Dominican Events

Lately I have been adding a few random photos albums to the site and not really explaining what they are so I thought I would just do a quick recap of some of the events I have been attending so the photo make a bit more sense.

A few weeks ago we went on a tour of the Cabrits archaeology dig site, which is an 18th century British garrison called Fort Shirley. We meet Zach, a Fulbright student working on his dissertation at Fort Shirley and his assistant, a Dominican, Edward. They took us on an amazing hike/tour of the fort and the surrounding area where we saw all kinds of cool ruins and artifacts left behind when the fort was closed down and abandoned. They were mostly interested in the lives of the slaves and the houses they lived in, so that is where the majority of their research is being conducted.  It was a really great hike full of tons of cool info on the history of Dominica! And now we have two cool new friends to hang out with! If you want to know more history about Cabrits check out this web site: http://www.lennoxhonychurch.com/cabrits.cfm

Next we have Isidiore and the Cabrits Jazz Festival, which equals one big weekend full of crazy events. Last Monday was a holiday here in Dominica, Pentecostal Monday or Whit Monday. Not sure why its a holiday, but Dominicans really dont need much of an excuse to have a day off. And when there is a long weekend it makes the perfect time for festivals. We started the weekend off at the Isidiore Festival in Grandbay, a huge four-day celebration that included over 30 bands, a race around the village, lots of food and drinks, and many other great events. Im pretty sure Grandbay is one of the craziest villages here on the island! I was only able to make it through Saturday and I was exhausted after that! Then the next day we came back up to Portsmouth and Cabrits to go to the Cabrits Jazz Festival with our new friends Zach and Edward. The jazz fest was completely opposite Isidiore, people brought blanks and sat in the grass, had picnics and enjoyed the music.  It was more of a relaxing event. If I had to pick one of the two, I would say I enjoyed the Cabrits Jazz Festival more. Guess I just like the vibes of Portsmouth more, I got lucky that this is where I live or it might have something to do with our amazing APCD who placed us in our villages that fit us all perfectly!

After that we have the Government Unity Walk. This one was a bit of a surprise for me, I show up at work the other day in my business casual cloths ready to work in the office, but when I got there the clerks where in hiking gear closing up the office! I guess they forgot to tell me about the walk so I ran home and changed as fast as I could. I really had no idea what I was getting myself into. We ended up walk/driving from Portsmouth to Marigot (about 25 miles) then Marigot to Castle Bruce (another 8 miles). Now dont get me wrong we did drive some of the way so I didnt walk all that, I think I would be dead now if we had, cause walking in Dominica is more like hiking, not to mention we left at 9:30 and didnt get home till 7:30! But it was actually a really cool event. We walked through every town and stopped at the Town Councils office in each village and read a unity speech.  The event was three days long and by the end the local government reps and the local town council employees walked completely around Dominica and read the speech, we only participated the one day :)! Pretty neat idea I think and great exercise!

In the random photos album I added just a few photos of a cruise ship and a bookstore, pretty random I know, but its actually a ship that travels around the world brining knowledge, help and hope. Its a community of Christians that volunteer for two years to travel on this boat and not only tell people about God, but also to bring education books to schools, build houses, volunteer in the community, and has an on-board bookstore full of all kinds of books. Most of the other volunteers brought their school kids to the boat, but my school was closed this week so I just stopped in to see what it was like. I got a bit sick being on the boat, but it was neat to walk around the store and look at books, made me feel like I was back home in Barnes and Noble! However I dont really have the money to buy books, so I didnt go home with much, just a little gift for my babies at home!

And finally we have the cricket photos and videos! Oh man what a day! I dont even know where to begin first of all cricket is hug here on the island. Everyone loves to play, watch and talk about cricket. So when they found out a few months ago that the West Indies team was going to be playing South Africa here, lets just day I havent really had a hard time talking to new people cause you can always bring that up and they just cant stop talking about it! So all ten of us new volunteers decided to go and see what it was all about. Most of us bought matching T-Shirts and some braided their hair. We brought tons of food and drinks and had an amazing experience. We sat in the grounds (the cheap tickets) from 9:30 when the game began to 5:00 when the game ended. Yep it was that long, and they even took a break for lunch? Never heard of a sports game that takes a lunch break! We meet so many neat people and just really enjoyed ourselves. I still have no idea how cricket is played though and I was trying to learn too! Anyways WI ended losing  sad  but I put up a video that shows people during the game and after you would never know that they lost! Check it out!

Anyways that is it for now, just thought it would be helpful if I explained the photos a bit more! More to come Im sure!

