"We have to give thanks because we are alive and well"

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Wake up in the morning to take a shower, I get to sleep in 45 minutes later than usual because we are not getting picked up until 9:30 by Clifton. Turn on the shower and hope for good water pressure (this has been a slight issue since we arrived, but I have thus far faired better than Keith) -- decent water pressure -- GREAT! I still have conditioner in my hair -- water pressure drops to a TRICKLE.

drop.
drop.
drop.

Nothing.

Are you kidding me?

I get out of the shower and rinse my hair in the tiny sink. Laughing the entire time. Meet Keith for breakfast -- make bets on whats for breakfast -- swap water pressure stories (Keith had the same problem this morning). Then I watch Keith try to put the foil cover (which goes to the cream container) on his cup of coffee...laugh -- a lot -- and ask him what he's doing. Realize he's not awake because of his lack of shower. Laugh more.

We get picked up 10 minutes late by Clifton, to head to the United Nations building. He pulls into a shady looking area -- (I wonder if this is the UN?) -- there is a sign for a travel agent and Clifton hops out of the van saying he'll only be a minute. We drive to the UN, and stop at the security check point only long enough for them to raise the gate but for us to drive past without talking to the guard who starts banging on the van window...we park and clifton tells us to wait behind the bushes (for the shade they provide -- I am assuming).

We are escorted inside the UN building and the UN Security offical meets with us and takes us back to his office for the briefing regarding security in Jamaica. We fill out paperwork. Discuss issues. Are told protocol we should follow at all times. Given special numbers we have to call if we are planning business related activities outside of our downtown office -- told that we have to get special permission to do assignments that have to be evaluated by the security team and approved/or denied. Discuss housing concerns -- told we have to get a security evaluation of any accomodations we move to. I'm impressed with how important we are.

I get a voicemail that my sister-in-law had my new nephew -- Reef -- 7 lbs 5 oz -- 22 inches long -- and that she and the baby are doing good.

We go in to the internship. Go to lunch (but we don't have security badges/passes to get back inside after leaving). We grab patties -- turns out a "cheese pattie" despite what it sounds like is really a beef and cheese pattie. We get back into our building, up to the 7th floor and then can't get through the locked doors due to the lack of security badges -- we are stuck -- stand there for 5-10 mins hoping someone will come by and open the door -- someone finally does. Eat lunch. Back to work. Then randomly all of the computers in the entire office go off. Weird. Wait. Eventually they all come back on. How strange?

Come home. Read up on the roof-top patio -- finish my book. Go to dinner at the Thai place down the street that we tried to go to on Sunday -- but instead the people that work there made us go to the Indian food part of the resturant. I order the spicer food, I order the beer, I pay for dinner -- the waiter assumes that since Keith is the man he must have done all of those things -- not the woman.

Walk home.

Sit on the roof.

Sit in tree sap in my work pants. Curse the sap for making me have one less pair of clean pants for work.

Process the experiences thus far -- and discuss the conflicting experiences of life in Jamaica.

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