Tuesday June 2, 2009
Today we traveled to Belmont. We left Summerset around 9:30 am and said goodbye to Pam, Cody and Carrie because their flight leaves on Wednesday. The remaining seven of us loaded in a van driven by Bigger whose place we will be spending the night at. The drive was the same route that we took to Mayfield falls except for a different turn after going through Savlamar. The scenery was as always gorgeous but the poverty could be seen all around. Along the way their were small road side shacks that were bars, stores, souvenir shops, and homes; which ranged from some very nice homes to some shanties. We reached Belmont which is a fishing village and the ocean is right there. The first thing that I noticed was the quietness of the place. We are use to all the hustle and traffic around Negril that when we arrived it was like getting back to nature. No one hassled you to buy anything it is a very quite community, and so relaxing. During our visit we did a bushwalk to see how the Jamaicans farm. It was quite interesting, Ian was our guide, he is a Rasta who farms in Belmont. We walked to his farm which was mostly flat but it was still mountain climbing. It is interesting that if the land has any fruit tree on it you cannot farm the ground because that means that it belongs to someone. So they use machetes and axes to clear the land. The problem with the land here is that there is so much limestone so clearing an area can be difficult. During the eight hours we spent in the bush – and I do mean eight hours, the walk to his farm was close to an hour walk. Along the way he pointed out different fruit bearing trees, herbs that they use for different elements, a charcoal burn pile; which they sell for money, and a natural spring. The path getting to his farm was fairly easy and you will understand why I say this after I explain the entire trip. Along the way we saw ganja growing one for seeds the other was just female plants. It was just amazing going up the mountain, but I did not realize what a mountain was yet. As we walked there are paths that we were able to follow which made this part of the journey much easier – again just wait. I had to stop along the way as these legs just are not as strong as they use to be and the elliptical did not get me in shape for this. With sweat dripping from me from places I never new I could sweat we made it to the flat areas of his farm and all I could remember is that he does this about two to three times a day – no wonder these mountain people are in such good shape. He had banana trees, yams, ackie, pumpkin, squash, watermelon, bread fruit trees, pimento trees which are the only tree that they use every part of, and so much more. He had one of his friends up at the site with a fire going with bread fruit roasting. A small protection shelter was built to keep cover during rain, which we had while we were there so we all huddled up to keep dry. The cook made some of the most amazing soup and some of us had tea while other tried the fresh squeezed lime juice. The soup was made from everything from his garden. It had pumpkin, yams, potatoes, carrots, bread fruit, boiled in water. Coconut milk was added and then we made dumplings to drop in the soup. I loved it he had a pepper in it that gave it a little kick but he took it out before serving. I do not think I have ever had soup that was hot all the way to the bottom but this was. We talked about the barrels that he has which he catches rain water in order to water his crops; otherwise, he carries water from the natural spring in order to keep his garden growing. They do not use the same land each year when farming because they do not want to pull all the nutrients out of the land so each year they have different land that they try to clear but as long as the land has a fruit tree on it another farmer cannot farm that land, so they always have another part that had been cleared in an earlier year to go to. Now although I say the land was flat it was not a smooth surface at all. You had to watch every step and as we walked I kept seeing these large holes I finally asked about them because I was not sure what was living in them. Crabs are what I formed these holes and we were to go crabbing later in the day so I was wondering exactly how you go crabbing. After the rain stopped we headed out. He took us a shortcut – so he said – and we walked through the bush with him using his machete to cut down as we walked. It is amazing that he knew where we were going because we walked for miles. We were all wondering how this could be a short cut but we got the full experience of what they go through. This is a path that he takes but he had not been this way in over two years so imagine the overgrowth. I had a few choice words along the way especially getting caught in a sticker bush. We were all trying to help each other and it was truly a team bonding experience. We made it to the road after what seemed to be twice as long as it took to get to his farm. My leg was bleeding from scratches, but I was not the only one and we kept wondering how this was a short cut. We walked down the road a little way and came to a small river that runs from the mountain. So down to the river we went and I tried to walk on the river bed but the rocks were killing my feet so I put my tennis shoes back on and got them soaking wet. There were some amazing places that you could place yourself along the different falls get totally relaxed. The water in some of the areas was ice cold but it was like getting a massage and it felt wonderful after the bush walk we just had. As we started up the different levels there were two local having sex against the full body fall. She at least put her clothes back on while we passed. After going through the water Libby called Bigger to pick up us. We were so relieved. We got back and we were all exhausted. Bigger’s wife made dinner for us which we all enjoyed. Crabbing out of the question I don’t think any of us had the energy to walk any further. I was the first to turn in for the evening; all I can say is what a day. – RESPECT (so appropriate for this experience as I have all the respect in the world for what they do on a daily basis). Tomorrow Caledonia.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Monday - Free Day
Monday June 1, 2009
Today is a free day all day. I chilled out at the Thatch house all morning trying to get caught up with my writing. Had breakfast and went back to writing. I had lunch here and then Pam, Cody and I caught a cab and went to Margaretville. This was the same cab driver that we had going to Mayfield Falls so it was great. We decided to be tourist in the smallest of ways. We met up with Libby and Carrie who had left earlier that morning. We were given a lounge chair and chilled out watching the boats pull couples doing parasailing. They had trampolines out on the water which of course we had to try. Spending time on the beach with the beautiful blue water is fantastic; I don’t think I have seen water this clear and blue before. A rain shower started so we went up and took a seat in the cabana. Cushions and pillows – it was so comfortable. We had a Jamaican man who came up to us wanting to sell us bracelets and rings. He was making them out of telephone wire and it was quite interesting to watch him. He gave us each a ring to say welcome to Jamaica and in turn we all gave him a 100j. Pam, Cody and I stayed until the sun set and then we walked the beach back to the roundabout to catch a taxi. The walk was wonderful. Hardly anyone was on the beach, the waves coming to shore, the music playing and the lights of Negril shining in the distance. I could get so use to this. We made it to the roundabout and caught a taxi – I got dropped off at brown sugars because that is where Dustin was. We stayed at this little shop for a while. Ms. Mae – who has had a stroke, runs it. We talked to a local that Dustin had become good friends with when he was an undergraduate student. In the early 1990’s there was little traffic here and very few taxis. It is hard to imagine how much things have changed here in such a short amount of time because the cars are everywhere now. You use to ride bicycles to get around and now I would be scared to death to try and ride a bicycle down the main road. The talk was quite interesting and I loved listening to him. Libby, Dustin and I were the last to leave, we caught a taxi and back to Summerset we headed. Was really tired and still had to pack for our next two days. We leave around 9:30 – 10:00 Tuesday morning for Belmont and then on to the mountains on Wednesday. A change of scenery will be nice but I will miss our house and the people we see everyday. New journeys are always interesting so I am looking forward to it. Peace.
