I Survived Carnival!

I have officially made it through my first Carnival and while I may not have slept for 4 days (only naps) it was well worth it considering the fun that was had by all! I cannot really even begin to explain the craziness that is Carnival here in Dominica but I will try my best.

Carnival is a huge party that takes place mainly in the streets of Roseau that is celebrated for a month with the big party days on Carnival Monday and Tuesday and the weekend before. It all started with the opening parade in Roseau and then the opening parade in Portsmouth the following weekend. Both parades are full of music, dancing, costumes, flags and much more. Most people watch the parade go by just like we do in the States, however the last group is always a popular band here on the island (WCK band) and most people get behind the band at the end of the parade and walk/dance their way along the parade route jumping up to the music. Of course I participated in both these parades and jump ups  crazy crowds and crazy fun!

Between the opening parade and Carnival Tuesday are various events that include the Calypso Quarter and Semi finals, various Queen shows throughout the island, concerts almost every night, and lots of other fun events. CALLS even had their own Queen show and we crowned the first ever Miss CALLS! It was really entertaining and great to spend time with the students outside of class. One of my students even made an appearance cross dressing, a normal practice here for men at Carnival time, and the sad thing was.. he actually looked better than most women in the bathing suit he was wearing! I told you its crazy here around Carnival!

The weekend before Carnival Tuesday kicks off the big events starting with the island wide Queen Show were Miss Dominica is crowned. I didnt go to this event I can only take so many Queen shows (they are your typical beauty pageant, and not really my thing). Never-the-less the women here in Dominica love this event and it is very popular, and I do have to say some of the costumes that the women make are pretty cool. The next night is the Calypso finals where the Calypso King or Monarch is crowned! Now let me tell you a bit about what Calypso is Calypso is a type of music that is very popular here in the Caribbean. Each singer makes up a song about a popular subject or political statement, it can be funny or serious but they all make a strong statement about current events here in Dominica. Most contestants wear a costume and put on a show for the crowd (we even had fireworks this year) the better the show and song, the better your chance of winning. The nig twist this year a women won for the first time ever! How crazy is that! So people were not happy considering its the Calypso King but her song was by far the best and she deserved to win Im not bias or anything! :)

Then its finally time for Carnival proper! And what better way to start it off then a J'Ouvert (Jump Up in the streets of Roseau) at 3:00 am! Yep that is right we got up at 2:00 am got into our costumes and danced the morning away behind WCK! 3:00 to 10:00 am! There were all kinds of costumes there, cross dressing men and scantily clad women, a whole group of women dressed as Annie (red fro wigs and all) and I even saw an Avatar! We played it safe and a little more modest with our costumes black and white with neon accents! Very fun and the best event in my humble opinion!
After the J'Ouvert  its home for a nap before returning for the T-Shirt bands! Same basic concept bands drive around the city streets with people jumping up behind them. The point of T-shirt band is to buy the shirt our your favorite band and follow behind them. WCK had thousands of followers! This is by far the most crazy event lots of fights and way too many people! After a fight almost pushed us into a chicken grill on the side of the road we had to retreat to Rashawnas parents hotel room for a while till it calmed down a bit.
Tuesday is the official day of Carnival and is celebrated with an all day costume parade. Groups of people come together and wear the same costumes and parade around the city with, you guessed it bands! The contestants from the Queens Show come out and show off their costumes, there were steel drum groups, flags and much more! It is a very exciting atmosphere and feels very Caribbean and Carnival like! After the parade is the final lap the last jump up before Lent begins. I left Roseau for this event and went to Portsmouths last lap. They had a band from Antigua and a lot of my friends were up there so it was a good time, until the band ran over someones foot and they had to shut down of a while. But by that point I was so tired I went home and slept pretty much slept all day Wednesday too. Now before you go thinking I am a terrible volunteer let me assure you that everything and I do mean everything shuts down here for Carnival so there was no work to be done so I am in the clear!

So there you have it I made it through and I am so glad I have another year to recover before I experience another Carnival! You are pretty much gonna have to check out the photos to understand the craziness of what I was talking about, cause you know what they say a picture is worth a thousand words and this entry has too many already.

