STRESSED!

Hey all,

Okay, first of all- I really dislike the days leading up to final exams...while I am sure Martin dislikes it far more than I do, I hate that I can't do anything to ease the stress that he is feeling. All I can do is listen to him studying, getting frustrated, and wanting to throw his books out the window (and making angry growling noises at his books).

Second, we are moving off the island..for good. This is a good stress and a bad stress. A good stress because we are excited to get home!! A bad stress because this has been our lives for over a year now..so, we have to re-adjust to a new place (which is scary and exciting!) We haven't lived anywhere together for longer than a year (actually, we have lived together in Dominica longer than anywhere else). I know some couples actually moved here right after their wedding and started their married lives here (wow..they are brave!) . So the move back home must have been really bitter-sweet for them! I think you always fondly remember the first place you lived after marriage. Well, come to think of it- every change has its "stresses" that come along with it, right? Ultimately, its a good thing.. and this is what I am taking with me. No matter what happens, we are moving on..and though there are parts of island living that I will miss, I feel that its time. It's still a weird feeling though!

I have to say, today more than ever, I decided that I was ready to leave. Here's the story- Martin and I went to 7-11 (a local store) to get some groceries. They just got some really cool stuff in their freezers (and while Jamaican patties and frozen pizzas may not be exciting to my North American friends, my Dominica friends will understand how exciting that really is!!) Well, I brought over the patties and the pizzas and the lady at the cash says: "these aren't priced yet.. can you please give me 2..or maybe 3...minutes?". HA. 2-3 minutes.. in Caribbean time, that means 1 hour.
So yes friends, we waited one hour to find out the prices of the items... we really just had to laugh at the situation. I have to say though, the lady that was inquiring about the prices was the only one to actually take the time to find out. I went another day and they didn't sell them to me- they didn't even bother finding out the price. She has always been very good with customer service, which is sooo appreciated here (because its rare). She also gave us a discount!! To stay sane here, you really have to look past the thorns to see the rose- and that was definitely the rose of this situation.
BUT, needless to say- it was still frustrating, and it was a confirmation that our time here has to come to an end before we lose our minds. OH and not to mention: it was HOT today. It's hot everyday.. but it was HOT today.

Sigh..well, as they say- "every rose has its thorn"!!




Until next time,

Peace, love, happiness, (and roses),

Stef :)

I am back! And in other news, check out my new design!

Hi guys!

Yup, so I officially suck at updating! It's been almost two semesters since I've last posted. Sorry about that..I am sure I have pretty much lost all my followers!

I guess I have caught the writing bug again, as of yesterday. Why, you ask? Well, I like to keep updated on the newspapers at home, so sometimes I check the latest issues online. I happened to notice an article from the Oakville Beaver about the Kerr Street Ministries food bank- and the shelves were virtually bare. There are 14,000 people in my community who live in poverty- and the KSM was not sure that they could feed everyone. The remaining 600,000 residents of Oakville live well above the poverty line (some VERY well above). This article bothered me, especially after living in Dominica and seeing poverty first-hand. I found it very hard to believe that 600,000 people who have far more than they ever imagined in life, could not buy a few cans for the food bank; could not donate some money. If a child in poverty here in Dominica can spend what little change he has to buy me a cupcake as a thank you (yes, this really happened..sweet little Jervon and Jervony!), then there is absolutely no excuse why people in Oakville can't help their neighbours.
Dominica teaches so many lessons. It teaches us about giving; about the importance of basic needs; about the un-importance of material items. People in North America, for the most part, live in excess. Two or more cars, tons of shoes, tons of clothes; so much food that it is wasted. As much as I miss home, this mentality is something I have a hard time dealing with, especially after living on the island. Sure, I am excited to buy some new clothes, and to drive a car again. But never again will I ever complain about not having something that I want- because I have everything that I need, and that's all the matters.
The point?? Well, I wrote a letter to the editor about the issue- urging Oakville residents to take action, relaying the story of the cupcake- Hoping that people will step up and realize that sacrificing your Starbucks coffee so that someone can eat a meal is worth far more than that coffee ever would.

