Brief Update

It's been a while since I let you all know what I've been up to, so I am going to interrupt the essay posts for a second here.
Two weeks ago my friend Julia came down to visit for a week.  While she was here we did some interesting things that I had yet to do, such as go on the Mount Gay Rum tour and visit the old synagogue in Bridgetown (over 350 years old!). 

Side note: the modern history of the Caribbean is actually tightly interwoven with Jewish history in the region.  The cultivation of sugar cane was made possible by the exodus of Dutch Jews, who were fleeing Portugese rule in Brazil, to the Caribbean.  The Dutch jews brought windmill technology from Brazil to the Caribbean, thus making industrial-levels of agriculture production possible.

Also, because we went to a birthday party for a friend of mine I met a bunch of new people who live in Barbados.  The most immediate result of these new contacts was an invitation to participate in a Thursday pub trivia game at a bar on the West Coast.  This has been a lot of fun and is something I hope continues during my remaining time here. (Notice: I am soliciting good pub trivia names!).

Currently I am in the middle of my last class for my program. The course is on disaster management in the Caribbean and is taught by two very experienced professors.  One is a Jamaican-born, Canadian university professor who has spent his life traveling and teaching about disaster management.  The other is the director of CDEMA (the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency), which is one of the few shining examples of a productive regional institution.  Not only do their life experiences complement one another well, but they are old friends dating back to their undergraduate days at UWI.  It's actually quite uplifting to see two good UWI products standing before me.  Before, all I heard about was the UWI graduate seen pumping gas or working a menial job in some department store.

Finally, I have planned my trip home, which will be from July 1st to the 9th.  During that time I will spend a few days in Connecticut celebrating Independence Day, one day in NYC, and a few days in Philly with Nora.  Between now and July 1st my only goals are to finish my disaster management class on a good note and secure a rental car to use until I leave Barbados for good. Unfortunately a car is necessary to get to the job I will be starting on July 11th, which is located allllll the way by the airport in the south (about as far away from my apartment as you can get).  On the plus side, having a car will vastly improve my social life since lack of personal transportation has been the main impediment to my going places.

That's pretty much all thats going on at the moment. I'll post more parts of the essay in the coming days.  I haven't forgotten!

Integration in the Caribbean: A Historical Perspective

For my course on CARICOM last semester I wrote an essay on why Caribbean integration is necessary but problematic. I think it provides a good snapshot of the situation facing the modern Caribbean and as such I have decided to share it with you all. Over the next couple of days I will post segments of the essay, in their natural order, for you to peruse. I hope you find them both enjoyable and edifying. Here is the first segment:

“The idea of regional integration has existed in the Caribbean for a considerable period of time,” states scholar Ian Boxill. “Since the seventeenth century, attempts at uniting territories of the region to rationalize administrative costs of running the colonies occupied the thinking of the British government.”[1] In fact, the attempt at federation in the Leeward Islands from 1674-1798 was the second such endeavor in the British Empire, following only the feeble Massachusetts Federation, which was established in 1643.[2] Clearly then, even at the very beginning of their modern existence, the West Indies were seen as prime candidates for integration (especially under the Federal model). This belief – that integration in the West Indies is necessary – has existed continuously in various forms since their founding. Yet despite the longevity of this view, and the growing list of motives propelling it, integration in the West Indies has proven problematic and largely illusive. The argument that Caribbean integration is necessary but problematic remains as true today as it was in the 17^th century.

Many of the arguments in favor of integrating the Caribbean date back to the first discussions on the topic in the 17^th century. The most significant of these reasons was to coordinate and consolidate the administration of the islands in order to address issues on a regional rather than individual basis and so as to promote administrative efficiency (i.e. save money by shifting administrative authority from each individual island to one regional authority). Attempts at both of these forms of regional governance can be seen in the fraught history of the early Leeward Islands Federation, where federal taxes were successfully raised and where a proposal to standardize the laws of the islands was put forth in 1683 (it was rebuffed).[3]

The issue of coordinating the administration of the islands, originally seen as a way to improve their defense against French and Spanish ambitions and remove official redundancies, gained renewed importance to West Indians as a vehicle for development during the early part of the 20^th century. Radical West Indian leaders such as Cipriani, Marryshow, and Hart favored Federation because they saw it as essential “for the overall planning and development of the Caribbean area as an integral part of the larger world economy.”[4] Moreover, “it meant the means whereby West Indian social problems such as education and child labor could receive immediate attention in a way that Crown Colony government could not offer.”[5] In other words, regional integration was the best way to secure a prosperous and just future for the people of the Caribbean.

Very Smart Commercials

I came across these commercials the other day and thought they were very smart, although their "fairness" is questionable.  Thought you might enjoy them.

End of the Semester!!

Yesterday I handed in my final essay for the semester.  I am now officially done with 8 out of the 9 classes I need for my degree.  Just one more class to go in June and I'm done with courses!

Before I start my last class I hope to get a bit of work done on my thesis.  My internship requires a separate thesis, so once that starts I will probably be spending most of my time on that assignment.  The more of my regular thesis I can get done now, the less I will have to do once my internship is over in early October.

Also, given that things are pretty quiet on my end at the moment, I think I am going to post about some of the stuff I have been learning from my studies here.  After all, the whole point of the Fulbright is cultural exchange, so it's my job to bring the Caribbean to you!  So expect some informative posts on Caribbean integration in the next couple of days. Hope you don't find them boring!

All Quiet in Barbados

Things have been quite since I took my exam a week ago.  Almost all my friends have either gone home or are on a trip to Geneva for their trade policy program.  So I'm pretty much alone.  To fill the time I've been working on my final paper for the semester (which is due June 3rd) and catching up on some missed movies.  Yesterday I watched the King's Speech and was blown away.  Spectacular acting and a great story, I can see why it won so many academy awards.  Next up: Patton.

In other news, I've secured an internship.  Starting sometime in July I will be working at the Regional Security System, which is the principal security organization for the states of the eastern Caribbean.  It is based in Barbados and responds to crises in its member states when requested.  In essence, it acts as a shared military capability for its 7 member states.  It is also one of the primary institutions the United States works with to combat drug trafficking and promote citizen security in the region.  You can learn more about the RSS here and Washington's security programs for the Caribbean here and here.  Overall I am very excited about this opportunity.  It was the internship I wanted.

That's pretty much all that's going on.  I'm trying to find a time to go home for a visit, but nothing can be done till I find out when I start my internship.

Hope you all are enjoying spring back home.  It's getting VERY hot and humid here.  As always, stay tuned.

52 Days to Freedom

In 52 days I will be done with classes at UWI.  On Wednesday I take the final for my AU/EU course; the research paper for my Regional Integration and Development course is due on June 3rd; and my final class runs from June 15th-30th.  BOOM!  DONE!

After that I have to complete a three month internship (hope to have good news on that front soon), write a 10,000+ word paper on my experience there, and write a thesis.  So, still lots of work to be done even after classes are over but at least I won't have any more final exams or class papers.  Just two large projects and a three month job.  If all goes according to plan I can be out of Barbados for good by October.

That's pretty much what's going on.  Social life has been quiet since Nora left but I'm sure it will pick up again once finals are over.  Stay tuned for updates on the internship hunt!

Nora Guestblogs Again

Hi everyone,

Stephen put me back on blogging duty.  We’ve been pretty busy since I got here on Tuesday and my gracious host wanted to keep everyone updated on our adventures, but he also wanted to take a nap.  That’s where I come in.

My first night here was pleasant and relatively uneventful, except that we got caught in some torrential rain on our way out to pick up dinner from a nearby BBQ place (excellent ribs and chicken).  Eventually we decided it was more important to get the food home warm than to get ourselves home dry, so we braved the storm and trudged back up the road.  Impressively, most cars actually slowed down to avoid splashing us, which is a courtesy I’ve never experienced.

The next day was perfect for the beach.   Pretty cloudy but not really rainy, so the beaches were not crowded and the heat wasn’t unbearable.  We splashed around in the sea for a while before getting delicious flying fish sandwiches for lunch. 

Thursday was spent basically doing nothing, with the exception of a nice walk around UWI’s main campus.  It was an interesting place, with some cool buildings and a big cricket field (oval?  Whatever they call it), but I prefer the frozen tundra of central New York.  That night, we wandered down a street in Holetown with a lot of nice-looking restaurants.  We ultimately settled on Indian.  That’s right: Stephen Okin went to an Indian restaurant.  And I hope you’re sitting down for this . . . he LOVED it.  Admittedly, I wasn’t much help describing the items on the menu so, other than my personal go-to favorites, we both had to make our best guess when ordering, but it turned out to be an excellent meal.  And a nice departure from the usual barbeque chicken and macaroni pie. 

Friday was dominated by errands.  We went grocery shopping and to the bank, and killed some time exploring Lime Grove, which is a brand new (mostly unfinished, actually) high-end shopping mall in Holetown.   It had very few stores up and running and a lot of it was under construction, but we agreed that the completed parts were the nicest shopping area either of us had ever seen.  There were beautiful seating areas and fountains, and a lot of it was covered but the whole complex is essentially outdoors.  I can only imagine how nice it would have been if they had actually completed it in December, as was the plan.  After our adventure in Holetown, we met up with one of Stephen’s friends and his girlfriend (who’s visiting from Canada) and went to Oistins for dinner.  It was a lot of fun and we had some really good, fresh fish and other typical Bajan fare from one of the many outdoor restaurants.  It was raining on and off, but I can definitely see how the area would turn into a huge party during the peak season.  There were plenty of people there (tourists and locals), a lot of music and some dancing, but I’m told it was really quiet for Friday night in Oistins.

We called it an early night on Friday because the next morning the 4 of us had to meet at 8 am to get picked up to go on a catamaran cruise.  The weather turned out to be perfect, and the cruise was fabulous.  Stephen had already been on one, so I’m sure he’s described it on this blog before, but let me summarize: 2 snorkeling stops (one to swim with sea turtles, the other to look at some sunken ships), a nice long sail up the coast, lunch, swimming in the sea, and sailing back to dock in Bridgetown.  Plus, an open bar throughout the whole excursion.  It was an amazing trip.  I had never been snorkeling before, so getting up close and personal with turtles and schools of bright tropical fish completely blew my mind.  The food they served was also really good, and the crew always made sure no one was without a drink in his hand.  It was so much fun I don’t even care that parts of me were fried to a crisp.

We were pretty exhausted by the time we got home yesterday, so last night was pretty quiet.  We just made dinner and relaxed.  Today we woke up to downpours and were happy we chose yesterday as our catamaran day.  After the rain had stopped for a while, we ventured out to Holetown to get smoothies and read at Lime Grove.  Unfortunately, everything was closed, so no smoothies for us.  We did hang out briefly in one of Lime Grove’s public seating areas, which was nice until we discovered we were being devoured by mosquitoes.  Oh well.  We tried. 

Thanks for sticking with this very long post. Stay tuned for more reports.

-Nora

Nora is Here!

Nora arrived in Barbados today for a week-long visit.  It is great to have her here and we are planning on doing som fun activities.  Stay tuned for updates on our adventues and perhaps the stray blog post from Nora herself (I am going to see if I can press her into blogging duty again...).

Almost Done!

Yesterday I handed in my last assignment until my one and only final on May 11th.  The semester is almost over!!  After my final I have just one more paper due on June 3rd and a class that runs from June 15th-30th before I am officially finished with classes at UWI.  CAN'T WAIT!

Last night my friends and I celebrated being done with classes for the semester by going out to a bar and today we went to a beach I had never been to: Brandon's beach, which is a bit of a walk from where I live but totally worth it.  It's a large beach with soft sand and was relatively unpopulated today.  There are also life guards which is good cause it makes leaving your stuff on the beach while you go swimming a lot safer.

So that's basically all that's new with me.  Classes are over for the semester and it's time to relax for a bit before I have to study for finals.

My Group Project Nightmare

The reason I haven't posted in a while is because I've been busy with school work.  The chief culprit has been a nightmare of a group project for my Sustainable Tourism class.  Basically, this project fits every stereotype of group projects: absentee members, shoddy work from partners, unequal burden sharing, etc.  The result is that I am left to write the majority of our paper despite having three "partners."  In short, the experience has been exactly like this commercial:

I can't wait till this project is over!  Just a few more days.

Good New Bajan Band

The other day my friend Stefanie introduced me to a new rock bank from Barbados called Threads of Scarlet.  Their sound is nothing original, but the music is still very good and tightly played.  I was particularly excited to find a Caribbean rock band as I am growing increasingly tired of Dancehall, Soca, and U.S. pop/rap.  No one listens to rock n' roll anymore (when was the last time a rock song was #1 in the U.S.?) and it makes me sad!  Anyway, I if you guys are interested I recommend you check out their album, which is called "Katharsis."  Here is a video of them playing live in Barbados from a couple weeks ago.  It's not the best quality footage, but you get the idea.

