Life As Tee

Headed for doctorship? ;)

2009-06-05T18:28:00.003-04:00

So I had my first "pretend to be a doctor" test a few weeks ago - my second one is next week already! It went okay but I was super nervous and shaking like a leaf. Hopefully practice will get rid of that. I'm pretty sure nobody wants a doctor who's shaking of nervousness. Here is a photo taken the morning of the test. The house in the background is the one I wish I lived in - not the one I actually live in:)

This semester is tough academically and I miss people back home more than ever. Luckily, my parents are flying me home in a couple of weeks. Yay!

Till next time...

2009-05-12T22:04:00.002-04:00

Still lovin' the new 'do'...
Not lovin' the new semester as much...
In the library again.

Home Sweet Home

2009-04-22T13:31:00.003-04:00

I've been home for 5 days now and each day has been pretty busy.

I had two molars completely drilled out and refilled. Ouch.
Shopped for 3 hours.
Spent two days running wedding planning errands.
Had a mini surgery - a mole biopsied - not really a big deal, just 3 stitches.
Got 9 inches of hair chopped off!

But. I LOVE BEING HOME!!!!

2009-04-02T19:22:00.004-04:00

I had the recent luxury of setting foot on North American soil to attend the wedding of some loved ones.

I love my friends...

Mt. Scenery

2008-11-22T11:03:00.002-05:00

I finally did it. I climbed ALL of Mt. Scenery for exercise and did it as fast as I could! I made it up and down in 55 minutes. (I know that means nothing to most of you, but to some of you - it's pretty fast). I think I can say that I am officially in shape! Woohoo!

2008-11-01T21:07:00.002-04:00

Aaron is coming in a week!!!! That's 6 days, 18 hours, and 23 minutes from right now. Yes. I am excited.

Omar

2008-10-15T06:56:00.003-04:00

I woke up and went running at 6:00AM this morning.
The sky was red. The hammers were a pounding. Omar is coming for us...

You can stay update here.

Rainy season?

2008-09-21T13:36:00.003-04:00

It's Sunday afternoon. I'm sitting in my apartment attempting to focus because I have 3 exams tomorrow. For some reason I cannot take my attention away from the torrential downpour that has been continuous for the last 36 hours, maybe it's because my roof is kind of like tin and I can hear it really well. Apparently it is hurricane season right now and I've been told that hurricane season is different than rainy season, but right now it really feels like rainy season. It's something new and I know when the rain stops, everything will seem greener and brighter. Ah, refreshing!

Well, back to it. Sometimes, when I'm feeling really discouraged I think about how when the exam is over, it's one more exam closer to coming home and becoming a doctor! So far, this method has worked pretty well:)

Been A While

2008-09-10T21:46:00.004-04:00

Well, the end of my semester came and went and I can't believe that I'm already near the end of my second week of my second semester at med school. It's been really hard to get back into my rigorous studying habits and it's also been hard to get used to 6 to 8.5 hours of lecture a day. It really takes a lot to sit there and listen for that long. My new apartment is great and I have a nice ocean view. It's close to the nice grocery store and close to a lot of students. It's nice to have my own place but be close to people in case I need some company. You can check my new apartment out here.

I had a wonderful break and saw some wonderful people - hopefully during my next break I'll have time to see more wonderful people:) Here are some pics...

I started my time with a bride:)

I did some of this...

...danced with some friends...

rode on a motorcyle with Tyson...

got my ass kicked in some water sports...

reunited with the fam...

and my favourite place in the world...

went fishing with the boe and my sista...

met up with the missing piece to the puzzle of my fam...:)

and even got in a game of mini-golf!

A lot more than that happened, but really, how can you enjoy life if you're constantly trying to snap it in a picture???

10 Days!!!!

2008-08-05T07:59:00.001-04:00

This is what I look like lately. Tired.
And all I can think about is the end.

Carnival week + studying for exams doesn't match.

