Jamaica - Pictures Day 4 - 3

Day 4 - my first attempt at trying to capture some of the colors of Jamaica on my first solo romp through campus. Note the bright blue library. Also a view of the Rex 'Plex from above. The statue is a Taino Rooster (I think...the guides weren't sure). The Tainos were indigenous to the island. The Rooster is one of their gods. Also a picture of the business school. In my amateur opinion, it's one of the prettiest buildings on campus.








Day 3 - Tour of Halls of Residence - most of these are from Mary Seacole because it was so brightly painted. One is from the beautifully manicured grounds of Chancellor Hall. A few pictures from the u-19 Cricket Challenge Opening Ceremony. There's one picture in particular that is a view of the Blue and Long mountains ranges from the second story of Mary Seacole. I get that view every day.

Pictures Day 2 and 1

My pictures are showing up in html code...in which I am not fluent...so I'm going to have to caption these in bulk.

Day 2 - These are from our tour. The checkered building is the university chapel. It's beautiful. It was transplanted from a sugar plantation. There are some pictures of the old aqueduct that runs through campus as well as one of the campus gardens.






The following 10 or so are from my Hall of Residence. Rex Nettleford. In no particular order, you can see the rotunda, administrative offices, my flat, my delicious gift basket, an average meal, etc. The clusters are a combination of yellow, pink, and blue with a central outdoor common area in the middle. (Day 1)

Jamaica Days 3 - 4

It’s a long post. 3,216 words. I find that hilarious because this post is longer than my DIS currently.

I’ve divided it into two separate sections because I doubt a single one of you has the interest and/or patience to read the entire thing. The first section is primarily a debrief of my itinerary (the who, what, where of my internship). The second section is more of my “thoughts of the journey” thus far. Choose your own adventure.

Section 1:

Day 3 –

Although I can expect that the last two weeks of my internship will be much more routine in terms of specific internship-oriented tasks, this week is all about face-time with campus notables. Yesterday (Wednesday) I met all of the Hall Managers (called Hall Coordinators at FSU) and got tours of the 6 Halls of Residence. Each hall has a unique character, design, and culture. The managers are fantastic. Each manager has a lively personality that (based on my observations) seems to match his or her hall. In addition to creating development (Res Life) programs, the Hall Managers are responsible for the facilities/budget/finance component of their hall AND chair another department within Student Services. For example, Mr. O’Sullivan manages Taylor Hall and the Department of Special Student Services (like our Student Disability Resource Center). Ms. Spence manages Mary Seacole (the only all-female hall—painted in the most wonderful bright colors) and heads up the FYE and Quality Leadership Program (QLP). And so on and so on.



In addition to touring the halls and the Department of Special Student Services, Mr. Dolphin, the manager of Aston Preston, took me on a little excursion to Papine, a local market. It was my first time traveling off campus since I arrived. Lots of street vendors, fruit stands, mobile/cellular stations, traffic. Given its proximity to campus (5 minutes in a bus), Papine is where most students buy their goods/produce.

Spending time with Mr. Dolphin is an absolute riot. He’s a huge sports buff and is heavily involved in the Jamaican Cricket Association…or West Indies Cricket Board…or both (I couldn’t tell which affiliation he had---either way, he’s invested in the sport). UWI Mona is hosting the U-19 Cricket Challenge this week. Young men from six different countries are representing their nation in this tournament—it’s an honor for them to compete. Mr. Dolphin was MC-ing the opening ceremony last night (Wednesday), so he invited Marcia and me to attend. It was so much fun to see the athletes, coaches, and Cricket Association members. The ceremony was a spectacle: the assembly hall was decorated with cricket paddles, there were two musical performances (Rihanna’s “Umbrella” was reggaefied), and it had a HUGE spread of food. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to attend the ceremony, and I hope to watch a few cricket matches this week. I fully intend on being a cricket expert by the time I leave.

