Peace Corps Journals

2012-01-26 21:04:42

24-1-11 For those of us who were born and grown in the American South, we have strong sense of pride in what we like to call our “Southern Hospitality”; I think this means we are welcoming to strangers, giving of directions to the lost, and generally helping those in need; I thought I understood and [...]

Today

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Jamaica Jamaica Cree

2012-01-23 01:19:00

Not much to update on, but I guess I just have some thoughts. I got this new dog, right? Max. She’s great. She can be a lil shit sometimes, but she learns quick. One smack on the butt or snout and she doesn’t do it again. She’s tiny though. I don’t think she will get [...]

Introducing…MAX

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Jamaica Jamaica Cree

2012-01-18 01:06:30

Who is Max? Max is not my newest lizard friend, nor is she a pet fish. Max is my new puppy! Last Thursday morning (January 12), I was walking to Tamor’s house when I stumbled upon this litter of female puppies! This was totally destiny. I was talkin to my friend Andy a week [...]

New Year’s and Christmas Celebration x’s 2

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Jamaica Jamaica Cree

2012-01-17 23:23:17

I’ve been travelling a lot the past couple weekends. Thursday, January 5, 2012, lead me up to Accompong up in the northern part of St. Bess (Elizabeth) where Matt and Julie (a G81 PCVJ couple) live. Accompong is a Maroon Community. In fact, they are the only all-Maroon Community left in Jamaica. In any case, [...]

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Jamaica In Jamaica

2012-01-17 13:36:00

The Holidays and Welcome 2012!

School was out on December 16, and second term would begin January 9th, 2012 so those of us PCVs who work in schools had a nice long break! Did you know poinsettias just grow here- in bushes even! So beautiful.
Fellow PCV Juanita made the difficult decision to go home early (called ET in Peace Corps lingo meaning Early Termination). She was needed at home. She is missed. We are in touch and already have plans to meet up when I return.
For Christmas, Diann came for the weekend- we did not go to Grand Market (once was enough for me!) but enjoyed wine with fellow yardies. Christmas dinner was chicken (what a surprise!) but baked not fried and Diann and I were joined by Laura, a Response PCV who had spent 2 years in the Dominican Republic. It has been so interesting to hear her compare the islands, the people and her experiences.
On December 29th Jamaica had a national election. The two parties- PNP and JLP had lots of gatherings, a few debates and lots of wearing of orange or green. There has been a history of violence during elections in Jamaica so we were warned to stay home and be careful. The election was won by the PNP and Jamaica’s new Prime Minister is now Ms Portia Simpson-Miller. Fortunately and proudly, this year there was very little election violence. Congratulations Jamaica!She has already taken office and formed her cabinet. The Jamaicans I know are hopeful that she can make things better in Jamaica.
For New Year’s weekend Carole and Ron came down from the Blue Mountains – they enjoyed all sorts of luxuries not available at their site- running water, wine, an oven, pizza, and the beach. We had a fun beach gathering on Jan. 2 with some other volunteers.
January 9th School began. I was ready to see my kids again! My routine is the same. I see 8 pullout groups twice a week, plus I do library time for all 9 classes. The main focus though was to get some things ready for me to take to the World Wide School in Chicago, USA. This is a program linking schools in the US with a PCV. My school is the Bradwell School of Excellence in Chicago. The grade 6 students are penpals with some grade 5 students there. I will visit the school on January 19th for the morning. The grade 6 students coloured some beautiful pictures of Caribbean plants and flowers. We made a movie using Windows Movie maker. I was learning as we went along but it turned out great. Mr Abraham, the grade 6 teacher was able to solve the adding music problem. I will also be taking gizzadas- a special Jamaican dessert- sort of a coconut tart. I am really looking forward to meeting these students and their teacher and sharing a little of Jamaica with them! Of course the students here can’t wait for me to come back and tell them about my visit!
Welcome 2012!

Stonelove

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

2012-01-16 17:04:57

This last weekend a big DJ sound, Stonelove, came to the Somerset crossroad to put on a dance; A big thanks to my friend Love (she was one of the LCFs who helped train me) who met up with me in Kingston last week to buy the PERFECT outfit! I did it cheap, less than [...]

The Accompong Maroon Parade Ground and School Playfield

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

2012-01-15 13:54:00

Having worked most recently as a professional commercial landscaper in Alaska during my last five summers before coming to the Peace Corps and Jamaica, the first thing that caught my (Matt's) eye after our first tour of our community, way back in May 2010, was the decrepit condition of the community ball field/ school recess area and playfield, otherwise known as the Accompong Maroon Parade Ground. The Parade Ground also has significant historical and cultural importance to the community.

This area is the only, flat, playable surface of any kind, anywhere in the community large enough to sustain an event or ballgame (here it is cricket, soccer and the annual January 6th Maroon Celebration that matter most). At 200’ x 100’ it is still barely large enough for even that… able to sustain only half-field 6-on-6 matches in soccer, and for cricket the boundaries must include all the downhill and rocky slopes along with bush and farmland.

As an identified need (by the community) the revitalization of the Parade Ground, in priority need, ranks only behind the improvement of local roads, the development of a reliable, potable water supply, and the creation of jobs and additional sources of income for the local population.

