tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43959056756139996392024-03-05T01:41:54.949-08:00Walk Goodmeans: hello, goodbye, wishing a person the very best in their endeavors/journey, to travel with good spirits, peace, love & affection towards others, RESPECT, almost like saying “blessings” even in the face of stressful/traumatic/tense or demanding environments.Mark Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04806408923504879188noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395905675613999639.post-80788995016985231472012-06-08T16:25:00.000-07:002012-06-08T16:25:02.821-07:00One Stop?A lot of weird things happen here. Not really weird in a universal sense but just weird to me because I'm not from here. A lot of these things I've gotten used to in the 344 odd days I've been here but something happened this last weekend that was really out of the ordinary.<br />
I was visiting Kelsey in Trelawny. I think it was a Saturday. We had just spent a really nice day shopping in Falmouth for her new place in Bunkers Hill. We ate some Chinese food, went to the market for fresh veggies - you know, cool stuff like that. The weather was really nice too.<br />
Somewhere about 3 or 4 o clock it was time to head back up to country. We loaded up in the mini bus with all our goods and shoved off.<br />
For the first 25 minutes the ride was fairly normal. The common conversations of politics, the heat, the poor condition of the roads, more politics and sex filled the bus as we rumbled along. I rarely chime into these. Most of the time when traveling on a mini bus I keep to myself - sunglasses on, facing forward or out the window, pretending to be anonymous. Kelsey and I carried on a few quiet conversations, pointing out the scenery to each other, or chuckling at some of the conversations occurring in the background. Taxi/Bus drivers know everybody's secrets.<br />
We had just passed through Wakesfield which is about the halfway point between Falmouth and Bunkers Hill when somebody in the back yelled out "One Stop!," the signal to tell the driver to pull over and let you out. The conductor opened the door and let out the passenger. Something happened in the proceeding seconds that remains unclear to me. Whatever it was really irritated the driver so he turned around and snapped at the conductor "yuh show off too much!". The conductor, who also happened to be the owner of the bus, didn't like that much. Understandable. So he snapped back with the usual cus words "bumbaclot!.... backside!.... bloodclot!" etc etc etc...<br />
Well, this went on for some time and evolved into a completely different argument about money and how one of them owed the other a thousand J (11 bucks) and things started to get real heated. Soon, the whole bus started to get involved and what started as an argument between two turned into something that more closely resembled a family meeting that just got out of hand. I love that about Jamaica. The older women started to assume their motherly roles and pleaded for the bickering to stop. The real older women scolded, the rasta man and the young men blurted out a few "chill nuh man!"s as a third brother would do and a few embarrassed people in the back kept saying things to the affect of "not in front of the white people!".<br />
Well, all the pleas didn't help and this argument continued to get out of hand. Amongst the chaos the driver decided he had had enough so he pulled over, flagged down an oncoming taxi, and drove off in the opposite direction. The looks of disbelief popped up all over the bus - except for the rasta, he just smiled and shook his head. Disbelief was quickly replaced with relief however because at least we had the conductor, and he could drive the bus.... right?<br />
The conductor got out of the side door and walked back and around the bus to the drivers door and reached for where the keys should have been... It didn't take long for all of us to figure out that the keys were still with the driver who was in a taxi headed in the other direction.<br />
So there we were, somewhere between Wakesfield and Bunkers Hill without a ride. Most of us were laughing. Another reason why I love this country. Really, no matter how bad it gets, everybody just says "give thanks" and laughs. Those who weren't laughing were apologizing to the white people for the embarrassing display. We tried to tell them it was ok... and that we like Jamaica... and that we weren't really there visiting but that we lived there. They still felt really bad.<br />
Thankfully, the whole thing was resolved very quickly. The road between Wakesfield and Bunkers Hill is reasonably busy so the bus load of people were able to flag down a few different drivers and within 10 minutes or so everybody was on their way again.<br />
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Never, ever, a dull moment.<br />
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"Give Thanks"Mark Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04806408923504879188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395905675613999639.post-49395442283723145182012-05-13T08:15:00.004-07:002012-05-13T08:15:47.592-07:00John's BlogHere's a link to my brothers blog. He takes better pictures than I do.<br />
A few things to look out for:<br />
My organic demo plot. Theres a picture of the terraces I built as well as a seed bed. Nothing was planted when the picture was taken but now I have tomatoes, basil, bell pepper, jalapenos, broccoli.<br />
A picture of the finished dam.<br />
My supervisor, Mr. Downer in the yellow shirt with a machete.<br />
Some cool shots of my yard.<br />
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<a href="http://www.aroundtheearf.blogspot.com/">http://www.aroundtheearf.blogspot.com/</a>Mark Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04806408923504879188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395905675613999639.post-6381323579892884352012-05-12T14:29:00.001-07:002012-05-12T14:29:20.345-07:00"Teach me how to jerk"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Hey all,</div>
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Not sure if any body still checks this thing but I figured I'd throw up a quick post anyway.</div>
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All is good here. The truth is I don't really have a lot to report on. The things that were once out of the ordinary and therefore noteworthy are now the normal components of my every day life. It's difficult sometimes to differentiate those stories that anybody would find remotely interesting. Nonetheless, Ill try.</div>
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As for Peace Corps work, the construction of the water project is completed. All 600 or so residents in Bellevue now have access to clean running water. My community members here are probably real sick of hearing it from me but I continue to preach that the real project is now just beginning... now we have to figure out how to manage the thing. In this regard we are making progress, slow progress albeit but we we are moving forward. </div>
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I'm gonna try real hard here not to break off into deep development philosophy but the whole thing has been a fascinating study. I was explaining the project to a family member recently and she was just gushing with pride. She said something to he effect of "Gosh you must be the man around there!" Haha, well, not quite. Its complicated. When the project was finished. There was no dancing in the streets, or naked children frolicking around a standing pipe gushing with cool, clean water. You'd never believe it but we are having a HELL of a time getting people to actually hook up to the system. It makes slinging $100 cabernet look easy. The reason can be found in two inconvenient realities. Domestic water costs money and Bellevue doesn't have any money. </div>
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A big chunk of my time since February has been spent with the community group that runs the system creating a business plan that would allow the residents of Bellevue access to cheap, but economically sustainable water. I do my best to explain: "look, we could have free water and it might last a year, or we could charge a fee, and it could last forever." To me it the answer is clear. But I come from the land of Iphones and six figure salaries. The business plan we worked out calls for 60 customers paying $500 J per month in order for us to break even. As of the beginning of May we are up to 45, which is double what we had in February. Of those 45, 44% actually pay their bill, which isn't great but its better than the 8% we had at the beginning of the year. We are really making some progress and it feels great. I think in about a years time we might actually be operating in the black. If we can achieve that, I'll be the one frolicking naked in the gushing standing pipe.</div>
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With the construction now over I've had the time to start on some other small projects. I started an environmental club at the school, built a demonstration plot to showcase organic farming techniques and hillside farming techniques, and worked with a local NGO to assist local farmers with disaster mitigation land husbandry techniques. It's been a real treat to get back to the farmers.</div>
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Last month I had the gift of hosting my lovely family. We were able to split time between Bellevue and an all inclusive in Runaway Bay. I welcomed the opportunity of a warm shower and a break from boiled green bananas. The resort even had Jack Daniels which runs for about $50 US here when you can actually find it. Hosting my family in Bellevue was even more fun, though. They got to see first hand the deceptive dichotomy that IS Jamaica. Watching them go through the sensory overload that I remember from my first day in Bellevue was especially entertaining. It's a lot to take in, and they did great. Brother John was able to hang out for an extra week to really experience PCV life before he left for his 4 month trip around the world. Bro, if you are reading this can you drop me a line? Hope you are still alive.</div>
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Some random news... I adopted a dog. His name is Beenie, after Beenie man, the king of dancehall.<br />
I will be visiting the US for three weeks at the end of August. <br />
Will be spending most of my time in the bay with family and friends.<br />
Big up to all those who have sent me care packages... Among them Mom, Dad, Christina, Kris Parise... huge thanks, you are true patriots.<br />
My host mom and sister got their Visa's a week ago and are already in Pennsylvania starting their new jobs. The family dynamic will change drastically as the ship has lost it's captain in Kate. I already miss them dearly. They both spoiled me. The bachelor pad should be fun though for the six months they are gone.</div>
