Moments of Gratitude #3

I'm sitting on my veranda this afternoon, as I usually do every night. Its my moment of relaxation to collect my thoughts of the day and prepare for tomorrow. I love to people watch and my house sits perfect into the side of hill so that I can see everyone that drives by. I can hear the honks of passing buses, children skipping to the bakery and of course the ridiculous sound of goats.

I have this particular neighbor goat that sounds like a baby crying when he "baaaaaa's". Not only does he have a childish sounding scream, but he is a MASSIVE billy goat. Huge black body, tongue as long as a snake and scary looking horns. I'm thinking he could do some damage, but the minute he opens his mouth it makes me laugh.

Today as Im sitting on my veranda admiring the Sea in the distance. Mr. Billy goat decided to jump through the bush and sit on the side of the road, unalarmed by the buzzing cars. A man comes walking down the road and notices the billy goat clearly to close to oncoming traffic and decides to stop for a conversation with Mr. Billy Goat. I watch as he tries to shuuuu him off the road...its not working. Then all of a sudden I hear "Yo boi, ya dunce, get out dah road boi". In English that translates to "Yo boy, ya dumb? Get out of the road". I couldn't help but laugh at this point, as Mr. Billy Goat was obviously not concerned with this gentleman. He just stood there baaaaaaaa-ing at the guy.

Sadly, the guy gave up, threw his hands in the air and kept walking, leaving me chuckling for the next 5 minutes. AHHHH I love Grenada.



This is where Mr. Billy Goat is SUPPOSED to stay. He decided he liked the road much better today.

Mr. Billy Goat hiding in the bush.

The hardest question I've ever been asked.

There is a notorious question every Peace Corps Volunteer has been asked: Why did you join the Peace Corps? For some people, its a matter of who you're talking to in regards to how you respond. But for the most part, I don't find this a hard question to answer.

But there is one question I have been asked recently that I've really put some deep thought into, partially because I'm not sure I know the extent of the answer yet.

Why would you move to another country to help other people when there are so many people that need help in America, especially children?

Rather then ramble on for paragraph after paragraph (which I can do, see previous posts), I find it more fitting to outline my response in bullet format. This gives me an opportunity to clarify broad examples and you easier reading.

1. Needed change. I have helped the children of America for the last 5 years of my life and plan to for the rest of my being. I dedicated countless hours and poor paying jobs while going to school in order to help the children not only in my community, but the surrounding communities. If you work anywhere around kids you would realize that its easy to get burnt out doing one particular job constantly for an extended period of time. I came to a point in my "career" where I found I needed something more, something that not only lets me help children but lets me explore myself in a deeper sense.

2. Exploring another culture. This one was a big selling point for me, as I come from a very conservative Midwestern culture. There isn't much diversity whether it be religiously, ethnically or economically. I always knew from a young age there was something more to this world than small town Missouri living. I mean that in the most kind hearted way as well; people who know me will tell you just how much I love my roots. But I came to a point in my life where I needed to see whats out there for myself with a new sense of independence and open mindedness. I want to know how other people live, how much Americans take for granted and see for myself how my own bias and judgements come into play.

3. Opening new doors. The Peace Corps experience is something that you cant fully comprehend unless you are a fellow PCV, but that doesn't mean I cant share my experience with others. I find that removing myself from American culture, going to a foreign land with foreign people to bring about new ideas was my opportunity to advance my personal and professional development. The things I'm learning in Grenada are invaluable and something I can take back to the States and use for years to come. Im trying new approaches to old ideas, presenting new ideas to old hearts and creating positive change for the advancement of all. That's something I can bring back to the States and use for the American children, advancing our own child welfare. I would be fooling you if I said I wasn't bringing back valuable knowledge to help the children of America.

