Monday I went to the launch of the OECS’s EU treaty with Mavis and Margo (our country director) and two other volunteers. Everything here has a launch first: a big show of important people with speeches. The Prime Minister and the Governor General were both there. It was interesting.
Tuesday was busy:
1) Remedial reading with the boys at Cayon Primary. I had a surprise visit from Francil (our PC school trainer) and apparently he was very impressed with my lesson and went back and reported to Mavis and Margo and told everyone on Friday, which made me smile.
2) Meeting with the head of AVEC, the vocational school in Basseterre. He wants me to help with the basic IT training class as a teacher's assistant and substitute. Not sure if I'm going to have the time for that sort of commitment, but I'm sitting in on a class next week to see if I can help out (I'm learning to be non-committal, still working on how to say no)
3) Weekly Diabetes Association meeting
4) Weekly SOS board meeting which ended around 8.30-9.00 yet I didn't get home till after 10.30 pm
Wednesday was my interview with Mavis. She’s apparently very happy with how I’m doing. I was telling her how happy I am working with SOS because I really like all the people I’ve met so far and how they’re an awesome group. Then I went on about how great everyone at the diabetes association is too. So she was like I don’t think it’s the groups you’re working with, I think it’s you. That was really nice =)
Thursday I spent the day visiting schools on the island with Mr. Bailey. We visit 5 schools that received books from For Granted (my old boss) and see how they were being utilized. One classroom had the kids reading while the teacher graded and it was adorable how they poured over the pages, trying not to let a single word or picture escape. What I came away with at the end of the day is how amazing it is that the simplest of things in life make all the difference.
Friday we lost another one of our volunteers. Evelyn, our oldest volunteer in her 70’s, decided that she wanted to go back home. We are all proud of her for making it this far and following her dream instead of being one of those people that sits at home saying ‘I would love to do that’. The swearing in ceremony is going to be bittersweet without three of our original members. I told Julie-Ann I would cry if she left. They’ll have to pry us both away after all that we’ve been through to get here.
Went to our first hash Saturday. Hash House Harriers, drinkers with a running problem. It was a lot of fun. Eddie stuck with me the whole time, we weren’t the last but we weren’t the first either. I think he slowed down a lot for me. Afterwards the people who set the trail had to sit in an ice bucket, and guzzle down their beer in one go while we all chanted down down down… whatever you didn’t finish you had to pour on your head. Then they called on all us ‘virgin hashers’. Geoff made sure to grab my purse before pushing me in, which made me think oh crap. We were baptized. In beer. It was hilarious. They made us get on our knees, and say our name real loud and poured beer on our heads and made us down our drinks. I tried with water but couldn’t finish it. I held my breath to make sure I didn’t swallow any but this is the most contact I’ve ever had with beer. It stings your eyes! Patty claims its good for your hair. Tiff, Will, Eddie (Eddie from SOS not Tiff’s) went to a pub in Cayon to try and catch the Cal-USC game but they only play east coast games here =( not cute. We stank like beer the whole night.
Sunday I went to a kid’s 2nd birthday party. There were jumping castles (that I was SO tempted to jump into), a guy making animal balloons, some face painters (I had, you guessed it, a penguin painted on my arm!) a piñata, some local street performer type dancers and A LOT of food. Oh I also saw a bunch of monkeys today =( Granny showed me her daughter’s restaurant out in Frigate and then was showing me her house and some of her other friends places, and there were three monkeys just liming like they owned the place. For the fact that I’ve been here six weeks I’ve done pretty well. Only 5 monkeys so far. Yes I’m counting. Don’t judge.
Side note: sorry these posts have ended up being insanely long, but that's what happens when you don't have regular internet access to be able to post more regularly. 12 days to move in day!
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