Jamaica Swaggers, Barbados Strolls

Yesterday in my Regional Integration and Development class, the professor spoke about how upon landing in Jamaica, one immediately feels in the heart of the Caribbean, a feeling one does not get upon landing in other Caribbean countries.  Based off my few days in Jamaica, I completely agree with this statement.  Jamaicans have a confidence and pride in who they are, their culture, their industry, etc that makes them walk tall.  They are Caribbean and proud of it.  They are loud and extroverted; cultural imperialists yet absorbers of almost every culture on earth.  In short, Jamaica, despite its diversity, seems to be extremely confident of its identity.  In fact, Jamaican identity is so strong that it is an integral part of their development strategy - the question of how to use "brand Jamaica" is discussed in all aspects of their economy. 

Contrast this to Barbados.  If Jamaica walks tall with a swagger, Barbados ambles along quietly.    Whereas Jamaica is confident of its culture and identity, Barbados is unsure of who it is.  Whereas Jamaicans can point to Bob Marley and Reggae, Rastafari, Jerk Chicken, Dancehall, and Usain Bolt as anchors of their identity, Barbadians can point to little other than Rihanna and perhaps, flying fish.  More than once, the question of a "Barbadian Identity" has come up in my classes.  Typically the question is phrased as such: If you had to advertise your country with just a few pictures, what would you choose?  In the case of Jamaica it could choose any of the cultural icons mentioned above.  Barbados....not much.  Banks beer is essentially unknown outside of Barbados.  Bajans eat way more pork and chicken than flying fish.  Half the population finds Rihanna's overt sexuality repulsive.  Even Bajans admit they wouldn't know what to put in the advertisement.  Suggestions of sun, beaches, and babes are valid but not unique - those things could represent any of the Caribbean countries.  Simply put, Barbados lacks a definitive identity beyond being conservative and the most "British" of all the Caribbean countries.

Of course some would argue this is one of the advantages of Barbados.  With no set culture or identity Bajans are free to be themselves more than citizens of other Caribbean islands.  This in turn breeds relative tolerance, diversity, and a pragmatic outlook.  Why is Barbados relatively developed compared to the rest of the Caribbean?  Some would say it is due to this laid back, non-domineering, and insecure society.  Whereas Jamaica feels no need to prove itself, Barbados does.  This need drives Bajans to be productive and down-to-earth, two qualities that have done well for Barbados.

A Good Joke

Here is a good joke I heard today, adapted to American politics:

A driver is stuck in a traffic jam going into Washington, D.C.

Nothing is moving north or south.

Suddenly a man knocks on his window.

The driver rolls down his window and asks, "What happened? What's the hold-up?"

"Terrorists have kidnapped John Boehner, Eric Cantor, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid," says the man.

They are asking for a ten million dollar ransom...otherwise, they are going to douse them with gasoline and set them on fire.  We are going from car to car, taking up a collection."

The driver asks, "On average, how much is everyone giving?"

The man replies, "About two gallons!"

Jamaican Me Crazy, Mon!

What a week. A brief recap by the numbers. 5 days with 12 hours of sleep. 13 amazing Fulbrighters and at least three whole jerk chickens eaten.  Too many Red Stripes, games of pool/dominoes, and ridiculous stories to count. One game of beach volleyball, a trip down a water slide, and one scramble up a long series of waterfalls. One paper mache giant crab and the resulting thorough airport screening, learning about and being impressed by 12 research projects, and ultimately, falling in love with Jamaica.  In short, it was a whirlwind of a trip.

It started off on the right foot, too.  Upon arriving at the hotel in New Kingston, I and the four Fulbrighters from Trinidad and Tobago (who were also flying to Jamaica from Barbados) dropped off our baggage and immediately set out to find some jerk chicken.  One of the Trinny Fulbrighters had been in the area before and took us to a local place not more than two blocks away.  Our bellies full, we set out to find some fun.  We were walking around Emancipation Park (beautiful!) when one of the Trinny Fulbrighter's head perked up prairie dog style.  The cause? He heard SOCA!  With carnival just a couple of weeks in the past, all the Trinny Fulbrighters were still coming down from that soca-infused high and were excited to hear its rapid tempo on the streets of Jamaica.  We followed the sound to a nearby hotel which was hosting a soca fete (read: party).  Alas they were charging a $30 US cover, which proved too rich for our blood, so we decided to just chill near the hotel pool and drink some Red Stripes.  Growing restless we set out to find something else to do.  One of the Trinnies got into a conversation with a Jamaican named Donovan who said he would take us to a local bar not far away.  Fifteen minutes later we were inside Chelsea, a rather deserted and decrepit (but expensive as we would later find out) bar where we proceeded to spend the next couple of hours shooting pool, listening to Donovan's stories (crazy!), and drinking more Red Stripe.  I can't remember what time it was when we finally left, but all I know is that waking up to give my presentation the following morning (after pulling an all-nighter the night before) was painful.

Pool @ Chelsea with Jacob and Donovan (photo courtesy of Miguella!)

The next day started off with a short trip to the Embassy to be introduced to the staff and collect our expense allowance.  Afterwards we returned to the hotel to begin the presentations.  Not only was I first but I was also the only Fulbrighter not pursuing a specific research project.  Therefore my presentation probably came off as more of a lecture than a window into my life in Barbados, but overall I think it went well enough.  Following seven more presentations we set out for a tour of Devon House, which was the mansion built by Jamaica's first black millionaire in the late 1800s.  Our guide told us about every piece of furniture in the place but didn't mention the man who built it, George Stiebel, more than a couple times.  A very odd tour indeed. 

Our furniture obsessed tour guide

After the tour we proceeded to the Bob Marley museum, which turned out to be closed by the time we got there (we were running late all day).  Still, the staff was nice enough to let us look around and even show us a bit of the film they have on Bob.  Quite an amazing man - it's a shame he died so young.

Bob's sweet ride.  Love me a Range Rover Defender!

Lion of Judah

Migs showing off her Blue Mountain Coffee

Following our abbreviated stay at the Bob Marley museum we headed back to Devon House for dinner at the Grog Shoppe.  Everyone was ready for some food and drink and a chance to sit and talk.  Fully satiated we headed back to the hotel to regroup before going out to the Jamaica Fulbrighters' favorite local bar.  Located half inside, half outside, the bar was the perfect space to hang out.  The owner, Jermaine, had just had two brand new pool tables installed a few days earlier and was offering beer specials for 100 Jamaican (roughly $1.20 U.S.).  After a couple hours there we called it a night and headed home.

