I'm sorry it has been so long since I updated; things got busy once I was home and it slipped my mind. In just a week I will be getting married so that has taken up all my time.
Saying goodbye to my new friends who were flying back to New York was so hard; tears were shed. Even saying goodbye to those who go to PLU was hard, too. It was the end of an experience, of something that bonded us closer than I would have ever thought. Once home people slowly drifted their separate ways. Once school starts I hope I will see them all more than I did this summer. We all keep in touch still; Facebook is a lifesaver for that. I flew home with Aubrey. Getting out of the country was surprisingly easy. It was strange to watch the palm trees and hills of the country I had been living in for almost 6 months leave beneath me. I was excited to see my fiance again, but there are things I would miss about the country. There are things I still miss. I miss doubles, I miss roti, I miss buying liquor from Hi Lo and not having to show ID, I miss the Tunapuna market, I miss the evenings where I watched the sun set and light up the mountains, or the lights start to come on at the monastery. The excursions that I remember the best are Tobago, Carnival, J'ouvert, and ziplining. Between Carnival and J'ouvert, J'ouvert was my favorite. There is something intoxicating (besides the liquor) about being out in the dark at 4 in the morning blasting music and dancing down the street.
Note- It is beginning of August and we are still waiting for grades from UWI. That's just how it is. Yay. Also, everyone else received their caution money for returning their UWI ID; Nicole and I are still waiting for our checks.
Settling back in for me was easier than I would have thought. Part of it could have been getting to spend time my fiance, and part of it was probably the massive amount of wedding planning I had to. I had close friends who wanted to hang out often, so I was always busy. Coming back from Trinidad I met my parents, my fiance, and my friends in the Florida Keys for a 10 day vacation. It was a nice intro back into American life. There was almost as much sun and heat, there was no time difference (for me), and some of the same kinds of food. The second night there we had an American/Indian/Trini fusion meal. Our friends made a spicy curry chicken and I made the channa and pumpkin that goes in roti. I'd brought back a pack of dhal puri from Trinidad on the plane and so we had roti for dinner. It was almost like the veggie ones I got in Trinidad. Before we left Florida we found (the only) double/roti shop in Florida, if not most of the US. (It was right up the street from Busch Gardens). My family and friends all got to try doubles and phoulorie fresh and hot. It wasn't quite as good as Trini, but close! I stuffed my carry on waaay too full so that I could bring back mango chutney and phoulorie mix (6lb, actually) in my checked bag. I'm looking forward to stuffing my face with that soon.
I am now home and happy. Would I ever go back? I'm not sure. It was an amazing experience I can appreciate more as time passes. I think not missing my fiance so much would have helped it be more enjoyable, but I can't change that. Maybe someday I would take Daniel and visit T&T and show him some of the things I saw and did. Until then I have pictures and friends and memories to remind me of my time abroad. I have grown and changed in ways I am still realizing.
Was it worth it?
YES!
Saturday, August 2, 2014
Friday, April 4, 2014
March and Carnival
Sorry I have not posted in a while; just got caught up with everything
happening.
Carnival was a lot of fun, but it was a LOT of standing in the sun for hours. They changed it up this year and took different routes, which brought a lot of confusion by the time we got to the main stage. We had never performed with our pans before so that was an experience! We did not realize we would get hungry sooo fast; no one ate enough that morning. A truck came with us for half the way with drinks and our bags. After a while the truck split off since the road was too full and that is when the standing started. By that time it would have been worth it to have money for food with us. Rosalind, the head of our band, was really nice and bought us snacks and brought us drinks. We did our final performance (less than stellar by that point) and then most of use rode in the truck the last few miles back to the Mas camp. It was worth it to have spent more on shoes because most people's cheap shoes had fallen apart during the day. In all we were chipping and dancing for about 10 1/2 hours that day. When they say you have to experience Carnival to know what it is like; it's true.
Wednesday, the day after, most people went to Maracas beach. I stayed and slept all day. I guess the beach was really busy and not as relaxing as they hoped. The rest of the week was break; most people slept. The next week lectures started again, this time focused on the Indian presence in Trinidad rather than the African. We took a tour of Central Trinidad in Chaguanas (Shu-GWAN-es) and looked through their big market, got the most AMAING doubles for breakfast, saw the Temple in the Sea, and another temple in the area. We stopped for a lunch of roti and after looked at a few other places. It was a fun tour!
Carnival was a lot of fun, but it was a LOT of standing in the sun for hours. They changed it up this year and took different routes, which brought a lot of confusion by the time we got to the main stage. We had never performed with our pans before so that was an experience! We did not realize we would get hungry sooo fast; no one ate enough that morning. A truck came with us for half the way with drinks and our bags. After a while the truck split off since the road was too full and that is when the standing started. By that time it would have been worth it to have money for food with us. Rosalind, the head of our band, was really nice and bought us snacks and brought us drinks. We did our final performance (less than stellar by that point) and then most of use rode in the truck the last few miles back to the Mas camp. It was worth it to have spent more on shoes because most people's cheap shoes had fallen apart during the day. In all we were chipping and dancing for about 10 1/2 hours that day. When they say you have to experience Carnival to know what it is like; it's true.
Wednesday, the day after, most people went to Maracas beach. I stayed and slept all day. I guess the beach was really busy and not as relaxing as they hoped. The rest of the week was break; most people slept. The next week lectures started again, this time focused on the Indian presence in Trinidad rather than the African. We took a tour of Central Trinidad in Chaguanas (Shu-GWAN-es) and looked through their big market, got the most AMAING doubles for breakfast, saw the Temple in the Sea, and another temple in the area. We stopped for a lunch of roti and after looked at a few other places. It was a fun tour!
The next week we had our mid term exam for our CCS class; I’m glad I
studied! One of the parts was naming island in the Caribbean on a map and what
country they belonged too; that was a little harder than I thought since the
map was missing islands! That
Friday we went to Holika Night, which tells the legend connected to
Phagwa. Honestly, I don’t think I
get the story; I kept getting mixed up who was supposed to be good and
bad. On Sunday we met with the PLU
people who were visiting for the 20th year celebration for the
program being in Trinidad. We made
suggestions about the program and amenities and it sounds like things will
change for next years program (sadly, our beds are staying just as hard and
mattress topperless). We all then
went to Phagwa, close to the same place we went for Holika night (or maybe it
was the same place). I wore
sunglasses because I didn’t want dye in my eyes and it was a good idea! A bunch
of the girl’s contacts got dyed from powder being blown in their faces and they
had to throw them away. The little
kids there were the worst; they would sneak attack you and get you right in the
face with dye or powder. That
evening we performed with Malick our Carnival dance for the PLU people.
Wednesday was the big celebration dinner; some of the students wore
traditional costumes to welcome guests, there were a lot of speeches, and we
performed our dance with Malick again.
On Saturday almost the whole group went to a beach at Chaguaramas (Shog-er-RAM-us) and went zip
lining! It was about 45 minutes long, 7 zip lines, the highest was about 100ft,
and less than $20 US a person! We
all agreed we want to do it again before we leave if we have a chance. Sunday the 30th we went to the Spiritual Baptists Liberation
day. I don’t think I have ever
heard so much singing. Someone
would start to say something and everyone would sing it. We only stayed for a few hours; it
started about 10:30am and didn’t end until around 5 or 6pm.
This
week we had two lectures and some meetings, but have a free weekend this week. I am working on my mas costume for
class; have the frame of my headpiece done! Now it’s mostly working on finishing up all the papers and
final projects that are due; the program tries to finish everything by the
beginning of May except for the final presentations.
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Events / 2 Weeks Before Carnival
As we get closer to Carnival we have been going to a lot more events.
We went to a Calypso tent which, for me, was one of the most boring events so far. Then again, all the singing is about the country's politics and I am not interested in that. Some of the students enjoyed it. One of the main factors in some of these events though is their length. We were at the Calypso tent for 5 hours with a short intermission. We sat right in the front which made it harder to hear since the speakers were aimed right over our heads. Still, it's an experience of Trinidad.
The second event I didn't enjoy as much was Panorama. It is the steel pan semi finals. It's like a big party in these wide tiered stands next to the stage. However the speakers are really loud and I wish I had earplugs to help with the noise. Also, we had the option to pay a fee for drinks and meals provided. I thought I would be fine with just a sandwich and water; bad idea. It would have been worth it for a variety of food and free liquor. That event was 7 hours.
The next event was stick fighting and was not at all what I expected. Stick fighting is when two men with sticks whack each other with a few rules. It is outdoors in mid Trinidad; about an hour drive away from Tunapuna. There is a rectangular ring and officials keeping the fight from being too brutal. Some people got bloody but we couldn't really see form where we were sitting. As a non violent person this made me happy; from Candice's description I was expecting something a lot more violent. It was pretty impressive to see the precision they use in fighting and strategy; it is an art form.
On Thursday we went to the Kings and Queen's preliminary. These are the giant Carnival costumes that can have three wheels for support and are 20+ feet tall. There were about 50 queens and 50 kings so we only stayed for the queen's competition. Half way through we got to go walk around backstage and see the costumes being set up as well as got to take pictures next to them. I think this was my favorite event so far.
