Shenanigans in St. Lucia

The See-You-Later’s and The Mixed Feelings

2011-04-27T12:30:00.001-07:00

It's been one week since I returned home and I'm biting the bullet. I must write my final "Peace Corps Update." It is so hard to put these final months and my return into words, but here is my best effort:

After our Close of Service Training in January, the focus of our work turned to wrapping up our projects. I spent time discussing with each school how my libraries would continue in my absence. This "sustainability" part of our service is a challenge. Often volunteer programs fall apart after the volunteer leaves. We look at sustainability in a few different ways: the lives you have affected and the programs that continue (or not). This way, even though we may try to no avail to secure the continuation of our programs, we can still count our successes in the people that have benefited personally from our work during our service.

At one of my schools I was able to start a library schedule where classes came to the library for 30 minutes each week to allow their students to return and checkout books. During this time the teachers were able to learn the process and organization of the library. At my other school we discussed doing something similar, but never could get it off the ground. In my final weeks, however, I met a parent who was interested in helping operate the library during breaks. I am fairly confident that the students will continue to have access to the books at both schools, which is a significant improvement.

In February another volunteer and I celebrated our 25 birthdays and this began a trend of Peace Corps get-togethers and celebrations for the remaining weeks of our service. Also, my Lucian hiking buddies had me make a list of 25 things I wanted to do before I left St. Lucia. This set the tone for the last months, to enjoy everything that deserves enjoying in St. Lucia. I am thankful for these suggestions, because all my freshest memories are of the things I love most about St. Lucia, and that is the way I will always remember it. Here are some of the things I did in the final months:

Camped on a beach at the base of Gros Piton
Explored Cas En Bas beach, a beach in the north east with lots of rocks and places to explore
Went to Jazz at Janm de Bwa (restaurant on Pigeon Island) and hiked to the top of Pigeon Island at night.
Roasted s'mores over a bonfire on the beach (twice), this included introducing some Lucians and Japanese volunteers to their first s'mores ever.
Hiked to Anse Louvert (the same hike I sprained my ankle on over a year ago). It's a secluded beach on the eastern shore surrounded by cliffs and inhabited by iguanas. There is not much shade around this beach so I got home absolutely burnt to a crisp!
Did final shopping for souvenirs
Attended ceremonies at my schools to celebrate my service there
Swam to Rat Island (small island in Choc Bay) one last time with one of my favorite hiking buddies
Went to church with my hiking buddies
Did an "around the island" trip with EC79 (fellow PCV group). We went down to Soufriere, did some ziplining, ate some good food, took a boat trip around to Anse Chastenet for some snorkeling, and shared final toasts.
Learned to make fish cakes
Learned to make bakes, saltfish, and cocoa tea with my favorite hiking buddies
Played the national anthems for EC 83's swearing in ceremony
Treated myself to my very first massage
Had a final dinner with my host family and all the volunteers they have hosted in the past 4 or 5 years
Went to the bank 3 times before I successfully closed my account (It was a joke amongst the EC79 volunteers that St. Lucia would have the last laugh in everything… this rung very true). Closed my cell phone account. Transferred my internet account to the new volunteer who took over my apartment.
Attended a big Peace Corps get together/potluck, celebrating our end of service and EC83's beginning of service
Went cliff jumping over a sea cave and was presented with my very own cutlass J

My schools did a beautiful job sending me off. I was surprised and overwhelmed at the preparation and thoughtfulness of my "see-you-later" ceremonies. (I refuse to say goodbye, only see-you-later is acceptable.) The students sang songs and recited poems. Both schools presented me with beautiful gifts. At Balata they did a skit about me in the library and performed the "So Long, Farewell" song from The Sound of Music. I was moved to tears. The Balata principle seriously embellished my accomplishments, but it was encouraging to hear her describe the ways I had affected the school, including teaching them about alternative classroom management methods, life skills, chess, and libraries.

I spent my last few days and night with my favorite hiking buddies. Those were the toughest see-you-laters. Cliff jumping was a perfect and symbolic final activity. This transition feels a lot like just jumping off a cliff. On departure day I finished cleaning and packing a few things and then sat down to wait for my favorite driver to arrive. In the last hour the electricity went out, of course (St. Lucia's last laughs). When the taxi arrived I hugged my landlords and took off on my final ride through my community and down the island, taking in all the sites, smells, and sounds. At the airport, I had lunch with four other volunteers before we headed through security. I choked back tears when we hugged goodbye, but once I was on the plane I just let go.

So many emotions surround this experience, some very low lows and high highs. It's difficult to believe that a year ago I was at my wit's end, but now it is so hard to leave. Returning has been overwhelming. I feel excitement in seeing family and friends, but grief in letting go of this amazing part of my life. I have encountered all different reactions from people at home. There are those who ask the obvious questions and those who ask the meaningful ones. Some give me great big hugs of welcome while others look at me as though they aren't quite sure where I've been and are not sure if I am here to stay. I have determined that very few people here will truly get what I've gone through or am going through. I just have to be satisfied with my experience and know how important it is to me.

In this one week I have hit the ground running. I have this frantic need to get "settled." I am sure a sense of peace will come soon. I just have to take it one day at a time. Mostly I just wander around in shock and awe thinking, "I made it! Did that really happen?"

Crunch Time!

2011-01-22T22:31:00.001-08:00

Alas, yet again I have waited way too long to update you. I am full of stories.

In the weeks after Hurricane Tomas I was surprised to see how quickly St. Lucians jumped into action. Though there is still much work to be done, the locals seem settled and back into their usual routines. Those that lost homes are relocating and rebuilding. Some roads are still precarious but functional (in that make-shift Caribbean way). There are places that are still without pipe water, but that is slowly being fixed. Schools were out for 3-4 weeks and have some catch-up work to do. Since my schools were closed, I spent some time helping with "relief" efforts. Two other volunteers and I coordinated the purchase of bulk supplies (hygiene, food, work, and shelter necessities) that we then helped package and deliver down in Soufriere by boat. From a distance we could see some very large landslides, huge reddish-brown "wounds" in the sides of mountains. Last year's severe drought probably didn't do much to help the stability of the soil in all the rain from Hurricane Tomas. The rivers are still high and extra muddy. It's amazing how powerful nature's elements can be. I was also surprised at how little attention this got from international media. Most people had no idea we were even hit by Hurricane Tomas, let alone left in a state of serious disaster. Headquarters didn't even realize until our Country Director called to inform them! All eyes were on Haiti as Tomas moved northwest toward the thousands left unsheltered by the earthquake. Fortunately, they were not badly hit.

When school finally returned in November, I got into library catalogue mode in preparation for the arrival of new books. Over the summer I contacted a nonprofit organization called Hands Across the Sea. They focus on collecting exciting, age- and culture-appropriate books to send to schools and libraries in the Caribbean. My church, Central First Wesleyan/ALIVE, helped collect books that were then shipped to Hands who then had them shipped here. After a long wait and a few hiccups with the hurricane, the much-anticipated books finally arrived at my schools. I was surprised to find at each school 8 decent sized book boxes packed to the brim with wonderful, colorful, exciting, and relevant books. The number of books more than doubled my existing library collections! I was eager to get at them, but they arrived right at the end of the term; it would have to wait until after Christmas.

On the 18^th of December I headed to the airport for my 3^rd trip to the States (2^nd trip home). I soon realized how normal St. Lucian life had become for me and that American life would now feel a bit abnormal. As I made it into the terminal I was immediately aware that I was going from minority to majority. It felt weird. (Interesting and random fact: I met an old Returned Peace Corps Volunteer in the airport. He served in the Pacific Islands!) I landed in Charlotte, NC and WELCOMED the blast of frigid, dry air as I switched from sandals to socks and boots and t-shirt to heavy jacket. (Thanks Mom!)

In the car I had to fight the urge not to tell Dad he was driving on the wrong side of the road, which I would later demonstrate to him as I pulled out onto the left side of the road. Oops! It's been a year since I drove; give me some slack. I marveled at the concept of wide lanes and a turning median. At one point I found myself walking toward Wal-Mart, because the concept of having my own personal vehicle hadn't quite set in. Also, no one uses horns correctly, if at all, in the US of A… just saying.

I jam-packed each day with things to do and people to see. On a trip to the mall to get my Macbook fixed I kept feeling this engrained impulse to say, "Good Morning!" to everybody. I suddenly felt very obscure. In St. Lucia I am "the white girl" or "the Peace Corps," but here I was nobody and it didn't matter what I did because no one was interested.

At home I had to remind myself that it was ok to drink the tap water, and I was very overwhelmed with all the STUFF that I have. Having lived the past 2 years with about 2 suitcases worth of stuff, my concept of "need" has really changed. The food was also overwhelming; there is so much of it!

I spent Christmas up in Michigan, as is tradition, with the whole family. It was wonderful. We laughed, ate, played games, ice-skated, romped in the snow, and enjoyed being together. Highlight of the year was, for the first time in a long time, taking my grandma's 72-year-old wooden toboggan out for a spin. We crossed our fingers and hoped it wouldn't fall apart as 6 of us older, heavier, and longer-legged "children" pushed off down the ice chute. As you may have guessed, we made it… several times! When I am with family I always feel blessed. This year felt extra blessed, especially with my new sister-in-law there! New Year's I was back in SC. A bunch of good friends, mostly old college buddies, came over to eat, drink, and be merry… oh and blow some things up. J Again, I felt blessed.

New Year's Day Mom, Dad, and I were up bright and early to get to the airport. I changed into sandals and t-shirt and waved goodbye. A few hours later I was greeted by a waft of hot, humid air… home. Being that is was a holiday I knew transportation might be a little scarce. So I thought if I talked to the right people I might catch a ride north. The first family I asked was more than happy to help. As we got to talking I learned that this was their fourth visit to St. Lucia and that their taxi driver was a friend of mine! (He is the preferred taxi driver for all of us Volunteers and has been for years. We love him.) He gave me a ride all the way to my front step. Later in the week their daughter, in the 4^th grade, joined me for a day at school. She experienced the chaotic nature of Caribbean schools and the grade 4 class got to ask her an assortment of questions about school in the States. She was shocked when they asked, "What do they beat you with?" and they were equally shocked when she replied, "nothing!" It was eye opening for both parties, to say the least. She was able to help me unload all the new books that we received before Christmas. I was thankful for the help! It was so nice to meet a family that is actively reaching out beyond the "tourist boundaries" in St. Lucia. We are keeping in touch and they are now able to support my schools by sending some supplies. I couldn't have had a better start to the New Year!

As the southeast got pummeled with a great snowstorm, I sweated through a wonderful visit from Harriet and Tom Linskey, the founders of Hands Across the Sea, the nonprofit that shipped me the books. They live on a sailboat, and after all the books have been delivered, they come around and visit the benefitting schools. It was fun to show off the work I have done over the past year. At one school, the grade 6 class came down to sing them some songs. The principals of my schools were both grateful for the opportunity to express thanks for such a large donation of good books. Now if I can only get them all organized before April!

Last week I attended the "Close of Service Conference" held for the group of us that came in February 2009. We have only 3 months left (eek!) so the training focused on preparing us to finish things up here, readjust in the States, and move on to new things. I have procrastinated thinking about what it will be like to leave here, and it really hit me that this is going to be hard. When we left the States two years ago we had the comfort of knowing that we would return, but when we leave here in April we won't have that same comfort. Goodbyes are going to be tough and the transition will be weird and emotional. On the plus side, during training we listed all the accomplishments we have made as a group over the past two years. It was incredible to see how much we have done and to feel a part of something much bigger than myself. Our group laughed and cried together as we processed our experiences and next steps. This was our last time together as a whole group. In 3 months we will leave on separate planes to separate cities and states to begin separate lives and adventures and be with people who have most likely spent these last two years doing something way more normal than Peace Corps. Two years ago I thought I'd never make it this far and now here we are. Amazing.

In other news:

Somewhere in there we had a huge Thanksgiving gathering.

In December I made my granmama's cranberry bread on my own for the first time ever and shared it with many of my friends and colleagues here in St. Lucia.

Also, our Country Director, Margo, left us to work up in D.C. and we have a new director now, Kevin.

Sargent Shriver passed last week at the age of 95. Peace Corps is pretty much his baby. He lived from 1915 to 2011; just imagine all the things he saw!

"Shatter the glass. In our society that is so self-absorbed, begin to look less at yourself and more at each other. Learn more about the face of your neighbor and less about your own." –Sargent Shriver

Close of Service: EC 79

2011-01-22T22:23:00.001-08:00

My Lovely Visitor

2011-01-22T22:19:00.001-08:00

New Posters!

2011-01-22T22:18:00.001-08:00

The Books Arrived!

2011-01-22T22:16:00.001-08:00

Cranberry Bread!

2011-01-22T22:15:00.001-08:00

Hurricane Relief

2011-01-22T22:08:00.001-08:00

Video of Bamboo Bursting

2010-11-06T08:01:00.002-07:00

Click Here to see vide of Bamboo Bursting

Bamboo Bursting

2010-11-06T08:01:00.001-07:00

Kids with Kerosene and Hurricane Tomas

2010-11-03T09:47:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was St. Lucia's "Jounen Creole" (joonay cree-ole) celebration. I think the translation is "day of Creole." It's a time when everyone gets together to celebrate Creole traditions and heritage. My favorite part of Jounen Creole is the food. I was particularly looking forward to indulging in some bakes (fried dough), saltfish (fish cured in salt that has been soaked and stewed), and cocoa tea (cocoa, spices, and milk cooked into a delicious chocolaty tea). This combination of food is somewhat of a traditional Creole breakfast, and take my word for it, it's scrumptious!

I went to school on Friday morning happy that the week was almost over and looking forward to some fun and relaxation over the weekend. I was welcomed with the sound of loud "BOOMS" and children yelling and laughing; all of this was coming from the center of the schoolyard. Naturally, I walked in their direction to see what all the hype was about. Upon closer inspection, it was as I suspected. The children (let me emphasize that these are elementary school-aged children) were participating in the tradition of bamboo bursting. This was my first encounter with bamboo bursting, so I was rather excited. I'm told it is unique to St. Lucia.

Bamboo bursting is worth describing to you. Basically a "canon" is formed out of a long piece of large bamboo. (Large as in both my hands would not rap completely around the stalk and tall as in almost as tall as I am.) One end is left closed, and a small hold is burrowed in the side of that end of the bamboo. To "burst" the bamboo, one must pour kerosene down the small hold and light it repeatedly while blowing on the flame. My assumption is that this forms flammable vapors that build up within the tube of the "canon." Eventually when you hold your flame over the small hole, a loud BOOM is produced and a puff of smoke and kerosene droplets emit from the small hole and the end of the canon. This process is performed over and over for the sheer enjoyment of playing with fire and making loud noises. These BOOMS can be heard a lot during holiday times such as Jounen Creole and Christmas.

So! I approached a group of elementary school-aged children who had a healthy supply of kerosene, matches, and at least 3-5 "canons." The resourceful children had partially filled a beer bottle with kerosene, stuck a wick in the mouth, and set it afire to give them a steady supply of flame to light their canons. This beer-bottle-on-fire is known amongst the locals as the "flambo." They would hold sticks over the "flambo" until they caught fire and then bring the flaming stick to the holes in their canons to light the kerosene. I needn't mention that they carried their supply of kerosene in local rum bottles. I stood by with the other tiny onlookers (no teachers were around) and watched with amazement as they set off explosion after explosion. Some of them were better at it than others; their explosions were much louder and more frequent. The smell of kerosene filled the air and each explosion seemed to bring a little wave of heat and sometimes a burst of flame. There was excitement and fervor in the way the children made themselves busy with the bursting of the bamboo.

Of course, I took out my camera and made sure to capture the moment with picture and video (soon to be posted). Inwardly I contemplated the hilarity of comparing this to American schools. Just imagine American parents letting their 10-year-old kid play with canons, matches, and kerosene. And then imagine them sending their kid to school to do that!? 2+2 = lawsuits and juvy!

The rest of the day was filled with assemblies, singing, dancing, and (my favorite) Creole foods. I excitedly waited my turn to get some fish cakes. These are made of saltfish that has been mixed into a batter and fried. Soooo good! I also enjoyed a delicious cup of cocoa tea. By the end of the day the children were dancing laps around the school while singing in Creole.

Just as I was packing up my things, another Volunteer called me to ask if I had heard anyone else talking about "the storm." I told her no and we hung up; I didn't think much about it. Again as I was waiting for my ride, another teacher said, "there is a storm coming." Sure the sky looked kinda dark in the distance, but this is normal. Rain and storms blow in and out of here all the time. I rode home and laid down for a nap before I was supposed to head out for Steel Pan practice. I awoke to my phone ringing. It was yet another Volunteer on the line. She told me a tropical storm was coming and that Peace Corps was telling us to stay home. I rolled out of bed, tired, and happy to skip steel pan practice. I would go tomorrow… so I thought.

I was up late into Saturday morning watching shows online, but the skies seemed calm. When I finally went to bed, I fell into a deep sleep. I awoke with a start sometime around 6:00am to the sound of my door alarm (Peace Corps just gave us these alarms that you stick in your door). I ran to see what was up, but no one was there. I later deduced that the wind must have jostled the alarm loose, setting it off. Despite my late night, the adrenaline was now pumping, and I could not fall back asleep. At around 8:00am our Safety and Security officer send out a mass text message, "St. Lucia is under a hurricane warning. This is the official alert to STANDFAST!" This means we are to STAY INSIDE! Shortly after that, the winds started howling and the rains came down. It was barely light outside for the clouds were so thick that they blocked the sun. I have never in my life seen such wind or experienced a storm that lasted so long! The wind and rain would come unceasingly for over 24 hours.

I closed all my windows except the front ones (protected by the porch). I spent the morning watching the wind and rain beat the trees outside. At around 11:00am (Saturday) I still had power, Internet, and phone service. By then I was getting tired from my late night, so I decided to take a nap. When I woke up around 1:00pm I had no electricity and no water. I sent text messages to my brothers to have them let mom and dad know that I was in the storm but doing ok. I turned on my little hand crank radio to see what was happening elsewhere. People were calling in from all over the island giving reports. The hurricane was between us and St. Vincent (south of us); so the southern part of the island was getting the worst of it. One caller said that their community secondary school had lost its roof. Others reported houses losing their roofs and some landslides. In the evening, 100mph winds were recorded at the southern airport (and that was before the worst of it!). At 6:00ish we were thrown into complete darkness as, I assumed, the sun went down. I lit my candles and made some hot cocoa. The wind was literally howling and thundering; my screens were whistling violently. I could see lightning, but I could not hear the thunder and the rain beat against my windows in rhythm with the wind.

With nothing better to do, I went to bed early with my headlamp and a book, turning my phone off to preserve the battery. I slept intermittently, always waking to the sound of the howling wind and rain. Sometime during the wee hours of the morning I couldn't sleep anymore, so I made a cup of hot tea. The sky was lightening ever so slightly which, I assumed, was the sunrise. I watched the wind and rain for a while before I finally fell back asleep. When I awoke around 9:00am Sunday, the storm was over, just like that. The sun was even peaking through the clouds.

