July/August 2005

Well, I have officially been living in Grenada for just over a week now. From the moment our (very small) plane landed, I knew that my being placed in Grenada was meant to be. After going through customs and immigration, which did not take long, considering the airport itself is very small, we were met my our Assistant Peace Corps Director of Grenada. I have to admit, that after seeing the Peace Corps welcome entourage for the trainees in St. Vincent, during our lay-over, I was slightly disappointed, when we also did not get the same reception. However, we were totally mistaken, because when we set foot out of the airport, there was cheering and hugs from all the current volunteers within Grenada. Since Grenada is known as the "Island of Spice", we were each presented with spice necklaces that had such spices as nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, and other local spices that I was not familiar with. We boarded a bus and drove to the Peace Corps office. I could not get over how green and lush the countryside was. Grenada has many hills and mountains, and they were covered in green everywhere. Although we did see many structures that had completely collapsed, I was thoroughly impressed with the nature of restoration that has taken place in the almost-year since Hurricane Ivan.

I'm staying in a village within the Parish of St. David's. Grenada is broken down into a number of Parishes. Each Parish is somewhat like a county, and within the counties, there are villages. St. George's is the capital of Grenada, but there is also the Parish of St. George's which encompasses the surrounding villages. I am about a 20 minute bus-ride to the center of St. George's town. My village is very rural, and is not set up in the typical village fashion. There really is no center of the village, although St. David's does have a police station, as well as the Secondary School and a few other structures. Near me, there are many small shops, very considerable to the ones I lived near in St. Lucia. The shops mainly sell dried goods and what they call in EC, 'ground provisions' (yams, fig--or green banana, potatoes, breadfruit). They also carry rice, beans, and peas. Those are staples within the Caribbean, and almost every meal contains them. The shops also sell canned fish and meat (canned corned beef is popular here), crackers, flour, sugar, jar sauces, sometimes pasta, and once in awhile, fruit or other vegetables. Each shop is a little different and some sell liquor, others contain ice cream, some (which I am desperately seeking) sell chocolate! One of the largest surprises I have encountered in Grenada is the true lack of fresh produce. Hurricane Ivan devastated about 90% of the island--especially in terms of vegetation and actually, what Ivan spared, Hurricane Emily, months later completely ruined. The majority of produce, and spices are now unfortunately imported from Trinidad or St. Vincent mainly. This of course, makes the cost of buying them in the market very expensive. A pound of carrots used to be $1-2EC, and now has jumped to as much as $5EC. In U.S. terms, where $1US=$2.70EC, it does not seem much, however, most items are at least twice their original price. (I also have realized that I no longer have U.S. Dollars, so I must think in terms of EC dollars.) So naturally, fruit and vegetables do not have the place in meals that they used to.

Besides shops, we have a small one-room post-office, which I recently discovered. Since I have limited internet-access for the time being, it makes sending letters convenient. We also have a local bakery that specializes in bread and local pastries. It's about a 20 minute walk from my house, and I've been by there once. I guess I forgot to mention that the beach is only about a 10 minute walk from my house. Nadine and I went for a swim early last week.

About my new home-stay family. I am living with Elsa and Keith and their daughter Nadine. They are very nice, and I am lucky that they have a small vegetable garden growing around the house. Sometimes we have cucumbers, or okra. I know that a new pear (avocado) tree was recently planted, but it will be many years before it is large enough to bear fruit. We also have an orange tree, and a papaya tree. Most of the garden has been replaced since Ivan and Emily, and further seedlings are underway. Nadine is an excellent baker and makes fresh white or whole-wheat bread weekly. I cannot even explain how delicious it is.

So now I am in Phase 2 of training. My swear-in date is officially September 22nd, and at that time, I will be an official volunteer. During phase 2, we are much more independent. We stay in our communities for 5 days and come together to train as a group for 2 days. We are given community-based activity assignments to complete during our 5 days in community. These include walking through our community and drawing a map, speaking with certain "stakeholders" or well-known community members to get a better understanding of the community, introducing ourselves to local shop-owners and community officials, learning more about the culture of home-stay families, attending community meetings, learning the bus system, etc. All of these activities are designed to help us integrate to our surroundings. The main focus of Peace Corps is integration, since you cannot fully understand a situation if you are not a part of it. Again, this format for training is much different than that of St. Lucia, we are now alone in our communities, and while we can support one-another, it really is our job as individuals to integrate and learn.