Day 4 – (I feel like these should be preceded by ‘Captain’s log, Star Date…’)

I ate breakfast with some new friends who are here attending an international conference on resource management. I’ve met people from St. Lucia, Barbados, Guiana, Dominica, etc. After breakfast, I met with Dr. Monica Brown, coordinator of the M. A. Higher Education – Student Personnel Administration program (a.k.a. the UWI equivalent of what I’m pursuing). The M.A. program started in September of 2006. The program is almost entirely facilitated through distance (online) learning, with one required summer semester and internship. The summer semester is from 9 – 4 Monday – Friday. YIKES. They recently graduated their first cohort of 6 students (6 have completed their theses, 1 is still writing). The program attracts more mature (older) students who are already working in the field of student services, unlike American programs who are populated by predominately recent graduates. They currently offer one track (student personnel) but have plans to add a general administration and Ph.D. program soon, so the structure of their program is very similar to FSU’s. The current cohort is much larger –16 students—again very comparable to FSU’s cohorts. More on the new cohort in a second…

After my meeting with Dr. Brown, I met with Althea Gordon-Clennen, Director of the UWI Mona International Center. The IC is a brand new facility that opened in August 2008. They deal with incoming extended degree and exchange students; processing visas, documents, health records, etc. They don’t offer group study abroad programs like FSU, so each student who desires to participate in a study abroad program is served individually. They have partnerships with about 40 different institutions around the world, mostly in English speaking countries (UK, USA, Canada, etc.) Surprisingly enough, the majority of UWI Mona students that voice interest in participating in an exchange program choose programs in Canada---Canada?! Of all places?!

After my visit to the IC, I sat in on a class with the Higher Education master’s students, which was one of many highlights of my day. Dr. Reynolds was teaching the students about psych theories (specifically Maslow’s hierarchy of needs—reminds me of US Airways orientation on the Vineyard when I erupted in an uncontrollable giggle fit because the US Airways training manual cited Maslow—erroneous!) The students wanted to hear about the functional areas of student affairs in which I had experience, how I developed interest in higher education since I was getting my degree prior to working in the field, and what popular research interests were among members of my cohort. I hope I represented FSU well. We swapped email addresses and I hope to exchange ideas and information with the students soon. I’ll probably see about 5 of them in the fall at FSU while they are fulfilling their internship.

I had a quick break for lunch during which Marcia and I discussed religion and American obesity. Apparently there is a substantial LDS (Mormon) population on the island, so Marcia will take me to an LDS church at some point during my stay. Americans—in case you were wondering, the rest of the world has noticed that we’re all overweight. I will 100% attribute it to our diets. Although Jamaican food uses a lot of oil, nothing is processed. Every meal I’ve eaten has been freshly prepared and incorporates lots of fruits, vegetables, and a starch (usually some variety of potato). And they don’t use salad dressing. Give it a shot. It grows on you.

After lunch, I met with Dr. Reynolds and Mr. Joseph Pereira, the Deputy Principal, who is essentially in command behind the Pro-Vice Chancellor a.k.a. Principal. It would be the equivalent to our Provost. We discussed student/institutional culture and student/faculty interaction. Student/faculty interaction is very formal and distant. Mr. Pereira attributed the hierarchical relationship to English influence (British model of schooling). UWI Mona also struggles to generate and encourage institutional pride; instead, students display fierce allegiance to their halls. Both administrators suggested that this was due in part to the fact that UWI Mona existed as the sole institution on the island for a long time. They also are working to find ways to engage their commuting student population in the campus culture. Their commuting student population would be most comparable to our transfer students. The FYE, mentorship program, and QLP are all programs that have proven successful with both residential and commuting student populations. I would like to see what mentorship programs FSU offers that would be similar in nature to the mentorship program at UWI. Essentially they pair on-campus and off-campus successful leaders with new students; surprisingly, the off-campus mentors are highly sought after (perhaps due to potential job offerings after graduation?).

Last thing on my list this afternoon was a meeting with Kinsley, the Chairman of Chancellor Hall. Kingsley is basically the equivalent to either an FSU residence hall president or perhaps more accurately a fraternity president. He assists with the hall’s budget proposal, disciplinary hearings, and helps plan the hall orientation. Each hall has a “ragging” period similar to our system of hazing in Greek Life. It’s a system of initiations that students are required to endure in order to have access the the privileges of the hall. In recent years, campus administration has really come down against the halls for utilizing unsafe practices, so Kingsley told us that the halls have tempered their initiation process significantly. The initiation process is very secretive. I need to find some resources (hint hint Greek friends) that I can send to him that describe our system of Greek life). The halls are very proud of their history and legacy. Every hall is convinced it’s the best. It’s so much fun to hear the students describe their halls. There is even a strong sense of inter-hall competition between the clusters. Chancellor Hall has 5 or 6 different blocks (clusters, same thing) that compete against each other in grades, debate—basically anything in which a competition can be staged. Each block has its own unique name and identity as well:

Block X—Xcellent – the ‘Ritz Carlton’ of UWI Mona Res Life

Block Ché

Block Aye

Block Dynamite

Block RUNCI – stands for Resides (? might be a different word—similar concept) Under No Chancellor Influence; in the 1970’s, this block felt as though it transcended the influence of the rest of the hall and refused to engage in competitions. It since has rejoined the hall community, but each block might boycott certain events if they feel as though they were wronged or disadvantaged in a previous event.

That pretty much wrapped up my scheduled itinerary for the afternoon. As you can see, I am constantly on-the-go. I went for a walk around Ring Road with my camera this afternoon. If I can sneak into the Computer Room tomorrow with my external hard drive (‘the Brick’) when I post this entry, I’ll upload some of my pictures.

This weekend will be spent in Western Jamaica –Montego Bay area. UWI Mona just opened a new campus in Montego Bay, so we’re going on a campus visit. Montego Bay also happens to be the most well-known tourist destination, so Marcia is taking me to Dunn’s River Falls, Doctor’s Cave Beach, Mystic Mountain (which I think is zip lining through the mountains). I have no clue if I’ll have internet at any point during the weekend, so this might be all you hear from me until next Monday…

Okay, if that wasn’t your desired chapter, here’s Section 2:

Thoughts on my experience thus far:

My friend Mark lent me a book for the trip titled, “Gift from the Sea” by Anne Morrow Lindbergh (Charles’ wife). It’s a light read, but the chapters are filled with rich advice about patience, solitude, and simplicity. I can certainly say that I’m getting my fill of all three.

I’m on my 4th day here, and I’ve already established a bit of a routine. Going backwards:

I go to bed at 10:00 every night after working on my research for 2 hours (not joking---I’m glad I procrastinated so badly because now I have something to keep me occupied at night!). The TV in my room doesn’t work (I told Marcia that it was probably for the best) and the computer room with internet access is open during sporadic hours (I think I finally figured out today that it’s generally from about 9 – 4, which is usually when I’m somewhere else on campus), so after dinner at 5:00, I’m left to my own devices within the confines of Rex Nettleford. It’s got its ups and downs.

I’ve started running here, but when and where I can run is a bit of a challenge. My hosts have strongly discouraged me from going to the track alone, especially after 6, which usually conflicts with dinner. The interior perimeter of RN has a good running path encircling the clusters. This morning I woke up at 6:30 and left RN by myself for the first time to run Ring Road, which is a circular road upon which most of the main UWI buildings are located. My Hall Manager encouraged me to run Ring Road in the mornings because it’s light outside and it’s crowded. I felt very safe, and it was nice to get out of the ol’ Rex ‘Plex for a morning. I also went for a run this evening. I’m trying to put in at least an hour of running a day to ward off the 25 lbs. of negligence that’s looming in the distance as a result of my extremely hearty meals.

But back to my original point—if I’m not running, reading, writing, or researching, I have very little to keep me entertained when I’m in the hall in the evenings. I am KICKING myself for not bringing more non-academic/research oriented books with me. I could have killed some Dan Brown over the next three and a half weeks. I’m glad Mark lent me “Gift from the Sea” or I would have been without a single recreational book. And it’s becoming a real struggle of the human will to pick up “Sport, Play, and Ethical Reflection” (or similar) on a nightly basis. Seriously, who goes on vacation FOR A MONTH and doesn’t bring books? Cotton-headed ninnymuggins like myself, that’s who.

In synopsis, nighttime is a bit of a challenge to find things to keep me from bouncing off the walls. During the day it’s an entirely different story. Marcia created an extremely detailed itinerary that usually keeps me busy from between 8AM and 5PM. My [huge] meals are at 8, noon, and 5 every day, and I love the consistency of it. I am eating extremely healthily (so many fruits and vegetables) but every meal is enormous! I’m not used to eating so much—hence the running. I also usually find time to snack on a piece of fresh fruit or two in the afternoons. Mangos grow freely on campus. Let me restate that. MANGOS. GROW. ON. CAMPUS. The papayas are great too.

So—the American in me feels the need to highlight some of my recent adjustments. I’ve learned that I typically don’t realize that I’ve forgotten something on a trip until I go to use it. So far, the list is:

1) A hairbrush (d’oh! Left it in the car on the way to the airport…): luckily Mama G just cut all of it off, so I’ll live.

2) Batteries: just plain stupid of me. I was concerned about not being able to wake up on time, but going to bed at 10 every night has negated that issue. And my beloved running watch has an alarm on it, so crisis averted.

3) SD (which apparently stands for ‘storage device’) card for my camera: this is the only forgotten item that is truly a bother. I can visualize the stupid thing sitting on my kitchen counter still waiting to be packed in my suitcase. It hasn’t been a deal breaker yet—I just max out my 7 available pictures on my camera and then upload them on my computer. It’ll be a much bigger inconvenience when I’m on an excursion this weekend.

Things that I’ve learned to live without:

1) My cell phone – Proof that one can live without a BlackBerry and still be perfectly fine. I don’t even miss it. I hate having a cell phone. The internet on the other hand…

2) TV – so much more productive with my time…

3) Beer – tropical juice is better. My love of brewery tours is the only thing keeping me from kicking the stuff for good.

4) Internet – this has been the toughest adjustment. You don’t realize how much you use something until it’s no longer an option. I’m lucky if I can find a time and place to get 20 minutes a day. As with TV and my cell phone, it is probably time I weaned myself off of my technology dependence.

5) A bug free environment – all of the facilities at UWI Mona are extremely clean, but the fact of the matter is that I’m on a tropical island and creepy crawly critters are a part of the experience. There’s a lizard somewhere in my flat. I’ve named him ‘Eddie’ (Eddie Lizard—get it??). At first I tried to kill the cockroaches, but eventually I left it go. I just have to make sure that I keep the food wrapped up and my shoes in a secure location. I keep telling myself this is a great character building experience for when I return to the Swampy South.

*Editor’s note: I wrote this prior to my evening run. When I got back from my run, there was an enormous cockroach waiting for me in my kitchen trash can. Man those things are huge here. After about a 5 minute standoff, I managed to get the fugly bugly out of my flat. It’s absolutely impossible to completely insulate one’s living quarters from the outside world because the windows are slatted and don’t have screens. Live and let live I guess.

6) Hot water – I was warned about this, so I knew to expect it. At first, I thought it just came and went, but I’m starting to suspect that it’s on a timer because I’ve noticed that I’ve had better luck in the evenings. The first morning was a little rough. Luckily, it’s so blasted hot most of the time that a cool shower is pretty refreshing.

7) Gossip – The rumor mill is non-existent here. One of the halls, Chancellor, has a code that unless information is freely provided, the students in the blocks don’t provide or seek out information about instances that occur in the hall. It’s an honor code that is deeply respected. What a novel concept.

8) Bat habits – I don’t bite my nails (granted, I still have acrylic tips on and my need for a salon is severe – luckily I’ve heard that there are some salons on campus, including one in a hall of residence). I also have no reason to use curse words, so I’m hoping that these bad habits don’t follow me back to the states.

So what are the downsides?

1) I’m on lockdown most of the time. I know it’s for the best, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. If it’s after 5 and I’m not with Marcia, I’m pretty much stuck at Rex. All things considered, I definitely prefer lockdown to the alternative. I’m so lacking in the common sense department that I’d probably be dead or robbed in 24 hours of total independence. I have felt safe the entire time I’ve been here, mostly because I have people constantly looking in on me.

2) Loneliness. It’s a good and bad thing. To loosely (and I mean loosely) quote Anne Lindbergh in her book, it’s such a rare occasion to find a time and space where one is truly alone with his or her thoughts, and that is certainly true. I have had a lot of time to think freely without interruptions. The solitude has given me an opportunity to process my experience without anyone interjecting his or her judgment or opinion, but at the same time, it would really enhance my experience to be able to share the taste of a tamarind ball or fresh mango with a friend, or talk about cultural differences with an FSU colleague.

