a southern experience....

2007-09-04T10:44:00.000-07:00

clubmed to the rescue???

you heard it here folks i am applying to go back to clubmed. after much deliberation about the subject jorge and i are applying to go to columbus isle in the bahamas. this club, a much more upscale version of turks, has scuba (3 boats a day) and a much more chill vibe, not the party that we don't need. we are hoping to go to save money so that we can come to canada after our season together. this is the one place that doesn't care about citizenships. and for us that has been the biggest problem. so i'm hoping to come back to canada in time for amanda bertrand's wedding on the 15th and then boot it back down to columbus (if we're accepted) here's to hoping this all pans out.
right now, i'm finding less and less stuff to do during the day. a city with no library/museum/artgalleries/cultural centres of any kind creates a bit of a cooped feeling for myself. the highlight of my day is getting a popsicle and reading in the park, its 1pm and i've already finished that goal. maybe i'll go to yet another beach to kill another couple hours. i know it may sound wonderful to live in a beautiful place but my life has been a beach for a year and we can only take oh so much beauty. i went to queen's and i'm an OWSI, i need more for my mind and body.
love to all.
k

2007-09-01T20:42:00.000-07:00

my first official resignation....
my apologies for the tardy entry but my last week has actually been maybe the most stressful yet. last weekend i arrived back from honduras wide eyed and full of enthusiasm. after having not one, but three different people, on three different occasions, stand me up, my enthusiasm dwindled. i found myself on sunday night madly making lesson plans from my head of what i assumed i should be teaching 22 8 year olds for 6 hours with one break. may i remind everyone that i have never done this before. i kept hearing "don't be worried, there is no reason, we're very relaxed here". bullcrap. anyways i went to work and the kids were alternating between days, one day the grade threes were great and the next it was the gradefours, never on the same day. i was slowly losing control and composure. i started to realize, after reminding myself with my "what worked, and what didn't" pro and con list, that translating for the kids really helped them. i also had a couple of the parents come to tell me how gifted their children were and how i didn't need to help them along. again, bullcrap. these children are smart but there was no comprehension of most fundamental words or constructions. not counting the numerous learning disabilities i encountered, that were being unjustly overlooked, i also had no prior knowledge of the level these children were at, i mean they were in grade 4 but that meant beans in terms of a cohesive learning curve. my teacher's guides were coming tomorrow ie. the mexican calling card. but the icing on the cake was when i was telling the teachers these issues they told me, look, this is mexico, we just don't have the same organization or communication you have in canada. i was out after that.
however, i did realize that i am a good teacher and i do take pleasure in children who are open to learning. i also appreciated how well my spanish improved after only a week, i can now get angry in spanish as well i can explain to three teachers why i have to resign from my post. i'm really improving.
so now i'm onto my next task, to use my skills to try to finally find something i like, i'm thinking diving again, i've already put in a couple of job inquiries. i also may tutor out of the house, 16 and older, kids that really want to learn and that i can use my resources on a more equal level. i know i can't get ahead of myself but i really need to be doing something because i'm not the housewife type.
we're over a hump which is good and i'm feeling more like myself without all the stress. if any one has ideas about my tutoring fee that'd be fantastic. oh and i might teach yoga. so many crazy talents. maybe i'll look into massage therapy.....love to all.

2007-08-24T20:01:00.000-07:00

that's instructor kate to you......

so i did it. after two of the longest days ever, i finished with literally a squeel and a little dance marking the end of my presentation and the beginning of a career de buceo. i shook gary's hand (examiner gary) and relished in my mid to high 90s marks for a moment before getting him to sign my 100th dive which i coincidentally made as my exam dive. on that dive i must say, while performing my skills (if a mistake is made in the open water portion, there are no make ups) i was bitten by a crab-like crustacean, a fact of which i had to hide although it sent pains up and down my leg for the remainder of the dive.
i also must note that i was put in the "spanish group" because my course directors told gary that i spoke perfect spanish. luckily i got by and even picked up some terminology which will help me if i get into diving here in mexico.
we celebrated as a team, dining on italian and wine, and after a night of dancing and drinks which seemed very foreign to our bodies due to the prohibition we had put ourselves on, i made it home to bed.
unfortunately, and not surprisingly i missed my 620am boat and had to catch the 200 which got me into san pedro sula (aka most dangerous city in honduras) after nightfall, not something i was looking forward to. since my flight was early in the morning, i decided to fend for myself at the well guarded airport where i set up shop for the evening. i had a few panic attacks, with shady cab drivers and a confusion as to when my flight left as well an unconfirmed connection in mexico, but i made it home safe and sound.
its good to have my things unpacked and now i get to take a breath and start making lesson plans for my 8 and 9 year olds for monday morning. i don't stop do i? i think i will definitely miss doing my diving everyday, but i'll never lose that experience and i'll be able to pick it up again. as my mom has reminded me of my plan to work art contracts in the nice months in canada and do contract work in the south doing diving in the highseasons in the winter months. not a bad idea.
ps. come to mexico for certification, you'll be in good hands.
love,
k

2007-08-18T11:29:00.000-07:00

finished the mock, onto the real deal.....

so over the past two days i have recieved good responses to my mock IE that i have finished. i had my open water demo which proved to be difficult in demonstrating surface skills in choppy water (soon to be a lot choppier as we get the backlash from hurricane dean, supposedly on monday). but my rescue skills and decents went off without a hitch scoring a 4.6 out of 5 and my theory exams did not drop below 90% in all areas with a few 100%s, i was happy and exhausted. after recieving an average of 98% today as a sum up, i feel prepared and ready for the last step, the IE. i'm going to be sorry to go because i've enjoyed diving so much, but utila is not the place where i want to begin my career because of the fact there is not much aquatic life and the island is not exactly a place where i can see myself being culturally or intellectually fufilled. it has been a rewarding experience and i'm glad to say that i think the IE will not be a problem. soon i will be making my way back to mexico to begin lesson planning for my grade 4s. luckily, this has been a learning experience in the art of teaching as well and i will take back a lot of my techniques and apply them to teaching english.
two days of rest and relaxation, i will dive four times to make my 100th dive the one of the IE, how momentus. i hope to explore and take some pictures since after the IE i will be boarding a boat hours after to make my way back to san pedro to catch a plane back to my mexican home the following day.
whirlwind, but pretty usual for my life.
off to take a well deserved nap.

2007-08-14T10:22:00.001-07:00

in a week i'll be exam-ing....

so my other micro teaching example, on valves went very well as well as my no mask breathing, i averaged about a 4.6 out of five and i practiced any other skills with which i had troubles. the good thing is, i keep thinking one day at a time, but keep a little eye on what's coming so that i'm prepared. i finally had some time to myself made dinner and had a great convo with my mom, using up two phone cards, but feeling the reconnection to canada a great relief which promoted a great night's sleep. yesterday i had similar success. after being the translator for the group as we went to go get our medical forms signed by the spanish doctor, i was put into the spanish group (and felt wonderful about my comprehension of the briefings as well as instructions, i think i may have impressed myself more than the boys) and we went out to do our open water skills. luckily my knot knowledge proved strong and i completed both my bowline and my sheetbend proficiently, dad you'd be proud. i also performed my skills very well, my one problem was that i didn't catch a problem, not because of my own negligence but because my "student" couldn't perform the problem correctly. otherwise, i would have had perfect. pretty great for a days work. we packed up and headed home where i used my marlin from the night before to make a yummy stirfry and settled into a night of endulgence of television watching and knot practice.
today is a rare day where no presentations are performed and we are simply sponges absorbing the content for our three presentations tomorrow. one of my classmates who has recently dropped out of the program, due to a little case of malaria, is preparing a dinner for a couple of us. don't worry, i know how malaria is transmitted and i'm keeping the bugspray flowing. also dengay, another sickness transmitted through mosquitos, is rampid on the island, the bone cracking sickness they call it. luckily, my time in mexico has built me a strong immunity and so far so good, not a lot of bugs like me and i'm just needing to hold on one week without succumbing to some unfortunate illness. it is enough to create paranoia, but i prefer to think of myself as one who has been through enough in the past month and a half that it would just be cruel and unusual punishment for anything else to happen to me during this stressful time.
wish me luck. love to all.

