how to become a vet while scuba diving

My New Life in Grand Cayman

2011-05-08T13:13:00.000-04:00

Appeal

2010-12-27T19:41:00.000-04:00

Here's my vet school career in a nutshell:

Jan-Apr '09 - Vet prep
May-Aug '09 - 1st semester
Sep-Dec '09 - 2nd semester

Jan-Apr '10 - repeated 2nd semester because I failed immunology
May-Aug '10 - 3rd semester
Sep-Dec '10 - repeated 3rd semester because I failed virology

If you get anything less than a 70 in a class, you "fail".
If you fail a class, you repeat a semester.
If you fail 2 classes in one semester, you automatically fail out.
You can repeat up to 2 different semesters.

Unfortunately I failed pharmacology when I repeated 3rd, so Ross wants to dismiss me. I'm appealing. We'll see what happens. I have a good case and lots of support, but I won't write about the details until they make a final decision.

In the meantime, Merry Christmas and Happy New year. I want 2010 to GO AWAY. It brought be too many trials and tribulations. I want to start anew in 2011 and fill my life with positivity. Whatever happens, wherever I go, no matter the path I follow, I want to have a new outlook on life. I'm not sure what my resolution will be. I don't want it to be some vague thing like "I will be more positive" because that's soemthing easily forgotten. Spent an arduous week in Boston dealing with reality. Now in Sarasota, which is sort of a surreal limbo. Spending a week in Miami after this with Ashley. Hoping that will be a nice distraction. Then back to school to face life. Honestly, I wish I could do that now. I'm ready to know. To move forward or move on.

Long time no type

2010-12-09T23:19:00.002-04:00

SCUBA certified. No time for dives until next semester. One week of school left. Must pass classes! Promise to write more next semester. Been slacking!

Done with my dives! Finally!

2010-07-29T09:33:00.000-04:00

All done with my open water dives. Taking the written exam next Tuesday, and then I'll be certified! Just need a 75% to pass. Meghan and I were hanging out with a school of Yellowtail Snapper (Ocyurus chrysurus). They were quite curious and friendly. The owner of the dive shop regularly feeds the fish at The River Taw so that they stick around for the tourists. Didn't see the barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda) who normally lives there. Apparently he hasn't been around for a while. Saw lots of beautiful and ugly fish: Many Yellowhead Jawfish (Opistognathus aurifrons) on the ocean floor, a few Banded Butterflyfish (Chaetodon striatus) following around the Yellowtail Snapper school, a Bar Jack (Caranx ruber) which was kind of creepy-looking... he was swimming alone at a safe distance from us. My favorite was a Stoplight Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) which was really beautiful and came right up to me, a Trumpetfish (Aulostomus maculatus) which is always funny to see, a Rock Hind (Epinephelus adscensionis) which was quite beautiful with the red and black spots... he was hiding under some rocks. We also saw a seahorse (Genus Hippocampus)!!! It was pretty big, maybe 8 inches tall, hanging out in a lone patch of sea weed on the ocean floor. There was a fairly large Spiny Lobster (I thought about grabbing him for dinner) hiding under one of the many pieces of former-vehicles-turned-reefs. One of the more interesting fish we saw was a Cowfish. "The brightly colored Cowfish doesn’t have a skeleton. Like other trunkfish, his body is made of bony plates that fuse together in a boxy shape. The bony box is so rigid that trunkfish can move only their fins, eyes, mouth, and tail. Cowfish can grow up to 12 inches long, and have a short spine over each eye." There are many kinds of Cowfish but I'm not sure which one we saw. There were many other fish that I didn't identify but I'm going to get a plastic fish ID card to take with me underwater next time. Might as well learn something while I'm down there!

3rd Semester

2010-05-16T14:48:00.000-04:00

Week 1 done! 14 weeks and 8 exams to go. So far so good. I'm taking pharmacology I, pathology I, virology, and bacteriology. Lots of work but very interesting. Tundra and Dylan are getting along great! The weather is beautiful today, thankfully, after a week of "rainy season" kicking in. Got some sun and pool time in this morning prior to the regular weekend reorganization, laundry, and studying. Did my first necropsy on Friday. Sad but a great teaching tool and our case was particularly interesting. 8y.o. CM labrador retriever with hemangiosarcoma. Many metastases in many locations. Poor boy. I came home and hugged both of the dogs tight! Tonight is "Enchilada Night" at Nicole's which she does every semester. Looking forward to that deliciousness!

Finally

2010-04-29T23:45:00.000-04:00

As some of you may know, I had to repeat 2nd semester because I failed immunology. I'm happy to say that I am finally moving onto 3rd semester! Another year and 8 months (3rd through 7th semesters) in St. Kitts and then I will return to the U.S. for my final clinical year at one of Ross's affiliates (21 out of the 27 vet schools in the U.S.).

Just enjoyed a very relaxing week with Dad on the island. It's nice to experience St. Kitts not as a student, not as a resident, but as a vacationer. Puts things in a new light. One more splendid week of vacation in Boston and then back to the daily vet school grind.

