A risky bet
Multiple Beaconites attended the Humane Society of the BVI’s Gaming Night on Saturday, but only one of them volunteered as a blackjack dealer on a whim after one short night of training. Initially terrified of messing up, she practised virtually all day at home the day of the event with the help of the very useful Slotlady YouTube channel. Aside from the first hand, when the players noticed halfway through that her decks of cards hadn’t been shuffled, there were no major disasters, especially after she decided to take the game slowly and give herself enough time to add up the numbers in her head instead of relying on the math of the (often heavily intoxicated) gamers. All in all, the Beaconite impressed herself with her ability to learn a new skill and had a lot of fun. After all, the house always comes out ahead.
Odyssey
During a recent weekend, a Beaconite had a pleasant reminder that by engaging his curiosity, there is always more to explore. On his way over to Long Bay on Beef Island, where he had planned to go snorkelling Saturday afternoon, he spotted an enticing, deserted slice of beach on the opposite end of the island. Instead of walking down the familiar pathway to Long Bay, he walked down a boat ramp leading to the shore and started towards this new destination, a sandy spit on the edge of an otherwise rocky beach. To get there, he traversed a small bay overtaken in places by mangroves. Trudging through the water besides tangled branches, the Beaconite held his backpack above his head so that it wouldn’t get wet before he reached the shoreline. He then walked further down the beach until the rocks gave way to sand, laid out his towel and walked out a good distance before snorkelling along the periphery of a vibrant reef that — looking at Google Maps later that day — he learned is called Well Bay. Sitting on his towel, enjoying a cold-ish beverage and scanning the territory’s verdant peaks and shiny waters from a new angle, the Beaconite was thankful to live somewhere where exploration is so accessible and rewarding. On the other hand, he later found the well-travelled path that connects Well Bay to the road just a few yards away from his odyssey.
The love of dancing
A Beaconite joined the Tortola Dance Project in October when a friend told her about a belly-dancing routine that would be performed at Old Year’s Night at Foxy’s Tamarind Bar on Jost Van Dyke. With a love of dancing and desire to learn new dances, the reporter joined the group of seven other ladies, and the team practised for three months before performing on New Year’s Eve. In front of a giant crowd of tourists, and dressed up in brightly coloured clothes resembling those from the culture this reporter comes from, the dancers performed three times that night. Each time, they had to deal with different issues: staging, lighting, music and so on. Show business, right? On Saturday, the dancers performed at Gaming Night, and the reporter was happy to take the stage once more with the ladies. The dancers remembered the routine to a T, and it was well-received. The only complaint they heard was that the dance wasn’t announced properly, so many people missed it. Well, the Tortola Dance Project is happy to announce that they will be performing the belly-dance again on Feb. 28 at Myett’s, at 6 p.m. and at 8 p.m. The ladies hope to see friends there enjoying the show!