Amber's Adventures in the West Indies

Next chapter

2008-08-17T19:44:00.000-07:00

I was officially done as a Peace Corps volunteer on Friday, and it has yet to really hit me. My emotions are very unpredictable now. Some times I am so lost in thought trying to figure out what needs to be packed, given away, turned off, thrown out, wrapped up, returned, cleaned, and lastly thinking of those I still need a hug and farewell from. Most of them came tonight at church, from my extended family at Salem Gospel hall, and I swear they nearly had me cracked... but I held it together and only allowed a tear or two to escape. I plan to save it all for the plane and my 6 hour lay over in Puerto Rico. The poor people who will be witness to the waterworks!! Oh well.

It's been a journey to say the least. I loved it and hated it and all the emotions in between. It didn't turn out like I expected, but then again I don't really remember anymore what I was expecting. All I know is that at this point I wouldn't have traded this experience for anything else. I have no regrets.

Winding Down

2008-07-22T06:05:00.000-07:00

I finally got a good avocado!! My first avocado of the season, and no other one will taste as good as this one until next year.... oops! Or shall I say, the next time I am down here. Seriously, my day cannot go wrong after starting it off with delicious buttered toast and avocado, and of course a nice cup of coffee. I'm still in a mild coma state after that delicious breakfast and am now just stalling at doing laundry and showering before I head up to the library. No worries though, no rush. I run on my own schedule these days!

I am down to 4 weeks, and this week marks the start of my "wind down" process. Nearly 2 weeks ago a program complete with dancing, singing, poetry, and a skit (which included me as the nurse) marked the end of Eagle Boys for the summer. Unlike in the states, where I fondly remember still going to Girl Scouts and 4-H during the summer, things here shut down when school is out. I have protested, mainly to my neighbors and local friends, that this is the time when these extracurricular programs are most needed. Kids get so bored during the summer regardless of the ministries best efforts to offer camps for everyone that only take place in July. Come August there is just nothing left for them to do. This has now become one of my many plans-for-change accruing in my head in case of a future, and more permanent return. Of course, I am not seeing that happening anytime soon.

Last week we had the summer camp for the Sea Turtle Monitoring Network. I thought it went well despite some hiccups with last minute changes. I've worked with other camps here and I believe this one was by far the most organized, well communicated, and well executed camp I've seen. You know it went well when even the campers are commenting on how they wish camp was every day of the year! Oh geez. That's nice and all, but I seriously was in bed by 8 or 9 each night afterwards. I am standing by previous statements about the cure for insomnia... CHILDREN!!! I have never slept more soundly than when I have spent a full day with kids. Those who feel the need for pills... come to me and I will show you my "alternative therapy" for sleepless nights!

Ahhh, so now, like I said, I have 4 weeks left. I just need to wrap up some things at the library and at SCHS, and then spend a day doing some tourist shopping (still have yet to get a flag) and I am all set. Homeward bound and I can't wait!

First Farewells and Last Adventures,

2008-07-08T08:41:00.000-07:00

My mom has been on me about sending an update, she says people need to know what is going on these last few months that I'm out here. So, here I sit now, letting you in on some of my lasts out here in the Caribbean.

My first farewells began in St. Lucia the first week of June. I was going to my Close of Service for my entire Eastern Caribbean group 76. It was great seeing those faces that were strangers to me only 2 years ago, and to see the changes in character and physical appearance that living on our islands created. Some had beards, others had long hair, and most of us were pretty tan. We no longer radiated this naive enthusiasm of changing the world that seemed to be our demeanor as trainees (more or less our American mindset), but instead there was this impassive, c'est la vie mood that seemed to characterize all of us. I actually noticed this back at MST last year, but now it seems like this attitude has become a part of each of our moral fiber. We'd become weathered to the realities of community work!

Anyhow, I had a great time in St. Lucia. It was a perfect place to end it, back where it all started. We had come full circle, started out with 72 and by COS we counted 56 of us. We ate well, slept uncomfortably in air-conditioned rooms, enjoyed hot water and full pressured showers, took pleasure in a break from the sea and swam in pools instead, watched movies in an actual cineplex, and drank some very filling, yet very delicious beer at a real brewery! I guess for the few of us who hadn't made it back to the states in the last 2 years, it was a taste of what is to come... a preview. It didn't last long though. After just catching up with everyone I felt like we were already saying goodbye and giving well wishes for our journeys ahead. After a week in Lucia I found myself back in SK.

Since my return I have spent the last 3 weeks or so checking things off my list. We had our farewell party on a catamaran day sail for our group and other PCVs and friends. There was the hike to D'os Dane pond, an exhilarating and tiring 8 hour trek that ended with barbecued chicken and beer at Aaron's house in Cayon. Days later we said goodbye to 3 of our PCVs, Liz, Matt, and Lauren. They left for home on the 1st. Then, this last weekend, myself and some others enjoyed our 4th of July with some Australia vs West Indies cricket action at Warner Park. West Indies came close, and lost by a disappointing 2 runs. We still celebrated American-style, with some fireworks out at Frigate Bay. As I watched I thought of all the places I had celebrated the 4th of July before.... Missouri, California, Guam, and now here in the Caribbean, where will I be next year?

Crafty Science Fun

2008-05-26T05:23:00.000-07:00

For Nature Club last week we decided to make volcanoes. These were all done in an hour so they weren't as elaborate as they could've been, but the kids loved it anyways. They cheered as each of the 5 volcanoes were erupted... this week, I think we'll discuss oceans and tides and create an ocean in a bottle!! Another great activity that will use up my collection of plastic soda bottles!

2008-04-28T19:03:00.000-07:00

New photo album posted of the kids from Eagle Boys and Nature Club, and some pics of our fun beach day last Saturday!! Click the "My Photos" link on the right side of this site...

The Cure for Insomniacs

2008-04-22T06:43:00.000-07:00

St. Peter's Eagle Boys youth group; Nevis field trip and turtle night walk

I can't quite put a finger on what exactly caused the complete wipe out of consciousness on the beach come Friday morning at 1 am, but I knew it had something to do with the summation of 2 days of young boys and all that entails. Never before have I been so thoroughly exhausted, mentally and physically. I mean sure, there have been those times where my body has had enough, but that was always after some strenuous physical exertion, like running a marathon or swimming the St. Kitts-Nevis channel. I just couldn't quite understand what it was with those boys that created the same zombie-like state, minus the leg ache, after my 26 mile run in the rain in Napa. Could it have been the cramped, sweaty bus ride around Nevis the day before? Or the constant state of alertness once they all scrambled out of the bus and scattered? Or maybe the moment I saw the crab carcasses next to their shattered shells near the rock wall and many more live ones in the hands of their juvenile captors (oh yes, I saw red at that point!)? Maybe it was all the beach walking come Thursday night and having to constantly reassure and entertain the boys that we would see a leatherback turtle. Heck, maybe I myself got tired just by watching them have turtle nest digging competitions and refereeing on who had dug the best hole. Or maybe it was not just one singular event that wiped me out, maybe it was just a culmination of the full island Nevis tour on Wednesday and the turtle walk the next day but all I know is that by the time those boys left the beach late Thursday night, I did one more walk along the beach to look for nesting leatherbacks and once we stopped to break I was out cold on the sand. By the time I got home at 4:30 am it was all I could do to shower and drag my useless self to bed.

St. Kitts-Nevis Channel Swim

2008-03-25T08:34:00.001-07:00

Swim route in magenta; my actual swim in yellow

I woke up around 5:45 am and already felt woozy with anxiety for this swim. The water has not been that pretty lately, and if it weren't enough that locals were telling me I would drown, they also decided that if the water didn't get me then the sharks surely would. It's not a common thing to swim the 2.5 mile stretch between St. Kitts and Nevis! So my nerves leading up to this day were on edge of course.

We made it to Cockleshell beach around 7 am and didn't get on the boat carrying us to Nevis until nearly 8:30 or so. That boat ride was such a terrible idea. Doesn't make one who is already nervous feel any better going over the exact route that she is about to swim. The boat bounced in the waves and it seemed like it took forever to get to Nevis. I kept watching for the rocks that would denote the half way point, and once we passed I gasped at how far away Cockleshell looked at only halfway!!

Once we made it upon Nevis you could already see how bad the swell had been earlier in the week. Smelly sea grass was in piles along the normally calm and serene beach. I walked past all this and made my way to the register tent. I picked up my bright green swim cap marked with the number 60, had my leg branded with the same number, and made damn sure I got my blue bracelet that would give me access to my 20% off Margarita at the finish. I was set.

So we finally took off from Oualie beach some time after 9 am. I allowed the more "elite" swimmers to get set and ahead. I was doing this thing with a snorkel and fins. My hat goes off to those who did it without any props (good job Becky and Royston). Once I had my fins on and made my way past the murky muck of sea grass I was off. I kept the Brocks (fellow volunteers and snorkelers) within my sight until half way between the rocks and the point off of Oualie beach. The part where I ended up losing them was when the water started to clear up and I could see the bottom. I guess I was getting a little distracted with watching the sea floor and the little fishes that when I finally popped my head up I realized I couldn't find my buddies. There were still some swimmers in the vicinity, so I decided to keep going.