I spent Sunday and Monday listening to reports on the radio and receiving visits from my friends around the area. I didn't get cell service back until around 1:00 Sunday afternoon, at which point I started furiously texting my brothers to let them know I was ok! Electricity finally returned Monday evening. (I've never been so excited to see a light turn on or hear the hum of my fridge!)

Overall the damages seem pretty bad. The southern half of the island is disconnected from the north as roads have been blocked or washed out by landslides, trees, or collapsed bridges. People are now using boats to get back and forth. Soufriere (southwestern side) seems to have been hit pretty bad with some large landslides. I'm hearing that some areas may be evacuated. The radio reports a number of deaths, but I've not heard any report on injuries. Many homes have been lost. The Red Cross and other organizations have been hard at work trying to assess and address the aftermath. Tourists are being moved to the north by boat and rerouted through the northern airport. By Tuesday morning all Peace Corps Volunteers had finally been accounted for. The southern volunteers have been collected by boat and consolidated in the north. The northern volunteers will be consolidated in the next few days.

St. Lucia's water system is shut down for now because of damages. No one has pipe water. We are not sure how long it will take to get it back up and running. The lack of water could quickly turn into a serious crisis. I am honestly not sure what's in store for us volunteers over these next few days, weeks, and months. It's unpredictable. I'm trying to prepare for anything. My cat, Sergeant Tibbs, will hopefully be going to a new home soon, just in case.

Keep St. Lucia in your thoughts and prayers. It will take a long time to bounce back after this one. I will try to keep you posted, but have no guarantee of internet contact!

Love,

Kath

“I only have one problem…”

2010-10-11T16:14:00.001-07:00

At this point in my service, time really flies faster and faster. It seems like only yesterday we were at 8 months left and now we are down to 6.5. The countdown on my computer tells me that I have 190 days to go, total. Like mom said, "I can remember when Tom's wedding was that far away!"

At my schools, my days are filled with creating as much excitement about libraries and reading as I can. I am working with the teachers to organize the masses of teaching resources. With the kids, I am reading to them and providing various activities to create incentives to keep them reading on their own.

At my main school assignment we have been conducting parent satisfaction surveys. We want to get feedback from the parents so that the teachers and principal can discuss some of the things they are doing well and some of the things they need to improve. This was really successful with our student surveys, so I hope for a similar outcome with the parent surveys.

We are also presenting "life skills" to all the teachers this week. We did life skills last year with the principal and tested it out with one class. It was a really positive experience for the kids, so we want all the teachers to get on the bandwagon. This week I will be talking to them about the benefits of life skills teaching and helping them learn how to incorporate it in their classroom. The principal is very supportive of this; she is determined to make it a part of their curriculum, which means this will be sustainable!!! That's exciting for me.

A story…

Every now and again our Peace Corps director does site visits at our main work site. She comes for an hour and a half to talk to you and your counterpart just to see how things are going. These have been kind of intimidating for me in the past, especially when I was really struggling. So I made sure to put my best foot forward. Things have been going well, so I didn't count on any issues arising.

The first thing the director asked was, "have any issues or difficulties come up in your working relationship?" I'm thinking everything has been going great, so no worries.

The principal responded, "Well I only have one problem…"

My heard plummeted! Inside, I was panicking, "this is so unfair, especially since she didn't bother to talk to me about it." I even go as far as to think, "after all I've been through, just send me home now. Clearly I just can't get this right."

I kept a straight face and waited for the principal to finish her thought, "and that is, that Katherine is not staying for another year."

Relief overwhelmed me! Later I laughed at my internal panic. The rest of the visit went great. And I just have to say that it feels so good to be on the right track, working together with Lucians on things that really seem to matter.

Other highlights:

We just got a new supermarket up north. I went in the other day and thought I'd stepped through some kind of portal into the United States. It's bigger, better, and more stocked than any other supermarket here. I spread the good news and soon a bunch of us were running around like little children saying, "did you see the portobello mushrooms? did you see the artichokes? did you see the cream cheese? did you see the tortillas? did you see the chips?" It's been rather hysterical, culturally shocking, and exciting. I'm not sure if this new supermarket is a good thing for my budget. Since discovering it, I have indulged in Portobello mushrooms, hummus, yogurt and granola, and real celery. All of that might sound pretty ordinary to you, but for me it's been heaven.

This weekend one of the other volunteers organized a "bake day" for all the PC girls who could make it. She's been watching a little too much food network. So, we all gathered at my house with our various baked dishes. It was worse than Thanksgiving. We literally ate ALL day long. It started with coffee, my homemade cranberry biscotti, and my apple crisp (with real whipped cream). Then we moved to spinach quiche, baked pears, and homemade snicker doodles. We finished up with some fancy pasta, potato skins, and a chicken broccoli casserole. By the end of it we were all laying around in food comas, barely able to move. It was truly a beautiful experience.

Life is pretty good, and I'm thankful for it. Christmas plans are nailed down. I'll be home for just under two weeks of running around seeing people, and then I'm back to St. Lucia for that last stretch. Thanks for all the prayers and support. As always, I look forward to hearing from you all.

The Shoe Leftovers

2010-09-10T13:24:00.001-07:00

The Shoe Leftovers

2010-09-10T13:20:00.001-07:00

Tom & Brynn's Wedding

2010-09-10T13:15:00.001-07:00

Tom & Brynn's Wedding

2010-09-10T13:14:00.001-07:00

Wedding Bells

2010-09-10T12:59:00.000-07:00

(Not MY wedding bells! Nobody Panic!)

Last week I made the MUCH anticipated trip to Texas for my brother's wedding. I'm not sure I've ever been so exhausted in my life! I spent the summer semi-isolated because I was trying to save myself from spending too much money. So I went from semi-isolation to PEOPLE and lots of them! It was like a family reunion x 2. I got to see friends and family that I haven't seen, some of them in over a year and a half. I hadn't seen some of Tom's friends in who knows how many years! However, I was also getting to know a new (and wonderful!) family. I spent a lot of time hopping from one bunch to the other, trying to get in some quality time with everyone. It was a blast, but also a whirlwind!

The whole week was such an amazing celebration. I just can't put together words that explain how special it was. I was so glad to be a part of the festivities in planning and participation. I couldn't be more proud of my brother. Tom and Brynn's story is nothing short of God ordained and miraculous! They are so in love and have made a beautiful commitment to each other. I shed many a tear, laughed a lot, and smiled the whole week. I wish I could capture the memories vividly forever! There were so many special moments and beautiful things said. This marriage is just soaked in love and support. (Thanks to those of you who came out to Texas and pitched in!)

And it seems all of a sudden I'm back to reality. I'm trying to piece together the events of last week and the weeks before and figure out how to pick up where I left off. The Pile of emails is a little intimidating! But! School is back in session and it's good to have a schedule and goals to accomplish! I've only got a little less than 8 months! Which is just gonna fly, probably too fast.

Onward and Upward!

Gimie

2010-08-06T09:53:00.001-07:00

Tackling Gimie

2010-08-04T22:31:00.001-07:00

"Kitkat, what are you doing Sunday?" asked Lenn, as I was putting the last few ingredients for taco salad on the table. A few of us had gathered for dinner and a movie at my place, Last of the Mohicans, a classic tragedy that only served to remind me of how much I miss the mountains of the Carolinas.

"I don't know," I said, "I don't have any plans."

"Well you do now; we're doing Gimie."

A wave of excitement and dread passed over me. For those of you who don't know, Mt. Gimie is the tallest mountain in St. Lucia. In the beginning I was gung ho about tackling Gimie and the Pitons, but it had been ages since I hiked and let's just say I wasn't in the fittest of forms… Gimie is known to be a tough, long, grueling hike. Other Peace Corps Volunteers had told tales of getting stuck out in the dark and stumbling through the blackness for hours, even past midnight, before they reached "civilization" again. But I LOVE adventure and challenge. I couldn't pass this up.

****

Sunday morning at 6:00am my alarm startled me out of a slumber I DID NOT want to end. I rolled out of bed, crammed some cereal in my mouth, gathered my "gear," and headed out. My "gear" was not much to speak of… I didn't bring that much with me in my 2 bags for 2 years. I was wearing a tank top, moisture wick shirt, hiking pants, and an old pair of tennis shoes. When I say old, I mean ancient. These guys had been with me since high school. I also had a small lumbar daypack… crammed full with water, food, first aid kit, and rain coat.

I was the last to arrive at the square in town, which is unusual. Typically Lucians, especially these guys, are way late. So we hopped in the vehicles and began the 1-hour drive down to Soufriere where we would turn inland to get to the trailhead. Now, Lenn had originally told me that the group would be 10 strong at most, but by the time the cars were parked and everyone was out we were a healthy 29…. 29?… 29 people! Have any of you ever tried to hike with 29 people!? Give it a try some day and let me know how it goes. A few guys took charge and decided it would be smart to divide the group into 4 subgroups so as to keep track of everybody, but the moment we started up the trail, the groups became futile. We started moving at around 10:00am. Gimie is estimated to take about 8 hours to hike. Two hours to the base, two hours up the mountain, and then reverse it to get down. Do the math in your head. The Caribbean goes dark at around 6:00pm… so from the very beginning we were pushing the limits.

The old dirt road quickly turned into a skinny, bush entangled, MUDDY trail. Our shoes were sinking into the mud and making a nice "sshhhhloock!" as we attempted to move forward. I quickly realized that a number of folks in the group were NOT hikers. Just ten minutes in, one of the girls, in what I dubbed the "sissy" group, had given her pack to one of the guys. This was a GREAT sign. The trail took us around steep hills. So, often the ground dropped away from us on one side and rose up to meet us on the other. We had about a foot wide path to work with. This girl was so afraid of falling down a hill that she plastered herself to the upper hillside and was trying to walk at the same time. She and her other sissy friends also began to complain, "this is not what I signed up for; I just didn't think this is how it would be." I have a pretty good sense of humor, even when things go all wrong, but not with complainers and sissies… this was gonna be a long day…

The trail to the base of the mountain was no easy breeze. We climbed up and down, slid all over the place, got rained on, and crossed several little creeks before we got to "the base". This took us about 3 hours. Keep this in mind because we have to come back to this trail later. The first part of the ascent was pretty steep; I'll describe it as a muddy stair climb. We moved at the pace of the sissy girls. I'll be honest; at that point, I was getting tired and was thankful for an excuse to go at a slower pace.

Along the way Lenn found a tarantula and stayed by the trail to "pet" it. From this point onward I suffered from the creepy crawlies…

About halfway up, we reached a ridge that took us to the last leg of the climb. Here, the sissy girls gave up and sat down to wait for us to summit. The last section I will describe as straight up. Oh, and don't forget it was MUDDY. Before long I was literally crawling on my hands and knees, utterly exhausted. My arms were covered in mud; my pants were covered in mud; my hands were covered in mud. I even had mud on my face. Twenty minutes from the summit, my left shoe made a funny noise. I looked down to see the sole separating from my shoe. When I say sole, I'm not talking about that little rubber flap with tread on it; I'm talking about the whole thick piece of rubber that SHOULD stay glued to the bottom of what is nothing more than a nylon bootie… At that point, however, there was nothing much I could do about it, so I just kept going.

As I was crawling up the last section with my shoe in pieces, the MAN in front of me (a grown MAN!) turned around and said in all seriousness, "We need to call St. Lucia helicopters to come get us. We're not gonna make it outta here." I clarified that this was a stupid thought and that no one was going to come rescue an uninjured MAN with food and water supplies who was simply dreading the fact that it was going to take us forever and a day to get out of there. He and the PCV behind me were pretty dehydrated at this point so I gave them both some electrolyte tablets that I had just happened to throw in my first aid kit. Oh, and speaking of dehydration, did I mention that one of the sissy girls abandoned two FULL water bottles earlier on the side of the trail because they got tired of carrying them?? I discussed this with Lenn and informed him that there should be a screening process for these things…

Finally we reached the top completely beat. Everyone just hit the ground with barely a word. Our view?? Nothing but a white cloud. We sat on a small grassy knoll looking into a white abyss. I hardly cared. I just reached in my pack for whatever nourishment I could find. It felt good to not move… but it was short-lived. It was about 3:00ish in the afternoon and Lenn started encouraging us to move back down. We really needed to get going if we were gonna beat sundown, but I somehow knew that beating sundown was just plain wishful thinking. As everyone was moving toward the trail, I sat down and attempted to tie the sole of my shoe on with my shoelace. It wasn't pretty, but I hoped it would help.

I was 2 from the back as I started the return journey. I made it about 10 feet before my right shoe sole ripped almost entirely off. It was dangling by the toe and looked more like a flip-flop needing repair than anything resembling a shoe. Exhaustion turned into hysteria, and I just started laughing. The guys behind me took pictures. I sat down and attempted to tie the right sole on with my shoelace, but looking at it I knew this was gonna be an interesting journey. Soon a layer of mud had formed between the detached sole and nylon slipper so that each time I took a step, my foot would slide out of the sole. It wasn't long before the entire sole was hanging only by the shoelace.

At this point I gave up on the idea of walking down the mountain, sat down, and started to slide like a small child. Surprisingly, the mud made for some GREAT slides. I was having so much fun sliding that I was giggling in fits. All the while I was cutting up with the 2 guys behind me, joking and laughing. We sang She'll be sliding around the mountain when she comes, made up rhymes about my dirty pants, and even coined the phrase, "save a shoe, ride a cheek." Our delirious state may have been equivalent to that of slight drunkenness.

The sliding continued all the way down the mountain. During this time, my right "nylon slipper" completely wore out on the bottom. I had the frame of a shoe around my foot and nothing but an increasingly holey sock between me and the great outdoors… lovely. I suppose I can be thankful that it was my shoe and not my pants! By the time we reached the creak at the base, I was caked in mud. Without hesitation I said, "Excuse me, I need to take a bath," and completely submerged my mud covered body in the water to scrub down.

We only made it a short distance beyond the base before darkness fell. The next 4 or 5 hours were spent slowly and meticulously stumbling our way through blackness with shared flashlights. The sissy girls seemed to freak out at the slightest challenges. Every time someone asked what time it was, I screamed, "I don't wanna know!! It doesn't matter!!" All we could do was put one foot in front of the other. It seemed as if we would never see the end of that trail.

On the way down the group naturally split into three sub-groups. The first group fled the scene and made it out before dark. My group, the second group, emerged at about 10:00pm-ish (this included a 1 hour wait for the last group just to make sure they were safe before continuing). The final group stumbled out of the wilderness no earlier that 11:00pm. That is over 12 hours of hiking!!! I couldn't even feel my feet anymore. Everything ached.

By the time our bus finally dropped me at my home, it was about 1:30. I threw everything on the porch, stripped down, and headed straight for the shower. I was SO thankful that the water was actually on!! I had to scrub several times and still couldn't get some of the dirt off. When I finally lay down to sleep, my bed felt amazing for all of 2 seconds and then every muscle touching anything began to hurt. Fortunately exhaustion brought quick, long slumber…

The Scuba Family Bowyer

2010-07-16T00:12:00.001-07:00

Scuba

After years of being afraid of scuba diving, I finally decided to bite the bullet and give it a try. Dad, Tom, and Tim have all been certified for a while. Mom and I always find other things to do when they go. They have been begging us to get certified. My excuses? I like being ABOVE the water; not under it. I like being able to surface whenever necessary. I am afraid my ears won't equalize. I'm afraid I'll forget to breath right and get whatever they call it "the bends" or worse some serious lung problem. And a long line of "what ifs" that probably only happen in super freak accidents… But with the family coming to visit, dad really wanted all of us to be able to go together. Even Mom got certified.

So… I did it! And… I loved it!!! Through a friend I found a great deal at the Sandals resorts down here. (I know, Sandals, keep your comments…) I took the class with a fellow volunteer. Our instructors were amazing and very thorough. I made it through all the pool skills, surprisingly. Then we had our open water dives. I was nervous, but before I knew it we were at 35 feet and my ears were fine and I was fine… and it was soooo cool!

On our first dive we went to a reef just below Anse La Raye called Anse Kochon (bay of pigs, I believe). I have snorkeled there before, but I quickly learned that snorkeling and scuba are so different. Instead of looking down from above, I found myself swimming IN the schools of fish and looking at coral and creatures from all angles! Towards the end of our first dive we rode a little current out around the tip of the little reef. Suddenly, I couldn't find my Peace Corps scuba buddy! I looked around, even swam around a big rock, and he was nowhere! I looked at our guide and shrugged with my hands up like "I don't know where he went!" I was just thinking, "what a terrible scuba buddy I am! I lost my buddy!" when a sea turtle swam right beneath us! He was so cute! The guide tapped his tank for the other groups to come over so we could all admire… never mind my lost buddy. Then he looked at me and pointed up. I looked and sure enough there was my buddy, at the surface! I forgot about looking up!! That's a new dimension when looking for people… oops! We surfaced and it turns out my buddy had buoyancy issues. His empty tank gave him more buoyancy toward the end of the dive and he couldn't help but float up! Too bad for him, because he missed the sea turtle!

On our second dive we got to see a puffer fish puff up for us! And for our 3^rd dive we got to go down 60ft to a shipwreck! It was covered in coral and there were fish all around. We even swam inside! I was so excited and happy on each dive. I'm certain that if I could have talked underwater, the fish would have been annoyed, because I was just so amazed and so excited about EVERYTHING! I am so glad I did it and now feel as though I've been missing out for years! And how cool that I got to do this in St. Lucia, with Sandals nonetheless… they provided free snacks by the way! Peace Corps Volunteers LOVE free snacks!

Family

My scuba certification was just in time for the arrival of my family less than a week later. In the last days before their arrival I could hardly contain my excitement. On Saturday I rode down to the airport with the car rental pick up. We arrived about an hour early, but I was too antsy to sit in the taxi. Sometimes flights come in early so I crossed my fingers… and I stood… for an hour… and a half! Waiting! I kept asking people which flights they came from. The anticipation was brutal! Finally I saw Mom, Dad, and Tim come through the doors. I ran to them and got a great big hug from Tim, and Mom, and then Dad! I couldn't wipe the grin off my face. Mom had us all line up for a picture. Just as she was snapping the photo, I felt a brotherly tap on my head. I turned around and there were Tom and his fiancé Brynn!!! They surprised me! Not 2 days before Tom had been telling me how busy he and Brynn were and how much he wished he could go scuba diving. The rascal! I was so excited to have them and so excited to finally meet Brynn!

We had a great week together jam packed full with activity. It was a balance of "let-me-show-you-where-I-live-and-what-I-do" and "enjoy-family-and-have-crazy-fun" time. We got to go zip lining in the rain forest, drive around the island, get pictures with the famous Pitons, eat tons of delicious local dishes, bread and seafood, explore several different beaches, snorkel, sail, hang out with all the Peace Corps staff and volunteers for the 4^th of July, visit my schools, deliver some chess sets, meet my local hiking friends, go cliff jumping, shop in the market, drink all the different fruit juices, and go scuba diving!! It was amazing. I was overjoyed to have them be a part of my experience here and overwhelmed to be with such an incredible family. I feel proud of how strong we are and how much we grow and change as time flies by. It was a whirlwind week and I think we exhausted ourselves (so much for vacation!). It was tough to see everyone off, but what a great time we had.

