My first visitors!

My mom and a couple friends visited me this summer. My first farin (foreign) visitors!!!

I was super excited. This happened right after MSC. The open water swim was after MSC too. My mom and I swam in the race. And we did great! I even got a small mention in the newspaper!

WEBSITE ON SWIM RESULTS.

It was so comforting to see my mom. We stayed at a hostel called Nix Na, a big three story colorful artsy place. And it’s a ten minute walk from 007 Beach. The same area where Ian Flemming wrote his books for James Bond.

We met up with Laura and Leah to go visit Kingston and traveled around there a bit. Everyone saw the Peace Corps Office, we saw Emancipation park, and we went to Tracks and Records. Tracks and Records is owned by Usain Bolt. The food was actually descent, I’ve heard mixed reviews. And I was happy to drink flavored Red Stripe Light. There is apple, ginger and lime. Red Stripe Light Ginger is delicious! 

But the best part was when I got everyone to visit Bellefield. This was the same day as my mom’s 53^rd birthday. It was the last week of school, and we got to the school right before lunch. I was able to ask a teacher to tell the students to sing her Happy Birthday. SO CUTE!!!!!

It was my mom’s favorite birthday I think anyways.

Laura and Leah played with the students during lunch time. All the kids at my school LOVED them!! Leah took pictures of everyone playing and such. She captured so much.

The most fun moments and the entirety of their visits went like a flash. I’m glad they came. 

( These photos are Leah's- and her great ability to capture my school, my town and emancipation park ( with the two nude bodies))

SKILLZ

Back from a four month? About? Hiatus. Of pure procrastination. Blogs are still odd to me. Add that with inconsistent internet and you have a person like myself!

After school finished I had Mid Service Conference. In where, a week at a comfortable hotel, we are taught more skills with our counterparts to assist in our service. I was taught Grassroot Soccer SKILLZ. With a z. It was energetic. There were two guys who trained all of us with enthusiasm and hilarious ice breakers. We were taught how to use soccer drills and games to teach about HIV/AIDS.

I thought that was weird too. But! It actually works!

How? You ask….

Well. Let. Me. Tell. You! There are 12 practices for each program. These practices address HIV/AIDS in different fun ways:

-          Dribble the ball around cones that are represented as risky behaviors, if you hit a cone on the first round- do a punishment ( jumping jacks), on the second round- your whole team does the jumping jacks, and the last round- all teams do the jumping jacks. This shows how if one person gets affected it starts with them, but then grows to affect their community, then expands to the country.

-          Another practice was how to ID an HIV positive person- this is where the kids lined up in a Wall (shoulder to shoulder) and had to pass a small ball behind them and the opposing team had to guess who has it when the coach says stop. This shows that you may not know who has the ball (or HIV!)

My counterparts and I did the camp at the school- and I thought it was a great success. When school begins in September, we’re going to try to do this then too!

Happy March 14.(159...and a million numbers after) Day

Today marks a year of living in Jamaica! I did take two weeks for Christmas. So 50 of the 52 weeks I have been some where about the island J There are days that I forget I am in a foreign country with the exports that are sold here. Then I look at the price tag. A year ago, the USA dollar = 83 JMD. Now a year later the Jamaican dollar has weakened to 96JMD…and rising. :/

I have learned so much about myself and about the conflicts of Jamaica. And so many of these issues are very linked. Alas, I am one person and do as much as one individual can do. The ultimate hope is that I can affect someone who will be able to pass it forward.

me march 2012 getting my mosquito net and standard medical kit:

me now with government issued friends patting our hair:

So cheers to a year gone. And a little over one year more to look to in opportunities for change.

And now, here’s a video of Bringle. He’s grown…and eats a lot. And likes to play with his plastic food bowl after then tear it to pieces. I know, I know, I'll get a metal one....eventually.

Oh, one more thing, Happy Pi Day. ( March (3), 14^th= 3.14159….)

