The First Semester is Finally Over!!!!

Again, let me apologize for not writting more. I was a bit depressed with a lot of things, mostly med school, and it took me a while to find my motivation again. The depression thing is very common from what I am hearing but most work through it.
Anyway, let me fill everyone in with bulleted highlights to shorten the diatribe: (From worst to best)

• Failed my 4th Biochem exam with a 66% (wake-up call)
• Failed it because I was discusted with the ineffective and incompetent teaching style.
• The next day got the 4th highest grade in Anatomy with a 99%
• Got accepted to the elite Clinical Research Society for Anatomy
• Got accepted as an Anatomy Teaching Assistant
• Got asked by Dr. Lukas to do Prosections for presentation to next semesters class. A prosection is where a body part is dissected and presented to all the students to show and identify the structures for their dissection. It is an honor but it takes a bit of time.
• I will not have to be as much a slave to the Clinical Research because I have a family and Dr. Lukas is fine with that. That was a stress for me because next semester I will have 21 credit hours.
• Took my cumulative Biochemstry Final Exam and got a 94% and was personally congratulated by the professor for doing so well on the exam. I ended up with only an 80% overall, much better, however, than where I would have been without such a high grade.
• Studied seven hours for my Anatomy Final, Cumulative, and got a 91%, leaving me with an overall 96%.
• Went to Sunset Bar for a bar-b-que and beer to celebrate the ending of our first semester.
• Had too great a time and payed for it--at 39 years of age probably not very smart-- but it goes along with the 66% in Biochem.
• Spent the day with my kids at the beach, 80 Deg weather, in the Crystal, turquoise blue water, got a sun tan, played with the sand between my toes, watched the sail boats float by, and thought of everyone in the US whom are freezing their asses off.

You may be right I can't ski or play in the snow but it is worth the trade-off for me. I am a beach-bum at heart. One thing I must admit, however, is that it doesn't feel like Christmas very much. It isn't really celebrated here and when you are standing in the sun it feels like the middle of summer-Hot. There are four seasons here, though: Hot, Rainy, Humid (Winter); Hot, Humid (Spring); Blistering Hot, Humid (Summer); Baking Hot, Humid (Fall).

I will write more later. Thanks to everyone for all of the supportive comments. I really appreciate them more than you probably know. There is nothing like feeling a bit down and reading a positive message from my friends and family.

How many days until Christmas? I think I'm going to the beach.