Little updates

The weekend before last I was over on Nevis for a Pink Lilly fundraiser at the Riviere House. It was a silent auction that I think went extremely well for a first time attempt. We were there till past midnight forming and filling out spreadsheets and coordinating all the information, but we pulled it off in the end. There is a lot of room for improvement but hopefully we learnt and will be able to pull off a better event next time!

Last weekend was Peace Corps Day on Nevis. It wasn't at all like the one in St. Kitts. Last minute it was switched over to a booth at the Agricultural Fair, meaning we basically had one table under a tent for all 17 volunteers and 4 staff members. Chris and Geoff decided to split us up into shifts, so we got to spend some time checking the rest of the fair out.

It's hard to believe these cute little mongoose were brought to eat all the snakes on the island...

And this little critter wanted to eat the cows haha

Yes, Kelsey is talking to the goats

He was by far the cutest kid that desperately wanted to answer a question and win some beads

Kelsey was obviously asking a very difficult question

Saturday was Chris's made up holiday- St. Scheister's Alcoholiday. Apparently its something he's done for around 5 years now? He made shirts for the day and everything. It's basically an all day party starting at 9.00 am with foosball, pool, swimming, food and all around fun. It was at a really nice estate...

 They turned an old sugar mill into their house, that's the entrance to the kitchen 

The gorgeous view from the top

Sunday was Julie Ann's birthday and it was also the St.Kitts-Nevis channel swim. I had a couple of friends actually take part including Tasha (I LOVE her), Royston, and Maggie. I was treating Julie Ann to the Marriott breakfast buffet for her birthday, and Miles offered us a ride on his boat over to St. Kitts that morning from Oualie (the beach all the swimmers were starting at). So we got a chance to wish Maggie good luck before heading over.  

This is what happens when Miles turns his back...

I was nice and gave him back his boat

Me passed out after the buffet

Blood is thicker than water

I think I'm in love.
Sophie sent her latest ultra sound and I can't stop marveling at the little profile and tummy and the arms and all the parts that make the miracle that is going to be my sister's first little bundle of joy. I don't think I can explain how excited I am to be an aunt. Or how much I already love my Pooh Bear (that's what we've been calling the baby). I can't wait for the diaper changes, and the baby sitting, and later the parks and zoos we'll go to and the strollers to walk and the swings to push (and eventually the baking we'll do together, hehe).
eeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!! I can't wait!

It's better to have something to remember than nothing to regret.

Thai food, driving, coffee shops, friends and family, sheesha nights, climate control, laker games, roomy cars, the gym, strawberries, bookstores,  mosquito-free evenings, good water pressure, organic grocery stores, dryers with fabric softener sheets, convection ovens, target, high speed internet, water from the fridge filter, ti-vo, sidewalks, yogurtland, haircuts, carpeting, customer service, electronic billing.

Before leaving for service, I contemplated the friends' weddings I'd miss, babies I’d meet after they were toddlers, holidays I’d spend away from family and milestones I’d miss out on while living in a foreign land. There were the jobs I couldn’t have. The money I couldn’t save. It was all a little overwhelming. Was the Peace Corps worth all that I’d be giving up?

Now I know. Yes. But I didn’t realize why until a fellow EC80er was sent back to the states. She wasn’t ready to go. There was regret and frustration, anger and I’m sure some tears. There was more to be done. And we're all going to leave feeling like we haven’t done enough. But I've realized our work here is lasting, and regardless of how much we manage to change, we can without a doubt, measure the things we’ve changed in ourselves. One of the most important things we’ve gained, is the true understanding of the value of time.

A year is more than dollars and cents. Than the number of stories written, weddings attended, minor accomplishments or pounds gained and lost. It’s about being touched by the kindness of strangers. About family and old friends who keep relationships strong even from an ocean away. And about new friends who understand almost exactly what I’m facing. It’s about seeing places I never thought I’d go and living a life I never imagined I’d have. It’s about overcoming obstacles. About learning to work within a mixed-up system, instead of always trying to fight it. It’s about hitchhiking and streupsing. About fitting in. Gaining patience and killing time. About having friendships here that are as real and as important as the ones I left at home. It’s about measuring my own successes in the faces and deeds of those around me. It’s about finding a second home in a place I never imagined I’d fit in.

But mostly it’s about valuing life more because I’m living better. About realizing that, even with the smallest pay check of my life, I’m able to live more richly than I ever have before. Maybe we are losing a whole two years. But what we’re gaining is so much more. A new understanding. A wider perspective. And a greater appreciation for the true value of those 2 years. In a funny way, nothing makes you feel more like a native of your own country than to live where nearly everyone is not.

Rain rain, don't go away. It's so hot, we need you to stay

I just went running in my neighborhood, and for the first time I had perfect timing. Just as I walked back into my house it started pouring outside. And for once, I'm loving how much its been raining the past couple of days. There was a slight drought earlier and the rain cools everything down so that its livable =)

Random, but you know you're a PCV when you know what animals are nearby without having to look down at the poop you just stepped into.

