AMERICAN FOOD.....and Mennonites.

Yes i said it....Mennonites. They have invaded Grenada, and the citizens are not to pleased with the idea.

I went to Rick's Pizza Cafe tonight with my homestay family and was delightfully pleased. When i think pizza in the Caribbean i think of veggies and pineapple and not so pizza like. But i was pleasantly surprised to find pepperoni and ham pizza, which is my FAV! After a wonderful afternoon at the beach with my fellow volunteers it was nice to finally have some American food. For a week (tomorrow) that i have been on this island i have been trying to transition to Caribbean food, but have found myself craving my home style cooking. Food is a big part of integration, because if you are constantly trying to prepare and eat American food, what good is that for becoming a Grenadian? So after a week of "food integration" i deserved to see American pizza. THANKS host family!!!!

On to the Mennonite idea. As we were sitting at Rick's Cafe a young woman, maybe 18 years old comes thru the eating area and she is dressed in the full length skirt, hair dress and vail type thingy and was with three other girls, one of who was a native Grenadian. I knew in an instant she was Mennonite, but i found myself staring at her as if she wasn't "one of us." I began to ask my homestay family how the Mennonites got to Grenada, why the chose Grenada, etc. And my two parents were very insightful on the issue. They told me that the Mennonites migrated here from America so they could "recruit" new members. But i found something particularly interesting. She said that they will recruit Grenadians to their religion, but its against their rules to marry them. yes, i said it...against the rules to marry them because of their skin color, but they can recruit them to their strict, not so Grenada ways of life? I was pounding the questions after this finding and found that the Mennonite community isn't accepted in Grenada for a reason i found to directly relate to the Peace Corps mission. My homestay mom said the reason they aren't accepted around the island is because "they refuse to accept our culture and way of life, yet still like to force their American ways on us." BING BANG BOOM!!!!

To bring your culture into another place is ok, but to try to say its wrong? not ok! especially to very outspoken Grenada natives. This is exactly the stereotype that American Peace Corps volunteers are trying to break. We are trying to prove to Grenadians that we are open to learning new cultures, living new lifestyles, and even becoming one of them. We as volunteers are not here to force American ways on the people of Grenada. We are here to bring about change through culture understanding and integration.

So after dinner and a nice ride home i found it necessary to write this blog and explain just some things I'm noticing around Grenada. Between our American TV stations they receive (yes they get MTV, TLC, CNN, etc) and our own people trying to invade and force their ways on Grenada, its no wonder our work as volunteers seems to be never-ending. This is a challenge to you and all the rest of America, to look outside your box, and maybe for just a day, realize we aren't the only ones on this Earth.

Don't Ask....Don't Tell....

Me having some fun in the Peace Corps Office during down time.

A big part of the Peace Corps experience is getting out of your comfort zone and trying new things. Things like no running water, constant hot weather, low level of living, being poor and trying new foods. Usually when it comes to the topic of food here you don't ask what it is unless you want to know the honest truth, which usually isn't good. Its easier to just eat the food given to you and not ask what it is, so this code of conduct i have been following. My host family is VERY good about explaining all of the fruits and vegetables here, because most of them i have never heard of before. But when it comes to meat, we eat alot of chicken around here, and that's pretty easily identified, so there is no need to worry. And then they present another meat that is NOT easily identified. Do you ask what it is? Follow the code of conduct? Eat it and wish you didn't later?

All valid questions, questions that were running thru my head today as we had a meal of noodles and what looked like fajita beef strips. It looked really good, but i wasn't gonna ask if it was beef so i grabbed my helping of food and sat down with my family. We were chomping along and my youngest sister Iffy says, "daddy is this beef or goat," as i am putting the last bite in my mouth. At this point I'm thinking "you have GOT to be flippin kidding me," but no sooner my host dad says "yes Iffy, i slaughtered the goat this morning." YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THE GOAT OUT BACK THAT WAKES ME UP EVERY MORNING?!?! The same goat that the family made me pet as i arrived? Talk about traumatizing experience. Not only am i not gonna get to pet the goat every day as i walk downstairs, now I'm eating him for dinner. I felt as if i was now destined for hell after eating the so called "family pet," until i realized something.

This one goat is a delicacy to this family. My host mom and dad saved many months of salary to buy this goat, to nourish him with food so that one day, when its special enough, they can share their hard work with others. They shared that hard work with me. They knew for many months that soon enough they would get to share that hard work with someone special. So that i can then continue to save up my life skills to one day use them on something special. I'm here to do something special, to give that goat to someone special. I'm here to decide where i can help, and find people that want to be worth something. So that one day...i can help someone get their own goat.

My first public event and the amazing food...

I have never realized until this experience just how terrible Americans eat. No wonder we have diebetes and obesity destroying our people. I have been introduced to more fruits and vegetables in these two days then i have in my whole life, not exaggerating either. Im talking right from the garden vegetables that actually have a taste to them. My host family goes to their garden everyday and gets the stuff we need for the day. How refreshing and beautiful is that? It amazes me that Americans have such the resources and potential to do the same thing, yet we prefer to make it "easy" by hitting up Walmart (which i will NEVER buy produce from again), or just going the drive thru route. Why? These vegetables are beautiful, taste filled and HEALTHY, grown right in the back yard. WAKE UP PEOPLE!

Ok enough with my rant, on to something more positive. I have a host sister (4 siblings actually) that is 7. Her name is Iffyoma (pronounced if-e-oh-ma) and she is the most adorable little girl, but is having trouble warming up to me. Her mom said they have tried to warn her for weeks that a guest is coming, but she is just reluctant to speak to me. Yesterday at her bday party i barely got a hello, so it was my mission today to at least get her to semi speak to me, rather then getting the "why is this white woman talking to me face." We were sitting around the kitchen table (as we spend alot of our time), waiting for lunch to be prepared and she comes around the corner with this box she got for her bday. Its a "quick assembly ballerina doll" kit, and she comes and sits next to me. She is struggling to get the box open,so i asked if i could help. She quickly mumbled yes please, and the rest is history. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED....

On another note, i forgot to tell everyone that there is a serious water shortage on the island, so we have to conserve everything we can. There is only running water in my house from 6am-9am everyday. So that means that my host dad gets up at 6am to do the dishes and fill bottles of water so we can have water to do daily tasks. This means i get up early in the morning to shower, or i would go without. Its an eye opening experience to just how often we use water in our day to day lives.

So as the bug bites continue, and the learning process continues i find myself realizing just how much the little things in life matter. Ive taken so much for granted over the years, and this is my chance to change that mindset.

Marching thru the streets of St.George.

My host sister Iffy on the right.