Lisaopolis-o-rama

My Most Interesting news items are as follows:

I have graduated with my second MA and am now, at least presumably, DONE with graduate studies for like, EVER, and I don't quite know what to do with myself (job search aside).

Also, I was just in Saint Lucia for ten days. Saint Lucia--in the West Indies, between Martinique and St. Vincent, just a tick west of Barbados. You know the one.

So I recently got back Stateside and am easing into cooler temps, less sun, no daily intake of mahi-mahi and dasheen and regular rum drinks, a lack of astoundingly polite children and men with super fit washboard ab bods (OK, they can like me because I'm blonde and foreign, I can be shallow...) and not waving at every villager I see all the time. In fact, I think people here think I'm weird because I greet EVERYONE and say "pardon me" a LOT more than usual. But I'm not speaking patois, so I'm not TOTALLY geeked, OK? Not that I speak patois (or insert local language here) really, but I did toss a few phrases I heard there around just to provide the illusion that maybe, just MAYbe, white girl understands a tad. Ah, pragmatic competence. Or, if you will, what I like to refer to as My Internationally Mysterious Ways. Hey, gets a laugh out of Japanese students. OK, so anywhoo. Here are a few snaps before I figure out when to put down more detail. By the way, I'm currently in Wahington State re-charging and enjoying unemployment (HA!). More later!

Dutiful application of SPF 30 Coppertone face non-oily formula sun protection. No fried faces on this trip, mon.

Surveying the scene above Vieux Fort, overlooking the island's Atlantic side:

I felt a bit scuzzy with my unruly hair compared to all the Saint Lucian women with their nice 'plaits' (er, St. Lucian kids look at me weird when I say 'braids', much like American kids would if I'd say 'plaits' (plats). So there's THAT). So my little buddy "D" here is fixing me up:
But I didn't have the heart to tell her that my fine hair just doesn't plait up that well. Aw, shucks. So we resorted to slurpy soppy mango eating on the beach (here: at our hanging-out-with-locals-on-a-private-property-beach-grilling-local-foods-all-day-and-making-all-kinds-of-things-out-of -nature's-bounty-such-as-varying-ways-to-enjoy-coconuts day):

That's all for now! I've got to go look at my tan while it lasts. Your comments go below: