Seasons

Living in the Caribbean may seem like much of a dream for many. It certainly was my dream to live by the beach and in the sunshine. Taking in my surroundings it is what you would describe as ‘paradise’. I live in a beautiful complex with picturesque cream apartments in the style of houses which are dotted in what looks like a tropical garden. In the middle of the complex is a stunning pool with palm trees draped around it, what an utterly bliss environment for spending an evening after work. In Cayman, the temperature rarely drops below 30C; holiday season all year round. However, all that glitters isn’t gold. One of the hard facts of living in a tropical, hot part of the world is that while there may not be a winter there is a hurricane season. While I may sound naïve, this is something which I didn’t consider when deciding to move to the Caribbean. Less than two weeks into my stay in the sunshine the reality of destructive weather was brought to my attention. Riding in the passenger seat with my new, welcoming and ever-helpful co-teacher, to set up my bank account, Chad discussed the possibility of upcoming hurricanes. I felt worried. Was a hurricane near? We spoke about the possibility of a hurricane. In another car journey this time passing the stunning coastline,  I passed a tree whose branches were dangling with shoes; a reminder of hurricane Ivan ten years ago which had taken many lives and swiped the land.  Over the next few days, it emerged that there certainly was a hurricane and it was called Irma. At work I asked people what was happening and if we were safe. To my surprise I was met with laughter and jokes. ‘You’ll be ok! You live on the top floor!’ Some colleagues chuckled.

‘Yes the hurricane is coming!’ Another colleague of mine laughed.

I didn’t comprehend. Was this a laughing matter? As far I was aware hurricanes took lives and land. I remained calm and realised that this was a coping mechanism for many. What use is there of getting into a frenzy? When my colleagues began to realise that it wasn’t a joke and that I wasn’t used to talk of hurricanes (coming from the UK) they apologised and assured me of the school’s safety procedures which included tracking hurricanes on daily basis and having a hurricane shelter if needed. The texts from concerned family and friends came through. Luckily, we were not in Irma’s path. But what if we were? For the days which followed you couldn’t get away from talk of the hurricane; it was constantly on the news. I couldn’t believe what force this hurricane was stirring up, one of the strongest hurricanes to date. To all the islands and lands which Irma hit, my thoughts are with you. I feel lucky but it’s a weird feeling, knowing that something so destructive is so close. What a tragedy.