Monday 31 August 2009

Happy Monday !

Aha ! 'Tis a Monday, the day of the week most commonly scorned. Au contraire, I have something to smile about today. Yes, you guessed it. I slept last night.

Thus, today was a good day. Or so it should have been.

I went to sleep last night around 2am, to wake up this morning at 7 45. Usually by then I am already up and running anyway; but this time I had to wake myself up to get ready for school. (I call that a success.) Of course the day I decided it might possibly be okay to wear jeans, the weather decided to play with me by exuding extreme amounts of humidity. I almost died with all the walking I did in that heat. So what does that mean? No gym for me today.

I was actually supposed to go to Water Polo practice, but my ride left me hanging on to some invisible rope, and now that it is 6'o'clock and I have gotten no response, my hopes of reliving my high school days have been shot to hell - at least for today. If it was not a water activity, I am not sure any other physical activity could get me out of the house until the sun goes down.

Florida's weather is so indecisive.

On another note, I still managed to go through the day being extremely tired. I am thinking the last week of no sleep caught up to me. But wait, I have to explain how I finally got to sleeping.

The Miracle:

During a phone call last night, I ended up bursting into tears after finally deciding to just let it all out. The news I have been getting lately deserves a few tears, but for some reason I just took it all in like I have no emotions. I hate crying, but I had no control this time. I felt as if all of my cataclysmic internal thoughts came flowing out with the tears. I also hate telling people what goes on in my personal life, but I am glad I have someone I can confide in anyway, and he made me feel much better in the end. So after the verbal diarrhea, I slept like a baby. I cannot believe that was all it took.

Loneliness is deadly.

If I were living with roomies who were actually somewhat into conversation and meeting new people, or if I were living with my old roommates, I am sure I would not have missed out on that much sleep. We would have had our heart-to-heart one night or the other, where we all talk about the weight on our shoulders in an attempt to lift them, and then cry like little babies while listening to slow music.

I miss those days. These days I spend by myself, in my room, not really doing much of anything if it is not schoolwork.

Speaking of schoolwork, I have to write a story for my grammar class and I have absolutely no ideas. It can be about anything at all, which should be easy enough, but my creative juices are not flowing.

Any suggestions?

Saturday 29 August 2009

I Forgot What This Felt Like

I spent all day in bed.

I would start the description of my day by saying "I woke up at.." But the only problem with that version is that it is not real. To spare you from going down that path one more time, I will just move on from there. (As much as I hate medication I am beginning to consider the melatonin suggestion from Optimistic Pessimist.)

Today is (or should I say would have been?) the birthday of Michael Joseph Jackson. So, of course, every station that is any station was showing some kind of story or documentary or movie in reference to him. As a die hard MJ fan, I managed to watch about three of said programs from the comfort of my bed. It is a bit embarrassing, but I will admit that quite possibly I shed a few tears.

In between all of that I also tried sleeping, but my attempt at such a feat proved an epic fail. Go figure. I am thinking I should have just went to the water polo practice like I had planned to, so my day would not have been a complete waste. I am also slightly upset with myself for completing all of my homework from yesterday. I know, I am a loser. Whatever. Having homework to do beats sitting around all day. It is pretty sad when "taking a shower" becomes your most entertaining activity for the day.

Hopefully something can magically come up for tonight. I might not be much of a night person, but it is better than nothing.

Thursday 27 August 2009

My List Of Complaints

1. My job hunt was unsuccessful.

When I went to the financial aid office, they told me that "according to my records, I am getting too much aid to apply for work study." (i.e just hold off on groceries and FOOD for maybe, possibly, another week - or until we decide that you've starved for long enough and now you can finally get your aid.) Needless to say, I am not too thrilled about that.

One thing I am not complaining about is the fact that after working it out personally, I realised I really am getting a good amount of aid this year. So, my pride was not that badly broken but he did make me feel like an idiot. Just a little. I am afraid to get too excited about this though, just in case it is all a lie.