Mathilde Lucie Cohen

2010-03-22T17:54:00.001-04:00

Wearing the Red Hot Chili Peppers outfit I got her in NYC about a year ago in anticipation of her being a rock star!

ryan's visit

2010-03-02T22:09:00.001-04:00

ryan was here and now he's not. one of my roommates left and a new one moved in. i said goodbye to a friend and celebrated a 30th birthday. lots of ups and downs, but some good sangria, homemade fruit salad, good steaks, and lots of time in the pool made it all worthwhile. not a bad tan to go along with it.

here's a picture of my friend and new roommate, jess, with me and ryan on our porch.

Post-Acupuncture Tundra

2010-02-21T22:34:00.000-04:00

She passed out for a few hours when we got home, only getting up to find another spot to lie down. She seemed more reluctant to move last night, but today we went on a 1-hr. walk and she was running and jumping faster and higher, and more excited to see people and dogs. She also took 5 steep steps in about 2 jumps, no problem. Her hind legs looked more agile and less stiff. I think it did her good, and I think she should continue to have acupuncture! She didn't mind it at all and she was a very good girl. She didn't seem to notice when the actual needles went in her skin, but after they were all in, she did shake a bunch of them out. We put them back in and then I made sure she didn't shake again. I don't know why she had her head under the couch. But it's funny!

Tundra is getting acupuncture!

2010-02-16T16:28:00.000-04:00

On Saturday morning, Tundra and I are making a trip to campus to get some needles stuck in her hind legs! Dr. Thierry Beths, one of the professors here (an anesthesiologist) has just become certified in acupuncture in Florida, and has been practicing on dogs of clients here on the island with great success. It works best on musculoskeletal problems, and Tundra has some slight arthritis in her hind legs. She is a little stiff at times, though she never limps, and she runs and jumps happily with no reserve. It is only after strenuous exercise that I occasionally notice her right hind shaking. Sometimes after napping in the same position, she is a little stiff when she first gets up, or goes up stairs. Tundra is currently half shaved and will be fully shaved by then, which will help Dr. Beths actually be able to see where he is sticking the needles. "T.B." is also a friend and a fellow SCUBA diver, and I'm so excited to see how this turns out!

Mathilde is the cutest 1 year old in the world!!!

2010-02-15T11:21:00.000-04:00

Homeless guy

2010-02-12T10:06:00.000-04:00

Please stop lurking outside my house. Seems harmless, out of it... stares at the sky, stands in the same place for a half an hour. Ross Security came on demand and hopefully will get him to stand in the middle of the road and stare at nothing in some other part of town, other than directly in front of my gate.

Montserrat Volcano erupted again...

2010-02-11T10:14:00.000-04:00

That means ashes on everything: cars, porches, balconies, outdoor tables/chairs/couches... lots of cleaning to do. The Soufriere Hills volcano is a pretty consistent erupter (yeah I know that's not a word).

Montserrat Volcano Observatory

Tundra on her new dogbed

2010-02-07T23:41:00.000-04:00

anatomize

2010-02-06T11:55:00.003-04:00

studying anatomy all weekend. lab exam on monday afternoon. arteries, nerves, and some veins of the thoracic limb, pelvic limb, pelvic cavity, as well as reproductive structures in canids, equids, and bovids. and don't forget the good old udder!

Fun Facts About My Life In St. Kitts

2010-02-05T08:13:00.002-04:00

*there is always sand in my bed, even if i haven't been to the beach in 2 weeks
*we call tap water 'giardia water'
*our idea of a funny joke always involves anatomical terms: 'i find that humerus', 'smooth obturator', etc.
*i will never again complain about the milk or gas prices in the U.S.
*people ask me on a daily basis if i am selling my dog, if she is having puppies, and if she is a wolf
*a man standing on the road alone at 6am with a machete is not as scary as a man standing on the road alone at 6am without a machete, because you can't convince yourself that he is just landscaping
*roadkill is much larger here (cows)
*if you have a car built after 1995 everyone oohs and ahhs over how 'new' it is
*dogs sleep in the middle of the road, there are often goats in the hospital parking lot, and just in case you were wondering, roosters don't care what time it is... they crow anyway... and they roam free on the island (ie. potentially your back yard)
*on my way home from turtle monitoring at 4am there are still people out and about, just walking around, hanging around, doing nothing
*if you find a classmate rather annoying, it is not unusual to discover that she is a 'horse person' (99.99% of horse people are women)
*you catch yourself drinking a frozen mango colada on the beach and then realizing it's only 10:30AM
*'light reading' is the Guide to the Dissection of the Dog
*Dorland's medical dictionary is also the best method of killing giant centipedes
*regular old spiders are no longer scary once you've seen a donkey spider
*when i say i'm going to hang out with my dog, i need to specify whether i'm referring to Tundra, or my cadaver in the anatomy lab
*i drink 1.5 liters of water a day, minimum
* Tundra gets an entire tray of ice cubes in her water every time i refill it
* a bottle of vodka in the U.S. that costs $28 also costs $28 here.... in EC (Eastern Caribbean dollars) note: $1US = $2.7EC (ie. alcohol is cheap)
* the mixed breed island dogs are appropriately named 'coconut retrievers'
* hurricanes and tropical storms bring the wind and then suck it all out of the air leaving us with stillness and humidity and giant cockroaches
* it's not enough to have a black cat cross your path, in addition you may also have a chicken and giant centipede... all in one day. what kind of bad luck is THAT?
* speaking of chickens, watch out for the hens with chicks... they run at you and attack you, defending their babies!
* we have 'propane babies' here: people walking around pushing baby strollers with propane tanks in them. i guess a baby stroller is a good way to cart things around.... it's hilarious when you lean over to see someone's child and it's a propane tank!