4. Empowerment. Not only of myself, but Grenadians, women, children, Americans and men alike. To be given the opportunity to take my American education and bring it to Grenada gives me the opportunity to empower people of a developing third world country to strive for excellence. Most Grenadians have family in the States, families who are working in America and paying taxes in America. They are part of our culture and trying to live the American dream and maybe even getting an American education. Its a cycle my people. If I can empower ONE single person to see the hope and possibility in this world then I have done my job. If I can make one mother realize prostituting her children isn't worth it, or see one child learn to read, or watch as a mother walks away from an abusive husband...then I've done my job here. Its the beauty of grassroots work.

5. Serving my country. Last but not least certainly, I feel honored to be able to serve my country in a PEACEFUL way. If more attention was paid to building relationships with people from other countries, understanding their culture and respecting their customs, I can PROMISE we wouldn't be in a single war. Greg Mortenson is a mentor of mine and someone I have come to deeply respect through his writings in 'Three Cups of Tea' and 'Stones into Schools'. He promotes peace through understanding and respect, educating young women and building sustainable projects in the Middle East. People like him and programs like the Peace Corps build sustainable, respectful and PEACEFUL relationships with host countries and ultimately achieve more then guns and camo ever will. Don't get me wrong, I love our troops and support them completely (I have friends serving now), but I find going about change in a peaceful manner is much more productive for everyone involved.


I may continue to add to this list as my service continues. Its hard to believe I can answer this question after just 6 short months here. But I still think this list isn't complete, there is more to this story...

Moments of Gratitude #2

Waking up on my own time this morning I realized how quiet and empty my house feels. It was my first night in my own bed for a few days and there wasnt two other bodies in my house. I find myself missing them, but enjoying my normal routine.

I took a shower and laid on my bed listening to music, enjoying the moment of relaxation and taking the last week of events in. Im so grateful to be given this opportunity, but feel such gratitude to be able to show my family my new life here in Grenada.

In just a little over a week I will have another visitor to show my new life to, Ali. Im so grateful that she surprised me with a plane ticket to come visit and I cant wait to show her the isle of Spice.

Until then...I will lounge around the house, jamming to music and appreciating the world around me. :)

PEACE!

Completing Peace Corps Mission #3

Mission #3:

Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.


This past week has solidified to myself just how much I have grown in just 6 short months. I got the opportunity to share my new life with my mom and aunt this week, and I think they will say it was an experience worth sharing with people back in the States. Check out my aunts blog (http://afastone.blogspot.com/) to see how she viewed her experiences on the isle of spice.

Sadly, I didn't get to take off work to spend all of my time with them, but they assured me that hanging around my apartment, reading books and playing on the internet was just as much a vacation as was running around the island. My moms particular mode of passing time was sitting on my veranda and people (and goat) watching. She was often quoted as saying the children were beautiful, the mountains were amazing and that goat sounds like a baby crying.

After a day of shopping in town, seeing the fort and experiences "town life", I decided to introduce them to my favorite Grenadian lunch, Roti's. They were hesitant at first, but after some reassurance we ordered three veggie roti's and sat down with another volunteer. They ended up loving the roti's and trying some pepper sauce that burnt their taste buds. oops, forgot to tell them West Indians love their heat.

Wednesday, after 4 days at my apartment, we descended down the mountains to a resort on the beach. If you ever plan on coming to Grenada (which I suggest), I would highly recommend the Grenada Grand Beach Resort. They had three beautiful pools and AIR CONDITIONED ROOMS!!!! I wasn't sure to make of this at first, but it was a pleasant mini vacation that I'm very thankful I got to share with my family. I often times get so wrapped up in work and the redundancy of life here that I forget to take a moment for myself and enjoy.


Thursday I got some free time and decided to take them to Belmont Estate and River Antoine Rum Distillery. I thought it would be easier to take a cab then the 3 bus rides, to which my family agreed, but I later learned it wasn't.

