HOMECOMING!!

In 6 days I'll be back in the US!!! Albeit only briefly (I'm only home for a week), but home none the less. I'm definitely enjoying my time in Dominica and am glad I'm not leaving here for good yet (we'll see when that happens, but I still haven't lost my love of the place yet). It will be good to go back to the US for several reasons.
Firstly, HOT SHOWERS!! Don't get me wrong, it's usually pretty hot here so a cold to lukewarm shower is actually quite pleasant. However, getting a cold to lukewarm shower in the morning (when it's still in the low to mid 70's outside) is kind of chilling to wake up to (but yes, it does wake you up in the morning). Plus since it's going to be in the 30's to 50's at home (and I'm used to 70's and 80's), I'll definitely need hot showers to keep me warm.
Secondly, STARBUCKS!!! I was one of those people back in the states that lived at Starbucks. I went every morning (and if you figure out how much you're spending per year by doing that your jaw will hit the floor!). Dominica doesn't have a Starbucks (but Rituals is a good stand-in). The first time I see a Starbucks (in some airport on my way home probably), it's a grande non-fat pumpkin spice latte (if they still have it, if not then the good 'ole standby of a grande no-foam skinny vanilla latte will do).
Thirdly, OPTIONS!! Don't get me wrong, you can find everything you need in Dominica. Note I said need, not want. Usually here you only have one option and that's what you get. I can't wait to be able to go into a store or restaurant and be able to choose from more than one thing that I like to eat or try! I've actually gotten used to it here and don't mind it. But sometimes it is nice to have a variety.
Word of warning...I got used to living like this in Australia (though not quite as rugged) and when I stepped off that plane in LA, I wanted to go right back to Australia. Hopefully it won't be that bad this time. And if it is...at least I'm only home for a week!!

And the winner is...

So, it's election time in Dominica. Interesting to say the least. The political system here is modeled after the British parliamentary system (since Dominica used to be owned by England~ and the Queen is still on all of the money). Dominica has only been independent since 1978, so she's still in her independence infancy. As best as I have it figured out, which is not very well I might add, there are two main parties. And since it's the Caribbean, they are fittingly usually referred to by their colors. The red party (the Labour party) and the blue party (the Workers party) seem to be the main ones (akin to Democrats and Republicans back in the US). How the two parties differ, I have no clue. I do know that the current party in power is the red party and the current prime minister is the youngest elected in the world (yes, you read that correctly. He's only 37~ now whether that's how old he is now, or how old he was when he was elected, I dont' know). There are also some smaller parties (think Independent party back in the states), the green party (Freedom party) and the yellow/orange party (the Para party, that one i really haven't figured out yet. I think it broke off from the Labour party) and probably another small one that I haven't heard of yet. So campaigning is pretty harmless (see picture). Mostly flags hanging on telephone posts, trees, cars, houses...basically anything you can tie that color fabric to, as well as some posters and signs (the large blue signs with the question marks in them are for the Workers party. It took some digging but we finally found out that supposedly for each sign they have around the county~ and they're EVERYWHERE~ it represents a question that hasn't been answered by the current government).

So, anyway, elections are every 5 years (which should make the election next year), but this year it was called early (it can be anytime within the last year, and is called by the current party in power). I think one of the reasons it was called early is because the prime minister's speech got stolen and read on the radio before he gave it. So, it will be December 18th (and I will be glad when it is over). Riding around are pickup trucks decked out with speakers and bullhorns blaring music and covered in their parties colors (at ALL hours of the day... and night~ I was rudely awakened by one at 2am that decided to essentially sit outside my door for 5 min with music so loud you couldn't sleep or drown it out with pillows!). So since an election has been called, the president of Dominica is now in power. He's more like a figure-head really (like the Queen of England), doesn't do the work, just signs the documents and goes to parties or what not (I actually have seen him and his wife on occasion~ they were at the White Coat Ceremony this past semester).

Election is done the old fashion way, paper ballots and hand counting. Luckily, since the population of Dominica is around 78,000 people, the results will be in by 8 or 9pm the night of the election. And I've heard that there will be partying all night long. So, stay tuned, we'll see who the next ruling party of Dominica turns out to be.

Smorgasboard

I know, I know... I've been slacking on the blogging. It's just that I need to be inspired to give to you guys and there just hasn't been that much going on other than work! I generally like to keep it light and funny, so I need good subject matter. So, right now nothing is jumping out at me, so I guess this'll just be a smorgasbord of things! (Some of which may just be reiterations from before.)

