How funny

i know.. i have so many stories huh?!?!

So i just took a nice shower in my decent clean bathroom since I made it that way..Looking out of the window while showering.. enjoying the island nature scene and all..the nice sunny weather that I will definitely miss since it is super cold in Cali right now...

I go back in my room.. BAM someone knocks on my door..
the cleaning lady is here by request of my rooomate..
but of course I have nothing to do with this because I don't talk to her anymore
So I am not paying for this cleaning lady! because I clean my share!
and I am more than glad that she is paying her because she hasn't cleaned all semester.
SHRUGS..

She knocks on my door.. giving me attitude and it shows on her face..
why you may ask? beats me either i wondered at the moment..

CL:"WHY YOU DON'T PUT a TRASH BAG in the TRASH CAN in the BATHROOM?"
K: "Excuse me?" ( i didn't understand what she was saying..the accent )
CL: " Why is there no TRASH BAG in there? do you understand ME?"
K: "Oooh, I don't know? Can you ask my rooomate?"
CL: " I have to Throw away the TRASH NOW with my BARE HANDS.. there are PADS and everything there.."
K: " oohh.. i don't know... my rooomate is over there"

close the door..why is she giving me attitude? i didn't call for you? give the beast the attitude!

i have nothing to do with it!! i don't use the trash can.. and my rooomate never puts a bag in there anyways..

soo not me so don't bother me :)

Throw DowN

Asked the rooomate to nicely be considerate for the next two weeks before i leave..
damn...doode damn..

i almost got punched in the face yo!
she went all ghetto ass crazy on me in front of staff and elders..
talk about looking bad.. i felt bad for her.. she looked bad cussing and ready to kill me..
she's becoming a doctor? seriously?
i hope karma will get to her! :D
the apartment manager thank god stepped in between her and me...

or else damage control would of been done..
details will be told and expressed when i hang out with you all .

CAN't WAIT TO SEE CALIFORNIA AGAIN!!!

ALMOST THERE

ALMOST THEREEEEEEEEE...18 more DAYSSS
it's gonna be all like a dream.. i am pretty suree

my life consists of
-packing all excitedly to go back home!!!
-studying or try to at least
-eat leftover foods.. it's getting really bored but i don't want to waste!
-go to classes
-in the process of re-applying/stressing all over again :)

talk about patience...

1. I use a gas stove here.. in order to use a gas stove, you need a gas tank! my neighbors borrowed our gas tank because theirs ran out while cooking their BIG DINNER for people at school. I didn't know they borrowed it because my roommate just let them! So I waited like 4 hrs until they returned it back so i can make my OWN DINNER.. waited patiently.. very patiently.. then everyone left with the return gas tank put back into my stove...4 hrs later.. i turn it on, being excited to cook... NOOOOO. NO FREAKEN GAS LEFT. NONE LEFT!!!!!!! meaning no DINNER FOR ME.. i had to freaking improvise with my rice cooker.. inconsiderate people i swear..what if i didn't have a rice cooker?!?! the only reason i am freaken pissed is because things keep accumulating and pissing me off with these inconsiderate people. INCONSIDERATE AS HELL... don't expect me to pay for another gas tank.. you used it all up you beezies.. AND SUNDAYS, nowhere is open.. so of course I have to wait until MONDAY to be able to have gas and cook.. i mean i can order take out and crap.. but I am trying to eat all the food that I have left here before I leave. do you not think that other people use the gas tank too? you can't just give it away so that an empty one comes back, and you end up penalizing your roommate.

2. my so called bentley car is a piece of trash.. trust me. i am fair when it comes to money..if people are dumb about it, it annoys me and makes me seem frugal. but it's not true cuz i am fair!! why would i pay for gas when I hardly use it? I only use it for school and groceries and random leisure drives to the beach.. why would i pay gas for other people to drive their FRIENDS/BOYFRIENDS around everyday?!? seriously, come on now. add in more gas money yourself, don't make me contribute just as equally as you guys even though , you mainly use up all of my gas money for yourselves. And, do you not know how to keep a car clean even if it's not BMW status? What i deal with is trash! soda bottles everywhere on the passenger seat and back seat.. alcohol bottles everywhere also.. random flip flops/heels everywhere.. im telling you TRASH!! do you now know how to pick it up and throw it away for the 4 other girls that share the car also?!?! I don't even want to step into that car anymore honestly. it stinks and it's dirty.. it can be their thangg. but definitely not mine!