2008-08-01T00:39:00.002-04:00

It is carnival week here on Saba. This entails EXTREMELY loud music and parades every night since Monday from dusk until about 2 in the morning. The whole idea is cool - the whole island basically parties together every night for a week. However, I am not a Saba resident. I am a medical student - one that is coming very close to final exams. Sleep and studying are important to me and carnival is getting in the way. *Sigh*

Tomorrow night/Saturday morning will be the biggest part and I might get woken up at 3:30 in the morning by the beginning of a day-long parade. Yes, I said 3:30 A.M. - that's when the party starts on Saturday - WOOHOO! Good thing the library is pretty much sound proof. My bedroom on the other hand is not - hence I am writing this blog at 12:45 and not sleeping...

2008-07-13T14:54:00.003-04:00

So yesterday I missed the Koole "summer gathering" or whatever you want to call it. Jocelyn was so gracious to bring her computer along and I got to talk to my Grandma over skype with video. It was the CUTEST thing ever. Of course she said, "I can't believe I can see and talk to you when you are so far away!" And also said that she wanted to give me a hug because she could see me but unfortunately skype doesn't allow for that yet. Maybe that will be the next invention in decades to come??? That would be nice. I do miss hugs from people I love.

Back to studying the nerve innervations and blood supply of the face...

2008-07-09T23:17:00.001-04:00

I miss this.

Counting down

2008-07-06T10:14:00.002-04:00

I think I have gone through two sets of exams since the last post. Time really does fly here because I am constantly busy studying and there is always a coming event (ie. exam) to work towards. I just had my third set of exams this past Tuesday. It went really well. I am happy that my hard work is paying off. It feels good.

This weekend has been both unproductive and productive at the same time. I have gotten close to zero studying done but have been successful at resting my mind and my heart. For this I am grateful. I think it might have something to do with the fact that I'm well over the hump and each day I get more excited to come home and visit everyone. <6 weeks!!!!

Play amidst the Work

2008-06-01T00:03:00.006-04:00

I have now been on this island for over a month. It's weird how it feels really long and short at the same time. I don't really know how else to explain it.

I'm still learning things at the most accelerated pace than ever before but I seem to be surviving. To take a healthy play break from studying, I decided to go hiking with my friend Doug this morning. It was fun, and both mentally and physically challenging. I'm glad I did it. The above picture is me at the top (all nice and sweaty).

This is the Mountain we climbed (the photo was taken from my balcony). On the right is the big hump (also known as the head of whale rock) and is basically a pile of boulders which we proceeded to scramble up. I've never done anything like that before and it was kind of scary - good thing Doug is an experienced climber!

I'm not actually trying to point to this (I was asking Doug something else) but my finger is pointing to the Bay where the beach is. Also, to the left of my finger, you can see Diamond Rock.

If you want to see more pictures from the hike, you can go to Paris Hill Hike Photos One of the photos is a shot of the windy road that I occasionally run on (it's especially beautiful to run at sunset because you can watch the sun set on the ocean from this particular point on the island).

1 Block down, 4 more to go

2008-05-24T12:18:00.010-04:00

So this past Tuesday, I had my first set of exams. It was very stressful but as usual, I made it through:) I did okay but I would have liked to do better. Considering that more than half of my class failed the histology exam, I should be happy with my grade but as most of you know, I'm not really like that. I have never studied this much in my life. I learned very quickly that Med School (even med school in the Caribbean) is not a joke and is nothing like undergrad. A typical day for me includes at least 6 hours of class and at least 6 hours of studying (it is worse or better depending on how close the exam day is).

I have met a lot of nice people - some of which I now call my friends. My roommate, Jamie, especially. It is nice that we clicked so quickly and that I feel quite comfortable with her already. We have decided to live with each other next semester and are now looking for a place. We want to move out of the Bottom(the village where the school & dorm is) because it is hotter here and there isn't much around. The Windwardside is a lot cooler and there are little shops and restaurants up there. It is kind of far but there is a school bus that picks you up and drops you off - since I'm not really a library studier, it shouldn't be a problem to spend only class time at the school.

It is absolutely beautiful here and I can't express how helpful that is with all the stress. It is so relieving to take a few moments to breath and take it all in. The view outside of my dorm is gorgeous and I try not to miss any sunsets. I also love how there are animals everywhere. I hear students complain about it all the time, but I like it. I see at least one goat, one bunny, and one rooster every day (and of course I hear the roosters and lambs all day). I took a video of the goats last weekend, you can watch it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlbHhzuADpc

I could probably write a lot more but I don't want you guys to have to read a book so if there is anything you're curious about, just post a comment and I'll be sure to include it in the next post (hopefully it will be written a lot sooner than 3 weeks from now).