Friday morning we went to a Parliament session. There are a lot of rules about sitting and talking and when you can and can't stand. It was a good session, though, an amendment was passed unanimously with both sides agreeing. We now have a break for the weekend before we are busy every day next week leading up to Carnival!
We went to a Calypso tent which, for me, was one of the most boring events so far. Then again, all the singing is about the country's politics and I am not interested in that. Some of the students enjoyed it. One of the main factors in some of these events though is their length. We were at the Calypso tent for 5 hours with a short intermission. We sat right in the front which made it harder to hear since the speakers were aimed right over our heads. Still, it's an experience of Trinidad.
The second event I didn't enjoy as much was Panorama. It is the steel pan semi finals. It's like a big party in these wide tiered stands next to the stage. However the speakers are really loud and I wish I had earplugs to help with the noise. Also, we had the option to pay a fee for drinks and meals provided. I thought I would be fine with just a sandwich and water; bad idea. It would have been worth it for a variety of food and free liquor. That event was 7 hours.
The next event was stick fighting and was not at all what I expected. Stick fighting is when two men with sticks whack each other with a few rules. It is outdoors in mid Trinidad; about an hour drive away from Tunapuna. There is a rectangular ring and officials keeping the fight from being too brutal. Some people got bloody but we couldn't really see form where we were sitting. As a non violent person this made me happy; from Candice's description I was expecting something a lot more violent. It was pretty impressive to see the precision they use in fighting and strategy; it is an art form.
On Thursday we went to the Kings and Queen's preliminary. These are the giant Carnival costumes that can have three wheels for support and are 20+ feet tall. There were about 50 queens and 50 kings so we only stayed for the queen's competition. Half way through we got to go walk around backstage and see the costumes being set up as well as got to take pictures next to them. I think this was my favorite event so far.
Friday morning we went to a Parliament session. There are a lot of rules about sitting and talking and when you can and can't stand. It was a good session, though, an amendment was passed unanimously with both sides agreeing. We now have a break for the weekend before we are busy every day next week leading up to Carnival!
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Random Notes
Some random notes that would be helpful for next year's students.
There are a few banks that take American credit/debit cards. One of them is Republic Bank; it as across the street from the post office. Rattans is a really cheap clothing store that also has cheap towels and washcloths. It's not great quality, but a good place to get outfits that will be ruined. On the way to the post office at the intersection before (right side) there is a couple story corner all purpose type store. This is a good place to buy supplies for school (that or Charrans the bookstore, although the name is deceiving because it has hardly any books). Upstairs they have lots of household goods like mosquito nets, clothes pins, cups, plates, bowls, measuring cups, etc.
You are given 2 sets of sheets and pillowcases and a flat sheet to sleep under. One set is bright orange, the other aqua. You also get a pillow and some people got tiny rugs about 2 feet long and 1 foot wide. The floors are bare like the ones at PLU. You get a bowl, cup, 2 plates, knife, fork, and spoon. The corner rooms have two windows which is nice for ventilation but the middle rooms are close to wifi. BRING AN ETHERNET CORD! 100 feet will stretch to the end of the corridor. It is worth it; the cheapest one in Trinidad is $80US compared to buying for $20 online. The wifi is really slow and often goes down or simply does not work.
Also, packages are beyond expensive to ship. A girl in our group had a UPS package that was a couple pounds and it ended up costing her and her parents $400US with shopping and duty. Aubrey got a package sent from the post office of some shorts she wanted and it only cost $20 for shipping and I think $10 in duty. However, for items with value under $20 you can claim it is a "personal item" you already owned so you shouldn't have to pay duty. I am going to see of this method works or not.
If you like reading bring a few paperbacks; there are really no libraries here for pleasure reading. However, I haven't been to the on campus one so I'm not sure if they have a fiction section. Also, bring pictures and posters! I brought posters out of national geographic magazines or magazines and printed some color photos at PLU with some extra prints. I also cut up some calendars which is an easy way to have nice pictures on sturdier paper. They lay flat on the bottom of my luggage and it was so nice to have color on the walls. I haven't really seen anything for decoration here so it's better to bring stuff. At the end they can just be thrown away.
Clothing here is comparable in prices to the US, especially the mall. If you have to do shopping, go in Tunapuna. Trin City mall is a long 2 story mall about 15 minutes away that has some American places like Coldstone Creamery, Subway, Auntie Ann's (I'm told it tastes different), and Cinnabon.
I'm not sure if I mentioned this before or not but the moon is different here. When it's a half moon instead is the right or left side being gone the top or bottom are in shadow instead.
There are a few banks that take American credit/debit cards. One of them is Republic Bank; it as across the street from the post office. Rattans is a really cheap clothing store that also has cheap towels and washcloths. It's not great quality, but a good place to get outfits that will be ruined. On the way to the post office at the intersection before (right side) there is a couple story corner all purpose type store. This is a good place to buy supplies for school (that or Charrans the bookstore, although the name is deceiving because it has hardly any books). Upstairs they have lots of household goods like mosquito nets, clothes pins, cups, plates, bowls, measuring cups, etc.
You are given 2 sets of sheets and pillowcases and a flat sheet to sleep under. One set is bright orange, the other aqua. You also get a pillow and some people got tiny rugs about 2 feet long and 1 foot wide. The floors are bare like the ones at PLU. You get a bowl, cup, 2 plates, knife, fork, and spoon. The corner rooms have two windows which is nice for ventilation but the middle rooms are close to wifi. BRING AN ETHERNET CORD! 100 feet will stretch to the end of the corridor. It is worth it; the cheapest one in Trinidad is $80US compared to buying for $20 online. The wifi is really slow and often goes down or simply does not work.
Also, packages are beyond expensive to ship. A girl in our group had a UPS package that was a couple pounds and it ended up costing her and her parents $400US with shopping and duty. Aubrey got a package sent from the post office of some shorts she wanted and it only cost $20 for shipping and I think $10 in duty. However, for items with value under $20 you can claim it is a "personal item" you already owned so you shouldn't have to pay duty. I am going to see of this method works or not.
If you like reading bring a few paperbacks; there are really no libraries here for pleasure reading. However, I haven't been to the on campus one so I'm not sure if they have a fiction section. Also, bring pictures and posters! I brought posters out of national geographic magazines or magazines and printed some color photos at PLU with some extra prints. I also cut up some calendars which is an easy way to have nice pictures on sturdier paper. They lay flat on the bottom of my luggage and it was so nice to have color on the walls. I haven't really seen anything for decoration here so it's better to bring stuff. At the end they can just be thrown away.
Clothing here is comparable in prices to the US, especially the mall. If you have to do shopping, go in Tunapuna. Trin City mall is a long 2 story mall about 15 minutes away that has some American places like Coldstone Creamery, Subway, Auntie Ann's (I'm told it tastes different), and Cinnabon.
I'm not sure if I mentioned this before or not but the moon is different here. When it's a half moon instead is the right or left side being gone the top or bottom are in shadow instead.
Packing List (What They don't Tell You)
Some of these things they will mention you should bring, most they won't. These are all things I or the students wished we had remembered to pack! For anyone going next year, I hope this helps!
String
Scissors
Command hooks
Metal hook (for hanging mosquito net)
Business outfit
Church appropriate conservative outfit (long skirt, nice shirt or nice dress)
Q-tips
A hat or bandana
School supplies (somehow I forgot paper)
Extra notebook for J-term class
Extra razors
Lots of clothes (bras and shorts especially)
Blank paper
Colored pencils
Water bottle (with filter if possible, the water tastes odd)
Base makeup; bring brand new ones
First aid supplies
Anti itch cream
Tape
Fun tack (the sticky putty)
Hair clips and scrunchies
Long pajamas (I was fine in shorts and a t shirt)
Nice club dress (not slutty)
Nice flats or low heels
Curling iron
Hairspray
Non scented lotion (The bugs will EAT you alive with scented)
Lots of feminine/sexual/etc supplies (better safe than sorry)
Clothes pins (the dryer often isn't free)
Baby wipes or baby powder (you are always sweaty the first few days)
Sunscreen
Shampoo, conditioner, etc. Don't count on a travel bottle lasting you, it can be a few days before you go shopping
TOILET PAPER! There is none in the bathrooms, you have to buy your own. Bring a roll to get you started.
Mosquito repellent (just because you don't get by Mosquitos doesn't mean you're safe. These Mosquitos don't play by the rules; your legs are always an open buffet)
Sealed microwave meal that does not need to be frozen. The day I got here all the stores were closed and there was no food. A lot of people couldn't eat because of that. Same with breakfast. It was nice to have something to pop in the microwave and eat.