Disclaimer: Grenadians drive fast, VERY FAST. Life may move at the pace of a turtle, but cars do not! Anyways, we got the pleasure of having the most terrible taxi driver on island, who drove no more than 20 miles an hour the ENTIRE trip. We should of been taking an hour taxi ride, but a 3 and half hour ride awaited us. To say the least, I was VERY pissed off. I was pissed off for a number of reasons, but I ended up narrowing it down to the fact that the driver KNEW I was a local and still managed to take advantage of my family and their "supposed" money. The driver politely got a piece of my mind upon arrival, and coincidentally we made it back to town in normal time. hmmmm...

Belmont Estate is the local chocolate factory which still makes 100% organic chocolate on a plantation that dates back 300 years. They ha vent moved to the likes of massive machines that run Cadbury and Hershey plants, but still remain to use local man (and woman) power to produce the most delicious chocolate I've ever had. We took an awesome tour, drank some delicious spiced cocoa tea and of course brought home chocolate bars.

Next we ventured to the River Rum Distillery which still uses machines from the 1700's. We got to see how they crush the sugar cane, move it to large vats to rot and finally makes it to the production line, manned by 5 local employees. The distillery cannot keep up with local demand, so international export isn't a possibility, although its constantly asked about. I love the fact that the distillery wants to remain low key, locally employed and honest to the process of making rum. Although my aunt Lori opted out of trying the rum (bad experience), Mom and I jumped in to try the rum.

The last couple days of their visit we enjoyed the beach, pool and pina coladas. YUM. It was a great time and I'm so happy I got the chance to show some of my family just what my Peace Corps experience is all about. I cant wait til my sister can come with my mom next Christmas.

One more thing...I cant forget to thank my mom and aunt (and all the people that donated) for bringing over 100 pounds of school supplies for the Grenadian children. My school will never be able to thank you guys enough.

Until then...Its back to the real world with no A/C, bugs and work calling my name.

Moments of Gratitude #1

Since arriving in Grenada I've learned that life is so much more beautiful then I ever gave it credit for. Mother Earth has so much to offer and most people overlook the precious moments given to us because they are too busy working, running errands or talking on their cell phone. I find myself just daydreaming sometimes about beautiful things around me. Life moves so slow here it has given me an opportunity to not miss out on the moments of beauty that surround me. So I've decided to randomly post moments of gratitude and beauty as they come at me.

Today I had a hard time getting anything accomplished at work. Not because I didnt have any work (because I have tons), but because my mom and aunt will be here in less then 24 hours. They are coming to visit for a week and its got my mind racing on things I need to do to prepare for them. I was rushing around ton picking up things I needed for the house (cleaning supplies, toilet paper, food, etc) and dont thinking much about what was around me. Life in town moves alot faster then the rest of island, partially because there are so many people. I hurried to the bus and got on, being only the third person seated. I knew it was going to take some time to fill the bus (15 people) because it was an odd time of the day. I sat by the window people watching (which I love, thanks psychology degree!) and was noticing how people were just strolling along with not many worries. I love that about this culture, people seem to have the mentality of 'whatever goes'.

Then all of a sudden I found myself observing a mother and her child. The mom had one of those baby holder things strapped on herself with the most adorable little boy the flopping around sound asleep. In her left hand was the little hand of her about 2 year old daughter bouncing along eating a sucker as it dripped on her clothes. In her right hand was three bags full of groceries, probably all for her children. She was obviously struggling to keep two children and groceries in order, but I saw such beauty in that moment. Mothers are so beautiful and powerful. In a society where women are so oppressed, I still never fail to see determined mothers caring for their children as no man is in sight.

In that moment....I saw peace.

Carnival SpiceMas 2K10

It has been a crazy five days in Grenada. Carnival, which celebrates the culture and deep history of the Caribbean made its way to Grenada this past weekend and man was it a blast. Many locals don't work the entire month of August and local business' can been seen with closed doors. Its a celebration worth losing business over apparently. haha.

Friday was the Soca Monarch competition. Over the last month, competitors have been going through "American Idol" type competitions to be narrowed down to just a few to compete at Soca Monarch. Soca is a genre of music here that takes some getting used to, but its defiantly "jump up" music. I call it a cross between techno dancehall and rap music. Crazy? haha. It started somewhere around 9pm and i didn't walk through the door til almost 4am. Grenadians like to party.



