking for a great 2 bedroom house in Winchester for an excellent monthly rent, then please do get in touch!

IBM has been a great company to work for over the last 5 years, and I have managed to gain experience in nearly every area of software development. Over the years I have had the privilege of working with some very smart individuals and on some neat projects. I have many friends at IBM, and will miss them greatly, but we are not planning on leaving the company forever and many IBM friends have become ones that we will never lose touch with.

We are not jetting off to Bermuda immediately as I have to apply for a visa. Whilst I wait for that I shall be commuting to Wimbledon which will be a big change from my current 5 minute commute from Badger Farm to Hursley!

I don’t think this post can convey how excited I am about the new role and the move to Bermuda!

For some pics we took on a recent trip to Bermuda see my Facebook photos here.

Water doesn't grow on trees

Matt — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 17:48:24 +0000

One thing you learn very quickly when living in Bermuda is that water literally does not grow on tre

Bermuda horse and wagon

Matt — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 18:25:11 +0000

People change when they are tourists in another country, really we all do. We do things that we woul

Gratuity added for "your" convenience

Matt — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 11:26:07 +0000

One of the things I love the most about living Bermuda is the wide range of dining options available

Last Day in Bermuda

jdubs — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 19:56:27 +0000

Natalya and I slept in and only Doc had enough energy to wake up to catch the Bermuda sunrise… so this is all him! (As well as the majority of all the great photos posted for this trip…)

Goodbye Bermuda! Will definitely be seeing you again…

Return to main menu: “Bermuda Baby!”

Spa Day in Southampton

jdubs — Mon, 31 May 2010 19:06:33 +0000

On our last full day in Bermuda, we decided to spend most of the time doing a lot of nothing. We saw most of the tourist attractions we wanted to see, and now we had a full day to get our tan on at the beach!

However, since we would have all day to sleep – we still woke up early around 8am to enjoy the beach scenery before the rest of the tourists crowds took over. Jobson’s Cove was pleasantly empty and we went crazy with our photo sessions.

We took a lot of pictures of our playtime climbing rocks, splashing around the water, and posing like Ariel from “The Little Mermaid.” Self-timers + continuous shooting are the best camera features ever!

Here, Nat messes up Doc’s solo portrait session by running across the frame. It happened so fast but the photo makes it look like it was in slow motion. Hilarious!

We had to take a break from playtime to head to the Willow Stream Spa at our hotel, where we all booked luxurious massages to help relieve us of all our stress haha. We spent the rest of the day alternating between the spa facilities, steam room, jacuzzi, and the beach. Oh how I love vacations! We grabbed some lunch on the beach at the Cabana Bar & Grill, ordered the gulf shrimp, and made a few inappropriate BP oil spill jokes.

For dinner, we headed to Henry VIII, a local pub (and randomly a sushi bar) in Southampton that was recommended by Doc’s scuba dive instructor as a great spot to grab a drink away from the hotel crowds. The concierge had told us it was a 15-20 minute walk uphill from the trolley and suggested we take a taxi instead. Rebels we were (plus badly needing any form of exercise) we decided to walk, and discovered it took less than 8 minutes. This was the moment we all agreed that while we loved Bermuda, everyone here lies to you, albeit with a smile. Noted.

Henry VIII had a very nice indoor dining room and plenty of seating on the outdoor patio. We got a great view of the lighthouse just as the beam turned on and twinkled.

Back at the hotel, we shared a bottle of wine in the Jasmine Lounge and listened to the smooth, sultry sounds of the live jazz band. A very nice and chill last night!

Return to main menu: “Bermuda Baby!”

Atlantic Ocean and St. George

jdubs — Sun, 30 May 2010 17:52:16 +0000

In the morning, we headed out to the dive shop to suit up for our Bermuda Triangle scuba adventure! The Atlantic Ocean water temperature was 68°F, which was freezing for us. We wore a full 6mm wet suit and I was still shivering in the water.

Our first dive site was the wreck of the Minnie Breslauer, Bermuda’s unluckiest ship. She ended up sinking on her maiden voyage on New Year’s Day in 1873. That pretty much blows. Max depth is 70ft (21m) here, but we averaged at 55ft (17m) for the 35min dive. Rare black coral grew around the shipwreck, but my favorite was the ethereal purple sea fern that swayed gently with the currents. It was also fun to swim through the rock crevices. We also saw parrot fish, sand dollar, sea urchin, brain coral, and other beautiful soft corals. Our second dive sit was the “In Betweens,” which was a shallower 25ft (8m) dive for 25min. We saw pretty black trigger fish with their neon blue stripes and schools of grouper fish.

We finished our dives shortly after noon, and then got ready to explore St. George. It took approximately 1 hour to get to St. George from Southampton. We took the pink local bus to Hamilton ($3 fare for this zone- no bills accepted) and then transferred at the terminal to continue to St. George ($4.50 fare). The scenery along the route to St. George parish was especially spectacular.

When we alighted the bus, our first thought was FOOD! We headed to the popular Tavern by the Sea for some lunch. Finally satiated, we were ready to be tourists again.

