Recently I experienced my first hurricane. Here is the account for it:

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CASTRIES, St Lucia – At least 12 people were confirmed dead and several communities across the St Lucia remained cut off today following widespread destruction caused by Hurricane Tomas over the weekend.

Government said that the damage caused by the storm could surpass US$100 million.

(Currently rumored to be at 300 million US$ - Nov. 17th)

The southern town of Vieux-Fort was among the worst hit by the Category One storm, while five bodies including those of the owners of a popular craft shop in Soufriere, recovered from the wreckage of their homes that were hit by landslides.

“I would say to you right now we have 12 confirmed dead…unfortunately there are still people who are buried….,” Tourism Minister Allan Chastanet said on local radio.

He said that the roads to the town, where the famous Piton Mountains and the world’s only drive in volcano are located, are impassable and that the death toll could rise further.

Prime Minister Stephenson King had earlier said that an American visitor whose named was not disclosed, drowned on a north east coast beach while a 31 year-old woman died after her vehicle ran off the road and fell down a precipice.

King said he had taken an aerial survey of the storm damage and it is clear that there had been extensive damage.

“From the air, the southern town of Vieux Fort appeared to have received the brunt of Tomas’s fury and we will have to go into this area which was still blocked by landslides and virtually inaccessible to carry out a more detailed account of the damage,” he added.

Prime Minister King said that there were other persons missing from the town and that search and rescue teams were in the affected area.

“Soufriere is devastated, everyone is locked in and no one can leave or get in by road or by phone, so that there are persons who need help but cannot be reached,” the Prime Minister noted.

“It’s not just a question of clearing these roads because there are sections of the network that have completely disappeared so that we are just going to have to find another way in and out of the town,“ he said.

King said that a preliminary assessment of the damage caused by Tomas suggested that it was likely to cost the country in excess of US$100 million.

He said he had already contacted the United States government and Work Bank which had requested that measures be put in place to sources the emergency funding.

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Since then, most of the island has been without water. The dam had some major damage done to it and the water is greatly contaminated. Cholera has had a minor outbreak so far; we have yet to experience anything like Haiti. It has been a learning process for me since this is my first hurricane. I have learned the following:

1. The government does not account for enough funding in their disaster relief plan.

2. You see the best and the worst in people during and after a natural disaster.

3. It is absolutely necessary when living on a tropical island to prepare a disaster kit ahead of time complete with candles, first aid, and clean water, water, water. You can never have enough water saved up.

4. Humor really helps during the clean up efforts. Some people have the amazing ability to get straight to work to clean up with no questions asked and a humorous attitude to provide to everyone.

5. Things can always be much worse than they are.

Pictures to come soon.

It was brought to my attention by my own mother that I haven't posted on here since May. I can't believe that it has been almost six months since I last blogged. I've been living life in St. Lucia as normal as ever. Life here has become routine and predictable at most times now. I have a schedule and I'm okay with that.

I extended my contract with the Peace Corps for a third year in August. My new COS date will be November 2011. Imagine, at one point in my service, about the year mark, I was seriously debating going back to the states and now I actually put in a request to stay longer. LOL. Typical.

Since I extended my contract with the PC, I was given a month home leave - paid for by the PC. They actually treat you quite nice if you extend and you find that they are a little more relaxed on you. I have yet to visit the PC office since prior to my leave almost two months ago and they have yet to contact me. I guess they have eased up a little bit since I earned the third year.

Work is coming a little slow right now. It is the start of the school year for CARE and my counterpart for the NGO is in Trinidad on holiday leave. Since my work is different than the last two years for the majority of the work, it is dependent on the interaction with the two organizations before I begin the bulk of my work.

It is nice to be doing the majority of my work from home now. Less transportation money, and more time to do the work that I actually am signed up to do. Less busy work. The first two years, in addition to the valuable work that I was completing, I was filling the spare time with additional "busy work" just to make sure I was working. Now, I am purposely focusing on the work that I am signed up to be doing for my third year and not spending the extra time wasting my energy and steering off track.

I am very much excited for the next year and I am hoping that I get some valuable work done like the first two years.

Over the last month there has been a lot of crime increase in St. Lucia. There is a case of the missing Blackberry in my own apartment complex, about 4 shootings in my neighborhood (including one at the Prime Minister's office) and a few outside in the Castries area, quite a few robberies in my area and attempted break ins. I am not sure if it is the time of the year (with the holidays coming up) or it is actually getting worse. I am hoping it is the first of the two.

Other than that, volleyball is going well except we have a case of the missing team spirit. That is something that I miss about high school and college volleyball... we always were a family. With the teams in St. Lucia it seems that we lack the team unity that we need to succeed the way we can. First on the agenda: Come up with a team name.

Well beach volleyball has pretty much taken up all of my spare time aside from work for the last few months... It has been some good training and preparing. My partner and I won 2nd place in the LIME/SLVBA tournament two weekends ago and a few of us are now preparing for the regional tournament next weekend. Exciting! I still have quite a few things to learn out on the sand, but I am really starting to love playing beach. Somehow it has pushed court volleyball further from my heart and taken over. :D Now I just need to start training harder and getting back into real shape. Time.

ODE to Carnival :

There once was a girl

that was just like a pearl

all shiny and sweet

from her, men eh never get any treat.

This girl wanted to dress up in satin and lace

and even put some paint on her face.

Her mother told her to keep it clean

Her pastor told her she was still just a teen.

Her father told her to wear them tights

and her boyfriend gave her just a few frights.

But when she heard the loud music so

Her hips starting rocking to and fro.

The boys on the block watched her slow wine

the girls even thought she was looking so fine.

Her movements were steady and slow to the touch

but eventually the rum got a little too much.

Her eyes were looking tight and dreary

her hair was looking sloppy and scary.

Her backside was starting to slouch

all she needed now was a couch.

She started to speak and couldn't say a word

but she could swear she was flying high as a bird.

Her smile got crooked and legs started to ease

And all of this just to be a tease.

Her clothes started falling off to the ground

all of this with all of Castries around.

She had a secret though you see

that there is something the boys couldn't free.

She was wearing a push up bra and a backside panty

everyone thought she was looking like candy.

When her bra fell of she was flopping like a slipper

and her backside was dropping just like a flipper.

So you see this pearl was really a stone

One that you might find all alone

Carnival costumes are sweet how they are

so girls don't be stretching too far.Just be yourself- the real you is always up to par.

Funny things that happened to me:

- A teacher falls asleep while talking in mid-sentence during a staff meeting. Yes, it sounds like a movie.

- When giving a presentation at one of the schools in front of 50 instructors and counselors a man said "the key to achieving success is, in fact, impotence". He meant "importance", but in St. Lucia the "r's" are soft.

- (Ear muffs for this one if you are under 21) When I was leaving the office, I passed over the sky bridge on the main road in St. Lucia in the north. It had been raining for the first time in months so I did not have my umbrella. As I started to walk down the stairs, I was grossly surprised at the sight that was before me. A NAKED vagrant "jerking the chicken" was going at it quite reverently. He was wide out there in the open for all to see. I presumed that he wanted the free lube. The man who came down the stairs after me had to talk him back into his senses.

I am still speechless when it comes to this full grown cat that showed up on my porch last week. It's weird! I have never in my life seen a male cat come into another house with an already existing male cat. Amyys has always been protective about his home and his mother and yet or some reason he has no problem with this cat. Odd. Well, I'm not sure what is going to happen when I leave back for the states. Am I even able to bring back two cats realistically speaking? I don't think that this cat is going anywhere anytime soon so I might just have to.

Amyys is the one on the left and Siren is the one on the right.

Yes, I am the old cat lady. Thanks for reminding me.

This culture is all about waiting.

-I wait for the bus to fill up

-I wait for class to start

-I wait for people to show up to a meeting

-I wait for the girls to start working

-I wait for my ride to training

-I wait for water to come

-I wait for my mangoes to ripen

-I wait for work to happen

-I wait to see what will happen

The first time that I realized how much this culture relies on waiting was during a tropical rain storm two months into my service. I was on my way somewhere and I got stuck in the rain with no umbrella and no ride home. What did I do? I waited for three hours under a tarp out in the middle of nowhere with a woman I did not even know (as of yet).

The refresher was just last night when I was outside on my porch waiting for nothing. Absolutely nothing. I was there with three cats (two of which are mine), one frog, and one horse. What were we all waiting on? Again, nothing. But we were still waiting.

People wait all the time for things to happen here. They wait longer than they need to for a bus just to catch the one that they want. They wait for friends to pass by in town just for a little bit for company. They wait for something to happen.

This is a nice change from the fast paced world of the States. There is never waiting in the states that is patient. When you are waiting, it is not a good thing. Here, waiting can be your life. I love this idea of waiting. In fact, I love it probably a little too much. I must sit out on my porch for hours every night just being and waiting for nothing.

This is the time when it is just me, when I am all alone except the toads, cats, horses and lizards running around. This is the time when I collect my thoughts from the day, prepare for tomorrow, and see things in a light I have never seen them. Why? Because I never slowed down in the States.

Just when I was on the brink of not slowing down here, I was gently reminded by another PCV that maybe life should be different than it was in the states for us. In fact, that is true. Slowing down and really enjoying this life while I have it here is what I need to do.

That is why I wait. Wait for nothing and wait for everything.

Rains a comin!!! That might be the biggest overstatement of the year, actually. The rain came for a half an hour and it was in American terms, "sprinkling". Not enough to replenish my water source but it was a nice sight to see anyway.

In other news, Amyys has befriended a male cat. I was worried for a second there that he had a multitude of girlfriends that have been coming to my porch every morning. I thought, well, it appears he really is a Lucian male. :P This one though has the same markings as Amyys and he behaves in the same manners. He meows too much though. Amyys is quiet compared to him. I have named him "Siren" because of this. I thought he would be gone this morningafter spending all night outside on the porch but much to my surprise he was still there. I may have unknowingly taken in another male cat. Uh-oh. This might give him a little preparation of getting used to cats when I introduce him to the cats I have back in the states.

Yesterday I decided to invest in a new pair of volleyball shoes. I have gone through an amazing amount of tennis shoes here. I don't know what it is exactly but the soles of the shoes keep coming right off. I find myself slipping back and forth here and there all around the court. After the tournament on Sunday, I just realized I don't want to deal with it anymore. The last thing I want is an injury from rotten shoes. Geez. The shoes are most likely going to cost around 200ec...pretty pricey for us little PCVs. I might just be bankrupt after this purchase.

A PCRV recently told me that I should start writing more as my service is winding down..and not for other people but for myself so that I can remember things when I leave. I think that this is a good idea. So if things don't make sense to some of you reading this, well, deal with it. It has now become more of my personal memory bank than anything else.

Last week we held a Peace Corps Exhibition. It involved months and months of planning but it finally materialized. I was coordinating the event and in the end, it was worth it. I was skeptical about how it would turn out. Up until two hours into the event I was nervously sweating at the outcome. We planned for stations, activities, and displays. Things got complicated as we hadto plan out all of the little details. Brian, another PCV, was a great help with all of the little details. He thought about things that I overlooked, such as would there be water at the venue the day of the event when we are smack-dad right in the middle of a drought?

We had a schedule for the event that was very full. When it came to the morning of the event, we had a few flies in the mud, but nothing too big. First off, the town hall double booked the venue for the day. Thank god we got there ten minutes before the other group, otherwise we would have been out of a venue! The other event was supposed to be a fashion show try-out. The apparently needed the stage. We felt bad, but hey, the show must go on. They ended up using the upstairs for their event and we used the open space.

After setting everything up, we made a coffee run and then opened the doors. For the first hour there was hardly anyone there. We made the schedule flexible and held off on the welcome address (of which was televised) and the trivia. Once people started filing in, we started the activities. There were plenty of interviews that were also televised. It was good publicity for the Peace Corps.

