Hats Off to Reading!

A Week Long Reading Extravaganza Creating Positive Energy Around Literacy. Tattooing the notion that, "Education is where the magic begins," onto the young minds of students at the Layou Government School.

Subject: Pictures...what, what!!!

Hey Jay! I hope this finds you doing well! I wanted to let you know that I just uploaded a new set of pictures from the school. They turned out really well and I think they might be useful for fundraising and for your students to spread the word about what they will be doing and who they will be working with. I also made a video, which is crazy hard so mad PROPS for all the videos you have put together for the mission trips.The pictures are on facebook and tell the students they can feel free to tag themselves so that they can share with everyone in their network. To be honest, their friends can tag themselves too because the more people that see it and hear about it, the better. The video will be on my blog (well that is if it ever uploads!) and we can do the same thing with facebook (not really sure how to make that happen, tag the post?). I also wanted to talk to you more about the work you are doing as I also think that can aid in raising the energy around the project and getting people involved whether it is donating a dollar or 500 (lets dream big, life is too short not to). Drumroll Please!!!! You all will be the architects of an amazing learning environment where school is a magical place that teaches you about all the secrets the world has to offer. Together with students, you all will be painting murals, cleaning up the library and making the school an enjoyable place to be. You will interact with students to let them know that "Look!" there are so many sides to Americans. Just like there are many different kinds of Vincentians, oh the ones from Layou wear cropped pants and the ones from Georgetown write "Gully" everywhere, the world, not just their homeland of St.Vincent, is FULL of people who are different and you know what, ahhwee (all we), meaning the college students from WCU and the primary school students from LGS, kind of get along quite nicely so doesn't that mean that the whole world can get along. See, when you start to have kids thinking like that, that is when you are really promoting world peace and friendship. Love is viral. If these kids can learn something from you all in the week that you are here it will be that someone, from a completely different planet, can come to my planet and is capable of showing me a hug that is so overwhelmingly full of love, maybe even more than I can get from my own mother, that the world is a small place and really all of us are linked together through the one simple fact that we are humans and we have tender souls that are yearning for love.Through love and a recognition of belonging to the wildest bunch of Doc Martins* that have ever existed, that is to say humanity, a child will be able to find within himself a seed of hope. Just a little bit of light and water from teachers, pastors**, neighbors, family and friends and there you have it, that little seed of hope is growing into a nice, strong tree. I, for one, have always found it downright amazing how trees have the ability to spread their happiness around the world (like it is just the most natural thing to do). You see, if the world was full of people who had trees of hope growing inside of them, we would stop all this nonsense, all this war, all this meanness and realize that life is too short to allow anything but love to come out of us and that in giving, you shall receive.

You all will be lifechangers, seed planters, difference makers.

so just in case I forget to say it in the future, thanks for planning all this out. i know it is not the easiest thing to organize and that there are football games you might rather be watching (either Noah's or some European league) but what you are doing, simply by giving all students at WCU the opportunity to have this once in a lifetime experience that will open their hearts and their minds to always being on the lookout for someone else who they can link souls with, whether it is in Guatemala*** or a kid in their class who looks like life might have dealt him a hand that was harder to make a winner.

You, you are the stuff heroes are made of. A real role model of sorts.

The world. It is. A good place. To be

love smithers

PS- I am putting this on my blog, I know it is our personal emails but shoot, I figured there are people out there reading my blog and they need to hear about the wonderful things you all are fixin to do (would you call that Carolina dialect?!)

PPS- I may request that you bring along strange things like thai curry paste, italian gelato (more on this mordern marvel when you arrive) or exercise balls. Brace yourself, the requests are always small but they get quirkier by the day.... don't they call this cabin (island) fever?

*Doc Martin(s): this guy was an AWESOME gunslinger in the wild, wild west. For additional research material be sure to watch "tombstone."

**pastors: by pastors I mean the golden gems in our community who guide us through our journey of faith in a way that dignifies us as curious humans who often fall short of acting on the intentions of our heart. These are people who remind us that the meditations of the heart, the yearning for peace around us is not just a fairytale or an afterlife (does it make me thuggy that I really wanted to write crackpipe dream?!) but a real possibility while we are on earth. Well, at least the good ones do it and aid humanity along in its struggle to take just one step forward.

***I have been working with Jay for the past few years. We originally took at group from the University of Ohio to Rabinal, Guatemala to build with Habitat for Humanity's Global Village program. We then took a second group from WCU back to Rabingal with GV. Amazingly, a student, organized a trip the year after the GVtrip, by partnering with one of our translators and working with a program for malnourished children. Needless to say, the town of Rabinal holds a special place in the organizational heart of the Wesley Student Foundation at WCU.

Mom Calls Them Learning Takes

Peace Corps asked for "lessons learned" in our annual trimester report. I call them tidbits of goofiness that remind me of why I am here and what I ultimately came to do, which is get to know myself better so that just by being alive, I can become a positive energy in the world.

At the school:

• Learn from the locals: You might have a great teaching method and experience but if you are still calling "z", "z" and not "zed" you will not be getting through.
• Be broad: Offer to help in all areas of the school as you get started. Who cares that you hate making banners? It might be just the opportunity to get to know a fellow teacher, who, after developing a relationship with, you may start a comedian troop with.
• Withhold all judgement: In other words, "You know nothing" and you can either judge and have pie in your face later or you can try as hard as you can just to observe and soak it in. You will start to understand the way things work eventually and that is when things will get interesting because you have to fit into the way things work to truly integrate.

In the Community:

• Sincerity goes further than friendliness: When I first arrived, I found myself waving and saying "hi" to everyone. Like I didn't stick out enough to start with, here I was acting like I was running for Prime Minister of St. Vincent; kissing babies and shaking hands. There was a point when I started to understand the looks that were being given to me. It is not like anyone was unfriendly but the looks said, "Alright, you are new here, we get it, so now what?" Once I understood that all of my friendliness really was just a show, I knew that I had to get "real." I started asking names. I started linking parents to children and families to families. I started asking questions and sharing things about myself and what I am doing here. I opened up and was honest about who I am. Wouldn't you know it, all of the sudden, things started to make more sense and I began to feel like I fit in a bit more. I am still in the midst of this exciting process and I love it. What a blessing to be in a culture where people are willing to be my friend, regardless of my skin tone, nationality or goofy outfits.
• For one reason or another, it seems like all of the other Christian denominations on the island do not like the Seventh Day Adventists: I still don't understand it but I am telling you, I see it. As a volunteer it is good to know these subtle prejudices that exist within this culture as sooner or later, you will surely bump into it when you are trying to move forward with an idea.
• If you don't wash your drapes before Christmas, everyone knows about it and you can bet they are talking about it: That's no joke. I have been amazed by the things that my neighbors, community members and students pick up just by existing in the same small piece of the world as me. Originally, the American in me thought, "AHHH!!! No privacy!!!! This will make me nutty!" but now I see the nosiness is a way of caring. My neighbors know all of my friends, they ask how my family is doing, they laugh at my attempts to clean moss off the concrete and try my crazy carrot soup. So they don't really care if you clean your drapes, as long as you are willing to be the messy one in this "family" you have just joined.

Where it counts the most--lessons learned about Myself:

• Humility times two: First, I am so humbled by the friends and family that are supporting me from afar in the states. When you are put in a situation like this where you are 100% alone, you are able to see your support system very clearly. I am, literally, brought to my knees, by the love and concern that these special people have for me. I don't understand how in a world of so much hatred and meanness, I ended up with the most selfless and committed people in my corner. Second, I have always loved to dream big and while that has been an attribute here as well, I feel that I have benefited the most from having some of my largess dreams squashed by the realities of life in a developing country. As the singer K'naan says, "Any man who knows a thing, knows he knows not a damn, damn thing at all." (sorry for the language but it just fits!). I hope that as I move forward in this journey, I move with humility, knowing that I am here to learn from Vincentians and maybe provide some extra energy, smiles and laughable dance moves.
• I am still learning: There is no point in trying to be perfect here, I give up. The idea of perfection was something that I truly struggled with in the States. I always wanted to do it right, so much that I think I let a lot of things fall to the wayside because I was scared of failing. Here, I like to savor the learning moments and look forward to the process that each of my volunteer projects will go through. I want to be told straight what I could be doing better, so I can do it. I want whatever I leave behind, whether it be a memory of going to the talent show with Miss Smith or being taught to read, to have that signature "Sarah Smith" quirk.
• When your soul comes alive, you better listen to it and listen good, gyal (girl).

Recipe of the Day

First of all, I would like to say that it is almost downright hilarious that I am posting a recipe. Back home in the states, I am no cook. Here in St. Vincent, I am no cook. That being said, when a person is put between a rock and a hard place, i.e. there are no restaurants besides ones cooking chicken and chips serving dinner in Layou (rock) and the most legit grocery store is a ride into town and lugging pounds of groceries all over God's green earth (hard place), one tends to get creative. I have found myself daydreaming about flavor combinations, trying to figure out how to mash carrots into a pulp fine enough that it counts for soup and learning how to cook bully beef (corned beef) and chicken sausages (a more refined way of saying Purdue Chicken Hot Dogs) in ways I never thought possible. In an environment where imagination and imitation (of the local dishes) are king, eventually you land on something that you think, "My goodness, I simply have to share that with the masses." So from my little gas stove to yours, let's bring our hearts close together by cooking the same thing regardless of how many miles we are apart.

Roasted Vegetable Pizza:

Earlier in the day: Take out 1 cup of frozen spinach and put it in the fridge. Move it to the counter if you want it to cooperate faster.

Part One: Roast that garlic

Take two heads of garlic, remove the fine paper covering and chop of the top of the bulbs. If you are in St. Vincent, cover with a square of MelloKrem margarine and put in a baking dish. Cover said baking dish with a baking sheet to create a small oven within the oven. If you are somewhere with more conveniences, actually they are here I just can't afford them, unwrap the garlic, chop the tops, cover with olive oil and wrap in foil. Place in your oven to bake. I don't know what temperature because mine is in Celsius and honestly, I tend to guess. Let's say 350... that sounds safe.

Part Two: Make that dough gyal

In one bowl: Mix 1/2 tsp of yeast, 1 tbsp of sugar, 1/2 cup of warm water. If you live in St. Vincent, this will be a blend of water out of your kettle (HOT!) and water from the empty rum bottles in your fridge (COLD!), together they combine for warm. If you live elsewhere, you probably can use a microwave or find hot enough water coming out of your tap. (Jealous?! Me?Never!)

In another bowl mix 1/2 tsp of salt and 1 cup of flour. Keep the flour open because you will need more.

Mix wet mixture to dry mixture. Keep adding flour until you get a consistency that is not sticking to your hands. Move this to a floured countertop. If you are still using a spoon, get rid of that thing and get your hands dirty. For the next 3-4 reggae songs (Oh yes, I forgot to mention that you must have reggae music playing for this recipe to really work. May I suggest Beres Hammond, Buju Bantan or my new favorite, Alison Hinds) knead the dough until you have an elastic consistency. Continue adding flour until it is no longer sticky. Work that dough gyal and don't forget to dance while you are doing it. When you feel that it is at the right consistency, roll into a ball and cover lightly with oil (Sunbeam Supreme in St. Vincent!), place in a bowl and cover with a towel. Let rise until it doubles in size.

Part Three: Roast your other veggies

I used zucchini, grape tomatoes and onion but feel free to do whatever works. If you live in Vincy, slice up your veggies, add to garlic pan and add more MelloKrem. If you live elsewhere, unwrap the garlic, place in a heavy glass baking dish, add vegetables, add more olive oil, cover the whole shebang with aluminum foil. Place in oven until everything looks soft (but not too soft) and downright delicious.

Part Four: Par-bake Crust

Work with the dough until it fits the shape of the "pizza pan." Rumor has it that you can roll it out but lawda ha mercee, you need a laddah to purchase one of dem here because the price is so high. Cook the dough until it looks like an undercooked piece of bread. There should be no doughy parts but it also should not be starting to brown. If this is happening, reduce the heat on the oven.

Part Five: Cheese, cheese, cheese.

Shred cheese. I use cheddar because that is what I can get. If I were back home, I would use mozzarella and Parmesan. Shoot, I would probably just buy the Italian Blend in the supermarket. Take the roasted garlic and squeeze the cloves into the cheese. Mix, mix, mix until you have a lovely cheese and garlic combination that you are dreaming about swimming in.

Part Six: Make it

Take par-baked dough, cover evenly with spinach (please squeeze out excess water), cheese/garlic heaven mixture and roasted vegetables. Cook in the oven until the cheese starts to bubble and the crust is golden brown. I find that this is the test of patience because I always want to pull it out early but if you wait, you will find just the right moment, I promise!

Part Seven: Find a good friend to eat it with. Don't forget to share with your neighbors if you have an extra.

Vincygardners!

I believe that children are a universal breed. I believe that anywhere you go in this big, wide world, there is a lighthearted, eager energy that lives within each child. They are special and unique. As an adult, I am constantly in awe of children and the experience of childhood. I am now reporting that I have made a breakthrough discovery of a new type of child. This new breed is called a "Vincygardner" and can be defined as a child attending Kindergarten in St. Vincent, more specifically at the Layou Government School. A Vincygardner will make your heart melt while your brain thinks, "Lawda ha mercee, them pickme's es ah crazy!" (Lord have mercy, those children are crazy!) I really cannot describe the wonders that I see in these children so I am just going to share some pictures and a video. Enjoy!

Video: We watch a Phonics video that goes through the sounds each letter makes. The "W" section has a DJ and the Ws dance all over the place while the DJ goes crazy with the "W" sound. The little one in the green shirt is nicknamed "Sexy" because he is just so darn cute. Check the little girl in the back, I told you these kids can move! I can't figure out how to flip the video but it makes me laugh sideways!

These are the stoplight boys napping, typically the light stays green!

Only one word that can describe this picture: SWEETNESS

I am almost 100% certain that after looking so darn cute for this picture, she turned and boxed a little boy in the nose for stealing her rubber (eraser). Fierce, these girls are FIERCE!

Showing Miss Smith that they are "ready," well at least that they will pay attention for the next 60 seconds.

And he has a twin... does life get any better?!

Surely, there is no better thing in the world than being a carefree child. Except maybe being a carefree child with a big ice cream cone in one hand and a bright red balloon on a string in the other.

"Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good." -Minor Meyers

I remember learning about social apathy in Freshmen Psychology class. The professor described a horrific scene in which a woman was murdered on a bridge while it was full of traffic. Everyone looked on but no one did a thing. I remember hoping that if I should ever find myself in a situation like that I would do the "right" thing. I would face the injustice head on, regardless of the consequences for myself. I hoped that I would be brave but luckily it never truly came to that point. Sure, I volunteered to fight the injustices of poverty, education and violence. In any given year, I would travel to Guatemala to build houses, teach Somalian refugees how to ride the Blacksburg Transit or purchase gifts for an Angel on the Salvation Army Christmas tree. It's not to say that I wasn't doing enough but I rarely found myself in situations where doing the "right" thing was really all that challenging. I am a good, compassionate person but I wouldn't include brave or bold under my list of personal qualities. Sure, I hope to be both brave and bold but I have had the luxury of being an upeer-middle class American from a strong family with good friends and great opportunities. Up until now, my chances to be brave and bold were limited to sports competitions and managing sorority and workplace politics. There, in the US, horrific events take place every day but they were always so far from my reality. Here, in St. Vincent, they are right at my doorstep, so egregious that you can smell the inhumanity as if it were a freshly baked pie of all the terrible things that humans can do to one another.

She is in the hospital this week. She is 9 years old. The rumor around town is that she was pushed by a four year old and fell onto a steel pipe. It was up the hill where nobody lives and nobody saw. They were fighting over a piece of bread. But the truth of it is, that story just does not work. She had a steel pipe invade her private parts. Her sister, 13, has a similar story from when she was 10 years old, the only difference is that she accidentally fell on a stick. So I won't make any assumptions but I will tell you that when I look at the youngest sister in the bunch, she's 7, my heart aches in a way that it never has before.

He just started attending school this past Monday. He is 7. Mom did not have the money to send him to school so he spent his kindergarten year and the first 5 months of his first grade year hanging around his house. First grade is a scary place for him. The only way to describe the way he looks is lost but there is a light. In the dim lighting of my office turned into a classroom, he gives off a certain energy when he listens to me read. It is an energy of hopefulness, excitement,and the bliss of learning as a child. I can't help it; my eyes fill with tears when we get to a poem titled "The Question." He didn't come to school today, teacher says he is already on holiday.

She just wanted to lime at the beach for a day. She just wanted to let loose and have some fun. Sure, she knew that she shouldn't be drinking but it felt so good. She stood at the makeshift bar, winding her hips and making eyes with any man who looked like he might be able to give her the love she so desperately needed. Hours later, her head is being held underwater as three men come at her. It was too late by the time someone brave came along. One had already gotten through. She ran down to the other side of the beach desperate to get away. She wrung her hands, feeling the shame of the day as if it were a rock holding her under the water. She did not mean for it to go this way but it seems to happen often. These situations that get out of control have become so regular that her life is spinning.

And I wish with all of me that I could say the things above are just stories. I wish that I could tell you that I read about them in the news but these are stories that I have had so close to my skin, I can still feel the tingle. This is the raw edition of life that is happening around the world but it is my first true experience with it. What to do? If you have an answer, please send it along. For now I listen to my parents. My dad says that he truly believes that all any parent wants for their children is a better life than what they had. My mother says that a person can only know what they have been taught or exposed to. So I go on with it hoping that what they have told me is true. Together with my community, we can teach and expose people to more, to kindness and to love. Through education and exposure, parents can see their dreams for their children come through. Social apathy, it turns out, is not just doing the "right" thing at the right moment; it is striving and struggling to do as much good as you can with all that you have.

Another volunteer told me that she had been contacted by someone who had just been placed in St. Vincent (they are arriving this Saturday!). She was disappointed to have a cushy placement like the Caribbean where we have electricity and running water. This what I will say to her, "Gawl, jes because yo ha water running out ah di pipes, dat doesn't mek it easy."

"The Question"
by Dennis Lee

If I could teach you how to fly
Or bake an elderberry pie
Or turn sidewalks into stars
Or play new songs on an old guitar
Or if I knew the way to heaven
The names of night, the taste of seven
And owned them all, to keep or lend--
Would you come and be my friend?

You cannot teach me how to fly.
I love the berries but not the pie.
The sidewalks are for walking on,
And an old guitar has just one song.
The names of night cannot be known,
The way to heaven cannot be shown.
You cannot keep, you cannot lend--
But still I want you for my friend.