2007-08-11T15:32:00.000-07:00

feeling more and more like an instructor.....

so yesterday we went over teaching practices and today we put them into practice. i stood in front of my peers and taught them the fundamental principles of buoyancy and the weight of water. i felt really comfortable with the presentation, i love presenting topics using aids like whiteboards or pieces of equipment, plus, physics is meant to be taught in a classroom so it was a great topic to jump in with. i was cool calm and comfortable and got the best mark in the class. after lunch my confidence was taken down a notch when i performed my demonstration in confined water, the CESA. anyone that knows scuba and a controlled emergency swimming ascent can think of how annoying and time consuming they are to do not only to teach. we are given surprise problems to catch but instead of being given two i was given three, one more than the rest, also i had the hardest skill. my director said because i was doing so well he needed to trip me up so i keep pushing myself and don't loose motivation but regardless, no one likes a "1". next time it won't happen again, i guess that's the point. tomorrow we go through it again, now with different skills to teach and demonstrate but i am just taking it one day at a time.
grocery shopping with my 5 dollars and then practice practice practice.
hope to hear from you guys soon.

2007-08-09T19:51:00.000-07:00

a need for speed.....

so yesterday we started the IDC, we were retested on five of our divemaster exams and i passed all with flying colours, upping my confidence (since the tests are considered one of the hardest parts) and reminding me that i can do this. after a homecooked meal and a late night visit from the recently certified DM's, i got to sleep after a pep-talk from a much calmer recent grad of the idc program who told me just to take it one day at a time, seems to be a popular idea.
today was a bit more stressful. in the morning we went through ways in which to teach and then after a brief break where i practiced spanish with the group i'd been put into, we went over our 18 skills. i performed them all very well but need to work on my speed, i seem to run through them very quickly and need to remember to do them slow and steady so as to teach rather than show.
tonight i prepare some notes for my presentations, go over my skills and visualize mistakes and then get some sleep. tomorrow i may attempt the night dive but i'm kind of liking this apartment business and just chillin'out and doing my work.
thanks to my dutch housemate i have the use of freeinternet for a couple days before she moves out so i'll try to update as much as possible.
love to all,
k

2007-08-07T17:14:00.000-07:00

one more day as a free woman.....

so yesterday i dove thrice and today i did four, i am one, burnt, tired, hungry puppy. speaking of which i saw a dalmation puppy and it almost made me cry but i think its a sign that i have my little friend pulling for me. im taking any sign i can at this point. the dives were getting better yesterday we went to a wreck adn then i saw a moray eel and some cool arrow crabs. but today was sweet, maybe because they were my last fun dives for awhile, but we saw some juvinile fish i had never seen before like my fave, the cow fish. and then we saw a tiny ray, about the size of a saucer, which buried itself in the sand almost playing and putting on a show. very sweet. i really love being in the water and im glad the dives went so well, reminding me what im working so hard for. i got a bit scared because one of the newly crowned instructors basically broke me down and made me feel as thought i couldnt do it, not that i wasnt capable but just that it was soooo difficult. psht. whatever, i know im motivated, i mean i did all that training in turks and now have come to a point where i get to show how good i really am. whew pep talk a la kate. anyways i start tomorrow, i have to wake up at my usual 6am to start standing in line to get a medical then rush to get passport photos and then im ready and set to get in there. i have 11 dives before i can qualify for the exam in 10days so i will need to get those in at somepoint. i just am going to settle into my little apartment for the night, buy myself some food with my last remaining limperas and hope that the bank will be able to help me tomorrow. fingers crossed. if anyone wants to try my on my phone, please do its a crazy number but you will find it is worth it to talk to yours truly. 01150432970560. i have so much more to tell about the island but basically it is poor, and im glad i{m doing this course here because it is not the ideal place to dive on a vacation. take note.
lots of love. wish me luck.
kate

2007-08-04T20:34:00.000-07:00

not exactly what i expected but finding corners to cut.....

so after my last post i got in the shuttle and was taken to downtown san pedro which may very well be the most violent city in all of honduras. i borded a bus, guarded by armed guards, and journeyed to la ceiba. i put my bag in a cabbies car and realized that i had nothing less than 20bucks USD to give him, i needed change. after running into a grocery store i panicked while in line realizing i had left my bag in a random cabbies car unattended. luckily good ol' oscar was there waiting for me to take me to my boat. damned canadian trusting good nature causing panic attacks. the boat ride was beautiful as i left the dock i looked back to see huge mountains dusted by clouds and covered in lush forest. ahead lay my sanctuary. however, around me was a different atmosphere. i came to utila the day before sun jam being the biggest party in all of central america, not only drawing rowdy drugged and drunk crowds but also huge problems for people needing to find accomodation. luckily, i thought ahead. i settled into my dormstyle room and chatted up my roommates who are also divers and awed by my seniority and my much younger age.
i thought why not try on a early saturday morning to sneak onto a boat, and sneak is what i did. i went as DM for two dives where we did specialty courses for advanced students, and i taught a navigation portion of one of the dives. the water was clear and beautiful, not a lot to see in comparasion to turks but it was only my first couple dives. one sea cucumber, a lobster, garden eels and a scorpian fish. great to use the new equipment and great to be under the water (especially during the rainstorm that turned sunjam to rainjam rather quickly). i picked my materials and signed up for three dives on monday to start my intensive catch up to make my 100 dive mark by the 21st of august.
i've been making friends but realizing quickly this is not really a vacation, though to be enjoyed, but much more focused on the work involved and the goal i am to reach at the end.
i have a cell but only my mom has the number and will give it out to any who dare try me on my little isla. i also move into my negotiated apartment i think on thursday if it is still there for 150bucks for 2 weeks, kitchen and all. still settling but this is only day two and i have already had 2 dives and recieved all my books (adding about 70lbs to my load on the way back).
sorry if i'm not making it sound like paradise, it is great, but i'm just in a really realistic mode, i'll start feeling peaceful once the banks let me access money and i get some more dives under my belt.
love to all.
k
ps. uncle rob, if you read this, i'll totally certify you, and you can work at my dive shop any day.

