White Person Sighting

Posted on July 12, 2011 by Sarah

We are not alone. I have seen them.

Today I got on the wrong bus. Coincidence? Not really, the other bus was late. But I saw something that became the highlight of my day. She, a red-head, sat across the aisle from me.

Someone on this island is whiter than I am!

Now you might think that if this is the highlight of my day, I have lost it. But hear me out.

It is a little odd sometimes being the only girl who prefers the shade of the inland trees to a sun-soaked lay on the beach. I don’t tan. Never will. I’ve tried, cried, blistered and peeled. Here in Grenada, SPF 85 and a good hat are my best friends.

In fact, on our various beach outings, be it back home at Tahoe or traveling abroad, David and I like to play a little game. It’s called “find someone whiter than the wife.” We usually go home pointless.

So you can see why my whitey sighting was so exciting. I wanted to introduce myself and ask about her impeccably unburnt skin. However, “Hey, you are white too!” seemed to be an inappropriate conversation starter – especially in a bus full of Caribbeans.

I quietly let the moment slip by, happy with the idea that someone else here might understand my love-hate relationship with Mr. Sun.

The truth is out there. And it is white.

 

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10 things I have learned about Grenada:

Posted on July 10, 2011 by Sarah

1. It’s Hot

2. The Hot Water Knob in Our Shower has no Useful Function

3. The Lizards Here can Jump, Sneaky Little Buggers

4. Anyone who Brought Even 1 Sweater is an Idiot … *blush*

5. Dehydration + Extreme Heat = A 4 Hour Nap

6. Mont Tout is Where all the Drugs are

7. There are no Marked Bus Stops. The Buses Just Drive Their Route and Look for the White People

8. Mischievous Mr. Sun Likes to Whack the White Girls and Make Them Cry

9. Mosquitoes Think my Legs are Juicy

10. It’s Hot

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Today, I Shared

Posted on July 10, 2011 by Sarah

Since snorkeling with friends several days ago, I wanted to share the experience with David. Now I want to share it with you!

In the not-so-perfect parlance of my point and shoot camera, here was our day:

 


 

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Under the Sea

Posted on July 8, 2011 by Sarah

In a rocky little corner of Magazine Beach, we found a few fishies.

 

We have been told that the snorkeling on this rocky enclave just past the airport is the best on the island. So far, I have to agree.

Wednesday morning, backs, butts and colorful snorkels dotted the water at Magazine Beach as SGU’s finest (both spouses and 5th term students) explored the view under the sea. The beauty was something we just couldn’t bear to leave, even when the rain came.

As the clouds burst, we headed for the water. The rain drops plopped all around us puncturing the water and making things look just plain cool.

Even more amazing were the schools of tiny fish who skirted the top of the stormy sea. Thousands of sardine-sized fish jumped out of the water just feet in front of us as the seagulls circled above, waiting for lunch.

*A big thank you to Kelsey for taking these photos during our snorkeling adventure with her underwater camera and allowing me to pilfer them for my own blog. She is a talented interior designer and an SGU SO. Check out her design work at kelseyinspired.blogspot.com.

 

Categories: Beach, Discovering Grenada, Friends, Magazine Beach | 2 Comments

Reflections on the Water

Posted on July 8, 2011 by Sarah

When I think about the bright blue waters in Grenada two words come to mind. First,

“wow”

From Grand Anse to Magazine, the beaches here are some of the most beautiful I have ever seen. Compared to the dark waters of the Pacific, the Caribbean Sea is shockingly blue and crystal clear.

Because of the island’s many bays, the waves are both small and gentle and the water is warm. Little clear crabs scuttle in and out of holes in the sand. They are definitely more afraid of our bare feet than we are of their tiny claws.

I went for a run on the beach and a swim in the water Tuesday and it was great. If it weren’t for the heat and the sun, I could really learn to love this. Which brings me to the second word that comes to mind when I consider Grenada’s blue waters.

“Ouch”

 

 

Without disclosing too much information, these little guys and a nice burgundy color are currently covering my back.

This is the second round of blisters courtesy of Grenada. I am sure that they wont be the last.

But the “wow” factor definitely dominates any “ouch” this white-skinned redhead might endure!

 

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A Fourth Full of Fun

Posted on July 8, 2011 by Sarah

You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness.  You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism.  ~Erma Bombeck

The porches and picnic tables of Grenada had very little red, white and blue bunting this July 4th weekend … with the exception of one wooden table on Grand Anse beach.

That Saturday, a group of people with a little national pride in their hearts gathered to celebrate both the United States and Canadian Independence Days. Junk food in all its glory abounded. We didn’t overeat – it was patriotism.

Both Canada and the United States are heavily represented at St. George’s University and we were happy to celebrate shared freedom with our neighbors to the North.

The food and fun were followed by an afternoon in the Sea and a few shenanigans.