New pool table at Jermaine's

The next day was rough.  We had to wake up at 5:45 so we could take a specific road (the Gorge) to Ochos Rios which was scheduled to be closed at 7 for construction.  Despite our preparation we didn't make it to the road in time.  However, the U.S. Embassy was able to call in a favor and we got a police escort through the construction site.  Pretty baller.  Still, not many on the bus noticed since everyone was passed out in pain from the night before.  A while later, in an effort to revive our spirits, our guides made us stop on the road for breakfast at this string of huts.  The ploy worked - people immediately felt better.

Never-ending string of food stalls

An hour later we reached our destination: the Sunset Jamaica Grande all-inclusive resort in Ochos Rios where we had a day pass to essentially do as we please.  But, before we could hit the beach we had to listen to a presentation from a Jamaican Fulbrighter and kinda-sorta go on a tour of the property.  No one understood why we were at a resort (not really seeing Jamaica that way) let alone why we needed to go on a tour of the property, so most of us just melted away before anything could be said or done.  Over the next few hours we played beach volleyball, drank free beers, took trips down the water slide, and relaxed by the pool/beach; resigned to spending time at the resort we decided to make the best of it.

The tour of the property, which very quickly ended

Finally, after many hours at the resort we headed to the spectacular Dunn's River Falls.  I climbed up the Falls with a couple of the guys, which turned out to be a good decision because it worked up my appetite for the most amazing jerk chicken on the trip (we ate at this nearby place called Schotties, where we plowed through our food before embarking on the long trip back to New Kingston).

At the beginning of the Falls

Love this photo.  Again, courtesy of Miguella.

The jerk being prepared at Schotties. Another Mig shot.

Upon returning to the hotel we all decided to call it a night since we were so exhausted and we wanted our last day in Jamaica to be enjoyed to the max.  The next morning we awoke to finish off the presentations and do a community service project at a nearby training organization called the Stella Maris Foundation.  The Foundation trains Jamaicans in useful skills - such as IT, early childhood care, crafts, sewing, etc - in order to keep them off the streets.  We were asked to give some of the kids advice about finding jobs and staying upbeat/focused.  The session went well and it was a shame we didn't have more time to spend there.  The kids were really starting to open up towards the end.

Beautiful paper mache houses made at Stella Maris

Sewing machines donated by the Japanese Embassay @ Stella Maris

One of the kids sharing a song he wrote about HIV/AIDS with us

Following our time at the Foundation we headed back to the hotel for an hour of rest before heading out to dinner.  Again, very good food but the highlight was the conversation.  Simply ridiculous.  After dinner we collected ourselves at the hotel and then headed out for our final night in Jamaica.  We started out at Jermaine's bar again, where we played dominoes and eased into a partying mood.  After a couple hours there we set off for a Dancehall (read: Jamaican club), where we partied hearty into the wee hours of the morning.  I headed back to the hotel around 4am, got around 3 hours of sleep, then woke up to have breakfast with the DomRep crew that was heading to the airport at 8:15 (our bus didnt leave for the airport till 10).  Luckily I wasn't heading to Barbados alone.  The T&T group had to fly there first before continuing on to Trinidad.  Even luckier I got to sit next to GiGi on the flight home, which was the perfect way to end the trip.  The only better thing that could have happened is if it had never ended at all.

New Blog Design

After browsing through a few of my fellow Fulbrighters' blogs, I realized how boring my own looked.  I've updated the background and design to something more interesting and will be looking into additional ways to "sex" it up.

Also, a full post on my Jamaican experience is coming.  Just need to get the photos uploaded and my memory recollected!

Good News! I'm Headed to Jamaica!

Today, thanks to the Senate's vote on a new Continuing Resolution (it passed by a wide margin), government agencies are cleared to spent sweet sweet monies until April 8th!  Almost immediately after the Senate passed the CR I received an email from Fulbright saying the trip is a go.  I should be hearing about my travel arrangements tomorrow.  Now I just need to get a haircut, iron my khakis, and brush the dust off the presentation I will be giving.  Also, I should probably email my professors to let them know I won't be in class this week. Shame!

Stay tuned for more updates on the trip.  Should be interesting, mon!

Widespread Budget Chaos

I came across this NY Times article today detailing the chaos the current budget situation is causing for almost every government agency. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/15/us/15spend.html?hp

In the spirit of my last post I figured I would share it with you all, since it details just how important government spending is to the daily functioning of so many programs we take for granted.

That said, the seers of Washington seem to be predicting a three-week CR will be passed sometime this week, meaning there is a solid chance my trip to Jamaica will go forward (*knocks on wood*).  I refuse to get my hopes up, however, since politics in D.C. is a fickle beast.  I'll make sure to keep you all updated.

Thwarted by CR?

I am supposed to be traveling to Jamaica for a Fulbright conference in 9 days.  Weeks ago the Fulbright program said a representative would contact me about securing plane tickets, but as the departure date grew closer and closer and I heard nothing from Fulbright I grew increasingly worried about the situation.  Well, I just received an email from the Fulbright program notifying me that the entire trip may be called off.  The problem, you see, is the Continuing Resolution (CR) the federal government has been operating under for the past two weeks.  Because there has been no fiscal year 2011 budget, no government agency is authorized to spend money past March 18th, which is when the current CR expires. Thus, because my trip is scheduled to run from March 20-24th, the State Department cannot pay for the hotels, plane tickets, and events required unless another CR is passed in the next couple of days.  While I've been hoping for an end (preferably sane) to the budget impasse for quite a while, this new development has given me a strong personal interest in seeing Republicans and Democrats reach a workable compromise.  Time to start holding my breath!

Win Some, Lose Some

Good news: my parents are visiting for the week!  Not only does this mean I get to spend time catching up with them but I also get to enjoy the hotel pool and some magnificent dinners.  They are here until Sunday and I will miss them when they are gone.

In fact, a big part of me wishes I could hop on the flight home with them.  On Monday I found out that the two-week intensive course I am registered to take in late March-early April has had its time changed.  Originally it was supposed to meet from 9am-1pm but now it has been changed from 2-5pm.  This was done (at the behest of complaining students) so that another intensive course which runs during the same two weeks could be moved to the 9am-1pm slot.  However, no one sought to ask me what I thought of this change - it was simply done and now I have to deal with it.  Furthermore, I doubt I would have ever been told about this change unless one of my fellow students had casually mentioned it to me in class.  There's been no email notification and I'm skeptical one will ever be sent.  Needless to say this has thrown a major wrench into my plans for the semester and I am pissed that at no single point was I consulted. 

