Vincy Hodge Podge

I promise, everyday I think to myself that I simply must post something but somehow by the middle of the day my mind is overwhelmed by all of the wonderful things that I could send your way that most of the time I just head to bed, satisfied with the fact that life is going along just as it should and not at all how I would have planned. But in an effort to keep this blog going and to explain what is so many times downright impossible to explain, I write again today. It is going to be a hodgepodge of my life in Vincy and the moments that bring me right to my knees.
Everyone, I mean EVERYONE, wants me to marry a Vincentian and stay here forever! It is funny, I hadn’t realized it until this past week but on a regular basis, I get asked if I have met any nice men or if I would like to be introduced regardless of what I say. I also am asked what my “requirements” are—money, age or Christian. I have come up with a variety of answers, the best being that I have my hopes out for the next Soca Monarch that won’t be announced until next Carnival (July) and that I would have no chance with anyways since he will be a major (or minor) celebrity after being crowned the BEST Soca artist in St. Vincent. I consider it a compliment—they want me to stay!
My library books were two weeks late! I had tried to return them twice but the library had an unscheduled closing those days. It is the end of the month so the librarian has to pay her bills. Anyways, I went to the library and of course, I ended up with a $0.90 fine and of course I did not have the money to cover the fine. Fortunately, there were a couple students who threw in their ten cent pieces and shillings ($0.25) to cover Miss Smith’s fines. I was able to check out a new load of books for class this week and I promptly returned the money during break the next morning. It was a wonderful feeling to have kids throwing out their small change to ensure that I could check out more books. They don’t have money, I don’t have money but together we can work it out.
Yesterday at the 4-H meeting we were working on creating Christmas Wreaths out of our handprints. In the States, I had run this activity a few times with no problems. Everyone traces their hands, colors them green and cuts them out. We put all the palms together and make a lovely little wreath. Well, the children of Layou made a whole new kind of wreath. There were long (LONG!) fingernails, red hands, green hands, purple hands and brown hands. I love it. They always give me a run for my money. At the end of the day, it is about giving the wreath to someone in our community who is less fortunate than us.
Finally, I have been teaching a composition class which I have basically kidnapped and turned into a Creative Writing class. It is FUN!!! Most of the students are not regularly encouraged to use their imaginations and write what they feel inside so it is really interesting to see what they have to say when there is no grade. My rule is that they have to write something but there is no judgement after that. Today, the topic was “If I could learn about anything I want.” I wanted to share a few of the responses:
Cheslon, “ I would like to learn about Haiti because I want to help those people affected by the hurricane and Cholera.”
Josh, “I would like someone to teach me to play football for me to get better at it.”
Marvin, “I want to learn about mechanics because I love to fix vehicles because vehicles take you anywhere you want to go.”

How could I not fall in love with SVG? Come visit… we will make you a lovely sign like the one below!

Also I would like to give my mom a big "Thank You!!!" for creating the Smithers' Vincy Gym, it has been put to good use and we are all much stronger for it!

Mama always said...

There would be days like this and it is true, even in the land of sunshine and rainbows, there are days that leave you feeling blue. The other day at school I was bullied by another teacher. Wait… what? That is exactly what I was thinking as it was happening. We were in the lunchroom where I had been helping distribute lunch when two teachers were talking in dialect, apparently about me because one of them looked over and said “Don’t worry, she doesn’t understand us.” That is, in fact, completely the case because although dialect is a variation of English, many times it does not sound like any word I have ever heard before in my life. The she looked at me and said, “What’s unique about America?” in a snappy tone and then proceeded to say “St. Vincent has its own language, food, culture, holidays and way of doing things. Everything America has is borrowed.” I looked over in disbelief, shocked that I was being asked to defend my country. I said, “We are the great melting pot, we have so many different people coming together and that is what makes us unique.” I left it at that, exhausted and frustrated at the experience.