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Before I sign off, here are a few pics: </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOf5F1zEnwqzyRCpONFHSpePBXtxvtBMiy4ejSqvl5gtfvORLdv-7XybUxAvWbdK4uIZU5ptuRtEL_UUnpq3GYNsGmPJEQsqf8piNFTLzzhMUaQKQxcfSeTj7sY_7ygS817QX5o6M9XP6t/s1600/IMG_2007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOf5F1zEnwqzyRCpONFHSpePBXtxvtBMiy4ejSqvl5gtfvORLdv-7XybUxAvWbdK4uIZU5ptuRtEL_UUnpq3GYNsGmPJEQsqf8piNFTLzzhMUaQKQxcfSeTj7sY_7ygS817QX5o6M9XP6t/s640/IMG_2007.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bellevue Environmental Entrepreneurs (BEE Club) showing off their "Adapting to Climate Change" posters. TJ, on the far left actually won $75 from the UNDP for his work.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill taking a leak out of his right pant leg like a real man. Its a long journey to Bellevue. Pit stops are common and necessary.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My boy Squeaky putting on a Jerk lesson for my brother</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beenie trying to charm Kate into some Jerk</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzau_gTPG0A8zkooraorJQZpa5SYML3BP7cVykJX4rQan7S0Zm1nqeN8_Hr8pOwrygq4h10O_UsbiE0ylfawIbAYhUZa84KP1Cp4Vsjl3yDYB3aHWVqPmPAo7SmTeLqBPDXC29AGQtaUoR/s1600/IMG_2281.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzau_gTPG0A8zkooraorJQZpa5SYML3BP7cVykJX4rQan7S0Zm1nqeN8_Hr8pOwrygq4h10O_UsbiE0ylfawIbAYhUZa84KP1Cp4Vsjl3yDYB3aHWVqPmPAo7SmTeLqBPDXC29AGQtaUoR/s400/IMG_2281.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the spirit of cultural exchange, I though it only appropriate to put on a BBQ chicken clinic after the Jerk lesson. Homemade BBQ sauce.... finger lickin' good</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trail to the dam.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6FdjFjpWWniOdt20-HaU7lYZ8yryhMcS3dcZU1Pdc32OjgYh_NI349DtvsLKqDGGn6tO96qNUDko1f5gA3sMlIvFmlD-8pTL42pDypvEbyWeD2H1hyOwLbrXfzadMf2P7Ile-vi68ktsz/s1600/IMG_1951.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6FdjFjpWWniOdt20-HaU7lYZ8yryhMcS3dcZU1Pdc32OjgYh_NI349DtvsLKqDGGn6tO96qNUDko1f5gA3sMlIvFmlD-8pTL42pDypvEbyWeD2H1hyOwLbrXfzadMf2P7Ile-vi68ktsz/s640/IMG_1951.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Beenie up at the dam</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKcpHbmtRiqdrCKO8XZMjrq_a9_mPP0_M4hwU4V3tScDMjd2z0IIZ8Qp8r_cMjlrfxF_CZeWv0Fhjt-GDohOTYKeKABPstt-QcJA5CJ4WlgO0XB4rO1Z-lusTgEzuvOOXaD0FlZTNS_e6J/s1600/IMG_1967.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKcpHbmtRiqdrCKO8XZMjrq_a9_mPP0_M4hwU4V3tScDMjd2z0IIZ8Qp8r_cMjlrfxF_CZeWv0Fhjt-GDohOTYKeKABPstt-QcJA5CJ4WlgO0XB4rO1Z-lusTgEzuvOOXaD0FlZTNS_e6J/s640/IMG_1967.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John, gettin his jerk on</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhssHjflsZN2WY4UKXEjo2r7lTOrKeRsQ9Uy6U7eb84-Du5FB3NsKHOZ16Zua3is-6TLQI2bTRhvdmnzTbaSised_gnTsTMfQxqrKiRZptoCNynws7lXz-S_8BbvxYTCyYfZC2WJcFUxJTB/s1600/IMG_1973.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhssHjflsZN2WY4UKXEjo2r7lTOrKeRsQ9Uy6U7eb84-Du5FB3NsKHOZ16Zua3is-6TLQI2bTRhvdmnzTbaSised_gnTsTMfQxqrKiRZptoCNynws7lXz-S_8BbvxYTCyYfZC2WJcFUxJTB/s640/IMG_1973.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The most important ingredient, Scotch Bonnet peppers</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-FclaQ9f7DsfACBw1ps4ICMib1wBOgTL_kcsFXvHqZ9vsJR7k5pS7wI0IiDR-nDgHaVxCNlzJzsiy0kbW235anMGfsHh9tLeC1RsJqTGcERHmsP7UmCrDgiI3Ky7b1mCpEIiRqdd0ko8/s1600/IMG_1974.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-FclaQ9f7DsfACBw1ps4ICMib1wBOgTL_kcsFXvHqZ9vsJR7k5pS7wI0IiDR-nDgHaVxCNlzJzsiy0kbW235anMGfsHh9tLeC1RsJqTGcERHmsP7UmCrDgiI3Ky7b1mCpEIiRqdd0ko8/s640/IMG_1974.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished product</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh8t4CiRcovqqlhMIPbSgGvWOMunP-bRhjLv168lwTv-zUpQNxxlBc45jS2QaCLV6MWE295_yRQUmnQNxzKFABaUP_PAecwog4kx5u-jqMHdRTKQPkiEtFLHU8mddQ8_OhtCr120WW-Yvk/s1600/IMG_1990.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh8t4CiRcovqqlhMIPbSgGvWOMunP-bRhjLv168lwTv-zUpQNxxlBc45jS2QaCLV6MWE295_yRQUmnQNxzKFABaUP_PAecwog4kx5u-jqMHdRTKQPkiEtFLHU8mddQ8_OhtCr120WW-Yvk/s640/IMG_1990.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bomb</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brother John planting his first Yam during a hillside farming demo day.</td></tr>
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A clip from a workday to do some finishing touches on the dam.</div>
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<br /></div>Mark Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04806408923504879188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395905675613999639.post-90503603636443808702011-12-21T09:47:00.000-08:002011-12-22T06:08:04.281-08:00The fall of dropping water, wears away the stoneHi there,<br />
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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.</div>
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Let's see, what can I fill you in on? I guess Ill just pick up where I left off...</div>
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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.</div>
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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.</div>
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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: </div>
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"But Mr. Johnson" I'd say, pointing to the "Official Government Business" envelope. </div>
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"The letter says that if we don't hold an election the society will be dissolved"</div>
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I'd quickly remember that he cant read and realized that repeatedly shoving the letter in his face was useless. </div>
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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.</div>
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"Why?" I questioned... "This is <i>your</i> AGM, not mine" I explained. They pleaded still, and reluctantly I agreed.</div>
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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.</div>
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Trying to sound unfazed by the situation I cleared my throat and asked "so how did you come up with this list?"</div>
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The answer...</div>
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"We know that there are others who could do a good job, but we really don't want any contention in the group."</div>
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Hmmm...</div>
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I felt defeated. I ended the meeting as quickly as I could and went to bed.</div>
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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. </div>
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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.</div>
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I was relieved, to say the least. I believe the Benevolent Society actually has a fighting chance now... progress feels good... so does hope.</div>
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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.</div>
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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.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beenie and I headed to work.</td></tr>
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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.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laying Pipe.</td></tr>
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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.</div>
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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. </div>
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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.</div>
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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. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZnXMpvyISZJedzvxsMi940tNcutzythxml9GQyWoUzsM6bMMUCLfTfX2bpWWKrXXeBRKCjTjBxR2Yoh72BFTz4smeZQfA2AMpzKzwktsmnk9iEkEjnuyAQIGl9S2GxrDbzFaZjuGpIH6f/s1600/IMG_1871.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZnXMpvyISZJedzvxsMi940tNcutzythxml9GQyWoUzsM6bMMUCLfTfX2bpWWKrXXeBRKCjTjBxR2Yoh72BFTz4smeZQfA2AMpzKzwktsmnk9iEkEjnuyAQIGl9S2GxrDbzFaZjuGpIH6f/s400/IMG_1871.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">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.</td></tr>
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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.</div>
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Enough about water and development philosophy. Before I sign off I will share some more pics.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyphenhyphenMEvZU7pG51fuwE2ZQCUdjWFG3q8fehLziRKHYSqX6vE_4CNY32DQEGRNbyk3rMf-Nqb0I9lmhawIGrvFpue3T8eexnDrwxzyz85AjoK_txAaZySqdmT6Vv8G-9ygO002EAYI-99Qnox/s1600/IMG_1578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyphenhyphenMEvZU7pG51fuwE2ZQCUdjWFG3q8fehLziRKHYSqX6vE_4CNY32DQEGRNbyk3rMf-Nqb0I9lmhawIGrvFpue3T8eexnDrwxzyz85AjoK_txAaZySqdmT6Vv8G-9ygO002EAYI-99Qnox/s400/IMG_1578.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">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.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjypJQfgUrPqPRkhNVEe0fwGAdh5I8L5HtPkxMFTWBtwI03T38REztWqQMZi8qZeTvcC-lfNzMAZ4WY2k09iFaiFp_HMdYZ1xqccLzAmQXnHg0gPz8UYRra4hddDQwDYY-Fo6_K196L5ika/s1600/IMG_1592.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjypJQfgUrPqPRkhNVEe0fwGAdh5I8L5HtPkxMFTWBtwI03T38REztWqQMZi8qZeTvcC-lfNzMAZ4WY2k09iFaiFp_HMdYZ1xqccLzAmQXnHg0gPz8UYRra4hddDQwDYY-Fo6_K196L5ika/s400/IMG_1592.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorrel and Sorrel Seeds</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I've definitely cut my finger a few times</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA5tnCHYNS5grdCIufZv16DMAzoq3jTiGTUbtfTmMZDXlNLPCPFzx7ew0S-v9fiPvUGUOa01PwrjVROCuZFyjvqwQiqzD0yg3slDSQFJuvywV3HQvewLtxVucZxAgV5_glDn3yJSgmQ0dE/s1600/IMG_1611.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA5tnCHYNS5grdCIufZv16DMAzoq3jTiGTUbtfTmMZDXlNLPCPFzx7ew0S-v9fiPvUGUOa01PwrjVROCuZFyjvqwQiqzD0yg3slDSQFJuvywV3HQvewLtxVucZxAgV5_glDn3yJSgmQ0dE/s400/IMG_1611.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dumping the final product into the bag</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">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.</td></tr>
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Love you all, wishing you grateful Christmas from the land of wood and water.</div>
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Mark</div>
</div>Mark Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04806408923504879188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395905675613999639.post-75004068681248462322011-10-07T10:55:00.000-07:002011-10-07T11:36:50.307-07:001, 2, Tree<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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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. </div>
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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.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Glenroy reading his tree poem for the rest of the students.</td></tr>
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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<br />
to be proud of... we'll see how it goes.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jamar reading his poem.</td></tr>
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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</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close up of Gelnroy with Ms. McPherson looking on. She's my favorite teacher.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">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.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grade 1 getting their hand dirty with a Poor Mans Orchid</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grade 6, including travis who is falling backwards in the background, proudly showing off their Blue Mahoe.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A couple grade two students with their Yellow Poui tree.</td></tr>
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<br />Mark Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04806408923504879188noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395905675613999639.post-50035336415916249242011-10-05T16:29:00.000-07:002011-10-05T16:29:57.426-07:00How '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...<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.</div>
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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 <i>BY</i> 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.</div>
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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.</div>
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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. </div>
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"Ya mon, wi a go bush... yuh 'ave any rum?" ... Silly question.</div>