The Places I Go

Warning: Massive Blog Ahead

So its been about a month since I told everyone what I have been doing here on Dominica and some things have changed so I thought I would do a quick update of the weekly schedule. I also added a photo album called The Places I Go you not only can know what I am doing, but also what it looks like! So here goes:

Monday:
*9:00am to 12:00pm - Town Council
Soon I will be starting some new projects at the council, including a Get to Know Your Council campaign complete with display in the office and brochures to hand out, and the Portsmouth Town Council Web site. Ill keep you posted on both!
*12:00pm to 6:00 or 7:00pm - Weekly Visit to Town
This includes visiting the Peace Corps office, getting my mail, going grocery shopping, and various other random things. Town is where I end up spending the bulk of my money so I try to avoid it!
*7:00pm to 8:00pm - Dinner
I am really trying to cook, Im not that great at it but I am learning. Plus I have some friends who have offered to teach me how to make some local dishes so Im pretty excited about that!
*8:00pm to 11:00pm - Hanging out at home
I dont really go out much a night, not only cause most people stay in at night and I dont think it would be safe to be out on my own, but also cause I am normally pretty tired and just want get things done at home. Things like reading, emailing, skyping, watching TV, cleaning my house. You know
*11:00pm  Bed
Every night I fall asleep to the sound of crickets and frogs chirping away!

Tuesday:
*8:30  10:00am  Art Class at CALLS
This project is new for me. The art teacher for CALLS (a high school for disadvantaged youth) is about to go on a month long vacation so the center asked if I could step in and teach the classes while she is gone. This week I just sat in on the class but I will take over in the next few weeks! I am pretty excited and pretty nervous to teach this class, I hope the kids like/respect me!
*10:00  12:00pm  Volunteer at CARE for the Elderly
Normally I volunteer at CAREs fundraising store, I help sell discounted items that are normally shipped here from the States. Things like clothing, diapers, bathroom products, household items, and things like that. Its basically like a mini Goodwill that supports CARE. Store like JcPennys, Safeway, Ace, ect. Send the products no one wanted in the states. Its actually really fun, I like the ladies I work with and its a great way to meet new people in my community, the store is very popular! Today the store was closed so I helped separate and organized a train car full of clothing  it was so hot and a lot of work! Soon I will be seeing those close in the store Im sure.
*12:00  1:00pm  Meals on Wheels
 This is one of my favorite things I do here! Every Tuesday I go with a few other CARE volunteers to help with the Meals on Wheels project. We start by going to a local restaurant that makes the food for us. We never know what they are making sometimes soup, sometimes chicken and rice, you just never know. Then we drive around to all 14 different elderly men and women in the Portsmouth area. They give us their little container (normally a broken Tupperware) we fill it with whatever was made that day, give them some bread, and if we get lucky a little bag of rice, or flour or something extra they can use for the rest of the week. We chat for a while, and it great that they are all starting to recognize me and chat with me more and more! Sometimes its hard to see the way they are living, but its also amazing to see how grateful they are for a little container of hot food served with a smile once a week. Seriously one of the best parts of my week!
1:00  7:00  Free Time
This actually the only afternoon I have free in the week and I am sure it will be filled sooner or later. But for now I use this time to do all kinds of things. Laundry, visit friends, nap :), clean house, and other random things like that. It kind of annoys me to have an afternoon off, but it is also kind of nice. Well see what I end up doing with this time slot!
7:00  8:00  Dinner
I pretty much eat chicken every night
*8:00pm to 11:00pm - Hanging out at home
Mostly skyping the family and whatnot!
*11:00pm  Bed
I actually sleep really really well here! Not too many restless nights.

Wednesday:
*9:00  12:00pm  Town Council
A few weeks ago the Mayor just randomly resigned at a meeting, it was a little crazy to watch actually. So soon they will be having elections for a new Mayor of Portsmouth.
*1:00 - 3:00pm  Computer Help at CALLS
Again this is also a new project for me. Starting tomorrow afternoon I will be going to the CALLS center to help the students with any computer assignments they might have. Their computer teacher just quit (can you call it quitting if youre a volunteer?) and I wasnt able to fill the time slot they needed so instead I am just going to have open office hours to help, not ideal but its the best I could work out.
*3:00  7:00  Hanging out at home
So I kind of have the afternoon off here too so I fill it with the normal things I explained above. Exciting I know!
*7:00pm to 8:00pm - Dinner
Not much more to say on this topic
*8:00pm to 11:00pm - Hanging out at Home
I am trying to fit in my paining and art projects during this time too, and soon (as soon as I get comfortable with my landlords) I want to start playing my flute again.
*11:00pm  Bed
My bed is probably the most uncomfortable bed ever, its like a board. I really think it might just be a box spring with no mattress. Ha! But I sleep well anyways!