Anyway, I know thats a long post- but I felt that I needed to say it. To be honest, I dreaded having to write a goodbye post about Dominica. But I think this is the perfect time to say: Thank you Dominica. Thank you for the lessons that no amount of books or school ever could have taught me. Thank you for the people I have met- the locals, the friends, the children of Portsmouth who changed my life in ways I can't even describe. Thank you for showing me that nature is precious, family is everything, and love is the best gift we can receive.

My goal is to make these last two weeks on the island the best I can!!

Peace, love, and happiness,

Stef :)


"If you want to change the world, first try to improve and bring about change within yourself. That will help change your family. From there it just gets bigger and bigger. Everything we do has some effect, some impact." Dalai Lama

"It is under the greatest adversity that there exists the greatest potential for doing good, both for oneself and others." Dalai Lama

Turns out those annoying squawks were parrots!!

Hi all!

Sorry I have been lazy with my blog again! I have been pretty busy with school work lately, trying to make sure that I stay on track and don't get too behind. It's pretty easy to get distracted here, so I have to be careful about that!!

Speaking of distractions, lately I have been hearing these really loud screechy squawks outside. At first I thought geeeez, that's one annoyingly loud bird..."SHUT UP BIRD!!!!" BUT to my surprise, I found out that these "annoying birds" are actually beautiful "Jaco" ( or "Jacquot") parrots (aka "Red Necked Amazons")- rare(ish) parrots mainly seen on this island specifically. They are actually endangered, along with the very very rare Sisserou parrot (Dominica's national symbol, seen on the flag as well).
I found this out from a taxi driver who dropped me off, and pointed them out to me in the tree just above my apartment. He says they are seen and heard mainly when its cooler, and they fly between two trees on our property to feed on the berries. I was very surprised to learn this, as I have heard the noise a lot, but it did not dawn on me that we'd have this many parrots around (as they are endangered!).

So, I decided today to go out on the balcony when I heard the squawking to check it out! Sure enough, I saw many parrots flying around, and could see hints of their green feathers. They fly pretty high though, so I can never get a great look at them. We had a whole group of them early in the evening, flying among the trees. Really really beautiful!!! Here's a couple pics below of what they look like closer up:




I wish I could get a closer look!! If I ever get a camera, I will try taking some pictures of them. They are here pretty much every day!!

In other news, Martin is studying hard for his first mini of semester 3, which will be tomorrow afternoon. Please keep him in your thoughts while he writes this test!! They are always tough and very stressful...

Also I am going snorkeling at Secret Beach on Tuesday, so I will let you all know what I see there! Wish I had an underwater camera to upload pics, but I will just have to describe my experiences!!

HOpe everyone is well, talk with you soon!

Peace, love, happiness, (and loud but pretty parrots),

-Stef :)

"Come on over, come on in"

Today was market day in Portsmouth, so Martin and I decided to get up early (6:45 am) and get out there before the good produce was gone. I will admit that it is rough getting up that early, but it is so worth it! Everything is much cheaper than buying it in the stores here. And I like that we know who the money is going to.

Sometimes I like to pick up the local "ground provisions", like dasheen and yams. Dasheen has a similar consistency to potatoes, but it is much heavier. I have to remember to wear gloves or protect my hands when cutting off the skin though, because the raw vegetable stings your skin and leaves a slight rash. I am going to try making a few Dominican dishes with it, like "dasheen puffs".

The funniest part about the market this morning was when we boarded the transport van heading back home and heard SHANIA TWAIN! Yes, the transport driver was listening to Shania Twain.... he was all into it, singing and everything! We told him that she is from Canada, and even from the same province as us. He was pretty excited to hear that. He told us that on the island his nickname is "country boy" because that is what he listens to. He pulled out CDs that he had in the van- Randy Travis, Brooks & Dunn, etc. This is the first time we have ever met a local who was a country fan! This is all we talked about on the way home... that home girl Shania has made her way out to even the smallest of Caribbean islands! It was like a little piece of home :)

Well, that's about all for now!

