Along with modelling success, his band (based out of Seattle) is doing extremely well. Here are a few photos of The Kings English. You could find them for a listen on MySpace.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Congrats to my ROCKIN' brother!!!
Not only is he off to Paris to do a photoshoot and walk the runway, but he has just been signed to a modelling agency! Check him out!
Along with modelling success, his band (based out of Seattle) is doing extremely well. Here are a few photos of The Kings English. You could find them for a listen on MySpace.
Along with modelling success, his band (based out of Seattle) is doing extremely well. Here are a few photos of The Kings English. You could find them for a listen on MySpace.
One Semester DONE!!!
Sooo long since the last post, sooooooo much studying done, but it was all worth it. I past my first semester! I'm super happy with the results, and just really relieved to have that first semester over :)
Here are a few more photos of lovely St. Kitts. I can't help but love a place where it is 80 degrees in December.
I haven't had the chance to take any new photos myself, so most of these are from friends and professors. The one above is a fabulous sunset, and the one on the right is an overhead photo of Ross University campus.
For the holidays, I'll be in Brooklyn, NY with my mom and brother. You can reach me on my old US cell phone (425-890-9447) or on e-mail.
Happy Holidays to everyone!! I got a new camera for Christmas, so you can expect many more photos
and updates next semester :)
Here are a few more photos of lovely St. Kitts. I can't help but love a place where it is 80 degrees in December.
I haven't had the chance to take any new photos myself, so most of these are from friends and professors. The one above is a fabulous sunset, and the one on the right is an overhead photo of Ross University campus.For the holidays, I'll be in Brooklyn, NY with my mom and brother. You can reach me on my old US cell phone (425-890-9447) or on e-mail.
Happy Holidays to everyone!! I got a new camera for Christmas, so you can expect many more photos
and updates next semester :)
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Steel drums, barracuda, and urachus...
All is well here in sunny St. Kitts. The cruise ships have begun to arrive, and with them all of the crazy tourists. I've seen more gaudy t-shirts, floppy hats, and cameras in the past week than in the whole of my life combined. Despite the crowding and occasional chaos that the tourists bring, the island itself seems to have woken up, and all of the fun shops, crafts, and performers are out and about, which makes for a fabulous time.
Although all of this excitement is going on outside, I have been spending the majority of my time inside, studying away. Our second round of exams started last week, and for the most part it blends into our third round of exams, so there will be no break until, well, Christmas vacation! Fortunately, I have had a few chances to go out and take advantage of the island, and have found a few places where I can study to steel drum bands and calypso music. Good times :)
I also FINALLY went snorkling again yesterday, and adventured to a new place recommended by a 6th semester friend. He failed to mention the schools of barracuda that live in the area, which I had never seen before and kind of a had hoped never to see, but they were beautiful and scary all at the same time, and I was happy when the swam away. Kate, Kara and I adventured around the area and saw squid, octopus, fish of all shapes, sizes, and colors, and are hoping the next time we go out there that the barracuda will give way enough for us to check out the shipwreck further down the beach.
Otherwise, things here continue as normal. My lizard (yet to be named) still lives in my A/C and turns it off at random, Sydney continues to love the beach and now will jump out passed the waves to swim, my books are starting wear thin from all of the page flipping, and my notecard collection has grown to mildly obscene. I actually get cold at 75 degrees (I am going to die when I come home for winter!), and the hurricane season seems to finally be at a close.
Pictures from snorkling are on the way, I am getting them developed and onto CD tomorrow (if they can do that here...).
Also, I will be back in the states for Christmas, and would love to see folks! I will be in Boston Dec. 18th-20th, New Hampshire Dec. 30th-Jan 1st, and in Brooklyn all of the time in between. Let me know what you are up to, so I can catch up with as many people as possible while I am home!
Cheers from the Caribbean!
Although all of this excitement is going on outside, I have been spending the majority of my time inside, studying away. Our second round of exams started last week, and for the most part it blends into our third round of exams, so there will be no break until, well, Christmas vacation! Fortunately, I have had a few chances to go out and take advantage of the island, and have found a few places where I can study to steel drum bands and calypso music. Good times :)
I also FINALLY went snorkling again yesterday, and adventured to a new place recommended by a 6th semester friend. He failed to mention the schools of barracuda that live in the area, which I had never seen before and kind of a had hoped never to see, but they were beautiful and scary all at the same time, and I was happy when the swam away. Kate, Kara and I adventured around the area and saw squid, octopus, fish of all shapes, sizes, and colors, and are hoping the next time we go out there that the barracuda will give way enough for us to check out the shipwreck further down the beach.