2007-08-03T07:29:00.000-07:00

so i made it.

after an eventful morning in mexico i made it on the plane and flew off to mexico city and then onto san pedro sula. i think i need to give myself more credit as a traveller because i put myself into massive panic mode thinking i forgot both my camera and log books (the latter being integral to my entry to the idc program) but a huge sigh of relief was made when i ravaged my bags and found both, exactly where i had put them. first, the room. i not only had a room, i had four. that´s right, i had a suite, for 40 bucks. i definitely laughed as my little porter had to go over a list of at least 90odd check areas for the suite before i could settle in. and yes, i took a picture of said list to document the hilarity. i then found myself in a bit of a time warp. in mexico it was 10pm however in honduras (where i would have expected the same or later) it was 9pm. i am still perplexed but at least i´m gaining time rather than losing it. this morning, i dined on my free cornflakes and fruit and am now off on my taxi ride to el centro to find a bus to la ceiba (a four hour bus ride) to find my ferry at 4pm to utila. and then i will be home. so to speak. i feel really nervous but i know i am prepared but just need some time to settle i think that´s my issue right now, i don´t feel very settled. to be truthful, i haven´t felt entirely settled for awhile but i think it is only due to the fact that i am in an extremely transitory time in my life. continuing to challenge myself in apparently every way. even when dear oscar last night, my cabbie, told me how brave i was to come by myself to a strange country and not be completely comfortable with the language to do a course like scuba, i thought to myself, i guess this is kind of big. my friends and family continue to support me and tell me how proud they are of me which means the world. i love you all, and i´ll let you know how my journey pans out.
ciao. besos.

2007-07-30T18:40:00.000-07:00

first day as 24....

so this year, the birthday was a success. we have finally found ourselves in a place that seems to be working like clock work. yesterday i awoke to a phone call from my mom who sang me happy birthday all the way from canada followed by yet another call from my grandmother, i was really touched by hearing my family call and give me strength and energy on my day. after breakfast and speaking to my dad and my stepmom we enjoyed the pool and got some sun. i dined yet again, at a very mexican restaurant eating tortillas de maiz con carne, y pastel y (por supuesto) tequila. after a run, and another bail, i blame the tequila and the uneven streets of mexico, we went out for the evening and made a perfect end to a perfect day.
today, after visiting a secluded beach with jorge's sister carmen and her giant pro basketball playing boyfriend, jorge heard from a job prospect and is heading to an interview tomorrow, i'm really proud of him and all of the changes he has coming to him, much like myself, we have really found a common ground on which to understand eachother. i leave for honduras (by plane) on thursday, i'm feeling really nervous about what i'm going to do with myself. i feel like maybe this country isn't so much kicking my ass but more so upset that i'm leaving. to tell you the truth, i definitley will be missing mexico, in particular la musica y las paletas de arroz (which i definitely need to curb the frequency).
so things are good, i know this will be a full month so right now, i'm enjoying the lazy days of mexico.
lots of love and thanks to everyone and their birthday wishes.
tu mexicana,
kate
watch out, more and more spanish is edging itself into these blogs.....

2007-07-24T11:10:00.000-07:00

doors opening everywhere......

so yesterday i met with my new boss, anita, who hired me to work in the private school down the street (literally down the street like four minutes away at a leisurely pace). the school has classes no bigger than 19-20 kids, i will be teaching 8-9 year olds who may speak little or no english whatsoever. she handed me a stack of books to generate ideas of how to make up my lesson plans and tests, i'm actually becoming a teacher, holy crap. anyways i need to make up another list of questions and then be done with thinking about this and leave it to the weekend before to make up my first week of lesson plans. i need to start thinking of honduras, which is almost a week away and a huge expenditure. i'm glad it is all booked and ready but now i need to focus on the information at hand. additionally, i was contacted by an old friend from mexico who wants me to help him with creating canadian contacts for a realestate proposal. so many things have fallen into my lap, i'm feeling a bit like a juggler but i'm calm due to the fact that i know that i can handle it all. it was nice to go and beat my boyfriend at pool a couple times last night just to relax and i think i'll take my scuba books to the beach to just do a bit more relaxing today.
i forgot to mention my frustration with my bad luck in mexico culminated with a fall, more of a bail, steps away from jorge's house where i took myself out while running on an uneven part of concrete when i was running at dusk. as i hobbled back to jorge's i thought, wow this country must really not want me here. but after some ice, and some coninuous stiffness, i was able to have a nice jog yesterday, getting my blood pumping and feeling energized, ready to take on my next conquest.

2007-07-21T16:37:00.000-07:00

finally settled....

ok so after a huge amount of backing and forthing i have finally found my mexican way. today i met with jorge's aunt who offered me a teaching job at the private school down the street teaching grades four/five and five/six. it was a really tough decision trying to figure out if after all the stress and changing of minds that i could go and work until june, doing something that i have never done, nor thought i'd ever be good at, in another language other than my own. however, i thought about it and as easy as it would be for me to go get a job in canada and start making 10times as much money as they make in mexico, how would i be challenging myself? elenor roosevelt once said "do something every day that scares you" and that's when you'll truly know that you're living. this is the one thing that makes me feel truly vulnerable (the spanish) but as long as i keep the faith and confidence in myself i think i can do it. and i think that teaching will be a perfect conduit to learn as much spanish from the kids as they are learning english from me. i also have to train at the same time as study for my diving which has proven to be a bit of a difficult task. i know i should continue with my idc plans because if i don't do it now i will never do it, and to give up on such an international skill would not be a smart choice. i am looking forward to things coming more easily but i guess this year is the year of challenge, or as i prefer to call it, the year of kate. so i'm off to the museo de las tortugas tomorrow con la famila because it is sunday, and we're going to relax and in the back of my mind prepare for a tough two weeks of training and studying that will conclude with a three day trip to puerto escondido (a town down the coast) for my birthday next weekend.
i will touch canadian soil for two weeks in december for the holidays as well as in april. you're not rid of me for long.
lots of love,
kate

2007-07-15T15:49:00.000-07:00

It has hit me, i'm going to be an instructor.....

So yesterday after finally finding the dive tables, (las tablas de buceo), i reached a panic point where i realized that i have been so frustrated with trying to learn this language in a day that i have a lot of studying to do. Now the down payments are made and all that is left is the flight ticket. I am finally well now and my head is clear, i need to take it easy on myself. I have realized that though i have not had an "easy" life things naturally come easily to me, i feel smart at a lot of things and i'm usually good at things that i put my head to. this language is not coming as easily as i would have assumed. maybe not assumed but have been used to. i keep telling myself, i've been here a week, i have been introducd to a new family, a new culture, new food and a langauge that will not happen over night. it makes me vulnerable and makes me feel things i'm not used to, feeling stupid. discouragement is something i do not handle well, like sickness, but luckily Jorge keeps supporting me knowing that i will get it eventually but i am forcing it right now and hence, i am blocked. i feel like i am in my first day of spanish 101 and everything has gone out the window. a minor setback, and adding to the frustration. but with the diving and the moving and the beginning a new life in a new country regardless of the language i need to give myself a break. i have had discouraging words that have stalled my progress, though unintentionally made, it turns of my switch, my espanol switch. with some encouragement i hope it comes back on because i have a lot of learning to do. i have days where i feel like my dad, stumbling but succeeding (my dad's spanish is very fluent at this point however) and other days where i feel as if every one is speaking in a code that is hardly understandable. discouraged? yes. giving up? not even close.

2007-07-12T17:12:00.000-07:00

A little bacterial infection isn’t going to slow me down….too much.

