Just reached back to SVG late last night. The plane touched down about 10pm and I was back in Spring by 11. You know you're well adjusted to a place when you step back into the familiar and are glad to be there. Indeed, I'm glad to be back in my home in Spring. Although I'm grumbling at seeing all the little things I left messy when I left--just something to work on now that I'm back.
It's going to take me a few days to get myself reoriented to what going on here in the village and with the other groups I work with. Spent part of today walking up the village road to wave hi to others who live here. I'm sure that if I just came back and didn't say hi, the gossip would run--they'd know I'd be here and comments on my rudeness would come about. Certainly don't want that. People here really like to have that individual attention, bring the news to them sort of thing. Considering that many of them were concerned that I was gone so long, I really don't mind taking the time to walk around and let others know I'm back.
I suppose the hardest part about being back is that fact that I'm just about as vocally hoarse now as when I left and this has left many people confused. Some even joked that I was on vacation and not on medevac. lol, sure that would have been grand.
Many of the EC77 volunteers are finishing up their 2 years of service and are jumping through the various hoops to perform their close of service. One already left while I was away on Medevac and a few more are leaving this coming Monday. From now till Sept 15, they will trickle away leaving only a few until their very end date. One of them will be getting married to a Vincentian woman right after close of service. (PC policy says we can't get married while in service) I was asked to stand as a groomsman for him--way cool. The new wave of volunteers to SVG, EC80 (There was an EC79 but none of them came to SVG), will be coming at the end of August. When they arrive it will mark my groups 1 year on island marker. Kinda strange to think we've been here this long. Our mid-service won't be till late October, but still 1-year away from our comfort bubble is a mile stone nonetheless. Our group will advance to become the senior volunteer--inheriting all the new questions about van rides and where to find the best deals as well as showing the new volunteers some cool places to visit. How weird.
Looks like I won't be taking the LSAT in September like I wanted. Doesn't look like I'll be able to get all the t's crossed and i's dotted that I'll need before the end of this month AND have it snail mailed back and processed before the end of August. I'll probably shoot to try and take it here in December instead--my last shot for this year if I want to get a chance to enter for the fall of 2010. Probably won't fly home for that one--expensive plane tickets, darn holiday pricing.
Reflecting a bit on Panama, I realized that I ate Cinnabon WAY TOO MUCH. lol. Ok, so I had it 3 times in about 3.5 weeks. That is quiet a bit for me, especially considering that I would only have it on a rare occasion back home. That was one of those places I'd tend to avoid back home. Can't figure out what drove me to get it once, much less than three times, while I was in Panama. Found it rather amusing to be reading about various bad foods for ya when I stumbled upon this little gem:
"Cinnabons and malls are inseparable. Consider it a symbiotic relationship: Researchers have found that men are turned on by the smell of cinnamon rolls, and further studies have shown that men are more likely to spend money when they’re thinking about sex."
From reading some of the good/bad food choices out there, I came across a report talking about some of the 'better' food items found in most grocery stores back home. I suggest talking a look at it. It's not just all the 'super good for you so it probably doesn't taste good' items. Of course I must clarify that there are many good things for you that taste great--IMO. But this list says things like if you are going to buy ice cream, which is the best choice in terms of health. Woot, it was Breyer's Mint Chocolate Chip--very tasty indeed. (oh the lactose pain is worth it sometimes)
So check out 125 Healthiest Supermarket Food Items
I finally got some pics posted from Panama onto Facebook--last count 115.
Click here to go to the album link.
Here's a few highlights from there:
There was a freakin' carousel inside one of the malls!
Not to mention a T-Rex!
Loads of the Diablo Rojos (Red Devil) Public Buses
Some cool ant-drug mural artwork
Little leaf-cutter ants srambling about
and....Hummingbirds! I saw more in one spot than I've ever seen before.
A sloth hanging out in a tree--way super cool, probably my favorite thing I saw.
Gotta have a toucan shot. ^_^
Go Go Gadget Binoculars
Yeah, I went to the Panama Canal. Honestly, I only when because I happened to be in Panama. I've seen a system on a much smaller scale, but the idea is the same and although it is an engineering wonder I wasn't super impressed. I totally dug watching the sloth climb about more. ^_^
Big boat getting pulled through into the canal locks.
Well it's very late now and I should have been in bed awhile ago. Got a full day of catching up to do.
Still smiling and living life one day at a time.
Stay safe and happy
ciao tutti
~your local wannabe jedi
~Shawn
1 comment:
Glad to see you are back Shawn. I just returned from a visit home. While at the mall, I couldn't resist buying a Cinnabon - I too, rarely bought them before, but something was calling me and I just had to have it. The sloth looks amazing. And, "one of the malls"! OMG
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