More from the first week in Dominica

Hello again.

I've got lots more to share from my first week here, and plenty of pictures to upload. My friends have also taken some great pictures, so take a peek at my Facebook pictures too, if you like.

Yesterday was the first day here where it did not feel like just a vacation. We finished up the 4th and final day of orientation, then had a litany of errands to run, things to sign up for, items to pick up, etc. I've found that things are not exactly organized in the most efficient manner here at Ross. It seems like everything turns into a scavenger hunt, of sorts. You learn to ask others where they found this and that, then when you get there the person in charge may or may not be there anymore, or the item(s) you came for may be all out and they ask you to return tomorrow. If I learn anything at all here, it will be patience (although, I better learn a lot more than that...).

Before I left, my cousin Leota made this awesome cake for me! I see a future as the next Ace of Cakes!

This is taken from the steps of the "Annex", which is where the first semester students have lecture. The building in the forefront is just a storage building, but I took the photo because the clouds blowing over the mountains in the background are just gorgeous. Photos really do not do this country justice. You have to see it in person to fully understand its grandeur.

Yes, there is a KFC on the road between campus and the Annex. A taste of home will be nice once in a while, and its surprisingly inexpensive. The place right next door to it is called Rituals and is essentially a Starbucks, but with much much better food, that is also surprisingly inexpensive.

The Portsmouth Beach Hotel has cabins that are right on the beach. This is where the cast of the Pirates of the Caribbean stayed during filming on the island, except Johnny Depp, who stayed on his yacht in the harbor. Notice the black sand beach.

This picture is essentially the view I have from my front door. Photos do not do the elevation changes justice. That mountain in the background goes up at about a 50 percent grade.

This is the view from the road that runs right next to campus, facing north. Campus is just to the right and the Annex is about a quarter mile down the road.

This is the Activities Center, located on the north end of campus. The workout room takes up the bottom floor and the top floor is a student lounge with flat screen televisions, ping pong, and pool. I'll be spending a lot of time here, mostly downstairs where the workout room is decently well equipped.

This was the site of my first dive, just south of RUH. The barge on the right of the picture has been grounded for a while and teams is now an artificial reef. The dog is the Dive Master's.

Taken from the main road, my apartment is the bright orange/salmon colored building in the center of the screen. I live on the bottom floor.

This is the door to my apartment. I have three windows and a door with a screen, and when I open them all up the breeze blows nicely through. When I use my computer I sit at the kitchen table and enjoy the wind. My apartment pretty nice quality construction, but what is mind-boggling is that just about everything is done by hand here. I see laborers building new constructions and there is not a forklift, crane, jack-hammer, or nail gun to be seen. Building sites are cleared with machetes. It really is amazing what these people can do with their bare hands.

I leave you with a video from a BBQ that was thrown by the University for 1st semester students. Of course, I was particularly excited to listen to a steel drum band that performed above us as we ate and mingled.


My Best to all!