Saturday I took the day off from the big festivity and opted for the steel pan competition. Steel pan originates from Trinidad but has a strong following with young adults in Grenada. I have made it my mission to attempt to learn how to play the pan by the end of my service. Its such a cool sound and takes some serious talent.





Sunday was the day of rest and was much needed.

Monday morning started to majority of the Carnival festivities, with J'Ouvert taking the lead role at 4:00am. Yes you read that right, I was up and 3am and at the starting point by 4am. J'ouvert is a large street party during Carnival and is a contraction of the French jour ouvert, or dawn/day break. The origins of street parties associated with J'ouvert coincide with the emancipation from slavery in 1838. From Wikipedia: Emancipation provided Africans with the opportunity, to not only participate in Carnival, but to embrace it as an expression of their new found freedom. Some theorize that some J'ouvert traditions are carried forward in remembrance of civil disturbances in Port of Spain, Trinidad, when the people smeared themselves with oil or paint to avoid being recognized. To paint a picture (literally) in your head, we paraded down the street with buckets of paint smearing it on everyone around us while dancing behind a massive music truck playing Soca music.



Monday midday (after a nap in the Peace Corps office) started the Fancy Mas procession in the streets. Some of the PCVs decided to participate this year and they looked great. You joined a certain band, paid alot of money and got a Vegas show girl looking costume. It was a sight to see such elegant outfits.








Monday night was the Monday night Mas celebration and probably my favorite activity of the celebration. We paid 75 EC dollars (about 37 US) to join a band, which happened to be a cell phone company, Lime. We got Madri Gras themed costumes which included a tshirt, hat, glow sword, blinking bracelet and mask. We again paraded behind a massive music truck in the dark while we all swung around blinking swords. It was a complete blast!


Yesterday was another Fancy Mas procession with the show girl outfits. I went and watched the other PCVs have a good time, as I was still recovering from little sleep over a 5 day span.

Overall, I had such a great time learning about the culture and history from Carnival celebrations. I hope next year I will have some visitors from the States to show a good time!

Speaking of visitors...MY MOM AND AUNT WILL BE HERE FRIDAY!!!!!!

Update!

Wow, I must admit, I've been slacking on the updates. I told myself I needed to update about a week ago, and Im just not getting around to it. Where do I start?

Last week the organization I work for (GNOW) took a big step forward in ensuring people the right to feel safe in their homes. For almost 3 years, in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Development, GNOW has been working on a protocol for domestic violence and sexual abuse cases. In present day Grenada, no protocol or set of procedures is set up for medical professionals, police force, social services and judicial services to follow when dealing with sexual abuse and domestic violence cases. That means that when someone is being abused domestically, there is no guarantee how the police will handle the situation, if the doctors will see you or even if legal matters will be handled correctly. Its a scary thought, one Americans definately take for granted. This protocol will set up a list of procedures that must be followed by every sector to ensure proper handling of these cases. Last week was the consulation to introduce the protocol to all the sectors, get feedback and gain approval and support. Overall, it went very well.




This weekend was the Rainbow City Festival in Grenville. The festival celebrates the Emancipation of Grenadians and was a truly unique cultural experience. There was a parade of people dressed in traditional African garb carrying torches and chanting things I couldnt understand. After that, the music was set up (outside the courthouse mind you), and the alcohol started flowing freely. Grenadians never pass up the chance to dance to good music, drink lots of rum and eat good food.



This morning I awoke and headed into rainy Grenville with some other volunteers to hand out HIV/AIDS prevention kits that I have been working so hard on the past month. We handed out about 100 prevention kits equiped with condoms, HIV/AIDS brochure, STD brochure and arm band. It was overall a success and the kits went fast enough. People love free condoms!



Oh ya, I also got my hair platted. Im becoming a Grenadian!