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!

The Mango Festival

Today I got the chance to hang out with some awesome kids and see a million different things made from mangoes. It was the annual Mango Festival at the National Stadium, where creative souls come to show off their new creations made out of this delicious fruit.



Right now is the peak of mango season (avocado being the next), so it was fitting for the festival today, but I have NO IDEA there were so many variations of mangoes. At least 10 different kinds of mangoes from babies to large cantaloupe size. Now I have a couple mangoes trees in my yard and one fair game tree at the bus stop. I always assumed there were two kinds: stringy and not stringy. Makes sense right? One gets stuck in your teeth for days and one doesn't. Guess which I choose?



I saw some strange creations made from mangoes too: mango pizza, mango ketchup, mango cheese and fried mangoes. Some of the more normal inventions were: mango nectar, mango pie, mango cheesecake, mango ice cream (i tried this one, duh!), mango rum, mango crumb cake and mango popsicles.



Overall, it was a very mango-y day. Hung out with some awesome kids from another volunteers summer camp, got some delicious mango ice cream and paid my water bill! SUCCESS!

Miss you all,
Mack

90 years young

One of my favorite parts of living in a new culture is getting to see how people celebrate important events. Last night we were invited to a birthday party of a gentleman who was turning 90 years old. Everyone refers to Sylvester as Papa and it was very difficult to figure out who were his biological children and grandchildren because practically everyone referred to him as Papa. We were seated in the community center as his children handed out appetizers and drinks. Celebrations here tend to be pretty formal regardless of occasion so we were of course prepared for good food (hey man, we're poor volunteers!). Mr. Joseph was escorted to the head table where a cake and juice was prepared for him. He didn't look to thrilled to be in front of everyone, but he toughed it out.



One of his sons who also happens to be a pastor opened the event with prayer and a few remarks on just how incredible of a man Mr. Joseph is to this day. He told stories of his father building just about anything from furniture to drums; how he was a perfect tailor who often had piles of clothes from people asking for help sewing. One of the biggest things that struck me though is a story he told about the gentleness of Mr. Joseph. How he was a tough father who expected the best out of his children, worked hard to provide for 6 children and never missed an opportunity to teach life lessons in the most gentle manner. I went with a fellow volunteer, Jon, and we were talking about how it would be so awesome to be able to sit down and just talk to Mr. Joseph about life in Grenada and how things have evolved to the present day. Grenada itself has only had electricity for a little more then 15 years and many times the water is still not safe to drink. To be 90 years old means he has seen some of the biggest growth happen to Grenada. That's incredible.



So after Mr. Josephs son spoke of stories of his father he opened the floor to other people in attendance to stand up and speak about memories of Mr. Joseph and send warm wishes his way. About a handful of people stood up one by one reliving moments of gratitude and life lessons that Mr. Joseph had taught them. I couldn't help to watch people's faces as these stories were told like they were just yesterday. I found myself hoping that I see 90 years and people have these kind words to say about me one day.

The Truth on Poverty

My counterpart, Ms. Lorice Pascal, is one of the most down to Earth hardworking women I have met on the island of Grenada. Her constant drive and passion for the work we do makes me want to work even harder for the organization. I didn't actually choose to work here, but since my last placement fell through, this place seemed like the perfect fit. She welcomed me with open arms and was so excited to have another volunteer working at the Grenada National Organisation of Women. GNOW has a long standing history with the Peace Corps and with each new volunteer they become more and more excited about the future. Lorice never seizes to amaze me with just how many people she knows on the island and can just pick up the phone and call at any moment. Since I'm new here, my contact list is really short, but I'm just one question away from the walking yellow pages.

Another great aspect of the counterpart-volunteer working relationship is the opportunity to ask questions and have intellectual conversations that you wouldn't otherwise be able to have with people here. I feel completely comfortable asking Lorice questions about cultural norms, working protocols and even how to cook breadfruit (I haven't mastered it yet). Today we got in a great conversation about the misperception of the Caribbean from other countries. I was explaining that many Americans vacation to the Caribbean so we have this perception that its this gorgeous island life with cocktails and little umbrellas on the beach. I'm guilty myself, having vacationed to Jamaica and the Grand Cayman islands, of not really seeing the truth of the island (ie: poverty, hunger, development issues, etc). While in Jamaica with my immediate and extended family I can remember climbing the most beautiful Dunns River Falls (which i recommend) and staying confined to this nice little touristy area. Little did I know people were starving and dying just miles away as I vacationed. Its something I am determined to not ever do again on a vacation. I want to see the truth of the places I visit as I think there is a beauty in itself of being exposed to such things.

Anyways...As Lorice and I were talking she said one of the most profoundly honest things I have heard here, she said "The interesting fact about the Caribbean is that our poverty is so picturesque". I wasn't sure how to respond to that or in fact what she exactly meant, but I could feel this deep amount of honesty about her statement. She went on to say that its hard for people not from the Caribbean to understand the fact that we have this beautiful scenery surrounding us but in truth, beauty doesn't feed our children, it doesn't clothe our people and it defiantly doesn't make us First World.

Just something to think about...

Funding!!!

I've been fretting the last couple days over the upcoming project another volunteer and I started at my work site. Funding is the number one problem many Peace Corps Volunteers face during their work related service. We are challenged by the Peace Corps staff to come up with creative ways to build projects using local resources only, but often times the only resources available are man power. I have reached this obstacle in varying ways since arriving in Grenada and subsequently this project joined the group.

Carnival is the 9th and 10th of August and incorporates the culture and history of Grenada and the Caribbean as a whole. Through music competitions, parades, pageants and dance parties people come to life in celebration of the Caribbean culture. With excessive drinking, little sleep and mass quantities of people in one area, sexual activity increases. There is a significant stigma attached to HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean and often times the term is tagged taboo. With the second largest percentage of HIV/AIDS cases in the world (only to Africa), this has become the focus of many of the campaigns recently. But sometimes the work being done is met with a total contradiction culturally, as HIV/AIDS is very stigmatized and taboo. This society is very "what happens at home stays at home", causing lots of reluctance to accept advice, information and help.

The goal of our "Staying Safe During Carnival Season" campaign is to raise the awareness of the significant prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Grenada and just how drastic the increases have been in recent years. We as an organization will be attending close to 6 events throughout the month handing out prevention kits. Inside these prevention kits will be condoms (male and female), brochures and resource information. We hope to be able to reach each parish on the island so that our voice is known and we can heighten the sense of awareness as Carnival arrives.

My major obstacle throughout the project planning and implementation has been finding funding for these prevention kits. The Ministry of Health kindly donated the condoms for distribution but I needed to find funding for the bags, ribbon and materials to print brochures. This might not sound like alot but with the budget for my organization running in the negatives consistently, this is a big chunk of money. I diligently wrote sponsorship letters to about 15 business' in hopes that maybe just a couple would help out and we were finally awarded for our hard work today. Our secretary walked in with an envelope and said it was from a sponsor. We opened it guessing it would maybe be 100 dollars (our budget was set for around 300), and it was 500 DOLLARS!!!!!!! There is a God!!!!!! This kind donation almost doubles the amount of prevention kits we can hand out to party-goers!

Just another small accomplishment that means so much to the people of Grenada and to me of course.