Happy One Year Anniversary!

So guess what I have been gone from the United States for a year now! Happy one year anniversary! Its so crazy to me, the time had just flown by so fast and I have had some many amazing experiences and I have grown so much as person in the past year its crazy to me. I have known my one year anniversary was coming up, but I really think it hit me this weekend when we welcome the new batch of PCVs! Thats right, I am no longer the new group but they older group? When did that happen!?
I cannot even begin to explain what I was feeling as we meet the new volunteers just coming off the plane. I even got a ride home from the airport from my host dad and we were reminiscing about that same trip we made a year ago together. And that night as I was falling asleep I couldnt help but think about the new volunteers in their host families house spending their first night in Dominica, and I remember how I felt I had felt so alone, but so excited now I live on my own and have no problem being alone, leaving my house at night, meeting new people, working at numerous organizations, doing hikes I never thought I could, and so many other amazing things have been able to do thanks to my PC experience!

I really have come a long way since I first came here Im not really even the same person I was then. Well I am still me, I am just more strong and confident and I know what I believe in and what I want from life. I cannot wait to see how much more I grow in the following year!

A New Year

Well first let me say, sorry it has been so long since I last updated my blog I have been very busy with the holidays, visitors, and work. Also I am sad to report that my computer crashed during all this as well. But things are getting back on track, I have a new computer (!!!) and I am slowly getting back into my normal routine here.  So here goes trying to put into words what my last month has been like AMAZING!

I have to say that while it was a little hard not to be home for Christmas, being here in Dominica for the holidays was a really amazing experience. And I just have to say that it probably wouldnt have been as great if my sister wasnt here with me to celebrate. With her company and comfort I was truly able to enjoy a Dominican Christmas. Kristen and I had a really great time together, we explored the island and I got to show her some of my favorite sights  Emerald Pool, Trafalgar Falls, the Indian River and the list goes on and on. We spent time with some of the other PCVs, made lots of new Dominican friends, and had ourselves a very Merry Caribbean Christmas.

So here is the breakdown of our Dominican style Christmas We spent Christmas Eve day on the beach, with the other PCVs that stayed on island, relaxing and enjoying the Caribbean sun rather than the Colorado snow! Christmas Eve isnt really a beach day here in Dominica, so we were really the only ones there so later that night we decided to do what the locals do and head to town (Roseau) to participate in the traditional Dominican Christmas Eve. You know how in the States everyone goes shopping before Christmas and wraps the presents and puts them under the tree? Well not many people do that here, instead the whole family goes down to Roseau on Christmas Eve and picks out their gifts from the shops that stay open extra late. Then they hang out in town enjoying their purchases, listen to music, eating and drinking, and just hang out with everyone else that is down there. We ended up staying till about midnight or so and by that time it was getting a little crazy lots of partying and firecrackers going off in the middle of the streets, so it was a good time to head back home. Most Dominicans would have gone to midnight mass about this time then after it ended party till the sun came up.

Christmas morning Kristen and I woke up and made ourselves a Christmas breakfast! We even found Corned Beef Hash for me (one of my favorites!) You will notice the day pretty much revolved around food! Then we skyped home (pre computer crash) and opened our gifts the family had sent down!!! At this time most Dominicans were probably at home resting from the long night before and getting ready to do it all again that night. Kristen and I were then invited to a friends house (one of the teachers I work with at the primary school) for lunch, not just any lunch but a huge feast of local Dominican foods. There was beef, pork, and goat stews, rice, salad, mac and cheese, coleslaw, veggies, local juice, tons of alcohol, and much more.  Kristen and I were stuffed! It was really great to spend part of the day with good friends and got us out of my tiny apartment for a while.

When we got home we skyped some more :) and then made ourselves a tradition (American) Christmas dinner! And man did we do a good job or what! I was so proud of us. We made a 10 pound turkey (which I am still eating today) stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, and green beans! We even had some local Christmas juice called sorrel from my landlords. We pretty much used every dish I own to make dinner. We were so proud of our little Christmas meal! After that we just spent time together chatting and probably watched a movie before falling asleep. It was a great Christmas to be sure. And I am so glad Kristen was here to experience a Dominican Christmas with me. And we made some really great memories that will last a lifetime. Kristen has a future being an island girl that is for sure!

