I'm Busier Than a One-Legged Woman in a Butt-Kickin' Contest!

Sheesh y'all!  I am busy. busy, busy here on the beautiful island of Dominica.  It has been FABULOUS to have such a fabulous community of spouses and students here, but dang!  I've been run ragged in the past few days and it's only Wednesday!  So I'll try to catch you up on a few of the goings-on this week:

Monday:
Jonathan had his first "mini" (which, for those of you who are new readers...that's what they call exams here in med school).  Having come out of MERP, it was a little weird to be taking a test so early.  In Freeport, Jonathan had quizzes every week and tests only every 4 weeks.  So this test felt a bit like just a run of the mill quiz.  All his fellow MERPers felt the same way, but there was definitely some tension in the air among everyone.  I mean this is all official and what not now!  So he studied his little tail off last weekend and came out of the test feeling REALLY good.  I mean smiling and relaxed and everything!  He doesn't find out his grade for a few more days, but I'm confident he did REALLY well.  Jonathan is like a "test grade barometer".  I can usually tell how he did on a test by his body language alone.  After his test was over, we just had a nice relaxing day.  We walked up The Hill (i.e.-Banana Trail) to De Champs which is a bar/restaurant that is quite popular among the students.  It has SPECTACULAR views!  We hung out for a bit and then headed back down the hill to meet Michelle and Matt for dinner.  I'll post some pictures soon from our little trek (they're on Jonathan's phone).  Just beautiful though...and we saw a pirate ship!

Tuesday:
The RSO (that's Ross Spouses Organization) took a trip to Roseau.  Roseau is the capitol city here in Dominica, and it has some retail and grocery stores that have things you can't find here.  The prices there are a little cheaper than here, but it's usually not worth it to go just for the prices.  It's about a 45-60 minute drive up there, so the cab fare is pricey.  The RSO takes a free trip for paid members though, so woohoo!  I went and stocked up on paper towels, white vinegar, baking items I can't find in Portsmouth, and a few other things.  It was a lot of fun, though it was crazy hectic being driven from store to store.  With 8 people in the little van plus all their bulk items, the car was a bit like Mary Poppins purse when we got back to Portsmouth.  Our driver, Bruno, was such a trooper and helped me and Michelle drag all our stuff up to the 3rd floor of Comfort Zone.  Most Dominicans are SO nice...quite a nice change of pace from the Bahamas!  So yesterday (after being gone from 7:40-2:40) I did some organizing of my schtuff, cooked Jonathan a homemade pizza, and watched Silver Linings Playbook (since our internet was out).  Pretty good movie!  All in all, it was quite a productive but tiring day!

Wednesday (Today):
Since the internet was down for the better part of the evening last night, I had some serious catching up to do for ADKOF (for those of you who are new readers, that stands for A Different Kind of Flair...that's our handmade jewelry small business...).  So as soon as Jonathan left for class, I hit the computer.  Whew!  I spent about 3 hours getting caught up on emails and texts and orders and site maintenance, and then I had to get changed to go to a job interview.  My neighbor here at Comfort Zone is opening up a restaurant called Pellegrino's right across the street from campus.  It's going to be kind of like a gastropub and he wants it to look and feel like "home" (i.e.-a place you might find in the states...or Canada which is where he's from...).  He asked me to come by and chat with him about a job opportunity, so I headed down there this afternoon.  First, the restaurant is beautiful inside!  I really love it!  I think it's going to be REALLY popular with the students.  He's opening up sometime next week and I am officially hired!  We are doing a test run of the menu this week and I'm getting some tutorials on how to run the coffee/capuchino/espresso machine (fun!).  We're also going to try out my pizza dough recipe in the giant industrial mixer there at the restaurant to see if it cooperates.  That's exciting for me...I might have a recipe on a restaurant menu!  There's lots of work to be done, but I feel like managing 230 middle school band kids kind of gives me a leg up on multitasking, so I'm feeling up to the challenge.  If you're a student or a spouse, stay tuned!  I'll let you know when the official grand opening is going to happen.  Then come by and enjoy an awesome atmosphere, good food, good drinks, and good service!

So there ya have it...my week so far!  It's been a little crazy, but I like this change of pace which is MUCH more engaging than my pace in Freeport.  That was a much needed "slow down" time for me, but I'm definitely grateful for the opportunity to be more involved on this island.  I feel like it will help with the "island resentment" which is inevitable in a situation like this.  So far, though, I'm still in love with this little island.  And I'll say it again...come and visit and you will not be disappointed...I promise!

On a slightly different note, I cut into the custard apple I bought at the market on Saturday.  Here is that story in pictures:

So I cut it open and I see basically exactly what I'm expecting to see.  White flesh that is the consistency of custard.  It smells sweetish, but I was expecting to see bigger seeds...

So I scoop out a bite.  Again...looks and feels like I'm expecting it to.  I have envisioned this greek yogurt consistency with a kind of pineapple-y flavor.  Sounds delicious right??  

 Take a big bite...here's the reaction:

Tastes a bit like a chewed up piece of juicy fruit with a slight aftertaste of rotten plants.  I have absolutely no idea why in the world anyone eats one of these and thinks it tastes good.  I mean seriously...

I think I'll stick to more familiar fruits from now on...I prefer the taste of FRUIT over the taste of used gum...