The fall of dropping water, wears away the stone

Hi there,

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth or gotten lost in the blue mountains hunting wild boar or stopped caring about keeping you all informed. But I have been working on my Peace Corps mandated Community and Sector Inventory Report for the last month or so and I finally finished it. I'm not going to get into the report or its contents... to be honest, I'm sick of it. But the time I spend on my computer, devoted to writing, can once again be channeled back to this blog.

Let's see, what can I fill you in on? I guess Ill just pick up where I left off...

To date, 5 out of the 8 trees we planted are still intact and growing strong. Only one of them didn't survive the transplant, the other two fell victim to the fact that Mrs Francis, the principal, forgot to notify  the boys she hired to cut the grass in the school yard that there were young trees they needed to watch out for. It was sad to reach home from porty one afternoon to see two of them completely cut down. At least the school looks greats... it really does. I have high hopes for the rest.

With my help the Bellevue Benevolent Society completed the paper work required for its audit by the October 31st due date. It was a headache and a half but it got done.  We haven't heard anything back from the gov so lets hope that no news is good news. We are taking slow but positive steps, one of which came with the group's election that took place this last week. One of the many rules they have been in violation of is the requirement to host an annual general meeting (AGM) to go over the state of the organization and hold elections if necessary. They hadn't held one since the inaugural meeting in 2005.

Having had the brief opportunity to work with the current leadership I was excited about the possibility of seeing the change but wanted to approach the situation delicately. I'm still new here and don't have a full understanding of the interpersonal relationships in this tightly knit community. I started to notice the discomfort amongst the group every time I brought up the idea of an election: 

"But Mr. Johnson" I'd say, pointing to the "Official Government Business" envelope. 

"The letter says that if we don't hold an election the society will be dissolved"

I'd quickly remember that he cant read and realized that repeatedly shoving the letter in his face was useless. 

I was worried about putting myself in a situation that would cause division in the group. So, I put in a call to the office of Cooperative and Friendly Societies to see if they could send somebody out to facilitate the AGM, and sure enough they agreed.  I spoke with the lady that was to come out a couple weeks in advance and she advised me on a few things I needed to help the group with to prepare for the big meeting. One of which was the formation of a nominating committee.  The nominating committee was to be made up of 3 individuals in the group in good financial standing (a joke, seeing as the group hasn't collected a single dollar in dues since 2009 or so) to nominate people for the open leadership positions to be voted on at the AGM.  The night before the election, the nominating committee asked to meet with me.

"Why?" I questioned... "This is your AGM, not mine" I explained. They pleaded still, and reluctantly I agreed.

We walked up the road and gathered on Mrs. Laynes darkened veranda.  They wanted to share the list of nominations they had come up with for the new leadership of the Bellevue Benevolent Society; a group that had just received 8 million dollars to bring running water to the entire community. My blood began to boil as their list of nominees revealed the same exact leadership board that has brought the organization to the brink of implosion. In my mind I was thinking "are you ****ing serious?" but I had to maintain my composure. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't tell them who to nominate, I couldn't tell them who I preferred working with. Democracy, even though it appeared it was about to fail miserably, had to be maintained.

Trying to sound unfazed by the situation I cleared my throat and asked "so how did you come up with this list?"

The answer...

"We know that there are others who could do a good job, but we really don't want any contention in the group."

Hmmm...

I felt defeated. I ended the meeting as quickly as I could and went to bed.

After watching the morning NFL games on Yahoos stattracker I walked up to the school to meet the representative that was to help us with the meeting. She was an hour and a half late, of course, but by the time she showed up we had accumulated a pretty good showing. I started thinking that maybe we could get some nominations from the floor and that the nomination committee's list would be outvoted. 

The election portion of the meeting was about to commence when the gov representative interrupted and announced that most of the nominations held by the nomination committee were disqualified due to a clause in the constitution that stated a maximum term limit.  I had read over it a thousand times but I guess it never really sunk in. If I had known, I probably would have told the nomination committee during our little meeting the night before, but it was probably just as well the group was hearing it from the gov official and not from the Peace Corps volunteer.

I was relieved, to say the least. I believe the Benevolent Society actually has a fighting chance now... progress feels good... so does hope.

In other work related news we are well underway with the community's water project. I guess it officially started a few weeks ago when we invited the community out for a volunteer work day to bush the supply trail to the new dam.  The terms of the grant require the community to contribute to the project by either cash or in-kind donations or by providing x amount of man-hours. Nobody here has money or much in the way of in-kind donations so we have to provide the labor.  To my pleasant surprise, 29 people showed up with their machetes, ready to clear the muddy 3 mile trail to the new spring.  It was an inspiring thing.  I enjoyed every second of it.

