"Most of what matters in your life takes place in your absence."-Salman Rushdie (I saw this quote and wanted to think on it myself, so that is why I posted it on here. If any of you all have any thoughts or interpretations of it, I would love to hear them on my comments board or via email.)

Moving on.... The above picture is from the balcony of my apartment at sunset. In my opinion, though I respect that of others, I find it hard to see something as beautiful as that sunset or a child laughing or listen to the ocean as it breaks and deny the existence of God. Nature is so plentiful here in Dominica that it is difficult not to acknowledge God or some higher power. I say higher power because many other of the students here are from different cultures and religions. Shruti, whom I thought spelled her name Saruthy, is Indian and has only lived in the States five years. Samaan is Iranian, and I met a guy tonight, Toro, who currently lives in Brazil with his Brazilian wife but is himself Japanese. There are many Asian, Indian, Sri Lankan, Persian, and Arab students here....all are US citizens but their heritage is from another culture. That is why I have learned such a respect for other cultures...if we were all alike life would be so boring.

As I write this, there is a cow in the hills below me that sounds quite distressed. In the States, someone would go check on it, but not here. It is ignored. Of course many of the students are from large cities such as NYC, Newark, Houston, LA, Cleveland, Detriot, Bombay, India....not Stanford, Kentucky. I had to explain the concept of a cattle guard to my friend Samaan tonight. He, by the way, set up my wireless router, which I purchased at a too expensive and nameless price. It makes my life easier. He is like JT in the way that he organized all of the wires from the jumbled mess in which I had them. Samaan is trying to talk Shruti and I into going to the beachside bar tonight to celebrate the new year. Drinking, for many reasons, has never been my thing, so we, Shruti and I, have decided against it. Thus, I sit at my computer, drinking water, and listening to the crickets as the breeze comes in from the hills and ocean. Why, you many ask, don't I turn on the AC? First, my body is adapting quite quickly to the heat...Secondly, I would rather talk on the phone and use my computer and be hot but talking to friends than be cool and lonely. I have to choose one because to do both uses too much expensive electricity. Therefore, I will settle for the breeze.

The picture below is of my kitchen. I will show pics of my apartment once I get the bedroom how I want it. I say that because the kitchen and bedroom are the only two rooms...By the way, I would love for you guys to mail or email me pics to hang on my walls. Seeing friends and family remind of home and of many reason for my impending educational and lifestyle struggle here. Lifestyle changes include mostly transportation and eathing changes. We walk everywhere. Shruti got us lost in the small town of Portsmouth today. We walked about a mile there. We then paid a $1 EC to take a bus to Tina's grocery store where I found my much beloved Otis Spunkenmeyer banana nut muffins for $6 EC. I found some eggs and rice and bought some different milk. The store delivered us and our groceries to our doorstep in a rickety old van with one small seat. The door did not shut and I do not know if it had brakes. After that Samaan and I went to Perky's Pizza and met some new people there. I had a small piece of pizza and a coke...other than that small meal I have had Passion Fruit juice, water, and a can of mushrooms to eat. Lest I not forget the golf ball sized tangerine Mom picked up at the market. Needless to say, eating and traveling is much different here. What is also changing is my hair...After taking a cold and might I add, refreshing, shower tonight I put my leave in conditioner and STRAIGHTENING gel in it...I am letting it air dry...Can you guys believe it...I have curly hair. Not curly like Misty Hurt at Beta Club convention in eighth grade (that is for you Sarah)...but wavy enough to be different from anything I have had before. Also, I have also developed some rash or bites on my legs and arms. They are small, rash-like bumps that slightly itch, well enough to annoy you when you do not have calamine lotion.

Anyway, for those of you who pray often and diligently, which I know many of you do, please remember my friend Yvie's (I call her Yvie though her name is Yvette) 10 year old son Brandon. They had to admit him to Gwinett Medical Clinic in Georgia because he has been throwing up, with the exception of eight hours, for three days now. They had to admit him tonight. I have yet to hear from Yvie, but I spoke her mother, Dina, who said that he is pretty sick. So please remember him in your prayers...(He was the Spanish boy in the picture on my blog from 12-15-2005) Also my good high school friend Jonathan Hart's grandfather passed away this week. I called him tonight and to hear a voice I have not heard in at least a year was quite nice even it was at an adverse time. However, isn't it said that in prosperity our friends know us but only in adversity do we know our true friends...He will always be a friend to me. Anyone who remembers me as Nie Nei is near to my heart.

Well Happy New Year! Maybe tomorrow I will post my resolutions after I get back from a tour to the Carib territory and Emerald Pool. That trip should be quite nice, though it will be long and curvy. And by the way, the cow is still mooing in significant distress...Happy New Year!

"Friendship is the joy, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person, having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring all right out as they are, chaff and grain together, confident that a faithful, friendly hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and with a breath of comfort, blow the rest away." -George Eliot