Through half the swim I was in my own little fantasy world, all set with a soundtrack as well! I was mesmerized by the way sunlight cascaded through the water in luminous streams and found the swaying sea fans nearly hypnotizing as I kicked on past. At one point I even caught a glimpse of a sea turtle rocking back and forth in the current. All of this to the song "A Long December". I don't know why this one, but it became the theme song of my swim:

And its been a long December and theres reason to believe maybe this year will be better than the last. I cant remember all the times I tried to tell my myself to hold on to these moments as they pass... Its been so long since Ive seen the ocean...I guess I should

It was fun up until I realized that I somehow was too far to the right of our swim route and the waves were getting higher AND I did not have a single swimmer or kayaker near me!! It did occur in my mind that I could drown or get eaten by a shark and no one would know until they realized I never made it ashore. I contemplated waiting a while till I was sure the kayak I could see in the distance to the west could see me. Then I realized my predicament wasn't so bad because then, in between the troughs of the waves, I could catch glimpses of swimmers further off course than I was!! It was no use sitting and waiting for someone to catch up with me, we were just all too spread out. So for what seemed like the next hour or so I just kept battling the current and waves until I could make it to the point that protected Cockleshell beach from the cross current. Once I made it into that protective cove I was home free. I could see there were about 30 to 40 swimmers/snorekelers already on shore. In total there were 68 who set out, and except for a few, everyone made it in. All the PCVs did it in less than 2 hours, and after comparing stories it sounded like most people had veered off course at some point, some more so than others!! And for our accomplishment we got medals, but not just any medals... we got the "Nevis Olympic Triathlon - 2006" medals!! That was the icing on the cake!!! I might embellish a bit to my grandkids about how I competed in the 2006 Triathlon on Nevis... ha ha.

Nevis Nice

2008-03-18T08:40:00.000-07:00

I had a sweet little vacation over on Nevis this last weekend. I had been a pathetic little volunteer that could boast no quality beach time for nearly 5 months. My tan was only localized to my arms and face, those parts of my body which are bombarded by the sun daily... even when just walking from here to there. So, I finally redeemed myself with some much needed r&r at Oualie beach on Saturday.

On Sunday it was up and at em at 8 am to get checked in for volunteering at the triathlon held on Nevis. My main reason for going over there. I wasn't competing, thank goodness, but was there to cheer on fellow SK volunteer Becky as she competed in her very first sprint triathlon. Nevis volunteer Kate and I worked at the elite event handing out water in the morning, then spent the afternoon cheering on Becky and taking pictures. By the end of the day I felt as if I were the one who competed!! My legs were so sore!! I must be getting old.

Some sights from the week

2008-03-14T16:24:00.001-07:00

Above left: View from Brimstone Hill of the Dutch islands, Saba and St. Eustacius

Above right: The national bird of St. Kitts, the Brown Pelican

Above left: "Sheep in the graveyard, run run run!" The local hang out for the livestock

Above right: My stellar meal of braised turkey wing, salad, and boiled plantain. Made it all myself!!

Above left: Springfield Cemetery church

Above right: Liz waits with me in the bus shelter for the rain to quit.

"Jack of all trades, master of none, though ofttimes better than master of one."

2008-03-02T17:28:00.000-08:00

It's been an interesting last couple of weeks. I have been pretty busy with a handful of projects and other things, and now the Leatherback nesting season has begun. We haven't started on nightly beach monitoring yet, I think it might be another week or two away, which is just enough time for me to wrap up my work with Brimstone Hill.

The Brimstone Hill flora and fauna project I have been involved with started last September, and since it really is just Kate (works at B. Hill office) and myself, I can understand why it has taken this long! Our display of the various plants and animals you will encounter while at the Hill, can be found up at the Fort George Citadel museum. We've decorated shelves with specimens of plants and animals, and along the wall have cut out portrayals of the different birds, mammals, and reptiles. For more information on the flora and fauna of the Hill you need to look no further than the folder we created with photographs and details on the different species. It's been a long process to put it all together, but in the end has been a great educational experience for me. I have a pretty good grasp on a lot of the local vegetation and wildlife... maybe we could even say I have become one of the island experts on the natural environment? Ha ha, or at least the expert within my Peace Corps community!!

For the last month I have also been involved with the Nature Club at Maurice Hillier. We've been going over the different types of vertebrate animals, and I have been emphasizing the various island representatives of each class. For reptiles my friend Dr. Stewart from Ross University brought over some Red-Footed Tortoises that once used to inhabit the island (though they are originally from S. America). I've also brought in a toad and a bat for them. I wasn't sure how to bring a bird, but next we will go over fish, so I'll have to figure out what I can bring in for that!

Let's see... I've also been going up to the community center in my village a few times a week. Usually to give some extra helping hands with the Eagle Boys youth group, but also to help clean up and organize our neglected and forgotten library! My friend Liz has been trekking over from Cayon to come and help me on Tuesdays getting it all set up. We are hoping to get it opened up by the end of May or into the beginning of June. Definitely before we leave though!!

With any of my spare time during the week I help out at the St. Christopher Heritage Society Museum. They are setting up a new exhibit and I go in to help glue, cut, hang, and just entertain when I have some free time. They are hoping to have it finished by the 16th.

That pretty much sums up my "work" so far. Tonight will be a practice run for turtles. We are going to test out some new equipment for the beach and stay out only till about 1 am or so, and not the usual 5 am!! I'm not sure if I will be ready for that when it comes though!!

Concerts, Weddings, and Carnival... Oh My!!

2008-01-16T10:29:00.000-08:00

So here I sit baking some cookies and killing time before I head out for my first run in almost a week (I've been fighting off the sickness that has been going around). I realize it has been a while since I wrote on here and I can easily say that there is not much to report, but you all know that can't be the case! Christmas, New Years, and more importantly CARNIVAL has passed since last I blogged anything... and another wedding as well!

Christmas came first but as you all know Christmas isn't just one day, and it's the same here. There were concerts to attend and amazing dance recitals to see (though thanks to a broken toe I managed to skip a wonderful dance performance). My friend Deirdre had told me that, in her opinion, Christmas didn't start until the Anglican church in Basseterre held their annual concert. She was right! I attended that Monday the week before Christmas and had a smile on my face through all the choral, instrumental and solo performances. But no Caribbean concert would be complete without some sort of a steel pan melody, and I've never before been such a fan of "Carol of the Bells" until I heard it through the beats of the pan.

Christmas began that night for me after the concert, and the next day I withdrew money which I had saved nearly all year to buy the supplies I needed for my first Christmas cookie baking experience. Well, it wasn't really my first. I had made them at home all the time with my mother, or more correctly, I decorated them all the time! So this time I was master baker and decorator. I saved the money because I knew I had a lot to make and ingredients on this island can be pricey! There were no cookie cutters I could find so I borrowed some from a fellow volunteer.

That Friday before Christmas, and 2 days before our program at church, I stayed up baking nearly 130 or so cookies. The next day I had Avi, my host cousin, come and help in the decorating. It only took about 4 hours, but at the end every cookie was decorated and individually wrapped and ready for the program the following night. Needless to say they were a hit, and now I have a job of making them again for next year. I'll just have to be sure to put them in the mail in time to make it for the holidays.

Christmas day was just as last year. I was up early and ready for church services at 6 a.m. At one point I guess the disgust I felt for being up so early was on my face, and Johanna looked back at me from her spot in the front of the church and made a laugh, which then prompted others to look my way. I had to laugh too. I looked terrible! Baggy eyes and all curled up because there was actually a cool breeze blowing. I was so tired and cold. I looked like I was in pain and they understood. Everyone here knows I am not a morning person. Anyhow, I made it through and went home for a mid morning nap before I baked my scrumptious Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread Pudding for our dinner later on. I spent the day with the Chapmans and their extended family again. We then spent the remainder of the day helping Johanna put things together for her wedding on the 29th.

I was excited for this wedding because Johanna is the one host sister I knew best since she was living at home when I was there. I had a chance to get to know her fiance (now husband) as well, and even met his extended family during the whole World Cup Cricket frenzy. So I was excited to know that I would recognize most people at this ceremony. Hanna had Rushi and I as guest book attendants like we were at Carlene's wedding last year.

The ceremony and reception went quick, so quick that all I really remember is how stellar that bacon-wrapped chicken was. In reality the whole thing took nearly 5 hours and my feet felt it. I wore my heels that haven't been used since I left the states. I now remember why I love sandals so much.

During all of these festivities I was also helping to decorate and prepare for our Carnival troupe. It was the same troupe as last year, the Small Island Voice Clean-Up Troupe. Our theme was "From Trash to Treasure". We wanted to emphasize the "no littering" campaign and also show crafty uses for once discarded trash and what not. We had lots of fun decorations going into the parade on January 1st, but by the end of the day, and 4 hours of marching/jamming later, things were falling apart.... including me!! I was so tired come the evening of the 1st that all I could dream about was slipping into my bed and pulling the covers over my head and shrinking from the world for at least a week or so!! Well, it ended up being nearly 2 weeks!!

Yep. Things have slowed down and I am trying to get started into the projects again and figuring out what I can accomplish for my last 8 months here. Though I haven't done much because I have suffered from insomnia which then led to this flu thing going around. I have basically been a walking zombie all month. Nothing that a few days of rest and self confinement can't cure. I have been home a few days now doing nothing much but sleeping and eating and I am starting to feel up for social activities now. I am sure as soon as I get on my first bus in days I will get some comments about where I have been. It's nice to know that if you are not seen for a few days they start to wonder!

Anyhow, that's it in a nutshell. I would have offered to show pictures of all of this, but thanks to my lapse in attentiveness, I accidentally erased all the photos in my camera leading up to the Grand Parade at Carnival. I yelled and cursed at myself for about 5 minutes then quickly got over it. There were some great pics in there, but oh well. I managed to not erase the ones I took of the parade afterwards, so you can check those out in my albums. Enjoy!

Happy New Year!

2007-11-30T06:05:00.000-08:00

Building collapse in Martinique (left) and Barbados (right)

If you've been watching the news then most of you have heard about our little quake yesterday. Well, not so little. It was a 7.3 magnitude quake just off of the French island of Martinique. For us it felt like a 4.7-5.0, and I am just going by the tremors I felt in Cali that were that strength. No damage was done here, most of it seemed to be closer to Martinique and we heard from other volunteers on St. Lucia that the power was knocked out. The earthquake was felt from Puerto Rico all the way down to Trinidad and Tobago!! Crazy! One powerful sucker! But anyhow, all is well and now people are starting to wonder about all these volcanoes in the area. Only time will tell what's going on.