After Kristen left (sad sad day) it was time to celebrate New Years Eve only problem is Dominicans dont celebrate New Years Eve the night is spent in church and the celebration is on New Years Day  a beach day. So what did we PCVs do, well the only thing there was to do (other than church) we went to the American school here and partied with the ROSS students. It was a typical NYE party very fun though. Lets just say we spent the rest of the weekend doing nothing but sleeping and laying low. :)

And then a few days after that I had another visitor one of my best friends from high school, Nate, came to visit me.  We had a great time, I always love when people come to visit cause I get to play tourist while they are here. Nate and I had a great time and we even did some new things that I had never done before. One new thing was we hiked to Boiling lake, it is a 8 mile gorgeous hike to 1 of only 2 boiling lakes in the world. It was a really challenging hike, but so worth it, and it was something that has been on my to-do list since I got here.

Now that Nate is gone, and the holidays are over it is time for me to get back to my normal life. Only problem is I am having a little bit of a hard time doing so so well see all I can do right now is put one foot in front of the other and be grateful for the amazing holiday season I had and the priceless memories made.

A Quick Update

Wow time has been flying by here in Dominica. We went straight from the Independence season into HIV/AIDS awareness month, which added a lot of little projects here and there to my schedule. And now we are on to the Christmas season! And I cannot believe I have been gone from the States (and that I call it The States) for 10 months! Like I said time is just flying by here.

HIV/AIDS awareness month was a really great month for me work wise I had a lot of new events to attend, things like a HIV/AIDS talk, a remembrance for those who have lots their lives and those who are living with HIV/AIDS, a drive through the country where we gave out a ton of information, and other great events. But Im not gonna lie it was also really hard. HIV/AIDS work takes a really strong person and while I feel I have grown a lot here and did pretty good work I still have the highest respect for those who make HIV/AIDS awareness their job. There is so much emotion that goes along with it.

On top of it all, I have been feeling pretty homesick as of late. Thanksgiving was pretty tough for me. We had a great PCV party with all the traditional Thanksgiving food and I was surrounded by tons of friends but I still missed home a lot. I tried to think of it as a new experience that I will one day look back on and tell my kids stories about but that didnt really help with the homesickness.

But I made it through and I am feeling surprising good considering Christmas is coming up, and this will be my first Christmas away from home. I Think maybe Kristen coming to visit is why I feel so good about it, I cant wait to go to the beach with her on Christmas day and get a tan. And we are going to try to cook our own turkey as well wish us luck, where gonna need it!

So yeah that is just a quick overview of things that have been going on/I have been feeling lately. I dont have much time for writing right now because I have a lot to do to prepare for the end of the term and my little vacation with my sister!  First up is a Pizza/Christmas party with my CALLS art students.

Also check out my photos of HIV/AIDS awareness events and some of the Christmas activities I have attend so far... more to come.

Independence Season

If there is one thing I can say about the Dominican people it that they know how to celebrate! Its Independence season and that means a month long celebration.

I dont really even know where to start Well I guess I will start with the preparations for the Independence season. First I had a tradition outfit made; every Friday during the month of October everyone wears their Creole outfit in town. I got a madras skirt, which is a bright plaid, and a white blouse. I also got my hair braided not only braided but I also got some fake hair added in. My braids were really long and even had some blond in it. It was really fun for a while, but because of the fake hair you cant get it wet. So after two weeks of not washing my hair they had to come out!

The first event I went to was the Cultural Dances at Cabrits National Park. All the dance groups from the North came together and competed in traditional dances like, Bele, Quadrille, Mazook, and Heal and Toe. Near the end of the month, there is a Cultural Gala, where the winners of the dances from all around the country come together and perform. It was really great to sit around and chat and watch the dancers perform. A lot of my friends were there so it was a very social event for me.

Then I went to Heritage Day in Grandbay. There were some great displays of local craftsmans work as well as great food all around the village. Later that night they had live music and more food!

