Oh my!

WOW. I officially fail at maintaining a blog. To be honest, I wasn't feeling very inspired the past two months. I had a few visitors, which was wonderful, and then I had to restart my engines and get working again, which took a few weeks to do. But I am back in business, and ready to update you all on what is going on.


So where do i begin? I guess I will categorize the parts of my life that are deserving of blog time.

The Man and the Biosphere Project: This is a really exciting project that I think I mentioned earlier. UNESCO (United Nations Enducational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has chosen St. Kitts to be the first English-speaking Caribbean nation to undertake a biosphere project on their own, and we are in the beginning stage of figuring out what this will entail. Biosphere reserves are areas that a country designates, and it is usually both a pride jewel to the heart and soul of the country as well as environmentally sensitive to the encroaching development of the burgeoning outside world. There are biospheres all over the globe, from Germany to Mexico, that fall under the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR).
In the Case of St. Kitts and Nevis, our biosphere is going to be the Keys Beach area. The sea turtles in the Caribbean are an endangered species that were at one time hunted as a food source. Now, there are governmental restrictions protecting these regionally precious animals, however some individuals always find a way to circumvent the loosely maintained regulations that have been established. On the Keys Beach there is a horse stable that is protected by the Ministry of Tourism. Because tourism is the life support of the economy for this Federation and many other Caribbean nations, the government is quick to enable and promote any business that nourishes it. While this might seem like the perfect beach-side tourist attraction, the stables are located on a beach that is the central nesting spot for sea turtles. The horses literally trample the nests and eggs, as well as the hopes and dreams, of these turtles who are desperately struggling to produce offspring for their deteriorating species. It reminds me of some imperialistic war where the infantry would storm through on horseback and the defenseless and unequipped opposition would perish quickly and silently. Luckily, we have the power to intervene before it's too late for the voiceless ones.
I attended a two day workshop with government members and stakeholders to plan the launch and map out the logistics of this project just a few days after my parents left. A week earlier, my dad and I were planning on going horseback riding on Keys Beach before I was educated on the "situation". Needless to say I was incredibly relieved that we never made it after having learned what I know now!
The basic structure of the Biosphere will consist of a core zone where no human interaction can occur (the actual nesting area of the beach), a buffer zone where the community will become educated and work together to preserve and promote this treasured area (Keys Village), and then a corporate zone, where normal life will exist (the rest of St. Kitts). The goal is to engage and invest a community in the protection of an environmentally fragile region, and thus spread environmental awareness through the sustainable actions of local people and community members. There is a great deal of pride that can be harvested in the species of sea turtles, which can subsequently attract a viable tourism industry. In order to continue economically fruitful branch of tourism, community members will be trained in sustainable forms of artisanry, such as making glass figurines of turtles from recycled glass found on the beach.

Feasibility Study on Recycling: This update is actually quite upsetting. Two of the volunteers who have already been here for a year asked me to join them on a project that they hope will continue after they leave in September. I agreed to join them and have been shadowing their meetings and trying to gain a better understanding of the project for the past few months. These two dedicated volunteers have been pouring their hearts and souls into writing a proposal to be submitted to the Organization of American States (OAS) for funding approval towards a feasibility study on recycling in St. Kitts. A feasibility study would basically be the first step in the direction of a fully functioning system of recycling on the island. From what I gathered, funding had been pretty much promised, so we were well on our way to plan the launch of the project, find stakeholders, and narrow down a counterpart who would lead the feasibility study. The launch was planned for April, the counterpart had been notified, and the stakeholders included the Marriott, Ross University, Windsor University, Coca Cola, St. Kitts Bottling Company, and many more. Last week we learned that the OAS rejected the proposal, but offered some optimism by encouraging a re-submission for the next funding cycle with the suggested alterations. I could only feel a fraction of the disappointment that the other two volunteers were feeling,and then i came to the realization that the next funding cycle will be after they leave and I will still be here. Luckily, the returned proposal has very specific directions on what needs to be changed, so there is less of a chance that I can mess it up for the two volunteers, the ministries, and the innocent fish and birds that are choking on plastic bottles.