Not much new to report other than the rattle we had yesterday. I have put up and album of our Thanksgiving last week that took place at Marty's (fellow volunteer). There was lots of food and lots of people. It was American Thanksgiving meets Caribbean culture. We set up tables and chairs and feasted under a mango tree... but of course!! Now we are just gearing up for Christmas and Carnival. I'll post again closer to the festivities and will hopefully have pictures of a current project with Brimstone Hill that should be completed before then.

A picture is worth a thousand words...

2007-10-21T17:31:00.001-07:00

On Friday I had the pleasure of hanging out at Estridge Primary school for the morning. They had a workshop going on with Anthony and Stephanie from the nonprofit Art In All of Us. Stephanie had emailed me a month or so ago via the couchsurfing network. She informed me of her plans to visit my little island this month and was wanting to know if I knew of a primary school that would want to participate in her project. I told the volunteers about the oppportunity and Marty was the first, and most enthusiastic to respond. So I gave Stephanie all the info and set her up to work with the Estridge Primary fourth and fifth graders.

Stephanie and Anthony came in from Antigua on Thursday and had previously been to Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Haiti. They reside in Belgium (Stephanie is originally from Madagascar) and have been "visiting primary schools worldwide to promote creativity and artistic activities, as well as cultural exchanges between schools". The aim of their project can best be put in a summary Stephanie sent me through an email:

- to promote creativity
- to create an awareness of other countries and cultures
- to prepare a book presenting all the countries of the world through the eyes and rhymes of the children (every country will be presented through one photograph, as well as one drawing and poetry prepared by the kids). We will select the best poetry and the best drawing collected in every country
- to create an ART Pen Pal network of schools, encouraging schools throughout the world to communicate using ART (drawings, paintings ...) on specific themes. The themes are chosen to increase the knowledge of other cultures and tolerance (friendship, my dreams, my daily life, the United Nations' Millenium development goals...)

The kids spent the morning taking pictures of their friends and learning to capture images using different spontaneous poses and actions. They also drew pictures depicting their island and culture which in theory will then be used to initiate the pen pal process. I had so much fun watching them try different poses for the camera and observing their drawing skills that the whole morning seemed to speed by so fast. It was a great ending to my week and just what I needed to get grounded again after being in vacation mode for so long.

If you're interested about this project and want more info, check out their website, www.artinallofus.org, though I think they are currently having some technical difficulties with the site. I put all the pictures, or most of the pictures I took on Friday , in a new album in My Photos. I also finally have up my Dominica pictures. So be sure to check them all out.

"All I need is a dollar coin and a band-aid"

2007-10-16T18:24:00.000-07:00

Things are starting to slowly return to normal, whatever normal is anyway. I guess the better way to put it, is that I am nearly out of vacation mode. I’ve been back for almost a week now from my MST (mid service training), and an extended vacay in Dominica. To sum it up, I did a lot of river bathing/splashing/wading, playing in waterfalls, jumping off rocks into freshwater pools, hiking, twisting ankle while walking, scuba diving, tourist shopping, and one long trip to KFC that ended with us sipping white wine in a hot tub… It was definitely hard to leave beautiful Dominica!!

Along the way I met a couchsurfer who was staying with some volunteers in Dominica, he had told me he was coming to my tiny island and within 3 days of my return here I had found myself with a visitor. So I decided to keep in vacay mode for a little longer, but he has left now and I guess it’s finally time to get that trimester report done… oops, sorry Mavis!

Anyhow, I am still trying to make some headway in this flora and fauna project I am doing with Brimstone Hill. We have at least 70 plant species I need to make profile pages for. These pages include info on scientific names and origins, and local uses and desricptions. It’s become more tedious than I thought. The pages will be put into a folder that documents the flora and fauna of Brimstone Hill and will go along with our display of specimens and pictures in one of the rooms at the fortress. We’re hoping to be done at the end of this month, but I’m thinking it won’t happen.

Now that it is October I also find myself helping out again with the exchange students that are visiting from Guadeloupe (French-speaking students in for a month of training). It’s been a little more difficult this time because these students know very basic English, and I wish I could speak or understand French so it wasn’t so frustrating for all of us, but we are getting there. I’ve already missed a week because I was gone, and now it seems like I only have next week with them, so who knows how far we’ll make it, but hopefully I can make the whole process just fun for them. Along with their English classes I am resuming teaching Kayako, my Japanese friend, English. We were doing well in the classes before we all had vacation and got real busy over the summer, so now we’ll squeeze in some more lessons before her and her husband have to move back to Japan.

As for the rest of this week, I have my first Science Club session on Thursday at Maurice-Hillier Primary School in Basseterre. It’s for 4th graders and lasts an hour. I need to try and think of something fun we can do for our first day, anything that can include a big mess with glue, crayons, paper, and a mix of learning should be just right!

I'm half way through

2007-09-19T19:35:00.001-07:00

I know, I know. It's been a while but sometimes I just don't see the point of writing anything down. I am not the best with words and no matter what kind of flowery language I use it could never illustrate this experience. Things have been awful and wonderful and amusing and sad and downright frustrating, and I look back on it all, half way through now, and I wouldn't trade this adventure for anything! I am anxious for this last year, and a little apprehensive on how I will feel when it comes time to go back home. Anyhow, here's a slide show to make up for the lack of updates. It might take a bit for all the photos to load, there are about 50 in all taken throughout the year... or perhaps more than 50...

Create Your Own

Emancipation Concert on Brimstone Hill

2007-08-22T11:41:00.000-07:00

About a week and a half ago, I attended the emancipation concert that is held annually up on Brimstone Hill. It is concert that features many local artists from musicians to poets, to drummers and dancers. Here are just a couple I managed to film (thanks Robin for letting me "borrow" your camera). I must remember my camera next time. It was a lot of fun though I had a tiring weekend and was drained by the end of it all. Enjoy!

*the last video has a little glimpse into the crowd and the set up there on Brimstone Hill

Also, I will be sure to put up pictures and videos from the Cry Freedom concert that will be held tomorrow night in Basseterre. This is part of the celebration of the 200th year since the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade.

Masud Sadiki-"I Wonder How"

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Okolo Dancers with Drummers

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Okolo Dancers part 2

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Okolo Tegramantine part 3

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Exciting!!!!!

2007-08-16T06:23:00.000-07:00

2007-08-14T10:09:00.000-07:00

I feel like I need to write something to commemorate my first year out here.... I have been very nostalgic lately since we have a new group coming in this weekend. It keeps making me think about the year and what it will be like for my last year... but I am just too damn excited/anxious/obsessed with watching the weather at the moment!! We have Tropical storm Dean playing out in the Atlantic, and all predictions so far have it hitting the Leeward Islands (that's me!) within a few days!! I guess we won't really know it's course a day or two before it passes over the Lesser Antilles, but they are for sure it will pass over these little islands.

Guess we'll see!! Then I will try and recap my experience out here so far.

Camp recap

2007-08-10T05:02:00.000-07:00

Things have now quieted down for a while. I finally feel like I can enjoy a bit of summer before the madness begins again… whatever that madness might be! I know one thing though, it won’t be camps anymore! My whole July was filled with day camps and I finished the last one last week.

I have put some more pictures up of all the camps. In total I did three, the Environmental Day Camp, the Sea Turtle Day Camp, and Camp Abraham. I finished Camp Abraham last week. They had a variety show last Thursday night, in which I had several kids that I helped come up with skits and presentations for the event. I was so stressed out the whole time with this camp since I was the one they asked to head the drama sessions. By the time the variety show rolled I was just intent on it finishing so I could go home. I got there at 4:30 pm and didn’t see my house until after midnight!! I ended up having a lot of fun and even joined in some of the skits since a couple of kids got stage fright. I loved it!

Here are some videos of some of the singing and drumming acts. The boys used plastic bottles and wooden blocks to drum on chairs, doors, and the wall. The video doesn’t do it any justice. I was expecting a cacophony of sound, but they really did beat out a rhythm.

camp variety show

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veriety show

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Though I got home after midnight, the ladies at the camp made sure to send me on my way with a bowl full of goat water and a huge piece of bread pudding. So I got home, turned on Scrubs, and ate my bowl of goat water and took some bites of bread pudding (that goat water ended up having some liver in it… I need to tell Mrs. Simon she tricked me!!)

Kids say the darndest things

2007-08-02T06:11:00.000-07:00

Interacting with kids is always interesting, no matter what part of the world you live in. Here's some stories from the last week:

Friday, July 27th: I was helping out with the St Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network's day camp. We had crafts and games, and mini lectures set up for the kids. All of this was themed around learning about sea turtles and what the kids could do to help in the conservation effort of one of mother nature's most beautiful creatures. Come the end of the day the kids were eating popcorn and gathering their things to leave. One little boy walked right up to PCV Nate, tugged at his arm and said, "When do we get to see the elephants?"

Tuesday, July 31st: I was at Camp Abraham in the afternoon helping the kids prepare skits and performances for Thursdays talent show thing. I was working with little Levencia when 4 yr old Abby came up to me and said, "You're white"

"I know", I said chuckling.

"What happened?"

"I came out this way. When I was born"

"When you were a baby?"

"Yep."