St. George is a quaint town located within the St. George parish (northeast part of the island). St. George was founded in 1612 and is the oldest, continually inhabited English settlement in the New World. The town served as Bermuda’s capital until 1815 when Hamilton became the new capital city. St. George became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2000.

From the harbour, we walked to King’s Square in less than 5 minutes. Town Hall is located here, as well as a somewhat cheesy tourist attraction: the stocks and pillories. During the tourist season, actors will put on a show and demonstrate how the community used to punish residents for minor offenses against public morals by exposure to ridicule and the occasional tomato.

We continued to explore the town and stumbled upon the Unfinished Church- a beautiful Gothic structure consisting of walls, a few pillars, but no roof. This church was originally meant to be the replacement for St. Peter’s Church in the 1870s. However, the project was abandoned on the eve of its completion due to financial problems, parish infighting, and a damaging hurricane storm. It is now a preserved site.

This was our favorite man-made tourist attraction in Bermuda. It is a very popular photographer’s location as well.

We then headed towards Fort St. Catherine, but we never made it (another fort we failed to reach) as we got distracted by all the gorgeous limestone cliff formations along the way. Past Tobacco Bay, we found a cute little cave perched on the cliff side that had two lawn chairs set up there from which we relaxed and watched the tide come in.

We took our time strolling through the streets of this historic town before heading back to the bus terminal near the Harbour. We caught the bus back to Hamilton, and then took the ferry back to Southampton before calling it a night.

Return to main menu: “Bermuda Baby!”

Southampton and Hamilton

jdubs — Sat, 29 May 2010 14:07:29 +0000

By the time Natalya and I woke up for the day, Doc had already gone down to the beach for a photo session. The Bermuda daytime scenery is absolutely breathtaking. One of the first things that struck us was the vibrancy of the colors. From the iridescent blue of the waters to the striking green of the grass and palm fronds- everything was so brilliantly alive. All the buildings and houses were painted in very happy pastels, like powder blue or the soft pink of the Fairmont hotel. Not that I am very religious but it felt like eternal Easter!

We first went to the dive shop located on the private beach of the Fairmont Southampton to sign up for a scuba dive. Nat and I were both certified, but Doc had never done it before. While we signed our lives away via all the waiver forms, Doc got talked into an introductory class for that afternoon. Nat and I would be diving the following morning.

We then explored the neighboring Horseshoe Bay (literally right next to our hotel’s beach), one of Bermuda’s most popular beaches. Cruise ship tourists flock to its pinks sands and enjoy snorkeling in its crystal clear waters.

But the best spot is off to the right side of Horseshoe Bay where Jobson’s Cove lies. This small, tranquil cove is kept separate from the open ocean by jagged limestone cliffs which almost completely enclose the space.

The next stop was Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, which was a 15 minute walk west from the hotel. The lighthouse was completed in 1846 and it continues to function today. We paid $2.50 for admission and climbed all 185 steps to the top. The 360° views from the top are quite spectacular, and it would definitely be worth it to check out during sunset.

Doc went off to his scuba lesson and Nat and I snoozed in the hotel, as we were too lazy to do much else. Along with the free trolley to transport guests from the hotel down to the beach (otherwise a 10 minute walk), the Fairmont also provides a free ferry between its two hotel properties in Southampton and Hamilton. We decided to catch the last ferry at 6:30pm to head into Hamilton. The scenic journey takes about 25 minutes. When we docked at the Fairmont Princess, we noticed the lobby was packed with beautifully dressed teens – apparently it was prom night!

Hamilton is Bermuda’s capital city, and the island’s only city for that matter. This is not to be confused with Hamilton parish, where the famed Crystal Caves are located. Hamilton city is located in Pembroke Parish and boasts several museums, cathedrals, and forts. We strolled along Front Street heading west towards Fort Hamilton. It really only seemed to take 15 minutes to walk the whole length of the parish. As we approached the east end, we noticed the roads were pretty steep to get to the fort. Since the fort had already closed earlier at 5pm and we were fairly hungry, we decided to just turn around and find some dinner.

We went to the Lobster Pot for dinner, which was located on Bermudian Road. We put on our lobster bibs and enjoyed a seafood fest. We tried Bermuda’s famous fish chowder, which was topped with a splash of Black Seal rum and peppered sherry. Overall, we were generally unimpressed with the food quality in Bermuda… mainly because of the price tag associated with all the mediocre dishes. Basically, our taste buds are just very spoiled in NYC!

After dinner, we had our own little pub crawl along Front Street: Flanagan’s, Hog’s Penny, and the Pickled Onion. Flanagan’s is Bermuda’s only legit sports bar, and there are plenty of screens but it was pretty quiet when we walked in around 10pm on a Saturday night. Hog’s Penny was a very chill pub with a DJ spinning classic top 40 hits, and we enjoyed several rounds of Rum Swizzles here. The neighboring restaurant, Barracuda Bar & Grill also looked like a great place for food. The Pickled Onion was the surprise winner of the night. They had live musicians playing popular song requests from the 80′s to present, and we spent the rest of the night dancing and singing along to Journey, Tiffany, and the Black Eyed Peas.

