Monday, June 27, 2011

When you are the immigrant "stealing" someone's job

Next month both Katie and I apply to have our work permits renewed.  They both expire at the end of August and we are making sure our applications are in with plenty of time to spare.  We probably won't hear anything until later in the fall as there is a huge backlog and the wheels of immigration move slowly down here.  These renewals are an every two year reminder that we are guests in this country and here by permission not right.  Most locals are very welcoming and view us as a part of the community.  Our students in particular could not be more open and friendly whether you are an ex pat or a local.  We feel a sense of obligation to our community and do what we can to pitch in and be a part of it. 

Unfortunately there is a small but vocal group here, much like some Americans back home, who view all immigrants with disdain and distrust.  In their minds we are just here stealing some Caymanian's job and we will always be the "ex-pats" who are just taking advantage of the "true" Caymanians.  There is even a morning talk show on a major radio station that seems to feed on the "ex-pat" hatred.  Sadly, some local politicians also seem to believe they can make their careers capitalizing on this anger at "ex-pats" and they stoke the fires whenever they can even in the most absurd of cases.  In the last two years, several thousand ex pats have left the island according to the government figures.  That is a couple thousand people no longer renting properties to live in.  Those same thousands are no longer buying groceries, or clothes, or eating at restaurants.  They aren't buying cars or gasoline or having their autos serviced.  No cable or electric usage or work permit fees being paid to the government or importing goods and the attendant duties government relied upon or using the banks and those fees.  In the same time unemployment (which is calculated only by Caymanians since all ex pats must have a job to be on island) has grown and now tops ten percent.  In the same period, long time restaurants and businesses are closing and the government is struggling to bring in enough revenue to continue to operate. 

It has also created a sense of resentment amongst some ex pats who then go on to act exactly like they are accussed of, giving nothing back and just making their money and leaving.  A vicious circle that benefits the community not at all.  The law of unintended consequences comes into full play when you run off thousands of people who were pumping money into your economy.  The USA in many ways and on a grander scale faces this same issue and perhaps would do well to look at Cayman and see the stark consequences of scapegoating foreigners for your own issues. 

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Gnips and Red Plums

Although the summer means heat and hurricanes down here, it also brings us my two favorite tropical fruits, gnips (pronounced ga-nip) and red plums.  Gnips are small golf ball size fruits that grow on trees.  They have a tough outer shell that you split and pull off.  The fruit itself is around a hard pit and you literally chew it off the pit in your mouth until you have gotten it all (at least that is how I eat them). Other more refined individuals probably bite off small bits thus leaving way too much still on the pit when they finish.  Red plumbs also have a skin and pit but you eat the skin of them along with the fruit around the pit.  Willie's fruit stand near our house has started carrying early season pickings of both fruit and this week we got our first batch of both.  Arianna has already tried red plums and likes them as much as her father, gnips are for later this week.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Father's Day out at Rum Point

Yesterday was my first official Father's Day and to celebrate we loaded up the car and made the drive out to Rum Point on the north side of the Island.  We went out early to beat the heat which has been pretty intense down here.  Arianna loved the water as she always does though after a long day at the beach yesterday she was ready to call it a day earlier than she might have under other circumstances.  Katie and I have started watching "Lost" so we headed home to a quiet afternoon of DVD watching and playing with the little one.  All in all it was a fantastic first Father's Day.  This is an off week at the college with no classes, though we do have our comprehensive examinations for graduating Bachelor and Master candidates along with the summer faculty meeting and summer orientation so it will still be busy.  The summer is traditionally our smallest term so it shouldnt be quite as hectic around the college for a couple of months.  We are looking at a huge fall though so we are already gearing up.



Sunday, June 19, 2011

Saturday Afternoon Beach Cookout

Yesterday the college held a cook out on Seven Mile Beach for students, alumni, and staff.  Arianna had a great time meeting many of the students she hadn't been introduced to yet and was happy to be passed around and meet them and their children.  The event celebrated the end of spring finals for current students and was a chance for alumni to get together and reconnect with each other and meet the current students.  We spent several hours out there and everyone had a great time.
Grilling the Chicken

With Esther from Kenya and Maxine from St. Vincents

With Carmarla, Sheena, EJ (the other little one)
and Shakira all from Cayman

Friday, June 17, 2011

End of Spring Term

Yesterday was the official end of our spring term and for Katie and I the completion of four full academic years at ICCI.  Construction has finally begun in earnest on our new third building which will house some state of the art business classrooms and that has the campus even more busy during the day.  It is a great sight each day to come in and see the building going up bit by bit.  The foundation is already laid and this week the outer walls started going up.  We hope it will be done by the end of July in plenty of time to have our grand opening and use the classrooms this fall.  The summer is always a little more laid back as the student body is its smallest of the year and everything slows down with the heat and the rain as well as the constant watching for hurricanes.

On the home front Arianna is just a bundle of energy crawling all over the house and using anything she can leverage to lift herself up.  She is definitely going to be an early walker.  We were warned that once they started moving everything would be different and it certainly is.  The days do just seem to run together lately and I sometimes have to look at a calendar just to see what day it is.

Friday, June 10, 2011

Fridays

One of the nice things about working at the college is the Friday schedule.  We have classes Monday through Thursday and thus are open from 9 in the morning until 10:15 or so at night.  While none of us work all 13 hours it does make for long days and evenings. Combine that with other events and weekend work and it is a tough work week.  We make up for it by working half days on Fridays.  Usually that means 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  With the Government program going on for me lately that has meant 11-3 or on days like today where I have an external exam 2 to 6 p.m. 

So this morning with a full morning off we decided to head over to Camana Bay and introduce Arianna to the joys of playing in the fountains.  She loved it and here are a few of the shots.





Wednesday, June 1, 2011

First Day of Hurricane Season

If its the start of June then that signals the official start of hurricane season down here.  While things usually don't get interesting until August but not always.  When we first moved here four years ago a very eraly season tropical storm was busy dumping several days of rain on Cayman making for a very wet first few weeks.  This year our hurricane kit will include lots of baby stuff and we have already decided that anything over a category two and we are sending Mom and baby off island (now no cheering for hurricanes by our Texas relatives just so you can see the little one!).  Construction officially began this week on our new classroom building at the college and you can feel the excitement each day as people see the building start to go up.  It should be done in July depending on weather and other possible (like government) delays so with any luck we will have it available for classes this fall.  We have three weeks left in the Spring term so we are busy finishing that out and registering students for the summer.  Should be a quiet June travel and family wise but hectic work wise.