So I have been through a lot, for those who know me intimitly more than most would want to see in an entire year, but at least I’ve met my quota for this year. My father would shake his head if he saw how irresponsible I was, concerning my stomach, at the beginning of my time here, eating fruit from street vendors, brushing my teeth with tap water, trusting everything I put into my mouth, and bam, hello bacterial infecion. Anytways I practiced my improving Spanish with the doctor as well as Jorge’s mother who took me to make my first purchase return of muffin tins. Eventful? if you consider the language, yes. We have decided to take our travels to Cancun in order to look for opportunities both professionally and personally, ie. applealing neighbourhoods. We will plan to leave here in a week or so, after I get better and then I will fly from there to Honduras most likely but with the change of plans I have the option of just staying in cancun and setting up shop early. Other options include playa del Carmen and cozumel. Thanks god to my mom who has been my travel guru finding flights and checking idc spots for me all over the place. With my condition (it seems like I’m a lepor sometimes) I really need all the help from the first world I can get. Don’t get me wrong but, as my dad can attest, it can be hard being used to your ways in your country and having to adapt completely, language, food, customs while having a serious sickness that leaves you debilitated. However we’re pressing though. Just another test to overcome.

2007-07-08T11:36:00.000-07:00

I have arrived. I hit Huatulco around 5 after a pretty uneventful flight to be hit with a wave of heat and humidity that could be cut with a knife. I saw the smiling face of Jorge as I entered the baggage claim, after a brief greeting I met his lovely parents who are more than willing to cram Espanol into me on a daily basis. We toured the town and it hit me, I’m back in Mexico. Seeing the Pemex on the corner and the helado carts with their tin containers brings back memories of the north. But, as Jorge tells me, the south is something else entirely. We scoped the beach the next day where we took a bit too much sun and I swam in the Pacific and realized how its like bath water and crazy waves, we’ll see how the surfing goes. The real gem of the weekend has been the wedding we went to yesterday, that went from an open air church to a reception on basically a party boat. The boat stops at different bays and has different activities at each. The seafood at the last stop included shrimp/lobster/durado etc.; however, the heat unfortunately really stops the ol’ appetite, but I barreled through because who is going to turn down fresh seafood? The day ended with tortugas and dolfines off the sides of the boat and a night at la paypaya, a night club or rather, THE night club of Huatulco. After a few days I have gotten much more comfortable with mi espanol which I am happy to say that no I am trying with Jorge and he is very supportive. We have decided to continue with our plans to go to Chiapas but first I must book my ticket to Honduras and my IDC booking. I’ll update once my cold has subsided and we’re done with the countless introductions that are still to come.
Lots of love. Send recipes (I’m teaching yoga and cooking to la madre de Jorge)

2007-07-08T11:35:00.000-07:00

So sitting in the Houston airport readying myself to jump on the plane to fly to Mexico and complete the move to the south I ask myself, what brings me to this point. A month and a half ago I was in Clubmed savouring the idea of Canada and now I find myself departing from the very same place that gave me so much joy to think about. Well it still causes me great joy especially after having a month, which truly solidifies my strong friendships with my friends and my fantastically close ties with my parents. It all began with a visit from Jorge, my Mexican love, which brought on numerous questions. Do we stay together even with all of these issues of citizenship/culture/financial means? If so, how do we do it? While battling these questions I dealt with numerous medical issues that arose from my time in Clubmed, as well as immigration issues which began immediately when Jorge hit Canadian soil, these were among some of the problems which put a strain on the spontaneity of our time together. Regardless, I took him to the airport on June12 with the promise that I would see him soon. Early the next morning I was in the hospital. Being a girl who has been healthy her whole life and has never broken a bone nor had any surgery to truly speak of, this was a blow to the system and the emotional reserves I had been saving. Needless to say my time was to be extended in Canada. Although I would not be seeing Jorge for nearly a month after he left, I was given precious time that was spent with my mother and my friends as well as a special friend, Smudge, my 15year old dalmation that had to be put down due to our pledge to have her move on with grace and dignity. My mother and I were able to critically talk about our house and emotionally step back and conclude that this has all been perfect timing. I think though, the most fantastic part of my time at home is the motivation it gave me to find something in Mexico that I truly love so that it drives me to stay. So I can safely say that I am a fully insured diver with fantastic equipment to boot, I will enter my instructor program in August and then who knows. I have decided to finish the puzzle in my diving career that will allow me to be hireable around internationally.
Even after no sleep, and thinking I could barrel through after a late night car accident witnessing and a truly enjoyable ride with my dad, I thought the excitement could carry me through, my dozing eyes say differently. One thing I can say is that I’m happy that I am doing something that makes me happy and that I feel confident with my research and preparation that I can sit back and flow, finally embrace spontaneity and enjoy my longstanding love affair with a country and culture I will continue to embrace.

2007-04-06T08:16:00.000-07:00

so i think a sea horse is enough to revive the blog......

so today is the third day of me being sick ever in T&C but luckily it is the carifta games (the caribbean olympics) which means the the club has been taken over by 17 year old athletes who don't drink and don't stay up late, ie i have all of a sudden become obsolete here in the club. however i still need to be behind the bar from 4 to 12am to make smoothies and juices as needed. kinda bull but whatever. anyways it also means no diving so i though ahead and did a lot of diving this past week. i dove with the new scuba guy cam who complimented my nav techniques as well as air consumption and i am starting to feel pretty confident with my training as all the scuba boys (there is only one female left on the team, c lee, and she's like the mom) say "well you are scuba kate" which is always nice to hear. i finished my deep specialty the other day with c. lee and melina, and we had the coldest yet best dive ever. we saw my fantastic four that i dream of seeing every time i dive (i even recite them to myself as a means of good luck) they are: 1. shark, 2. turtle, 3. ray, 4. something i've never seen before. and we saw all of them including a seahorse, yes a sea horse. oh and some pufferfish mating which is maybe the cutest thing ever. regardless, it made my day for sure.
so since my last post we have had a new bartender who quit, an old bartender who left, a bartender who got drunk at work and became out of control and was banished to sharkies for the rest of her contract (ending this saturday), another bartender who went on vacation and never came back and we have a new bartender who may not last the summer. also, all of the rest of the team has decided they are leaving, even antonio is leaving and i believe it probably has to do with the fact that he realized what a job he has done here in turks and wants to start anew. hopefully he will take what he has learned here and improve his managerial techniques for next season.
i have been really happy though, i have been spending time with those i care about as well as making my time here count, my DM should be done in the next week or so, and although i don't really want to work for clubmed they do have some of the safest dive practices around and really cover their instructors which i can really respect and as an instructor, it would seem like a very attractive attribute. so something to think about for the winter season.
i am so excited to come home, i have been thinking of moving to montreal and picking up french i'm really excited about it actually as well i'm excited to come back and spend time with those i have been missing. it looks like i'll be back the first week in may but clubmed isn't one for organization so its really anyone's guess.
sorry about the huge delay, maybe no one will even check the blog but at least i'm keeping up on my commitment to myself and trying to keep track of my stuff that has been going on.

