Week 2

G'Day everyone. I have enjoyed hearing all the snow stories! So week 2 has gone by MUCH faster than week 1. Not sure why, but last week, everyday seemed like a month, this week was over so quickly. We have moved from the back to the shoulder, arm, and hand. There is a lot going on there! Of course that is in the anatomy class, we also have 3 other classes, and they are really picking up the pace, and therefore taking up more of the studying time. Thursday was an exceptionally long day, we had our first anatomy lab, which totaled 4 hours, plus the normal 4 hours of lecture. Also I need to do some work in the library because I had to teach histology lab which was on Friday, so we were at school about 12 hours. Last night (Friday), D and I  meet with our new friend and neighbor M to have some Frequente BBQ. Frequente is the area/neighborhood that I live in, and every Friday night some of the ladies set up this grill on the side of the road and cook. They have BBQ chicken quarters and pork ribs. They also have "Lambie Waters" which is a soup like concoction that has lambie in it. Lambie is conch, and is actually quiet good. The soup also has vegetables and such. The three of us then went to the Dodgy Dock, which is this really neat place. It is actually a restaurant but it is floating on a dock. So you sit right on the water, there is a roof but no walls. There area a lot of sailboats docked in the bay and it is lit up nicely. They also have a few musicians, so the music is nice. Last night there was a drummer, saxophonist, and keyboarder. It was so relaxing, we met a few of our classmates who were also trying to not think about school for the night. Today has been a big study day, and tomorrow will be also. But we have CPR certification tomorrow, my CPR runs out in 4 months, so I have to get that done. Oh, almost forgot, got my haircut. My landlord was telling me that she knew this girl who "cuts white hair really good." So I was like, alright sounds great. Well, she said that she knew what a pixie cut was, so I said great, lets do it. I guess it is a pixie cut, but it is REALLY short. Also I think that she forgot that "white hair" is shorter when it dries than when it is wet, so not the best haircut ever. On the bright side, it is cooler, and I will save on shampoo. Well that is about it. Although I do not have time to write everyday, I do check everyday to see if someone has commented, so please comment, I really like to read them, plus it makes me feel more like this is a conversation, instead of me "talking" to myself! Hope everyone is enjoying their snow cream!


here is a picture of the campus
http://www.moderndaygilligan.com/2009/02/st_georges_university.html

End of week one

So, Friday was the last day of the first week of medical school. I would say that I have learn so much. So on Monday night we had our White Coat Ceremony, which is where you are called up on stage and a DR puts your white coat on you. Then as a class you recite the oath. We also had a reception afterwords.  Tuesday is when the real fun started, that funs name happens to be Anatomy. What an introduction to medicine. It was scary. We have not had our first Anatomy lab yet, but we will on Tuesday, but we have had our Histology lab, and it was quite impressive. I was expecting a microscope, but was greeted with a large computer screen. There were many tables in the room with these large flat screens, and your just sit at the table, 6 students to a table and you all look at the slides on the screen. For those non science dorks who may not know what histology is, let me explain. In histology you learn to look at a slide and tell what the different type of cells are, structure in or on the cell, and what function that cell does. Your are typically told what organ you are looking at, but histology is more concerned with cells and tissues. This class is to make you know what the normal cells look like, so that you can tell if the cell is abnormal. Right now all the cells kinda look the same, but I have been assured that they are not. Well, on another note, D and I went scuba diving today. We actually did two dives, both on coral reefs, and really had a great time. What is nice about diving in the Caribbean, is that the water is so warm you do not need a wet suit. Also the water was very clear, visibility was about 50 ft. We saw many fish and one lobster, no we did not take it. It was very pretty and relaxing. Also, I beat D on air usage. If you don't know, divers are very competitive on they're air usage. See, the less you use, the longer you can dive on one tank. It is not like you hold your breath or anything, it is just usually the better shape you are in, the less air you need. I beat him on both dives. Also I did the "roll backwards off the side of the boat" technique, you know the one they always do in the movies, which I had never done before, and it was quite fun!! Well that is about all, back to studying!

Busy

Hey everyone, I have been so busy with orientation I haven't had time to blog. We have has a lot of orientation workshops, and many social events that we were expected to attend, so we have been up early and in late. We have our white coat ceremony tomorrow night, which is exciting. And Tuesday starts our lectures. Exciting and nervous.

