Grate things I have noticed In March

So finally I think that we are in the last days of sports!!!! I got crispy like a tomato at the official sports day taking photos of my kids. Normally I can't live with out sun screen here but I switched purses and for got to add a sun screen whoops !!!!! But it was fun meeting families and watching my little guys run  around in their categories. The kids had a grate time but like always the teachers had their issues. I tell you my school just can't keep it together with anything, organization, honesty, getting along and soooooo much more but lets keep this a happy post. We had sports Thursday and Friday all of the houses got together and had a little celebration for their fun and winnings.

White cane has been interesting now that I know how to word things better I am seeing new results in the painters. Some of them need to be competitive and some just need a bit more praise. One of my painters who has Down syndrome at first could not stay in the lines and did not understand how to use the right amount of paint has come sooo far. He just needed a little more praise. Also now he is staying in the lines. But most exiting I was watching him pain the other day and I saw him stop look at the paint brush and turn it to another direction so it better fit the space he was trying to paint. I was impressed and so exited to see him understanding size of brush and amount of paint makes a difference on the area that you are going to be painting. I have been introducing different sizes and shaped brushes to them and the seam to be learning how to use them really well.

Observation in town

Grenada I feel has somewhat of an idea about people with disabilities, but lots of people are still confused by it. Some people don't understand the difference between cognitive and physical disability, and I am sure they still believe in myths. Any ways the other night I was going to catch a bus. Before I go on let me explain busses here for those of you who do not know about them. Are busses are vans that have a driver and a conductor. The conductor collects money, keeps track of if the buss is full, setting to fit the most people he can, and watching for police because they do have designated stops for the busses but her we have so manny busses they compete with each other so they will pick you up almost any where. If they get caught by the police it is a fine for each person they picked up. Also people are very picky about the busses they take, some people will stand on the buss stops for 30min until the right buss comes along for them. They pick by driver, safety, smell, speed anything. Any ways I was going to catch a bus and the buss stopped at a fake stop so we had to hurry to get on the buss. When the conductor got off the bus I realized that he had either Cerebral Palsy or Muscular dystrophy. I would say a mild form but it did impact his speech and strength. I was so exited to see him conducting because its hard for people with disabilities to get jobs let alone not be discriminated against. He seamed to be happy and doing a grate job. Although I did see some people not want to get on the buss because he had a disability, I found this heart breaking. Money is valuable everywhere but I am in a 3rd world country and people struggle so I was impressed that the diver didn't mind loosing a few bucks to employ someone with a disability. It was a good bus ride and it hit my heart in the right spot and reminds me of why I am here and that I want to continue to help in any way I possibly can support people with debilities and educate the people.        

Sports

sports in the school system in Grenada. Instead of having a PE class every day or once a week they have a big spotting event once a year. They stop all educational classes for the most part in March and re start in mid April. They divide the students into different houses and work on a variety of things, marches, sports, costumes and little events. So while they are working on sports I am not teaching I am helping make costumes and planning for when sports is over. Generally all of the special ed schools would get together and compete but the funding for all of the kids to come from all over the island is not available so just the school alone will be competing with the different houses with in my school. Its an interesting time for me because we do not have that in the states and I find it strange to stop schooling for a hole month but that's the culture, Last week was a good week, at White Cane we have cleaned out the shelves of white bottles so now we need to clean and under coat all of the new bottles that we have collected. I did not go to DH this week I was at the Limes putting together some crowns for one of the houses.

I am so exited to say that I started working out on my own and I got a workout ball so I can add some new things to my work out.We also have a lot of hills and stairs in Grenada so I started running stairs and walking up and down hills. I have lost 50lbs since I have been here so I need to work on my toning now. Its exiting when you can finally see the differences in your hard work. Its payed off so much that I have to rubber band the sides of my pants because if I wear a belt it scrunches the fabric in the font and looks bad.