After that is was the Youth Rally back up in Portsmouth. This was a really cool event and reminded me of my days in marching band. All the schools in the North got a group of students together to march in unison, holing a banner of their school, onto the playing field. It has a very military feel that no doubt came from the British influence here. But there is a marching band that plays while they march. My students from CALLS and RDPS were there and it was so cool to see they marching around with pride for their school.

The last week of October is Creole in the Park and World Creole Music Festival. From Monday to Thursday we had Creole in the Park in the botanic gardens in Roseau. There are two stages set up, and tons are booths all over with crafts, jewelry, candy, drinks, food, and lots more food. But the food is not typical festival food, its Creole food of codfish, crab, bakes, calallou, roti, cassava, and mahi mahi dishes. I got try some crab calallo very hard to eat but very good! Local artists played Creole songs, steel pans, reggae, jazz, and harmonicas, and then every night had one international band. This is a day event that ends at 7pm, and buses run all over the country all day long, so its a great family event that is fun and safe and only cost $2 at the door. I got to go Thursday and got to see one of my favorite singers in the Caribbean Queen Ifrica!

Then Friday night, Saturday night, and Sunday night is World Creole Music Festival. This is not for families, but more of a concert that goes from 7pm to 6am the next day! People from all over the world fly here to Dominica for the World Creole Music Festival. Each night costs $120EC, and has a combination of local bands and international bands; its all mainly Caribbean artists and music. With such a high-ticket price all us PCV decide to only go Saturday night because on of the biggest stars in the EC was performing that night. However hurricane Tomas had different plans we didnt get hit with the hurricane like St. Lucia did (all the PCVs there are doing well now) but we did get a pretty nasty storm that ended up canceling the show for that night. But in true Dominican style they picked it back up where they left off the next night and we were able to go to the show then! It was such a fun night!

The last event I attended before the actual Independence Day was Creole Day at RDPS and CALLS. At RDPS all the kids were dressed up in the traditional wear and there was a pageant for Miss Creole RD. Two of my old students were in the pageant and did very well. It was very fun to hang out with all the kids and watch the show. After spending the morning with the primary kids I went over to CALLS for the afternoon. The students had spent all morning cooking a huge fest for all of us. We all had lunch together crammed into our tiny schoolroom, and it was so great! The students put in so much hard work and really had a great time. After lunch we took tons of photos (they love taking photos!) And some of the girls did some traditional dancing with the others sang and drummed for them. It was a really special day for me and I was able to really bond with the students outside of the classroom. I think this was one of my favorite events of the season.

After all the celebrations (and I didnt even attend half of them) it was time to celebrate the actual day of Independence (November 3rd) and what better way to do that then a beach day! It was a great ending to a great (tiring) Independence Season.

Check out all my photos that go along with the events!

The Most...

The other day I was talking to my friend Rashawna and she was telling me about an interesting idea her step dad sent her for a blog entry I loved the idea so much I asked if I could do the same thing. Here is what her dad wrote: In the first 8 months can you remember the time you were most afraid? Tell me the story. How about the time you were most lonely? Most happy? Most silly? Most awe-inspiring? Most sorrow for the sadness of the place? Most filled amazement at the wonderfulness of the people? Most struck by the beauty? Most angry and frustrated? Like I said, a great idea for a blog entry so here I go

Most Afraid- The plane ride here no I am just kidding, well kind of! I dont know if there has been a time I have been really afraid I mean leaving home was pretty scary, and sometimes when the power goes out in the middle of the night and you hear voices outside that no picnic either but I really feel safe here and havent had too many scary moments. I am lucky I guess!

Most Lonely- There are two moments that stand out in my mind for the loneliest. The first would be my first day here on the island. For over a week I had been surrounded by people constantly, sitting in training, eating meals together, even sharing a room at night, and forming such tight bonds so fast with everyone around me. And then we get to the island and my host family picks me up to take me home. I had to leave everyone at the airport, with no cell phone and no idea if I would have Internet at my new home  so basically no way to contact anyone I knew.... I still remember sitting in my host familys living room not understanding a word my host sister was saying, eating food I had never had before, and feeling so out of place. I felt like all I had was me Of coarse the next day I went to training and saw everyone, eventually we got cell phones, I had Internet, over time I understood my host sister just fine and was very comfortable in my host familys house. And now I know, that even when its just me thats ok, I like me, and eventually things that seem strange and out of place will come together.

