US Navy

Last month Haley and I partnered with the US Navy to complete a community outreach project. The Navy was in Castries Harbor to deliver various goods, and they contacted Peace Corps. It was decided that they would spend a day with about 15 boys from the Boys Training Center, a residential center for boys that have committed crimes in the community and are too young to incarcerate and for boys that have been removed from their homes because of abuse or neglect.

Each boy was paired with a Sailor who gave them a tour of their ship, The USS Oak HIll (LSD 51) while speaking with them about discipline and the importance of having goals for your future. The boys then ate lunch on the ship before boys and sailors returned to the Boys Training Center for a football (soccer) match.

Needless to say, the boys had a good time beating the Navy guys in football!

I was very happy with how the day turned out. These boys tend to lack positive male role models, especially ones that will take the time to spend a day just with them. You could tell it was a day they will remember for the rest of their life.

I also found it very fulfilling to work with the Navy, the captain and chaplain of the ship were nearly begging for more community outreach opportunities and plan to contact Peace Corps in any future visits to the island. It was very refreshing to see them excited to be involved and thankful for the opportunity to do a little bit of humanitarian work. It made me proud to say that I have had a cousin serve in the US Navy. Below is a post from an editorial on the US Navy's website.



http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=46307
Oak Hill Sailors Complete Community Outreach in St. Lucia
Story Number: NNS090619-12
Release Date: 6/19/2009 5:07:00 PM

From USS Oak Hill (LSD 51) Southern Partnership Station 2009 Public Affairs

USS OAK HILL, At Sea (NNS) -- USS Oak Hill (LSD 51) recently completed its first port visit in Castries, St. Lucia, since departing for its three-month Southern Partnership Station (SPS) 2009 deployment.

More than 300 Sailors and Marines, as well as several foreign liaison naval officers (LNOs) from countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru and Uruguay, made an impact on the island by participating in community relations (COMREL) and Project Handclasp projects.

As part of Project Handclasp, the crew delivered 37 pallets of sanitary and medical supplies, textbooks and toys to local medical agencies, schools and orphanages.

Oak Hill Chaplain Lt. Robert Bailey said, "It was a chance to give back to the local community and show the true Navy spirit."

"Projects like this display that the Navy is about partnership and friendship," said Bailey. "Whenever we have the opportunity to help others, it gives them a more personal representation of what the Navy is and not what the media tells them."

The crew also had the opportunity to spend time with and mentor approximately 15 boys from the Boys Training Center under the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security in Massade, Gros Islet. The crew welcomed the boys aboard for a ship's tour and lunch, then joined the boys back at the center for a game of soccer.

"The COMREL went extremely well," added Bailey. "Having the opportunity to meet with the children, we were able to show them that they can make a change in their lives."

"Wherever the Navy goes, we are American ambassadors," said Capt. Brad Williamson, the commander of the SPS 2009 mission. "Whether we are participating in Project Handclasp or community relations projects, we are not just representing the Navy but everyone back home as well."

Oak Hill is participating in the combined multinational naval and amphibious operational exercise with maritime forces from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru and Uruguay.

Oak Hill is also supporting the multinational amphibious exercise known as Southern Exchange 2009.

COMING HOME IN JULY!

I am coming home to visit from July 22nd to August 8th, WOOHOO!!! I am counting down the days already. I can't wait to see everyone. Austin buddies, I have not forgotten you July 30th - August 3rd!!! Get ready for some Barton Springs!!! I would says, lets go to Campbell's Hole, but I here the rivers are pretty dried up this year. I miss you guys!

CONGRATULATIONS TO ME!!!

I have 'unofficially, received funding for a project I am working on here in excess of $6000 USD!!! AND, this is just the beginning. The company, JQ Charles also says they are interested in providing financial support to roll out the Why Try Program in all secondary schools ISLAND WIDE!! GOIN NATIONAL BABY!!! Now, the first phase is our pilot of the program in all District II schools; that's 4 schools. This will be during the 2009 - 2010 school year. After I complete a project analysis and submit my report to them, they will decided if they are going to, 'officially', provide support to the remaining secondary schools across the nation!!! Pretty cool, huh?
You might be wondering about when my Peace Corps service will end then. Well, if all goes as planned and nothing changes (which who knows how likely that is) I may apply to extend my service for the sustainability of the project.

Senior Games 2009... Cane RACES!!!

Monday was a Holiday in St. Lucia and some of the other volunteers and I went to the Senior Games. They had everything from 100 meter dashes (more like 100 meter trots) to 1,500 meter speed walk (which lasted 20 minutes) to cane racing. Yes, I said it... CANE RACES!!! I swear the guy that one this race wasn't a real cane user! He was totally faking it! I half expected him to twirl his cane around as he walked upright over the finish line. We had a volunteer, Diane participate in the Senior Races, too. She placed in the top 5. GO DIANE!!

Anyway, we carried on Andy and Eric's tradition from last year and placed quarter bets on who would win, who would loose, and who wouldn't finish the race!! If you guest the looser and your looser couldn't make it over the finish line, your winning pot got doubled. I walked away up 15 quarters! Woohoo!! It was great fun; an event I will definitely be attending next year. I have pictures of the stadium and everything in my slide show. Check it out!