Underwater camera (I have a Pentax that works in and out of water. One of the girls had their camera ruined at the beach. Even a film disposable underwater camera; you can't buy them here and can't develop the film, though)
String
Scissors
Command hooks
Metal hook (for hanging mosquito net)
Business outfit
Church appropriate conservative outfit (long skirt, nice shirt or nice dress)
Q-tips
A hat or bandana
School supplies (somehow I forgot paper)
Extra notebook for J-term class
Extra razors
Lots of clothes (bras and shorts especially)
Blank paper
Colored pencils
Water bottle (with filter if possible, the water tastes odd)
Base makeup; bring brand new ones
First aid supplies
Anti itch cream
Tape
Fun tack (the sticky putty)
Hair clips and scrunchies
Long pajamas (I was fine in shorts and a t shirt)
Nice club dress (not slutty)
Nice flats or low heels
Curling iron
Hairspray
Non scented lotion (The bugs will EAT you alive with scented)
Lots of feminine/sexual/etc supplies (better safe than sorry)
Clothes pins (the dryer often isn't free)
Baby wipes or baby powder (you are always sweaty the first few days)
Sunscreen
Shampoo, conditioner, etc. Don't count on a travel bottle lasting you, it can be a few days before you go shopping
TOILET PAPER! There is none in the bathrooms, you have to buy your own. Bring a roll to get you started.
Mosquito repellent (just because you don't get by Mosquitos doesn't mean you're safe. These Mosquitos don't play by the rules; your legs are always an open buffet)
Sealed microwave meal that does not need to be frozen. The day I got here all the stores were closed and there was no food. A lot of people couldn't eat because of that. Same with breakfast. It was nice to have something to pop in the microwave and eat.
Underwater camera (I have a Pentax that works in and out of water. One of the girls had their camera ruined at the beach. Even a film disposable underwater camera; you can't buy them here and can't develop the film, though)
Friday, February 14, 2014
Valentine's Day
It's Valentine's Day! One of the worst days I could be away from my fiance, but we traded little gifts and cards. Some of the girls are going to a women's night concert tonight for Valentine's Day. Carnival is in two weekends which seems much closer than it should be. I am not sure if we will get to try on our costumes, or at least the full thing, until Carnival day. We also have large flags we use in our dance that we are pretending to practice with right now; I hope we get those before we have to perform!
We are getting better at our Carnival dance at least. Our moving one isn't that good, though, because we don't have a large enough space to practice and keep tweaking the dance. Still, I figure we will know it well by Carnival. I can see why we start so early!
Reading about the Sochi Olympics and problems they talk about the stray dogs...there are so many stray dogs here! After a while you get used to the sound of barking and howling, as well as the fact that you can't pet them, no matter how much you want to. They are everywhere; Aubrey and I walked across campus and saw them trying to have a threesome...wasn't working too well. All the dogs are wild/semi-tame, so they aren't fixed. That means lots and lots and LOTS of new puppies and dogs.
The cars drive on the wrong side of the road here (to me at least) but an odd thing is they walk on the wrong side of the sidewalk, too! One is supposed to stay to the left, not the right. This means that I'm constantly running into people wondering why they aren't moving. I'm the one who should move!
Pedestrians are valued maybe less than the dogs here! Being a white female there's a better chance cars will stop so I can cross the road, but a few of the other students have been brushed by cars coming too close. Cross walks here are called zebra crossings and there's not many of them!
I think I mentioned this before but people honk here for everything: hello, goodbye, hey sexy, get out of the way, I'm going to honk just in case something might happen, I can play a song on my horn (the maxis do this!), I'm bored, the sky is blue......the list goes on.
I haven't been to the clubs here but the students say they are fancy dress. People who go do their makeup fancy, do their hair, and wear really nice dresses. It's very classy.
As for the normal clothes here most of the students do wear long pants to UWI because most of the rooms are air conditioned so much you'd think they were trying to make it snow! However, lots of people wear spaghetti straps, tank tops, sleeveless dresses, etc. They don't really wear short shorts; about knee length or a little shorter are acceptable. Bikinis are only for wearing on the beach so one needs some kind of cover up or light clothes to go into town after or for food. Having some kind of hiking sandals would be great; the only ones I can find here are expensive! It is definitely good to have lots of long dresses, skirts, etc. for all the events we go to through the program. I do wish I had brought some more nice pairs of clothes like church clothes; I only have pair that nice.
The waterfall was amazing; swam in, climbed up, slid down, rolled around in, etc. the waterfalls! It sucked for anyone wearing hiking shoes though....we had to walk through the river a ways and there was no way the shoes were staying dry. Aquasocks would have been best but I forgot mine and wore flip flops; wasn't too bad off except in the mud! But it's an experience I won't forget!
This sunday we head to Panorama (steel pan) semifinals; I'll post again after that!
We are getting better at our Carnival dance at least. Our moving one isn't that good, though, because we don't have a large enough space to practice and keep tweaking the dance. Still, I figure we will know it well by Carnival. I can see why we start so early!
Reading about the Sochi Olympics and problems they talk about the stray dogs...there are so many stray dogs here! After a while you get used to the sound of barking and howling, as well as the fact that you can't pet them, no matter how much you want to. They are everywhere; Aubrey and I walked across campus and saw them trying to have a threesome...wasn't working too well. All the dogs are wild/semi-tame, so they aren't fixed. That means lots and lots and LOTS of new puppies and dogs.
The cars drive on the wrong side of the road here (to me at least) but an odd thing is they walk on the wrong side of the sidewalk, too! One is supposed to stay to the left, not the right. This means that I'm constantly running into people wondering why they aren't moving. I'm the one who should move!
Pedestrians are valued maybe less than the dogs here! Being a white female there's a better chance cars will stop so I can cross the road, but a few of the other students have been brushed by cars coming too close. Cross walks here are called zebra crossings and there's not many of them!
I think I mentioned this before but people honk here for everything: hello, goodbye, hey sexy, get out of the way, I'm going to honk just in case something might happen, I can play a song on my horn (the maxis do this!), I'm bored, the sky is blue......the list goes on.
I haven't been to the clubs here but the students say they are fancy dress. People who go do their makeup fancy, do their hair, and wear really nice dresses. It's very classy.
As for the normal clothes here most of the students do wear long pants to UWI because most of the rooms are air conditioned so much you'd think they were trying to make it snow! However, lots of people wear spaghetti straps, tank tops, sleeveless dresses, etc. They don't really wear short shorts; about knee length or a little shorter are acceptable. Bikinis are only for wearing on the beach so one needs some kind of cover up or light clothes to go into town after or for food. Having some kind of hiking sandals would be great; the only ones I can find here are expensive! It is definitely good to have lots of long dresses, skirts, etc. for all the events we go to through the program. I do wish I had brought some more nice pairs of clothes like church clothes; I only have pair that nice.
The waterfall was amazing; swam in, climbed up, slid down, rolled around in, etc. the waterfalls! It sucked for anyone wearing hiking shoes though....we had to walk through the river a ways and there was no way the shoes were staying dry. Aquasocks would have been best but I forgot mine and wore flip flops; wasn't too bad off except in the mud! But it's an experience I won't forget!
This sunday we head to Panorama (steel pan) semifinals; I'll post again after that!
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
1 Month Down
Hello everyone; I haven't posted much lately because there really hasn't been that much going on.
Brendan decided to leave the program about 2 weeks ago and started PLU for spring semester. For our Caribbean Culture and Society class we have usually 2 lectures a week with guest lecturers and short paper/reflections to turn in based on that. We also have dance class twice a week...seems more like boot camp than dance class! We are yelled at a lot for doing it wrong. We are learning two different dances to perform, one dance has to be moving to get across the stage quick enough with all the big bands now. We finished J-term and the third class with the volunteering doesn't start till after Carnival when things slow down. Below is an example of one of our schedules for the week.
We've had a few excursions on the weekends; went to Maracas Beach and had Bake 'n Shark (tasted like fish), visited some steel pan (drum) yards, went to a few more Mas costume camps, and we are going to a Calypso tent this weekend. This saturday we are hoping to join the UWI Bio club to go on a hike to a waterfall! I introduced my friends Aubrey and Giorgio and now they are dating. Classes have started at UWI; I'm taking photo and a Carnival class; Mas: History, Development, and Meaning. The Mas class is my favorite so far; we are learning about Carnival history, what the traditional costumes mean, etc. Our final is a paper on someone who works with Mas and to make a costume that we design. My sewing skills are not extensive so that will be interesting!
The internet is slower than expected; there is wifi but it's often dial up speed. I have a room at the end of the hall with two windows which is great for ventilation but not great for internet. The program isn't quite what we expected; I don't think it ever will be. Of course it gets hyped up, trying to get people to go, but sometimes I feel like it has been hyped too much. First they tell you you will have lots of free time, then they say you are always busy. In actuality it's a mix of both. When we have to go to events in the evenings or lectures it's busier, but we actually end up having a lot of free time during the week. There's not a lot to do in Tunapuna besides shopping and for a single white girl, I can't really travel without a companion. I mean, I'm sure I could, but it wouldn't be very safe.
When they say there is every culture food in Trinidad that is a lie. There is roti which is good and doubles which I could eat for every meal the rest of my life. There is Trini food which is lots of stewed chicken and pigs/chicken/ox feet/tail/random body part. We have a joke that if it moves, a Trini will eat it. They have a large Indian culture but that doesn't mean you will find Indian food like tikka masala or vegetable korma or anything. They don't have many sit down restaurants here. No Thai food either! Aubrey and I are longing for peanut sauce. At least I can cook italian food easily. Boneless skinless chicken breast is really expensive here; Trinis like their meat on the bone.
Things I miss: My family, Daniel, my cat, doughnuts, pad tai, indian food (an actual meal), stores with everything you need in one place, not sleeping with a mosquito net, italian food...mostly everyone here misses food!