Peace Corps Day

Monday was the much anticipated Peace Corps Day, and I must say, it was a 'great success' =) We had three different booths, dedicated to each of our goals as an organization:

1. To help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women (Alisa & Tiffany)
2. To help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served (Kelsey & Will)
3. To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans (George & Anne)

 

  

Kids answering some of the trivia questions at goal one after reading some of Alisa's poster boards

 

Chris attempting to teach kids the difference between cricket and baseball

 

Me with all the technology while simultaneously watching over everyone's valuables

While there was a lot of room for improvement, for our first time coordinating an event like this we did pretty darn good. I made sure to make notes throughout the day for next year, so hopefully the 50th anniversary will be even more awesome. I'm already excited and planning! 

http://www.winnfm.com/news2.asp?NewsID=4264

 

As part of goal two, I taught the Women of Purpose to bake some good old American dessert, which they got to sell as part of their fund raising efforts. Practically all of Sunday was spent rolling out dough and mixing batter with the ladies. They learned to make apple pie, brownies and snicker doodles. It was absolutely adorable hearing Mavis try to say: snuckerdiddles, snugarduddles, snuggledoddles? 

 

 

The Friday before PC day we celebrated William Murray's birthday with a beach camp out at Banana Bay. Everyone brought some food (I brought cookies and cake of course). Will had requested strawberry rhubarb pie (the MOST unrealistic request for this island) but we had to make do with what I could manage from frozen strawberries =( Geoff and Kim have a portable grill so we had us some hamburgers.

 

  

Julie Ann and Royston trying to make a fire for s'mores 

Unfortunately, at the end of the beach trip my face looks like I walked through a bee hive because of all the bug bites I got. I think a different beach might be a better idea next time...

Ups and downs

My week was pretty full and exhausting, which I didn't realize until I sat down at dinner Friday night and one of my friends asked me what I had done. When I started going through the weeks activities, and her eyes slowly widened as I didn't stop talking for a while, I realized how much I had been up to. Regardless, the weekend was an extremely nice wind down.

Patty had a couple of friends visiting for a couple of days. They decided to rent a car so that they could get around easily, and since my place is on the way and way back from the city they were generous enough to pick me up and drop me off where ever we went. Friday night we went out to a nice dinner at Sprat-Net (I got some yummy Mahi-Mahi) and we got coffee at Rituals (I really wish it was closer and more accessible to me!) On Saturday we went to Brimstone Hill, had lunch at a random hole in the wall in Sandy Point, limed at Rawlins Plantation Inn, stopped by Anne's place to watch the sunset and then checked out Eddie's band and had dinner at Fisherman's Wharf. 

 

 Me and Patty at the top of the fortress

  

 I had to take this picture, very appropriate =) 

  

 One of the beautiful cottages complete with spiral staircase at Rawlins Plantation

  

 On Sunday we spent the day at Reggae Beach. This is Wilbur the famous 500 lb boar. I wasn't too keen on posing and sitting on him.

 

A gorgeous view of the southern peninsula

This coming Monday, March 1st is the official 49th anniversary of the day JFK started the Peace Corps. So for Peace Corps day we are having an event in Independence Square. Our hopes are to share the history of the Peace Corps as a volunteer organization both in the Eastern Caribbean and the world with the people of the federation. We are gearing the event around the three goals of the Peace Corps with informational booths, games, music and more.

One of my tasks for the day (including other things that have come packed full of frustrations), is setting up a live stream for the day. So hopefully (keep your fingers crossed!) on March 1st between 10.00 am and 5.00 pm you will be able to log on to the url below and see what we are up to right there and then =)

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/peace-corps-day-2010--st-kitts-nevis


On a side note, I feel like the bugs are having fun playing tic tac toe on my body because there are bug bites everywhere. I've also learned that I have no qualms about squishing bugs with my bare hands anymore. I'm still scared of roaches, but the rest of the bugs I think I can handle. I randomly clap my hands and scream with joy and triumph from having smushed a mosquito.

Women of purpose

Yesterday I had my first session with the Women of Purpose. It is basically a women's group at Mavis's church, the Grace Gospel Church. Ingrid works with them as well (it is on the other side of the island in her community). A lot of these women aren't working. Mavis was really excited when she found out that I know how to make cinnamon buns, and went back to the Women of Purpose to find out if they would be just as interested in learning how to bake all the things that aren't available here. And boy are they. After I gave my little presentation on all the different types of baking, I showed them even more pictures of all the things I've baked. It was so nice to see their reactions, they wanted the recipes for absolutely everything. If even only one of these women actually uses the skills I teach them to start a business venture, how amazing would that be? I would leave here feeling like I made a difference in at least one woman's life =)

Another project I've decided to take up is cleaning up the volunteer room at the PC office. Geoff told me how the volunteer room in Dominica is so much nicer and full of resources, and it made me wonder why on earth that's the case when we have so many more volunteers here in St. Kitts? In addition, I think we could really benefit from a proper binder/database full of useful information to serve as a handbook, from how to get in touch with media to where to shop for what. So that is going to be one of my pet projects I think. I'm going to try and get some of the other volunteers to help me out with actually cleaning up the office though.

I met someone who is extremely involved in the children's home here in St. Kitts. She was talking about how they need organizational strengthening and capacity building (bells in my head, that's EXACTLY what I'm here for). And it's a group I would absolutely love to help out, which I told her. So even if some of my other projects fall through, I'd love to dedicate as much time as possible to this. Hopefully Natasha (the very sweet Canadian Egyptian living here for over 10 years) will get the position of administrator of the home and we can work together on it.