Also, I trust I don’t have to explain why I posted this… silly… cheer leading video. Just watch it… Need I say more? ;-) OKAY, i couldn't get the video to load... will update later

Turtle Watching

 

I went turtle watching two times, only a day apart, last month. This is a picture of me with a Leatherback Turtle. This particular turtle's shell measured about 5 feet 2 inches long! They were marvelous to see. I got to see 4 turtles over the course of two nights. The first night we saw only one turtle and that wasn't until about 4am. We walked up and down the longest Beach in St. Lucia for hours before stumbling upon the turtle in the middle of laying her eggs. The second night we saw 3 turtles, all between 9 and 10pm! You just never know when they will come up to lay. From March to the end of April, 100s of mama turtles come to lay their eggs in the sand. They dig a hole about 3 feet deep and lay approximately 100 eggs or so. Of those 100, anywhere from 1/4 - 3/4 will be fertile eggs. Another fun fact is that these turtles swim back and forth across the Atlantic Ocean, but they always lay their eggs on the exact same beach from which they were born! I thought that was kinda cool. Anyway, you can check out more pictures in my slide show, but we slept on the beach and the next morning we made bakes. Bakes are these yummy fried biscuts that taste great with slat fish inside. Anyway, I plan to go back to Grand Anse Beach soon to see the turtles hatching. They hatch in the months of May and June.

Everytings Irie Mun

I just wanted to tell everyone I miss you and can't wait to see you when I visit in July!!!!

I cant wait to tell you all about the work I have been doing here, the beach, hiking, turtle watching, steel pan, and of course the guy I have been dating for the past 5 months. That is pretty much my life here in St. Lucia; Peace Corps work, beachin' it, hiking, Steel Pan lessons, boyfriend, and the general hangin' out!

Oh and by the way. I went with Lloyd the other day to visit his brother. He has this huge cashew nut tree by his house and they decided to roast some cashews. I had heard previous horror stories from volunteers already about eating cashews in st. lucia. The general consensus is "Don't eat the freshly roasted cashews, you will get a rash from the oils." Now not only is the cashew nut my favorite nut (next to the pistachio of course) but the boys also had their doubts about this 'mystery rash.' They were absolutely certain that you only get this rash if you eat the cashew if they are not roasted completely, because then all the oils dont come off the nut.

What do I have today... A cashew nut rash on my wrist. BOO!
However, I must say, the cashews were really yummy. It was definitely worth the mild irritation!

LOVE!

No Strike Will Put Me Out of Work!

From April 27th, 2009

This is a journal entry that I meant to include in my blog about a month ago.

Today the teachers Union has another meeting with the Ministry. We will know shortly if the strike will continue. If it continues all public school children will be out of school for an indefinite period of time (until the Ministry agrees to increase the teachers salary by 7.5%).

Luckily for me and our kids, my IPP at Compre is a Seventh Day Adventist Church member. SDA members are usually discouraged from participating in strikes or any other potentially volatile political action. This includes any political action that involves slander or smear tactics; that is not to say that this dispute involves any such misconduct. In fact, the only details I really know are: a. The Ministry promised to increase the teachers’ salary by 7.5% during the strike that occurred last year; and b. Teachers did not receive their increase, as promised. Nonetheless, my community partner, although she is permitted to be part of this particular union, will still be attending school. Thankfully, this allows us to still work on the many things we set out to complete this term.

At the beginning of the term, the counselor at Compre and I created a schedule for the final term through to September when school starts again. We plan to design and facilitate a Peer Mentoring Workshop in order to train and prepare the 20 new Castries Comprehensive Peer Mentors. Peer Mentors assist new students in their adjustment to the school, especially Form 1 students, educate their peers on healthy life style choices, and are expected to be role models that provide mentoring and counsel to fellow peers.
We are also organizing a workshop for the new Prefects. Prefects are well behaved students that are selected for the purpose of managing a classroom when a teacher is absent. The Ministry of Education does not have substitute teachers on staff in the same way we do in the States. Instead, a student Prefect takes charge of the class. Their workshop will focus on school rules, class room management and conflict resolution. Then, of course, we are continuing the “Why Try?” Program. Why Try is a program that works with at-risk students to help them attain unlearned social skills necessary for positive growth and achievement. It was developed by Social Workers in the States, WooHoo!

Currently, Castries Comprehensive and Sir Ira Simmons have a total of 27 ‘at-risk’ students that are regularly attending “Why Try?” groups every week. Securing funding for additional groups for the 2009 – 2010 school year has also been in the works. I completed a rough draft of a proposal in February, and the District II counselor is still preparing the final product, which will then be sent to two different funding sources. The hope is to run a ‘formal pilot’ of the program in each of the four District II schools. Positive results will then be used to secure funding for the implementation of “Why Try?” island-wide. Even though the program has been running in Vaux Fort, the success of the program has not been empirically measured. I measured the students’ base-line level at Compre and Sir Ira but the program has not been run in a methodical way, neither under optimal conditions; obtaining all the necessary materials has been a challenge.

We will be measuring the success by collecting and analyzing the following data:
- group member, parent, and teacher surveys will help us to establish a base
line and monitor changes of particular behaviors, characteristics and basic
social functioning.
- Changes in attendance, suspension, detention, and drop-out rates
- Grades and CXC pass rates
- Observed progress in group

Additionally, some people have been asking me “What makes at kid at-risk?” In general, many different factors can put a child ‘at-risk’ in life. However, the term always needs to be considered within the context of which you are working. For example, children born in poverty are considered at-risk because they are less likely to receive a quality education, they may get involved with drugs or crime due to the different stressors of poverty, and they are more likely to be malnourished and/or go untreated for different health problems. That is just listing a few. For the purposes of “Why Try?” at-risk school children are those children that are at-risk for not completing school successfully. Since we are wanting to make the pilot as empirical as possible we will need to be specific in defining how we intend to identify at-risk children. For our use, a child is considered to be at-risk if they meet 1 or more of the following criteria:
- Poor grades in over half of the students subjects
- Having ever been suspended from school
- Poor school attendance or truancy
- Low self-esteem, as determined by teacher and counselor
- Having more than 1 school detention
- More than 1 referral to the principal’s office
- Inability to concentrate or follow instruction in the classroom, as
determined by teacher
- Scores low on social-skills survey
- Cannot identify at-least 3 adults that are supportive of them

Update

Hey All!

I just wanted to pop in with a breif update. Things are going well in St. Lucia. I am in the middle of conducting an 8 week HIV/AIDS workshop for a mens youth group. It is going really well, and we have had a good turn out. In the last two weeks of the workshop I will be helping them to develop a community action plan for a project about health wellness and HIV/AIDS prevention.

I have also been facilitating moe Why Try groups - going well

Lastly, Jazz was all last week. I went to a couple of events, but my hope is to participate in the festivities more next year!

Anyway, back to school stuff.... more later
- oh yes and the strike is on hold until the end of the month

Teacher’s Union Strike

April 23rd, 2009

Term 3 of the 2008 – 2009 academic school year was due to start this past Monday. However, Monday morning I noticed an inordinate amount of un-uniformed kids running around in the ‘yard’. Usually by about 7:30 AM kids speckle the roadside in their various school uniforms. For a moment I was confused by the scene; it was the first day back from a two week break, and I was wondering why any matters were not dealt with during the scheduled break. My confusion faded as I began to find out what was going on. Parents in the community were mentioning something about the teachers union going on strike! I was told that school would resume Wednesday. I had no real way of confirming this information though, as I have no internet or TV and my phone was lost on the beach 2 weeks ago. When I arrived at school Wednesday I heard the details. Apparently the Teachers Union was given notice last Tuesday that they would not be receiving the 7.5% salary increase that was promised to them by the Ministry. They held a meeting on Monday and vowed to strike on Thursday for 3 working days if their adjusted salaries were not in the bank by Thursday morning. They did have school on Tuesday, though the attendance was low, as will be for the rest of the week. No student wants to pay bus fare for no reason.

Today the increase did not show up in the banks and no teachers went to school. I still went to the school, where I found out even more information. People were talking about the Prime Ministers announcement that the government does not have the funds for the raise. The Union plans to meet again with the ministry on Monday and continue the strike if no agreement is made. I heard that teachers went on strike for over a month once and they are prepared to strike again!

This is the second occurrence of teachers striking since I have been in St. Lucia. I have also witnessed a strike by the gasoline dealers. Everything slows down when this happens. I just feel bad for the students. Many students are in the middle of major examinations at this time and the strike risks appropriate preparation for them.

I am Nature

Friday April 14th, 2009

What is Paradise? For me and many others it seems that paradise is being in the authenticity of nature, experiencing nature in its most beautiful form; untouched, unmodified, land unturned by humans. This is why many people escape to the tropics; to experience the pureness of nature. Even the brutality between different species in paradise seems simply perfect. But didn’t man evolve from the earth? Evolve. The work implies that there are levels higher than the last. How are humans of a higher level when all that we create is seen as a destruction of nature? Of that which seems most pure? Of that which we want to escape to in order to experience a little bit of paradise.
Are we not of this earth as well? How is it that we continue to destroy what is most precious to us? We even do it without second thought most of the time. We do it almost compulsively. It’s in our nature to drive ourselves further and further from paradise. Ironic, isn’t it?

Another Day in Paradise

Monday March 30th

Yesterday Haley, Embert, Lloyd, Sam and I hiked through the bush from MOnchy to Labonn. We stopped at Lloyd’s grandfathers house. Lloyd lived there for about 9 years when he was growing up. His grandfather is about 72 and in excellent shape. He was a fisherman that retired only a couple of years ago. While we were stopped his cousin serves us some chilled rain water as a refreshment. From Labonn we hiked down to a beach called Dophin beach. The beach is on the east side of the island. From the beach not one person or house could be seen in all directions. We limed on the beach for some time and I learned how to skip rocks on the ocean waves. Embert and Lloyd went exploring and returned with a gigantic tortes shell! The shell was at least 2 feet in length! We took pictures with the shell and decided that the sound of a turtle is Mahhh… none of us had ever heard a turtle before…

After the crew convinced me that “NO” I would not succeed in getting the shell through customs we proceeded to hike on a small trial to the Sashe River. We stopped againby a small, but lovely, 7 ft. waterfall on the river. The waterfall poured into a 12 ft. deep swimming hole. The river was just as secluded and private as the beach. On our way to the bathing spot we had to follow the river up stream a bit. Lloyd had stories of how kids from the local village used to wash clothes and take bathes at the river. You could still see soap stains on the rocks, Lloyd said it was looking like somebody still comes to wash there.

At the swim hole we sand some songs, gave thanks for our blessings, and dove into the pool off the rocks. Just when dusk was arriving and the mosquitoes started biting, Embert made a small smoke fire out of coconut husk; he says it helps keep the mosquitoes away. Just before night fell upon us we hiked up to the road from the river; not an easy ascent. I can’t imagine climbing up just so with baskets of wet clothes! We passed a pig farm on the way home. It’s spring and all the piglets were funning about. We made our way into Monchy just as the sun disappeared over the horizon. It couldn’t have been a better day. The only thing… I fort my camera! Good thing Haley had hers!