The Violet Petty After School Program: YEAY!!! This week I officially started the Violet Petty After School Program. I meet with 4th grade on Mondays, 5th grade on Tuesdays, and 6th grade on Wednesdays. Eventually, I would like this to be a theater-based after school program that can put on plays and skits for the community with a socially-conscious message. Right now, however, I am trying to gain their trust and form a solid relationship with each and every student. I also what to start a supplementary parents group that will meet once a month to discuss issues with the youth and find ways to get the community involved in protecting our children. I would love for parents, high school kids, and community members to volunteer with the program so that they feel invested in it's continuity. This is the only way I can think of to make my project sustainable. There has been a drastic rise in homicides this year, and it was quite disturbing to hear the impressions that these horrific acts have upon the kids. I know that parents and family members are concerned, because most of the violence is youth and gang related, so I am hopeful they will become dedicated to the development of the Federation's youth population.
I already have a few enthusiastic parents on board, however there are not nearly enough as of yet. We have decided to call the committee V-TRAC, which stands for Village To Raise A Child. The ancient African Proverb, (or for some, a Hilary Clinton proverb), "it takes a village to raise a child", tells the exact message that I hope this group of community members can deliver through action rather than uncommitted chatter. I had planned on sending out letters for the kids to take home to family members notifying them of this committee, but I just know that will not be as productive as I wish, so I have been walking about five kids different kids home each day to meet their parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles. I think it creates such a stronger impression if I take the effort to come to their homes and meet them face to face and eventually form a relationship with them. I know many of them are wondering who this 20-something American girl thinks she is coming into their community and trying to raise their children for them, which is entirely not my intention, so hopefully if I let them know that I know they could do a much better job, they will become energized and mobilized. All I want is for my project to continue after I leave, and I hope this method can prove to be sustainable. We shall see....

Thank you for checking in, I miss everyone and can't wait to see the New York friends and family in May for Jeremy's wedding!

Paz,
Alisa

Carnival has come and gone and left me in shambles

The dust of the Carnival/holiday season has settled, and I am left feeling mangled and exhausted. I can now see why people dont work during Carnival season, because they are devoting all of their human capacities to the festivites. I am quite eager to spend a full year here and see just how people prepare for it, because I physically, mentally, emotionally, financially, and spiritually...all of the 'llys... could not keep up with the pace of Kittitians. Allow me to give some background on what exactly Carnival is:
Carnival is basically a week or so of festivities, concerts, contests, and music that most West Indian countries celebrate in one way or another. It originated in Trinidad and manifested as a Caribbean take on West African festivals. West Indian slaves enhanced the Carnival celebration with music and dancing which is still ever so vibrant today. Calypso and Soca music blare through the streets with no regards for noise control because everyone should be celebrating Carnival, and if you aren't, youre just going to have to deal with it.
In regards to St. Kitts, Carnival can be summed up into the three integral P's: parades, pageants, and party. That is not party in the noun sense, but rather as a verb and a general state of mind. People party their faces off and allot these two weeks to be the official expunging process of every stressor that has amounted over the past year. Carnival is an excuse to stop whatever work you are doing, ignore whatever qualms you are experiencing, and dance your worries away through the winding streets of Basseterre. My friend Gisela and I commenced our Carnival celebration with the Big and Beautiful pageant, which is a positive counteraction to the typical pageants that instill particular beauty ideals in young women everywhere around the world. But I cant lie, it was also about $10 cheaper than the Miss St. Kitts pageant, so we ended up getting more woman for less money. Go us! It was an amazing night that lasted until around 1 a.m. with musical guests and a loquacious yet hilarious MC. I know that in the states a big and beautiful pageant would be like...a size 8...but here the women really put the big in big and beautiful. Not only are they corpulent, but they are extremely tall, so they carry quite a presence that is truly highlighted when an average sized woman stands next to them, like during the interview section. They were incredibly self confident and strutted their stuff like they were queens. You go girls!
On the day after Christmas, St. Kitts celebrates J'ouvert. The pictures at the top are of J'ouvert, but I don't think they can do it any justice. It is pronounced "Jew-vay", but is of no relation to the Jewish religion (clearly). I can say that because I'm Jewish..ish. Anyways, people wake up the morning of December 26th at an ungodly hour, for us it was 2 AM but for others they just start at midnight, and gather together in their troops. Our troop was the X-TREME pirates, hence the get-up. It was ENORMOUS, and we pretty much were the only one i spotted, but the tradition is to form numerous troops. We gathered at a park with music blaring and (possibly) alcoholic beverages being handed out from a rum-truck (the same thing that was pulling the speakers). There were people walking around with buckets of paint that we covered ourselves in, but people also showed up with neatly done facepaint as well. That is a longstanding J'ouvert tradition, and I actually read that they sometimes throw out colored powders to step it up a notch. At about 3-4 AM when we finally hit the streets. We basically just danced down the road at a snail-like speed, allowing for members of the troop to dance in the most shocking-for-an-oblivious-American way possible. West Indians really know how to dance, I'll admit it. I pretty much made a fool out of myself when I busted out my moves, and kind of felt like my dad at a high school dance. And i dont mean dad in a general sense. Specifically, I felt like my father.
We left the J'ouvert madness at about 11 AM and passed out into a coma-like slumber. I awoke at around 3:00 at a friends house and couldnt remember what day it was/feel my feet. They always say that's how you know you had a good time the night before! Actually, I dont think that's a saying, but I'm starting it, thanks to J'ouvert.
The rest of Carnival after J'ouvert is a haze to me. Not because I was doing crazy things, but just because it consisted of me trying to muster up the energy to participate in the activities that the locals were taking on with full force. There were parades, concerts, pageants, and plenty of liming (liming translates to hanging out and enjoying the occasional beverage). I really, really wanted to partake...but I felt like a melting glacier (too soon?). Hopefully next year I will have saved up my strength for Carnival, like a hibernating bear.