High Mountain Coffee Run 5k and 10k

On the 27^th, there was the 30^th anniversary of the High Mountain Coffee 5k & 10k. It was held at the town just below mine. A big deal it was, let me tell you! I signed up for the 5k. I began training right away. From my house, you either go up the hill, or down the hill. About three times a week I would run up the hill to strengthen my legs. At first, I ran only 3 minutes before wheezing and walking. Then I continued up the hill for another 12 minutes. Every day I ran, the continual upward hills got easier. By the second and third days of running, children from my town began running with me too! That was cool. When I leave my house, I run a couple of minutes before reaching the next upward cluster of residential space. Small picknee are out playing and as they see him coming up, they join. The little ones run with me and we do sprints. Once they get tired enough (which takes time- they got energy!) I continue as older picknee join and we are all running together up and up and up! ( myself and fellow pcv who did the 10k)

On race day, I was nervous but ready! The 5k is mainly local high school track students. And me. When the horn blows, the HS’ers are gone- however by the first minute they slow down, and everyone is pacing. By the 2nd mile, there are groups of them walking. I ran the whole way. As they see me pass, they sprint forward and pass me. This happened all the way to the finish line. I was so annoyed! Either run or walk. Like any race you need to keep a solid pace. Not sugar crash. Sigh. I encouraged the walking HS’ers in good sport anyways.

I got 79^th out of 214, 9^th female to cross the line, and first female who was over the age of 20(like I said, highschoolers, haha). And I went a personal best of 23.38. I am proud of myself. Another PCV ran too. He ran the 10k. He did well, going 56 minutes. And the 10k has the steeper climbs in comparison to the 5k. Next year I will set my sights on that. 

After the race, there were booths set up from sponsors and vendors-galore. People from around the area came out, dressed up and enjoyed the social setting. There were students from my primary school there as well as teachers. Everyone had their family out and about on the field that had the festivities.

Jamaica Football Federation - Grassroots Festival

A couple weekends ago I went to a Grassroots Football Festival with my counterpart in Mandeville. It was great! I learned a lot. It was held at a large football field and Digicel (a phone provider) along with the Jamaica Football Federation and other supporters set up shop for the expected 100 children and 20 or so coaches/volunteers.

The coaches (including moi) had a little inspirational workshop on how to take what we learned of football and having fun into our own communities. Football should be fun…Especially at the primary level. Attract children to sports and let them develop the skills at a young age in a way that keeps them smiling.  As we were told:

I hear. I forget.            I see. I remember.                I do. I understand.

And that applies for everyone- but with children, the world is a big playground of experiences. As adults, we are there to guide them through that play field (below are the kids, myself, and my counterpart took from our primary school). 

and the mouse

Now I have a mouse living in my kitchen. I think we (my host mom and I) found its dwelling. There is a small hole in the doorway of my kitchen. I got rat block, which is a blue crumbly stuff that apparently tastes good to mice, but its poison. I suppose it would be like having free alcohol for people if people were mice. And then the mice ingest it all up and die.

While cleaning up my dishes from dinner, I saw the little dude lightly running behind my sink! The little punk! So I’m wondering if there is a team. Well it’s been a week and no show of any mice. So I hope those are gone too.

fin. 

Lentils and the Lizard

After cooking some lentils for dinner, I removed them from the pot and drained them in the colander. I placed the pot back on the stove to cool down. After dinner, I forgot to turn off the gas clasp on the tank. When I did, I saw a little lizard. It was unmovable by the tank. As if I didn't see it.

So here’s the deal Lizard, I was talking to the lizard, see. If you agree to eat the bugs that manage to get in to the house, I will let you live. Then I walked away. Not a minute later I hear a clang as it jumped to the mini oven. Then trying to see where it went, it sneaked up to my empty pot! The dang little dude was clasped around the edge. I talked to it again. Yea, you gotta go.

So as I reached toward it, it jumped to my kettle. I took the kettle outside and gave it a little shake. It jumped and that was that. 

The next day however, I found it again! This time it jumped on me after I got out of the shower. At that point -after I wrapped up in a towel. I managed to shoo it out of my bedroom. And thankfully I haven’t seen that one since.