2. I finally got my lazy ass to the gym. I did spinning and it was deadly. I swear I don't sweat from any other exercise as much as I do in that class. I am going to be so sore when I wake up tomorrow, which I will not complain about. I always feel that if I wake up the day after exercising and I am not sore, I did nothing more than waste time and energy. Speaking of energy my arm muscles are very weak and I am having trouble typing, so this will probably be very short and to the point. By the way, I had no idea biceps are used for typing? I thought that was strictly finger action.

Complaint number 3. I STILL DID NOT SLEEP LAST NIGHT. When I got home I was so tired that I took the quickest shower ever, got into my bed - late at that because I had gone to a social event at school - and swore to myself that I would sleep well. Wrong. I woke up at 3am. I am going to spare you today from ranting on and on about that sleep thing. But seriously. If this workout does not give me a good night's rest, I am going to have a fit.

My last and biggest complaint is that after spinning, I decided to step on the scale. Who told me to do that. Five weeks in Jamaica was enough to make me gain 5lbs. I know that might not sound like much but I was already 10 over my ideal weight before I got there. Now, instead of wanting to lose 10lbs, I have to lose 15. That just sounds like so much more than a mere 5lbs extra. (No I did not gain freshman 15, I actually lost weight my first year.) Oh, and the one person who's opinion on my physical state matters was not very good at making me feel better. I always appreciate honesty, but his attempt to make light of the situation went a little something like this:

"So, you are 18 right? Wow. If you have to do so much work now, imagine when you get older."

I know it was a joke, but I guess I am a bit more sensitive about this than I thought.

When did that happen?

Wednesday 26 August 2009

A Temporarily Broke Semi- Insomniac

I woke up yesterday rejoicing because I finally slept through the entire night.

I had even planned to write an entire blog about how I have been cured and how refreshed I feel about the situation, only to take a step back last night.

As usual, I woke up and tossed and turned a few times until I was finally able to go back to sleep. This time I woke up around 6am and had to wake up again at 7 45 for class. I really am having trouble trying to figure this out. If I am tired and comfortable, then WHY CANT I SLEEP?

Could it be that I have too much on my mind? The work-load from my Spanish class is stressing me out already and mother dearest is as well. She reminds me every day that I am the stereotypical broke-ass college student.

Actually, I cannot even afford to be broke.

I plan to go into the financial aid office after this class and beg them for a job on campus. (This is going to be very hard for me because begging is not my thing.) According to my roommate though, "you have to go for what you want and don't stop until you get it." That is a good way to put it. Note the sarcasm.

When it comes down to it, I would be begging; but it is kind of imperative so I just have to suck it up. Of course if it does not work I will probably be really upset, and my pride will be bruised. I have never worked before because I never wanted to before time. I figured I'd be working for the rest of my life anyway, why not hold out as long as possible. So me looking for a job is shocking to say the least.

Meisha, working? Are the pigs flying? No. They still use all fours. But being broke and hungry is enough to send even me on the hunt, and I don't think I will be able to sleep well until I am successful.

I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Monday 24 August 2009

The Resurection of Ms. Grammatically Correct

What a long first day back in school; and the complaints begin.

I definitely was not myself today; the day just started off on a tiring note. As usual, I had my 4am tossing and turning endeavour, only to roll around and think about all the items I need for class the next morning. Due to my lack of internet (Thank the Lord I just got that sorted out) I was unable to get online to print my class schedule. The one copy I did have was given to the leasing office on Saturday for "records." This meant that I went on campus at 9am without a single clue which class I was to attend, in which building, and how many classes I had for the day.

I know what you are thinking. I should have familiarized myself with the schedule beforehand. But let me remind you, my brain is still on vacation.

To ramble on about more unorganisation, I also showed up with no supplies. (Not that I truly needed them but I am usually so over-prepared that I have enough to share with others.) I guess due to my cluelessness about my classes and schedule, the supplies were not necessary. I even went as far as flipping out because I thought I registered for the wrong Spanish class. I worried about the fact that all classes may be full, and I refuse to take anything less than 12 credits. As it turns out, I was in the right class all along.