I'm glad that that is over so now I can have a somewhat clearer schedule. Someone recently told me I should slow down and enjoy the rest of my service, and that is exactly what I am going to attempt to be doing. I didn't get much rest after the event, as we went out for drinks to celebrate at "The Lookout" (one of my new favorite places to go for a drink- it's got an incredible view of the Castries basin and the vibe is good). We attempted to give one of the new response volunteers a "tour" of rodney bay afterwards, but since it is Lent, it was pretty dead. So we went back to my place after a few Pitons and slept til I had to leave for my volleyball tournament the next morning. Ah, those twin size mattresses I have and the foam chair pads to sleep on are just miraculous for your back. Not to mention, I only have one pillow so the other volunteers had to deal without. They say PCVs can sleep anywhere, anytime, and anyhow. Try sleeping by me and you might change your mind.

This weekend is looking like some relaxation is going to come into play. Since I have been so busy with work I have been very much out of the loop with the volunteers. I am hoping to somehow get back into the loop, if that is how you can say it. So tomorrow I am looking at taking the day to the beach. I need to shift my energies and rejuvenate. I've been feeling a little blah and need a little pick me up day. Saturday will be beach day too. Yep, that's right people, two beach days in a row...you jealous? Well I have been working my butt off lately and I need it. Beach, beach, here I come. Let's just hope I can work on this uneven tanning thing I have going. My arms and my legs are a much different shade than the rest of me because I never have beach days and that's really the only part of me that ever sees the sun. I might have to put out a press release for people to wear sunglasses this weekend so they don't get blinded. (A lot of St. Lucians don't wear sunglasses ever). So here's to rest and rejuvenation.

http://www.thevoiceslu.com/features/2010/march/04_03_10/Grow_Well_Brings_Smiles_to_Senior_Citizens.htm

Last month we held our second hamper project for Club 60. It went off very well yet again. We decorated the room with blue, yellow, black and white St. Lucian colors. The presentation went flawless and the elders were ecstatic with household goods to take home. All in all, another good day at Grow Well.

http://www.thevoiceslu.com/sports/2010/march/09_03_10/TOP_CLASS_VOLLEYBALL.htm

On Saturday I participated in an Independence Day volleyball tournament. My team, DSP, came in third. We played well but I was hoping for the win. Next time, Le Club, it's on.

We have not received measurable rain since January 31st, 2010. It has been almost a month and a half since we had even an inch of rain on the entire island.

For me, it has been longer. In the north of the island it hasn't rained for nearly 2 months now. I was lucky enough to have water from Thursday to Monday morning, but I was without water for almost a month and a half with the allowance of a few hours here and there. Those hours also happened to be during the day while I was at work so I was not at the benefit of receiving the water to use.

It has been all bucket baths for me since the beginning of the year. I think I am officially a professional at using less than one litre to wash myself with. It's a good thing I have locks otherwise my hair might be very very oily right about now. When it comes to having clothes to wash, well, let's just say my extra room is full. Not with furniture since I only have my one twin size bed, but with clothes that need to be washed when the drought is over. I have managed to plan a conservation schedule of my clothes. I have to wear the same skirt or pants three times during the week, air them out every night and then run water over them for the next week. At the end of two weeks, well, I wash them fully. For those of you not in the PC, or never have been, you may be saying gross. In actuality, this is just something I have to do to deal.

Water is so much taken advantage of in the states. I would like to say that I was not one of those people that used too much water, but I admit I was one to leave the sink on when I am brushing my teeth or washing the dishes. Coming to St. Lucia has really forced me to examine my water use and take into consideration others' as well. With 8 people in my apartment building and only one small tank for all of us, I have to be very conservative. But hey, I deal.Drought emergency officially declared in St LuciaSOURCE: Caribbean360Castries : Saint Lucia | 12 days ago02VIEWS: 20St Lucia, February 25, 2010 – The St Lucia government has declared a water-related state of emergency which went into effect yesterday, amidst a prolonged drought that has also affected other Caribbean countries. The move is aimed at managing and protecting the island’s potable water supply...

It's been almost two months since I have even looked at my blog page. As life gets more and more involved here, I find that there is less to write about. Not because life is less interesting but because the things I want to write about are far more personal and delicate to write about. Instead of writing about things that I see everyday or how I feel about something "foreign" to me, I have found myself identifying those things as part of home.

A lot of returned volunteers that I met before service had told me about what it would be like to leave your host country at the end of the 27 months. I never expected that I would begin to feel like this with still nine months to go. Right now, I have absolutely no idea how to describe this feeling in words, but I am sure that some volunteers would identify with me without me having to describe it. This is home now, as much as I still remember Seattle. I have built a life here, I have worked hard to adapt myself to the life here and I find that in many ways I mesh better with this life than the life back in the states.

Sundays are much better here, that's for sure. In the states, on Sunday, people prepare for the week to come. The stores are open late so that people can get their shopping finished and their errands completed before Monday morning. In St. Lucia, Sunday is family day. Sunday is a day of rest and relaxation. Plenty of food and companionship. It makes you prepared for when Monday comes. This concept is one that I can attach to for the rest of my life.

As I was saying before, with nine months left in my service I am beginning to feel the sorrow of leaving. :( I know if this is how I am feeling now, imagine how hard it is going to be in October (if I decide to leave). We'll see.

1. New Zealand2. Costa Rica3. India4. Ireland5. Vietnam6. Coral Reefs7. Grand Canyon8. Venice9. Every state in the US10. Chile

The “30 List” (Not in any particular order and always subject to change) 1. Have children 2. Work in veterinary medicine or with animals 3. Finish the Peace Corps 4. Marry someone who is my best friend 5. Work in HIV/AIDS 6. Hike part or all of the Appalachian 7. T-shirt non-profit (Fashion for an Action) 8. Own my own coffee shop (Infusion) 9. Be a primary or secondary school teacher 10. Have an art/photography show and sell at least one piece of artwork 11. See 5 ancient monuments 12. Learn to play the guitar 13. Live in a Latin American country 14. Learn to speak another language fluently 15. Be on a reality tv show 16. Travel to Ireland, Africa, India, Costa Rica, and New Zealand 17. Write a book 18. Earn my masters degree 19. Create and lead an outdoors club for youth 20. Work in at least 3 foreign countries 21. Own my own home 22. Learn and compete in ballroom dancing 23. Go bungee jumping over water 24. Learn to really cook 25. Stop biting my nails 26. Be a volleyball coach 27. Take a road trip around the states 28. Work on a cruise ship 29. Take part in a cribbage tournament. 30. Live in the outdoors for a couple of months straight

CARE Classroom at Grow Well

A LITTLE BIT OF THIS, A LITTLE BIT OF THAT

So it's been awhile since I have blogged about anything. I think that the last blogs I wrote about was the emperor and kickball. Ha ha. Okay, well some of you have been asking so what have you been up to, stranger? After summer took it's full course, it started to get busy!!! No more sleeping in on days I didn't have to do work, no more going to the beach a couple days a week, and certainly no more days of doing nothing!

So what have I been doing, then? Well, four days a week I am at the CARE programme working with 14-18 year old at-risk students (mostly males). I work with the remedial and intermediate groups in mathematics and language. We do everything from addition to spelling combinations. I also work with all of the students in arts and crafts (doing various different activity skills), sports (we have done football and cricket so far this term), and computer skills.

Me and some of the trainees at the CARE centre

Aside from the CARE programme, I also continued the After School Club that I started last school year during the second term. In the ASC we do everything from literacy and numeracy skills to making coal pots that will be used for survival cooking skills. It is a very time consuming club in terms of logistics and discipline, but the youth that come are developing themselves every session.

This past Monday marked the continuation of the Girls Circle (peer support and empowerment group for young girls 13-18) with Grow Well. I am working with an amazing woman from the community to get it going again. I am excited, as this term we are working on peer bonding and have a variety of activities lined up for the girls to participate in. I am currently still in the planning process for a summer workshop for next year in the area of HIV/Healthy Lifestyles and sporting as well for the girls to continue their development.

I have been trying to cut down all of the little projects that I was doing to focus more on the main projects at hand. It was starting to get a little overwhelming and getting more work done in specific areas promises more progress in those areas for the last year I am here.

I also have been working as the committee "chair" with other PCVs to arrange for a Peace Corps Expo in March of next year. It is a little time consuming, but it will be well worth it when we get the finished project in place. I have been linked to some of the other islands to help them get one started up as well. After seeing how great the Japanese Volunteers did with their "Japan Day", I was hoping that we could do just the same!

Aside from work, I have been playing volleyball every Tuesday and Thursday near my new apartment and have been thinking about joining a dart team down the road at the local bar. I have gone on a couple of memorable hikes with the hiking group I've been with for over the last year as well. Steel pan has started up again and I managed to get a few of my students to start playing as well! Now that I am living much further away from work and my community, I have had to make my new living community part of my work as well. I play football with the local youth on occasion and am thinking of ways to involve myself more into the community there.

It is that time of the year when all of the holidays are coming! Now that it is the holiday season that means the rest of the year is going to go by so incredibly fast! I have less than a year left here! 11 months and something odd days left in St. Lucia!

I found out my mom is coming for a week in December and I cannot be more excited! I can't wait to share my life here with her and show her the culture and life here.

It's been a rough couple of months in terms of funding. I have been living on cents at the end of the month for the last couple of them. Visiting the states and moving to a new apartment has really taken all of the money that I had managed to save from being frivolous. At least I am enjoying the life here while I can.

Oh, and it's been about two months since I put in my locks! They are really starting to take form. I'll have to blog about the social perception aspect of a white girl in St. Lucia having dreadlocks. Quite interesting, really. Here's a few pics showing the transformation from the start to now.

Me so far in the locking process, they are looking much tighter overall....

Other than that, just working on a pathway for future success and enjoyment!

The other day I taught my students at the CARE school how to play kickball. Apparently St. Lucians do not know what it is. What I had thought would be a rather easy thing to do, turned out to be exactly the opposite. Turns out, if you don't know baseball, then you won't understand the concepts behind kickball. So I spent the first half of our sports session explaining the basics of baseball and the second half attempting to play. It turned out rather decent, and the kids got into it by the end of it. Sharing American culture is just another fun part of the job that we are here to do.

Walking in town I ran into another PCV, Jeff. After a few minutes of catching up, we had the pleasure of a stranger walking up to interrupt our conversation. Oh, but this wasn't just any stranger, no. This was an emperor.

He started by asking us a bucket full of questions about ourselves. Apparently to him we were "special looking". We did not look like Lucians, but then again, we did look like we lived here. I had to laugh when he thought that Jeff was the "manager" of the Peace Corps, and that I, was "just a volunteer". Ha ha. Naturally, my response was, "why didn't you think I was the 'manager'"?

After a few minutes of talking about ourselves we had decided to ask him a few questions in return. We asked for his name, where he is from, all of the basic questions that you ask of new people you meet. Everything seemed normal, yes. He carried a conversation well.

Then came the BIG question of the day,..." so "W", what is it that you do?" He responded with, "I am an emperor, of course." I looked at Jeff all rosy cheeked and all, and realized I had to bite my lips rather hard in order to keep myself from laughing. After all, what if this really was an emperor???? I would hate for the guy to get a bad impression of PCVs, after all.

I asked, "so what are you an emperor of?" And he simply responded with, "Social hierarchies". Well, after a couple minutes of this banter, I couldn't carry it any further. I relied on Jeff to make an exit to the conversation after this "emperor" asked far too many questions about my living location and my contact information. After the emperor went back on his merry way to his mighty throne, I turned to Jeff and let out a big smile. "I've never met an emperor before, how about you?" was the first thing that came out of Jeff's mouth.

It was a rather entertaining day, all in all, and this added the final icing to my already baked cake.