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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:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji89WZg7CBdn2jobgIbMg4qpwJ5b4GcvXRR9YeS80SgOnhXobSlypPpGWWrJU7PL2GLuSi-PucRW8Y0nm-oOA5lrpsrGUGVf5FeiCgXgxg18ojC5NAkzBvqD2l7lV8oHD1sol-0pAE4Cb2/s1600/IMG_1500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji89WZg7CBdn2jobgIbMg4qpwJ5b4GcvXRR9YeS80SgOnhXobSlypPpGWWrJU7PL2GLuSi-PucRW8Y0nm-oOA5lrpsrGUGVf5FeiCgXgxg18ojC5NAkzBvqD2l7lV8oHD1sol-0pAE4Cb2/s640/IMG_1500.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Water Tank... Providing mostly clean water to the communities of Bellevue and New Road</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Bpz0DVHpdjgmh7OFV65rTv4n2FymAvzFlbP-bth7fL54UExGT0pvmna4vGxOWprgQuc7CszF2WgxDVcfnglP0egJtoz7NxxhrNdkslkIqgT5aUKv3C3BXwBS_raoyg5rY4koz2JQct-u/s1600/IMG_1502.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Bpz0DVHpdjgmh7OFV65rTv4n2FymAvzFlbP-bth7fL54UExGT0pvmna4vGxOWprgQuc7CszF2WgxDVcfnglP0egJtoz7NxxhrNdkslkIqgT5aUKv3C3BXwBS_raoyg5rY4koz2JQct-u/s640/IMG_1502.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">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)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAouRzS90Oe-L7cJB-hcrleDCjRLw5w6p9Ua9r5d5RxbVknvM4MxPUjjk-x3ZXrCje0i60G5BVmdTzcnItH_5SeJ7m_ONc_xlWGYchT8xRF0tcCYVagOgutGfNVTF2ZbBSwLJoI1WmBmBm/s1600/IMG_1515.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAouRzS90Oe-L7cJB-hcrleDCjRLw5w6p9Ua9r5d5RxbVknvM4MxPUjjk-x3ZXrCje0i60G5BVmdTzcnItH_5SeJ7m_ONc_xlWGYchT8xRF0tcCYVagOgutGfNVTF2ZbBSwLJoI1WmBmBm/s640/IMG_1515.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Step 2: Get in the tank and take turns scooping water through a 5 inch pipe</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit-KY8Bp66rg1y14JUWJ0vgRDaijPF3iyth6KTw4x9LAReOmOGGzHiY6jxeefvgumHYDZZ0xHlysDdMcVdN6KHMQV4__EI2oYt2LGgEPBWLgW3GAczSaLCfHdT6QcFQBlDpaYDQQlt7Z6L/s1600/IMG_1509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit-KY8Bp66rg1y14JUWJ0vgRDaijPF3iyth6KTw4x9LAReOmOGGzHiY6jxeefvgumHYDZZ0xHlysDdMcVdN6KHMQV4__EI2oYt2LGgEPBWLgW3GAczSaLCfHdT6QcFQBlDpaYDQQlt7Z6L/s640/IMG_1509.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what it looks like from the outside</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaTKlqnCIwOj4TKGBfUEOBk-7wKog7fB8KF4qc-eIXTQ11KUjp2MepV-xT2VVwT2V6Eq19TmGfJ9qmkddJs0VuZ_GVXAeQDIo80HL6eG3_Dk3801lH0IwKEv_R1VJswr9ekc1hJ-G4Rrw2/s1600/IMG_1518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaTKlqnCIwOj4TKGBfUEOBk-7wKog7fB8KF4qc-eIXTQ11KUjp2MepV-xT2VVwT2V6Eq19TmGfJ9qmkddJs0VuZ_GVXAeQDIo80HL6eG3_Dk3801lH0IwKEv_R1VJswr9ekc1hJ-G4Rrw2/s640/IMG_1518.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Step 3: Take a rum break</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguxophDLrJlnSLg0CyHovH71Y9UOH1EiP0ofYSlOXE6oqBLYKza_0jWFAntbLZ-YFGkZ48Jks_8PfdLSohLJPQJQQMxacPzwJS8rNzdcgw8vJBKomJgo9ga6F-OyWO2s8FeJu5Wd43W8u3/s1600/IMG_1522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguxophDLrJlnSLg0CyHovH71Y9UOH1EiP0ofYSlOXE6oqBLYKza_0jWFAntbLZ-YFGkZ48Jks_8PfdLSohLJPQJQQMxacPzwJS8rNzdcgw8vJBKomJgo9ga6F-OyWO2s8FeJu5Wd43W8u3/s640/IMG_1522.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Step 4: Drink rum and work at the same time</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLM-GnX9OSLVQKhkJEjYXkCBm7rWTXSxEaegsABltdoO2Rnc3tx9yTbi3UKirUQZ_eAzWWtcpkGxHiMMaRM6E7zZ3PlfDOOBT8oz9qBrRhhq5aT5lhndvNJRlwfUOvbtDRLkj-x72ksJ8A/s1600/IMG_1534.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLM-GnX9OSLVQKhkJEjYXkCBm7rWTXSxEaegsABltdoO2Rnc3tx9yTbi3UKirUQZ_eAzWWtcpkGxHiMMaRM6E7zZ3PlfDOOBT8oz9qBrRhhq5aT5lhndvNJRlwfUOvbtDRLkj-x72ksJ8A/s640/IMG_1534.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">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.</td></tr>
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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....<br />
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Peace<br />
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Mark Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04806408923504879188noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395905675613999639.post-55735760873459380122011-09-08T16:01:00.000-07:002011-09-11T07:09:03.731-07:00Swearing In and Killing Chickens<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
A few random pics for oonoo:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc9KxNX2VeBxvks1t1-8V32Bgv3NV3J2hOU6rSyo389QZ5VXo2zYxMIzn8CSPfyAiS2XS_rBzpgZXbB8feGScvjNVSWTC61yYDvPQFwkLm1NzqQjjx-ziot-ldLy9OfgEE76YINm2C7_DX/s1600/298741_10150362061121293_500426292_10298695_50331458_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc9KxNX2VeBxvks1t1-8V32Bgv3NV3J2hOU6rSyo389QZ5VXo2zYxMIzn8CSPfyAiS2XS_rBzpgZXbB8feGScvjNVSWTC61yYDvPQFwkLm1NzqQjjx-ziot-ldLy9OfgEE76YINm2C7_DX/s400/298741_10150362061121293_500426292_10298695_50331458_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">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.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Group 82!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Kill Zone</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEBLVT-jilAntOuzyTk6Ph1V50FO4fnmpMBEpOn5THb_2qQXTUIgBmEnJvPwdMWx5goKy3GWt5MzMWk1KFtNqVlScGlWePraQnISgE0hgDXMHsGr_K1A2XQJ2aQHlRrhQw-e2jnCkJRgRO/s1600/IMG_1439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEBLVT-jilAntOuzyTk6Ph1V50FO4fnmpMBEpOn5THb_2qQXTUIgBmEnJvPwdMWx5goKy3GWt5MzMWk1KFtNqVlScGlWePraQnISgE0hgDXMHsGr_K1A2XQJ2aQHlRrhQw-e2jnCkJRgRO/s400/IMG_1439.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brother Rick helping me out</td></tr>
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<br />Mark Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04806408923504879188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395905675613999639.post-24092172983345823892011-09-07T14:14:00.000-07:002011-09-07T14:14:19.854-07:00Home Sweet Home<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Wagwaan my yute!</div>
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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... </div>
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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.<br />
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Oh, sorry... whats that? the view? yeah, its pretty good....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCA4oTb7E3qCzg8_rkvheHV9POc5GoUuR_qJDl3UU-imEluujdRzUqW-L25FFQOFm1VhTMQwqeK2NSnPCNVJBlXV3dlYjbJAdiDWJd3Ts9Whq_mcRWowZPzKDe57nWopdgKqpghyphenhyphenNDaQ5Q/s1600/IMG_1419.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCA4oTb7E3qCzg8_rkvheHV9POc5GoUuR_qJDl3UU-imEluujdRzUqW-L25FFQOFm1VhTMQwqeK2NSnPCNVJBlXV3dlYjbJAdiDWJd3Ts9Whq_mcRWowZPzKDe57nWopdgKqpghyphenhyphenNDaQ5Q/s640/IMG_1419.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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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.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNbH2Z8JwA58Csxzr1ErN5rDQpj5tFNAo6C8b6lIUMxyS59kDDwQGy2cNsU43g8fFiRnYogioa5tEPWYZPcGrg_6PYYDbf9IkxvCJlACXaBGhFtwHtj-0DnMFRxByddQdU-jgqgxG3VrpS/s1600/IMG_1418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNbH2Z8JwA58Csxzr1ErN5rDQpj5tFNAo6C8b6lIUMxyS59kDDwQGy2cNsU43g8fFiRnYogioa5tEPWYZPcGrg_6PYYDbf9IkxvCJlACXaBGhFtwHtj-0DnMFRxByddQdU-jgqgxG3VrpS/s640/IMG_1418.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Below is the view from my bedroom window...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh56eKdXHPGhROHhOQ8ZduoEs7pGKhNP_pUFG7HnnrPUSdC5r3gLqyXYnH_vhaIE7gj_H51ZX1uM2m5XSSLEepO6LMaIcAvCB_PyRmTyXN5Ww6vTtddU7493p_hmC-H9UDcLejUgb_Bc_f/s1600/IMG_1373.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh56eKdXHPGhROHhOQ8ZduoEs7pGKhNP_pUFG7HnnrPUSdC5r3gLqyXYnH_vhaIE7gj_H51ZX1uM2m5XSSLEepO6LMaIcAvCB_PyRmTyXN5Ww6vTtddU7493p_hmC-H9UDcLejUgb_Bc_f/s640/IMG_1373.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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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.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5X70s69QA8EoTreR5VIYBb0oCPmlHDFsXT-LXcI4kwfUHyNCcsscwmjqx2H_4FwIM0sRn6824XRPNmUv35OpLfLP944WozLpkr96TAF2wIgnIVnNvcXK5EOIDev9sqdtKis2B3LrWbwi9/s1600/IMG_1376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5X70s69QA8EoTreR5VIYBb0oCPmlHDFsXT-LXcI4kwfUHyNCcsscwmjqx2H_4FwIM0sRn6824XRPNmUv35OpLfLP944WozLpkr96TAF2wIgnIVnNvcXK5EOIDev9sqdtKis2B3LrWbwi9/s640/IMG_1376.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The view from the front of the school...</div>
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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.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6u-y3YBQasFHKXsc63oSlwk0D9Gk5rCtk5EbvQI8Iac2oQFWk5PZpI8Ff-OYJ5LvYrAdgbX8qymbjqoBGjKEpIeMrPQZMzFcloZfxRHMOcP_EIFj7mEKQtZjN5atz_UYxaijjS-y-r92h/s1600/IMG_1381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6u-y3YBQasFHKXsc63oSlwk0D9Gk5rCtk5EbvQI8Iac2oQFWk5PZpI8Ff-OYJ5LvYrAdgbX8qymbjqoBGjKEpIeMrPQZMzFcloZfxRHMOcP_EIFj7mEKQtZjN5atz_UYxaijjS-y-r92h/s640/IMG_1381.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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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...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8vItrLh2neZR0wl9pArIbyPNCvNM4PqMTzWQ0_dR0WAWZjuNL0UhezBgRJWqF1UNAuaQ8IfRcSUJQmjCpXsG7S4P78KC_6tvTvOiHWyRZcJbyOJ7bQ-qChAsNzAjNXTWkePkkrz48IbbD/s1600/IMG_1408.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8vItrLh2neZR0wl9pArIbyPNCvNM4PqMTzWQ0_dR0WAWZjuNL0UhezBgRJWqF1UNAuaQ8IfRcSUJQmjCpXsG7S4P78KC_6tvTvOiHWyRZcJbyOJ7bQ-qChAsNzAjNXTWkePkkrz48IbbD/s640/IMG_1408.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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More view...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9KrdYgfTiK0rHOzqF-t5CHfdpW_gzOG8w6i9zYUL8nb_RzAWDpu5OlTCrl8_To3PKA1nYPZCekZ3rja3INya6w-DPLo1BQvReeDVT04HX2OA9_V837JYJrzMQThhl4bX0keir8q_47gSy/s1600/IMG_1413.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9KrdYgfTiK0rHOzqF-t5CHfdpW_gzOG8w6i9zYUL8nb_RzAWDpu5OlTCrl8_To3PKA1nYPZCekZ3rja3INya6w-DPLo1BQvReeDVT04HX2OA9_V837JYJrzMQThhl4bX0keir8q_47gSy/s640/IMG_1413.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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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.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCoR6J_pgbuH_2WKUCs5yfVUsphmAoCMcI9Mk_7Ji1xT8gyRAotzGdk62HM6im7GCJb7wu0im1AdyK1pyEabViEYNwWkj_rMuEfYegbPRkgnaJ7pr3hw9ZbA7qL0Oct9DE2DEbejwvVGXz/s1600/IMG_1415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCoR6J_pgbuH_2WKUCs5yfVUsphmAoCMcI9Mk_7Ji1xT8gyRAotzGdk62HM6im7GCJb7wu0im1AdyK1pyEabViEYNwWkj_rMuEfYegbPRkgnaJ7pr3hw9ZbA7qL0Oct9DE2DEbejwvVGXz/s640/IMG_1415.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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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... </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-8wJ4ECU9kO4HNXttmUEn5Nls8S-NkpwAeEp0BJ_5czyYqrV4oNdc_XZRcZjbWBUjwyBug2Q9yA38PYd3ErGwoe4LIIc5pWeUkS0hE6n0aPS4VnT1kEQi_YUZ7zQShQdw3v6GzP0UbGXp/s1600/IMG_1417.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-8wJ4ECU9kO4HNXttmUEn5Nls8S-NkpwAeEp0BJ_5czyYqrV4oNdc_XZRcZjbWBUjwyBug2Q9yA38PYd3ErGwoe4LIIc5pWeUkS0hE6n0aPS4VnT1kEQi_YUZ7zQShQdw3v6GzP0UbGXp/s640/IMG_1417.JPG" width="640" /></a>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...</div>
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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 <i>you </i>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. </div>
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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. </div>
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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.... </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC7SBm2ZX3DSjA0JP_FeCrQAWczAMCCfEEIrD0cREdMnxx0XadFynsQNLMOxj01_c5s7xJQAG88CQnYJtqrVeB08MbBA9pL9Phw0WIPxl6mkHl9itlgZaQJG4o1UyuEowQ9fExi1agI3It/s1600/IMG_1426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC7SBm2ZX3DSjA0JP_FeCrQAWczAMCCfEEIrD0cREdMnxx0XadFynsQNLMOxj01_c5s7xJQAG88CQnYJtqrVeB08MbBA9pL9Phw0WIPxl6mkHl9itlgZaQJG4o1UyuEowQ9fExi1agI3It/s640/IMG_1426.jpg" width="426" /></a>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.</div>
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This is my host dad Lebert floating the day's pick.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZIgx2EcEaqHixWv1sBPy6Kp8jsmf0lim-fr-D0j5jMeYgJO9Q1XL8EG0YD4PPttinKOwC1Hhn6jGsMKtlyOoNE4PpDn0EJ61aPfKgV_FM4qsTAwB2Fc4z78sVTNAnE3b312hQLY4ygAV/s1600/IMG_1424.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZIgx2EcEaqHixWv1sBPy6Kp8jsmf0lim-fr-D0j5jMeYgJO9Q1XL8EG0YD4PPttinKOwC1Hhn6jGsMKtlyOoNE4PpDn0EJ61aPfKgV_FM4qsTAwB2Fc4z78sVTNAnE3b312hQLY4ygAV/s640/IMG_1424.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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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... <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGVc0UkM1-NeR7LIO4RHhHfT61Cfu6sBM5Y8hcRRpTtOX229mcjGCZsdSNPrgDyrSlGEiTTtYsIjvWuPlfoIwJbSmSfkRacEx4Czc0-AEnBwxFlfAJb6E38t8NRUVxl1D6hs8WoZwEd6pk/s1600/IMG_1427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGVc0UkM1-NeR7LIO4RHhHfT61Cfu6sBM5Y8hcRRpTtOX229mcjGCZsdSNPrgDyrSlGEiTTtYsIjvWuPlfoIwJbSmSfkRacEx4Czc0-AEnBwxFlfAJb6E38t8NRUVxl1D6hs8WoZwEd6pk/s640/IMG_1427.JPG" width="640" /></a>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.<br />