Man this post is getting long, go take a break and come back

Thursday:
*9:00  12:00pm Town Council
*12:00  1:30 Hanging Out at Home
You know lunch and what not  normally leftovers from the night before or a PB and Jelly!
*1:30  3:00  Arts and Crafts Class at the Womens Center
Again something new for me this week. I meet this old PCV that actually served in Mongolia and is now living here with her boyfriend while his is in school at ROSS. Anyways she is like a super volunteer and she spends a lot of her time at the Womens Center. Starting this week she will be teaching arts and crafts and I am going to go and participate, and help out if she needs me. I think it will be a nice break from everything, just a fun time with other ladies making art! Ill left you know how it goes.
*4:00  5:00  Computer classes at the Womens Center
You guessed it another new project  starting this week I will be teaching classes at the Womens Center on computer basics, things like setting up and email account and sending and receiving emails, how to create a resume, how to do a web search, things like that. I am a little nervous for this class too, I hope Im a good teacher!
*5:00  6:00 Advanced Computers at Womens Center
Im a little less nervous to teach this one, dont ask me why I just am. Im not really sure what I will be teaching yet, I was going to let the class tell me what they want to learn and go from there cause I dont know what advanced means  Photoshop and Creating Website? Or less advanced like blogging and editing photos. Well see!
*7:00pm to 8:00pm - Dinner
*8:00pm to 11:00pm - Hanging Out at Home
*11:00pm  Bed

Friday
*9:00  3:00pm Working with the First Graders at Roosevelt Douglas Primary School
I have written a lot about the school before so I will make this short and sweet. I normally work with a first grade class every Friday. All the kids call me Miss Mary and cant stop hugging me the whole time I am there  Im trying to phase into the high five so that I can walk without six kids wrapped around me. I normally help some of the students who are falling behind take their tests (Friday is test day), grade papers, and do fun things like take field trips, make play-doh, color, and I read to them as well. I love going to the school but those kids wear me out big time! Hopefully soon I can start working on the library so the kids can have that up and running! (Ok that really wasnt that short, sorry) Oh and I do get a lunch break in the middle of the day :)
*3:00  6:00pm Hanging out at Home
*6:00  10:00pm Salsa Lessons
I started taking Salsa lessons with my friend Aldon at ROSS every Friday night. I think its funny cause Im not a ROSS student and I basically sneaking into this school club but know one there knows that. Aldon works at ROSS anyways so its cool; I just think its funny. After we go out to dinner and I get me some American food, like last week I had a cheeseburger, fries and a chocolate milk shake  so worth the money I should not have spent!
*10:00  12:00am Hanging Out at Home
*12:00am  Bed

Saturday and Sunday change every week depending on whats going on, on the island (is that the right way to type that?) I normally fill it with going to the market, seeing other PCV, exploring, hiking, going to festivals, going to the beach, mostly the all the photos on my blog to date are from weekend activities so you get the picture. I am normally pretty tired after the weekends cause we really pack them full, but hey I have been making some really great memories!

Well thats it, I am pretty sure I left some stuff out, but its long enough anyways. Thanks for sticking it out and reading this massive blog post. Check out the photos so you can get a visual of all these places!

A little list of some things I have learned here

Well I have been gone from home for three month and I have been an official PCV for one month, so I thought it would be a good time for me to reflect on some of the things I have learned here on Dominica:

-Even if a bus driver tells you he is leaving now, he will never leave unless the bus is full to its max
-Yeah Ok its a perfectly legit response to Hello
-Goodnight doesnt mean like goodnight Im going to bed, it means Goodnight like Good morning, Good afternoon. And therefore when trying to end a conversation because your tired, do not use Goodnight cause it means you want to stay and chat not sleep
-God has blessed my life more then words can say
-Loud harsh words dont mean someone is angry
-It is perfectly normal to walk around with a cutlass
-Bug net = Best Friend
-I am proud to tell people I am a Peace Corps Volunteer because of the positive responses I get
-Dont question the food, just eat it
-Ants, while they are annoying are perfectly harmless housemates
-Everyone knows everyone else in Dominica, and people will talk no matter what you do, gossip is alive and thriving on this Island
-When a band says they are performing at 10:00 that really means 2:00, and if you start dancing at 10:00 you will never make it to the actual performance
-Dominicans are some of the kindest people you will ever meet
-The most surefire way to be rude is not to say good afternoon back to someone, this rule applies on the bus as well, when someone gets on and says good morning all 17 others on the bus say it back
-A trip to town means, Im gonna spend a lot more money then I should today
-Rain can fall from a cloudless sky, dont ask me how just always have an umbrella
-My family means more to me than anything else on this Earth and without them I would not be where/who I am today
-Oreos can make my week, and Chips/Salsa can make my month
-My friends will always be there for me, and I for them even if there are 3,000 miles between
-The food here is a million times fresher and therefore lasts a lot longer
-Seeing mail in my mailbox makes me smile for the rest of the day, and packages actually make me jump for joy
-I share a special bond with my fellow PCV that could never be broken
-Dominican time is a very special thing indeed  still learning how to be patient with this one
-And as this one Rasta said to us the other night, We are all one blood and while we all might look different on the outside, have different beliefs, and different cultures, we are all the same on the inside. We all share the same draw to be kind to others and the less fortunate, the same insecurities about ourselves and about our lives, and we all share a link that makes us all from one blood.