After a year and a half handwashing my clothes, I have received a little blessing from the sky!When I say the sky, I am referring to my landlord that lives in one of the apartments above me. He was gracious enough to bring a washing machine down for me!!!! Woohooo!!!! On the same day, I was awarded not one, but TWO tvs from my neighbor below me who is moving to Cuba tomorrow. Aside from the fact that I have no cable, I am pretty much set! No use for the tvs as of yet, but I am half way there! I will admit, I like not having tv or internet in my home most of the time. It helps me to get other things done; like drawing, reading, etc..

Oh, did I tell you that I finally moved? Let's just say: I am 100x more comfortable in my place now than I have been for the last year living in my last apartment. I was constantly avoiding going home and always felt too overwhelmed with the stress of issues with my landlord to get anything else done when I was home. Now that I am into a better fit, I am finding myself getting more things accomplished and generally loving my home life much, much more.

I thought life in Castries would be much worse. Besides the 200 dollars in transportation costs, it really isn't that bad. I live in an actual community neighborhood, my neighbors actually talk to each other, and I don't have to unlock a stupid gate everytime I have a guest come over. Oh, and I can actually have guests over with my water not being turned off! My last place was very luxurious, sure...but that doesn't always make for a good life. A good life is having fresh juice made from the neighbor above you, being able to have a friend over for coffee without hesitation, and wanting to go home to relax. One suggestion for the PC from now on: never put a PCV in a "community" with the name "Heights" in it...as good of a "deal" as it sounds.

1. Public urination is an everyday sight. No one thinks it out of the ordinary when there is a man in town peeing on the town hall building.

2. Lucian dogs could quite possibly be hornier than the men. On average, I see 3.7 dogs humping another dog per day. Sometimes they have group orgies. I saw one this morning at 7:30 am.

3. They only have escalators going up. Never down.

4. The bank machines take back your money after 5 seconds and you cannot access the money again until the next working day. The next working day implies a week from then. Not so good for PCVs when rent is due.

5. There are often too many people working at a given store. Many of which are just there for security purposes.

6. When you have locks and a female, you are automatically an empress. :D

7. Soy milk is often cheaper than regular milk.

8. You typically only eat one meal on a Sunday.

9. "Julie" mangos are quite possibly the best thing on this planet; and I get to eat a ton!

10. The macheneel tree is everywhere in St. Lucia. One of the most poisonous trees on this planet. The leaves alone will leave your skin burning for days.

I went to an Anger Management workshop with the CARE programme in Castries last Friday at the Presentation Brothers house. I was expecting quite the bulk of the work we discussed to be on anger management, however, the first half of the workshop for that day happened to be regarding metricizing St. Lucia. What?!?! Why?!?! Okay, so I found out the schools are in need of changing their systems to the metric from the prior used, imperial system; but still!

So after three hours of sitting in a chair I successfully know how to convert my weight in the metric system. Congratulations me! I also have a nice mug reminding me to metricize that I can add to my lonely little cupboard at home. In addition, I have a new pencil, ruler, and bottle opener. The bottle opener has already come in handy when the bartender at Happy Day bar couldn't find his. I told him, "Don't forget to metricize!"

Metric system conversions:

1 g = .004 oz453.59g = 1 lb1kg= 2.2 lbs

1cm= .39 inches2.54 cm =1 inch1 km= .62 mile

1 mL= .035 fl oz.1 L= .88 qt

0 degrees C = 32 degrees F27 C = 80.6 F

So, I am 56.5 kg.

Ode to Metricizing:

Oh, my darling metric system, my dearIt's often you, too much we fear.We know the pound and the mile so very well, That what a kg or a km is we really can't tell.

Your conversions are set to a "tee", I'm not sure if they really quite fit me.I'm willing to try and use you often, but I can't promise you anything; not now not then.

When I am running or flying I am going to be slow, Almost the time that it takes to make dough.You will be used for sure when I am shopping, perhaps from time to time even when I am mopping.

St. Lucia needs you to import and export, Whether it may be for food or another sort.You are needed in bottles, bags and also cans, And apparently you have more than your fair share of fans.

For now, I have no choice here, but to put up with you, my dear.If ever you grow old and tiring to me, You'll be out of my life so quickly you see!

Ode to the 77s of St. Lucia You met us at the airport in t-shirts and jeans, Now I know what “business casual” means. To us you were the people we had to look up to, Oh, the countless conversations all about poopoo. You taught us all how to go about hitching, You warned us that Peace Corps won’t like our bitching. You showed us how to eat food that’s 60 days past old, All you need is a knife to scrape off the mold. Endless advice on dating a local, Because with these men, you see, we’re the focal. To the sssssssing and kissing you said to ignore, We raise our brows secretly hoping for more. You warned us about drinking too much or too little, And if you get dengue your bones will get brittle. We’ll never forget a sports bra to wear every day, Because it must mold after two years, you say. You taught us in training how to budget our money, With your phone bills at 900 ec; Ain’t it funny? I’ll never forget one of the guys borrowed a dress, On that same night there he was among a Rasta empress. There were free dinners and drinks at a hotel so far, “Chairman’s Reserve” you ordered at the bar. Your camping on the beach offered quite the fun, But with just one transport, it could all be done. The same camping trip there was a little game on the beach, Little blocks so skinny for which we had to reach. “Jenga” was the name of this truth and dare, Brought upon nakedness, yet a camera was NO where! With you we were able to have a little heart to heart, But eventually after two years you have to part. Your smiles and friendship will be missed indeed, But always remember you’ve planted the seed. You may not have changed the world in the way you thought, But don’t you fret, your impact cannot be taught. You made a difference that you cannot ignore, From which now above all, people will be asking for more. Now you’re all back in the states, Probably finding a job or looking for mates. But your mind I’m sure is here on this land, Wishing you were here with us in the sand!

It's for true, I have to confess, I'm without a place, yes.I may be stinky and grungy all day.But my smile still looks good, I really must say.

There's a storage unit in a car with my name on it not too far.Bags upon bags of toiletries and clothes,of which my mind secretly loathes.

There is nothing so special about any of those things, they are just materials that life continually brings.Not having a place to call "home" is different though,I'm positively certain that some of you know.

At the end of a long day, you just want to play.Your mind wants to settle, on that hot water kettle.

My toes and my feet, aren't smelling so sweet.My hair and my kneesare smelling like peas.

I don't have a bed,but I won't end up dead.I don't have a room, but I don't see my doom.

I don't have water or food, But that ain't so crude.I have my heart so content and full, That my eyes you'll never ever see dull.

People ask me what's it like, and I tell them my life is at a turnpike.All in my head during the day, I can't help thinking what if it stayed this way?

Friends of strength and friends of passion, These ones you know, don't wear out of fashion.They move me and house me, With not one word of a repayment fee.

My guitar is so cold,in that car so I'm told. There's mosquitos settling in, but for them there's no din.

I'm homeless you see, but that can't really be.I blessed and I'm cherished, but I'm not yet perished.

I can be smelly and gritty, and still look pretty.I could lose all of my stuff, and frankly not give a huff.

I'm homeless, you knowbut still have plenty of places to go.I'm just in transition, So check what I'm dishin.

Lox, Lox, you really take your time.Hours and hours of a backcombing lime.You are as stubborn as me on a frustrating day,Your sparatic nature; I refuse for you to be any other way.

You're tangling, and tearing, tedious and overbearing.You're obnoxious and fuzzy,lustful and scuzzy.

The lucious, long hair that was there before,you stole with conceit in all of your lore.My head wants to thank you for all of your pain, because after all this work, your ferocity will be my mane.

After days upon days of devoted care,Your architectural design will cause quite a stare.Once you committed to me, others will seethat you and I are an irie pair.Put on some Peter Tosh- let's shake our flair.

A year has passed by as quickly as the wind sweeps away leaves on a blustery, fall afternoon. In some aspects the last year has felt like decades. My experiences here have been plentiful and powerful. Each day in the Eastern Caribbean brings about a new lesson, a new friend, a new experience, or a new feeling. Overflowing with opportunity and generous with risk, St. Lucia has offered me the chance of reviving a fraction of my vitality that I had lost somewhere along the way in my long, tedious workdays back in the States. It has been an ongoing battle with the nature of time in Gros Islet. One moment, I find myself gasping for air from the hectic work schedule of the day while the next afternoon may present itself with ample enough time to include all of the following: the beach, a painting session, reading half a book, and sitting out on the deck lost deep in thought for hours. More often than not, time presents itself in chunks according to weeks rather than segregated days, here and there, yet these segments are still very unpredictable in their rationales. Each opportunity that I have for some “down time” I welcome immediately, due to the continual threat of chaos in my schedule. Not knowing what to expect day to day is just another ingredient to being a volunteer for the Peace Corps. One of the advantages, and disadvantages, of living in the north is the type of people that I meet. My life has been sufficiently stocked with friendships of all natures during the last year. I have been blessed to make a few meaningful, intimate relationships in such a short amount of time. Aside from the immediate, close-knit bonds that we as Peace Corps volunteers form with each other, the friendships that I have invested in are ones that have managed to influence my life in positive directions. Many of the people up north have a certain framework of mind. They are into travelling, education, and broadening their opportunities. A few of the close relationships that I have formed have been with people that have plans to travel outside of St. Lucia. Again, that is both an advantage and a disadvantage. Just when you start to feel comfortable with the friendship, and intrigued by what the bond can offer, new friends disappear just as quickly as they arrive. I have made friends from England, Norway, India, Africa, Ireland, all over the Caribbean, and the States while in St. Lucia. While I am greatly appreciative for these people’s presence in my life, however short-lived it may be, I have found myself saying goodbye over and over again throughout the year with only a hope in my mind that one day I will come in contact with them again. I have concluded by these farewells that this is just another guarantee of travelling; the hellos and goodbyes of attachment. In the south, you may find people travelling to England or the States here and there but the North of the island yields itself to a more concentrated group of travelers. This has made my life here both entertaining and challenging. When I applied for the Peace Corps, I made a promise to myself that when I was in service I would be the “yes man”. Now before you get carried away in your thought process, there are limitations to this promise. Anything comprising my health, my safety, etc. (to the extreme) would be ruled out, of course. However, generally speaking I would make an effort to say “yes” to things that I might normally say “no” to. For instance, within the first month of living in my own apartment I was invited to a dinner with a church choir group. While I was attending church from time to time back in the States, my involvement in the churches in St. Lucia had been somewhat limited. Now, my initial reaction was to say “maybe another time, but thank you”. However, I did not say “no” but rather, “I will see you at 7”. My night with the choir group was pleasant and educational. I have no regret about attending. There are many more situations similar to this one that I have found myself in, and I have found my life expanding in ways that I have never thought possible because of it. Despite my lack in musical proficiency, I found myself joining a steel pan band in Gros Islet at the beginning of this year. This was another response to being that “yes man” that I discussed previously. Because of the band, I have made a few valuable connections and intimate relationships. My “persuasive” nature brought three other volunteers into the band as well, and they have had similar rewards. Not only did I participate in my first ever musical performance (not including my STAR performance on the recorder back in the first grade), but now I have expanded my artistic hand to not only drawing and painting but music as well. My skill level may still be in need of a life’s worth of lessons; nevertheless, I have introduced a new curveball into my game. Opening myself up to new possibilities, despite the risk of falling flat on my face, has only strengthened my portfolio. Now, some of the hardships about being a volunteer are invisible to our communities on the island and our friends back home. There are many rules and regulations that we, as PCVs, need to abide by in order to remain on the island. While we may not agree with every one of the policies and procedures, it is just another thing that we get used to during our stint. For example, some basic no-no’s: no drugs, no excessive partying or drinking, no abusive actions, no leaving the island without prior okay from the Peace Corps Director. Those are obvious. Then there are policies like: you have to take a vacation day for every week you have a visitor (and get it approved two weeks prior), if you change housing you have to find a new place on your own (and it has to be equal or less to what you were paying before), no riding on motorcycles, no driving cars, and my favorite, the easiest to overlook (because we are grown adults), is letting your APCD (associate PC director) know that you will be out of your site for the night. Adjusting to these “teeferies of freedom” may be tricky for some. It is difficult to adjust from your independent-can-do-anything lifestyle back in the States to the guideline-by-the-book way here, no doubt. Not having that freedom to just leave for vacation anytime you want to puts restraints on you. Regardless of the fact that most of us would never take that opportunity to travel “anytime we want to” back in the States, not having that freedom certainly is felt. Now, as much as I am explaining how these policies can take away, I also need to reinforce the idea that they are necessary. Without them, unsafe things might happen. So, despite the occasional feeling of containment in ways, I understand completely. Going back to what I was referring to about “invisible” hardships, I was referring also to volunteers leaving. As a PCV, you form a special bond with other volunteers. That connection is one of understanding, compassion, and relevance to your work here. There are many things that you do not have to explain to a volunteer that you most likely would have to explain to friends back home or friends in your community. One of my favorites is the “five minute rule” when it comes to food. Most people would use the “five second rule” when they drop food on the ground. As a Peace Corps volunteer, we use the “five minute rule”. Even after the ants have sufficiently overtaken the reign of my pasta, I am still going to pick that pasta up and eat it for dinner. Often times it is stressful attempting to explain in detail what our life is like on the island (specifically as a PCV) and when talking to other volunteers, that stress is absent (except for maybe when someone from Gros Islet is trying to talk to someone from the Valley).

