Definitely the Frattiest

I’m back in Curacao. I haven’t been here (except for a few random days here and there for vacations) since 4^th grade!  Now I face a 2.5 month stretch of living and working here.  I start working at the hospital tomorrow and that’ll be a whole new level of excitement.  It’s going to be a very reflective time period to live on the island where my parents lived for over 20 years and to work directly with a population that concerns my research.  There are many subgroup pockets with a high genetic frequency of HbS, which causes both sickle cell trait and sickle cell disease.  I’m extremely excited to see international health organizations, such as the Red Cross, specializing their regional branches to serve the specific needs of the surrounding population.  I can’t wait to work with their new Immunology Department; I actually feel as if the work we’ll be doing there can have the potential to directly impact lives.

            On a less sober note, I haven’t done anything today!  I woke up at 11, took an hour long shower (with cold water) then sat outside and read a book until 1.  Then I had a super lazy 2 hour lunch and just chatted with people.  A few things I had forgotten about Curacao:

·         The fact that any conversation will contain a mixture of 2-5 different languages (I’m being forced to remember English, Papiamentu, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese and French).

·         Tiny speedos are the norm for any guy going to the beach (not sure if I’ll be jumping on that bandwagon).

·         Unless you’re at work, shirts are always optional.

·         How hot 90-100 degrees actually is.

·         And though I may never be considered fratty at any U.S. university, I am definitely the frattiest in Curacao!