3. pictures to be posted of my socalled dirty apartment that I've been ranting to you guys about semesterly. I have given up on cleaning after my roommate. It is obvious she doesnt take the initiative to clean herself ... and decides to leave trash everywhere in the bathroom and kitchen and living room. i mean feel free to be right at home.. but don't make me live in our pig sty.. i don't do pig sty.. if you and your local boyfriend do the pig sty thing, im glad for you guys.. oo and please im not cool with the ant harvesting you are trying to do.

I have cleaned up after her like her mother. told her to put her laundry away. told her to clean. etcc.. i've done everything that a mother would do for her. i stopped awhile ago cuz i gave up on her inconsiderateness...and of course, who else takes care of the bills? I DO I DO!!! i have to be her mom in getting money out of her hands from her bank account to make sure she gives me the money to pay the bill.. and so that she doesnt actually end up USING THAT MONEY to GO OUT!!!!!! F****** RIDICULOUS. LOL!!!!!!

so excuse how dirty my apartment is ladies and gentlemen.. i just want to show you proof of what I have to live with in the past months :) why should i clean up after her all the time?? if you want to live dirty go for it.. i will live in my CLEAN ROOM. my SANCTUARY.. i hardly even want to go out in the kitchen.. trust me.. she's lucky that I cleaned up the fridge full of her expired shit yesterday and i congregated all of her trash in several corners. LUCKY!

4. Lastly, the local boyfriend. I don't mind having him over all the time.. because I've had my share in the past in college and i know how it is.. i don't mind. but its been few months now, i don't even know this guy's name.. never talked to him.. she calls him the LOCAL is coming over to me like shes embarassed of him. i mind because he adds onto the mess. dude fucken help her clean. dont make me clean after the BOTH OF YOU. you use our place and bathroom. don't make it worst for ME.. you guys love pig stys.. i already know :)

i mean talk about testing my patience.. because of her and my more important stress. i feel like anger management is most needed soon! LOL

reminder: what you are seeing is after me being awfully nice and somewhat cleaning up all her trash/bathroom cleaning with mr.clean.. imagine this 100x worst.. i will try to capture these moments at its peak.. aka very SOON. because when i clean, it gets destroyed a few days later by her!!

just another random jog...

It's interesting how houses are built here....or maybe i have just never really been aware of how houses are built in general..
but over here.. they are built from up top first to bottom. depending on if the owners have enough money to continue on building the rest of their homes or not. It looks scary to me honestly. it looks like the house is unstable since it is sitting on top of poles ( but i know they are stronger than they look ).. it looks like the house is about to collapse anytime soon if a storm or earthquake hits the island!
As I jogged throughout the neighborhood, I encountered a lot of pretty houses.. It's interesting to see how each house is built.. some of them look like little hotels though.. which are probably apartments though.. there's so much land!! if only we had that much land in america..or at least in silicon valley....

The houses are mostly nice around my area.. aka why i live here because it is a safe neighborhood compared to other parts of the island.. the last picture depicts a typical household in the less fortunate areas of the island...beware!!! they might steal your camera in a sneaky way...which was what happened with my cousin during the summer when she visited me.... freaken shady people.. but hey!! it happens in every country!! we just got unlucky that day.. that's all... :(

first time bus experiences..

we didn't want our car to keep sounding like a turbo rice rocket car when we drove it around the island with everyone staring at us..so our car decided that he needed to stay at the repair shop for more than a day.. ... that meant for all of us girls.. bus rides until our car is fixed again! we miss our Bentley already.. :(

As you can see, i have lightly circled in orange what buses look like over here above. They basically are big vans with 12 passenger seating. It's actually in a way convenient but knowing me.. I have my moments anywhere i go...

my first bus ride was yesterday.. it was kind of scary thinking about it because I knew that these buses would be filled with locals... looking at me like i am a foreigner of coursee. Bus Rides one way here are $2.00EC = $.75 cents US.. not bad not bad.. it was hard to get a bus to notice us on the side of the road for them to stop over and pick us up.. ( kind of like hitch hikers ) then.. as I sat down.. The bus driver busted out playing KELIS-MILKSHAKE at 8am.....the middle school kids in the back of the bus started literally shaking her boobs and dancing and bumping it....it was an 8am island bus party.. I felt like i was in a Missy Elliot Video indeed, where the asian girl tryin to study her notebook should randomly bust out with her moves eventually, joining in with the dancers... haha.. dropped us off right at school.. it was very nice of him!