Trip to the dentist

2010-02-04T14:59:00.002-04:00

fact: i have a "tiny mouth"
fact: i have 4 cavities, one in each quadrant
fact: i have mitral valve prolapse

results: xrays took longer because they needed smaller plates to fit them in my mouth; i have to go back later for a cleaning because i have to take antibiotics an hour before so i don't get systemic bacterial infections; i have to go back 2 other times to get 2 cavities filled each time so i don't have an entirely droopy face, just half at a time

luckily all my cavities are very small and they are between my teeth, not deep in the teeth. and my dental hygienist and dentist are both very nice and very good at what they do, as far as i can tell.

to do: floss, floss, floss!

Major Update

2010-02-02T17:28:00.004-04:00

It's been way too long so here's as much info as possible in the shortest amount of text possible. There's no time for emotions, just the facts.

Repeating 2nd semester because I didn't pass one of my classes

it's very common at Ross to repeat 2nd and 6th semesters, it's not the end of the world, but it is more money
if you fail a class you repeat the entire semester (4 classes) - this makes me a genius in 3 classes and i still have a decent amount of knowledge in the one i failed
the classes i'm repeating are invaluable and i will need to know this information for a long time to come, especially on the exams i need to take to actually become a DVM after graduation, so all is not lost - in fact, i may be at an advantage
i've rejoined some friends who i started out in class with who repeated 1st semester

Sadly, one of my friends/roommates is leaving St. Kitts (Love you Tiffany!), but fortunately I do not have to move out of my wonderful house because another friend is moving in (Jess saves the day!)

I have still not completed my SCUBA certification! That will definitely happen this semester. Technically I only have one dive left to do and an exam to take. I'm going to try to get that done so I can do some diving in my spare time.

Tundra is doing well, if you don't count how badly she stinks these days, but she is getting shaved soon (pictures will be posted) and she will look silly but be happy.

Ryan is coming to visit on February 25th, a day after he turns 30!!! (Happy Pre-Birthday, Ryan!)

I am taking some classes on Sea Turtles, so that should be interesting. Also, I feed Olivia once a week - she is a Ridley that we rescued several months ago. She is missing both of her right flippers so she can only swim in circles and can't dive down and keep herself under water. She was emaciated when she washed up but now she is a fatty. I feed her squid and shrimp, so I had to learn how to 'debeak' and 'depin' squid (it's easy and kind of fun in a weird way). She is currently being kept at Dr. Brown's place where he has a Tilapia and Snapper fish farm. He went to the Intl. school in VT but he is originally Jamaican. There are a bunch of stray dogs that live there and keep me company when I feed Olivia. Sometimes I sneak a shrimp to the little puppy that I secretly want to adopt but absolutely won't touch for fear of getting Sarcoptic Mange. Plus, Tundra is scared of puppies. Yes, you heard me. I don't know why, but this is one new thing I've discovered about her. She hides behind furniture when they are around.

1/2-way through 2nd semester!

2009-10-27T20:21:00.004-04:00

Ryan, Tiffany, and Sabine (Tiffany's dog)

Tundra taking a nap

A relaxing day by the pool

Wedding/catamaran trip/visit to Nevis with Ryan and friends

* * * * *

Typical day:
get up at 5:30AM
run with Tundra on the golf course
shower
coffee
breakfast
physiology, parasitology, immunology, anatomy (give or take, depending on the day)
gossip with people about who withdrew/dropped out/is gone on medical leave
try not to think about how easy it is to fail out
walk Tundra on the golf course/beach
dinner
study 1-2 subjects
sleep

sounds ideal, but that's not counting the leaky roof in our house, the flat tire i got yesterday, and all the stresses and bumps along the way. but ryan just came to visit for a few days and that was a welcome mini-vacation! also attended an awesome wedding/catamaran trip/visit to Nevis.

It's that time of year, again...

2009-07-18T17:04:00.002-04:00

... where I get older! I just took a long walk through the hills behind my house with my neighbor and Tundra. I won't forget today because it's the windiest day I've experienced on St. Kitts as of yet, which made it a perfect day to get some exercise. Don't get me wrong, I was still drenched in sweat when I got home, but at least I avoided a sun burn and heat stroke. Ribs on the beach tonight with friends if it's not too windy. It's nice to stay home on a Saturday, relax, and get some alone time for once. I couldn't have asked for anything more. I'm constantly surrounded by people, and for my birthday it was nice to have some time to reflect. On my walk I was telling my neighbor, whom I just recently met, about how I ended up here, and how long it took me to get here, and how much I had to accomplish on the way. It really made me proud of myself that I succeeded in what I set out to do, thankful for my supportive family, and just plain old happy that I live on a tropical island and that I'm in veterinary school. I can't really imagine anything else I'd want to be doing with my life right now. So, in closing, I'd like to thank everyone in my life for making my birthday a happy one.

