Caribbean Cinema – Uncanny, to say the least

ALERT ALERT ALERT!! It is imperative that I immediately report the most bizarre experience I have had in St. Lucia to date. As you have already figured out, it involves a visit to the Cinema. I will walk you through my experience at the Cinema; take note of the differences between St. Lucian Cinema and American Theater!

Haley walked over to the Cinema to check the time; the movie would be starting at 7:30. When it was a quarter after seven the four of us (Me, Lois, Haley, and Scott) walked from the coffee house to the Cinema to buy our tickets (It was a Tuesday so we expected a sell out was not an issue). As I walked up to the glass enclosed podium that I would soon be purchasing my ticket at I noticed the large movie posters on the exterior walls. They were incased in glass; the rim dotted with a trail of white lights. Nevertheless, I walked up to the ticket booth that jutted out of the wall, cinema entry doors on either side. I said to the woman behind the enclosed counter, “One for Tropical Thunder, please.” She typed something into her computer screen, a ticket came out of the top of the counter and she tore it away from the ticket role before sliding it to me under the ticket window.

After we all got our tickets we proceeded to enter the building. I decided that I wanted popcorn but standing between us and the concession stand that lined the back wall was another ticket booth. I walked up to the man standing at the small box like podium and handed him my ticket. He ripped the ticket in half along its perforated line and said, “Theater 6 on your left.” I then approached the concession stand. There were large neon signs on the wall behind the stand displaying the price of all the items. I decided to buy a medium popcorn that would be dispensed from a large popper behind the counter. I decided not to buy candy or a fountain drink. The candy was being displayed below the counter top in a glass case that was part of the entire counter. I asked for extra salt; they had the yummy orange kind.

Next we headed toward the left, theater 6. Before going up the hall that held theaters 4 – 8 they checked to make sure we had tickets at yet another ticket stand. We opened the doors to the theatre, walked up the hall and turned to see that we were now at the bottom of a stadium of seats. We walked up the white light beaded stairs and situated ourselves somewhere in the middle of the theatre. At 7:30 the lights dimmed and there were a series of advertisements on the screen. At about 7:45 the Caribbean Cinema trailer played (it was much like the Cinemark theater trailer), after which the movie began. About 30 minutes into the movie I realized that I was freezing and should have brought a sweater.

After the movie was over we exited the theater, throwing our empty popcorn bags into the trash bins at the door of theater 6. Before leaving the Cinema I needed to use the restroom. I went in, did my business, and as I stood to button my pants the toilet flushed automatically. I went to rinse my hands and when I went to dry them it was under an automatic hand dryer. I walked out of the bathroom reflecting on what I had just experienced in complete amazement. I half expected to exit the Cinema, jump in my car and drive home. However, when I opened the exterior doors of the Caribbean Cinema I was greeted once again with warm moist air, and my vision was flooded with the deep greens of the lush environment that surrounded me. I took a moment and said, “Well, hello St. Lucia, nice to see you again.”

Footnote: the theater does not have butter dispensers where you can add butter to your popcorn; OH MY!

Understanding Culture Conflicts with Personal Values and Ethics

As the paper circled the room I dreaded the moment it would reach me. How was I to respond to the question every student was being asked; “what letter do you see?” The student whose ‘D’s’ looked like 'A’s' sat in the corner of the room with an expression of absolute mortification. “What letter do you see?” asks the teacher standing at the front of the room. The student sitting directly in front of me responds, “An A.” He hands me the paper. I am sitting at the end of the second row of students. Every student prior to me gave the teacher the answer he wanted to hear, "An A sir." I looked at Danielle’s name. Her ‘D’ looks half A half D. The unavoidable moment comes, “Ms. Ray, what letter do you see?” I hesitate, thoughts racing to figure out a way to break the perpetuation of this destructive lesson. I am suddenly very aware of my delicate position… a social change agent whose primary focus currently is on developing rapport in a new school I know very little about and that knows very little about me. I feel caught in the middle of ethics and image. I blurt out an unsatisfactory compromise, “it looks like an attempt at a D.” The teacher looks stunned for an instant before laughing and saying to the student, “it’s an A, an A, and from now on in my class your name is Aanielle.” I sit down kicking myself for my pathetic response. I wish I had responded more constructively... “I have seen Ds like that before” or “great penmanship but you might want to make your Ds a little more rounded.

This scene illustrates only one of the many sticky situations that volunteers find themselves in. I met this teacher last Tuesday. Before class we hung out and he seemed like a cool guy. When his students entered the class room he appeared to have good rapport with them. I could tell the students regarded him as the ‘cool teacher’; the teacher whose classroom became a hang out spot. He could definitely relate to his students on an admirable level. However, some of his methods were questionable. In addition to the already stated scene of humiliation, I also witness this same student being spanked with a 3 inch in diameter stick. After responding “I don’t know” to a question the teacher had her bend over a chair at the front of the class, then proceeded to spank her three times, just hard enough to sting. I sat in my chair at the back of the room in horror as I watched the spanking take place, watched the girl begin to sob, and I said nothing. I knew that challenging the teacher right then and there would black ball me immediately. It would disrupt the rapport I was building with the school. I had to keep reminding myself that how the school views me will greatly affect their acceptance of the proposed changes that I bring to the table over the next two years. I now realize that I could have used the experience to educate the teacher, without challenging him. In the future I could inquire about his methods. I could discuss alternative teaching methods and their effectiveness. However, at the time I only sat there in shock.

More Patois

I, Me, Mine, My	Mwen
You, Your, Yours	ou
He, She, Her, Him, It, Its	li (i)
We, Us, Out, Ours	nou
Y'all, Y'alls	zot
They, Them, Their, Theirs	yo
parot	jako
elephant	lefan
behind	deye
hat	chapo
which	kiles
gun	fizi
shirt	chimiz
books	liv
shoes	soulye
dog	chyen
cat	chat
and	ek
many	plizye
have	ni
name	non
want	vle
any	pyes
mistress	jabal
good	bon
where	kote
table	tab
on	asou/anle
step-mother	belme
step-father	bope
today	jodia
gift	kado
to be	sa
welcome	byen vini
life	lavi
well	byen
clothes	wad/had
say	ka di
also	osi
how much is this	come sa
you're welcome (its nothing)	sa pa anyen
where is the book	kote liv-la
its on the table	I asou tab-la
what did you do today?	ki sa ou fe jodia
how do you say…	koumannye ou ka di…
life is good	lavi bon
how are you	kouman ou ye
im well	mwen byen
numbers - Limewo:
yonn
de
twa
kat
senk
sis
set
nef
dis
wonz
douz
twez
katoz
kenz
sez
diset
diswit
diznef
ven
ventenyen
vennde
venntwa
venkat
vensenk
vennsis
vennset
ventwit
ventnef
twant
twantenyen
twant de
twanttwa
twantkat…
kawant
kawantenyen
kawantde…
senkant
senkantenyen
senkantde…
swasant dis
swansant wonz
swansant de…
katwiven
katwiven dis
yon san
1000 yon mil
10000 dis mil
100 000 yon san mil
1 000 000 yon milyon
months - Mwa:
Janvye
Fevwiye
Mas
Avwi
Me
Jen
Jwiye
Awou
Septanm
Oktob
Novanm
Desanm
Days of the week - Jou Lasimenn:
Dimanch
Lendi
Madi
Mekwedi
Jedi
Vandwedi
Sanmdi
How old are you (what is your age)	ki laj ou
I am 24-years-old	mwen ne vennkatzan
year	lanne
year (when speaking of age)	zan
Ordinal Numbers - Limewo Ordinal:
pwemye
dezyenm
twazyenm
katyenm
senkyenm
sizyenm
setyenm
wityenm
nevyenm
dizyenm
the negative	pa
makes the noun plural	se

Youth Wellness

Last Thursday I sat in on a youth forum conducted by one of the commissioners of the Ministry of Social Transformation. It was a very informative discussion to witness. I learned a little bit about how to encourage the participation of the youth in such forums and learned even more about the issues that the St. Lucian youth face day-to-day. The panel was made up of several unemployed youth ages 17 – 28 years old. Youth in St. Lucia is defined as any young person between the ages of 10 and 35. The panelist talked about how they wish the youth had more educational and job opportunities. They talked about how they hope that gun violence among the youth can be reduced and how more recreational activities should become available.

The forum took place in an educational skills development resource center. The center offers free courses to the unemployed in special areas such as culinary arts, computer science, information technology, sewing, homemaking, welding, tour guidance, and cosmetology. St. Lucia has a rising unemployment rate and a problem with “unattached youth” – those youth that don’t go to school, don’t work, and live at home. They tend to be between the ages of 18 and 35. This program is an effort to match up the unemployed with some marketable skills, in hopes that they will stop slumming.

Part of the unemployment problem in St. Lucia is due to the previous structure of the primary and secondary educational system. Not even 10 years ago there were only two secondary schools on the island. Students would take a test at the end of their primary school or pre-secondary school education. This test would determine if they were qualified enough to move onto secondary school education. There were not enough slots as there were children, and it was very competitive to get into secondary school (what we know as high school). If you didn’t make a high enough score on your entrance exams you didn’t get to attend school anymore. Many of these kids would remain without education and without employment. Now, however, St. Lucia offers universal education and there are enough schools to ensure that every child receive a secondary education. Since this system is so new, there are still children in some of the high schools that still cannot read or write.

Another major and dominating factor in St. Lucia that contributes to unemployment in St. Lucia is the lack of educational and job opportunities. Since there are no major universities on the island, most students must travel abroad for higher education. When they come back they often find themselves over qualified for the jobs that are available here. Also, many cannot afford higher education and also find it difficult to find a job.

Finally, I have had a few discussions with some locals about the availability and perception of mental health services on the island. Many people feel there is a major problem with absent fathers, domestic violence (parent to child) and parenting styles. Seeking services is taboo and carries a negative stigmatization. St. Lucia is a small place, a place where everyone knows everyone. People do not want to be “exposed”. Nonetheless, there is one psychiatric facility on the island, one boys home and one day time girls shelter. People feel a need for family counseling services, divorce mediation services, and stronger child protective services. Perhaps some sort of psychological wellness awareness campaign or outreach would be beneficial to St. Lucians by making the discussion of psychological wellness more acceptable. In the psych hospital there are long term and short term patients. The main illnesses seen are schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. On the outside psychotherapists most often see people that are seeking help for depression and anxiety. I might try to get more involved in the mental health system here at a later date.

These are just some of the things I have been learning about!

PCV Loses Her Roll

(Journal transcription Tuesday September 9^th, 2008 10pm ish)

First day of school:

The guidance counselor (my Institutional Point Person and woman I will be working with for the next 2 years) asked me to be at Castries Comprehensive by 8:00 am for the teachers briefing; held every morning by the principle. The guidance counselor had not yet arrived when I got there at 7:45 am (Caribbean time is slightly different from standard time). Awkwardly, I tried to figure out where to wait for her, the front office? Outside her office door? The staff room where the briefing takes place? She was the only person at the school I had spent any time with when I visited the school last Thursday. I wish I had asked where to wait for her. After trying out each location I decided on the front office, the only air conditioned space in the entire school.

At the staff meeting I could barely hear Principal Joseph speak. The traffic noises emanating from the highway easily slipped through the checker board walls and windows designed for open air circulation. I couldn’t help but wonder how children concentrate with so many external stimuli, and in such heat! Soon enough I realized the principal was saying a prayer for the day. This is the custom in St. Lucia; there isn’t separation of church and state… awkward! After prayer I was introduced as Ms. Ashley Ray. I think many teachers were uncertain as to whether Ashley Ray is my last name or my full name.

After briefing I met with the teacher that I was to follow and observe for the day. As we entered her class the children’s chairs screeched across the concrete floor as they stood to greet the teacher. The teacher greeted the class, “Good morning students.” The students acknowledged her in unison, “Good morning teacher.” The students would remain standing until the teacher asked them to sit. Next, the students were asked to pull out their books. Most of the students have to share books. As the students read the reading comprehension story out loud I couldn’t help but notice that this form 1 (7^th grade) class was reading what I would consider 3^rd grade material. The teacher informs me that all form 1 classes across all of St. Lucia have the same books and syllabus. St. Lucia has universal education.

I accompanied the teacher to the staff room during her break period. This gave me a chance to socialize with some of the other teachers. One of the teachers was telling me about how he does something adventures every other Sunday; snorkeling, climbing, hiking to waterfalls, etc, and I was invited to join him and to bring other PCVs if I am interested. This will be lots of fun.

Then, the moment I was feeling more comfortable and at ease I was brought right back into a world of awkwardness. I asked my shadow teacher, “Where is the restroom.” She says, “Oh” with an unreadable look on her face. She reaches up and grabs a key off the wall, which she then hands me along with a jumbo roll of toilet paper and says, “follow me” We push our way through the student filled hall and down the stairs. As we begin a long stride across the school lawn I try my best to discretely carry my role of toilet paper. We get to the one and only staff restroom tactfully placed on the whole other side of campus, after what seemed like an eternal walk of shame. The teacher instructs me to use the key for both entry into the restroom and locking the door on the other side. After struggling with the rusty lock and key for a moment I finally gained access, relieved that I didn’t lose hold of my jumbo roll in the struggle. I could just picture the headline; White Lady Struggles with Bathroom Door, Jumbo Roll Slips From Grasp During Brothel and Rolls Away Across Central Court Yard. Nevertheless, I walk into the open room that contains 3 urinals and 2 stalls. “Do men and women use the same restroom?” I think. As I hurry to finish my business I pray over and over that no man enters to pee. I walk back to the staff room playing over and over in my head how to avoid walking in on a man using the urinal and being completely mortified. This concern keeps my mind off the fact that I am carrying a jumbo roll across campus. Thinking back though, people didn’t really take notice because the bathroom ritual is commonplace.

I got back to the staff room and was almost too embarrassed to ask about the unisex bathroom issue but I do anyway. The teacher laughs and remarks, “I forgot to tell you! Leave the key in the lock on the other side of the door. This way teachers know the bathroom is occupied when they cannot push their key in all the way.” Boy was a relieved, but I can’t help but wonder if she was putting me through initiation.

Spirit to Play, Pockets to Pay

(Journal transcription from Sunday September 7^th 7:30pm ish)

Yesterday I went to Rodney Bay with several of the other Peace Corps Volunteers. We played on the beach outside one of the resorts. We laughed, once again, about how we were not paying a dime to bask in the suns rays and body surf on the waves but all the families and couples around us were paying to be in this tropical land! Then we decided to order a beer at the beach bar. While we were sippin’ on our bevs Bob Marley came by and made me a bowl out of palm leaves. I kept telling him “I don’t have any money to give the children,” but he made it anyway. Did you know Bob Marley can both sing and make bowls out of palm leaves? Oh yes, he also mastered a skill only Jesus knows, returning from the dead.

Anyhow, when the bill was brought our laughter got quieter; 6EC for a Piton and 10EC for a club soda!! That was twice as much as anywhere else on the island! Geez, I hope I have enough of my walk around allowance to make it through next week! Although, if I have to chew away some of my thigh in order to survive through the week I would not complain; I have gained 5 lbs since arriving in St. Lucia. Don’t worry mom and dad… they are feeding me well! St. Lucians like their oils, fats, and fried foods. I figured walking would make up for all the banana fritters and fried goodies – Eh Eh. My usual workout routine has come to a halt. I did find a gym and heard about a natatorium, but I won’t be able to afford membership until I start getting my monthly stipend. This will start coming after I get sworn in on October 23^rd ish.

A few things I will eventually need:
Britta Filter (water has parasite/weight loss diet bug)
Hammock
5 gallon bucket with lid (for water outages)
Extra camera battery
Underwater case for camera
Snorkeling gear
Rope
Dog collar (for my new puppy, Cato)

Peace Corps - Volunteer or CIA?

(Journal transcription from Friday September 5^th 10:54pm)

Tonight, Halley, Scott, Lois and I went Limon (pronounced lime en) in Rodney Bay. We found ourselves roaming around the beaches on Rodney Bay by some of the resorts. We were tickled at the fact that some people were paying to walk the sandy beach and watch the waves lap at the surface while we were watching the tropical sunset from the coast for free!

We decided to take a taxi home since it was dark outside when we left the Bay. We got to talking with the driva and he truly believed that Peace Corps Volunteers are really part of the CIA! He states that many St. Lucians think such things. When we attempted to correct him and tell him what the Peace Corps is really about, the assisting cultures in need and cultural exchange, he stated “OH, you are very intelligent indeed!” Further, he was totally bemused by the fact that we are Obama fans. He wondered how it can be that a white person is so willing to vote for a black man. He said things like, “But he is not your color, how can you vote for him?” We tried to explain to him that the color of his skin is unimportant to us and that it is his political platform that matters to us. This was completely outside his world of understanding. He asked us, “Does racism not exist in America anymore?” We tried to paint a balanced picture of both the progress in America and the progress that still needs to be made in America… all of this in a 5 minute taxi ride! He voiced that he believes the black man is stupid in the eyes of the white man, and we tried to correct his misperceptions. Hopefully we gave him some knowledge on the diversity of American culture. I think he still thinks we are CIA!