Lessons I've Learned So Far

Here are a few things I have learned in our 2 weeks in St. Thomas:

1. Creepy Crawly Things: they are EVERYWHERE! Take a look at the picture here and look at the size of that... moth? I'm not even sure if that qualifies to be called that! Compared to the size of the real moth in the picture that thing is a freaking teradactyl! Last week Tim found a tarantula in a water bucket. I understand they can't hurt humans but if I woke up to one anywhere near me I may have a heart attack. Not to mention there are lizards of all sizes running around and not all outside. We are routinely placing glasses over them and letting them go outside. I don't want them to die because we need them to eat mosquitos. That leads me to...

2. Mosquitos: wow. I have NEVER experienced bug bites like this. We bought the electrified paddle and enteratined ourselved by swatting them and watching them light up but that didn't do the trick. It has gotten to the point that we bought a bug zapper and it is hanging in our family room- no joke. Laddie gets freaked out everytime it zaps something. Luckily, it sounds like after a few months our skin will change and we will be less likely to be bit. Something about sun, salt and rum although I think the rum part is just for fun :)

3. Contracts?: today we bought MiFi from Sprint- it's basically a portable hotspot. Like any cellphone/internet carrier you are supposed to (a) pay a ton for the equipment to go without a contract or (b) pay a lower fee for the equipment and sign a contract. Well, we paid the lower price yet signed nothing. Am I missing something? People are very trusting. We were able to 'buy' two cars by putting down 1/12 of what we owed. We were even allowed to take them both without paying. Granted we went back and had to leave one b/c they messed up the title but it's not like they left us hanging. The guy gave us HIS car to drive!

4. The BMV: You think the DMV in the states is bad? You have NO idea how lucky you are. I will never, ever speak badly of them again. It took us over 2.5 hours today to get our USVI Driver's Licenses and that's because people kept going on their lunch breaks while we were in lines!

5. Time: Everything is flexible. If you say 6, people show up closer to 7. If someone tells you they'll have something for you on Wednesday don't even think about expecting it until Thursday. Speaking of, we are STILL waiting for our cars. Well, one of them at least!!

6. Midwesterners: People FLOCK here from the midwest. I cannot tell you how many people I have met from Mizzou and St. Louis. Not to mention Chicago, Michigan and Indiana. It's actually pretty cool and I love it! It was so great to have someone look at my application and know where Nerinx Hall is, where Mizzou is, what S&P Oyster Co. was. Ironically, that was Jessica (my now boss) who apparently grew up 5 blocks from me, went to Parkway South and had Tim's stepmom for English. Seriously- this is a SMALL world!

7. TV: just because we get to see the ads from the continental US doesn't mean they apply to us :( We went to K-Mart today all excited because they had a 32" LCD TV for $379. Yes, they do have one on sale today and tomorrow, just not here! Plus I'm getting tired of seeing the Kohl's and Sonic ads- it's almost torture!

I'm sure this is just the tip of the iceberg, more lessons to come!!