Then she ran off down to the other room to watch the dancers

Yesterday: I am walking up the hill in my community to go to cricket practice. When I hit the corner at the main road there are always a bunch of kids playing at some tire swings there. This time there were 2 toddler-aged kids throwing what looked to be rocks at each other. As soon as they saw me one came running over, toting a rock of some sort in her hand. She was smiling and talking to me and I could tell she was wanting to launch it my way. I kept telling her "Don't throw that", but she just grinned and said something inaudible in dialect as I kept walking past. I thought I was safe as I made it past their yard, but then, to my surprise, something exploded behind me and then a stench of manure filled the air and I couldn't help but laugh. "Did she really throw a dry cow pattie at me?" I wondered. I didn't turn around, I just laughed to myself and trudged up hill and noted this as another this-is-the-peace-corps kind of moment.

Camp

2007-07-16T17:57:00.000-07:00

Last week was wonderfully tiring! We had our day camp, which was themed "Protect our environment, our future depends on it". It was held at Violet Petty Primary school in Shelagh's village of Lodge. Each day we had kids from all over the island, about 140 total, come from 9 am to 3 pm.

The first half of the day was always a bit educational. There were speakers from the various branches of the government ministries who talked about what they do to help the natural environment of St. Kitts. There were some field trips to the bottling company and the landfill, and the Ag Dep labs. I don't think the kids were too impressed though, and I don't blame them. It all seemed a bit boring for young kids. They were more into activities that got them dirty and involved. They mainly looked forward to crafts in the afternoons, which were facilitated by Peace Corps volunteers. We showed them the glory of paper mache and how to make egg cartons into bugs and flowers. We taught them how to make paper from old newspaper and what wonderful window decorations you can make from plastic bottles. It was all good dirty fun!! I always ended up with paint or something else in my hair and on my clothes by the end of the day.

The main craft project that came out of this was a mural that the kids helped fellow PCV Shelagh paint. It is on a cobblestone wall right off the main road. A project that will hopefully be there for quite a while and something the kids can be proud of and say they had a part in. But I must say, there is quite a funny story that goes with it as well!!

On Thursday, the children all went on various hikes around the area. Fellow PCV, Bob, was with one group. I think it was the younger group of 7-9 year olds. Anyhow, when they were returning back from their hike, Bob took them by the wall that at that point had only the sketching and some painting of the mural done. Bob explained what it was going to say (it had the camp theme on it and a picture of the ocean and St Kitts) and how Shelagh and the older kids were working together on it. Well, one little kid, Kalvin (8), was standing next to Bob with his cricket bat resting on his shoulder and staring at the wall. After Bob explained the wall, Kalvin looked up at him with quite the serious face and said, "Seems like a big waste of time to me Bob". This took Bob off guard and he just chuckled and shook his head, but it was quite the comic relief for the rest of us volunteers that were back up at the school, and whom the story was promptly retold to. This is now a very favorite quote among all the volunteers, and I don't think Kalvin understands the lasting impression he has made!!

I put up some pictures of the camp in an album on my photos link. You should definitely have a look at them. I am also posting this video of 2 boys from the camp that showed off their dancing skills at the talent show the last day of our camp. Enjoy!!

Boy steals show

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No more turtles...

2007-07-08T17:01:00.001-07:00

I don't know what to do with my nights anymore!! The St Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network wrapped up its Leatherback nesting season this weekend. For the last couple of months I'd go out with this group from 8 pm - 4 am twice a week, in search of one of St. Kitts most fascinating creatures. We'd walk up and down the Keys beach (over a mile long!) looking for any sign of a sea turtle's emergence. Once we found a girl we would tag her and collect data on things such as carapace length and width, number of eggs laid, and location of nest. Blood samples would also be taken by Dr. Stewart (director of the network) for a study she is doing on hormone levels within the turtles.

On average for most nights we would see 2-3 girls, but in the beginning and here towards the end of the season we were lucky to even see one!! Even if we never saw a girl I still enjoyed spending my nights out there. We'd walk the length of the beach, and if we had no sign of a turtle, we'd sit for about 4o minutes or so. By 2 or 3 am I'd be napping during those stops, but early in the night I'd just be awake chatting with the other volunteers or staring up in the sky for glimpses of shooting stars. So take note those of you who want to visit... if you come between April and July to this tiny island of mine, be sure to make it out onto the beach with us.

As for what to do with myself now that I have more free time... camps!!! I have a camp this week based around an environmental theme, then the following week is the sports camp. Then after that is the sea turtle camp with the SKSTMN. I am also still working at the Heritage Society. I had a meeting with Kate Orchard, the Environmental Coordinator for the SCHS yesterday. We were looking at writing a proposal for projects with the SCHS and Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park. It would include creating a flora and fauna display at Brimstone Hill, along with an herb garden, and purchasing additional supplies to work on the herbarium located at SCHS. If we can get it approved before the end of this month I can hopefully be working on it come August, and subsequently be real busy for my last year here on the island. Yay!!!

My Sundays

2007-07-02T05:27:00.000-07:00

I have yet to really discuss some of the trials and tribulations of being a Peace Corps volunteer here in the Caribbean, and I am not sure if I can speak for the other islands, but as far as here in St. Kitts our biggest challenge, and want, is making friends and feeling accepted within our communities. One smile, one good morning, or just one happy encounter can erase at least a week’s worth of discriminatory slurs, vulgar comments, and unprovoked harassment. It’s what we cling to when we feel like it’s just not worth it anymore, and for me, I feel like I am renewed for months ahead with the love and comfort I get from familiar faces I see each weekend.

My absolute favorite day has to be Sunday, and sometimes, depending on what I do the day before, Saturday can be a close rival. Most times though I am out and about on Saturdays, but if I stay home I get sucked into the local routine of cleaning house and blaring music. I joke that my Saturdays seem to be a culture exchange day. My neighbor on one side blares oldies or Christian music, while on the other side the young men like to vibrate the neighborhood to dancehall reggae or socca. Then there is little ol’ me, right in the middle, with my little speakers I brought from home. I’m usually rockin’ out to some new indie/punk band, or have some old school 90’s rock that makes me miss home. Sometimes I give up and decide to just savor some of the tunes from next door rather than listen to my familiar music. I always like it best when my neighbor Stokes and his wife and daughter get into it and sing along and clap to “Under the Boardwalk”.

Ahh, but Sunday, yes, Sunday takes the cake on all days of the week. I spend most of the day at church, nearly 5 hours total, broken up into 2 services. It sounds like a lot, and it is. I’ve gotten use to it though, and I love seeing the familiar faces of the tiny congregation. I am always greeted with a warm smile and a hug from Mrs. Davis and Mamma (my host grandmother). From Auntie Joyce, I get a grab at my waist or a pinch of my tricep flab and her subsequent “Amber, you getting fat gyal”. My host mother Betty will smile and look me up and down, and like any mother will give an honest yet gentle critique of my Sunday attire. These days I get a compliment on a shirt or skirt or the like. In the beginning I was getting some chastisement for not ironing properly or not hand washing a certain skirt so those damn lint fuzzy things don’t cling to it. I’ve improved though. Then there are the kids who just give me the usual shy smile, yet when sitting behind me will take any opportunity to touch my hair or poke at my arm. The novelty of my white skin and blonde hair is wearing off as I am no longer a stranger to them anymore, but there are still a few who are slowly opening up to me, and now feel confident to touch me and get their curiosity filled.

Church services are at 10 am and 6:30 pm. Between those times I spend my day back at the Chapman’s home because Betty doesn’t think it’s right for me to not have a proper Sunday dinner, and even on days that I’ve had to bow out of hanging with them, she has sent me on my merry way with a plate full of food. It’s pretty much my second home over there. After we eat lunch I, along with little Avi, will do dishes and clean up the kitchen. I feel it’s the least I can do after she has just filled me to the gills with food. I then head downstairs to a spare room they open up for me and lay down to read/nap while the rest of the family does the same. I get up just in time to hang out on the balcony while one of the girls is getting her hair platted or braided and chat with Charles or the girls before heading back to church.

It doesn’t hit me till that evening service about how much I love Sundays and how much of my determination to see myself through this is due to these people. I think it hits me somewhere between the vibrant choruses sung to the beat of the tambourines, or during open devotion when some of the ladies go up to sing solo their favorite hymns. I always find myself closing my eyes and letting that cool, Caribbean night breeze brush across my face while their sounds give me a new sense of home and family. It is then that I take in the day and wish for Sunday again in the morning, but I know that it will come again, if only after another 6 days of character degrading harassment, lost patience and fried nerves.

Mango is my new enemy!!

2007-05-31T13:53:00.000-07:00

How sad is it to live on a tropical island and not to be able to enjoy the splendor of its most popular fruit?!!!! Well... very sad indeed!!! It's mango season once again, and only 3 mangoes into it and I have developed a rash and burning lips which lead us (Michele and I) to believe Mr. Mango is the culprit. Apparently the mango is related to poison oak and ivy, and recently I developed a rash on my wrist that looked like poison oak... and I wondered how could that be?! But alas, this rash followed by the most uncomfortable burning sensation on my lips left little for us to ponder. This is too bad, because I really LOVE mangoes. Guess I'll just stick to bananas :(

A little side note: be sure to tune into the new reality show "Pirate Master", it was filmed on Dominica, one of our Peace Corps Eastern Caribbean islands. Hopefully it will show some beautiful shots of the Nature Island.

A lovely Saturday :)

2007-05-20T15:45:00.000-07:00

New skill to write on resume: hairdresser. Liz and I decided to make good on our promise to do each other's hair. Nothing fancy, a simple trim. We decided to go to Marty's house and do it since she has a decently spaced back yard and some new puppies!! And as always, she offered us
some great food and sweets!! It's like going to grandma's house!!

Whoa... it's been 3 months!!!!!!

2007-05-07T07:54:00.000-07:00

Wow, time has flown by. I remember after Christmas I just couldn't wait until my mother came to visit in February, and now that has come and gone and other things happened and before I knew it we are in May!!!

