I landed in Barbados Friday night, January 8th after a long day of travel and very little sleep. The warmth was welcoming after leaving the 20 degree wintry scene of Canton, NY. I was even more pleased with the cooling breeze that met our first steps off the plane. Barbados is known for this breeze, and it certainly makes a huge difference!
After meeting my landlord and getting settled into my apartment over the first day, Charles and I began to explore - he was in fact 'on vacation'! and so was I! We played with the idea of renting a car, but were quickly discouraged by the expense, the narrow roads, and of course - driving on the left. We decided it would be an adventure to get to know the public transportation system, and agreed that it would be important for me to know when I was on my own for the year. And quite the adventure it has been...
My roommate, Tanika moved in last semester, but is home in Trinidad for the semester break. I was thrilled to accept her 'welcome to Barbados' gift - in the form of 'the room with the view'! She sent a message saying she thought I would appreciate it - and boy was she right! Here is the view from my bedroom looking over the west coast at the Caribbean Sea. ( I posted this photo with the visible screen, just so you know that I am not exaggerating - it is my window. ).
We decided that our first day should be spent relaxing on the beach at Fitts Village, just below my apartment on the coast, a 10-15 minute walk. When we returned home that evening, we were met by the local monkeys! First one, then two, then about 10! They were scampering in and out of the rubble that meets the little forest leading down the ridge. These monkeys are called 'green monkeys' although there is only a hint of greenish-yellow on some of their tails - they were brought to Barbados from West Africa about 350 years ago.
(The new Graduate Studies Complex)
UWI (you-wee)as it is called, is a 20 minute walk, or a quick bus trip down the street from my apartment. I have already met with Professor Sherma Roberts to discuss my courses and get acquainted with the campus and program. I also attended a brief orientation with other management students in graduate studies. I am beginning to get a feel for how the program is going to go, and am very excited to get started!
My courses this semester: Human Resources Management, Research Methods, Financial Management, Sustainable Tourism and Cruise Tourism - a nice mix of fun and challenging subjects!
The Main Campus sits up on a hill overlooking the sea, and the Cruise Ship Pier (you can see in the background of the road photo) The campus is undergoing major expansions and renovations, and covers several different disciplines both undergraduate and graduate.
There is also a Cricket Studies program, and a beautiful fairly new Cricket grounds which doubles as the entrance to campus.
