Bermuda: Where the ratio of cars to scooters is about 1:1. The hook-shaped commonwealth that never actually got away. The population is 40% white and 60% black, but, according to one, they share the island very equally. It's one of the most densely populated places in the world. In the world! All the houses are pretty colors and all the roofs--all of them--are white. That's because they have absolutely no natural fresh water sources on the entire island and have to harvest rain water. Showers: a one second primary rinse, water off. Shampoo and soap, water back on for one second final rinse, water off. "First thing any Bermudian does abroad is take a half-hour shower." If there is ever a dry spell, what usually happens is everyone severely abridges their water consumption and general hygiene habits until one person--exactly one, is all it takes--caves and buys a water tank from somewhere else. After the tank is delivered, it rains for three weeks straight.

The accents are very strange. They're a combination of English and West Indian. 'Ar' becomes 'er.' They speak incredibly quickly, combine some words, and generally put the emphasis on the latter part of a sentence, opposing Americans. I met a boy named Mika while we were waiting at the docks. He walked over to us and told us the different kinds of fish in the water. My mother had such a hard time understanding him that afterwards she goes, "Really? Wow. Do you know what kinds of fish these are?" He told her again, then said, "I'm gon' scare them." He suddenly throws himself into the water and they scatter. He comes up laughing and, after pulling himself up a six foot concrete wall, says, "They all went over there! I'll jump over there and they'll move here, and then I'll jump here and they'll move back there!" I was the only one of our group able to understand him. He stood before me soaking wet in a black shirt, jean shorts, and Air Jordans.



Today, we kayaked.