Today is a free day all day. I chilled out at the Thatch house all morning trying to get caught up with my writing. Had breakfast and went back to writing. I had lunch here and then Pam, Cody and I caught a cab and went to Margaretville. This was the same cab driver that we had going to Mayfield Falls so it was great. We decided to be tourist in the smallest of ways. We met up with Libby and Carrie who had left earlier that morning. We were given a lounge chair and chilled out watching the boats pull couples doing parasailing. They had trampolines out on the water which of course we had to try. Spending time on the beach with the beautiful blue water is fantastic; I don’t think I have seen water this clear and blue before. A rain shower started so we went up and took a seat in the cabana. Cushions and pillows – it was so comfortable. We had a Jamaican man who came up to us wanting to sell us bracelets and rings. He was making them out of telephone wire and it was quite interesting to watch him. He gave us each a ring to say welcome to Jamaica and in turn we all gave him a 100j. Pam, Cody and I stayed until the sun set and then we walked the beach back to the roundabout to catch a taxi. The walk was wonderful. Hardly anyone was on the beach, the waves coming to shore, the music playing and the lights of Negril shining in the distance. I could get so use to this. We made it to the roundabout and caught a taxi – I got dropped off at brown sugars because that is where Dustin was. We stayed at this little shop for a while. Ms. Mae – who has had a stroke, runs it. We talked to a local that Dustin had become good friends with when he was an undergraduate student. In the early 1990’s there was little traffic here and very few taxis. It is hard to imagine how much things have changed here in such a short amount of time because the cars are everywhere now. You use to ride bicycles to get around and now I would be scared to death to try and ride a bicycle down the main road. The talk was quite interesting and I loved listening to him. Libby, Dustin and I were the last to leave, we caught a taxi and back to Summerset we headed. Was really tired and still had to pack for our next two days. We leave around 9:30 – 10:00 Tuesday morning for Belmont and then on to the mountains on Wednesday. A change of scenery will be nice but I will miss our house and the people we see everyday. New journeys are always interesting so I am looking forward to it. Peace.
Sunday Service
Sunday May 31, 2009
Up early – no surprise. Today we are going to church as there is a special presentation for Reverend Doctor Fowler. She has completed her Phd degree and is being honored. We leave Summerset at 10:30 and head to the church which is right by the school. A small church made of stone – nothing fancy. Services finally start and we are all welcomed, everyone was so nice and accepting of us. The service was a little longer then what I had expected. A walk down the isle to shake hands with everyone, singing of hymens, following scripture reading, we made it through the service and after words they had a big buffet put out for the occasion. A lot of the students that we had been working with came so we got to spend a little more time with them. We headed back to Summerset and the time was around 3:30 so the service and lunch had taken up most of the day, so we went back to Summerset and relaxed before going out for a group dinner. Dwayne came and went down to Yvonne to make fish and crackers, since we were having a group dinner I had to pass but asked him to bring some back to me because I really wanted to try it he is an amazing cook. We went to a small eatery not far from us on the main road. I am about the only one on the trip eating meat so I had the fish and as always it was excellent. As we were setting there Dwayne, Pam and Cody were walking by and he dropped off a container to me – fish and crackers – when I got back to Summerset I shared them with Boomblast. It was really good to my surprise – the crackers are steamed with the fish to make them soft but they hold up somehow and you put the fish on them. I ate a few and let Boomblast finish it. We talked for awhile, and then I turned in for the night. Learning about culture by immersing yourself into another culture and being accepted by that culture to let you into their lives if just amazing. I have come to know so many people here and I am already realizing that with less then a week to go it is going to be hard to say goodbye. Yah Man!
