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!