Anatomy Exam

2009-07-01T15:30:00.003-04:00

Getting an A on an anatomy exam is always a good thing when you've been studying this much!

New House!

2009-06-27T07:27:00.005-04:00

As of August 1st, my current apartment-mate, Alicia, my friend Tiffany, and I will be moving into a new dwelling. It is a vacation rental that a British couple own, but are renting to students because vacationers aren't renting as much as they used to when the economy wasn't so shabby. They bought the house last year and redid every inch of it. It has a pool, and it overlooks 'Half Moon Bay' which is the beach you can see to your left in the picture below. It is shaped like a half moon and our house faces the middle of the beach. It is on the Atlantic side of the island but because of the protected bay, you can swim there no problem (unlike other areas on the Atlantic side where the surf is far too rough).

Each of the 2 upstairs bedrooms have their own balcony (to the right in the picture below), which sit on either side of the large shuttered-in porch (to the left).

This is the street leading up to our house. If you follow it down about a mile, you reach a rotary which leads to either the Marriott and a bunch of excellent restaurants in that area, the road to 2 of the best beaches on the island (Shipwreck and Reggae), or the 'strip' of beach bars which line Timothy beach where all the volleyball games and late night gatherings take place. Luckily, we are far enough away from ALL of that shenanigans to have peace and quiet.

The front of our house!

The pool, side-view. Tundra can't wait!

The house comes fully equipped with two live-in friends who both happen to be academically excellent as well as wonderful people! Alicia is the redhead on the left, she is from Indiana originally and then Vegas more recently. She is a semester ahead of me and is a teaching assistant for 3 of my 4 classes, as well as a tutor for many students in my class. She doesn't sleep, and she always has a book or three open in front of her no matter what else she is doing. Tiffany is the blonde on the right, she is from Pensacola, FL, was a model for 10 years, but don't be fooled, she is one of the most intelligent and hardworking people in my class. She was in vet-prep with me last semester. Both of these lovely ladies were nominated for academic excellence last semester. I am very proud of them and being around them is a good influence!

The porch overlooking the pool overlooking the golf course overlooking the beach. Really, what else do you want? Oh I know, a pina colada.

This is only a fraction of the large fenced-in yard that surrounds the house!

A good view of how Half Moon beach curves around on the NorthEastern side as well.

Strike a pose.

I don't know why they call it the Dolphin House. CLEARLY these are Orcas. I'm going to tell the realtor to tell the owners to start calling it the Orca House. This is the entire back wall of our house (really it's the side of the pool) facing the ocean.

The porch is a wonderful place for morning coffee, eveinng candlelit dinners, studying, and enjoying the breeze coming off the water. The current inhabitants have never used their AC units in this house because it is never that hot!

Master bedroom with walk-in closet, brand new bathroom, private porch, lots of windows, lots of light, brand new expensive furniture (I'm talking armoires, not just a plain-old dresser!) And even fancy art on the walls to go with it.

The other side of the porch, for lounging and entertaining during vacations and mid-semester breaks! And perhaps an occasional weekend night when we don't have 2 exams the following week.

The sky is really that blue, the ocean is really that impressive, the pool is really that clean, and the house is really that postcard-like!

my new car

2009-03-20T09:16:00.002-04:00

A week from today I will be the prowd owner of this cute little Suzuki to get myself around the island, to and from school, and to and from Sea Turtle monitoring sites. For some reason it looks bigger in the picture than it actually is. One of the benefits of having a smaller car around here is being able to fit down the narrow streets with cars coming the other way, and parking it anywhere.

Good times!

2009-02-21T11:11:00.005-04:00

Sailing trip with part of my class on Dr. Mike Smith's boat, a part-time professor here at Ross

Pretending I drank all the local beer (I actually haven't tried Carib yet)

Fun times with friends at Ziggy's, the most popular bar on Timothy Beach where all the students go on the weekends:

With Frank

With Tiffany

With Erica (whom I met on the plane over to St. Kitts) and Amy

With Jessie (sitting down so she doesn't tower over us) and Nicole

With a big group at Rock Lobster for Keli's birthday

With Eileen and Meghan at Rock Lobster

Mathilde Lucie Cohen

2009-02-12T08:28:00.005-04:00

This has nothing to do with veterinary medicine or SCUBA, but...
.... I'm an aunt!

PADI Open Water Diver Certification

2009-02-08T13:28:00.004-04:00

Yesterday and today I completed the confined water dives (in a pool) that are necessary before the open water dives (in the ocean). We're not jumping in the ocean for 2 weeks but in the meantime I have some reading/preparing to do, but we've covered the basics so far.

I've learned about all my equipment, what everything is called and what it does and most importantly WHERE it is (when you're disoriented underwater or if there is an emergency, you need to act on instinct immediately). We practiced what would happen if our masks fell off, how to maintain neutral buoyancy, what to do if we get tangled or need to readjust our tanks or BCDs (buoyancy control devices) underwater, etc. We also had a lot of fun.

