Weekly Adventures

January 8, 2014

Hey Everyone,

Just wanted to give you an update of my adventures this week! 
I went to the beach for a day with the other spouse that is here. Her and I have lots in common, and it was nice to hang out! We are both in similar situations and know how each other feel, so it was nice to be able to talk to someone. We went to Nisbet Beach again, and it was very empty so we were able to sit on the chairs which was a lot more comfortable than the sand. I was proud of us for being able to flag down a bus, and make it there and back safely. Oh and I didn't get sunburned!! Yay me! Making progress!!

This week, I also was able to get a sim card. Kyle got one through the school, but they wouldn't give me one, they said we had to go to town and ask for one at the "Lime" store. So we headed downtown with some other students, most of us had to go to the bank so we stopped there first. Luckily Kyle and I have a ScotiaBank Account so we didn't get charged for using the ATM. I heard someone else say that the ATM fee was $13 Canadian! Yikes! 

We went to the Lime store and had to wait a bit, but we were able to get the card no problem. It costs $25EC, seemed reasonable enough to me. 

We had our first power outage last night. It was around 4 am, and we only noticed because the UPS (uninterruptible power supply) Kyle purchased started beeping. We heard someone else's beep too haha. It only lasted about 5 minutes before the back up generator kicked in. I'm not for sure how long it was actually out for. 

Today I was able to get connected with the person who runs the Spouses of Students Group (S.O.S). My friend and I met him in the morning and he was able to take us around town. It was very overwhelming! He had a lot of good information to share with us, it was just a lot to take in. 

He said that there are a few other people in the S.O.S group but most of them just want to do their own thing. That was kind of disappointing to hear. I'm hoping that my friend and I can make it a little better. 

So off to town we went, we stopped at 3 different grocery stores! Now that I have been to most of the supermarkets, this is how I would rank them:
1. IGA
2. Best buy in Gingerland
3. Ram's Groceries (Good for fresh vegetables and fruits)
4. Best Buy in Charlestown

The Best buy in Gingerland, is two stories. The second floor reminded me of a walmart/target. I bought a mat for our shoes, it cost 21EC. You can find some pretty useful items if you know what to look for. 

We also learned that most grocery stores get their shipments in on Wednesdays and Thursdays, so those are the best days to go shopping. So helpful to know that!

He then took us to the local Butcher shop. It's kind of a far drive, and I couldn't even tell you where it is. Oh and apparently it's not called a Butcher down here, they call it an Attribor or something...haha. 

Anyway, I managed to buy some a 12 pack of steaks for 30EC. They didn't have any ground beef or burgers, but maybe next week. 

We went to the hardware store in town and I was able to get my key cut so Kyle and I could both have a copy. It cost 11EC to have that done.

Some other things he recommended was to get a car, but I have also heard others say don't. So I guess it's more personal preference. He also said to get an island bank account, but I have also heard the opposite. Maybe that's why we had a hard time finding information about the island before coming here because a lot of this stuff is personal preference. This guy was also saying that it is really about the relationships you build with the locals. I mean he brought the butcher a muffin! haha, I will have to get used to doing stuff like that. 

Start baking for the locals haha.

We went to this guys apartment so he could drop off his groceries before they all melted and we met his landlord. He has been one of the nicest people I have met so far!! He was born in the UK but his parents are from Nevis, and recently moved back here. He fixes and sells bikes, and seemed very willing to help myself and my friend get a bike! So hopefully we can make that work because I would love to be able to bike to the beach. 

So it was a pretty busy day today, and I did get a lot of info, I can't even remember it all! When I got home, I tried to make a list of meals to have each day, because walking through the groceries stores, it was overwhelming, the prices hard to convert in my head, and even though it may seem low to me, it may not be. So I guess this will just take some getting used to. I hope to buy relatively the same stuff each time I shop, that seems the easiest way to handle this. 

Anyway, moving on to some good news, we have our first visitor coming!! YAY!! They arrive on Saturday and are staying for the week! They were able to get a really good deal on flights, round trip direct flight to St. Kitts from Toronto cost $486!!! So, for all you people wanting to visit, there is hope!! haha :) I know how to get to the beach, and I know how to get some food, so we could manage :) 

Tomorrow night there is supposed to be a "Welcome Back" party at some bar and grill around here. I'll let you know how that goes. 

I'm not sure when the next time I will be able to post is because we will be hosting our guest, and I also start my course on Monday. I'll do my best to keep you guys in the loop. 

I don't have many pictures today, just some from the beach earlier in the week, I can never get enough of the blue water and palm trees :) Definitely beats -30!!! Sorry guys..stay warm!

Miss you all!!