Up early – no surprise. Today we are going to church as there is a special presentation for Reverend Doctor Fowler. She has completed her Phd degree and is being honored. We leave Summerset at 10:30 and head to the church which is right by the school. A small church made of stone – nothing fancy. Services finally start and we are all welcomed, everyone was so nice and accepting of us. The service was a little longer then what I had expected. A walk down the isle to shake hands with everyone, singing of hymens, following scripture reading, we made it through the service and after words they had a big buffet put out for the occasion. A lot of the students that we had been working with came so we got to spend a little more time with them. We headed back to Summerset and the time was around 3:30 so the service and lunch had taken up most of the day, so we went back to Summerset and relaxed before going out for a group dinner. Dwayne came and went down to Yvonne to make fish and crackers, since we were having a group dinner I had to pass but asked him to bring some back to me because I really wanted to try it he is an amazing cook. We went to a small eatery not far from us on the main road. I am about the only one on the trip eating meat so I had the fish and as always it was excellent. As we were setting there Dwayne, Pam and Cody were walking by and he dropped off a container to me – fish and crackers – when I got back to Summerset I shared them with Boomblast. It was really good to my surprise – the crackers are steamed with the fish to make them soft but they hold up somehow and you put the fish on them. I ate a few and let Boomblast finish it. We talked for awhile, and then I turned in for the night. Learning about culture by immersing yourself into another culture and being accepted by that culture to let you into their lives if just amazing. I have come to know so many people here and I am already realizing that with less then a week to go it is going to be hard to say goodbye. Yah Man!
Monday, June 1, 2009
Mayfield Falls - Saturday
Saturday May 30, 2009
Mayfield falls today. We left around 10:30 and drove for about an hour and a half. Driving towards the mountains was just beautiful. We had a van and a car that took all of us. Pam, Carrie, Cody and I all went in the car with the other six in the van. The sites were something else and we went through several small towns. The one thing that I noticed is that they still use the really large dish here for their televisions. They do not have the small dishes like we now have for Direct TV or Dish TV and they seem to be everywhere. We seen small shanty’s all along the way along with some beautiful homes and one that was built in a tree that someone actually lives in. Our driver was great and pointed out the different trees that they get food from such as Bread Fruit, Mango, Banana Trees, Pecan Trees, Orange Trees and so many more. He explained so much to us and his wife was from the area that we were traveling through in the mountains so he seemed to know everyone. We seen pineapple growing along the road and Pam made the comment that she thought they grew on trees; I have to admit that I too was unaware of them growing on the ground. We all had a good laugh. Air Supply playing and we were all singing along and having a great time. We passed farming land where you seen sticks in neatly arranged rows with vines growing on them along the hillside. They were yams and they do this to keep the vines from spreading. We went from a paved road to a gravel road that every once in a while had some more pavement. Along the way the drivers pulled off to show us the pumping stating that pushes the water to the people. A lot of the community members in the mountains do not have water running directly to their houses so we seen a lot of them carrying large jugs to the water spout to get their water. Many of them go down to the creek to bath. There were about 15 or so as we were leaving getting ready to get into the creek. Finally a sign the states This Way to the Real Mayfield Falls. Up a gravel road to the top the scene was just amazing. We all loaded out of the vehicles and headed down a steep hill to the collection of small buildings. Going down was easy but I was dreading the walk back up. We paid for our entry fee and I rented water shoes. They now have Crocks that they rent out which Dustin said is much better than what they had last year. After changing and having all of our belongings locked up we headed out with two guides and an individual who was taking pictures and video taping us. We walked across a bamboo bridge which was quite interesting and then down some very narrow steps. We made it to the riverbed. There is so much tree cover that you did not need to worry about sun screen. The water was cold but once in it felt great. We made our way up the river through all the rock bed. There were some large rocks so you had to really watch your footing. The power of the water would push you back as you tried to mover forward. As you walked it would get deeper and before we knew it the water was over our heads in some places. We stopped at an area were we could jump off a small hill into the water – oh I tried everything. There were spots that you could try and hold your position while the water flowed down on top of you. It felt great on the neck but trying to hold your place was difficult because the current of the water coming down was so forceful. One of our guides was crazy, but he knew where every deep spot was and he would take off running and dive in. The amazing part about him was he did not wear any shoes I guess he was just use to it. We came to a spot where they had two different platforms in a tree. One of the platforms was at a reasonable height but the other one actually scared the crap out of me watching these guys jump. I know it was a deep pocket of water but it is still a river bed and rocks were close to the area that they were jumping and diving into. We then got to another area that has small caves you can swim throw and yes I had to try this also. I had my contact in so opening my eyes was out of the question so the guide counts to three pushed you under the water and then gives you a shove through the rocks and follows behind you. So much fun we were all laughing and cheering each one on. Not everyone tried it all but we loved watching each other. This would be the perfect first trip for a group coming because it builds team work you are constantly helping each other through the river bed and up small inclines to move forward. We made it to the biggest falls where you can walk under them and then come out with the force of the water all around you. We were able to get everyone behind the falls it was great. On the walk back Rebeckah, Jennifer and I were walking with one of the guides and he was showing us all the plants that they use as herbal medicine and explained what they were used for. There is one plant it looks like a really small fern that when you tough it the leaves close up towards the stem. He explained that owners of slaves would put this around their property and if a slave tried to run off it gave them a direction of where to go and they could follow these plants to capture the slave. Ganja growing wild and then we stopped and he went and picked us some apples. They were red apples but completely different from what we have at home. They are a pear shape and have a completely different texture and are tart similar to a Granny Smith. Had a blast at Mayfield falls and we decided to get the Video and Pictures that they took. Between all of us it will only be $10.00 a person so that is not too bad. One the drive home the driver stopped and we talked to a lot of locals. They had had a funeral and a lot of them were walking back home. One of the little girls just wanted to touch me, I don’t think they see many white people in the mountains. It was and amazing trip but we were all exhausted as walking through the current of the water just really wore you out. We relaxed coming back to Summerset then left for dinner. The walk was long and we passed several places that we had ate at before but tonight we went to Three Dives, and along the walk we were on one side of the road and passed by a few bushes and trees. As I went past one tree I realized that there was someone sitting on the wall, I only caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of my eye, it was really eerie. But we made it and as always the local food was excellent and I am so hooked on the jerk seasoning. I ordered two pounds of it from Gladstone and when he delivered it on Friday the smell of it was everywhere. I gave one pound of it to Dwayne one of the students at Theodora who is an excellent cook – after all he made the fish tea which is soup here. We made the long walk back to Summerset and in for the night. Tomorrow we will be attending church because they are having a special service for Reverend Fowler as she is now addressed as Reverend Doctor Fowler. Two weeks it is hard to believe – the time is passing so quickly!