My first two classes were all about the teacher dictating his or her policies, procedures, and whatever else they decided would be important. (You know the usual rambling that could really last for a simple 5 minutes if they would just hand out the syllabus, tell everyone to read it, and call it a day. )

***Random-ocity***
This has nothing to do with classes, but I also forgot to pack socks, so my planned gym escapade is now being put on hold. I am very upset about this by the way. I really wanted to get to the gym!

Apart from my capricious behaviour, I will admit that I am uncommonly excited for my Grammar and Composition class. My teacher is very entertaining and all who thought I was bad with corrections have no idea. I feel bad for all the people on my facebook and msn who are always grammatically incorrect. I will be 10 times worse after this class gets through with me.

I can't wait.

Sunday 23 August 2009

Take Two

Today was a much better day.

We woke up early this morning and went down to the office to get everything situated. When I say we I mean my 3 old roommates and mother dearest. At first they did not want to let us in because they claimed we were too early, but when we requested the manager - who was very hospitable about it - they allowed us in. There was no need for voice-raising or anything of that nature.

I call that a success.

After getting through with a new room, we all had to move yet again. Allegedly I have too many things, I beg to differ. I had 3 suitcases and 4 plastic containers. Is it that bad? Oh yeah, and the bookshelf. But that is not even real wood so that was lightweight. I could lift it with a finger. (Hyperbole.) With 8 hands the task was performed much more efficiently.

The biggest issue was the flights of stairs we had to climb to get to the third floor. I am all out of complaints though, I promise. (At least for now.) The room is much cleaner, the roommates quieter, and so far there are no signs of live-in boyfriends.

On that note, I better get a full nights rest. Last night in the roach-infested room I practically tossed and turned the whole time. I even managed to bbm my brother at 4am in a huge panic about my laptop that he drove away with yesterday. (That was my thought process in the middle of the night, sue me.) Now he has to make a 2 hour drive from G-ville just to bring it to me.

What can I say, it is a necessity.

Saturday 22 August 2009

Day 1

You see some weird stuff when you're on a road trip at 9am on a Saturday morning.

Who Skydives in the city ? Someone does apparently. I should have taken a picture, but we were pretty fascinated because it looked like he was going to land on the highway. That would be a disaster. But he was headed straight for the i75.

The next strange sight, someone who decided to exit the highway and drive on the grass below. I think he realised he made a wrong turn and was trying to get onto a different highway. He was driving right by the pond on some wetlands. There is no way that is legal. I feared the car would sink and that person would be another news story on top of the "skydiver who lands on the highway."

Another person who gave me a story today is the person who decided to write in the sky.



He or she already spelt Dios, which is God in Spanish, and team. Trying to heal the world perhaps ?

Anyway, it is a pretty awesome concept. We could not see the culprit, all we saw were letters being written in the sky. How do they do that? What do they use, and what kind of coordination could you possibly have in the sky? It is perfectly in line, the letters are the same size and everything. Crazy.

On the contrary, to disturb the light-hearted pointlessness of this blog, I thought I'd write about my overly agravating, headache causing, hell-raising first day in my new apartment.

I am just going to sum this up in the most basic of words. One roommate is a smoker, and the other - who I have yet to meet - has a live-in boyfriend who was here to greet me as the "security" for the dorm. This is a 4x4. Not a 5x4. He has been illegally living here for four months.

This DEEPLY upset me because I specifically mentioned when signing the lease that I have terrible allergies - bloody noses included - and I refuse to sneeze constantly for another year. What's more, I do not feel comfortable living with a 6ft something Nutty Professor look-alike who is 25 years old and is not in school. I am only 5'2, 115lbs, and not very intimidating.

His mention that he has seen me "somewhere" (he gave specifics) made me feel entirely too uneasy. I live 3 hours away, and I have not been up here since April. (Let me remind you, he does not go to my school.) The fact that he has "a photographic memory" to the extent that he can mark my face is very creepy.