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...<br />
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As always, thanks for reading. I love and miss you all...<br />
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Mark Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04806408923504879188noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395905675613999639.post-67500198441617062622011-08-23T05:56:00.000-07:002011-08-31T16:28:33.196-07:00Welcome to BellevueYesterday 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...<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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My site on paper....<br />
Host Agency's Top 6 Activities<br />
1) Protected Ag (green houses and such)<br />
2) Improved Ag Practices (Natural Disaster Mitigations)<br />
3) Environmental and Ag Education<br />
4) School Gardens<br />
5) Reforestation<br />
6) Marketing and Record Keeping (Business management and skills for farmers)<br />
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Bellevue is rural community with an estimated population of 1200 people.<br />
Will be living in 4 bedroom, 1 bath house with 4 other adults and a 7 year old.<br />
<br />
The resources are few and the work is plenty. Can't wait to get started.<br />
<br />
More to come this weekendMark Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04806408923504879188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395905675613999639.post-66629226714399483132011-08-15T10:15:00.000-07:002011-08-15T10:15:04.856-07:00(never) Forgetting Sarah Marshall<br />
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">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.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>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.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5McyBZNDhHS_WvZr4bdzvDX-vqCWMj8RhLJSGoy6hLREWMCQYmmo1nOqnDKXRNwKCqlG__CgLnBRCIimBrLEWnMT9DxiRu16OkuvL8z6yr-_N8yj4uN5nZUktOCKAy5xqBUhT42VVBpJv/s1600/IMG_0894.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5McyBZNDhHS_WvZr4bdzvDX-vqCWMj8RhLJSGoy6hLREWMCQYmmo1nOqnDKXRNwKCqlG__CgLnBRCIimBrLEWnMT9DxiRu16OkuvL8z6yr-_N8yj4uN5nZUktOCKAy5xqBUhT42VVBpJv/s320/IMG_0894.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>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?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiqNPRKa5f-wwbdiN19OazcJbOp3vRn3mKjHDp9WRBYXKhjV_3HenD-LviRQFXOsiNpfft-ppYP2a28Hk5345OEiWdvn2krXiG9rLpyHZA4Oz44XKFBWhZ4L9XFHrT26960754HGDKzG_I/s1600/IMG_1232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiqNPRKa5f-wwbdiN19OazcJbOp3vRn3mKjHDp9WRBYXKhjV_3HenD-LviRQFXOsiNpfft-ppYP2a28Hk5345OEiWdvn2krXiG9rLpyHZA4Oz44XKFBWhZ4L9XFHrT26960754HGDKzG_I/s320/IMG_1232.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>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</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #232323;">, kierkegaard</span><span style="font: 16.0px Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #232323;">.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> 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.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikzYexuwAFWwH-en5J6GGHSX0ru6aO1oPfztf6DWXh_K8ZiRQ5fj_iK1ntltgcuXYUa-NrCo1Ews-XywRPnTtcaOOi2Mr6HBPbNt2CZc7aj2G5rKUGjAneM9HvZxcSFCPhxJMuD83vv3-a/s1600/IMG_0904.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikzYexuwAFWwH-en5J6GGHSX0ru6aO1oPfztf6DWXh_K8ZiRQ5fj_iK1ntltgcuXYUa-NrCo1Ews-XywRPnTtcaOOi2Mr6HBPbNt2CZc7aj2G5rKUGjAneM9HvZxcSFCPhxJMuD83vv3-a/s320/IMG_0904.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>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.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>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).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSUO97-YrvOSBenlJDzttDA4puo8bzGnNkZJW07ovApupu0H39PuzGWtA2DSzjPBSHYkhPrvun4xHBj41kPJ7RNGIrSuT_oJaCqnr0XWGspFPYIIdntuwCNrLJgAuiqoG3vwAx3w7yc2wC/s1600/IMG_1231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSUO97-YrvOSBenlJDzttDA4puo8bzGnNkZJW07ovApupu0H39PuzGWtA2DSzjPBSHYkhPrvun4xHBj41kPJ7RNGIrSuT_oJaCqnr0XWGspFPYIIdntuwCNrLJgAuiqoG3vwAx3w7yc2wC/s320/IMG_1231.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>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.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>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...</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>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.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>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.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>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.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpuaTZJxvsUFEI9lriDHtPIgp4UP8YEboTUvQ7sRJqJdvZ2GyEsIscPmms_ErJ0PkkWyoBplHwe9pxQHeNdRNDqNpOUru1DEGxH3YVW9PYMnFTt4kPecL00PmvB5X9ZHR9jAEmaf7Nrwuv/s1600/Sarah+Marshall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpuaTZJxvsUFEI9lriDHtPIgp4UP8YEboTUvQ7sRJqJdvZ2GyEsIscPmms_ErJ0PkkWyoBplHwe9pxQHeNdRNDqNpOUru1DEGxH3YVW9PYMnFTt4kPecL00PmvB5X9ZHR9jAEmaf7Nrwuv/s320/Sarah+Marshall.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>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.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"></span>As you can see, the Green Initiative group is close. And not close like <i>that good friend you had in high school</i> type of close. </span>Close like the <i>there is no room in our relationships for discomfort as we talk about our digestive irregularities</i> type of close. Close like the <i>tell me about the love you did (or did not) leave in the states</i> type of close. Or close like the <i>lets be best friends for the next two years because we have no choice</i>, type of close. </div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Love you guys...</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>Mark Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04806408923504879188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395905675613999639.post-56173989103733590042011-08-06T08:30:00.000-07:002011-08-06T08:30:03.846-07:00Small up Yuhself<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">First of all, I’m glad to have finally gotten the opportunity to blog again. As most of you know I’ve been living in a rural community in the Blue Mountain range for the last 3 weeks and haven’t had much internet. I finally found some time this morning to shoot ya an update... (Disclaimer: After reading this I realize it is very long and that you probably don’t want to read it all. I would suggest breaking it up in pieces. Think about it like 4 blog posts for the price of 1)</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Training is going great. The magnificent seven, as we humbly refer to ourselves in the small hub group of the Green Initiative, are becoming really close. I will formally introduce all of them in an upcoming blog post but they are pretty rad people and I’m lucky to have them around. As anticipated, the training we’ve focused on in hub has been narrowed down to applicable information and skills we will be using in our environmental and agriculture work in the field. The average day of training has the usual dose of language and cross culture coupled with various sessions ranging from environmental perceptions in Jamaica to common farming practices. Anika (who develops and implements most of our programming. She works closely with Dan who spends his time developing our sites) has done a good job of mixing in field trips and practical assignments to prevent the headache that comes from information overload. Pretty much, the PC training has continued to impress. I think a lot of it has to do with the size of our group. Because we are so small, most sessions have more of a discussion feel as opposed to a lecture feel. And of course, Dan and Anika have to get a lot of credit as well for putting on a good show. </span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The group successfully completed its first practical this week with the planning and implementation of an “Eco Camp” at a local elementary school. We invited about 14 students in the local and neighboring communities to spend a few hours with us Monday morning to partake in environmental awareness activities. Given the religious training I’m getting at home (more on that to come) I was asked by the fellow trainees to lead the group in the devotional, as is customary for just about every gathering/meeting here in JA. It was short and sweet but I ended it with ... “and dear lord, we ask that by the end of this day together, you will have made us better stewards of this earth, that you have so graciously given unto us”. It was a crowd pleaser for sure. At the end of it we broke off into teams and planted trees around the school. I know, I know, that sounds like a real hippie Peace Corps thing to do but let me tell you, the kids loved it, and they got the message. Deforestation is a bid deal here.</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As of Wednesday we are focusing our training less on the environment and more on the agricultural climate of Jamaica. The day was spent discussing farm structure, supply chains, marketing etc... It was like being back in an AGB class at Cal Poly except not one of the boring ones. The difference here is that in less than a month a will be sent out on my own to deal with these issues/opportunities face to face. The thought is both nerve racking and thrilling. Each one of the trainees has to do “viewpoint” presentation during training where we present on a topic of our choice within the realm of our development goals. I presented mine on Cooperative structure and the Cooperative movement in Jamaica. I can’t take credit for the timing but it seemed to fit in pretty well with the other stuff we were talking about.</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Starting today and going through next week we will be implementing a school garden at another school here in the community in cooperation with 4H, which is really active here. School gardens have been a big push by the government here as part of their “eat what you grow, grow what you eat” campaign. Jamaica has a ridiculous, and I mean RIDICULOUS import bill. What makes matters more frustrating is that a large portion of this bill consists of food products that could easily be grown at home. Another highlight of ag training so far was a panel discussion we had with some local farmers. We invited them down the the community center where we train and just chatted with them for a couple hours about the life of a farmer. </span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>One of the highlights of hub training was the opportunity last week to go spend a couple days with a currently serving volunteer. The assignment served two purposes: 1. A travel test, where for the first time we were sent out on our own to navigate the island and 2. To see first hand the daily life of a PC volunteer in Jamaica. When I got my assignment to go visit Patrick Marti all the way in Westmoreland (one of the westernmost parishes, I’m now on the southeast part of the island) I was stoked. Traveling alone has been a source of anxiety for a number of trainees so I was happy to get a great opportunity to practice. I got up around 4am on Monday morning and started on my first leg of the journey down the mountain. The plan was to take a series of busses and taxis down into Kingston where I could catch a straight shot out to Westmoreland on a Coaster or mini bus. I made it down to the country bus stop without any problems. The country bus stop is the central transportation hub for Kingston. There, I happened to run into a few trainees who I hadn’t seen in a couple weeks who were on their way out to shadow some volunteers as well. Turns out, they were headed to Santa Cruz which was on the way to my final destination so I adjusted my itinerary. It was good to catch up with them and to hear about how their hub training was going. From Santa Cruz I caught another bus to my final destination where Patrick was waiting to receive me. The whole trip took my about 6.5 hours.