Mayfield falls today. We left around 10:30 and drove for about an hour and a half. Driving towards the mountains was just beautiful. We had a van and a car that took all of us. Pam, Carrie, Cody and I all went in the car with the other six in the van. The sites were something else and we went through several small towns. The one thing that I noticed is that they still use the really large dish here for their televisions. They do not have the small dishes like we now have for Direct TV or Dish TV and they seem to be everywhere. We seen small shanty’s all along the way along with some beautiful homes and one that was built in a tree that someone actually lives in. Our driver was great and pointed out the different trees that they get food from such as Bread Fruit, Mango, Banana Trees, Pecan Trees, Orange Trees and so many more. He explained so much to us and his wife was from the area that we were traveling through in the mountains so he seemed to know everyone. We seen pineapple growing along the road and Pam made the comment that she thought they grew on trees; I have to admit that I too was unaware of them growing on the ground. We all had a good laugh. Air Supply playing and we were all singing along and having a great time. We passed farming land where you seen sticks in neatly arranged rows with vines growing on them along the hillside. They were yams and they do this to keep the vines from spreading. We went from a paved road to a gravel road that every once in a while had some more pavement. Along the way the drivers pulled off to show us the pumping stating that pushes the water to the people. A lot of the community members in the mountains do not have water running directly to their houses so we seen a lot of them carrying large jugs to the water spout to get their water. Many of them go down to the creek to bath. There were about 15 or so as we were leaving getting ready to get into the creek. Finally a sign the states This Way to the Real Mayfield Falls. Up a gravel road to the top the scene was just amazing. We all loaded out of the vehicles and headed down a steep hill to the collection of small buildings. Going down was easy but I was dreading the walk back up. We paid for our entry fee and I rented water shoes. They now have Crocks that they rent out which Dustin said is much better than what they had last year. After changing and having all of our belongings locked up we headed out with two guides and an individual who was taking pictures and video taping us. We walked across a bamboo bridge which was quite interesting and then down some very narrow steps. We made it to the riverbed. There is so much tree cover that you did not need to worry about sun screen. The water was cold but once in it felt great. We made our way up the river through all the rock bed. There were some large rocks so you had to really watch your footing. The power of the water would push you back as you tried to mover forward. As you walked it would get deeper and before we knew it the water was over our heads in some places. We stopped at an area were we could jump off a small hill into the water – oh I tried everything. There were spots that you could try and hold your position while the water flowed down on top of you. It felt great on the neck but trying to hold your place was difficult because the current of the water coming down was so forceful. One of our guides was crazy, but he knew where every deep spot was and he would take off running and dive in. The amazing part about him was he did not wear any shoes I guess he was just use to it. We came to a spot where they had two different platforms in a tree. One of the platforms was at a reasonable height but the other one actually scared the crap out of me watching these guys jump. I know it was a deep pocket of water but it is still a river bed and rocks were close to the area that they were jumping and diving into. We then got to another area that has small caves you can swim throw and yes I had to try this also. I had my contact in so opening my eyes was out of the question so the guide counts to three pushed you under the water and then gives you a shove through the rocks and follows behind you. So much fun we were all laughing and cheering each one on. Not everyone tried it all but we loved watching each other. This would be the perfect first trip for a group coming because it builds team work you are constantly helping each other through the river bed and up small inclines to move forward. We made it to the biggest falls where you can walk under them and then come out with the force of the water all around you. We were able to get everyone behind the falls it was great. On the walk back Rebeckah, Jennifer and I were walking with one of the guides and he was showing us all the plants that they use as herbal medicine and explained what they were used for. There is one plant it looks like a really small fern that when you tough it the leaves close up towards the stem. He explained that owners of slaves would put this around their property and if a slave tried to run off it gave them a direction of where to go and they could follow these plants to capture the slave. Ganja growing wild and then we stopped and he went and picked us some apples. They were red apples but completely different from what we have at home. They are a pear shape and have a completely different texture and are tart similar to a Granny Smith. Had a blast at Mayfield falls and we decided to get the Video and Pictures that they took. Between all of us it will only be $10.00 a person so that is not too bad. One the drive home the driver stopped and we talked to a lot of locals. They had had a funeral and a lot of them were walking back home. One of the little girls just wanted to touch me, I don’t think they see many white people in the mountains. It was and amazing trip but we were all exhausted as walking through the current of the water just really wore you out. We relaxed coming back to Summerset then left for dinner. The walk was long and we passed several places that we had ate at before but tonight we went to Three Dives, and along the walk we were on one side of the road and passed by a few bushes and trees. As I went past one tree I realized that there was someone sitting on the wall, I only caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of my eye, it was really eerie. But we made it and as always the local food was excellent and I am so hooked on the jerk seasoning. I ordered two pounds of it from Gladstone and when he delivered it on Friday the smell of it was everywhere. I gave one pound of it to Dwayne one of the students at Theodora who is an excellent cook – after all he made the fish tea which is soup here. We made the long walk back to Summerset and in for the night. Tomorrow we will be attending church because they are having a special service for Reverend Fowler as she is now addressed as Reverend Doctor Fowler. Two weeks it is hard to believe – the time is passing so quickly!