Originally I took these types of issues in stride.  After all its just part of the experience and cultural exchange takes many forms.  Six months later, however, it is starting to wear thin and is enough to make me look forward to when I can go home for good.

Thankfully my parents are here to distract me for a while and in another week I will be flying to Jamaica to attend a Fulbright conference.  By the time I get back I'll have 5 weeks left in the semester and the sheer amount of work I'll need to do in that time will stupefy me beyond complaint.  I know that sounds hard to believe, but trust me it's the truth.  I'd rather save my energy for writing.

UPDATE (3/14/2011): In hindsight, now that I've had a few days to cool off I realize a couple things.  First, I feel terribly for my professor who got caught in the middle of this mish-a-mash.  By trying to accomodate one group of students via changing the class time she inconvenienced me and another classmate.  For her there truly was no good solution, so she was damned if she did, damned if she didn't.  Therefore, it was unfair of me to criticize the situation as harshly as I did since it was born out of good intentions.  That said, the way all this was communicated was very confusing and poorly handled.

Second, I was simply cranky when I wrote this post originally.  I had a lot of built up frustration and angst when this course change happened so it was the last bit that put me over the edge, even though it was a relatively minor event.  Lucky for me I was able to kvetch for an entire week to my parents, so it should all be out of my system...at least for a little while!  Thank you for your patience Mom and Dad.

Some Great Jamaican Humor

Sorry for the lack of posts lately - I've been sick with the flu and it's really taken it out of me.  I'm starting to feel better and hope to get back into the swing of things soon.  Meanwhile, here are some funny videos about or by Jamaicans.  As one of the most recognizable cultures in the region/world, Jamaica often receives more attention than its size suggests it should.  Enjoy!

Jammin Catamaran Cruise

Yesterday I went on a catamaran cruise with 30 other students studying abroad at UWI this semester.  The cruise went from 9am-2:30pm (which meant I had to be up at 7 to meet everyone!!) and included lunch and all you can drink alcohol/soda/coffee/tea, etc.  The cruise started near Bridgetown and immediately went to two snorkeling locals.  The first was a place where we could swim with the turtles, which sounds like some campy tourist cliche, but was actually a lot of fun; more then once a big turtle came swimming right at me or surfaced for air right in front of my face.  The other snorkeling location was by two sunken ships (a recently demised tug boat and a French trawler from 1919).  There were lots of coral growths on the ships and schools of fish swimming around.  Again, very neat.

After the snorkeling the boat went for a sail up the west coast of Barbados, stopped for lunch and swimming outside of the Sandy Lane hotel, and then returned home.  All told there were 50 people on the boat, but it didn't feel crowded because of how large it was.  The only downside to the day was I got a little sunburned after forgetting to reapply sunblock after going swimming so many times.  There goes my goal of spending a year in Barbados without getting burned!

I took a lot of photos of the trip on my waterproof camera which I hope to upload soon.  I have an essay due on Friday and need to finish my thesis proposal, so I doubt I will get to the photos until after those jobs are done. 

Scratch That

I spoke to soon.  Once I got around to writing my thesis proposal I realized how flawed my topic was.  It's a neat area to study, but the way I structured the topic made it not conducive to an actual scholarly research paper.  The main problem is the lack of a narrow, focused research question that can be examined either quantitatively, qualitatively, or both.  For instance, my Hamilton thesis had a simple research question: "Do strategic retrenchments ever benefit a great power?"  To examine that question I looked at three cases where great powers had retrenched to their benefit.  No drama.  Simple.

The question I posed for this project was not simple.  For starters, there is likely to be little scholarly research on the impact multipolarity would have on CARICOM for me to access.  Without that, I am left to hypothesize throughout the paper with no credible sources to lean upon.  To make maters worse I cannot even think of previous examples of multipolarity affecting regional organizations, therefore leaving me without historical examples to draw upon as road maps.  Finally, the topic is just too broad for the project.  The question of how CARICOM will navigate a multipolar world cannot be answered, in its entirety, in 20,000 words.  I thought of narrowing the topic down to CARICOM security cooperation in a multipolar world, but I am still left with the sources problem.

The result was a mini panic last night, as I realized my topic was crap and that I needed to come up with something new.  After a couple of hours of fruitless brainstorming I remembered the paper on democracy I wrote for my research methods class last semester.  In it I examine three hypothetical variables for democracy in 29 Caribbean and African countries (all former British colonies): years under British rule, GDP per capita, and % of GDP from remittances and official development assistance (foreign aid).  It was an interesting paper to work on and I received a good grade on the assignment, all of which make me think I should appropriate it for my thesis.

Since it was a quantitative paper, I am thinking of adding two case studies to make it a mixed-methods study.  I could examine, generally speaking, the nature of democracy in the Caribbean and Africa and then compare the stories told in the case studies to the results from the data I already have.  I could also add more variables to the study to expand it that way.  Needless to say I have a lot more brainstorming to do regarding this, but I think I am on the right trail.  It would make my life a lot easier to simply expand upon what I already have rather than start something new from scratch.  And right now, I'm all about making my life easier!  Island time!!!!!!!

Weekend Update

It's been a while since I've posted and I figure I should let you all know what I've been up to.  The past week was busy, with my time split between not feeling that great (there is a cold going around), writing a paper that was due yesterday, class and homework, etc.  The paper topic was simple - is Sustainable Tourism an oxymoron? - but I still found it a difficult piece to write because we were given only 600 words to make our case and were told we needed to not only give our opinion but address the literature on the subject as well.  It was a lot to cram into such a small space.

The one pleasure I have been able to indulge in is reading Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth which I picked up last Friday while grocery shopping.  I was in the mood for some more fiction after re-reading Isaac Azimov's Foundation Trilogy, and figured I should give Follett a try; all those commercials for the Starz series they did based off the book piqued my interest.  So far it has been a great read and I recommend it to anyone who likes historical fiction.

Other news:

1) I officially dropped that horrendous migration class, so I can cast that out of my mind.

2) I have settled on a thesis topic.  I want to explore the place of CARICOM within the emerging multipolar world.  CARICOM has only existed in a bipolar (Cold War) and Unipolar (post-Cold War) setting so far, which means it will be faced with an unfamiliar international setting as U.S. power declines relative to China, India, Brazil, etc.  How will it navigate this new world?  Will it be able to survive in its current form?  Is it even a worthwhile project anymore?  All things I think are not only interesting but need to be answered.  Also, I haven't come across anyone talking about this yet.

