Saint Martin Episode 3: Revenge of the Shrimp

Haldo, and welcome!

Today is Friday, and this will be my last free weekend before I embark on a 20 month brain-murder fest commonly known as medical school. I use 'free' loosely, since I'm actually going to take a tour of the school in about a half hour, and have to go to registration on Sunday morning.

But I'm still mostly free. So how have I chosen to utilize the last free moments of my life? By updating my blog of course! My family doesn't appreciate me, so this'll learn them.

Just kidding.

They won't learn anything.

But I think we should start with the real reason most people read this blog: More adorable pictures of Autry. You may notice a theme in our parenting style.

Autry has her own cupboard for toys.
She only wants to open the other cupboards.

Autry watches Princess and the Frog after getting her hair done.
Those pigtails keep her from getting der uber sweaty.

Autry watches Princess and the Frog on our bed/her pillow fortress.

Autry watches...
Ok that's just embarassing.

It's been a nice, fairly relaxed week. We've spent another small fortune on other household necessities ($17 for a plunger, anyone?) but I did discover that I was off on the price of gas, much to my pleasure!

The prices listed are in Guilder, so it was 2.69 NAF (or whatever the odd abbreviation is) per liter, which in money that isn't named after a country from Princess Bride, is actually about $1.50 per liter, which is still like $5.67 per gallon, but that beats the eight dollars I thought it was before. Slightly. I guess.

A few days into coming to the island, we had the windows open, and they blew the curtains very fiercely (that kind of looks like one of those sentences you'd get in those scam emails that are trying to make it past your spam filters). So fiercely, in fact, that the curtains grabbed a lamp and threw it to the ground. Luckily, it basically broke into two large pieces and two smaller pieces, so with the help of the Kragle, we got that all back together. 

This is what that lamp looks like, for those who really like details:

Ahh, such a nice lamp.
And look how clean this small section of our house is!

The world's most helpful small baby decided that those lamps were very nice to look at as well. She really wanted to see one.

This is why we can't have nice things.

Now, if you want to get very technical, this is actually a different lamp. It's the one on *ahem* Jes' side of the bed. My lamp still very much looks like that other picture. And even more technical, this was taken after Autry tipped the lamp off the table a second time. The first time she tipped it, the top half of the lamp stayed attached. 

But that was not enough for our baby. She leaves no stone unturned, no lamp unbroken.

Some other news, which everyone who plans on visiting us will be glad to here, there are ample locations to buy ice cream on the island. 

Well, so far I've only seen or been to two, but one of them is very very close to our apartment (like, 2 minute walk distance), and the other one is shockingly nice. It's on the waterfront of the lagoon, and it's called Carousel. Everything on the island has kind of an...island feel to it. Not run down and decaying, but definitely weathered. Carousel spits on that image. Marble floors, ample parking, and everything is clean to like...Disney standards. 

Keep in mind, this is an ice cream store.

Why is it called Carousel?

I'm thrilled.
Autry is, as always, nonplussed.

There is a carousel out back, and it is built over the waters of the lagoon.

The Queen surveys Her court.
Accompanied by her jester.

The ice cream was delicious, and only mildly heart-attack inducing in price (they really copied the Disney model well). Jes got a medium, which seemed like a perfect amount. I got a large, because I was concerned about only having a $50 bill that they wouldn't be able to break. It was delicious.

As we left, there were pictures along the outside wall showing (sometimes) famous people eating ice cream.

Most of them were just randoms though. Like this little girl:

What a cute little girl, right?

Now, please go read the caption, if you haven't already.

Here's a funny brand name at the grocery store to entertain those who already read the caption and are waiting for everyone else.

We are the Bjorg. Lower your jaws and surrender your diets.
Resistance is futile.

SHE WAS IN AN INTERNMENT CAMP!

Well, sort of. It was like a forced labor camp, that they volunteered to go to to avoid incarceration. But there was still a curfew and they weren't allowed to leave without escort. So basically, unwalled prison.

Jes and I thought it was pretty funny though. It sealed the deal on my purchase of ice cream. 

Jes took a trip with a bunch of the other spouses up to Fort Saint-Louis on the French side of the island. I stayed home because 1) walking involved, and 2) Autry was napping. 

Marigot, capital of French Saint Martin

OPEN FIRE!

AND THEN REMIND ME TO PUT IN A
REQUEST WITH THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE!

Direct hit sir!
(Yes, that is a sunken vessel, apparently a popular diving spot)

I'm not sure why this picture is here.
But Jes sent it to me, so it's on the blog.

A good time was had by all. But especially me.

Let's see, a couple more random things:

There was a baptism a few days ago. She's a spouse of a medical student and was actually leaving the island this week (I think she left today?) and wanted to get baptized before she left. The baptismal font had just been refurbished, and was ready for use, but she elected to get baptized in the sea, so that was pretty neat. Last night we had a going away party type thing at Trey Wah (I think I spelled that right?), a delicious Chinese restaurant. It was really nice to support her, and we had delicious food too!

We also saw the greatest invention of all time, in use, at church during the baptism, and we went out and bought one right away.

Can you feel its power?

It is exactly what it looks like. An electrified badminton racket. And it LIVES to destroy mosquitoes. 

See the mosquitoes here, they're smart. Much smarter than American mosquitoes. These are Ivy League graduate mosquitoes. Not those rich legacy ones, the actual, got in on their own ones. They can not be killed by hands, towels, or anything else.

But these rackets, see, you just lazily wave them towards them, and when it gets close (I'm not sure how close, and maybe you have to touch them, but it's super easy with these), a massive arc of electrified death hits them.

And it lets you know with a satisfying, and ear splitting CRACK.

That bug, it's dead.

I kinda want to run around in the streets waving that, and hearing a symphony of bug zaps.

We had a great morning at the beach today too. We drove over to Mullet Bay (look it up, it's incredible) at about 8:00, and for the first 10 minutes, we were the only ones there. By the time we left, there were only a couple other families, but it was so serene. We were on a world class beach, all by ourselves.

I think Jes might've posted a few pictures on Facebook.

And that's enough out of me. I've got one more picture for Julia though.

It's the Paopu fruit! Or star fruit. Whatever.

We love you all, and miss you so much!