My Birthday, Jouvert, and Jeremy's Arrival!

My birthday came and went and I am now officially 25, meaning I can rent a car and not have to pay extra! Impressive. I had a nice relaxing day for my birthday…mostly I just hung around the house and read my book – Sophie’s World: A novel about the history of philosophy – which I finished the next day. Not a bad book – it is basically the story of a little girl who starts receiving letters from a mysterious philosopher and begins a philosophy course – a little odd but definitely worth reading. I was able to get a refresher course on the history of philosophy mixed in with the story. Although Sophie’s World is mainly targeted to younger readers to get them interested in philosophy, reading it prior to the rhetoric classes I took in graduate school would have been extremely helpful. Oh well. Back to my birthday…after class Ryan picked up some bagels to bring home along with some mangos so I could make my daily smoothie. He studied for a few hours and then we went for a jog at Grand Anse. This time I convinced him to run ahead of me since the poor guy can walk as fast as I jog (especially in sand). As I’m running along way behind him, I could see some his footprints that hadn’t been washed away by the waves yet and I almost didn’t believe they were from the same person – his strides are at least double, if not triple my strides. The beauty of having long legs I guess. So we had a nice (separate) jog on the beach just as the sun was beginning to set. Next time I think we might incorporate a swim in the ocean after our jog.

After the beach run, we went home and Ryan made me spaghetti and garlic toast for dinner. We were going to go to Prickly Bay to get some gelato but Ryan said he had to drop off a textbook that he borrowed from his friend Pete at campus first. As we’re walking towards Pete’s room I see this huge group of people hanging out at these picnic tables and say, “what is that group of people doing?” Ryan responds with “I don’t know but they should be studying” (very clever Ryan). As we get closer they all begin to sing “Happy Birthday” and I suddenly realize that it is 20 of our friends, who by the way definitely should have been studying for their final, singing Happy Birthday to me with a cake and cookies. I was pretty shocked about the whole thing. So we ate cookies and had cake – no one was able to hang out for very long because they all had to get back to studying but it meant a lot to me that they all took time to do that. I was very surprised indeed. All in all, a good birthday.

So I’m 25 and it feels a lot like 24, and 23, and 22 for that matter. Sometimes I still feel like I’m 18. If someone had told me 10 years ago that I would be spending my 25th birthday living on a small Caribbean island, I probably would have laughed in their face. Oh how things change…

We had a more ‘official’ birthday celebration that Sunday at BBC beach. I put together a little beach bonfire get together that turned out pretty well. A couple days before, Ryan and I scrounged around for some firewood and found a lot under this huge tree in our/our neighbor’s yard. There are random wood piles everywhere on the island since the Grenadians seem to like to burn trash and brush to get rid of it. We got a good little collection of firewood and kept it in our garage to protect it from the rain. Right before sunset, we headed down to the beach and were lucky enough to catch one of the most amazing sunsets I have seen on the island, or anywhere for that matter. The combination of the bright blue, pink, purple, and yellow colors in the sky and their reflections on the water was very cool. After the sun went down the girls all worked on starting the fire while the boys stood by and watched, convinced that we weren’t going to be able to start it but we did – with the help of some cardboard and a lot of matches. We all hung around the fire and made s’mores (my favorite) and roasted hotdogs. It was a very successful evening.

After the bonfire, we went home to catch a couple of hours of sleep before Jouvert (pronounced joo-veh) – it is part of the Grenadian Carnival. We got up at about 1:15 to grab a bite to eat, drink some coffee, and throw on some clothes that we didn’t mind getting messed up. We headed to Bananas, a bar/restaurant close to campus, to meet up with everyone – basically all the students from St. George’s minus the first termers who hadn’t arrived yet. At Bananas we paid $30 EC for a Jouvert kit that included a small bottle of rum, a small bottle of terrible tasting wine, and a bottle of paint. We all packed in a bunch of buses and went into St. George’s (the capital) for Jouvert to take place at 4am. Jouvert is, essentially, a big street party where everyone smears paint on each other and dances and walks down the street while large trucks with huge speakers drive through and blast Soca music. We partied in the streets until the sun came up and then grabbed a bus to Grand Anse beach where we all ran in the ocean to wash the paint off at 6am in the morning. We mostly had red paint on since that was the color our group used, so we turned the ocean red (cue Jaws theme). It is difficult to explain the madness that ensued at Jouvert but it was definitely an once-in-a-lifetime experience. No one in our group brought a camera for fear that it would get covered in paint, but luckily a girl that the twins knew had a camera a took a few pictures of us and I am so happy that we have documentation of it! One of the side-effects of Jouvert was that the red paint turned my hair pink. It is slowly washing out but I looked like strawberry shortcake for a while – now my faded pink streaks make me look more like Gwen Stefani, at least I keep telling myself that.