Pleading with the Lord

March 26th, 2009

Pleading with the Lord

I’m Beaten and Bruised
Feel used up and abused
My minds so confused
Not giving up though, I refuse

Not hearin your words
Is this what I deserve
I’m weak and alone
Dear Jesus take me home

Waitin for a sign all the time
Something to tell me
Waitin for a sign all the time
God’s guidance to lead me

But it’s not always there
And I begin to fell life is unfair
Waitin for a sign all the time
Waitin for a sign all the time

I’m immobile, I’m still waitin
No action to take, must be something I’m missin
Dear Jesus lead me, I need your guidance
Hope’s my only lifeline, I’m still waitin

I will wait all my life
But understand this wait brings me pain
I need one of your signs
Just need some clarifying

Is this independence you give me
A sign of your trust and love
With your approval I’ll move forward
Trust my heart and trust me

Your Life

March 26th, 2009

Your Life

Life ain’t an easy break
There are those that have opportunity to take
Then there are those that hit the wall
Everyday they take a fall

But God gives us what we need
and never more, so take heed
Discover what it is that sets you free
Gives your mind and heart a life of ease

The tricks that life’s never as it seems
One minute your on da right track
But wake up the next day to see
You’re on a different train than dat

People hurt people along the way in life
They just searchin for happiness in life
You’ve gotta observe your affect on others in life
And don’t let da people abuse or use you in life

Your life is you life
Be humble with your life
Follow your dreams
And set your sail free in life

Life ain’t an easy break
Older I get, harder it is to hear my spirit
What I think and feel is sometimes wrong
And I’m left with no certainty in nothin at all

Dear Lord

Wednesday March 18th, 2009

Dear Lord,

Thank you for the blessings in my life lord
My dreams, goals and aspirations are for you lord
And even when I think that I’m not enough lord
You seem to life me up and show me I’m enough lord

Find Jah
Know thyself
And when you’re strong
Go find love

Dream big
Let your spirit lead
Don’t give up
You’ll have all you need

My house, my job, my man are blessings from you lord
Done somethin right to deserve this from you lord
Must thank my mama for her guidance and words lord

Find Jah
Know thyself
And when you’re strong
You’ll find love

Dream big
Let your spirit lead
Don’t give up
You’ll have all you need

She Said
Don’t you cheat, don’t you lie, don’t be negative
Find good friend, set good goals, live with integrity
Most of all dear, fill your life with positivity

Find Jah
Know thyself
And when you’re strong
You’ll find love

Dream big
Let your spirit lead
Don’t give up
You’ll have all you need

My friends, my car, my life are sent to me by you lord
Done something right to deserve this from you lord
Thank you for my mama, I’m so blessed lord

Find Jah
Know thyself
And when you’re strong
Go find love

Dream big
Let your spirit lead
Don’t give up
You’ll have all you need

Mama Said
Don’t you cheat, don’t you lie, don’t be negative
Find good friends, set good goals, live with integrity
Most of all dear, fill your life with positivity


God Bless

Caribbean Home

Tuesday March 17th, 2009

The closer it gets to moving time, the more excited I get about moving. I am happy to move to a place that is more private and closer to my work.

I am starting to consider that St. Lucia might very well become another home to me. It really is possible to have all I dreamed of. To have a home in the states and a home under the Caribbean sun would be wonderful. There are many opportunities for work here for a Social Worker. I could teach at the college, assist at the mental health hospital, promote healthy relationships, etc. I only wonder what job I could have that would enable my travel back and forth between St. Lucia and the states.

I could buy property and rent it in the states and live in the Caribbean or visa versa.
I could build a vacation home near the coast in St. Lucia

This is all just speculation.

Peace Corps Expo

March 15th, 2009

Haley, another Peace Corps Volunteer has taken the lead in putting together a committee to design a Peace Corps Expo. We had our first committee meeting yesterday to brainstorm ideas for the expo. The idea is to hold the expo in Castries in a high traffic area. We want to introduce people to what Peace Corps is, what our goals are, what the volunteers do, past and present sustainable projects, and have a cross cultural experience.

Racism

Tuesday March 12th, 2009

My Why Try? Groups are running more smoothly this week. Sometimes all these kids need is someone that will relate to their potential, relentlessly. To many times teachers, parents, and other adults only see the troublesome side of adolescents. They need an adult that wont give-up on them, just the same way we try to tell them to never give-up on life.

I must tell you, I think a large portion of their respect is greatly related to how I dealt with a situation that occurred 2 weeks ago. In the middle of session 2 of the girls commented back and forth about how they have white people. This was my first experience in St. Lucia of blatant racism. When the comments came I was stunned. I was so upset that I couldn’t even process the comments and just brushed over them as if they didn’t even occur. Later that day we called the two students to the office to address the comments. Strangely enough, both students were surprised to hear I was upset by the comments. At first, I attempted to put them in my shoes by asking them how it would make them feel if I said “I hate black people.” Both students were confident that it wouldn’t matter to them. Dormillia, my community counterpart had to help me understand that most St. Lucians have never experienced racism and because St. Lucia is a black nation, such remarks against black people have little power and are not seen as a threat.

I spoke with the students about the climate of racism in America and how it is very offensive to make such comments. I talked to them about the dangers of lumping people together according to race and how that is the attitude that lead to enslavement of black people. The girls responded that they were not talking about me, but about “White white people.” I asked each of the girls if they have ever had a white friend or known a white person before. Both stated that they have never even had one conversation with a white person before me. They hear stories about white people and from that know that all white people only want to come to St. Lucia to take their money and kick the people on the street. Neither of the girls had ever directly experienced either. I told them that I do not support acts of hate against St. Lucians or any black people and encouraged them to try to make a judgments of people based more on their personal experience rather than the stories they hear from other people. I let them know that they are welcome to speak to me and ask me questions anytime they want.

Last week Dormillia and I spoke with the entire group about the comments that were made the previous week and let them know there is no tolerance for hateful comments in Why Try? Clearly, my response to the situation gained their respect.

Poverty in St. Lucia

Wednesday March 11th, 2008

The impoverished areas of St. Lucia are largely unseen by both tourist and a large majority of middle – upper class Lucians. Those that live in better homes have better access to good roads, buses, and shops. Sometimes the poverty stricken ghettos are only one or two blocks away down a beaten path that a car can hardly pass through. Unless you live in, grew up in, or know someone who lives in these areas, you can spend your whole life with no reason to ever explore those rugged paths. Well off individuals that have access and can afford water and/or electricity often times don’t even realize there are people living just a stone throw away that don’t have running water and use out houses. Recently, I spoke with a local St. Lucian that was astonished when I told her that some St. Lucian’s still use pit toilets and can’t afford electricity; she could hardly believe me. Furthermore, a volunteer recently reported to me that one of her community partners made the comment, “everyone has at lease one computer in their homes these days.” The reality is, only about 10% of the islands households have computers. This is how hidden the poverty in St. Lucia can be.