2007-02-23T17:48:00.000-08:00

say hello to a brand new rescue diver....

ok so first off, yes it is true, i am a rescue diver. we finished up our course, which entailed finding a lost diver and saving both a panicked diver as well as another unconcious at the surface, stressful especially after a day off and a late night. but luckily now we can get on with our dive master. what a relief. i'm still on track with my plans.
i'll have to work backwards since it has been awhile since my last post. so yesterday was my first day off in two weeks because of antonio being on stage and nathy being away as well, both training in sand piper (florida clubmed). melina and i took part in a massive french session on the beach as well as relaxing with our gm friend eric, a screenplay writer from LA, who took us to dinner as our tip for the week. four hundred dollars later we were immersed in surreal conversation about celebrities and the hollywood lifestyle as well as its many similar qualities to the life of a clubmed g.o. and after french wine and chocolate fondue, our 7am wake up call for our certification dives came a bit too early. it was worth it.
so last week was the most intensely stressful yet gratifying week thus far. i was promoted temporarily to assistant, to which i got the nickname "ACOB" assistant chief of bar by my fellow bartenders, basically i was the bosslady who took all the heat. needless to say running the show had its ups and its downs, but a great leading experience, and luckily again fufilling my desire to grow in many ways down here. everything, including valentines day, went off without a hitch. we sold 32 bottles of champagne in one day, to which i was host to 14, plus countless grey goose bottles (to eric). the chiefs were so impressed that they emailed antonio in miami to tell him how well things were going. it made me happy to feel like i was doing a really good job, it almost made up for the severe lack of sleep and frustrating delegations i endured. now, antonio has proposed many attractive options for me to stay on for the summer season, basically as of now i make my own schedule and have a bit more freedom than the rest, however, when he isn't around i also am supposed to be the responsible one, again, good and bad. but as of now i'm still pretty sure that if i do stay on it will be for scuba and not for bar, but the chance of me staying are slim to nil. i'll stick out the season but i'm ready to come back and see my family and friends who i am really missing.
that is something i want to touch on. i feel really bad because i don't post nearly enough lately but as you have read i have had basically no time to sleep let alone patience to wait for computer time (i'm writing this on my dinner break at work, ie. the only time the computers are free). but my lack of communication with the outside world really does not reflect how i miss everyone, i find myself reality checking myself and realizing how much i value my friendships and although i am not in constant contact or contact at all, i still think of each and everyone of my friends. the wheels keep turning in my mind as to how i'm going to make it out to vic, calgs, edmonton, the states, as well as all the random travelling i want to do.
luckily i keep telling myself i'm 23 and it'll all happen in due course.
sorry this was so random, it was kind of a dump of my thoughts from the past week. i even said to a friend yesterday, "did you get anything for christmas this year?" and we were both like "oh right, christmas happened". that 's just one of the many things that i'm like, wow, time has flown and stuff keeps happening on the outside as i keep living my groundhog day over and over.
i love you all,
miss you,
email me. or call me.

2007-02-06T07:04:00.000-08:00

where to begin....

so my last day off we went to beaches which was to die for, lounging at a new place other than clubmed and practising my french was such a great plan, we ate good food, relaxed and i pampered myself by getting a pedicure. heaven for a girl who is on her feet for hours on end. after that day we started our rescue diving and completed two out of four dives. we did all the skills and were "prepared for the unexpected" after setting the anchor and mooring we learned how to prep the boat for the dive site. everything was smooth sailing until the chief of scuba, matt, decided to test us out and pretend to be unconcious at the surface, so i booted it to him and towed him while mimicking rescue breaths, and then exited with him onto the boat. i was maybe the most exhausted person ever, after two deep dives, rescue scenarios, then saving the big cheese of scuba who also happened to have his father on the boat watching as well. whew. luckily i did it almost perfectly (we need to mess up a bit so that we are ultra prepared for the future) so i was happy when matt asked if he was going to be hiring us for next season (suggesting that we should go ahead and continue with divemaster and instructors) so that was a nice boost to the ego. in terms of bar, we have one of our girls leaving on friday which comes as a shock but due to family issues she has to leave, needless to say antonio is not happy since she is a strong bartender but we will be getting two new girls by the end of the month. and new blood is usually a good thing. antonio also told melina and i that we will be the assistant chiefs when he and nathy leave on stage (training in miami) so we will be responsible with his keys to close the bar. we really are learning how much he not only appreciates our work but how strong we are in the village. it is interesting to have pull at clubmed as opposed to being given bullocks, as antonio puts it, all the time. i guess i really need to start thinking of what i'm doing next season because he is always on me about grooming be to be chief of bar but i want to start getting back into art. it is weird that your plans can change so quickly.
so other than that, the sand and surf are still here, the diving (oh i finally started to see sharks again which was so great) is still fantastic, we are going to west caicos on thursday as it will be my last day off for two weeks due to the chiefs on stage. tonight is texmex and for some reason i still am not sick of the food.
two more days til day off.
love to all.

2007-01-25T14:22:00.000-08:00

13days on and one day off....

so i finally have time to post the craziness that has been the past week, when the vip dudes came we couldn't have our normal days off, and i also changed my day to be with melina so that equalled me working a hell of a long time straight. now, it is super hard to try to unwind because i have been in "pleasing mode" for 13 days straight. anyways, first off, henri, the pres, bought the bar team a bottle of champagne and toasted us being the best bar team he's seen in awhile. as well, the other vips were very pleased with how everything ran, and therefore antonio is happy. i actually have never seen him this happy. henri also finished his very upscale visit that began with redcarpet arrivals via boats and champagne to drinking merlot out of plastic cups at 4am in our g.o. room with the whole bar team (unfortunately the camera with the pictures was stolen two days after but luckily we had shown them to everyone including antonio who couldnt' stop laughing). so needless to say it was a memorable visit for all of us.
antonio also keeps calling melina and i his dream team so he's trying to keep us here by propositioning us to do our instructor class on the island and stay for the summer season (not going to happen but it's nice to have your ass kissed every once and awhile) so he's trying to make our lives super easy now, no set ups or arrivals for at least a week. plus all the diving he can provide for us by making our schedules the way we like them. it's nice to feel needed and appreciated, finally. i also have gained the nickname bossy kate because behind the bar i have been appointed the assistant when the managers are not there so i find myself delegating, which i actually have no problem with and luckily the other bargirls and guys find it funny rather than frustrating.
so anyways it is my day off today, melina and i went diving, vis was unreal and they were super chill dives, our friend geoff did his first ever dive which is always exciting to see, and i now have my 35th under my belt and going strong. c.lee (our rescue instructor) told us that those were our last two recreational dives and from here on out it is all about rescue and divemaster, which i am really excited about, and slightly anxious. tonight we don our new clothes we purchased and head out of the club for dins and then watch a movie and have a chill night. sweet sweet day off.
sorry for the length of time between posts hopefully this one fills you guys in a bit more. i miss you guys but cannot wait for march 3rd when my MOM is coming to visit!!!!! so excited.
love you.

2007-01-16T09:38:00.000-08:00

rescue divers commence!

ok so the last couple of days have been pretty chill, they are hitting up some pretty sick music at the bar and we're all really starting to get into the groove of the work. this week is intense because the owner of clubmed and 4 other VIPs are coming to the village from wednesday to friday and basically we have been told "if you make any mistakes, you will be killed" but luckily we take that with a grain of salt and just keep doing what we're doing. what really thrilled me is that my day off was spent doing my rescue diver with melina where we did a series of scenarios combined with practising tows and equipment removal. we have two more sessions and four dives and then we're complete and then onto divemaster. i'm pretty motivated and i think everyone appreciates that on the scuba team. when i'm on the boat i help out and want to learn everything i can. i even found a friend in the kitchen who is from venezuela and who is going to help me brush up my espanol. so much to do in seemingly so little time, it is already january17th!

