Currently the list of possible culprits are cats, dogs, chickens, crabs, frogs, lizards, mice, beetles and the occasional human. Depending on where you are in Cayman it could also be a goat, a horse or a cow, but you really have to rethink your life choices if you are in a situation were one of these could sneak up on you.
For 3 years now I have been jumping away from rustling bushes and it never gets easier. Usually I am alone and it is quite embarrassing to jump and scream like a girl in front of strangers who just chuckle.
Taking out the garbage is also quite dangerous. I have had a cat and a chicken, thankfully not at the same time, jump out of the trash bin as I tossed in my bag.
Just be mindful that you are in the wild and there are many many creatures hiding in the bushes. You have been warned.
And suddenly not coming to visit you seems like a wise choice...
ReplyDeleteBut look at the cute crab :) Looks like it has a mustache
DeleteAre you still in the Cayman Islands?
DeleteCheers
John
Hi John, Yes I am still in the Cayman Islands. Just have not been very disciplined in posting :)
DeleteHey DK! I have really been enjoying reading your blog posts :) My fiancee and I currently live in Toronto and we are looking into moving to Cayman next year. He works for RBC and can transfer his job, but my situation is different. I am a certified teacher, so I would have to scout the job market. I've heard teaching jobs aren't that hard to find in Cayman, but I notice there aren't that many schools, and I haven't seen that many postings. Do you have any advice?
ReplyDeleteHi Vanessa. Glad you enjoy my posts :) I know two teachers on island. One teaches in a school the other is basically a helper for a special needs child. I know both came to the island without being married - it will be a lot easier for you if you and your fiancée are married as you won't have as much pressure to find a job. I am quite confident you will find work once you are here with your husband. I would recommend saving up some money before hand to help you though until you do find work. I will inquire as to how my two friends found their jobs the next time I see them. I do know that generally speaking the teachers on island are not too happy with their jobs. Although that could be said for a lot of people here :)
DeleteMy fiancee and I will definitely be married before we move. He seems to think that RBC will support their employees get settled, including with spousal transition, but neither of us know for sure! Ideally, I'd like to find a job before moving there. If you could find out where your friends heard about their jobs, that would be great! :) Do they teach elementary or secondary? And unfortunately I have heard that the teacher satisfaction rate is low (and that the turnover rate is high), but my current position isn't anything special, so I'm willing to take my chances! I'm hoping the nice weather will make up for it :)
DeleteI spoke to one of the girl's yesterday and she said her job was a fluke and your best chance is to contact the schools directly with your resume. One thing about RBC here is that it is not really affiliated with RBC Canada as far as I can tell. I actually bank there and all the visible workers there are Caymanian, tellers and financial planners etc. I have never worked in the banking industry so there may be positions I do not know about. Good luck! The weather and lifestyle here make up for a lot!
DeleteThank you for talking to your friend! Did she mention what time of the year is best to apply? And I think most of the transferable positions for Canadians are in investments and wealth management, so I'm not even sure those positions would be at the branch. Either way, my fiancee and I have a lot to figure out before we go! Thanks again!
DeleteHello-I am enjoying reading your blogs since I might be accepting a job offer there soon and I have a fiancé too and we are from the United States. He too can't relocate until he finds a job. I am in Hospitality and he could do something hospitality related or even office related. He has a background in Customer Service, Car Rental for 9 years, and Restaurants. With this being said what do you recommend for him? We contacted some of the agencies but they are telling us they can't help unless we were living there. So with no guarantees of him finding employment is 1 thing making me question if I should accept the job offer or what. It's a total dream job for me too.
DeleteVanessa, I spoke to my other friend and she works at the international school. She also said she was just very lucky but what she does recommend is to send your resume to every school you can find. I forgot to ask about when is the best time to apply however I imagine applying towards the end of the school year would be a good time. Like now :)
DeleteAnonymous from the US - I am such a huge proponent of following your dreams that I just want to yell "TAKE THE JOB". However I do understand the difficulty you are having. For jobs in hospitality it is better to be here. There are lots of them and I am not sure how one would find a job here in that industry without actually being here. Now how bad would it be if you come down here first and then he comes for an extended vacation (a few weeks) to try to find a job. Worst case scenario you give up your current job and you have to go back to the US and find another one but at least then he still has his old job. Either way now is not the best time for you to relocate if he wants to find hospitality work. The tourist season here is just winding down so there will be less jobs. November is when it picks up again. Good luck!
DeleteThanks for checking with your friend! :) I really appreciate it!
DeleteHi there, I just wanted to say that I have really enjoyed reading your posts! There has been a lot of interesting information. I actually just wanted to ask you a couple questions about living in Grand Cayman. My partner and I live on Vancouver Island BC, and are looking to relocate to somewhere warm and tropical. We are wondering what the process looks like in regards to getting a home owners permit as well as a work permit. My partner has a niche job that he can do remotely, whereas I am a teacher. Is this a lengthy process? Also do you know if there is a fee included when applying for a work permit/home owners permit? Any information that you can give me in regards to relocating to Grand Cayman is helpful :) neither of us have visited before, but we would be sure to visit before making such a big move. We were also considering Turks and Caicos, so it was great to read your impression of it on your trip!
DeleteRegards,
Jen
Hi Jen,
DeleteGlad you are finding my blog informative :) Sad to say but you will have a very difficult time trying to relocate here. In order for expats to stay here they must either have a work permit or be retired and prove that they have enough funds to sustain them in the country indefinitely. You can see some details here
http://www.ecayonline.com/retiring-in-the-cayman-islands.asp
Back to you and your husband. The work permit process is a tedious and expensive one. One cannot just come to the Cayman Islands and buy your own work permit, an employer has to get one on your behalf. The cost of them depend on your salary and this is an direct expense to your employer. Your husband would only have one option that I know of and that is a new economic zone called Enterprise city. He can set up a business there and as long as he provides services to off island only he can work. There are costs involved. See the link below for more information on that
http://www.caymanenterprisecity.com/
Buying a property here is a completely different story. Anyone can buy and you do not need a permit for that. However just because you have property here does not mean you can stay in it.
Good luck!