And for the record, in picture #2 I am smiling, not crying out for help. No need for alarm; it was fun.

Much love and Paz and a HAPPY NEW YEAR,

Alisa

A sunshiney Christmas

Happy holidays everyone!!

Yesterday was the big day…CHRISTMAS..and boy do Kittitians love Christmas. A few nights ago I sent a text message to one of the women who goes to my church, Jestina, asking if I could see her on Christmas day, and she told me to just come to the Christmas morning church service. I then asked what time the bus would come, and she said 5 A.M. I guess I’m no connoisseur on Christmas church services, but I have never heard of such an early Christmas day service. It did work out in my benefit though, because I got to walk around before church and take pictures of the Christmas light display in Cayon Village before the service. I love seeing Christmas lights in a tropical setting...it just looks a little off, like when dogs wear clothing. Except a lot less depressing. After the service we all made breakfast which was a major bonus for getting up so early.

As much as I don’t follow too many holiday traditions, I do love Christmas. I dont take it to the level of absurdity, and I never see myself being that woman who wears audible Christmas sweaters with bells and plastic Santa sleighs sewn on, but for some reason I cant help but get sucked into the warmth and joy of the season. I don’t know if it’s all the excited children, the commercialized colors and decorations that give a Pavlovian reminder of vacation, or the joyful energy that is usually circulating amongst people during this time. I’d like to think it is a time that brings about forgiveness, kindness, and generosity. People search through their pockets for some extra change for people in need, give donations to charities, and overlook past differences in the name of holiday spirit. I guess I just wish it wasn’t only once a year that so many people expose the truly beautiful side of human interaction.

Yesterday at church I don’t think anyone could deny the resonance of holiday cheer that sweetened the atmosphere around us. Everyone was smiling, people were offering to help with making breakfast, and conversation was full and harmonious with laughter. The sense of family overflowed beyond the nuclear, and enveloped us all under a blanket of love and gratitude for each others presence. Even though I was away from my real family and missed them so very much, yesterday I felt like a part of another family. I hope that every day we can remember the importance of basic, human kindness; human in the sense that we can empathize with one anothers situations and realize that we are all taking on the tiring and sometimes difficult journey that is life. We hold the ability to either ease or amplify the burdens that those around us are feeling, and with time, we can also realize that when we lighten the load for others through simple acts of compassion, ours too will release pressure.