These are all pictures from campus. So even though the studying is labor intensive, the view is very tranquil. So our first term is 17 weeks and this is a list of our classes.

Histology and Cell Biology

Human Gross and Developmental Anatomy

Biochemistry

Bioethics and the Professional Medicine in Society

The first two have labs, and the last one only last the first 5 weeks of the term. So let the studying begin. Also GO COLTS!!!

Waterfall and Rain forest

Today, we did a school tour into the rain forest. We first went to the Annandale waterfall. This was a very pretty waterfall, and beside the fall was a diving point. There were two professional divers there to dive off of the rock and into the water. I am just guessing at the height, since no one told us, but I would guess 45 feet above the water.

Anyway the two divers jumped and of course made it look simple.

Then they asked us students, "who wants to jump". Are you kidding me, we are students about to start med school. This is a school trip, and they bring us to this cliff and ask who wants to jump off of the cliff, this would never happen in America. You would have to sign like 95 waivers saying that you wouldn't sue the school, the country, the world ,and GOD for creating the cliff. So, about 15 of students did jump. It was quite impressive. Dang it, I knew I should have brought my swimsuit to the school tour.

So everyone lived and there were many whoops, and hollers, and hand claps, and then we get back on the buses.  We then go up some very narrow curvy roads that made that cliff jumping look like a piece of cake, and arrive at a parking area. We walk down a trail, to the "Bottomless Lake" also known as Grand Etang Lake.

This is a beautiful lake, that is bottomless. Well the bottom has not yet been found. There have been many attempts at finding it, including modern sonar, but so far, the lake is deeper than modern technology can reach. So who knows how deep the lake is. That is what we were told on the tour, but when we got home, a quick trip to Wikipedia revealed that the lake is actually 20 ft deep. So almost bottomless. We then go on a short (15 minutes in and 15 minutes out) hike into the rain forest. This is where the nice paved road stops, and the muddy dirt trail begins. The trail wasn't that bad on the way up, but on the way back down it was quite slippery.

We basically hiked up part of the mountain, and we had some great views. The forest is quite dense, but it was the different kinds of trees and flowers that made it so unique. Also we saw a monkey.

So some people did have a harder time on the hike down, and it was hard for them to hide it, because there backside's were very muddy. No, I was not a part of the falling down and getting muddy, I happen to have some experience in walking in mud, I am from TN. The tour was supposed to be from 2-5, but we didn't get back to campus until 5:55, which would not matter except we had a mandatory meeting at 6:00. So the students with the muddy backsides, did not have time to go and change of cleanup, they had to go strait to this lecture. That was the big tour, but I believe that we can go pick up our books tomorrow, so many things to look forward to. It was really a great trip, and a wonderful experience!

 Good Night Everyone!

Registration

It just so happens that my name was on the list, which is nice, because I had already decided that if they didn't find it, then I would steal a glace at their papers and come back with one of the names on their list. So I might have ended up as Dr. Jackson, or Dr. Rice or something. But looks like I will get to just be me. So the orientation/registration process was much different than I thought. It was a kinda come and go as you please, with some mandatory areas as well. So kinda like, you have a week to do these things, and then at certain time you are required to be at a lecture and such. D and I were not expecting this laid back, no real schedule type of  anti-organization, so we have done everything today.

We are registered with name tags, class schedules, campus tour, and even the financial aid area. But there are other tours that you can sign up for, that are not mandatory, just if you want to. D and I will be going on one tomorrow, that has promised to take us into the rain-forest and to hike to some waterfalls.

 

We are oh so excited! We are to pack a lunch and everything, which means that D and I will have to make a trip to the store in the morning, because we are really running low on food. It is just different when you take a bus to the store, and you know you are going to have to carry everything you buy back on the bus, and walk to and from the bus stops. It seems as though we don't buy as much. Just so everyone knows, our classes are the same, but all first termer's are in the same lecture. We have not been assigned labs yet, so not sure there. Also our lectures are from 1-5p.m. each day. I have heard that labs are in the morning, and this makes sense, seeing as how our afternoons will be spent in a lecture hall.

On another note, I tried a samosa today. It is kinda like a chicken pot pie, but deep-fried, and the crust is similar to an egg-roll. And speaking of food, they produce COKE A COLA here, and you will not believe what the second ingredient is. I will just tell you, it is SUGAR, the real kind, not that high fructose corn syrup, and let me tell you, it is good. Well Good Night!

P.S.  Prayers and Thoughts go out to the people of Haiti.