It's Friday :)
Friday May 29, 2009
The final day working on the project has finally come. We are all expected to stay at Theodora until all the editing is completed. You know the routine by now – so let me tell you what we see during our drive. We are one block from the Ocean and the road we take runs along the shore line so we see it all the way through the building and small shacks. Some of the taxi drivers are crazy drivers on the roads, passing with cars coming towards them. Bicyclers and walkers on the road that is barely big enough for two cars. When trucks unload they are on the road because there is not a lot of room for them to pull off. With all the people on bicycles I am really glad that I am not driving – some of you know my driving record with individuals on bicycles! We arrive at Theodora and it is just us with no students. We all head into the computer lab and start buckling down. Once we have a draft done we give it to two students to edit. Look through the edits and make corrections where we feel they need to be made. We want to make sure that the student’s story is told in their own words so it is a struggle when trying to correct because what we believe is proper language is not the way they would say it in Jamaica. We took a break about 2:00 and Libby and Dustin brought pizza and drinks for all of us. By this time a few of the students had dropped by. I had given Nikki my camera to take pictures and she showed up about noon. We went through the pictures that she took and picked out the ones that she wanted in her story. I had not read her story until this morning, and did a lot of rearranging, but kept it as close to her words as I could. Pictures were added and around 4:00 we completed the final story. Dustin and Libby will be going back on Sunday to do their final edit on all the stories along with Lynette and the Reverend. We were told we rocked and Dustin & Libby got good reports on all of us from the Reverend and teachers of Theodora. We headed back to Summerset and took showers before heading to a group dinner just down the road. We went to Bella Donna’s and she put out a buffet for us and as always it was excellent. Bella was a wonderful host and makes a mean rum punch. Had three of them-- and by the third one the girls were laughing because she brought out the whole jug. It was a great day, with a lot accomplished. Some of us wish we could have done more but I think we all pulled together to get it completed. Tomorrow we are going to Mayfield Falls so will be gone all day. I am having problems accessing the internet so will try to keep updating when I have access. Just hang in there I will have some postings and pictures (hopefully) to come. Peace to all – I am out for the night.
The final day working on the project has finally come. We are all expected to stay at Theodora until all the editing is completed. You know the routine by now – so let me tell you what we see during our drive. We are one block from the Ocean and the road we take runs along the shore line so we see it all the way through the building and small shacks. Some of the taxi drivers are crazy drivers on the roads, passing with cars coming towards them. Bicyclers and walkers on the road that is barely big enough for two cars. When trucks unload they are on the road because there is not a lot of room for them to pull off. With all the people on bicycles I am really glad that I am not driving – some of you know my driving record with individuals on bicycles! We arrive at Theodora and it is just us with no students. We all head into the computer lab and start buckling down. Once we have a draft done we give it to two students to edit. Look through the edits and make corrections where we feel they need to be made. We want to make sure that the student’s story is told in their own words so it is a struggle when trying to correct because what we believe is proper language is not the way they would say it in Jamaica. We took a break about 2:00 and Libby and Dustin brought pizza and drinks for all of us. By this time a few of the students had dropped by. I had given Nikki my camera to take pictures and she showed up about noon. We went through the pictures that she took and picked out the ones that she wanted in her story. I had not read her story until this morning, and did a lot of rearranging, but kept it as close to her words as I could. Pictures were added and around 4:00 we completed the final story. Dustin and Libby will be going back on Sunday to do their final edit on all the stories along with Lynette and the Reverend. We were told we rocked and Dustin & Libby got good reports on all of us from the Reverend and teachers of Theodora. We headed back to Summerset and took showers before heading to a group dinner just down the road. We went to Bella Donna’s and she put out a buffet for us and as always it was excellent. Bella was a wonderful host and makes a mean rum punch. Had three of them-- and by the third one the girls were laughing because she brought out the whole jug. It was a great day, with a lot accomplished. Some of us wish we could have done more but I think we all pulled together to get it completed. Tomorrow we are going to Mayfield Falls so will be gone all day. I am having problems accessing the internet so will try to keep updating when I have access. Just hang in there I will have some postings and pictures (hopefully) to come. Peace to all – I am out for the night.
