what do you miss from home being in SXM

[lawrenceloungelizard]

I am trying to assess the living conditions in St Maartens and am seeing what people miss the most being away from their respective countries.
I am currently a first termer at SGU and am finding there are alot of creature comforts that were easy to come by missing in Grenada. For instance, where to get a cup of coffee in the morning or places to shop for some basic things like stationary. any input would help.
also do you guys see any transfers there from other schools?

[grace]

Yes, AUC accepts transfer students; there was one in my husband's class from another Caribbean school. However, I don't think they gave him credit for all his classes, but it might be different from SGU.

In regards to comforts...

You can purchase almost anything in St. Maarten, but they may cost a little more and aren't always guaranteed to be in stock.

Internet and cell phone service is better in the States.

Customer service is much better in the States.

In the States, you can send/receive a package without worrying that the postman rummaged through it, seeing if he wanted anything prior to delivery.

All in all, St. Maarten has pretty much everything you'll need to get by while studying at AUC!

[CarpetRyd]

In the States, you can send/receive a package without worrying that the postman rummaged through it, seeing if he wanted anything prior to delivery.


WHAT?!? they like straight open your package and take what they wish... thats a little messed up, and i bet they give you some ** about customs or it was open when they recieved it

[stateofequilibrium]

Well, in the states they do that too you know Grace. Just a few days ago a bunch of people in SF were arrested for opening servicemen's mail and stealing things and sealing them back up again!! That's just doubly jacked that a) they were stealing and b) stealing from people deployed overseas.

I miss the life of a busy metropolitan city.

[AUCMD2006]

there are two sgu tranfers that i know of, 1 from mua and a few from US med schools.

i missed things open 24hours.....

[Ditch Doctor]

Customer service is much better in the States.



Hey, try this... If you don't do this already, try saying "Hello, good morning (good afternoon etc...)" and follow that up with "How are you doing?" before you try to do any business. It might help; I used to think that everyone here was so rude, then someone told me about that and most customer service is much better... I guess culturally, I was the one that was rude... If you're already doing that then I don't know...

[stateofequilibrium]

You know what Ditch Doctor, that's very true. If you chat with them and treat them as a friend, more importantly if you give them repeat business, they'll treat you like their best buddy.

[Skipper]

i usually get ok services...nothing horrible....sometimes it is better the services in some places in the states....i dont know about you but some cashier back in Jax are horrible.....or even certain dept stores......

the skipper

[Scott1981]

Customer service is much better in the States.



Hey, try this... If you don't do this already, try saying "Hello, good morning (good afternoon etc...)" and follow that up with "How are you doing?" before you try to do any business. It might help; I used to think that everyone here was so rude, then someone told me about that and most customer service is much better... I guess culturally, I was the one that was rude... If you're already doing that then I don't know...

that may be true. the only problem is that many times i dont even get the chance to do that. the locals just dont like to work. many times i will show up to a desk or counter, and it would be unmanned for up to an hour. my god, this even happened at the airport parking lot today. the ticket collector decided to take a 45 minute break. i spent 45 minutes sitting in my car because nobody could open the gate.

what was really funny was when he wanted to charge me for the 45 minutes that i was waiting. even though it was an extra 2 dollars, i refused to pay.

places that ive encountered where the workers go in the back office and snooze/play/talk on the phone for more than a half hour leaving a line to develop out the door are UTS, airport ticket counters, airport parking, taco bell, gas stations, movie rental place.

[secret.asian.man]

I miss political correctness:

I am tired (and amused) of the locals referring to me, my wife and my 3 year-old son as chinks. I usually turn around and say as politely as possible, "Would you like it if I called you a _________?" (insert your favorite derogatory phrases)

While driving Hyundai Atos's, some locals will never admit there are more countries in Asia other than China. All they have to do is lift up their Atos and look under the car--next to its three-cylinder engine--it'll say Made in Korea!!!

At least at home, we pretend not to be ignorant.
:lol:

I miss home. ATL!

[stateofequilibrium]

How about gook? You know what, that actually sucks. Koreans don't get their own deragtory term, we have to share it with the Vietnamese.

[AUCMD2006]

what about all us hispanics? i'm always puerto rican or mexican depending on the prevelance in the area?

[lawrenceloungelizard]

anyone know what the rates are to dial at home? and does anyone know of an admissions counselor in the Florida office that knows there stuff? i tried calling today and the person i spoke to didnt really know her stuff much.
also, what is the class size there?