Life Keeps Movin' Mon

Bonjou from St. Lucia everyone!

Things are going well here under the sunny skies of St. Lucia. I will give you an update as to the latest happenings.

First – I am moving from Babonneau to Marisul! After 4 months of living in a house that is part of a tire shop, has men around a lot, is continuous mosquito infestations from the mosquitoes breeding in the tires, always has water problems, and is never quiet I am finally relocating to a more comfortable location! Sad thing is…. Now I am a little attached to Babonneau! The little kids holler out “Ms. Ashley, Ms. Ashley” as I walk by sometimes; there are several projects in the Babonneau community that are of interest to me; and it just feels like home now. Of course I will miss my lovely sunset spot too! Since I am up in the hills, I get to see the sun rise and fall. There is a log at the edge of the field by my house and it has become my sunset spot on many occasions now.
On a positive note, my new place is not only walking distance from work, BUT the beach is only a 5 minute walk away as well!! Isn’t that super fantastic!
I will give you the pros and cons of my of leaving my current place
Pros:
Get out of tire shop
- smell
- men
- noise
- mosquitoes
more privacy at new place
will be near work
- save money on bus fare
- get more exercise
will be near beach
- get more exercise
will be on a main bus line
- easier to get home at night
- save money on bus fare
Can have a dog at new place

Cons:
Lose fruits on property
Lose microwave
Lose hot water
Lose TV
Not as convenient to work in Babonneau

From all of that, I chose to move.

Second Ting – I am still doing steel pan on Saturdays and hiking on Sundays. Last week I hiked a mountain called Piton Flore and this past Sunday we went snorkeling. I finally got to use the snorkel gear mommy and daddy sent, and it was GREAT! Now, you all know how curious I am about EVERYTHING, yeah? Well, during our first 7 weeks of Peace Corps training we had a whole session on “Things That Sting”. Of course, sea urchins were on that list. Sea Urchins are those cute prickly black things that grow between the coral rocks in the ocean. They look kinda like those prickly toy scrunch balls… yet pokeyer (don’t you just love making up new words?). Well, I made the crazy decision to pet, yes I say PET, a sea urchin while snorkeling this past Sunday. The first one I tried to pet was a little guy and I got a feel on him but nothing I was satisfied with. I found me a larger fella and swam down for a soft brush over his spines. “OUCH! HE BITES” The larger guy wasn’t so happy to have me messin’ with his arms and legs. So, a sea urchin sting hurts a bit, but it’s not gonna kill ya. One of my friends responses to the sting was, “I like that about you, you truly live” She said, “It’s like that saying, denying yourself any part of life through fear is not living.” For true, for ture!

Third Ting – My projects… My “Why Try?” Program is making much progress. I hope to have the funding proposal submitted by the end of the week. Junior Achievement with the younger kids is fantastic. They get so excited to see me; stickers really do go a long way! My HIV/AIDS project is progressing in Babonneau. For the ropes course thing, I hope to be work more on that in the near future.
I am really starting to settle into my work. Although there are days that are frustrating and I ask myself, “and why am I doing this for free,” most days are rewarding. I know that I am having an impact on the men, women, and children around me. Through working here in St. Lucia, I have realized though that the impact of the work I do back home as a social worker is no less valuable than the work I do here. All places have their struggles. People everywhere need support from others and assistance making it to the next level. It looks the same here and there, and people respond the same to the help here as they do there. We are one!

Fourth and Final Ting – This entry wouldn’t be complete without another random story right? The other night 4 of us were driving down the road when we spotted an opossum crossing the road. The driver slams on his break and my other friend is jumping out of the car before it’s even come to a complete stop. In one snatch, he grabs up the opossum by the end of its tail. I’m right on his heals because I had never seen an opossum up close before. Then as cars drive by my two Lucian friends start shouting things in Patois. It took me a moment to realize that they were trying to see the opossum! My friend, who is also an American girl, and I watched while laughing hysterically at the situation. I wish I had my camera on me. My friend took a couple of photos with her pocket camera. No one wanted to buy the opossum for $80 EC so the boys decide they are going to try and sell the little guy to the shop down the road. My friend gets in the car, arm hanging out the window, holding fast to the opossum. I couldn’t get over myself! It was the funniest sight, indeed! Nonetheless… the shop owner wasn’t in and some other guy ended up taking him with a promise to pay for him later.

Sailors Are Funny

2.24.09

This past weekend I met an interesting character. Meeting interesting people that have bizarre stories and adventures to share is all part of the fun of exploring a new nation. His name was Francisco, a tall gangly character with a scruffy chin and neck. His fingernails were dingy, his teeth revealed signs of chain smoking, and his hair seemed to be plastered with gel that hadn’t been washed our for several days… But, now that I think of it, his half spiked hair style must have been placed so by the natural oils that must have been accumulating on his scalp for weeks without washing. Even though his shorts were tattered and his vest faded he was chipper and jolly; clearly the rum flows freely on his ship. Anyway, he passed me as I was sitting eating a sandwich and asked if I would like to take a walk with him. I could tell immediately that this was an intriguing man, but honestly, I just accepted his offer because I wanted to bum a cigarette.