In just 1.5 months I'll be in Texas with the WHOLE family for Tom and Brynn's wedding. Three months later I'll be home for Christmas. And then 4 months later I'll be home for good. I can hardly believe I've been here almost a year and a half. It is all flying by so fast.

Blessings to you all. Would love to hear from you,

Books and the Classroom

2010-06-16T05:19:00.001-07:00

The library space at the new school where I work is nice compared to most I've seen here. The fact that the school has a "library" is nice… period. The kids are used to using the space, so having a white lady there just draws even more of them in. I even had to keep them away from the books for a while in order to get the catalogue system going. I have finished most of the books now, though, and they are shelved and ready for use.

Last week during lunch I could tell there were a lot of kids waiting to use the books. So I gobbled down my food and returned to the library to keep it open for them. Most of them came rushing in and then just stood around looking at me as I sorted through books. So I asked them, "Would you like to read a book?" They shyly nodded their heads. I showed them where they could pick out a book and where they should put it when they were done. About 8 kids gathered around a table looking through and reading books. I pretended to "work" but I was having so much fun watching them, and I was keeping my eye out to make sure they were keeping things in order. One little one was picking out books left and right. He finally found one about Jesus and promptly looked at me and shouted, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!!" running to the table to open his book. He returned to the same spot 2 more times to pick out more stories about Jesus. I chuckled to myself thinking, "whatever gets you excited about reading, buddy…" When the bell rang for class to resume the disappointment was clearly written on their faces, but they dutifully put their books on the "to be shelved" pile and ran off to class. I watched them go and then turned to the heap of books that had gathered over lunch period, but I was happy to shelve them.

Seeing excitement about books and reading here is so thrilling. This is just the beginning of my library and reading club adventures at this new school. I really hope that I can give them a permanent hunger for books in my time here… that would be my idea of sustainability…

***

This week I start Kweyol classes again. Kweyol or Creole or Patois is the local language. Everyone speaks English, but they also speak Patois (Patwah) and I hear it all the time. We learned a little bit over a year ago in training, but it was really the least of my concerns then. The Ministry of Education is offering the class and we have Peace Corps Volunteers, Japanese Volunteers, and Locals participating. I'm hoping to learn enough to be able to understand the basics of what I hear around me… and honestly, I am really enjoying being in a classroom again! It's surprising, but I am enjoying engaging my mind in learning new things and having homework assignments! The class is being held at a primary school in town, so we sit in these tiny handmade wooden desks, look on as our teacher scribbles all over a chalkboard, and try our best to ignore the loud noises carrying in through the vented walls. It's interesting to experience this Lucian classroom… I don't know how the kids focus here!

***

Only 17 days until Mom, Dad, and Tim arrive!! I already have a schedule written out and have been making preparations! I can't wait!

Sunset Cruise on the Unicorn

2010-06-01T08:49:00.001-07:00

Mid-Service Training

2010-06-01T08:45:00.001-07:00

The Cashew and the Calabash Bowls

2010-06-01T08:41:00.001-07:00

Hiking and Camping

2010-06-01T08:37:00.001-07:00

Canaries Waterfall

2010-06-01T08:23:00.000-07:00

Nana and Papa Visit St. Lucia

2010-06-01T08:21:00.001-07:00

Celebrating 1 Year!

2010-06-01T08:18:00.001-07:00

Painting a Giant Chess Board

2010-06-01T08:16:00.001-07:00

Visiting a US Navy Ship

2010-06-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

EC 81 swears in!

2010-06-01T08:13:00.001-07:00

My first passover by myself!

2010-06-01T08:09:00.001-07:00

The Highlights of My LONG Break in Updates!

2010-06-01T08:07:00.001-07:00

It has been so long since my last update that I have to look through my pictures to see what I have not told you!! I'll try to hit the high points; there have been a lot of high points in the last few months!

The number one high point is a change in work site! After one year at the Red Cross, things were just not as successful as one would hope. So Peace Corps transferred me to two primary schools: my first school attachment and a new school attachment. This change was so exciting and I love it so much. I work primarily on their libraries. I am helping to create a catalog and check-out system to encourage the use of the books and reading among the kids. I will also be helping out with the chess programs at both schools when I can. Life skills lessons continue at my first school. At my new school we hope to start a reading club soon. It is so enjoyable and I feel more in my element, which is a huge relief. It gives me a lot to look forward to in this second year.

Another great highlight is my grandparents' visit! My Nana and Papa booked a cruise around the Eastern Caribbean islands and one stop was St. Lucia! We spent one whole day together and I got to show them around. First I took them to my primary school attachment. Earlier in the year my grandparents donated chess materials to the school and I wanted them to meet the chess club. The whole school came out to express thanks. They presented Nana and Papa with a wonderful photo of the kids playing on their new chess sets and they sang some songs. It was exciting and really fun for them to see the meaningfulness of their donation. Next I took them to my apartment to show them where I live. Then we went to a resort, The Windjammer, for lunch on the beachfront. Another volunteer joined us and we spent the afternoon catching up and playing games. After that they were pretty tired so I took them back to the cruise ship and waved goodbye. It was so good to see them and so great to be able to show them a bit of my life here. It is special to share this experience with the ones I love so much!

Now that I have free weekends I have been more active with the hiking group. In one of our recent trips we went to the Canaries Waterfall, which was a gorgeous and wonderfully cool place to swim… and feed fish. I got to climb around and be outdoorsy river girl for a day! J After the waterfall we went down to a beach called Anse Koshon. We snorkeled and played games in the water. My face was sore from laughing and smiling, which is always a good sign! The weekend after that I went camping with the group. We stayed near that same beach, Anse Koshon. We hiked to a "cave" that was actually just a big hole under a rock. We did some more snorkeling and hung out by the beach a lot. We also introduced the Lucians to s'mores! We were missing graham crackers so we used ordinary crackers, but they were delicious and the Lucians loved it. I think that is the first time I've been camping in over a year and a half. It was nice… and buggy. We were all sleeping around mango trees so we kept periodically hearing mangos fall and roll down the hill. Some hit our tarp. When I packed up my stuff at the end of the camp I realized I'd been sleeping on a squished mango. They were everywhere. The other volunteers and I also got to experience making Calabash bowls. Calabash is the national fruit (though you can't eat it). It has a hard shell and you can clean it out to make bowls and carve designs in the outside. We did this while snacking on coconut. J

Last week was MST (Mid-Service Training). The other volunteers from Granada and Dominica got to fly in and we all stayed in a hotel for 4 days (3 nights). We THOROUGHLY enjoyed the air conditioning and comfy beds… and the pool. During the training sessions we reflected on the past year and realized how far we have come. It's so easy to feel like we aren't getting anywhere, but when we look back and think about the little things we really have done so much. We also got to hear what other volunteers are doing and pull ideas from each other, which will be really useful in our future projects. There were a few other business sessions, but most of all we came away feeling heard, encouraged, and re-energized. It was good to see everyone, have some time to hang out, and take a break from our routines.

After MST, a few of us took a ride on the Unicorn, a ship that was used in the filming of the Pirates of the Caribbean. We scored a good deal for a 2-hour sunset cruise so we splurged and went. It included drinks and snacks and you can bet us PCVs devoured those snacks. It was cloudy so the sunset wasn't brilliant orange, but it was beautiful nonetheless. The cruise itself was relaxing and fun.

And now it's back to real life again! I'm back at work. We have just over a month left in the school year. My parents and brother are coming in just about 30 days! I need to get scuba certified! I'm having fun and loving life, which is a lot to say and a relief to feel. I have so much to look forward to. And I hope I can do a better job of keeping you all posted!

Much love! As always, I love to hear from you!

I've Got the Hang of This

2010-03-15T00:15:00.001-07:00

Expo

Last weekend we held an expo to show what Peace Corps is all about. Although Peace Corps has been in St. Lucia for almost 50 years, many St. Lucians do not have a good understanding of the role of Volunteers in the community. The goal of our expo was to give St. Lucians an idea of what kinds of things we do and how we work with host country nationals. Within the first 5 minutes it was apparent that the schedule could be thrown out the window, as usual in the Caribbean. The media showed up and took up the first hour of events. Being experienced Peace Corps Volunteers we adjusted well. We managed to fit almost everything in throughout the day.

Our displays included volunteer and staff bios, a map of the world and where Peace Corps serves, a US map showing where all our volunteers are from, a table of American "stuff," HIV/AIDS information, pamphlets on how to request a volunteer, an interactive timeline, etc. etc. We also had various events going on throughout the day such as: American and Peace Corps trivia, healthy lifestyles trivia, chess games, disability awareness activities, life skills crafts, and dancing (the chicken dance). We also served hotdogs, chips, and soda. The visitors really seemed to enjoy the day. I was in charge of the trivia and I also did the HIV/AIDS display. The trivia went over really well. It was enjoyed by adults and kids alike.

The whole event was a big success. We got a lot of media coverage and attendance was great. The food was especially a hit. Some of my Red Cross kids even showed up and stayed for almost half the day. It was great to see community participation and support.

Visitor!

This past week I received a visitor!! My cousin came to spend her spring break with me. She brought with her a few special items for me: nutella and olive oil—the essentials—as well as a collection of 10 chess sets and a chess teaching board (donated by my grandmother). We visited a few beaches of course, but the real highlight of the week for me was when we took the chess materials to my school attachment. I arranged for a special chess game in which one of our volunteers played 10 games at once. There were two kids to each board, plus a few backups hanging around behind. The kids put up a real strong fight, but the volunteer beat all of them. It was really neat to see the kids work together and think through the games. Some of them were really entertaining. The principal and chess teacher were very excited to receive the materials and to see how the kids performed in the event. It was exciting for me to see what started as a suggestion and one chessboard turn into a full-fledged program with 40 kids really excited about chess. I don't know all that much about chess, but I know a think or two about pulling a program together. I'm thankful as a development worker to be able to see even a little bit of the impact I have made, however small it may be.

My cousin and I also visited Pigeon Island in the north to explore the old bunkers and canons… and the beach. On Friday to wrap it up we traveled south to see the famous Pitons and visit the sulfur springs and a waterfall. It felt good to be able to share my life here with someone close to me. I feel as if someone else gets it now, at least in a more personal way. Updates can only do so much J. We had a great time together and I miss her already!

Truly Integrated

I am sure my readers remember some of the awkward and almost painful social integration experiences I have described in the past. It is with great pride and excitement that I present to you the following story:

Before: Almost a year ago when I got Internet I had to describe to the company how to find my apartment. St. Lucia has no road names or house numbers. I did my best to explain, and I even drew a map, figuring this was the fail-safe way to give directions. When the day finally came, the truck drove by my road multiple times. The company called me 3 times to connect me with the driver of the truck so that he could find me. I finally walked out to the road and said, "I'm the only white lady standing on the side of the road. You can't miss me." I then led the truck by foot to my gate.

After: This weekend I had to call a taxi to my place to pickup my cousin and I to go to the airport for her flight. When he asked for directions I gave him a few short sentences in my best Lucian terminology and hoped for the best. Saturday morning, 5:45, the taxi rolls straight up to my road and stops on a dime. The driver steps out and says, "those were really good directions!"

And this my friends is what one year will do…

Hiking Friends (Just After Church)

2010-03-03T23:20:00.001-08:00

Homemade Chess Demo Board

2010-03-03T23:14:00.000-08:00

First Aid for Kids

2010-03-03T23:09:00.001-08:00

The Birthday Celebration

2010-03-03T23:07:00.001-08:00

Red Cross Teambuilding

2010-03-03T23:04:00.000-08:00

Life Skills

2010-01-31T18:00:00.002-08:00

Homemade Chess Sets

2010-01-31T18:00:00.001-08:00

Homemade Tables

2010-01-31T17:59:00.001-08:00

Homemade Dominoes

2010-01-31T17:58:00.001-08:00

Christmas With the Fam

2010-01-31T17:57:00.001-08:00

Christmas Fluff

2010-01-31T17:55:00.001-08:00

Just over a month ago I was able to visit home for Christmas! I was so excited to see family that I could barely sit still through the five-hour flight and then I had to stand through customs!! Finally, though, I made it to the Atlanta airport baggage claim where I got 4 long awaited bear hugs from Mom, Dad, Tom and Tim. J There were many more bear hugs throughout the week as I met with tons of friends at a few different "homecoming" parties. I also managed to go skiing and get a much-welcomed day of SNOW!! For those of you who are cursing the cold weather… well, some of us miss it.

This Christmas, for me, was one of the most meaningful Christmas's I have ever had. When you are young you are more concerned about that latest toys or clothes, and sure, you love to give gifts to your family, but it is different. This Christmas all of our gifts had such meaning and thought behind them. And I was overwhelmed with stuff that has been incredibly useful to me back here in St. Lucia… such as new sheets that don't feel like sand paper… and books that will challenge me spiritually and intellectually. I felt so loved and so much like I belonged. I felt home and I was absolutely soaking up what family means to me. This was the first Christmas our little family of five has had together in South Carolina (we are usually in Michigan). It was also the first time our family had been to church as a family in… well we never could remember how long it had been. We had a lot of fun; the kind of fun that goes deep and touches your heart and that goes down in the memory files for years to come.

So, about 10 pounds heavier from casseroles, Christmas cookies, and some much missed Mexican and Waffle House, I returned to St. Lucia rejuvenated, filled with love and encouragement. I am just 24 days short of 1 full year here and I feel happy and things are going well!

Just 2 weeks ago I was assigned to help lead one of the Red Cross youth groups in a secondary school. We have been doing team-building activities and planning fund raisers and events for the next few terms. The group shows real potential and I am excited to see where it goes. I have also been doing presentations on preventing and caring for basic sports injuries and sudden illnesses at the same school. It has sparked more kids to get involved with Red Cross, so I hope the group grows. J

The work I am helping with at the primary school is where I really feel like things are moving. This week we started the 'decision-making' chapter of our life skills curriculum. The kids are very enthusiastic about life skills and couldn't wait to get started again. They really seem to get a lot out of the sessions. The youth and sports teacher at the school has also started a chess club. I helped get him a chess set from the National Community Foundation through another Peace Corps Volunteer. He already has 40 kids involved! Almost all of them attended some Chess workshops this past week. I created some makeshift chessboards out of my cereal boxes to help out, but they are going to need a lot more than that for 40 kids! I also spoke with the principal this week about the children's access to books. She said the need is great and we are talking about plans to get books into their library/resource center to encourage reading. Pleasure reading is almost unheard of here (literacy is very low as well)… it's actually almost discouraged, it's the boring thing to do. Often when I tell people I'm not much of a partier they retort with a "what do you like to do, read?" So, I've researched some ways of getting books here and I may be contacting some of you for help soon!

Since returning it seems I've gotten a creative bug. I managed to build two tables on my own. So now I have a desk and a table for the porch! My landlord was skeptical of my sawing skills when he handed me his saw. He peeked around the corner as I cut the first leg and then remarked, "I thought I was gonna have to do that for you." Eight cuts and many bent nails later I had two relatively sturdy tables (made from scrap wood and pallets). Add some cheap fabric and they look perty nice if I do say so myself. I also made a full set of Mexican dominoes out of cereal boxes and as I said earlier, 5 chess sets. I even made edible and tasty potato soup last week. I am really enjoying the creative juices especially with my limited resources. J

I am really excited for what this next year may bring. I can't believe almost a whole year has passed already. Time really flies.

Blessings on you all this year. As always I love to hear from you! I would also like to say thank you to all of you that I got to see while I was home. Each meeting meant so much to me, however short it was.

Stories From a Little Boy

2009-12-06T20:21:00.001-08:00

Me: Hi.

Little Boy: Hi.

Me: How are you?

Little Boy: Good.

Me: Have you done anything special this weekend?

Little Boy: My class got to go to the cinema.

Me: Cool. What did you see?

Little Boy: We saw A Christmas Carol.

Me: Really! How was it??

Little Boy: It was kinda scary.

Me: It was? Why was it scary?

Little Boy: It had ghosts in it. And in the beginning there is this cut off head and it has coins for eyes.

Me: Wow. That does sound scary?

Little Boy: Yeah. There were four ghosts. The first ghost was a guy that the guy who hates Christmas used to work with. And then the second ghost was the ghost of the past. And the third ghost? The third ghost was the ghost of gifts. And the fourth ghost was a shadow and he had black hands and he kept pointing to things. And then the old man who hates Christmas falls into a casket and his feet fly up in the air like this. **little boy throws feet in the air** And then he falls down smack like this **little boy imitates falling flat on his face** And then he likes Christmas again.

Gotta love little kids…

Petit Piton and Thanksgiving

2009-12-06T20:07:00.001-08:00

Mountains, Feasts, Songs

2009-12-06T20:02:00.001-08:00

Petit Piton

A month ago I was able to hike Petit Piton (3^rd tallest mountain on St. Lucia) with the hiking group. We got off to a late start… of course, starting the hike at around 11. The beginning of the trail was flat for the 20 yards that it took to reach the base of the mountain, at which point we all craned our necks to look straight up at the trail and the mountain that lay before us. From that point on it was hand over hand climbing or crawling up the mountain. It is the steepest and probably the most difficult hike I've ever done. It was amazing. The first half hour was really hard; my legs were burning! After that, we got into a rhythm and it wasn't so bad. It took us a little over 3 hours to reach the top. At some places we had to use ropes to pull ourselves up rock faces. There was also the loose rock that our steps would send rolling down the mountain much to the dislike of those in the rear of the line. We had to rely on each other and work as a team just to get past some of the more challenging sections, but the view from the top was really worth it. The top was so tiny; it was just a little area maybe the size of half a basketball court. From the top we could see Gros Piton, Soufriere, and most of the southern part of the island…oh and of course the endless sea.

Due to our late start we had about 15 minutes to enjoy the view and cram down some food before we began the grueling trip back down. We were trying to beat the dark… but it didn't work. The trek down was slow going. You can't really rush when you're going down something that steep. Most of us resorted to sliding from rock to rock, especially since our knees were so weak by that point. As we inched down the mountain, the sun inched toward the horizon. It got darker and darker until eventually it was pitch black and we were still 1/3 of the way up the mountain. I was leading the group… with no flashlight. A few times I lead us straight off the trail. One hiker had to use the flashlight on his phone to run back and forth to help us get our bearings. Oh, and in the dark the loose falling rocks became extremely scary. All you would hear was this thudding rolling in your direction, and you would just scramble for a tree in hopes of avoiding a big blow. One falling stone caught me right between the eyes. When we finally reached the bottom we had to have our bus driver beep his horn and turn on his lights so we could find the road. Some friends at the bottom welcomed us with cold fresh honeydew melon and water. Most of us had depleted our water supplies by the time we reached the top so we welcomed the juicy treats.

