Clarification

One thing I always wanted to tell people about being a Peace Corps in the Caribbean!!!!!

Although the Caribbean is a beautiful place and some of the islands (Grenada ) are known for being a tourist destination their is still a lot of poverty and lack of education that needs assistance. 

I completely agree that your service is what you as an individual make it to be. It is not fair that just because we live on a tropical island we are considered to be in a fairytale, or it's not the real world, because actually it is the really work. We do not live on a made up planet the beautiful islands are on earth just like the US or France. 

It is quite painful to here people say Ohh wait till you came back to real world. Just because it is not your world does not mean it's none existent. We worked hard to get here and we did not pick were we were placed! 

Be respectful of peace corps volunteers!!! We hand wash cloths , carry 50lb gas tanks up hills you probably could not walk up yourself, live in poverty and make friendships with people who we can't always help. We integrate into a brand new life that we did not grow up in and the move back to the U.S. And integrate back into that society. It's stressful.  

As I said you can not make my service or know everything I get from my service YOU do not make my service I DO!!!!!!!

My island Grenada is beautiful, complex, spicy, outgoing compassionate, an eye opener, my family and one of my homes!!!!!! A part of me is now Grenadian and all never forget that! 

It has been an amazing two years testing my abilities, integrating into a society where not everyone wants me here or think I am off a ship, or where everyone wants me and I can't stretch myself enough. I have learned a lot about myself and this amazing place I was placed on. I became apart of this island a saw the true side of it. I saw the real green dot ( it does exist outside of the movies) . 

Been a long time

Well it has been a long time since I have written on my blog wall. I have been busy and not been so motivated.

Well I want to inform you all that I have decided to not extend!! Originally I was going to start a ceramics program but that did not end up happening and things began to slow down at White Cane and GNCD. 

It is amazing the small tings in life that you get that can change whats next to come. A month before Christmas my mom sent me an email with an update on the University Of Arizona and the undergrad program that I was in. The news letter explained the new changes and benefits of doing the Masters Rehab program. That one letter sparked my mind. All of a sudden I was looking at masters programs and getting ready to apply.

When I went home for Christmas I got everything in order for when I come back April 2015. I applied for my masters, found an apartment between my moms house and school. I was so busy cleaning out old things and getting rid of the old. My life was going to change and my Peace corps service was flying by. 

I think that it is true that you have ups and downs threw ought your service, they can be huge drops in depression or teeny tinny lows in your service. I found that my service was never a full drop I had a consistent emotional ride threw my service. I have a lot of people to thank for that, some of the teachers at my school, my boyfriend, family, my newly met friends, and dancing. Of course my family back home helped me a lot when I need someone to talk to or getting me supplies for my projects.  

Now that it has been two years and re evaluated what is currently going on and what’s to come I have decided to go home and not extend. The school was interesting but White Cane and Grenada Council of the Disabled was by far what I considered my first assignment. I feel like I have accomplished a lot with them. Although I love them things have slowed down a lot, the ceramics project never really got started and I decided that its time to start my masters. So I am declaring that I am moving home April 20, 2015. I already have my apartment all set up and I have applied for the Fellows program at the University of Arizona, and the masters program in Rehabilitation for Special Education with counseling. 

I am also exited to announce that in April I will be getting married. It’s an exiting new chapter in my life and I cant wait to start it. Grenada will always be a part of me and a passion. I was so happy to be here the last two years. 

Pot Hounds

A street dog, stray or what Grenadian's call a pot hound.

Animals are not considered pets here in Grenada, most of the animals are FOOD!!! Anything you can think of small and big.  I think animals here are considered pests not pets or a part of the family like they are in the US and I think that its sad. No one here understands the concept of spaying and neutering their dogs or cats. One man I know told me that he has 20 cats and the drops (gives birth) every month. Well what does that say to you, I asked him? He did not have an answer. Another belief here is that if they get a boy dog or cat it won't have babes. Well to my knowledge you need a boy and a girl to make babes. Although the mail dogs and cats do not carry them inside and give birth to them they help make reproduction possible. I have seen two dogs get hit by cars, no one stopped or even slowed down, emaciation, dehydration and wounded animals is what you see a lot of here. 

Anyways the man next door to me abandoned this beautiful gold dog with huge tall ears. I had watched her how threw 2 litters of puppies none survived or where given away to early. Some of here babies died because she could not feed herself let alone produce enough breast milk for the babes. 

He left and I started to feed her, she had two litters before I finally brought the 3rd litter inside because she had them in a bush. Lots of people think that I am crazy. But in all honesty I can't handle watching animals die from abuse. So my goal is to get all of the puppies to good home, I think i found good homes for all 7 already with some of the students at the South St. George University. and then get the mother who I call BabyGirl fixed. 

Some of my local friends want the BOYS!! I asked them "what are you going to do with it?" Response "ohhhh um tie it up outside"!! I think to myself give it to SGU for a pet a part of the family or an un fixed chained dog, hummmmm SGU no questions asked. They are two sweet, clean and healthy to become beaten hungry and mean.

    I had three boys, Cookie, Chew, Bear

four girls, Cinnamon, Daisy, Juva, SweetP

It was so interesting to watch them grow up deaf and blind to barking and sliding around. Once they get to be about 4 weeks they are messy and a handful let me tell you, but I love them all and they will be missed.  

