Lets Play The Question and Answer Game..

So, I just a received an e-mail asking me questions about questions regarding my everyday life in Dominica. They were great questions, I want to share the answers with all of you.

1. I get around by either "Bus" which are really 12 passenger white vans. I am lucky because my Host Mother has a car and she works in the same time as me. So A LOT of the times she will just drive me down. But the majority of individuals take the bus or walk.

2. The whole island especially the children speak English but the individuals here have a different dialectic, use different words choices, and they talk fast so at times I feel like they are speaking a different language. But if they speak slower then I can usually follow better but I have no problem asking them to repeat what they said. Also, the older individuals and individuals that live in smaller villages speak Creole which is a broken french- it is not formal written so it is harder to learn. I have language class about twice a week.

3. Yes there is Grocery Stores. Surprise they have ALOT of American food but it is about 3 to 5 dollars more expensive because they have to import it but they do have it. You will not find a Meijer or Walmart type store but it is a good size grocery store with about 10 aisle. All the basic are there. There is also a Subway, KFC, and Rituals (which is a Dominican verse of Starbucks- same colors and all) in where I work. All of the food they use for those two restaurants are imported so it taste just like in the states :o).

4. The food I am eating contains ALOT of starches- they have about 5 different types of Po toes/Yams. I am still trying to learn the names and tell the difference between all of them. They eat a lot of fish and chicken a long with beans. We do not eat a lot of noodles because they get there starch from their pototoes. Also, we eat A LOT of veggies because they are so easy to find and make. The Market is open Monday-Saturday so you can also find fresh fruits and veggies. Also, there is two ice cream places really close so I eat ice cream about once a week! :o).

5. Yes the kids where uniforms. At the school I am at they were brown pants or jumper with a white and brown and plaid shirt. Depending on the School will change the color and style of the uniform.

6. The currency we use is Eastern Caribbean Dollar (EC) but a lot of shops will take the USA dollar. The exchange rate is about 2.6. So I buy a liter of water for about 3.50 EC which is about $1.35 US Dollars

7. Lastly, my address for the next two years is as follows:

PO Box 357

8 King George V Street

Roseau Dominica

Just an FYI it goes through Customs, so do not send me any valuable. It takes about 3-6 weeks for a package and about two weeks for a letter.

I think that is it- my lap top is about to die!

LOVE ALL of YOU!

M