Over the Last Couple of Days

Over the last couple of days this is what we have learned...

• Med school students are even more broke than undergrad students. Electricity in Dominica is very expensive and requires the use of a transformer and a converter for our American appliances. On campus there are US plugs everywhere and the electricity is free (or at least built into the cost of tuition). Because of the hassle and the cost of electricity, we have seen everything from toothbrushes, cell phones, and laptops, to razors and camera batteries being charged. It is quite a site to see!


• Opening a coconut is easier said than done. We bought 2 yesterday on the side of the road from a very old man with only a couple of teeth. He had a such a heavy accent and smiled non-stop we simply nodded and smiled as he explained the proper method. When we got home we cut a hole in one of the eyes to pour out the water (which Kyle said tasted like sweat) and cracked it on the side of a rock to get to the meat. We spent the next hour or so picking at it and chewing on some fresh coconut. Quite frankly...it is worth it to by it at the stores in a bag.
  
• Food from stalls and restaurants change from day to day around here depending on what is available. For example: one day you get grilled chicken breasts, the next day you get ground chicken. One day it is very spicy, the next day it is sweet and has beans on it. You never know what to expect so you just learn to be open and flexible and not crave something too much.
  

We watched the BCS championship game last night at a bar owned by a Dutch couple. The bar has a great view (pic above) so we decided to have dinner there and watch the sunset. Glad we were there early since the game didn't begin until 9pm and seats were hard to come by at that point. We drank some Kubuli beer and took in our surroundings. Our favorite part of the night was when the whole bar stood and sang The National Anthem. It brought a sense of home down to this little island we now call home. In other news, the local market is on Saturday and we are hoping to load up on fresh fish and produce there. We may even get a chance to go on a hike or to the beach. Kyle has been pretty busy with school things this week and all the hikes require us to take a cab to the starting points. As always we will keep you all updated and post pics. Thanks to all of you who are following our adventures. We love to see your coments.