I hesitated to write about this on my blog because I was afraid it would come out as a complaint when really it was an “ah-ha” moment. I also don’t want to overdramatize the bullying. In fact, I am quite sure that if she knew how her comment affected me, she would explain that she did not mean for it to come across that way. So that leads to my “ah-ha” which is don’t take everything so personally and roll with the punches. I spoke with my friend Sati about the whole experience and he explained to me that people are going to want to challenge me a little because they want to see if I can handle the pressure. Vincentians are light hearted people and they want to know if you can roll with that. He also explained that so many Vincentians move off of the island that to those who have never left there is a certain mystery about what could be so great about the US, England, Canada or anywhere else in the world when St. Vincent is so unique in its own right.

There seems to be a point in the first couple months where despite being happily integrating into the community, you hit a wall. You realize that you are different and while you can adjust to cold water, lizards and being stared at all the time, there are things under the surface that will take more time. Peace Corps feels like the first time I learned to knit. At first, it is crazy and confusing. Then you get the hang of it and are dreaming of knitting cable sweaters and blankets for your yet to be born nieces and nephews. Then you look down and realize that you have missed stitches, miscounted or the holes just look funny. You have to pull out the yarn and go back to the beginning. You know what to do but you have to slow down and take time to get it right. They have a saying here, “Tek time kill ants yo go fine de guts,” which translates as if you take time to do something, you will discover the intricate details that make up the whole picture. So I am taking time to kill the ants (just not the crazy ones that are attacking my house!).

Neighbors!

My favorite part of St. Vincent is my neighbors. I love them. They take care of me, send over bakes (bread-type roll), make tutus when there is a hurricane and remind me of why I am here. They give advice on getting out stains, help me check my laundry to see if it is dry and are my knights in the war against crazy ants that are attacking my house. I love to see their faces peeping out from behind my gate asking if it is “okay” for them to come over. At first I was confused because I simply have never had neighbors like this. Sure, I would always wave and say “hi” but here my neighbors have become my family away from home. We spend our days together reading, laughing, baking and coloring. When I see their smiling faces I believe that this is really what I am here to do; just be a good neighbor to a fellow citizen of the world.

This past Saturday, St. Vincent was hit by Hurricane Tomas. It was a crazy experience but I was lucky to have Stefi, my nine year old neighbor, with me the whole time. She came over on Saturday morning and by the afternoon the wind was blowing too hard for her to return to her mother’s house up the road so we braved the storm together. It was a wonderful day despite all that was happening outside the window. We baked bread, painted our fingernails, made a hand sewn tutu and read every book in the house, many of them twice. She now has claim to a toothbrush and a shirt to use as a nightgown. In the middle of the night, as the wind and rained steadily beat into the house, I was so happy to have her with me; cuddled up and using the headlight as a nightlight.

I am thankful that Layou faired quite well through the storm. There were a few families that lost their roofs or had water damage. We have our own source of water and luckily our electricity was not down for long. Other communities had significantly more damage and most of the country lost their crops. Everyone is optimistic despite the situation that may face the country in the coming months. I am trying to stick with them despite being nervous about the tight rope that so many of my neighbors walk between getting by and poverty. I guess we will cross that bridge when we get there.

Celebrating 31 Years of Independence!

October 27th marks 31 years of independence for the lovely island nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. It has been a jam-packed few days as the students have been getting ready to celebrate. Last week all of the classes made Vincentian flags and rehearsed their national anthem. I am happy to report that I know all the words! On Monday of this week, the students had a game day where they played football, cricket and netball. On Tuesday, all of the students were asked to wear their Independence colors so that we could march through town. The video on the blog entry below is of the morning assembly where students were practicing their songs for the march. We marched right through town (and down some streets I had not visited yet!) and sang the whole way or at least gave a good effort to sing the whole way. After the march, the students were dismissed early except for 25 who had been selected to participate in the national student rally.

