08/16/2003

Hi Everyone!
I'm in Grenada and the island is beautiful!  My roommate and I traveled through some torrential downpours today in a reggae bus that almost hit a cow on the road, but in between the rain, we were able to check out the island and meet some of the other students.  The dorms are like being back in freshman year of college, but one of our neighbors is 53, so I don't feel so old!

08/17/2003

My roommate and I took a trip downtown to get cell phones and eat lunch. We got stuck in a torrential downpour, so while we were waiting for the rain to stop, I met this guy named Rocky who is Grenadian and was a revolutionary in 1983 when the U.S. invaded Grenada. He was put in jail and questioned about whether he was a communist for about a week, but then he was released. Anyway, he bartends at this really good Italian restaurant, so we went there for dinner last night.  

Then we went to an AMSA (American Medical Student Association) party last night in this hut on the beach.  Today, we had opening convocation and went hiking to a waterfall. It was beautiful. We took a taxi there (it's a van) and the drivers came on the hike with us!  

During the day, my roomate had to go to the clinic and the doctor there let me listen to her bowels and stuff. It totally made me feel like a real medical student!  

Tomorrow is our white coat ceremony and classes start!  I'm getting so nervous now!