Friendly as he may be, he is not supposed to live here.

It upset me enough that my 3 old roommates whom I signed the lease with in January are living together and I am the unlucky one who was separated. The four of us and my mother will be going to the leasing office first thing in the morning with our list of complaints. Mother dearest is especially displeased. Had they emailed me my information like they were supposed to, I would not have to be in this aggravating and stressful situation the day before classes begin.

I hope they are ready for what is coming. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

Tales Of A Non-Sleeper

Yesterday was move-in day, but I did not quite make it to Orlando. Today is the day.

As it turns out, mother dearest did not make it up here until Thursday night. If anyone could complain about the woes of travelling it would be her. She had to wake up at 7am for the third day in a row to head to the airport. After missing the only flight out from Montego Bay, (how ridiculous) she had to fly into Kingston and sit in the airport until she made the 8pm flight. Why is it that AirJamaica flies from Montego Bay to Fort Lauderdale only once per day? Who knows.


So she took yesterday as her day to do a few things here in Miami, hence the reason we never made it up to school.

In regards to me and my hibernation, that only lasted so long. I now am unable to sleep. In my world that is so unheard of. Meisha not being able to sleep? Say it ain't so!

It is so. For the second night in a row I have woken up in the middle of the night fully rested and with no intentions of going back to sleep - on top of the fact that I roll around the entire night only half asleep. "I'm cold. Now I'm hot. Sheets? No sheets. Yes, sheets. Is it morning yet? I need new pillows."

The weirdest part about this is that I am not going to bed super early, I do not nap in the daytime, and when I do get to lying down, I am usually really sleepy. (Besides that, dont normal human beings need sleep every night?)

I have one more night to get this right. I refuse to start school on Monday without a good night's rest.

If moving in does not get me tired I do not know what will.

Tuesday 18 August 2009

Great Greeting

I love going to new places, but I think I am beginning to hate travelling.

Constant delays, annoying passengers, unorganisation, and endless waiting are not a good combination for an impatient person like me. I am beginning to wonder why I still patronise Air Jamaica. They seem to be the only airline that would keep you waiting for 6hours in the airport, or take forever with your bags.

As if I was not already upset about having to leave, it annoyed me even more that my carry-on was put in an overhead compartment on the back of the plane while I was seated in seat 6e. This meant I had to walk all the way to the back, past all the other impatient and inconsiderate folks to retrieve it when the aircraft landed. There were no bathrooms to be found after entering the airport and I really had to go; but I was forced to wait in the immigration line first.

Then, when I got to baggage claim I was surprised to see that they were selling carts for a dollar. Either I am really late, or they are really ridiculous. Charging for carts? When did that happen? Because of that I figured I'd have to walk with all 3 bags just as I did last time, but thanks to popularity, I saw a friend of mine who was able to help.

My next issue? I don't have my house key. That would not have been a problem if my mother made the flight, but she lucked out and got an extra day in paradise. Now I have to go from constant companionship to sleeping alone in a big house tonight. (If I find a way to get in that is.) I'm hoping the heavy rain I came back to will make my sleep easier.

On the plus side, I plan to sleep for the next five days. My body is on strike.

Ps. I am getting my emails now. :)

Monday 17 August 2009

Women Cannot Be Pleased

I know what you are thinking. "You are a woman." Well, yes I am but that does not mean I cannot admit a flaw. Though I almost want to believe that it is just humankind in general that cannot be pleased.

My point here is that my email no longer comes to my blackberry. I know I have been complaining about getting unwanted emails from Mrs. Over-excited-much, but I think I would rather have the option of canceling my account than it just randomly deciding to not work. It has actually been a few days since it made up it's mind to do so, and I have to say it really bothers me. Partly because school is next week and I feel like I might be missing out on some important information, partly because I am too lazy to use the computer to check it, and partly because I can no longer get my Facebook notifications.

The funny thing about this is that I complain about the facebook application and how it annoys me. This is why I say women cannot be pleased. This and the fact that my mother plays testament to this notion on a daily basis.