Peace, love, happiness (and country music),


Stef

Back on Nature Isle!

hi everyone!

It's been a while since I've written an entry, so here is the first one of the new semester!

I was back at home in Ontario for the duration of last semester, and I kept myself very busy with visiting friends, sharing the holidays with family, and working working working to save some cash! It was really cool to go back to HMV, which was my first real job (and a dream job) when I turned 16. Though it had been almost 10 years since then, I was able to pick things up(and I met some awesome people there! I miss them all!) I also miss the friends and family that I got to spend a lot of time with.
However I also missed Martin very much during that time, so it is great to be back with him in our Caribbean home!! (Although, I also miss him while he is studying at school all day!) The work of a med student never ever ends...

Speaking of students, I am also now a student (for the first time in 4 years!) I am starting my anatomy and physiology course on Friday, and Abnormal Psych and Developmental Psych in March. I am working to become a certified Recreation Therapist! I hope that I can work in the field when we go to the United States for Martin's clinical rotations (or at least I can complete the field placement portion there).

In other news, we FINALLY have internet at our apartment!! For a while it has not been connecting at all, so we have had to go to the campus to get access. Tonight however, our landlord got some technicians to come in and fix the router for us, so we are now rockin' the net! woohoo! It makes you realize how much we rely on the web to get things done.

So that's pretty much all the updates I have for today! Tomorrow is the RSO social, so I am looking forward to meeting some new people, and Monday is the shopping trip to Roseau. I may take some pictures in the city and post them to show you all what the capital of Dominica looks like :)

CHEERS!

Peace, love, happiness, (and crazy island adventures),

-Stef

p.s. Thinking about the island of Haiti today, and praying for the people. Massive earthquake.. hopefully Dominica will only experience the small ones, and nothing on that scale..

I'm back in the blog world again!

Hey all,

FINALLY a new post! I have been neglecting my poor blog (and my poor friends who read it) for far too long now. Since the rain has kicked into high gear in Dominica (and every other Caribbean island), its a perfect time to do an update!

Where shall I begin?! I guess I'll start fresh, from today. It's been raining non-stop for the past few days, so I haven't really been outside much (unfortunately). Along with my growing "island fever", I am also starting to experience "cabin fever"! Speaking of cabins, we got a new one..well, its not a cabin...more like a barn. Literally, that's what it looks like. It's basically the Kootney storage shed..but with an apartment upstairs which is REALLY NICE!! So the story is, our landlord Trish emailed Martin to ask whether we wanted to see a larger apartment that was newly available. She wanted to show it to us before she advertised it. She mentioned that it was more appropriate for a married couple than our small 1 bdrm, so we agreed to check it out. When we first pulled up to the place (which is tucked away in the back of the property), we were a little skeptical. As I mentioned before, it is shaped like a barn and has a garage with a bunch of old equipment stored in it. I looked at Martin's face and thought "he must be thinking what I'm thinking...this can't be a nicer place". Well, the old saying "you can't judge a book by its cover" certainly rang true for us when Trish opened the door and took us upstairs... It is BEAUTIFUL!! We had no idea that such a place existed at Kootney. The selling point for us I think, was when we saw the big plush couches.. that is SO rare to find here! And of course we feel less like we're stepping on each other, which is nice. Martin has a great study area with lots of shelf and desk space.

Some pics inside "the barn" AKA our new apartment:















(Wondering what that is on the screen door?? Nope, not a bug... a sweet little bat! We heard him chirping last night, but had NO IDEA that he was cuddled between the screen and glass door!

So that's it ladies and gents- "THE BARN" :) Our new pride and joy! (Along with our new bat friend, "Joey".. I just named him that now..)

What have I been up to lately you ask?? Well...not much. Trying to keep busy indoors while it rains cats and dogs outside.
Today I decided that I would actually attempt to make Dominican cocoa tea. I bought a "kit" a while back from Caribbean Magic Spice in Roseau (AKA "The Spice Man"). The "kit" consists of a tiny grater, a stick of cocoa, a bay leaf, nutmeg, cinnamon stick, and instructions. Well, it turned out well, but I am still warming up to the taste. We had to put sugar in it, because its far to bitter otherwise! I actually enjoyed using real spices and grating the cocoa myself. There is something really cool about doing things the old-fashioned way.