So… over the past year and a half, slowly, the idea for the project has evolved and developed, grant proposals have been written and submitted to many different organizations, and fingers have been crossed. The result… about $20,000 of the estimated need of $27,000 US has been raised through contributions from CHASE Fund (not Chase Bank) Jamaica, the Tourism Enhancement Fund, USAID and National Commercial Bank (NCB) Foundation. The official title of the project is the Revitalization of the Accompong Maroon Parade Ground.

The project objectives are: 1) To construct two retaining walls, one is 175’ long and averages 6’ in height, the other is 225’ long and averages 8’ in height. The erection of these walls will allow the field to be significantly expanded in size. 2) To backfill these retaining walls with fill material up to the height of the rest of the Parade Ground. 3) To raise the level of the entire field and set the grade so that it drains properly (in its current state the field holds water and for all practical purposes is a small pond during the wet season). 4) To top the entire field with topsoil and plant it with grass (currently the field is very rocky and uneven with grass growing on about 70% of its surface. 5) To erect a chain-link fence around three sides of the field to prevent injury in the event of a fall over the edge of the retaining walls, which in some places are now over 20’ high, and to keep soccer and cricket balls from cascading down the slopes and into the bush when they are kicked or struck out of bounds.

As of today we are approximately 50% complete on the project, the retaining walls have been built and have been partially backfilled, the chain-link fence is in the beginning stages of being erected. The search for the additional funds needed to bring the project to completion continues. The hope is that by the end of our service here in May we will see the successful completion of this project for the community.

(pictures to come...)

Holidaze

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

2012-01-09 18:54:31

Alright friends: My computer does not have a functional fullstop (aka: period) button so I will be ending sentences from here onn out with a semi-colon; Haha; In any case, the last month has flown past; I am so happy that the holidays or holidaze as I should call it, is over; Jamaicans definitely know [...]

New Fear's Resolution

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Jamaica Best Day Ever

2012-01-09 01:05:00

Time for some good old fashion self-loathing. Today I was called "fat" three times. (By three different, not-so-skinny themselves, individuals, mind you)

I know it's that time of year anyway, when you say to yourself, I'm going to eat better, exercise and get in shape. Well, for me, it's not the time of year, but the brutal honsety of my Jamaican community that is shaming me into such activities. So basically, the fear of being called fat every time I go out for a walk is cause for my New Year's Resolution. It's time I lay off the fried chicken, rice and peas, and cheese puffs. Sad face.

For those of you who are not familiar with Jamaican culture, Jamaican's are very honest and up-front people, and this is a standard comment made to a lot of female volunteers, so I shouldn't be that offended, right? But when I decided to venture out for the first time since I got back, not particularly motivated or excited to be around people (I know, I'm terrible), being called "fat" no matter what the meaning, was still a big kick to my big fat self-esteem.

Adding to my diminishing self-confidence, I cut bangs today. Did anyone notice those?!? Nope, they just noticed my expanding muffin top. (Tip: Do not cut bangs in place of eating right and exercising, it is not a sufficient distraction from your gut, even when you cut them yourself in poor lighting and a dirty mirror, resulting in a too short and too blunt look.)

And thanks to those of you who told me I wasn't getting fat. You are sweet. But also liars.

What I am thankful for today:
______________________________________________________________________________________________________

My new computer cord that works!
New bangs (however bad they look)
Jamaicans who are honest despite your feelings
Americans who lie to to save your feelings
Kindle cover - thanks mom!
New kindle books
Coffee
Internet works today
Exercise
Patriots are in the play-offs
New (to me) clothes brought back from US
My health
My friends

January 6th

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

2012-01-08 21:07:00

As referenced and discussed before, January 6th is a HUGE event in Accompong, as it marks the January 6th Maroon Celebration in which thousands of visitors venture to our little rural community to commemorate birthday of Maroon hero Cudjoe and the signing of the Peace Treaty. The celebration also acts as a homecoming of sorts for many Maroons who are living elsewhere in Jamaica and overseas. Last year, we spent most of January 6th busy, but this year we decided we were going to be tourists and do our best to enjoy Celebration without responsibility. And enjoy ourselves we did.

Highlights:
-Jerk pork.
-Having hundreds of visitors visit and sit under the shade of the Herbal Garden Hut that was re-constructed last year through our efforts and that of the AMJC.
-Checking out the four sound systems/dancehalls.
-Spending time with fellow PCVs.
-Drums that were made in last year’s Culture Camp being available and used.
-Meeting with the US Ambassador again.
-Experiencing our community and Jamaica in a way that most people will never get the chance.

P.S. The AMJC sold T-Shirts as a fundraiser and have many left over. If by chance any of you out there are interested in purchasing a shirt and supporting a grassroots organization made up of young adults who work towards the betterment of their community, please contact us. Shirts are $12 US.

My Partnering Organization

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

2012-01-07 17:41:00

The slogan of the St. Ann PAA is "HIV/AID is everybody's business! Be a source of sustainable change!"

Just a little more about the organization that I am working closely with, the St Ann Parish AIDS Association (St Ann PAA). Jamaica is divided into 14 parishes and Saint Ann is one of them. The AIDS Association is an all volunteer organization. The logo is pictured above. Some of the things the organization does is outreach, intervention, advocacy, counseling and grants. Last week was an exciting week as the organization awarded 3 grants to people living with HIV. The grants are to assist PLHIV in creating creating a sustainable source of income. Specifically the 3 grants were for a landscape business, a snack shop, and poultry rearing. Currently they are organizing a Community Fair for January 21st with over 25 community groups and businesses representing their organization.