My niche in the water project isn't bushing trails or carrying supplies, though. Most of my time is spent with the Project Management Committee (mostly new and old officers of the Benevolent Society) going over logistics, record keeping, project planning, BUDGETING, contracting etc...  Imagine doing this without Excel, Microsoft Word, or the Internet. Sure, I have these tools at my disposal, but I'm only here for two years.  Simultaneously adapting and teaching those skills in a "pre-tech" context has been challenging.

Beenie and I headed to work.

In fact, thats the word I would use to most accurately describe this project: Challenging. Surprise? no I guess not. I suppose people don't really join the Peace Corps for a cake walk.  But the truth is, its been challenging in all the ways I never considered. And the truth is, the experience has challenged the way I think about the role of "the grant" in the developing world. The sound of clean running water flowing in a third world community brings warmth to the soul. It has the romantic appeal that carries many potential Peace Corps volunteers to developing countries around the world. For lack of a better metaphor, thats the Yin. Water projects in the developing world, however, cost money that is often provided by the developed world. And when you dump 8 million developed dollars into a community it has the potential to bring out the worst in people. Thats the Yang.  Money can make people selfish, money can destroy friendships, and money can confuse the already delicate sense of community.

Laying Pipe.

Thats one of the many indicators that proves this is definitely not America.  I would like to think that built in to the American identity is a sense of community, a sense of cooperation and an understanding of the possibility of what can happen when people work on something not for the purpose of personal gain but the sake of the group or the "greater good"... or christ, just cuz it feels good to work towards something bigger than yourself!  How do you teach that? How do you teach that when nobody taught you? I've had the luxury of witnessing it. I've had the luxury seeing it succeed. Jamaica, has not.

If it sounds like I'm being critical, i'm not.... (well maybe a little, I'm not perfect).  I can say, though, that the more time I spend here and the more time I spend on this water project, I'm starting to understand where this struggle for community cooperation comes from.  I believe its rooted in the reality that since its formation, this community has spent every waking minute taking care of the basics: food, shelter, clothing, and a little cash. At the end of the day, there just isn't time for anything else.  So what do you think happens when 8 million dollars is introduced to this mentality? Do you think people are going to all of the sudden start thinking about the community as a whole? Should they? Or do you think people are going to think about how 8 million dollars could maybe get them a little extra food, a better roof, and some new clothes.  In other words, its not a selfishness based on greed. It's a selfishness based on necessity.... a selfishness I have NEVER had to understand before. 

For me the verdict is still out.  Right now, I believe that connecting 600 people to water is the greatest good. In my American brain, it outweighs the interpersonal conflicts that I witness everyday as a result of its installation. Running water is an indication of development right? Societies are better because of it... right? Sometimes I wonder if thats a delusion injected into the developing world by the developed world. After all, whats wrong with collecting your water from the spring every morning? People have been doing it for thousands of years just fine.

I think about this a lot. Probably too much.  I've gotten pretty good at ignoring the internal argument for the purpose of my own sanity and my ability to be productive. I save it for when I have the time... usually before bed. I know I'm not going to figure this out today, or tomorrow, or maybe ever. But in the meantime I can pick up a shovel and take joy in the task at hand.  The opportunities I've gotten to get my hands dirty with this project has resulted in some of the best fun I've had in my entire life.  A couple Sundays ago I woke up at 5:00am to meet up with the mason that was hired to build the dam.  The morning sun chased us into the bush as we carried the tools we needed to frame the dam with ply board and steel.  

The "Dam". Its actually an entombment, not a dam. We are going to run a pipe from the spring into the entombment, and from the entombment to the main water line. This design, we decided was better than a straight dam that would likely get clogged with debris during heavy rains. We feel really good about this one.

Many Jamaicans assume that I don't know how to do things and are hesitant to ask for assistance with certain tasks.  It would have been really easy for the mason to follow this trend (and it would have perfectly right of him to do so! I don't know the first thing about building a dam) But instead he handed me a bundle of binding wire and some wire cutters and told me to get to work. I spent the entire day tying steel for the dam frame.  We had one guy bending the steel, the mason setting it in the desired pattern and me coming behind both of them tying it all together. Dale, the 4th member of the crew, spent the time cooking our lunch over a fire and under tarp. This, I later argued, was the hardest job, as it was raining the entire day.  How he managed to make a fire out of wet bamboo, I will never understand. Furthermore it was one of the best saltfish and dumpling dishes I have had.

