It's April, which means the NBME is right around the corner! And with that comes finishing basic sciences!
A lot of people have been asking me if I am stressed about it and honestly I'm more stressed thinking about taking the STEP in (hopefully) four months from now.
We had our final class last Friday, which gives us about a week and a half to study on our own before we write the exam. I'm currently reading First Aid and doing Kaplan questions (trying to aim to hit at least 1500, currently at 1329).
Oh ya, our school has merchandise now! (woo!) Starting next semester, school uniforms will be made mandatory. (boo!) I snagged myself a long-sleeved sweatshirt just to wear around the house when I'm back in Toronto.
That's it. We're gone. I took my last flight on Winair after my micro shelf at 12:40 PM. After being delayed half an hour by heavy rain and a goat (yes, a GOAT! A man was bringing a goat with him on the plane and because the plane was nearing maximum weight capacity they almost couldn't bring it on our flight and the owner made a huge fuss about it. Only on Statia would that ever happen), we arrived at the St Martin airport. I met up with my realtor and she drove me to view some houses. It's been almost 3 months since I started looking at places to live on St. Martin, and I just HAD to leave it to the last minute to decide what I wanted. But my decision was made quite promptly after seeing the first place and I knew I just had to get it, regardless of price. Actually it was the most affordable, convenient, and all-inclusive place that I saw. My place is located in the Simpson Bay Yacht Club. There are three swimming pools, a tennis court, and even a jacuzzi on the property that I can use whenever I want! It's pretty much a resort! Apparantly the place is one of the most sought after in the Simpson Bay area, so I'm quite happy with my decision to get it. Right in front of the gate is a restaurant that serves super healthy and super good food, a pharmacy, a cafe, and a Galleria supermarket across the street. My studio is quite small (size of a standard hotel room), and even though it is a studio, there is a separate walled-off area for the bedroom, which I really like because it lends more privacy. There is a sliding glass door that leads out into the porch of the backyard, and literally 2 steps from my backyard is the lagoon. And across the lagoon is my school. If only I had a little boat I could sail to school on it would be so cool! But I think I will opt to take the ten minutes to walk to school. Another thing I like about my unit is that I'm located right beside the gate, and right outside the gate is the main road. The property is actually quite large, so I'm glad that I don't have to walk all across it to get to and from my house.
Here's a glimpse:
Simpson Bay Yacht Club
I'm pretty excited to move into my new place, to say the least.
Afterwards my realtor dropped me off at the Maho Sonesta. I checked into my room, took a quick shower, changed, and strolled the grounds by myself for a bit. It wasn't until 2 hours later that I met up with my friends and we took advantage of the hotel's all-inclusive-ness. We stuffed ourselves at the buffet, ordered drinks from all the bars, watched a live band play, sang karaoke late into the night, aaaand we went swimming at midnight. Definitely a first experience for all of us. It was so much fun. There were about a dozen of us staying at the Maho that night and we all met up and enjoyed ourselves very much. It was the perfect ending to a very imperfect semester. I went to bed close to 2, and woke up at 5:30 to catch my flight at 8 AM.
I finally hiked up the volcano today! I set out of my house
at 6:30 AM, and after taking a few wrong roads, I arrived at the bottom of the
volcano at around quarter past seven. The trail up the volcano was narrow and
steep in some places and flanked by young trees. Spider webs kept getting in my
way and I had to break them. By the time I reached the edge of the crater it
was a little past 8. On top, I could see the inside of the crater. It took my
breath away a little, standing on the lip of the rim and peering within. The
crater and its sides were covered in thick dense deciduous trees. Fog drifted
from the top to the skies. After attempting to take a few timed shots of myself
and the scenery, I decided to head back down. My water bottle was empty and I had been advised to not hike the crater alone. The way back down was a little steep and
slippery. I had to descend the top very carefully, scared of tripping, slipping
or sliding down. It got easier as I kept going down. I found a Soldier Crab
(see photo below). I almost mistook it for a rock, but the shell was too smooth
so I picked it up and was surprised to see bright red claws protruding from
beneath when I turned it upside down. I snapped some photos then put it down
and waited for it to come out. I waited a few minutes but it refused to come
out of its shell so I continued onwards. I took the shortest way back home, and
I got back just a little before 9:30.
I caught the movie Hoodwinked on TV and I was startled to
recognize the voice of the big bad wolf. I looked up IMDB and sure enough it
was who I thought it was – the same voice actor as Kronk from the Emperor’s New
Groove, one of my all-time favourite Disney movies! And apparently he is also
Joe from Family Guy, and I’ve seen that show before but I’ve never recognized
his voice until now while watching Hoodwinked. Strange!