A great organization and a worthy experience for both youth and the counselors that work there. Check it out!

http://freshairfundcounselors.smnr.us/

Me at Greenlake embracing the sunshine!

While being in Seattle, I got the quality time that I wanted with family and my best friends. It was nice to just spend the time with the closest of my friends. Sorry I didn't tell most of you that I was going to be home. I only had two weeks, and I wanted to spend the majority of it with my family.

FRIEND TIME:

Me and Jay hanging out at Greenlake.

One of the first outings, besides the Benveridge Place Pub, was to Greenlake with Jay. Greenlake is a 3 mile around lake in the area nearby I used to live for the majority of my independent life. Greenlake offers rollerblading, tennis, running, football, plenty of good sites and opportunities to talk to people. I love it! Plus, it is always beautiful; in sunshine, rain, snow, and sleet.

Let's just say, I got to "stop and smell the tulips".

I picked Jay up to go with me to the DOL to get my license renewed. Luckily, he had the day off and I got to surprise him by showing up on his front doorstep. I did not have a phone the entire time that I was in Seattle so this happened quite a bit. Anyhow, after a very quick in and out at the DOL, we went to Greenlake for a little walk. We spent the time laughing and catching up. Though, it felt as if I was just hanging out with him two days before. That is how it always feels with the best of friends- like no time has gone by at all!

Jay always manages to brighten my day...AWAHHHH.

Along the walk Jay pretended to be a turtle and said AWAHHHHH a few times, acted like a monkey swinging from a tree in the path and got to be my model for photography. It was a great time. Just what I needed.

Me and Rach (and Spartacus) catching up.

I was fortunate enough to get to spend time with Rachel and Taylor (and Riley and the Spartacus). I went out to dinner with them at a good Mexican restaurant and went straight to Taylor's hockey game. After coming back to St. Lucia, I realized that I have spent too much time in St. Lucian bars and restaurants because I forgot to tip the server! In St. Lucia, most of the bills include the service charge and at the bars, you generally do not have to tip. So, I was pretty embarassed to figure out that I totally just forgot to leave anything for this woman. It was good, fast service too. Ah well....I was a foreigner that day. Ha ha. At Taylor's hockey game, me and Rach got to catch up a little bit. I became much too excited for the new baby that is kicking around in Rach's belly. So much, I am really sad that I am going to miss his birth!!!

I friggin' love this girl. 100% ourselves with each other.

On the Friday night that I was in town Tessa and I planned to meet up and celebrate her birthday and my visit. It turned out much bigger than planned. I got to see a few close friends and had probably one too many tequila shots. But it was totally worth it. Met a few randoms from around the area. Overall, it was a great night. I woke up in the morning at Tessa's and we had to start planning the next camping trip to my uncle's property that day. Good thing we were all sluggish from the night before. :D

Two of my best friends and I with our other best friend; tequila.

Hey! I'm still in my mid-20s....I've got a couple more good yrs of shots left.

The second camping trip was great too! My uncle has two properties in Eastern Washington. This new one was just as nice as the first one. It has a huge open area for tent camping, an area for a band to play, firepits, horseshoe pits, plenty of drinks available, a river on the edge of the property, and plenty of good company. Every Memorial Day he has a big celebration camp out. There is always a horseshoe competition and a band that plays. This particular year was the first time that we were celebrating it without my uncle, Patrick. He had passed just before I left for the Peace Corps. In honor of him, a good friend made a hand-carved totem pole with some significant markings. A Jack card and a 7 card in honor of his favorite drink, a harmonica in memory of the instrument he played in his band, and a few other nice markings. It was very nice. I think Patrick would love it.

Grandma, Manman, and Bro (and me) with the totem pole.

The band was fantastic, the company was great, and we all had a lot of laughs! We had to go shopping for beer twice, food once, and we finished every ounce of it. Hey, we were out in the middle of nowhere with family and good friends!

Towards the end of my visit, I got to see a friend of mine, that I think is just so fantastic!!! Jacob has a heart of gold and I love the conversations that I get to have with him. I didn't know if I would get the chance to see him for sure, but with the extra day due to a delayed plane ride I got to see him just before I left! Jacob was camera shy, but I got one anyway!

Nothing more I can ask for besides all of this quality time. It was the slow life...and I enjoyed every second of it.

Oh, Tess!

Overjoyed being outdoors in the Northwest!

Last month, I decided to use my moms' valuable offer to buy me a ticket back to Seattle for a visit. It was a completely spontaneous decision to go when I did, but it worked out perfectly. Despite the last minute timing and arrangements of where I was going to stay and who was going to pick me up everything turned out exactly how I would have planned it were I given two years notice.

First, I was picked up by my best friend and favorite person, Brian. Though he has been to St. Lucia for a visit since I left, I still felt as if I hadn't seen him in years! I guess that is how it feels when you don't have the people you really care about in your everyday life. After my flight was delayed an hour and a half from waiting for the caterers to bring the right trays on the plane (while we were sitting in our seats), I was still in a good mood regardless.

If the Peace Corps has given me any gift, it would be the gift of patience and more flexibility.

I had originally thought that I was both patient and flexible when I lived in the states, but oh, how much more I am now. Thank you, PC.

Anyhow, while on the plane I was listening to others around me moaning and groaning about the delay and I could not help but laugh. What good is it going to make by complaining about something that you cannot control??? I ask myself this every single day of my PC service. There are so many things in life that I cannot control, and my perspective on the situation can make or break me. I choose to stay at ease.

So, to continue on, I was finally off the plane and collecting my bags. I was immediately overwhelmed with all of the people around me. You get so used to a certain way of life that somtimes you forget what it was like before you were in that life! Needless to say, I was wide-eyed and constantly looking around me to take it all in again. After leaving the airport, Brian and I went to one of our favorite bars, The Beveridge Place Pub. I was starving from not eating for the last 24 hours, so we ordered a vegetarian pizza (YUMMMMMY) and ate it while talking with four other friends who met us at the bar. Oh, it was so welcoming to have a GOOD beer in my hand and a slice of good pizza in the other!

After a good night of catching up and laughs, we went home to cool out. I had a great first night back, and little did I know that the rest of the trip would be just as great. The next day, me and Brian packed up the car, loaded the canoe on top, and stopped to grab a few cases of brew at the supermarket. Then we headed on our way to Lake Crescent, on the Peninsula about three hours east of Seattle.

Lake Crescent in the morning.

Lake Crescent is magnificent! The water is so blue and reflective that I was simply mesmorized. We set up the tent at about 11 pm. Seth had been waiting for us to arrive for about five hours. The bridge was closed, so we had to take 3 ferries to get to our destination. I was overjoyed! I love ferry rides and getting to play multiple games of cribbage on the way up.

Playing cribbage at the local ferry bar.

While the boys were scuba diving, I took a nice little hike through the woods. I came across an abandoned cabin with- get this- an old style can crusher from the 60s. Oh man, was I excited!!! my parents sported one of these at the house I was born in. Sentimental connections to a can crusher...oh, the simplicity of life.

60's can crusher at the cabin....

I was a little hesitant to walk in the cabin for fear that around the corner was a man hiding with a chainsaw who would start walking after me when I sprint out the door and still manage to catch up to me. Yes, I probably have watched one too many horror movies in my life! Regardless, I decided to wait for the boys to come back to the cabin with me to really explore around. :D

Brian and I "odeing" to the cup of rum.....

It was the nearly perfect camping trip to come back to Seattle for. I had a good time sitting around the fire talking with the boys drinking a few beers and having good conversation. On the way back to Seattle from the Lake, we were stuck in a three hour wait due to a fatal car accident. Brian and I met some great, new people in the meantime and gorged on the remaining chips and dip in the car. It was a good time. I love the little moments!

I found this very simple but incredible journal at the thrift store when I was back in the states...it says on the outside:

"Be the change that you wish to see in the world."

By who else, but ghandi!

Loved it so much I splurged on the 99 cents US. :D

First, I baked a wedge of fresh pumpkin in the oven frosted with butter, cloves, and cinnamon for about an hour until soft. Then, I took off the cloves and the pumpkin peel and hand blended the pumpkin into puree.

Preheat the oven (I do not have a thermometer on my oven - so I am estimating- med-high heat). Butter the trays that you are going to use.

Mix the flour, soda, powder, spice mix, and salt in one bowl. Then combine the sugars, vanilla, oil eggs and pumpkin puree into another bowl. Add the wet mixture into the dry mixture alternately with the water until thoroughly mixed.

Bake until fork comes out clean...I think about 45 min???

I added chocolate on the last batch and it was delicious! You can add walnuts, almonds, bananas, coconut or whatever else your creative mind can think up! It makes a good batch size, so cut the recipe in half if you are only making it for yourself!

3 1/2 cups flour2 cups white sugar1 cup brown sugar1/2 teaspoon vanilla4 eggs (3 if you want it less cake-like)2 teaspoons baking soda1 teaspoon baking powder3 teaspoons spice mix (I used fresh grated cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves)1 teaspoon salt1 cup vegetable oil (or 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup applesauce)2 cups fresh pumpkin puree1/2 cup water

St. Lucia has brought me closer to music; in action, thought, and soul. I have been attempting to learn the steel pan every week, learn the acoustic guitar and hear music with my ears and soul rather than my mind. I have found some attachment to Buju Banton while I have been here, and feel the connection when I listen to his music. It is not only Buju, but music as such has really helped me to step outside and really LISTEN to the music. I am still quite new to music and I am fully aware that I have much more to learn. This particular song is one of my favorites. It has taken words from the rastafarian beliefs in combination with Proverbs 18:11.

My favorite statement: Destruction of your soul is vanity. Oh, how true.

Verse 1:

The rich man's wealth is in the city

Destruction of the poor is his poverty

Destruction of your soul is vanity

Do you hear

I and I, I wanna rule my destiny

I and I, I wanna rule my destiny

Chorus:

Destiny, mama look from when you call me

Destiny, mama look from when you calling

I wanna rule my destiny

yeah, yeah oh help I please Jah Jah mek mi rule

Verse 2:

I've been blessed I've been touch

I love Jah so much

They keep fighting me I'm not giving up

May the realms of Zion fill my spiritual cup

Wisdom overstanding can never be too much

Give I protection Day and night

Chorus

Cast away their cords from us

you have them in the region in the valley of decision

Restraining the heathen with a rod of iron

you know not the destiny of a next man

Why hold him set him free too long

Verse 3:

My destination is homeward bound

Though force try to hold I down

Breaking chains has become the norm

I know I must get through no matter what a gwaan

And here is the Proverbs Verse:

He who separates himself seeks his own desire,

He quarrels against all sound wisdom.