2007-01-11T13:03:00.000-08:00

no really, i'm still here....

ok so i am going to have to try to recount the first ten days of 2007 because this is the first time i have had a moment to do so. i worked new years which ended up being a little depressing because i was unable to see a lot of what the club did to celebrate but at the same time i was an integral part to it going well so i can feel good that i helped make it happen. there was a huge cocktail followed by a lighting ceremony and a huge water fountain made by the scuba team in the pool, plus lots of bottles of champagne. everyone seemed to have an amazing time. jeff came back which was a bit of a startling situation in the middle of my shift but its good to have him back and diving. since then it was rocky, the fall out from having two solid weeks without time for myself made me wonder if this is the place for me. i had no time to call my family or even breathe it sometimes felt like. but luckily my boss has seen that and has switched my day off to thursdays so i can hang out with my bestfriend here, melina, and work on our rescue diver. after losing sight of why i am here, i realized that all i want is to dive, chillout, learn french and gain some really great friends. and i believe i am accomplishing those goals. i also had my mid season evaluation and was told i was the most consistant bartender, and the communication between antonio and i has improved immensely which is very important for me.
basically i am not here to be friends with everyone and i am not here for drama which i'm not going to go too far into but it has followed me lately and i came here to escape such problems not endure them. so luckily my new room, and roommate are amazing, i have my four walls to help me remain sane. i also have some people that i really care about and luckily some great gm's to drown out the jaded go's.
today's diving was great except everyone (except me) got sick on the boat, because of the huge swells, but the eagle ray, the reefsharks, the baracudas and the hogfish (my faves) all made it worth it.
i'll try to keep up a bit better. i think the roughest part is over.

2006-12-30T11:06:00.000-08:00

exhausted does not even begin to explain.....

so things here are crazy. people are getting fed up easily and wanting to quit. luckily, i am not one of these people, i'm still super happy to be here. actually, me and this guy geoff from australia have started putting together ideas for a business plan for the possibility for an adventure company which has been my dream forever. i'm really excited by the prospect of having future plans with some of these amazing people that are here. as i was saying there are really busy days, but good days, it has been sunny for a week straight. i have also been diving a few times, seeing sharks and gaining more nicknames about my air consumption. tomorrow is new years and we work for a million hours but it will be a blast, i'm getting my day off switched to thursdays so that i can dive with melina, my new roommate as of a couple weeks from now, and then we can take part in excursions together. fantastic. i wish i had more interesting things to tell but i haven't really had enough time to explore this past week and find out new things, just basically i have set up shop at the bar and even have a change of clothes there because i barely ever make it back to my room. the rescue diver book keeps getting read, i am on chapter two and going strong. i am really looking forward to having that under my belt. i'm at 25 dives so far on my way to 60, as soon as the holidays are over i will be able to get 9 or12 dives a week. and thank goodness for not getting sick.

2006-12-25T10:31:00.000-08:00

merry merry to all.

so it is christmas here and it is unbelievebly surreal. last night was an incredible night. yesterday i woke up and watched as my bar manager antonio came in dressed as santa by boat with his two elves by his side which, against the ocean and sand, is a sight in itself. we then spent the entire afternoon working on our tans and setting up the largest cocktail of the year. it was breathtaking. luckily pictures were taken (with other people's cameras because i fail when it comes to being prepared lately) so i will post them when i get them. there were ice sculptures, champagne fountains, sails, snowflakes, and of course, my mom's eggnog which went faster than any other drink. not suprised. we dined on lobster, caviar, foie gras and oysters. and had the busiest night thus far at the bar. luckily we were thanked by both david and antonio at one point by drinking to the bar team with a bottle of veuve and a bottle of moet. the wee hours came quickly and i hit the sack around 5am, exhausted. it was kind of sad to see everyone being able to party and us serving them their party juice but at the same time we were happy to be hanging out together behind the bar and enjoying ourselves. i was told by one of the assistant managers, after a long venting session, that i have potential to move forward and up. i dont' think it is something i ever want to do but i apprciate the comment especially after a night of long hard work. today, i will try to put time on my phone and get in touch with the fam, and then work tonight until 1. i am looking forward to wednesday. oh ps. jeff is coming back to work here as a scuba instructor on dec. 30th. very random

2006-12-19T08:17:00.000-08:00

diving el solo......

so yesterday was a bit of a struggle, i got up at 7 after closing and went diving with clubmed without my faithful companion jeff, needless to say i was beyond spoiled when diving with an instructor. i dove with two guys, one man who had 500 dives but sucks back air like its going out of style but a super sweet man, and then a newyorker. the first thing he says to me is "hi i'm marty, you're a bartender right? you guys don't give a rats ass about the people on the other side of the bar do you?" to which i replied "good morning to you too". after about twenty minutes of discussion (me, cursing the hour boat ride to the dive site) i finally said you're a newyorker right? he said, oh the accent right? right.....the accent.
anyways he freaked out underwater and i came up from both dives with 3/4 of a tank of air but while i was down there it was beautiful, raining on the surface and calm and relaxing underneath. i was happy i went.
after a full day of sleep and working the close shift, today i am getting ready for our secret santa and staff party as well as my coyote ugly dance. that is slowly getting better. slowly.
off to work and make some eggnog.

2006-12-15T07:53:00.000-08:00

the past couple of days......

so times have been needless to say good. i have been working day shifts lately and have been really enjoying the early nights. well ending at 1am instead of 4am. it has allowed me the option to dive, unfortunately the weather has been really shitty and they haven't been going out. but luckily on my day off, jeff took me to west caicos again and the clouds parted and it definitely rivaled last week. this week there were not as many sharks but i found weight belt which i dropped into the blue at 150ft and watched it fall to where it would eventually end at 6000ft and i would be the last person to ever touch it. kinda cool when you think about it. i'm really going to miss diving on that side of the island, it is so different than with clubmed if for nothing else its nice to dive on a boat where everyone isn't asking me what my favourite drink to make is. anyways i've been hearing from a lot of friends back home and it is so fantastic to hear that everyone is doing so well and is happy and healthy. i still can't believe it is almost christmas though i have been elected to make the eggnog for the bar (including a lot of rum i assume) which should bring some of the christmas spirit. however, it is strange to see a christmas tree with a beach and turquoise ocean behind it. so the day off went off without a hitch but the day after, being last night, was a really horrible shift, basically based on the fact that the new boys are not getting any faster and i basically need to pick up their slack which is not easy when you have forty drinks to make all at once. it is easy to make mistakes, and i made one, a big one regarding a bottle of black label moet. anyways i have to bite the bullet, like i did with a plane ticket in europe, and realize that it is what it is and it is only money. regardless today is a new day. i work during the day getting me off at 12 which is amazing. jeff leaves tomorrow which will be weird because we've become really good friends and it has been nice to dive with an instructor. he keeps reminding me of of how shallow i will have to dive from now on because most people are not very good on air consumption. crap.
i think that's all for now, i'm off to work and try to wake up a bit.
enjoy yourselves.
k

2006-12-07T11:47:00.000-08:00

the best day off yet....

so yesterday i woke up after 3 hours of sleep, took a shot of espresso and was off to west caicos where its a much calmer place to dive and did a two tank dive with jeff where we saw the most beautiful coral i have ever seen in my life, the sharks circled us but other than that it was virtually the most relaxed i have been in a long time. very zen, which may explain my freakish air consumption control. we saw rays and turtles and basically all aquatic life you'd want to see while diving. the viso wasn't as good as it apparently usually is but i will have time to be able to go back again and again, within reason since the dives are around 200 bucks. this time it was free. i then went to hemingways for dinner and had a rare seared tuna with great wine, much different than the usual fare. and after a bit of dancing and enjoying the night life i turned in around 6am to rise again at 10 for my shift at 11. and now i start again. i love these days though. because i finish at 1 and get a great night sleep in. tomorrow i go to beaches and enjoy the freedom of being at another resort where no one knows who i am. sometimes the nametag can be a curse instead of a blessing.