Last week, I made a community map of my area. It was really a helpful way to meet some community members, because I would venture into shops and introduce myself, explain my involvement with Peace Corps etc. Just as I had heard before I arrived, I've found the people of Grenada to be extremely warm and friendly. Everyone has been very receptive to my presence, and people seem to want to help me in whatever way they can. Although I am the only Peace Corps volunteer living in my community, they have experience with having volunteers, so I've found it to be a positive experience thus far!

Now, let me describe a little about the town of St. George's. It is a small capital town, but it takes up quite a bit of space. The markets are located there, as well as grocery, clothing, furniture, and variety stores. Members of my community commute into St. George's once a week for food and other supplies. There are also restaurants around, and the main tourist area of Grand Anse, is located within St. George's. I would have to admit that my most exciting realization thus far has been how incredibly delicious nutmeg ice cream is! It seems so trivial, but first, ice cream is a delicacy when you live as far as I do, and second, I have never tried a more fantastic flavor. It is wonderful. The city is also very hilly. I've walked hills that compare to postcards I've seen of San Francisco, and they're all over the city. Somehow, the buses (15 passenger vans) are able to veer in and around the steep and narrow streets with rare damage to surrounding pedestrians! However, their system seems to work. I am always amazed though, because buses here also drive FAST. The roads are very curvy, sometimes steep, sometimes on the edge of cliffs, and the buses will drive a good 50+ MPH, and they do it successfully. It's actually not only the buses too, cars in general are very well adapted to driving on these roads. It's a good thing PCVs are not allowed to drive, because the local drivers would hate to be behind me, I'd be driving 30MPH tops!

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of visiting in the town of Grenville, on the east coast of Grenada. They have a Saturday market there as well, and it was very cool to walk around. After venturing around a bit, we walked down to the water to check out the shipping docks, and shore. It was beautiful down there, and eventually, my pictures will surface. Yesterday, I also discovered my new favorite beach: Grand Anse. We were not near the resorts, but on the public beach. It had the quintessential crystal-clear Caribbean waters, and white sand. The water was incredible, and we had a great day there. This past week I managed to frequent the ocean twice, hopefully that will continue! Well more to come soon, but I figured that I owed an update on life in Grenada!

Well I know it has been quite awhile since I've last updated. I have not been able to connect my computer to the internet. These last few weeks of Pre-Service Training (PST) have flown by. We've continued doing community-based assessments, made presentations to community members, learned some Patois and Quadrille dance, had a talent show, experienced Lucian culture first-hand, and discovered our future island homes. I'll expand a bit...

We've been learning a lot about different community assessment strategies, and applying them. Last week we visited different community group leaders to speak to them about the importance of community programming, and community-based group structure. We presented a variety of analyses of our observations and have been learning how to approach development from an objective stand-point. Probably the most exciting part was the workshop we presented last night. I was working in a group with 4 other trainees and our job was the present a workshop on parenting for a local mothers and fathers group. We decided to speak about the importance of communication between parents and their children and we included five specific virtues: love, respect, praise, patience, and forgiveness. We were very successful, and our community members were very involved.

Other exciting news--I received my island assignment! I will be moving on Saturday to the island nation of Grenada. I will be living in a community outside the capital of St. George's and collaborating with The School for the Blind, The School for the Deaf, and the Grenada Task Force for Special Education. There will be much more involved, but this is what I know thus far. Another major community push in Peace Corps Eastern Caribbean is working with HIV/AIDS. There is a big emphasis on behavior change, and we have been training a lot in different methods.

I will move into a new home stay for a few months during integration, and then live in an apartment in my community. I am very excited, because Grenada was a top choice of mine. They are in the midst of some exciting work in special education, and with everything that occurred with recent hurricanes, they are in dire need of development help. There are 7 of us going to Grenada, and 3 to Carriacou, a Grenadine island that is part of Grenada.