Tomorrow is the official orientation day. We will be hearing
speeches from members of the faculty as well as the student government. There
will also be a white coat ceremony. I am excited to meet other new first term
students!
Entrance to the trail up the volcano.
Half-way to the top!
Very steep!!
At the top!!
I took a risk.
View from the crater rim looking down into the crater!!
I woke up at 6.30 today to get ready for my first hiking
trip on the island. I had a light breakfast of bread and marmalade and headed
out. I took a road near my house that led to the Island’s Botanical Garden.
Lots of cars passed by, some offered me a ride to which I politely declined. The
main road forked and I took the eastward path. It was narrower, about the width
of a minivan. I passed by a single biker going in the opposite direction. As I
walked I kept hearing rustling noises on both my sides. Once I caught sight of
the origin of the noise. It turned out to be a big spider the size of a small
grapefruit. I walked a little faster after that. I kept following the road,
which broke into uneven patches. There was cow dung everywhere. Cow poop is many
times worse than Canadian geese poop. For one, they are massive and easy to
step into. The fresh ones are the worst because they are soft and sticky. They
also smell awful. Thankfully I didn’t step in those. As I continued down the
road the rustling noises got louder. I took a closer look and saw brown lizards
with a red colouring around their throats. They were fast. As soon as I took a
step they darted into the nearest hole or crevice.
By the time I got to the entrance of the Botanical Garden I
felt so sweaty and tired. Seeing the gate was like seeing an oasis to me. I
entered into a well-shaded path with different flora and fauna lining the
sides. I snapped a few photos of indigenous flowers and continued by
exploration. At the end of the small path was an open hut. On a table there was
a grey cat that was lounging peacefully. I petted it but it didn’t seem too
pleased by my sight. Nearby was a young man on a tall ladder painting the roof
of the hut. I asked him where I can get water and he directed me to the back of
the house. There was a water cooler and a sink in which I washed my apple.
After some hydration. After thanking him, I slipped some coins into the
donation box and headed out to sit on a shaded bench and enjoy the view of the
sea.
Then I headed back. Which turned out to be the hardest part
of the hike. Firstly, I took a detour. A path that wound down steeply towards
the sea. It was longer than I expected, but at the end I was rewarded with a
view of the sea against the rocks and a nice strong breeze. I was on a wide
open plain that was dotted with rocks and cow turd. After snapping a few
photos, I headed back to the main road. I had to climb the steep hill to get
back to where I had been. After about ten minutes, I felt thoroughly exhausted.
Once I got to the main road I couldn’t stop to rest so I continued back the way
I came from. Secondly, it was almost ten and the sun was high in the sky and
shone without any deterrence. The heat beat down on me from all sides. I was so
hot and sweaty even my knees were sweating. I could just imagine my eyeliner
streaking down my face amidst rivers of sweat. Okay it wasn’t that bad. But I
felt really tired. I think it was the heat mostly that made it exhausting.
Finally, after what seemed like half a lifetime, I reached
home at eleven. Four hours of hiking in total. Tomorrow I will go up the volcano.
In the afternoon, I walked downtown. My ankles were burning
from the morning hike but I ignored it the best I could. To my disappointment
the store I was going to was closed so I headed to the school library instead,
to find a solution to my laptop’s woes. I spent a few hours googling an answer.
But nothing worked. In fact, whatever I did made it worse and more problems
arose. I felt so frustrated I could have cried. I couldn’t call Apple support
because I had no phone. At 5:30 the library closed so I left. But the study
hall was still open so I entered in hopes of continuing my search for a
solution. Inside I recognized the man from yesterday who I had met in the grocery
store. He looked really concentrated, with his books and papers spread out in a
semicircle around him on the table. He recognized me as well and I told him
about my problem. He said he used to be in computers and that he would know how
to help so I handed my laptop to him. He ended up reinstalling the system on my
laptop, which did the trick. We spent about an hour talking about school and
life on the island and about his family. He was super nice and generous with
his resources. I also learned that his wife has a blog that I’ve read! Which
was pretty cool because it was meeting someone in real life that I had read
about before. By the time we walked out of the study hall it was almost pitch
black outside. We said good-bye and I went home to a dinner of left-overs and
stale baguette (yum!). But the important thing is my internet finally worked!!!!
Tomorrow I plan on hiking up the volcano (also known as the
Quill). And at 10 there is to be a walking tour for the new students on the
island. Life is good.
Walking towards the Botanical Garden.
Seconds before they attacked me with their tongues.
Some weird big plant that has leaves that look like garden hoses!
I called her Bessie.
Cactus.
Still more ways to go!
View of the volcano from around the back of the base.
Stinky cows.
Lizard!
Finally I'm here!
He's not impressed with my sweaty state that I arrived in.
