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.

What do you do in the Peace Corps?

Well I know it has been a little while since I last updated my blog, and for a few days now I have been wanting to update it and tell everyone about my job here on Dominica, the only problem is  Im not really clear what it is yet. Dont get me wrong, I know why I am here and I keep myself busy everyday but I have yet to find that one project that stands out from the rest. I guess I will tell you what I do know rather than what I dont:

I am attached to the Town Council here in Portsmouth. The Town Council is the local government here in Portsmouth and maintains the town. I stop by the office three times a week to help with daily work. Mostly preparing bills, attending the council meeting, things like that. However I am too new to take on larger projects as of right now, which is eventually the goal of my Peace Corps work. For now I am just trying to earn trust and get to know people.

Also the other larger set back, other than being a new young American that no one knows, is things here in Dominica move at a different pace then I am use to back home. That is to say, things move slower here, a lot slower. Im not saying they dont get things done here in Dominica; there is just a different focus then back home. And it takes a lot of time to build relationships and to earn the trust of the community, it also takes a long time to plan actives and get things done. By the time I get home, I will be the most easy-going person you have ever meet. I thought I was patient before, but that is tested here everyday.

I am also attached to Roosevelt Douglas Primary School. I visit the school at least once a week, if not more, and work with the students there. Right now my main focus is with one of the first grade classes, you can see the photos of the kids and me. Some days I grade papers, some days I read to the kids, and some days I help some of the students who are falling a bit behind. Mostly giving them one on one time with tests and projects. Every time I am there I am nearly knocked over when I walk in the doors by 40 or 50 kids who all want hugs. :)

One of my main goals that I want to accomplish at the school is setting up the library, the school is a brand new, they have been open for a year, and the library has still not been set up. However like I said before things move slower here. The lady who is working on the library has been on vacation since I got here, so I am still waiting on her return to start this project.

When I am not at the town council or RDPS I fill my time with as many other activities as I can. For example today I just got back from volunteering at CARE for the elderly. Today we did Meals in Wheels and distributed soup, rice, and bread all over Portsmouth. On Friday I went to a near by village named Cottage and helped a friend put on a movie night for the youth in the area. And soon I hope to start going to a Steel Drum group and learn how to play. Every week I also take a trip into town to get mail and visit the bank, and do shopping. And on top of it all I am teaching myself how to cook the food here, and we all know I dont really enjoy cooking that much. There are tons of other random things I do here but like I said Im still trying to work towards a bigger project.

I dont know if that made any sense to anyone but me. Its really hard when someone asks you what you do in the Peace Corps because there are so many different elements to it. Not only do I work here, but I am also trying to learn a new culture and integrate into the community. Everyday I do something new, I meet new people, I learn something new about Dominica and about myself, and everyday I have to remind myself to take it one small step at a time.

Its Official!

Well its official now, I am an official Peace Corps Volunteer!!! I am no longer a trainee because yesterday we had our swearing in ceremony! Its so crazy to think that I started this whole process over a year ago and now here I am living in Dominica as a PCV!

The ceremony started with a prayer, as do all the official events and meeting here, follow by the singing of Dominicas National Anthem and the American National Anthem. Then our APCD Patrick spoke and the Country Director, Margo. Mostly just a brief overview of what Peace Corps is and what they are doing on the island, followed by a congratulations to the soon to be volunteers.

Then our host families were recognized. Really without them the transition would have been much harder for all of us. They all got to come onto the stage and receive a certificate from the PC thanking them for all they do. Both my host parents were able to attend so that was really great to see them up there.

After that it was time to take the official oath. We all had to stand on the stage and raise our right hands and swear in as official volunteers. I felt a little dorky up there with my hand in the air repeating the oath, but it was actually really cool when you think about it. Then we got our certificates and our Peace Corps IDs, a pin and a patch. Like I said Im official now!

Then came the part I was most nervous about. We had to give a presentation in Kreyol, the local language here. We decided to do a skit on what we have experienced so far on the Island. Here was my line:

Flex, Mwen pa yon etyodyan Ross. Mwen se yon ofisya Peace Corps eve jodi a nott ka organize yon jou spo an pak-la nou vle tout moun vini.

Basically I said:

Flex (the host of our radio talk show) Im not a Ross Student, I am a Peace Corps and we are having a sports day in the park tomorrow and everyone should come.

Its a running joke here that everyone thinks just because I am white and living in Portsmouth I am a Ross student (it is an American medial school here in Portsmouth), in fact I dont even have to find buses to come home from the capital, they find me.

The skit actually went really well and we got a lot of laughs out of the crowd. Following the skit Alex did our vote of thanks in Kreyol , she did a great job and everyone could even understand what she was saying. And that was it. We had refreshments after and I was able to spend some time with my host mom.

And to end the day, all the volunteers on Dominica got lunch together. Which was nice, we were able to relax and chat and just enjoy the idea that we are now official Peace Corps Volunteers!!!

Good by training and hello working!

On My Own Again

Well the day has finally come; I am now living in my own apartment here in Dominica! I moved out of my host familys house yesterday in the pouring rain after going to the market in the rain to stock my new house with fresh fruits and veggies! I spent the entire day yesterday cleaning and unpacking and was able to transform this tiny apartment into a home by the end of the day. I think its going to be a great place to live for my two years here.

I live right in the heart of Portsmouth, directly across the playing field, a 20 second walk to my school attachment and a 2 min walk to my job. Everything I need is a short walk away, from the bus stop, to shops and restaurants, and everything in between. There is also a little restaurant close by that has pizza on Friday nights! What a great place to be living.

My apartment is attached to my landlords house. Their house is L shaped and my little place is under one side of the L. We have a little courtyard with grass and flowers, and a cement wall surrounds the entire place (doesnt sound nice but it is), just out side the gate there are more beautiful flowers. I have my own gate that I use and my own little porch to sit out on and lime (chill).

I have a one-bedroom, one bathroom apartment. The living room, dining room and kitchen are all in one. ☺ I have wireless Internet!!! Cable TV (yeah I know I just said I have cable TV  crazy!) And the Pice de rsistance, I have hot water!!!!! I took my first hot shower yesterday since leaving the Untied States. It was lovely!!!! It will probably cost me an arm and a leg but oh well its so worth it!

Last night was my first night sleeping in a place all on my own since I moved home from Fort Collins. Im not gonna lie, it was a little hard to fall asleep, I guess I just felt a little lonely after constantly being around people for 8 weeks straight. But I finally did fall asleep, after a bit of skyping, chatting with the other volunteers, and some TV to distract me, and I slept well through the whole night. And in the morning it felt great to wake up in my own apartment.

All in all its an amazing place to live and I am very happy to be here. I also uploaded lots of photos and a video tour!

Oh and special thanks to Aunt Patti and Uncle Al, the gorgeous piece of art hanging in my living room is all thanks to them. What would an artist house be with out a little art on the walls right? It really makes my house a home!

Happy Easter!

Just wanted to say Happy Easter Everyone from Dominica!

I just celebrated with a 3:30 hour Easter Mass. It was a very beautiful very long (10:00pm to 1:30am) mass, so Im off to bed. Goodnight!