So there you have a little list of some things I have learned here on Dominica, I challenge you next time you step onto a bus or enter a room say Good Afternoon and see what kind of response you get, you might be surprised!

Happy Mother's Day

To my Mom on Mothers Day! You are the worlds best mom (and I can say that because I am a world traveler now)! I would never have been here doing what I am without you and your unending support. Thank you for everything, thank you for all the phone conversations, the emails, for answering all my strange questions, and for being the best mom throughout the years. I love you more then words can say, and I wish I could be there with you guys today on Mothers Day. Know that I miss you and love you! Enjoy your day you deserve it!

18 kids, a Boat, and the Indian River

Friday was one of the best days I have had here on Dominica! I spent pretty much the entire day with my first grade class.

The day started at the school during assembly. Each class lines up and stands in order in the courtyard. There they all pray together, sing religious songs and the national anthem, recite the pledge of allegiance, and listen to the announcements. All while being quite and standing in rows with their arms folded and paying attention. Can you imagine trying to get an entire school of 300 to do this at home? No way! I uploaded a video if you dont believe me. :)

Then it was into the classroom. We started they day off with a test on family life, aka basically sex ed for first graders. They had to write what parts a boy has that girls dont, and what girls have that boys dont. Oh man I loved some of the answers/spellings that were turned in. Here are some things I learned, boys dont have long hair nor do they wear skirts. And girls have earrings. Cleary not the answers the test was looking for. It was also pretty funny when they would come turn in their test with these answers and the teacher and I would have to prompt them to think a little harder about what the real answer could be, then you could see the light bulb go on and they would get all shy and run away so funny!

After the test, which took way longer then it should have the kids got to make Mothers Day cards! They loved it! They each got to pick out what drawing they wanted to color, then the Mrs. Baron and I glued them to construction paper and they wrote a message to their moms. They turned out so good, and I upload some photos of the kids with their cards for all to see! This took us up right to lunch so with a quick prayer  yep they pray before they can leave for lunch thanking God for their food  and then the kids went home for their lunch break.

After lunch instead of meeting back at the classroom, we all meet at the Indian River for our class field trip. Mrs. Baron and myself along with a tour guide took 18 first graders up the Indian River on a boat! I thought it was going to be crazy, but the kids were actually really great. I think mostly because the they were afraid of the water and falling in. The little guy sitting next to me was holding my hand for most of the trip. :)

The tour was great. We learned all about the wildlife and some history about Dominica! We even heard about the filming of Pirates of the Caribbean 2, because the river is in the movie! Its where they go to find Calypso. I happened to see the movie on TV the night before and I thought it would look way different  you know it would be all Hollywooded up- but it looks exactly the same! The water really is that murky in spots and it is shallow enough for people to stand in. Of course it was during the day and there werent candles everywhere, or a village of people living on it, but still you could tell it was the same place.

Even with all the cool info the tour guide was giving us all the kids really cared about was pointing out every single crab they saw. And can I just tell you how many crabs there are on that river, probably one every 3 feet. Big ones, little ones, white ones, red ones; we found them all and got excited about every single one!

In the middle of the tour there is a little bar that you stop at, you know tourist need their bars. But we stopped and let the kids have their snack and run around a bit. It was a really neat place in the middle of the jungle. And we got some great group photos as well. We also saw a really cool lizard, but they kids wouldnt stop chasing him. I felt bad for the little guy!

After snack time we went back down the river to where we started. The kids had a great time on the boat and where a bit sad to be done, I was pretty much ready  those kids will wear you out fast! As we waited for their parents to come pick up the kids, our tour guide made me this really cool crane and fish out of palm trees leaves! Its probably one of the coolest things I have gotten here! I love it!

So like I said it as probably one of the best days here on this island and one that I will never forget! Nothing like a day with kids to make you understand why you are doing the Peace Corps.