It's April, which means the NBME is right around the corner! And with that comes finishing basic sciences!
A lot of people have been asking me if I am stressed about it and honestly I'm more stressed thinking about taking the STEP in (hopefully) four months from now.
We had our final class last Friday, which gives us about a week and a half to study on our own before we write the exam. I'm currently reading First Aid and doing Kaplan questions (trying to aim to hit at least 1500, currently at 1329).
Oh ya, our school has merchandise now! (woo!) Starting next semester, school uniforms will be made mandatory. (boo!) I snagged myself a long-sleeved sweatshirt just to wear around the house when I'm back in Toronto.
That's it. We're gone. I took my last flight on Winair after my micro shelf at 12:40 PM. After being delayed half an hour by heavy rain and a goat (yes, a GOAT! A man was bringing a goat with him on the plane and because the plane was nearing maximum weight capacity they almost couldn't bring it on our flight and the owner made a huge fuss about it. Only on Statia would that ever happen), we arrived at the St Martin airport. I met up with my realtor and she drove me to view some houses. It's been almost 3 months since I started looking at places to live on St. Martin, and I just HAD to leave it to the last minute to decide what I wanted. But my decision was made quite promptly after seeing the first place and I knew I just had to get it, regardless of price. Actually it was the most affordable, convenient, and all-inclusive place that I saw. My place is located in the Simpson Bay Yacht Club. There are three swimming pools, a tennis court, and even a jacuzzi on the property that I can use whenever I want! It's pretty much a resort! Apparantly the place is one of the most sought after in the Simpson Bay area, so I'm quite happy with my decision to get it. Right in front of the gate is a restaurant that serves super healthy and super good food, a pharmacy, a cafe, and a Galleria supermarket across the street. My studio is quite small (size of a standard hotel room), and even though it is a studio, there is a separate walled-off area for the bedroom, which I really like because it lends more privacy. There is a sliding glass door that leads out into the porch of the backyard, and literally 2 steps from my backyard is the lagoon. And across the lagoon is my school. If only I had a little boat I could sail to school on it would be so cool! But I think I will opt to take the ten minutes to walk to school. Another thing I like about my unit is that I'm located right beside the gate, and right outside the gate is the main road. The property is actually quite large, so I'm glad that I don't have to walk all across it to get to and from my house.
Here's a glimpse:
Simpson Bay Yacht Club
I'm pretty excited to move into my new place, to say the least.
Afterwards my realtor dropped me off at the Maho Sonesta. I checked into my room, took a quick shower, changed, and strolled the grounds by myself for a bit. It wasn't until 2 hours later that I met up with my friends and we took advantage of the hotel's all-inclusive-ness. We stuffed ourselves at the buffet, ordered drinks from all the bars, watched a live band play, sang karaoke late into the night, aaaand we went swimming at midnight. Definitely a first experience for all of us. It was so much fun. There were about a dozen of us staying at the Maho that night and we all met up and enjoyed ourselves very much. It was the perfect ending to a very imperfect semester. I went to bed close to 2, and woke up at 5:30 to catch my flight at 8 AM.
I finally hiked up the volcano today! I set out of my house
at 6:30 AM, and after taking a few wrong roads, I arrived at the bottom of the
volcano at around quarter past seven. The trail up the volcano was narrow and
steep in some places and flanked by young trees. Spider webs kept getting in my
way and I had to break them. By the time I reached the edge of the crater it
was a little past 8. On top, I could see the inside of the crater. It took my
breath away a little, standing on the lip of the rim and peering within. The
crater and its sides were covered in thick dense deciduous trees. Fog drifted
from the top to the skies. After attempting to take a few timed shots of myself
and the scenery, I decided to head back down. My water bottle was empty and I had been advised to not hike the crater alone. The way back down was a little steep and
slippery. I had to descend the top very carefully, scared of tripping, slipping
or sliding down. It got easier as I kept going down. I found a Soldier Crab
(see photo below). I almost mistook it for a rock, but the shell was too smooth
so I picked it up and was surprised to see bright red claws protruding from
beneath when I turned it upside down. I snapped some photos then put it down
and waited for it to come out. I waited a few minutes but it refused to come
out of its shell so I continued onwards. I took the shortest way back home, and
I got back just a little before 9:30.
I caught the movie Hoodwinked on TV and I was startled to
recognize the voice of the big bad wolf. I looked up IMDB and sure enough it
was who I thought it was – the same voice actor as Kronk from the Emperor’s New
Groove, one of my all-time favourite Disney movies! And apparently he is also
Joe from Family Guy, and I’ve seen that show before but I’ve never recognized
his voice until now while watching Hoodwinked. Strange!
