The return of the travel blog: Jamaica, Days 1 - 2

Written yesterday:

Greetings from Mona, Jamaica!

I was sitting in the Rex Nettleford rotunda recouping from a huge delicious meal of jerk chicken and fresh vegetables when it dawned on me that I could post a quick debrief of my first day before getting back to the directed independent study that has been plaguing me all summer...

I arrived in Kingston at noon Jamaica time (EST -1 hour) and have been sweating ever since. It is HOT here. It's not like the clammy, sticky Tallahassee heat--it's wonderful, warm tropical breezes that are ideal for napping. By the end of my internship, I will be perfectly adjusted to living without air conditioning.

The flight into Jamaica was beautiful. The island terrain is unlike anything that I had ever seen from a plane. Rolling fertile mountains (think Jurassic Park) and clear turquoise water. My host Marcia (who interned with us at the FSU Center for Leadership and Civic Education in the fall) spotted me immediately upon exiting the airport. I definitely stick out here. The UWI campus is about 20 minutes outside of the Kingston airport, and we drove in between the harbor and the coast. The buildings are a wash of bright pastel colors.

That's where I stopped writing yesterday....picking back up today:

The UWI Mona Campus is nestled in a valley between two large mountain ranges, one of which is the famous Blue Mountains. UWI Mona is the premier institution of higher education in the Caribbean, and the pride in their academic and social achievements is evident upon setting foot on campus. The school has a medical school/teaching hospital, school of nursing, law, humanities, education, social science, pure/applied sciences, and a school of business. The buildings are color coded based on the faculty (what we call "departments"). Social sciences is orange, pure/applied sciences are yellow, etc. Summer school is in session but there aren't many students roaming around campus.

I'm staying in Rex Nettleford Hall, the largest of the Halls of Residence. There are six halls of residence, which are futher divided into numbered clusters. Halls compete against each other in academics, debate, athletics, and other student organizations. They are a tremendous source of pride for their students. Even commuting students are assigned a hall when they enroll at UWI Mona. It's similar to Greek Life in American schools. My flat is enormous. I have my own bedroom, badthroom, and kitchenette. My hosts got me a gift basket filled with tropical fruits, juices, and snacks. It's been fun to try different things. I ususally have no clue what I"m eating.

The meals are fantastic. And enormous. I have something prepared 'jerk' style at every meal. So far my favorite item has been fried jerk shellfish...or something like that. I can't emphasize how big every meal has been. Lots of fresh fruit and veggies. Green bananas. Yams. Rice and beans. Chicken. Yam salad. Cabbage (that was a first for me). More fruit. Fruit juice. Again, I have no clue what I'm eating most of the time, but I've liked all of it. The green bananas were...interesting. They're basically bananas that aren't sweet.

By far the best part about the country has been the people. Phenomenal hosts. Everyone has bent over backwards to make sure that I have been accomodated. I met with Dr. Reynolds, the Director of Student Services (similar to our VPSA) this afternoon and was given a campus tour by a recent graduate this morning. The country and University have a very rich history and I'm looking forward to exploring it futher during this month.

Marcia has prepared a very comprehensive itinerary for me during my stay. She's planning on taking to visit the UWI Western Jamaica campus in Montego Bay this weekend. At some point we will also visit the Bob Marley museum, Port Royal, Dunn's River Falls, go diving, etc.

I'll be working with the sports program here and the halls of residence. My "work work" starts tomorrow in Aston Preston hall. Check out their websites if you get a chance--they're fun:

http://www.mona.uwi.edu/halls/nettleford/body.htm
mona.uwi.edu/halls/azpreston/about/

I'm going to cut myself off so I make my 5:00 PM dinner time. I think I'll also have a chance to try out the grass track tonight where Usain Bolt trains.

If you want to chat with me directly, the best times will be either early AM (around 8:30) or after 5:30 PM. I'll be on gchat when I can get access to the computer lab. The lab is supposed to shut down at 5:00 every night, but so far I've had good luck.

Until next time :)