(As a side note, that Tuesday we had a crazy lightening/thunder/rain storm and a power surge knocked out our internet modem and when the guy came to fix it, he informed me that since I had ‘played’ Jouvert and Carnival, I was officially a Grenadian now.)

After we left Grand Anse beach after washing off a little of Jouvert, we had to head straight to the airport to pick up Jeremy. He got a good surprise seeing a pink-haired girl in soaking wet, pink/red clothes waiting for him when he came out of the terminal. We took him to his dorm and got him settled in a little. It’s been about a week and a half since Jeremy arrived and I think he’s adjusting to island-life well. During orientation week they take all the first termers on various tours of the island and I tagged along with Jeremy for a couple of the waterfall hikes. The first was Concord Falls which was pretty for about 5 minutes until it started down pouring and the waterfall turned brown.

On another day we went to the Annandale Falls and Jeremy was one of the few brave souls that jumped off a 50-foot ledge into the pool below. I took a video of him with his camera and got nervous just watching him and all the others jump – definitely not for me but he enjoyed it. Unfortunately, I was too busy taking video of him so I don't have any pictures of him jumping but I do have a picture of us in front of the falls and one of him walking up to jump off...
After Annandale Falls we visited Grand Etang Lake and National Forest. On the bus ride up, I sat next to a guy who is from Tobago (which is just south of Grenada and shares an island with Trinidad). His girlfriend was one the tour guides. It was interesting to talk to him about Grenada and in what ways it is similar to and different from Tobago. Once we got up to Grand Etang, I learned that the lake and surrounding mountains are at the highest altitude on the island and it was actually quite cool up there. We hiked up this extremely muddy trail and got some good views of the lake from above. Apparently they call it the bottomless lake because they have yet to locate the bottom - very bizarre. On the way back down the muddy trail, I was trying to avoid getting stuck in some really deep mushy mud when I was caught by razor grass. It cut me up pretty well on my right arm – battle wounds from a hard fought trudge through the mud and jungle. That Friday night we went to The Aquarium restaurant/bar for a school sponsored welcome back party for the whole school. Ryan and I have been there for dinner a few times but I had never been there for a big social event. It’s a very nice restaurant right on the beach and apparently right in front of it is some of the best snorkeling on the island – which Ryan and I plan on checking out when he has some free time (I might be waiting for a while). But the party was fun and we were able to introduce Jeremy to more of our friends and also meet more of his friends.
Other than that I’ve been working on a puzzle that Ryan’s mom sent down with Jeremy for my birthday (thank you Wanda!). Additionally, I’ve stepped it up a notch on the job hunt. One of mine and Ryan’s friends who is a med student in Ryan’s class, got me into contact with a girl who was an SO living down here but has since moved back to the states – her name is Katie. We’ve been emailing back and forth a little and she gave me some tips on where I might be able to find some work. I ended up seeing a babysitting inquiry on the SGU post (a sort of bulletin of announcements for SGU staff and students). This woman who works for the university was looking for someone to watch her five year old daughter on some days and nights during the week and possibly on the weekends. It turns out that it was the same family that Katie used to babysit for. I responded to her inquiry yesterday morning and she called me a few hours later asking if I was available to babysit tomorrow morning and evening. It's not a lot of money but from what Katie tells me, it is a lot more than most other people pay and it's more than I'm making now. Plus, Katie said I will love the little girl so it should be fun. I’m still going to continue looking for other jobs but this babysitting gig will help out a little. Katie used to work for an SGU daycare that I plan on applying to and I’ve also emailed the university’s Office of University Communications – a department that basically does PR for the university – so we’ll see if something comes of that.

At an SGU bazaar, I signed up for the SO group and met a few of the other SOs. It is nice to chat with some other women who are doing what I’m doing (except many of them have the added responsibility of taking care of young children) and can relate to what it’s like to be a significant other of a med student down here. I’m looking forward to meeting more SOs and cultivating some friendships.

Next week, I’m going to start volunteering with the Queen Elizabeth orphanage with some of the other SOs. Katie used to volunteer there and she recommended that I do it too, which I had already planned on doing. She said that the situation can be heartbreaking but that the kids appreciate you and will look forward to the visits. I think it will be a really valuable thing for me to do here. It is likely that I will be writing more about it in my next post.

