Hurricane Season in Cayman: Staying Safe and Finding Solace in K-Dramas

The hurricane season has started. Last week, we received a national advisory that a category four hurricane named Beryl was headed our way. This caused a lot of anxiety on the island, with everyone rushing to stock up on groceries and board their windows with plywood. Some might say we were overreacting, but those people probably hadn’t experienced the devastation of Hurricane Ivan. Although I wasn’t there, I’ve heard stories from friends and even my husband, who experienced it firsthand. Since then, the locals have been more alert and take extra precautions during hurricane season. It’s always better to be prepared and have nothing happen than vice versa.

The government now requires new houses to be built according to specific guidelines to ensure they can withstand hurricanes. Luckily, our home was constructed after Hurricane Ivan, so it’s more “hurricane-ready” than older houses. Our windows are double-layered or hurricane-grade. I vividly remember the impact of Hurricane Grace, which terrified me. I thought our windows would break, but they held up. After that experience, I suggested to my husband that we board up our windows like our neighbors do. When we decided, plywood was already sold out across the island. Fortunately, one of our neighbors had a spare, so we borrowed some to protect our windows.

On a different note, since I returned to Cayman, I’ve been thinking about my career. At 30, I feel like I’m having a mid-life crisis. Life feels short, and I’m unsure whether I am on the right career path. Honestly, I don’t feel passionate about it. However, I’ve heard stories of people pursuing their passions yet ending up in entirely different careers to support their desired lifestyle. So I guess you can never really have it all, do you?

To cope, I’ve been on a social media cleanse, keeping only WhatsApp and Reddit on my phone โ€“ no Facebook, Messenger, Twitter, or Instagram. I’m trying to spend more quality time with myself. I started reading “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie, which was recommended on Reddit as a valuable resource for dealing with people, regardless of your career. I’m only on the 4th chapter, but it’s already provided insightful real-world examples. It’s a good read and could be helpful in any career.

Another thing that’s been keeping me occupied is watching K-dramas. I have been binge-watching Suspicious Partner. Since Mr. Queen, I’ve grown to love Shin Hye Sun, so I watched Angel’s Last Mission: Love, My Golden Life, Still 17, and Welcome to Samdal-ri! When I saw her chemistry with Ji Chang Wook, I became obsessed with him, too! Now I’m really into Suspicious Partner.

Sometimes, all it takes is to rekindle the love for the things you used to do when you were younger, like watching K-pop live shows and K-dramas to make you feel like yourself again!

you may also like

  • Life Update: Week 3

    Life Update: Week 3

    This week has been pretty mundane, nothing much about me. How about you? The things that kept me busy all week are errands for my workplace and mostly games. The island has been responding very positively on the restrictions set up by the government to prevent the spread of the virus (e.g. curfew, essential business operations, last name protocol, etc). They have been doing an feedback session every two weeks, and when circumstances are getting better, restrictions are being gradually lifted. Majority of the population are obedient with the policies in place that’s why we are now only on suppression level 3, coming from maximum suppression! Great job Cayman! Anyway, in another news, I downloaded the The Sims 2: Super Collection a couple of days…

  • It’s Halloween again!

    It’s Halloween again!

    It’s currently 9:39 PM. I’m alone in my apartment, enjoying a cup of coffee. It’s nice to relax and have some me-time after a busy month. I recently read our company policy and learned that we should be careful about putting our names out on the internet and avoid associating the company’s name with personal matters. However, since I plan to write about my daily life, and since most of my day is spent at work, it’s difficult to avoid mentioning the company. Therefore, I’ll use a pseudonym in this blog. It is a great relief to finally finish the two exams that I have been dreading for the past six months. I have come to realize that I am not as efficient in studying…