Enough about water and development philosophy. Before I sign off I will share some more pics.

Me, Rick, and Lebert cutting some sorrel for market. Sorrel is hibiscus flower  that Jamaicans like to make juice out of during the holidays.  Each flower has a seed pod in it that has to be cut out for it to be sold.  The work is nothing too special but the conversations we have on the veranda are priceless.

Sorrel and Sorrel Seeds

I've definitely cut my finger a few times

Dumping the final product into the bag

Of course, I tried to make wine out of the stuff. Didn't have yeast on hand so I went with a natural fermentation. It worked, but along with the alcohol production I got a lot of other byproducts in the mix. I need to clean up my operation. I wanted to big up Gallo with this pic. As you can clearly see, I am making wine in my Night Train tank. Thanks Grady, you are the man.

Wine

Love you all, wishing you grateful Christmas from the land of wood and water.

Mark

1, 2, Tree

Earlier this week I got in touch with the director of forestry at the Portland office about them donating a tree or two to the Bellevue Primary School for National Tree Planting Day (today). He agreed to donate a couple Blue Mahoe, Jamaica's national tree. I went down to the office yesterday to retrieve them and started chatting it up with the lady at the reception desk. After giving her a few minutes of the ol' Hudson charm I was walking out the door with a Blue Mahoe, 2 Weeping Willows, a Poor Man's Orchid, 2 Yellow Poui, an Acacia, and a Pride of Barbados... a total of 8 trees... major score. 

I got home pretty early and decided I better go prep the holes to ensure everything ran smoothly today. The idea of 40 kids running around with shovels and forks kind of scared me. After school though, a few of the kids saw me in my bush clothes (which they all love) and offered their help. After a few tries with the fork they decided football was more interesting.  I spoke with Ms. Francis, the principal, before she left and she agreed to give me some time during this morning's devotion for a tree planting ceremony. Everything was coming together quite nicely.

This is Glenroy reading his tree poem for the rest of the students.

The children started to gather this morning and I asked Ms. Mac to guide the students in a few hymns.  Once we had a good enough showing we went outside, had a brief discussion on why we all like trees, and a few of the kids recited some tree poetry for the rest of the school.  After the poetry was read, I did a little tree planting demonstration for all to watch and then assigned a tree and a location to each class. It is up to each grade to water their tree everyday and to protect it from goats, pigs, reckless pickney, and footballs. I think if we can keep 50% alive through the first year thats something
to be proud of... we'll see how it goes.

Jamar reading his poem.

Here are some photos for your viewing pleasure... If anyone from back at home gets inspired to plant a tree in the near future, send me a picture so I can show my students... gracias

Close up of Gelnroy with Ms. McPherson looking on. She's my favorite teacher.

Abby and Monikete (sp?) tag teaming a poem. After the activity I overheard Abby walking around the school yard reciting her portion of the poem. That was especially gratifying. Literacy AND environmentalism in action. Doesn't get much better than that.

Grade 1 getting their hand dirty with a Poor Mans Orchid

Grade 6, including travis who is falling backwards in the background, proudly showing off their Blue Mahoe.

A couple grade two students with their Yellow Poui tree.

How 'bout them niners?

As I hope you all know the 49ers went 3-1 last Sunday which gives them a commanding lead in the NFC West. From the stats it looked like one heck of a comeback against the Eagles. I'm sorry I missed it. The good news is that this last Sunday I was in Ocho Rios (a tourist town) and was able to watch half a game. Even tho it was the Texans and the Steelers, two teams I care nothing about, it was thrilling. In other football news I am doing very well in both of my fantasy football leagues; I hold 1st place in one and a real close 2nd in the other.  Of all the things I miss from home, football is up there. Especially since it looks like the niners on their way to dynasty status once again...

I have successfully completed my first month of Peace Corps service and have all good things to report. The last 5 weeks haven't come without their challenges but everyday is an exercise in managing expectations and reminding myself that success looks differently here.  Technically my "job" right now is to integrate into my community.  I am not supposed to start any huge projects until I can identify my partners. Who can I trust? more importantly, who can I get to trust me? The worst thing I could do is rush in to something without a clear understanding of the dynamics and have it fall apart... Furthermore I'm starting to realize with the more time I spend here that "big projects" aren't going to be my metric for success.  I was explaining to a good friend recently that chances are I won't build 20 greenhouses or bring solar electricity to the entire community, but I might teach a farmer how to read and write... that alone could take two years.  That said, I have had a few minor victories that ill fill you in on.