Ryan has started his new term which everyone says is the most difficult term of med school and he’s been a little stressed this week but I think he’s just adjusting to the new classes and schedules. These classes will be extra time consuming and I have an inkling that I will be seeing a lot less of him these next four months. I will do my best to help him out in any way I can – try to keep him sane and well fed – but for the most part I’m going to stay out of his way and keep myself busy.

Those are all the updates I can think to write about for now but there will be more to come in the next week or so. I hope this blog finds everyone well and please keep us updated on the goings-on back home. We miss you all!

Steve's Visit and Other Adventures

Wow…we’ve done a lot since my last post so there is much to be discussed. So much for my initial prediction that my blog posts would get shorter.

On the Friday after Ryan's midterm (which he did well on as expected) a bunch of us went down to this place called Mount Cinnamon. There is a little bar area with lounge chairs and umbrellas with a volleyball court next to it, all right on the beach. We drank a few beers and had a little volleyball tournament going on. Not a bad way to celebrate the completion of their midterm.

That night Steve flew in. While he was here we took him out and tried to give him a good island experience. He flew in on a Friday night and the next day the three of us did what is called a Hash. Apparently they have organized hashes all over the world and luckily for us, they have one in Grenada every other Saturday at various spots around the island. It was mine and Ryan’s first time hashing so we didn’t really know what we were getting ourselves into but it turned out to be quite the adventure. A bus on campus takes anyone who wants to go to wherever the hash is being held that Saturday.This time, the hash was in our parish (St. George parish) so we didn’t have to go too far. When you get there you have to sign a sheet either in the column that reads ‘hounds,’ for those who have done it before, or the column under ‘virgin’ for those who have never hashed. Then everyone gathers round and the ‘hash master’ tells everyone the rules. The first part of the hash everyone does together – you simply follow the trail which is marked with random piles of shredded paper.

Once everyone gets through the first difficult part of the hash, the trail splits off into two – a runner trail and walker trail. Although, you can walk on the runner trail and run on the walker trail, the runner trail is just more challenging. Once on either of these trails there, one will periodically come upon a split in the trail that veers off in three directions. Two of these trails are false trails and one is the correct trail. If you are on a false trail you will come upon an X and have to go back. However, the hashers can help each other figure these trails out by yelling things like “are you?” which you yell people ahead of you to see if the trail you are on is correct.

If they respond with “on on” then you are on the right trail, if they say “on back” that means you are on a false trail and need to turn around, or “checking” which means they don’t know if it is a false or correct trail and are checking. Those are pretty much the only rules. We started the hash jogging, Steve fell behind a bit (he was feeling a little car sick from the bus ride) so Ryan stayed back with him and I took off with the twins (Barie and Tracy). After a couple minutes of jogging the trail began a steep ascent up what seemed like a giant mountain. It was hot and muggy and we were basically climbing up the side of this mountain, through the brush, trees, over rocks, grabbing onto branches and anything else we could get our hands on to help us overcome the various obstacles the jungle presented. It was the most intense hike I have ever been on. We were getting scratched by branches, bushes, grass, rock, bit by fire ants (really stings for about 2 minutes), getting covered with dirt, and producing enormous amounts of sweat as evidenced by one of the photos below. Through grit, determination, and lots of water, we made it up the first mountain. The views were amazing. We could see the capital, Grand Anse beach, and beautiful jungle covered mountains. But we only had the first leg completed. At one point as we were continuing our hike, trying not to slip on mud, and not get too scratched up, we came across a bellowing cow that blocked our trail for a few minutes. We kept hiking and hiking for what seemed like forever until we finally reached the split to the runners trail and walkers trail. We chose the runners trail, which was just as difficult as the first part of the hike. There was no way we would have been able to run it. I started running out of water and was so hungry and thirsty. Some guys picked us some French Cashews from a tree – they are little pieces of red fruit with a big seed in the middle. It is difficult to describe the taste but at that time, they tasted like the most amazing food in the world. The last part of the strenuous runners hike, we had to basically slide down this dirt trail on our butts and some guys helped us down so we wouldn’t fall. After that (about 2 ½ - 3 hours total). It started raining, which I welcomed, and we were walking down a cement road through a little town. The girls and I found a mango that we devoured in 2 seconds – very delicious. And when we got back to the ending meeting place we drank Ting (a grapefruit soda that is really popular here) and ate barbecued chicken with potato salad. At the end they supposedly spray all the ‘virgins’ with beer but I snuck back to the bus and opted out of that one. I must say, I was sweaty, dirty, scratched up, bruised, and exhausted but I also had a huge sense of accomplishment. I’m looking forward to doing the hash again. What an experience!