This is one of the many sunsets (the picture was taken from my balcony)

This is my roommate, Jamie, on our orientation day. This is the testing center where we all sit at computers for our exams...the computerized testing will take some getting used to:)

After our intense morning of exams on Tuesday, Jamie and our friend Yasaman and I went to the Queen's Gardens Resort to hang out by the pool with some drinks. It was a beautiful day and this was the view! An absolutely perfect way to relax after exams.

These are my new friends. Beside me is Yasaman (Yaz), and beside Jamie is Bonnie. We all went to "The Swinging Doors" for a big BBQ ribs feast after our lazy pool afternoon.

Yesterday after 6 hours of draining lecture, I went snorkeling at the beach with a group of guys. I swam quite far, saw some sea turtles, some purple and green fish, a couple sea urchins(sp?), and swam through a cave. This is the picture afterwards.

Vacation before Hard Work

2008-05-02T11:24:00.003-04:00

A lot has happened in the last couple of days so I'm just going to outline it day by day.

April 29th
Nad, Des, and I left our hotel room in Buffalo, NY at 4:30 in the morning and headed for the airport. We got into Sint Maarten at 2:30pm and it was sunny and 83/30 degrees out. We took a cab to the ferry, dropped off our luggage and went to hang out on the beach and watch part of the carnival parade (the parade was for Queen's day, the Dutch Queen's birthday). It was crazy and loud and like nothing I've ever seen. Our ferry left for Saba at 7:00 and it was pretty much dark by then. The ride was rocky but none of us got seasick and we all enjoyed standing on the outdoor deck and getting our faces sprayed with ocean water. We finally got to Saba at 9:00 after pretty much traveling for 17 hours. Almost everything on the island was shut down by then, so the taxi driver dropped me off at my dorms and took the girls to their hotel in another town (10 minute drive). I was exhausted but excited so I unpacked everything at once and then crashed.

April 30th
I woke up around 7:30 because it gets light here at about 5:00 in the morning. I set out to walk/hike to Des and Nad's hotel. It was quite the hike. It was probably only 3 miles but it was mostly uphill/upmountain. I could've hitchhiked but I just wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. Also, every single car that passed me either honked or waved to me. Everyone is so friendly here, I love it! When I got to the hotel, we hung out by the pool then walked around the town, had lunch, and then had dinner. We had dinner at the hotel restaurant and sat outside on this balcony that has an amazing view of the ocean. It is so beautiful here! I took the taxi home at night.

May 1st
Nad and Des walked over to my dorm but only got about 10 minutes of walking (downhill) in before someone stopped and asked them if they wanted a ride. I showed them around my place and then we went for a hike up the Crispeen Trakk. It was a little trail with stone steps that weaved through the rainforest up the mountain. At the end of the trail it opened up into this pasture that gave a great view of the surrounding mountains and the ocean. We walked a little bit further on another trail and then Nadya saw a snake and freaked out so we turned around and went down. Halfway down the trial we saw a bench that overlooked the water so we sat for a bit and took it all in. When we got back, we changed and went out for lunch with two of my co-students. The one girl is very outgoing and it was funny to hear her stories of being in Sint Maarten alone. Then we just waited around for the little grocery store to open (it's been a holiday ever since we got here so nothing is open except restaurants which are very expensive to eat at, the store opened specially for students). We bought some groceries and were surprised by how many choices we had for food. We bought so much that we qualified for the free delivery which was really nice because the hill you have to climb to get from the grocery store the my dorm is incredibly steep and would've been terrible for carrying all of that stuff. Then we took the taxi back to the girls' hotel, had sandwiches, went to the bar for some beers (beer here is pretty much the same price if not cheaper than water) and went to bed. We were planning to get up at 6:00 to hike up Mount Scenery.