The JA gov has been pushing for some time now to get all farmers registered into a database. Right now, there aren't solid statistics in the way of what farmers are growing, how much of it they are growing, who is buying it etc... Without this information the gov can't support the farmers where they need the support. At my first farmers group meeting a few of the farmers were expressing confusion over the registration program so I decided to investigate. After a few persuasive phone calls, one of the parish agricultural extension officers agreed to make the journey up to Bellevue to help me host a free farmers registration day.  Trying to explain "better extension services" and "increased ag funding from the government" in patois to Jamaican farmers proved to be difficult.  Regardless,  I did my best to promote the registration up here and even though the extension officer was three hours late, it was a great success. We got a handful of farmers registered but the big surprise came when Mr Scott, the extension officer, brought up some farmer ID cards that have been sitting around the office for god knows how long. He doesn't make it up here too often. If you saw the road you'd understand. We've developed a pretty solid relationship which will hopefully bring him up to Bellevue on a regular basis. Good thing, because we need the help.

I have also been involved in some collaborative efforts with other volunteers. Brie Burd (you remember her from my PST post, she's also in the Green Initiative and lives down in in Port Antonio. She works with PEPA, the Portland Evironmental Protection Association). Anyways, Brie was given the task of doing some presentations on climate change to a couple schools in my neck of the woods and asked me to tag along and help. Of course I accepted because Brie is rad. The first presentation was kind of rough. Jamaican students are so used to be punished when they get the wrong answer that it is very challenging to illicit participation of any kind. Sometimes, a wrong answer for them means getting the belt. I probably wouldnt say much in class either.  The second presentation we did up at my school in Bellevue and it went a lot better. Brie and I had some more time to tweak the material and I had been working with the kids for a couple weeks by that point so they weren't as afraid to interact. I promised the students that for the duration of the activity it was ok to make educated guesses... For the most part, they got into it... Some of them just watched cautiously.

Some other good news came my first week here with the receipt of a grant for the continuation of the community water project.  Most of the community is still without running water but the money with the new grant will give access to a few dozen more households.  I think the grant was written by the last PC volunteer here but I still haven't figured that out. Ambiguity is the norm here.  My supervisor, Mr. Downer (a great great man, I wish you ALL could meet him) is heading up some of the water project as the president of the the farmers PMO group.  A reality check came when the night before he traveled to Kingston to buy more pipe, he walked all the way up to my place (about a 30 min walk) and asked for help to write the check. For one, he didn't know how to write the check, and two he needed me to double check is math calculation for the amount of the check. The calculation went like this: 250 pieces of pipe x $1500J per pipe. No tax, no fees... he was 100 bucks off.  I am very grateful that he had the courage to ask me. Some people would have been too proud. After we did the math problem together Ms. Miller (the treasurer) and I had a little lesson in financial record keeping. She, too, was receptive.  Later that evening it dawned on me that these moments, compounded time and time again will probably measure my impact here. Its grass roots, its slow, but it needs to be done.

Unfortunately some of these educational gaps have started to catch up with the community. I attended my first Bellevue Benevolent Society meeting where a government official came to explain that the group had been in violation of many rules for many years, and that if the errors weren't corrected by October 31st, the Benevolent Society was at risk of being dissolved. Let me back up... A Jamaican Benevolent Society is a cross between an American NPO and a fraternity.  Community Benevolent Societies are established to meet the expressed social, environmental, educational and developmental needs of the community BY the community. In a way, its kind of the governments way of outsourcing some of its development/social work to its citizens.  Benevolent Societies host weekly meetings (like a frat), collect dues (like a frat), and use its resources for community service and development (kind of like a frat).  Personally, I'm a huge fan of the model. The Bellevue Benevolent Society was established in 2005 as the governing body of the water system; and since 2005 its broken every rule in the book.  The root of the problem? The president of the society cant even read the rule book. He's a wonderful, respected man in the community but he can't conduct the business of the organization because he doesn't have the education to do so.  A large portion of my time for the next month will be spent with him, rectifying the problems in hopes that we can save the Benevolent Society, and by association, the water system. If not, the water will be handed over the the Parish Council and will be out of financial reach for nearly all members of the community.  If you know of any way to prepare a financial audit for the last 3 years without records or books, please let me know :) IF the Benevolent Society can be saved I can spend the next two years teaching literacy and business management to its members... because, like a frat, a Benevolent Society is a business.  If the society does fall apart, at least it will serve as a good example of what not to do to the farmers group that I am actually assigned to. I told Mr. Downer as we wrote the check, "Mr. Downer, wi 'ave fi do dis right, we cyaan get in trouble like dem." ... he understands.

