Expat/ immigrant/ local #1: Pamela Chow
This is a new series of interviews with people who live in Barbados. The terms local, expat and immigrant are frequently used worldwide to describe social status, economic status and signal the strength and depth of a person's connection to the country they are living in. The country that they may or may not call home. Pamela Chow, 24, immigrated to Barbados from Guyana at the age of eight when her mum died. She works six days a week as a nanny and housekeeper. 'I wouldn't sa
Caribbean musings #5 Pieces of me
There's something about living away from home that, for me, presents a constant search for my place, the little piece in the giant puzzle where I fit in. I'm not just talking about the role that I play. Although it's no doubt true that working or volunteering can give you a sense of value and add meaning to the population-space that you inhabit. No, I'm talking about a more shallow version of identity. That wavering, transient me that is always changing a little bit - flexibl
Caribbean musings #2 Is an endless summer really so sweet?
It's hot again. 31 degrees and very humid. The white wooden shuttered doors are flung open to reveal bright blue sky framed with yellow-green plams. The tropical midday sun casts white blocks of light on the verandah floor. There is nothing unusual about this day. But, having just come back to Barabdos from the UK, it does feel unusual. Strange even, that it's summer now in April. And has been since our arrival 20 months ago. Living in the tropics, in an endless summer, has t
The sea/ #2
I wake up thinking of England. Of my family and friends. Sometimes I feel so far away and get caught up in thoughts of what we've gained - and lost - by spending a few years of our lives here. Getting out (if I can, if it's early enough and Alex is here) helps. A lot. So I head out for a run on the boardwalk. I don't run far today because the sea, undulating, turquoise, lapping against the rocks as I pad along, is too inviting. There is a stretch of white sand edged with rock
My three
A lot has happened in a year. When we moved our family across the globe, from London to Barbados in August 2013, I didn't really think about the effect it would have on our children. Not really. Yes, I imagined them playing on white sandy beaches and chasing each other behind the banana trees in our garden. But the truth is, while we've been adjusting to this new life, my three have changed. A lot. That's partly because they're growing children. It's what they're supposed to