Another unpleasing recent event is the fact that my flight extension is supposedly ending tomorrow. I have to be at the airport by 8am, and I am not even sure I will make the flight. I could actually be sitting down in the airport for hours only to in the end come right back home and be here for another day. This also means that I have to pack, enjoy today as my last beach day, and prepare my mind for schoolwork.

I am not excited about this at all.

Friday 14 August 2009

The Days Have Gone By So Fast

Today might have been my last day at the beach and I am not the only one who is sad about that; the sky cried for me too.

On that note, I guess you can assume that it rained. It did; and because of that no one came to the beach. (Before the rain the day was beautiful. It kind of came out of nowhere.) I usually expect a nice, sunny beach day where all of my friends come and I get to say goodbye. This time it was just myself, brother unlucky and him. I guess that was good enough.

Tomorrow is the beginning of bird season. So the brother and father (and half of Jamaica) are preparing to go on the hunt. Usually I go with them, but my love for it has somewhat subsided. I am not sure if that is how I want to spend my last Saturday.

Anyway, I don't have much to say today. I figured I could sum up yesterday and today with a small photo essay.


*The River*



*The Beach*



Now tell me why I have to leave?

Wednesday 12 August 2009

Reality? What's that.

Four weeks have come and gone, and here I am the day before my alleged departure date wondering where the time went.

The party weekend has ended and one by one everyone is leaving the island to get back to reality. Am I the only one who does not believe in reality here? I mean really. If people would be satisfied with less then there would be no need to rush back to work or school. You would simply get to kick back, put your feet up, and think about how broke, but happy, you are.

I could get used to it.

But vacations are not endless, and my time will soon arrive. I got another email from Mrs. Over-Excited-Much today, telling me that the date for test 4 she gave in the last email was wrong. (I really should have canceled my email accounts for the vacation.) I guess being early does not mean you have everything in order. Maybe she should have taken some time to relax instead of being so eager, then possibly she could have gotten it right the first time.

On the plus side, I think I have finally succeeded in a flight extension! The exclamation point was totally necessary to emphasize my sheer excitement at the accomplishment of this task. The only issue here is that I have no idea when I am going to be able to find a flight that is not completely booked out so I can get back in time to move into my apartment. This reminds me of another upsetting event in regards to school.

I have been expecting some mail from my future apartment complex telling me which building I am in and who my roommates are. This email was supposed to arrive in May and it is now August, a week before the move in date, and they have nothing to tell me. This meant that I had to find the number, pick up the phone, and call them for the millionth time to ask them what the hell is taking them so long. After not pairing me with the roommates I requested (all 3 of them got paired together) it turns out they could not find my information.

What are the odds huh?

All I have to say is that I have a crazy reality to go back to; and I am not looking forward to it.

Tuesday 11 August 2009

What Happened Last Night ?

Last night defined the word "exhausted" for me in clear, bold letters.

I am still baffled as to what happened, but after the beach I was half awake during a game of kalooki and by the time I got home I had just enough energy to fall right into my bed. My every body part felt as if it had gone through some sort of massive exercising routine - I refuse to believe it was from the few hours I spent at the beach. (When I say few I mean not many.) I literally could not move, and my dramatic imagination took off in full flight. "Oh my gosh, I am dying. Tell my parents I love them."

I have a way of worrying about every little unusual incident that occurs, and by that I mean with my body. I have always been healthy, but with all of these new sicknesses emerging and my anti-doctor and medicine ways I sometimes fret a little. These two perfectly aligned pygmy bumps on my wrist that came out of nowhere and just sit there without itch or irritation have been taunting me since their appearance. They are not red, they do not hurt, and they won't go away.
I try to just ignore them.

Needless to say, all of my plans for last night were abandoned. I also realised that extreme exhaustion feels similar to being drunk. I say that because I cannot remember any part of my 48 minute phone conversation, and I am relating that to stories of drunk dialing. Luckily, the person I spoke to leaves me with no worries.

