Nevis Nice

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

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."

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!!

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!

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...

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"

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

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

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!!!!!

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

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

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

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...

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

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!!

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 :)

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!!!!!!

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...

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!