Life skills skills

Several events have happened since the last post. So here's a quick update. I shadowed a current Peace Corps Volunteer last week, in St. Elizabeth parish. I was near the coast, but the PCV lives in the mountains overlooking Treasure Beach in the distance. It's quite rural, with green lush spaces between each house and fruit trees scattered in which people can just pluck an apple if you wish. I saw how it is to work with children in the Phys Ed field for a day there. I played the 100 yard scream game with the kids. We worked with 1st graders, 2nd graders and 5th graders last Tuesday. The school is small and has two buildings. Both of which house several grades, separated by a wall divider. The closeness of space and the multiple voices of teachers and students can be distracting for students. Back to the scream game. The kids are to give out one big scream as they run. Once they run out of that one scream, they must stop.

Physical Education isn't consistent in these kids lives, so when explaining how to play this game and even telling the kids how to stretch is new and confusing. Such requests as spread out arms distance from each other, is confusing. So patience is big. Overall, the three day experience got me revved up to go out to my site-to-be! (which is still unknown to me...but sooonnn!!)

I also got to visit the Agriculture and Environmental group last weekend in Woodford. The view from Woodford in picture above. Woodford is beautiful! It's in higher elevation than Stony Hill, and therefore cooler. Getting to see people I haven't seen for weeks was refreshing. The group there is having a blast growing plants. I got excited hearing about their excitement. All in all, a good day trip, and not too far. We took 3 different modes of transport up; a JUTC (greyhound) bus, another bus and a taxi. The taxi drove up and twisted through the mountains curves, which gave a gorgeous view all the while thinking you were going to tumble down the mountains because of the driving. But I'm alive and well, so no worries, haha. (below, the other three YAP kids walking up the road to meet with the Green Initiatives.)

Now, today, the Youth As Promise (YAP) group went to LEAP, meaning Learning for Earning Action Program, me thinks. It is a place where teens go who had a difficult time with high school instead go here to learn a certain skill. It's mainly boys, but there are girls who attend the program too. YAP trainees seperated the 50 students into smaller groups. I, and two other trainees worked with 14 boys aging from 16-18 years old. We started with some HIV/AIDS info. We played a hot potato game with pieces of paper crumpled, layered like onion. This became the hot potato. The paper pieces held a number which decided which trivia question to ask the unfortunate holding the molting ball of paper. The boys did a pretty good job of knowing safe sexual health practices. From HIV/AIDs info, we discussed a life skill. Goal making! I asked these boys who their role models are and how did they become successful, and they ranged from music artist Vybz Cartel (currently in jail) to God. I know, quite range. 

From there we led to short term and long term goals. As a group we worked on their career goals. The boys I worked with are currently learning how to become a shoe maker, an electritian, a visual artist, or work in food preparation. We talked and played games in getting their noggins going on how, why, when,which way they're going to achieve their goals. It was inspiring to hear them talk about how they can work toward their career jobs and how their faces show pride in the work they do at LEAP. The boys who are learning shoe making wore the shoes they made. They look like Clarks! One boy had a toothbrush and would brush his shoes when they scuffed. It was clear he wanted to keep his work well taken care of. 

 By the time the YAP trainees got back to the bus, we all felt accomplished. The 5 small group sessions we led were all successful. The LEAP boys and couple of girls were responsive, respectful and fun. Days like today make me feel more prepared and ready to impact more lives. Tomorrow, we learn more skills on life skills. And I'm ready. 

One Month Mark

How yuh do?

It's been a month of training and learning and heat and salutations. Now from Hellshire, the Youth Development crew is at Stony Hill. This city is bigger than Hellshire, but I miss the closeness Hellshire gave. Yet the weather here is as refreshing as the view I get to see from my window every morning.

Stony Hill's community is spread among the hills and surrounding mountains. In the center of the community are two patty restaurants. Tastee and Juici. Juici has a vegetarian option, however is also located by the bus stop. This was a learning experience last week when a PCT and I almost got hauled into a bus. Aggressively I might add. There are people who try to fill up the bus as much as possible before it heads away. Therefore we were just numbers to the pile. We pulled ourselves out of the beeline towards going somewhere we didn't want to go. I know how to better ground myself when I'm near Juici patty. Not to mention just simply walking around the bus stop to get my occasional veggie patty.

There is also a supermarket and several churches in the community as well. The supermarket is well stocked. Though so is my house here. My host dad is an avid cook. We also have banana and coconut trees on the property. Several PCT's have families that have their own garden of greens. All of this natural from the ground goodness makes it easy to eat well. Yesterday for dinner I had Rundown Mackerel. It's a coconut creamy sauce on mackerel. deeelicious.

This past weekend was Easter holiday! I hope everyone had a wonderful time with family. We had Friday through Monday off. This four day weekend gave me a chance to travel! Well first I went to service with my host family for Good Friday. It was awesome. The pastor was well spoken and after the 2 and a half hour service I got to meet some of the congregation. I appreciate the closeness of the church goers here. People stay and chat for such a while after service too, just calmly catching up. Saturday night I went out with some PCT's because it was Ity's birthday! Ity's real name is Claire, but we call her Ity. Anyways, we went out to a club in Kingston with some of our young adult home stays. Then Sunday was Easter! Monday a handful of us went to Dunn's River in Ocho Rios.

We left in the morning and got to Ochie before lunch. We went in with resident passes ( which is cheaper than tourist passes, yay!) and then blended in with the crowds of cruise tourists. A Carnival Cruise stopped at Ochie. And boy, can you tell a tourist. Little bit of pinkness from the Caribbean sun, and then the others who obviously had Carnival ponchos. I've become so accustomed to being here in a month I forget the color of my skin. haha!  The picture above is the falls and I'm in the pink shorts with the tarheel blue bandana on my head.

Oh. I forgot to mention. IT WAS POURING THE WHOLE TIME. The rain went on the whole day. But it did not damper our spirits to walk the falls. Its the only waterfall that enters the ocean directly. It's beautiful and so fun to climb! I suggest people go there and try it!

Today is my host dad's birthday. He is now 60! But what's crazy is he looks 50. So serious. I have found people in Jamaica hide their age well. How fortunate right!? A couple children of his have come into town to celebrate his party this weekend. I'm excited for the weekend. He has boxes of records and loves country music, so I anticipate hearing his favorites.