Bus ride this morning.. as i climbed into the bus. i bumped my head and yelled out shit! It was a hard hit! haha... and i just sat there quietly the whole ride there...

Bus ride back home.. the one i just got back from..we had to wait around until the whole bus van got filled up with bus riders before the driver would go anywhere... interesting huh?!? so you have a bunch of buses parked at a station waiting for people to fill them up...for the amounts of bus on this island, they are the most used transportation for the locals here.... music playing = oldies/country music.. what a total change of music!!! some of the locals were actually singing to it.. it's interesting how I can randomly hear country music bumping for the island to hear from someone's household over here.. country?!?! kind of random.. i know! Rupal and I wanted to sit in the front of the bus because we didn't want to deal with people leaving in and out of the bus.. what a hassle :P It was quite nice though.. not having to drive myself.. enjoying the view and the sun with the windows open.. especially when it is a nice bus that you are riding in!!

ride safely and wisely please...:)

how do you like my new bentley!?

This is my island car that we drive around.. as my rooomate calls it.. its our Bentley!!
We both aren't used to this type of car... our AC works SOMETIMES... our radio/cd works but because there are so many ditches and crazy driving, the cd skips like crazy ( which is normal ). The seats are clean with clothed but ughh it can get dirty... the side doors sometimes are about to come off when we try to close the door...
The left front window is a tricky one.. most of the time it goes up and down easily.. but when it gets stuck.. 1. either keep clicking on the window button nonstop until it decides to close 2. both the driver and passenger to keep clicking the window's buttons to pull the window up. or 3. try to close the door again to make the window work. It's funny how this window has turned into a CAR GAME.. "Find a way to pull the window up and GO"
lastly going up the hills, this car no matter how hard you press on the gas pedal.. it moves but you gotta be patient with it.. it slowly trots up.. but it makes it.. don't worry! haha
I honestly don't even know what kind of car it is.. there's like no sign of it. All i see if japanese writing = japanese car. For being the cheapest rental car $60 bucks a person a month amongst 5 girls, it's a good deal though.. i mean all we need to do with it, is to drive back and forth to school and needs and sometimes the others take it out to go out. We can save the luxuries until we come back to America... I miss my car back home...the nice leather..the ipod jack..the nice radio system.. sunroof..automatic doors that work and just shiny clean paint on the car!!!

This is always parked in front of my school... I wish I had this Audi to drive around.. so nicee and so american and i love the simple license plate that comes with it.. haha

One with nature

so it's been raining like non-stop for like a week..at times it rains so hard that I feel like its going to break through my roof. I can't even hear myself or even my own music blasted on out loud. This rain has gotten me to wake up every hour when i sleep.. This is why i am always sleepy... my sleep always disrupted.. ughh i feel so restless! Driving in this rain is also dangerous.. it floods easily.. so driving to school and back, I have to slow down because the rain puddles like go all the way almost halway up my car! haha i feel like i'm sinking...

Also, I feel like i am as ONE with nature more often nowadays.. i go to the bathroom and i sit there, I hear the wonderful noise of the rain, the dogs barking, crickets cricketing loud as ever, and in the mornings : roosters.. then i see random ants crawling around like maniacs on my bathroom floor..then one time i had to shower as fast as i could because i saw a mosquito, it died because it bit me before i even knew it on my back!! ughh..

you are probably wondering why on earth i observe this while i am in the bathroom...

While I walk around the streets of Vieux-Fort

I am usually not anal about people mistaking me for another nationality.. I usually could care less if bums and such say stupid things to you while you walk pass them.. but mann ever since i've lived on this island.. it's actually getting to me! the name callings. the country callings.. etc.. just because they are not used to seeing an asian girl in their country. it is SO NEW to them. I totally understand that this is a 3rd world country and that they have many disadvantages of not being exposed to MANY other cultures around the world and not being educated about it also but it STILL annoys/irritates/pisses me off everytime i face it now. Sometimes I just have the urge to tell them to SHUT THE HELL UP to their faces but we all know that won't be a good sight afterwards.