Turns out that Francisco is a sailor; I should have known, and somewhere between coffee and rum Francisco told me all about his live as a sailor. Briefly, he mentioned what he refers to as his ‘past life’. Before sailing the seas endlessly he was a professor of philosophy at a university in France. Six months ago he retired from his job, gave up all his possessions, family and friends and decided to start sailing. He bought a boat and has been sailing around the world for 6 months with no real plan on where to go next or for how long to stay. He only dreams of finding a sailor girl to join him on his adventure, find a cozy place on the sea shore to settle, build a house, fish and live out the rest of their days. Sounds romantic, huh?

Before St. Lucia, Francisco spent 2 months in different parts of Africa. He sounded like a character straight out of a story book; speaking about how mystical Africa was and how lovely and kind people are all over the world. His tales were incredibly marvelous. It’s incredible how some people are able to just take a risk and go anywhere their heart desires. After our chatter came to an end the sailor sipped down his last drop of rum and went back to the marina; I think he had a chess match to attend on one of the other ships.

Cultural Blooper

2.19.09

Last week EC78 (the 78th PCV group to serve in the eastern Caribbean) had its first in-service training. This training is held two times over the course of our stay in St. Lucia. Anyhow, on our first day of IST our PC trainer had us share some of the cultural bloopers we as volunteers experienced during our first 6 months in St. Lucia. Some people shared experiences about getting on buses just after having a Lucian shower (getting caught in a torrential down pour without an umbrella) and having the driver curse under his breathe the whole way home; experiences of forgetting to open a meeting with a prayer; and stories of how accepting a crate of fruit from a male community member can make him think you are going to go to bed with him. There wasn’t much for me to contribute to the bloopers wall… until today, that is. In fact, my cultural blooper came with great consequence, and has lead to a doctor who has been seeing volunteers for 27 years no longer being willing to treat Peace Corps Volunteers!

Several months ago I went to see the doctor for the treatment of an ongoing headache I was having. It was my first doctor visit in St. Lucia, and a bizarre one, at that. First, the doctor asked me the details of my ailment; nothing out of the ordinary yet. Next, she proceeded to check my throat, eyes and nose; still nothing unusual. Things go a little strange when the doctor asked me to remove my shirt. With hesitation I did so, but I was very uncomfortable, and I was confused as to why she was asking me to do so. She pressed on my abdomen a little, then asked me to remove my bra, too. The request was met with no explanation as to why I should do so, I was given no cover, and it was obvious that she did not intend on leaving the room while I undressed. Naturally, I was shocked by the nature of her request, thus asked her to repeat herself, “You want me to remove my bra, too?,” I said with surprise in my voice. She confirmed, “Yes.” I feeling very uncomfortable with the request, as I had no understanding of why she was asking me to disrobe, so I asked her, “Why do you want me to remove my bra?” Clearly offended, she responded, “Well, I was just going to check your breast for you, but I don’t have to!” I told her “No, I don’t see that its necessary; I just have a headache!” I left the office that day feeling that the incident was mighty peculiar and I ran the scenario by one of my supervisors, whom is Lucian. She confirmed that the procedure was normal.

Nevertheless, my response to her turned out to be extremely offensive and led to her decision to no longer care for Peace Corps Volunteers, after 27 years of service! Apparently, it is uncommon for patients to question doctors in this culture, and in fact, it is viewed as a questioning of their expertise. It is normal for doctors to give you a complete physical for anything, no matter the ailment; this is actually better service than we get back home. Additionally it is not customary for female doctors to give a cover or leave the room for female clients.

This has been my largest cultural blooper, and I feel awful about it. I have decided to write the doctor an apology in regards to my misunderstanding. Also, I believe the next group of volunteers will be receiving a written notice titled, “What to Expect on Your First Doctors Visit!” Well… OOPS!

Recipe for Vegetable Peanut Pasta and Mediterranean Salad

Friday Feb 14th, 2009

Vegetarian Peanut Noodles Recipe
INGREDIENTS:
For the peanut sauce:
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth
• 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp. teriyaki sauce
• One “thumb” of ginger
• Zest and juice of ½ lime
• 2 Tbsp. chopped peanuts
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• Black pepper to taste
For the pasta:
• 250 grams (1/4 package) linguine or udon noodles
For the stir-fry:
• 1-2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 3 carrots, sliced thinly into matchsticks
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1.5 cups bean sprouts
• 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced thinly
To serve:
• Green onions
• Chopped peanuts
• Sesame seeds
DIRECTIONS:
For the peanut sauce:
1. Heat a small saucepan over low-medium heat.
2. Add the broth, peanut butter, garlic, sesame oil, teriyaki sauce, grated
ginger, lime zest, lime juice, and peppers to the pot, stirring gently.
3. Heat through.
For the pasta:
1. Bring a large pot of water to the boil and cook pasta until al dente. The
noodles should be cooked but still slightly firm in the middle, not slippery
or mushy. Firmer noodles are desired to hold onto the sauce better.
2. If using udon noodles, cook according to minimum cook time on package.
For the Stir-fry:
1. Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat and add one tablespoon oil.
2. Add the vegetables and stir-fry for several minutes, until all vegetables
are tender-crisp.
To serve:
• In a serving dish, toss the cooked and drained pasta with the peanut sauce
and vegetables. Garnish with green onions (scallions), chopped peanuts, and
sesame seeds.

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
INGREDIENTS
• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
• 1 roma (plum) tomato, seeded and diced
• 1/2 medium green bell pepper, diced
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lemon, juiced
DIRECTIONS
1. In a bowl, toss together the garbanzo beans, roma tomato, green bell pepper,
onion, garlic, parsley, olive oil, and lemon juice. Cover, and chill until
serving.

Grant Writing

Wednesday February 11th, 2009

Today I participated in a grant writing workshop as part of my Peace Corps training. The workshop was invaluable! One great thing about the way Peace Corps structures its in-service trainings is they allow the volunteers to provide feedback on what additional training would be most useful. Then, Peace Corps designs our bi-annual trainings on the topics identified most by the volunteers.

Currently, I am working on two funding proposals, one to be ‘officially’ submitted by the Ministry of Education and the other to be submitted by Hope Academy, a new non-profit organization working to increase opportunity for success for children living in poverty. Both proposals will be submitted to major funding sources, and while I have had some exposure to grant writing, I have never written an entire official funding proposal. Nevertheless, I was suffering from writers block, despite my enthusiasm for the opportunity to play such a large role in these two projects. However, thanks to the workshop from today I feel I have all the tools needed to write a well-received proposal!

The proposal I am writing on behalf of the Ministry is for funding of “Why Try?” in more of the secondary schools, to be rolled out in 3 phases over 2 – 3 years. The second proposal is for the development of a ropes course in Babonneau. The ropes course will support the mission and vision of Hope Academy and help to build confidence, self-esteem, and team work among the students of Hope Academy

Exciting stuff!! Exciting stuff!!

Flea Market and Steel Pan

2.7.09

I’m sitting at the Rodney Bay mall waiting for Haley to walk down from her place. There is a flea Market sale down the road and we need new clothes. The sun, salt water, and walking has all but worn out everything we have. The last sale I got a pair of capris, 2 dresses, and a shirt for 10EC. That is $4 US!! After the sale, Haley and I will spend the day at the beach before proceeding to steel pan practice at 3:00. Our steel pan instructor thinks that we will be good enough to perform with Pan-Orama in July!

Tattoo Me Baby

Saturday Feb 7th, 2009

New tattoo ideas
Across my upper back, irie pa bon
Direct translation – alright not good
What it stand for – blessed imperfection

On my left shoulder, a social work symbol, a St. Lucian flag, a peace corps symbol

On the top of my right foot, a mandala

One Pot

Entry from 2.6.09

The other day Haley, Lloyd, Sergio, and I went to Pigeon Point. We found a geocache; very cool. All day was a blast. We ran around, took pictures and played volleyball all day.

I have been cooking a lot lately. I have been learning how to make some good one pots, bouillon and dumplings. I made some lemon butter garlic sauce today for tuna (in a can of course).

One Pot – a bullion consisting of all or any combination of the following:
Lentils, dumplings, rice, noodles, plantain, green fig, onion, garlic, pumpkin, any vegetables, etc, etc.
Most often, a one pot is sure to contain lentils and dumplings.

You get the point?

Throw a bunch of food in a pot and let it boil!

Benefit of Why Try

Entry from 2.4.09

I’m at American Drywall, the building Elaine’s office is in. She works for the Chamber of Commerce. We are about to walk down to a Chinese restaurant, if you can really call it Chinese, down the way for lunch. I just facilitated my 3rd “Why Try?” group at Sir Ira Simmons Secondary School. The participants are in form 2 & 3, which is the same as grades 8 & 9 in the U.S. I am working with them on using positive motivation to overcome challenges in their life. Running groups in St. Lucia is significantly different than the groups I have run back home. Like I have said before, counseling is a new concept in St. Lucia. I think that the study of psychology has transferred the value of self-reflection and introspection into main-stream society in the states. In St. Lucia, it seems to be something that only a minority practice. Introspection requires a certain degree of critical thinking, and these skills develop at an even later stage of life in St. Lucia. Critical thinking is not nurtured in the same way here. I find that the young girls, especially, are not accustomed to reflecting on their feelings, thoughts, and actions. When I ask them questions about their thoughts and feelings, they have a difficult time verbalizing them what they might have been feeling or thinking in a situation. It follows then, that they have difficulty understanding how their thoughts, feelings and actions influence one another. Nevertheless, I know, at the least, that these girls will benefit from the “Why Try?” Program because it will develop their ability to reflect on their own thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Furthermore, they will develop a habit of processing and understanding the affect they have on situations that occur in their own lives

Why Try Progress

Entry from 1.28.09

Why Try is going well. I have faith that the group will continue to grow and develop. Hopefully, we will see positive change in the kids, even though the conditions are less than ideal. The lights in the small, cramped room are out. This means that we must leave the door open. Of course, this leaves the group open to distractions, mainly by other students popping their heads into the room. I am also understanding the problem of over extension. I didn’t think I was over extended, but now I have found myself divided into so many places that I am having trouble keeping up with it all.

The Latest

Wow,

So i just got done transcribing what felt like 100 journal entries to my blog and now my fingers are to tired to write a current one! Sorry about not blogging at all this month. I am starting to feel like a Peace Corps Volunteer, if you know what I mean. My time is becoming filled with more and more Peace Corpsy things and paying $4 on the round trip for Internet at the coffee shop is seeming more and more expensive and like it takes up too much of my time.

Anyway, my "Why Try?" groups this week went really well. The students enjoyed the group; which says a lot for students who hate being involved in anything! I could also tell the counselor that I am working with at Sir Ira learned a lot.

Saturday, Haley and I started Steel Pan lessons in Gros Islet. It seems like my previous music training served me well, cause I am picking it up nicely. Our teacher says that Haley and I will be good enough to play in the July competition when it comes. Cool! It feels nice to create music again.

Tomorrow I am probably beginning my first Karate class. There isn't any kung fu, but I should adapt well.

So, that's the latest!

Inauguration Day

(written 1.20.09)

Today is inauguration day in Washington. It is a little surreal and euphoric. Millions of people, all ages and all races are huddling into Washington to see his swearing in speech. They have been crowding in since early morning. There are still 4 hours until he gets sworn in, and I can’t peel my eyes from the TV already! I feel so proud that America is turning a leaf. Hope is being restored. My greatest fears are NOT being realized. Perhaps Americans are not as apathetic and ignorant as I thought. This is huge. I can’t even describe the enormity of the day. I will leave the eloquent descriptions to historians and literacy writers. Just months ago I was bitter, angry, and cynical about America, Americans, Americas future, and the president. But Today I am PROUD!!