Today was the first day it's been cloudy all day; it's the best! There's a cool breeze coming in my window all the time and when it rains it cools it down even more. I'd hazard it might even be 75 right now--pure heaven.
Registering at school was a mess; most people changed their classes from what they first picked so there was a ton of going back and forth to professors and trying to get signatures and registration codes for classes. We are still trying to get financial clearance so we can get our IDs, it took a week or two to even get the codes to register for classes. Everyone swears that the school system is better than it has been, but it's a far cry from PLU!
Things are slow right now, they are supposed to keep picking up as we get closer to Carnival March 3-4th.
Brendan decided to leave the program about 2 weeks ago and started PLU for spring semester. For our Caribbean Culture and Society class we have usually 2 lectures a week with guest lecturers and short paper/reflections to turn in based on that. We also have dance class twice a week...seems more like boot camp than dance class! We are yelled at a lot for doing it wrong. We are learning two different dances to perform, one dance has to be moving to get across the stage quick enough with all the big bands now. We finished J-term and the third class with the volunteering doesn't start till after Carnival when things slow down. Below is an example of one of our schedules for the week.
We've had a few excursions on the weekends; went to Maracas Beach and had Bake 'n Shark (tasted like fish), visited some steel pan (drum) yards, went to a few more Mas costume camps, and we are going to a Calypso tent this weekend. This saturday we are hoping to join the UWI Bio club to go on a hike to a waterfall! I introduced my friends Aubrey and Giorgio and now they are dating. Classes have started at UWI; I'm taking photo and a Carnival class; Mas: History, Development, and Meaning. The Mas class is my favorite so far; we are learning about Carnival history, what the traditional costumes mean, etc. Our final is a paper on someone who works with Mas and to make a costume that we design. My sewing skills are not extensive so that will be interesting!
The internet is slower than expected; there is wifi but it's often dial up speed. I have a room at the end of the hall with two windows which is great for ventilation but not great for internet. The program isn't quite what we expected; I don't think it ever will be. Of course it gets hyped up, trying to get people to go, but sometimes I feel like it has been hyped too much. First they tell you you will have lots of free time, then they say you are always busy. In actuality it's a mix of both. When we have to go to events in the evenings or lectures it's busier, but we actually end up having a lot of free time during the week. There's not a lot to do in Tunapuna besides shopping and for a single white girl, I can't really travel without a companion. I mean, I'm sure I could, but it wouldn't be very safe.
When they say there is every culture food in Trinidad that is a lie. There is roti which is good and doubles which I could eat for every meal the rest of my life. There is Trini food which is lots of stewed chicken and pigs/chicken/ox feet/tail/random body part. We have a joke that if it moves, a Trini will eat it. They have a large Indian culture but that doesn't mean you will find Indian food like tikka masala or vegetable korma or anything. They don't have many sit down restaurants here. No Thai food either! Aubrey and I are longing for peanut sauce. At least I can cook italian food easily. Boneless skinless chicken breast is really expensive here; Trinis like their meat on the bone.
Things I miss: My family, Daniel, my cat, doughnuts, pad tai, indian food (an actual meal), stores with everything you need in one place, not sleeping with a mosquito net, italian food...mostly everyone here misses food!
Today was the first day it's been cloudy all day; it's the best! There's a cool breeze coming in my window all the time and when it rains it cools it down even more. I'd hazard it might even be 75 right now--pure heaven.
Registering at school was a mess; most people changed their classes from what they first picked so there was a ton of going back and forth to professors and trying to get signatures and registration codes for classes. We are still trying to get financial clearance so we can get our IDs, it took a week or two to even get the codes to register for classes. Everyone swears that the school system is better than it has been, but it's a far cry from PLU!
Things are slow right now, they are supposed to keep picking up as we get closer to Carnival March 3-4th.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Monday
Got to sleep in a little today and took a shower in a real working shower again. We left at 11 for Hi Lo shopping trip. $60 and a pile of food later, we headed home. For all that Trinidad is supposed to be cheaper the food is pretty much US priced, probably because everything has to be imported.
After getting back I met Giorgio and we went on a little adventure to his parents house to pick fruit from their trees. He designs costumes for Carnival for his job! We got back about 3 and I watched the second episode of the new season of Sherlock. After our 7pm meeting to discuss curriculum information for our upcoming classes Aubrey and I watched the last episode of Sherlock together. The rest of the evening was Skyping with Daniel and my parents and bed!
After getting back I met Giorgio and we went on a little adventure to his parents house to pick fruit from their trees. He designs costumes for Carnival for his job! We got back about 3 and I watched the second episode of the new season of Sherlock. After our 7pm meeting to discuss curriculum information for our upcoming classes Aubrey and I watched the last episode of Sherlock together. The rest of the evening was Skyping with Daniel and my parents and bed!
Leaving Tobago
Woke up at 8 and finally felt like I got enough sleep. Had breakfast and packed my last few things away; I'm ready for the long drive to the airport! Most everyone else is still going nuts packing since they were out late last night.
I really enjoyed being on Tobago (despite the lack of wifi) and having some time to relax on the beach. We did a lot of really amazing activities. Still, I'm looking forward to being back in my own room, getting to know Tunapuna, and settling in before school starts. I already have a friend who lives here, Giorgio, and I'd like to be able to meet him longer than the few minutes at the Parang last week!
Slept on the bus ride in again until we stopped at Cape Fort George for some pictures. While taking pictures of Brendan a guy with a guitar walked up and started singing and playing to us. He thought we were married and kept singing about how we were lovebirds while we kept laughing and shaking our heads no. Finally we escaped and got back on the bus; just a 15 minute drive to the airport!
Once we checked our bags we picked up lunch at one of the little stores by the airport and waited to board. The flight was quick again, although we had to wait forever for our bags. Once back I got on the computer and skyped with Daniel and my parents as I loaded photos. After our wrap up at 7 the evening was mostly talking and pictures.
I really enjoyed being on Tobago (despite the lack of wifi) and having some time to relax on the beach. We did a lot of really amazing activities. Still, I'm looking forward to being back in my own room, getting to know Tunapuna, and settling in before school starts. I already have a friend who lives here, Giorgio, and I'd like to be able to meet him longer than the few minutes at the Parang last week!
Slept on the bus ride in again until we stopped at Cape Fort George for some pictures. While taking pictures of Brendan a guy with a guitar walked up and started singing and playing to us. He thought we were married and kept singing about how we were lovebirds while we kept laughing and shaking our heads no. Finally we escaped and got back on the bus; just a 15 minute drive to the airport!
Once we checked our bags we picked up lunch at one of the little stores by the airport and waited to board. The flight was quick again, although we had to wait forever for our bags. Once back I got on the computer and skyped with Daniel and my parents as I loaded photos. After our wrap up at 7 the evening was mostly talking and pictures.
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Tobago Day 6
I forgot to say, a few nights ago I saw my first firefly! Mike, our professor, said they aren't as common as they used to be. It's not what I thought it would look like, it flashed on and off instead of lighting up continuously. I saw some more of them this evening as well.
We had a nice hike through the rainforest although 4:45am is WAY to early to be up. It was nice and cool right up until we left and the sun started heating things up. Saw some rare birds and hummingbirds and a freshwater fish, crab, and a trap door spider hole. We also saw a White tailed saber wing humming bird which is one of six rare species in the world if I remember our guide correctly.
Everyone decided to skip the waterfall because no lunch places were open and it would also be another trek through the mud WITHOUT boots this time. No thank you! We decided to try going to one on Trinidad.
I think some people might go to Pirate's Bay when they get back; I think I will relax on the beach outside the cabin. The waves are too rough at the bay to comfortably swim in.
It's a good thing we aren't staying at the cabin longer as things keep breaking. The shower never really worked, the fridge broke, one of the curtain rods keeps falling down, and then last night the faucet handle came off and only one works now. Few days more and it might fall down on top of us!
Once we got back everyone made lunch and then slept for the afternoon. I read my book and laid in the sun for a while. Being a white female on the beach, though, does not lend itself to a relaxing time. Every male Trini walking past thinks he must personally woo you. Never mind that he's in his 50s! It just takes being very very firm. I finally moved inside to finish my book. When I was done I walked in to town to the library and dropped them off. There was only about an hour until dinner so Brendan and I talked and packed while the girls went into town to buy liqueur. They are going to the bar later this evening.
Dinner was some kind of noodle salad, pork, and rice. Two lizards kept us company during dinner; getting pretty bold about coming close to eat moths. After dinner Brendan and I did dishes and I got a passion fruit to try tonight. The girls went to go drink and I'll probably go to bed early tonight. Going home tomorrow! Can't wait to be able to talk to everyone! And we still have a week until school starts at UWI.
We had a nice hike through the rainforest although 4:45am is WAY to early to be up. It was nice and cool right up until we left and the sun started heating things up. Saw some rare birds and hummingbirds and a freshwater fish, crab, and a trap door spider hole. We also saw a White tailed saber wing humming bird which is one of six rare species in the world if I remember our guide correctly.
Everyone decided to skip the waterfall because no lunch places were open and it would also be another trek through the mud WITHOUT boots this time. No thank you! We decided to try going to one on Trinidad.