Miss John and I took 25 children to Victoria Park in Kingstown. We were met by hundreds of other students. At the rally, a variety of dignitaries gave speeches and some students from various schools performed old folk dances and songs. The highlight for most of the students was the Capoeira performance by a group from Brazil. We also enjoyed popcorn, Busta (fruit sodas most closely related to Fanta) and lots of sweeties. It was great to see these students get out of Layou and see what other kids are doing. I am also proud to say that the Layou Government School was very well behaved!

Wednesday was Independence Day and the town was abuzz. In the morning, most people watched the national parade on their TV (or their neighbor’s). I know this because I do not have a TV and could hear it all around me as I sat on my porch. In the afternoon, the school held its annual Independence Day Fair. It was wonderful! They had a bouncing castle, DJ, chicken, ice cream and pizza. The classrooms were set up like booths and the students could play darts, pin the tail on the donkey, bottle toss or get their face painted by Miss Smith. They also had games that I had never heard of though I figured out that we do have similar games in the US. Dips is a big bucket full of sawdust and for one dollar, the student gets to dip their hand in to find a prize. Punchboard is a large board with hundreds of holes stuffed with paper. The students pay a dollar to select a piece of paper. If the paper has a number on it, they get the corresponding prize. There were some awesome prizes including a huge cake decorated like the St. Vincent flag. The dance floor was the biggest hit. These kids can MOVE!!! Seriously, the dance floor looked like a hip dance club except no one was above 4’5”. After the fair, all of the adults get together and lime on the block (hang out). We have Thursday and Friday off from school so all the children can recover from the festivities! Happy Independence SVG!

Video from Independence Day

Welcome to the Peace Corps!

It’s official! Today I become a Peace Corps volunteer which is really just the beginning of this 24 month adventure. Overall, training was a success. There were a few afternoons where adjusting to the heat and humidity got the better of me and my brain was off but other than that I feel like I have gained a lot of valuable information. We covered a range of subjects from Vincentian history to corporal punishment and HIV/AIDS. I have become fascinated by the ins and outs of literacy and how to adapt the philosophies to my classroom. It looks like the next two years will be filled with constant research so if anyone has suggestions please send them along! Literacy is a big challenge with most of the primary school students in Layou and I know that I will need a variety of approaches to work with a variety of students. It is exciting to know that I will soon be in the classroom full time and becoming a community member of Layou.

I wanted to take this time to note some of the assumptions that I had prior to coming to St. Vincent and how they all played out. I think the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of the Peace Corps is living a life in the “bush.” I know that some volunteers really do have that experience but that is not the case in SVG. That’s not to say that we are living at the Ritz but I think the biggest challenges here are more cultural. Here’s a run down of the “creature comforts” that I was worried about:

• Water: Layou’s water is wonderful! The Canadian government actually wanted to bottle it. I can drink it straight from the tap which I consider a blessing.
• Electricity, Hot Showers, etc.: Electricity is readily available at my house but it is expensive. I limit my usage by turning off the power switch on the outlets (wish they had this in the states!) and using a limited amount. Showers are cold and refreshing!
• Food: There is a wide variety of fruits and vegetables available in the market and the grocery stores have many familiar products. The challenge with food is the cost so I am learning where to find bargains and what I can live without.

On the other end of the spectrum there have been some surprising challenges that I would not have expected. What I have learned repeatedly during the first two months is that 1. People are generally friendly and want to connect with you and 2. You cannot control anything but yourself. Don’t be fooled into thinking otherwise. The first lesson has been reinforced over and over again. When I come upon a challenging situation, it is nice to know that I am not alone. My neighbors are wonderful, my home stay was a great experience and everyone is willing to help out when I am lost in town or trying to figure out which bus to catch. They don’t laugh that I don’t know how to do/ eat certain things, they just show me the Vincentian way. Life in SVG is about community, everyone is here to help others out and I feel lucky to be on the receiving end of this charitable attitude. The second lesson has been a challenging one to swallow. I guess I knew that I was not “in control” in the states but I had many illusions to make us think otherwise. If something is not working, you call somebody, it doesn’t matter what day of the week it is and if you need something, you can jump in your car to get it or order it online. If you want to be on time, you go by the schedule. This isn’t really the case in St. Vincent. You learn to take a step back and be patient. Things will work out. My hard drive crashed, it worked out. My neighbor figured out the internet after many frustrated hours of trying on my own. The bus driver recognizes me and pulls me onto the van so that I am not late. I bring a book with me and enjoy the minutes (or hours) before the meeting starts. As they would say down here, “I am getting through.” I am enjoying this learning adventure.