Return to main menu: “Bermuda Baby!”

Arrival in Bermuda

jdubs — Fri, 28 May 2010 20:43:29 +0000

Due to our delayed flight, we didn’t end up landing in Bermuda until around 10pm on Friday. We took a taxi from the airport to the Fairmont Southampton, which costs $45 for the 45 minute journey. After we checked into our room, we immediately got ready to enjoy some Bermuda nightlife. Granted, the only place open “late” (last call was practically California time at 2am) was the conveniently-located Cellar Bar in our hotel.

The hotel booklets all boasted the Cellar Bar as a cozy, old English pub. Hence, our surprise when we heard the blasting Hip Hop Rap music and the lit up dance floor. We ordered a couple rounds of the national drink, Dark & Stormy, and celebrated our arrival in Bermuda.

The bar had some classic old school SEGA arcade games built into the tables. We settled into the plush couches and went crazy playing Street Fighter II, Mortal Kombat, Sonic the Hedgehog, and yes, there was The Lion King. Best part of the bar!

Later, we finally got onto the dance floor and danced until last call… at 2am… oh well!

Return to main menu: “Bermuda Baby!”

A Bermuda road toad you say?

Matt — Fri, 21 May 2010 11:30:18 +0000

There is a very interesting and misunderstood creature lurking all over the Bermuda islands. His nam

We don't need no stinkin' golf balls

Matt — Sat, 15 May 2010 13:24:48 +0000

Wow my first blog post, the plan is to do a new one weekly. I also planned on being a lawyer and nev

ESIA 3D et la BD : super festival à Lyon !

gilles1esia3d — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:15:57 +0000

Juste avant de partir pour Annecy où nous attend le festival international du film d’animation ainsi que le MIFA (Marché International du Film d’Animation), les étudiants d’ESIA 3D ont pu aller faire les malins (encore !!!) au Festival de la Bande Dessinée de Lyon (http://2009.lyonbd.com/index.php/de-limage-a-limage-animee).

Sur place, donc, animations et projections de films d’ESIA 3D, ainsi qu’un cadavre exquis géant version BD où chacun avait à faire la case suivant celle du voisin, donnant lieu à des aventures hautes en couleur malgré le noir et blanc de mise… Bravo à tous les participants, qui furent nombreux, pour avoir joué le jeu et de nous avoir donné matière à bien rigoler (ben oui, quoi…) !

Des animations également autour du célèbre Lincoln (http://www.bd-lincoln.com/) des Jouvray dont Jérôme, le dessinateur, est également notre prof d’animation. Il avait préparé avec amour et ses petits doigts habiles un story board et un model sheet tout exprès ! Merci encore, JJ ! :)

Et c’est Mehdi, venu en famille, qui s’est occupé de faire bouger notre cowboy préféré ! Du coup, il a eu droit à ses propres aventures en cadavre exquis (auxquelles il a lui même graphiquement contribué : quelle mise en abîme vertigineuse !) !

Mais surtout, les étudiants ont eu à décerner le “Prix du Fanzine Bellecour Ecoles d’Arts“. Pour rappel, un fanzine est un magazine amateur, créé par des passionnés qui font ça pour le fun et le plaisir des yeux des lecteurs curieux qui cherchent un peu autre chose dans la production BD nationale, ô combien déjà diversifiée. C’est donc “Kartina” (dont on parle ici : http://romuald.boissard.free.fr/__frames/_bd/frame_kartina.html) qui a remporté le prix et on en félicite encore les auteurs ! Bravo à tou(te)s ! Le choix aura été dur… Mais vous pouvez le lire les yeux fermés ! Enfin, façon de parler !… ;)

Ici, Arielle étudie de près un autre très bon fanzine : “Arbitraire” qui a été également très apprécié des étudiants.

Le cadre du Palais du Commerce était magnifique et le festival vraiment très réussi ! Un grand bravo à toute l’équipe d’organisation qui est, rappelons-le, constituée principalement de bénévoles ! Merci à tous, avec un coucou spécial pour Mathieu Diez du “Café du Bout du Monde” (http://www.cafeduboutdumonde.com) qui s’est vraiment investi corps et âme ! Promis, on fera un post spécial pour le “Café” et Yan Le Pon un de ces jours sur ce blog !

Et j’en profite pour signaler que, toujours dans le cadre du festival, mais en “off”, comme on dit, dimanche 14 juin, trois de vos profs préférés : Jérôme Jouvray (encore lui !), Djib et votre humble serviteur seront en dédicace sur la péniche “La Plateforme” pour la sortie de “Bermuda 2“, dont un autre prof : JC Deveney a grandement participé à l’élaboration, à défaut d’avoir fait un scénario pour ce second tome (on peut pas tout faire non plus…). Voici la couverture :

Comme quoi, on l’aime, la BD chez ESIA 3D ! Plus de détails ici pour les gourmands : http://www.librairie-experience.com. Viendez nombreux !

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