On Sunday morning Ryan and Steve went spearfishing/snorkeling for a little while in Prickly Bay. They didn’t catch any fish but enjoyed swimming around in the water. Afterwards, we met up with everyone at this beach called BBC (not sure what the BBC stands for), which I had never been to. It wasn’t the most perfect day to go to the beach since it started down pouring about 15 minutes after we got there but we all just hung out in the warm water and had a good time anyway.

The rest of the week was pretty mellow. Steve and I would hang out and chat on our balcony in the mornings until Ryan got home for school and plan what we would do for the rest of the day. One of the most exciting things for me last week was my first firefly spotting. I didn’t know until recently that Grenada had fireflies and since I’ve never seen one but always wanted to, I was happy to hear that they have them here. One night when Steve and I were talking on the balcony, I saw these little glimmers of light above a tree in our front yard. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me until I realized that they were fireflies! I was so excited, I was like a little kid again. Steve and Braden were laughing at me because I was so mesmerized by them. Anyway, it was a big moment for me.

But back to Steve’s trip…we took him to Grand Anse a few times and we also took him to see the capital. Ryan had to purchase car insurance and change the title on the car anyway so we took a reggae bus out to the capital (Steve’s Grenada experience would not have been complete without a ride in a reggae bus). So we showed him around the capital, he some cocoa balls at the open air market, and got to see the view from the top of Fort George and learn a little bit about Grenadian history.

The last day he was here, me, Ryan, Steve, and Ryan’s friend Tad drove to the east coast of the island to check out this surf break called For Jeudy. It was pretty windy and the waves were really choppy but we were able to get some nice views of the ocean and the boys were able to size up the potential ‘surfability’ of the place.

We then headed over to La Sagesse beach – another beach on the east coast. We got a few rum punches at a restaurant there while we waited for some rain to subside and met up with Pete, Braden, and Gary. We played some paddle ball on the beach and the boys all went body surfing in the waves. I stayed on shore and took pictures since I was not confident that my bikini was sturdy enough to stay on in the rough water. I really need to look into getting a more athletic-type bikini that I won’t have to worry about falling off when a wave comes. That night, since it was Steve’s last night here, we went to a restaurant on a harbor called Stewarts for a nice dinner. All in all, I think Steve had a good time – although, he did accrue quite the impressive collection of mosquito bites.

The day after Steve left, I went to do a yoga class with the girls at La Luna resort. It was only $10 and we got to do a yoga class on a platform overlooking the beach...it was incredible. Some of the girls got massages after and the rest of us hung out at the private beach. Definitely the most beautiful place I have ever done a yoga class!

Other highlights of the past weekend included Ryan and I playing volleyball, softball, and just hanging out at home making dinner and watching movies – and of course, as always, Ryan continuing his studious ways. The other day we went for a jog on Grand Anse – which was my idea although I’m not sure what possessed me to want to run on the beach. I was still sore from the softball game and had never jogged in sand before and it was very difficult. Even so, I’d like to do it more often since I know it will strengthen my legs and the scenery at Grand Anse is unbeatable.

Also this week Ryan told me that I should paint the living room table, which, like the desk in Ryan’s room consists of a piece of ply wood propped up with cinder blocks. So, I decided to put the paints my mom bought me to work and started painting a few things on the table – a Heliconia plant, a Bird of Paradise, and a little nutmeg. Pictures of nutmeg are all over the Grenada so of course I had to include it on the table. I’m not sure what the finished product will look like but I’m having fun with the paints. I’m no artist, but I’m pretty proud of my tropical plants so far.

On the job front…I contacted a woman at SGU about a possible position in Student Services on campus, but I received an automatic email response saying that she would be out of the office until August 7^th so I’ll have to wait until then to hear back from her. Additionally, a medical student that I spoke with while waiting for the bus told me that he heard that there is a scuba diving company here that will certify SO’s for free and then hire them as scuba instructors – something else I’m going to look into. Can you imagine me as a scuba instructor? Could be interesting…

So that is pretty much all that is new with us. Ryan has his final exam on Friday and my 25^th birthday is on Tuesday, although we’ll have to postpone any birthday celebration until after his final which is fine with me. I’ve spent five weeks in Grenada already and it has gone by so fast! I hope everything is well on the stateside and I miss everyone back home!