Anyway, you'd think that after getting so many hours of sleep, I would be well rested and energized today. Well, if you were able to see me I think you would form a different opinion. I am currently laying in bed again after waking up from a short nap; my fingers are having trouble with this typing, and my hands just gave in and dropped my phone on my face.

On that note, I end today's blog. Wish me luck at the beach today.

Monday 10 August 2009

So, Where is the Guest of Honour?

The weekend is over and I am relieved to say, Brother Unlucky is alive and well - amongst all of my other friends who ventured down to Negril for the weekend.

I have not seen my Ed Hardy hat as yet, but I will make sure to ask about its well-being as soon as Brother Unlucky wakes up.

On another note, despite the fact that I stayed in MoBay the entire weekend, Brother Unlucky still gave me something to write about. (I told you he never disappoints.) The story is quite embarrassing for my parental units, and needless to say they were a little less than pleased.

Why you ask? Well, if you have ever planned a birthday party and the guest of honour did not show up, I'm sure you would feel like hiding under a rock as well. Mind you, it was not a surprise party, as Brother Unlucky gave them the okay to plan it. Its just that in the end, he decided to go to one last party in Negril while food was being cooked, a birthday cake was made from scratch, and the family gathered at my Uncle's house. He claimed it was a bad day because none of his friends would have been able to make it - since they were all busy getting drunk.

I was sent to the rescue though, considering Negril is not too far away from the house; but by the time he was ready - which was after he partied - everyone had gone home and my uncle had gone to bed. I'm not complaining too much here though, because my cousin and I did get in some partying in the meanwhile; and the best part - it was Free. (Free just always makes you feel better about everything; the party turned out to be awesome.)

I do have one complaint though. This morning I woke up with a stuffy nose.

I think Jamaica hates me.

Saturday 8 August 2009

And So It Begins

Day one and Brother Unlucky is up and running.

Upon being overly excited with finally being 21, he decided to take his first Friday as a "grown man" to go out and party. There is no problem with that, other than the fact that the biggest party weekend in Jamaica is currently in full effect about an hour away in Negril. What does that mean? No one is here. So why go out? But brother unlucky does not listen; and after a boring night out he left the party early and headed home.

Well, remember when I said you can't take your eyes off the road for a second? I wasn't kidding. The split second he decided to look down, to put away the blackberry, he fell right into a pothole "six foot six deep." Needless to say, it murdered the back right tyre of The Beast and burst the oil filter. He came home fully panicked and woke me up with his 20 minute phone call that gave me a bit of insight into what happened. All I could do in the middle of my sleep, was roll over and say "wow." I think I even shook my head.

According to him, he "did everything right" last night. No drinking, drove slowly, and left early. Sure he did everything right, everything except keeping his eyes on the road.

On the plus side, I guess it could have been worse. My favourite car could have been totaled. Oh yeah, and let's not forget that he could have been badly injured. Now that he is on his way to Negril, no he is not driving, I think we should take a moment to pray, or to just cross our fingers for all the Negril dreamers and ATI-ers, and for him too of course. I loaned him my Ed Hardy hat and I am worrying already.

Stay tuned; Brother Unlucky can always give me something to write about.

Friday 7 August 2009

Spring Cleaning in Summer

Father and I have spent the entire morning cleaning up the house. Usually he does this on his own, but today he needed some extra help. The occasion? Mother dearest and brother unlucky are coming.

Due to my slight ADD, Pops did most of the work. We swept, mopped, laundered, cooked, cleaned the bathroom, and changed the bedsheets. I'd like to mention that q-tips and shampoo work just as well if not better than soap and a sponge at taking up stains. Since the apartment is relatively small, it was not too much work, but just keep in mind this was all done in an apartment with no air condition. Luckily, there was a nice cool breeze out today to accompany the blazing sunshine.

We had advance preparation for today. Pops came in last night and gave me the heads up that he would be waking me early to start working. It is hard enough for me to get up for church and all I have to do is sit there and listen.