Tomorrow is the official orientation day. We will be hearing
speeches from members of the faculty as well as the student government. There
will also be a white coat ceremony. I am excited to meet other new first term
students!
Entrance to the trail up the volcano.
Half-way to the top!
Very steep!!
At the top!!
I took a risk.
View from the crater rim looking down into the crater!!
I woke up at 6.30 today to get ready for my first hiking
trip on the island. I had a light breakfast of bread and marmalade and headed
out. I took a road near my house that led to the Island’s Botanical Garden.
Lots of cars passed by, some offered me a ride to which I politely declined. The
main road forked and I took the eastward path. It was narrower, about the width
of a minivan. I passed by a single biker going in the opposite direction. As I
walked I kept hearing rustling noises on both my sides. Once I caught sight of
the origin of the noise. It turned out to be a big spider the size of a small
grapefruit. I walked a little faster after that. I kept following the road,
which broke into uneven patches. There was cow dung everywhere. Cow poop is many
times worse than Canadian geese poop. For one, they are massive and easy to
step into. The fresh ones are the worst because they are soft and sticky. They
also smell awful. Thankfully I didn’t step in those. As I continued down the
road the rustling noises got louder. I took a closer look and saw brown lizards
with a red colouring around their throats. They were fast. As soon as I took a
step they darted into the nearest hole or crevice.
By the time I got to the entrance of the Botanical Garden I
felt so sweaty and tired. Seeing the gate was like seeing an oasis to me. I
entered into a well-shaded path with different flora and fauna lining the
sides. I snapped a few photos of indigenous flowers and continued by
exploration. At the end of the small path was an open hut. On a table there was
a grey cat that was lounging peacefully. I petted it but it didn’t seem too
pleased by my sight. Nearby was a young man on a tall ladder painting the roof
of the hut. I asked him where I can get water and he directed me to the back of
the house. There was a water cooler and a sink in which I washed my apple.
After some hydration. After thanking him, I slipped some coins into the
donation box and headed out to sit on a shaded bench and enjoy the view of the
sea.
Then I headed back. Which turned out to be the hardest part
of the hike. Firstly, I took a detour. A path that wound down steeply towards
the sea. It was longer than I expected, but at the end I was rewarded with a
view of the sea against the rocks and a nice strong breeze. I was on a wide
open plain that was dotted with rocks and cow turd. After snapping a few
photos, I headed back to the main road. I had to climb the steep hill to get
back to where I had been. After about ten minutes, I felt thoroughly exhausted.
Once I got to the main road I couldn’t stop to rest so I continued back the way
I came from. Secondly, it was almost ten and the sun was high in the sky and
shone without any deterrence. The heat beat down on me from all sides. I was so
hot and sweaty even my knees were sweating. I could just imagine my eyeliner
streaking down my face amidst rivers of sweat. Okay it wasn’t that bad. But I
felt really tired. I think it was the heat mostly that made it exhausting.
Finally, after what seemed like half a lifetime, I reached
home at eleven. Four hours of hiking in total. Tomorrow I will go up the volcano.
In the afternoon, I walked downtown. My ankles were burning
from the morning hike but I ignored it the best I could. To my disappointment
the store I was going to was closed so I headed to the school library instead,
to find a solution to my laptop’s woes. I spent a few hours googling an answer.
But nothing worked. In fact, whatever I did made it worse and more problems
arose. I felt so frustrated I could have cried. I couldn’t call Apple support
because I had no phone. At 5:30 the library closed so I left. But the study
hall was still open so I entered in hopes of continuing my search for a
solution. Inside I recognized the man from yesterday who I had met in the grocery
store. He looked really concentrated, with his books and papers spread out in a
semicircle around him on the table. He recognized me as well and I told him
about my problem. He said he used to be in computers and that he would know how
to help so I handed my laptop to him. He ended up reinstalling the system on my
laptop, which did the trick. We spent about an hour talking about school and
life on the island and about his family. He was super nice and generous with
his resources. I also learned that his wife has a blog that I’ve read! Which
was pretty cool because it was meeting someone in real life that I had read
about before. By the time we walked out of the study hall it was almost pitch
black outside. We said good-bye and I went home to a dinner of left-overs and
stale baguette (yum!). But the important thing is my internet finally worked!!!!
Tomorrow I plan on hiking up the volcano (also known as the
Quill). And at 10 there is to be a walking tour for the new students on the
island. Life is good.
Walking towards the Botanical Garden.
Seconds before they attacked me with their tongues.
Some weird big plant that has leaves that look like garden hoses!
I called her Bessie.
Cactus.
Still more ways to go!
View of the volcano from around the back of the base.
Stinky cows.
Lizard!
Finally I'm here!
He's not impressed with my sweaty state that I arrived in.
