Study Break

I am currently cramming for the GRE. For those of you not familiar with this test, it is required to enter most graduate school programs. I am a pretty good standardized test taker so I had originally considered just taking it without studying. I am so glad I didn't. This test is pretty difficult as it covers math I haven't even thought about in years as well as vocabulary words that are so obscure that I am afraid they are made up. The test also has a writing portion that scares me less than the other two since I am fairly up to date on standard writing conventions. So, I am currently studying geometry and algebra as well as making tons of vocabulary flash cards with the hope that even a few of the words and their definitions will stick before I take the test this Friday. Please pray for me.

This week I got to hang out at the pool of one of the nicest hotels on the island. My friend, Holly works there and invited me to come enjoy the pool's splendor. Guests must wear a wristband at the pool to prove that they are indeed worthy of its perks and Holly was able to get me and my friend, Abbey wristbands so we could use the pool legitimately. I decided to bring Abbey along because she's one of my best friends here and could definitely use the time away from her two children under the age of two.

When we arrived at the pool, I am pretty sure I spotted Hank Azaria, the popular character actor and voice of Apu and half the characters on The Simpsons. He had a baby in a sling across his chest and was talking on a cell phone. As he turned away from us, some guy appeared from the bushes and snapped his picture. So, I am pretty sure it was him. Both Abbey and I were looking pretty pasty from our general lack of sun exposure. We spent the first hour or so lounging by the pool and pretending to be wealthy.

After that I wanted to make the most of the pool's amenities. We went down the water slides and rode on the water elevator, a strange contraption that I don't think I could adequately describe. Apparently the "ride" cost the hotel more than a million dollars. It's an interesting concept but I don't think it was worth that much money. We also hung out in a hot tub and swam around a bit. We stayed away from the rope swing since my friend, Sarah Olthuis had lost her top on it once.

Overall it was really fun to relax and feel like a tourist for a bit. We ended up staying a little too long and I had to race back to teach the DTS team how to teach English. Although our time there was too short, it was definitely a blessing just to get away for a little while.