I think some people might go to Pirate's Bay when they get back; I think I will relax on the beach outside the cabin. The waves are too rough at the bay to comfortably swim in.
It's a good thing we aren't staying at the cabin longer as things keep breaking. The shower never really worked, the fridge broke, one of the curtain rods keeps falling down, and then last night the faucet handle came off and only one works now. Few days more and it might fall down on top of us!
Once we got back everyone made lunch and then slept for the afternoon. I read my book and laid in the sun for a while. Being a white female on the beach, though, does not lend itself to a relaxing time. Every male Trini walking past thinks he must personally woo you. Never mind that he's in his 50s! It just takes being very very firm. I finally moved inside to finish my book. When I was done I walked in to town to the library and dropped them off. There was only about an hour until dinner so Brendan and I talked and packed while the girls went into town to buy liqueur. They are going to the bar later this evening.
Dinner was some kind of noodle salad, pork, and rice. Two lizards kept us company during dinner; getting pretty bold about coming close to eat moths. After dinner Brendan and I did dishes and I got a passion fruit to try tonight. The girls went to go drink and I'll probably go to bed early tonight. Going home tomorrow! Can't wait to be able to talk to everyone! And we still have a week until school starts at UWI.
Tobago Day 5
Yesterday right before bed I had a nice talk with Pipe (pronounced P-pay) about what it's like being engaged, etc. I got to coo over Daniel a little, but it just made me miss him more!
Today we got ourselves together to get on the bus talking us to Buccoo reef. Everyone is really tired; we all plan to sleep the drive to the other end of the island. We are headed to Storebay today; we will be back Sunday to go to the airport. It is about an hour and a half drive to get from one end of the island to the other. From Storebay we can go out on the reef and do some shopping as well as lay on the beach or hang out.
Tobago (and maybe Trinidad) is one of the only places where a bus will stop and talk to people in cars. I just watched both drivers fist bump out the window. Everyone knows everyone and if you don't talk to them it is very rude.
After getting to Store Bay we paid 60TT ($9.30US) to go on a tour. After looking around the souvenir stands some (I found a little ring to wear instead of my engagement one left at home) we got shuttled over to Pigeon Point to get on the boat. It was a glass bottom boat which meant the middle of the boat were three plexiglass squares surrounded by benches. We rode out for about 20 minutes and then stopped over the coral. It was pretty shallow and easy to see the coral and fish. I thought I remembered it being more colorful, but maybe that was just in Hawaii or Florida. After learning the names of the fish and coral they threw out a life ring and let us get in and hold into the rope as we snorkeled. If you were a good swimmer you didn't have to, but it was kind of rough so everyone did.
After snorkeling we went to the Nylon Pool. Because of how the waves and current came together it dumps sand there and makes it really shallow even though you are in the middle of the ocean. In most places it's waist deep although we walked to where it was maybe a foot deep. After spending time playing there we stopped one last time at a little island/point with a lagoon inside and went swimming.
After getting back we got lunch; I got a buss up shut (roti with the filling on the side and the roti bread is torn into pieces; makes eating easier). There was free wifi so for the last hour I ate and talked to Daniel and my mom. We all got ice cream before we got on the bus for the drive back. Homemade coconut ice cream never tasted so good!
Everyone slept the drive home and then slept another hour till dinner. Dinner was fried flying fish (pretty good!) rice, lentils, and some veggies. I came back and packed for tomorrow since we are leaving at 6am. Some of the girls are heading into town; I'm not sure if they're planning on drinking and dancing some more or just hanging out. I plan on going to bed early!
Tomorrow we have an hour and a half drive to the rainforest where we will take a two hour tour. After that we will stop for lunch and then head to another tour. A guide will take us to a waterfall where we can swim and hang out for a while. After that the day is free to do what we want.
Sunday we leave for the airport at 9am; we fly out at 12ish and then it's a short drive to the Lodge! I finally have all my decorations up in my room and there's not much wall space left! I love being surrounded by the pictures of friends and animals. I will also be back to my little pack of stuffed animals; I forgot my bear this week!
Today we got ourselves together to get on the bus talking us to Buccoo reef. Everyone is really tired; we all plan to sleep the drive to the other end of the island. We are headed to Storebay today; we will be back Sunday to go to the airport. It is about an hour and a half drive to get from one end of the island to the other. From Storebay we can go out on the reef and do some shopping as well as lay on the beach or hang out.
Tobago (and maybe Trinidad) is one of the only places where a bus will stop and talk to people in cars. I just watched both drivers fist bump out the window. Everyone knows everyone and if you don't talk to them it is very rude.
After getting to Store Bay we paid 60TT ($9.30US) to go on a tour. After looking around the souvenir stands some (I found a little ring to wear instead of my engagement one left at home) we got shuttled over to Pigeon Point to get on the boat. It was a glass bottom boat which meant the middle of the boat were three plexiglass squares surrounded by benches. We rode out for about 20 minutes and then stopped over the coral. It was pretty shallow and easy to see the coral and fish. I thought I remembered it being more colorful, but maybe that was just in Hawaii or Florida. After learning the names of the fish and coral they threw out a life ring and let us get in and hold into the rope as we snorkeled. If you were a good swimmer you didn't have to, but it was kind of rough so everyone did.
After snorkeling we went to the Nylon Pool. Because of how the waves and current came together it dumps sand there and makes it really shallow even though you are in the middle of the ocean. In most places it's waist deep although we walked to where it was maybe a foot deep. After spending time playing there we stopped one last time at a little island/point with a lagoon inside and went swimming.
After getting back we got lunch; I got a buss up shut (roti with the filling on the side and the roti bread is torn into pieces; makes eating easier). There was free wifi so for the last hour I ate and talked to Daniel and my mom. We all got ice cream before we got on the bus for the drive back. Homemade coconut ice cream never tasted so good!
Everyone slept the drive home and then slept another hour till dinner. Dinner was fried flying fish (pretty good!) rice, lentils, and some veggies. I came back and packed for tomorrow since we are leaving at 6am. Some of the girls are heading into town; I'm not sure if they're planning on drinking and dancing some more or just hanging out. I plan on going to bed early!
Tomorrow we have an hour and a half drive to the rainforest where we will take a two hour tour. After that we will stop for lunch and then head to another tour. A guide will take us to a waterfall where we can swim and hang out for a while. After that the day is free to do what we want.
Sunday we leave for the airport at 9am; we fly out at 12ish and then it's a short drive to the Lodge! I finally have all my decorations up in my room and there's not much wall space left! I love being surrounded by the pictures of friends and animals. I will also be back to my little pack of stuffed animals; I forgot my bear this week!
Friday, January 10, 2014
Tobago Day 4
Class was an hour shorter this morning which was nice; it was our last one till next week since we are busy the next few days. Tomorrow we go to Buccoo Reef and Saturday is the rain forest. Then Sunday we fly home!
After class John, Chris, and I walked into town to get roti. They hadn't started making them yet so we had to wait about an hour, but they were fantastic! They had a veggie option I got with this delicious sweet/savory mix and yummy spices. A roti is like a very thin flatbread filled with garbanzo beans, meat or vegetables, and some other stuff. It is then wrapped up kind of like a rectangular burrito. Mine cost $15TT, or about $2.40 US.
After lunch we went down to the dock to take our boat right. No one was going to get sea sick right? Of course not. I've been out on boats my whole life but nothing like the actual sea! The ride out wasn't too bad; took some cool pictures and videos and got splashed a bit. By the time we got around the point through the waves to the bird sanctuary everyone was doing pretty good. Once at the island, though, they turned the boat off. Without the movement of the boat through the waves everything started rocking way more. That, combined with watching the island bob up and down in the waves (ok maybe we were the ones bobbing) left about half the girls feeling sick. By the time we got moving again everyone except Brendan was feeling pretty sick. I feel like I'm still moving when I lay down.
The actual island itself was amazing! We couldn't land but hundred of Magnificent Frigate Birds circled over the island. After moving a bit aways the boat driver through some meat scraps in the water. Boy did those birds move their feathery behinds! They are SO HUGE! They have a wingspan of about 3 or 4 feet and when they are swooping right on top of your head, those birds are BIG! Saw the ones with the red pouch which meant they were ready to mate, as well as another kind of bird (I'd have to check my bird book) and the guide said there were brown footed boobies too. There could have been more kinds, it was hard to tell with all the swooping.
After getting back everyone made their way as quickly as possible to bed to rest and try to get the hang of standing again. I finished my books and got some new ones from the library, wrote some of my postcards, and collected cool rocks on the beach. Found a few tiny shells and some coral as well! Daniel and I will have a beach themed bathroom, so I'm planning on bringing some sand back as well to put in a little jar with the rocks and shells.
We then went to dinner which was BBQ at a restaurant in town. Dinner was good; rice, macaroni pie (they love that here), Mackerel or Chicken (I passed) and some assorted vegetables. They also had a bottle of hard wine (yes that's what it was called) that came with dinner that we tried. It wasn't my favorite, a little strong compared to moscato. We also tried a homemade guava wine the restaurant owner made. It also tasted rather strong. By the end of drinking and trying though everyone was a bit tipsy and ready to have some fun. There was a DJ that set up some big speakers on the patio to go dance. We all ended up joining in, even some of the other visitors who came for dinner. It was a lot of fun being silly and showing off a bit. Daniel, I needed my dance partner!
