In my ecotourism class last night, we were talking about the socio-cultural impacts of being a tourist economy. One of the problems was the sex industry, and how different hot spots are promoting prostitutes, sex, etc... Someone in the class recently wrote a paper on a similiar topic and informed us that in Jamaica the have a service called "Rent a Rasta"....I thought i could have died laughing!!!!!
Anyways...things are going good here. Grubbing (hall initiation) is almost over. Are activites were interupted last night by a block war. See, Milner Hall (my dorm) has for bulidings that make up the entire area...each building is a block. I live in I-Block. Last night North Block made an advance and started a war....pretty much means, they took a bucket full of water and dumped it on someone so we retaliated. Block wars are sooooo intense...we're talking people getting "kid napped" (carried off the field into the other block), full out tackeling, and water fights like you wouldn't believe. It was pretty amazing.
Tonight we have a concert that us Grubs have to put together....right now it's pretty disorganized since there are so many of us. It'll either be amazing or down right horrible. Details to come once it's happened.
I have had all my classes, and am really looking forward to them all. I ended up dropping the film class because it conflicted with the pan theory/steel drum class....the pan class won hands down. But that's ok, because I still have 4 classes, and my research project on top of that. I have heard back from my contact about my project. Apparently Trinidad is hosting the 2009 "Rountable for Sustainble Cocoa Economy". I will be covering parts of the conference and writing and promoting it for the local papers here.
My food management course seems like it will be really interesting. The lab professor likes to call on me a lot because i'm from the states...never wear a wisconsin t-shirt to the first day of class, you draw a lot of attention to yourself. We're going to be learning about food safety, preperation, and some ther stuff that we don't know yet since the syllabus isn't finished yet.
A little depressing news is that I wasn't able to register for the hike this Sunday...so I won't be able to go. But there are still 4-5 other ones this semester, so i plan on going to all of those.
I hope everyone is doing well back home!!!!!!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
What a Crazy Night
Last Night was my first class. I'm taking a literature course called West Indies Prose. I think i'm reallllllly going to like it. The professor is from Jamaica, and has these dreds that almost go down to her hips!!!! She is really emphasizing thinking about West Indies culture beyond just colonization. We are reading 5 books over the semester, and have a project, essay, group presentation and a final.
I haven't had any of my other classes yet. The other one is tonight at 7pm (5pm in Wisconsin). I'm am sooooo excited for that class. It's called "Introduction to Ecotourism". It seems like a great class because we take field trips all over the island. Hopefully I will be able to see a lot. I don't have my third class until tomorrow morning and it'll be an intriductory to film course. I still have no idea when my steel drum class is...but that seems pretty normal down here to not care or stress over things like that.
Last night started the grubbing process for all the new people living on Milner Hall. It's pretty much a little hazing process to get to know people in the dorm and become part of the Milner family. It was pretty fun....just really long and exhausting!!!!! I think it will go on for most of the week, but i'm not sure....we don't get a lot of information on it.
There's talk of going back to the beach on Saturday, and i really hope we do!!!!! OOOHHHH....i'm joining the hiking club on campus, and the first hike is sunday!!!! We're going to Rincon Falls...don't know much about the area, but i'm going to start looking into it.
I should probably get ready for class. More Updates soon!!!
I haven't had any of my other classes yet. The other one is tonight at 7pm (5pm in Wisconsin). I'm am sooooo excited for that class. It's called "Introduction to Ecotourism". It seems like a great class because we take field trips all over the island. Hopefully I will be able to see a lot. I don't have my third class until tomorrow morning and it'll be an intriductory to film course. I still have no idea when my steel drum class is...but that seems pretty normal down here to not care or stress over things like that.
Last night started the grubbing process for all the new people living on Milner Hall. It's pretty much a little hazing process to get to know people in the dorm and become part of the Milner family. It was pretty fun....just really long and exhausting!!!!! I think it will go on for most of the week, but i'm not sure....we don't get a lot of information on it.
There's talk of going back to the beach on Saturday, and i really hope we do!!!!! OOOHHHH....i'm joining the hiking club on campus, and the first hike is sunday!!!! We're going to Rincon Falls...don't know much about the area, but i'm going to start looking into it.