  • The office party I almost didnโ€™t go to

    The office party I almost didnโ€™t go to

    Last December 6, my workplace held our annual Christmas party at Ristorante Papagallo in West Bay. Luckily for me, itโ€™s close to where I live, and I wasnโ€™t part of the planning committee this year. No running around, no stressing about venues, and no last-minute logistics on my plate. A small but very appreciated win. Last yearโ€™s party was at the Kimpton, and while I donโ€™t think I was officially on the planning committee then either, I still worked closely with the team that handled all of that. So this year feltโ€ฆ lighter. I moved into my new role back in August, and so far itโ€™s been both exciting and challenging. Iโ€™m now working with the sales team, which means Iโ€™m learning the income-generating side…

  • Life Update: Week 2

    Life Update: Week 2

    Hey everyone, how have you been? To be honest, my week was somehow mediocre. It is not necessarily unproductive, but it isn’t as productive as I would like it to be as well. Unlike most people, I physically go to work every other day, and when I’m not, I’m either doing house chores, groceries, or bank runs. I thought everything was okay, until yesterday. To my surprise, I had a really bad panic attack. I thought I stopped having those a long time ago? It has gotten worse from how it used to be before. I was just having my dinner, and the next thing I know I was crying over my food, catching my breath; my hands numb and shaking. I had no idea…

  • Discovering Los Angeles: How We Spent Our Layover Exploring Iconic Spots

    Discovering Los Angeles: How We Spent Our Layover Exploring Iconic Spots

    As I mentioned in my previous post, we had a few days’ layover in LA on our way back to Cayman from the Philippines. I ensured we made the best of our short trip, so I booked a full-day tour from A Day in LA Tours. The trip was exhausting since the flight was 13 hours long, and immediately afterward, we went on a full-day tour. But to be honest, it was doable! We were able to visit Venice Beach, Santa Monica Pier, Beverly Hills, Farmer’s Market, the Hollywood sign (from the Griffith Observatory), and the Hollywood Walk of Fame! The tour was so comprehensive that we didn’t feel like we missed out on any popular attractions. Santa Monica Pier At the heart of Santa…

  • coffee cup and flowers near

    Busy bee?

    It has been a very busy start of the month for me! First off, I tried to do this thing called “Keto” diet. I signed up for a meal plan that costs $670/month. Breakfast and lunch/dinner will be delivered daily, 100% Keto compliant, prepped by a renowned chef on island. I thought it was going to be easy. I thought all I had to do was eat whatever they provide me everyday. I had no idea it was going to be this excruciatingly difficult! On my third day, I started feeling nauseous and lethargic. It almost felt like the withdrawal I had when I stopped my SSRIs abruptly. My coworker said that when she did it strictly for the first time, she felt like she…

7 Comments

  1. omg such a good post. i used to do that when i was younger, i didnt have a phone or really good internet or even a laptop just a smart tv back when anime was free to watch online i watched many free shows like japanese or anime on there and found many new music just from the tv apps!

    no im so busy on socials i dont even know what to think about. sometimes its better to unwind but i like to stay up to date with other things thats why i cant let all socials go lol
    oh also i used to own the book it was a great read!! it really helped me a lot too but i kind of forgot all the good points, i even wrote them down in a notebook !

    1. Hey! Thanks for the love ๐Ÿ˜Š I totally get itโ€”those were the days! Watching TV especially tuning in to music shows when I was a kid was the best! With social media nowadays it feels overwhelming, but I feel you on staying updated (I lurk on Reddit for news lol). Glad you enjoyed the book tho! Maybe itโ€™s time for a re-read? ๐Ÿ“–โœจ

    1. Hope things stay calm in NY this year. And yes, you should definitely dive into some K-dramas! Theyโ€™re so addictive. Let me know if you need any recommendations! ๐Ÿ˜Š

  2. Sometimes a good K-drama binge is just what you need to feel like yourself again :’) also, loving the social media cleanse โ€“ it’s my current favorite thing! Please please please take care and stay safe!! xx

    Lenne | http://www.lennezulkiflly.com

    1. Hey Lenne! Totally agree, a good K-drama binge is the best way to feel like yourself again ๐Ÿ˜„ And yes, the social media cleanse has been amazing โ€“ Iโ€™m loving it too! Thanks for the kind words, and you take care and stay safe too!! xx

Comments are closed.