2 A fool does not delight in understanding,

But only in revealing his own mind.

3 When a wicked man comes, contempt also comes,

And with dishonor comes scorn.

4 The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters;

The fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.

5 To show partiality to the wicked is not good,

Nor to thrust aside the righteous in judgment.

6 A fool’s lips bring strife,

And his mouth calls for blows.

7 A fool’s mouth is his ruin,

And his lips are the snare of his soul.

8 The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels,

And they go down into the innermost parts of the body.

9 He also who is slack in his work

Is brother to him who destroys.

10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower;

The righteous runs into it and is safe.

11 A rich man’s wealth is his strong city,

And like a high wall in his own imagination.

12 Before destruction the heart of man is haughty,

But humility goes before honor.

13 He who gives an answer before he hears,

It is folly and shame to him.

14 The spirit of a man can endure his sickness,

But as for a broken spirit who can bear it?

15 The mind of the prudent acquires knowledge,

And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

16 A man’s gift makes room for him

And brings him before great men.

17 The first to plead his case seems right,

Until another comes and examines him.

18 The cast lot puts an end to strife

And decides between the mighty ones.

19 A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city,

And contentions are like the bars of a citadel.

20 With the fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach will be satisfied;

He will be satisfied with the product of his lips.

21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue,

And those who love it will eat its fruit.

22 He who finds a wife finds a good thing

And obtains favor from the LORD.

23 The poor man utters supplications,

But the rich man answers roughly.

24 A man of too many friends comes to ruin,

But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

I am not going to go into detail about my own beliefs in faith and religion, but I will say that these words give me something to think about. St. Lucia has brought me closer to thinking with my heart. Island lifestyle may be attaching itself to me! :) Slow down a little and you start to take new ideas into consideration. Part of the culture here is this idea of a God (regardless of denomination) and living for others; with others and not for yourself. Living off of sustainability and listening to his surroundings and environment rather than speaking first. Vanity can kill the soul too quickly. Sometimes the simplest of a life can be the answer. Depends on who you are, I suppose.

After leaving work one day, I found myself walking into an argument that two women were having near a car. At first, I was immediately wanting to walk briskly past them but I noticed something that made me stop in my tracks.

In the midst of this heated argument, a child was standing right next to his arguing mother, lost in his own world. Rather than listening to this argument, the little boy was busy looking at his reflection in the car door.

Not only was he looking at his reflection, but he was dancing his little heart out! I literally stopped walking and stared. I could not help it! It was the funniest thing I have seen since "Pineapple Express" came out.

This little boy was my refreshment for a week of insanity. The moment I stopped and started laughing; regardless of the arugment that was happening, other people noticed as well. This boy had no idea anything else was going on around him. He did not hear the curse words that came out of his mother's mouth, he did not see me fixated and laughing with my whole heart, and he certainly did not see what happened when the two women realized what was going on.

Yes, in the midst of this argument, the boy had managed to change the entire situation by having fun. The women saw me and the others around looking and laughing, and they could not do anything else but stop fighting and laugh too. I'm not going to say that these women most likely did not continue fighting after I started walking again, but for one moment in time, they stopped on account of one person's actions. An argument was frozen by a 4 year old boy that just wanted to dance with his own reflection. Priceless.

Since the last blog was over a month ago, and was a little intense in emotion and perspective, I am going to stray a little back to the ease.

Yesterday, I was sitting in Grow Well, the NGO that I work with in Gros Islet with a few of the youngsters from around the community. Prior to cooling out with the youngsters, I had my second site visit of my Peace Corps service and as a snack I had made pumpkin pie bread the night before for my colleagues. The recipe that I used was, by far, more than I had needed for the four of us. I had some extra so I decided to share with the boys. After giving them a few slices, they were smiles from ear to ear. Now, I am still uncertain if it was the amount of the sugar that was in the recipe or the fact that they were enjoying our conversation, either way it was a good day.

Now, one minute I was talking about art and the next one of the boys said, "Miss, ______ just said that if you were his age, he would kiss you!!!!" My immediate reaction was to burst into laughs of hysteria, but I really, really, really tried to hold it back from embarassing this kid. Though, it didn't last long when all of a sudden we were all cracking up at the statement. Shortly after that, I said, well if you were 20 years older...we might talk. Then, I hear, "oh my gosh- you're that old?!?!" Now, I have heard this before from kids that are almost still in diapers so I was not surprised to hear it. It was what followed that I could not help but be eternally devoted to working with children...

"Miss, you should have been married a LONG time ago!!!"

Ha ha. Okay, okay, thank you...I'm 25, single, nowhere near marriage, and facebook tells me that I am not going to get married until I am 37 anyway. Facebook is ALWAYS right (ha ha), so now this kid is just rubbing it in.

Maybe other people would have felt bad after this statement, as if someone was telling you that you look "rounder" aka fatter...(Yes, that did happen the day before despite the fact that I have been running every day in the last month). I, however, found this so incredibly refreshing and it really made my day. This 5 year old thinks that I am past my prime of marriage years, whereas, I see myself in the right spot at the right time. I am going to make a valiant effort to call this kid when he is 25 and see if he has been married yet. We'll see then, kid. We'll see then.

To be completely honest, being a Peace Corps volunteer has been a roller coaster of emotion.  I have gone from one extreme to the other and back again in a short eight months.  Last month I told my family members that I was most likely not going to come back to Seattle for a visit during my service.  Last week, I decided spontaneously that it was time for me to go home just for a short, short visit.  I just felt it.  If anything St. Lucia has given me, it's the power to just feel when things are right and ready.  

Two weeks ago, on Easter Sunday, a friend of mine was killed in a car accident not too far away from my home.  It was a sudden shock and an unforgettable day.  He was the boyfriend of my host sister here for the last five years.  They spent everyday together, and loved each other very much.  I will always remember him for his sense of humor and unbelievable smile.  Plus, he loved Friends, the tv show, just as much as I do- which most of you know is very rare!!!   It was a rough two weeks, but now that he has been laid to rest in Gros Islet it feels as if there can be good coming out of the bad.  He was, afterall, taken by God on Easter Sunday out of all days.  In hindsight, resurrection day was his calling.  

Death in St. Lucia is viewed much differently than death in the states.  I am still trying to get a grasp on what death really means to a Lucian.  I know that, for some, death is more of an entertainment.  When it is not your loved one that passes, than you have free rights to look at all the pictures you want of the accident, talk about it as freely as you desire to, and ridicule the people involved for things that did not even happen.  I know that sounds bitter to an extent, and it just may be, but it is the truth of what happened here when it was my friend who passed.  I got to see how everyone reacted and how people dealt with this tragedy.  

One issue that was brought up directly following the accident was the rapid spread of photos over the internet that were taken at the scene of the accident right after it happened.  Someone chose to take these pictures at the scene rather than to help out one of the victims who was struggling in agony up a ditch trying to hang on for dear life.  This was a very much debated topic on the radio and in communities for the last two weeks.  Who would have the heart to do something like that?  Someone who views death as emotionless and feels nothing for the victim?  That would take a lot of numbness, though, to stand there to shoot pictures of a horrific scene but not lift a finger to help a victim out.  Within hours of the accident, the pictures were sent from email to email with no regards for the persons involved; and especially not for the families who were suffering.  Shortly after the pictures were taken, the man who was struggling up the ditch also passed.  I'm not sure of whether or not he would have survived would the person who took the pictures have helped him, but that is not what is important here.  Even if he would not have survived, the person could have offered him hope and love in the last few moments of his life rather than humiliation and disrespect.  The person could have embraced him and told him that, "everything is going to end up alright".  But no, that did not happen, it was quite possibly the worst a person can do:  not feel anything for someone who is struggling in his last breath.  Perhaps there was more to it than meets the eye.

If I sound angry, that is not the case.  Merely disappointed.  At times believing in humanity drains me.  How is it that I can have faith that people are going to turn out alright when I see things like this happen?  I'm not the only one who thinks like this, I know that.  

Death already is quite a confusing part of life.  I have come to accept it as inevitable.  But why do we have to make it even more confusing by adding this all into it?  This isn't the first time that pictures like these have been spread on the internet in St. Lucia.  That is why I had to take a HUGE step back and not look at this one person as at fault.  It absolutely does disgust me to think of a person as able to take these pictures, but I still had to step back.  It is part of the culture.  It is part of what happens when a death occurs.  At the funeral I noticed that a photographer was taking pictures of us all in mourning.  He also took pictures of Kerry in the casket and being put into the grave.  These are all things that happen culturally.  

Even the entire burial process is much different.  People stay to watch the entire process until the cement has been put on.  I think for the people who do this, and look at the pictures, death is made more real.  It is a process of dealing with things that happened and, what seems, a very obscure way of moving on. In actuality, it is just a different way of handling death.  In the states, we mourn differently.  We cry, and we cry, and we cry until we can no longer cry anymore.  Then we are expected to be as quiet and respectful as possible about the death until the time passes.  We are expected to say all of the right things to the people mourning for their loved ones, and be as sad about death as possible.  I know I am saying this with a little extremity, but for the most part, this is how I learned death in the states.  In St. Lucia, I am re-learning what death can be and what it cannot be.   

Talk about cultural exchange.  One of the biggest experiences here, thus far,  has been dealing with Kerry's death.  It challenged me in ways that I have never been challenged in life, and much of this has to do with cultural differences in the perception of his death.  Death does not have to be sad and full of distraught days- though often it is for at least a little while- but it can be made realistic, factual, and, at times, much too honest.  I can't say that either perspective is the one that I prefer.  It all has to do with creating your own perception and then living with it.  Though, for others' sake a little sensitivity needs to be practiced in every death regardless of your own perspective.  

In any way, Kerry was a great individual and he left his mark on a lot of people.  The entire church was full and people stayed until the sun went down.  I hope and pray for his family and my host family that they can all get through this with strong faith.  Kerry created enough memories at such a young age that they will live on forever.   I'll miss you, Jeremy Kerry Jeffrey.

After the accident, I decided that it was time to go home for a visit!  So, that's how I got to make the spontaneous decision that I made.  I'll be home for a week and a half in May...and I will be spending every second with my loved ones!

Have you ever heard the song "Do you see anything to smile about" by Morgan Heritage?  As people back in the states continue to ask me why there are Peace Corps volunteers in a Caribbean "Paradise" Island my response has been to them, "listen to the song".

Here's the song- Most of you aren't used to the Caribbean slang dialect but here it is:

(Intro) 

nuff people come to jamaica and nuh know how we live 

think Seh EVERYTHING nice through we full of vibes and think 

dem say want feelin to dem heart when dem get fi overstand di real thing yeaah 

(verse 1) 

Mi deh ya a town one day 

A par with a white man weh come all the way from norway 

And him turn to mi and say 

How comes Jamaica full of so much screwface 

Same time mi lift mi head to the sky 

And a tear drop fall from mi eye 

Mi Say my youth come we go out for a drive 

Mek mi show you why mi cry 

(chorus) 

Look pon di gully side 

Do you see anything fi smile bout 

Look at that hungry child 

Do you see anything fi smile bout 

Look at the school weh deh youth dem go fi get dem education 

Do you see anything fi smile bout 

Look at the conditions of our police stations 

Do you see anything fi smile bout 

(verse 2) 

Same time the bredda say 

How can a nation believe in this way 

And the next thing him say 

How can the government play so many games 

Same time mi heart fall to the ground 

Cause dis much war where that comes from 

Certain place they are worse dan slum 

Youth man come 

(chorus) 

And take a look pon Riverton 

Do you see anything fi smile bout 

Look pon Payneland 

Do you see anything fi smile bout 

Flankers, Mobay and Saffras Heights in Nos Spain 

Do you see anything fi smile bout 

Hope Flats, Kentiyah, Mottom Bay are all the same 

Do you see anything fi smile bout 

(Intro) 

nuff people come to jamaica and nuh know how we live 

think Say EVERYTHING nice through we full of vibes and think 

dem say want feelin to dem heart when dem get fi overstand di real thing yeaah 

chorus 

(verse 1) 

Mi deh ya a town one day 

A par with a white man weh come all the way from norway 

And him turn to mi and say 

How comes Jamaica full of so much screwface 

Same time mi lift mi head to the sky 

And a tear drop fall from mi eye 

Mi Say my youth come we go out for a drive 

Mek mi show you why mi cry 

(chorus) 

take a look pon Riverton 

Do you see anything fi smile bout 

Look pon Payneland 

Do you see anything fi smile bout 

Canterbury Mobay, March Pen Road ova Spain 

Do you see anything fi smile bout 

Nuff likkle place deh ya inna jamdown today 

Weh nuttin nuh did deh fi smile bout 

As much as I love my new home land, there is still plenty to cry about.  When is everyone going to get real and take the time to realize that there is much more going on here than overly expensive hotels and plenty of rum?  Every time that someone asks me, "How is paradise?" I cringe at how they say it.  Granted, parts of this island truly are paradise...no doubt.  But anywhere you go- you, yourself- can make it paradise.  It's not about the "picture perfect" views or the clear, blue waters.  It's about your mentality and what your vibes of life are.  