I'm discovering the fine line that every Peace Corps volunteer must face when it comes to development. We constantly have to ask ourselves if the work we are doing is.... everybody's favorite word... SUSTAINABLE.  The other day somebody asked me if I would type a job application letter for them and I had to say no.  I mean I could have, and it would've taken me about 5 minutes, and she may have gotten the job, and may have been able to buy her kid a new school bag, but it would have strengthened the destructive notion that Jamaica is dependent on white people.  The problem is, me writing the letter could have felt good. It could have given me those sometimes scarce feelings of purpose and validation that every Peace Corps volunteer craves but can sometime never get. However, in development terms it would have been as effective as dumping rice over Sub-saharan Africa. Eventually the rice would run out, and eventually, I will leave Bellevue.

Organizational issues set aside, the water system itself has been broken for the last month.  Until today, the Benevolent Society hasn't been able to scrape together enough cash to get it fixed. I spent the early part of the week at the school and on the computer trying to figure out how to help the b society so when the opportunity came to get outside and help Mr. White fix the water tank, I jumped at it.  At about 8:00am this morning Mr. White walked by the house looking for his goats. I asked him if we were still going to the bush to fix the water at 10:00 and if I needed to bring anything. 

"Ya mon, wi a go bush... yuh 'ave any rum?" ... Silly question.

We met up the road at 10 o clock and started our hike to the water tank. It wasn't too far. Here are some pictures:

The Water Tank... Providing mostly clean water to the communities of Bellevue and New Road

Step 1: Drain whats left of the tank (not much. I've been bathing in a bucket and drinking from a spring for the last month. Mind you, I'm not complaining. It's kind of awesome) 

Step 2: Get in the tank and take turns scooping water through a 5 inch pipe

This is what it looks like from the outside

Step 3: Take a rum break

Step 4: Drink rum and work at the same time

Step 5: Once clean, turn on the water and hope there is enough pressure to fill take (it was a steady drip by the time we left)... and, as always, don't forget to enjoy the view.

 I always try to take a day or two a week to do this type of work. Unlike other Peace Corps work, cleaning a water tank, planting banana trees, and picking coffee yields immediate results... that you can see with your eyes. That combined with the physical exercise maintains my health and happiness. I do love it here.

I was emailing Bryan J earlier today and reminded him that he and the rest of the guys have a free place to stay in Jamaica for the next two years... I hope they take advantage of it. That offer is on the table to everyone, so don't let it pass you by.

Thats all for now... The family is gathering on the veranda to clean the sorrel that was picked today. If I help out I might be able to secure enough of my own to start my first batch of sorrel wine....

Peace

Swearing In and Killing Chickens

A few random pics for oonoo:

Ambassador Pamela Bridgewater swearing us in at the U.S. Embassy. Im on the right side in the back. You can see my left ear.

Group 82!

The Kill Zone

Brother Rick helping me out

Home Sweet Home

Wagwaan my yute!

I know its been awhile since my last post and I'm sorry for that. I was hoping to get internet back at the Mayfair Hotel in Kingston after my site orientation a couple weeks ago, but the wireless at the hotel wasn't working. There was a little room outside of the hotel office that had a couple ethernet lines in it, but with 28 other PC trainees and the rest of the hotel guests, it was nearly impossible to hook up.

Regardless, I'm settled in to my new home now and have internet all the time. I have a PC issued USB modem that gets me Edge (2G) speed. For any Iphone users out there, its about as fast as the first Iphone, but it gets the job done.

For the next two years, this is my house!  I know from this angle it may not look like much, but it is actually very comfortable. Like most houses in Jamaica, it is under construction so the left side is not livable. Building loans and the whole credit/finance thing never really caught on here so a family might take 10-15, maybe even 30 years to build a house. They just do a little work here and there when the money comes in. But the right side under the water tank has two bedrooms and a bathroom. The kitchen is downstairs and looks out onto the two Ackee trees you see behind the house as well as our fowl coop.  As far as amenities are concerned, again not bad at all. This house is on of 17 houses in Bellevue (population roughly 1500 I think) with running water. It isn't drinkable, so we have to fetch water from the spring below our house every few days, but its clean enough to bathe in and wash clothes in etc... 

Bellevue, Portland is on the North Eastern part of the island . If you find Port Antonio on the map (again, North East coast) and follow the Rio Grande river south up into the Blue Mountain range, you'll run into Bellevue. Its about right smack dab in the middle of the parish, 10 miles from the North coast. When you all get a chance to visit me, you'll want to fly into Kingston. From there its about a 3 to 4 hour journey home assuming you don't get a flat tire along the way, which for me has been about 50% of the time.  It feels kind of remote up here but Port Antonio is the closest developed city area and can pretty much provide anything I need. Furthermore, there are a handful of volunteers working down there, so I have people to visit.

