Archive | September, 2011

Rain is not contagious

30 Sep

Things I am doing right now:
Eating rice and tomatoes.
Listening to the rain fall on my roof.
Typing.
Loving the weekend.

I’ve had a stellar week of exercising:
Running.
Bicycling.
Climbing a mountain. (finding a waterfall and its refreshing source)
Rock lifting.
Yoga.
Hora dancing (L’Shana Tova to di worl’!)

And a productive week of work:
First PTA meeting at our new school commenced with an unprecedented 100% turnout!!!!!!!!!

The Elim Community Friendly Society Farmers Group is planning our Annual Meeting — October 6th for any of you who can make it out. We are talking about all of our successes over the past year, troubles we anticipate encountering, and, of course, our vision for the future. All of us farmers are all putting in lots of work organizing this high profile event. It should be great.

As usual, I am continuing empowerment and positivity teachings with the prefects at Sydney Pagan Agricultural High School. However, this week I encountered difficulties due to the rainy season. As we all know, rain brings mosquitoes. Droves of mosquitoes. But there is nothing quite like Jamaican mosquitoes. This year, they attacked me. I have hundreds of bites all over my body. Literally. The blood suckers marks are no longer identifiable. Ie, they no longer resemble circles or typical ‘bug bites’ — they have multiplied, bite on top of bite; festering, swelling, blistering, oozing. So many different reds, pinks, whites…I never knew mosquitoes to disfigure a person. It’s awful. Not to mention really hard to promote “healthy lifestyles” when the students are convinced they’re gunna catch something from you.

Silver Lining:
Always one too look on the positive side, the rain has also brought rainbows!
Three this week!
One was even a double 🙂 🙂 🙂

I am planning on visiting the river, doing homework with children/impressing them with math skills, and reading a fabulous book this weekend; Shantaram.
If 900 pagers are your thing I highly suggest checking it out.
TGIF, ya’ll!

Love,
‘mi

Satur-Date

17 Sep

Hi all!

It’s Saturday and I wish you were here.
Like, seriously.
I really, really wish you were here.
*Hrmph*
Well, no need to dwell; I’m going to do some imagining. Since finishing Anne of Green Gables I’ve been inspired by her poetic visions and want to experience my own daydreams; Today, Saturday is turning into a Satur-date and you and I are having an adventure!

In the beginning…

Good morning!

I made you some breakfast.

breakfast

Hungry?

Farm Fresh eggs, yummy local veggies, and sliced niesberry served with my very best cutlery. – There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you if you were here!

Take your time.
Chew slowly.
Relish and Enjoy!

What's the rush?

Soon, some children will appear in the yard — it happens everyday.
They love to come over and hear stories!
It’s adorable how they pile all over us; pressing their faces closer to see.

Caribbean Dreams

When we finish the story the kids are giddy with excitement! — They have games they want to teach us 🙂 We put on some music and run around the yard; laughing, playing, jumping, dancing! Silliness ensues.

magical simplicity

A few hours later the kids return home to do chores while you and I sit on the porch drinking cold water and cracking up as we remember some of the hilarious stuff that the children had said — kids can be so funny!

“Whenever you’re ready”, I suggest, “we can go to market. There are exotic fruits we can sample plus we’ll be closer to The Pelican Bar where we should go for dinner. They have fabulous fish.”
Smiling, we head to Santa Cruz.

We'll have one of everything, please

Evening time finds us on a gentle boat ride to The Pelican Bar located in the middle of the Caribbean Sea. It’s a perfect ride and we appreciate the waves in silence. The water lapping around us is the color of paradise blue.

Fish so fresh it swims to the plate

With the setting sun I feel contentment settle in.
“Did you have a good time?”, you thoughtfully inqure.
“Best Satur-date ever”, I respond, “Thank you so much for being here!”

When you actually are here I fancy myself saying “Dreams do come true.”
—-
That being said, I’d like to invite you (again) into my home, my life; Jamaica.
I have approximately 8 months left in this country.
And 8 rhymes with Satur-date.
And I don’t think that’s a coincidence
(I should probably get out more.)

Anyway, for all of you word-spouting, pinky-promising, heart-breakers…
You have eight months to “mek a move”.
I promise that I’ll still love you even if you don’t come.
But I will love you a bit more if you do.

Honestly,
‘mi

PS. If you are wondering what this Peace Corps Volunteer does all day I invite you to check out the International Alliance for Child Literacy’s (IACL) latest blog post.
Yes, I just name-dropped.

Elim Early Childhood Institution – Jamaica

If I told you it’s September — would you believe me?

9 Sep

Good evening everyone that I love and adore!

I recently decided that my all time favorite day is The Day After Laundry Day.
Similar to The Day After Tomorrow (as in “I’ll do the laundry…tomorrow”)
It’s not that Tomorrow Never Comes. Oh, it comes. And with consistently. I mean, we’re all agreed that something happening once every three months is consistent.

The Day After Laundry Day I find myself walking around the house commenting on how clean everything is — my long list of things to-do seems manageable and I feel accomplished.

I read in Vogue that clean sheets are the new diamond ring.
Someone should tell the Kardashians

Blue Moon

Monday past saw the opening of our *new* basic school (!!!!!)
Surprisingly, this first week has been unchaotic (apparently, not a word) – yet undeniably exhausting. From what I have gleaned the official start-of-school-method is hands off; let the children play and get acquainted while the teachers (and myself) tend to whichever child is crying at the time. Three full days of this technique have me convinced of its practicality; actual teaching is beyond the scope of my imagination. I am worn out.
TGIF.

I am going to have a quiet, relaxing night in.
It looks like rain 🙂
I love the rain.

This post is short and I will be writing more soon!
In the mean time…
If you’re a student, be nice to your teachers; It can really be rough.
If you’re not a student then you are probably a grown-up.
And being grown-up is awesome!

With conviction,
‘mi