My weekend was good I threw a BBQ / pot luck with local people and Peace Corps and I got a good turn out. That was on the beach. Its nice I have all of these new friends

Hikking in th rain

March 10th-16th




It has been another long week of sports at my school so I do not have anything to report that's new. I think that sports is almost over so I will hopefully be getting back on track soon, that will be nice I am going a bit crazy. I decided that I am going to design a tanning or I would say more awareness of people with disabilities so that I can educate the local people and teachers more about what causes disability's and how they can help. I also want to present it to the incoming Peace corps volunteers when they come in. I have been wanting to work on this power point for a long time and now I found the time. When it is all done I will post my outline for you all to read. Any ways that's what I have been working on at school when I am not involved in the sports.


Dorothy Hopkins was grate last week, me and the other volunteer decided to work on a case by case basis for each resident and brake down the steps of the crafts. We worked on goals for them as well. It was interesting to watch them go from not really having instruction to having a step by step brake down that they needed to follow. Some of the residents liked it better than others. They still had fun but are trying to provide them with some new skills. I also stayed for the conscious discipline training, that was fun. We worked on how much of the language is verbal, body language and sound. Body language is first, then sound and then words. That was amazing to me that people do not pick up on the words first. Any ways that was a grate session and I am hoping to get my school into the tanning program as well.


White Cane is going grate I am seeing a big improvement in the people that I work with, I am hoping that we get some people to buy bottles soon so we can keep improving and getting more supplies. I with that I will be in a new building soon and will have my own little space to help and teach them to paint. I am soooo exited.


This weekend I went out and danced and then Sunday I went hiking in the rain to a water fall. It was a lot of fun and it fly nice because I was nice and cool. Then we went to a small cave that was on the coast. Spectacular view of the ocean and when we got their we found a small little cave with bats and cool rocks. It was a much needed fun adventure.       

The big 25

So since I have last posted, by the way I am sorry that I have nor been posting more things have been picking up. Well the big turning 25 happened in February 27th, I do not feel much different and I now am starting to understand why older people do not care about their birthdays, once you hit 21 their is not much more to be exited about in birthdays other than family dinners and hanging out. This was my second year away from my family and I can say that I missed them very much. My mom did treat me to dinner though at one of my favourite places to eat Doggy Dock. I also got to get a big slice of chocolate cake that I love. So it was not bad.


We also had Peace Corps months and if you saw in my last post I put up the link. It turned out to be fun and very interesting. I was glad that some of are new Peace Corps volunteers who will be coming in got to see us and ask questions.


Work has been going good, the School back to working on sports and that is taking a lot of time away from crafts. It is all threw March and April. I am so happy that I have other places to be helpful because I would be going crazy if I had nothing to do. Their had been some more talk about making the stepping stones for the garden so I am exited maybe when all of sports is over we can get a start on a big project.


Dorothy Hopkins is going grate, I love going their. Last week we worked on toilet paper bunnies. They loved them. I found that they love to paint, I have tried to get them away from that but they love it so much and I don't want to take away their fun time in arts and craft. This is the one class that is not as structured and they have so much free will to see what they cane come up with on their own. Its amazing how happy it makes them when I come. Steph said that they ask for me when I am not their and  cant wait for me to come back. That makes me feel so good. I am going to try and get a bulletin board put up so we can display the work that they do and also decorate the board once a month around the holidays and events.


White cane is moving along we are painting like no ones business, I am working with four of them again and they are doing grate. we started coco plants and flowers. I am so happy that they are progressing in their work. I still have to help a lot but its going good and the bottles I think are getting cleaner. I am hopping that the ceramics grant can get going soon so I know what to plan for next.


Things are going grate here I love it here and I think that I have finally integrated into my school and community. Their is much more to come in this adventure I know it.


Eastern Caribbean group number 84 is getting ready to leave so we went on an all day boat ride up the coast and stopped to snorkel along the way and eat lunch. I will be sad to see them go because they are the ones that I got to when I need something but they have to go and pass on all of what they taught me so I can help the new ones coming in. Thank goodness some of the old ones extended so I am lucky. I am blessed to have this life and all of the people in it family and friends far and near. I am discovering more about myself every day and growing into my own skin thanks to the life lessons from family and talking to new and old friends.