So it's really hard to believe that the 3 weeks of Pre-Service Training phase 1 are completed. I've met some incredible people, and hopefully, I can get some pictures up soon!

Well, our first week of training has passed! We are training at the Babonneau Secondary School, which is about a 7 minute walk from my house. We train daily from 8:30AM-5PM, and sometimes later depending on language classes. This week our focus has been primarily on development in general. Peace Corps Eastern Caribbean is changing their focus to train us all in community development. Our actual work will depend mostly on what our community priorities are, rather than our own. We do a lot of small group work, in talking about strategies and methods. We also learned about the history and culture of the Eastern Caribbean (EC). All of the islands were formed from volcanic eruption, and most of the islands still have active volcanoes with the exception of Antigua and Barbuda. Because the islands are on the edge of the Caribbean tectonic plate, sometimes earth tremors are experienced within the Caribbean.

Some of the first settlers to the EC were from Yucatan, Mexico. From there they traveled to Cuba, to the Dominican Republic and so on. Mostly, these people were hunter-gatherers. Another initial settlement to the EC were people from Venezuela who made their way from South America into the EC. In general, the first inhabitants of the EC were called Caribs, however, it is interesting to note that they did not refer to themselves as such. When Christopher Columbus ventured from Spain, and happened to land upon the West Indies, Spain decided to return and claim the land. It was then that the Carib people were labeled by Spain. Along with dividing the land, it was important to Spain to convert these indigenous populations to Christianity, since many cultures were thought to be cannibalistic and satanic--both untrue. The large Spanish ships with gold and spices that were constantly sailing through the Caribbean lead to the introduction of pirates, and the notion of "Pirates of the Caribbean". Although, a major goal was Spanish settlements, the English, French, and Dutch were the first to build permanent settlements in the EC around 1625. When the Caribs were tried to be overtaken with force, they fought back and destroyed some British settlements, and flocked to the mountains. In the isolated mountain areas of St. Vincent, Dominica, and Grenada, there remain a few isolated groups of Caribs today.

In the early 1700s, when sugar cane became a large-scale production in the U.S., slavery from not only sub-Saharan Africa, but the EC was introduced as well. From 1720-1807, thousands of slaves were used from the EC to work as slaves in the sugar production within the EC. Most of those slaves were brought over from Sub-Saharan Africa. Because the slaves originated from many different areas, a cultural mix of African, French and English culture lead to the EC culture known today as Kweyol (kway-ole). In 1834, the Caribbean slaves were Emancipated from within the Caribbean, since many were enslaved within their own lands for sugar production. However, being free did not mean a change in society as a whole. It would be almost a century before the emancipated slaves would be able to have voting rights, right to education, and land-ownership. As a side note, the EC emancipated enslaved populations 29 years before the United States (1963). During the height of the sugar production, and slavery, the rule of the EC changed hands between England and France a multitude of times. This leads to the mixture of culture as well. The indigenous language that still remains on a few of the islands is a French Creole or Patois. It is also referred to as Kweyol. It should not be confused with the Creole of New Orleans, because they are significantly different. With the emancipation came a lack of labor in the sugar plantations, which led to the use of indentured labor. Although, the conditions were not a major improvement, people were able to choose to work for a certain length of time for certain rewards. Many indentured laborers were brought from India, China, West Africa, and the EC. Some important dates within recent history:

-1925: suffrage granted to men and women 21 and over with land and income. -1951: suffrage granted to EVERYONE 21 and over. -1960's: the formation of an internal EC government. -1970-1980: Islands become independent.

The religion in the EC is very different, due to many influences. The indigenous religion was similar to a pagan faith that used aspects of the land, volcanic peaks, sun and moon to determine cycles. It was used to explain the rainy season and conversely, the dry season.