There was originally 5 of us in our goup, but it turned out to be just me, Jessie, and Emily, and we had a great time. Brett, our instructor, is very experienced and also used to be an EMT, and is now a Rescue Diver, which is potentially the level I would like to reach if I get that far. Also one of the anesthesiologists/professors at Ross helped us out yesterday. He is a master diver and goes by the nickname 'TB' but he's Belgian and I told him 'bon, on peut parler francais toute-a-l'heure, alors!' so I'm sure I'll see him around campus.

All in all, we had a great time, but it's actually quite exhausting, and after taking a 4 hour nap yesterday, I still slept like a baby last night. I did, however, dream about performing all the new SCUBA tasks I'd learned that day.

Now it's studying all week long to prepare for 4 exams next Monday: Physiology, Microbiology, Veterinary Terminology, and Math (dosage calculations and intro to pharmacology stuff). Grocery store and laundry tomorrow. And maybe the beach if time allows!

Update

2009-01-30T12:21:00.002-04:00

Things are good, it never feels like the weekend because it always feels like vacation, even though I study and go to class. Nice weather makes such a difference! I found an apartment with my new friend Alicia and we'll be moving in next semester (in April)... I'm very excited that that's all said and done. I have 3 classes and then I'm going to Timothy Beach to watch the weekly volleyball games, after which I plan on heading over to Ziggy's (bar on the beach) for nachos, which are apparently great there. Sat, Sun, and Mon I'm going to spend at the beach, and then studying. I also have to prepare for SCUBA the following weekend, because we're going to do all of our introductory pool sessions so that we can move on to the open water sessions. Once I'm certified, I'll be able to go on organized dives. Very exciting! I can't wait. There are shipwrecks and other fun things here. Mostly I just want to see fishies!

The Weekend of Studying

2009-01-23T23:24:00.002-04:00

I have 3 exams on Monday. I'm not worried. I've studied a lot and I know everything I need to know inside and out, and I still have all Saturday and Sunday to review. A bunch of us have been getting together for review/study sessions and I find that I can answer almost every single question without needing to think too much about it. It's nice when you know the material so well, that instead of being anxious about the test, you can be focused and confident that you know the answer.

Tomorrow is the open house, where the campus is open to the island from 9-4. I'm manning the PAWS table from 2-3 to try to educate people about adopting animals and how to care for them. I think I get a free t-shirt out of it, too. There's always something you can show up for to get free stuff around here, especially free lunch... students love anything free!

No going to the beach this weekend, but that's OK... I'm going to take a walk in the morning, and then I'll be outside part of the day.

Time to go to bed and dream about glycolysis!

Shipwreck Beach this morning

2009-01-19T21:32:00.003-04:00

Shipwreck Beach bar

Hats and other things found on the beach all get hung from the ceiling.

The beach

You can relax in the shade when it gets too hot!

The weekend

2009-01-18T08:31:00.003-04:00

Yesterday morning a big group of people went on a 1 hour hike on the Peter Manning trail near Caribelle Batik. It was an arduous, constant uphill, muddy climb in the rainforest that really got your heart going. It's hard to breathe in this humid air and still feel like you're getting enough oxygen! But it was a great workout and I would do it again. The way down was challenging as well... sometimes you had to repell yourself down muddy patched using ropes. There are vines hanging from all the trees that you can actually swing on - they're that strong! We didn't see any monkeys but they were probably all hiding because there were so many of us.

Afterwards, most of my vet prep class went to the anatomy lab where our microbiology TAs kindly volunteered to teach us the basics about bones and muscles of their dissection dog's forelimb. It's stuff they learned last semester that we're upset that we're not learning, because out anatomy professor went back to the states between the time we signed up for classes and the time we got here, as his son is very ill. We will cover all this in 1st semester, but we want to be prepared. An hour and a half later, some people were looking a little green. The smell of formaldehide is overwhelming in the anatomy lab.

After studying and relaxing for the afternoon in my room, I went to Port Zante with some friends from my vet prep class to visit the shops, and then we went out for Indian food. There are a lot of 'East' Indians here, and therefore St. Kitts boasts 2 Indian restaurants - they are owned by the same guy and the one we went to was great. I've eaten my fair share of Indian food in NYC and this was just as good.

This morning I went running and saw all the campus dogs being walked. So cute! I'm studying all day today, and tomorrow I'm going to the beach. Tomorrow night 1/2 of our vet prep class is getting together to discuss our research for our case study in Evidence Based Medicine.

Internet and Phone service down

2009-01-16T16:35:00.003-04:00

Don't try to call my landline or email me at my rossvet.edu.kn email address because I won't get it. Something's wrong with the system. Call the cell 869-763-8097 or email eveelektra@gmail.com.

Fun facts:

It's Friday
I have a bottle of Pinot Grigio
I bought MACE today
I understand physiology so far and actually enjoy it
I'm going on a hike tomorrow morning
I'm visiting the anatomy lab tomorrow to look at some semi-dissected dogs

Sleepless in St. Kitts

2009-01-14T20:39:00.001-04:00

I have accepted the fact that although I have no classes until 11am, I will be getting up at 7:30am every day. Why? Because that's when the majority of the people who live in Columbus Hall leave their room for 8am classes and repeatedly, one after the other, let their doors slam shut. I can't wait to live off campus!