The St. Ann PAA has some exciting projects on the horizon. The organization has received funds to open a resource center and a cyber cafe. I will be assisting in the set up of the cyber cafe and the resource center. Currently I am working on a website for the organization and will soon share that with you all. The sponsors of these projects are the National AIDS Committee, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), and Peace Corps.

Please pray for the organization, the energy and the motivation of the volunteers and staff, the intentions, and the follow through of the projects. As with many NGO's the staff is over worked, underappreciated and underpaid. This results in action items being pushed off for months, underutilized capital resources, slow progress, stress and frustration. Pray that the Lord, our Strong Helper, will move us ahead with great Joy and Strength for his Glory.

"Errands"

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

2012-01-04 17:04:00

I was just realizing the other day that this word has been removed from our vocabulary here in PC. I was reminded of this when our last stipend deposit came a week later than usual…during the holidays…when we’re BROKE…and trust me, when you’re already living hand-to-mouth, BROKE means BROKE. Anyway, back to my sob story of our PC stipend coming later than usual….

Come back in time with me, it’s Christmas Eve’s Eve. It’s already a couple days past when our stipend is usually deposited. On our way to meet up with other PCVs for the holidays, we stop at the ATM to get some much-needed cash. And yikes! Balance enquiry: Less than $1US. Meaning: no deposit yet. …Don’t worry, we were able to improvise through Christmas (of course in ways that did not question any levels of morality).

We’d check back again 5 days later, on our way back to our community. Besides, 5 days later would be the deadline for the latest our deposits are supposed to come. So when I (Julie) arrived in Santa- the last stop before Accompong- where we do all our grocery shopping, I couldn’t believe we STILL had not received our deposits. (Take “I couldn’t believe” with a grain of salt, because after living in the developing world for almost 2 years, you ‘can believe’ just about anything –especially when it comes to things like deadlines.) I bought what groceries I could, with what little money I had, knowing our cupboards at home were bare, and made my way back to site, texting PCJ staff about our deposits. And sure enough, as I was walking up to my doorstep back in Accompong at 11am, I received word from the PCJ office that stipends were scheduled to be available at 2pm, at the bank.

So, what does all this have to do with ‘errands’? Well, my friends, because in our ‘normal’ lives, going to the ATM , doesn’t consist of a tiring journey that costs half of your daily paycheck. A journey that takes a minimum of 3 hrs, involves the discipline of not missing one of the two taxis that travel to Accompong, and the flexibility to be entirely on other’s timeframes. I’m also reminded of this, when for the 4th time in a row, Matt forgets to get the tomato paste on the grocery list -no matter that there’s only a dozen things on the list to start with, TOMATO PASTE is underlined, capitalized, and starred. Or that I sent reminder texts….but that’s a story for a different time. Of course, this is infuriating, but what drives you to the edge of insanity, is that Matt can’t just say, “I’ll run back real quick and get it” (as he knows this would definitely be his best option). But there’s no “running back real quick” in our lives. There’s no “stopping-by.” And, there certainly, most definitely, absolutely is no such thing as ‘errands’.

Happy New Year!

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Jamaica Jamaica Cree

2012-01-03 04:57:15

Happy New Year everyone!! Wooooo!! 2012 is HERE and so are we! I’m glad a new year has begun. I never got used to writing 2011 on things, anyway. I was still writing 2010. I blame college. Since then, I’ve never really had to write the date on anything. ha. Perhaps 2012 will be easier [...]

Know Your Role

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Jamaica Jamaica Cree

2012-01-03 04:17:51

I’m gonna start this next blog out with a quote from one of my favorite WWE Wrestlers, The Rock. “Know your role, and shut your mouth.” Let’s talk about public transportation, again. You really have know your role. Nothing will happen to you if you don’t, but it just makes things easier for everyone. Check [...]

Merry Christmas!!

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Jamaica Jamaica Cree

2012-01-03 04:25:51

So I was gonna try and change things up a bit and do a v-log (video-log), then post it. You know, so you can literally hear my voice, and not just “hear” me. Ha.. In any case, turns out I can’t figure out how to access my video I made, so yeah. Writing about the [...]

Election Day

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

2012-01-01 16:00:00

December 29th was the national election day here in Jamaica. It might be of interest to you to hear of the differences between the government system here and in the US, as well as be given a brief rundown of the political system. However, out of fear of giving inaccurate information, we’ll give you just a few facts we’re sure of:

-Having been colonized by the British, it should come as no surprise that Jamaica has a parliamentary system in which there is a Prime Minister instead of a President, and Members of Parliament (MPs) instead of congressmen.

-There currently exists 2 main political parties in Jamaica: the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the People’s National Party (PNP).

