Grenada Parang

Grenada parang music is one of the indicators of the Christmas season. No need for 'Oh Holy Night' and such when you can still have party music, just with Christmas theme. Alot of the songs are funny and conveniently always have a sexual meaning to them. This particular song is one of my favorites. Enjoy!

Tourism

http://grenadasugarandspice.blogspot.com/2010/12/tis-season-for-tourism.html

This link connects you to a fellow volunteers blog. They are a married couple (and my neighbors) and write really really good entries. This blog about tourism especially stuck out to me and Im suggesting it to my fellow readers.

Enjoy!

ONE WEEK!!!!!

I'm mentally preparing myself to jump on that plane and leave my new life behind for 20 days while I venture to my homeland. A wave of emotions hit me when I lay in bed at night thinking of whats to come; high school friends, fast food, good beer, family time, CHRISTMAS, American culture and cold weather. I cant even begin to fathom the excitement I will feel when I step off that plane onto American territory....my home.

I can do this....just one more week...

From this...

To this...

World AIDS Day

The Red Ribbon is the global symbol for solidarity with HIV-positive people and those living with AIDS.World AIDS Day, observed December 1 each year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. Since 1995, the President of the United States has made an official proclamation on World AIDS Day. Governments of other nations have followed suit and issued similar announcements.


AIDS has killed more than 25 million people between 1981 and 2007, and an estimated 33.2 million people worldwide live with HIV as of 2007, making it one of the most destructive epidemics in recorded history. Despite recent, improved access to antiretroviral treatment and care in many regions of the world, the AIDS epidemic claimed an estimated 2 million lives in 2007, of which about 270,000 were children.

The Caribbean has reached the ranks of having the second highest rates of HIV infections, second only to Africa. Social stigma and discrimination have kept people in Grenada and the region hiding in fear and refusing to get treatment and medications. The Ministry of Health recently made a step towards helping fight the stigma towards HIV/AIDS by decentralizing the clinics that hand out HIV medications. Originally, there were so called "AIDS clinics" in which people could go for their medications, but patients were ashamed and ridiculed by being seen going into the clinics. By decentralizing the clinics, patients are able to go to clinic that treat all sorts of ailments, so that no one knows what they are actually going to the clinic for. The rates of treatment for HIV/AIDS has increased after this practice went into affect.

On Wednesday, my organization, the Grenada National Organisation of Women decided to host a candlelight vigil in collaboration with HopePals, the HIV/AIDS network. We held a forum with some teenage boys on HIV/AIDS, STDs, etc, and then took to the streets with candles and songs, spreading the word of the pandemic hitting our region. It ended up being a great turnout for last minute planning. Below are some pictures from the event.

My counterpart and I

Forum on HIV/AIDS

Showing my support.

Lauren of HopePals, speaking to the teens on STD's

Candlelight vigil

Explaining to the boys the correct ways to use a condom.



World AIDS Day!

Did you know a child is orphaned by AIDS every 15 seconds. Millions of children are going it alone. Missing their childhood. Missing their mother. Missing their father. AIDS is devastating families around the globe. Children are missing your support. Unite for children. Unite against AIDS....HAPPY WORLD AIDS DAY!!!!!!!

Laundry...UGH!

Time for an interesting blog a little off topic from the rest...Laundry! This word in my vocab is an evil evil word that I try to avoid at all costs. Example: my semi automatic "washing machine" has been broke for 2 1/2 weeks, leaving me to wear clothes more than once before washing. Ask my mother, I don't mess with laundry, and if I get to the point of cleaning my clothes they never make it out of the laundry basket and hung up.

But...since I sweat constantly here in the tropics I figured it wasn't appropriate to continue wearing clothes that haven't been washed in weeks. I broke down and decided to dedicated my Sunday to washing my clothes...BY HAND. Thankfully, during my first 8 weeks in Grenada I lived with a host family who taught me the correct way to wash clothes by hand. Never in my life did I think it was that complicated to wash some clothes by hand but man was I wrong when the next day I woke up so sore I was begging for ibuprofen.

Step 1:
Set up three buckets outside, each with water filled 2/3 full in the bucket. We have 5 gallon buckets here and I wouldn't suggest using anything smaller. Bucket one should have detergent while bucket two and three are left to remain just water.

Step 2:
Grab your article of clothing and dip in bucket one. Now its hard to explain the exact method of scrubbing so I will attach some photos. Its more or less swift movements with both hands, back and forth, causing the clothes to rub up against each other. The more force you use, the cleaner your clothes get. Each piece of clothing should take about 5 minutes of scrubbing. 20 piece of clothes X 5 minutes of scrubbing = 100 minutes of scrubbing. See where I get the ibuprofen addiction from?

Step 3:

Dip clothes in bucket two where clean water is while lightly scrubbing clothes to get soap out. I sometimes let my sit in that water for a few minutes.

Step 4:

Move clothes to final bucket of clean water and rinse clean.

Step 5:

Hang your clothes on the line outside so the beautiful tropical heat can sun dry your clothes. While of course fading them out. You can always get new ones back in the States. ;)

 

My hard work finally finished!



I hope this post inspires you to try cleaning your clothes by hand at least once. But if you would just like to live through me vicariously, then I hope this post leads you to go and hug your washer and dryer in appreciation.

20 days til I'm home Missouri!!!!!!!

Thanksgiving Celebration

I successfully completed my first Thanksgiving in 23 years away from my family and man was it tough. Thankfully there is Skype, where I got to see all my cousins, aunts and uncles huddled around one computer screen in a hotel. It made my Thanksgiving all the much better since I wasn't able to be there with them in person.

As Peace Corps Volunteers we strive to complete three goals:

• Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.

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

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

Thanksgiving celebration gave us the opportunity to complete goal number two of the Peace Corps mission by introducing traditional foods and customs we celebrate in America. Grenada has a Thanksgiving in October but it is not considered as largely celebrated as the United States does. We invited local counterparts, friends and Peace Corps staff for an afternoon of good food and fellowship. Volunteer Jon explained the history of Thanksgiving to the locals and gave them some insight on what a typical day would consist of, then we went around the room and said what we were all thankful for of course. It was nice to hear the overwhelming gratitude the local Grenadians had for letting them be a part of our special day.

Traditionally this is a day of family, but since we are all out of country we have formed our own sort of Peace Corps family and share special times together. It reminded me that family is really what you make of it and the word can be defined in so many ways.

I was so thankful to be surrounded by good people and share an amazing meal with so many dedicated volunteers, our local counterparts and the Peace Corps staff who takes such good care of us.

We had and hour bus ride and a 1/2 mile walk to our destination. Green bean casserole and celery in tow.

FEAST!!!!

Now THAT is some food.

Peace Corps Volunteers and Peace Corps Staff