</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Before I continue, let me tell you a little something about Jamaican public transportation. Lets assume that a vehicle was designed to carry, say, 5 people including the driver. It’s a fair rule in Jamaica to take the maximum occupancy of that motor vehicle and double it. Only then, is it full enough to drive. A common phrase you hear around the transportation hubs is “Small up yaself!” If a taxi man is yelling at you to do this you need to prop yourself up and allow another 1-3 people to sit in the back seat/bus row. At the beginning of the trip the occupants of the vehicle all tend to sit on eachother but after you go over a few pot holes everyone kind of shimmies down somewhat comfortably. Most taxi’s and busses here operate on a flat rate system so there’s no such thing really as “splitting a cab ride” with someone. Everyone pays the same price so it is most beneficial to the driver to fill up his vehicle as much as possible. As a result, you will spend up to an hour, or more, waiting for the driver to fill up his car/bus before you move anywhere. Thus, a trip that would only take 2.5 hour tops in your own car, took about 6.5 on public transit. This is one of the many charming things about this place... ya just have to go with the flow.</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Anyways, my boy Patrick has a ridiculously awesome set up. He lives in what I would call a coastal farming community which to me sounds like utopia. From his dwelling you can practically see Bluefields bay where he spends half of his time working with the largest fish sanctuary on the island. Patrick has had his hands in a number of projects there including the installation of an artificial reef as well as creating a deal with a local resort to serve lion fish to their guests. Lion fish are an invasive species that up until recently have served as a headache to most fisherman. Before, they would just kill them, now they are making good money off of them. It was nice to see a success story in action. When Patrick isn’t at the fish sanctuary he is spending time at a local Rasta’s farm helping him convert his operation into an organic one. Patricks living situation is semi rural but very comfortable. He doesn’t really have running water but his catch system is pretty complex. He has a sink and a shower and a toilet that runs off a pump so you can hardly tell the difference. He lives in his own little shack on a plot of land with a number of other host family members. I would be very lucky to anything close to this. I will get my site placement on August 22nd.</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>On the current home front though life has been great. I’ve really integrated well into my family and I have the Richardson’s to thank for that. I have a feeling I will be coming back here often to visit for holidays and to get a good meal. Auntie Maureen LOVES to feed me. A standard breakfast for me includes 3-5 pieces of festival (google it) a couple of dumplings, some type of meat left over from the night before, steamed callaloo (its a leafy green) a couple pieces of fruit and some type of non caffeinated tea (because caffeine is forbidden in the household per the SDA religion. If you are wondering, I have stashed all of my coffee supplies including my hand grinder and french press at the training site where I try to show up early every morning to get my fix. The first couple hours of the day are rough though). Breakfast usually gets me through most of the day with a couple snacks and then when I get home for dinner, its another feast. They are way too kind.</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>My first SDA church service was a marathon. We started at about 9:30am and didn't get home til about 10:30pm. It was exhausting but it also wasn’t so bad. It was more interactive than church back at home. On a couple occasions we broke off into small groups and discussed bible verses.</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Speaking of church, I actually need to go there now. Sorry for the abrupt ending but sabbath is calling and I’m probably not supposed to even be on my computer... </span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Here are some pics...</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">The Green Initiative fieldtrip to Holywell. It's like a state park with hiking trails and cabins. From left to right you have John, Sarah, Brie Burd, Jenny, Kyle, Me and Val is the one laying in our arms.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk1vI5hEFcYEIIDytmoIvTbS1DZUESXAyH2HUaKcX_KhaRbHm8ygtH2W8J1NeeHTr5LE4nl-IJFPuhMM784Xgggr2z-wF2G_XqTR9RR9NJuA5kgaOPVW4E-mB1JsREecWkfDM0kxygY-3P/s1600/IMG_0846.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk1vI5hEFcYEIIDytmoIvTbS1DZUESXAyH2HUaKcX_KhaRbHm8ygtH2W8J1NeeHTr5LE4nl-IJFPuhMM784Xgggr2z-wF2G_XqTR9RR9NJuA5kgaOPVW4E-mB1JsREecWkfDM0kxygY-3P/s320/IMG_0846.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is me learning how to do laundry Jamaica style. Auntie Maureen was very patient. When word got out that the white boy was doing his laundry in the front yard people made it a point to stop by and see it for themselves. I don't know what was so funny but they ate it up.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcIssBzDbdRNFcJbvKGkhZXJNh55YqiJRWGFkrC8g9PETG8uhu-L7QuUqx_pBp57awlCe-rno_mpYTZQNVotrOtOIjVgt5dZzoESPAyuJMxvbvAl7m4PJqnCs67UlutVM0UuGocMuUNvsP/s1600/IMG_0921.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcIssBzDbdRNFcJbvKGkhZXJNh55YqiJRWGFkrC8g9PETG8uhu-L7QuUqx_pBp57awlCe-rno_mpYTZQNVotrOtOIjVgt5dZzoESPAyuJMxvbvAl7m4PJqnCs67UlutVM0UuGocMuUNvsP/s320/IMG_0921.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Uncle Shorty... AKA The Man</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhraSWNxCq00m1d1rsjqhGIcWTiomRIPrIq6ptpP6U57Y9LLiPS1QhkZzjxTZs9HW4Q6RaMWDQ-mHQDuxWMU2COKRi2apTAibvjHeOJvMMDF4GMDKc1xeiFhXBtSLgDLEndPCUfEcD6ghvO/s1600/IMG_0924.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhraSWNxCq00m1d1rsjqhGIcWTiomRIPrIq6ptpP6U57Y9LLiPS1QhkZzjxTZs9HW4Q6RaMWDQ-mHQDuxWMU2COKRi2apTAibvjHeOJvMMDF4GMDKc1xeiFhXBtSLgDLEndPCUfEcD6ghvO/s320/IMG_0924.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The ladies on our hike over the mountain last weekend</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHrlTB-OUW10iUMKwzqq6BshF6IKS948jtWXOGU7qhUPDdQi2JE1F0xclp0VvrEQ5rC4922yP9_GNWz-Paa4C3rSrlVqhGmfRSL92VFu2AylCcZhoaP14UgnKEY0cBh1mwTZCcFtPOuRb5/s1600/IMG_1077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHrlTB-OUW10iUMKwzqq6BshF6IKS948jtWXOGU7qhUPDdQi2JE1F0xclp0VvrEQ5rC4922yP9_GNWz-Paa4C3rSrlVqhGmfRSL92VFu2AylCcZhoaP14UgnKEY0cBh1mwTZCcFtPOuRb5/s320/IMG_1077.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Man giving me a trim. Turns out he's a trained barber. I got hooked up!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1M2mc9aPQelctjL1quTU6D6ru1k4PhlW8LVFbW2LjGN9ihWg_3eNBzkNBYIDlBsyvwEblLMYIJaIumSVv0D6-4gei7fFWHpVqdQc3QRmWqY8UpOqrYyT-wRdfDQ4sERQIieNDK0gpe6Wp/s1600/IMG_1196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1M2mc9aPQelctjL1quTU6D6ru1k4PhlW8LVFbW2LjGN9ihWg_3eNBzkNBYIDlBsyvwEblLMYIJaIumSVv0D6-4gei7fFWHpVqdQc3QRmWqY8UpOqrYyT-wRdfDQ4sERQIieNDK0gpe6Wp/s320/IMG_1196.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Hangin with some kids at Jamaica Day, The local emancipation celebration.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUXz8Aw47LUsc1lcEhM1ARTXljMXlGI6nfy6PFrz-usZFypVoGOcn0Kd5wUuvv9XkcxIiPM5KMRyqsZYs5zP7g05VEVOZJO9_ptjYpC7tAeqUOWXXETEVcSWZsNsXNwKK5Pt1XJJGqfIfu/s1600/IMG_1230.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUXz8Aw47LUsc1lcEhM1ARTXljMXlGI6nfy6PFrz-usZFypVoGOcn0Kd5wUuvv9XkcxIiPM5KMRyqsZYs5zP7g05VEVOZJO9_ptjYpC7tAeqUOWXXETEVcSWZsNsXNwKK5Pt1XJJGqfIfu/s320/IMG_1230.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sarah Marhall singing amazing grace at Jamaica Day. Sarah is a really cool person and will get her very own introductory blog post very soon. Please read her blog @ <a href="http://keepingupwithsarahmarshall.wordpress.com/">keepingupwithsarahmarshall.wordpress.com</a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVXraJpWwweKUGldvdVL9iAT9ZKsBIPuSPRzo24X_r_TSpDUrHRkYlAl7vCYucsQ2iz27CMkHmeKGvVuPnMEGviSCMr-sQQka6dF7hHbI0CWsT3fUbeAJzE7VDVz0PeSRhMHe3hv35eulC/s1600/IMG_1251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVXraJpWwweKUGldvdVL9iAT9ZKsBIPuSPRzo24X_r_TSpDUrHRkYlAl7vCYucsQ2iz27CMkHmeKGvVuPnMEGviSCMr-sQQka6dF7hHbI0CWsT3fUbeAJzE7VDVz0PeSRhMHe3hv35eulC/s320/IMG_1251.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Kingston lights from the main road in our community. Shutter speed: extra slow</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4GIOeegBSHDfbBT77Yj2FRW6wQfUyPetyskOSKNlQp90Qy2Y6zwe1fWDZkv65Y9NwkhklsO22EExddnYRuc2siFR2SPEcEDhCfXXjUDkv1RIcJb2M-Hmoyu6d3zLd1c9lTCno3X8FJBRX/s1600/IMG_1297.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4GIOeegBSHDfbBT77Yj2FRW6wQfUyPetyskOSKNlQp90Qy2Y6zwe1fWDZkv65Y9NwkhklsO22EExddnYRuc2siFR2SPEcEDhCfXXjUDkv1RIcJb2M-Hmoyu6d3zLd1c9lTCno3X8FJBRX/s320/IMG_1297.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The crew on our hike</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1cFiTHZR2lGvIb_Q4XH9Ih3D_g8kx_bGIRMoOvpNuU4o73X7dOllnxyFOJuBN7GuJiDCrhmpeQXM0sf333aPZ67mv7obBM6301wcBVyePdb9r-dR-aeQvu8haLwZnzcdPF-viIf8t4deK/s1600/Holywell+Hike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1cFiTHZR2lGvIb_Q4XH9Ih3D_g8kx_bGIRMoOvpNuU4o73X7dOllnxyFOJuBN7GuJiDCrhmpeQXM0sf333aPZ67mv7obBM6301wcBVyePdb9r-dR-aeQvu8haLwZnzcdPF-viIf8t4deK/s320/Holywell+Hike.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Mark Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04806408923504879188noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395905675613999639.post-8973970830097938182011-07-21T13:11:00.000-07:002011-07-21T13:11:51.165-07:00Da Bush<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Saturday night in Hellshire was filled with bittersweet goodbyes as we all celebrated together with our host families. The community hosted a cook out in the local park to wish us luck on our future endeavors. I cant believe how fast the time is flying.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">After heading to the beach one last time on Sunday morning, Group 82 gathered at the church, boarded its sector specific busses and headed off in three different directions.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The Jamaican landscape is as dichotomous as the culture itself. After about an hour of driving, we (the Green Initiative) went from the white sandy beaches of Hellshire to the luscious peaks and valleys of the Blue Mountain range. It’s like we transported to an entirely different world.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Da bush is nice. Other than its breathtaking beauty, its cooler, quiter, cleaner, smaller, and the communities seem to have a real genuine “down to earth-ness” about them. After about a 3000 foot trek up the Blue Mountain, we unloaded from the van to meet our new host families. Each family had a representative meet us at the community center which will act as our training location for the next 5 weeks. The community center provides a place for youth to do homework and for other community members to access the web, use the library etc... The center was actually a part of a previous PC volunteers efforts. Nice to see that his work is still standing and being used today.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Everton, my new host dad, was there to pick me up and take me to my new home. As we continued up the mountain to his house he loved explaining to me how excited he was to have a host son from America. He emphasized how much he was looking forward to teaching me and learning from me about our respective cultures. He said, “Maak, I wan you to feel so comfortable at mi ome dat when you move on and do your work in Jamaica, an you eventually go bak to ya ome in da United States dat you can tell people dat you also ave a ome here. And wen yeh come bak to visit us, you can just tell people, ‘mi a go ome’ (I’m going home)”.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When we got to the house I was introduced to my new mom Maureen and my THREE little brothers, Shawayne, Shadayne, and Rashayne. Ages 14, 11, and 6 respectively. There are also countless cousins, uncles, aunts etc... that are always coming in and out of the house They are awesome and have taught me more in the last three days then I’ve learned in my entire time here. I look forward to coming home and playing dominoes with them, or throwing the football around. They are all musically gifted and could probably score a recording contract in the states. I recorded a video of them and it is currently uploading to facebook so check it out. Hopefully it works.