More things I have learned

1. When people say their office is open from 8-5, they mean they can take their lunch break whenever they want and for however long they want, so you're shit out of luck if you come when they're gone.
2. When it rains heavily, which is often here, some portions of campus are closed. Not theschool portion of course, more like the gym and activities center - shocker!
3. People here are SO friendly. It's refreshing but sometimes you think "really, you just gave me your home address? No on in the states would EVER think of doing that."
4. Printing is basically free here. I have a 14 dollar allownace to print per week. My tuition probably pays for a majority of it, but who cares, med school prices here and in the states are very close in price.
5. There are study spaces designed for each semester student and if you take an older semester student's space, you're in big trouble.
6. Fruit is like God's gift on this earth.
7. Fruit juice from Dominica is even better.
8. Cable TV can be a homesick remedy-it's helped me.
9. Skype is even better.
10. Being able to use a credit card makes me feel like I'm not going to run outof money-which is always good.
11. I can eat a hearty meal here for under 5 dollars and it won't be BAD or FAST FOOD.
12. My uture professor already invited me to her house for tea - she says only one of her 6 daughters is left, the rest have moved, so why not.
13. The average age of a student here is 29.
14. The largest population of students is from Canada - I was thoroughly surprised by this actually.
15. A trip through the mountains with a guide for 6 hours only costs $14 American dollars and includes a lunch - NEVER would you get this on any other kind of tour or in any other country for dirt cheap. I'm going on Sunday.
16. And river boating is only $10, which I'm doing next Sunday.
17. There are babies EVERYWHERE on this island, like 20% of the students here move their entire families down.
18. The professors are all mostly retired professors who were highly known in their areas in the schools they worked at for 30+ years, in the states or other countries.
19. Safety is not really something we need to worry about here. The biggest threat is burglary but that mostly occurs wth people who leave windows open before they leave for class or are plain stupid.
20. There is a local beer here - and it's comparable to a Heineken in taste I suppose.

Moreof these to come as I learn from day to day. But life is good here, it really is. I'm a little homesick, but it's getting better by the minute.

Barbara