Walk a Day in My Shoes

What a day. Do you ever look back on your day and just think "I did all of that in those hours?" Maybe that's just me. haha. Either way, days like today remind me why I'm here.



7:45am: Jump a bus to the Peace Corps office to retrieve the mural drawing.

8:00am-8:30am: Wait for bus outside office. This time of morning every bus is full and I'm not one to sit on the conductors lap. I've seen it happen.

9:00am- Arrive at school to see students running rampant (schools starts at 8:30) and no teachers in sight.

9:05am: Locate teachers in staff room huddled around a cake.

10:00-12:00: Young Authors assembly. The students have been preparing stories to present at the exhibition for weeks. Getting 1st graders to write more than "My pet's name is Blackie" is hard to do. So 5 minutes before exhibition, I am quickly filling in the gaps in children's handwriting. Hey...don't judge, it worked! After hearing 25 students read their stories in front of the entire school, I was glad it was over.

12:00-1:00: Students chaotically leave the assembly hall with chairs on head (as pictured), eager to eat lunch, as am I. Thankfully I managed to inhale some trail mix before students started hanging on me. I love this part of the day, but man was I hungry. I got to watch some students play dodgeball and cricket until a hear a student wailing in pain. I go to investigate and find one of my students finger had been smashed in the door. It was missing the top knuckle, not something my First Aid training could handle. Off she went to the hospital with three teachers.

1:15: Realize my counterpart teacher had left with Raziel to the hospital and I now have 20 students to myself. Uh oh. Here we go...

1:30: Manage to get 20 students teeth brushed with their new kits. This is their favorite part of the day, so I couldn't say no. Watching little kids brush their teeth is HILARIOUS. I successfully had all their pearly whites clean with only one student eating toothpaste. SUCCESS!

1:45: No lesson plan in tow you ask? Of course not. Plan B? COLOR!!!! Thanks to the bestest friend Tressa, we had new Mickey Mouse coloring books to tear in to. The way to a 1st graders heart...coloring, cutting and gluing. By the end of coloring session we had successfully broken two pair of scissors, one student had green crayon on her white uniform shirt, two students were fighting over glue which ended up on the floor, an attempted hair cutting and FINALLY new book covers, Mickey Mouse style!

2:30pm: "Please ring the bell, Please ring the bell, Please ring the bell!" RING RING RING RING RING! Thank sweet baby Jesus the bell rang. After a quick prayer they were out the door with new colored pictures and smiles on their faces. Now my day could start...

3:00pm: Run the last students off and begin painting our school mural with the help of Brice, another volunteer, (whose blog is here: www.briceandspice.blogspot.com) but not without watchful eyes through the windows.

3:00-5:15pm: Paint the coolest shipwreck and shark you have ever seen! Bam!

5:45pm: Walk in the door and collapse in bed. But not for long, I have food to make for the new volunteers official swearing in ceremony tomorrow. Twice baked potatoes in the oven and I finally realize "I have only had a handful of trail mix today." I shall settle for cheese and tomatoes, I'm to tired to cook.

9:00pm: FINALLY laying in bed, thinking to myself "I wouldn't want to be anywhere but here." And its only Tuesday.

I love my life!!!!!

Saturday Photo Dump

"The love of family is life's greatest blessing" 

 

What is family? Is it the people we share the same blood with, the same genealogy, the same heritage? Or can family be the people we choose to surround ourselves with during holidays, when times get tough and when support needs given? Family is a complex word that is defined so many ways that Webster gives it a general definition: A group of people united by certain convictions or a common affiliation. By that definition, family can be friends, pets, coworkers, etc. Who are your family members?

My personal family is quite unique in that I have a biological family and a chosen family. I was raised with a large extended biological family, none of which lived close. For this, many of my cousins aren't as well known to me as I would like to consider under the title "cousin". Its hard to get to know someone and form a bond with relatives who live plane rides away, but we have done our best.

Our family moved to Webb City when I was in 4th grade and I instantly became best friends with Whitney, who played softball and lived a scooter ride away from me. Our families instantly became one, our mothers practically sisters. We share every Christmas Eve, birthday, anniversary, graduation and celebration together as a family. I call them my chosen family because although Whitney has been my friend since childhood, our families chose to form one cohesive (and sometimes dysfunctional) family. 

Today, my chosen family sent one of our best to heaven. My grandpa Bud, the fire engine master, tootsie pop loving, kindest man in the world went to be with all our other relatives in a land of pain free living. Alzheimer's stole his brain many years ago and its been a tough struggle for our family to live through, but as any family would do, we bonded together and did what we had to for Grandpa. Although I'm sad I couldn't be there to be with him as he left our world, I know he is in good hands now. 

My wonderful cousin had the bright idea of Skyping me into the funeral service today. I cannot explain the joy it brought to me to feel like I was sitting right there with my family as we said our goodbyes. I think technology is talking over our lives in an often negative way, but today I couldn't of been more grateful for technology. I got to see a beautiful slide show and hear a powerful sermon, all while my family was right there. 