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Believe it or not the Richardson’s are devout Seventh Day Adventists. Every morning begins with a 530-6am devotion where the family gets together to sing and pray. This morning, uncle shorty (Everton) asked for volunteers for the closing devotion prayer and of course, everyone looked at me. So I gave it my best shot, I don’t think it was a complete disaster. I do enjoy the musical outlet that religion brings to the family, but I definitely need to brush up on some hymns. My little brother Shawayne warned me that uncle shorty was going to ask me to lead an entire devotional next week... time to get my bible out and study.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Something else that the blue mountains have provided is a great place to run. There are roads and trails everywhere and because we are out in the country, I am allowed to roam farther by myself than I was able to in Hellshire. I got a lot of funny looks and heckles on my Monday evening run, jogging is something that Jamaicans don’t really do. Most of them, especially in the country, get enough exercise in their daily routines so they stay pretty fit. However, some of my extended family members took note of my running interests and woke me up on tuesday morning at 4:30am to join them for their routine... Why so early? well we couldn’t miss the morning devotional. The 4:30 wake up time and jog has become a part of my routine. Its definitely a little brutal but I’m already getting used to it and I’m making some great Jamaican friends in the process.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As always, thanks for reading and thanks for your patience. Is there anything you all want to hear about? If you are curious about anything, don’t hesitate to post a question.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Much Love</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">there are pictures on facebook</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Mi a tek way miself </span></div>Mark Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04806408923504879188noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395905675613999639.post-38365225627327245162011-07-12T20:29:00.000-07:002011-07-12T20:29:57.194-07:00A day in the life of PSTI've been thinking that some of you might be curious as to what exactly I've been doing during Pre Service Training, so I thought i'd try to convey a snapshot...<br />
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The following schedule was taken from 7/11/2011.<br />
7:00 -8:00: Breakfast<br />
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8:30-9:30: Processing Travel Practical (w/ Safety and Security Coordinator, Ann)<br />
A "practical" is like a homework assignment that involves actually going out and doing something. Over the weekend, we were instructed to complete a "Travel Practical" to the Coronation market in Kingston where Alex and I had been shopping the week before. The "practical", obviously, is the opportunity to practice the things we learn in the classroom, which in this case was public transportation and confidently shopping at a public market. After each practical, we debrief or "process" what we learned as a group. This methodology is consistent with peace corps teaching philosophy. There is a lot of "learn by doing" opportunities which, being the Cal Poly alum that I am, I get pretty stoked on. Once my team (the Green Initiative) moves out to da bush, a lot more of our training is going to be "practical" based. Rumor has it that within our first couple weeks, we'll be building some sort garden at a local school as part of a homework assignment. How cool is that?<br />
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9:30-10:30: Safety and Security Exam Prep and Project Manager Interviews<br />
As you may have heard, Jamaica isn't exactly the safest place in the world. Let's face it, most developing countries aren't. Much of the focus of our training to date has been centered around how to stay safe in Jamaica. Beyond the obvious common sense things like, "lock your doors" and "don't go out at night alone", there is a lot to be learned in the cultural context about understanding your surroundings and the potential threats associated with where you are. It is more complex than you might think. We literally have a plan A, B, C, D for just about every safety and security threat you can think of from burglary to a natural disaster. Tomorrow, we sit for a test to demonstrate that we know what to do when these situations arise. We are all expected to get perfect scores, or we don't pass.<br />
While some people were studying for their tests, others were going through interviews with their project managers. Dan is the project manager for the Green Initiative and is in charge of developing volunteer sites. He has spent countless hours going out into communities, meeting with different environmental agencies and farming groups, and finding projects where each of us are going to be most effective. Our interview was pretty informal because, well, thats how Dan roles. We spent some time on my resume and talking about my various work and school experiences and how they can best be used to help Jamaica. Beyond that, we talked about personal stuff like friends and family back home. I believe that he really has the volunteers best interest in mind. He understand the importance we play in development but he seems to balance it out by also understanding that we are here for an experience and I really think he's going to do everything in his power to make sure we get it. We even spent some time today about what my goals are after the peace corps so that he can place me in a project that will help me pursue those goals. I introduced him to Alex when we ran into him in Kingston the other night and when I introduced him as my boss (because he kind of is my peace corps boss) he quickly corrected me and explained to Alex that he actually works for me... he's pretty adamant about that. Regardless, I'm glad he's on my team.<br />
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10:30-10:45: Break<br />
10:45 - 12:00: More Safety and Security Exam Prep and PM interviews<br />
12:00-1:00: Lunch<br />
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1:00-3:00: Sector Room Discussion<br />
SRD's are probably my favorite part of training. This is the only time we have had during PST's to spend as a project group. As I think Ive mentioned in previous blogs, The Green Initiative has only 7 trainees (out of the 31 total). Because of our size we are becoming a pretty close knit group. It is during SRD's that we actually get to train on topics related to the work we will be doing in the field. Because we are still early on in the training process the scope of these trainings is still broad but it is very helpful. We are getting caught up to speed on the Jamaica's development goals and how they relate to the environment and agriculture, the political framework in which we will be working and the type of agencies we are/will be partnering with to meet those goals. My only complaint is that by about the time the wheels in my head really start to turn and I get all these ideas pumping, our discussion ends. SRD's always seem to go the quickest. I'm not too worried though. Starting Sunday, Ill be living with these 6 other people in a very rural community... we'll have plenty of time to talk about Jamaican agriculture and environment<br />
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3:00-3:15 Break<br />
3:15- 4:30: Coping with unwanted attention and harassment, pt.1<br />
Not going to go too much into this. It's just like it sounds. The PC is very concerned with our physical, mental, and emotional well being. It's a good thing, too. This culture can be pretty abrasive from an American perspective.<br />
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There you have it... a day in the life of PST. Each day the schedule and topics are a little bit different. What this day is missing is a decent chunk of language and cross cultural training. We spend a couple hours on this stuff most days. Below is a picture of me dancing with our Language and Cross Cultural Coordinator, Joan Andrea Hutchinson. She is a public figure here in Jamaica. She is a TV/pop culture personality and a Jamaican history/culture guru. The PC locked down some serious talent. You can find her on google. She's awesome... and as you can tell, she really enjoys dancing with me<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ1qDgHQCWjFKgF9wB8WpV0PRfE5xYPHV1YI1Yr4eqjKRtzgWzzyFFqcQo3lW222R5oYRjAD7E5i512DCt7BEs1Kj6Q7VUHTjsb9ZfW2-cswr0YcTJYAClK4sPXI0gQrdKir8wL1mV3g0K/s1600/PST+Dancing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ1qDgHQCWjFKgF9wB8WpV0PRfE5xYPHV1YI1Yr4eqjKRtzgWzzyFFqcQo3lW222R5oYRjAD7E5i512DCt7BEs1Kj6Q7VUHTjsb9ZfW2-cswr0YcTJYAClK4sPXI0gQrdKir8wL1mV3g0K/s320/PST+Dancing.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"> A few random things:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">WiFi party at Alex's place AKA the bachelor pad. Last night we had some fellow trainees over to study and use the internet...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAxe6wzvEe4MOifhWZmYwkxMM7Wr5iKKmGcEU-ErM3HZ4fCpj30EJXw88UIyHSec9Bq9ulMNloYb2zuGIgMwAIRQSfE1KvQYCEFr6wNi5sTh8qRsDEAiinUoasFrn68QDaAJJy1CHLMyTd/s1600/IMG_0495.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAxe6wzvEe4MOifhWZmYwkxMM7Wr5iKKmGcEU-ErM3HZ4fCpj30EJXw88UIyHSec9Bq9ulMNloYb2zuGIgMwAIRQSfE1KvQYCEFr6wNi5sTh8qRsDEAiinUoasFrn68QDaAJJy1CHLMyTd/s320/IMG_0495.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A jamaican sunset from the balcony:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJN2wLaoCQlIZFvDBNGz04Q9IMIPzSY_OABv5rMc7JKP6XZ5TrkXp43Gg4kiVCeWgo1eDP1meWft-59qy3FMFcifGP8KWyGdDy7CMfFdahB1GDTAdbUGe-NZyeCYSZOcPShykFnWQrMVor/s1600/IMG_0493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJN2wLaoCQlIZFvDBNGz04Q9IMIPzSY_OABv5rMc7JKP6XZ5TrkXp43Gg4kiVCeWgo1eDP1meWft-59qy3FMFcifGP8KWyGdDy7CMfFdahB1GDTAdbUGe-NZyeCYSZOcPShykFnWQrMVor/s320/IMG_0493.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A couple street shots:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDrQUzmUr16k9yt6NOz-vg2qVoavAp-kvDfpzYsuTvQBLdDTy450zhFJ4eJDdATX3Ohu9OiqOR9RmBuRczNIAsd_eFb-HbNwrbBT4URfku-erfGCt8H9Lr7nP3VjDdjYXPZqnAjXwgdkWH/s1600/IMG_0494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDrQUzmUr16k9yt6NOz-vg2qVoavAp-kvDfpzYsuTvQBLdDTy450zhFJ4eJDdATX3Ohu9OiqOR9RmBuRczNIAsd_eFb-HbNwrbBT4URfku-erfGCt8H9Lr7nP3VjDdjYXPZqnAjXwgdkWH/s320/IMG_0494.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh52wQadfllyyHA0KSJHxHZuoyeqq8QrHr_zIqx3s-QVjDRDQOtsgli0N5vLOj1YryJD5xoVXrNOX_NgZnD-P-dmoJBnFUci0FjIixLGUYIcCUKPqsztrsX35rWxD4ZLBORRmJANdHACAUo/s1600/IMG_0500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh52wQadfllyyHA0KSJHxHZuoyeqq8QrHr_zIqx3s-QVjDRDQOtsgli0N5vLOj1YryJD5xoVXrNOX_NgZnD-P-dmoJBnFUci0FjIixLGUYIcCUKPqsztrsX35rWxD4ZLBORRmJANdHACAUo/s320/IMG_0500.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A few pictures from the party we kept last friday night. Alex was gracious enough to host all of the trainees and even some of their host families... We all got to relax together for the first time. It was much needed... Alex is on the far left</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM0lbL-ueGgWDD_fP4GuwnUUMA36Ymq8iVrZ9H1PH1Bd3fXpaIPorwpktbbIExD3mqsBCcatgjmFHSPV__fGqoNQnXImt_2afErtaHuEb152L1TCvEkwAfizfEavEGM5-OIlAQ0Lsm13VL/s1600/bachelo+pad+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM0lbL-ueGgWDD_fP4GuwnUUMA36Ymq8iVrZ9H1PH1Bd3fXpaIPorwpktbbIExD3mqsBCcatgjmFHSPV__fGqoNQnXImt_2afErtaHuEb152L1TCvEkwAfizfEavEGM5-OIlAQ0Lsm13VL/s320/bachelo+pad+4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZDE2Eh5qinY5gxEQRGbtPWqQCc-yn9nbcf-1vKHBDzT2YVgATpl5vLs-4lUff9yhiGOgHmhECb6KBQrECzVR6M4CpwdGDI76moZ_Doxcp1dE1uAl1H68J8kRSlaBOupbFRrxJfLmYDzz-/s1600/Bachelor+pad+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZDE2Eh5qinY5gxEQRGbtPWqQCc-yn9nbcf-1vKHBDzT2YVgATpl5vLs-4lUff9yhiGOgHmhECb6KBQrECzVR6M4CpwdGDI76moZ_Doxcp1dE1uAl1H68J8kRSlaBOupbFRrxJfLmYDzz-/s320/Bachelor+pad+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx8lnlkIatri0d5gjGKTyEqF9zy8S0RCsVjuYEjRgM67JgmUp3T7f4lHzzxK3YGyEmq0ahxkKXYQH3WDDU0ig5LscH9AX05Bj7Dkhliu5FipZw1-ayINDXEElHa4HSUunewchd3zSCVeIF/s1600/bachelor+pad+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx8lnlkIatri0d5gjGKTyEqF9zy8S0RCsVjuYEjRgM67JgmUp3T7f4lHzzxK3YGyEmq0ahxkKXYQH3WDDU0ig5LscH9AX05Bj7Dkhliu5FipZw1-ayINDXEElHa4HSUunewchd3zSCVeIF/s320/bachelor+pad+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJzjp6tqKvYYItc3AODTPRK_EO4ALONxkSV_T_3D9Ksx6OTGyMXTki-to3EmaAcigSu_FiNCPUJYCYbv7HBqBm3Qd3l0p4_iaQAZN70uNTYwPzoqESWLyovykYcxpqZJpRrLP0-w4o0nAV/s1600/bachelor+pad+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJzjp6tqKvYYItc3AODTPRK_EO4ALONxkSV_T_3D9Ksx6OTGyMXTki-to3EmaAcigSu_FiNCPUJYCYbv7HBqBm3Qd3l0p4_iaQAZN70uNTYwPzoqESWLyovykYcxpqZJpRrLP0-w4o0nAV/s320/bachelor+pad+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And lastly, when asked to make American food for his host family, Mark 2 (above) made tacos... I was enlisted to help... his host parents had never had tacos before. Everything was great except the rice... we'll work on it for next time.