Thus concludes my longest post ever. I hope at least one person other than myself reads half of this.

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 :)

Spring/Summer 2009 in review: I need to take more pictures

I'm breaking from my preferred posting format to catch up on photos of my neice, Lilia Rebekah May, and some choice moments from spring semester....

Shell Point, closest beach to Tallahassee merits a cliche jumping-on-the-beach picture

The Council of Awesome in its entirety

Goofing off at Higher Education Graduation

Month 9: Summer pre-Jamaica

Some of the cohort at the Varsity in Atlanta--I'm a tourist in my own town.
It's supposed to be a 10, for "Class of 2010"...we spent a lot of time arranging this.

I started this post the 2nd week of May and forgot about it...I am the worst blogger ever.

And fair warning, this is a total fluff post, with the exception of announcing that my sister had her baby! Lilia Rebekah May was born on May 15th, 2009 in Sagamihara, Japan. She is precious. I'm totally willing to forgo having children of my own so that I can live vicariously through my sister's children and spoil them rotten. I have no pictures of my own yet, but I'll steal some from Mama G and post them on here eventually...hopefully before the end of time.

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Without further ado, here is the beginning of my post during mid-May...

This summer is all about adventures.

Last week was FSU/FAMU LeaderShape in Panama City Beach.

Despite my reoccurring work-related nightmares and logistical chaos, the week was deeply meaningful. It's a rare opportunity to take a week out of your life and spend it reflecting on the things that truly matter to you. It was humbling to be immersed in a community that is so enthusiastic about creating positive change. And the beach was nice too.

This week: Dive trip with Uncle Dave and Atlanta/Athens Trip 1

Uncle Dave is not MY uncle; he's my friend Chris' uncle who lives up the road from Tallahassee and happens to be a divemaster and all-around fantastic guy. We went to Vortex Springs this week (never thought I'd see that place again!) to dive. Dave took me through a remedial crash course on open water diving because it had been so long since I was certified. He had all the equipment I could possibly need and was unbelievably patient as I floundered around in the water looking like a total moron. We did two dives, both with a max depth of 60 feet, a little bit of exploring in a cavern, and saw lots of marine life (including eels!). We're trying to get me prepped and ready to do some serious diving when I'm in Jamaica in July. We're making plans to meet Chris and Laura in St. George in June to do some more diving.

This weekend my cohort is off to Atlanta for the annual practicum trip. We'll visit Spelman, Agnes Scott, Georgia Gwinnett College, and Emory. My roommate/future roommate and I are going up a day early to visit Athens and go to a Braves game. Pretty much my ideal weekend.
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That's where I left off...

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So...in the month since I started this post, I've been to Atlanta on three separate occasions. I'm going to do this ESPN Rundown style.

Athens: Other than the enormous Tate II, Athens hadn't changed much--still the Classic City. The current/future roommates and I had coffee with Dr. Pollard (most beloved professor of all time) at the new Two Story Coffeehouse in Five Points. We also went to the Terrapin Brewery (my first time there). I am deeply disappointed that I did not discover that gem sooner. Giant field + live music + brewery things = lovely evening. Both times I've visited Athens since graduation I've recognized fewer and fewer people--my days before I have to consider myself a UGA Uncle Rico are numbered.

ATL Trip #1: Practicum trip was fine. Pretty uneventful. We toured Agnes Scott while they were filming a Sandra Bullock/Tim McGraw feature so we got to see a few celebrities. Despite our willingness to brave the weather in ponchos, the Braves game was rained out. I was crestfallen. The campuses were very nice, but the practicum trip experience definitely reaffirmed my desire to work at a large campus.

ATL Trip #2: Brother's HS graduation. Being back at a Lassiter function was pretty much a complete time warp. It makes me appreciate the fact that UGA didn't call every graduate's name during our commencement ceremony. Note of interest: Lassiter changed its graduation venue to a Baptist church that is a cross between Six Flags and Phillips Arena.

ATL Trip #3: The White-Kirchner Wedding. So much fun. The ceremony and reception were beautiful. Louie and Naomi were together at the beginning of my rowing career and they certainly outlasted my time on the team. It was really fun to have it all come full circle and reconnect with long lost friends.

...and we're caught up to this past weekend.