2006-12-05T09:09:00.000-08:00

it's who you know.....

so yesterday i had a really great chat i had with jeff, my new found ex chief of scuba friend who lets me vent to him on occasion allowing me the opprotunity to get both an outside and inside perspective on situations. after the enlightening conversation, he scored us two seats on the diveboat in the afternoon (a rarity here, and somewhat of a payback journey) we went on a two tank dive which was amazing. the coral combined with the barracuda and sharks was unbelieveable. he was also really cool to take me and compliment me on my comfort in the water (i use at least 500psi less than him on every dive). i have realized that i need to do it more, and as such we are going to west caicos tomorrow where the water is calm and the viso is really excellent. i have been promised eagle rays and sharks, excitement is, needless to say, building. we also are eating out of the village which will be a novelty to be served and eat something a bit different.
however, tonight i must prepare for my coyote ugly dance, choreographed no less, that will have me up on stage dancing my heart out to unbelievable by fyc. very upscale.
we have another new guy sami who starts tonight, i'm really looking forward to our little family growing and me loving the girls a bit more each day.
so now, i am off to train, set up for tonight, learn the dance, grab the beach for an hour, work at six and go to bed at dawn, again.
the island life is rough.

2006-12-04T07:59:00.001-08:00

the life of a vampire....

so many people say that the life of a bartender is much like a vampire. and i totally am getting that. i find myself lurking around the village at 5am and then people don't usually see me until the next evening (mainly because i am very stealth in my daily duties so as to be able to finish what i want to accomplish in the day and not get roped into extras). life is good though. i keep telling myself that la vie des isle es durer (or something like that) mais c'est bien. in the past couple of nights we've had some characters at the bar, such as the billionaire who drinks 23anos rum which is the best rum that you can buy and lets the bar staff sample it. mmm seriously smooth. our new barman has come, matt, who is from good ol' stouffville ontario where i have some good friends who he also knows (such is being canadian). it's nice having new blood, new excited blood, since i find my spirit being broken every couple nights by my boss which takes the experience down a couple notches. regardless, today i go on an afternoon dive with some ex go's and get a two tank dive in before my shift. i'm slightly apprehensive due to the fact that it has been awhile since i have dove but i'm sure with an ex chief of scuba by my side, all will be well.
off to do some laundry, catch some rays and rest up for the dive.
i miss you all, love,
kate

2006-11-29T12:26:00.000-08:00

a day off with the iguanas,
so today i headed with shauna at the early hour of 830 to go to the iguana island which i went to with my mom when we traveled to turks a couple years back. this time, we not only dove for conchs, saw sharks and dolphins, but i also got more colour than i have in a very very long time. i may look like a tomato, but soon it'll turn into the colour that makes me look like i live here. shauna and i kept saying how surreal it is that we can say that this is our home, i still feel like i'm on vacation. i keep forgetting that i can do all of this every day and there is no need to force everything in at once, i need to remember to have my own time. anyways, off to take a nap, and get ready for a somewhat early night because i hope to dive tomorrow with an ex chief of scuba that is now a gm here. but no pressure.
kate

2006-11-28T09:30:00.000-08:00

jojo my love.....

hello all, so yesterday was the rainiest of rainy days, no scuba unfortunately but a relaxing day bumming around and catching up on rest. last night we had a great shift, that started with me being commended for my bartending skills and asked if i knew of any friends that would want to come down and bartend (email me if interested, we need people asap). the shift was also prosperous in terms of making more friends both go's and gm's. we met some guys that live on the island (ex go's) who run one of the night clubs that we're going to go and visit on a day off. today i snorkelled, swam with jojo the dolphin and enjoyed the sun and as well, i also have an excursion that my mom and i did when we were last here, iguana island, tomorrow.
love to all,
k

2006-11-26T12:49:00.000-08:00

so yesterday was quite a shift, we had a lot of new GM's come who were ready and eager to enjoy the lifestyle that i have grown to love. my body is still not quickly recovering from the lack of sleep but luckily i am perservering. i go to the gym everyday to try to work on my knees and legs which are getting a rough ride behind the bar, i look a bit like a bruised peach but luckily most people only see me from the waist up. after the shift last night we decided to have ourselves a bit of a party, we broke out the expensive moet champagne, were toasted by our bar manager, and hit the pool for an early morning dip. rolling into bed at 5 and out at 9 for a day shift was difficult but it will pay off since i am off tonight at 1 so that i can go diving tomorrow. i am very very excited to dive. melina, one of the bar girls, is ridiculously like me, we both have our advanced, have the same random obscure bands on our ipods, have the same daily routine, and have a blast behind the bar. i really love the fact that i am really starting to feel like i fit in with these girls, my french is improving, and my chef de village, who is starting to grow on me, is on vacation and his stand in, is a really awesome guy. so i know the next couple weeks will be great. lastly, my friend shauna and i have made plans for the next couple weeks to enjoy since she has decided to leave unfortunately. i sometimes wonder if it will all of a sudden hit me and make me not want to be here. but then again i may just be the type of person who is cut out for this, i knew what i was getting myself into, hours and pace wise, so hopefully i'll continue to love it and my body keeps up with me so that i can combine diving and working on a more regular basis.

2006-11-24T08:21:00.000-08:00

the cellphone.

i forgot to mention....that although lastnight was another successful shift but not for the usual reasons of sharing wonderful alcohol with the public but moreso because i got myself a cellphone. my fantastic chef de bar got himself a new cell and i became the proud owner of his hand-me-down. so now i can be in better contact, email me if you need the number, and i'm sure to get in touch with some of you as well. it is nice to be in contact with the real world. even if no one calls me. there is still the feeling of being a bit less isolated.
k

2006-11-24T08:09:00.000-08:00

the much appreciated day off.

so i have left my blog a bit in the dust the past couple of days, i found myself devoting my time to the emails people have been sending to me, but i have a reinvigorated spirit. everyone seems to say how there are good days and bad days, i have definitely had both since i've been here. there is one senior staff that has rubbed me the wrong way and there seems to be a constant report of criticism and not a lot of validation, which any staff member who is not only new but works very hard needs from time to time. luckily i share this feeling among the staff. however, the guests seem to make up for it. i have met a lot of really interesting people that not only have offered me a space to stay if i'm ever in their part of the world but some have also presented interesting job offers. as i say i will not be planning my future too exactly.
the day off was a highlight, i got to see the very very sparce town of provo as well as port au caul another very tiny place, where i went shoe shopping with shauna and was woken up to the harsh realization that i do, in fact, live on an island and everything is "on island prices", burgers for 11 bucks, shampoo for 15, unfortunately i'm not being paid island prices. ah well, you learn to live cheaply and skirt around to find the barest of necessities.
another elegant evening was last night, where my self confidence was boosted tenfold by everyone being in a great mood and happy with my service. today we do arrivals and departures and i work the night shift. orange and black tonight.
hopefully the sun, who has been on hiatus, will find some time to rear its head so that i start looking like i live here. guests still confuse me for one of them.
oh and if anyone has suggestions on some knee strengthening exercises, i desparately need to give my meniscus a break.
lots of love,
k

2006-11-20T07:08:00.000-08:00

so last night was my favourite shift by far, it was definitely comparable to our "firing shift" at clark. so anyone i've worked with, you know what i'm talking about. anyways, my refresher for scuba wetted my appetite and i cannot wait until i am able to do it at every chance i can. i was even commented to be like an assistant instructor, which was a fantastic boost, and lets me know that my certifications will not be hard to get, but getting a few more dives in will be a great start. positive feedback is what i've been getting a lot of which i really need, especially being so far away from people that i know and love. but its really great to realize what i'm not doing well too just so that i'm learning the ropes as quickly as possible, both good and bad.
i hope you are all well and keep me updated on your wonderful lives, stay happy and enjoy what you're doing. i will do the same.

