3 months down, forever to go! (just Kidding Mom)

                                        Hello! And greetings from Grand Cayman!

I cant believe its already been a whopping three months on this beautiful island I get to call home for a while! ( Don't worry Mom "A While" is probably a lot longer than you are actually thinking *Cue Sarcasm*) Choosing to come to this Island has been the hardest but best decision I have ever made in my life, I am starting to discover who I am as a person, and I am really starting to truly love myself, which was something that has always been hard for me. I thought I would start blogging my experiences, I think my sister is really tired of all my crazy stories, so as a result she told me to blog about them. So here I am.

For starters, the bus system here is crazy! You know those big white kidnapping vans that everyone is scared of, or is that just me? Anyways that would be what the local bus system picks you up in. And trust me there have been a handful of times where I have feared for my life. Bus Drivers could care less about anyone on the road, or the speed limit. I have almost flew off my seat a good couple times. Oh and I had a bus driver run over 3 chickens! It was awful. One bus driver complimented me on my Maxi Dress which was very nice of him, but then proceeded to tell me that he loves when girls wear maxi dresses because it keeps the mind wondering whats underneath it. Appreciate the modesty, but uh a little creepy if you ask me. I got off as soon as possible.

 One thing I have really started enjoying again is running! I love getting up and running before work, and starting your day off right! Okay a little preface, the "islanders" are a very forward people. They do not hold back on what their mind is thinking. Which can be flattering... or really creepy. I have debated sending some of them to BYU Idaho to help the male population up their with how to deal with their feelings.  ( Just kidding boys, you all are great!) Anyways back to running.  Its great to go running, but I could do without the bikers riding by staring, or the guys driving by, or some of the lovely comments that are made. Fine ill just say it, I was BLESSED with a booty. I know that. Stare all you want and make all the comment you want creepers. In the end exercising is a great way to relieve some stress and make you feel good about yourself, at least that's why I do it!

Also when I go on runs, I stumble across dead iguanas, and run past them, then think to myself, "That thing could have rabies, but it is also a very good photo opportunity." So basically I risked my life for the picture, Sometimes you just have to do things for the picture guys. Anyways I have enjoyed running and being healthy.  It really does make a difference with how you feel about yourself. I have noticed a huge difference, and it just makes me a happier person, and lets face it, who doesn't want to be happy!

Okay can I just say one thing here. BEING  NICE DOES NOT MEAN THAT I AM FLIRTING. I always gave my best friend Shay a hard time about this because I always thought her being nice to everyone just came off as being flirty. But turns out she's just being nice. Well jokes on me because it is backfiring. I would like to think I am a nice person. But being nice to this culture they take it as " oh hey you like me". No, no I don't I am just being nice. Inviting you to things, or complimenting you or joking with you is what I do with my friends, because I thought thats what friends do, but maybe here that means your interested in someone. Ay Yi Yi.  Culture difference.. what to do what to do. Also a side note, it is not okay to invite a girl to drinks when you are married, or tell a girl that she is the most beautiful person you have ever laid eyes on, when your girlfriend works in the same hotel! Flattering but this is why us girls have TRUST issues people! 

A conversation from work:

Him: "Hey we have to go get drinks sometime"

Me: "I dont drink"

Him: "Not even soda...juice?"

Me: "I like water"

Him: "Well we could still go out and you can have water"

Now this could have gone two ways , what I wanted to say was, "Sure, i'll go, is your wife coming too?"  But instead I just laughed and went on my way.

It really is cool that I live in a place with so many different cultures, I feel so cultured! Like I have a coworker, Michael . He is teaching me all these cool replacement words. Like Chips are called crisps and fries are called chips. mind blown! Or other fun words like, Utterly, sublime, marvelous and so many more! Or  how they call it a cinema instead of the movie theaters, film instead of movie. He is so proper. I tend to laugh and make fun of his use of words, and talk in a different accent and try but horribly fail to immitate him,  but really its quite fasicnating!  Hearing people talk to eachother in other languages has been fasicanting. Like putting 4 french men in a kitchen, oh my word. There is a running joke in the kitchen that whenever someone talks in a different language I try to immitate them, but instead I just go "blahblublublahbluhblah" and then everyone laughs. You guys, you have to find ways to make work extra fun. You have to have a good attitutde. You spend more than 40 hours a week at work so enjoy it, let loose, and make it an enjoyable place that you look forward to going to. 

 

These are some of my coworkers Ana and Michael. We like to joke and have fun, and be sassy with eachother. But they are two of my best friends here, and I am so grateful for them, and dealing with me says a lot about them! AKA they are patient. Ana is Mexican and she is HILARIOUS. Half the time she is swearing in Spanish, and she likes to tell people off in Spanish even though they know not one word of Spanish. Michael as explained above is one of the most proper people I have met but he can be SASSY. But it's all in fun. He also has clearly pointed out that I drop EVERYTHING... something I didn't know about myself.  Anyways we took this picture at work and it was a HIT! Everyone was talking about it. People from work even copied are picture. They didn't do quite as well, but it was flattering and maybe next time they could do it just as good as we did. 

This is our Pastry team. As you can tell we are a cultured bunch! We have people from all over! Indonesia, Mexico, Argentina, the states, locals, people from the Middle East, France, seriously it is one of the coolest things ever. They are great and they allow me to be corky, crazy self, and they laugh at my jokes, even when they probably aren't that funny. I am kind  of known as the joker in the kitchen. I usually try to tell my Chef and some corworkers one joke or funny story a day. And they laugh, even though sometimes you can tell they are like "Jaylene that isn't funny, and its more of a sympathy laugh, I still very much appreciate it! Anyways, great great people, all of them! 

Where does a rabbit go when it loses its tail and needs a new one? to a RETAIL store. No, not funny? Well I thought it was hilarious when I heard it so.... 

Aside from all this, I am still very much enjoying my time in the kitchen. I work with so many talented individuals. 

Of course there are a ton more stories, and a lot more memories to share, but this is long enough. I truly am happy, and I love being here on this small island.  I have come to understand the culture little by little. It is a big challenge and a scary thought to move away from everything that you are comfortable with to come to an island where you don't know a single person. It's hard, I miss my family and friends, but like I said in the beginning, it was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. I am not only expanding my knowledge in the pastry world, but I am growing as a person, and I am starting to realize things that I have never realized before. so as scary as it can be, follow your dreams, take risks, move away from your comfortable life, and I promise you, the reward will be great. 

If I may leave with one little word of wisdom. 

This is something that I am truly  trying my hardest to live by. Life is hard, there are people that you disagree with, there are people who get on your nerves, but if you flip it, you probably get on peoples nerves too. I am sure there are plenty of people that don't agree with me, or that I get on their nerves.  We are all human, but what I do know is that we can do our best at spreading love and happiness to everyone, not just those we like. Everyone deserves to feel good about themselves, everyone deserves to see your best self. So be happy, smile, and enjoy this crazy thing called life. 

Much love from the Caymans, 

Jay