Sorry, it has been awhile!

Hello everyone...sorry I have not blogged in awhile! We have been so busy with homework for the past few weeks, tonight is the first night in awhile that we have not absolutely had to do homework!! It is a bit of a relief but we have lots more coming up to close out the end of our short 10 week semester. WE WILL BE HOME 3 WEEKS FROM TODAY...We are very excited, Derek has started counting down the days!!

Since the last blog we have had a few funny things happen to us...

First, last week we had to go to the bank to make a withdrawal from the ATM. We were waiting in front of the bank to use the ATM, when all of the sudden this women (who we think was on drugs) ran out of the bank and pulled a parking sign out of the flower bed. She started swinging the sign in front of the door like she was going to throw it through the glass door. Derek and I were very puzzled as to what was happening. Then a guy in our class came out the front doors of the bank, he filled us in on what had just happened inside. Basically, this woman was in the bank and did not want to wait in the long line. So she tried to jump in line in front of another customer. Well, apparently she picked the wrong woman to get in front of. So the woman who she got in front of just started punching the woman who got in front of here in the face. Then that is when the woman that was punched in the face came outside and grabbed the parking sign. Apparently, she was going to go inside and beat the other woman with the parking sign. One of the funnest things about this whole story is that the security guard was just standing there watching all of this take place...obviously the bank security does not have much authority. Before you ask...no, we don't think the police were called. The way Grenada goes even if they would have called the police they may or may not come and if they do it would be hours after the call...so it would do no good to call the police!!

Second, our community health assessment class is almost over!! This last Friday was our last day to go in the field to speak with the community members. Our last assignment was to conduct two focus groups with the community members. One of our focus groups was with a group of women. Well, one young lady in the group has a baby and apparently the baby was hungry while we were conducting our focus group. So, in the middle of some of her peers and this group of American students (all of who are white and 3 of which are male) she started breastfeeding. Which was shocking to all of us because I know if that were me I would have gone somewhere a little more private. But, I guess that is just part of their culture here. Also, another guy in our class, on two separate occasions, walked up on two different older women taking showers in their back yards. Most people in the community there don't have indoor toilets or showers. I finally remembered to take my camera with me on Friday and I got a few pictures...

This is a picture from up one of the hills in the community, if you look right in the middle of the picture, off in the distance, next to the water...that is campus (all of the light pink colored roofs). Sorry, I wish the picture was better. Also, you can see the straight road in the very middle of the picture...that is Morris Bishop Highway (the only "highway", if you want to call it that, on the island).

This picture was taken from the same spot as the last picture, I simply turned 90 degrees to the left to take this picture. All of the houses you can see on the hill are the little shacks I previously talked about. Most of these people are what the government calls squatters (they don't own the land they just come in and find a spot and build a little shack to live in). Also, note that there are no roads to any of these houses on the hill. They literally have to climb up to their homes...it's crazy!!
This picture is something else that I found was funny. I am not sure if you will be able to see it or not but there is wire around this area on the front of this house. If you look close you can see a cardboard sign...this sign says "Whole Chicken for Sale". They were selling whole live chickens.

Third, this week is health week in Grenada. The Government of Grenada decided to focus on global climate change this year for health week. Our Public Health Student Association (PHSA) is conducting different events on campus for health week. So, on Monday the PHSA had a tree planting. Now here is the funny part. We are in the dry season now, campus is on the driest part of the island and campus is running low on their water...so it would not be wise to transplant a tree at this time of the year because it would need extra water. Therefore, PHSA decided they would have a plaque laying ceremony. Well, the plaque did not exactly come through and they did not want to lay this plaque in concrete then when the rainy season comes them decide to plant the tree somewhere else on campus. So, on Monday they had a "tree planting" photo opt. They plan to plant the tree when the wet season comes. Also, today the government of Grenada was having a walk on the beach to concentrate on global climate change, they were walking on the beach from Grand Anse Beach to Point Saline (which is a pretty long walk). So, they were making the walk then having buses pick them up and drive them back to where they started. It is pretty ironic...what a better way to fight global climate change than to walk a bunch of people somewhere then have buses pick them up to take them back to where they started. Of course those diesel emissions are great for the environment.

Here are just a few more pictures we have taken over the last few days...

Behind the mall where we go to the grocery store there is a drainage ditch which is usually full of water and lots of crabs. When it rains the holes the crabs live in are flooded with water so the crabs have to dig out of their holes when it rains. After we went grocery shopping the other day I just so happened to have the camera so I decided it would be fun to take pictures of the crabs, they are bright orange!!

And lastly...I have seen lots of pictures people have taken here of rainbows and I have been wanting to see one. Well, a few days ago I was lucky enough to see one...here are a couple pictures. Then, today I took a nap this afternoon when I woke up and looked out the window I saw two more, they were not bright enough to take pictures of. All, of the ones I have seen in the last few days have been part rainbows...I am hoping to see a whole one soon!!

We love and miss you all! Hope to have a chance to add more soon!