Thursday - One Love
Thursday May 28, 2009
Today we are doing a big push to get the students to complete their stories. Once they have them completed we will start the editing process. As usual we eat breakfast and then at 9:00 am we all load in the van. We arrive at Theodora and I was given permission to finish typing Leon’s story. So to the computer I went. We were also waiting on Dave to come in – he did have my camera! He finally showed up about 10:15 and I was relieved to see him. The camera needed to be charged and once we started saving his pictures I started laughing because he had taken 187 pictures in one night. No wonder the camera needed to be charged. Dustin said never give your camera to a Jamaican because they love to take pictures. He was right! Carrie walked with Kerean to take pictures for her story, she has been working on editing hers which has been a great help. Once I completed Leon’s story I asked another student to do some editing on it. I then went to help Nicola. She has been pretty much working on her own and has had help from some of the teachers. I felt like I had to spend most of my time with Leon and failed with really helping the other two. But we had all the stories typed and ready for editing by noon. I felt much better and I know tomorrow we will all be there to do the final editing and inserting pictures they took into their stories. A feeling of accomplishment and relief I think was felt by all of us. After working I left with Dwayne and Cody and we went fishing off the cliffs. We stopped and picked up shrimp to fish with. I am not sure how far we went but I can tell you flip flops were not the best thing to be wearing. We were at a place that looked as if it was damaged by one of the hurricanes and had not been repaired. A lot of damage could be seen along the shore line of the cliffs, but we also walked by a new hotel on our way to the fishing spot. We walked across jagged rocks that had remnants from the ocean embedded in it from years of formation. Again flip flops a bad choice. I sat and watched them fish as we only had two fishing poles. Cody caught a few small fish that had to be thrown back. I was only there to watch and take pictures. I think it may have been on of the hottest days we have had or at least it felt like it. The water started getting choppy so we decided that we need to go further down the shore line. We were walking to the Light house which was about a 15 minute walk and I was just dripping with sweat. I must have looked bad because Dwayne kept asking me if I was OK. I just informed him I needed something to drink because I had already drank the water that I took with me. We stopped at a little store and we all got something to drink then proceeded to the light house. We walked through the gate and around to the back of the Light House – yes more jagged rocks, I really should have worn tennis shoes. While there both Cody and Dwayne caught a fish. Cody caught a colorful red fish – not sure what name of the fish is and Dwayne caught a goldish yellow colored one. Nothing like I have seen back home. At about 4:00 we decided to leave to take a break. I need to go to the bathroom and Dwayne wanted to cook fish soup for us. We took a taxi down to Miss Yvonne’s house which is not far from Summerset. Yvonne and her husband both joined the Peace Core and were assigned here in Jamaica. They are from Alaska but she grew up in Texas and Brian grew up in California. They have lived in Alaska now for over 20 years. They are a really neat couple and allowed Dwayne the use of their kitchen. Dwayne and Cody were in the kitchen making the soup. When it was done a bowl full was brought out to me. They used a lot of things from their garden and I have to tell you it was some of the best soup I have had. I was just amazed. Dwayne walked us back to Summerset and he took Cody back down to fish as I was done for the night. A cold Red Strip hit the spot after a few large glasses of water. A few games of dominoes and to bed I went. No problems sleeping. Tomorrow we are at Theodora until we have the stories completed.
Today we are doing a big push to get the students to complete their stories. Once they have them completed we will start the editing process. As usual we eat breakfast and then at 9:00 am we all load in the van. We arrive at Theodora and I was given permission to finish typing Leon’s story. So to the computer I went. We were also waiting on Dave to come in – he did have my camera! He finally showed up about 10:15 and I was relieved to see him. The camera needed to be charged and once we started saving his pictures I started laughing because he had taken 187 pictures in one night. No wonder the camera needed to be charged. Dustin said never give your camera to a Jamaican because they love to take pictures. He was right! Carrie walked with Kerean to take pictures for her story, she has been working on editing hers which has been a great help. Once I completed Leon’s story I asked another student to do some editing on it. I then went to help Nicola. She has been pretty much working on her own and has had help from some of the teachers. I felt like I had to spend most of my time with Leon and failed with really helping the other two. But we had all the stories typed and ready for editing by noon. I felt much better and I know tomorrow we will all be there to do the final editing and inserting pictures they took into their stories. A feeling of accomplishment and relief I think was felt by all of us. After working I left with Dwayne and Cody and we went fishing off the cliffs. We stopped and picked up shrimp to fish with. I am not sure how far we went but I can tell you flip flops were not the best thing to be wearing. We were at a place that looked as if it was damaged by one of the hurricanes and had not been repaired. A lot of damage could be seen along the shore line of the cliffs, but we also walked by a new hotel on our way to the fishing spot. We walked across jagged rocks that had remnants from the ocean embedded in it from years of formation. Again flip flops a bad choice. I sat and watched them fish as we only had two fishing poles. Cody caught a few small fish that had to be thrown back. I was only there to watch and take pictures. I think it may have been on of the hottest days we have had or at least it felt like it. The water started getting choppy so we decided that we need to go further down the shore line. We were walking to the Light house which was about a 15 minute walk and I was just dripping with sweat. I must have looked bad because Dwayne kept asking me if I was OK. I just informed him I needed something to drink because I had already drank the water that I took with me. We stopped at a little store and we all got something to drink then proceeded to the light house. We walked through the gate and around to the back of the Light House – yes more jagged rocks, I really should have worn tennis shoes. While there both Cody and Dwayne caught a fish. Cody caught a colorful red fish – not sure what name of the fish is and Dwayne caught a goldish yellow colored one. Nothing like I have seen back home. At about 4:00 we decided to leave to take a break. I need to go to the bathroom and Dwayne wanted to cook fish soup for us. We took a taxi down to Miss Yvonne’s house which is not far from Summerset. Yvonne and her husband both joined the Peace Core and were assigned here in Jamaica. They are from Alaska but she grew up in Texas and Brian grew up in California. They have lived in Alaska now for over 20 years. They are a really neat couple and allowed Dwayne the use of their kitchen. Dwayne and Cody were in the kitchen making the soup. When it was done a bowl full was brought out to me. They used a lot of things from their garden and I have to tell you it was some of the best soup I have had. I was just amazed. Dwayne walked us back to Summerset and he took Cody back down to fish as I was done for the night. A cold Red Strip hit the spot after a few large glasses of water. A few games of dominoes and to bed I went. No problems sleeping. Tomorrow we are at Theodora until we have the stories completed.