I should probably get ready for class. More Updates soon!!!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
WOW!!!!
Finding time to keep a blog is harder than I thought it would be. I have been here for a week and I have been so busy that I feel like I didn't really have anytime to myself. But, I'm going to start now and make time to sit down and inform everyone what's been going on here.
We arrived at the airport on time last Monday the 19th, around 1o:30pm here (8:30 back in Wisconsin). It took forever to exchange money and get through customs. Once we got through it was almost midnight! The University of West Indies had a van waiting for us when we got there. 2 of the trini students that were in Madison last semester came to welcome us! The Faculty of Science and Agriculture staff that met us (Dexter and Georgie) insisted on feeding us before we left the airport. We ate a restaurant called Royal Chicken. It was actually fantastic. It would remind you of KFC (which they have here too), but the breeding on the chicken was much more flavorful. We got back to teh dorms on campus around 1:30am. Of course we had to unpack a little, so I didn't get to bed until around 2:30. It was such a long day! I fell a sleep so soundly, it didn't even register with me that I was in a foreign country.
The next morning we got up real early and meet with the dean and talk about campus a little bit. No new information, but it was nice to put a face to the name we had heard so much about. After, we spent the day at the beach. The closest beach to campus is Maracas Bay, and that's even a 45 minute drive through the mountains. The roads were horrible!!! and everyone drives like maniacs here.
Anyways, Maracas Bay is known for the famous Richard's Shark and Bake. Its fried shark and bread. It is FANTASTIC!!!!!! There is also a huge condiment bar with every sauce that is popular in Trinidad--and there are a ton!!!
The next day we registered for classes, which was a pain in the ass. None of our information was entered into their computer system. So, we had to run around campus for about 7 hours getting override forms signed so we could register. It was a nightmare!! Then we went to Tunapuna, which is known for their huge outdoor market of fresh food. It's about a 15 minute walk from campus. A very annoying walk since all the Trini males hoot, honk, and whistle at you since you're a white female. There were so many veggies and fruits there!!! I have to admit that it was a little over whleming. I got 5 lbs of tomatoes for 10 TT, which is about $1.75 in the US.
Thursday was a free day. We just did logistical things like get our cell phones and drop off a few last papers. Even after having a free day, I felt like there was no time to just sit back and take stuff in. We were constantly moving and doing things. We went to a movie Thursday night too. A bunch of us, including 3 Trini guys we met, saw "Yes, Man". We have to go to Trincity to see a movie, which is half way between campus and Port of Spain (where my plane landed). It was crazy getting there. We took a Maxi (public van) to a taxi station in the middle of 2 cities, then got into registered (not private!!!) cabs to get to teh mall/theatre.
Friday we went back to Maracas. Apparently we've been there just about the same numver of times as a normal student would in a whole semester or year!!!! The current and waves were wicked!!!! Made for great body surfing. Friday night we were just "liming" (hanging out) in my room with some people we met, when a bunch of guys we met from the other block of my dorm invited us to a dance party on their block--north block. We learned how to wine, which is the popular form of dance down here for carnival. It was pretty crazy trying to get your hips to move a way they aren't used to.
Saturday we took a van tour of most of the Island. we stopped at the Pointe de Pierre, a waterfowl trust. It was sooo pretty!!!! amazing flowers and birds. It was set up to stop the extinction of many birds in trinidad due to deforestation, pollution, and pouching. We had a very knowledgable tour guide, and she was able to teach us a lot about the stuff we were looking at. We continued south until San Fernando. We got out and ate lunch, but then we continued driving. We went all the way east and drove back north. We saw the beach that holds the cool down party after carnival ends. It was miles long, and apparently it is completely crowed when carnival is over. It was crazy windy, so the waves coming off the Atlantic were HUGE!!!! We didn't stop at all, but we saw a lot. About 5 hours later we got back to campus. We went out to a bar on campus, and got to know some of the people that just back to the dorms a little better.
Yesterday I went to Tunapuna with an exchange student accross the hall and my roomate. It was soooooooooo hot in the sun, I got back to my room and felt like i could make a pool from my sweat. We jsut limed for the rest of the night and met some more people that got back. My dorm, Milner Hall, was pretty quiet until yesterday. Now everyone is back and it's crazy loud and fun.
