Evacuation From Freeport Bahamas

On Tuesday, Ross University decided to charter a jet a fly all the students and faculty off the island. It is estimated the the storm could become a Cat 4 when it hits Freeport and the island government is not sure whether the shelters can hold up against a Cat 4 hurricane. Therefore, we are all off the island and safe in the US.

We plan to return to Freeport on Sunday but that decision will be made after the storm passes the island. I still have lots to study. Even though class is cancelled we are still responsible for the material that would have been covered in lecture! Study, study...

Oh and I was correct, it turned right... who flinched first, Irene did!

Hurricane Irene

Hurricane Irene is expected to ramp up to a Cat 2-3 and hit my little island on Friday.

The plans are in place to head to a local shelter since I live right near the ocean on the southside of the island. I am from VA beach so this hurricane thing is old-hat. I am not terribly concerned because I have a plan... A nice cozy shelter, water and food provisions, and my school books to study by candle light (once the power goes out).

From my experience the predicted storm path and strength is never correct this early in the game. I bet the storm weakens or turns left or right. I will post pics if there is anything interesting that happens. In the mean time, back to studying!

Neutrokill

Let me give you an idea of the things we are learning right now. Really, it is just a review some grade school immunology. Everyone knows white blood cells fight infection. Most people know that there are several types of white blood cells to fight different types of infection. The most common white blood cell in the blood is called the neutrophil (i.e. neutrokill). It makes up 60% - 70% of all white blood cells. Typically you will see these in the form of pus. How exactly do they fight infection, you ask? By eating the infection in a process called phagocytosis. This is an action-packed video and not for the weak of heart.

Coco Plum Paradise

After grocery shopping and unpacking, I ventured down to the beach. The beach is about 50 yards. Along the way I saw a few locals collecting fruit on the side of the road. They were collecting a little white fruit called coco plum. They gave me one and I ate it. It was tasteless. As I continued on to the beach with my fruit I began to panic that I would have anaphylaxis shock due to eating this "foreign" fruit.
http://lee.ifas.ufl.edu/Hort/GardenPubsAZ/Cocoplum_Chrysobalanus_icaco.pdf

Here is my beach. There is really no one around except, I assume, the sharks in the water!

On the way back home from the beach, I heard sounds in the same bushes that sounded like a wild animal eating the fruit. My heart rate shot up as I thought, I survived anaphylaxis only to be eaten by a wild boar. I began to walk faster, heart pounding like a scared little girl. As I rounded the turn, it was just another local picking the fruit.

Arrived in the Bahamas

I was suppose to arrive in the Bahamas on Thursday but the plane malfunctioned before takeoff. Instead of rescheduling the flight for the next day I decided to spend the weekend with the family at Virginia Beach. Excellent decision.

When I arrived at my apartment, the landlady was nice enough to drive me to 2 grocery stores so I could get some food. How nice is that? I live in a 1-bedroom apartment but there are several other fellow students that live in the complex with me. Here is my medical school pad.

 My awesome grill