Life In My New Apt

So everybody back home is wondering if I live in a hut or something. I'm finally settled into my new apartment and I love it! I'm ready for some dinner guests! Rosana taught me how to cook authentic Indian food. Her Dal and Curry dish is way tastier than the restaurant Taste of India. Its true! But I'll let you be the judge of that. I also know how to make nan bread. So i'll be inviting people over soon.

My apartment is just a jog to the path on Beach Road and a walk to work. It's a quick drive to downtown Garapan. Some of the things I love about my new apartment are the washer/dryer unit, oven, and double full closets! Plenty storage space, neh! I'm feeling right at home and sleeping soundly. Here are a couple of snap shots.

The front of the apt.

The view walking into my apartment. I finally feel at home whenever I walk through my front door.

The Kitchen. My favorite part of my apartment. Since I live so close to work I don't go out to eat as much anymore. I've been cooking my own meals now and I try to eat out only on the weekends. This is a big accomplishment for me considering I didn't like cooking before!




My Living room. I crash on my coach during my lunch break. I went without a TV and internet connection the first year I was here in Saipan. Since I'm sticking it out another year I decided to splurge alittle. Besides, watching all the Filipino channels will help me learn Tagalog alot faster. I just realized how much crap I have. I'm going to have sell all this before I leave next year.



My bedroom where I catch my zzzzzzzzz.












My four guard dogs! Actually, they are the Pierson's dogs.

Hmmm, not really roughing it out here like I thought I would be!

Ramblings of a Jetlagged Nomad

Just call me miss procrastinator. I flew in a week earlier than originally intended because I needed to finish up some continuing education courses to renew my dental hygiene license. Every two years I am suppose to have at least 25 units under my belt. Before I arrived I only had four units and I needed to finish the rest before the 21st of May.

Every year the California Dental Association (CDA) puts on a gigantic convention that features the cutting edge of dental technology at the Anaheim Convention Center right near Disneyland. Thousands of Dentists, Dental Hygienists, and Assistants fly in from all over the world for this session.

Conventions are anything but boring. I have learned some new tips on how to give painless injections, how to manage difficult patients, how to be a better clinician chair side, and how to screen more efficiently for oral cancer. Maybe I am a geek but I enjoy lectures and can’t wait to get into Dentistry School. Conventions also serve as a place for me to see familiar faces like my hygiene colleagues and dentists I have worked with in the past.

I have been in class on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. I count today as my first day of vacation mainly because I got a chance to sleep in and recover from being jetlagged. Everyone is right about how nothing really changes when you are away. The usual morning traffic gridlock on route 91, everyone’s hectic schedules during the week, and people in general haven’t changed except that maybe they had more kids while I was away. Other than that it is the same game that continues.

Traveling and being away from my comfort zone has opened my eyes to see that I could really be anywhere I want to be. The world doesn’t seem so big anymore and the possibilities are endless. The concept of feeling at “home” is still foreign to me. I guess I am still searching for where I belong. Until then I’ll be wandering.

Off Island

One patient yesterday definitely made think twice about being a hygienist. I thought something died in his mouth. I had to wear two masks while rootplaning him. Anyways, I'm am officially on V A C A T I O N till June! My flight back home to Southern California leaves in two hours! Hasta!