First weekend back in Tallhassee - Dive trip #2 and Beach Day at the Gerbers' condo: When I said 'back in Tallahassee', what I really meant was 'back in Florida'. I've gotten to the point where I won't stay in Tallahassee for a full weekend even if you paid me. Dave and I went diving in Chiefland, FL at Catfish/Manatee Springs. Pretty cool dive site. It's in a state park, so it was free, and Manatee Springs is covered in duckweed, so you come out of the water looking like the Creature from the Black Lagoon. I struggled a lot in my first dive to establish buoyancy, so I basically just churned up everything on the floor of the spring. Second dive went much better. Saw some catfish (hence the name of the spring), crayfish, and grouper, and that's about it.

We took a 24 hour condo trip. It was nice but extremely uneventful. I think on some level we only went to Destin to eat at McGuire's (my favorite restaurant of all time!) so I will not waste anymore screen space or reading time with giving you the play-by-play. I would like to mention that while at McGuire's, a friend dared me to sing with the live guitarist if the following conditions occurred:

1) The guitarist acquiesced to our request to hear Paul Simon.

2) He started playing "Me and Julio" unprompted.

Both happened.

Next weekend: Condo Trip #2 (I have to return the towels that I used because I'm a dummy and forgot to bring my own...any excuse to go back to the beach...) and another dive trip--this time we're diving in the gulf off of kayaks--how cool is that?? I could get used to this condo + diving weekend routine....

Okay, time to physically and mentally prepare for IM softball practice. It's playoff season, and I play to win. One month until Jamaica!

...and thus concludes the most pointless blog post of all time.

Month 8: Japan Debrief / End of School Year

Sushi Go Round
View from Landmark Tower, tallest building in Japan (Yokohama)

Sagamihara Park

Sagamihara Park

I just reread my last journal post, which was written pre-Japan and right during Fall semester midterms. I'm now post-Japan, into my second semester, and gearing up for the last week of school. So clearly some time has passed.

I can't possibly recall all of my memories from Japan, so I will settle for posting a few pictures. I didn't get to do as much sight-seeing as I would have liked due to Jill's pregnancy ailments, but the parts of the country and culture that I did get to see were beautiful. Even though there was some squabbling during the week (to put it lightly) it was wonderful to have an opportunity to visit Jill and I miss her and Cliff both very much. I am tremendously grateful that she has a US phone number now so that I can call her weekly. We also both contribute to a joint recipe blog, so if you're interested: http://www.reciperendezvous.blogspot.com/.

I will summarize the end of my Fall semester by saying that grades went very well. I didn't realize at the time how incredibly Spring loaded (no pun intended) my assitantship programs were going to be, so upon returning to FSU in January, I was in for a rude awakening...

January highlights:
-Multiple nights at the Center for Leadership and Civic Education compiling scholarship review packets until the WEE hours of the morning
-A speeding ticket at 7AM for 9 MILES OVER THE LIMIT (that is laughable in Atlanta...LAUGHABLE) when I was going to get Chick-fil-a biscuits for 40 students for an overnight program
-I'm a full-fledged challenge course facilitator (low ropes and high ropes)
-Multiple trips to the condo in Destin (so much more convenient driving from Tallahassee than it is from Atlanta!)

February ---
-Threw my shoulder out in a batting cage at FunZone when a friend made a snide remark about John Smoltz
-Volunteered for the Institute on College Student Values and met some great people in the student affairs field
-Recruited the next batch of FSU Higher Ed shining stars, including another Bulldawg :)

March --
-Visited Laura, Kathryn, Chris, et al in Denver, Colorado for Spring Break

April --
-Applied for a summer internship program to work at the University of the West Indies-Mona in Kingston, Jamaica
-Starting a directed independent study which will explore how institutional culture influences practices in collegiate sportsmanship
-Went to the Braves home opener as part of a fun weekend getaway in Atlanta
-Currently planning two graduation ceremonies; one for the Office of Multicultural Affairs, one for the Higher Ed program
-Also currently on crutches due to an ankle sprain from a softball game. I kid you not.

I get to turn in my last academic assignment for the semester this afternoon. We've got LeaderShape coming up in two weeks. I can't wait for summer.

That was the quick and dirty version of my spring semester. I hope to make more regular updates soon.