Oh, sorry... whats that? the view? yeah, its pretty good....

While I was hanging my laundry on the roof this last weekend I had one of those moments. I dunno, I guess as I looked out on the view it really started to hit me that, yes, this is home, and I think I could get used to it. The pics don't do it justice of course but if you look at the dip in the ridge in the pic above you can see the horizon. You can also see a bend in the Rio Grande River right in the center of the pic above.  Portland is known for its rainfall but as you can see, this day was perfect.

Below is the view from my bedroom window...

This is my brother Rick taking bananas to market... The building to the right is the school, where I will (hopefully) be doing some ag/environmental education. The library is also my "office", where I am currently working.

The view from the front of the school...

The front of the school. Most schools in Jamaica are made from these pre fab buildings. I think uncle D asked about the red tank on Facebook. It is the water catch because the school has no running water. The students, or "pickney dem" as we say here, use a pit latrine which most of them are used to.

This is my host brother Rick roasting breadfruit for breakfast. The picture was taken from the kitchen door of the house. Over real flame is the traditional and preferred way to do it...

More view...

The fowl coop... Rik Dog (my buddy serving with the PC in Rwanda) was asking me about what kind of food I can afford on my PC budget. He doesn't get a whole lot of protein over there. I'm pretty lucky here because my family raises broiler hens to sell and eat themselves. The way we have the meal thing worked our right now is that I throw them some cash for two meals a day and then I'm on my own for lunch. So, as a result, I get fresh chicken on the regular. Also, the advantages of living on a farm is that most things you eat come right from your back yard, and they are plentiful. Its a beautiful thing, really.

This is my host mom, Cate. In Patois you actually throw a "y" in there so it sounds more like "Kyate". Im working on it. I cant remember what exactly it was she was cooking but chances are it was awesome... 

I have a brief story about cooking...  During our training we had a handful of "emotional wellness" sessions designed to keep us sane and healthy during service. I know, it sounds really touchy feely, and some of it definitely was but most of it was really helpful. We talked a lot about finding our "stabilizers" which are those things, people, rituals, places or whatevers that in a weird way center you and establish some form of individuality.  For example, a few of my stabilizers would be music, Karen Tussing, and my french press coffee maker (in no specific order, mind you).  Turns out, another stabilizer of mine is cooking, which unfortunately due to the structure of training and the Jamaican culture, has been stripped away from me during the last 10 weeks or so.  When I moved up to Bellevue, I knew that somehow, I had to be let back into the kitchen. So when Cate and I sat down for dinner together on my first night we got to talking... I told her "Cate, I really love to cook and wouldn't mind cooking for myself and the family every once in a while." Like all Jamaican moms, she gave me a very puzzled/curious and almost defensive look as if to say "whitey, there is no way you are touching my kitchen." Of course she didn't actually say it, but her eyes said enough.... Strike one...

I wasn't going to give up though. I needed to cook. My emotional well being depended on it. So when Sunday rolled around Cate and I were doing our usual morning ritual and she was expressing her indecision on what to make for Sunday supper. She just couldn't decide. So in a mocking tone she looked up and asked "do you want to make it?" Before she had a chance to laugh at herself I said "Yes! yes I will make it Cate, I will make our Sunday supper."  I think out of laziness and the desire to be entertained for the evening, she agreed. And there, laid before me, was my shot at the kitchen. 

Time to decide on a menu. Seeing as we raise chicken I knew that was going to be a given. But how was I going to prepare it? I started looking around the cupboard for anything that looked familiar. Believe it or not, way in the back, was a bottle of BBQ sauce from England or someplace. I asked Cate where she got it and how old it was. She didn't really know the answer to either question but she thought it belonged to one of her sons and that he had left it there after a trip back from the UK. SCORE. I probably live in the only house in Portland that has BBQ sauce. Luck was on my side. I gave it a little taste and decided and it wasn't bad so BBQ chicken was going to be the main course.  It just so happened that on my walk the night before, one of the girls that works at the shop here gave me about 2 lbs of okra. Up until this point I was trying to figure out what the hell I was going to do with 2 lbs of okra. Problem solved. Side dish 1 was going to be fried okra.  I figured just in case my family hated fried okra and bbq chicken I better enlist my brother Rick to make some classic Jamaican rice and peas so that nobody went hungry.  At one point, Rick tried to convince me that black people didn't eat fried okra and that to make such a thing would be crazy. Boy, did I get a kick out of that!  The dinner was hit, and I am now trusted in the kitchen. I am officially stabilized. 