The other would have to be the night before any holiday The holidays themselves are not lonely I am generally surrounded with people and I find it fascinating to see how Dominicans celebrate holidays. But the night before when I am laying in bed I cant help but think back to what my family and friends will be doing together the next day and what I am missing out on. Eventually after sad thoughts and yes even some crying I realize how blessed I am to be here, and that soon enough I will be back home to celebrate with everyone and I feel better. (Often I skype my mom during these times  lucky her!) Then the next day I wake up ready for another Dominican adventure!

Most Happy- My trip to Antigua and my Birthday Beach Day stand out as very happy times but I dont think I have a most happy moment because I am normally happy here. I have my ups and downs like anybody, but overall I would say I am happy here. I think island life had done me good. I wake up happy to be where I am, I am happy to be doing the work I am doing, and I am happy to be me! I am blessed to be here and I remember that everyday multiple times a day and I try to spend the day living up to that blessing. I feel like I am growing as a person and that I am doing good things all this makes me feel happy a good 98% of the time.

Most Silly- I find a lot of things in Dominica to be silly from the random comments I get to some of the situations I find myself and others in. Things just run differently here and often I choose to laugh about them rather then get frustrated or annoyed. But I would have to say the little children here take the cake for being the most silly. Everyday is a new adventure with the kids you never know what funny thing they are going to do or say next. Life looks much more simple through there eyes. I love how they are not ashamed to ask to touch my white skin or play with my hair or ask me weird questions. My favorite comment out of a kids mouth came after I got my nose pierced, I walked in and this little girl looked at me and says What is that in your nose TAKE IT OUT! I couldnt help but laugh!!! Another image that stands out in my mind was when I saw this little boy named Marvin (he was my adopted son for the Carib Territory fieldtrip) running down the road with three goats on a leash and the biggest smile I have ever seen!

Most Awe-Inspiring- This is probably going to sounds a little strange but my most awe-inspiring moments normally hit me when I am on a bus. Weird I know, but here is why: When I take my weekly trip to town I am normally sitting on a crowded bus listening to my iPod and letting my mind wander for the hour or so it takes to get there. And ever so often amidst the random thoughts we turn a corner and there it is the ocean, the amazingly huge ocean, right there 10 feet away from my bus, and I cant help but think about how amazing this island is and how blessed I am to be here. Whenever this happens I cant help but to take a moment and think about how proud I am to be a Peace Corps Volunteer, and how this experience is going to be with me for the rest of my life and help shape me into the person I will be.

Most Sorrowful- This moment actually happened when my parents were visiting. We were driving around killing time, till my laundry was done, checking out parts of Portsmouth that I had never even been too, when we drove past this little shack, for lake of a better word. My mom was the first to notice the little house; it was packed with so many people, children and adults alike. The laundry was hanging outside and as a result most of the kids running around were naked due to the fact that their only cloths were there on the line. Here we were driving around in our car waiting on laundry to be done for me and this family was literally washing the only cloths they had. Then when I thought I couldnt feel anymore, I recognized one of the little girls and realized I knew the family caught in this cycle of poverty.  She is one of the sweetest happiest kids I have ever met despite her home life. It really made me realize how bless I am and that there is a reason why I am here doing what I am doing.

