I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S BEEN 5 MONTHS SINCE I CAME TO JAMAICA!
This has been kind of a quiet month- mid July to mid August. I led a round table discussion on stress at the little church on my road- met both the Basic School teachers ( Basic School is ages 3-6 including Kindergarten) which is moving into their new building across from the little church right where I catch my taxis.
The end of summer school ended with a “field trip” into Ochi- not at all like one in the states! Was decided the day before and students were just told to tell their parents- no letters home or permission slips, or much in the way of planning. Crazy! I just kept telling myself “I’m not in charge, go with the flow….”
Ron and Carol Sands, a retiree couple from our group #81 came for a respite visit- they are up in the Blue Mts.- coffee country, with no paved roads, an hour hike to Carol’s school. They really have challenges! But they can get coffee right from the farmers- so let me know if you want some! We all went to turtle hatching- and it is just as awe inspiring the second time!
Jamaica celebrates Emancipation Day on August 1st, and Independence Day on August 6th. No fireworks, there was a parade in Kingston but that was the only one I heard of. Celebration in Ochi was kind of an all night block party- lots of people in the streets, lots of vendors selling jerk pork or chicken etc.
Carol and Ron inspired me so I have been doing more walking; I have walked into Ocho Rios – downhill about an hour. I have also been walking uphill to my school (45 min.). I usually go up twice a week to use the internet and walk back home. I am in training to hike the Blue Mt. in December!
I finally got a library card for the Ocho Rios library- they wouldn’t give me one until I brought in my electric bill to prove I lived here. I am now reading James Michener’s Caribbean. It’s been a great read since everything is right here! Did you know Columbus was stranded on Jamaica for 9 months?
Peace Corps invited me into Kingston to talk about the Swim Jamaica program with 14 new Peace Corps Response Volunteers. These are returned PCV’s who have accepted a 6 month assignment for a specific project. These 14 are here to help with HIV projects and sports programs.
Courtesy of my landlord, I got to join a working plantation tour-mostly bananas, and then Dunn’s River Falls. This is a prime tourist site with the usual vendors and hype, but it was fun to go up the falls- the water was nice and refreshing!
This past weekend I journeyed to the parish of Portland and the town of Port Antonio and visited with Jerry, Group #81, and his wife Kathy. Jerry will be turning 70 this month and is starting a training program in fiber glassing. Since Port Antonio, Errol Flynn’s old haunt, has a wonderful marina and obviously boats, this could lead to some skilled jobs for his students. We had fun finding Long Bay, eating curry shrimp, swimming in Fisherman’s Cove and visiting Great Hut- an ecologically friendly native West African resort. A very fun weekend. And Jerry showed me how he made screens for his windows so I am inspired to make some for mine! So there, you ol' mosquitoes!
Sadly we have had 3 of our group #81 go home early - we had high hopes tthat our group would be able to stay the whole 2 years together. But each person had their own particular situation to deal with, and we wish them well.
Jamaica is really struggling- with not enough employment, a too crowded and often ineffective educational system, violence, and poor infrastructure plus a few more issues I haven’t really identified yet. But the people, when you take the time to get to know them, are very nice.