Sunshiny Update!

It's been a busy couple weeks!  Between computer failure, a slew of exams, and the aforementioned centipede attack I am pretty exhausted.  I'm happy to report that I passed all my exams and on top of that I ran unopposed for the position of president for the Student Chapter of AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association).  My term starts next semester, and I am super excited for the opportunity!  In other news as some of you may know I have an addition to my island family.  His name is Alistar and he is a super sweet boy!  The cats have tolerated him surprisingly well and he has proven to be a polite, gentlemanly type dog.  The photo below pretty much sums up how Alistar and I spent the day today.

Giant centipede encounter!!!

So one of the first things they tell you when you come to St. Kitts island is to beware of the local centipedes.  They are extremely large and WILL bite you, causing a very painful reaction that will require medical attention.  So I was dreading the day when I would have to deal with one of these monsters.  A couple weeks ago a very small centipede made its way into my apartment.  I saw Miko batting at something in the corner and originally mistook it for a millipede because it was so small (the millipedes here are harmless).  Then it started racing across the room and I realized it was a miniature centipede.  I quickly dispatched it with a large textbook and hoped that would be my first and only encounter with the species.

If only I could have been so lucky.  I was studying for my anatomy exam the next day and had decided to turn in to get a good night's sleep before the test.  I had just turned off the lights and snuggled into bed when Miko, my cat, suddenly jumped up from his sleeping spot on my bed to stare intently at something on the floor.  I turned on my bedside light to see what he was into when I saw something long and dark scuttle from under the bed to under the desk.  Now, I am not the kind of girl who freaks out over bugs but I am not ashamed to say that I screamed bloody murder and started crying.  While I ran to grab the can of BOP (local bug spray, like RAID but too strong to be sold in the U.S.) and other killing implements, Miko kept on that centipede like a canine pointer-setter.  Thank goodness he was keeping track of it because that thing was FAST.  It was scurrying back and forth across my room at an unbelievable rate!  I gathered my nerve and proceded to dose the thing in insecticide, repeatedly slammed books on it, and finally stomped on it with my workboots, and STILL the thing kept twitching and moving.  Finally, when it was mostly immobilized in a puddle of its own grey-green goo I picked it up with a pair of grilling tongs and disposed of it in the dumpster.

THANK GOD FOR MIKO.  I makes my skin crawl to thing of sleeping soundly in my room while A VENOMOUS GIANT CENTIPEDE was running amok.  Miko, you are the new favorite cat.  For his brave service Miko was awarded a handful of heart-shaped cat treats (aka the Kibble Heart Award).

And now for the nightmare-inducing images I captured:



UPDATE:  I didn't find out until the next morning that Miko had been bitten by the evil centipede creature.  I was on my way out the door when I noticed that Miko's chin was very swollen and painful.  I felt like an awful person for rushing off to my exam so immediately after the test was done I asked one of my veterinarian professors what I should do for him.  She directed me to give Benedryl so I ran home and did so.  I'm happy to report that Miko has recovered well and there have since been no centipede sightings.

Just what I always wanted...

My first test is next Monday, so I'm studying like a fiend.  But enjoy these pictures that I literally took in my own backyard.  It kind of cracks me up.

I don't normally drink beer, but this stuff is good...

Carib beer!  The official beer of paradise!

Downtown

Last Saturday a couple girlfriends and I went to Port Zante for some shopping and girly fun.  I don't have a car, so we braved the bus system for the first time since being on the island.  Now St. Kitts doesn't have an organized commuter system but rather has individual vans that are registered as buses.  Many have interesting paint jobs or detailing that is very flashy, but the only way to determine if it is a bus or not is the "H" designation on the license plate.  To board the bus, simply stand on the side of the road and wave at it as it approaches.  It will stop on a dime to pick you up (be careful if you're driving behind it!).  Then you cram yourself in like and hang on as the bus barrels down the tiny roads to downtown Basseterre.  The ride should have been nerve-wracking, but it was actually pretty fun.  It was also cheap: less than $1 US.

Once we got downtown we wandered around port for awhile.  It's mostly for tourists from the cruise ships, but they had lots of cool stuff.  The best part: DUTY FREE! (as long as you let them think you're a tourist)

We sashayed over into downtown Basseterre and visited the pharmacy where I was very interested to see that they sold, among other things, high proof grain alcohol.  Geez, and I thought Wisconsin was bad.  This doesn't look shady at all...

A good lunch was had at Ballyhoo restaurant which overlooks the main square in town, called the circus.  Had a delicious mango smoothie.  Since I moved here I'm now addicted to mangoes, by the way.  All in all a fun outing with the girls (thanks Beth'l and Jocelyn!).  Also, using the bus and figuring out where stuff is downtown should prove useful.

Goodbye Orientation, Hello Learning!

I'm hitting the books hard today.  I assume that after this posts will be few and far between.  In the meantime, enjoy this picture of my anatomy study buddy!

First Day of Classes

After a week of fun and settling in, today I started what I came here to do: study to be a veterinarian.  I had my first classes in Gross Anatomy, Microscopic Anatomy (Histology), and Nutrition.  It was a lot of introductions and syllabus information, and now I can't wait to dive into the subjects.  Our last class of the day, Physiology, was cancelled so we could get ready for the white coat ceremony.  If it hadn't already hit home that I'm going to be a doctor, donning that white coat made it real in a big significant way.  Unlike previous ceremonies I've been to, I hung on the words of the keynote speaker and was deeply moved by the proceedings.  Well, I've got to go tackle my first reading assignments.  Enjoy the pictures!  I will be obtaining a DVD of the ceremony if anyone would like to see it in the future.

Some of the gals from my orientation group and our orientation leader, Scott.

As you can tell from this picture, Scott's a fun guy who made orientation interesting and enjoyable.

This is Mitch who hails from Eau Claire, WI.  He's a high school classmate and good friend of my cousin, Jacob.
Small world!