New Chapter....

View from Lexus Cafe in Grand Anse during sunset

I've only been here for 4 days, with one of them being a travel day and it already feels like I've been here for months.  Although I've been ridiculously busy with orientation and stuff, everything is really surreal and I feel like I'm just on vacation by myself or something.  Today (day 4) was the first time I had gone to the beach during the day and only the second time to the beach at all.  I thought that I would have time to lay out and enjoy it but I've been having to go to campus everyday to do orientation things.


Here is a quick overview of what has happened so far:

Fried Flying Fish and Crunchy Sweet Bread

DAY 1 (08/10/10): I left JFK at 8am for a 5+ hour flight to Barbados.  I slept at 3am on purpose the night before so that I could sleep through the entire flight but of course that did not work out well for me because I was freezing and uncomfortable in my seat.  But the upside was that I got to see that movie: How to Train Your Dragon.  It was really cute and I def want a dragon as a pet again.  Then in Barbados, we had to pick up our luggage even though the ppl at JFK told us it would go straight to Grenada.  Going to the bag drop was annoying only because it took forever and it was outside where it was absolutely humid and hot and I started sweating in my jeans.  And then after about an hour and a half of waiting, we finally finish and we (I had made friends at the baggage claim) went to eat.  They had fried dolphin, which I refuse to try even though I'm on my "try new foods at least once" kick.  So I had the fried flying fish instead with this crunchy bread (that thing in the middle) that was kinda like the coconut bread from Jamaica (as my fellow HB/Jamaica spring breakers might remember).  Then when I finally get to the Grenada, I get bit by a mosquito as soon as I get off the plane - of course.  We finally get to the dorms and the RA tells me that the AC in my room is broken so I'll have to be put in a temporary room.  So I get put with this other girl, Carolyn, who is doing the vet program, temporarily.  And after we put our luggage (which for me was two checked luggage, one rolling carry on and my bookbag with laptop - so pretty much all bigger than me when put together) in our rooms, we go get some food....which happened to be KFC since it was the only thing opened.  And I must say that I really like it and that it kinda tastes just like it does at home.  So I think I'll be more than fine on this island.

DAY 2 (08/11/10): Day two started bright and early with us having to be on campus by 8am.  The shuttle that comes to pick us up comes every 15 mins supposedly and it only takes about 10 to get to the main campus.  At first I was bummed by not being on campus directly but by now my room has grown on me.  We are right next to the supermarket and food courts and our backyard is a beach.



Oh side note: the weather here isn't too bad.  It gets ridiculously hot if you're standing in the sun but usually there is a breeze so its not too bad and the AC in the dorm rooms and the campus buildings work TOO well and I end up having to wear James' sweatshirt in my room all the time and long pants.  And only recently has the "rainy season" kicked in for us.  It will downpour for about 20 mins and then drizzle for 10 and clear up for an hour and repeat.  We are also in the hurricane season so we've had to prepare by getting gallons of water and nonperishable food just in case.  But supposedly a hurricane hasn't really hit in a long time so hopefully I won't have to get airlifted to Miami.

During orientation we had time to explore a little bit and there is this cliff right on campus past the fence where ppl do some cliff diving.  It's supposedly ~16 feet.  I will not be doing that...unless its to kill myself because I'm pretty sure I will not make it.


Anyways, so finally at night I have time, after orientation and going to the grocery store, to go to the beach.  And me being a scaredy cat did not want to go into the water at night because I'm scared of whatever may be in there.  But I laid down in the shallow area and I got stung by mini jellyfish which kinda just hurt when they sting you but there are no welts or anything so that was good.  Also, I saw a shooting star and btw, the sky is AMAZING here.  Its just really beautiful clear starry sky.

DAY 3 (08/12/10): We (Carolyn and I) went to this bagel shop called New York Bagels to get breakfast and it was really good.  The only downside was that they really don't put a lot of butter on bagels but I asked for extra extra butter the next time I went so I think she knows I need enough butter to clog my arteries.  haha.  And then I make it to the beach finally during the day time...but just to take a picture and then I had to go to orientation. 

That night we had our own little beach bbq since the beach was right outside our dorms.  And some of the boys dug a pit in the sand and just grilled on just the grill cover and it turned out pretty good.  So far, I haven't met anyone in our class who was a jerk or a bitch so I'm really glad about that.  Everyone seems to get getting along and although there are def little groups, no one has any problem mixing.  So hopefully things will stay that way after classes start. 


DAY 4 (08/13/10): We had campus tours and then we (Carolyn, Atol, Brian and me) went to this awesome little restaurant that overlooked the ocean (which is the first picture in this blog thing).  And on the way back, we took a reggae bus which is pretty much what it sounds like.  They BLAST reggae music and drive really fast.  And its kinda like that bus that Harry Potter took in the 3rd movie when it rushed through the streets of London and squeezed through other cars and stuff.  It was pretty much like that - super fast reckless driving and squeezing through tight spots....except without magic.  And remember that shrunken head with that accent? yea we had that.  And we had to knock on the side of the bus to make him stop and weirdly enough, he had no problem hearing that.  We almost died but it was worth it for just $2.50 ECC (so pretty much $1 US) for anywhere.  

Then at night, we had a school sponsored event at this restaurant/bar named Aquarium which has like three huge rooms and it overlooks the ocean and everyone was wasteddddd.  I guess they weren't kidding when they said that here, they study hard and party harder.  By 10:30 (the event started at 10), there were a few ppl who were already throwing up and one girl literally face down on the deck, with her head over the deck, throwing up.  Apparently they were 5th termers who just finished midterms.  So I'm guessing that is my future right there.   And luckily for me and Carolyn, "our boys" bought us drinks which was awesome because we def did not bring enough money since we had heard rumors that it was open bar..and then it wasn't.  The local rum here, btw is 138 proof.  So I'm def not touching that again.  And then afterwards, there was an afterparty at Bananas but we didn't feel like going cause of the rum.  So I was a good girl and I didn't make an ass out of myself.

Btw, Carolyn, reminds me of you, meghan...mostly cause she has short blond hair.  hahah.  


So this has taken me a good like 3 days to write because I just haven't had time to do it but I think this is a good time to stop since I have to go meet with my RA anyways.


What I will leave with is a thanks to isabel and lillian for my bug spray because the damn mosquitoes love me.  And me loving to scratch has made things swell and that is not cool.  Also, I will probably thank you later Isabel for my anatomy book because classes start tomorrow and I'm sure it will be my best friend.  haha.  


Also thanks to the bf for his sweatshirt because I didn't bring anything else that would keep me warm through the cold AC nights. :)