These are my people...

Hello again!

So, I have finally decided to post another note and all my Dominica pictures so that everyone back home can be jealous of where I am. haha. I'm kidding! But I'll post a lot of pictures this way I'll stop getting ask to see them.

But I'll try to give you a little overview of what I have learnt so far on this island:


Odd things about Dominica:

1. Electricity. It's on a pay as you go plan. So no monthly bills. You just wake to this little office and give them however much money you want to. Strange.
2. Currency. Canadian dollars are just as good as Monopoly money here. You can use Eastern Caribbean (EC) or USD and that's it.
3. Laundry. You can't do your own laundry unless you want to do it in a small sink or in a lake. You have to give your laundry to a laundry service person and they will pick up your bag, wash it, and most places will return it on the 24 hour mark. BUT most of the places don't own dryers. They just hang dry everything. So my dad and I made this web of a laundry line inside my room so I can wash what I need to (mostly just underwear and bras cause apparently women's bras are what goes "missing" the most with the laundry services)
4. Cell Phones. Apparently having a cell phone is better than buying sliced bread. So if anyone wants to call me, I have free incoming calls. 767-277-4446
5. Weather. It rains almost everyday, for like 20 minutes and that's it. It is still sunny, hot and humid, but it will rain. So you always have to carry an umbrella or jacket.
6. Sunsets. There is no dusk here. It's just sunny beautiful then darkness. And it gets dark at like 6pm, so you go for dinner at 7pm and it feels like it's midnight outside.
7. Drivers. They are crazy!!! No street signs what so ever. No law enforcement. They just drive wherever on the street they want to and as fast as they want to. There is no pedestrian first rule here. They will run you over, so I try to stick to the sidewalk.
8. Sundays. Everything is closed on sundays, EVERYTHING! So stalking up on food is a must.
9. Food. It's interesting. Lots of similar dishes. Chicken, lentils, chinese, fresh fruits....that's pretty much it.
10. Health Care. If I get sick or hurt, I'm on the next flight out. That's all I'm going to say there.

Amazing things about Dominica:

1. It's in the Caribbean. Enough said.
2. The people. My friends here are fantastic. We have A LOT of fun together, but at the same time we study great together and have pretty similar habits. Yet, I seem to be the only one who can cook. haha But they are from all over the world originally, and are now mostly based out of the US, but I have met tons of Canadians, so it makes me feel better.
3. The view. The island has 9 volcanoes on it. So it's quite mountainous, and since it rains so much in the middle portion of the island, its just this gorgeous rich green colour.
4. Activities. There seems to be a lot of fun things to do on the island (unfortunately I don't have the time to do it - but I do plan on getting out there). You can do snorkeling, scuba diving, walk to boiling lakes, whale watching, water rafting, etc. etc. (Enzo - I plan on trying to find some biking trail for you, but you can't rent bikes and apparently it's pretty dangerous. So bring a helmet haha)
5. Animals. I walk to school in the morning and all i see is cows and goats. They are just loose, walking around, doing their thing. Nobody seems to own them and you can walk right up to them. And there are no dangerous animal here (except for the centipeds - they are poisonous). But there is a rare chance of seeing a shark (Sorry Meghanne!).
6. School. It's pretty nuts where this school is situated, but it makes for a beautiful walk home. They seem to spend a lot of the money high-teching the inside of buildings rather than beautifying the outside of the building. The program is fairly difficult, but I'll do my best.

Alright that's the update you are going to get for now. I know there are lots of stories in my head right now, but suspense is the greatest part of any story, so until next time.

So enjoy the photos, there will be a lot of them.