Studying, like a good girl!

2009-01-12T15:19:00.002-04:00

I've been studying on campus in the quiet, distraction-free study room, so I came back to my little apartment on the Caribbean Sea to eat some lunch/dinner before the 5pm Scuba club meeting. It's about $100US cheaper to get certified when you join the club and you can go diving whenever you have time. There are organized dives every month. You can belong to the club whether you're certified or not, but they help you get certified if you want to. This is something that Jessie and I are going to do together, since we'll probably be diving together, as well. I'm very excited about this because it's one of the only things I'm going to spend a significant amount of time doing - other than studying - while I'm on this island!

I'm also going on a short, organized hike (to get in shape) on Saturday morning, and hopefully once I've done a few of those, I'll be able to do the crater hike (4-6 hours total depending on your ability to climb up and then back down). There's an intermediate hike to a bat cave which I would also like to do, however I'm not so keen on the actual cave full of bats itself, once I get there.

No pictures today, unless you want to see images from my new illustrated medical dictionary! And believe me, you DON'T! You have to have a stomach of steel for some of that stuff.

The Weekend

2009-01-10T17:34:00.002-04:00

Today Jessie, Tiffany and I went to the beach. Jessie drove her beat-up '92 Nissan very carefully through the streets of St. kitts, past Basseterre, and out to the peninsula. We ended up safe and sound at Reggae Beach, where we enjoyed plenty of sun, beautiful water, and some relaxation. We all brought something to study, met people on cruises and vacations, and chatted amongst ourselves. I went to see baby goat and baby monkey because I'm in love with them. Wilbur the pig was napping, as usual, so I didn't disturb him. We met a few upperclassmen students with foster dogs, too. I had some delicious grilled fish and a mango daquiri. On the way back there were wild cows and goats all over the roads (and a few monkeys here and there as well) so I took some pictures. There was a lot of glare, though.

Studying and winning

2009-01-09T00:31:00.003-04:00

I get out of class at 4 most days, and after I get back to my room and take a 1/2 hr. break, I study for 2 hours. Then I eat dinner, take another little break, and study for 2 more hours. I'm making it part of my life so that it becomes routine. I never study in my room, only in the study room on my floor... that way my room is only for sleeping, eating, talking on the phone to friends and family, and relaxing. This makes it so that when I'm in my room, I'm not constantly thinking 'I should be studying'.... because this is not the place that I do that... and I've already studied my allotment for the day, so I feel completely anxiety-free and guilt-free when I'm trying to relax.

Tonight a whole bunch of students went to the Marriott... most went to watch a college football game, the rest of us went to get off campus for a bit. We discovered that on Thursday nights there is a free slot machine tournament, and I won! I got a free tshirt and hat. I'll probably go next Thursday and try to win again - it's free, it's free stuff, and although it's always tshirts and hats, there are different colors. Besides it's a way to socialize and get off campus after studying for 4 hours.

So far, so good. Most of what I'm learning has been review for me. I think I'll be OK for this semester! As long as I just keep on keepin' on.

I found this pic online, but it's the general consensus around here (sorry Mom!) and I just think it's comical!

2009-01-07T21:45:00.002-04:00

More Pics from Reggae Beach (Our stop on the Catamaran Trip... we couldn't go to Nevis because it has hurricaine damage)

2009-01-07T12:24:00.004-04:00

Reggae Beach Bar and Grill owned by husband of Ross professor, and surfboard outdoor shower

Baby goat and Baby monkey belong to Reggae Beach Bar and Gril owner

Wilbur the giant pig also belongs to them

Classes

2009-01-06T23:00:00.002-04:00

So far I've had 3 real classes. One is all math, calculations, doseages, etc. Another is microbiology. And the third is physiology. Physio will be the one I need to study the most. The other two will be largely review for me. Jessie and I studied for 2 hours in dead silence and then made a spaghetti dinner and talked for a while before retreating to our separate rooms.

Tomorrow I'm getting up early and a bunch of us are making a trip to the bank to pick up our checkbooks, which we don't need now, really, but will as soon as we have to start paying rent in off-campus apartments.

Tomorrow I have class 11-12, 1-2, and 2-3 and that's it. 12-1 is always open for the entire school so they can do grand rounds and have guest lecturers and everyone is available to attend. at 5:30 there is a bonfire on campus with free dinner and roasting marshmallows. how can i pass that up?

Reality sets in...

2009-01-05T19:02:00.006-04:00

Today I did errands at the bank, dollar store, and grocery store. I did laundry, cleaned my bathroom, and exterminated my ant farm. Jessie and I took her car around the block to make sure it worked, and so that she could get a feel for driving on the left side of the road again (she studied in New Zealand for a semester in undergrad). I figured out how to video-chat with Ryan, and if anyone else has a web cam, I can help you figure out how we can talk to each other (for free) using Skype. It's a free program (that you can download at skype.com) that lets you text chat, voice chat, or video chat through the internet for free. I'm staying in and relaxing tonight, as tomorrow is my first day of classes.

