The view from my balcony. I live in an apartment built above my landlord’s house.



I’ve nearly spent a week now in my new home and I love it! It was built just for me. It’s a one bedroom apartment and very tiny. My living room/dining area are smaller than my bedroom, which is pretty big. My kitchen consists of one counter, a little gas stove and a dorm fridge. The other volunteers thought that was too bad about the fridge but then I reminded them that I eat very little so in reality it is ideal, and helps save on the electricity. I have a little “utility” room with a wash basin and a washing machine. My bedroom, like I said, is bigger than my living room with the bathroom being attached. I just got my cable and internet connected yesterday. So now I am all set!! I figured I will indulge myself this month and allow myself to be as comfortable as I want taking long showers and staying up late watching tv, pretty much being my American self again. Once I get my bills and see how outrageous they are then I will have to cut back. I really want to try and save some money and travel around the islands.

Living all by my lonesome isn’t too bad. I do get bored but I am being creative. I have gotten back into my sketching after a very long break. I found a sketchpad and drawing pencils (cheaper alternative to charcoal) and am working on drawing some local scenes and hope to decorate my walls with them. I’ll create my own little exhibit! I am also doing a lot of reading. It’s now my night time ritual in order to help me sleep. I am finishing my 5th book.

Now, as far as when I am not at home, I am busy running errands in Bassaterre and getting set up with some projects here in St. Peters. I observed the diabetic clinic at the health centre on Monday and then went next door to the school. I found that the primary school here was lacking a reading teacher. The literacy rate among most adolescents here on the island is very low, and when children who are in 4th, 5th, and even 6th grade can barely read at a second grade level then it is just a snowball effect with the rest of their academics. I told the head mistress that I would be interested in helping with any type of reading program. Well, the ball got rolling then and seems that there is a Kiwanis club (are they everywhere?) here on island, and a woman in our community is starting an after school program on Tuesdays and Thursdays. So now I will be creating invitations for the program to hand out at the next PTA meeting this week. I’ve also agreed to help teach English to a group of French-speaking Guadalupe exchange students visiting for this month.

I also am taking Spanish classes once a week. They are free and I thought that will come in handy when I go back to the States, and here as well actually. There is a cluster of Spanish speakers here on island; mainly people from the Dominican Republic and others from South America or Cuba. So I guess I am keeping pretty busy, but the days sure go by slowly!!