This next comment is for the folks without OCD who make fun of us super clean folks. My Febreeze-to-go came in pretty handy as part of the changing of the sheets fiasco. I bet you never thought I'd find use for it. I could tell some people were thinking that by the look on their face when they saw it in my handbag. (I'd like to see the look on their face upon discovering my disposable travel-sized toilet seat covers.)

One more thing, just to remind you that I am in Jamaica. In the midst of my folding clothes and watching the tele, I heard a few sporadic gunshots that were of pretty close range. I would tell you it was in my backyard so you can imagine the proximity, but this is a second floor apartment - there is no backyard. Either way, there were about 10 shots fired all together, and some folks screaming.

Hearing gunshots from here is nothing out of the ordinary of course, but 10 in a matter of a few minutes is more than we are used to. The only noise I have yet to hear is the sound of a police siren. But believe me when I tell you; I am not holding my breath.

Automobile Control

Driving down here is one hell of a task.

I take pride in my skills behind the wheel - as inexperienced as you may think I am. Before you jump to any conclusions, though, try driving with these crazy taxi drivers on the small, unlit, and windy roads that take you through the mountains. Sometimes when you go around a sharp corner you will see a 40-wheel truck coming at you with the brightest lights that make you cross your fingers and hope you don't end up in the gully 50ft below you.

Forget population control, this country needs to work on controlling how many people have cars, and how many of said people are literate enough to even be on the road. Sometimes I wonder why I do not bear witness to accidents on a regular basis. I guess that is why I have always said, "You have not driven until you have driven in Jamaica." Some people should just stick to ten-toe-turbo.

From the moment you get behind the wheel, please be sure you have put down the blackberry or iPhone, put the radio on something that will play long enough for you to get where you are going, and that you are confident enough in your driving ability. If you are tired, and it is a long enough drive, do not do it; because for that one second you yawn, you quite possibly can hit some kind of animal or person, or God forbid you run into the back of the taxi that decided to stop randomly in front of you because someone stuck out their hand.

My point? You cannot take your eyes off the road for even a second. If not for the wild animals, or arrogant pedestrians who think they are invincible, maybe this driving thing would not be as bad. I am still proud of myself because I know many people who refuse to ever drive in Jamaica. I can't say I blame them, but then again, I am always up for a challenge.

Last summer I was not half as successful driving my favourite car ever. (Not that I crashed or anything, but there were so many close calls that I feared for the well-being of The Beast.) I actually somewhat gave up in the middle of the summer holiday and decided to be chauffeured instead. It was not such a bad bargain considering I saved plenty of gas money, but I came back this time with a vengeance. I decided that I will not leave this place until I have mastered the streets, or at least got the hang of it.

I think I have reached my goal, but every now and then, I am reminded why I had to set that goal in the first place.

Wednesday 5 August 2009

Sun, Sand, and Snorkels

Today was a good day - much better than yesterday at least. Perhaps it was because I went the entire day without getting one unwanted email.

I decided to take a day to put down the phone, and pick up the snorkels. Have I ever mentioned how much I love water? Well, for all the days I have spent soaking up the sun, I realised I had yet to explore the reef just behind the beach I frequent - I got a boat ride out of it too. I really think one year I should play tourist when I come home and visit all the attractions that make us money. I am quite sure there are a handful of places in this country that would blow me away.

The reef is gorgeous and the day would have been perfect had the winds been just a bit lighter. Either way, the water was clear, the sky was blue, and the fish were out. Needless to say, I enjoyed the snorkel with a few good friends and him - though the waves and sun drained our energy. I would have some pictures for you, but my memory card is currently NOT in my camera. I hope to better get it back by tomorrow.

The only downfall to the day was something that happened to my brother. (We are going to call him Brother Unlucky from now on.) He may not want this all over the internet, but I have to dedicate some part of today's blog to the jerk of an officer who decided to pull him over - happy 21st birthday by the way. Did you know you can get a ticket for handing an officer an expired registration by accident? Then when he comes back to tell you, you correct your mistake by giving him the correct registration, and he tells you it is too late?