I can sit outside on a clear, beautiful day and think nothing of the sights I am seeing.  Or I can sit outside on an unsightful, rainy day and think that this place is the most beautiful place I have ever been.  Truth is, that regardless of the physical beauty in life, if your mentality is not in the same spot- it's not going to be any type of paradise.  

I'm not trying to show off the negatives of St. Lucia, by any means.  But take into context that my work is specifically developmental work in a third world country.  I see things that no one else gets to see sometimes.  I know things that I might have been better off not knowing.  I love things that are impossible for anyone else to love.  I fight for things that I know is never going to happen.  I struggle to make a difference in a nation that may not think that they need to change for their own good.  I give parts of myself to people here that I have never been able to give anyone before in my life.  I experience things that hurt me almost everyday, but I keep on pushing because I vibe with faith.  

St. Lucia has plenty to smile about, yes, unlike the song.  But there are so many things that are overlooked here.  For all of you wondering, yes, I will eventually share with you some of the hardships that I am referring to.  But for now, we will leave it at this.  Listen to the song.

Nakine holding up his composition after the writing session.

As one of the Grow Well initiatives, Grow Well wanted to provide more activities geared towards youth in the community of Gros Islet.  Extra curricular activities help to give these youth something to do other than just to roam the streets.  The less time that the kids hand out on the streets, the more time they can possibly spend developing into their full potential.  

Game day at ASC....

My work here includes, but is not limited to, helping my community counterparts in Gros Islet to fulfill the initiatives brought forth.  Because of this initiative, I started organizing what is now known as the Grow Well After School Club, or the ASC for GI.  This program is at the base level currently, of course, but I see it taking form as the weeks go on.  

When I would hang out a little bit longer after co-teaching at the CARE school during the day, I noticed that there were kids that would gravitate towards the centre.  This was a great thing.  However, they needed a little bit of focus and discipline in order to make it a positive thing.  Thus, the ASC!!  

Some of the girls during Game Day Session.

The first two Wednesdays was merely getting the kids to come in, take a consent and information form, and learn how to sign in.  The kids were a little resistant to signing in and out at first, but now most of them ask for the sign in book.  Progress is slow, but certain.  After the first two sessions, we moved into working on creative art projects.  Luckily, I was given some very quality stencils from Judy Joyce, a volunteer in Dominica.  We used the stencils to draw and color.  The youth seemed very keen on being into the arts.  The only thing with the arts sessions is that they can be a little messy!  

After spending a few weeks completing the arts sessions, we moved on to creating "makeshift" drums.  During my months here, I have been collecting various materials that can be used in arts and crafts.  We took plastic and metal jars, bottles, and cylinders to create drums.  First, they were assigned the task of decorating the drum bases.  This took the entirety of one session.  The second session was devoted to designing the top of their drums, and the third to playing their creations.  

Though not all of them were able to make it to the session in which we played the drums, the kids that were able to make it learned a little bit about sound and design.  They got to not only test out the drums that we all made, but they also got to hear the difference in sound.  They realized that the size and material of the drum does make a difference in the pitch and tone of the sound that is produced.  This is very basic knowledge for music, but it can make all the difference in exposure.  Sometimes, the exposure of just getting the opportunity to have fun with music can encourage a youth to get involved in the music world.  Hopefully, these kids will have the curiousity to get involved in music later on in their lives.  

The session after the drums was a "game day".  We spent most of the time playing board games in small groups to emphasize teamwork and patience.  My mother always played board games with me when I was a child, and for this I am grateful.  It really taught me how to work together with other people and be patient for my turn.  Though it does not seem like much to teach kids how to play board games, it really can instill good virtues in them sometimes.  

      Composition Day 2 at the ASC.

The past two sessions have been writing a composition.  I am corresponding with an after school centre now in California, Irvine.  I thought that it would be good for the kids to write a letter to the centre telling them a little bit about themselves and describing St. Lucia.  In order to encourage them to do a little more work after spending the whole day at school, I baked some "snacky cakes".  Whoever worked hard and really put some effort into their composition earned a snacky cake.  

The second session was devoted to finishing the compositions and taking individual pictures to send with the letters.  I am going to put the pictures together in a collage of sorts before I send them with the letters.  

So far, I have really only planned two weeks ahead of the actual sessions.  Right now we are testing out what works and what doesn't with the kids so that when we put together a comprehensive program for the ministry to look at we will have a basis of interest for the community.  I have been lucky in trying to find volunteers for the club as well.  Though, I am still working hard on finding local parents, teachers and community members to take the place of the "6 monthers".  It is incredibly difficult to get parents to help out in their spare time here.  Finding local community members to be the ones running the club is going to be very difficult, but I am going to work on finding these people throughout the two years!  It is a good resource for the kids, and it really gets them to spend some quality time being creative and to start thinking outside of the box.  

If I had unlimited funding, I just may import you all.....

The longer that I stay here, the harder I find it to blog about my experiences.  Things are becoming less new to me, so I do not feel the need to write about them.  Also, I am getting settled into the life here.  I am becoming busy, busy, busy!  When I am not busy, the last thing that I really want to do is to sit down at a computer for a couple of hours to find something to write about.  

Recently, I was lucky enough to have a visitor from the States.  Brian was the last person that I thought would visit me first.  That sentence sounds a little confusing, eh?  However, although I had imagined that he would come to visit me, I never believed that he would be the first person to come.  I am so lucky!  

We had a good time when he was here.  I don't feel like I got to show him all that I wanted to show to him though!  I was tired a lot of the time.  Luckily I didn't have to work as much as I thought I was going to have to, but I was exhausted from the week prior.  

I got to pick him up from the airport in Vieux Fort.  I have never been on a shorter bus ride my entire time in St. Lucia!!!!  It felt like a matter of minutes coming back from the airport because we had so much to talk about.  

The first full day that Brian was here, I took him to Gros Islet.  I had to work for part of the day, so I had him help me out with the After School Club.  The After School Club is offered to 27 registered kids ranging from 5-18 years of age.  I will discuss more about it in the next couple of posts.  Anyhow, I had Brian help out with "drum day".  We made drums from makeshift materials.  Unfortunately, there was a funeral outside the day that we were supposed to play them, so we had to wait until the following week to play them.  

Brian playing the drums during the ASC with Tariq.

So instead, we played games and the girls all braided Brian's hair!  It was quite the riot.  The kids LOVED him...they were jumping on him nonstop and would not let him go!

This is a pic of Brian with some of the kids from 

the "ASC"  After School Club in Gros Islet.  

This is me and Brian on the third attempt up 

to Pigeon Point.  Yes, it was successful, but 

very windy!

We got to go to Pigeon Point three times.  No, it was not because he liked it so much the first time!  It was because it had rained the first two times that we got up there.  Literally, it had been sunny and clear and the minute we stepped inside of the park, it started pouring down rain!  We waited for it to clear up those two times, but alas, it did not.  So what did we do but shelter in the local pub!  It is quickly becoming one of my favorite places in St. Lucia.  This bar is so quaint and perfect.  The walls are stone and it feels like you are in a little cave.  They allow cats to roam around freely and even to sit atop the bar.  That's my kind of place!  

This picture Brian took without me knowing there  was a "toilets" sign above my head outside of the  Pub.  He is funny, isn't he???

Perhaps one of my favorite parts of his visit was the Peace Corps Work Day in Laborie.  We worked with some of the other Peace Corps Volunteers to help turn soil, build a dam, and a few other things.  It was a great experience for myself and Brian.  That was certainly the first time that I have ever built a dam, let alone turned soil!  When I imagined myself coming to the Peace Corps, I definitely had more of this type of work in mind.  I love to keep myself busy doing laborous outdoor work like this.  It can be much more satisfying than the "desk work" that I sometimes have to do.  

Me and Jeff beginning the dam.  There was nothing  there but water and rocks!

Turning the soil and weeding during the PC 

work day.  Hot sun and hard work.

Building the dam.  It took form after a little

hard work!

Anyhow, I helped to build a dam; Brian helped to weed and turn soil.  Luckily, his hair helped to shade his head from the sun.  He would have been burnt to a toast!  We had a great lunch of coconut "secret ingredient" rice after the work.  The ingredient turned out to be basil.  YUMMMY.  That was some of the best coconut water I have had since being in St. Lucia as well.  

After the work day, we went to Klu's to get chicken and bakes.  My, oh, my, was that satisfying as well.  A few beers and a few good chicken n' bakes....well worth the work!

I asked Jeff to invite us all again for another work day like that.  I would get "down and dirty" anytime!  

Did I mention I had to wash my tennis shoes three times to get the smell from the creek water out of my shoes????  Again, well worth it.  We also tried to make our way up Gros Piton.  However, we did not make it there until about 2:30 (to the trail head), so we only got to hike half way up due to potential darkness.  

Brian and I half way up Gros Islet.  His hair is  covering up the gorgeous view of Petit Piton.

Aside from the work day and Gros Piton, I spent a little bit of time introducing Brian to Gros Islet, my work community.  On Friday night we got the chance to go to the "Jump Up".  The jump up is a street party out in the middle of the road that goes from about 7 to 3 am.  It is always a ton of fun!  It is even better when you know more people from the community.  For me, the longer I am here, the better it gets because I get to know a few new people every Friday.  This is a great way for me to meet people in my own community.  People tend to be a little more relaxed on Fridays, and then when I see them during the week in the community they are thrilled!  

We also went to the Castries market to do a little shopping for Brian's friends and family.  That was the first time that I spent a little bit of time in the market.  It is interesting to see how people react to two white people walking about in the market.  

During the week, if I am in Castries, most people will recognize me and at least not ask me if I want a tour of the island anymore.  However, when you are with a new white friend, well, that's all fair game to ask.  Sometimes I find myself playing along with them...."Oh, yes, I do need a tour....How much?  Oh, I got a better price from that guy.....oh, you are going to lower it?.....Hmmm....well, I want to go, but I don't have any money right now......oh, you'll accompany me to the bank while I get money?......Okay, well I have some other errands to do....wait here and I will come back and get you....."  Ha.  Well, sometimes it is more exhausting to say, "I'm not a tourist, I live here" and to explain what I am doing here and for how long I have lived here.  

Overall, it was really nice to have a best friend in town for a little while.  It was a different feeling; combining my old life with my new life.  Sometimes I would get a little confused...but generally, I loved it.  It felt good at times to remember things from Seattle, but at the same time, it also made me miss Seattle a little bit.  However, by having him in town, I automatically realized it was not Seattle that I was missing so much as the few people in my life that I just don't want to live without.  As nice as Seattle is, I can live in another place and be completely happy.  In fact, I just might do that after I get done here.  