Most Filled Amazement at the Wonderfulness of the People- This moment happens daily here on this island. Everyone is so willing to help anybody not just their friends or family but literally everyone! I remember my first day of training and my first bus experience here on Dominica. My host mom road with me all the way to the PC office to drop me off and to show where to wait for a bus, where to get off, how to pay, how much to pay you know all that stuff you never think about till you realize you have never done it. After training my host day was going to pick me up (he is a bus driver) and take me home. Well turns out he got busy with a bus full of tourists so he called and said I would have to make it back without him. He told me where to go in town to get a bus and to tell the drive to drop me out the house. I found the bus stop (Im still proud of myself for that) but the only problem was I didnt have any idea where the house is I mean I knew it was in Portsmouth but that was about it (hey I had only been there a day so dont judge.) Anyways I walked up to the bus and asked, Do you know where Wayne McLawerence lives thinking that was a stupid question so I wasnt prepared when the drive said yes of course he knew the McLawerences and would drop me there! (I soon found out that everyone know everyone else on this island) Not only did he drop me there, but also he went out of his way to drop me at the front door, and over some pretty crazy roads too. And not one person on the bus was annoyed at the detour!

Most Struck by the Beauty- Literally everyday! This place is more beautiful then you can image and it never ceases to amaze me. Everyday I walk out my door it hits me, and I never get tired of seeing ocean!

Most Angry and Frustrated- There have been a number of times that I have been frustrated on this island, and most time I just remind myself to relax and find the humor in each situation. However the other day that tact didnt pull through. Last week, when I was teaching my art class at CALLS, was by far the most frustrated I have been! My kids were crazy, out of control, and wanted to test me it was too much! There were fights, kids punching the walls, no one wanted to do their work, I got flipped off, and each student magically got allergies to dust when the time came to clean up. Their disrespect was almost too much for me to handle. Somehow I was able to pull trough the class (all 2 hours of it) and make it home, where my poor mom had to calm me down over skype. Now that I have had some time to relax I know that these kids have had a rough life, and it will just take time for them to respect me. They dont have much consistency in their lives and probably no one to trust or anyone who had really cared about them until CALLS. I guess it just a little reminder why I am here and why I decide to volunteer at CALLS in the first place they just better be nicer next week!

So thanks to Rashawnas step dad for the great blog idea! It was great to sit down and think about all these things like a trip down memory lane!

Antiguan Vacation!

A few weeks ago I left the island of Dominica for the first time since coming here 7 months ago and can I just say I love vacations!!!!! Peace Corps gives us vacation days and a lot of people use these days to go home for Christmas or for the summer. I however I have decided to use some of my days to travel around the EC! (Plus my sister Kristen is coming here for Christmas so I dont need the days to travel home).

Anyways a few of us PCVs decided that I trip was in order so Michelle, Alica, Brian, Austin, and I booked a 5 night stay at an all-inclusive restore in Antigua! After a short 45-minute flight we arrived in Antigua, we wasted no time getting to the resort and immediately got a drink at the bar and got in the pool! And I am happy to say this is how we spent most of our vacation that and eating!

Every morning we would wake up, head to the pool and stay there all day breaking only for lunch (which was a little grill next to the pool). There was a swim up bar so we didnt even have to get out of the water, so nice! The ocean was right next to the pool, but the water was too rough so the resort didnt want people swimming in it, fine by me! I have beaches here its the pool I was there for! Every afternoon we would head up the rooms for a nap before dinner. Dinner was at a different restaurant every night, Seafood, Italian, Indian, and a BBQ! Oh how I have missed normal food!!!! After dinner we would participate in whatever activity the resort had that night, karaoke, bonfire, dancing, steel pan group, and lots more. Then head to bed (the AC!) to start it all over the next day!

We had a blast and I have so many memories and so many stories to tell. There are just so many its hard to know which ones to write! I guess one that I found pretty funny was: When we were driving to the resort we stopped in the middle of the road, and for the life of me I couldnt figure out why then I looked up and there it was a stop light! We dont have those in Dominica! It was funny how annoyed I got sitting there waiting for the light to change, when back home (in Dominica) I wait 45 minutes for a bus to fill before we even leave!

Other fun stories include:
 - Making the boys bead bracelets with us
 - Brian mashing up his face while trying to do a handstand in the pool
 - The Wine Ninja  who kept refilling our glasses without us knowing!
 - The other crazy guests and the thing they did (topless sunbathing, and a guy even paralyzed himself from the waste down by diving into the 3 ft pool naked)
 - And many, many more!

I was so happy to have a little vacation with some great friends, and I am so blessed that I have the opportunities that I have! This is the life!!!!