After leaving we made a bonfire by the cabin and played some games and then just started talking. It was a great bonding time and I know everyone a lot better now. Supposedly I'm a pretty good dancer (probably from loosening up with a drink) and the girls are plotting when they can drag me dancing again. Still, it is nice to relax and have some fun with everyone!
We are all going to bed late, but we have to be up early and ready by 8am to head to the reef and town!
After class John, Chris, and I walked into town to get roti. They hadn't started making them yet so we had to wait about an hour, but they were fantastic! They had a veggie option I got with this delicious sweet/savory mix and yummy spices. A roti is like a very thin flatbread filled with garbanzo beans, meat or vegetables, and some other stuff. It is then wrapped up kind of like a rectangular burrito. Mine cost $15TT, or about $2.40 US.
After lunch we went down to the dock to take our boat right. No one was going to get sea sick right? Of course not. I've been out on boats my whole life but nothing like the actual sea! The ride out wasn't too bad; took some cool pictures and videos and got splashed a bit. By the time we got around the point through the waves to the bird sanctuary everyone was doing pretty good. Once at the island, though, they turned the boat off. Without the movement of the boat through the waves everything started rocking way more. That, combined with watching the island bob up and down in the waves (ok maybe we were the ones bobbing) left about half the girls feeling sick. By the time we got moving again everyone except Brendan was feeling pretty sick. I feel like I'm still moving when I lay down.
The actual island itself was amazing! We couldn't land but hundred of Magnificent Frigate Birds circled over the island. After moving a bit aways the boat driver through some meat scraps in the water. Boy did those birds move their feathery behinds! They are SO HUGE! They have a wingspan of about 3 or 4 feet and when they are swooping right on top of your head, those birds are BIG! Saw the ones with the red pouch which meant they were ready to mate, as well as another kind of bird (I'd have to check my bird book) and the guide said there were brown footed boobies too. There could have been more kinds, it was hard to tell with all the swooping.
After getting back everyone made their way as quickly as possible to bed to rest and try to get the hang of standing again. I finished my books and got some new ones from the library, wrote some of my postcards, and collected cool rocks on the beach. Found a few tiny shells and some coral as well! Daniel and I will have a beach themed bathroom, so I'm planning on bringing some sand back as well to put in a little jar with the rocks and shells.
We then went to dinner which was BBQ at a restaurant in town. Dinner was good; rice, macaroni pie (they love that here), Mackerel or Chicken (I passed) and some assorted vegetables. They also had a bottle of hard wine (yes that's what it was called) that came with dinner that we tried. It wasn't my favorite, a little strong compared to moscato. We also tried a homemade guava wine the restaurant owner made. It also tasted rather strong. By the end of drinking and trying though everyone was a bit tipsy and ready to have some fun. There was a DJ that set up some big speakers on the patio to go dance. We all ended up joining in, even some of the other visitors who came for dinner. It was a lot of fun being silly and showing off a bit. Daniel, I needed my dance partner!
After leaving we made a bonfire by the cabin and played some games and then just started talking. It was a great bonding time and I know everyone a lot better now. Supposedly I'm a pretty good dancer (probably from loosening up with a drink) and the girls are plotting when they can drag me dancing again. Still, it is nice to relax and have some fun with everyone!
We are all going to bed late, but we have to be up early and ready by 8am to head to the reef and town!
Tobago Day 3
Still a little overcast but it looks like the sun is starting to come out. Yesterday we barely saw the sun between the rain storms and clouds. When it rains here it will rain for about 10 minutes and then stop like someone turned off the hose.
Saw some cool birds while we were in class; I'm trying to decide if one of them was a parrot or not. According to the girls they have seen parrots, so maybe that's what they were.
We got locked out of our cabin today because the doors were locked without taking the key. We are at the second cabin with the other students eating lunch. I plan on going to the library today; maybe I will use the computers there. There was an awesome Mac and cheese dance/song complete with bowl and spoon percussion that took place. The talents of this group never cease to amaze me.
Back for the evening after dinner; it was another long day! It's never hard to fall asleep at night after being in the sun and water all day. Brendan got back into our cabin by popping a screen (shows how useful the locks are) and we finally split into our separate groups. One went to Pirate's Bay that didn't go yesterday, one stayed on the beach, and the rest of us went into town to the library. The computers weren't working but I made an account with the library to check out books.
After coming back Brendan and I took a kayak out on the ocean. It was sketchy getting out between waves and not being capsized; we got a little wet and water in the kayak, but we did it. Once out on the water it rained for a few minutes, but then we saw a rainbow. The view from the water was great! We paddled over to Pirate's Bay from the water, but the group there had already left. Coming back the wind picked up a bit. The waves were pretty hard on the beach so although we got out ok the kayak was filled with water and too heavy to lift. Every time we tried flipping it to drain it more waves filled it. We finally got Chris to come help pull it up and dry it out.
We changed and went to dinner which was potatoes with cheese and white salmon...maybe...supposedly. Then a local man and his friend came and played us some music on his guitar and sang. We heard an interesting mix of songs, including smut. Assumingly it is a popular genre to sing for that style of music. The songs are usually have a double meaning. For example, one was about an electrician coming to check a lady's wire box and finding it needed a screw... Not hard to pick that one up. Another was more blatantly singing about how women prefer dildos to men. Suffice to say that everyone was super red and the man had to stop playing he was laughing so hard.
After dinner and feeding the two local dogs (who are not skinny and darn picky eaters!) scraps we headed back to cabins to do homework, read, and sleep. Tomorrow we have class and then at 2pm go for a boat ride around the area and to see the bird sanctuary!
Saw some cool birds while we were in class; I'm trying to decide if one of them was a parrot or not. According to the girls they have seen parrots, so maybe that's what they were.
We got locked out of our cabin today because the doors were locked without taking the key. We are at the second cabin with the other students eating lunch. I plan on going to the library today; maybe I will use the computers there. There was an awesome Mac and cheese dance/song complete with bowl and spoon percussion that took place. The talents of this group never cease to amaze me.
Back for the evening after dinner; it was another long day! It's never hard to fall asleep at night after being in the sun and water all day. Brendan got back into our cabin by popping a screen (shows how useful the locks are) and we finally split into our separate groups. One went to Pirate's Bay that didn't go yesterday, one stayed on the beach, and the rest of us went into town to the library. The computers weren't working but I made an account with the library to check out books.
After coming back Brendan and I took a kayak out on the ocean. It was sketchy getting out between waves and not being capsized; we got a little wet and water in the kayak, but we did it. Once out on the water it rained for a few minutes, but then we saw a rainbow. The view from the water was great! We paddled over to Pirate's Bay from the water, but the group there had already left. Coming back the wind picked up a bit. The waves were pretty hard on the beach so although we got out ok the kayak was filled with water and too heavy to lift. Every time we tried flipping it to drain it more waves filled it. We finally got Chris to come help pull it up and dry it out.
We changed and went to dinner which was potatoes with cheese and white salmon...maybe...supposedly. Then a local man and his friend came and played us some music on his guitar and sang. We heard an interesting mix of songs, including smut. Assumingly it is a popular genre to sing for that style of music. The songs are usually have a double meaning. For example, one was about an electrician coming to check a lady's wire box and finding it needed a screw... Not hard to pick that one up. Another was more blatantly singing about how women prefer dildos to men. Suffice to say that everyone was super red and the man had to stop playing he was laughing so hard.
After dinner and feeding the two local dogs (who are not skinny and darn picky eaters!) scraps we headed back to cabins to do homework, read, and sleep. Tomorrow we have class and then at 2pm go for a boat ride around the area and to see the bird sanctuary!
Tobago Day 2
Had our first day of Caribbean Literature class today; it was fun! Very informal; we read one of the first stories since it turned out we were supposed to have read it already. Class is from 9am-12pm; we all gained a collection of ant bites to add to our mosquito collection.
After lunch most of use went to Pirate's Bay which is a cove about one or two inlets over. To get there you walk through Charlottesville and up up up a huge hill (with a nice view) and then down hundreds of stairs on the other side. They didn't look so steep in the pictures I saw last year! It's a workout, that's for sure. At the bottom there is a beautiful white sand beach and beautiful waves. However, we soon discovered that the undertow is really strong. Brendan and I were about waist deep when a big wave came in and knocked him on top of me and we both went under. The girls climbed on some rocks for pictures but there were sea urchins on them so I passed. I did some snorkeling; there was some coral and cool fish! The waves were so strong though that I only did it a little bit because I kept being pushed towards some far out rocks. Coming back it was probably the scariest because after taking my fins off close in I couldn't swim harder than the pull of the waves. I finally waited for a big wave to push me in till I could stand and was done for the day.
After the long walk back almost everyone took naps and I did my reading and homework for tomorrow. John said there is a library here so I'll see if I can check out some books to read in the evenings. I was also told of a restaurant where if you order something you can use their wifi. Hopefully get to use that and check in tomorrow with everyone. Our lit teacher said he spent four hours using it today!
