Thankful

Sometimes I get so caught up in what I don't have here that I forget to be thankful for what I do.  I still love it here in Grenada, but on a daily basis I catch myself sighing wistfully and thinking, "If only there was [a Target, a Wal-Mart, well-paved roads, garbage cans with lids to keep out the cats,  etc.]!" So here's my post of all the things I'm grateful for here.  Some of them are more sarcastic than others, but it's all meant from a place of love.

• An apartment with 12 foot ceilings and lots of windows (it's always so bright in here!)
• A great landlord
• Getting to smile every time a local says anything with a "th" in it

This menu was obviously printed by a Grenadian who decided that since no one in Grenada pronounces the "th" correctly, they might as well get rid of that silly "h"

• Warm weather every day
• Fruits that always keep you guessing

Which ones are the lemons and which ones are the limes?  Yes, those yellow ones are the limes.  Well done.

• Books
• Internet

So much online TV watching...

• A government that is willing to lend us hundreds of thousands of dollars so that Bryant can pursue his dream while I hang out in the sun
• The beach

• The pool

One day a palm tree branch fell on the pool.  Luckily, Mallory was there to heave it out and pose for me.  So, I'm also thankful that no one has been injured in the pool (seriously, that thing was HEAVY)

• SOs who are always around to have a good time with

• Friends (this includes most of those SOs)
• Fences that keep the big scary dogs in their yards
• The critters that get in my house are cute (sometimes)

 Yes, that is a tiny little lizard on my wall!  We chilled together while I did dishes the other day.

• Even when they're not, I have a husband or a can of Baygon to deal with them

 

This is the slat that our mattress rests on.  Forgive the blurry picture, I was freaking out about the COCKROACH ON MY BED!  Don't worry, Bryant got it.  Hence, the thanks.

• Our families
• Airplanes to go visit our families
• Buses

I am so thankful for the buses, but there is a mystery I am trying to solve.  This is an illustration that is pasted to the inside of every one of the school bus doors.  The first one I saw was more beat up and I assumed some words were just scratched out.  But no.  Can anyone figure out what this is saying?

• Curly hair (at least on this island)
• The fact that I didn't have to eat this (story soon to come)

• A marriage that, as of today, has been exactly 3 1/2 years of happy

White Coat Ceremony

Last night Bryant participated in the White Coat Ceremony here at SGU.  This ceremony is supposed to serve as a reminder for the students about the human aspect of medicine and is kind of like a graduation, but instead of getting a diploma, you are "coated."  The white coat has the SGU symbol on it as well as a little pin on the lapel.  The ceremony was cool because seeing Bryant wearing that white doctor's coat on stage made me realize this is really happening.  He's going to be a doctor! 

The ceremony started out with an alumna of SGU welcoming everyone and introducing this guy who was important in some way, but I don't quite remember why (sorry!).  Before he started his little speech, he called his assistant up on stage to say she had worked for him for 35 years on Wednesday and gave her a bouquet as a "work anniversary" gift.  So sweet!

After he spoke, the keynote speaker gave his speech.  His name was Dr. Jacobs and his speech was fantastic (at least in my opinion).  He talked about 3 lessons he had learned about being a doctor.  The part that stands out particularly in my mind was when he talked about truth-telling.  He started his career when doctors routinely lied to patients about what was wrong with them.  One patient came to the hospital when he was an intern because she had been on her honeymoon and had started to become very tired and lethargic.  She was pale and bruised very easily as well, so they cut the honeymoon short to come back and check her in at the hospital.  She was diagnosed with leukemia, which in those days was pretty much fatal within a year.  However, the attending physician strictly forbid the interns to tell her what was wrong, saying they would be removed from their internships and he would see to it that they never became doctors.  Instead they were to tell her that she had...oh, I can't remember now.  Something like a mild case of hemophilia and that she would make a full recovery.  So he lied to her when she asked what was wrong.  She was admitted again and again over the next year and every time she specifically requested that he come in and she would say, "Why am I not getting better?  What's really wrong with me?"  And every time he lied.  Finally, she came in looking very wasted and asked the question yet again.  He knew her time was almost done, but still he lied.  After leaving her room he was angry at himself and decided to turn back, but just then was paged to the ER where he spent the rest of the night.  When he returned to her room the next morning, he discovered she had died during the night and neither she nor her young husband had ever known why.  It was a very powerful story and really drove home his point that every patient deserves to know what is happening to them and why.

Then it became even more like a graduation.  Students had their names announced as they walked up on stage and were coated by one of the faculty or special guests standing there.  Once there were 13 of them all on the stage that had been coated, everyone would clap, they would leave the stage, and the process repeated.  For 800 students.  I was so glad I brought the Surface to play with once Bryant was coated!  He was one of the first groups up there and I was so proud of him.

Doesn't he look very doctor-like in his coat?  Yay Bryant!

Afterward we went to a little reception with a buffet and chatted with some of our new friends.

I'm excited for Bryant and I know he'll do a great job.  Thanks to everyone who has supported us (well, more specifically, Bryant) in pursuing this goal!

P.S. Can anyone see my sunglasses line?  I got a little burned at the pool earlier in the day.

First day of school

Today, Bryant officially started medical school. *Sniffle* They grow up so fast!  From now on, most of the adventures will be mine while Bryant studies hard.  I am so very proud of him and his dedication.  I know he'll be a great doctor someday.  Oh, and like the good elementary school teacher I am, I followed him out on the porch to take a first-day-of-school photo.  In the first picture he was rolling his eyes, so I only included the second one.

SGU Campus

The campus here is very pretty, right on the ocean, but not as well-maintained as we are used to.  There seems to be no grounds crew to keep the lawns from looking brown and dead (which they do) or a cleaning crew to keep the buildings from getting dirty (which they are).  Nevertheless, I thought it was pretty enough to warrant a few pictures.

No, I didn't get my pictures confused, this beach is right on campus.  About 20 steps away from one of the buildings. 

 

 

 See the beach to the right?  That's where the pictures above came from.

 

VERY pretty, but note the dead grass.  It seems incongruous to me, but oh well!  Oh, and this picture is for all my ice cream loving family and friends.

That's $17.23 in US dollars, friends.  I would like to say I'll never complain about the cost of ice cream in the US again....but that's not true.  Everyone eat lots of ice cream for me, please, because I won't be eating ice cream any time in the foreseeable future!

Women, know your place!

Today Bryant and I went on campus to pick up his student ID card and start the process for me to get mine.  In order for me to get an SO card (Significant Other) I have to fill out some paperwork and get it approved before taking my picture and getting the card.  We wandered up to where they had Bryant's card, he gave the lady his name and she handed him his ID.  As she was giving it to him, I said, "Oh, and do you know where we can get paperwork for an SO card?"

In response, the lady holds her hand up in front of me and says, "I prefer to talk to him."  Then stares pointedly at Bryant, ignoring me.  Did that really just happen?  Yes, it did.

Bryant finally said, "Oh...ok..." and then repeated exactly what I had already said.  She replied and the two of them had a conversation (always referring to me as her or she) and she never once looked at me again.  Bryant and I have only two theories:  one, she thinks women shouldn't talk when their husbands are there, or two, she decided she would only talk to students.  Either way, I was astounded.  Welcome to Grenada!