Wednesday - With Respect!
Wednesday May 27
Up early again – that internal alarm clock just will not shut off. 5:00 am here 6:00 am at home so I don’t feel too bad about it. Love the quite time because the other students have to set the alarm on the cell phones to get up. We all ate breakfast then loaded up in the van to go to the beach. We meet Captain Mike on the beach and he had his crew bring the glass bottom boat to where we were on the beach – yeah not much walking! We all got on the boat one at a time and then headed out. We were going really slowly but we found out why - they were waiting on another boat that had the mask and snorkels. Yep we definitely need them! They turned around and meet up with the other boat and off we went. The glass bottom boat has like a six pane window in the bottom of the boat. We seen all sizes of star fish, jellyfish and someone saw a stingray. We made it out to the reef and got our mask and snorkels. Off the side of the boat we went and as we jumped in we were in a pool of tiger fish so beautiful. The colors were just amazing – fish in a bright blue, some gold, red, and striped. We saw a snake on the bottom of the ocean and I have to tell you the colors were just amazing. Although I loved the scuba diving the snorkeling was a blast and we seen so much more color and actual fish and creatures of the ocean. After spending an hour snorkeling we were taken back to the beach and dropped off at Travelers so we could shower off and change in order to head to school. After we all showered outside together we changed and headed of to grab something to eat before making our way to Theodora. I worked on rewriting Leon’s story so he could type it. Carrie helped me with Kerean and Nikki was typing her story on the computer. I think we are going to make the Friday deadline but we still have a ways to go. I gave Dave my camera so he could take pictures to put in his story. I told him to guard it with his life and to be sure to bring it back Thursday morning. The one thing I have had to get use to is everyone calling you Miss. I know it is their culture to do this and it shows respect but I just want the students to call me by my name. I just associate this with all the slavery that they also endured but I am getting use too it and it is not bothering me nearly as much as when we first arrived. We wrapped up at 3:00 pm and headed back to Summerset. Libby left after snorkeling to get everything set up for our trip to Belmont so Dustin had to deal with all the ladies. We had a group meal planned for dinner with Gladstone. He is a Rosta who is a coffee farmer (Blue Mountain Coffee) and he also makes his own jerk seasoning. We had dinner as Sips N Bites and Gladstone talked to us about what the coffee farmers are going through. His talk was so informative about the culture and history of the Jamaican people. He talked a great deal about the troubles and up rising of the people; when one individual was killed who was an activist for the local farmers. We had a great group meeting and got to place orders for coffee and jerk seasoning. We headed back to Summerset – more dominoes and then to bed. This laid back life is great! But the immersive learning is even better!
Up early again – that internal alarm clock just will not shut off. 5:00 am here 6:00 am at home so I don’t feel too bad about it. Love the quite time because the other students have to set the alarm on the cell phones to get up. We all ate breakfast then loaded up in the van to go to the beach. We meet Captain Mike on the beach and he had his crew bring the glass bottom boat to where we were on the beach – yeah not much walking! We all got on the boat one at a time and then headed out. We were going really slowly but we found out why - they were waiting on another boat that had the mask and snorkels. Yep we definitely need them! They turned around and meet up with the other boat and off we went. The glass bottom boat has like a six pane window in the bottom of the boat. We seen all sizes of star fish, jellyfish and someone saw a stingray. We made it out to the reef and got our mask and snorkels. Off the side of the boat we went and as we jumped in we were in a pool of tiger fish so beautiful. The colors were just amazing – fish in a bright blue, some gold, red, and striped. We saw a snake on the bottom of the ocean and I have to tell you the colors were just amazing. Although I loved the scuba diving the snorkeling was a blast and we seen so much more color and actual fish and creatures of the ocean. After spending an hour snorkeling we were taken back to the beach and dropped off at Travelers so we could shower off and change in order to head to school. After we all showered outside together we changed and headed of to grab something to eat before making our way to Theodora. I worked on rewriting Leon’s story so he could type it. Carrie helped me with Kerean and Nikki was typing her story on the computer. I think we are going to make the Friday deadline but we still have a ways to go. I gave Dave my camera so he could take pictures to put in his story. I told him to guard it with his life and to be sure to bring it back Thursday morning. The one thing I have had to get use to is everyone calling you Miss. I know it is their culture to do this and it shows respect but I just want the students to call me by my name. I just associate this with all the slavery that they also endured but I am getting use too it and it is not bothering me nearly as much as when we first arrived. We wrapped up at 3:00 pm and headed back to Summerset. Libby left after snorkeling to get everything set up for our trip to Belmont so Dustin had to deal with all the ladies. We had a group meal planned for dinner with Gladstone. He is a Rosta who is a coffee farmer (Blue Mountain Coffee) and he also makes his own jerk seasoning. We had dinner as Sips N Bites and Gladstone talked to us about what the coffee farmers are going through. His talk was so informative about the culture and history of the Jamaican people. He talked a great deal about the troubles and up rising of the people; when one individual was killed who was an activist for the local farmers. We had a great group meeting and got to place orders for coffee and jerk seasoning. We headed back to Summerset – more dominoes and then to bed. This laid back life is great! But the immersive learning is even better!