The start of the trail was just across the way from the mineral baths, which are closed at night (meaning we can get in for free). So we wandered down another dark path until we found this wonderful little pool in the tropical forest. Most of us hadn't brought swimsuits, but it was dark, so we just stripped down to our underwear and jumped in. The water was warm and it felt so good on our aching muscles and joints. From the mineral bath you could look straight up and see a dark sky full of stars. It was one of those moments where I was just completely happy and content. I couldn't have had better company for such an amazing adventure. It was a beautiful day.

On the bus ride home we all shared what snacks we had left over. I enjoyed some snickers provided by a good friend back home ;) (thanks Vickie). By the time I got to my apartment I was waddling. I headed straight for bed, but no matter which way I laid, it hurt! That's probably the sorest I've been since I tried snowboarding for the first time… but it was all worth it.

Thanksgiving

For thanksgiving all the volunteers decided to gather up North at a volunteer couple's house. We assigned all the traditional dishes to each other so that we would be sure to have a real thanksgiving meal. Peace Corps staff was also invited. All in all we probably had around 30 folks, mostly American but some Lucian. The feast table included 2 turkeys, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, pineapple casserole (my family specialty), cranberry sauce, some Lucian dishes, apple pie, pumpkin pie, key lime pie, chocolate cake, and much much more. But! Being the half starved Peace Corps volunteers that we are, we annihilated it! We watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and some football. We attempted to have a football game amongst ourselves but a broken finger brought the game to an end before it started. It was wonderful and it was a great experience. It was nice to be gathered with so many people and to fill in for each other as family.

Progress

On the project side of things it is slow going. I am continually thinking and brainstorming ways to move things along, but it is difficult. I can celebrate a little bit though. I have been able to help put together a curriculum for life skills in the primary school where I am attached. The principal began teaching life skills with the 6^th grade students once a week toward the latter half of the term. The lessons went extremely well and the kids responded amazingly. One of the kids in the class showed great behavior improvements and me and the principal both were excited to see it. Due to some schedule interruptions we were only able to do 3 lessons this term, but we will continue next term and I am excited to see where it will go. The principal is very supportive of these lessons and thinks that it is extremely important for the children. It is SO nice to be working with someone who is proactive and energetic about helping these kids. This term we focused on "understanding self" and next term we will work on "decision-making." I sincerely hope that these lessons will stick with the kids for a long time.

Christmas Carols

I have started going back to steel pan practice on Saturdays. They are teaching a lot of beginners on the weekends now so we have been able to go back and learn some of the basics, like the C scale. We have also been learning Christmas songs! We started with Winter Wonderland and just recently we learned Silent Night. It feels weird to hear and play Christmas music and see Christmas decorations all over when I'm sweating and wearing a tank top, but it still feels like the holiday season somehow. Also, all the Christmas music down here has a Caribbean twist… it's strange but kind of entertaining.

Speaking of Christmas, I have only 2 weeks left before I get to visit home!!! I have made plans to see a lot of friends while I am home and I am really excited. I think the visit will be good for a break and to be filled with love and support from everyone that I love.

And so, I get to sign off by saying: SEE YOU SOON!!!

¿Qué?

2009-10-22T10:57:00.001-07:00

I was sitting in on a Spanish class recently. It's neat to experience the teaching styles of locals and the learning styles for that matter. Anyway, the teacher was covering verb conjugation. She wrote some sentences on the board with blanks where the verbs should go and the students were to fill in the blanks with the proper form of the verb. As I was reading and beginning to understand the sentences, I was shocked. The first sentence said something like, "He drinks Bounty." (Bounty is a Lucian rum) The second sentence said, "Peter drinks beer." And the third set of sentences is what really got me, "My mom is boring. She drinks water." I watched as the teacher helped the 13-14 year old students insert the right verb and then translate these sentences. Then the boy 2 seats over said, "Oh I get it, you're boring if you don't drink alcohol."

Whoa! Immediately I started thinking about this in my own American context. If this were to happen in the States people would go nuts; somebody would get sued. I mean, parents and schools are fighting over whether Obama's video should be played to their children and that carries a positive message! The teacher smiled as if this was completely normal. And I was internally devastated. Children, from the time they are young, are not only observing but being told that it is socially acceptable to drink alcohol and boring to choose not to. It's like they are being taught peer pressure. I am still shaking my head…. It is just hard to wrap my brain around it.

Checking Out the Logos Hope

2009-10-18T21:57:00.001-07:00

The New Peace Corps Office Coming Together

2009-10-18T21:56:00.001-07:00

German and Lucian Oktoberfest unite!

2009-10-18T21:54:00.001-07:00

7.5 months, Crazy bus, Sushi, Chocolate Chips, Crowds, Ships

2009-10-18T21:43:00.001-07:00

I got on a bus one afternoon with my backpack and grocery sack full of stuff, sat, and waited for it to fill. As soon as all the seats were full the bus driver hopped in, and we were off down the increasingly pot-holed road that leads up into the hills where I live. I rested my chin on my backpack as the bus jerked and swerved and groaned over all the bumps and came to abrupt halts to let people off and on. I watched, but was not phased, as he stopped so that the man in the front left could run across the road and collect his gas tank from the gas station and later as another woman in front right ran across the road to pick up her child from day care. No one blinked; they just kept staring out the windows, chatting in Patois, or listening to music on their phones and ipods. I smiled to myself. I was imagining the chaos and violence that would erupt if such a thing were ever to happen on, say, a New York City bus, "Hey driver, stop for a moment, I gotta pick up my kid." … I daresay the comments that would follow would be quite explosive.

***

Last month I was invited over to a Japanese volunteer's apartment for dinner. There were about 5 Japanese volunteers there and 4 Peace Corps volunteers. They made a whole spread of Japanese food and we sat around eating with chopsticks and enjoying light conversation. Most of the Japanese volunteers speak English very well, but it can still be hard to catch everything they say. We did manage to understand each other enough to see that we face a lot of the same struggles and challenges. It was neat to see that even though we come from different cultures we can still share in a common experience.

***

It is amazing what kinds of things become comforts when you are far away from everything you know. I never thought I would adjust enough to pay $46 for a bag of chocolate chips, but yes indeed I did. I have also progressed from paying $9 for average corn flakes to $11.99 for IGA's version of golden grahams (or even $29 for a bulk box of lucky charms!). I have even splurged on a $20 bucket of ice cream. Recently I made the switch from powdered milk to boxed milk. It's still nothing like fresh carton milk but it's close enough that I can have a glass of it with my best attempt at homemade chocolate chip cookies. It's also nice not to have to mix my milk anymore.

***

A few Mondays ago was a Lucian Holiday, Thanksgiving I believe. I heard a rumor that the zip line tourist attraction in my community was to be free for locals on said holiday. So I headed out there with a few other Peace Corps Volunteers and some local friends. We arrived a little late so we didn't quite beat the crowds. We took our place in the back of a wide, semi-long line of people and we waited…. for 2.5 hours. As noon rolled around and the hot sun was beating down from overhead, the impatience of the crowded line grew to a breaking point. Now, the zip line experience begins with a sky tram through the forest canopy, which can only hold about 8 people at a time, and it only goes so fast. So really, there is no way to rush the process, no reason to push or pack it in like sardines. But that didn't seem to matter to the cranky people in the "line" that suddenly began to take the shape of a blob as people started to push their way forward to "speed" the process. Our group had been waiting patiently in the middle for quite a while when people began to shift, slide, and push up behind us… and then around us… and then in front of us. We were so crowded that we were dripping with sweat. The people on either side of us began to fight with each other, blaming the other side as the one messing up the line and claiming their "right" as "line violators" that they should go next. We sat in the middle, confused, dismayed, and quite frustrated with the lack of "respect" for the line… Americans are so into the "line" thing… you don't break the line code… you just don't. It's a line, and it works this way, and that is just how it goes, right?

Eventually, a small group of children were pushed up against us from behind. They must have been from a rural community because they were quite fascinated with us white folk. We could tell because they kept staring at us and smiling real big. And then they began to pet the soft hair on our arms like we were some kind of exotic creatures. It was about this time that our patience grew thin, and we gave up on the whole experience. We had come to a standstill and the "line violators" were the only ones getting through. We shoved our way out of the blob and gasped in some cool, fresh air. When we looked back we saw that the "line" had burgeoned outward and packed itself in so much that it no longer even resembled anything organized. It looked kinda like the last 2 pieces of food in the world were right behind that gate and people were desperately trying to get the only remaining sustenance, which made it necessary to fight, and push, and suffocate small children to get it. I mean, free ride on a zip line guys, it will kill you if you don't get one, so act now! Sometimes being American gets the better of you when it comes to patience in these things…

***

There is a mission organization called Operation Mobilization which has two boats that sail all around the world visiting ports and doing all sorts of different ministry activities onboard and on land. While in college I used to hear speakers and recruiters talk about OM and these ships. Well one of the ships, the Logos Hope, is in the Castries port this week! Pretty random!? We met a few of the workers and they got us some visitors' passes and gave us a tour and even let us have dinner with them! (feed a Peace Corps Volunteer and we love you). There are 45 different nationalities on board all serving together for a common goal. They get to visit ports all over the place, so they get a ton of cross-cultural interaction. One of the main things that the ship does is a giant book fair that offers cheap books. Books in St. Lucia are terribly expensive, so people save up a lot of money for when the Logos comes and then they buy tons of books. I bought a few myself and thoroughly enjoyed just being in a big book store.

It was really need to sit and talk with our new friends and share our cross-cultural experiences and struggles. We come from different places and do such different things but the struggles seem to be almost universal. Never thought I'd be hanging out with some Logos missionaries while serving in the Peace Corps in St. Lucia…

***

As always, I appreciate all the support and love I get from all of you. I always love getting emails and I love to hear what's on your heart.

A Breaking Point

2009-09-09T19:28:00.000-07:00

(a journal entry)

I have left behind a loving family, a mass of wonderful and supportive friends, a fun job, my dogs, my car, and everything I love about the mountains, rivers, trees, and lakes of the south. I have put off grad school and a career to be here. I have invested money (thanks mom and dad), much time, and a lot of heart into this whole ordeal.

For What?

At first it is because you want to help people; help them work together and find solutions and learn stuff. But then you get stressed with everything: culture, communication, time, loneliness, homesickness, and feeling like you are not doing any good. So your focus turns inward. You forget your original reason for being here and you start thinking, "what can I get out of this?" If nothing else you at least wanna make sure you have a good time, right? But you may even get to a point where even that is not motivation enough.

You look at yourself and realize you are miserable. You feel under-appreciated, used, and mistreated. You are exhausted, angry, hurt, frustrated, and fed up. Your brain is so fogged you can't make sense of anything. And you feel quite ready to just give up and end your misery. Why try anymore if you are this down and out?

You cry and blubber and hyperventilate, pitch your fits, and call for back-up. And maybe someone gives you that chance to take 2 steps back and think. And you realize that yes maybe you do still have strength even if you don't want to admit it. And maybe your pride falters and you think perhaps you have made mistakes and maybe you haven't tried everything… as angry as it makes you feel to say it.

It's the breaking point. A time when you decide what you really give a rats behind about. A time when you have to lay your stubbornness aside, and your pride, even when you feel like that is all you have left. As humans don't we just hate being humble? And we hate letting go of what little control we feel we have…

Grrrrr

I don't want to. I don't have to. But I think I can and maybe I should… even if and when it hurts. If I duck and cover through this entire experience I will never learn anything.

hikin'

2009-08-27T20:39:00.001-07:00

I know I know... it's been a while

2009-08-27T20:33:00.001-07:00

There's not much to explain other than the fact the Peace Corps is the hardest things I have ever done in my entire life. Sometimes the frustrations outweigh the successes and the joy. In those times I find it better not to write updates.

In the spirit of remaining positive I will catch you up on a few of the exciting things that have happened lately.

Red Cross-

Recently I went through Instructor Training for CPR and First Aid. There were about 15 of us in the training and I was the only non-Lucian, so it was a lot of fun. Three teachers from different chapters of the American Red Cross came down just to do this training. They barely even had time to see more of St. Lucia than their hotel and the Red Cross building! On the last day some of the volunteers took them for a little trip down to Soufriere. Since the training, I have been doing a few classes here and there and teaching gives me a lot of insight into the culture and socio-economic issues of St. Lucia. In some cases I really wish I knew fluent Kweyol because some of the students would have a much easier time understanding me.

A couple weeks ago I was able to organize with Peace Corps to have a visiting Coast Guard crew come and help paint the Red Cross building. About 20 guys showed up and, with the help of a few Red Cross Volunteers and some girls from a local school, we knocked out almost the whole inside of the upper floor (main area). Everyone really seemed to enjoy the day and it helped the Red Cross a lot as this is usually a big expense. I laughed on one occasion when I walked around to check on everyone. I was munching on a piece of cake from the snack table that the director had prepared, and when I approached one small cluster of Coast Guard guys one of them said to me, "you know that cake had ants crawling all over it don't you?" The fact is I had NOT noticed, but I deal with little ants in my kitchen on a daily basis, so this seemed no big deal. I looked down at my cake and then shrugged my shoulders and said, "well, I kinda live with ants… they don't really hurt anything…" The guys looked at me like I was crazy, which confused me on several levels. I mean, they are just ants, and I guess I just figured that a few little ants wouldn't bother big tough Coast Guard guys… but then again, maybe I've just been in Peace Corps too long. Moving on…

The school term is just about to start so things should be getting busier. The hope is that I will be able to go around and do HIV/AIDS education and peer education training with some of the secondary school groups. It should be fun if it all comes together. I am also hoping to pull together a small group of kids to form a junior Red Cross youth committee. With this group I will be able to do leadership training, life skills training, HIV/AIDS training, project design and management training, and even proposal writing (if I can learn to do that myself). Some of our training and activities will depend on what the group really wants, but ideally we will plan some peer education projects for HIV/AIDS education amongst youth.

Also! I got in touch with the Upstate SC Red Cross chapter Youth Services Specialist. She has put together some materials to send to me that I might find useful for leading a Red Cross youth group. She is also excited to start up a correspondence between my group and hers. This should be a fun way to build cross-cultural awareness.

That's a lot of fluff to explain what I would like to see happen. Currently not much is happening but planning and brainstorming. From what I understand this is normal for Peace Corps at this stage… at least I hope so.

Hiking-

After going a month or so with only one beach visit and no hiking, I FINALLY hooked up with the hiking group again this past Sunday. The day began in the typical fashion with meeting time at 7:30am but actual departure occurring at 10:00 or later. We traveled down to an area called Saltibus, which is sorta in the middle of the southern part of St. Lucia. From there we hiked to an incredible waterfall that had several big drops into large, welcoming pools of cool water (by Lucian standards COLD water). We spent some time swimming around and jumping off the lower part of the rocks around the waterfall. I had a good laugh at the shivering Lucians that braved the frigid waters. The water felt so nice. I think that's the first freshwater swim I have had in maybe over half a year!

We reluctantly left the waterfalls, donned our packs, and headed for a nice sloshing-wet hike through and around some streams toward a community called Fond St. Jacques. We had to bushwhack a little bit before we came to some rural trails and farmland. A few random goats, cows, and pigs were dispersed amongst the land and they gave us some hearty hellos. We stopped for a break while the guys reigned in the better half of a guava tree to pick some snacks J. Finally, we emerged from the wilderness onto a small road where we continued to walk almost all the way to Soufriere. Our bus, of course, was late. So we made up games for an hour and a half while sheltering under a bus stand. Five minutes into the wild and curvy bus ride home we were all dozing off between swerves and bumps.

Can't wait for the next adventure! Nothing like the forest to make your stress seem a million miles away…

As always, prayer and support is much needed and appreciated. I love to hear from you!

Carnival 2009

2009-07-21T13:25:00.001-07:00

Me and Ilani at Carnival 2009

2009-07-21T13:22:00.001-07:00

Crazy Carnival 2009

2009-07-21T13:13:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I had the opportunity to experience St. Lucia Carnival. The past few weeks have been filled with parties to build up to this one big event. It is two days of dancing and parading. The Lucians call it "Jumping." If you are "jumping" it means that you are in a band or group of people that will parade, drink, and dance together. They parade all the way down a major highway by the northern airport into the capital, Castries, where they make a loop and start back again.

Each band has unique costumes that vary in amounts of coverage, some being rather skimpy. All the costumes are colorful and eccentric and some include masks and head dresses with all sorts of feathers and glitter. A few costumes had giant extensions that stretched almost all the way across the road.

The larger bands had semi trucks, which traveled with them carrying massive sound systems with towering, ear-busting speakers. Smaller vehicles provided food and drink for the parade participants and some bands even had trucks with outhouses in the back! Almost everyone at the parade had a cup, bottle, or hydration pack full of some sort of alcoholic beverage.

A group of us started watching at around 11:00am just outside of town at the corner where the parades were just beginning. The bands got increasingly wilder and crazier as the day went on. We later moved closer to town where the crowds were bigger. I snacked on chicken and bakes while I watched the mayhem commence. Rain sprinkled on and off all day long so we alternated between standing by the road, sheltering under a tent, and standing under our umbrellas. I was impressed that the parade marched on even in the rain… it's the only time I have ever seen so many Lucians out in the rain.

Around 5:00 the sky let loose. The rain came pouring down in sheets and the wind really picked up. Everyone dashed for the overhangs of the big buildings by the harbor. We waited for about an hour, but when the rains didn't seem to be letting up we decided to go ahead and face it and head to the busses. I had to brace my umbrella with my arm to keep it from collapsing as I pushed against the wind and sloshed through puddles (thank you chacos!). When I finally got to my bus stop, the busses were really scarce. One lone bus was sitting empty by the bus shelter and I promptly positioned myself near the door with a few others. I eyed the growing crowd under the shelter suspiciously as we all waited for the bus driver to return. At around 7:00, one hour later, the bus driver showed up and I was suddenly bombarded by a mob of wet, tired people. I grabbed the side of the door and literally pulled myself into the bus. It reminded me of the metro in Egypt, no lines, and no personal space. We crammed about 4 extra people into that tiny little bus. The ride home took another hour. Traffic was so backed up that the bus driver had to keep trying all sorts of different back routes that I had never seen before. The windows kept fogging and the air was musty from all the warm bodies packed in there like sardines.

I was so thankful to get home which was around 8:00pm. It was a long day on my feet and I was actually kind of cold in the rain! I put on comfy pajama pants and a hoodie and snuggled up in my warm little apartment. Yes, that's right a hoodie and pants in the Caribbean… I will truly freeze when I go home for Christmas!

What an adventure…

Steel Pan Fiesta 2009

2009-07-19T10:23:00.001-07:00

Egypt Flashback Over Petit Piton

2009-07-19T10:21:00.001-07:00

Normalcy Returns

2009-07-19T10:19:00.001-07:00

A moment like this, where I get to be at home long enough to write for you, is rare these days. I am cherishing this day so much that I almost put off writing for another day at least! I'll attempt to give you a short but entertaining catch-up of these last few weeks, although I should say that it is becoming increasingly difficult to relate interesting stuff since life here seems ever more normal…

Recent Peace Corps Stuff:

School is out for the "summer" so I am using my school days to work on lesson plans for the life skills group that I will be working with in the primary school next term. I am making my lesson plans from scratch using various materials from the Peace Corps office and the Internet, which I am so thankful to have. The principal from my school will be joining me for a training session provided by the Peace Corps about life skills. I am hoping that this will be a helpful and informative time.

Since school is out, my work at the Red Cross is even less structured. Most of the Red Cross youth are a part of youth groups in the schools, so they will not be meeting again until next term. My days there are never the same. Some days I help edit a co-worker's poetry and others I end up at random camps helping with arts and crafts. I have been discussing with my counterpart the possibility of doing individual group work with the school groups next term; perhaps HIV/AIDS education curriculums or peer education. I am trying to be patient and let things develop as they may, which is easier said then done.

"Summer" is a good time to take advantage of opportunities to experience other activities implemented by other Volunteers to help me get ideas and whatnot. So, last week I participated in Camp Lajwa (Kweyol for "Joy"), a camp for persons with disabilities. The first day we spent at Pigeon Island with disabled persons from the northern part of the island. A separate camp was held for the south. The second day the whole island came together at the stadium near Vieux Fort. It was really neat to see the kids smiling. Some of them never really get out because of the lack of resources here. It was obvious that they enjoyed having something that was set up just for them and spending time with people who cared for and loved them. These moments remind me why this is worth it…

Recent Activities:

Last week I was able to hike Gros Piton with a few of my friends from the hiking group, Escapades. One of them is a teacher and he set up the trip for a few of his students and fellow teachers. I just tagged along with a few others. Gros Piton is the second tallest mountain on St. Lucia at 2,619 feet above sea level. It is located just south of Soufriere, which is about an hour's drive from Castries. The trail is moderate at the beginning, but quickly turns into a pretty grueling and rocky stair climb. Having not hiked in about 5 months I had to take it slow, but it was so refreshing to be surrounded by beauty and pushing myself to the max. The view from the top was incredible. There are two views: one of the southern part of the island and another of Petit Piton. Both Petit Piton and Gros Piton are volcanic mountains; they are tall, steep, and pointy. The hike down, though faster and "easier" was just as hard on my knees and leg muscles as the hike up, but it was all worth it. Just at the end of the trail one of the guys helped me get a fresh mango from a massive mango tree. It was a nice little snack to finish the day. Some of you who followed my Egypt adventures may enjoy the pictures from my Gros Piton hike.

After hiking I went straight to steel pan practice. These past few weeks we have had practice quite a bit to prepare for the "Pan Fiesta" which happened on Friday of this week. It is part of the build up to Carnival. Normally they have something called Panorama in which all the pan groups actually compete, but there was some sort of controversy that kept it from happening this year. Thankfully the Pan Fiesta was not a competition, which meant that we were able to play with the group even though we've only been playing for a couple of months. We were the third orchestra to play and we played three songs including Thriller (of course). Off-and-on rain caused us to finish playing and carrying our drums off the field by about midnight at which point it down poured. Soaked and tired I headed home with a few other volunteers and we graciously accepted a ride from the brother of one of the kids who came to camp Lajwa!

The Ups and Downs

The ups and downs continue to come, although I am adjusting to the idea that this is how it will be. Just about five months in and I think I am finally feeling comfortable. The anxiety of all the newness and unexpected stuff is calming down and life is beginning to feel normal. The cramped busses and crazy driving are routine and the 15 Eastern Caribbean Dollar cereal box somehow doesn't seem so bad anymore. Sometimes I still reflect on the fact that I did something this crazy, but I am glad that I did. There is much to be learned through this experience however hard it may be.

As always I would love to hear from all of you… seriously ;)

Bless,

Katherine

Pigeon Island

2009-07-02T13:19:00.001-07:00

Swimming Against the Current

2009-07-02T13:16:00.000-07:00

This could be a really cool figurative title, but my story is actual very literal. I visited a park in St. Lucia called Pigeon Island this past weekend. I was supposed to meet a few others there for some relaxation and snorkeling. Of course, I showed up an hour late and those I was supposed to meet showed up several hours late. Nothing unusual. I walked around and explored for a while; got to see a lot of cool really old buildings. Then I chilled on the beach until me and a couple others finally decided to snorkel.

Pigeon Island used to be, well, an island, but a causeway was constructed closing in the gap between St. Lucia and the little Pigeon Island. So now it completes what is a really large bay known as Rodney bay. So when we started snorkeling we were headed towards the opening of the bay. There isn’t much coral in the area, just some cool fish, some neat plants, and a few creatures here and there. We swam quite a ways almost to the tip of the island with nothing ahead of us but open sea.

As we approached the end of the island and it started to curve around, I noticed a slight current pulling us out to sea, but nothing serious. I decided not to mention it because we were planning on turning around soon. That side of the island is very rocky, almost cliff-like. The rocks underwater were covered in black sea urchins, which, if you didn’t know, will sting you and leave little prickles in your skin if you touch them or step on them. One of my snorkeling buddies climbed up on shore for a rest, and as I popped up to check on him I realized that the shore was moving awful fast, rather, I was moving awful fast! I yelled at Ashley that we were in a current. We turned around and tried to swim against it to test how strong it was and we were still moving out to sea! Luckily, the current was running parallel to shore. So we both headed straight for the rocks. Climbing on shore was made difficult by the current, some minor waves, and our attempts to try not to step on sea urchins hiding in the crevices! We made it though and had to take a moment to catch our breath after all that!

We ended up hiking back up the shore, climbing over rocks and such to a spot where the current wasn’t so bad. Then we swam all the way back. We made it in just before dark. It turns out that the current was created when they dug rocks and sand from that area to make the causeway to connect Pigeon Island to the main island. The depression on the ocean floor never filled and it created a current. Everyone else seemed to know about this, but no one seemed to think it important to warn us. All in all it was an interesting adrenaline rush and we got to see some cool fish on the way.

It's Tough Work Down Here...

2009-06-22T18:41:00.001-07:00

Can't Help the Views :)

2009-06-22T18:40:00.001-07:00

African Drum

2009-06-22T18:39:00.001-07:00

Archaeological Dig

2009-06-22T18:38:00.001-07:00

Turtle Watching: Leatherback Turtle Laying Eggs

2009-06-22T18:36:00.001-07:00

Exploring

2009-06-22T18:34:00.000-07:00

Ah Life...

2009-06-22T17:17:00.001-07:00

I've been telling myself I need to write for almost a month now... and now there is too much to tell. So I'll just give you some short snippets of the ups and downs of the past few weeks.

Up: Met some U.S. navy guys off a ship docked in the Castries bay. The chaplain went to Clemson and was from upstate South Carolina. He knew where I went to high school and even my favorite barbeque place. His accent was perfect and made me grin from ear to ear... a nice little touch from home.

Down: Homesickness has really crept up on me. Friendships here are nice, but nothing compared to the friends I left behind. I want everyone to know that I appreciate even the smallest most mundane emails from home (the good and the bad). It makes me feel important and loved to still be included in the happenings of life back home. Don't let my emails fool you into thinking that everything is hunky dory down here. Life here has the same (if not more) frustrations as any life anywhere... and that requires love and support from friends and fam.

Up: I've been playing more with the steel pan group. We are learning new songs and getting to know the band members more. I'm improving with each practice and I always enjoy playing. Smiling and having fun and making music has been a great break from some of the stresses I face everyday.

Down: English may be the language of choice, but basic communications and interactions here can sometimes bring about misunderstandings and frustrations. Often I feel that my skills and experience are inadequate and unneeded, causing me to question the reason for my being here. Those thoughts can be kind of depressing.

Up: I got to go to a beach party with the mothers and fathers groups from my community. The women cooked some seriously delicious St. Lucian dishes over the fire. Old toothless ladies got jiggy with it African style around some old handmade drums (it was awesome). The beach we visited was really neat and had all sorts of rock formations and areas to explore. This included an archaeological dig that was happening right at the end of the beach. I got to see some uncovered skeletons (old graves), talk to the volunteers about what they were looking for, and talk to archaeologists about all the stuff you can learn from looking at dirt! I also got to hit my volleyball around with some of the kids from my community.

Down: The blatant sexuality of this culture continues to shock me everyday. It seems that many locals are under the impression that American girls are loose and party crazy. It's disconcerting to have men come up to you without even introducing themselves and ask you if you want to go to bed with them. Sometimes it makes me angry, but I don't know whether to be angry at the naïveté of the culture or at Hollywood, because they get this idea from American television. There is no question as to why HIV/AIDS is such a big issue down here. In contrast, this causes men who don't stare at you, who actually seem interested in you as a person (not a sexual object), and who can carry on an appropriate conversation seem 10 times more attractive.

Up: I met up with a group that goes hiking and exploring on Sundays. We got to go on a tour through a huge plantation. I really enjoyed their company and being able to share my love of nature. This group may be my saving grace as far as being a wholesome, healthy, and non-party atmosphere that I can relate with.

Up: I cooked pumpkin this week for the first time in my life. I made pumpkin bread and it turned out amazing. This was encouraging since my pita bread from last week turned out more like hockey pucks. It was also fun to share pumpkin bread with my landlord, neighbors, and hiking buddies... none of them had ever tried it before.

Up: I spoke to the principal at my primary school about maybe doing some kind of healthy lifestyles after school program with a few kids. She seemed really excited. Hopefully this will turn out to be a positive interaction for both the kids and me. :)

Up: I purchased Skype credit and have been calling friends from home, which has been really uplifting. If you want to be able to talk to me for free you can download Skype. It's a free program that works like a phone but through your computer. It's free to talk to people from computer to computer and if you have webcams you can see each other. If you ever get a call from an unavailable number on your cell or home phone, you can probably assume that it's me so pick up!

Down: I miss the river and my river buddies. Nothing beats spending the summer outside, doing something you love, with people you love.

Up: I labeled almost everything in my apartment with Kweyol words and phrases. I'm hoping to learn more of this language so that I can understand those talking around me everyday. :)

Ah life...

I also thought it would be fun to share with y'all some of the common St. Lucian phrases... what I guess I should call part of their English dialect.

-Going by the beach or to stay by someone = you are going to the beach or staying with someone

-Awa = a version of the word "no"

-How is me-uh? = Why me? or Why are you doing that to me?

-For true = for real

-Liming = Hanging out

-I'm there = I'm ok or good

-Just now = in a little bit or Just a minute

-Eh Eeeh (pronounced like the long 'a' sound) = kind of like uh-oh or Oh my goodness, it can be used in response to almost anything

-Walk with your lunch = Bring your lunch with you

Well, just a little update for you. Until next time...

Some Observations From My Day...

2009-05-28T13:47:00.000-07:00

-air fresheners hanging from a minibus rearview mirror that are shaped like marijuana leaves

-salt crystals on my face from sweating from walking around town

-calloused bare feet of locals wandering around the city

-the movie Anaconda playing in what I suspect is the only minibus that has a dvd player for the passengers' entertainment

Culinary Adventures and Successes

2009-05-24T20:28:00.001-07:00

A Taste of Everything

2009-05-24T20:26:00.001-07:00

These past two weeks have left me exhausted. So much so that I just spent today resting and cleaning. Let's see if I can catch y'all up.

Two weeks ago I met with a group of students and volunteers at the Red Cross for the purpose of electing a youth committee executive. This will be the team with which I will work with the most… at least that's what I understand. As my counterpart was out for the week, I did my best to lead the meeting. Participation in the meeting was a little low, so it turned out that the five eligible persons present became my five committee executives. I'm hoping that they will turn out to have the time and the passion to do some cool stuff with the youth programs at the Red Cross.

Last weekend I went to the beach to relax, swim, and play some volleyball, which turned out to be a great way to release some stress and energy. And I got to go to steel pan practice, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I discovered that the band with which I practice makes their own drumsticks, and, in fact, sells drumsticks to many other bands on the island. I've been trying to get a pair of my own for a couple weeks now (because we are supposed to have our own), and they are going to make me some soon. Unfortunately, we don't have practice for the next two Saturdays L… so I will just have to wait. Anyway, our teacher was telling us about the upcoming Carnival (Caribbean festival). Apparently during carnival there is an event called panorama during which all the steel pan bands compete. There is a lot of rivalry between bands, so I am looking forward to the show!

Sunday afternoon my community hosted a swearing-in ceremony for the new community council. My landlord's brother and my host dad are both on the council. The ceremony was very interesting. They had a local band playing folk music and they had a community folk dance group perform cultural dances in fancy dresses and everything. Part of the program included a government representative who gave a long-winded speech about all the changes that will be happening in the community. It is the second biggest community in St. Lucia and is its own district now. So there are plans being set in motion for things like a fire station and police station, lighting for some of the playing courts, a new cemetery, etc. I noticed as I watched each person come up to give a speech or make an announcement that it is customary here to make sure everyone is greeted at the beginning of whatever you have to say. So if I were asked to speak at such an important event, I would individually address all important persons, saying their position and name (even if I don't know how to pronounce it), then I might address individual groups, and finally I might acknowledge the general public, the ladies, and the gentlemen. This can be quite a long list if there are a lot of important people at this important event. Even if the speaker only has a short speech, they must go through this process. Thus, you may find yourself sitting a little longer than expected at said ceremonies.

Tuesday night a fellow volunteer and I went to the practice of the dance group that performed in the swearing-in ceremony on Sunday. The younger group practices on Tuesdays and we thought it would be a fun cultural experience. The dancing is, as my mom puts it, "very 'British' or almost 'western square' with a calypso flair!" I guess St. Lucia's history of being 7 times French and 7 times British and finally ending up with the British has impacted their culture. St. Lucians also have an obsession with country music and line dancing… which I don't understand. St. Lucia is really a melting pot of British, French, and African cultures… with American line dancing thrown in there just for kicks and giggles. Anyway, we spent part of the time watching the group practice before two of the guys came over and suavely bowed and asked us to dance. We learned several different steps including a waltz. Despite my aversion to and lack of talent for dancing, I enjoyed the evening.

Wednesday I found myself representing the Red Cross at Youth Parliament. I guess it sorta relates to the idea of a mock government or mock trial in the states, but in this case it isn't necessarily mock. The bills that are discussed are actually presented to the government. This year's youth parliament was different in that they had youth representatives from each area of the Island. They were between 14 and 35 years of age. Just like the swearing-in ceremony on Sunday, there were a lot of formalities involved in the process of conducting the parliament including a big wooden stick, robes, bowing, lots of standing and sitting, saying aye or no, and banging on the tables. The bills discussed had to do with what consequences are appropriate for parents whose children are not going school and whether requiring community service for graduation from secondary school is appropriate. Each youth came with a prepared speech and they got intense at times. I was impressed with some of the younger ones; they really gave their opinions rather decidedly, sometimes evoking a cautionary warning from the Speaker. Overall they seemed very eager to point out the faults of the government.

Thursday I joined the Disaster Preparedness Director from the Red Cross in making a visit to Soufriere (southern part of the Island). We went to visit a school that is starting up a Red Cross youth group. I took them the leader materials and did my best to explain the program. It was encouraging to see teachers who are eager to be involved.

Friday I explored my culinary side once again and successfully made tortillas, refried beans, and even a salsa of sorts. My last batch of tortillas were more like crackers, so it was exciting to get it right this time. I'm really enjoying learning to cook. I think I may try making my own yogurt soon, but first I need to collect some jars… guess I'm having lots of jam this week.

And this weekend I finally got to go snorkeling. Really I just visited another volunteer for the day. She lives near a beach and I just took my mask and snorkel just in case I might see some fish. But we ended up seeing some coral, sea urchins, fish, and even some sand dollars. I think we spent nearly two hours just combing the ocean floor. I'm pretty sure I got stung by sea lice while I was out there, and I accidentally kicked a piece of coral and got a giant scratch on my leg, but other than that I came out unscathed. After swimming around we returned to her house to eat vegetarian spaghetti (with soya chunks… which actually tasted good!), play games, and watch movies. We stayed late which led me to discover (thankfully) that busses run up to my house even way late at night. It's nice to know that I have some freedom to go out in the evenings and still find my way home! Also, my bus driver on the way home is part of a group that does excursions all over the island. They go hiking, snorkeling, bird watching, turtle watching, and all sorts of stuff. He knew several other volunteers from these trips and gave me his card so that I can join them on future trips! J

And now it's back to work again… the continuous cycle. This week could prove to be exciting. I don't know if I mentioned it in any earlier updates, but the teachers in St. Lucia have been going on and off strike because of an issue with their pay from the government. It has not been resolved yet, and there has been talk lately of the teachers going on strike for the rest of term three!! This will affect both my school attachment and my work with the youth groups at the Red Cross. Not to mention the fact that many kids will miss out on very important education. So, keep that situation in your prayers. The teachers need more respect and the students need an education!

Well, that's all for now folks! As always, I love hearing from y'all and I miss everyone bunches!!

Enjoy your week!

Just One Big Small Town

2009-05-19T19:11:00.000-07:00

When you hear “small town” most people think of a little community, almost like a village, with quaint houses, friendly people, mom and pop shops, good home cookin, whimsical habits that only that town understands, an “everybody-knows-everybody” atmosphere (or rather, everybody’s related to everybody), and the always-juicy bits of gossip that might as well be national news.

Well picture that but in the context of a country. It’s funny, but I often find myself drawing parallels between St. Lucia and the good ole small towns of the south. Let me try to give you a verbal panorama of St. Lucia. As I walk out my door in the morning I step on to a little gravel road that I sometimes share with the neighbor’s goats as they trim the grassy edges. My landlord’s dogs bark after me as I pass the clothesline and begin my journey. Often I meet my neighbors as they also head to work.

I flag down a bus just as if I were hitching a ride and I always remember to say, “good morning” as I board. This is a very important social rule. It is considered weird or rude not to greet people here, no matter whether they are friend or stranger. Anyway, the bus driver speeds off down the road, beeping and shouting at everyone he knows and slamming on the brakes to pick up other patrons. The minivan-sized bus fills with students in school uniforms, adults in business attire, mothers with infants and toddlers, the rich and the poor… up to 14 passengers… and sometimes even more as small school children squeeze between the adults.

On the drive down the mountain I see all sorts of things: mountains that disappear into misty clouds, the distance sea, farmers carrying bundles of bananas or plantains on their heads, people wandering with no shoes and no shirt, rickety houses built into steep hillsides, backyard gardens, and road-side vegetable vendors. The bus driver slows down to swerve around the many potholes that litter the road even in the presence of oncoming traffic. Sometimes they stop to let mothers drop their babies at daycare. This morning my bus slowed to avoid hitting a man on a galloping horse right in the middle of the road! And of course, the seating situation is a constant puzzle. Those in the back seats upset half the bus when they need to unload, but this is all taken in stride, it is a normal part of life.

Approaching town, the road widens and intersections become roundabouts. It is not uncommon to see horses or cows grazing in the middle of these roundabouts. Traffic thickens as everyone heads to work. Approaching my stop, I yell at the bus driver, and he slows down to let me off and waits for me to pay him an amount that I have now committed to memory.

At work, it is normal to have friendly visitors and office conversation is expected. Calling schools and leaving a message does not mean that the message will be passed on. Meetings start 30 to 45 minutes late and absences are expected even if it is important.

At school, students come wearing matching uniforms of the school colors. Teachers keep their belts close by and students scurry into place if they see that belt in hand. Sometimes the slap of the belt and the whimpers of the children can be heard in the principal’s office. At lunchtime the students run around on the field outside making up their own entertainment and playing by the small river.

An average walk through town should include at least 2 sightings of familiar persons. If I don’t recognize anyone in town, they will later tell me they saw me walking here or there. My bus terminal in town is right behind the market, so I see the vendors everyday on my way home. They set out wooden pallets with vegetables, herbs, and spices shading themselves from the sun with umbrellas and waiting for interested buyers. I usually walk right by the guys who sell coconuts out of the backs of their trucks and they sometimes try to sell me coconut water with rehearsed sweet talk.

The streets of town are busy. Every street is lined with shops and in front of the shops are street vendors. Vagrants and beggars linger in front of the supermarket in hopes of collecting sympathy. The smells of bakeries, fish, spices, and fried local food mix with diesel and gas fumes. In the background is the jumbled music of shops and passing cars playing Reggae or remixed American tunes with the bass turned up. Tourists wander here and there doing what they do best with their moneys. Busses line various streets at their respective stops that are spread throughout the entire city. And thick Caribbean accents and Creole remind me that this isn’t Kansas anymore.

Getting a bus for the trip home is a bit different. Where my bus stops in town, behind the market, there are several lanes full of busses that go to my community. There is a system to these lanes that I don’t know if I will ever understand… and from recent conversations, I’m not even sure some Lucians understand it. Anyway, some busses only go to the main area of my community and some go to the extremities. The only real way of knowing whether a bus is going to my area is to ask or to know the driver. So I always ask. My experience has always been successful with the second lane though… so maybe that is part of the system.

So these busses wait in the “terminal” (of sorts) until they are full and then they go speeding off toward their destinations. After a long hot day, and sitting in a still, hot bus for several minutes, the breeze from the windows is refreshing. I usually close my eyes and soak in the cool air as it forms my hair into a windblown knot. It’s all fine and dandy until a few raindrops start to fall and the Lucians snap the windows shut like meltdown is imminent. And then it’s a stuffy sticky ride to the top of the mountain where I welcome the peace and quiet comfort of home.

A Time for Tears

2009-05-19T18:48:00.000-07:00

From the moment I started talking about Peace Corps, I’ve been answering the question, “Why?” Friends and family want to know, I suppose, whether your reasoning is rational or crazy. I would say it is a bit of both, but the point is that from the start of it you build a defense, a well-formed explaination as to why this is good for me. And as the departure date approaches, everyone begins to express his or her apprehension about the upcoming two-year separation. And I, being my overly anxious self, spent a lot of time comforting my friends and family, letting them know that it would be OK, just a few short years.

Between the hustle and bustle of last goodbyes, packing, and wrapping up loose ends here and there, I became a robot; just taking the next steps, afraid that if I thought too much my courage would fall apart. I put on a brave face and stepped on a plane where I promptly fell asleep from exhaustion. And after that I was swept up into training, adjusting, host families, moving, learning new languages, meeting new people, projects, and the like. Three months later, my heart is finally catching up with me. It’s like it hits you all of a sudden… I just left my family, my friends, my home, my car, and everything that I know. “I just did something crazy!” as our Country Director put it so beautifully.

While Peace Corps may be an adventure, something fun, and maybe even a career boost, it is also a sacrifice. Two years, well it’s not a terribly long time, but you can miss a lot in two years. In two years people move, get married, have children, make new friends, get new jobs, travel… the list goes on. True, I will be making new friends here and my life will be joyful and full here… but I will lose something at home. Things will be different when I return. I may miss out on time spent with loved ones. Friendships may fall by the wayside.

I don’t think I truly allowed myself to let go of home until this past week. I was just having a homesick day. I was missing family, school friends, river friends, camp friends… all the different facets of my life, and I just broke down and cried till I fell asleep. It wasn’t necessarily a sad, “poor-me” cry or an “O-my-gosh-I’m-not-gonna-make-it” cry. I had just pushed my feelings to the back burner while I dealt with everything else… and I needed to feel it, to let go, in order to move on.

In my front yard...

2009-05-09T19:59:00.001-07:00

Coal Pot Cookin'

2009-05-09T19:56:00.001-07:00

A Day

2009-05-09T15:55:00.001-07:00

Each week we are supposed to spend some time "integrating." Integration is a rather broad term so it encompasses a variety of activities. I have set aside Friday for integration, whether it be cultural or community or whatever.

So today started with me taking a long walk from the other side of my community (I spent the night with another Volunteer) to my house. Because I live on a mountain, the walk was pretty much all uphill. I stopped by the store to grab some charcoal and bread and a few other items, and by the time I reached my home I was dripping with sweat. I unloaded my groceries and bags and then went to the bathroom to hop in the shower only to find that the water is off… again. This time however, I was prepared. I scooped some water from my little water buckets (filled for exactly this reason) and took a little sponge bath. It was satisfying to be able to feel clean despite the lack of running water.

Then I set about my business. I had planned on doing some baking today. So I started with my mom's good ole pineapple casserole. Though I had to improvise on some of the ingredients, it came out tasting spectacular, a nice reminder of home. Next I baked a loaf of Banana bread; my first one ever. While baking said bread I also managed to send an egg carton smashing to the floor… creating quite a mess… grrr. Anyway, my apartment acquired a wonderfully sweet smell during all this baking and it made me smile. The banana bread came out great, though I have not tasted it. I'm hoping to give it to my host mom as a mother's day gift. While my stuff was baking, I managed to get some coals started in my coal pot. I rigged up my little grate by putting three rocks around the edge so it would sit just above the coals. I roasted a few hotdogs and even some chicken. Thankfully during the day a little bit of water started running so I could wash all the dishes I was dirtying. I also managed to mop my apartment (had to clean up the egg ya know). The running water, however, lasted only a short while.

I was sorta waiting for my landlord or her husband to come around so that they could open the laundry room. It's not that I needed to do laundry, but rather I did laundry 3 days ago and didn't get to take it out before the room was locked for the night. Since then I had not seen my landlord to ask her to open it for me. My landlord's husband eventually drove up and opened the laundry room for me. I opened the lid to the washer with a little apprehension about what I would find. Well, there was no mold, but the smell wasn't really nice. I then thought, maybe there's enough water to rewash it. It was only a small load. I started it and it began to fill slowly… but then stopped. But by then it was too late and there was soap in there already. Hmmmm. I didn't want to leave them in there again. So I decided I would use my water buckets to rinse them as best I could and hang them up anyway. The rinsing really turned into washing because the water was so soapy, but by then I had no more water to do any more rinsing. So my towels got hung wet and soapy. I will probably run them through a rinse cycle eventually, but for now at least they are airing out and well, they smell very… soapy.

So, there went my little bucket water supply that I was so proud of. I will fill them again as soon as the water turns back on… which may not happen till tomorrow… or the next day. Anyway, in the evening I heard my neighbors talking and decided that I should go at least say hi. They have hosted Peace Corps Volunteers and Japanese Volunteers in the past, so they know the drill. They welcomed me into their home and we spent some time chatting and getting to know one another. They have two super cute dogs that actually come and let you pet them (a rarity down here). I gave them each a good scratch and they licked my hands. I miss my dogs. While I was there I discovered that they too were frustrated with the water shortages of late. At least it's not just me!

Quite a full day, huh. I baked a lot… made a lot of messes… used up all my reserve water… got to visit the neighbors… experienced St. Lucian water shortages… and now I'm sitting in my living room listening to the glorious (*sarcastic tone*) karaoke going on nearby (this happens every weekend). And still no water… and to top it off, no Internet… whew, Peace Corps life… at least I get to eat pineapple casserole tomorrow J.

Rain Rain Rain...

2009-05-07T11:35:00.000-07:00

I arrived at the Red Cross this morning at around 8:45 just as it began to sprinkle. Shortly after I settled in the office it began to pour and it has not stopped since. The playing field by the office is one giant puddle. The street is basically a river. And the school I was supposed to visit today cancelled our meeting so that the children could make there way home right after school. And of course, Jazz Festival events are sorta on hold. The mountains beyond town have disappeared into a thick white haze and the ocean is looking dark and choppy. It's amazing, I don't think I've ever seen this much rain before.

The Red Cross has been having emergency meetings about the flooding situations and also meetings about the coming hurricane season. Part of me is excited to see what the weather gets like. I like rain... and storms. But really I like them when I can stay inside and read or when it's appropriate for me to run outside and play. Here I have to keep working, which is really gonna stink. I'll be attempting to trudge through puddles while keeping dry pants and clean shoes, which is impossible. And all my clothes are gonna smell mildewy because nothing will ever dry. And most of all, I'll be sleepy because rainy days just make people feel that way....

Busyness

2009-05-06T16:55:00.000-07:00

I never thought I would be so busy so soon into my PC service!! At the Red Cross I have been working on organizing files and resources as well as trying to get a feel for what programs exist and how they work. It's a little overwhelming because I feel that there are high expectations for me and I'm still just getting used to things. It kinda makes my heart jump into my throat when I'm looked at as an expert. The reality is I am just a college grad and this is my first real career! I met with some of the youth leaders on Saturday and got some feedback from them as to what they've been doing and what they'd like to do. We are hoping to plan a summer camp and it is going to take a lot of work to pull it together. I'm just learning as I go.

Working with the school is slow as I'm only there once a week. On top of that, the teachers have been on strike over an issue with their pay. So school has been out on certain days. I've been assisting with the grade 5 class. Currently I'm just acting as a teacher's aid, but I have a few ideas of other things I can do there. It is just going to take some time to get them moving.

Apart from work stuff I've been trying to get out and experience different aspects of Lucian life. I went to steel pan practice again on Saturday and had a great time. I found out the names of the songs we are playing so I can try to listen to them to get a better idea of how they are supposed to sound. And I figured out how to do cool stuff with the songs in GarageBand (program on my Mac)… which kept me up till like 3 a.m. (I know… I'm a dork).

St. Lucia is celebrating Jazz Festival this week. Basically there are all sorts of music events going on around the country. Some are free and some are not, but the idea is you just go and enjoy some good tunes, maybe some good food, and most definitely a good time with friends. I went to one such free event on Sunday with a few other Volunteers. It was on a beach up in the north of the island. The interesting thing about Jazz Festival is that it's not really about Jazz music… just music. So the artist of the evening was the Calypso king from last year. The beach was really crowded and people were really enjoying feeling the music. The other Volunteers and a Lucian attempted to teach me to "dance" without much success…

Monday night I went to a community youth group meeting near where I live. The youth group doesn't necessarily have a regular meeting day, but they do organized activities and such. I figured it'd be a good way to meet and get to know people my age. The topic of the evening (and for the next few weeks) is men's health. So the discussion was all about how men are more at risk for (or more likely to experience) things like STIs, dying in a homicide, getting injured in a automobile accident, having unprotected sex, not going to get regular health checkups, etc, etc. All of them were things that are related to a behavior…, which in principle can be changed. So the leader asked the young guys in the group if it was possible to reverse, or slow down, these negative things in the lives of men in St. Lucia. The idea is that it can be changed if men choose healthier behaviors. It was interesting to hear some of the guys disagree though. Some of them believed it was literally impossible to bring about this kind of change, because men will not alter their behavior (especially in the areas related to sex). I'm told that this is a very common attitude here. Some seem more wiling to deal with the consequences then go without their fun. Anyway, It was nice to meet some other youth my age… I hope that I can continue participating in the group.

Another interesting story:

I woke up Tuesday morning to the sound of torrential rains outside. I mean it was just deafening how loud it was. And the rain was accompanied by wind. It was such a nice sound; all I wanted to do was just lie there and rest and read all day. Tuesday is usually the day I go to school, but it just so happened that the teachers were having another meeting about the strike going on. So school wasn't really happening. Even so, I had to go out to get a few things done in town. As I walked out to catch a bus, with raincoat on and umbrella open, I splashed through little rivers running across the gravel drive by my apartment. By the road, the watershed gutters were gushing with water… it was just flying down the chutes. I welcomed the shelter of the bus. The drive down to the city was interesting. There were areas where the road was even beginning to flood where watershed drains were overflowing. Near town a river runs along the side of the road and the muddy water was nearing the brim. Debris and garbage were floating down and getting caught in trees and roots. The streets in town were full of puddles. I was glad to be wearing flip-flops cause my shoes would have been soaked otherwise.

I learned later that some towns experienced more serious flooding. A few people had to go stay with relatives and friends. And this was just one day of hard rain. I'm told that the month of October is like that every day! So you can imagine, if flooding was experienced from just one day of hard rain, how easily disaster can affect this country. Many of the big towns are actually below sea level.

I'm also learning that during hard rains like that, and even at other times, the water lines can be shut off. So sometimes I come home and go to wash dishes or shower and all of a sudden nothing comes out of the faucets! It usually comes back on after a while, but sometimes it might take overnight. It's strange when I have Internet but no water… just kinda makes me shake my head. Anyway, I bought two large buckets with lids today so I can keep water on hand for these times. Now I can do a little washing and a little bathing even if the water is off.

In the afternoon the rain let up and I was able to walk down the hill with my landlord. I met her mother and uncle and niece and saw the house where she grew up. Her mother and brothers and sister and uncle all live on the same road. They all do a little gardening so I got to see some of their gardens. My landlords mother kept pointing at things and saying, "this is guava, do you know guava… well when they get ripe we'll show you what guava's like… but you have 2 years, plenty of time, plenty of time to experience all these things." She was cute and sweet. I hope I get to see more of her.

Beautiful

2009-04-28T18:39:00.000-07:00

I would just like to take a moment to comment on how gorgeous some of the views are here in St. Lucia. Everyday on my bus ride to and from the capital I get to see these incredible views of the mountains all around me. I live up high, so in some places when you look out you can see mountains everywhere, bright blue skies, fluffy clouds with a few vivid gray ones here and there, and sometimes I can even see the Caribbean sea through the gap of the mountains. It's just breathtaking and I see it everyday...

Moving Along

2009-04-26T08:39:00.001-07:00

A lot has happened since I last updated. I was sort of waiting until I had substantial stuff to write about… and now I may have too much!

For starters, training is over! We finished last Friday and we were all relieved and excited. Throughout the week I had been collecting items for my new apartment. So by the time Sunday rolled around and my host parents loaded up the truck with my stuff, I had all my original bags plus about 7 grocery bags full and a coal pot. The drive up took about 15 minutes and it only took about 5 minutes to move me in to my new place. I hugged my host family goodbye and my landlord showed me around the property. My apartment is really nice, not what I expected or imagined for Peace Corps. It's a one-bedroom place in the downstairs of my landlord's house. There is another apartment next door to me, but it is currently unoccupied. I have a cute little living room with a couch, two chairs, and a TV (with no cable). My kitchen has a fridge and a gas stove. I have a big covered porch where I was able to hang a clothesline out of rain's way. I even have hot water! And my landlord has wireless Internet and is allowing me to use it for free! The place was just recently finished so it is very clean and comfortable. My landlord is so friendly and accommodating. She even gave me a little bottle of sparkling apple juice as a welcome gift. She checks on me most days just to see how I'm doing.

So this week I have spent a lot of time shopping for kitchen necessities and apartment stuff to make it feel like home. I've attempted making a few meals… I'm sure I'll get better at cooking with time. I visited the Red Cross and the primary school to start planning for what I will do in the future. And Friday we had our swearing-in ceremony, which means that we went from Peace Corps Trainees to official Peace Corps Volunteers. Our host families, work counterparts, and school counterparts came out for the show. Several Peace Corps staff persons spoke and three of us presented a speech in Creole (I had to read a whole page… which made me really nervous). Then we took the "oath." It's the pretty much the same oath that all government employees take, including the president. So I have officially vowed to defend the constitution against all enemies. We were presented with certificates, pins, and patches and many of the guests offered their congratulations. It feels really good to be official. J

After the swearing-in ceremony I had a short drink with some of the other volunteers before I headed on to my host sister's boyfriend's funeral… it just happened to be on the same day. I went with two other volunteers who knew him well. The service was nice and the church was packed with friends and family. It was emotional. Afterward we walked to the cemetery where everyone gathered around, standing on top of and in between other vaults to watch the entire burial. It was a long process with dirt and lots of concrete. Upon finishing the seal, everyone laid flowers and things on top. I saw my host family there and gave them hugs. It was definitely hard on them. After that I finally went home, exhausted.

Saturday, three of us new volunteers decided we needed a "chill" day. So we made plans to go to the beach. The bus ride down for me was interesting. There were only a few other guys on the bus when I boarded and they were getting a kick out of asking me all sorts of questions… namely whether I have a boyfriend back home. I was trying to be nice and evade their remarks politely. By the time I made it to my bus stop they had given me a free coconut and the bus driver didn't even charge me for the ride. Despite the free stuff, I was glad to get off the bus. I met the other two Volunteers and we walked to the beach where we swam, laid in the sun, and played some volleyball. We even got to listen to some seriously troubled cows mooing and roaming near the beach. And of course I am burnt to a crisp for the third time in 2 months… even with SPF 30. Even so, it felt good to get out and use up some energy.

Saturday afternoon I joined two other volunteers and went to a steel pan orchestra practice. I guess it's a place where kids go and take lessons, but they let Peace Corps join for free. So they got me started right away on a tenor drum (I didn't know there were different ones), and one of the other new volunteers got to play bass. Because we are joining late, we were quickly trying to catch up and learn parts of the songs that the others have been practicing. I think they will eventually perform during St. Lucia's carnival festival and we will hopefully get to join them. I had a lot of fun learning to play. The teachers really love playing and they literally just listen to songs on an mp3 player and figure out how to play them by ear… and that's how we learn. I hope that I will get to continue to play with the group… maybe I'll have my own steel pan by the end of 2 years. J

In my meetings with Red Cross during the week I was able to figure out a little more about what I will be doing exactly. The Red Cross has youth groups in a lot of the secondary schools on island. Each group is lead by a teacher or school staff person. At one time the groups were a big deal and they were very active, but they seem to have lost their energy lately. So I am going to be working with the group leaders and my counterpart at the Red Cross to try to revitalize the groups and hopefully give them some structure. I will be meeting with the group leaders next Saturday and I am going to try to get a feel for what they want to come out of these groups. It seems like they need more structure, like group manuals or something, to help define what they should do with each meeting and what kinds of activities the kids should be participating in. There is also a desire to plan a summer camp for some of the kids, so I will probably also be helping with that. It still feels like a lot is up in the air, but it was good to get a little understanding of the tasks at hand. I'm still working on figuring out how I can be of help at the primary school. I think my focus will be grade 5, but it will take some time to get settled into something there.

So this week is sort of the first official week. I will be with the Red Cross for about 3 or 4 days out of the week and the school for one. This week my focus will mostly be getting to know the Red Cross youth group leaders and organizing the office that I inherited, which is a mess of teetering piles of papers and resources that I have to make sense of. That task will probably take me a few months knowing my organizational obsessions. At any rate I will get a feel for what resources are available and what kinds of things have been done in the past.

Thanks so much for all your prayers and emails J

Southern Tip of St. Lucia

2009-04-16T09:08:00.001-07:00

View of the Pitons!

2009-04-16T09:05:00.001-07:00

Some Woes

2009-04-14T07:49:00.001-07:00

I woke up Sunday morning and headed straight for the shower to get ready for the day. It was Easter Sunday and my host family was planning to have the whole family over for a big dinner. Just as I was soaping up I heard loud crying coming from downstairs and people asking about someone who had died. I quickly finished up my shower and cursed as I realized that I had forgotten my towel. I dried off as much as I could and headed for my room to change. When I finally came out and asked what was up I found out that my host sister's boyfriend had been in a terrible accident and was believed to be dead. She was in fits of tears… understandably.

I had no idea what to do or what was appropriate so I kind of paced around trying to feel out the situation. I finally asked my host mom if there was anything I could do, but there really wasn't anything. My host dad and brother drove to the accident scene as soon as they heard about it. They wanted to confirm for themselves whether he had actually died. There were three vehicles involved: two cars and a motorcycle. The car that caused the accident was trying to pass someone on the road in a bad spot and my host sister's boyfriend and the motorcycle had nowhere to go. Four people were killed: two on the motorcycle and two in the car behind it. They were all friends on the way into town. The man who caused the accident had only minor injuries and from what I hear this is not the first fatal accident that he has caused.

I sat with my host mom and sister for the whole course of the morning as people called and visited to offer more information and/or condolences. The Easter dinner was cancelled but was prepared for the family and visitors anyway. My host aunt helped cook. My host cousins comforted my host sister. And I sat very quietly, trying to be as comforting as possible without intruding on the sensitive moment. More people showed up throughout the evening to be with the family.

My host sister's boyfriend was a very friendly guy who has spent a good amount of time at our house. He was always smiling and joking around. He was a people person who liked to have fun, so his absence will affect a lot of people. I kind of feel the loss as well, although I can't say it compares to what the family is going through. My host sister had been dating him for 5 years or so. His mom and dad have both been living in the States. His mom was just days away from visiting him to bring him the papers he needed to get a green card. He was due to go to Barbados next week to finish up the process.

Please be in prayer for everyone affected by this event. This is going to be a long and hard grieving process for many people.

Some Joys

2009-04-14T07:48:00.001-07:00

Saturday I got to go on an island tour with all the other trainees. Our tour guide was the host dad of one of our trainees and is a taxi driver who does these kinds of tours for a living. He offers good prices for Peace Corps Volunteers so we took advantage of the opportunity. We started in Castries right by the waterfront where the cruise ships come in and we traveled down around the whole island going down the West coast and then up the East coast. We went through Anse La Raye, Canaries, Soufriere, Choiseul, Laborie, Vieux Fort, Micoud, Dennery, and Grand Riviere and then we returned to Castries. We stopped at lots of little viewpoints along the way to check out the gorgeous scenery. We even passed two of the Japanese Volunteers that we had met at our welcome party last weekend. They were in the middle of a several day hike around the whole island! In Soufriere we got to see one of the ships they used in Pirates of the Caribbean. We also got to see the famous Pitons (2 striking pyramid-like mountains that stand side by side right on the coast). Near Soufriere we were able to take a cool dip in a waterfall pool. Then we warmed up with a dip in a sulfur spring. In Vieux Fort we passed the airport where we first landed on St. Lucia. In town we picked up some coal pots, which are clay pots hand-made by St. Lucians. It's a traditional craft and it has been used in cooking for many years. Basically you have a bowl shape with wholes in the bottom that is attached to a hollow stand. You put coals in the bowl and the ashes fall through the holes into the bottom section where you can scoop them out. You can put a bowl on top and cook stew or you can use it like a hibachi grill. I'm looking forward to grilling on mine! After we picked up the pots our taxi driver took us to the southernmost part of the Island where we could see both the Caribbean and Atlantic seas. In the distance we could see the faint outline of St. Vincent. We took another dip in the ocean in a small bay on our way up the East Coast where we got to see some kite surfing. And one of our fellow trainees bought a bundle of fresh crabs just as we passed by Dennery.

It was a very interesting day and we all left feeling pretty tired. It was nice to get a break from training and to be a tourist for a day, although we didn't care for the constant interactions with vendors. We were able to identify some spots that we would like to revisit and some places we would like to explore more. Good thing we have two years to do it!

This week we will be going through our final assessments. This means we will be taking some tests and being interviewed. So pray that it goes well! I will be working out a schedule with my worksite for the next three months (integration months). And hopefully I will get a chance to visit my apartment to get an idea of where I will be living and what kinds of things I will need. Lots of things need to be done this week, so pray that I can stay on top of it all.

Also, please keep my host family in your prayers. My host sister's boyfriend died in a terrible car accident Easter morning and it has been pretty devastating for the family. My host sister especially is going to have a hard time in the weeks and months to come. They had been together for five years.

I love you all and as always I love to hear from you!

7 down 2 to go

2009-04-06T09:47:00.001-07:00

Only two weeks left of training! We are all itching for it to end. Only 4 or 5 days left for training in the office and the rest is worksite days or shadowing days. Then we get a week to move into our new places before we swear in! I haven't seen my place yet but I know that it will be farther away from town and it's an apartment in the bottom of a house. The rumor is I won't have hot water. I've also heard it's rather new and is just now being furnished, so I don't know what will be included in that. I don't mind not having hot water. I'm more concerned about how far away it will be from my worksite and how much I may have to spend to fill in with furnishings that I will need. I am trying to be patient and not jump to conclusions, but it's hard!

This past weekend was very full. We were able to convince our director to move Friday's training to this Tuesday so that we could go to a cricket match: West Indies vs. England. We explained that it was important for our cultural integration and they actually agreed J! So we bought the cheapest tickets for the grounds area, which is just a big patch of grass. Upon hearing that traffic for cricket games is terrible, we decided to get an early start. We met in town at 8:00 and were at the stadium by 9:00. It rained the whole morning, longer than we've seen it rain here yet. And if you don't know, they don't play cricket in the rain… so this caused a delay. The game didn't start till 2:00!! So we sat in the sun for five hours before we saw any action on the field. But it was interesting to observe the partying crowd. Almost everyone brings coolers with liquor and juice and some snacks. And if you forget yours there are drinks available. In fact, one section of stands is called the party stands. You pay one big price for all inclusive food and drink. They play loud music and from what I understand no one really even watches the game from that section.

Several other Volunteers were there so we were able to meet some new people. By the time the game started we were getting tired. Not too mention my shoulders were turning into toast despite frequent applications of sunscreen. So after a few hours I left with a few others, came home, showered, and took a small nap. When I woke up I saw the tail end of the game on TV. England won. I learned that St. Lucians party hard no matter who wins.

Friday night my host parents took to to Anse La Raye for the fish fry. It's like a big street festival with lots of Creole food including lots of fish. There's music and karaoke and steel drum bands and craft tables and all sorts of things. I ate some king fish and a bek with my host mom and we wandered around for a little bit before retiring to the car at 11:00pm. It was about a 45 minute drive from our house, so we didn't get in until around midnight! After a full day in the sun and a late night at the fish fry I was exhausted. I slept very well.

Saturday the current Volunteers organized a little get together at the beach to welcome us trainees. We met at Choc beach (which I discovered is a very nice beach… great for swimming), where we had hotdogs and snacks and played some volleyball and chatted all day. We cooked the hotdogs on this cute little clay stove that is a craft of St. Lucians. I hope to acquire one at some point during my stay. It was really nice to meet some of the other Volunteers and we were even able to meet some Japanese Volunteers (Japan has a similar program to Peace Corps).

Saturday evening I discovered my host sister's love for movies and we watched two of the DVDs I brought. It was fun to spend some time with her and fun to have a movie night… as we all know I love movie nights J.

Sunday was a nice relaxing day, which was good after such a weekend. And of course, it all starts over again today (Monday) with training… yay. Just two more weeks!

P.S. I got to try pig tails this weekend... they taste like pork ribs... with a lot of fat

Hot and Humid

2009-03-30T12:54:00.001-07:00

It's 10:00pm, the sun is down, and it's sticky and hot. The thermometer on my travel clock reads 84 degrees. I'm surprisingly comfortable, even though I'm sticky. I think I'm adjusting to the weather alright, but we'll see when the real hot weather gets here.

I just got back from a christening party with my host family. One of their cousins had a baby and they had a big party to celebrate with lots of food and drink. The baby was so cute and big! I got to try pumpkin soup while I was there. It was delicious…kinda had the texture of a thick tomato soup and it had a nice flavor.

I also got to try blood pudding sausage today… it was alright. It's blood and onion and other spices cooked inside animal intestine… I think the concept itself is a huge barrier, but it really wasn't that bad. I just couldn't eat more than a bite because the thought of it would make me sick.

And my host mom made some homemade grapefruit juice which was delicious. I'm looking forward to experimenting with some St. Lucian foods when I get into my own place. I really wanna learn how to make these things they call beks (bakes). It's a tasty flat bread kinda thing.

On top of that I went to my first movie in St. Lucia. It was a very American experience and very surreal stepping back out into island life. I saw Watchmen… which is alright, but kinda weird.

I think that there is a mosquito loose in my room. I'd been doing good as far as bites go, but lately they've been popping up all over. I have four or five on my left arm alone… must have been laying on my right side all night. When I get into my new apartment I will hang up my mosquito net… hopefully that will help a little.

This week should be an interesting one. Our trainee group convinced PC staff to push our Friday sessions to another day so that we can attend a cricket match. It's between St. Lucia and England and tons of people will be there. We argued that it was important to our cultural integration to attend. J So assuming we all acquire tickets before they sell out, we will be there! Also, my host family is talking about taking me to a fish fry or two this weekend… they are like big street parties that happen on Friday nights in some places… as far as I understand. I guess I'll find out.

I also get to implement my service learning activity in my school this week. I'm pretty nervous about it because it's going to be observed and critiqued by PC staff. As I plan to do the activity with the kindergarten class, I'm completely dependent on the teacher showing up and bringing the materials. Without her it will be chaos as usual. And with the way things sometimes go here, it is entirely possible that she may not show up. So! Pray that it all goes well!

We only have 3 weeks left of training and it's flying! Before we know it we'll be searing in as real Peace Corps Volunteers!

For now, I must rest so I can get up early early in the morning to start the week! I love y'all and appreciate all your little notes and emails; they mean a lot to me!

Another week flew by…

2009-03-21T14:24:00.001-07:00

Time sure flies! I've been here a month already and it hardly feels like it. This week was jam-packed full of experiences. We had three days in the Peace Corps office for training and that was exhausting. Each session comes with assignments. We have so many I don't even know how to keep track. I sat with my computer last night from around 7:00pm to past midnight just trying to knock some assignments out of the way so I can enjoy the weekend.

My school experience on Tuesday was… interesting, to say the least. I arrived early because they have an assembly in the mornings and they wanted to announce me to the student body. I learned that the principal would not be in; I think she's out of town. The vice principal is also the grade 6 teacher. She informed me that she would be busy with juggling both responsibilities. She left school later because she was not feeling well, which left her class to study on their own. I looked for the remedial teacher, but she was also out of her classroom. So I proceeded to sit in on a little bit of grade 2 and grade 4. Both were very normal classroom experiences. I found myself stepping out when the students were working on assignments because I was an obvious distraction. I ended up in the kindergarten classroom. During lunch I sat with a few students and just asked them a few questions. They had plenty of questions for me… what are you doing here? (well, I'm not really sure, yet, to be honest…). I learned during lunch that there was going to be a math competition between several schools in the afternoon. It was going to be held in the upstairs of our school building. After lunch, I found out that this was quite a big deal. All the teachers were involved in getting it organized. So the students were, well, free to do whatever. One way or another I ended up by myself with 30 five year old kindergarteners… attempting to keep them relatively organized, quiet, and occupied. I was not very successful. The day was, in short, chaotic… but definitely an experience. I was able to speak with the kindergarten teacher later about doing a service learning activity with the kids. She seemed up to the task. We will be doing some trash pick-up outside. So that was a good end to the day.

Thursday, I went to a center for youth that helps them get the skills they need for a career. It was an extensive program. They get everything from math, science, and English to mechanics, cosmetology, and business training. Many of the children that finish the 2-3 year program come back later to share their successes. Some have started their own businesses. I was impressed with all that they do for the youth. I sat in on their "spirituality" session… which I kinda got a kick out of. They only teach "spirituality," not "religion," but I would say we have different definitions of those words. Here "spirituality" is Christianity and "religion" is your denomination (i.e. Catholic or Seventh Day Adventist). So the lesson was all about Jesus and his disciples at the last supper and how if you take communion you must be right with God. "Spirituality," or what we would call religion, is very prominent in the culture here. Anyway, on a side note I was extremely distracted during this lesson by what turned out to be a wandering goat. I didn't know what it was at first, but it sounded like James Earl Jones had grabbed a microphone and started "baa"-ing right outside the building. It was really loud! I was expecting a large animal of some kind to meander past the door that I was intently staring out in hopes of catching a glimpse. When it walked by, however, it was a tiny little plump goat… just grazing as it inched down the road. I was stifling laugher as the teacher talked about Judas.

Today (Saturday) we had a "field trip" to the folk research center of St. Lucia. We sat for several hours with two different guys who know a lot about the history and culture of St. Lucia. It was informative and fun, although I was tired. I got some pictures of some of the various cultural items. It was good to see that the St. Lucian culture is being preserved… because it could easily get lost nowadays.

Vigie Beach!

2009-03-14T15:41:00.001-07:00

I was finally able to make it to a beach! Today I got together with a few other trainees near the market. We picked up some snacks and then grabbed a bus ride to Vigie beach. It was a long curved beach in a bay and it was wonderful. I expected no waves but we even had waves. We walked down a little ways until we found a nice spot. I hooked up my hammock on what I found out was an almond tree. We shared snacks and drinks. We walked all along the beach. We played in the water. We took pictures (until my camera batteries all died… again). And of course… I'm a little burnt… I've just been christened by the Caribbean sun that's all. But it was such a relaxing day. We spent almost 5 hours just chatting and reading and relaxing.

It was nice to get away from the training chaos… even though I did spend part of the morning doing my kweyol assignment in the market. This week we have 3 days in the PC office and only 2 days doing school/shadowing stuff. So I won't get into the Red Cross this week. We are probably going to be getting started on our "activities"/projects this week. Our youth development trainer is having us design little service learning projects to implement in our schools or organizations. It's kinda stressful trying to figure out what to do and how to go about it. We don't have much time. We will also be starting a community-mapping project… which I think is gathering info from people in our community about everything that's going on. It's intimidating to think about all this stuff coming up. We only have about a month left of training!

Some of the other trainees have already heard things about the apartments they will be moving into. So far I haven't heard anything. I'm eager to see where it will be and what it will be like… what buses I will have to take… how close the markets are… etc etc. After training I will have more freedom with my schedule too and I will be able to spend more time at the Red Cross.

List of things I brought with me and some things you might wanna know… for all those future Volunteers who wanna know:

2009-03-14T15:40:00.000-07:00

(Keep in mind this is for St. Lucia in the Eastern Caribbean)

Random Items:

~Snorkel, mask, fins (expensive to get down here… even just a mask and snorkel would be good to bring)

~Hammock (eagles nest outfitters)

~Travel Iron (Eastern Caribbean's like crisp clothes)-this is something you could get here

~Headlamp (I here that these are great gifts down here… they really seem to like them)

~Family Pictures (always nice to have)

~Small notes/cards from friends (good for those times when you need them)

~DVDs (good to have a few for some "me" time)

~Pillowcase (good for many random things such as a laundry bag if necessary)

~STURDY umbrella (I actually brought a flimsy one and it's worthless… you need a sturdy umbrella or 2 down here)

~Thin towels (thick ones don't dry in the humidity and take up more space anyway)

~Don't worry about bringing sheets; you can get those here

~Sewing Kit (always a good thing to have)

~Multitool/pocket knife

~Radio-battery operated shortwave (I got a solar powered/crank one from LLBean… it's nice and compact and a must)

~Hat/Cap

~Sunglasses

~Extra batteries for everything

~Universal surge protector

~2 Wattage Converters

~2 Plug Adapters (check out walkabout travel gear… it's a google website that explains this stuff and you can get pretty good deals… these things are a must, it sucks being without)

~Playing Cards

~Hole Puncher (for those organized types… although, I will probably get by without using it)

~Travel Alarm clock… battery operated (just a small light one but it is a life saver)

~1 or 2 books (they have a pretty good library here from past PC Volunteers… you won't be without books to read so no worries if you have no space)

~Journal

~Bible

~Planner

~A few pads of paper and pencils and pens

Clothes:

~Multiple swimsuits

~Walking shorts (2 pair)

~Athletic shorts (2 pair)

~Swim shorts

~Athletic tank tops

~Layering tank tops/ camis (lots)

~Moister wick shirt

~Capri's

~Nice slacks

~Button front shirts (lots and lots… easy/comfy but business-y, great with a layered tank)

~Belts

~Khakis (not really seen as "nice" for girls… but good for those in-betweens)

~Raincoat (may not use this as much because rains are quick and it is so hot)

~T-shirts (if you are running out of room, downsize on t-shirts, you won't use them much… but it is nice to have a few for lounging around the house… tank tops work just as well though)

~Dresses (I brought 2 one nice black one and one sun dress… I definitely feel that I will use the nice one)

~Bandanas (good for head bands, covering hair from sun, youth activities, etc)

~Plain colored cotton t-shirts of various styles such (nicer ones from target and such… good for mix and match, dress up, dress down, and comfort)

~1 light jacket (for plane rides, air conditioned building, and the occasional cool spurt)

~Pajamas

~2 skirts (bring more! They easily dress up an outfit and are so much cooler than pants. I brought knee length plain colored ones so they can go with anything I have)

~1 pair of jeans

~Lots of underwear and bras

Shoes:

~Sneakers (sports, hiking, walking, etc)

~Sturdy flip-flops

~Chacos (self-explanatory, I can't go anywhere without a few pair)

~3 pairs of sturdy nice flats (again they dress very nice here… they wear heals though)

~Shower/around the house flip-flops

Electronics:

~Laptop

~Digital Camera

~Camera battery charger

~Cell phone (unlocked)

~Ipod (great for listening to the kweyol CD)

~Thumb Drive (a life saver!!)

~External Hard Drive (back ups!)

~I purchased insurance through Clements (pamphlet should be in your PC invitation). It's very very reasonable and will definitely be worth it should anything happen to my stuff.

Toiletries:

I brought most of the basics to get me through the first little bit until I got adjusted.

~Shampoo

~Conditioner

~Soap

~Face wash

~Toothbrush

~Toothpaste

~Floss

~Sunscreen

~Lotion (I usually have dry skin but haven't had it since I've been down here… so the climate change sorta negates needing lotion.. it sorta makes you feel sticky)

~Q-tips

~Deodorant

~Extra Toothbrushes and Razors

~Feminine Products

~Contacts/ Solution/ 2 pairs of Glasses (plus repair kit)

~A tad bit of makeup

~Lots and lots of hair ties, pins, clips, headbands (whatever you use)

~Basic jewelry (mostly earrings)

~I learned that PC provides sunscreen, bug spray, floss, Tylenol, ibuprofen, anti-itch cream, bandaids, tums, and so much more in their medical kit. You get sunscreen, bug spray, and anti-itch spray upon arrival.

I'm really wishing I had packed/ Random things I'm so thankful I have…

~More skirts (I wish I had maybe 5 because I'm finding myself wearing the same 2 every day)

~Pocket-sized moleskin journal for language learning! (would be a lifesaver right now!)

~My bars of soap seem to sorta melt away down here so bring liquid soap (like Dr. Bronnor's castile soap… that would last a long time and not melt)

~I'm really glad I have little change purses. It's nice because in ECs 1 dollar is a coin. It's also helpful to keep small bits of cash in there so you don't have to wave big bucks around just to pay bus fare

~A book on HIV/AIDS… I had a really good one at home and am kinda wishing I had it, but they have plenty of materials here

~I should mention that I also brought coffee as a gift for a couple of Peace Corps Volunteers down here. You cannot find good coffee down here; they drink Nescafe (instant) or cheap coffee. So if you want good coffee you may want to bring some. Shipping coffee here is ridiculously expensive.

~A plastic accordion folder. They give you tons and tons and tons of papers during staging and training. It's hard to stay organized so it would be nice to have something like that to keep all the stuff in.

~Small gift for my host family. I meant to bring something, but forgot. It would be nice to have something to give them.

And yes I fit everything I brought into the Peace Corps baggage regulations (2 checked bags 80 lbs total and 1 carry on and 1 purse) You can choose to bring more but don't expect Peace Corps to cover the cost of the extra luggage. They will cover extra costs if it is within their baggage requirements. I used a large rolling duffel (from LLBean) and an average Adidas duffel. I'm kinda wishing I had used a big backpack rather than the small duffel. A backpack + rolling duffel = easy getting around. But 2 plain bags + carry-ons is definitely manageable. My carry-ons were a backpack (school sized) and a large lumbar pack (like a big purse but can be used for hiking. Compliments of mountainsmith).

Having anything shipped here is extremely expensive and if it is electronic stuff you may have to pay up to 100% customs. Letters and those envelope packages seem to be the most reasonable way to go. So, unless you have the $$ to dish out, don't expect to have stuff shipped to you once you are here.

Try to keep stuff divided between the your bags so not all your underwear or nice shirts are in one bag. This will help if one of your bags gets lost for a few days, or in the case of those moving on to another island from St. Lucia, you may have to leave a bag behind for a couple of days because of the size of the plane.

You can survive with lots less than I brought, too.

Oh and come with a good bit of cash for staging to cover baggage costs (until they reimburse you), food, and to cover taxi rides and tips for bell boys and such. Once staging starts you can survive on what PC gives you.

Catching up

2009-03-13T05:28:00.001-07:00

I can't quite remember when I wrote last so pardon me if I repeat anything!

Training is still running us wild. This week we did sessions in the Peace Corps office on Monday. On Tuesday I got to visit a primary (elementary) school and observe some classes. On Wednesday I was back at the Red Cross. And on Thursday I shadowed a lady who runs a center for young troubled girls.

It's been a crazy week. Doing new things and meeting new people and stepping out of comfort zones everyday causes a certain amount of anxiety. I'm trying to get used to it. I have enjoyed the week though. Our opportunities to go out and experience different organizations in the community really helps us get a feel for the culture and get an understanding of the areas where people would like to see improvement.

My visit with the school was really interesting. I enjoyed meeting the principal and getting a feel for her vision for the school. She is an incredible lady. She allowed me to shadow their remedial teacher for a while and I also sat in on a kindergarten class and grade 6 class. At first I was nervous because I have heard a lot of talk about the use of corporal punishment in schools here in St. Lucia, but I was relieved and impressed to find that this school only uses it as a last resort and even then with discretion. I expected the system to be rigid and strict, but it seemed pretty close to what I might find in the U.S. (maybe even a little less strict). I got the sense that the teachers and staff were doing the best they could with what they've got and they are doing a pretty good job of it, too. I, however, was quite the distraction to the students. I got many looks and "good morning miss's" and even hugs from all the kindergarteners. I'm quite sure it is very unusual to have a white person inside the walls of their school. The children were very sweet.

My day at the Red Cross was pretty uneventful. There isn't much I can get involved with yet because I can't devote more than one day a week or every other week. So, I'm sort of waiting until after I officially swear in as a Volunteer. Then I will be able to arrange my own schedule and get involved in more stuff there.

The girls' center that I visited on Thursday was fantastic. Girls are referred there by teachers or parents for acting out. The programs at this center are essentially "school" for these girls for however many years it takes them to turn around. They learn life skills, cooking, gardening, sewing, arts and crafts, and they go through counseling. I was able to talk to some of the girls and ask them questions. I could tell some of them didn't want to be there, but they were learning things anyway. The director hopes to make it a residential facility one day (when they get funding), but as of now the girls come and go every day.

Other interesting facts about the last few days: I learned that there is an area in Castries where many Syrians live and own shops. Apparently it is the place to get good deals because they like to bargain! Ha! Who would've thunk I could use Arabic in the Eastern Caribbean!! It makes me wich I'd brought my notebook and dictionary! I've also been learning about the many festivals that St. Lucia has. Jazz festival is coming up, then Carnival, and then Kweyol… so it looks like I will get to experience some good cultural stuff here soon! I wish I could go into more detail, but there are too many. St. Lucians like to celebrate J.

Well, today marks the end of week 3! I can hardly believe it's already been that long. Us trainees are trying to plan an outing this weekend so that we can finally see the beach! They've kept us so busy we haven't even seen one yet. I got close enough to hear the waves the other day and that's it! So hopefully we will get to relax a bit this weekend and enjoy the salt and wind.

The First of What I’m Sure Will Be Many Social Blunders

2009-03-13T05:27:00.001-07:00

Here's a day that deserves going down in the books! If you know me, you know that I'm a very open person. So this is my brutally honest account of what turned out to be a pretty embarrassing day.

It started off pretty good. I got to sleep in this morning… which means I woke up at 7 instead of 6. I took a shower and I dressed in casual clothes because I didn't have to go to training or work today. My host mom made me a great breakfast and I worked a little bit on some homework and getting myself organized for the next week of training.

At 10:15 I met the other trainee in my area to catch a bus up the road. Today was a consolidation drill day. Consolidation means we gather at different safe houses; it is a procedure for different types of emergencies such as hurricanes or political unrest. We found the place just fine. Our safe house is with a couple that has been here for about six months. One of the other trainees are also in our safe house group. We had a very enjoyable morning/afternoon. We did a lot of chatting and sharing of stories and backgrounds.

After talking for a long while the two trainees and I caught a bus half way to town to go to a coffee shop so we could get on the Internet. We stayed at the coffee shop for quite a while catching up on emails and chatting with friends. It was relaxing to spend some independent time. The other trainees headed home before me. I debated going home, but I had been invited to a meeting with the Red Cross at 7:00. Not wanting to pay bus fare both ways, I decided I would just hang out at the coffee shop until it was time to go to the meeting. I was slightly worried about not being able to tell my host family where I was (wish I had that cell phone!), but I asked one of the others to call them to at least let them know where I was and that I was ok. So I stayed, figuring I'd need about 30 minutes to walk to the Red Cross.

Well! I was wrong! And I also forgot that it gets dark at 6. I was so engrossed in a computer chat with my brother that I didn't even notice it getting dark outside. When I set out at 6:30 I was feeling rather dumb for not remembering that. I briefly thought about just taking a bus, but again my stubbornness kicked in and I decided walking was cheaper. Twenty minutes into my walk, I realized I had majorly underestimated the distance I needed to cover. I quickly realized that I was going to be late… late to one of my first chances to make a good impression at my new work site… ugh! Again I considered the bus, but by this time I was walking on the opposite side of the road and it was a difficult one to cross… not to mention, I didn't know how long I'd have to wait for the bus. So I trudged on.

I arrived just over 15 minutes late. Of course, they had not started yet (island time), but that was of no comfort to me because I immediately realized that everyone there was dressed very nicely. Suits! And dresses! And let's just be honest, I was wearing jeans, a plain long sleeve shirt, and chacos… oh and let's not forget that my jeans were rolled up (which I fixed immediately). I was suddenly feeling like I would be very happy if I could find a hole somewhere where I could tuck my head and forget what was going on. I awkwardly apologized for being late… and sorta apologized to one lady on the side for being so underdressed. She said, "no worries" and led me to the room where everyone was meeting. I sat in the back with my head down. To further my embarrassment, there were 2 or 3 people taking pictures of everyone and everything going on. And!! A video camera! Great right??

It turns out that the ceremony was for National Intervention Volunteers that have completed a long series of training classes to be a part of a disaster relief team. It was sort of like a graduation and it was very formal (in my opinion). There were even guests from the American Red Cross.

Honestly if I had been in the states I would have left… but I was catching a ride home with someone there, so disappearing was not an option unless I wanted to go walking in the dark again. So I tried to keep my head low… even though I was pointed out twice during the ceremony as "our new Peace Corps" volunteer.

Despite my discomfort, it really was an interesting program. I spoke to some of the speakers from the Red Cross and one of them was a previous Peace Corps Volunteer. Apparently the volunteers that "graduated" will be working with me some. So I was glad to be there in some ways. They definitely welcomed me despite my appearance. Afterwards I apologized to the lady I will be working with, telling her that I'm still getting used to being St. Lucian. She was so forgiving and I'm so thankful for that!

My ride home was quite enjoyable and when I got home I found that my host mom knew where I was and that I was ok. So everything was fine. In fact, after all my embarrassment, I think it made me more able to just open up.

I found myself saying this little prayer in my head… Give me the grace to not dwell on my mistakes and fill my new friends with enough grace to bear with me as I adjust!

Oh and by the way, to my complete horror, the event was aired on the local news, which I saw later at my host family's house. I held my breath as I watched the brief coverage. Luckily I didn't make the cut!

Red Cross

2009-03-05T13:41:00.001-08:00

So I just got back from the Red Cross. It was a really interesting day. When I showed up, Terry, one of ladies I will be working with, was about to start a CPR session. So she let me sit in so I could update my certification. I was really impressed with the program! I thought maybe they might have older materials and info because of having to bring stuff from the US, but it was very up to date and there were plenty of materials. It was a good refresher for me. They are doing First Aid tomorrow, but I won't be able to go because I'll be at the Peace Corps office. I think there were about 10 of us in the class. All of them were St. Lucian except for me and one guy from the UK who is a hellicopter pilot here. He got a job here because of economic struggles in the UK. Also, towards the end Terry mentioned that I might be able to attend training classes to become an instructor later in the year... which really perked my ears up.

It was really fascinating during the CPR class to note the cultural differences from stateside CPR classes. For example, the teacher was asking students what an accident scene might look like in St. Lucia if a car hit a pedestrian. The students were saying things like, "everybody would run in to find out what was going on," traffic would go crazy and chaotic," and "nobody might call 911 because they would think someone else would." The teacher mentioned that some St. Lucians might stop the closest car or truck and immediately move the injured person(s) into it to go to the hospital without first checking to see if it is ok to move the person. So the teacher was sort of adding these little thoughts to the lesson so that the students would be prepared to handle an emergency in a St. Lucian context... since the materials and DVD are from the states. It was fun for me, cause I never really imagined taking a CPR class in another country or culture. :)

After class and lunch Terry sat down with me to tell me about their youth programs. They do youth groups in many schools around St. Lucia, they do a Mr. and Ms. Red Cross pageant with representatives from a lot of schools, there's a Red Cross day, and a bunch of other stuff. Bennet, the guy I will share an office with, used to do youth development with the Red Cross and is now doing more with disaster preparedness and relief. I got to speak with him a little bit and I have a feeling I will be talking with him a lot more. He has a lot of knowledge about the areas of need here and methods for reaching youth and such.

I spent the rest the afternoon reading over HIV/AIDS program materials and brainstorming/wondering about what is to come. It's hard for me to have solid ideas right now because I feel like I need to get to know the communities and people and culture more before I can have an understanding for what might be appropriate and effective as far as programming goes. I am really excited about working with the Red Cross though and I like the staff a lot. They all seem really passionate about what they are doing. I hope that I can be a big help to them. :)

On the News!

2009-03-05T04:58:00.001-08:00

So I was riding into town with my host family today and we had the radio on. All of a sudden I heard the lady on the radio announcing that 22 Peace Corps Volunteers and 1 Response Corps Volunteer arrived in St. Lucia last week. She explained that some went to Dominica and Granada and some stayed in St. Lucia. She also explained that we would be participating in various volunteer activities around the country. I was quite surprised and my host family turned around and said, "they are talking about you!!" Haha, it was really funny to me... but I guess in smaller countries news like that is important news :)

Homestays and Training

2009-03-04T09:51:00.001-08:00

Monday I moved in with my homestay family. They are extremely nice and welcoming. The homestay mom and dad are Joania and Rafael and they have a son and daugher Rael and Shernon. Rile and Shounon are a close to may age. Joania and Rafael picked me up from the St. Lucia Peace Corps office, and Joania cooked dinner when we got home. We spent the evening chatting and watching TV before going to bed. I have my own room with a very comfy bed, and I use the hall bathroom, which I think is shared although no one else's stuff is in there.

I am learning to get up early! Which should surprise all of you… My host family (and as far as I can tell most St. Lucians) gets started before 6:00a.m. In fact, my host mom sometimes goes walking at 3:00a.m. in the morning! It is much cooler at that time, and I suspect the traffic is less of a nuisance. I will probably be waking up at around 6:00 most days which means going to bed early is a must! Oh, and the community roosters (emphasis on the plural) have taken over the job of my alarm clock.

My host family has a very beautiful home. It is two stories and is fenced all the way around. Joania grows many fruit trees in the back yard. She pointed them all out to me and named them, but I can't remember them all. They have 5 or 6 dogs that stay out on the porch on the basement level (dogs are outside animals here). They are very cute and like to bark at everything. The community school adjoins my host family's property, so I do not have to walk far when I go in for my school attachment. It is a primary school so the kids are younger. I don't know yet which teacher I will be assisting.

Tuesday, my host parents gave me a ride to the Peace Corps office in their car, which was really nice because I didn't have to figure out the bus system right away. I spent the whole day in the PC office with the other trainees learning about safety, culture, school systems, and language. It was a bit overwhelming. We have papers and packets and books and assignments and all sorts of things to worry about. At some point during our 7 weeks of training we will be planning and implementing a community activity… which is sorta making us all a little nervous. It should be good practice for us though.

After PC training I walked with the rest of the trainees to downtown Castries to the bus terminal behind the market. There we found our specific buses and headed our separate ways. I am lucky in that another trainee, Ann, is staying almost right next door. So we traveled together. The buses, or minibuses I should say, are a little bigger than minivans but not as big as an 18-passenger van. They like to pack in tight though. I learned this afternoon that you have to be careful when exiting the buses because there are large ditches on the sides of most roads. One said ditch almost swallowed me alive this afternoon in front of many amused St. Lucians.

Tonight my host mom cooked Roti, a traditional St. Lucian dish. It is sorta like a burrito except the wrap is a little different and the fillings are curried chicken and potatoes. It's really good and I hope to learn how to make it sometime soon.

Today we went to open our bank accounts at the Bank of St. Lucia in Castries. This account is how PC will provide our living allowances.

I am a little overwhelmed at this point because all I see is all that has to be done, but I am sure it will go by quickly. I still have little surreal moments where I am amazed that this is all real and yes it is me sitting here in St. Lucia with the Peace Corps, and yes I will be here for 2 years… it's kinda crazy!

Peace Corps Eastern Caribbean Group 79!

2009-03-01T17:27:00.001-08:00

bye bye internet!

2009-03-01T17:17:00.001-08:00

Well, our week of training at the convent is coming to an end. Tomorrow everyone will be leaving for their homestays. From there we will have to learn how to commute to training. From what I understand, I should have only one bus to take. And then I somehow have to find the Peace Corps office. We will be doing 2 days of sessions in the office and spend the other three days shadowing people in our community. After 7 weeks, we will be sworn in and move out on our own in our communities. I am not sure what the internet situation will be over the next few weeks so who knows when I will write next. Hopefully by my next email I will have some good stories about cultural mishaps and differences.

Thanks for all the updates and stories from home. Keep them coming! I love and miss you all!

Down to Business

2009-02-25T16:15:00.000-08:00

I woke up at 6:30 to go to Mass at 7:00. We are staying at Benedictine Nuns Convent and it is Ash Wednesday so they had Mass this morning. Since many St. Lucians are Catholic, I think it will be good for me to get used to Catholic services. They have a beautiful little sanctuary here that is has gate-like walls so there is lots of airflow. The supports are made of stone and the roof is tall and wooden with beams. The altar is one giant rock with seats surrounding it for the nuns. I think it will take me a while to acclimate to the various customs of the Catholic Church, but there is a peace and rich feeling that comes with all the ceremony.

Some of you have been asking what the weather is like right now. It is amazingly really nice. It’s actually quite cool. We are located near the coast, so there is a good breeze. Also, even though it is dry season, it has been raining a lot. It comes in strong waves and passes as quickly as it comes. So it alternates from sunny to cloudy all day long, and I have noticed that everyone carries umbrellas wherever they go. They are saying it is going to get a lot drier and hotter here soon.

Today was the beginning of training and we have covered a lot so far. One of the first things we did was receive our assignments!! I am so excited to say that I will be working with the Red Cross!! Currently the Red Cross here works on volunteer development/ management, community disaster preparedness programs, heath education (first aid, CPR, HIV/AIDS), disaster relief assistance, youth activities in schools and communities, and fundraising. I will specifically be working to assist in: developing programs for youth groups in schools and communities (HIV/AIDS and health education), developing the skills of young persons to become Peer Educators, providing life skills training for youth, and working with the school groups to strengthen their capacity and networks with other groups. I am really looking forward to this assignment! I didn’t think they would be telling us our assignment till the end of our two-month training, so this was a great surprise. I’m sure some of you are happy to learn more specifics about what I will be doing, too.

We also got introduced to all the staff. I have a lot of names to learn! They all seem so friendly and welcoming, which is comforting. We got a lot of papers about schedules and goals and rules. We even have a few small homework assignments for the evening. We covered safety and security basics. We will be covering more specific topics in the future. The last item of the day was a small informational session with the Medical Officers about vaccinations to come.

I also learned that we are EC 79. That means we are the 79^th Peace Corps group to come to the Eastern Caribbean. Exciting! We will be here to greet the 80^th! I’m really looking forward to meeting more of the Volunteers who have been here for a while. I hope that I get to learn about what everyone is doing.

Other random things… the archbishop of Kenya is staying in the convent where we are staying. And the light switches are opposite (down and is on, up is off).