"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." --Henry David Thoreau


"Service is the rent we pay for being, It is the very purpose of life and not something you do in your spare time."

--Marion Wright Edelman


"The fruit of love is SERVICE. The fruit of service is PEACE" --Mother Teresa

Sunday, March 11, 2012

I Can Do Without....

After reviewing my last post, I came to the conclusion that it sounded a little "rosy", as in it might of made it seem like my time here has been easy, full of only successes and with no real strife. I have to say, that is FARRRRR from true. Sometimes I think that I have learned more from this journey and received way more from the people than I was able to give back to them. The number of life long friendships I have gained while learning so much about myself is something I will forever cherish about this experience. This culture is beautiful, the people so vibrant and animated. They have allowed me to be weak, to fail, to pick myself back up and then see the journey I went through. I owe so much to this beautiful island of Grenada.

But, along with every wonderful experience, there are some times of trial, some moments where the only thing you can find to say is "I miss my culture". I always tried to remain positive in those moments and use them as a learning experience, but some days that was hard to do. So, after my "rosy" post, I decided to highlight some of the things I will kindly NOT miss about Grenada. Here they are:

  • Rice. We eat rice with just about every meal here. Its cooked with every vegetable, every oil and every spice you can think of, and always accompanies meals. I have mastered the way to cook rice in about 15 different ways. I can happily say I have ate enough rice in the last two years to last me the next 15. 
  • Biblical debates. Caribbean culture is very religious, with the main religion being Catholic. But, there is also a wide range of other religions that encompass the culture, from Baptist to Pentecostal to Seventh Day Adventist.  This leads people to argue of scripture alot, whether it be in the bus, at the grocery store, the street corner and alot of times on the radio. Though I respect everyone's choice of religion, I will not miss the moments of loud, aggressive, finger pointing arguments. 
  • Mosquitos. I hate them! They buzz in my ear, land on my body and suck my blood CONSTANTLY. They find their way under my mosquito net, bite me up at night then leave me looking like I have the chicken pox. I wouldn't mind if these things go extinct. 
  • Men. Especially drunk men. There is nothing more frustrating then walking to work at 8am and being harassed by a drunk man who hasn't been to bed yet. Not to mention the constant harassment from men everywhere, the pppppssssssttttttt and the "hey baby" and the "I love you" and the "Can I have some of that white meat". Yep, all of those, I sadly won't miss. 
  • Bureaucracy. Yes, I know it exists in every culture and at every organization. Let me clarify. Is a non-profit really a non-profit if they have to ask the government for permission to do anything? Including programs, projects and advocacy work. I won't miss the overwhelming control the government has on all of the non-governmental sector of work. 
  • Rain. With no umbrella. I can't count the amount of umbrellas I have gone through in Grenada. They either break, deteriorate or get left in the bus. I can't wait to quickly run to MY car and be dry until I reach my destination, rather than walking in the rain where my shoes are soaked, the bottom half of my clothes are drenched and I'm just pissed off. Ahhhh, the small things. 
  • Cell Phones. The phones here are Zach Morris (Saved By the Bell) style from the 1990's and must have credit put on them in order to talk to anyone. Therefore, broke Peace Corps Volunteers rarely have credit to call people. I can't wait to call whoever I want, whenever I want and talk for however long I want. Yes! 
  • Cold Showers. They are wonderful after sweating, but when its morning time and you must shower off the sweat from the night, its FREEZING. The water pressure also depends on how many people are using the water at the same time you are. My neighbors realllllly like water, so my water pressure is usually a trickle. 
    I'm going to miss this view...
    And this one too...