The last few months have been a hodge podge mix of activities and projects and travel. I spent most of March caught up in the whole World Cup Cricket frenzy. The entire region of the West Indies hosted the event, and some of the first round matches were played here on St. Kitts. We hosted matches between Australia (who subsequently won the World Cup in Barbados), South Africa, Scotland, and the Netherlands. I volunteered at the gates during matches and loved the fact that I basically got to meet everyone that came through! Hearing all the different accents was a trip! Here are the Australian fans after their team beat South Africa:

Australia wins

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It was then a week after the cricket chaos before I headed out onto the Easycruise for my week long vacation. I embarked here on St. Kitts and then "cruised" on over to neighboring islands St. Barts, St. Martin, Antigua, Anguilla, and even sister-island Nevis!! It was a long needed break. It felt so nice to just be me again, and to be able to wear shorts and spaghetti strap tanks and to once again know how a Nachos Bell Grande tastes.... ahhhh. For one glorious week I was no longer a 24/7 Peace Corps volunteer, instead I was a 24/7 young American... woo hoo!! Beach and tropi drinks helped me wash away the last 8 months. It was spectacular!

Though my cruise was great, I was actually very eager to get back from my vacation. I felt like I had been renewed and was now ready to tackle my many issues with working on the island, and I felt like I could finally see what my role would be here. But as soon as I got back and checked my hundreds of email, I forgot that I was signed up to travel to Trinidad for an HIV/AIDS capacity building workshop. So 4 days after for stepping off my Easycruise, I was on a LIAT jet heading over to the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. I went with a local HIV/AIDS support group here on the island, as well as with fellow volunteer Elizabeth. We spent the week attending sessions and participating in group exercises all aimed in educating and empowering the groups we worked with to become stronger voices and advocates for PLWHAs (People Living With HIV/AIDS). But as well all know, all work and no play can make people go crazy. So we did have our chances at the end of each day to venture into the heart of the Capitol, Port of Spain, or to rendezvous out by the pool. And near the end we all enjoyed a farewell party.

Now that it is back to work as usual, I find myself trying to figure out what work is. I have been affiliated with the St. Christopher Heritage Society, and while I was on vacation the Executive Director resigned. So when I got back I needed to establish my relations with them again and am now working with their interim management (their council members). So far it has gone well. I do 2 days a week with them, and am currently working on doing a medicinal/traditional plant display for their office. I've also been gaining some interest in helping them do a display garden with medicinal plants and herbs. It seems to be a project that many other locals would be interested in helping with. So we'll see.

I also spend 2 nights a week volunteering with the St Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network and the nest surveys that they are doing with the Leatherback turtles. We monitor a nesting beach of theirs here on the island from around 9 pm to 5 am. It is very tiring come morning, but well worth it. I was able to see 2 the other night and it was amazing to see how big these girls can get. The first one had a shell length of over 5 ft!! Yep, that's bigger than me!!

And lastly, I am now having English/Japanese lessons 2 days a week with my friend Kayako from Japan. Her husband is a Japanese UN volunteer here on the island and myself and another volunteer have split the week in teaching her English. I teach her one hour and then she teaches me another hour of Japanese!! Just another thing to do to help kill some time, and trust me, there is a lot of it over here!

Well, that was just a short summary of the last few months just so I can catch ya'll up on what is going on over in this region. I will really try harder from now on to update a little more often so that I may be able to elaborate on some of my experiences, and even indulge on some of the funny things that can happen over here.

Check out my albums because I do have some up from cricket, the cruise, and some extras.

Just a note...

2007-02-19T17:22:00.000-08:00

Enjoyed having The Madre visit for the week. Took lots of pictures and put a few up in the St. Kitts and the Caribbean Critters albums. Also made a new album, Nevis Botanical Garden. Enjoy! Nothing much new to report. Hope all is well with everyone!

2007-02-02T06:06:00.000-08:00

This is Jo-Anne Sewlal from Trinidad. She is a PhD student at the University of the West Indies, and is doing a survey of the spiders of St. Kitts. So my adventure for the week was helping her collect spiders out at the salt pond in the Southeast Peninsula. Forgot to get any pics of the spiders... but will try and get one of our tarantulas, if I ever see them!

2007-02-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

This is why I can never sleep in! Mother Nature's alarm clock! This is the other pair of doves roosting on my bedroom window. I have 2 couples, a pair of mourning doves, and a pair of collared doves. Haven't named the collared doves yet... James and Vivi are the mourning ones, and they sound a lot nicer than these 2.

I've also seen some type of finches playing on this window during the day. They don't seem to like any of the other windows. I guess they like the coconut palm that gives them a little cover on that side of the apartment.

Work

2007-01-12T14:43:00.000-08:00

The first full week of work since the holidays, and I couldn't be happier! I love to stay busy and this week kept me going for sure.

I now help out at the St. Christopher Heritage Society, a local NGO, and am working on updating/redoing their herbarium. A herbarium is a collection of dried, pressed plants. I will be collecting and archiving species from here on the island, which in turn can be used for future reference and study. I'm pretty excited about doing it because that gives me a real good excuse to go out hiking, and all the other volunteers are more than eager to help me with that! Right now I am working on writing a proposal for funding so I can order materials.

Working with the Heritage Society will also afford me some great opportunities to get involved with other local environmental projects. On Thursday I was kind of thrown into the mix when the director for SCHS couldn't make a meeting and sent me instead to take notes. It ended up being a meeting with representatives from the various ministries, and they were discussing and assessing the effects of essentially planning an ecotourism scheme up in our Central Forest Reserve. I am very interested in the proposal of this project and am hoping to tag along to some of the other meetings. The area of environmental policy and management is something I am very interested in, and I would love to see the planning and politics that go into undertaking huge tasks like these. Especially since here in St. Kitts, ecotourism is essentially non-existent. This is another reason why I believe this herbarium will be useful. I plan on collecting plants in the areas of existing trails, which are also the ones they want to build from, so it will be interesting to see how the flora and fauna of the area will change.

I have also been volunteering with the St. Kitts Sea Turtle monitoring Network. On Tuesday I had the opportunity to go out with the group to White House Beach and help with in-water tagging. A Kittitian named Darren Browne, came in from Barbados where he is doing genetic research on Hawksbill turtles in the Eastern Caribbean. What we did was just snorkel in the bay and alert Darren when we saw a turtle. He would come over and catch it then take it back on shore to get tissue samples and tag it. On Tuesday we caught 2 Hawksbills and 1 Green turtle. The Greens are really pretty and that is what is pictured. I also got to see a few sting rays buried in the sand, an eagle ray swim past me, and a giant puffer fish. It was an amazing day and can't wait untill they do it again!!! The nesting season starts in March and will more than likely get to see some huge Leatherbacks then.

All these things are keeping me busy, but am hoping that will ultimately help me in creating some sort of environmental program for the youth. I really want to get them involved with projects like the sea turtle program and into the environmental issues here on the island, but I am not quite sure where to start. For now I am thinking of just creating activities with the youth members of the Heritage Society. Then maybe I can branch off from there. The main problem will be trying to make it sustainable for after I leave...

Holidays 2006

2007-01-08T14:59:00.001-08:00

It’s been quite a busy time out here on St. Kitts! Things are just starting to settle down and get back to normal out here, or some form of normalcy I guess. For the last 3 weeks or so the island has been stirring with activities from Christmas programs and dinners, to carnival shows and parades, to weddings, and also New Year’s celebrations. Needless to say, it has been quite chaotic but fun nonetheless, and I thought I’d catch you all up on how I spent the holidays.

First, I had the opportunity to take part in a Christmas program at my local church. They had nominated me to play the mother in the children’s play, and I couldn’t refuse! It reminded me a lot of the plays we did at New Hope, my church when I was growing up. I was just glad to know that they wanted me to be a part of it. It went well and I think an acting career might be in my future!

Then on Christmas day I received a phone call at 5:30 am. It was my host father Charles. He just wanted to be sure I was still going to the 6 am church service. I was so tired that morning. I thought I was going to die before the service ended. You really can die from exhaustion you know! But I didn’t, and I got to go home and sleep afterwards. I must tell you though… while napping in my room my neighbor was blasting some music, like always. This time, instead of dancehall reggae, it was some Celine Dion, a little Shania, and I distinctly remember hearing “Hungry Eyes” playing. I figured they must have slowed it down for Christmas!

For the rest of Christmas day I enjoyed a family dinner at my host-aunt Paula’s house, complete with saltfish cakes, macaroni pie, and mauby! The men sat around and watched football, just like back in the states. Except, it was “soccer” not American football! Then the meal ended with some intense dominoes playing. Dominoes is the past time out here in the Caribbean.

The next day I rode into town with my friend Eddie around 5 am and got to watch some of the first J’ourvet troupes start jamming outside of town. We then headed to the circus (picture with the clock tower) and met with other volunteers. Once the troupes started jamming through the circus they started having little mini jams on the side roads, and we all found our way to the wet-down. It was great!! I ended up not going home till about 8:30 pm… only after heading to the beach to relax after all the jamming (“jamming” is basically a mixture of dancing, moshing, and plain old jumping… it was like being at a rock concert).

The following weekend I had a wedding to go to. It was my host-sister’s wedding. I along with my friend Rushi, manned the guestbook and programs. It was a hard job, but they knew I could handle it. I really enjoyed getting all dressed up and wearing make up and feeling like a girl again. I realized though, Kittitian weddings are not that different from American weddings. I still got pestered about getting married myself, and they were actually scoping out guys for me there. The locals in my community are quite convinced that I will marry a Kittitian and never leave!

Well, that then leads me up to the New Year. I spent New Year’s Eve at home relaxing. I thought my only options were church or an expensive party out at the hotels. Most the other volunteers went to church, but I was all churched out that point, and I just wanted to be home. I quite enjoyed it until I saw fireworks over on Nevis and then told myself I would be over there next year. I then went the next day to take part in the grand parade in town. I was part of the Small Island Voice clean up troupe at the end of the parade.