3)  I've been experimenting with the frozen fish section at the supermarket.  There is this company called Tidal which is based in Barbados that sells breaded, precooked fish that you can just quickly re-cook in some olive oil.  So far I have tried their flying fish and white fish (both good but the flying fish is better) and have a box of dolphin fish waiting in my freezer.  I'm very happy to have found some alternative protein sources.

That's about all that's going on.  I'm going to spend the rest of my weekend working on my thesis proposal and reading for class on Monday.  I'm getting back into "school mode" after my month off during winter break.

Old Photos - Oistins

These are a couple photos from when I went to Oistins a couple of weeks ago with my friends from North Carolina named Trey and Sarah.  It was quite a party! Also, these are the first photos I took with my new waterproof digital camera.  It is a stunning piece of technology.  Thanks again Mom and Dad!

Trey Culler

Sarah Bowdich

This is the stage where everyone shows off their dance moves. 

Goofballs

Haggling for a cab - the national pastime in Barbados.

It was a HUGE crowd.  An hour or so before this picture was taken there were a lot more tourists there, but by 9pm they start to clear out and the locals come in mass.

Bridgetown Photos From Nora's Visit

I've been bad about posting pictures (largely because it takes so damn long!).  These are from Nora's visit in November when we visited Speightstown and Bridgetown.  Enjoy!
 
The first two are of signs in Speightstown.   The first photo is a Barbadian rendition of Dora the Explorer.  Looks oddly Asian and creepy.  Regarding the second photo, Nora thought the concept of "Free Jams" to be funny and its hard to not laugh at the name "DJ Nibbles."  Definitely a food theme at that bar.

The second group of photos are from Bridgetown.  The first one is a picture of the Barbadian pledge, which I presume is the equivalent of our Pledge of Allegiance.  The second is a picture of the Parliament building from a distance.  The third photo is of Nelson's Column, the oldest column honoring Nelson in the world (yes it predates the famous one in Trafalgar square).  The fourth photo is of Nora standing in front of the entrance to Independence Square, which sits across the Careenage from the Parliament building.

This last photo is a close-up of the Parliament building.  On this side is where the government meets.  Across the way, in the other half of the building not shown in the picture is where the museum of Barbados history and National Heroes is.

Food, Inc.

I just watched the documentary Food, inc. which details the insanity of our food system by focusing on how it mistreats workers, animals, and the environment.  It is a great film and I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in knowing about where his food comes from.  My only warning is that it might make you not want to eat some of your favorite foods ever again, such as hamburgers.  You've been warned.

Awful Migration Class

Today I had my second Labour Migration class and it was a giant exercise in frustration and anger.  It was even more disorganized than the first class and the professor (who I can confirm does not have her PhD) continues to seem allergic to using scholarly sources in the discussions.  Sure, she will mention certain names after someone makes a comment about something, but there is no discussion or critique of theories.  Instead, the class is basically just one anecdote after another.  But that's not what really bothered me today.  There were three other things about today's class that really angered me.

First, when the professor asked the class to list events/ideologies that were affecting current immigration flows and the debate around them, one student called out in a sly, almost taunting voice "Nine-One-One."  At first the class was perplexed as to what the student meant, but quickly it dawned on us all that she was referring to September 11th, 2001.  Everyone started laughing - the exact response the student clearly wanted to elicit.  I thought it was hugely inappropriate to joke about such a horrific event and I was stunned everyone decided to laugh at it.  I felt personally offended.

Second, at some point during the conversation about globalization (I can't remember exactly how we stumbled upon this) the professor said, with all seriousness, that the only reason the United States supports Israel is because all of the U.S. banks are run by Jews and that they clearly collaborate to funnel funds to Jerusalem.  I told the professor that she was spouting conspiracy theory garbage that had no place in serious conversations, at which point she then challenged me to provide alternative reasons why the U.S. supports Israel.  I told her that the U.S. Jewish community definitely plays a role in lobbying the U.S. government to support Israel, but that there were myriad other reasons behind the policy.  She did not seem impressed.  Again, I was astonished at the unprofessional and offensive nature of the discussion.

The third thing that really pissed me off was the professor's use of religion in class.  I have no problem with people practicing religion as long as they keep it to themselves.  But this professor kept saying, as proof for the notion that people have been migrating since the beginning of human history, that "Adam and Eve migrated out of the Garden of Eden. True Fact."  What place this has in a serious, academic discussion I do not know.  Instead of quoting scholarly articles highlighting historical migration trends, this professor chooses to cite scripture.  Not only is that border-line inappropriate indoctrination, but it is in no way a "true fact."  Therefore it = COMPLETELY USELESS. 

Thankfully I have a plan to get out of this course.  Apparently the wonderful, intelligent, organized professor who teaches my Sustainable Tourism class is also teaching the course on Disaster Management in the summer.  I am going to ask her on Thursday if this is confirmed and if she is 100% sure the class will be offered.  If she says "Yes" I am dropping this horrible migration class and will take the summer course to finish out my classroom work at UWI.  I am crossing my fingers that I will be able to execute this plan, because I do not think I can sit through another one of these asinine and offensive classes without losing my cool.

My Other Blog

A few years ago I thought it would be an interesting idea to engage in an experiment in blogging on my site www.stephenokin.com.  On there I would post my thoughts on various issues, upload funny videos, and link things I thought generally interesting.  However, my production has essentially stopped since my senior year at Hamilton due to a combination of other work, forgetfulness, and laziness.  But I have good news: it is my intention to resuscitate the site!  I hope to start posting more regularly and hope you all will find it within yourselves to put up with even more of my opinions.  To start I just wrote a piece about the future of democracy.  If you are curious I encourage you to check it out and let me know what you think.  I find expressing my views is most interesting when I am being challenged in return, so feel free to tell me how shortsighted, naive, ignorant, etc I am being!

A Quick Musing

It's interesting that the acronym SIDS has two meanings: "Small Island Developing States" and "Sudden Infant Death Syndrome."  I'm not sure the two are entirely unrelated...

No Trip to Bermuda

Today I had my first Sustainable Tourism Development class and it was fantastic.  The professor was organized, articulate, and professional, and the subject material seems truly interesting.  There are so many ways tourism overlaps with regional integration and, more broadly, international relations.  I think this class will broaden my perspective on the development challenges facing many countries in the Global South.  It should be very interesting.

That said, one thing I am upset about is that I won't be able to go on the class trip to Bermuda.  Every year there is a sustainable tourism conference held somewhere in the Caribbean region in the springtime.  This year the conference is in Bermuda, a place I am very interested in going to since it is the oldest British colony in the world and is in quite a unique geographic position (right off the coast of the Carolinas).  The trip is during the first full week of April, which unfortunately is the same time I have my two week intensive class in the International Trade Policy program.  I guess I will have to go to Bermuda some other time...

