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
• We got a tour of Tunapuna today by Candice after breakfast and orientations. After stopping at the bank to switch out our money we split into groups to find main locations and do our shopping.
• 
  

  The stores are set up weird; each place sells one thing along with a ton of other random stuff; no stores like Target or Walmart where everything you want is in one place! The beauty shop had sunscreen and every brand of deodorant there is, the bookstore had hardly any actual books, it was mostly clothes and random items. Every store seems to sell a bit of everything except what you need, although I'm sure with time I'll figure out what is where.
• 
  

  Also, the people here drive insane! I keep listening to people honking and screeching around the corner by my window. There are hardly any crosswalks either and no lights for them that I saw; you just use your best judgment and go for it.

  Stuff like food is cheap, while things like soap and cleaner, toilet paper, paper towels, sunscreen, etc is about the same price as the US. However, one clothing store had Nikes for sale for $20USD, and I bought a hand towel for really cheap as well.
• 
  

  You can legally buy pirated movies on the street too. Candice said that in the theater or buying them off the street is about the only way to get them here. Brendan bought some 3 for 15TT, which is about $2USD. He tried the DVD's in his computer and said they work and are good quality!
• 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.