before i get too much into the day to day, my thoughts on this year's thanksgiving: as needs to be done every thanksgiving, i took a look back over the year. there have definitely been some ups and downs, ins and outs, etc. but we've made it through. and i'm grateful for everyone that stood by me during tough times. and if i had to pinpoint one thing i'm most grateful for this year, it's love. namely the heartwarming smiley, pure, no-strings-attached love. people actually do care about one another and that, my friends, is inspiring. keep it up.
my internship has shaped up beautifully. the first day i went to the national child care board to sort out logistics of where i would spend the remainder of the trip. we, mrs. corbin, mrs. simpson, and i, decided that work in a home for children up for adoption and foster care. their age? baby-babies. the little ones would not have been my first choice, but since the older and more responsive ones go to school during the day, the droolers have my full attention. so everyday i hop on one bus, then catch a second, and then stroll down a government housing neighborhood to reach the lovely little house with the small playground out front. the kids are such cuties. there are 5 baby-baby boys, 1 baby-baby girl, and 2 toddler boys. they sleep, eat, get bathed, laugh, and mostly just watch you. (i'd show you pictures of them, but it's illegal to take their pictures - something about privacy.) and the ladies that work there are delightful. most of them have worked there for decades and just love working for others and being nurturers to those children that, arguably, need it most.
but more than all that, they love love love obama. fortunately, i love love love obama too, so we have some good talks and political rants. it's fun to see american politics bring tears of joy to foreign eyes. oh the power of hope. reminder: bush's last day in office is january 20th. stand by.
this past weekend was packed, so i'll give you the play-by-play:
friday morning we all got up early and did some lawn care - and garbage relocation) for the christian science church here. and honestly, it's looking pretty good now. apparently they have monkeys living in the yard, but i never saw any so i'm putting off believing it.
the rest of friday was spent running errands - grocery shopping, doing laundry. we've totally accepted that we live here.
most of satuday was spent cooking caribbean food under the instruction of a brilliant chef named ann-marie and her team (most notably a lovable man named sam). the day started in the fruit and vegetable market and then continued to the fish market. i never thought i'd see a fish go from living, to scaled, to boned, to prepared, to cooked, to eaten all within a few hours. talk about fresh.
the large guy on the bottom there is a dolphin fish - aka mahi mahi:
also on saturday i saw a grown man chase a two dollar bill down the street. (editor's note: 2 dollars barbadian is equivalent to 1 dollar american.) that man was my professor. we tease him incessantly.
the 47th anniversary of the barbadian independence from britain was sunday. so, naturally, independence day celebrations began saturday evening and will continue until monday night.
sunday, naturally, evolved into a day of music. in the morning, the group traveled to a formal breakfast locale only to be serenaded by a world touring barbadian gospel choir. and we were sitting front row. late night sunday found a few of us in an open air reggae club featuring a live bob marley tribute band. their rendition of 'no woman, no cry' is a definite highlight of the trip. and i'm loving that sunday was bookended by incredible live local music.
the holiday ends tonight and the country will get back to work tomorrow. and i guess that means we will too...
