one day in nassau...

I suppose there may be some interest in knowing what life looks like here in Nassau for this ex-pat family.  Perhaps you picture a life of cushy comfort, with days spent lingering at the palm-treed, white sand beach or lazily sipping strawberry daquiris by the pool.  Or perhaps you picture a life of unimaginable un-american-ness with no decent stores to shop at, no air conditioning and larger-than-life creepy-crawly things in the house and yard. 

Well, now picture something between those two extremes and you are getting close....  And truthfully, I don't know what we really pictured before moving here.  Here is a typical day in the life:

• Wake up to a warm day, usually already 80-82 degrees in the house.  Turn on all ceiling fans.  Shut blinds that face the eastern sunrise...the heat will infiltrate the house quickly if you don't!
• Inhale smells not found other places: good: i.e. jasmine-like scent blowing on the breeze or bad: dead rat smell on the breeze (if you smell a rat, you'll go outside to find where it is and then call your husband to "take care of it."  He will look willing, but disgusted.
• Dis-arm the alarm so you can find the rat or feed the dog her morning meal.  The dog will be VERY grateful.
• Quiet time with the Lord (to include thanking him for the beauty of this place, and then praying for help to continue to live under the difficulties of an expensive and culturally different country.)
• Fix coffee and lunch for husband to take to work
• Husband leaves for work (leaving about 8:10 am to make sure he reaches the church by 9:00.  Even though its a 10-12 minute drive, he must allow at least 40 min. for the morning commute.  (This is due in large part to the problem of no schoolbus system for the children.  Parents must individually drive and pick up their children.  This creates massive traffic issues.)
• Breakfast: feed the kids, being sure to put the milk away quickly so it doesn't sour.  We have opted to buy 1/2 gallons instead of gallons because they get used up quickly and don't have a chance to sour.
• Start school 9-9:30. Usually by 11am, the girls are so hot they need to jump in the pool to cool off.  This is fine with me, as it also fulfills our Phys. Ed. for the day. 
• 12:30 Break for lunch, read group Shakespeare or other group reading
• 2:30-3:30 Finish school
• 3:30-4:00 Start Dinner (unless I've already done so by using a crock-pot meal.)
• Clean up kitchen as I cook, check email, blog, read friends' blogs, etc.  Switch laundry, sweep the floors, Kids pitch in with chores to "tidy up" before daddy gets home from work.
• 5:30-6:00 Serve dinner  Clean up
• 7:00...many nights, this is when we get ready to walk out the door for something at church.  Most weeks we have events at least 3 nights, if not 4 or 5, a week.  All events are at 7:30.
• 10-10:30pm  Reach home after church event.
• 10:30 pm...Bedtime for Girls, mom and dad relax on the couch, talking or watching t.v.
• 11:00-11:30 Bedtime for Mom and Dad

On Keith's day off, we try to get school done a bit early, say 2:00pm.  Then we either have some family pool-time or head to the beach.  Lately the idea of the beach has been less appealing due to the level of seaweed and trash accumulation on the nearest beach.  The drive to the "nice" beaches may not be worth the cost in gas.  Once a week, I get a night off from cooking as we either head to Wendy's or pick up pizza.  We have found that for $20, we can feed our family at Wendy's--that's $4 a person!The other restaurants here are just too costly for our family.    Once every 4-6 weeks, we will plan a double-date with our senior pastor and his wife.  This is our time to talk and "catch up" with each other about life and ministry.   They pay for us one time, then we treat them the next.  We've each taken a turn since moving here, and it's been nice.  Other than this, we do not take dates that cost money.  This has been an adjustment, but for now, it must be so.

Well, there you have it.  A look into our days here in Nassau.