Before I sign off I gotta tell you about my day yesterday. Not to sound sappy but it was kind of a dream day for me. I spent 8 hours in the Jamaican bush picking coffee.  Those of you that know my interest in this area can understand. I think I get some of it from sister. But for those of you that don't know, I wrote a thesis on coffee supply chains and coffee production in developing nations. I've spent hours reading and writing about it, but yesterday, I got to LIVE it.... 

This is Dawnette, Me and Cate after a long day's work. Dawnette is an executive member of the farmers group I work with and so is Cate. We had some great quality time and good conversation. I picked about half the coffee they did but they still said I "work good" and that I would be welcome back anytime. Pretty sure we have another pick scheduled for next week and I'm pretty sure I'm going to be there.

This is my host dad Lebert floating the day's pick.

And lastly, this is me and Shontoya checking out what I picked that day. Shontoya is related to me somehow but I can't exactly figure it out yet. And yes, in 8 hours I was only able to pick 1 five gallon bucket of coffee. It is seriously tough work. *Warning* Geek out time...
The coffee truck came by today and paid $750J ($8.75 US) for that bucket. If I had been a contracted laborer, I would have only seen a fraction of that.  To add some perspective, a bag of fertilizer cost $5,000J which means that a farmer working at my pace would have to pick 6.5 days worth of coffee, just to buy a bag of fertilizer. Oh yeah, then he has to feed his family. Sip on that next time you roll up to the Starbucks drive through.
This tells me two things: We (the farmers group) need to get away from synthetic fertilizers as much as we can. Believe it or not this is going to be a tough sell. It also tells me that farmers need more leverage in the market. The questions is, how? Holler at me if you have any ideas...

As always, thanks for reading. I love and miss you all...

Welcome to Bellevue

Yesterday was a very exciting day for the PC trainee group 82. After hours of conspiracy theories and analyzing hints by our project managers and staff members, we now know where we will be spending the next two years...

I'm moving to Bellevue Portland to work with a brand new farmers PMO (Production and Marketing Organization). Portland is located on the north eastern part of the island and is arguably one of the most beautiful parishes. My resources will be few and the work will be great, but from what I hear, Ill be working with some motivated, energetic individuals.

I havent actually been out to see my site yet. I move there this afternoon after spending the morning with my new supervisor.  I won't have internet for a while but as soon as I can, ill write an update with some firsthand perspective.

My site on paper....
Host Agency's Top 6 Activities
1) Protected Ag (green houses and such)
2) Improved Ag Practices (Natural Disaster Mitigations)
3) Environmental and Ag Education
4) School Gardens
5) Reforestation
6) Marketing and Record Keeping (Business management and skills for farmers)

Bellevue is rural community with an estimated population of 1200 people.
Will be living in 4 bedroom, 1 bath house with 4 other adults and a 7 year old.

The resources are few and the work is plenty. Can't wait to get started.

More to come this weekend

(never) Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Here’s an idea... Let’s invite 7 random strangers to a Caribbean island, send them out to the middle of the bush, make them learn a new language, and build compost piles and plant things with each other. If you think this sounds like an upcoming reality TV show on FOX network’s fall line up, you are wrong. This, my friends, is PCJ Green Initiative. The inevitable adventures, challenges, hardships, and successes that comes with such a scenario is starting to yield friendships that will surely last a lifetime.  Such is the story in the Blue Mountain farming community of Woodford as seven Peace Corps trainees have bonded together in environmental friendship and unity. It gives me great pleasure to introduce my readers to my new friends. We almost love each other as much as we love the trees around us.

First there’s Val. Val is great. She comes for New Hampshire and emulates some of the Peace Corps stereotypes to the T. She is ummm... peaceful, down to earth, and has a nurturing ora about her. In her spare time, Val loves making her own deodorant and shampoo, reading the latest in compost techniques, laying in human piles, and beekeeping. She is also a flash mob specialist, which allows her to channel environmental awareness through interpretive dance, poetry, music and art. Let’s say, hypothetically I really wanted to hug this tree, but try as I might, I just couldn’t wrap my arms all the way around it. I would put in a call to Val and she would be there ASAP to help me out.

Next we have Brie Burd. She is tight, brah. She comes from Hawaii and therefore is automatically super chill. She jams to some ultra rad music and I might venture to say she likes to attend shin digs, social gatherings, and “get-to-gethers”. I enjoy her laugh. She also knows some things about organic farming so she brings a lot to the table. There is a 99.7% chance that she will marry a Rasta farmer and stay here forever. I can’t wait to come back for the wedding. Brie, you want to go grab a beer after class?