[stateofequilibrium]

Depending from 20-30 cents a minute I think, aroud there. Admissions couselor that knows something? Well, the one I had was pretty nice, forgot her name now, rats. But she was very helpful and kept in contact with me throughout the whole process.

Class sizes depend upon which term you enter. The fall term is the biggest without 150ish, then the winter semester has about 80 and May around 50 I think.

[Skipper]

I miss political correctness:

I am tired (and amused) of the locals referring to me, my wife and my 3 year-old son as chinks. I usually turn around and say as politely as possible, "Would you like it if I called you a _________?" (insert your favorite derogatory phrases)

While driving Hyundai Atos's, some locals will never admit there are more countries in Asia other than China. All they have to do is lift up their Atos and look under the car--next to its three-cylinder engine--it'll say Made in Korea!!!

At least at home, we pretend not to be ignorant.
:lol:

I miss home. ATL!

That is horrible...people these days....

It drives me nuts when everyone who is tanned skinned and not hispanic is referred to as being Indian....

the skipper

[stateofequilibrium]

Hahaha.. speaking of funny stories..

We were at cost-u-less and my friend was talking to the cashier, and my friend is a little bit hyper and prone to talking fast. As I'm wheeling by to get my receipt punched, the guy asks me, "Is your friend speaking Chinese?" He was just speaking fast english, sheesh.

[mitchpf]

Wendi's, god I miss Wendi's. Burger King sucks. Also, I miss having a convenience store that is open 24 hours. They all close at midnight here.

Finally, what I miss most of all, is being able to expect quality and fairness of service. That is something in which this island is significantly lacking. If you go into an establishment with an expectation of excellence, you are just going to be agitated.

[lawrenceloungelizard]

well, ill tell you that is alot more convenience than in Grenada where there are no convenience stores or convenience for that matter. the campus is well wired with wireless that can at times be intermittent.
there is a KFC and a Subway and that is about it. Service is extremely slow and not much is air conditioned. the lecture halls are air conditioned and i hear people say that it gets cold but i have yet to go to class any day and not sweat or think it is warm as have those sitting around me regardless of where i sit.

[Skipper]

at AUC lecture halls are always on the cool side...well i am sure about lect hall 1....

the skipper

[grace]

Customer service is much better in the States.



Hey, try this... If you don't do this already, try saying "Hello, good morning (good afternoon etc...)" and follow that up with "How are you doing?" before you try to do any business. It might help; I used to think that everyone here was so rude, then someone told me about that and most customer service is much better... I guess culturally, I was the one that was rude... If you're already doing that then I don't know...

I have done that, and yes sometimes service is better once you've greeted them politely, but the customer is hardly right and you can almost never return anything. Granted, St. Maarten is a different country and things are definitely done differently there, but those were a few things I missed from the States.

[Cultural Infidel]

I was thinking that if I end up at AUC that I would not even worry about a phone and just use email the whole time. does anybody do this to save some dough?

[stateofequilibrium]

I was thinking that if I end up at AUC that I would not even worry about a phone and just use email the whole time. does anybody do this to save some dough?

Email and Instant messaging 95% of the time.

[swimguy23]

I was thinking that if I end up at AUC that I would not even worry about a phone and just use email the whole time. does anybody do this to save some dough?

I have Vonage and it works great again. You take a chance tho bc if they close internet ports it wont work.....mine stopped working for a semester but its probably the cheapest.

I disagree with the greeting crap. Where I come from you're raised to be very polite and on sxm maybe only once did they not look at me and say ok. I find that extremely rude. I was raised to be polite but im from the northeast where in general everyone is rude but i find the islanders to be more rude at times. Often they also make it seem like they are doing you a favor

The thing i miss most from the states.....alternate ways of driving. My town is the same size as SXM, 37 square miles.....but it has never taken me 1 1/2 hours to drive 5 miles

However, I would take the traffic with the conveniences SXM offers

[secret.asian.man]

i use skype.net you need to go on their website and download the software (for free)

all you need is a headphone and a microphone (and a computer, of course). connection is usually pretty good. only 3 cents/min to US (pc to phone), or if your friend/family signs up with skype, you can talk for free (pc to pc).

one more thing that really bothers me especially when i'm late for school is when those local folks decide to stop in the middle of the road and engage in a little chit-chats blocking the road. that ticks me off. other than that, the island life is ok, guess. :lol: