Sunday, January 31, 2010
Christmas Fluff
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.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Stories From a Little Boy
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…
Mountains, Feasts, Songs
Petit Piton
A month ago I was able to hike Petit Piton (3rd 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 6th 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!!!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
¿Qué?
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.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
7.5 months, Crazy bus, Sushi, Chocolate Chips, Crowds, Ships
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.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
A Breaking Point
(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.
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