-Jamaicans are CRAZY about politics, especially during elections:
-The party you support is part of your identity.
-JLP supporters adorn themselves in bright green, whereas PNP supporters are covered in orange. JLP supporters make the 'peace' sign with their hand, whereas PNP supporters make fists.
-Orange and green colored paraphernalia can be found all over during elections. Party songs are played endlessly on the radio, and every Jamaican TV station (by ‘every’ we mean ‘both’) covers the political situation.
-The best comparison we can make is that of avid sports fans in the US.
-On election day, the roads and streets of the island are full of people yelling, dancing, ringing bells, blowing horns, loud music, dancing, and are just straight up LOUD -both audibly and visually. Even in our small, rural community out in the boonies, the amount of commotion going on past Thursday was the most we’ve ever seen outside of Jan 6 Celebration.
-Things can get a little dicey during these times. In fact, PCJ prohibited us from traveling on election day, and we’ve been asked to refrain from wearing any green or orange for the past month. As we’ve said before, Jamaica can be a very aggressive and sometimes violent place. Locals can get really hot over issues they feel passionate about, and they’re not afraid to voice what they feel.
-That being said, the amount of arguing going on lately has been at a maximum. Now, people cussing each other out in public is by no means an uncommon occurrence here. Nor is it strange to hear distant yelling from our veranda as we sway in the hammock at night. But when we were awoken at 7am yesterday morning by heated arguments that carried on past 8, only to be followed by constant yelling as we worked in the library soon after, and of course this was concluded by walking through quarrels on our way back home…we’re tired –in more ways than one.

a VERY unusual sight

Accompong Boys Soccer

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

2011-12-30 21:32:00

Over the past couple of months Matt has been working with some of the local boys in a soccer program. 2-3 days a week, immediately after school, about 15 boys turn out to practice with Matt and a couple of other volunteer coaches. The 9-11 year old boys have been divided up into 3 teams, each with their own coach. On Mondays and Wednesdays we warm-up with laps, stretch and then run drills and do sprints. On Fridays we scrimmage one team against the next in a mini round-robin tournament.

Most of the boys play in bare feet, whether on the basketball court or on the playfield. Occasionally we can practice on the playfield, in between the trucks and workmen coming and going. For goals we put large rocks on the ground the appropriate distance apart, if a ball flies up into the air it is usually considered a no-goal if it is above the level of the goalie’s knees. We are currently raising funds locally to try to get enough money together to construct actual goal posts of PVC or metal.

In order to make this opportunity happen for the boys we needed to get soccer balls, ball bags, some small orange cones and coaches’ whistles. All of these things were made possible with the help of Julie’s family back in the Chicago area. With the generous support of Tom, Tami and Tim we were able to bring back with us last summer 33 soccer balls, 6 ball nets, 3 pairs of goalie gloves and a dozen orange cones. Back up in Minnesota, JACOM recently had a couple of hundred youth soccer jerseys donated to their organization and earmarked for Jamaica. They were able to send down enough jerseys, in enough different colors to allow the teams to all have their own color. Our plan is to have a couple of official tournaments with the boys on the actual Parade Ground/playfield once the revitalization project is complete, hopefully this spring. For now we primarily use the outdoor, concrete basketball court as our practice and scrimmage area.

Julie’s father, Tom, made a guest appearance a couple of weeks ago during a couple of our practices. He enjoyed hamming it up for the boys, and they enjoyed trying to get the ball past the stout, white goalie.

There are few extra-curricular activities of any sort available to the students here in our rural community. This is one of the reasons that Matt wanted to develop this program… to give the boys something healthy and productive to do with their time after school. As expected, one of the biggest challenges lies in finding coaches who are willing to volunteer their time and show up reliably when practices are scheduled. The boys will always come.

With all the serious and detailed projects that we work on here during our Peace Corps service, this soccer program has turned out to be a pleasant and mostly relaxing break for Matt, one where he can run, and kick, and play, and forget about all the other extraneous stresses that are affecting him.

The Power of Two

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Jamaica Peace Corps: I'm Jamaican it...

2011-12-30 02:23:49

(In the order they happened) Happy Hannukah, happy first day of Winter, merry Christmas, happy Kwanza, happy Boxing Day, happy Election for Jamaican Prime Minister Day, and when it comes, wishing you all a happy and healthy New Year! I’m here with guest writer and best friend, Molly Dworsky! Hi from the both of us! [...]

Recap: Christmas

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

2011-12-29 17:08:00

It goes without saying that Christmas in Jamaica takes on a completely different feel than what we’re used to back home. No matter how much Christmas music we listened to or Christmas movies we watched, it was difficult to feel the ‘Christmas spirit’. In the US, the whole month of December is dedicated to the holidays. Christmas can be seen and heard everywhere –Christmas trees, lights, decorations, and music. Time is filled with Christmas activities –shopping, Christmas parties, baking, wrapping presents, and decorating. I know that many of us complain about how commercialized Christmas has become in the States –us included. But being abroad during Christmas for 2 years, we’re reminded of all the good still in the American Christmas season. We miss it, and we miss all of you that we’ve been away from during the ‘most wonderful time of the year’. As we’re getting ready to spend the 9 months after Peace Corps in a constant state of transition, we do know one thing about next year, ‘I’ll be home for Christmas, you can count on me.’

West Side Story

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

2011-12-28 17:39:46

27-12-11 West Side Story Last Wednesday, December 21, I finally went past the middle of the island. I left on the early bus from Somerset to meet Anika, Sandra, Viola, and Val at the Peace Corps office. You all at home should remember Anika from training cause she’s in charge for Green Initiative, Sandra is [...]

Christmas Day in Jamaica

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

2011-12-27 00:58:00

Nativity scene at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church

Christmas is a big celebration in Jamaica. The excitement is felt in the air in the weeks leading up to Christmas. On Christmas Eve the masses gather at Grand Market to do their Christmas Shopping. Celebrations go on all night and end around 7 or 8am the next morning. On Christmas day many attend church and have a big Christmas meal with chicken, pork and goat as the main dish.