May 2nd
We woke up at 6:00 but there was a downpour of rain. Considering the steep slippery steps, we decided to go hiking up the mountain another day when it would be safer. Nadya and I signed up for scuba diving and Des is going to pay to come on the boat and videotape us:) Now we're just relaxing by the pool. We'll hike down to the tide pools later and I'm really excited.

On a sidenote, water conservation is huge here and so everyone goes by the rule "When it's yellow, let it mellow, when it's brown flush it down" and you can't flush toilet paper down the toilet! Overall, I just can't believe that I am now residing here! I love you all, and miss you.

Time Moves Quickly

2008-04-16T11:53:00.005-04:00

Well, it's been about a year since I last posted and I thought I should start up again in light of me moving far away from everyone. For those of you that don't know, I will be moving to Saba Island on April 29th to attend Saba University School of Medicine. As the last couple of weeks are coming to a close, I am feeling very nervous and excited and my stomach doesn't really like the combination. My days are filled with paperwork, packing, errands, and immunizations. My evenings are filled with last minute gettogethers/goodbyes. Talk about bittersweet. I'm trying very hard to focus on the sweet rather than the bitter. I will leave you with some of the sweet:)

The potential view from my potential balcony (in the dorms)

The one and only small beach on the island that is there one day and not the next:)

FamLove

2007-05-08T10:38:00.000-04:00

So my little sister is here. I say little sister because she is 7 years younger than me but let me clarify that she does not act, talk, or participate in conversation like a 15 year-old. She is AWESOME. It makes me question the little time that I spend at home and visit my family. I'm missing out on so much transformatioin/growing up. I've moved from living with my family everyday to just seeing them 3 times a year and knowing only the big things that happen - not any of the funny, sad, or mundain little things. Sometimes I get sad about this. On the other hand, I have found other family in the friends that I have here. Also, I have developed different relationships with my family members which I think was made much easier by the simple fact that I no longer live with them. One thing is certain, I am still the most comfortable sitting with my family, just chillin', than with anyone else (maybe barring one or two people;).

All these thoughts makes me wonder if humans could live without any love. Would a person actually survive without loving others or feeling loved by others? I don't know...

Where is hope found?

2007-03-14T03:32:00.000-04:00

So I'm sitting here during the night shift, and it's 3:30 in the morning. I've been working for 9 hours and have 4 more to go but I'm holding on strong. I was going to write a post about change during this shift but upon coming to work, my thoughts suddenly shifted elsewhere. When I got to work, there was a girl sitting at the nurse's station with a bloody arm. She had just been found in the bathroom, removing stitches and making more cuts in her arm. The cuts weren't too bad and I can handle blood, but I just couldn't get past the numb look on her face. This girl has been to hell and back like most of the kids here. I just don't understand what any of them did to deserve this. Some of them are a mere 6 years old for shits sake! Others are 16 but have been on anti-depressants since they were 6.

And then I see the innocence still there in the little girl who just lost her tooth and put it under her pillow for the tooth fairy (me). The only hope I can find here is that some innocence is preserved and we just have to help them hold on to that innocence so that they can bare the pain that they've been through. Without innocence it's as if childhood is lost, and without childhood, I believe it is close to impossible to develop psychologically - to live life like it should be lived.

My only question is, how do you find innocence for someone who's been abused since the age of 2? How do you help that person? It's as if a life has been robbed and there's no way of getting it back.

This is kind of all over the place and a little bit negative, I apologize. It is now 5:30am and I'm starting to fade...

Here's the story...

2006-08-20T22:21:00.000-04:00

So I went to my grandparents' cottage at the beginning of August with my Grand Rapids family (really I should call them my Rochester family because that's where they are all from, but I met them in GR so that's what it will be called for now). It was a great time.

The purpose of this picture was to make it look like I was put in my place by the boys...

...Ha, ya right. I'm all about egalitarianism:)

We ran out of gas which turned out fine and was great because we found a rope on a tall tree just chillin' on a secluded island.

The falls were crazy this summer. Bigger than I've EVER seen! So...

...we made them into an adventure:) Ummmm...what's that? A ski rope attached to a tree and my life jacket...I think that will be perfect.