Here are some pictures from the Catamaran/Snorkeling trip that we took yesterday! I had a blast (and I didn't get sunburned)!

Our boat was called 'Irie Lime'

A couple members of the crew

Our sail was advertising 'Carib' beer, a popular local drink that I have yet to try.

Yes, he is steering with his feet.

Jessie and I stupidly squint instead of puttin on our sunglasses.

Me on the net, I had the best seat!

Me and my new friend Alicia -and yes, she got very sunburned (even though she wore 70!)

Jessie and I snorkeling - it was great! I saw a baraccuda but I didn't say anything until after everyone was back on the boat because there were some beginners there that would have freaked out.

Pics from yesterday's trip to Cockleshell/Reggae beach

2009-01-04T18:41:00.005-04:00

Baby monkey checks out some watermelon. and yes, that is baby goat up on the bar.

Baby goat owns the bar!

Wilbur has his own sign.

Baby monkey and baby goat live in here together

One of the two 'Reggae Beach Bar and Grill' dogs owned by the husband of one of the professors at ross.

Baby monkey chews on a knife and baby goat wants some, too (the owner quickly took the knife away from them but they both will chew on anything!)

Wilbur the giant pig, me, Jana, and Keli (2 girls in my orientation group).

Baby goat gets drunk (not really).

Reggae Beach

Island Tour

2009-01-02T21:33:00.009-04:00

Today we took a tour of the island! It was very interesting to see more of the island, the locals, the local homes, the scenery, the animals, etc.

Brimstone Hill Fortress

Jessie and I living dangerously

Crazy steps! And yes, I did climb them.

Flag of St. Kitts

Cactuseses

That's St. Lucia in the distance. Normally from this point you can see 5 other islands but it was hazy today.

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These are pictures of an area called the Black Rocks (volcanic rocks in the ocean).

Here are some pooches we met. We pet them but then washed our hands because they most likely have leptosporosis. Dogs run all over the island but they're not stray, they usually have owners... they're just allowed to do what they want, but then go home at night. You are not supposed to take any of these dogs. If you find a dog you think is a stray, you have to look for the owner for 3 weeks before it is 'yours'.

A covered bar area.

One of the pooches was begging for food. He managed to get some cheetos and granola bars. Don't be sad, that's probably better than what he normally eats!

My friend Alicia is giving head-scratches. This little poocherooni was a puppy because her teeth were impeccable!

Black Rocks and a very pretty color green surf.

Black Rocks

Carnival

2009-01-01T23:51:00.006-04:00

Trip to the beach

2008-12-30T22:34:00.007-04:00

The view from Sir Timothy's Hill

Expensive place to live

The bar at Shipwreck Beach - "Get Shipwrecked!"

Shipwreck Beach, on the Southern/Caribbean Sea side of the island, facing East

The toilets

Excellent beach chairs

Shipwreck Beach, facing West

So far from home!

St. Kitts flag, Shipwreck Beach flag, and then the good ol' U.S. of A.

Beach parking lot

Toilets and Shipwreck Beach sign

The bar

Flowers

Conch shell centerpieces (you could find these all over the beach) and coconut shell ashtrays

Monkey see, monkey do

People feed the wild monkeys

The covered beach chairs have cub holders and ashtrays

3 monkeys chowing down

Can you find the mongoose? There were a ton of them. There are NO SNAKES left on the island, solely due to the mongoose population.

Queen Mary II sailed into town

More pics from campus tour yesterday

2008-12-30T07:20:00.004-04:00

Joey (because she sits like a kangaroo) is missing one front leg and has permanent damage to her hindquarters because she was used as a fighting dog, or more accurately, bait for fighting dogs, i think. she is rescued and happy and has a squeaky purple elephant toy and is moving to the U.S. soon

parking lot on campus

rotaries go the left... very confusing

one of the on-campus apartment buildings

my building, columbus hall

pretty flowers

next to the elementary school

flowers along the road

peeps in my orientation group

it's very hilly around here

the elementary school

the caribbean sea

view from campus

classrooms to the right, caribbean sea to the left

one of many classrooms/offices

always put your e-brake on!

a pond on campus

Orientation

2008-12-29T23:33:00.007-04:00

Today we got a tour of the campus and I took some pictures as we walked around. I got a license, a laundry card, a bank account, and applied for my visa. I think I did some other stuff, too, but I can't remember because I'm so tired. The sun takes a lot out of you and the campus is hilly, so you're constantly climbing or descending roads or stairs.

I bought 6 beers and a bottle of coconut rum for US$16 today. Then I proceeded to make a coconut rum and pineapple drink and stay in for the night. I've gone out to eat 2 nights in a row with a big group of people, but it's expensive and exhausting and I needed some time to unwind. Instead, Jessie and I gave ourselves manicures and pedicures and talked about all the people we've met so far. She is in the room next to me, so it's lots of fun.

The walls here are all concrete so you can't hear a thing which makes for great sleeping and studying in silence (not that I'm doing that yet). There are tiny miniscule sugar ants that appear if you leave food out, so everything is either in the fridge or in ziplocs. I talk to them as I kill them or drown them in the sink. I tell them they're never going to win. I finally saw a gecko today! Not in my room, though - it was outside. But others have seen some in their rooms. No roaches or anything like that.