I would like to say a big “Thank you!!!!” to all of my friends and family that have been so supportive through this first two months. Honestly, it would be a much harder experience without all the “cheerleaders” back home. I also have my computer back up and running so you can expect more regular blog updates in the future!

Her Majesty's Prison

I know it sounds like I fell into a time warp and landed myself near the towers of London in the 1800s but alas I am still in St. Vincent. Today was my first trip to Her Majesty’s Prison, an archaic building with a strictly stated dress code painted to the wall; no shirt, no shoes, big problem. The bricks did not line up properly, the top of the walls were armed with barb wire and a big green gate met my good intentions head on. As soon as I arrived, I thought “What in the world are you doing here? Seriously, check your skin, check your gender, check your heart. What makes you so confident that there is a place for you here?” I can’t explain it but I knew facing down those big green gates that I couldn’t turn away so just as friendly as I could, I walked up to the guard to tell them that I was there for a meeting with Miss Samuel, the prison welfare officer. Eyes of disbelief looked back at me and pointed in the direction of the waiting area.

I sat in a room that could best be described as a bus stop in the US. Benches lined the little room where women sat with babies on their laps and tired in their eyes. The ceiling was a mish-mash of plywood and the walls were covered with notices about what could pass through the gate; no cell phones, only two pieces of fruit, small amounts of money to purchase canned cheese through the prison canteen. After 5 minutes, the guard came to the door and called my name. I was met at the gate by Miss Annette Samuel. She was refined, beautiful and not at all what I expected. After a whirlwind tour of the administrative area, we arrived in her office where the wall was painted with a picture of a man at the bottom of a hill with encouraging words, “The rock bottom is a good place to start going up.”

For the next hour, Miss Samuel detailed the prison system in St. Vincent. There are approximately 400 males and 10 females in custody. Many of the inmates have lived in the US, where they committed a crime, were deported and returned to St. Vincent only to commit another crime and end up in Her Majesty’s prison. There is a work program where inmates can learn skills such as tailoring, carpentry, welding and farming. There is a school in the prison but there are not many inmates that choose to participate since they would not be able to participate in the work programs. Miss Samuel is the only welfare officer for all of the prisoners and there are no counselors available to inmates. The road does not get easier for the men and women when they complete their sentences. SVG does not have any halfway house style programs and prisoners are not welcomed back to society. It is not a surprise that many of them return to Her Majesty’s many times.

Despite all of the challenges that Miss Samuel faces on a daily basis, she was amazingly upbeat. She shared stories of prisoners who she had kept in touch with after many years and others who after being released would “walk” with her child to school. I say “walk” because he would stay on the other side of the street, keeping vigilance from a distance so as not to scare or embarrass her but to ensure her safety nonetheless. In these stories, I found a bright ray of hope that she shares with inmates.

Sitting in the peach colored office of Miss Samuel, I realized that I had just met my first Vincentian hero. A woman who truly believes in the goodness of mankind and the ability each of us has to love others. It gets better, I also have signed up to help the prisons with remedial reading and IT classes as soon as I am officially sworn in as a volunteer, so I will continue to learn from this amazing woman and the inmates at Her Majesty’s Prison. We ended our meeting with a prayer which I thought was appropriate as I was feeling especially blessed to be smack dab in the middle of prison on a beautiful, sunny day.