Dinner was macaroni pie (popular here), coleslaw, and chicken (which I didn't have). Tomorrow the girls and I hope to finally get a piña colada...by the time everyone is done swimming we are too tired to go to a bar! I'm not sure if they even check ID here..Brendan bought some beer and the guy didn't ask to see ID.
During dinner we found out that once we get back we will have 8am dance classes every Tuesday and Thursday to prepare for Carnival. Candice said it's mostly to build up endurance for that day. Exercise is great, but I need to start eating more; I've lost weight since getting here. Everyone talks about how amazing the food is but it's really not. Sure there are some great dishes, but I guess the food was talked up more than it is.
The rest of my cabin is still doing homework they didn't do this afternoon; I'll probably go to bed early since I don't have anything to read or do. I really do miss books and internet!
Being engaged at my age is odd; the students asked how he did it and were impressed, but only Emily had a boyfriend back home to miss. Aubrey and her bf broke up before she left and except for Brendan's on/off girlfriend I don't think anyone else is in a relationship. Right now everyone is talking about how they don't miss their parents or home and I'm like.... I miss them and my fiancé. They have no connection to how it feels to leave a fiancé behind compared to a boyfriend. I'm still getting used to saying fiancé instead of boyfriend; I'll call Daniel two different things in the same sentence (sorry babe!). I also have a wedding to plan which isn't something people are interest in talking/hearing about. Oh well, I'll save that for my bridesmaids!
I wonder now if I would have still done the trip if I had known Daniel longer before. I mean, I'm happy I'm on the study abroad and it will be a life changing experience, but if things had happened differently I don't think I would have left him and planned a wedding from afar. There's nothing I can do about it now, though!
After lunch most of use went to Pirate's Bay which is a cove about one or two inlets over. To get there you walk through Charlottesville and up up up a huge hill (with a nice view) and then down hundreds of stairs on the other side. They didn't look so steep in the pictures I saw last year! It's a workout, that's for sure. At the bottom there is a beautiful white sand beach and beautiful waves. However, we soon discovered that the undertow is really strong. Brendan and I were about waist deep when a big wave came in and knocked him on top of me and we both went under. The girls climbed on some rocks for pictures but there were sea urchins on them so I passed. I did some snorkeling; there was some coral and cool fish! The waves were so strong though that I only did it a little bit because I kept being pushed towards some far out rocks. Coming back it was probably the scariest because after taking my fins off close in I couldn't swim harder than the pull of the waves. I finally waited for a big wave to push me in till I could stand and was done for the day.
After the long walk back almost everyone took naps and I did my reading and homework for tomorrow. John said there is a library here so I'll see if I can check out some books to read in the evenings. I was also told of a restaurant where if you order something you can use their wifi. Hopefully get to use that and check in tomorrow with everyone. Our lit teacher said he spent four hours using it today!
Dinner was macaroni pie (popular here), coleslaw, and chicken (which I didn't have). Tomorrow the girls and I hope to finally get a piña colada...by the time everyone is done swimming we are too tired to go to a bar! I'm not sure if they even check ID here..Brendan bought some beer and the guy didn't ask to see ID.
During dinner we found out that once we get back we will have 8am dance classes every Tuesday and Thursday to prepare for Carnival. Candice said it's mostly to build up endurance for that day. Exercise is great, but I need to start eating more; I've lost weight since getting here. Everyone talks about how amazing the food is but it's really not. Sure there are some great dishes, but I guess the food was talked up more than it is.
The rest of my cabin is still doing homework they didn't do this afternoon; I'll probably go to bed early since I don't have anything to read or do. I really do miss books and internet!
Being engaged at my age is odd; the students asked how he did it and were impressed, but only Emily had a boyfriend back home to miss. Aubrey and her bf broke up before she left and except for Brendan's on/off girlfriend I don't think anyone else is in a relationship. Right now everyone is talking about how they don't miss their parents or home and I'm like.... I miss them and my fiancé. They have no connection to how it feels to leave a fiancé behind compared to a boyfriend. I'm still getting used to saying fiancé instead of boyfriend; I'll call Daniel two different things in the same sentence (sorry babe!). I also have a wedding to plan which isn't something people are interest in talking/hearing about. Oh well, I'll save that for my bridesmaids!
I wonder now if I would have still done the trip if I had known Daniel longer before. I mean, I'm happy I'm on the study abroad and it will be a life changing experience, but if things had happened differently I don't think I would have left him and planned a wedding from afar. There's nothing I can do about it now, though!
Tobago Day 1
Just walked through airport security with a drink... Best thing ever! Flying from Trinidad to Tobago they let you take drinks through security and on the plane.
Once we landed (only a 20 minute fight) we took a maxi cab to Pennysavers (grocery store) and did lots of shopping for food. We then stopped at a fruit stand for some fruit before the hour and a half drive to Charlottesville at the other end of Tobago.
The drive was beautiful and windy. Lots of views of the ocean and turquoise waters mixed with views inland of tall green hills. To get to Charlottesville you drive up this really tall hill and then come down the other side. The town is nestled into the hillside; all brightly colored houses.
After unpacking we went down to the beach and swam for the afternoon. I tried out my new snorkel gear although the water was too sandy to see much. We played in the water for a long time before coming back and finding out that the cabins don't have working showers per say; they only dribble water. We all had to rinse off best we could and wash our hair in the sink.
Dinner was good; rice, cooked vegetables, fresh avocado, tomatoes, cucumbers, and stewed chicken. Trinidadians are big on meat on the bone which I am not. Jessica jokes that I'll be vegetarian before I leave. If I didn't love pad thai and burgers so much I might!
The evening was reading and taking notes for our first day of class tomorrow and relaxing. I finished one of my two books I brought; I knew I should have brought more to read. It's actually pretty boring in the evening since there is no wifi or computers and it gets dark too early to do anything outside. There's only so many card games to play.
The other people in my cabin saw a cockroach in the kitchen; from the way they screamed I thought one of the stray dogs has gotten in. There are far too many bugs for my liking here in places they should not be...like the kitchen and bed. I want my rich American bug free room back. It's amazing how expectations change. I used to think the Lodge was pretty bare bones but now it's looking rather cushy.
The area here is very beautiful; tomorrow we are going to go explore Charlottesville I think. Maybe we will finally find a place to get a piña colada; all the girls want one now. However I was promised coral reefs off the beach and fruit trees at the Man-o-War cottages and these are both untrue...any fruit is not in season and no sign of coral reefs. There are some other cool beaches we can hike to this week which I'm looking forward to. Either way, I'm getting tanner!
There are two rather distinctive Trini drinks; Mauby (pronounced Mo-be) and Sorrel. Sorrel I'm told is usually a Christmas drink but I found a bottle and got it today along with some Mauby. They are drink concentrate you mix with water to your taste. Much nicer than drinking normal water!
It's only been a week since leaving but it feels so much longer. I miss my family at home; 4 and almost 1/2 months is still a long time away. The other students are starting to realize if as well, I think, but most are used to it from leaving for college.
Once we landed (only a 20 minute fight) we took a maxi cab to Pennysavers (grocery store) and did lots of shopping for food. We then stopped at a fruit stand for some fruit before the hour and a half drive to Charlottesville at the other end of Tobago.
The drive was beautiful and windy. Lots of views of the ocean and turquoise waters mixed with views inland of tall green hills. To get to Charlottesville you drive up this really tall hill and then come down the other side. The town is nestled into the hillside; all brightly colored houses.
After unpacking we went down to the beach and swam for the afternoon. I tried out my new snorkel gear although the water was too sandy to see much. We played in the water for a long time before coming back and finding out that the cabins don't have working showers per say; they only dribble water. We all had to rinse off best we could and wash our hair in the sink.
Dinner was good; rice, cooked vegetables, fresh avocado, tomatoes, cucumbers, and stewed chicken. Trinidadians are big on meat on the bone which I am not. Jessica jokes that I'll be vegetarian before I leave. If I didn't love pad thai and burgers so much I might!
The evening was reading and taking notes for our first day of class tomorrow and relaxing. I finished one of my two books I brought; I knew I should have brought more to read. It's actually pretty boring in the evening since there is no wifi or computers and it gets dark too early to do anything outside. There's only so many card games to play.
The other people in my cabin saw a cockroach in the kitchen; from the way they screamed I thought one of the stray dogs has gotten in. There are far too many bugs for my liking here in places they should not be...like the kitchen and bed. I want my rich American bug free room back. It's amazing how expectations change. I used to think the Lodge was pretty bare bones but now it's looking rather cushy.
The area here is very beautiful; tomorrow we are going to go explore Charlottesville I think. Maybe we will finally find a place to get a piña colada; all the girls want one now. However I was promised coral reefs off the beach and fruit trees at the Man-o-War cottages and these are both untrue...any fruit is not in season and no sign of coral reefs. There are some other cool beaches we can hike to this week which I'm looking forward to. Either way, I'm getting tanner!
There are two rather distinctive Trini drinks; Mauby (pronounced Mo-be) and Sorrel. Sorrel I'm told is usually a Christmas drink but I found a bottle and got it today along with some Mauby. They are drink concentrate you mix with water to your taste. Much nicer than drinking normal water!