I often look through the newspaper or online for inspiration in service work.  Though I am not burnt out quite yet doing volunteer work sometimes I just need a little extra spark of motivation to get the feet going.  Recently, I looked on the internet to find what's called "The Purpose Prize".  I was pleasantly surprised to see my next source of inspiration staring at me directly in the face.  The men and women highlighted are individuals who are avid humanitarians, just like me.  They aim to help in small ways, but end up affecting the world in much larger ways than they anticipated.  I can only hope that each of us PCV's can step into the same light.   Here is the link of Mr. Lardner, from Seattle, WA, my birth town.  Please check out some of the work that the people listed have done for us.

http://www.purposeprize.org/finalists/candidatepage.cfm?candidateid=3408

My work, thus far, in St. Lucia has focused around 3 things.  

1)  I have been working with a girl's empowerment group called "Girl's Circle" that has been beneficial not only to the girls, but to myself as well. 2)  Strengthening and supporting the CARE school programs at Grow Well in the area of IT/Literacy, Arts and Crafts, "maths", and sports.3)   Developing a plan and materializing it to create after school opportunities for the youth of Gros Islet in the area of arts, sports, and life skills.  

The volunteering work that I have done with CARE has been the most interesting, of yet.  The trainees there (that is what we call the students because it is more of a training program than a school), are bright and unique individuals.  Last Friday we had a sports meet for Track and Field.  We only had enough time to train for a couple of weeks prior to the event due to other constraints, but we managed to still take part in the event.  Unfortunately, only three of the trainees could participate that day.   I have a feeling that a few of the others were nervous or whatnot.  Anyhow, the three that did participate did well, and I am proud of them.  

Ed running in the 200 m.

Dwayne making good headway in front of the Odsan athlete on the 200m.

Cheerleaders excited for the races!

The whole group of athletes at the parade before.

My favorite little cheerleader!  She was rooting for us all!

A few weeks prior to the sports meet, we also took part in an annual spelling bee.  We took fourth place, but the trainees that participated did very well.  There were multiple rounds and most of the words were spelled accurately.  

Stephanie thinking about a word really hard.

The annual spelling bee contestants.  

Girl's Circle has been a good time as well.  The girls are working on becoming more responsible, more well-rounded, and more self-confident.  In the last session, we focused on creativity in life to express yourself.  We used play-dough that I made from scratch, painted and created collages from brought materials.  The girls all had a great time, and they really made things that were nice to look at.  

Pictures that were painted by the girls.

Romana painting a pretty little picture.

Katie and Enah working with play dough to create a butterfly through team work skills.

Empowering youth through the avenue of sports and arts may not be as straight forward as say a self-confidence seminar, however, arts and sports can help the individual express themselves in ways that words sometimes cannot.  Youth can learn that they are unique, that they have talent and skills, that they too can create something that is all their own.  Involvement in arts and sports can lead to improvement in education and self-esteem levels.  Youth can find themselves proud of what they create or how they perform, and this can also improve their overall vision of themselves.  

Why do you put up with that?

I recently had a conversation with another PCV that asked, "why do you put up with that?" in reference to an individual that has not exactly been treating me with a ton of respect. My answer, "Because I believe in people". There was no hesitation in my voice, no second thought, no awkward pause of unknowing; just an immediate answer that I believe sums up my faith in humanity.

A fair number of people in my own life have given me the same respect when I did not deserve it. There have been times where I was the one giving less than appropriate respect to another person and for some strange reason this person continued to give me their love and respect in return. Recently, a student and I were discussing respect. He was mentioning that there was another boy his age that continued to disrespect him. He said with certainty, "If he does not respect me, then why should I respect him, Miss?" At first, I was surprised at how repulsed I was at this question. However, after thinking about it for a couple of minutes I realized how important this is to understanding other cultures in terms of understanding respect between persons. Maybe not only in understanding cultures but also in understanding individuals.

I used myself as an example to answer this student's question. I responded to him, "Well, take this class for instance. The students come into this class, you along with the rest of them, to learn. At times, a few of you will be disruptive in class and not complete their work. This is being disrespectful to both myself and the rest of the students who are working. Does that mean that because you were being disrespectful to us, that we should not respect you in return?" What do you think his answer was? "Hmmm...no, I suppose not. I want you to respect me. And I do respect you, sometimes, I just have trouble concentrating." I smiled when he said this because he understood what I was trying to get at. Two things struck me out of this conversation:

1. Just because it appears someone does not respect you, does not mean that it is actually true. Sometimes the individuals have their own personal issues that are causing them to be selfish in their own actions and thus, they are "blindfolded" from others at times.

2. Just because someone else does not immediately give you their respect does not mean that they do not deserve it in return. Depending on your level of faith, God's will is for us to love unconditionally. I do not usually write in terms of what religion implies on us, but for this sake, I am a strong believer. If you give another person love and respect, in spite of them deserving it, they may just turn around and give another person that same love and respect that you gave to them. It's extremely hard sometimes, don't get me wrong, but there is nothing more essential to human development work than to having faith in other people unconditionally.

I have been pleasantly surprised to see the attitude of this particular student change overtime. Despite his spontaneous and short spurts of ADD, generally, he is a great kid and an intelligent student when he puts his mind to it. Not to mention a worthy athlete and artist. Now, all that is needed is his own recognition of his abilities and then I have managed to affect one person in my work; as small as it is. Small sustainability is perhaps the most important.

Chicken Curry and the Circle!

On Friday night we held the first ever "Cook-up" night for Girl's Circle.  Girl's Circle is a group that works on empowering young females to be responsible, make good decisions, and respect others.  Growing up as a young woman in a community that emphasizes males as the power holders is not an easy experience.  Girl's Circle offers girls ranging from 8 years to 18 years old a place to go to discuss issues that arise from being a young female.  This particular project packet we talk about different things every week that address what it is like to be a girl.  It is intended to be an eight-week "course", but it ends up being more around 16 because of the St. Lucian style of life.  The girls are all unique and energetic, but still are in need of some direction in life.  They are young and just need a few more female role models to guide them in the right direction.  There are around 11 girls in the group so far, but only 8 of them made it to the cook-up night.

A "cook-up" is a time when people get together and cook things up.  Hmmmm, go figure!  Rosemary, one of the Girl's Circle facilitators in addition to myself, makes amazing Chicken Curry.  I had expressed desire to learn how to cook a delicious chicken curry a couple of weeks beforehand, and thus, a cook-up resulted.  We cooked chicken curry, plantains, and chocolate cake.  We also made golden apple juice.  The golden apples came straight from my backyard, and the juice was absolutely delicious!!!  Every girl was given a task to complete in the cooking process.  Many of the girls were in charge of peeling and cutting the golden apples for preparation stages of making the juice.  Other girls were in charge of cutting onions, blending the juice, helping Rosemary with the chicken, and washing the dishes.  

While the food was busy cooking, a few of the girls went to play monopoly and dance around.  The others stayed up stairs and learned how to cook plantains, watched Camp Rock, and talked with the "adults".  Not much chaos ensued until after dinner and before desert.  It does, however, take a little while to cook food with 8 teen girls at your house!  It took us a total of 4 and a half hours to cook and eat!  

The girls are all amazing girls that I know have so much potential to turn into fine women.  I very much enjoy being around the girls and I am glad that I got to be a part of the group!  I look forward to having them over the next two years.  It is extremely important to empower girls in this age range.  It can make all of the difference in their lives.  If a girl can mold herself into a motivated and strong individual, the world can certainly be changed.  A powerful woman, especially in a community like this one, can do a lot for the community.  She has the potential to have a good job and support her family, be inspiration for other young women, and help to mold other girls' lives along the way.  

 CLIMBING   ST. LUCIA'S TALLEST MOUNTAIN

Over the Christmas "break" a group of us went up to climb Mt. Gimie. Mt. Gimie is the tallest mountain on St. Lucia at 3,117 ft from the base to the top. We hiked from the beginning of the trailhead in Soufriere. It took us two hours to get from the trailhead to the base near the river and another two hours to get from the base to the top. This is no walk in the park type of trail once you reach the base, however. Mt. Gimie is steep. You are climbing up the mountain for the entirety of the last two hours. So when someone asked me what I did for the weekend, I said with pride, "I climbed another mountain!". Figuratively and physically!  

The hike to the base was fairly easy and had nice scenery.  A few of us got lost along the way for about 15 minutes.  The three guys in front of me decided to sprint up the mountain trail so we accidently missed the subtle pathway and headed towards another direction.  Oops.   We eventually found our way back to the trail and moved along the way.  On the way up, after we passed the base at the river, we saw numerous openings of an amazing view.  It is much darker in the rainforest trails, so when you reach an opening it feels like you are looking out at heaven.  I could hear "ahhhhhhhhhh" everytime we reached one!  Though, I think one of the times was one of my hiking pals singing it outloud.  

Along the way a couple of us saw a few local birds and a tarantula.  I still think that the tarantula was trying to climb the mountain because the poor little bugger was almost to the top!  Benton, a hiking buddy who lives in Trinidad right now, almost stepped on it!   Once we reached the top, most of us had barely missed the view.  It was cloudy that day so we did not get to see much; but it was still worth it.  Just as the third group of us were getting to the top of the mountain, we were all starting to head down again.  It gets dark in the rainforest early in the day, so we had to make good timing!

The way down felt like it took forever.  It had started raining the minute that we had started down the mountain, so we were in for a challenge.  We ended up splitting up into three groups as we were going down.  The first two groups made it back down to the base and back to the trail head by around 8 pm.  It took us about 4 and a half hours to climb down.  The third group, however, took 8 and a half hours to get down!!!!!  We were waiting for them to come back for 4 hours in the van!!!  We actually debated sending in a search party for them.  

During the course of "the wait" we had people talking in their sleep, shared stories of past Mt. Gimie "hikers", learned a few things about each other, and listened to Wayne's collection of 80's music.  We reached back home around 3:00 am in the morning after what had almost been a 24 hour day!   

I've just spent my 25th birthday in "paradise".  

When I was a young girl I had my life all laid out for me.  I planned on finishing college when I was 21, finding the man of my dreams and a perfect career, marrying by the time I was 24, having children at the ago of 26 or 28, and spending the rest of my life being settled.  Note that I said "When I was a young girl, I had my life all laid out for me".  Ever since I "grew up", I became increasingly aware of the fact that I was nowhere near "settling".  In fact, there were a few things that I needed to accomplish before I could even begin to think about "the rest of my life".  The Peace Corps has always been one of these accomplishments.  

Turning 25 has always been my "fear year".  For some strange reason 25, to me, sounds older than 30 or even 35; even though I know full well I won't think this way when I am 30 I have always thought of 25 as the "defining year".  Perhaps it is the defining year.  I know that in the last 6 months of being 24, I found myself becoming satisfied with who I am and where I am in life.  I am perfectly alright, in fact quite content, that I have not gotten married or "settled" in life.  While I know that the time may be soon on the rising, I am happy where I am at.  25 isn't so scary anymore!  Maybe I am having my quarter-life crisis and this is my poor attempt to justify the human being's certainty of death.  Or perhaps I am just dealing with being another year older; still somewhat caught between being a young adult and an old adult.  25 is the middle age of adulthood.  

Turning 25 on an island, however, was quite possibly one of the best ways to celebrate it.  I was distracted just enough to forget it was my birthday until about an hour before everyone came over to my apartment.  For anyone that knew me previously before I joined the Peace Corps, they would also know that I am not a big fan of my birthday.  For some reason there is something that always goes wrong.  What I found out recently was that the reason why they were often so bad was because I would put too much emphasis on having it go "perfectly".  When they didn't, of course I was let down.  However, this year I went with the flow.  I didn't want to celebrate in any big way.  All I wanted and ever want again for my birthday is to celebrate it with a few of my closest friends or family doing whatever we feel like doing that day.  