Classes started today. I haven't had a class yet, but i do in 30 minutes. More to come tomorrow!!!!
We arrived at the airport on time last Monday the 19th, around 1o:30pm here (8:30 back in Wisconsin). It took forever to exchange money and get through customs. Once we got through it was almost midnight! The University of West Indies had a van waiting for us when we got there. 2 of the trini students that were in Madison last semester came to welcome us! The Faculty of Science and Agriculture staff that met us (Dexter and Georgie) insisted on feeding us before we left the airport. We ate a restaurant called Royal Chicken. It was actually fantastic. It would remind you of KFC (which they have here too), but the breeding on the chicken was much more flavorful. We got back to teh dorms on campus around 1:30am. Of course we had to unpack a little, so I didn't get to bed until around 2:30. It was such a long day! I fell a sleep so soundly, it didn't even register with me that I was in a foreign country.
The next morning we got up real early and meet with the dean and talk about campus a little bit. No new information, but it was nice to put a face to the name we had heard so much about. After, we spent the day at the beach. The closest beach to campus is Maracas Bay, and that's even a 45 minute drive through the mountains. The roads were horrible!!! and everyone drives like maniacs here.
Anyways, Maracas Bay is known for the famous Richard's Shark and Bake. Its fried shark and bread. It is FANTASTIC!!!!!! There is also a huge condiment bar with every sauce that is popular in Trinidad--and there are a ton!!!
The next day we registered for classes, which was a pain in the ass. None of our information was entered into their computer system. So, we had to run around campus for about 7 hours getting override forms signed so we could register. It was a nightmare!! Then we went to Tunapuna, which is known for their huge outdoor market of fresh food. It's about a 15 minute walk from campus. A very annoying walk since all the Trini males hoot, honk, and whistle at you since you're a white female. There were so many veggies and fruits there!!! I have to admit that it was a little over whleming. I got 5 lbs of tomatoes for 10 TT, which is about $1.75 in the US.
Thursday was a free day. We just did logistical things like get our cell phones and drop off a few last papers. Even after having a free day, I felt like there was no time to just sit back and take stuff in. We were constantly moving and doing things. We went to a movie Thursday night too. A bunch of us, including 3 Trini guys we met, saw "Yes, Man". We have to go to Trincity to see a movie, which is half way between campus and Port of Spain (where my plane landed). It was crazy getting there. We took a Maxi (public van) to a taxi station in the middle of 2 cities, then got into registered (not private!!!) cabs to get to teh mall/theatre.
Friday we went back to Maracas. Apparently we've been there just about the same numver of times as a normal student would in a whole semester or year!!!! The current and waves were wicked!!!! Made for great body surfing. Friday night we were just "liming" (hanging out) in my room with some people we met, when a bunch of guys we met from the other block of my dorm invited us to a dance party on their block--north block. We learned how to wine, which is the popular form of dance down here for carnival. It was pretty crazy trying to get your hips to move a way they aren't used to.
Saturday we took a van tour of most of the Island. we stopped at the Pointe de Pierre, a waterfowl trust. It was sooo pretty!!!! amazing flowers and birds. It was set up to stop the extinction of many birds in trinidad due to deforestation, pollution, and pouching. We had a very knowledgable tour guide, and she was able to teach us a lot about the stuff we were looking at. We continued south until San Fernando. We got out and ate lunch, but then we continued driving. We went all the way east and drove back north. We saw the beach that holds the cool down party after carnival ends. It was miles long, and apparently it is completely crowed when carnival is over. It was crazy windy, so the waves coming off the Atlantic were HUGE!!!! We didn't stop at all, but we saw a lot. About 5 hours later we got back to campus. We went out to a bar on campus, and got to know some of the people that just back to the dorms a little better.
Yesterday I went to Tunapuna with an exchange student accross the hall and my roomate. It was soooooooooo hot in the sun, I got back to my room and felt like i could make a pool from my sweat. We jsut limed for the rest of the night and met some more people that got back. My dorm, Milner Hall, was pretty quiet until yesterday. Now everyone is back and it's crazy loud and fun.
Classes started today. I haven't had a class yet, but i do in 30 minutes. More to come tomorrow!!!!
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