So, that’s basically the last 2 weeks in a nutshell. I’ve put up pictures of it all. Please take a chance to look at them because they illustrate a lot more than what I can write. Happy New Year to everybody, and I’ll inform you soon on projects I am working on.

J'Ouvert 2006

2006-12-27T07:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday’s early morning tranquillity was interrupted with the strains of steel pan music, hi-fis and the percussive din live bands, signalling the opening of Carnival and its associated revelry

In the pre-dawn hours, the streets of Basseterre were transformed into a kaleidoscope of
colours as the J’Ouvert procession, including nine J’Ouvert troupes, began winding its way throughout the city

As humour is normally symbolic of J’Ouvert many people donned satirical outfits, painted their faces and bodies, a group of men masqueraded as women wearing brightly-coloured wigs and dresses and numerous individuals played mud mas’

One man was leading a donkey, while carrying a sign of humorous political commentary, referring to the $41 million disparity in figures of the country’s recurrent deficit which recently sparked a heated argument at the budget session on 12 Dec.

Revellers jammed for eight straight hours behind the five main bands – the Grand Masters Band, the Small Axe Band, D’Vybes Band, the Nu Vybes Band and the Collision Band.

Some enjoyed Ronnie Rascal’s hi-fi and others gravitated towards the steel pan music.

Carnival Chairman, Gus Williams, is pleased that revellers and mas’ makers pulled off a peaceful J’Ouvert. (online article from St Kitts Sun)

LOOK AT THOSE PICS, AND JUST REALIZE I WAS IN ALL THAT... SOMEWHERE!!! I AM VERY TIRED TODAY!!

The Masquerades

2006-12-20T16:37:00.001-08:00

My site might be getting a lot more stuff on it in the next week or so. Carnival has started and the big events are next week, plus I have a christmas play that I am in and a wedding where I will be in charge of the programs and guest book! If that is not fully integrated into your community, then I don't know what is!

Everything has kind of shut down for the Christmas and Carnival season, so most pictures and videos I put up will be of all the local festivities. Hope you all enjoy!

Posted By:Amber

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These are the Masqueraders entertaining us while we worked our HIV/AIDS booth at the health fair today. We gave a 10 minute educational talk and then had people get tested. Oh, and I made the local news! They interviewed me at our booth :)

World AIDS Day

2006-12-19T16:55:00.003-08:00

Posted By:Amber

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The end of our AIDS Day march on December 1st. The kids had a drum off out at Port Zante

2006-12-19T16:55:00.001-08:00

Posted By:Amber

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Traditional Caribbean dance

2006-12-19T16:49:00.001-08:00

Posted By:Amber

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This is Becky and her fire spinning at the culture exchange in St. Lucia... Becky is here on St. Kitts with me and I hope she teaches me how to do this!!

2006-12-19T16:47:00.001-08:00

Posted By:Amber

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Finally figured out how to get my videos from my myspace onto my blosite. Here is Dan and Marty at our cultural exchange in St. Lucia. This is Dan's version of the local Isasha song.

Some Island Views

2006-12-16T16:30:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, several volunteers and I decided to do a cross country hike from Old Road on the Caribbean side over into Phillips on the Atlantic. It took us about 4 hours, and we managed to get rained on about 5 times. This is what my legs looked like after about half way through (they were much more brown at the end, but I was too tired to take another picture). Kelvin was our guide and I snapped a shot of him when we stopped to take a break in the land of the tree ferns.

Today I joined Robin and Shelagh for a rally around the island voicing the issue of violence against women here on St. Kitts. It was a tiring day, but very motivating too, especially knowing that it is not just an issue here, but a global one. We put wreaths and flowers on graves of women who were victims of domestic abuse. These are a few pictures.

2006-12-07T13:05:00.000-08:00

It only took 3 weeks and lots of videos and programs lost, but my computer is up and running. We had to replace Windows XP and I was only able to save pictures… I actually forgot to save my videos, but I am done mourning now. My pictures were the main thing I wanted to save. So now that I have had my computer back I am addicted to downloading music. I lost all my music (nearly 4 years worth!), but I decided instead of redownloading what I had, I am downloading new music; my theme music for this chapter of my life. Of course I had to get my Amos Lee back though! Now that buddy is up and running I advise all who are interested to download skype so we can chat. You just have to be sure you have a microphone if one is not built in to your computer. It’s completely free and I even use it to chat with other volunteers here on the island. It is such a better way to communicate than texting each other all the time. Just go to www.skype.com and follow instructions.

Got new pics up… take a look. They are from thanksgiving, World AIDS Day, and Nevis.

2006-11-13T15:17:00.000-08:00

I'm starting to get back into sketching. On my free time I've been drawing from pictures I have taken while I've been out here, and I am starting to play with oil pastels. It's a cheap way to decorate my walls!

Oh, and here am I in my "office" last night. I was working hard at not working! No, I actually accomplished getting some things downloaded for my HIV/AIDS presentation.

2006-11-12T17:11:00.000-08:00

Ahhhh... home at last! It's been a busy few days, not the busiest I've ever seen, but busy enough for me lately. All day Friday I had a Monitoring and Evaluation Workshop that was a requirement for all PC-EC posts. I found it useful but very boring as well. It continued into Saturday, which for me was a killer. After the workshop the day before I helped out at Alliance Francaise for their Wine Discovery night. I like doing it since you get to meet new people and try French wine, but I didn't get home till 1 am, and I am old now, so 1 am is VERY late for me. So I was dead tired come Saturday and then bailed on Karaoke that night. I wanted to get some work done for my presentation on Tuesday at a parents meeting here in St. Peters. It will be a talk on HIV/AIDS and I really want to focus on stigma and discrimination. So I got a little rest last night and I have never been so happy to be at home on a Saturday night!

This morning was wonderful because it rained and delayed the heat, which made it much easier to sleep in a bit. Also, I found no ants!! Those guys are always playing games with me and I have gone through so many cans of BOP that I really think it should be factored into our monthly stipend. I didn't go to church this morning though, I had an invite to join an anniversary celebration at the local Baha'i center. I was excited to go because I have heard of Baha'i but didn't know much about it. In a nutshell it is a new religion that believes all religions have it right. They believe that the suffering and adversity of man is what is needed to unite us all. It's a lot like any other christian religion, they just don't believe in the infrastructure of the church. Instead, it is all about independent worship. Living a moral life upon your own free will without the persecution of damnation. They leave it up to you. It was pretty nice. (If I have it wrong, feel free to correct me, but this is just how I interpreted it)

I did end up going to evening church though. I always try to go to one of the services because I really do love the people that go there and it is a way for me to see my host family. I haven't hung out with them much now that I am getting busier. I did stop by this last Thursday, and Betty had me try tripe (again!), I had told her once before that I didn't like it, but I thought maybe it is an acquired taste. It's not! I've counted. Four times now I have tried this stuff. First in Cali when my old neighbors would cook it, and each time I gagged. Well, this time, cooked different, it still tasted like what it was... cow stomach! I made the most horrible face and Betty just laughed! I kept making the face minutes after because the taste in my mouth just wouldn't go away, even after drinking water. Seriously, that stuff is potent! She gave me a sweetie to help it go away. Ahh... this woman knows me too well.

So now here I am on a Sunday night, drinking my own green tea latte concoction (it's really not good, but I'm learning not to be picky here) and trying to catch up and get a jump ahead on the week. I need to get some info and stats for my presentation. I will work on it tomorrow with Elizabeth, a fellow volunteer. She's also the one I will be traveling with to Trinidad in December. Oh yeah, did I mention I am going to Trini?! I told Mavis (our APCD) that I feel like a grown up now, traveling on business and all :)

2006-11-08T08:02:00.000-08:00

Yay!! I am back online after about a week of no internet. I still was able to make it into the office to check emails and all, but there is nothing like having it at home where you can work online as long as you want. I am really glad that I ended up bringing my laptop, it is priceless out here!!

The last few weeks have been moderately busy for me. I am keeping my sanity by making sure I am preoccupied with working on projects, going to meetings, or exploring my new island home. I finished teaching the Guadalupe exchange students at the end of last month, and now am just teaching during the after-school reading project here in my community of St. Peters. I love it! It took me a while, only because the last couple of weeks had been chaos, but now we finally have the children divided into smaller, more manageable groups and so far no more bats have been flying into the rooms. Now it looks like a majority of the time I will be working with the kindergarteners, and they are just angels! I will be sure to have pictures up of them before we break for Christmas.

I am also becoming involved with a local HIV/AIDS support group, and am working with another volunteer to help them get organized and start project proposals in order to receive funding from the UN. The next 2 months should be busy with this group since World AIDS Day is on the 1st of December and of course we have carnival that month as well, so there are lots of festivities island-wide in which we will try to involve some awareness campaigns. Plus, it looks like I will have an opportunity to journey to Trinidad the first week of December for a workshop on BCC (behavior change communication) and HIV/AIDS. But before all that I will get my first experience of leading a BCC session next week at a parenting meeting here in my community. I’ve been asked to “give a talk” on HIV/AIDS, so I am really excited to set that up and answer any questions these community members have. Just like all over the world, there is a huge issue of stigma and discrimination for those who are infected and affected by the disease, so I am more than willing to be a part of anything that can tear down the false perceptions of this disease.