Story 1: Walking back to school from this baguette shop for breakfast, a bum was sitting around the stairs to a restaurant.. he sees me walking by ( ignoring him of course because why should i talk to him? ) and yells out GO HOME KOREA GO HOME! in a very angry voice! LOL that ticked me off. who the hell is he to tell me to go home? a bum? AND I AM NOT KOREAN ( no offense to my korean friends :D )

Story 2: ( which happened today ) I walk back from the bank with my rooomate.. i get a HEY CHINA comee over hereeee.. then i blanked out on the rest that the guy was talking about.. he was trying to sell something i believe.. but of course i walked away..

Story 3: (this one is decent) some pharmacist while i wait for my medication for my stupid skin problem a month ago, asked me NICELY what i was.. taiwan/china/korea/japan? im like "ohh im vietnamese" then shes like oo only you guys would know the difference huh?! you all look alike to me. i guess that was uhh ok?

Story 4: im in the driver seat waiting for people to finish up at the bank. some local pulls up right next to me at my window.. ( my window was rolled down ) and he tells me. I WILL MARRY YOU CHINA.. YOU WILL SEE I WILL MARRY YOU.. do you have boyfriend? just watch! then he just sits there in his car for awhile and decides to drive off.. -_- wthell.

Of course my rooomate never gets shit like that.. haha she's indian.. i think there's actually a decent population of indians living on this island.... man these people.

who likes cows?

so there's random cows everywhere on the island. they aren't let loose but some of them manage to be let loose off of their ropes. they actually belong to people but i don't know.
one thing I don't get though.. so many cows around.. why isn't there fresh meat at the grocery store.. why is it all frozen? i mean... i can just steal a cow and chop him up so i can get the fresh meat.. hes right across the street.. that's one thing i dont get at all!
and on the other hand, i just tried ordering a burger since i need my red meat intake.. NO BURGERS!??
i can't even have a cheeseburger on this island.. its like seasonal.. OMGGGG i need red meat so bad :( i miss steak, beef.... if you guys dont know im a major meat eater...

imagine.. driving down the road.. then suddenly traffic starts.. you wonder why there is EVEN traffic on a two way road with no stop lights...as you slowly budge up the road to your house.. you see why there IS EVEN traffic... look below....cow traffic ladies and gentlemen..

COW TRAFFIC- instead of stoplights.. we wait for cows to cross the road slowly but surely.. LOL
oo the unique island life!

med school = not so paradise

i am pretty sure a lot of you may know by now or have observed..
i've been pretty down lately.
i was doing alright the first couple weeks when i came back to the island but ehh, alot has been on my mind lately and plus school work... that motivation is definitely hard to achieve. definitely hard to find that motivation in you to keep going..to keep studying..especially when you are dealing with so many things at once such as being alone on the island with no family and friends, massive loads of studying, and just side issues that come along the way.

life on the island..a beautiful place..beautiful beaches..It is total honeymoon paradise for COUPLES on vacation.. but a place to live? that is a big NO for a California City girl. Temporary that's all i know for me. I miss complete civilization with high technology and busy streets filled with people. I just love interactions and people. But I gotta admit, it is a place to study.. completely isolated.. what else can you do? i mean you can keep drinking, but i choose not to. i am so anti-social over here. As hard as it is to believe, Kathy Duong does a complete 360 when she gets on the island. I stay in my room to study and catch up with my friends from home.. You may ask: Do you have any friends on the island? Go make some! Of course i have acquaintances.. mainly acquaintances.. i mean we get along but not enough for me to want to take the time out to hang out. I rather stay in my room and study, watch shows/movies, talk on the phone/webcam with my friends. Back home, I make friends easily.. I am normally social, and I am sure everyone knows that.. But i don't know.. complete change of culture/environment..I somehow don't completely click with the students at my school so far..I don't have much to talk about even when i try.. I can only handle hanging out with them max like 2 hrs.. honest to god! After that, I just feel like going home because it is such a drag to be there. I mean, i've come to realize if i don't really enjoy myself, i shouldn't waste my time and instead, be more productive with my time in order for me to not fail my classes and stay on this island ANY LONGER! You can't force friendships at times.. If you don't have much things in common, it can't be helped..

don't get me wrong.. the island is chill/relaxing/perfect for vacationing..
for school.. not exactly what you call paradise.. i mean of course its med school...its full of stress and nonstop studying over here.. especially how we get like 20 months of basic sciences and to take USMLE Step 1 vs. US schools who have 24 months of basic sciences to cover it in.
- accelerated program = even more stress..

