Day 25

Today was relaxing!  We don't have class on Tuesdays, but we're supposed to do research all day for our independent research projects.  But since we haven't actually started those yet, all we had today was a 45-minute meeting with our advisors.  Woohoo!  I did do some 'research' by going snorkeling in search of peacock flounders (my research subject) and found two pretty quickly.  They are so cute and fun to chase!  And with fins I can easily keep up with them.  :)

Yesterday was supposed to be our deep dive, which is a requirement to become an Advanced Open-Water diver.  The deep dive is to a shipwreck, which is really cool!  Unfortunately our diving professor came down with Dengue Fever, which is carried by mosquitoes.  It lasts for about 10 days and gives you a fever and bone pain.  What's really sad is that she had the flu last week!  So then the other folks wanted to go wakeboarding and tried to rent a boat, but when the boat-guy showed up and saw they were students he said they couldn't take the boat!  I guess the medical students here have a bad rap.

Grace (my roommate) and I decided to go for a dive, and were a bit surprised to see everyone just sitting around by the dock.  Lori, my other roommate, decided to join us, so the three of us went for a lovely little dive!  It was our very first dive without an instructor around.  Nobody died or got injured, so I guess we did good.  It might sound stupid but I feel much more confident about my diving abilities now that I've gone without 'supervision.'  My ears have also been equalizing much better, almost no problems at all!  Yay!

Fish are hard to keep up with while diving, so most of my pictures are of coral.  But coral is pretty too!

Hi!  Let me show you around!

French Angelfish!

Ohmygosh LIONFISH!  (They're very poisonous!)

Sea anemone!

Eusmilia!  (That's the coral's scientific name.  Sounds like 'smile!')

Eusmilia with a purple sponge!

My roommate, Grace! 

Colpophyllia!  (Brain Coral!  It's HUUUUGE!)

...this is the same French Angelfish.  But he's pretty!

On Monday we took a trip around the island to cleanup a beach and visit the landfill, the 'sewage plant,' and the new sewage plant.  The beach we cleaned up was depressing, because there were bottlecaps EVERYWHERE.  We filled up a lot of trash bags.  The current 'sewage plant' is actually just bogland in the middle of the island, where they dump the island's sewage.  It didn't smell as bad as I imagined, I've definitely been in more toxic outhouses.  The new sewage plant took 12 years to get approved and is so outdated that it's been outlawed in Europe, but it's definitely a step up from the bogs.  It should be up and running within a few months!  The landfill is actually just a dump, which is where we threw the trash bags from the clean-up.

I have the landfill pictures on another camera, which I have lost the cord to.  But don't worry, you aren't missing out on much.  Here are some pictures of daily life in the CIEE residence hall:

Uhhh, am I supposed to eat that?

A nice man named Gibi makes us food every day.  Sometimes it's good.  Most of the time... not so much.  I think I'm losing weight...  I miss my Nanny!

As for that stuff on the plate... I honestly have no idea what it's supposed to be.  My dinner was "chicken gordon blue," according to the food sheet.  A few days a week my lunch is 'cheese sandwich,' which is exactly what it sounds like: a white sub-loaf with melted american cheese.  Healthy!

I am SO not eating this.  (But check out those tan lines!  :D)

 Kyle has back pain that he treats with pressure cups!  But he needs someone else to put them on for him, so it's a fun house event.  We like to play with the suction cups.  :)

How the suction cups SHOULD be applied.

Fortunately this did not leave hickey marks.

Malia was not so lucky.  She's got some big red hickey marks. 

"Doooon't stop belieeeevin'!"

"Hold on to that feeeeeeelin'!"

 We've got a field trip to the national park tomorrow, so expect more pictures!  :)