First and foremost, I've decided that I hate roosters. If I were any better at cooking than I am, I would become the worlds foremost chef at making Coq au vin (for those of you less culinarily inclined, this is a French dish whose main ingredient is old rooster). Don't get me wrong, they are interesting to watch (especially when they are climbing trees~ yes, they do this in Dominica) and are decently attractive (much prettier than a chicken), but when they are crowing or cock-a-doodle-doing or whatever it is they do at 5am when you are still trying to get that one more hour of sleep, you just want to shoot them! I've gotten to the point where on most nights I don't need my A/C anymore, but will inevitably have to turn in on at 4-6am bc they're waking me up! Those damn roosters are running up my electric bill...they must pay!

Secondly, don't start thinking that you haven't felt an earthquake in a while, bc as soon as you do, you'll have one (as I write this, I just had a small minor house shaking one and then another little aftershock)! Ah, the life on this island...

Let's see, what next? Did you know that it is really hard to hang pictures here. See all the houses are generally made out of concrete and therefore don't really have any drywall or plaster on the walls (just painted concrete). So obviously, you can't just put a nail in the wall to hang your pictures. You need to actually drill holes and what not. Well, I don't do power tools (I plead the estrogen clause on this one). But, I've found a way around this lack of easiness. There is crown molding at the top of the walls, so I've put two nails into this and then attached fishing line to the pictures/paintings and made them hang from the two nails (think of the fishing line making an upside down triangle). It actually works pretty well (i hung my hummingbird feeder outside like this too~ when you're on a roll...), but obviously the pictures aren't flush against the wall. It works, and it's not causing me any sleepless nights over it, so why worry.

Anyway, I think I've taken up enough of your time on randomness, so I better sign off. Hopefully I'll become inspired for the next blog and you won't be subjected to the random workings of my brain! Tata!

Internal Clock

One thing that I love about summer back home is that it's daylight until 9pm during the longest days. This is great for everyone. Hang out longer, kids play outside with each other longer, and enjoying the coolness of early evening while it's still light and pleasant outside. Oh how I miss those days. An interesting thing occurred when I arrived here... See, Dominica does not abide by daylight savings time. :( So no long days for me anymore. Here, on the longest days in the summer, it gets dark around 6:30pm. Now that "winter" (yes yes, I definitely use that term loosely) is starting to begin, the days are getting shorter. (I know time changes back in the states this weekend, so I guess I can't complain too much!) So now sunset is around 5:40pm and by 6pm it's pretty dark. Grrr... (And all the stores close at like 4-5pm anyway, so there's NOTHING to do once there is no light.) Though it does get light much earlier here (usually around 5:30am). I'm usually at work by like 7:45am, which would NEVER happen back home in the states. I was lucky to get out of bed at 8am (here it's 6am) and be at work by 9:15am (now I'm at work before I was out of bed back home). Crazy. And I'm not any more tired from it. (It's amazing what early morning sun and roosters crowing will do for your sleep patterns~ oh and the goats too.) I did mention to my parents that I feel like I'm getting old (or becoming more like them). At home, they're usually in bed by 8-9pm and up at 4-5am (if they're lucky). I will admit that on more than one occasion I've started to fall asleep on the couch between 7-8pm and then wind up in bed by 8pm (and then proceeded to sleep until 8am...I was REALLY tired in my defense). Back home I never went to bed before 11 or 11:30pm. Here, if I'm not in bed by 10:30pm, there's a big problem. I figure part of this new internal clock thing is a consequence of getting old (and I really don't want to age myself), but I'm going to attribute it to this crazy daylight schedule the islands have. So if anyone ever desires to actually come and see me, then they can enjoy pretty sunsets, but REALLY early ones!

Shaking at the Knees

So when I was younger (and much more naive), I said that I wanted to experience (and live through, of course!) every type of major natural disaster, just to say I had. This includes hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruption, and the like. Some of these events just don't happen in NC, so I was basically outta luck. Got the hurricane thing down to a science. They're really not that bad. Just a lot of rain and wind (don't drive in it). I missed the big flood at home (had just gone off to college a month earlier), and tornados happen, but very rarely so "Twister" will have to suffice.

Being in Dominica (which is essentially the top of a volcano), I get to have earthquakes now. Granted, they're pretty much tremors (lasting a second or two) and they haven't been huge (just rattled the house a couple of times), but nevertheless they are still unnerving. And apparently the shallower ones (the ones you hear but don't really feel) aren't tectonic, but magmatic (hehe, I just quoted "Dante's Peak"~ I know too many movie lines!). I hope you have seen the movie "Joe versus the Volcano" with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan (1980's movie, not great but entertaining). In this (disclaimer: from what I remember), Joe (Hanks) discovers he has an incurable disease and takes a trip to an island where he is to be the sacrifice. He's going to jump into the volcano on the island to appease the volcano gods, so it doesn't erupt and the island will continue to survive and prosper. On the way there, he and Meg Ryan happen to fall in love, and she obviously doesn't want him to go through with the sacrifice (I promise, you'll see where I'm going with this in a minute). So when Joe (and Meg, bc they're in love and obviously if one dies, they both have to) are jumping into the volcano it decides it's going to erupt and they get shot out of the top of it into the ocean. They watch as the island sinks and everyone is killed except them (they survive with some high tech luggage that floats, but anyway...). The point is, if Dominica decides to erupt, then I want to be that person that makes it off the island and is sitting there watching it sink (this is the only stipulation, dying isn't an option). The reason I'm getting all these earthquakes is apparently bc the side of the island I'm on is really close to a fault (it runs in the channel in between Dominica and Guadeloupe), and the north side of the mountain close to me (I'm on the south west side of it) is supposed to eventually fall off into the ocean and take out Guadeloupe with a tsunami (if that happens, maybe Dominica will actually make the nightly news and people will have heard of it!). So, I'll keep you posted on that situation. :) Until then, keep in mind that you might be in for a "rolling good time" if you come visit!