Grandpa Bud, we are going to miss you, but we know you are in a place of happiness with no pain. As the pastor said today, you exchanged that old body and mind in today for a bright, shiny, new body in heaven. Rest in peace, love you always!

Grandpa loved his Webb City Cardinals

Mom, Cheyann, Whitney and Aunt Kim

The cousins (minus Molly and I)

PAINT!!!!

I felt like a kid in art class today as I helped mix paint with the master of paint mixing. Katie, another volunteer (who took these pictures), is the art pro of the group and the person assisting me with the school mural. She drew the picture for the mural and helped draw it on the wall as well.

After making 4 trips to the paint store (two bus rides away), then carrying those gallons of paint back home and finally to the school, we got to start mixing paint today. The teachers at my school have been confused for weeks on how we were going to make all those colors out of the basic primary colors (red, yellow and blue for the slow ones), blue and black. I reassured them that it wouldn't end up being a Picasso painting and things will look fantastic when complete.

Here are some pictures of the adventures today. We are getting one step closer to paint on the walls. AMEN!

Random Picture Saturday

I felt I needed to update my blog, but since I don't have much to update on I thought I would post some semi recent pictures of random adventures. I hope you all are enjoying your Saturday!

Don't let them fool you, they aren't always sweet and innocent

This is Mr. Jdi, the know it all kid.

Reading is beautiful

 

 

Eating a banana in a tree swing on a deserted island: The life!

Reading time at St. Paul's Govt School

Grade Three Students

Pirates of the Caribbean?

Caribbean sunsets are like no other.

Some gentlemen decided to crash through a stone wall and almost into the ravine.

SEEEEEEEEEESTER!!!!

Quick Update on the Mural

Phase One:

We started by taping off all the edges of the top and bottom parts of the wall. This helped in not getting paint all over the place, although the floor still saw some extra. oops.

 

Phase Two:

Two coats of primer on the wall to ensure the paint would hold to the wall. The teachers loved this color for some reason and were asking if I could just leave it like this. HA! seriously?

Phase Three:

Ocean blue painted on the wall, then 9 cm by 9cm squares are traced on the wall. Let me reassure you that drawing millions of little squares was NOT my favorite part of the process. It took me an entire week to complete, but is helpful in griding the art onto the wall. 

Phase Four:

Using the original paper drawing, we followed square by square to draw the art onto the wall. This part takes serious concentration, patience and a decent level of drawing abilities. For this phase I had the help of Katie, the artist of the mural, and Stephanie, another volunteer. They were saints in this process as I was still busy griding the wall as they were drawing. 

We hope to start painting the mural this week with the help of some students and teachers. This project has been a huge learning experience for me, but one I think I will appreciate for many years down the road. Keep checking back for more updates as they arrive. :)

Be the Change

The journey to women's equality in Grenada just got a little closer after Thursday and Friday of last week. The organization I work for, Grenada National Organization of Women, has been lobbying for a cohesive group of former and present women politicians to come together and commit to fighting for women's issues, regardless of political party. That finally happened.

To begin to understand the magnitude of what is happening with the Women's Parliamentary Caucus, you must first grasp the deep political tension that lies between political parties in Grenada. Imagine not being able to attend an event because its hosted by the opposite party, never sitting in the same room as the opposition or refusing to wear the color of the opposing side. Politics is a hot topic here and something its people will live and die for. If you are NNP (New National Party), you will never wear a yellow shirt. If you are NDC (National Democratic Congress), the color green makes your eyes hurt. People are passionate about their party, and their group of friends revolve around the same ideologies.

Past and Present Politicians

The forming of the Women's Parliamentary Caucus is a monumental step for not only women, but politics in general. For the first time in the history of Grenada, and maybe even the region, women politicians are committed to sitting around the same table talking issues that affect the women of our country. Respect and honesty are established principals in the meetings of opposing parties and have made for a productive and real discussion on issues rather than parties. I have never been so inspired to see NDC and NNP members sitting right next to each other at the table, sharing laughs and agreeing on the future of women. I heard from one past parliamentarian that:

"I have never felt so much excitement to be sitting next to someone who bashed me publicly for so many years, yet we are both so determined to mend those wounds and move forward for women's equality in the country we both so deeply love." 

Current Minister of Social Development on the right, joking with a leader of the opposing party.

This workshop let the women come together and focus on ways to influence their political parties into pushing for women's equality, job equity and bipartisanship. It was shocking to hear some of these politicians speak of the discrimination from the men in their own political party and how they have been used as status symbols for so many years. They were given the opportunity to share stories, methods and give honest feedback on ways to bridge the gap between genders and focus on the issues affecting us all.

Speaking on the power of women and how we can productively use it to change our society.

These women, regardless of political affiliation, committed to working together to stand up for their rights as women and continue moving forward. That in itself, is one of the greatest things I have been given the opportunity to take part in here in Grenada.

NDC, NNP....it didn't matter.