Aside from “work”, I’ve been doing a little more socially and starting to get out of my house on the weekends. I participated in my first Hash activities a couple of weeks ago. The Hash is an event that usually happens about once a month, where a trail/maze is created through cane fields, forests, hillsides, creek beds, etc. The trail is marked with flagging or flour depending on whether or not you are running or walking it. Then at the end you enjoy beer and hotdogs and hamburgers. Some of you might have heard of it before. It’s something they do all over the world, I remember first hearing about it over on Guam, and I think it’s an event that started over in Malaysia. A lot of expats participate and it is a great way to meet people, as well as being a lot of fun. I walked it last time because I heard the last trail had been brutal and I didn’t know if I was up for running up hills and through creeks, but it didn’t seem too bad. I actually met a returned PC volunteer who had just left the island back in March. Come to find out she is also from Columbia, Missouri!! So we had a lot to talk about, especially since our home state has been in the news a lot.

On Friday nights there is a wine and dine event that I go to and as of last week actually helped serve. It is another great opportunity to meet people that can be of great help for any work that I would want to do here in the island. I actually met a woman who is working on the Human/Environment conflict as her research out of the Ross Vet school we have here on St. Kitts. I am very interested in helping her with doing some public outreach campaigns on this matter.

Now, as far as pets, my landlord nixed any dreams I may have had of getting a cat or dog. I have recently found out though, that I have a pair of Mourning Doves that are roosting on my window only 4 feet from my bed, so I count these as pets. I've decided to call them James and Vivi, they just looked like that's what they would be called. They are now my new alarm clock, since I can't hear the rooster crowing in the distance over their cooing at 5:30 am!! They really get on my nerves sometimes, but I still like them!

Ok, and this is absolutely it.... I also tried conch for the first time, and I ate it raw. Another volunteer and I were getting a ride around town to check out some community centers, when all of a sudden our driver stopped in the middle of the road (blocking traffic as well) and backed up to talk to this guy selling fresh conch near the bay. They were all in a bucket, recently out of their shells and still squirming. The man then offered us pieces of raw conch, and you all know that I am always down for something new! I enthusiastically ate about 3 or 4 pieces. It tasted great! It had a not so slimey texture and tasted like coconut water and not seafood. I then got a free conch to take home and cook. Now I just need to get my host mom to show me how to cook it!

2006-10-28T07:36:00.000-07:00

Here's a map of the Caribbean, I stole it from a fellow volunteer's site, actually, I like to think that we share. Anyways, a little idea of where I am compared to the other islands. Peace Corps is located in not only St. Kitts and Nevis, but in St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, and in Grenada. That's the Eastern Caribbean, but we are also in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.

2006-10-21T08:51:00.000-07:00

This is the road that I walk up from the bus terminal to get to my bus stop in Bassaterre. It becomes a temporary river during hard rain. check out my other pics

2006-10-19T20:57:00.000-07:00

First off: GO CARDINALS!!!! You better believe I will be watching every game of the World Series with my boys playing! I think I will get my host dad into it as well. He had me watching cricket while I lived there, so now I will return the favor with the American version. Ok, now on to what I wrote today while I was stuck at home....

Ahhh… another rainy day. So here I sit, forced to be creative to pass the time. Actually it’s not too bad; there is still the tv, though some of the channels go out when there is rain. Plus I have buddy, my computer, to keep me occupied.

I’m pretty lucky though that all the heavy rain days seem to fall when I don’t have obligations that require me to leave the house. Getting around in the rain is quite a chore. The main road that takes me into town from here in St. Peters is called College Street, or The Gut. It is the runoff gut for all the rain that falls up in the mountains above Bassaterre. I happened to be in town when we had a good rain a couple of days ago, and getting back to St. Peters was exciting. I couldn’t cross over the gut to get to the bus so it came over to get me. Once I was on, it had to power back over the flooded street to get up the road. Water was coming in through the door and I was the only one that thought that was great! I think next time I will try to have my camera ready, but I think I will get made fun of if I act like a tourist on the bus.

As far as work, I have been kept occupied, not really busy, but occupied. I am still teaching that English class to the French-speaking exchange students. I will be finished with that after next week, and we will have a certification ceremony for them on the 31st. Another volunteer and I thought it would be great if they could do a performance and they all decided to sing, not surprisingly. Everyone in the Caribbean loves to sing, even if it is not well, so I am definitely in my element here. My class chose to sing Killing Me Softly by the Fugees, but only after we had a vote between that and James Blunt’s Goodbye My Lover! I was impressed they knew all those, and they looked at me like I was an idiot when I asked if they listened to American music back on Guadalupe. Of course they did! Seems like the whole world does, except N. Korea. Anyways, I am now working with them on the song.

Oooh… there goes the power! Hmm, no more tv now. Geez, is this really what I signed up for?!

Anyways, the after school reading program that I will be helping with got postponed for the week since the PTA meeting was postponed as well. We ended up having the PTA meeting this last Monday and we (myself and some members of the Kiwanis) presented the program to the parents. By the way, PTA meetings out here are so fun! Not only filled with arguing parents, but icing on the cake was when a bat flew into the room and couldn’t make it back out. It just kept circling and swooping overhead while parents ducked and squealed. Next time I will take popcorn! Anyways, the program will be after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but before that we will have training this next Monday on dyslexic readers and how to spot them.

The reading program is basically the only permanent thing I have planned for now. I am still trying to figure out what will take up the bulk of my time and effort here on the island. I still want to do more for my primary school here, and am going to see if I might be able to help with funding for some of their projects they want to start. That requires me to be able to write grant proposals, so I guess that will be something new to learn!

Another volunteer and I are very interested in doing Behavior Change Communication with HIV and AIDS. Our director said it would be a full time effort, so I am trying to figure out if I want to devote a lot of my time to that or continue with researching and getting ideas to implement an environmental program across the island. I think it would be better if I did the HIV/AIDS work since I believe there is a greater need for that. Not that the environment out here is not in need, but with some free time I will still work on researching what I can do to create a more environmentally friendly and environmentally aware island, especially since they are really working on more development for tourism.

That’s it in a nutshell. As far as recreation and free time I just try and pass time by traveling around the island and hanging out with some of the other volunteers and seeing what they are up to. Last week I hung around Old Road with Becky and went to the Caribelle Batik. I think next time I go I will buy some things there. I also went to a 1st birthday party. That’s when I had the goat water. It was delicious! It’s just basically soup made with goat meat.

2006-10-17T11:09:00.000-07:00

I think I’ll take some time out to explain a little bit of the Caribbean, in particular, the food. My friend Pete asked very good questions and I realized that so far I’ve been explaining what is going on with me rather than what this island is really like. So for my first account I will tell you about the local food, even though I do have the choice of available American brands.

Local foods are a cheaper, and mostly a much healthier, alternative to the over processed American brands. Every Saturday there is a market where you can go and buy local produce, or buy produce usually grown over on Dominica. The common things you’ll see are plantains, bananas, star fruit, mangos, papaya, all types of citrus, dasheen, tanya, breadfruit, christophene, squash, and pumpkin. All are very good and plantain and breadfruit are my favorite. Plantains are like bananas, but a little bigger, and breadfruit is what I would call an alternative to potatoes. Everything can be served up steamed, but some are also good when fried. Meats will include chicken, pork, and salt fish. Beef is available, but in my experience these 3 meats are the most common dishes around here. Also, there are a lot of conch dishes too, but I have yet to try conch. Here is a short list of some interesting dishes I have tried: turkey neck soup, blood pudding, pig snout and rice, liver and lung (for breakfast, yum!), and goat water, a local favorite. Let’s just say nothing goes to waste out here!

The most common local drinks are basically any kind of fruit juices, coconut water, and mauby. Mauby is a fermented drink made from boiling the twigs or bark of a tree, I think? Anyhow, it is really good and I like to drink it at night to help me sleep. I’d have to say that my host mom probably makes the best mauby on the island! And yes of course there is the local rum that is sold at the stores, but then there are the little rum shops that brew their own concoctions as well. Since I am a Peace Corps volunteer 24/7, we are strictly forbidden to go to those. They are also usually the liming spots for guys to play dominoes and smoke weed.

Now as for desserts, they are not as big into that as we are in the states, but local treats can include sugar cakes (made from coconut), guava jelly, and bread pudding. I plan on making some chocolate chip cookies for my host family so they can see why Americans have such a sweet tooth. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone make any out here. You can of course just buy the prepackaged kind at the store, but they don’t add up to the homemade kind.

So this would be my top pick for a meal: Salt fish, coconut dumplings, rice and lentils, steamed or boiled pumpkin and breadfruit, with mauby to wash it all down. Then for a sweet treat, just a sugar cake will do for me!!

2006-10-06T17:26:00.000-07:00

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!!

2006-09-21T05:54:00.000-07:00

Woo-hoo!! It's official! I am a Peace Corps Volunteer!! We took our oath of service yesterday, in front of the country director and other local government people. I no longer have to correct myself and say that I am a "trainee". This is me with my host parents holding up my certificate. I was like a proud little kid who just won the science fair or something, holding up my little certificate. Now, we get to relax for a little bit and try to get settled in. We all move into our apartments on the first of October. I guess I will use next week to start buying things I will need for the place. It is really nice. Only a one bedroom, but it has a bathtub and a killer balcony with a view!! I am excited.

As for the last week or so that I have been silent, I had been kept busy. For a couple of days I went to the primary school out here and sat in on some classes. I really like the Kindergarten teacher, and I think she will be my link to the school and services I can do there. They kept asking me if I would be teaching. I told them I would be more comfortable doing tutoring, after the whole camp experience I find that it is a gift to get the attention of over 5 children at a time. We also had meetings with representatives of the different government ministries, and I had my own little community meeting where I met a few of the active members here in St. Peters.

So, as far as what I will be doing here... once again, I am not too sure. I am very interested in HIV/AIDS projects, and actually am in touch with a woman who has organized a local support group for those infected or affected by the disease. I told her I would love to be of service in any projects they do for awareness and education here on the island. Also, I have planned on being at the health centre for the first week of October during their diabetes and children's clinics. I am becoming very interested in the health field again!! Not that I am turning my back on the environment, but there isn't much going on out here except for a sea turtle project. I will be in contact with them as well, just to see what I could do there. But so far, I am finding the area of public health very interesting, especially in epidemiology!! So, we'll see what I settle on after 2 years out here!!