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is me on garnish duty... killin it</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxqwF0U3_w8LcQPBrO0AA7kcUJeoysvaMU4ajG-wj7ZAiCQLJ0FlDirT2GAjG35y_cFDBeL-Bd9JKivwjElkRgDrYmwD6D4xhxLW1PYfuW15xpMcMg1qP5y3KTNRMPFfY9tAIkrJjg1J1/s1600/Taco+night.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxqwF0U3_w8LcQPBrO0AA7kcUJeoysvaMU4ajG-wj7ZAiCQLJ0FlDirT2GAjG35y_cFDBeL-Bd9JKivwjElkRgDrYmwD6D4xhxLW1PYfuW15xpMcMg1qP5y3KTNRMPFfY9tAIkrJjg1J1/s320/Taco+night.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="goog_1000483613"></span><span id="goog_1000483614"></span></div>Mark Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04806408923504879188noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395905675613999639.post-4710699902985960302011-07-07T19:53:00.000-07:002011-07-07T19:53:33.835-07:00Cultural ExchangeWa guh dung??<br />
Wanted to share some cultural exchange highlights with ya'll...<br />
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Greetings: Jamaicans are ALLLL about their greetings, and if you don't follow suit, you are seen as disrespectful. Everyone you see on the street during your morning/afternoon/or evening routine must be acknowledged. In the U.S. its a little bit different. We, myself included, will sometimes go out of our way to avoid people until we get that first cup of coffee or have our morning workout. That doesn't fly here. If you pass someone in the street, you look up, and give them the appropriate patois greeting. In the U.S. we spend more time on departures. It has been a fun change of pace.<br />
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The evening ritual: EVERY NIGHT most of the town comes out to their front porch, or "verandah", and just hangs out. Some people choose to people watch and others venture out to the street for a walk. As a result, everybody knows, or knows of, everybody else. Evening walks are the way everybody checks in with everybody else to ensure that all is truly good in the hood. Back at home, we would never take the time for this. Most households are playing dance hall, reggae, pop, hip hop, or church music very loudly... this will last into the night. Im sad to say, I have no idea the names of our neighbors back in Angwin... except for Sean. Again, that wouldnt fly here.<br />
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The movies: Alex and I went into kingston a couple nights ago to see transformers 3 in 3D. The movie began with the audience standing together and singing the national anthem. AWESOME. This is one of the many displays of patriotism I've seen here. Jamaican theaters still have intermission midway through the movie so patrons can use the restroom, get more snacks etc... Another cool thing is that Jamaicans treat the movies more like a sporting event. There was a lot of screaming and yelling for the good guys, and many boooooo!'s for the bad guys. It was a lot of fun.<br />
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Something else ive been wanting to share (has nothing to do with cultural exchange). Our trainee group is incredibly diverse. The age range is 22 to 77! John and Wanda Eddy are our representatives from the high end of that scale and are serving as some inspiration to the rest of the group. They are just as energetic and "with it" as anybody else here. They kinda remind me of grandpa in a way.<br />
Anyway, their story is funny. The peace corps thing was John's idea and he had originally planned to apply and join on his own. The way I understand it Wanda was just fine with the idea. She liked the thought of having a peaceful clean house for a couple years while John went off to the Peace Corps because he was getting "bored with retirement"... Turns out, the Peace Corps wouldnt let him do it alone so Wanda rose to the occasion.<br />
It was the first day in Miami when everyone was meeting each other for the first time. The facilitators had a name game set up for us and it came time to meet the Eddys. John stood up first and gave a little bit of his background and so on and so forth, then came Wanda's turn. She got up and said in her Arkansas accent "Hi, I'm Wanda, and we have lost our mind". The whole place busted up. They are a tough couple.<br />
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In other news, training is going well. I continue to be impressed with how organized and professional everything is. The patois language is tough but every day i get a little bit better. Chances are good I will use it a lot in my probable rural placement so I'm really working at it. I will give you guys a more detailed explanation of what I'm up to in my next blog.Mark Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04806408923504879188noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395905675613999639.post-25158333526558396002011-07-03T17:28:00.000-07:002011-07-03T17:30:22.116-07:00Hellshire, Beaches and my "Host Family"<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">I have spent the weekend moving in to a community called greater Hellshire, where I will spend my next two weeks of PST. Friday was an exciting day, full of anticipation as we were anxiously awaiting the introduction of our respective host families. We spent the greater part of the afternoon with our Cross Cultural Coordinator reviewing and understanding cultural differences, do's and don'ts of a Jamaican household, like wear to hang your "unmentionables" after washing, and walking through a variety of situations that could potentially arise. Finally, at about 5 o clock in the evening it was time to depart from Powell Plaza (named after Collin Powell, who is of Jamaican decent and is the place where many embassy workers live and meet) to go meet our new families.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Upon arrival in Hellshire we were instructed to gather on a cement pad that had some sort of frame structure around it. It looked eerily reminiscent of a cage. Our host families were instructed to gather across the road next to one of the many community churches (fun fact, Jamaica has more churches per square mile than any other country). The scene looked like this...</span></span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">All of us in the cage: </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieo4ajCJ1g2qB9yKd4c9m1-IKrJJab6N5TYbXRFpMQpkCdo3DZvvDYH9Uzk_VuXy4fOxAPC-ivE1aUTryAR8NqHOyBYF1HnHOL2-SyqA6UvTenh1bB8jxlOZHaflqGZZB5vetDhBkCZ2Bf/s1600/IMG_0463.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieo4ajCJ1g2qB9yKd4c9m1-IKrJJab6N5TYbXRFpMQpkCdo3DZvvDYH9Uzk_VuXy4fOxAPC-ivE1aUTryAR8NqHOyBYF1HnHOL2-SyqA6UvTenh1bB8jxlOZHaflqGZZB5vetDhBkCZ2Bf/s320/IMG_0463.JPG" width="320" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">All of our families across the street by the church:</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieLaTq3Ji8i61G8Z6gMSDUm0SQAmJ0Qo5WZGW_d8aoXMzhHzmATxl_SUpAA_0SVGTohjEk3jbGoaAw9UOpd4bZQZZZHvaDPJfCZ-sEqCjnhoknUnYm6BeyeTxH0GWJAt301cXUOcGt2LD2/s320/IMG_0467.JPG" width="320" /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">After each side had some time to check the other out, somebody from the cross culture team came over and handed us a strip of paper. Mine said "beenie man". Of course I had no idea who he was. The CC team explained that our host family had a strip of paper that included the other half of the pair. Some pairs were american (i.e., Bagels and Cream Cheese, Beyonce and Jay Z, PB and J etc). And others, like mine, were Jamaican. At the signal of the cross culture coordinator, we were to go mingle with the families and try to and find our other half. So we did. Within seconds, a young man approached me and said "what your's say?" I showed him my strip and he instantly started laughing. He said "ah mon! I knew it!"</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Turns out my host family isn't really a family at all. Its a 26 year old biology teacher who lives alone. As you could imagine, we were both stoked. We load up my stuff and he takes me back to his bachelor pad to get me all moved in. Turns out, twenty-something year old men in the caribbean are concerned with a lot of the same things I am so there really wasn't a lack of discussion topics. I feel fortunate to get the opportunity to see Jamaica from the perspective of one of my peers for my first couple of weeks. Other trainees have been placed with more traditional families with rules, curfews, and 5 hour long church services. There are merits to both I suppose but I am happy to be in my situation.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">We decided before bed on Friday that we were going to get up early on Saturday to hit the market back in kingston or "town" as it is referred to here. This way, I could get familiar with the taxi/bus system and experience my first market all in one shot. Wake up time was 5am and off we went.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">The taxi system here is, well, nuts. They have no problem loading 6 people into a cab and it would appear to me that all lines painted on the road are considered optional. You see, Jamaica's infrastructure is suffering and as a result there are a lot of pot holes in the roads. In order to keep their vehicles operational, motorists will swerve into oncoming traffic to avoid the smallest holes. Not gonna lie, its a little scary at first but after a couple rides you get used to it. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE drives this way.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">We made it safely to the market by 6am. By this time the temperature had passed 83 degrees and the humidity was in full effect (it is always hot and humid here, but its getting easier to cope with each day. I actually think I'm starting to like it). Jamaican markets are a crazy scene! Alex showed me the ropes in bargaining and picking out the best produce. All prices are verbally communicated and Alex explained to me that most vendors will try to hike up the price when they see me come through as an American. We spent some time discussing fair prices and practicing retorts in Patois when somebody tries to rip me off. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">The way I see it we did well. Looks like we have enough groceries to get us through the week. After navigating through the loud market crowds for about an hour we made our way over to a coconut stand and bought a couple coconuts for $50 JD a piece (about $.60 US). The guy at the stand cut a hole in the coconut so we could get to the water. It was a great way to refresh and replenish. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">With two full bags we boarded the bus again and headed back to Hellshire. Upon our return (about 9am) I noticed a lot of other trainees getting outside and starting their mornings with their new fams. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">The rest of the day for Alex and me was busy. We hung around the house for a while and cooked some food, then we headed to Spanish Town to meet his grandmother and cousins. We spent a few hours playing jamaican board games, drinking some beers and listening to the latest in dance hall and reggae music. After that we went to his aunt's for the evening. They were all so welcoming and on a few occasions even thanked me for being here. Her husband, Collin, and I chatted for a while and he said he's going to take me out one night while I'm here. With the exception of having a rock thrown at me in Kingston, everybody has been very nice.