...continued

2006-08-14T23:23:00.000-04:00

In my twelve years of going to the cottage, I have always known that Port Loring is a small town. I did not, however, expect that the only ATM in town was in someone's GARAGE!

A small portaging trip for nostalgia:)

This was the last picture taken before the camera was ruined. Needless to say an adventure was had including: kayaking through "rapids", finding a new lake and being blocked by a beaver dam.

Peaceful contentment

2006-06-18T17:41:00.000-04:00

Life is slow and relaxing right now.
This is good for my soul.

I'm living with Rob and Aaron right now.
This is also good for my soul.
Par example: At the moment Aaron is playing/writing music and I'm listening to it, but also listening to the peaceful rainfall outside.

I have decided to not retake the MCAT if my score is less than acceptable. I am choosing to take this step as a determinate of the direction I will go at the fork in the road => Med school or Grad school (Ph.D in psych). But really, those thoughts are stressful and I'm rather enjoying my peaceful/non-thinking life right now so I don't think about it too much. Tuesday will force me to think about it though. That's Tuesday. Today is Sunday so instead I will go have a BBQ with cool people.

I apologize for the lack of pictures. Someday.

Love.

Graduation

2006-05-22T00:04:00.000-04:00

So I graduated yesterday.
Bittersweet.
Good to feel like I've accomplished something.
But.
I have to say goodbye to people I love.
And, I have to go back. Alone. Kinda (Hannah will be there:)

Sonje lapli ki leve mayi ou

2006-04-22T18:31:00.000-04:00

IT'S OVER!!!!!!

Now I can do all of the things I've been missing out on like...

...homework (ha, but kind of true)
...watching movies with my roommates just because
...making Morris my second home (for those of you who don't know what that is, it's where my boys live)
...going to A Thousand Plateaus (Aaron, Joel, Doug, and Gabe's latest project) concerts, even the stupid ones that are just at home
...going out with my friends every Thursday night
...sitting out in the sun on a Saturday afternoon
...running:)
...rollerblading around Reeds Lake
...and so much more! The possibilities are endless!

I missed out on a little concert last night...and guess who was in the "opening band"! None other than Derek Stronks!

Transizyon

2006-04-16T20:45:00.000-04:00

I don't have much time so this will be short.
It's Easter, and I miss my family.
But my roommates lent me their families for the day.
I had dinner with Jodi's family...
and an easter egg hunt with Lo's family.
Here are some pictures to show you my new hair cut.
It's actually getting quite long:)

MCAT is in 6 days...

Gras a diri, ti wòch goute grès

2006-03-27T23:40:00.000-05:00

chicago.
was good.
lauren and i needed to get away.
so.
we took a trip to the windy city.
we walked a lot.
and walked the wrong way a lot.
saw matt. he's busy. and rich. not what i want.

we ate good food.....

saw the city...

and had a gloryous ride home...

did i mention lo is a really good singer?...

you'd think i was being sarcastic but she really is. my very own women's chorale singer:)

so now.
back to real life.
real studying.
real school.
real everydays.
good life.
and times.

temporary

2006-03-23T16:53:00.000-05:00

I'm back from Chicago. It was a great time. My internet is not working so here's just a quick update to let you know I'm still alive. More pictures and details to come! This is a pic of Lauren, Lisa(Lo's friend who lives in Chicago), and I. Yes, we are weird, and we love each other;)

Nadya Rae

2006-03-14T19:49:00.000-05:00

I understand but,
I will miss you.
Prayers for you and Michelle this week and the weeks to come...

2006-03-14T16:01:00.000-05:00

So it's been a while. About a month actually. Sorry about that. Things really did creep up on me and it's not about to get more relaxing.

I am doing very well though, I'd say the best I've been in a few months and it feels really good. A couple of weeks ago I kind of got a kick in the butt from one of my friends. He sent me an email and one of the things he said was where is the "tamar that once was, the fun, joking, laughing all the time, petty disputes, up for anything, generally just happy tamar."? I realized that I have been feeling very bitter about my goal and the sacrifices I am making for that goal. It's like the email smacked some sense into me. I am suddenly less bitter, and more calm about studying for the MCAT. It's only 5 and a half weeks away and I have a lot to do but the confidence and motivation to do it.

