First Weekend

We experienced our first Saturday on the island to-day. Pretty exciting - we went to Costco and Safeway for groceries and supplies.

The Institute has three vehicles for volunteer use, however there are about 22 of us to share. So you sign up when the vehicle is available, then post for others to join you, and away you go. Our trip was 23 miles round trip, with only two stops and we were gone two and one half hours. Marlene is a careful shopper but I couldn't believe how long it took.

There are no sessions/classes next week, so we are on our own for all meals, thus the need for shopping. Monday will be a group "pot luck" dinner to commemorate Canadian Thanksgiving. Steph and Mike will arrive to-morrow for a few days,and we will go out with them some but otherwise it is fend for yourself. Overall, the meals we have received here have been excellent, so not a good time for dieting.

All but a couple of the last class of participants have now gone home. The sixty ladies represented 28 countries and the volunteer men were responsible for getting the baggage from outside their doors to the bus, taxi, etc at the front door. The amount of luggage some of these people were taking home was unbelievable. Last night we had thirteen in one group and a bus which holds 25 people plus luggage couldn't handle their bags, we had to send a pickup truck along behind. It was quite a sight, and the African countries seemed to be the biggest collectors. These ladies are all professionals from various areas of business, so they are supposed to know what they are doing.