Otherwise, things here continue as normal. My lizard (yet to be named) still lives in my A/C and turns it off at random, Sydney continues to love the beach and now will jump out passed the waves to swim, my books are starting wear thin from all of the page flipping, and my notecard collection has grown to mildly obscene. I actually get cold at 75 degrees (I am going to die when I come home for winter!), and the hurricane season seems to finally be at a close.
Pictures from snorkling are on the way, I am getting them developed and onto CD tomorrow (if they can do that here...).
Also, I will be back in the states for Christmas, and would love to see folks! I will be in Boston Dec. 18th-20th, New Hampshire Dec. 30th-Jan 1st, and in Brooklyn all of the time in between. Let me know what you are up to, so I can catch up with as many people as possible while I am home!
Cheers from the Caribbean!
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Round 1 over, now on to round 2!
Sorry it has been so long since I updated! Exams had taken over my life. Now, during my (very) brief respite, I will give a little update.
Outside of school, the ridiculous adventures continue. My friend Kate and I were driving through a sugar cane field (long story), and found a puppy. Of course, we picked him up and took him to the school clinic. Long story short, Kate now has a new puppy named Socrates (pictures below. He is soooo cute!). The sole surviving kitten from the litter born on my bed is doing very well (movie of his birth below), and has taken to sleeping on me whenever I study. This usually leads to both of us passing out (also, pictures below). A lizard decided to take up residency in my room, and lives in my A/C. This would be all fine and dandy, except that he also likes to turn my A/C off. This is not ok.
(The website is having issues with uploading images, so more pictures are on the way. Sorry!)
The first round of exams are over, and they went ok. I hate multiple choice. And true/false. But, I survived, and therefore I am happy :) Academic excitement includes moving from the thoracic limb of the dog to the thoracic and abdominal cavity in our Gross Anatomy class, learning the word "urachus" in Microanatomy, Dr. Ohale's awkward lecture on the male genetalia (the word "penis" was said 70 times in 15 minutes... at which point we stopped counting), and, well, the rest is just plain old learning.
Outside of school, the ridiculous adventures continue. My friend Kate and I were driving through a sugar cane field (long story), and found a puppy. Of course, we picked him up and took him to the school clinic. Long story short, Kate now has a new puppy named Socrates (pictures below. He is soooo cute!). The sole surviving kitten from the litter born on my bed is doing very well (movie of his birth below), and has taken to sleeping on me whenever I study. This usually leads to both of us passing out (also, pictures below). A lizard decided to take up residency in my room, and lives in my A/C. This would be all fine and dandy, except that he also likes to turn my A/C off. This is not ok.
Otherwise, there has been some snorkling (not nearly enough), an introduction to and new obsession with cardio kickboxing (GREAT stress reliever), and thats about it.
I also now have Skype, which I recommend EVERYBODY gets!!! Its free (skype.com), and you can talk to anyone else around the world that has it for free. It's brilliant. My screen name is :kthomas0004
I hope everyone is well. Drop me an e-mail sometime, let me know how life in the states is going.
I hope everyone is well. Drop me an e-mail sometime, let me know how life in the states is going.
Cheers!
Socrates
Sleepy kitten (and Kirsten)
(The website is having issues with uploading images, so more pictures are on the way. Sorry!)
Monday, October 1, 2007
And the exams begin...
Two exams down, 4 more to go!
I have officially been here for a month, and the tests have begun. Its a crazy process in which each of your classes give you at LEAST one test, most two. The only thing you get graded on is your test grade (there are no papers or projects), so pretty much all I have been doing with my days is studying.
This does not mean that the past two weeks has not been eventful! Between a cat deciding my bed was the only place to give birth and the troop of monkeys that nearly ran me (and my car) over, the Caribbean adventure only continues...
As for the canine kids, Cody and Sydney are finally off of quarantine, and are LOVING the island life. Cody was supposed to have surgery today to remove a small mass, but due to low platelets, his surgery was postponed. He is currently on meds for a tick infection, but doesn't act at all sick. While he couldn't care less about the beach, he can't get enough of the new open car!
Below are a bunch of photos of the past two weeks. A video of the kitty birth is on the way. Pretty crazy stuff...
I hope all is well with everyone. Keep the e-mails coming, they make me happy :) Back to the books...
Water spout (tornado over water) just off of the coast near school.
Stewie, my island mobile :)
A few of MANY...
A view of the south end of the island.
Sydney enjoying the beach :)
Cody and Sydney LOVE the new wheels!!
I have officially been here for a month, and the tests have begun. Its a crazy process in which each of your classes give you at LEAST one test, most two. The only thing you get graded on is your test grade (there are no papers or projects), so pretty much all I have been doing with my days is studying.