(later this day)

I spent the day at the Lime with Haley, Lois, Scott, Elaine, and Lloyd. It was incredible. Elaine popped a bottle of bubbly and we shouted “CHEERS” and “HOORAY” at high noon!

Inauguration of Barrack Obama

(written Monday 1.19.09)

Today is the day before the inauguration of Barrack Obama, our nations 44th President!!
It is so very exciting. I have such hope and faith that he is going to put America on a good path. There has been nearly 24 hour coverage of the impending event all weekend and all day today. Interestingly enough, today so happens to be MLK day, and tomorrow the first black president will be sworn into office. It’s incredible, really! I don’t really know what else to say beyond that but, I will be at the Lime in Rodney Bay all day and night tomorrow watching the event on their large flat screen!

FINALLY!

(written 1.19.09)

In two days I run my first two “Why Try?” groups at SISSS. WISH ME LUCK!!
Getting approval for funding from the bursar at Sir Ira hasn’t really been a problem at all. However, things are delaying at CCSS and funding has been a huge problem… and it is the more highly ranked school. Huh!

Ropes Course

(Written1.16.09)

I went with Cliff today to view the land that he and his wife want to put a ropes course on. Actually, their vision is even larger than just a ropes course. His wife developed a non-profit organization called HOPE that is currently pitching its proposal to the ministry of education. They will be delivering educational opportunities to children that live in poverty. Kids that enter their program at the primary school level will receive free tutoring by trained teachers, shoes to go to school in, and lunches on the school lunch programs. They will also attend camps over the school breaks, where they will get to receive additional tutoring and test preparation in various subjects from math and English to foreign language and mechanics. In addition the kids will get to attend a summer wilderness camp at the ropes course where they will work on building life skills, self-esteem, confidence, and team-work. The first phase of the program will be launched in September when school starts (including the shoes, lunch and tutoring).

I have been in touch with some companies that help design ropes courses in the states and they all seem willing to help out in any way they can. I am getting a good feel for what it takes to develop and maintain a course. Very interesting, very interesting in deed. Nevertheless, it looks like my summer work is cut out for me. Hand me a cutlass and lets go clear the land!

Project Funding

(written 1.15.09)

Today and executive of JQ companies offered to fund the “Why Try?” program that I am running at CCSS and SISSS. Now all I need to do is write a project proposal! Piece of cake, ya? Very Very Exciting! We are hoping to expand to the other secondary schools as well! He says that the project is just the thing JQ Companies is looking to support, and that the funding can be rolled out in stages. Woohoo!

Reggae Tunes Infiltrate My Soul

(written 1.14.09)

Jah!

Jah guide my heart, guide my mind
You always know what’s best for me
Jah guide my heart, guide my mind
I know you’re always there with me

Open up my eyes and let me see
Jah you have never forsaken me
Jah guide my life, be my light
Bring me back from uncertainty

Jah guide my heart, guide my mind
You always know what’s best for me
Jah guide my heart, guide my mind
I know you’re always there with me

I don’t always hear ya
I don’t always see
My minds not always clear, ya
But I want to be free

Bring me back Jah from all that’s unclean
I’ll rise up and follow your righteous lead, yeah

(Instrumental break)

Jah, I’m a mess when I ignore ya
And blessed when I explore ya
My heart is sometimes tore, ya
But its you Jah, I always wanna live for, ya

Jah guide my heart, guide my mind
You always know what’s best for me
Jah guide my heart, guide my mind
I know you’re always there with me

(one more verse needed here)

(chorus needed here)

A mess when I ignore ya
And blessed when I explore ya

A mess when I ignore ya
And blessed when I explore ya

Frustrations, Yet Much Opportunity

(written Tuesday January 13th, 2009)

It is very frustrating trying to start a project in St. Lucia! Everything misses its deadline and happens at a snail pace. However, things keep moving forward if you stay on task. Really though, it does seem like everything that can possibly delay a project is bound to go wrong. Telephone lines down, loosing rosters, not enough funding, consent forms not getting returned, internet down, no free rooms, blah, blah, blah! Every week is something different. I understand why they need my help getting “Why Try?” off the ground, but sometimes the relentless set backs are so discouraging to even me! I did run into a great opportunity today, though. One of the teachers at CCSS wants my help developing a ropes course, and I am very excited about the opportunity. I will be talking with him more later in the week to see how I might be able to assist him.

Who’s turning 25 in St. Lucia?

(written 1.6.09)

It’s me, It’s me!

Hey everyone!

Yesterday I turned 25!! ONE-QUARTER of a century old!! Woohoo! Well, I wanted to go to this (very American) restaurant bar called Plantation Brewery because they have food, darts and a pool. However, as we walked down the barren streets at 7:00 on a Monday, it didn’t take long to learn that birthday darts and pool might be turning into birthday lime on the street with a bottle of Chairmen’s Rum. Apparently, everything closes down on Mondays… everybody parties to hard on the weekend to make it out on a Monday!

So, yes, Plantation Brewery was closed, so we tried a Café called Jungle; Closed. Pizza Pizza; Closed. Rituals (the coffee shop I always go to for their internet access); Open. Woohoo!! Nothin better than coffee and donuts on your 25th birthday… at least I had something to shove a candle into. I was also special enough to receive the St. Lucian traveling purse for my birthday from Lois, whom had previously received the purse on her birthday from Judy, whom had been given the purse by her host mom.

Furthermore, I did get to play pool on my birthday after all, cause Haley and I, along with a couple of my Lucian friends sought out the one and only little hut with a pool table that was open on a Monday this side of the island. We even got to play for free, woohoo!!

So, I would say, it feels quite nice to celebrate your 25th birthday as a Peace Corps Volunteer on the little island of St. Lucia!