so to clear it up for some of you guys... noo i don't go to the beach everyday -_-
but i told myself that my workouts now will be swimming workouts in the ocean.. so maybe i will see the beach more often now.. no pools here so alternative: ocean.. scary thought though.. i hope nothing bites me :P

my collections of bug bites...

don't laugh... this is the torture that i go through over here...
these mosquitoes/bugs just love me.. like they are in LOVE with me in every
way possible... everyone says so too.. it's inevitable.. i'm doomed for life.
they bite me on my legs/my arms/my neck/my eyelids/my fingers..geeez louizz
someone save me. yea? thanks!

this is what i am living with until i go home..

so these are the essentials for my body and life right now..

1. I am using all those steroidal ointments/vitamin E cocoa butter/anti-histamines/vit B-12, in order to treat my skin and my sensitivity to this island :( i feel like an old woman having to worry about everything about her body! I've been taking here and there diluted clorox bath to help with my skin infection and severe outbrea of eczema from my infection.... i've never had eczema in my life....
   
2. These are the books that i should start absorbing in for the next 4 months until my NBMEs in december... so muchh :( how is my brain going to handle it?? i have to pass or i stay on this stupid island with bugs eating me alive longer... NOOO WAY!
3. The essentials that I've been using for clinics.. Littman's black stethoscope, Riester's otoscope/ophthalmoscope, and a blood pressure cuff
   

White Coat Ceremony

Welps, look at Kathy Duong growing up and wearing that white coat of hers :D
here are pictures for you guys and the fam!
since gmail takes forever to send my ginormous pictures...

Ceremony consisted at a nice hotel.. free dinner: lamb kabobs, grilled fresh fish, and other yummy caribbean dishes..

being on this island will make me stronger.. slowly but surely.. im starting to see what i really want in life and in the future..its not too idealistic i believe... i just hope i will get lucky enough to encounter it and be happy finally..

some food that i've tried..

loook it's a cashew nut :)

anyone want some JERK chicken?? they're gooood.. yummmm.. i like jerk sauceee. what a jamaican island food thangg



and of course you would want to top this off with island's famous beer, PITON BEER

look at what i've done

me being scared shitless by lizards and bugs in any sort of size and color..i freak out all the time like a big baby.. i can't help it.. i just hate them so much...they make me paranoid living in my own apt..

look at what my roommate found last month while she was inspecting my room for any weird ginormous ants or bugs crawling around......here are the choices of what happened...

1. this baby lizard died from the ceiling and fell dead FLAT on the ground(suicidal death or from the cold)
OR
2. i stepped on it and it stuck underneath my rainbow sandals for awhile....

which one do you guys think? hahaha

nature's beauty :)

Natural Waterfalls On the Islands

So far I've been to three different waterfalls.. I always wanted to swim/bathe under waterfalls and now i get to unlimited!! it's so much FUN!! but next waterfall I visit, i'm gonna jump off of it. I have to go find the right one that lets people jump off of it.. My goal before I leave St-Lucia! time to get WILD!! haha


Toraille Waterfall- the coldest one of them all but so tall and strong water pressure!

Diamond Waterfall- The most popular one on the island, no bathing allowed, but mineral baths by the waterfall: makes your skin ten times younger :)

Piton Waterfall- warm water and mineral baths surrounding the area.

my new favorite place in st-lucia so far....

i

has got to be

JALOUSIE BEACH/PLANTATION

Jalousie, the french word for jealousy, is in a secluded area with gates and shuttles taking you down to the beach where white and soft sand awaits you between the two island landmarks, the gros and petit pitons. Pitons are the sharp mountains you see in the background, a small and big one where people climb them.. ridiculous way too hot to do that. haha. Also, the water is so clear that you can see some colorful fishes swimming around..perfect for snorkeling. I can't help but say MAN i can't help but love the color of the water.. the pretty turquoise.. sigh

definitely will be back :) i enjoyed the slide in the middle too. hahaha

Another one of my favs.....

SUNSETS!

i love how i get the front seat to all the sunsets there are every day.. whether it is through my window or on my balcony.. sunsets usually start at around 6:30pm. i love seeing the change of colors and movements of clouds traveling.. that is one thing you can't get in the states.. (well rarely) hahaha