This does not mean that the past two weeks has not been eventful! Between a cat deciding my bed was the only place to give birth and the troop of monkeys that nearly ran me (and my car) over, the Caribbean adventure only continues...
As for the canine kids, Cody and Sydney are finally off of quarantine, and are LOVING the island life. Cody was supposed to have surgery today to remove a small mass, but due to low platelets, his surgery was postponed. He is currently on meds for a tick infection, but doesn't act at all sick. While he couldn't care less about the beach, he can't get enough of the new open car!
Below are a bunch of photos of the past two weeks. A video of the kitty birth is on the way. Pretty crazy stuff...
I hope all is well with everyone. Keep the e-mails coming, they make me happy :) Back to the books...
The view from Ziggy's bar at sunset.
Water spout (tornado over water) just off of the coast near school.Kate and I enjoying the bar one last time before exam insanity...
Stewie, my island mobile :)A few of MANY...A view of the south end of the island.
Sydney enjoying the beach :)
Cody and Sydney LOVE the new wheels!!
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Orientation Week Photos
Kate, Chevon and I
Views from the Catamaran
Group photo at Godfathers
Kara Bartending at Godfathers
Monday, September 17, 2007
White Coat Ceremony
Each semester, the first semester students are required to go through an induction ceremony into the field of veterinary medicine. Here we are given our white coats as a symbol of our profession, and are "sworn in" as students by reciting our veterinary student oath. Upon completion of our DVM, we then swear to our final veterinary oath.
Here is a picture of my group of friends and I after the white coat ceremony! YAY for white coats!! I feel so professional...
Sunday, September 9, 2007
PICTURES!!!!
The view from my house.
The road to Cockleshell Beach
The view of Nevis from St. Kitts.
BLUE water! Its beautiful!
My house gecko that lives on my porch. He's a big fella!
My morning alarm clock (the neighborhood cows)
And the kiddos made it too!
My mechanic's pet monk
ey!
ey!The Shiggidy Shack!
Week 1
Oy ve! I have survived my first week in veterinary school, although not without a few bumps and bruises. There is a nasty bronchial infection going around, and I woke up this morning with some seriously icky lung junk. School, however, is going well, although it is entirely different from anything else I have ever done. While you have very little (if any) homework, you are expected to have EVERYTHING the professor tells you memorized and ready at a moments notice. Several of the professors walk around the room as they teach and, at random, stand in front of students and grill them for an answer to one of their many questions. I've had to break my sodoku and cross-word during class habit!
I've also discovered that for all the work and study we do, there is a party at the end of the week to help you lose those brain cells. I have never seen a group party so hard and for as long as the folks (both students and islanders) here. I guess the theory is if you are working this hard, you have to have an outlet somewhere, but after two weekends of getting home at 3 and 4am, I think I'm going to have to go into hiding...
Ok, back to the books. Take care, and drop me an e-mail sometime! They make my day :)
I've also discovered that for all the work and study we do, there is a party at the end of the week to help you lose those brain cells. I have never seen a group party so hard and for as long as the folks (both students and islanders) here. I guess the theory is if you are working this hard, you have to have an outlet somewhere, but after two weekends of getting home at 3 and 4am, I think I'm going to have to go into hiding...
Ok, back to the books. Take care, and drop me an e-mail sometime! They make my day :)
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Information and Update
After a week, things are starting to settle in a bit, and I finally have internet at home (soooooo exciting!!). Pictures are on the way. We spent the day yesterday on a catamaran which cruised us around St. Kitts, took us snorkling, and fed us fabulous Caribbean BBQ over on a beach at Nevis. The snorkling here is unbelievable! There are all sorts of crazy fish to see, beautiful reefs, sea turtles, barracuda, sharks, rays, and a thousand other things to see. All I have to do is drive down the road to see all of it! Its crazy...
Speaking of driving, I have purchased my island car! It is a little red Geo Tracker soft top. Now, when I talk about "island cars," one must not think that these cars are in any way comparable to the cars we drive in the states. You wouldn't pay $5 dollars for these beaters in the states, but here they go for thousands! They are bruised, battered, and frequently broken down on the side of the road, but you just take what you can get :) So far, so good!
Island life is a trip. I'm not sure my descriptions can truly do it justice. Basically, I am living in a third world country surrounded by the most beautiful oceans in the world! The folks here so far are very nice, but crime is present, burgleries are common, and your car will get broken into so you just leave the doors open. My apartment is made out of cement, and I have been woken up several times this week to a group of cows snacking on the weeds just outside my window. You frequently have to wait while cows, goats, and sheep cross the road. There are no real fences, so most of the livestock just roam free. Roads are iffy, and on occasion you have to drive through the dirt roads in the sugar cane fields to get from one place to the next. Patience is a necessity here, as everyone will frequently remind you that "in St. Kitts, we live on Island time." Restaurants have names like Ziggy's, Godfathers (not the pizza place), and my personal favorite: Mr. X's Shigitty Shack. Most are right on the beach, and the drinks served here are WAY stronger than anything I have ever had in the states. Even the beer seems a bit stronger...
Keep in touch, drop me e-mails (they make me happy), and photos are on the way!
Contact Info:
Cell:
1-869-660-5656
(I am hoping to get Vonage, which would give me a US phone number)
Address:
Kirsten S Thomas
c/o Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine
P. O. Box 334
Basseterre, St. Kitts
West Indies
Speaking of driving, I have purchased my island car! It is a little red Geo Tracker soft top. Now, when I talk about "island cars," one must not think that these cars are in any way comparable to the cars we drive in the states. You wouldn't pay $5 dollars for these beaters in the states, but here they go for thousands! They are bruised, battered, and frequently broken down on the side of the road, but you just take what you can get :) So far, so good!
Island life is a trip. I'm not sure my descriptions can truly do it justice. Basically, I am living in a third world country surrounded by the most beautiful oceans in the world! The folks here so far are very nice, but crime is present, burgleries are common, and your car will get broken into so you just leave the doors open. My apartment is made out of cement, and I have been woken up several times this week to a group of cows snacking on the weeds just outside my window. You frequently have to wait while cows, goats, and sheep cross the road. There are no real fences, so most of the livestock just roam free. Roads are iffy, and on occasion you have to drive through the dirt roads in the sugar cane fields to get from one place to the next. Patience is a necessity here, as everyone will frequently remind you that "in St. Kitts, we live on Island time." Restaurants have names like Ziggy's, Godfathers (not the pizza place), and my personal favorite: Mr. X's Shigitty Shack. Most are right on the beach, and the drinks served here are WAY stronger than anything I have ever had in the states. Even the beer seems a bit stronger...
Keep in touch, drop me e-mails (they make me happy), and photos are on the way!
Contact Info:
Cell:
1-869-660-5656
(I am hoping to get Vonage, which would give me a US phone number)
Address:
Kirsten S Thomas
c/o Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine
P. O. Box 334
Basseterre, St. Kitts
West Indies
Monday, August 27, 2007
In the Caribbean!
I'm alive, well, and in the Caribbean! Sorry I haven't been in touch with folks yet, my internet is not yet set up at home. You all definately need to come visit this place! Once you get past the fact that you feel like you are walking a sauna (apparently the way summer works around here), its an unbelievably beautiful place. My orientation spent the day yesterday at the beach where we sipped drinks while relaxing in the water. Not bad. I also learned yesterday while at the super market that rum is cheaper that water here... Hmm.
Ok, back to getting oriented! Take care, and I'll be in touch soon.
Ok, back to getting oriented! Take care, and I'll be in touch soon.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Saying Goodbye to Boston
After 2 years in Boston, I am on my way. I have loved living in Boston, working as a teacher, and getting the city experience, but I can't wait to spend sometime outside, where there are no lights, no sirens, no gun shots, and where I can see the stars! My mom came up this past weekend to help me out with the last of the packing, and we arrived (all of us, dogs and cat included) in Brooklyn at 3am this morning. I will be staying here for the next 5 days before heading out to St. Kitts this Saturday. I can't believe how quickly the summer has gone!To all of my Boston friends, thank you for making my time in Boston wonderful!! I feel like I have a family there :) I promise to visit often, and hope you come down to visit me on the islands, particularly during the god awful mid-winter chills!
Finally, a word to the wise. Should anyone ever have the BRILLIANT idea to take Biochemistry and Organic Chemistry at the same time as summer intensives, DON'T LET THEM!!!! I now the meaning of mental calisthenics...
Sunday, July 8, 2007
What's Next?
In April I was accepted to veterinary school! I will be attending Ross University in St Kitts and Nevis (West Indies) starting in September, and will spend the next 2.5 years on island before returning to the states to finalize my DVM. I am so excited about this move, and can't wait to get down there and get started. All I have to do is finish up organic chemistry and biochemistry this summer...
Up until now...
For the past year and a half I have been working at a small inner city charter school in Boston teaching science. I am hoping to have my Masters of Education complete by mid August. I have loved my time teaching, and learned sooooo much from my kiddos, and am going to miss them tremendously as I make my next big move!!
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