The Roman Catholic faith was introduced into French and Spanish colonies. Those that did not convert were in turn, killed. England introduced the Church of England into the British colonies, and many of them remain very Protestant today. Because of the strong African influence, there were many African religions as well. These religions were animistic in nature and they revolved around the use of spirits for different purposes. These religions were thought to be threatening to the Europeans, who tried to destroy them completely. It is also interesting to note the existence of Jewish populations within the Caribbean. When the Jews were exiled from Spain in the late 1400's, many Jews migrated to the Americas and the EC. Today, there are three remaining synagogues dating back to the 1600's on Barbados, Curacao, and St. Thomas. Many U.S. religions were introduced through the use of missionaries, and these include: Pentecostals, Southern Baptists, Seventh Day Adventists, Jehova's Witness, Berean Bible, Church of Nazarene, and Christian Union Mission. However, one of the well-known Caribbean faiths that exists today is Rastafarian. It is a homegrown religion as well as a lifestyle. Parishioners of Rastafarian (better known as "Rastas") are vegetarian, and they believe in eating pure and clean. There is no book to consult, however the Old Testament is used. It was started in the notion of "Back to Africa", or a return to roots. Much of the Rasta music talks about returning to culture, rising up, freedom, and the like. One of the best known Rasta musicians is Bob Marley. Some of the important Rastafarian principles are:

Obviously, another well-known characteristic of Rastafarian faith is the use of marijuana for ceremonies. It is still illegal here.

Besides learning about history and culture, we also explored different communities through community-based assessment strategies: community mapping, appreciative inquiry, SWOT analyses. I went to the community of Fond Assau with a few other trainees, we spent the afternoon walking around, talking to local shop-owners, families, children, locals gathered in rum-shops. We even spent a great deal of time at the Health Center, speaking with an employee about the types of community programming. It was a great experience, because there was no one to guide us. We got dropped off, and walked back. We were left to discover alone! It was a great opportunity to learn about a community first-hand. Everyone was very supportive, and prideful of their town. I'm looking forward to using this strategy in the future!

Bon Soir everyone!

I've been practicing my patois/kweyol...however, it is more of a spoken language, so I cannot really write it. Yesterday was a very relaxing day, as it was raining all day. I saw first hand how life stops when it rains. Instead we had a nice day at home, listening to country music, reading, cooking, talking, etc.

Today I slept late....8:30AM. Marilyn made cucumbers for breakfast (cucumbers, garlic, salt, and a touch of oil--like Auntie Ruthie's!), and we had cocoa tea with bay leaves. The tea here is INCREDIBLE! I would never think to soak bay leaves in hot water to make tea. I'm sure that the milk, sugar, and bit of cocoa added to the deliciousness!

I saw a bunch of trainees pass by my house today on their way to school. Although it was a holiday today, we had our medical interviews. It was nice to see some volunteers I had not seen in a few days. I see a lot of Erin, she lives across the street from me with my home stay mom's mom. She is awesome and we get along well. Our families spend a lot of time together and we can compare experiences.

A small interlude--Brad, my home stay little brother is amazed at how fast I type. He says that I space out and type without looking and he wants to give me a typing test. He says I have to teach him, because I'm faster than the requirements for majoring in typing at school. He's so cute. He says hello by the way. He also cannot believe how much I write. He says he writes 8 sentences to people, "Hello. I'm fine. Things have been good. How are you? Great. Talk to you Soon. Bye". I explained that it's different because I'm in a new country, culture, etc.

Today was Emancipation Day. It is the first Monday in August and it represents when the Caribbean slaves were emancipated from the British in 1834. There are festivals that talk about freedom, and pride events. However, I have been surprised at the number of people don't know much about the history behind the event. It reminds me of the Holocaust in a way. Hundreds and hundreds of thousands of Caribbean slaves were freed then. We heard the phrase "Never Again" repeated over and over. I also heard a great African proverb on the radio today:

"The story of the hunted is a much different story than that of the hunter".

It stuck with me so I thought I would share.

Since it was a national holiday, nothing was really open except local shops. I went with Erin, Brad, Marilyn's 28 yr-old daughter Wendy that lives across the street and Wendy's boyfriend to the beach today. We were near Gros Islet/Rodney Bay and when I say the water was warm...it was probably 80 degrees. Erin and I were swimming for probably 2 hours! And it was as the sun was starting to come down. (It is dark by 7:30PM here). I took some great pictures. The interesting part, is that we've been the only Americans a lot of the time, but I don't feel as if people are staring or anything. We have felt very welcomed, and people don't even pay much attention...which I guess is good.

