The latest runnings...

(Falmouth, in the Parish of Trelawny)

(So, you may have noticed that I named this blog, “I bought a pair of Birkenstocks.” The funny part about that is… well, I never actually bought any. I scoured stores, thrift stores, and garage sales before I left but couldn’t find any that fit or that I could afford. I borrowed the ones in the picture from a friend just so I could somehow legitimize my blog’s name. I hope this will suffice. If not I suppose I will just have to switch my blog name to “I borrowed a pair of Birkenstocks.”)

Hello everyone! Hope this blog finds you all feeling well. Back in the states it must be getting cooler as autumn approaches. I bet even a few leaves have already begun to change color. Not here! Things are as hot as ever! And I mean HOT. I am almost completely use to the heat now, and I have adapted in many ways to accommodate the intense weather. For example, you cannot find me without my sweat rag. Most people carry a bandana or wash cloth with them as they go about their day and periodically wipe the waterfall of sweat from their faces. I do it now too. It always makes me feel better to see a Jamaican sweating profusely…it means I’m not just some sweaty foreigner who can’t hack the heat. Nope, we’re all sweaty here. And oohhh, the pit stains (still).

Work has been good. I have not yet led any HIV/AIDS sessions, but I have been spending a lot of my time helping the Disaster Chairman hand out food and toiletries to the needy. We are still discovering communities that have suffered losses from Gustav. Last week a Red Cross Volunteer offered to take me up into the mountains to assist him in delivering some food parcels to a marooned neighborhood. When I say marooned… I mean MAROONED. There was a lake where the roads to their homes use to be. The only way to get to them was by paddle boat (a paddle boat which could only be used with oars made of coconut tree palm leaves). I have never seen anything like what I have seen up in the mountains around Santa Cruz. If you want to know about real poverty, go to these areas. You will find people catching rain water to drink, children who can’t afford to go to school and who run around without shoes or proper clothing, whole families living off of rice and tomatoes for their one meal a day, people who don’t know their age or how to sign their names. It is truly terrible and humbling at the same time.

Home life is good as well, and I have been painting and reading voraciously. I am on my 9th book since I have been in Jamaica (I am currently reading “Invisible Man” and love it so far). I have an 8 year old host sister and at night I teach her to read and have her practice spelling and reading aloud. Some nights I give her lessons on how to use the computer and she is really catching on quickly. She is a lot of fun and she is so bright and eager to learn.

This weekend I headed up to Falmouth, a small town on the north coast of the island, where some Peace Corps Volunteers were participating in the Burwood Beach Volleyball Tournament. While there I got to relax on the beach, catch up with friends, meet current volunteers I hadn’t met before, and visit an attraction I’ve been waiting to see. The attraction is called, “Glistening waters” and it is a night boat tour of the nearby harbor where bioluminescent organisms are known to glow in the dark below the water’s surface. It was incredible! When agitated by movement, the teeny tiny organisms emit a phosphorescent glow (similar to the color of lightning bugs), and so when you jump in the water and swim around you are surrounded by light. It’s hard to explain, but trust me, if you ever come to the north side of Jamaica you should pay the $10 to do it!

The weekend was a nice change of pace, but as usual I am ready to get back to work this week and see if I can’t get some things in gear for the school year.

Highlights of the week:

-The discovery of an invention called VAPE, a mysterious but powerful mosquito-killing agent that probably causes all sorts of cancer. Despite its probable health risks, I am willing to take the chance considering its effectiveness. I literally watch mosquitoes drop dead mid-air when I plug this thing into the wall socket. Oh, sweet revenge. I may start growing an arm out of my head from it, but at least I will not have millions of annoying bug bites! Thank you VAPE!
-“Haberdasheries”: A fun word …and the cheapest place to shop for anything. It’s like a little shop packed full of all sorts of everythings for much less than at the supermarket! It only took me two months to realize these are everywhere and that I should be shopping at them.
-Making my Jamaican co-workers laugh (the real accomplishment being that they were laughing WITH me and not AT me). I feel like I am slowly making progress in understanding the humor, language, and culture.
-Hearing that my mom will be coming down to see me in October! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Watching a movie made by Mr. Jacob Stremers which included a full sunrise at Lakeside beach, cuddle time with my beloved kitty cat Hobbz, and a hilarious interview with my mom. Thank you Jake! I really, really loved it!
-Getting cards from my Aunt Cate and Aunt Lynn! Thank you both, they brightened my weekJ

Keep taking care and being well.