Time Flies When... You Have A Million Things To Get Done!

Today has been fairly unproductive. I got up and had breakfast in the University Cafe. I went to social science class where we discussed how blacks in the Caribbean are still the minority because minority refers to how much power a racial group has and whites still have all the power here. (I find it interesting that the governor and all elected officials are black...) I'm not sure how this lady gets these facts. Anyways, after that class I had volleyball at the beach. That was a nice change. Now, I am going over a presentation on Autism. I have enjoyed putting this presentation together and was supposed to present it to class on Monday. However, we ran out of time so, hopefully, I will be presenting tonight. I am a little nervous which is to be expected. I guess, like most people, I get the most nervous about the things that I have put the most work into and am the most passionate about. I have also been working on a speech I will be giving once I return home. I have written some of it out and made a little slide show. It's hard for me to focus too much on it when I have been working a lot on homework. But I am excited/nervous about that as well.
I just turned in an eight page research paper on the Rastafarian religion down here. It is a week early (YAY Me!). I now have to work on a presentation to give to the class on the religion, no powerpoint, nothing but just standing up and talking. I also turned in a research paper for health class early. SO...for my Education class I have my presentation tonight, field experience in a local elementary school, and a final presentation to wrap up. I have two PE finals to do which should be easy. I have to finish my Missouri speech and get down a song to sing for January before I leave again for Alaska. Whew. Hopefully this will all come easily.
Just a side note, today I added another class which makes 7 classes for spring. Not to worry though. It is just a power pump PE class. I need something to do during the day because ALL my other classes are at night. So I added this PE class and I also emailed the Learning Center in Juneau about a tutoring job. I think it might actually work well because my classes are all online besides the PE class, so it should be easy to find time to work. Plus, I can work on homework at slow times.
Wow. Well... not long left until I am on my way home. I have to say it is bitter sweet. I didn't expect it to be but it is a lot of Sweet with a little Bitter. I am so excited to get home and also to get back to Juneau, but the water here is gorgeous. I will miss having the beach right near by. And the weather has finally cooled off to where it isn't unbearable anymore. I will miss the safaris too. I really like riding in them, feeling the breeze (even if most of the time the driving is crazy). Anyways, I still have soo much to do before I can even begin to worry about leaving.
Whew. It's going to be a crazy ride for the next few days.

"If you lift me up, just get me through this night. I know I'll rest tomorrow and I'll be strong enough to fight."

It has been an interesting week here in the US VI. I'm not exactly sure where to start.
I guess I'll start with today. Originally, I had planned to make today a beach day.. Not sure if that is going to happen since Hurricane Tomas has passed us and is sending us lots of wind and rain. I went to Social Science class where I received the rough draft of my research paper back with little writing on it. The teacher called me up front and said, "I think this is it." I was like "what?" She then told me that my rough draft was good enough to be my final paper and that all I needed to fix was one capitalized word in my citations that didn't need to be there. That was great to hear.
However, the class started and we began discussing what a family is and how in the Caribbean sees a family much different then the world. I had no clue what I was in for.
I quickly came to realize that the only people that the blacks down here HATE worse then whites, is Homosexuals.
Let me first say that I am a Christian and I believe that Jesus came and died for me and I believe that I am blessed because of everything thing he has provided and everything I have been able to see in my life time.
BUT let me just add... Jesus would never hate. He wouldn't hate me because I'm white and he wouldn't hate someone if they were gay. Jesus was all about loving.
Scientifically, our days of believing that homosexuality is a choice are Over. Do you honestly think that today's gay youth would be killing themselves if it was really a choice? Do you think that Jesus would have bullied these kids into killing themselves?
I often wonder if the amount of preservatives and genetically engineered foods we consume have have somehow altered our genes or something but I am no scientist and I am not God. Therefore I have no right to condemn these people to hell.
I think that one thing I was supposed to learn by being down here is that life is Hard on the other side of the fence. I can't imagine feeling like this the rest of my life. I can't imagine being hated for my skin color everyday for the rest of my time on Earth. I can't imagine being hated for something I can't change.
All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.-John 6:37

On a lighter note, I visited the British Virgin Islands last weekend. It was Gorgeous! The BVI is some place that I could see myself coming back to visit. The Baths were amazing and were just as great as everyone had told me they would be:Tyra Banks and many other super models have posed in this very spot! I could have stayed there forever.

After the Baths we went snorkeling in caves on the one and only Treasure Islands. No treasure was found but we did see a black shark, octopus, barracuda, and lots and lots of fish!

It was so nice to get off the island and use my passport! I would do it again at any second if only I had the money haha.
Now, it's on to a research project on Autism, a research project on Brain Aneurysm, turning my Social Science research paper rough draft into the final draft, a speech for when I return to Missouri and hopefully a little bit of ME time at the beach before the end of the weekend!
Have a wonderful relaxing weekend everyone!