Updates

• Currently in talks to negotiate a new contract at DRETCHI. I am really hoping to stay, and they have told me they want the same, but I'm waiting for the Personnel committee to meet with me.
  
• Apartment hunting...when apartments are un-furnished, they don't even have a refrigerator or stove! Also, if a price isn't listed in the newspaper, I have my Trini friend call to ask for the price so they don't hear my American accent and assume I'm wealthy and raise the price.

Roach in ear

Since I've been here, I've seen some interesting things in people's ears; wooden and pearl beads, pen caps, eraser pieces.
But recently a man--while taking his history--told me that he thought a roach had crawled into his ear while he was in Ft. Lauderdale 3 months prior. I looked in the clear ear first, put my brave face on, and then peered into the "bug" ear. Yep! There it was, all dead and bunched up in the ceiling of his ear canal...you could see the hairs on its legs!! I flushed it so the bug would come out a little further to avoid pulling it apart while it was in the ear. When I finally grabbed it with my alligator forceps, CRUNCH! The man jumped at bit, and I certainly winched inside. GROSS! It was pretty big, too.

D.D.O.R.

Add 5 more since the last tally. And a chicken.

Note to self...

A man passed out in the waiting area at work this morning. It took the ambulance probably about 2 hours to get there. He ended up driving himself home after spending a while in the testing room on the medical table. And I needed to flag the ambulance down because they didn't know our location.
...never need an ambulance.

Inauguration Pictures

The army, the Prime Minister and his wife, the President and his wife, and the winners of the Children's Carnival.

Inauguration

I was "cordially" invited to the Presidential Inauguration yesterday (along with the general public). It was really cool to watch, and there was a parade of National Achievers (kids that excelled in school, sports, music, clubs, etc). Also, lots of the armed forces (tons of men in uniform), bands, a 21-gun salute, national songs and pledges, and there was even a guy selling flags and flashy pins through the stands of the stadium. There was a program with the schedule down to the minutes. But I was impressed: they actually started right on time. I need to mention that there was no security whatsoever. They looked at the color of my invitation, but that's just to tell me where to sit.

Accident

A dump truck ripped off my front bumper with it's tire when it was reversing into a driveway. It sucked, but it was the safest accident to get in...no speed, no impact.
We both went to the closest police station and reported the accident. He took full responsibility in the station (which apparently is a good thing), and I've been driving around with my bumper in my car for a few days. It's getting fixed on Thursday.