Then we have Jenny. Jenny is a hipster but claims she didn’t really realize it until she got to the island. I’m not sure why because it’s pretty obvious. She wears tight fitting black jeans, has a star tattoo on her wrist, wears thick rimmed yellow glasses, and reads underground existential poetry. No, not kierkegaard, kierkegaard. was too mainstream in his time and therefore, by hipster law, cannot be truly appreciated. The irony kills me. Jenny is also an archeologist. She is straight nasty with a shovel.

Moving to the gentlemen we have John Eddy. Mr Eddy is 77 years old and therefore brings a lot of wisdom to the group. He can’t hear and is blind in one eye so while his contributions may not always be consistent with the topic on hand, they are ALWAYS funny and very valuable given the appropriate context.  Mr. Eddy always begins his presentations with a sex joke because he claims the increased endorphins allow for better learning and comprehension. I think he’s on to something... I did learn a lot about fertilizer that day.  After class, he entertains the rest of the group with stories as we hike up the mountain.

Second to lastly theres Kyle K. Kyle fits in the doesnt-have-a stereotype, stereotype. He’s from the midwest, likes fish and the outdoors. My favorite thing about Kyle is that when I need a hit of testosterone we can chat about the latest in NFL news (testosterone is seriously hard to come by in PCJ group 82. Of the 29 left, 6 of us are men).

Hmmmmm... who’s left? Oh yea, Sarah Marshall. Let me tell you a little something about Sarah Marshall. She is a redneck from Kentucky and therefore is the only person in Jamaica that not only owns flannel, but wears it on a regular basis.  You would think that  this fact alone would make Sarah Marshall very easy to spot in a crowd but the truth is you can actually hear her before you’d be able to see her. Sarah Marshall loves to talk... loudly.  I remember vividly within the first week of us living in Woodford some of the locals asking me about other members of the group. An older gentlemen asked “who’s di loud girl dat lives pon di hill with Auntie Peggy?” Who else could it be? “Sarah Marshall” I replied.

Sarah Marshall’s obsession isn’t what it seems.  As perfect as she is, Sarah Marshall used to smoke cigarettes :(  As we were attending a behavior change workshop early on in our training, Sarah Marshall got up and explained to the whole group the challenges she had kicking the bad habit. In vivid detail, complete with hand motions, Sarah explained that the behavior she needed to change had nothing to do with the addiction to nicotine, it was actually a problem stemming from her oral fixation.  The constant need of having things in and around her mouth eventually resulted in the surgical removal of her uvula... it was a tragic incident...

Sarah Marshall is very intelligent. She has two degrees: A BS and a MA in Agriculture Education.  She was actually the student body president for the college of agriculture at the University of Kentucky. She was so popular and good at everything she did that she was asked to speak at her college graduation. She has a recording of it on her external hard drive if you’d ever like to see it.  Anyway, in the heat of her graduation speech she was speaking so passionately that her uvula actually tore in half.  Don’t worry though, Sarah Marshall, in true Sarah Marshall fashion, finished the speech without anyone knowing of her discomfort.  After the closing line of the speech, Sarah was rushed to the UK medical center where the emergency room doctor was forced to amputate.

One would think that that this rare type of surgery would actually hinder one’s ability to communicate.  Believe it or not, the absence of the uvula increases the spacial volume under the soft palate, thus allowing vocal waves to reverberate at an increased level of 17%. It’s amazing, and you literally have to see it to believe it.

As if it doesn’t get any better, Sarah Marshall has a tattoo of Kentucky on her wrist, is a 4H expert and is Strengths Quest certified. Strengths Quest is a contemporary personality analysis program.  As if you couldn’t already guess, Sarah Marshall’s top strengths are communication, empathy, leadership, and facilitating. This is Sarah Marshall laying pipe, another favorite pastime of hers.

Sarah Marshall and I are great friends. We kick it on the reg and as a result much of the community of Woodford actually believes we share mangoes. This however, is not true. She is the closest thing to a frat bro that I have on this island, and for that I am incredibly grateful.

As you can see, the Green Initiative group is close. And not close like that good friend you had in high school type of close. Close like the there is no room in our relationships for discomfort as we talk about our digestive irregularities type of close. Close like the tell me about the love you did (or did not) leave in the states type of close. Or close like the lets be best friends for the next two years because we have no choice, type of close. 

Love you guys...