A new family member

So meet the newest member of our family, Mr. Fan. This is very exciting news, as D and I have been searching for a fan for about a week now. I know, we haven't been here but 12 days,but it is true.

Anyway, we got the fan from a student who is leaving, not like failed, but is done in Grenada. We are very happy because the apt only has A/C in the bedrooms. We used it already today in the living room and kitchen area, and I have to say, very pleased! On another note, I received 3 shots at the health clinic today, Hepatitis B, Tetanus, and the flu shot. Not the Hepatitis treatment shot, just the vaccine, I know you were wondering that. So I can barely type, my shoulders are so sore. Also back to Mr. Fan, would anyone like to know how we got this big fan home? This is a used fan, not in a box or anything, and the person who had the fan lives on campus. That is correct, we had to carry it on the campus bus. This was not an easy task, it only comes apart into two pieces, and both are big and bulky. Not to mention, this particular bus at this particulate time, was filled to capacity. NICE!! So tomorrow during our first day of orientation, I am sure I will hear, "hey aren't you the person with that big fan on the bus." Not to mention how EXtreamly comfortable it was sitting on that bus hold said fan. But it was worth it, worth every second! As mentioned before, tomorrow is the first day of orientation, and hopefully, D and I will have our class schedule all arranged. I keep having this weird thought, like I will get to the front of this line, and the person will say, "What was that name again, hmmm let me check this paper, hmmm nope, don't have you as being a student." I know, all the forms are in and such, it would just be such a nightmare, can you imagine flying you, your stuff, and dog, getting the apartment, and then finding out you were not enrolled. Maybe not the most rational of fears, but tell me you would not think the same thing the night before your registration! Well, I am tired and have a big day tomorrow. Good night.

Lemon/Lime Tree

Good Afternoon. This is one of the many greetings that you will hear on this island. Everyone you pass will greet you and you greet them back. You don't really have a conversation, just a short greeting. (Good Morning, Good Day, Good Afternoon, and Good Night) These are very typical. On to the Lemon Tree story. A few days ago, I noticed a tree beside the house had these fruit on the ground that looked like small lemons. I go inside and facebook my landlord. Yes we use facebook to communicate, everyone does. So I ask her if it was a lemon tree and if so, may we have some. This is her reply. "lol.....of course.....and you are a bit late for the harvest....its almost finished....we get sooooo many lemons when its in full bloom that we beg people to take them......but sure...knock yourselves out...lol" I later find out from her husband that it is a LIME tree, not LEMON. But anyway, so I tell D, yes I will now be referring to people by the first letter of their name, just in case this blog becomes soooo popular, that everyone flies to Grenada to get my autograph. And then all these people sue me for putting their name in without permission. Plus my friend H does this, and I like it! So, I go tell D, that I am going to get some lemons from this tree to put in the tea. So here I go outside to the tree, and shake the limbs. Because that is how you get fruit from a tree, right. As I am unsuccessfully shaking the lemon tree ( I know that sounds like the title to a song), my neighbor comes up to me. Let me describe this to you, my neighbor is a tall black man who walks up to me with a very large knife in his hand. Obviously in America someone, perhaps me even, might find this strange, but in Grenada everyone is black, and many people carry large knives. Also don't worry about anyone being offended by these statements, I have permission from a Grenadian to be perfectly politically incorrect. She says that in Grenada you can say what you want, and people do not get offended, as a matter of fact, I have told her this whole story, and she laughed, very hard!! So, up waltzes my neighbor, and he ask if I need help. I tell him no, I am doing perfectly well. (That was a lie). So he says, the best way to do that is to take a mop or broom, and use the pole to knock down the fruit. He demonstrates with his lg knife, and I have to admit, it worked much better than my shaking method. (Which I later found out to never do, because there are lots of biting ants in those trees. Nice!) So then he peels one of the green ones, (green fruit, not a green ant) and says to put the peeling in tea and it is good. I thank him for his advice. He then ask if I smoke. I tell him "no, cigarettes are bad for your health." He says, "oh cigarettes, I was talking about weed." I am not kidding you, that is what he said!! I was a bit taken a back, and stammered "no, don't smoke that either." Then he says, well if you want to, I am your man! So I not only learn how to knock down lemons/limes, but I also have a weed man!

Also, he was right about the lime peel, very good in the tea. Good Afternoon.

