Movies In The Rain

Last night a group of us went to the movies. It was a double feature night. The first movie was a Disney movie called Earth. The second was X-Men Origins - Wolverine.

The movie theatre on Kwaj is open air. A bit like a drive through except everone rides their bikes in and there are bleachers or benches or places to put your own chairs. You can bring snacks and drinks and enjoy the evening air. Last night there was a snackbar available too serving nachos, hotdogs, and hot wings.

It's a very fun experience, different than any other theater experience I've had. The kicker though? The rain. We got about 3/4 of the way through the second movie when the rain set in. It was pretty light to start with but kept coming down and getting harder and harder. I was pretty surprised at the number of people that stuck it out. We probably got rained on for a full 20 minutes. I was soaked. We all were. But that's what makes the experience unique and memorable.

Sailing Hair

This is what your hair can look like after several hours of sailing in heavy winds, snorkeling and more sailing....

It's pretty much tied in knots, but totally worth it!

Plenty Of Activities

I've always been open to learning and trying new things. The summer before I arrived on Kwaj I learned to ride a motorcycle, the summer before that I learned to wakeboard and drive and trailer a motorboat. I feel it's important to keep learning and every new skill helps me to remain independent and functional even when no one else is around. On Kwaj, learning new things keeps you from getting bored.

Here is a list of the activities I've learned or tried for the first time in my life in the 6 months I've been here: (Yup, in a week I will have been here for 6 months already!)

• Sailing
• Snorkeling
• Two step dancing
• Swing dancing
• Pottery / wheel throwing

I aim to include learning to scuba dive to my list sometime soon.

Even some of the normal activities you participated at home have a new feel to them here. We have movie theaters here, but they are open air, not like a drive-in even, its totally unique.

Activities I participate in that aren't new to me:

• Bowling
• Fishing
• Swimming
• Gym
• Beachcombing
  

There really is no lack of activities to get involved in here. Anyone that gets bored isn't trying very hard. Add hanging out with friends, barbecuing, chilling on the beach, going to bars, and attending various social functions and you can have a pretty full schedule.

It's Still Raining

Hey, It's Free.....

Here is what's on the menu for dinner tonight on Kwaj:

Mmmmm.....pork butt.

Most of the time the food is good here, it has it's moments and you learn quickly how to decipher the menu. For example, always be leery of the menu item "chef's choice". Typically that means they are trying to get rid of something that's about to expire. A few days ago it was turkey tails. Turkey tails!?! Savory is another deception. That is another word for smothered in gravy and it can be anything.

We just have to be creative, keep our guard up and remember; it's free.