My Christmas experience was wonderful. I ventured out on the 23rd during the day and caught some of the crowd and culture. I was intrigued by the Junkanoo characters that dance around the streets in their scary masks, pointing pitch forks and asking for money, all in good fun and a tradition from the past. I didnt have a camera to capture the Junkanoo but believe me they are some of the scariest masks I have seen. I spent Christmas eve with my host family helping bake traditional Jamaican fruit cake. It turned out really good! Christmas Day I attended church with my host family. I was so happy to see the alter decorated with a Christmas tree and Nativity scene. I hadn't seen many decorations or trees leading up to Christmas as I am accustomed to in the US. It made me appreciate the decorations all the more when they were put up on Christmas Day. I was so happy to finally sing some Christmas songs in Church on Christmas Day, as we had not sang any Christmas songs before then. I could listen to Christmas songs all year around I love them so much. Yay Christmas Carols to celebrate the birth of Jesus. After church we served communion to the sick who could not attend church that day. We were offered Jamaican fruit cake and Sorrel juice (traditional Christmas drink). Soon after I headed to Ocho Rios to celebrate with other PCV's on the beach. We caught some rays and soaked our cares away in the warm waters of Jamaica.

Recap: Family Visit

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

2011-12-22 17:54:00

We had four visitors this month from Julie’s family: Julie’s dad Tom, her brother Pete, her stepmom Tami, and Pete’s fiancé Robyn. We had an excellent time relaxing and enjoying time together, something we’ve obviously missed out on being in Jamaica.


Dad with his 'little men'

After spending the first half of their trip in Accompong, we headed off to Negril for the second half where we rented a beautiful villa on the water. This wonderful visit was almost too wonderful as saying goodbye, especially right before the holidays we would be spending apart, was really hard. We can’t wait for next Christmas that we can all spend together again.

The highlights:
Tom-playing football with some of the Accompong boys
Matt-playing ENDLESS games with Tom on his IPAD
Tami-getting some R&R, especially with the warm weather and swimming
Pete & Robyn- getting ENGAGED!!
Julie-spending quality time with her family

(one of) the happy couple(s)

The fall of dropping water, wears away the stone

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Jamaica Walk Good

2011-10-16 16:47:00

Hi there,

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth or gotten lost in the blue mountains hunting wild boar or stopped caring about keeping you all informed. But I have been working on my Peace Corps mandated Community and Sector Inventory Report for the last month or so and I finally finished it. I'm not going to get into the report or its contents... to be honest, I'm sick of it. But the time I spend on my computer, devoted to writing, can once again be channeled back to this blog.

Let's see, what can I fill you in on? I guess Ill just pick up where I left off...

To date, 5 out of the 8 trees we planted are still intact and growing strong. Only one of them didn't survive the transplant, the other two fell victim to the fact that Mrs Francis, the principal, forgot to notify the boys she hired to cut the grass in the school yard that there were young trees they needed to watch out for. It was sad to reach home from porty one afternoon to see two of them completely cut down. At least the school looks greats... it really does. I have high hopes for the rest.

With my help the Bellevue Benevolent Society completed the paper work required for its audit by the October 31st due date. It was a headache and a half but it got done. We haven't heard anything back from the gov so lets hope that no news is good news. We are taking slow but positive steps, one of which came with the group's election that took place this last week. One of the many rules they have been in violation of is the requirement to host an annual general meeting (AGM) to go over the state of the organization and hold elections if necessary. They hadn't held one since the inaugural meeting in 2005.

Having had the brief opportunity to work with the current leadership I was excited about the possibility of seeing the change but wanted to approach the situation delicately. I'm still new here and don't have a full understanding of the interpersonal relationships in this tightly knit community. I started to notice the discomfort amongst the group every time I brought up the idea of an election:

"But Mr. Johnson" I'd say, pointing to the "Official Government Business" envelope.

"The letter says that if we don't hold an election the society will be dissolved"

I'd quickly remember that he cant read and realized that repeatedly shoving the letter in his face was useless.

I was worried about putting myself in a situation that would cause division in the group. So, I put in a call to the office of Cooperative and Friendly Societies to see if they could send somebody out to facilitate the AGM, and sure enough they agreed. I spoke with the lady that was to come out a couple weeks in advance and she advised me on a few things I needed to help the group with to prepare for the big meeting. One of which was the formation of a nominating committee. The nominating committee was to be made up of 3 individuals in the group in good financial standing (a joke, seeing as the group hasn't collected a single dollar in dues since 2009 or so) to nominate people for the open leadership positions to be voted on at the AGM. The night before the election, the nominating committee asked to meet with me.

"Why?" I questioned... "This is your AGM, not mine" I explained. They pleaded still, and reluctantly I agreed.

We walked up the road and gathered on Mrs. Laynes darkened veranda. They wanted to share the list of nominations they had come up with for the new leadership of the Bellevue Benevolent Society; a group that had just received 8 million dollars to bring running water to the entire community. My blood began to boil as their list of nominees revealed the same exact leadership board that has brought the organization to the brink of implosion. In my mind I was thinking "are you ****ing serious?" but I had to maintain my composure. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't tell them who to nominate, I couldn't tell them who I preferred working with. Democracy, even though it appeared it was about to fail miserably, had to be maintained.

Trying to sound unfazed by the situation I cleared my throat and asked "so how did you come up with this list?"

The answer...

"We know that there are others who could do a good job, but we really don't want any contention in the group."

Hmmm...

I felt defeated. I ended the meeting as quickly as I could and went to bed.