Lets talk about getting sick

As a Peace Corps volunteer we have unlimited sick days, if you are off the job more than three months than you are medically released from the Peace corps.

When I was in the stats any little thing that wen around I cough it, after concerts I would get stress colds you name it I got it. I will say I am thankful I never broke or twisted any bones.

Even when I went to Africa I got food poisoning and thew up in a doctors house and new car.

Now that I am eating better, more raw things and way way less processed foods I feel like I have a higher build up for most things that come around in Grenada. Also because I work at a school around kids with drippy noses, ring worm, and sneezing every direction  you would think that I would catch everything they have. I dont!!

When I first got here they gave us this big water filter, did I use it?? No I did not i wanted to get used to the water one time. I had a runs and an upset stomach for a day and I was fine. One girl drank the water at her school and had worms coming out of her nose. That did not happen to me I drink the water at my school, home and most other places if other people are drinking it.

However I  get  dengue fever that was not fun but not to bad, sore eyes head ache, fever and other cold like symptoms. As we know I survived.

Next is chikungunya virus, I was so lucky I did not get it to bad. I had a rash, fever, sore toes, back, and shoulder. I was walking around and still playing w puppies. On a side note if you didn't know I have seven puppies and one street dog living on my veranda. I have had then 4 weeks now.

Any ways some people get the chick-g so bad that they cant walk or move their fingers. I am taking one daily vitamin and one extra vitamin C hopping that I dont catch the relapse as they say happens a month latter.

I know that people in the US are scared of the  ebola virus but you cant not live your life. I wont stop living mine due to fear of getting sick.

Got to live your life to the fullest


here is the Chick-g info

http://www.cdc.gov/chikungunya/   

New volunteers

The new volunteers have been here since August, and I find that we have all meshed well together. Before they got here I was set on not wanting to have much to do with the new volunteers because I wanted to work on my work and myself. But to my surprise I get along better with the new group better than the group I came with. I don't know why. But any ways I have found new joy in spending time with them on the weekends if they come to town.

Its amazing to me that I have lived here a year and a half and yet I still have not tried a lot of things around me. The new b's have already shown me some new restaurants, tricks to get American Netflix (yes I had the Spanish version) and new incite to their schools.

We had one person leave already from their group, so I think we have lost two from the EC 86 group one in Grenada and one in Dominica. It takes so long to get into the Peace Corps I think its sad when they have to leave early. I am just thankful that I am happy here, and nothing makes me want to go home right now.

I look forward to the rest of my months here in Grenada with my new friends, boyfriend, school teachers and kids, and White Cane friends!      

September - October semester

School has been going well I changed my approach to my classes and the teachers. I decided to tell all of the teachers that I am not going to come up with all of the arts and crafts projects but I am still going to help them when they come up with ideas. It has an as expected result a lot of the upper level classes have not asked me to do anything, that's normal they have had their own arts and crafts classes for the longest time and have not included me at all. But it has given the other teachers who need and want help more of my time. I have started working on a weather chart, big alphabet caterpillar, under the sea classroom, and glass bottle painting.

Level 1 is working on redoing their weather chart, and making a big felt caterpillar with all of the upper and  lowercase letters on it. We are going to use pipe cleaners and big googly eyes to make the head. The classroom are working on making the rooms brighter and more educational for the kids to look at.

I am so exited that the level 2 classroom is transforming into an under the sea them. Last we we took scrap book paper that my grandmother sent, as well as gold and sliver Christmas ribbon, big googly yes and we made big jelly fish that hang from the ceiling and spin when the wind blows. They look grate sparkling and spinning.

In level four decided that they wanted to paint bottles so we had a grate two classes prepping and painting the bottles. I tried something new as well that was fun. In that class we have a bunch of creative kids but they like to copy one another so i decided to separate everyone so that they had no pressure from anyone ells and it worked grate, so I will continue to do that. Some of the kids glued on tissue paper and others painted.

In upcoming lessons we will be working on Halloween, thanksgiving and edible crafts. I am hoping to have the kids decorate cookies, cupcakes and more to make spooky treats.

This semesters is much more laid back and thats nice because I can start a class and finish a project the next day.  

     
 

7 more months

wow I can't believe I have 7 more months of my two year three month tour in the Peace Corps Grenada. It has been an amazing trip and I have learned a lot about the hidden secrets in the world and about myself.

I guess its still surreal that when I open my door in the morning I am not in the US but surrounded by water, boats and amazing people. At the same time I started to notice that things where changing and service was coming to an end at a rather amazing speed. I know that 7 months seams like a lot to you but here in my wonderland, my vacation as my mother would say, is flying by. Soon I will have to make the decision!!! Will I stay longer or will I pack up and leave my fairy tail???

So many amazing people I have met along the way, Peace Corps Volunteers on my island, staff, local people, such an amazing opportunity I have had here. I have made some grate friends and they have helped me threw the beginning of my service and with grate teachings will get me threw the end. Now they have all left and new volunteers have just arrived. I am their come to person, their security blanket,   and when I leave they will become the go to person. Its really an amazing feeling sad, happy, and grateful that I am to have had those people when I first got here!!!

Thank you to my family for supporting me in my goals and dreams I would never have made it here without you, and to my good friends who are still theirs making jokes with me from across the sea, and thank you Grenada for welcoming me with open arms and leading me threw this time in my life.

Love you all!!!