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Today has been my first relaxing day since a left home a week ago. Alex and I decided to opt out of church when a girl he's been talking to invited us to the beach.... Why not? I'm sure we'll do church next weekend. Tamara came over around 9am and we all spent some time in the kitchen teaching me how to cook the national dish, Ackee and Salt Fish with bread fruit. As krock would say, it was bomb.com!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCdCmverkyX0BBLdG1OA1Cy83WIKzmNS6mdAmFjCvWb3I9sIBwQR8OuZfHVw8iAJGGgKlG5d2Xgm1f0UfA5k5dWjRUnk_zgjHj9b6iDL-CPjxY82MvjgR4scb9xyESgc87D4SH4P2shbtu/s1600/IMG_0473.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCdCmverkyX0BBLdG1OA1Cy83WIKzmNS6mdAmFjCvWb3I9sIBwQR8OuZfHVw8iAJGGgKlG5d2Xgm1f0UfA5k5dWjRUnk_zgjHj9b6iDL-CPjxY82MvjgR4scb9xyESgc87D4SH4P2shbtu/s320/IMG_0473.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">We took our brunch down to the beach and spent most of the day there. I took a swim in the caribbean for the first time, and have a real nice sun burn to show for it. Some of the other trainees were able to get away from their host families to join us. It was nice to catch up with them since moving in with the fams. We shared stories and enjoyed the view (Alex's place is a mile from here):</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUT30fRkWEDGHH3B6YFTm1WNm8T8UWy26meNM144RQoWKRIw3b7M8hy2Nsmj0MDISlDuCjOmisTUh9V5fa6mQzs-jSWnhRAvEhOZq1UPObr1jtnN3jTDqZxXef2A6q22Hvt7bQAzDu_oD/s1600/IMG_0475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUT30fRkWEDGHH3B6YFTm1WNm8T8UWy26meNM144RQoWKRIw3b7M8hy2Nsmj0MDISlDuCjOmisTUh9V5fa6mQzs-jSWnhRAvEhOZq1UPObr1jtnN3jTDqZxXef2A6q22Hvt7bQAzDu_oD/s320/IMG_0475.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">You can tell that this community is a very proud and hard working one. I like it here. There's no doubt though that the Peace Corps is slowly weening us off our American lifestyles. We are no longer in the comforts of hotels and among our volunteer group ALL the time. We are training to be active, contributing, and gradually integrated members of Hellshire, living as the locals do. Although we are away from some creature comforts, the living situation here isn't bad at all. We have electricity, running water (most of the time, it shut off for a couple hours today but we really didn't need it because we were at the beach), and Alex is one of the few "host families" with internet, let alone, wifi! Talk about living large right?! Peace Corps? how about Posh Corps? (thanks rik dog). In all seriousness though, we have been led to believe that our next town will be more rural with a living situation to match. Good thing, cuz I am dying to use those solar panels that Lisa got me! Myself, along with the 6 other ag/environment volunteers will be moving to Woodford in two weeks which is about an hour away from Hellshire. I haven't met a person yet that's even heard of Woodford, which has me a little nervous. I'll be there for 7 weeks before being sworn in at the US embassy on September 2nd.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">After a couple days in "real" Jamaica I'm understanding a little bit better about what the Peace Corps calls the "fish bowl" effect. People stare at me wherever I go, wondering what I'm doing outside of the gated resorts. Its a curious stare more than anything else, nothing malicious or ill intended by any means, but I am a foreigner to the full extend of the word.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">It's time to press my clothes and pack my man purse for training tomorrow (backpacks are for tourists). If the Gallo folks would please send me some pictures of the 4th of July tomorrow I would really appreciate it, especially if you were in them! Also, please say hi to the Graysons (they are coming right?) Miss you all.... thanks for reading</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
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</span></div>Mark Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04806408923504879188noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395905675613999639.post-26627176386339230012011-06-29T19:56:00.000-07:002011-06-29T20:09:14.190-07:00PST Day 1First things first... PST stands for Pre Service Training aka, the next 10 weeks of my life where I will hopefully develop the skills I need to get some good work done while I'm here.<br />
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Tonight marks the end of my first day in Jamaica and let me tell you, It has far exceeded my expectations. This place is gorgeous. Our flight landed in Kingston today around noon and a good portion of the Peace Corps Staff and some current volunteers were waiting there to greet us with open, sweaty arms. We gathered around the large "Welcome" sign for a group photo and piled into a couple vans that took us to the PC headquarters in Jamaica. There, we were greeted by more staff members and volunteers as they were putting the finishing touches on our reception luncheon.<br />
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The food was awesome. The meal consisted of chicken, fish, rice and beans and a few interesting sides. I can't wait to move in with my host family so I can learn how to do some of this stuff in the kitchen. Lunch lasted quite some time and there was about an hour of waiting around afterwards before anything really happened. This especially was difficult for me because I like to keep busy and don't really like wasting time, but as I'm sure I will continue to learn, the Jamaicans have a pretty laid back attitude. With some time, I'll become more comfortable with the timelessness of things.<br />
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Finally, the presentations began with formal introductions by our directors and supervisors. Fortunately we got a nice break from the intro's with an awesome performance by a local youth choir. They sang some cultural favorites, and some reggae classics the whole group recognized and they hit each one out of the park. By the end of it, every one of us, volunteers, staff members, directors were on our feet singing and dancing along. Sounds ridiculous but hey, its the peace corps, we're all at least a little bit crazy.<br />
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After the presentation we broke off into groups and rotated around a few stations that had been set up for us. At each station we did things like get our Red Strip allowance (at least thats what I used it for) picked up our new cell phones, filled out more paperwork (I swear it never ends) etc... It was all pretty well organized though, and didn't take too long. PST wrapped up with a tour of the PC office. Pictures and descriptions below...<br />
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The view from the top of the PC office. This place is legit. It has common areas for volunteers to come kick it at whenever they want. I library that would keep anybody busy for a long time. Some multi purpose rooms to do whatever. A shower. A kitchen. etc.... oh and a bangin view. We really wont be spending too much time here though. Some volunteers are a good 6 hour bus ride from Kingston. But still, nice to know its there.<br />
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The Show...<br />
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This is Linda showing the kids how to drink Red Stripe...<br />
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</div> Dinner at the Hotel Mayfair tonight in Kingston... Again consisting of fish, chicken, rice, beans, and some interesting sides... Im starting to pick up on a pattern. Ill be real excited when they switch it up with a little goat curry.<br />
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Another picture from the office tour. Calvin there is explaining how the fruit on the tree is poisonous unless picked and prepared a specific way... Sounds cool, I hope I get it right the first time...<br />
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Me outside my hotel room at the Mayfair. One more night here before I move in with host family number 1.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih1F9MeERF3i4WpBUBX8TXWffrFGi7Xl5NsN48nSZjF6iXCiSl1VU-8k6CXmgMEMzPzt3w6Qx95_46kWSdEm3TsiCRGsOuGnLfpMvZyLkn3_0M67nLOJZSxIWqN65SvhwoPYHtZJcJKtnV/s1600/IMG_0455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih1F9MeERF3i4WpBUBX8TXWffrFGi7Xl5NsN48nSZjF6iXCiSl1VU-8k6CXmgMEMzPzt3w6Qx95_46kWSdEm3TsiCRGsOuGnLfpMvZyLkn3_0M67nLOJZSxIWqN65SvhwoPYHtZJcJKtnV/s320/IMG_0455.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>My first Red Stripe in country... Yes, it tastes waaaaay better here<br />
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</div>Obviously we are having a blast. Along with all the fun though, the days have been long. I'm always a little tired but once I catch up and get settled Ill be fine. Also, primarily for Mom and Grandma, I want you to know that my safety coordinator received an award last year for being the best one in the WORLD. She runs a tight ship. It's still a little unnerving to see the security staff look for bombs underneath the vehicles as we enter the premises, but thats just standard procedure for ALL US embassy type entities. Rest assured, we are in good hands...<br />
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Much LoveMark Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04806408923504879188noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4395905675613999639.post-471567596826824112011-06-27T14:39:00.000-07:002011-06-27T18:12:39.935-07:00Welcome to MiamiAfter 10 days of goodbyes, parties, packing, and more goodbyes, I have finally embarked on my Peace Corps journey. I arrived in Miami a couple hours ago without any issues. The whole flight took about 5.5 hours. I took the shuttle to the Crowne Plaza hotel and my roommate arrived shortly thereafter (surprise to me that I was even going to have a roommate, the PC loves surprises). But no big deal, his name is Mark too.<br />
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Mark and I met up with 5 other volunteers who arrived today. After a little meet and greet sesh we decided to hit the town with the intention of finding the best cuban food Miami has to offer. We found a spot close to the hotel and after a few awkward minutes we all got to talking. Other than Mark, there's Ruby, who lives in LA. Jamaica will be her second stab at the Peace Corps thing. She was evacuated out of Eastern Europe last July after her training due to some political unrest in the region. Then there's Linda from Oklahoma who, if I understand correctly, has been some type of counselor or therapist her entire career. Ann and David also joined us. David served as a volunteer in the PC 30/40 years ago and decided that he's ready for round two. I'm pretty sure David has traveled every continent in the world besides Antarctica, and to top it off, he has a PhD in Biophysics.... pretty cool dude to talk to. I have a feeling I'll learn a thing or two from him in the next two years.<br />
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I was the only one at dinner tonight who is working in the ag sector or, formally, the "Green Initiative". I'm looking forward to meeting some of my peers at staging tomorrow.<br />
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It's only 6 o clock on the west coast but I am exhausted! Time to call it a night as I have a busy day of "staging" tomorrow. I have a feeling staging will involve lots of tedious paper work but I cant wait to find out for sure!<br />
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Then, on Wednesday morning we all board a plane for Kingston.<br />
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Thanks for all the goodbye love this week. Below are some pictures from packing, fishing trip with grandpa, and the farewell dinner at moms... enjoy.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYUUDVvwURiHKXSJnOyc9z6qzb_VG-OCikVz8hZSW7HST308ZbBF7D1lW96puN7euzRj8-xkeJhFKfERKp7PZO0mMt5h904yg7CRZR4ivw5kFKCh7y6YqbFr3NdAThPw4ZW9wxzkq_wNEp/s1600/IMG_0424.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYUUDVvwURiHKXSJnOyc9z6qzb_VG-OCikVz8hZSW7HST308ZbBF7D1lW96puN7euzRj8-xkeJhFKfERKp7PZO0mMt5h904yg7CRZR4ivw5kFKCh7y6YqbFr3NdAThPw4ZW9wxzkq_wNEp/s320/IMG_0424.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Mark Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04806408923504879188noreply@blogger.com1