After watching the morning NFL games on Yahoos stattracker I walked up to the school to meet the representative that was to help us with the meeting. She was an hour and a half late, of course, but by the time she showed up we had accumulated a pretty good showing. I started thinking that maybe we could get some nominations from the floor and that the nomination committee's list would be outvoted.

The election portion of the meeting was about to commence when the gov representative interrupted and announced that most of the nominations held by the nomination committee were disqualified due to a clause in the constitution that stated a maximum term limit. I had read over it a thousand times but I guess it never really sunk in. If I had known, I probably would have told the nomination committee during our little meeting the night before, but it was probably just as well the group was hearing it from the gov official and not from the Peace Corps volunteer.

I was relieved, to say the least. I believe the Benevolent Society actually has a fighting chance now... progress feels good... so does hope.

In other work related news we are well underway with the community's water project. I guess it officially started a few weeks ago when we invited the community out for a volunteer work day to bush the supply trail to the new dam. The terms of the grant require the community to contribute to the project by either cash or in-kind donations or by providing x amount of man-hours. Nobody here has money or much in the way of in-kind donations so we have to provide the labor. To my pleasant surprise, 29 people showed up with their machetes, ready to clear the muddy 3 mile trail to the new spring. It was an inspiring thing. I enjoyed every second of it.

My niche in the water project isn't bushing trails or carrying supplies, though. Most of my time is spent with the Project Management Committee (mostly new and old officers of the Benevolent Society) going over logistics, record keeping, project planning, BUDGETING, contracting etc... Imagine doing this without Excel, Microsoft Word, or the Internet. Sure, I have these tools at my disposal, but I'm only here for two years. Simultaneously adapting and teaching those skills in a "pre-tech" context has been challenging.

Beenie and I headed to work.

In fact, thats the word I would use to most accurately describe this project: Challenging. Surprise? no I guess not. I suppose people don't really join the Peace Corps for a cake walk. But the truth is, its been challenging in all the ways I never considered. And the truth is, the experience has challenged the way I think about the role of "the grant" in the developing world. The sound of clean running water flowing in a third world community brings warmth to the soul. It has the romantic appeal that carries many potential Peace Corps volunteers to developing countries around the world. For lack of a better metaphor, thats the Yin. Water projects in the developing world, however, cost money that is often provided by the developed world. And when you dump 8 million developed dollars into a community it has the potential to bring out the worst in people. Thats the Yang. Money can make people selfish, money can destroy friendships, and money can confuse the already delicate sense of community.

Laying Pipe.

Thats one of the many indicators that proves this is definitely not America. I would like to think that built in to the American identity is a sense of community, a sense of cooperation and an understanding of the possibility of what can happen when people work on something not for the purpose of personal gain but the sake of the group or the "greater good"... or christ, just cuz it feels good to work towards something bigger than yourself! How do you teach that? How do you teach that when nobody taught you? I've had the luxury of witnessing it. I've had the luxury seeing it succeed. Jamaica, has not.

If it sounds like I'm being critical, i'm not.... (well maybe a little, I'm not perfect). I can say, though, that the more time I spend here and the more time I spend on this water project, I'm starting to understand where this struggle for community cooperation comes from. I believe its rooted in the reality that since its formation, this community has spent every waking minute taking care of the basics: food, shelter, clothing, and a little cash. At the end of the day, there just isn't time for anything else. So what do you think happens when 8 million dollars is introduced to this mentality? Do you think people are going to all of the sudden start thinking about the community as a whole? Should they? Or do you think people are going to think about how 8 million dollars could maybe get them a little extra food, a better roof, and some new clothes. In other words, its not a selfishness based on greed. It's a selfishness based on necessity.... a selfishness I have NEVER had to understand before.

For me the verdict is still out. Right now, I believe that connecting 600 people to water is the greatest good. In my American brain, it outweighs the interpersonal conflicts that I witness everyday as a result of its installation. Running water is an indication of development right? Societies are better because of it... right? Sometimes I wonder if thats a delusion injected into the developing world by the developed world. After all, whats wrong with collecting your water from the spring every morning? People have been doing it for thousands of years just fine.

I think about this a lot. Probably too much. I've gotten pretty good at ignoring the internal argument for the purpose of my own sanity and my ability to be productive. I save it for when I have the time... usually before bed. I know I'm not going to figure this out today, or tomorrow, or maybe ever. But in the meantime I can pick up a shovel and take joy in the task at hand. The opportunities I've gotten to get my hands dirty with this project has resulted in some of the best fun I've had in my entire life. A couple Sundays ago I woke up at 5:00am to meet up with the mason that was hired to build the dam. The morning sun chased us into the bush as we carried the tools we needed to frame the dam with ply board and steel.

The "Dam". Its actually an entombment, not a dam. We are going to run a pipe from the spring into the entombment, and from the entombment to the main water line. This design, we decided was better than a straight dam that would likely get clogged with debris during heavy rains. We feel really good about this one.

Many Jamaicans assume that I don't know how to do things and are hesitant to ask for assistance with certain tasks. It would have been really easy for the mason to follow this trend (and it would have perfectly right of him to do so! I don't know the first thing about building a dam) But instead he handed me a bundle of binding wire and some wire cutters and told me to get to work. I spent the entire day tying steel for the dam frame. We had one guy bending the steel, the mason setting it in the desired pattern and me coming behind both of them tying it all together. Dale, the 4th member of the crew, spent the time cooking our lunch over a fire and under tarp. This, I later argued, was the hardest job, as it was raining the entire day. How he managed to make a fire out of wet bamboo, I will never understand. Furthermore it was one of the best saltfish and dumpling dishes I have had.