A few animalistic things to take note of:
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*people have pet monkeys that wear diapers and even the little baby monkeys which cling to their mommy's chest as they walk around on all fours wear little baby diapers

*there are goats here, there and everywhere, maybe on the side of the road, maybe standing in the middle of an abandoned foundation of a building

*if you eat ribs at a restaurant, you're eating goat ribs - however they do have bacon here, and it's the best bacon i've ever had

*there are wild monkeys, which i have not yet seen, but apparently do not want to see, because they are very, very wild

*there are alcoholic monkeys here which will come and steal your beer and sometimes if you don't share they slap you - this has not yet happened to me, but you can be sure i will blog about it if it does

this is the area between my building (on the left) and another on the right

this is where surgery is performed on sheep - those are oxygen tanks behind the beam

a playground for the elementary school and maybe a potential basketball court? not sure...

road on campus

outdoor surgery area and other classrooms, etc.

our cows!

everything is so green here!

a tree on campus

Joey the 3-legged poocherooni

2008-12-28T23:46:00.001-04:00

I promised you all some pictures, and here they are! It was very bright out so there was a glare. More coming, of course. I'll be taking pictures all day tomorrow during the campus tour.

Arrival

2008-12-28T07:44:00.002-04:00

An extra hour and a half spent sitting on a plane in Miami while they fixed the reverse thruster meant getting to know Erica, one of my new classmates, so it wasn't all bad. No one at customs figured out that I had an apple with me after claiming no fruits and vegetables, so that went smoothly as well. My bags didn't get lost, a miracle around here.

And right now I'm enjoying a cup of coffee as I squint out my window at the ship passing by and the bright sunlight shining on the Caribbean sea... I have 4 windows and 2 face the sea (SE),while the other 2 face Basseterre (E). I really cannot complain. I have a corner room which I'm told is a plus, seeing as how everyone else has much less light and only 1 or 2 windows.

Another trip to the grocery store in about an hour will complete my purchase of the necessities for the kitchen and the bathroom. I must attempt to figure out the phone today - I can call the US for free while I'm in this apartment - until August!

We were planning on going to the beach later, but it seems to be extremely windy out there - I've been told this is unusual. It's hazy but I don't see too many clouds in the sky. Jessie arrives today and is living in the apartment next door to me, so it will be nice to see a familiar face, but I have been nothing but happy and positive since I've gotten here, and don't need much cheering up. I was up until 1am last night (that's 22 hours in a row) unpacking and settling in, but I slept like a log and find my bed to be of adequate comfort level (though I have already managed to walk into the corner of the wooden frame and bruise my leg, but this is nothing different than what happens at home).

Pictures to follow shortly. Miss you and love you all!

My Address(es)

2008-12-02T22:57:00.003-04:00

While in St. Kitts, my snail-mail address will be:

Eve Elektra Cohen
c/o Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine
P. O. Box 334
Basseterre, St. Kitts
West Indies

And my permanent U.S. address will remain:
47 Greenwood St.
Sherborn, MA 01770

Leaving the U.S.

2008-11-21T17:17:00.003-04:00

My dearest friends and family,

As you must all know by now, I am departing this cold and unforgiving climate for a warmer and smaller land-mass out in the Caribbean Sea. On December 27th I will hopefully not miss my flight scheduled to leave at an ungodly hour, even for those of us who don't believe in God. By the time you have groggily brushed your collective teeths (yeah, yeah... I know there's no 's' but it sounds funnier), I will be meeting several of my future-classmates in Miami for a noon-time vodka-and-mixer, hold-the-mixer to get over the anxiety I will feel about spending the next 4 years of my life studying 147 hours per week (Note: There are 168 hours in a week, and I foresee spending only about 3 of them sleeping each night).

At this moment I only have 3 glorious days of work left, which is bittersweet, because having the month of December off will be luxurious, but I truly love being a veterinary technician and will miss the job while I'm in school. I have never in my life loved a job this much. Many of the people I work with who have been there for a long time take it for granted, I believe. I fully appreciate how much better I get along with my current co-workers and how much more efficient it is to work as a team, because I have previously worked in places where I despised everyone and had nothing in common with my anyone, and my bosses were emotionally unbalanced and manipulative, egotistical and demeaning.

That is not so where I am now. My job now is one I will genuinely miss because it was a great learning environment, a perfect small animal teaching hospital. 7 vets and several experienced techs taught me almost everything I know... the clients and the animals themselves taught me the rest. I taught myself patience and efficiency and how to delicately rephrase "your pet is morbidly obese" to a client who is, themselves, morbidly obese... and other fun things like that. I made great friends at Wellesley-Natick Veterinary Hospital (WNVH), and one of them is even going to school with me at Ross University in St. Kitts. But I'll miss everyone else and I hope we all stay in touch!

I'll be posting on this blog during my journey, updating everyone in the U.S. what I'm up to, and posting photos of the beach to make you jealous. I'll be sure to let you know how many times I go scuba diving this winter, and we can compete to see if it's more times than you've shoveled your car out. I hope some of you will make it down to visit at some point within the next 2.5 years while I'm there!