That is exactly how I celebrated my New Years in the Caribbean with the Peace Corps.  9 other Peace Corps volunteers, Yoko (a Japanese volunteer), and my landlord and I had a spaghetti feed at my apartment and then went down to "the ramp" (the local beach by my place) to watch fireworks.  Of course, almost half of the island had the same idea!  After the ramp, we went to celebrate in the streets of Rodney Bay.  Along with 1,000s of other Lucians (guestimation by Ashley), we roamed the streets and had our fair share of drinks for the new year.  It was a memorable evening.  Nothing too special and nothing too bad.  It was the New Years I was hoping for; just another night out!  Sorry I only have pictures from the Spaghetti feed thanks to suggestions that we leave anything valuable at home due to increased rates of thievery during Old Year's Night celebration.  

On New Years Day, or my official birthday, a few of us volunteers went over to the Country Director's home for a brunch.  It was a very nice brunch!  I waited for a little while for Justin, another Peace Corps volunteer, to get ready to head up on our way to Margo's.  We were a couple hours late, but Margo warmly invited us in despite.  There were some other volunteers there when we arrived.  After greeting everyone and grabbing some nice OJ, we also were invited to eat in the brunch buffet.  Oh it was so nice to have hot food and delicious, hot food at that.  A variety of egg casseroles were made, in addition to a fresh fruit salad.  Yummy!  After getting in a bite to eat, we all played a game of Scrabble.  Oh how I love Scrabble!  Me and Hallie were on a team.  We did not win, but we came in a close third.  (Yes, it was out of 3).  Margo, as I discovered, is quite the Scrabble player.  She knows all of the words that you would never know in your lifetime unless you memorized the dictionary.  She is my Scrabble idol.  Sorry, Jay, you have been replaced.  

After Margo's house I got to spend a quiet night at my apartment with the company of Hallie.  It was a nice and relaxing birthday night.  All in all, being 25 may sound monumental to some but to others it's just another birthday of getting older.  To me, 25 isn't so bad.  In fact, I kinda like being 25.  How many other people can say that they spent their 25th birthday in the Caribbean while they were in the Peace Corps?  Well one, actually, that I know of....it was Ashley's birthday a short 4 days later!

When work is going slow, live with passion.

      During the holiday season in St. Lucia the workplace slows down and the nightlife speeds up.  More time is spent on "fets" (holidays parties) and more time is spent in the streets catching up.  I was amazed to find out that despite the amount of work to be done, life in the workplace is put on hold.  As we are now continuing on with the new term, I am thankful for the holiday "hold".  I was worried that with so much time just to spend liming with the community I would fall into an anti-work mode.  However, after about three weeks of small events and parties of every kind I am more than ready to get back to working.  

   Christmas in St. Lucia was quite different.  Normally I would be working up until Christmas eve, if not Christmas day.  Here, however, schools and NGOs get out around the 12th of December.  We have a few events in honor of Christmas tradition such as parties and gift baskets to make but most of the holiday is devoted to spending quality time with friends and family.  I love St. Lucian holidays!  

   Working with members of Club 60, I helped put together hampers for Christmas.  In these hampers, we placed household goods including but not limited to:  detergent, soap, rice, baking powder, sugar, flour, candies, juices, and etc.. In order to get 60 baskets to use and have enough supplies for all 60 baskets we had to go from store to store looking for the items.  Fortunately, I did not have to go around shopping for the items because being a PCV, I am carless and would be absolutely no help in the shopping department.  So instead, I helped with organizing the baskets and getting them filled, wrapped, and prepared for the following Monday.  We had a formal give-away day, in which the representative from The Landings was there to help give the hampers out.  Frank Weeks is the representative from The Landings.  They fund a lot of the activities and projects for Grow Well.  Club 60 is one of these funded projects.  Club 60, as I have briefly talked about before on my blogs, is a program for helping to keep the retired active within the community.  The hampers will be an annual event from now on!  The Landings will also be helping to fund the after-school programs that I am working on as we speak.  Thank you Landings!

    It was a pleasure to have been able to finally meet and greet with most of the Club 60 members.  Each of them have a very sweet and compassionate character.  I love each and every one of their smiles!  Not to mention their fascinating personalities...with loads of humor.   I am hoping to work more and more with Club 60 in the future.

    I took part in a few other events such as a Youth Expo in Soufriere working with kids in arts and crafts with a PCV from Soufriere.  We taught the kids how to make bracelets from thread...most of them enjoyed it thoroughly.  It was nice to see even the boys walk out of the classroom wearing what they made from that day and being so darn proud of the final result!  I am so thankful Hallie offered me a place to help out that day!

    Over the holiday, I did start to miss the kids that I work with at the primary and CARE.  Something about getting to see them on a daily basis makes my work feel meaningful.  Their hugs and excitement everytime they see me lets me know that I am here for a good purpose; for these kids.  I know that I am just one little granule in the overall scheme of their lives but I am faithful that one little granule can make even the slightest difference in the color or texture of the whole pot.  I am ecstatic that school is started up again!  

    During my time "off", I took part in a few hikes as well.  Mt. Gimie and the across the island rainforest trail were the prominent ones.  Look for part 3/3, I will be talking about these hikes.      

This light house, as I was told, was supposed to go to St. Lucia, Africa and not St. Lucia, EC... but when it was delivered they decided to keep it. Now it has one of the best views the island has to offer!

The role of a youth developer can be vague and misunderstood. I am constantly being referred to as a teacher here in St. Lucia, which I have never known myself to be, officially. However, the more and more I think about it, the more I consider myself to be one. I am a teacher. But then again, most people are! My goal is to find a way to reach the "unattached" youth of St. Lucia. In this, I am referring to the youth that are not affiliated with any organization, after school programme, sports team, or whatnot. In St. Lucia, there are many youth that are unattached. (SIDENOTE: Youth in St. Lucia is ages 12-35). There are many reasons for this, but the key is to finding a way to motivate or spark the interest of these youth. This is not going to be an easy task. Just like in the states, there are youth that are just happy being where they are in life and do not need to be affiliated. Then there are also the youth that are not educated about their opportunities and also those that are educated but not sure how to go about it. The playing field is varied and immense. If anyone has any ideas for me on how to reach these youth in my process of facilitating, please do not hesitate to make suggestions! Being a Peace Corps Volunteer, I will be working at aiming for these youth in the fields of language arts, mathematics, sporting, arts and crafts, and etc.

For now, I have an extremely broad range of interest for the type of project that I will have after training, but hopefully in the next 4 weeks I will have a better idea of what to narrow it down to. Right now, I am hearing interest in beginning an after school programme at the school I am interning at. The programme may focus on increasing access to after school homework help and assistance in general studies. However, I hope to incorporate arts and crafts/games/sporting/IT/various other activities into the mix. However, in the art of "facilitating", there needs to be a discussion about this first with the other teachers and principal to see if this would be a prominent interest/need within not only the school but also the community. So we will see what happens here. If it is, then to get others' inputs and ideas will be the next step. Facilitating is the main process of the Peace Corps mission... Though an idea may be brought up by me, it is in working with the community, that succussful, sustainable programmes will come through. I am interested in seeing what ideas the other teachers have, or if they want to discard this idea all together. Either way, I am anxious to begin finding out what the community really needs.

So after a number of grueling inquiries about what it is like to be on a two year vacation, I have no other choice but to write a response in retaliation. Despite the appearance of the beautiful pictures and knowing that I am in the Caribbean, there are many things that are not accounted for in my letters, emails, and blogs about what it is truly like to be in the Peace Corps, let alone one in St. Lucia. People may ask, "what is there to do, it's not like you are in Africa". The truth of the matter is that regardless of location, there are many challenges to being a Peace Corps volunteer. Not to mention to be an effective Peace Corps volunteer.

The Caribbean is known as the "melting pot" or the "potpourri" of cultures. There are many different aspects to the culture that exists in the islands. Whether it may be the food, the language, the dress, or the behavior, the Carib has a lot to offer to both locals and visitors. Being a "honorary" local can be difficult at times for various reasons that many may not think about. Moving to a new town can be hard enough, let alone moving to a new culture. Though, many a times moving to a new town may entail moving to a new culture as well.

Being a minority is certainly different compared to the states. For the first time in my life, I am challenged with how others may perceive my ethnicity. Never having lived outside of the US, I have rarely stopped to think about my race as an obstacle. Certainly being a woman will sometimes come into play, but never has being caucasian made so much of an impact on going about my daily life. It is in the way people look at me on the bus, it is everytime that I am stopped in town to be asked if I need a taxi (because I am white and automatically deemed as a tourist), it is in the way I am perceived in the workplace and particularly at the schools that I notice my skin color. In the states, I rarely thought about the skin color of others around me. I was raised very well in terms of acceptance : whether it was to race, gender, sexuality, social class, education level, or the like. I never thought to think of the person in terms of what they look like, but who they are inside. This is why I had to stop and think for a second, wow, I am actually a minority here. To me, however, even though I am obviously from the US, I have stepped outside of the box and feel like I belong here... like I am a St. Lucian while I live here regardless of my race. It may take longer for other people to see that, but for now, I believe it. It is in the person that someone

comes to be, and this is how I am going to build my relationships while in St. Lucia...just as I would in the states.

So one has asked... "what exactly is your work, Haley? Are you on vacation, or what? I thought you were joining the Peace Corps, has something changed?" I was recently put off by an email that was sent to me in this manner. To my shock, it came from someone extremely close to me, that knows me very well. It was difficult for me to read this, because to me, it was almost belittling my purpose of being here. My immediate reaction was to get angry and lash out in return. However, the more and more I thought about it, the more I realized that I just wasn't conveying my messages adequately. This person did have a point. My blogs have focused on the great scenery and exciting outings that I have had since being here, so I do not blame them for saying this. St. Lucia is a very beautiful and lush location to be serving term in the Peace Corps. I did get lucky in the fact that my stay is in somewhere that has scenery that I will never get tired of. It is still amazing to me that I am lucky enough to see the Caribbean through working with the Peace Corps. Not only do I get to see things from the outside, but working with the communities I get to see what really lies beneath all of the physical beauty of this island.

So what is work? Work is a ton of OBSERVATION. To some people this may not sound like a job, this may sound like heaven. However, please take a moment to think of what observation in the strictest sense actually entails. For the first 7 weeks, PCVs are in training. Training is much like school. There is a lot of work to be done attending the facilitated sessions, taking part in internships with multiple organizations and schools, shadowing prominent people in the community in addition to integrating into the community. Our schedules are not just open to "sight-seeing" nor does it allow us the freedom that everyone assumes. We do not stay on the beach all day long drinking Pina Coladas, reading romance novels, dancing to music while maintaining hourly schedules taking dips in the water in between slathering up on the Spf 500.

So what is work then? Work is observing a new culture. It is expanding myself beyond the boundaries that I am used to and constantly find myself in awkward and uncomfortable situations that only challenge me to become a better person and collegue. It is putting in the time and effort to get to know my community and the members within. It is choosing to give up most of my free time for myself so that I may attempt to integrate within the community. It is doing things that I have never done before, working in ways that I have never worked before, and thinking in ways that I have never thought before. It is constantly trying to educate myself on what it is to be St. Lucian. It is spending time with the community so that I may earn their trust enough to be shown what their needs and wants are for improvement. Without finding out what their true needs and wants are, the work will only be shallow, and not improve anything! It is being the only person in the room that is nervous and has no idea what is going on, while at the same time wanting to be heard. It is being a facilitator to meetings and using the resources here that we have...which are limited. Work is different than in the states, for sure, but it is still work. This is what I love about the Peace Corps and St. Lucia. There are no distinct lines between work and play. The lines are blurred... work and play are integrated into one. Work is play, and play is work. So while being able to spend time on the beach or go hiking in the rainforest may sound strictly like play, in actuality, it is part of my job...learning this new culture so that I may facilitate improvement in the future. Work does not have to be a 9-5 job sitting at a desk every day being miserable! Work is, and can be so much more. I just chose to take the opportunity to make it so.