Spring Break starts on Friday!!!!

What will I do with my time?

1) My family is coming to visit for a couple of days ( I can't wait to see you:)
2) On Sunday I'm going to see the Peter Pan ballet (I'm friends with a number of the dancers in the Grand Rapids Ballet Company so that will be fun)
3) After the ballet, Lo and I are leaving for Chicago. I'm going to visit my friend Matt that graduated in December and is working there now. Lo is going to visit her friend. While they work on Monday, we get to tour around down town. It should be fun!
4) When I get back to GR, I will most definately be studying for the MCAT as well as writing my Bioethics thesis. Yay:) You all know how much I love writing.
5) Hopefully I will find sometime to fit the boys in. I miss them....A LOT.

Some things that make me happy...

Food

Namely Couscous...yes, Mom, I do eat;)

Warm weather
Yes, it was 18 degrees on Saturday and the sun was glorious.

People

My lovelies are coming in three days!

Okay, that's enough for now, I have to get back to studying. Hope all is well with everyone at home!

Men anpil chay pa lou

2006-02-16T23:45:00.000-05:00

"Many hands make the load lighter"

Over and over I hear everyone saying "make sure you have a good support system." and "you can't do this alone." It's true. I can't. Everyday I am thankful for the friends and family that I have because they make the load lighter (even though it's still pretty heavy;)

I don't have much else to say about my life. As usual I'm thinking about the future and what I will do with my life, but thankfully I have people (like Dad) to talk to about that. And especially thankful that my parents have not brought me up to think of my life as a failure if I don't know exactly where I am going at every moment.

Tuesday was Valentine's Day and I had three very hot dates. We went to Friday's and Hannah and I had delicious brownie obsessions. For all those that have never been to Friday's because you are Canadian (something to be proud of rather than ashamed of;), a brownie obsession is one of the most decadent desserts. It consists of a barely cooked brownie, hot fudge, and ice cream. Needless to say, 1 dessert + 3 wonderful dates +4 fun and "a blast from the past" games of MASH made for a much needed great evening.

This is Jodi and Hannah.

This is Lo(Lauren) and I.

Kisses to all of you!...

...though you may not want them from these two:)

Pal franse pa di lespri pou sa

2006-02-05T23:51:00.000-05:00

Speaking French doesn't mean you are smart

What I take from this is that just because you go through the right steps, get the right education, doesn't make you smart. It's the life lessons that really make you wise. It's the long conversations about life that you have with your friends on a Sunday afternoon. It's the struggles you go through, the coping mechanisms you make, the support network you create.

On another note. I babysat last night and watched the end of "The Upside of Anger." It was an okay movie but I really liked a few of the narrator's quotes.

"People don't know how to love. They bite rather than kiss. They slap rather than stroke. Maybe it's because they recognize how easy it is for love to go bad, to become suddenly impossible... unworkable, an exercise of futility. So they avoid it and seek solace in angst, and fear, and aggression, which are always there and readily available. Or maybe sometimes... they just don't have all the facts."

"Anger and resentment can stop you in your tracks. That's what I know now. It needs nothing to burn but the air and the life that it swallows and smothers. It's real, though - the fury, even when it isn't. It can change you... turn you... mold you and shape you into something you're not. The only upside to anger, then... is the person you become. Hopefully someone that wakes up one day and realizes they're not afraid to take the journey, someone that knows that the truth is, at best, a partially told story. That anger, like growth, comes in spurts and fits, and in its wake, leaves a new chance at acceptance, and the promise of calm."

I'm doing well. There isn't much to update. I'm doing the same ol' studying thing. :)

Ou we sa ou genyen, ou pa konn sa ou rete

2006-01-30T15:40:00.000-05:00

Today was the first day of classes of this long-awaited semester. Classes will be fine. Many of them are focused on writing which will be a new experience for me(not one I will enjoy but I can look at as a challenge;)

Aaron came home yesterday and Rob and Bri came home last Thursday so my closest friends are once again within driving distance from me. This is a bittersweet thing. I have made a vigorous studying schedule for the MCAT and plan to spend my weekends studying and babysitting; NOT hanging out with friends. This will be a very new thing for me but I find it somewhat necessary.

