Okay, I'm a little upset. I lost my post. I posted something yesterday, posted pictures, then somewhere it said to save as draft and now I can't find it. Buck the fuck up, Sara. Get over it.
So yesterday I went to Roseau, the "main" town in Dominica where everyone and their mothers go to buy things like groceries. Here in Portsmouth, where the med school is, if you buy anything, everything is about 4-8 months expired. I went to the student store, got excited over seeing that they Muscle Milk, (something I drink back home) and was excited that it was only 2 months expired. Can you see my standards have drastically lowered? Anyway, midway through my carton on Muscle Milk, it was curled...and at that point I think I swallowed my tongue and thanked God I'm at least by a medical school.
Back to getting to Roseau, I have no idea how to do it. Like, I still don't know how to hail a cab or bus or whatever. I see people jumping on and off the back of trucks, hanging out of the passenger side window (as in sitting on the window while vehicle's in motion), I've seen it all. Like, I don't know if it's a taxi or if everyone is just friends with eachother getting rides. Well, I guess if you've got money, you got "friends". Anyway, I jump in the middle of the road to stop a van looking type thing since I don't know how to stop one any other way (and of course I had Meagan on the phone with me, listening while I make an ass out of myself), and asked if they are going to Roseau. They said no and just kept staring at me, the whole fucking bus just stared at me, like I'm this dumbass. Fine! I'm a fucking dumbass, but tell me what to do next! Damnit I need direction! They told me to sit at this bus stop, on the other side of the street because everything is fucking backwards here and I was on the wrong side anyway, (wrong side whatever, everyone drives in the middle of the road!).
So I sit at this bus stop, wondering what I'm supposed to do next because buses (or at least I think they're buses) just keep driving by without stopping. This poor old woman who has her stand up of jewelry that she makes felt sorry on me and told me that she will hail the correct bus that goes to Roseau, because apparently you tell by the license plate on the bus on where the buses go. How the hell am I supposed to know that?? There are no addresses in Dominica! And of course, 50 buses pass by and she told me not to worry, she'll get me on the right one, so I bought two bracelets while waiting. Funny thing is, after I bought the two bracelets, she found me the "correct" bus to take. Yeah, funny how that works. Then I noticed that the "poor old woman" who was helping me, she had a Louis Vuitton bag behind her stand that was hers! We're talking a bag that Kim would own! Poor old woman, sheesh. Right.
So I get on the most crowded bus possible and I had to sit in the back. Oh, and these "buses", they are actually vans that are supposed to hold maybe 8 people in them but somehow jam in about 16 people. I sit in between this woman and guy. He was the only guy, other than the driver, that was in the van. The woman I sat next to, after a 30 minute ride, I started talking to, because, well, I get chatty. I start making jokes about not knowing where I'm going and all these girls (the ones in front of me) started laughing and giggling then it clicked, they think I'm a dude. Hey, whatever, you get me where I need to go, I'll be your dude. I'll work whatever angle I can get. The lady next to me was quite nice and she told me where to get out.
Roseau was quite the town. I took pictures of the town, the church (beautiful church), took pictures of the people and the shops and the everything. I went inside the church ground when this 8 year old boy asked me if I wanted him to take my picture in front of the church. Of course I did, but I get nervous that people will try to steal my stuff and run away, but then I thought, get the fuck over yourself, Sara, and let him do it. Besides, if an 8 year old can outrun me, then he deserves my camera and I need to go back home and hit the gym. That's all I'll say on that.
He brought me into the church where his grandmother was at and they were in a little bit of a "No it's a he, no it's a she" war. I just let it go. I think Zach called me gender queer and I think this is a perfect example of what he was talking about when I asked him (Zach) what a gender queer was. If I am wrong, please, correct me.
While they were in their friendly debate, I walked around the church and just took pictures. The boy took some pictures of me and I took a few of him and his grandmother. I absolutely love how they love getting their pictures taken. They just want to see themselves on the camera. It's beautiful. I'll post the pictures, but I can't figure out how to zoom in once the picture is already taken, so I'm not sure how they look when I post them on here. The one of the boy and his grandmother is adorable.
When I left the church, the grandmother told me to make sure that I zip all my pockets because she said because I'm white, the locals think I'm rich. When I went to Portsmouth a few days ago, I got rushed by all these people who thought I was rich because I'm white. I decided I'm going to walk around with my credit card bills taped to my back. Maybe I can get a community donation from Dominica to help me pay these bills off? White? Yes. Rich? Oh please. Oh, and on the way out of the church the boy was with me, that's when I told him he was right and that I was a girl, and he just smiled and said, "I knew it!" It was cute. I gave a dollar to him for taking the time to showing me around.
Of course at this point, the boy leaves me (after he rushed to find me again because he bought me a gummy bear, that boy was so cute), I can't find the bus, or even the location of the bus stop to get me back to where the school is. So what do I do? Play up my boyish charm and start talking to this woman. By the way, she was knockout. Just thought I should add that. She said she was going in the same location so I could follow her. I'm glad she said that because I would have anyway and I don't know what stalking laws they have here.
This time on the bus, I sat in the very front, in the middle of the driver and passenger. Great, now when we get into a head on collision, I'll fly out the window. Awesome. The driver had to stop for gas and I've been meaning to find out how much a gallon of gas is here, but I keep forgetting to look. I'll try again today.
Something's not right here. Let's see, I picked up something for Anna, picked up two shot glasses, some postcards, sunglasses....shit! I didn't get any groceries! The main reason I went there. Smooth, Sara, really fucking smooth.
Well, we'll try again maybe next week. As of now, I have to go to Portsmouth and last time I was there, I made 3 boyfriends and almost picked up myself a husband.
Oh, by the way, I would like to point out, there's only two lesbians on this whole island...and one of them is me....that makes for great conversation.
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