Here are some pics:





For those who want to try a little taste of Dominican "bush tea" in your home, here is the recipe:

COCOA TEA:
(serves 2)
Ingredients:
-Ground cocoa
-Nutmeg (optional..for a garnish)
-Cinnamon stick
-Bay leaf

Instructions:
1. Bring 1 cup of water to boil in small pot
2. Add approx. 3 heaping tbsp. of cocoa (or grind 1/2 inch of cocoa stick)
3. Add milk (I added approx. 1/4 cup)
4. Add bay leaf and cinnamon
5. Boil for 3 minutes
6. Strain into cups (I poured pot contents into measuring cup, and then used a small strainer to pour into each cup)
7. Garnish with nutmeg
8. Sweeten with sugar as desired (I added about 1 tsp.)

VOILA!! Authentic Dominican cocoa tea :) Not everyone's "cup of tea", but you gotta try it to know!

And in other news:
We got to see Mulligan as a grown up puppy! Henry (the Kootney gardener) brought him by on Sunday. Here is a before and after pic of him:

BEFORE:






(Notice how tiny he was; he fit in Martin's hands!)

AFTER:




He is so big now!! His name has also changed to "Bruce". So he is no longer our little Mulligan :( I am so thankful that I was given the opportunity to give him a good start at life though. He looks like a happy and healthy puppy now, and I know that Henry and his family love him!

Well, I think that's about all the updates I have for now, but I will try my best to continue updating my blog :)
Next Tuesday I am taking a trip to Victoria Falls, so I will put some pictures up from that trip. Apparently these falls are the most beautiful in Dominica!

Take care everyone!!

Peace, love, happiness, (and rain),

Stef D. xoxo

p.s. I am COMING HOME IN 5 WEEKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
can you tell I'm just a bit excited?!

Break is almost here! Countdown: 3 days

FAREWELL, SEMESTER 1!! (or almost..)
I can't believe that semester 1 is almost over and we have been in Dominica now for almost 4 months. Time has just flew by!! Martin wrote his 3rd mini on Thursday of last week, and has one more final exam to write on Tuesday. He is studying hard for that one, because its cumulative!! I (and he) cannot WAIT until the break. We have just over two weeks until Semester 2 begins, so we will finally have a chance to do some things on the island together. Beach, snorkeling, cliff jumping, etc. etc. so many options!! The students are ready for a break- they are starting to go a bit nuts! I suppose I don't blame them when class, anatomy lab, studying flash cards, and reading textbooks is your entire life for 4 months straight.. I would be going crazy too (but that would have happened a long time ago!)

Here are some updates on my end:

I LOVE THESE KIDS!
Inlightin was awesome yesterday and the week before last! Yesterday we did an activity called "helping hands". The kids all traced their hands out of paper and wrote positive, respectful words like "love, peace, joy" etc. They also decorated the hands with rings, nail polish, and fun designs. They taped them around the plate and wrote their name and the date. It was a fun activity, and they all really enjoyed it!!
The mural and instrument activities were really awesome too. I am so impressed with their focus and creativity when it comes to arts and crafts projects!!
Here are some pictures (taken by me and a few of the kids..they love playing with my camera!)








SHHH.....
I went on an awesome trip to Secret Beach with my usual "Thursday day trip" group. It is my favourite place to swim on the island so far. The water is so clear that you can see exactly where there are rocks, which makes it easy to avoid them! I took the boat there from Coconut Beach, and then kayaked back. It was fun, but it wore my muscles out! I took one of the kids out on the kayak too and she loved it :)
Here are a few pictures of Secret Beach:





LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!
Yesterday we did a photoshoot with a very talented photographer named Genoveva Wayment. Her husband is a student and they are moving to the Bahamas very soon. I am so glad she could fit us into her busy schedule. Martin and I had a lot of fun! We felt like models :) Photos to come soon!!


Peace, love, happiness, (and art),

Stef xoxo