Vehicle registration and licenses expire on your birthday - but I am pretty sure they have to wait until midnight before they can punish you for it. If ever you decided to go to the Gator capital of Gainesville Florida, let me warn you, the Alachua County Police officers have nothing to do.

Lesson to learn? Don't drive on your birthday.

Tuesday 4 August 2009

My Last Week and I Would Like Some Alone Time

Yesterday was very interesting. For once, I did not go to the beach. (No it was not raining.) Instead, I slept the entire day, until about 8pm when I got ready to go see The Ugly Truth. It was a decent movie aside from the relationship between the main characters being oddly familiar.

Anyway, this is not about the movie. This is about the fact that we lost power for a split second yesterday (welcome to Jamaica) and ever since then the internet has been down. This would normally be of no importance to me since I do not come to Ja to use the net (and also because I have a blackberry); but my problem resides on the "no internet, no free international calls" side of the river. Time is winding down here and I have important things to take care of.

Furthermore, if I get one more email from UCF during my vacation I think I am going to scream. They have emailed me several times regarding financial aid and items on my to-do-list, and I am not in the mood for another money cut this school year. I discovered new ways to save in my freshman year (Food.. Books? Food.. ? Books !) that kept me from the infamous "freshman 15" - I guess I should be thankful.

But by far, the worst email I have gotten, is from my statistics teacher Mrs. Cutchins. She decided to cut my vacay short by writing me about which books I need, "make sure it is this version and not that one" and sent me a copy of the wretched syllabus. Why thank you Miss Over-Excited-Much for reminding me that reality is sitting just around the corner waiting to slap me on the back and throw me in the car without a seatbelt. Did I mention it is going 200kph ?

To sum up my rambling: I need my internet, I need my financial aid, and most importantly, I need an Air Jamaica extension !

Sunday 2 August 2009

What's The Rush

Ever notice that whenever you are enjoying life it just speeds by like a lizard on crack? I am currently going through this calamity as I sit here in what will soon be my third week in Jamaica.

That's right. I've been here for three weeks already. What does this mean for you? Well, nothing. (Other than the fact that you will now bear witness to my rambling and bitching complaining about how much I do not want to go back to the "sunshine state.")

Considering I am a firm believer in the secret, your thoughts become things - yadda yadda yadda - I should have no problem BELIEVING I have more than a week and a few days left here. What a joke. The fact remains, my ticket is currently booked for the 13th, and every year as the leaving day gets closer I sit around hoping for a delay, cancellation, (tropical depression) AND IT NEVER HAPPENS. This, I conclude, is why "The Secret" does not work in said situation. Probably it is because deep down in the back of my mind, I know it won't.

So every year I try something new; don't pack my things, tell people I do not know when I am leaving, pretend like I do not know when I am leaving, go out the night before my supposed departure, over-sleep, under-sleep - Everything. You name it, I have done it. I have even tried to use my AirJa connections to officially change the flight accordingly. Not even that worked.

That is when I go into the whole "I don't like going against fate; I guess I was meant to leave" thing. It gets to the point where if ever my flight takes off, I know I was meant to be on it so no worries about crashing. There was this one time, though, when half-way over Cuba the pilot announced that we will be doing an emergency landing; and there I was - the only idiot on the plane rejoicing that we will not be arriving at Miami International Airport after all. (Previous to the announcement, I was crying. Following it, I began to smile.) I thought we were landing in Cuba. Figured I could try and find my long lost relatives and make a trip out of it. Its not like we were on American Airlines or anything, I would just have to use my 5 years of Spanish lessons and pretend like I belong. Landing In Cuba would have been no issue for me.

Well, we did not land in Cuba. Instead, we headed back to the beautiful paradise-ish island with the overly-excessive crime. Even though we never got to disembark, the few extra hours minutes I got in Montego Bay made me happy. (And I guess I was also happy that we landed safely and that I was alive - perhaps.)

As for the Jamaica salutations, I have got to figure out a way to beat this. But until then, you can find me at the beach.



Sickness gone. Finally.