I've got to admit I did enjoy the hyper consumerism civilisation of it all. Calling down to the valet each morning and asking for the SUV to be brought up, strolling around with a grande, soy, extra cold, hold the cream frapp in hand and a mighty fine dinner at IHOP for less than $15 but then again hitting a sunlounger on Elbow Beach also not so shabby.
So what's been happening?? Not too much it would appear. We chose to leave on the day of the four day weekend that is CUP MATCH, which has to experienced just once and I had the fun of the fair last year so I was offski this year. Cup Match is basically on a par with xmas in Bermuda. On the two public holidays (Thurs/Fri) to mark slave emancipation and the landing of Bermuda, the west end of the island plays the east end in a cricket match. They take it in turns to host each year and if you go you spectate from a hammock slung up under scaffolding, with a cold beer in one hand and a plate of mac n cheese, rice n peas and fried chicken in the other. Also, the whole Bermudian population camps for the holiday. Any park, beach you see will be turned into a sophisticated network of tents, gazebos and BBQ areas. And when those are full, they set up camp along the roadside and I even saw people on roundabouts last year. But alas with any bank holiday, it was pretty much a rain off.
While I was away there was another three shootings, one guy was killed after a gunmen cornered him in a club on Court Street (Bermuda's equivalent of Harlem), he later died. The others were gunned down in the parking lot of a Boat Club and out on the street but survived. In the last six months, 34 shootings have resulted in six deaths and 14 seriously injured victims. And there is no sign of it abating as the gun crime epidemic is widely reported to be a series of vendettas between rival gangs '42 Street' and 'Parkside'. The Bermuda Sun even reported that known Bermudian gang members have been spotted at shooting ranges in the states getting some target practice in.... scary stuff.
In other news, the Government leadership contest has begun following Premier Ewart Brown's final session of parliament before he officially steps down in October. At the moment it is a three horse race between parliamentary regulars and existing and previous Ministers, Paula Cox, Terry Lister and Dale Butler. However, as an outsider I feel a prime candidate has been overlooked if we are to take note of Wyclef Jean's bid for the top job in Haiti... Bermudian reggae artist UZIMON!!
Judging by this note he penned to The Royal Gazette he appears to display the rational reasoning and integrity required of the position... I leave you on this note for now, enjoy!!
"I, UZIMON, greatest reggae artist to ever live and die and keep living after that, want to inform all the nice and decent people of Bermuda that I have once again escaped Federal Custody in the USA.
"I am making my way across the Atlantic in a criss raft I made out of empty egg-foo-yong containers, a ping-pong table and a bicycle pump.
"I am navigating my way to Bermy using my wicked new Christopher-Columbus-Compass-Application pon mi i-Phone, and survivng off dead fish washing up the Gulf Stream from the BP oil spill.
"Me saw Tropical Storm Colin, and told him b'woy back off! So Bermy can thank me fa dat. If I don't die of sunstroke, I will be at Docksiders pon Friday. Hopefully they will have some aloe vera lotion (for my sun burn). Also these giant hooked-beak ugly birds have been circling around my raft fa several days now. Me nah like them."
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