The Funny Thing About Grenada

"What are you going to be for Halloween?" This is a common question which I hear a lot back home. These questions begin around mid-September and especially once October begins. Grenada is a bit of a funny country because it seems to me they really don't celebrate a whole lot of Holidays. There is Carnival, Independence day, Thankgiving, Christmas. I might be missing out one or two more but it seems in America there is a holiday almost every month. Grocery stores are always decorated a different flavor each month to reflect the major holiday for that month. We even have Columbus day! (Which I think they should bring back so we can get out of school and work.) I have been in Grenada so long now that I forget that holidays are upon us. I even don't get that Thanksgiving/Christmas feeling at this time of year because everything is still so hot and the trees still have leaves. I didn't even know it was Halloween until I saw Halloween yogurt at the store. I thought, "Oh yeah its Halloween today!" It will be fun to return home so I can get back into the holidays I grew up with.

My Apartment

Today I had James (the apartment manager) come over with 3 students to look at my apartment today. I opened the door and James said, "coming down to the wire eh?". I still have about 8 weeks left in Grenada but I think today was the day I really realized that my time in Grenada actually is starting to wind down. With that comes relief, and disbelief. I can't believe it has almost been two years already. I remember my first Sunday dinner with the Weirs like it was yesterday. I was also filled with a sense of gratitude. I never bothered to decorate my apartment and make it more like home but it really has been a great place to live. It has central air and ceiling fans to give me refuge from the Caribbean heat. I had a nice gas range oven so I could bake an cook, big fridge, free internet (ok well towards the end it was free) and everything I ever could have needed. I remember when I first called about the apartment. I thought I would be on a waiting list for a year then I could move in for my last term. I was lucky and there was a spot open right away! I have been here since the start of 2nd term and I have never regretted it despite the price being more expensive than other places here. I don't know if I will really miss my apartment but it has been a good friend and I will always remember it with good memories.

Meet...

I would like to introduce you to my son/daughter. Kuulei is about 12 weeks along. We want to name him Ezekiel or name her Alette. I am really excited to be a new dad. I don't know anything about babies other than I know how to make them smile at me. I suppose that is what matters most, the rest I will pick up as I go along. I have always wanted to be a dad and I am happy that finally I can be. Our little angel coming soon has made Kuulei really sick though. She has had to go back to Utah without me in order to have better medical care. It is ok though, Kuulei can always use that as a guilt trip when our kid becomes a teen. The world has a lot of scary things that I know my child will be exposed to. I worry about that and wonder what sort of things I could do to help. At the same time, I know a lot of good things will happen too. What sort of things will my child accomplish, what sort of person will he/she become? What will he/she look like!? I bet he/she will have Kuulei's eyes. I think Forrest Gump said it best, "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are gonna get." With all the anxiety and wonder that I am starting to experience I think a good idea is to just enjoy the chocolate for what it is despite it's flavors. I am just looking forward to finding out if he/she will be a he or she so I won't have to say he/she anymore!

You Know its Hot When.....

I have always been amazed at how hot it is down here in Grenada. I mean I know I am in the tropics and near the equator so I expected it to be hot, but lately it seems the sun has come just a little closer to earth. In spite of all this heat I have also been amazed at how well the Grenadians seem to tolerate it. I sit on the air conditioned, yet numerous wide open windowed bus drenched in sweat while the Grenadians on board seem dry as a bone. Back home if someone was sweating and raised their hand you could make fun of them for their underarm "tacos". Here, for the most part they seem used to the heat. Having said that, the other day my suspicions of it being extra hot here were confirmed. I saw an older man in a tank top with long dread locked hair walked passed me at the bus stop. I said, "afternoon" he politely replied, "alright mon" back. He took a few more steps and said out loud, "Wow...sun is blazin'!" If a Grenadian complains, you know it's hot!

Unknowns

I am not sure if anyone knows that I also have another blog. It is Kuulei's and my family blog and can be found at kuuleiandnick.blogspot.com. On my own blog I usually write things that happen at med school and my own thoughts that pertain to that. On our family blog as you could guess we write about things that happen to the both of us. This blog about medical school will end when I graduate but our family blog will be written on time and time again hopefully until we die but I bet it will be more like when we get sick of it hahahahahah.

Long Haul

For those of us who live in or who have traveled through the western United States, we have probably seen a long stretch of highway in the middle of the desert. It is so hot that you can see a mirage of a vast lake covering the road ahead. The closer we get however we realize that lake has disappeared only to reappear further up the road. When we reach that lake, again it disappears and reappears further up the road. On and on the cycle goes and we just never seem to get there. This past term has been similar to these mirages. I knew it would be a long hot drive through the desert of life but it seemed whenever I got to that nice cool lake, it disappeared only to reappear further down the road. 3rd term and 4th term are stacked together here. When I finished 3rd term finals on a Friday I was shocked to learn I was supposed to start a new term the next Monday. Just kidding I knew I had to start 4th term right away but you get my point. Just when midterms were over a new course started up. When we finished Microbiology for good they threw nutrition at us. When all of my friends got to go home for summer break, I had to stay another 6 weeks. On and on we went and we just never seemed to get there. But, just like driving down that hot highway we eventually reach our destination and the nice cool lake is no longer needed. I am very grateful for the experience of the dreaded 4th term. I learned a lot about medicine, myself, and just how much I really can endure and perform under pressure. I am grateful Kuulei is such a good wife and put up with me and my chronic absence in getting this thing done. I am glad I get a break now.

CSI

Kuulei and I watch CSI from time to time. For me it is mostly because there is nothing else on but at the same time it is cool how they show stuff happening on the inside of a body. This week we had a forensic pathologist teach us a few lectures in class. I knew there would be some graphic images but boy were they graphic! It was disturbing to see the dark side of humanity. I just can't believe humans are capable of doing those sort of things to others. We were watching all of these pictures when in the back of the room we heard a large "THUD!". I looked over and there were some students standing peering over the aisle because someone had fainted. The professor stopped the lecture and helped get the student over to the clinic next door for help. Apparently the student was still unconcious when they brought him to the clinic. The professor said, "boy that is the first time that has happened here at SGU." I took that as there had been other schools where people have fainted! Anyway, it was a good experience because even if I had wanted to be a forensic pathologist I for sure don't want to be one now.