2006-11-19T08:34:00.000-08:00

not that much to report, but blogging helps me remember what day it is. basically last night was summed up by being "kachunked" in the face with a block of ice which led to me having to tap out .5hr early from the shift due to dizziness and the swelling that was slightly similar to that of quasimoto. this morning i got some more questions answered and found out about the 30% discount for those looking to come, the only catch is, you only find out 3 days before you are supposed to leave. sucks no? but you can book a week, and then just wait on it to find out if you got it or not, meaning you dont' have to buy your tickets last minute, just make sure they are refundable. somewhat confusing, but again, i'm still figuring things out. these are details from the higher-ups, but i think what will be helpful is finding out from those who invite their friends and who have been here awhile. anyways, today i do a scuba refresher and work on getting 30-40 more dives this season, shouldn't be a problem, in order to be more capable of going to do divemaster and instructing. same shift tonight, luckily the dresscode is all black. perfect for behind the bar. still on the non-slip shoe mission.
my talk with my mom today was cut short but basically it helped me to realize that i need to not worry so much about immediate integration and rather a more easy transition. i'm on an island, it seems to go with the territory. cellphone on wednesday.
love to all.

2006-11-18T10:36:00.000-08:00

another day in paradise......

and i'm not just quoting phil collins for the hell of it, it is really is picturesque here. i think the beauty of today though was talking to my mum. she definitely made me so happy (although i was crying) to hear her voice, and i told her the exciting news that cheap cellphones are not a myth here in provo, so screw bell mobility i'm going the island way. it'll be free calling in and more inexpensive than calling from my room. oh right, i dont' have a permanent room, but the one that i'm in. so that will hopefully get figured out next wednesday. i also had the rude awakening that i need to up my elegant shoe collection, it is hard being compared to the 4 other fashion forward montreal girls that i share the bar with, but i'll bring in my own personal touch, i have no doubt. so after a run on the beach, and a meeting with my fantastic antonio, i'm back to work 7-3am tonight. i received my first schedule yesterday, so i guess that settles it, i'm in. anyways, i'm finding it a bit hard to mesh into the group of G.O's, probably because i haven't been able to go to a staff meeting yet because i've been working for all of them. i fear i may come off as shy or awkward kate, which i am not but rather witty and lovable kate that i am. i have time to turn them around, maybe when i learn their language......
anyways, once again, beauty day and beauty convo, thanks again mama. i miss you all, send emails or posts so i know how you're doing and i feel a little less on my own. i know you all think of me as much as i think of you.
love to all
kate

2006-11-17T05:55:00.000-08:00

a whirlwind shift and a turkey wrap......

i have been inducted into the club med bartending circut. last night, i not only carried on a much butchered but apparently comprehensible conversation with a few montrealers but also finished my night off by wiping out on the slippery-est floor known to man. but much happened in between. our dress was elegant, for me it composed a very attractive outfit and converse all-stars (for behind the bar, a must). at dinner we shmoozed but i got into my groove making such drinks as a ricard et un tiposch (like a mojito but with limes instead of mint leaves). speaking of the tiposch, who was i making them for?, apparently the 38th best tennis player in the world. a lovely french man and his friends, ordering bottle upon bottle of moet champagne. so needless to say my unknowning brush with quasi-stardom left me able to once again practice my french. if only i had a dictionary to help me. so after being welcomed numerous times and regained the wonderful feeling of the power behind the bar, anyone who has bartended knows where i'm coming from, i finished my 8 hour shift at 3am, went for a delicious turkey wrap which saved my life and hit the sack.
except instead of sleeping for a normal amount of time, i was brought to the unfortunate realization that i would need to move rooms, at 9:00am. so i got 3 hrs of sleep, woke up, packed, and am ready to start the same day again. i think this calls for some beach sleeping, sounds potentially dangerous and painful, but i will attempt the experience.
today however, i will not do a pilates and water aerobic class before my shift. over zealous kate strikes again.

2006-11-16T05:44:00.000-08:00

provo, the island of bonified beauty......

so i have arrived. yesterday, after a brief but beautiful goodbye with my mother i was off to the island of provo, but first i got a chance to hang out with the entire calgary flames team which happened to be at my neighbouring gate. a truly canadian experience, lauren redgate would be proud. i found a lovely young g.o. whom i had met at my interview, julie, from timmins, who kept me company not only before and on my flight to miami but also for my three hour wait before my flight to T&C. we hit it off like peas and carrots and although she is off to Columbus Isle in the Bahamas, i believe we will keep eachother informed and maintain the rookie G.O. support system. i arrived at my village to find a very welcoming group, and after a brief tour and run down of my activities for today (which include working the busiest shift) i was off to sleep. i ate with an entirely french table, je ne comprand pas, but i have no doubt that i will (have to) learn french in a timely fashion. my orientation starts in two hours where i get inducted with my nametag and beautiful garb. my life as a guest is quickly drawing to a close.
it is still very surreal for me to be here, and i have had a lot of weird things occur that make me feel as though this is where i'm supposed to be right now.
love to all.

2006-11-12T20:07:00.000-08:00

the loose ends....

the last couple days have been pretty whirlwind. most might say that packing up your life takes longer than you think, they would be correct. after having a slight run in with the passport officials, and having my attention brought to statutory holidays i was unaware of, it looks as though i will be able to travel freely and not worry about being chained to the island i will call home for the next half year.
over the past couple months i have enjoyed those of whom have continued to be my very dear friends and how lucky i am to have people to miss while i'm away. my weekly dinner parties with shannon, my heart-healing conversations with mir, my elaborately sarcastic and fantastic dialogues with brad will be only few of the luxuries of home i have become accustomed to.
so it is finally hitting me. two days. i know i was in this same boat with my travels across the pond only 7 months ago but not only has the timeline and mentality changed but the place i'm at mentally has also evolved.
i hope and expect that this experience will provide me with the necessary growth and happiness that i have been so desperately needing over the past while.
so with any luck, with my french and Spanish language lessons in tow, and my white pants safely packed, i will get off without a hitch on Wednesday after some last minute tasks are completed and be on my way to experience another opportunity of which i will gladly take advantage.

2006-11-08T21:38:00.000-08:00

becoming clubmedified...

so here i am again, starting a new obsession with the phenomenon that is, the blog. as an outlet for personal reflection it is beyond satisfying for me, something i couldn't resist as i embark on a new opportunity. that is, the land of clubmedness on turks and caicos. it must be said that there was a lot of soul-searching that ensued upon hearing the offer but, for my own mental happiness and to try something that is only feasible at this point in my life, i had to jump at the opportunity to not only pick up a language that will prove to be very useful in Canada but also to gain certifications for diving. basically, attaining interesting skills and elements that will further enhance my marketability down the pipe. but most importantly, to take care of my mental sanity and do something that truly makes me happy and grow as an individual. a wise man once said to me "you have your whole life to work" so why not take advantage of the chance to go and do something truly different? exactly.
so i will go through an intense packing procedure and get myself set (rather quickly) and send myself on a plane down south next wednesday. i keep telling myself that 6 months isn't that long; however, a lot can happen in half a year. all i need to worry about it is appreciating the experience and taking all that i can from it.
looking forward to keeping in touch with you,
you can comment or email, pick your poison.
love,
k