Getting On

Writing about Grenada and our experiences isn't particularly difficult. Often it's a matter of filtering. I'm not sure that you care that we spent countless hours over multiple trips choosing curtains. They have a decent selection here. They just don’t have the one item that you would prefer to select (something sheer, but not too sheer, and in teal). I would expect more from the apparently only remaining "Linen 'n Things".  I also don't know that you'd care that we have to hang all our laundry and for some reason I am always hanging at least one sock. Considering no one in the house is wearing socks, I have no idea who keeps dirtying them or what they are being used for. Maybe this is what my other uses to transport her marbles to the school yard.

We haven't been playing many games; although, she mentioned that her classes would all be easier if they were video games. I just keep imagining Tetris with animal limbs and at the end you've built a dog or Frankenstein's version at least. Educational videogames never seem to pan out, but maybe it’s because they don’t fully utilize the social aspect of them. Maybe there should be more quests in World of Warcraft that teach you how to spell. For those that don't know, World Of Warcraft is a massively popular online game that actually has nothing to do with Grenada or our experiences here.

There have been a few get-togethers with people (mostly ladies) from her program. It reminds me a lot of living in a small town. You begin to recognize people all the time. Soon you aren't sure if you recognize them from meeting them or from eavesdropping on the bus. The students here are nice, for the most part, from what I have overheard. All her fellow classmates seem fairly excited about school and I get pretty lost as soon as they start talking about the thoracic limb. I’m glad she has some folks that understand what the heck she is talking about.

The locals seem pretty friendly. They don't have the same politeness we are used to in Canada though. When trying to get service their initial response will often seem frosty. If you simply ask how they are and make the slightest chitchat, they'll change their stance 180 degrees in an instant. Something about it feels much more genuine. Don’t be fooled into thinking everyone has woken up on the wrong side of the bed (a piece of foam on wooden slats). Some individuals go over the top though (for friendliness, not grumpiness). Our landlady is currently out of town and we have yet to meet her. We have talked on the phone and e-mailed a handful of times. She now signs off her e-mails with “Love”. I am hoping that this will go some distance in getting a rent reduction.

We have been eating out now and again. One very Caribbean dish we recently had was Rotis (the vegetarian version—they are typically made with meat). It is a bit like a Samosa or a curried Shepard's Pie, but in wrap form. It's very delicious. I actually had one a couple weeks back not knowing that this particular one would have chicken in it. Apparently removing the bones before wrapping is optional at this restaurant. In the interest of saving money, we are trying to cook more often now. I mentioned our trip to IGA. We have since gone again. They have a handy recipe book at the till for traditional Grenadian recipes you can cook at home. One of the recipes called for 1 1/2 lbs. of Dolphin. I think it was called Flipper flambé. (Okay, maybe they mean Mahi Mahi / Dolphin Fish)

I went around and took a few, less than amazing, photos of our surroundings. Earlier I mentioned we have coconuts/water nuts:

Look, see, I wasn't lying.

We've also got some of these:

Oranges...green ones - it's what's on the inside that counts.

And of course this:

Bananas maybe? This thing looks like a dinosaur.

It is pretty neat to have fresh fruits, and whatever you classify the Banana tree with a neck. Every so often I'll pluck something from a tree and bring it in to eat. The one kind of tree I really wanted was a Mango tree. This might be in the qualifications for the next place. Fresh Mangos would be delightful.

To get some perspective of where we are, I hopped the landlord's staircase and snuck up to what appears to be some sort of watchtower. It's a pretty amazing spot from which you get a great view.

See!

I also found that I could spy on my other at the bus stop if I wanted. Her stop is pretty idyllic. You can stare wistfully at the beach before being whisked away by the bus to campus. It actually sounds like a bit of torture if taken out of context, but it really is pretty nice.

Her stop is precisely at that fire hydrant, give or take 10-15 meters in any direction.

All in all, it's quite a fine spot to be. I think I'll go grab a bite and take a dip.