Bananas

So there is a night club here called bananas. We were sitting out on our front porch last night, enjoying the night air, when our landlord comes and ask us we want to go to bananas. We didn't have anything to do, so we were like sure. So we leave at 11p.m. and head to this place called bananas. It is a night club that is close to school, so there were a lot of students there. It was really neat, it was outside, but then had a covered area as well, but there was panels that opened to let in the outside air. Plus there were real banana trees surrounding the whole place. It was so different, also they served pizza. And the pizza was cooked in a real brick fire place, very good. So afterward, we went to this area by the beach, that we go to all the time, but on the weekends there are these street vendors that set up and sell food. So we had fish and chips, which is fried fish and french fries. It was great. Also at the bottom of the hill, on our road, these people just set up a grill, right on the side of the road, and was grilling food and selling it. We didn't try any, but we talked to them, and they said that they set up every Friday. They had chicken and ribs, and some other stuff, I didn't recognize the names of. They also had this homemade sauce and they had it in an empty gallon of ice cream container. Our first Friday night on the island didn't disappoint.

We went to the beach

So Dwaine and I went to the Grand Anse Beach today. We were debating on taking Shiloh, she really likes it, but it is such a long walk, when we can be there in like 5 min on a bus. It takes like an hour to walk it. So, poor Shiloh stayed home today. The beach was great, really white sand, and clear water. But the water is a bit brisk. I know you wouldn't think it. I thought it felt great, but Dwaine had to be convinced to get all the way in, so I splashed him! So then this catamaran boats pulls up to the exact same spot that we have claimed. See they have cruise ship that dock at St. George, and these catamaran excursions take people to different places on the island. So Dwaine and I had this great spot with our towels and such, and it just unloads like 75 people, and tells them that they have an hour on the beach before they leave to go someplace else. So now I am annoyed, because these people don't go exploring the beach, they ALL pull up a towel right around us. NICE. I have been here for one week and I am getting annoyed with these tourist! But the beach is really pretty, and over all Great Day. Beside my family keeps talking about snow so who am I to complain about 84 degree weather.

Lot of Learning

So parts of the island are just beautiful, but in reality where the people live is what we would consider ghetto. It is weird though, I live in a Grenadian community, and I already feel comfortable here. We have got a good handle on the reggae bus system, but the school buses are not on there regular schedule, because they are still on holiday. The other semesters start the 11th. We have orientation starting the 13th, and then classes start the 18th. We register for classes during orientation. Dwaine's financial aid just cleared everything yesterday.Talk about cutting it close! What a relief. So the reggae buses are cool, they are more like 15 passenger vans. They run often and it is 2.50ec- 0.94 us, every time you get off, so if you go one mile down the road or 6 miles, same price. We went to the city of St. George yesterday. It is about 6-7 miles from where we live, so a bit far to walk. We bought some spices, and some fruit at the market. There was a lady at one of the fruit stands, and she explained what each of the fruit was, and cut us up a sugar apple and gave it to us for free. I tasted like a pineapple, but was firm like an apple. It did not look like either one. We bought several types of fruit from her. Then one lady was selling coconut. She chopped the top off with a machete and sticks a straw in it. Then we drank the coconut milk. Then she opens it all the way and scrapes out the meat, and we ate it. All for 3 ec - 1.12us. We then went to the fish market, and bought a just caught red snapper, we had them fillet it for us and we ate some of it last night. We are really learning a lot, it seems like everyday I learn so much, and I am not even in school yet.

My First Blog

Hello Everyone,

This is my first blog. I am now living in the country of Grenada, to go to medical school. This blog is to tell my experiences in both a new county and as a medical student. I got to Grenada Jan1, along with my dog Shiloh. My boyfriend Dwaine, who will also be attending medical school here in Grenada, was not able to get on the flight. We drove from west TN to Miami FL, and we had some delays in Orlando. It became aparent that one of us was going to make the flight, due to getting the dog on and with the rental car. So I came to Grenada, and he arrived on a later flight, that Sunday Jan 3rd. So I landed in another country with only my dog, and some American money. Our landlords, which we found on the internet, were there to meet me at the airport. They brought me to my apt which is part of a house that they live in also. Seeing as how I had no food, they told me to come eat breakfast with them the next morning. With all of the new sounds and smell, Shiloh did not sleep a wink, and so was a tiring night. So the next few days, I was given a small tour by my landlord, we went to the school, the market, some stores and the beach of course.