Other news: tomorrow they are fogging my neighborhood for mosquitoes from 4-7pm, so I hope the air seals on my windows are nice and tight.  That stuff really stinks.  I am in the process of trying to find people to go out with so that I don't have to be home at that time.

Hope you all have an enjoyable weekend!  Savor the snow, because before long it will be summer and the heat will be on!

State of the Union

I thought President Obama's State of the Union speech was excellent.  He was straightforward, pragmatic, and non-partisan, and outlined a compelling vision of a future America.  I particularly liked how everything he spoke about in the first half of his speech revolved around making America competitive again and what role the federal government not only can, but MUST, play in making this happen.  The power of government to spur innovation has been proven throughout our history and we cannot let ideology get in the way of promoting the creation and manufacturing of next generation technologies in the U.S. 

While his message was aimed at the domestic market, Obama's focus on competitiveness applies to our foreign policy as well.  In fact, I would argue that it must be the cornerstone of our grand strategy for the foreseeable future.  The major challenges posed to the United States in the 21st century (the rise of the rest, terrorism, and climate change) cannot be met by our old strategies of containment or offshore balancing.  This notion, that competitiveness must be our grand strategy, is something I have been toying with for the past couple of weeks.  I've already begun writing about it and hope to post in more detail on the topic soon.  I just thought I would mention it here now given the content of Obama's speech and to give you all a heads up that another political piece is coming soon (I promise it won't be one of my famous rants!).

I'm curious what you all thought about Obama's speech.  Do you think he had the right tone? Focus on the right topics? I'd love to get a discussion going if possible, so let it rip!

Reflection - Daily Life

I've been meaning to write a reflection about my time in Barbados so far for a while now.  Given that it will likely be a long process I have decided to split it up into sections, so that I can better keep my focus while writing and so that you don't have to read one super long post.  With that in mind here is the first post, which is about my daily life.

Daily life in Barbados is both refreshing and frustrating.  On the one hand, the single climate greatly simplifies wardrobe choices (hooray shorts and flip-flops!), while on the other hand it is easy to get tired of constantly sweating and being dehydrated.  Having quick and easy access to the beach is another plus, but since I live alone I often lack the motivation to go.  I think this has to do with the fact that for me growing up, going to the beach was always a family/social event.  Much like going to a movie, it just seems weird to go alone.  I'm sure I could get over my socialization if I were willing to make the effort, but so far I have not been willing to.  Perhaps it's because, subconsciously, I don't like the beach very much?  I do burn very easily...

More enjoyable social activities for me include simple liming ("Caribbean" for hanging out and drinking socially), going out for a meal, and straight up partying.  One thing I have really enjoyed is the diversity of my friends.  Only one of them is actually Barbadian.  The rest are either Jamaican, from St. Kitts, Canadian, American, Finlandian, Trinidadian...etc.  It makes for a really interesting group since there are so many different perspectives and cultures represented, and stands in sharp contrast to the homogeneity of Hamilton.  I am trying to organize pickup football games (cultural exchange woo!) since I enjoyed that a lot during my Hamilton days and miss the exercise/competitive spirit it gave me.  And finally, of course, I must confess a softspot for video games and reading - two activities that are so simple to enjoy when pursued correctly (i.e. don't force yourself to read/play anything you're not interested in).  (I just finished Bill Bryson's The Mother Tongue and it was wonderful.  If you are at all interested in language I highly recommend you pick it up!).
 
Academically my life is good.  The first semester went well (I think - still need to get grades back) despite being harder than I had anticipated.  This semester is shaping up to be a bit easier since I will only be taking 4 courses instead of 5, one of which (Sustainable Tourism) includes a trip to some other Caribbean island!  The professors at UWI are are nice and definitely intelligent, but they are disorganized, not the best communicators, and sometimes just factually wrong (I had one professor try to convince me that the American expressions "Main Street" and "Wall Street" meant the same thing...) which can be really frustrating.  Overall I've definitely learned a lot, but it can be a frustrating experience more frequently than I would like.  I miss the well-oiled machinery/competency of Hamilton.

Academically, the one thing I am really dreading is writing another thesis.  I hope to start the question development and research process this semester so that when it ends I can just launch right into writing and be done in a couple months.  The problem is: I have no idea what I want to write about.  I know I have time to figure it out, but I am still a bit nervous about coming up with an interesting and compelling project.  This is made all the worse by the knowledge that I would like to return home for good by late August, meaning my thesis needs to be done by then.

The other activities that take up most of my time are cooking and cleaning (are you yawning yet? I wouldn't blame you).  My troubles going grocery shopping are well documented (either pay $20 for a cab or wait for the shuttle and go on some crazy hour plus ride after which you can kiss your frozen food goodbye) but I think are still worth pointing out again.  It is the one activity that I truly dread every week.  Luckily the apartment I am renting is wonderful.  It has tile floors throughout, making sweeping/cleaning up spills really easy.  It also has high ceilings, giving it a really spacious feel.  Even though it only has A/C in the bedroom I have somewhat acclimated to the temperature here and can exist in a not-entirely-miserable state during even the hottest of days.  By far and away the best thing about my apartment is its proximity to the university.  I can walk to the graduate school "campus" (read: building) in under 10 minutes and to the main campus in under 15.  I think this is one of the main things that has kept me sane during these past couple of months.  I would not be happy if I had to take a rasta bus to and from school.

One process that surprised me is how my attitude toward my neighborhood has changed over time.  Initially I was nervous and apprehensive about the area I was living in.  It looked nothing like any other environment I had spent considerable time in, let alone lived.  Materials that Americans associate with poverty, such as cinderblocks and corrugated sheet metal, are commonly used throughout the neighborhood, Barbados, and the wider Caribbean.  Likewise, it is normal for chickens, cats, monkeys, dogs, and even horses, to be prevalent in a neighborhood.  These are all things I have come to realize.  Yet when I first got here I was afraid that their presence meant I was living in a run-down neighborhood that might be subject to high crime rates.  The reality has been, thankfully, quite the opposite.  My neighborhood is decidedly middle-class, local, and safe.  Kids play in the street until the sun sets.  People go to church on Sunday (including the Jehova's Witnesses down the street).  Locals gather a bit down the hill to play dominoes and lime.  It is, in fact, very nice and relatively quiet (except for that damned ice cream truck which comes at all different times!  It came at 9am this Sunday.  What the hell!?!!)  The amazing sunsets make up for the ice cream truck though! 