Enough about water and development philosophy. Before I sign off I will share some more pics.

Me, Rick, and Lebert cutting some sorrel for market. Sorrel is hibiscus flower that Jamaicans like to make juice out of during the holidays. Each flower has a seed pod in it that has to be cut out for it to be sold. The work is nothing too special but the conversations we have on the veranda are priceless.

Sorrel and Sorrel Seeds

I've definitely cut my finger a few times

Dumping the final product into the bag

Of course, I tried to make wine out of the stuff. Didn't have yeast on hand so I went with a natural fermentation. It worked, but along with the alcohol production I got a lot of other byproducts in the mix. I need to clean up my operation. I wanted to big up Gallo with this pic. As you can clearly see, I am making wine in my Night Train tank. Thanks Grady, you are the man.

Wine

Love you all, wishing you grateful Christmas from the land of wood and water.

Mark

It Come In Like Christmas: December

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

2011-12-21 13:35:11

19-12-11 Bear with me. This post is going to be super long. I’ve been back from the Early Service Conference in Ochi for two weeks now. Sorry for the delay in posts but life has been cRazY, in a good way. What is important to know is that I finished my report in time to have [...]

Recap: Reggae Marathon

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

2011-12-20 16:59:00

The only Jamaican marathon is held every December in Negril, and it has become somewhat of a tradition for Peace Corps Jamaica to participate and support this event. It includes a 10k, a half-marathon, and a marathon. This year Julie decided to run the 10k. Matt did not sit idly by, but rather was an active supporter. So active in fact, that every time Julie would go out to run, Matt would accompany by bike…4 times a week for 2 months, usually at 6am. And so supportive, that he woke up as well at 4:30 on Dec 3 to make it in time for the 5:15am race start. The race was a lot of fun, and although a 10k is by no means epic, but sharing the training and race experience with other PCVs was a great bonding experience.

the REAL housewives of Peace Corps Jamaica | G81

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Jamaica In Jamaica

2011-12-20 18:47:00

November/ December 2011

On the day before Thanksgiving, I had visitors from way back! John and Anita Zavacky from Hope College days stopped in Ocho Rios for an afternoon while on a cruise. We had such fun eating jerk chicken and pork and reminiscing. They also came bearing Christmas gifts for me and my students. How neat is that!
Thanksgiving this year included a real turkey! I had truly missed that last year. Quite an expensive treat, but thoroughly enjoyed, and I have turkey soup in my freezer still! Diann, Juanita, Patrice and Laura, all PCVs, came to celebrate on Saturday. And we had a wonderful time together. A time to reflect and appreciate our blessings and eat down home food!

My next adventure was to travel to Negril to volunteer at the Reggae Marathon. This is an internationally sanctioned marathon (and half marathon and 10k). At least a dozen Peace Corps volunteers and staff participated. Ann and I were lucky enough to be assigned to the finish line to help put medals around every finisher. We managed to get photos of most everyone as well. We had to report to our spot at 4AM- its pretty dark out then! We got done around 11AM and went straight for a swim in the sea! We were impressed with how efficiently the meet was run; runners from 28 countries were there! The rest of the weekend we enjoyed the 7 mile beach at Negril (really only 4 miles, but beautiful all the same!). Sunday noon we left for the 4 hour bus/taxi trip home. It’s funny how accepting we have become about the travelling here.

At school the 4th grade literacy exam re-sit was held Dec. 6. This was the last chance for some grade 6 students to pass this exam. School had been running special sessions for these students and having practice tests for them.
There are 3 components to the exam- vocabulary, comprehension and writing. Students must pass all three sections. There is a lot of pressure- on the school to show that they have a high % passing this exam on the first or second try, and on the students because not passing means they cannot go on to high school in grade 7. Students are only allowed to take the exam 3 times. If a child does not pass, they will be moved on to a special remedial program; sort of a junior high school. At the end of grade 8 they may take another exam and if they do well enough they can move to a high school. Here high school begins at grade 7 and goes until 5th or 6th form (grade 11 or 12)