A lesson learned

So today I officially went on my first hike in Dominica. Sure, I've done trips where there have been some hiking, but pretty short ones (~30 min). My idea of hiking is 2-3 hrs. worth of hiking. That's what I'm used to from back home. 2-3 hrs. is essentially 5-8 miles in NC. Granted, it's pretty darn flat, so it's not that difficult, just long. So today was my first long hike since I've been here. I hiked the Capuchin to Pennville Trail, which is like 8 km (or 5 mi for all you non-metric folk). Now, in the guidebook this hike is rated a 2 out of 5 (in my mind I was actually thinking it was a 1 while we were on it and I was about to go ballistic on the writers!), where 1 is the easiest and 5 being most difficult. I had asked around and people said it was a pretty easy hike. I've now learned that all these scales and opinion are REALLY RELATIVE!! This was not my idea of an easy hike (not what I had imagined at all), but I definitely wouldn't call it difficult either. It was a moderate hike. All in all, there were parts that there were a lot of hills (especially at the beginning), but the last 1/2 was more even or down-hilled mostly (which really helped). We completed the hike in around 3 hrs (maybe a tad bit longer). If we didn't have to wait for a few REALLY slow people in our group, we definitely could've done it in 2-1/2 hrs easy. The guidebook (if you're wondering which one I'm always referring to, it's Bradt's Dominica) says guide is recommended...well, I think it should be required! At some places its pretty well marked, but there are numerous forks and ultimately the trail is pretty covered and hard to see. I had thought that I would only need one time and then I could remember the way, and that's totally not the case (sorry Matt, when you come down and if you want to do the hike, I'll find us a guide!). Also, it just so happened that it rained the majority of the time (downpoured at one point). This is typical in Dominica and I figured that it probably would rain, especially since it had been raining off and on since the night before (that's okay, we really needed it!). By the way (tangent coming), people never cease to amaze me. One of the guys (obviously one of the two we waited on) actually brought an umbrella on the hike. I'm sorry, but you're in the elements in the middle of the jungle...live a little! Anyway, this in my mind was supposed to be one of the easy hikes here. I was using it to gauge my ability to go on the harder hikes that are around (Boiling Lake- which is rated 5 and is 3 hrs each way, etc). So I think the lesson learned here is that there's no way that I'd survive the Boiling Lake hike, so I should just kiss that option good-bye. I might try a 3 hr. level 3 hike, and maybe if I'm ambitious a 4, but only if it's less than an hour. Not all people's minds (and bodies) have the same idea of easy!! I'll let you know the next hike I partake in!

Dodging bullets

So okay, not really bullets, but you'll get the idea soon enough...

Anyway, I'm from North Carolina. So most people in the states will appreciate this. Back home when you learn to drive, your parents teach you specific things about driving at night. Namely, white-tailed deer are abundant in NC and you learn to drive cautiously and to look out for the reflections from your headlights in their eyes. Thanks mom and dad!! That's saved me and my car driving at night back home. Now, being in Dominica, something that is lacking is deer. Or really any native mammals to be exact. However, this doesn't mean that you don't have to pay attention while driving at night (the potholes will eat your car, seriously!). So instead of trying not to hit deer, here you try not to hit crabs. Land crabs to be exact. Now back home, crabs on the beach are quite small (as they generally are here too). You have to go to a restaurant or deep sea fishing to see big crab (or just watch Deadliest Catch on Discovery channel, especially during King Crab season~~ yes, I know I'm a geek, but that show is AWESOME!! I love you Phil and the Cornelia Marie!). However, the land crabs missed the tiny crab memo apparently, bc those suckers are huge!!! (And not fast either, though at least they'd beat a turtle.) When I say huge, I generally mean about the size of a dinner plate. Not too shabby! So, while at this point, I technically still haven't driven a car in Dominica, I'm learning what I have to look out for when I do start driving. Once I embark on that experience, believe me I'll blog about it! Until next time...dodge those crabs!