Tomorrow morning we are starting real training at 8:30A. Wendy, Erin and I are trying to start running around 6:15AM but will probably wait until Weds. The earlier the better, because the sun is hot.

Well, this is my excitement...the days are full with great things. This week may be more low-key since we'll mostly be in training. I hope everyone is well, and keep the e-mail updates coming about home. Although we're doing very different things, I still respect what all of you are doing and I want to hear the news!

PS....I had Domino's pizza today! Erin and Wendy had leftovers from yesterday. Guess what kind? Tuna and Green Pepper....it's the rage here!

Right now is 7:30PM. I am sitting outdoors on the concrete porch of my host family. It is cooling off and my host-mom is singing a song in Patois while hand washing her laundry. I hear all types of sounds all around me: Miss Marilyn's voice, the crickets, birds, other types of insects that I do not know. and the water faucet pouring water into the wash basin. It is so relaxing yet invigorating to her, see, and smell nature all around me. This afternoon, two other Peace Corps volunteers, Erin and Andrea, and I took a local girl on a walk. Andrea's host-mom, Miss Mary grows many fruits and vegetables which she sells to the local markets: cucumbers, celery, avocado, chives, bananas, mangos, coconuts and more. The view near the edge of her garden provides a tiny glimpse of the more scenically beautiful landscape I have ever seen. I saw the lush green mountains of St. Lucia with the local houses spread out into the distance--their brightly colored roofs and walls lining the mountains. In the distance, we could see sheep grazing among the pasture, little kittens playing at a nearby house, and a hummingbird in the flowers of the banana tree. Honestly, it feels like a dream being here. How can I be so lucky to deserve such an incredible place?

Well, this morning we woke up early to meet as a large group. We discussed healthy and safety regulations as well as home stay rules and whatnot. Peace Corps is definitely very concerned with our health and safety, which is great. We received a big first-aid kit with everything from band-aids to dental floss. Not really sure how dental floss could help us in an emergency, but at least we know our teeth will be clean! We also received mosquito nets. Dengue fever is a concern here, and from what it sounds like, I think I'll pass on that one! It sounds horrible...they call it a "bone breaking" illness because it feels like your bones are breaking. Just what I need...

At around 2PM this afternoon, we departed for the Babonneau Secondary School to meet our new families for the next 3 weeks. This was also the location of our training. Babonneau is a town outside of Castries, the capital. It is broken up into little villages, and I will be staying in Babonneau proper with the Bailey family. We were given printed sheets of paper with our family's name on it, and they were to find us in the parking lot. It took awhile, but soon enough, a woman approached me and made a joke about how I was holding her name. I introduced myself, and my new host-mom, Miss Marilyn gave me a huge hug. She was dressed in a cute fitted flowed skirt, a sleeveless top, and a stylish straw hat. Her hair was beautifully braided, and she was all smiles. She was accompanied by her mom, Miss Cecille, who was to be the host-mom for my fellow trainee friend, Erin. Upon meeting Miss Marilyn, I was immediately embarrassed by my overly large quantity of luggage. In order to give you a mental picture: I had a 75 lb. suitcase (for which I had to pay $50 at the airport in Chicago), a 30 lb. duffel bag, a 20 lb. Kelty backpack that was heavier than it sounds, and a laptop bag. I truly packed for two years. Those people that know me, know I am not a stellar packer, and this was the best punishment I've ever received for carting so much. I will never pack this much again! My luggage was kindly driven to Miss Marilyn's house, and Miss Cecille got a ride. She's 71 years old, but you would never know. Erin, Miss Marilyn, and I walked back to our respective houses. Miss Marilyn and Miss Cecille live across the street from each other. The house was about an 8 minute walk from the secondary school. It is a 2-story white and blue house off the main road. On the ground floor is the entryway, living room, and two bedrooms. The basement has the bathroom, kitchen, and an extra bedroom. When I arrived, I was greeted by Miss Marilyn's 13 year-old son, Bradley. She has three other children, Wayne who is 31, Wendy who is 28, and Wilma (nicknamed Gabby) who is 22. Shortly after we arrived, I received the tour, and I was left to start unpacking. My room is the room that Miss Marilyn usually stays in, however, she rents it out to Peace Corps volunteers for a few weeks a year. There is a double bed, a dresser, a cabinet, and a closet. Luckily, I was also provided with a fan! While unpacking, I was greeted by Gabby as she arrived home from work. Immediately she asked me to go out with her and her friends visiting from Barbados. She wanted me to be the second date for her friend. I figured a new experience couldn't hurt, and since she knows her way around, I figured it would be fun. So I guess we'll have to see what that brings! It's time for an "icicle"--what we call popsicles. It's certainly hot here!