It's only been a week since leaving but it feels so much longer. I miss my family at home; 4 and almost 1/2 months is still a long time away. The other students are starting to realize if as well, I think, but most are used to it from leaving for college.
Sunday, January 5, 2014
Homestay Day 2
Today we are going to the beach. We can't go to the one closest to town because there was an oil spill and it might be affected.
Jessica is starting to get sick; I hope she feels better soon! It's no fun being sick when we are so busy.
The family has dogs that are pets, not strays. They are still pretty skinny, but it's nice to see them not living on the street! They give lots of licks and kisses when we walk by.
Everyone seems to know everyone else in this family. Monique (Riah's niece) was talking about a guy who owns a beach and lives in a fancy house with a pool and jacuzzi, but he is related to their family through marrying an aunt.
There was a store called Monique in another city that we later found out was named after the daughter of the family that owns it. She is the same Monique as above and she is going to the beach with us.
The beach was great! The water is brown, not blue from the sun on the southern side of the island, but it was clean and warm! The beach was nice and sandy and pretty clean. The water is really salty, though, even more so than our coasts. There were only a few people on the beach; we were the only ones in bikinis. Got a few cars honking at us as they drove by, but that's normal.
We are heading home and showering and then going to the mall for a couple hours while Deepak goes to his classes. He is insanely smart at math for six; he does extra classes on Saturdays and kicks our buts at adding and subtracting.
Had homemade roti for lunch; it was just as good as everyone has told us! Kind of messy to eat, but delicious.
Shopped for hours; got a small purse to take to Trinidad or when I don't want to carry my big purse. We then stopped for ice cream at a Häagen-Dazs store for ice cream. I got a toffee chocolate something with alcohol in it. It was so fun to order an actual drink and be legal to do so.
That evening when we got home I played with the two little girls Shania and Rebecca as well as Deepak. Jessica still felt sick so she laid down for a while. It was a more relaxing evening; got to Skype with Daniel and my family before going to bed.
Jessica is starting to get sick; I hope she feels better soon! It's no fun being sick when we are so busy.
The family has dogs that are pets, not strays. They are still pretty skinny, but it's nice to see them not living on the street! They give lots of licks and kisses when we walk by.
Everyone seems to know everyone else in this family. Monique (Riah's niece) was talking about a guy who owns a beach and lives in a fancy house with a pool and jacuzzi, but he is related to their family through marrying an aunt.
There was a store called Monique in another city that we later found out was named after the daughter of the family that owns it. She is the same Monique as above and she is going to the beach with us.
The beach was great! The water is brown, not blue from the sun on the southern side of the island, but it was clean and warm! The beach was nice and sandy and pretty clean. The water is really salty, though, even more so than our coasts. There were only a few people on the beach; we were the only ones in bikinis. Got a few cars honking at us as they drove by, but that's normal.
We are heading home and showering and then going to the mall for a couple hours while Deepak goes to his classes. He is insanely smart at math for six; he does extra classes on Saturdays and kicks our buts at adding and subtracting.
Had homemade roti for lunch; it was just as good as everyone has told us! Kind of messy to eat, but delicious.
Shopped for hours; got a small purse to take to Trinidad or when I don't want to carry my big purse. We then stopped for ice cream at a Häagen-Dazs store for ice cream. I got a toffee chocolate something with alcohol in it. It was so fun to order an actual drink and be legal to do so.
That evening when we got home I played with the two little girls Shania and Rebecca as well as Deepak. Jessica still felt sick so she laid down for a while. It was a more relaxing evening; got to Skype with Daniel and my family before going to bed.
Homestay Day 1
Jessica and I are on our way to Le Brea for our home stay. I'm pretty sure that Trinidadians have never heard of blinkers. They also follow much closer before changing lanes than in the US. They also drive over the center line, speed, and do not follow passing laws like the US. Jessica says it reminds her of driving in New York. Personally, Washington cops would be giving tickets right and left.
More often I'm seeing large mansion houses with big sweeping staircases abandoned. In some cases vegetation had completely covered structures. Houses have construction that has never been finished. All of them are painted bright colors, thought. Blue, red, pink, orange, and every color in between. It's an odd mix of poverty, wealth, and color.
Trinidad really seems to like billboards along the road; in some places are stacked right on top of each other. Along the side of the road you see little cars selling fresh fruit or drinks. In some places there are wide open expanses of lush jungle like area; palm trees and tall grass and who knows what else.
Lots of brightly colored birds, too! I have a bird book that doesn't cover a quarter of what I've seen. Bright yellow and black, blue, pure white... In Tobago we will see Scarlet Ibis.
One gallon of gas cost 0.89 cents here! Maybe I should take suitcases of gas back. That's legal, right?
I wonder if the houses have air conditioning? The Lodge doesn't and our home stay house doesn't either. I'll have to ask the other students if they had it or not.
Did ask and I guess air conditioning is pretty cheap and getting more popular. I'm still not sure why more places don't have it.
We did sightseeing on the way here but that meant a 2 hour car drive turned into 5. The house is really huge; the parents live upstairs (where our room is) our hosts live downstairs, and Riah's brother and his wife and kids live downstairs too, I think. But this afternoon they went to do something and didn't come back for hours. We had to go look for them, which was a little awkward, although I'm sure they didn't mean anything by it.
That evening we had dinner and tried a variety of Indian sweets. They were really really sweet! Some of them were almost pure sugar.
I tried a kind of pear soda that is very good! That and a kind of drink that's like watered down ginger ale.
I fell asleep for a bit and then we took showers before going to sleep. We weren't sure if it was because of construction they were doing or not bit the shower was a head on the end of a pipe that was only one temperature; however hot the pipes were. Also, the toilet does not flush. We are not sure why, but it seems to be considered normal that it doesn't. After quick showers (it was cold!) we went to bed.
More often I'm seeing large mansion houses with big sweeping staircases abandoned. In some cases vegetation had completely covered structures. Houses have construction that has never been finished. All of them are painted bright colors, thought. Blue, red, pink, orange, and every color in between. It's an odd mix of poverty, wealth, and color.
Trinidad really seems to like billboards along the road; in some places are stacked right on top of each other. Along the side of the road you see little cars selling fresh fruit or drinks. In some places there are wide open expanses of lush jungle like area; palm trees and tall grass and who knows what else.
Lots of brightly colored birds, too! I have a bird book that doesn't cover a quarter of what I've seen. Bright yellow and black, blue, pure white... In Tobago we will see Scarlet Ibis.
One gallon of gas cost 0.89 cents here! Maybe I should take suitcases of gas back. That's legal, right?
I wonder if the houses have air conditioning? The Lodge doesn't and our home stay house doesn't either. I'll have to ask the other students if they had it or not.
Did ask and I guess air conditioning is pretty cheap and getting more popular. I'm still not sure why more places don't have it.
We did sightseeing on the way here but that meant a 2 hour car drive turned into 5. The house is really huge; the parents live upstairs (where our room is) our hosts live downstairs, and Riah's brother and his wife and kids live downstairs too, I think. But this afternoon they went to do something and didn't come back for hours. We had to go look for them, which was a little awkward, although I'm sure they didn't mean anything by it.
That evening we had dinner and tried a variety of Indian sweets. They were really really sweet! Some of them were almost pure sugar.
I tried a kind of pear soda that is very good! That and a kind of drink that's like watered down ginger ale.
I fell asleep for a bit and then we took showers before going to sleep. We weren't sure if it was because of construction they were doing or not bit the shower was a head on the end of a pipe that was only one temperature; however hot the pipes were. Also, the toilet does not flush. We are not sure why, but it seems to be considered normal that it doesn't. After quick showers (it was cold!) we went to bed.
Thursday, January 2, 2014
First Days Here
- The first day was a bit of a blur; lots of sitting on a plane! However, Aubrey and I had no problems with our luggage and connecting flights, unlike most of the other students. When we arrived Candice and Roger Rabbit picked us up and drove us the 15-20 min. to Tunapuna. We passed a cow on the side of the road just grazing, but I was told that's not normal. The number of stray dogs, however, is insanely high.
- Once here we got to pick our rooms on the top floor and move in. I took a corner with two windows. One looks over the inner courtyard and the other out on the street with a view of the "mountains" aka large hills. The ceiling fans don't work but we got standing fans which are probably nicer. However, the internet is really bad and I don't know if there is a cable jack for direct internet. If not, homework will be slow!
- After unpacking we had pizza for dinner and hung out a little before going to bed early.
- Day 2
- Stopped by the Tunapuna Market as well and bought a huge papaya for really cheap; the papayas seem to go for about $4TT a pound, which is .58 cents/pound. You can buy coconuts that they will chop open for you to drink the water as you walk around too.
- One downer of the Lodge is that there is no toilet paper in the bathrooms ....none ...natta ...zilch. Priority was to find toilet paper today! Fortunately, we did. The only US stores I saw were a KFC, Burger King, and a Trader Joes. A lot of the smaller markets had some American food, and the big shopping store up the road we haven't gone to yet has lots of US stuff, I am told.
- Tomorrow we go to homestays! Jessica and I are headed down south to stay with a Hindu family...looking forward to it! Then we are back Sunday evening, repack, and leave Monday for Tobago.
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