So that's basically what my life has looked like over the past 4+ months.  In many ways it is slower and simpler than life back home.  You are forced to have fewer "wants" because they are either impossible to meet or prohibitively expensive.  There is more of a focus on the "bigger" things and away from petty issues.  Life is so challenging for many people here that there just isn't time for the petty concerns/bitching that we Americans make a national pastime out of.  And you know what, it's refreshing.  I have yet to hear anyone complain about Windows crashing or their phone being slow or  any of the other stupid things you hear all the time back home.  There is a recognition that you should be 1) grateful and 2) realistic - i.e. realize nothing ever works perfectly all the time.  It is a lesson I hope to embrace.

Class Schedule for Second Semester

I've officially registered for classes for the coming semester and it's looking pretty good so far.  I've decided to take four classes and just finish off my coursework part of the degree rather than take three this semester and one over the summer.  While the relaxing schedule of only three courses sounds really nice, I was worried about the summer course becoming unavailable (no guarantee it will be offered), so decided I was best off just taking 4 this semester and being done with it.  The last thing I wanted to happen was to plan on taking the summer course, have it become unavailable, and then need to come back to Barbados in the fall to take one more course.  That would have been a nightmare.  And, knowing UWI, a real possibility!

Anyway, the four courses I am taking are:
1) The European Union and African Union
2) Issues in Labour Migration
3) Sustainable Tourism Development
4) Business, Government, and International Political Economy

I wish I could tell you what I will be studying in these courses, but alas UWI does not provide any course descriptions, so I am just as curious as you are!  Specifically, Business, Government, and IPE is such a broad title for a course.  I can imagine an infinite number of topics that could be covered under such a minimal description.  If I actually had more choices for courses I would find this really frustrating since I could be signing up for classes it turns out I am not interested in.  I guess this is one instance where less choice is good?  At the very least it gives me a reason to not think about this stuff too much...

With this course load my schedule will be very light.  I will have class from 5-8pm on Mondays and Tuesdays ( EU/AU and Labour Migration respectively) and from 1-4 on Thursdays (Tourism Development).  Those three classes will last all semester.  Business, Government, and IPE is another one of those intensive two-week courses from the Masters in International Trade Policy program.  It will be held on Monday through Friday, from 9am-1pm, from March 28th-April 8th.  Those should be a fun two weeks.

Finally, I hope to start work on my thesis during this semester.  With only three full-time courses I think I can manage to develop a good research question and begin accumulating material so that when classes end in May I can jump right into writing and finish at the very latest by August.

So that's an academic update.  Socially I've been having a good time as well.  I've been hanging out a bunch with two Americans who moved into a friend's old apartment after she returned home last month.  Their names are Trey Culler and Sarah Bowdich and they are here for one semester while doing a study abroad program from the University of North Carolina: Wilmington. They're really nice people and its fun to spend time with them (I will post some pictures of them/our activities soon).  Tomorrow we are going out to celebrate Trey's birthday at a really nice restaurant called The Tides and then some partying in nearby Holetown.  It should be a great night.

And then there is the Jets.  Watching playoff football during the weekends has been an absolute blast due to the quality of the games.  I will be sad when the season is over, but to be honest it's probably a good thing since the semester starts next week and I can't spend my Sundays just watching TV!  So I am going to enjoy these last couple of games, hope the Jets advance to the Super Bowl, and try not to annoy the entire neighborhood with my screaming at the TV.

Ok, time to go make dinner!  I'll be back with that 4-month reflection sometime before class starts on Monday.  Cya soon!

Back for Round 2

Ok so it's been a while since I last blogged and there's a fair bit to update ya'll on.  To start with, the end of last semester was very hectic but went well I think.  I have yet to get my final grades, but I feel like I did well on my exams/papers.  We shall see though.

Also, I am officially back in Barbados after 14 days at home.  Those 14 days represent all the time I am allowed outside of the country (except for the upcoming Fulbright reunion getaway in Jamaica - more on that later), so I cannot go home again until July 1st.  This will be the longest I have ever been away from home but thankfully my parents will be coming to visit in early March, and Nora and my brother are also likely to make visits at some point in the next six months.  These visits will help break up the time away into more manageable sections of 1-2 months.

My 14 days at home were unbelievably hectic.  I spent the first couple of days in Connecticut with my family and Nora celebrating Christmas, which was really nice.  Christmas always feels right in the CT house.  After that I went to a fraternity brother's house in Monticello, NY for a mini-reunion.  I only stayed for one night, which was the exact amount my liver could handle; my tolerance has dropped a lot since I graduated.  Still, there will always be a part of me that enjoys tackling a 30-rack of Keystone Light with my fraternity brothers, so in that sense it was good.

Following the fraternity reunion I returned to NYC where I spent day after day running around like a crazed chicken catching up with various people from Hamilton and Horace Mann, meeting family friends about job possibilities, and doing other errands such as getting a hair cut, dentist, etc.  It was nice to be back in NYC, but I barely got to enjoy it since I didn't have much spare time.  The two things I did get to do were go to a Broadway show (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson) and finally go to the Rose Planetarium attached to the Museum of Natural History.  I owe both of those outings to Nora, who is so good at getting me to go on cultural adventures.  They were both a lot of fun.

Thankfully I returned to two more weeks of break in Barbados rather than the immediate resumption of school.  This has given me a lot of time to catch up on sleep, read for pleasure, take care of some business, and meet new people.  Currently I am in the middle of reading two books: Bill Bryson's The Mother Tongue which is a history of the English language, and Isaac Asimov's second book in the Foundation trilogy Foundation and Empire.  On the social front, two days ago I met a nice couple from North Carolina who will be doing a semester of undergraduate work at UWI via study abroad.  We went to a sports bar on the South Coast to watch the KC-Baltimore and Packers-Eagles games and had a great time.  I hope to hang out with them again.

Unfortunately being back in Barbados means my diet is going to contract again.  My consumption of fresh produce and meat will decline while my intake of canned/frozen veggies and soup/beans as well as carbs will increase.  I packed half of my suitcase with food from the US, so I have a couple of treats lying about the house (goldfish, beef jerky, chocolate chip pecan cookies, etc) but it will be a test of endurance to see how long I can make them last!  Thankfully I can have my parents/brother/Nora bring down some goodies when they come to visit. 

That's pretty much all that's going on for now.  I am trying to figure out my course load for the coming semester and will post about it as soon as I settle on a schedule.  Also, I have been planning to write a reflection on my first four months here, so stay tuned for that.