It's been a while but I have internet connection again!
Tuesday May 26 2009
I wake up to watch the sunrise out on the balcony. So quite in the morning with a few dogs barking in the distance, birds singing and just totally enjoying the moment. We all eat breakfast load up in the van and head to the school. I worked with Leon and we finished his story. Chelsea started printing it so as soon as we were finished I sat him down at a computer for him to start typing it. Checked with Nikki and she was almost completed with her story and she will start typing hers tomorrow. I am feeling really good about getting all three completed. Kerean has been typing hers and she should have it completed today or tomorrow. As the students get their stories typed we will start the editing part. This will be difficult because you want the story to be in their own words so we have to be very careful in how we edit it. Dustin said this was also a problem last year. You want it in proper English but you also want the student to tell the story in their words. Challenges definitely lie ahead. At lunch Dave came up to me and said Miss I cannot eat another juicy pattie would you buy me lunch. Now I think the patties are great and it is a very cheap meal. It is wonderful that the school is able to buy their lunch a few days of the week. But since I have such a big heart I took him Kerean and another student down the street to Burger King. This was Dave’s choice and I brought them all lunch. I did not eat because I decided that once I was here I would only eat at local establishments, after all I can get Burger King any time. We headed back to Summerset had lunch and relaxed for the afternoon we walked down to Negril Escape and went swimming in the ocean. Cody wanted to jump off the light house and asked me if I would. Sure – as I have no fear (ha ha) but he would not even get in the water so Pam and I decided before leaving Jamaica we would definitely jump from the light house. I climbed up it later that evening and I would have to say it is comparable to a High Dive maybe a little taller but what the heck we only live once. Libby showed up with Carrie and new student from IU working on her Phd who just arrived. We talked and as we were walking back to Summerset she said she was relieved when she met us because she thought there would be quite a few young kids. Pam, Cody and I headed back down to Negril Escape to watch the sunset. Boomblast and Dale tagged along. We then stopped by Ros Rowdy to get dinner – festival and soup was enough for me. I am having a blast – eating a lot but walking a lot so really burning off the calories. My ankles are getting back to normal and I am keeping a close eye on them, placing ice on them at night if they start to swell. Back to Summerset – played dominoes and then went to bed. Tomorrow morning snorkeling!
I wake up to watch the sunrise out on the balcony. So quite in the morning with a few dogs barking in the distance, birds singing and just totally enjoying the moment. We all eat breakfast load up in the van and head to the school. I worked with Leon and we finished his story. Chelsea started printing it so as soon as we were finished I sat him down at a computer for him to start typing it. Checked with Nikki and she was almost completed with her story and she will start typing hers tomorrow. I am feeling really good about getting all three completed. Kerean has been typing hers and she should have it completed today or tomorrow. As the students get their stories typed we will start the editing part. This will be difficult because you want the story to be in their own words so we have to be very careful in how we edit it. Dustin said this was also a problem last year. You want it in proper English but you also want the student to tell the story in their words. Challenges definitely lie ahead. At lunch Dave came up to me and said Miss I cannot eat another juicy pattie would you buy me lunch. Now I think the patties are great and it is a very cheap meal. It is wonderful that the school is able to buy their lunch a few days of the week. But since I have such a big heart I took him Kerean and another student down the street to Burger King. This was Dave’s choice and I brought them all lunch. I did not eat because I decided that once I was here I would only eat at local establishments, after all I can get Burger King any time. We headed back to Summerset had lunch and relaxed for the afternoon we walked down to Negril Escape and went swimming in the ocean. Cody wanted to jump off the light house and asked me if I would. Sure – as I have no fear (ha ha) but he would not even get in the water so Pam and I decided before leaving Jamaica we would definitely jump from the light house. I climbed up it later that evening and I would have to say it is comparable to a High Dive maybe a little taller but what the heck we only live once. Libby showed up with Carrie and new student from IU working on her Phd who just arrived. We talked and as we were walking back to Summerset she said she was relieved when she met us because she thought there would be quite a few young kids. Pam, Cody and I headed back down to Negril Escape to watch the sunset. Boomblast and Dale tagged along. We then stopped by Ros Rowdy to get dinner – festival and soup was enough for me. I am having a blast – eating a lot but walking a lot so really burning off the calories. My ankles are getting back to normal and I am keeping a close eye on them, placing ice on them at night if they start to swell. Back to Summerset – played dominoes and then went to bed. Tomorrow morning snorkeling!
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