"He's like a rollercoaster. -- Only less fun!"

So, today is the 4th of July. American Independence Day. That means just as much here as the 19th of October or the 23rd of May.

How did Keith and I celebrate?
We ate breakfast, went to work, Keith had a shake out of a can for lunch and I didn't put enough water in my Easy Mac before microwaving it so I was left with a dried out solid clump of noodle. I say noodle (singular) because all of the noodles (plural) dried up together to form one hard mass. Then we went to a meeting at the Childrens Hospital, came home and ate Thai food for dinner.

Hows that for a birthday celebration America?

As you might know, food plays a very prominent role in my life.
I think about it more often than I talk about it!
I plan trips and vacations around places that I want to eat at.
It fills that empty void in my belly.
It has gotten me through a good 24 years of my life...

Breakfast for the last two days at the guesthouse has been delicious!
Yesterday we had the corned beef and these great little fried sweet dough things, turns out they are called "festivals."

And today we had porridge.
Now I understand why the 'Three Bears' got pissed at the little White girl -- I would have done the same! (Just so you know my porridge was a little runny, but Keith's was jjuuussttt rrriiiggghhttt.)

I've been working on developing project proposals at work all this week -- trying to put them into a grant format in order to submit them to international funding sources in an attempt to develop the adult mental health services here in Jamaica. I'm making progress, and hopefully doing it correctly.

I've also been researching jobs, internships, fellowships and volunteer positions at different NGOs (non-governmental organizations). Trying to get an idea of what I'll be able to look forward to this time next year after I graduate.

When Keith and I got home from work yesterday there was a group of 15 younger people (mid to late 20's) sitting up on the roof-top patio dressed rather fancy. It turns out they are all Peace Corps Volunteers here for one night in Kingston. The ones that just completed their two year projects were leaving to head back to the states, the ones that completed their first year were celebrating the beginning of their second year, and new ones were just arriving.

Keith and I were told before we left Denver that there were Peace Corps volunteers in Jamaica. We were also told that we should consider ourselves lucky because they would be staying in a places worse than us. Any time Keith and I would ride through the more...ahem..."interesting" parts of town we would tell eachother I bet this is where the Peace Corps people live. I felt bad for them. I thought we had it rough, but they must live in some of the shacks that barely have 4 walls and a roof.

So Keith befriended one of the Peace Corps people last night -- and it turns out that NOT A SINGLE ONE OF THEM LIVE IN KINGSTON OR ANYWHERE NEAR IT! The next logical question to ask is why? Seeing has how most of the population in Jamaica lives in the Kingston area...
Well as it turns out, living in Kingston is TOO DANGEROUS.

Wow.

Too dangerous for the Peace Crops?
I'll be sure to remind myself not to feel bad for the poor Peace Corps kids the next time Keith and I drive through the inner city.

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