Don't get the wrong impression. I am actually very excited to begin this semester. I am excited to get back into a routine and start to feel more productive. Today, for example, I went to class at 9:00, ran 4 miles during my break, went to class again from 11:30 to 2:30, now I'm about to start studying, and then I'll be babysitting from 10:00 to 12:00. This is a lot more productive than I have been in a while. It feels good.

The title: " You know what you've got, but you don't know what's coming."
Right now, I have a house to live in, food to eat, profs teaching me things, and encouragement from supporting members. I don't know how the MCAT will turn out. I don't know where I will go to med school if I do. There's a whole lot more I don't know about, I could go on forever!

2006-01-26T15:29:00.000-05:00

I didn't get the job...but that is okay. I will have more time to study for the MCAT then.

Dye mon, gen mon

2006-01-24T18:31:00.000-05:00

The titles of my blogs are going to be Haitian proverbs...until I run out and can't find anymore. This one means " Beyond the mountains, more mountains." This is what I feel like today. I had a reality check. I will not have a social life this coming semester and everything will be stressful. Now. Let's think about this proverb. This describes the life of the average Haitian. It is way more applicable to them. Everyday is started with the fear of not having food or facing war and death. This should be the reality check for me. I really should be thankful for my stress. I should be thankful that I am going to university, that I have the opportunity to attempt entering medical school, and that I have friends and family that will understand when I cannot see them and will help me with any needs I may have. This is all so logical in my mind but it does not necessarily make anything less stressful. I will find comfort though...somewhere.

On a happier note. Jodi came home from South Africa today! This is Lauren(on the left) and Jodi(on the right). I love them. I live with them. They will help me through this semester. I will cherish our times together for the rest of my life.

Much love to you all.

Kreyol pale, kreyol komprann

2006-01-20T12:27:00.000-05:00

I finished knitting my scarf yesterday...and taught two people how to knit!

Tonight I'm babysitting the "angels" overnight. I get to sleep in a huge comfortable bed, eat good food...and wake up at 5:30 AM tomorrow morning. Fun stuff.

Today is Friday. That means that Rob and Bri will be back in exactly one week. That excites me! It also means that this is the last weekend before my next semester starts. Scary...

Off to class I go:)

2006-01-20T12:26:00.000-05:00

2006-01-20T12:24:00.000-05:00

Piti, piti, wazo fe nich li

2006-01-18T19:02:00.000-05:00

So I had my interview today. It went pretty well. I'll know by next week whether I got the job or not. The Van Andel Institute is pretty awesome. The designer of the building was brilliant! The lab is set up with a full window ceiling so, unlike any other lab, there is sunlight. Woohoo. I hope I get it.

I also went to the January series today. Paul Rusesabagina spoke today. He's the guy that Don Cheadle portrays in Hotel Rwanda. If you haven't seen that movie, you should. He basically gave a recap of what the movie shows, but then added that the United States(and probably other developed countries) has apologized for standing by while genocide was going on but it is still going on...in Darfur, in the Congo, in Uganda, and many other countries. That's something to think about.

I've been thinking more and more about getting out of North America. I'm kind of sick of it. I don't really know how I will do it though. It might have to wait 10 years or so. But hopefully the time will come when I can experience a place that has more appreciation for cultural diversity(not that Canada doesn't but Canada is still very much like the United States, and I don't appreciate that).

2006-01-17T12:22:00.000-05:00

Hello friends and family from home. I know, I know. I'm horrible at keeping in touch. This semester is only going to get worse because I'm going to be so busy with school, MCAT studying, and hopefully a new job. This will be my way of keeping you updated. I hope that's okay with everyone. I figure it's better than getting one email over the entire semester.

First update. I have an interview tomorrow at the Van Andel Research Institute. Pretty big deal and I'm really nervous. I'll let you know how it goes.

On another note, many of my friends are gone for interim and I miss them. (Rob, Bri, Aaron, and Jodi) I'm counting down the days until they get back.

My interim class (pathophysiology) is boring but educational I guess. I'm learning a lot about diseases. I understand a lot more when I'm watching Grey's Anatomy now. Weird.

I love you all.