Best and worst - term one

I'm sitting in the Trinidad airport waiting for our flight back to America. The first semester of med school is officially over. It is hard to believe. A lot has happened in the four months since we first arrived in Grenada.

C.J. learned what it takes to really make it in med school. Basically, study 14 hours a day. It was a brutal experience for him, and he is a relieved to be done for awhile.

I had the chance to explore our new home and make a lot of friends. Living in another country was an adjustment at first, but now I am feeling comfortable with our life in Grenada.

Here is a recap of my best and worst of Grenada so far:

BEST

1. Beautiful beaches - really, just like you would imagine in the Caribbean
2. The ocean - I really enjoy seeing it every day; it is serene and majestic and powerful and I think I will miss it when I am land locked again
3. St. George's - I never get tired of the vibrant atmosphere and unique old world charm of this capital city
4. Hiking - there are beautiful mountains in the center of Grenada that provide great hiking opportunities; lovely mountain streams and waterfalls and lush jungle foliage
5. SO social scene - making friends has been easy; I've had a chance to meet so many great people and therefore always have something fun to do
6. Movie theatre - it's small and the movies aren't always great but the price is right; about $5 US for the movie and the popcorn and candy is only a $1 US a piece - this is a Wednesday night favorite
7. Fruit punch and smoothies - self explanatory; they are delicious and ubiquitous
8. Mocha chillers - delicious chocolaty drink at Rituals, the Starbucks of Grenada
9. Lobster - they are big and they are cheap here
10. Friendly people - they are reserved by my Texas standards, but overall they are pleasant and helpful when you need something
11. Harold - our taxi driver; very prompt and friendly; he took us to school on the first day we arrived, and we've used him ever since
12. Music - Reggae and steel drums and anything with a good beat; sometimes it gets old but I mostly enjoy it; Grenadians like it loud which I find amusing
13. Bus system - pretty good all things considered and always a fun experience; worthy of a separate blog one of these days

WORST

1. Dorm life - living in one room with another person for four months, even when you are married to that person, is not always pleasant; thank goodness we are in an apartment next semester
2. Food - I prefer the selection in America, because of course that is what I am used to; it is disappointing when things aren't always at the grocery store such as tomatoes, eggs, milk, etc.; restaurants serve mostly bar food unless you are willing to pay a lot of money; some local food I've seen isn't appetizing such as salt fish; some popular fruit I do not care for such as papaya and mangoes
3. Language barrier - this is not really a worst, but it does make life hard sometimes; Grenada is supposedly an English-speaking country but I can barely understand what the locals are saying
4. Cost of living - you would think it would be cheap, but a lot of things are more expensive because it all must be shipped over on a barge; also, getting there and back costs an arm and a leg
5. Weather - it is HUMID; there is no hope for looking good; sweating is the norm; frizz and shine is abundant
6. Third-world nation - not quite but it's not a developed nation either; this means most things are not up to our American standards (see previous post about how that is not bad, just different); it can be intimidating, frustrating and disturbing at times and all the following worst items are a result
7. Open gutters - they are scary, especially when you are driving; I'll have to devote a separate blog to driving which we've just begun to experience
8. Pot hounds - this would also be worthy of a separate blog; they are mangy stray dogs, not dangerous but sad to see them mistreated and neglected
9. Pot holes - there are some really rough roads on the island including the road that leads to our new apartment; it makes for a jolting ride and partially explains why cars on the island are junkers
10. Process - lots of things don't make sense; nothing runs very smoothly or efficiently; lots of waiting and testing of patience when you are doing anything from ordering food to registering your car
11. Pace - it...is....slow; on Thursday I ate dinner at a new restaurant; it took almost two hours to get our food; see #10 but also people just move slower and take their time; it's a cultural thing
12. Shopping - forget about it; local stores feel like the equivalent of a flea market

I'll leave it at that for now, although there is so much more. No words can capture everything we've experienced since relocating to Grenada.