The Ocho Rios East Rotary Club was officially chartered on November 16. The big topic is our charter ceremony- to be held Jan. 20th 2012. This will be a formal affair with dinner and dancing after. I am grateful for the financial support I have received from the Wallingford CT Rotary Club as well as friends and family. Otherwise I could not have afforded to become a charter member. We already have adopted the Ocho Rios High School Track and Field team as one of our projects. Some kids on the team are running barefoot- and there is need for nutritional food for them as well. We are collecting used running shoes- if you’re coming to Jamaica, bring a pair with you and I’ll see they get to the right place! Thank you!
Schools here run on 3 terms per school year, so term one ends just before Christmas holiday. The last 2 weeks at Breadnut Hill were full of activities- first came exams- for all grades even grade 1. Then we had a fair and a crowning of Miss Breadnut Hill that evening. The Miss Breadnut Hill was just like on TV- the 6 finalist had to model, give a talent (most of them sang, one said a poem), then they were each asked a question. There were 3 judges and then the crowning by the former Miss Breadnut Hill from 2009. Quite a production. This didn’t happen last year. Then on Tuesday, we had a school Christmas Carol sing. The school choir sang a few songs including my favourite- Go Tell it on the Mountain. Their version is one I had never heard before- I hope I can download it for you to hear! Each class did some song and the grade 6 students did the Christmas story. I really enjoyed this; very Jamaican. But I was frustrated and sort of disappointed about how noisy the students were. Only 1 teacher was even sitting with her class. It didn’t seem as if that is a teacher’s responsibility here. The principal would occasionally yell at the students but that only lasted a few minutes and then it was noisy again. School does not have a sound system- that had been stolen with the office computer last year. Wed. Dec 14 was a very rainy day and only 50 students (out of 240) even came to school. I had invited my 8 library helpers to an end of term thank you Christmas party on that day. Only 5 of them came to school, but we had a fun time. My daughter Carrie had sent, on my pleading, How the Grinch Stole Christmas DVD. We showed that to most everyone that day. Only 1 or 2 kids had ever seen it. It has such a wonderful message I just love it. There is no Santa Claus here, and Christmas trees are only in the big stores or around tourist areas. Then our principal announced to the teachers that school would resume on Jan. 9th not Jan. 3rd as scheduled. Seems so amazing that the date can be changed so informally and at such a late day! I also observed how there really was no instruction going on at school for any of the last 4 days. Seems like not the best use of student time.

I’m getting ready for Christmas now, and enjoying the down time!
Merry Christmas to you all!

Conservation in a changing climate

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Jamaica YouTube Videos matching query: "peace corps" "Jamaica"

2011-12-19 04:30:35

	Conservation in a changing climate Josh's research focuses on using social science to improve coral reef management. His interest in this field began in 1996 while working as a US Peace Corps Volunteer in the Montego Bay Marine Park in Jamaica, where he witnessed first hand how conventional conservation strategies were failing because they did not understand or reflect the social, economic, and cultural needs of resource users. He has since worked with coastal peoples in most major coral reef region of the world (Pacific Islands, South East Asia, East Africa, and the Caribbean) to better understand how socioeconomic factors influence the ways in which people use, perceive, and govern coral reefs. His work draws together a wide range of social science disciplines (including human geography, common property, anthropology, and conservation policy) and he often work closely with ecologists on interdisciplinary research topics. Increasingly his research is moving beyond the case study approach toward a 'big picture' comparative exploration of human-environment interactions.	From: CoralCoE Views: 0 0 ratings
	Time: 17:29	More in Science & Technology

Recap- Thanksgiving

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

2011-12-19 18:13:00

Alright, it’s been a while so let’s do a few recaps. First off: Thanksgiving.

Considering we were away from home, we had a great Thanksgiving this year. Another PCV’s immediate family was visiting for Thanksgiving, and graciously invited a few of us PCVs to join them for Thanksgiving dinner –quite the noble gesture; you have no idea how much PCVs, who’ve been living off of Ramen and generic mac & cheese for the past year and a half, eat.

We traveled to the North coast where the McDonald’s had rented a beautiful villa where we all would feast. And feast we did. We were lavished with a traditional Thanksgiving dinner (turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce,….), watched football all day on a 51” flatscreen with cocktails in hand, and enjoyed the company of each other as we took a relaxing break from life as a PCV.

A SERIOUS shout out to the McDonalds. Thank you for giving us so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

Miss Queensbury 2011

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Jamaica Jamaica Cree

2011-12-19 18:05:41

It is FINALLY over…thank God. Ha. Not that is wasn’t it fun “conditioning’ the ladies, but it is just nice to have another project out of the way. On a whole, the event was super successful! The girls’ opening number dance actually wasn’t too bad. CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO The quality of the video [...]

The Beach

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

2011-12-15 23:47:00

Mammee Bay, Jamaica
My senses were soothed ,with sand as soft as a bunny on my feet, warm gentle waves, and calming shades of blue. God is good.

It’s Beginning to Look More Like Christmas

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Jamaica Jamaica Cree

2011-12-15 00:33:52

I think my priorities are super messed up. Ha. Instead of getting food, I decided to get lights, a tree, and ordainments. I didn’t spend THAT much, but still. I have some money from my settling in allowance, so it’s all good. I’ll shop for food like soon. I don’t know when I’ll have time. [...]

Back fi Hit di Road (December 12)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Jamaica Jamaica Cree

2011-12-14 23:57:52

So after that awful trip home from Ochie, Saturday was pretty low key. I spent half my day doing my wash, then had to finish it on Sunday because there was too much for one day (at least for me). The girls had a practice for their opening dance this Saturday for the Miss Queensbury [...]

ESC (December 5-9)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Jamaica Jamaica Cree

2011-12-14 23:07:25

No, no, not ESCAPE, but Early Service Conference. If there are 2 things that PC loves it’s acronyms and paperwork! Good golly, do I get enough paperwork, ha. It’s all good. In any case, there are three conferences that staff holds with the volunteers: ESC, MSC (Mid-Service Conference), and COS (Close of Service). We officially [...]

Call Me Quinn/Reggae Marathon

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Jamaica Jamaica Cree

2011-12-14 21:51:19

So I haven’t updated in FOR-E-VER (think Sandlot, yyyeaahhh). I have decided to split the following topics up into different posts to make it easier to spread out and read. I know not EVERYONE (or anyone for that matter) has 30mins to sit and read my rambles, so yeah. Here’s the line up: -Reggae Marathon [...]

Meet the Tireless JASL Crew

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00