2006-09-06T12:21:00.000-07:00

Real bored. It's 3 o' clock and I finished my day at noon. I got up at 5 am for my power walk with Rushi, then went to the health center at 8 am for the toddler and infant clinic. I just observed while the health workers weighed the kids and gave immunizations. Every now and then I played wrangler for some of the escapees from the immunizations room. Oh, I have a new boyfriend by the way. His name is Lu-Quan, he is shorter than me, and only just turned a year, but it was love at first sight between us!! Ha Ha! He was fun. Anyways, I have no idea what to do with myself right now. I've tried to take a nap but even with my fan on high and pointed directly at me, I still can't sleep! So now I decided to play on the computer. I really wish I didn't have interent access, it would allow me become a little more creative, but I am sure I will get bored of getting on here as well.

I hope everyone has enjoyed some of the pics I have put up. They really don't do this place any justice. You have to be here to experience it!! The smells, the sounds, the heat, the bus rides, the language, the feeling of this place. You all have 2 years to utilize me as a tour guide for your caribbean adventure. Ok, well... now to go see if Florence will pay us a visit or not. I would love for a little storm action out here.

2006-09-05T14:23:00.000-07:00

To answer that question, no they can't open beers, but they do drink them and any other alcoholic beverages. Found this picture online. I have yet to capture one on my camera, but I see them often. Actually, I see one often. The rasta goat/sheep herder down the road has one as a pet, so I see it on his shoulder each time he walks by. I've decided against having one as a pet though. Everyonetells me I would have to have diapers for it, and I am not ready for a child yet... dog yes, but nothing that requires pampers.

Camp ended well last week. By Friday I nearly had all their names down, I tried hard since they all knew mine after a day or two. I really ended up missing them when they weren't around and so far this week I have no idea what to do with myself since our training isn't as time consuming. No more camps till next summer, and though I might be in the minorityby saying this, I would really like to do it again! They drove me crazy on Monday, but by Tuesday I was over it and just laughed at everything. If they know they get to you, then they will milk that power. It ended up being a lot of fun. There is a picture of me that a volunteer has of the kids doing my hair. I will be sure to post it once I can get a copy of it.

The weekend was nice and relaxing. Finally got a new battery in my watch; was only $10 EC, not very much. I also learned that "black pudding" is NOT chocolate pudding. Completely far from pudding as a matter of fact. It is also known as "blood pudding" which I did not hear when I agreed to have some!! It is cow or goat intestine, in my case cow, and the intestines are stuffed with rice and spices and I have no idea what else and don't want to know. But I tried it anyways because I told my host family that I will try everything at least once, that's suppose to be part of the experience, right? Well, it really wasn't that bad. I might have even enjoyed it more and asked for a full portion if they had blind folded me first and I didn't see the coil of blood darkened intestine on the plate. So, note taken.

Church rounded off my weekend on Sunday. It's the second Sunday I have gone with the family to church, and it is much like any Southern Baptisit style congregation in the states. They call it a brethren church though. The services last 2 hours, twice a day. Plus Sunday school. Yep, you guessed it! That means I am in church pretty much all day Sunday!! It's not too bad. I get to meet people in the community and it helps me get closer to the fam. Next Sunday I am going with my host aunt to a different church though. I'm not sure what discipline, but she said there is a lot of singing, and I told her that I am aware of that! It really is fun though, to walk in and have people call you by name and ask you about your day. Church is very good for socializing!

Nothing else too exciting. I should be hearing any day now whether or not they have an apartment lined up for me. I want to know because the one they are looking at is on my walking route in mornings and I keep checking things out around it and figuring out what kind of view I will have and where I can run and where the store is. So, if that is not where I will be living then I can stop torturing myself!

2006-08-29T16:29:00.000-07:00

Two days down. Only three to go. We started this week helping out with a local day camp. We go from 8:30 till around 4:30 pm. I have never known such exhaustion without a strenuous workout! There are appromximately 70 of them and they are CRAZY!! Well, they are like any other kids, but these guys have an endless amount of energy. I really have a deeper appreciation for teachers and what they have to go through to occupy a child's attention. I have learned in a very short amount of time that sometimes just winging it with the kids is the best way to go. You will never stick to your lesson plan entirely.

Even though the whole day seemed like chaos and I was about ready to write all these kids off as hopeless, there is always that one moment that snaps you back to the simple truth: they're just kids. One kid in particular has for the last two days really worn on the whole lot of us, and no matter how many times we had scolded him, it didn't seem to affect his manner at all. But today we were all shown a different light. We had a traditional drum teacher come and visit the camp to show the kids some beats on the djembe and conga drums. When he called on the one kid in particular, I thought "oh no, this'll be interesting". I was pleasantly surprised though when he got on there and beat out a rhythm that made us all tap along. For the rest of the session he paid close attention to the intructor and volunteered to go up and demonstrate once more. He felt proud in his new skill and for a moment you could tell he was the envy of all the other kids. It made my heart smile!

2006-08-23T17:06:00.000-07:00

Well, I have a recap of the activities on St. Lucia on my computer, but looks like I won't post them until I either go to a wireless hub somewhere, or when I get my own place. But I can post it later to fill you all in, plus I will then be able to post pictures and then you'll get a whole bag of surprises. Anyways, I've been having a good time on St. Kitts. We stayed 2 nights at a guesthouse, all 14 of us. It was a good time to get to know eachother since not all of us were in the same hub groups in St. Lucia. We got to relax and go to the beach on Sunday, then we met our host families on Monday.

I'm staying with Uriah and Sylvia, but they are known as Betty and Charles. Yep, everyone here has an alias, and rarely is there just one. They are great though. Sylvia has been showing how to cook local foods. Using ingredients like coconut, plantain, various types of fish, and ground provisions. Tonight she made sugar cake with coconut. They're kinda like macaroons, but without chocolate.

Unlike St. Lucia, I get to shower, no bucket baths, and everyone seems to have internet. I get quite a lot more freedom here. I guess it's because this is my home now and the Peace Corps realizes we need to do things on our own. In St. Lucia I was constantly chaperoned, even during the day and even if I was with other volunteers. I know they were doing it to keep us "safe", but it got very frustrating.

St. Kitts is gorgeous, and maybe some of you will have the chance to come and visit me out here. We have monkeys!!! We also have mongoose, mongeese, -gooses... I don't know, but we have more than just one mongoose on the island. There are also some very brightly colored lizards, and I need to figure out what they are. There are no snakes, the mongoose got them. Umm... apparently there are some small deer here, and also some ferel pigs. As far as domesticated animals, lots of goats, pigs, cows, sheep, chickens/roosters, and the occasional pet monkey. Who knows what I'll end up having once I get my own place. A volunteer out here has a goat that she will pass on to a colleague in my group, so now I am thinking that I will want a goat. Definitely a dog, but all of these critters could get pricey, and I am living on government stipend. So we'll see.

Aside from the beauty and unfamiliar wildlife, St. Kitts has a lot to offer socially and recreationally. There are places to go in Bassatterre at night, which will be good for unwinding at the end of stressfull weeks. We've also been told that free spanish classes are offered at the Venezuela Institute here on the island. There are also french classes offered out here, but you have to pay for them. I hope to get a refresher course in diving and up my certification to advanced if I have the funds, and already we have heard of different running/walking groups to join, and also sports clubs like cricket, net ball, and basketball. I REALLY want to join a cricket club. I need to learn all the rules though.

Well, that's been about it. I will put pictures up when I can get my computer online, so I will be sure to let you know when that changes. Keep checking on me though!!

2006-08-19T04:22:00.000-07:00

Well, 3 weeks have come and gone and now I am saying bye to my sweet St. Lucia. It has been a whirl wind trip, and I'm sure I've learned lots, but I am so ready to settle in somewhere and have a place to call home. My flight leaves for St. Kitts in about an hour, it shoud only take 2 hours total to get there. We'll stay in a guest house till Monday, when we meet our new homestay families. I'm still not sure what I will be doing there, but I am excited. I am thinking I will be teaching, but we'll see. I still have lots to talk about, but not a lot of time. I have many pics to put up as well, so just be patient with me, and I will fill you all in on my adventures soon enough. Just know that I am ok, a little over fed, but doing well nonetheless. Oh yeah, it is really hot here!!

2006-07-29T10:45:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody!! I made it safely, it was a long, and arduous process to get out here, but I am in one piece. we arrived in St. Lucia yesterday, after a short and delightful layover in San Juan, Puerto Rico. I am an hour away from meeting my host family, so here I sit sending a short blurb out before I leave in about 5 min. I'm not sure what my situation will be once I am in Micoud (my new community), as far as internet and phones. Anyways, love all of you and will give you more info when I have time!!!

2006-07-23T22:52:00.000-07:00

So I have now reached the point of no sleep. I am so anxious and nervous about what lies ahead for me that I work myself up into a ball of nerves. So here I am typing at 1 am, in the dark, waiting to pass out. My nervousness and anxiety mainly comes from me finding it hard to let go of friends and family for the next 2 years. I can't understand why this feels different than when I moved to Guam. Even my family seems more apprehensive. I feel like this should be easier, after all, I am not 18 and the Caribbean is far closer than Guam. I feel like I have proven a point to myself and my family through all my travels that I should be able to handle this, but still I am reluctantly excited. Maybe most of it is because I still am not exactly sure of what my job is. They have only given me a vague idea of what I "might" be doing. Maybe, I guess, I am most nervous about when I am done out there. I am anxious to see the change that this will have on me, and I am curious as to which direction I will go. I wonder if I will feel like this everday for the next two years...