 

 

 

 

On the night of the Fourth, from our squishy sofa, I closed my eyes and imagined being in Sparks beneath the Nugget towers – a Fourth tradition for almost 14 years.  I could almost smell the gunpowder as the colors exploded above wide-eyed friends and family.

Back in our little home in Grenada, the pop pop of Boston’s fireworks flickered on our TV as the Boston Pops Orchestra played “The Star Spangled Banner.”

 

 

Happy Fourth of July everyone! We are sure are proud to be Americans!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Made in the USA

Posted on July 4, 2011 by Sarah

I am a product of the USA.

I was cast in a mold fashioned by men and women who first crossed the Atlantic not to find soil for their ploughs, but to secure liberty for their souls.

My predecessors knew the burden of servitude and the steep price of freedom.  They have heard the sharp whistle of bullets and the roar of cannon-fire and have responded with resolve. Those that came before me knew that unless they would all hang together, they must surely hang separately.

Their vision of a wise and frugal government is now my reality.  This government “shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government, and this is necessary to close the circle of our felicity.” ~ Thomas Jefferson.

Millions of pioneers braved disease-infested ships and treacherous terrain to build America with nothing more than their ingenuity and two hands.  They were free to regulate their own pursuit of life, liberty and happiness.

The American resolve has been tested through a civil war, terrorist attacks and the daily determination of the American people. After more than two centuries, America is still producing a people who have the power of self determination. Our possibilities are only limited by our imaginations and our level of work.

Through 235 years American men and women have plunged forward, step by step and day by day with the belief that they can mold their lives into whatever they chose.  I can make my life whatever I choose.

Our nation has remained the land of the free only because it is the home of the brave.

I am a proud product of the USA.

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The story of Washin’ Wendy

Posted on July 2, 2011 by Sarah

Today, I had a maid come and clean my apartment.

Is was weird.

After a morning of perusing the after-school sales put on by departing students, I returned home to find a plastic bag sitting on my front porch. Wondering what it was, I carefully peeled back the edges to find a repulsive heap of garbage from beneath my kitchen sink. It was then, I knew Wendy was there. I pushed open the unlocked door to find a smiling Caribbean woman with a broom in her hands and bandana keeping the dust out of her hair.

I had met Wendy a few days before when she arrived on my doorstep with a bucket of cleaning supplies and a desire to scrub my floors. Unfortunately that was also the day our apartment took the brunt of the crate explosion after our supplies were shipped over from England.

Yes, my house was so messy that I was embarrassed to admit the housekeeper.

She was very understanding and said that she would just come back later that week.

The cleaning service is one that is included in our little pittance of rent each month along with a few other deals that make this tightwad happy.

Wendy has her own key and scrubs everything from the sinks to the toilet to the glass-top tables. If my counter is not too cluttered with crap, she will wipe that as well. She also sweeps and mops all 50 square feet of our all-tile-floored apartment.

Alright, maybe our apartment is not 50 square feet small, but it is close. There is not much to clean other than the floors, which is nice.

For her effort, Wendy demanded nothing more than a glass of water and that I stay out of the way. It only felt right to offer her something to eat, but she politely refused and went back to washing my windows.

The service, which is paid for by the apartment complex, is surely putting food on Wendy’s table – a big thing in a country as poor as Grenada.

However, I just can’t get over the idea of someone else cleaning my house. From the time I was a little girl, cleaning was a job that belonged to no one but the home owner.

Also, scouring has somehow become a right of passage as we move into a new place. Once touched by my magic gloved hand, the shower becomes ours. Any dirt that gets on that thing after the initial move-in cleaning is now our dirt, a pure form of scum that is somehow more clean than that left by the previous occupant.

We are living in a strange new world here. I guess someone else cleaning my house is just another aspect of Grenada to know and love.

Categories: Cleaning Lady, Home | Comments Off on The story of Washin’ Wendy

A day in the life

Posted on June 30, 2011 by Sarah

After only a week here, the “day-to-day routine” is still bit of a fluid concept. However, here is a little taste of Grenada as we know it … at least this week.

We wake up here:

Then go here, for obvious reason:

David walks down the driveway and hops on one of these and heads to school:

While I head back here and blog, clean and figure out what to do with my day:

Today I went exploring a little. But not before locking all our valuables in this:

Walking out of our complex, I am always met by this little old lady and her plywood fruit stand.

However, this is not my only option for grocery shopping. Just 15 minutes walk down the road is the IGA supermarket inside this little strip mall.

My next adventure will be into downtown St. Georges for the Saturday market. Stay tuned for the story!

In the meantime I will be decorating and making our tiny apartment a home.

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A strange new world

Posted on June 29, 2011 by Sarah

Toto, we are certainly not in Kansas anymore.

Here are some of the daily sights that make Grenada so beautiful and unique:

From our balcony, you can see what we were told was an almond tree.

These are the little beauties that fall from it. Allegedly, the little almonds are somewhere inside (after a lot of drying time in the sun) :

We are looking forward to discovering more about this strange new world!

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