So I'm currently sitting at the San Juan airport, excitedly awaiting our departure to St. Lucia. Of course, knowing my luck with airports, we are delayed a bit. We've been traveling since 8AM this morning, and it is now 4:17PM. I have to admit, it's been quite the long day. I passed the time sitting in the airport sports bar watching the Cubs game. Yes, I actually watched the Chicago Cubs game in Puerto Rico! I love this world. Unfortunately, it was not one of their better games, but this season--who is surprised?!

Anyway, tonight we arrive in Castries, St. Lucia. We'll be staying together as a group in a local hotel, and tomorrow we learn about our home stay conditions and we get to meet our new families for the next 3 weeks. It doesn't seem very long when you think about it. I'm sure that time will fly. In St. Lucia, we'll start learning more about our positions and soon we will interview with various country directors to find our specific jobs. It's been a very exciting time. I'm lucky to have a great training group. Did I mention 4 people from Illinois? That's about 1/12 of the group. Not bad when you consider there are 50 potential states. I wonder how that worked out. I guess people from Illinois are just benevolent or something! :-)

Tonight, we have a local meal within the hotel and they want us to rest up for a big day tomorrow. I think I also forgot to mention about how much I over packed. My advice to anyone leaving for Peace Corps or anything similar: PACK LIGHT! I cannot stress it enough, I heard that advice before I left, and it is unbelievably true. You really do have to carry it yourself, and it is tough when you've packed your weight in bags. Anyway, somehow I will make it all work. I guess that I know I am set for 2 years, anyway! So with that, I'm going to say Aurevoir. I will definitely write again soon!

So I just finished 2 days of Staging, where I learned all about what to expect for the next 2 years. There are 49 other trainees in my group, and I've met some really awesome people! There are 3 of us from Illinois, and people have traveled from as far away as Canada, Mexico, and Alaska. I would have to say that the average age in our group is about 25, which is great. There is a lot of different expertise in our group, and everyone has a little something different to contribute. Our whole group is community development, yet we are broken down by sector: Small Business Development, Education, Special Education, Health (including HIV/AIDS), and Youth Development. Tomorrow we depart nice and early for Castries, St. Lucia. We will be training in St. Lucia for 3 weeks and living with a host family in a community about a 20 minute bus-ride from the Castries. We will meet our families on Saturday afternoon. I have no idea what to expect! In St. Lucia, during our first two weeks, we will interview with the country directors of all the islands (Antigua, Dominica, Grenada, Nevis & St. Kitts, St. Vincent & The Grenadines, and St. Lucia to determine our country and city of placement. After 3 weeks in Castries, we will move to another home stay in our country of placement and complete another home stay for about 2 months. Most likely, I will not have internet access for a bit, so just wanted to give a little update and let you all know what is going on!
Check back soon!

Hi everyone! This website will serve as a way for me to share my experiences, news, and photos with everyone while serving in the Peace Corps. I will be serving in the Eastern Caribbean and working as a community development worker in special education. I have yet to discover what this means, and I will know within the next few weeks. Until then, I will share my experiences as they occur.

Today in approximately 3 hours, I will be leaving for my staging event in Miami. I will be in Miami for 2 days while I learn about Peace Corps regulations as well as an introduction to cultural standards, adjustments, anxieties, and the next two years. I must finish packing, so check for an update soon!