I hope all of your holidays celebrations bring you joy and love. If you can appreciate the small things, like the sense of human interconnectedness that is always present around us, I’m sure you can have a rich and meaningful holiday, regardless of not having all your family present, or getting the presents you may have thought you wanted.

Much love and Paz,

alisa

Visual and Verbal Update

So a lot has happened since my last update, even though the last update was only in picture form. Thanksgiving left me speechless, i guess. There was more food than I have ever seen in an apartment kitchen and we even left the Kittitian guests unable to eat dessert, which is a noteworthy feat considering how impressively ravenous Kittitians are in buffet situations.

After my post-Thanksgiving stupor, I had to finish up my work with the Ministry of Health. Ive been working with NACHA, which is the National Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS. December 1st was World AIDS Day, and a lot of the pictures I've uploaded were taken from the parade. I was assigned to go to several primary schools and give a talk/answer questions on HIV/AIDS. It was quite an interesting experience talking to kids as young as 5 about the virus.

Some of the questions that were brought up:
Can a person get HIV from the rain?
Is HIV the same thing as Dengue?
If someone with HIV uses my phone and then I touch it, will I get it?
And my favorite...
If i get bit by a snake and someone sucks the venom out but they have HIV, will I get it?

You have to give the kids credit for allowing their imaginations to reach such heights in the brief time I was speaking with them. But I guess that's what sets kids apart from us adults who have been programmed and mentally gridlocked. As much as I felt frustrated that I only had 30 minutes to warn these kids about a virus that is on the increase in their very communities, I felt even more frustrated at how many questions they had regarding all aspects of HIV/AIDS. Particularly within the realm of sex, they were curious on all the right topics, like where to get protection, how to use a condom, where to get tested, and they were very straight-forward and mature in delivering their questions, yet the teachers wouldn't let me elaborate on any of these truly important questions. The kids see the billboards that say "use a condom" and they see commercials on MTV saying for them to get tested, yet in the schools, where it's supposed to be their central domain for learning, they're hindered. I think the country is realizing the importance of education, and more importantly, the de-stigmatization of AIDS, and there is no denying the fact that kids at the primary school level are exposed to all things sex and HIV related, so hopefully in time they will meet this need with adequate levels of education.

After World AIDS Day, my work with NACHA was put on hold for the holidays. I am now planning my projects for after winter break, since everything basically shuts down for the holidays. Two of the volunteers that have been here for a year have been working with the Ministry of Sustainable Development to bring recycling to the island. Thanks to the morally conscious and environmentally responsible corporation that is Coca Cola, the St. Kitts bottling company switched from glass to plastic bottles last year. This has caused the landfill to reach it's capacity 2 years short. Because the two volunteers are leaving they wanted someone to help pick up the project, so I eagerly agreed. For a country that depends on the tourism industry, preserving the rich natural beauty of the island is imperative. Not to mention the broader picture that is our impending environmental degradation on a global scale. I am definitely excited to carry on this project.

I am also working to start up a theater program for the high school in my village. I have begun networking to find some people that will bring this project into motion, because I sure as hell cant do it on my own. Hopefully I will have positive updates on that topic soon.

In other areas of my life, I am trying to find balance and routine, as well as get as integrated as possible. I feel like Ive spent too much time away from my community, so I am trying to ameliorate that situation by making friends in any way possible. This includes getting up at 5:30 to jog with my landlady's neice, Keesa. Not something I ever saw myself doing, but if it means making local friends, I am 100% willing. Ive also been playing the violin for a lot of Christmas programs that various churches are putting on. It started with one, and then I got phone calls from people who were there and suddenly realized they needed a violinist at their church. Apparently, string players are scarce on this island. The whole thing is making me quite homesick, because it is the sole reminder of an impending holiday that I will not be home for. Particularly with Christmas programs, I have so many memories of playing "Little Drummer Boy" and "Silent Night" with my mom and Nathan. Fortunately, the sun is still burning out any other opportunities for reminiscing. My body still thinks it's September, and often times my mind is right there with it. If it was snowy and Basseterre suddenly had "Nuts 4 Nuts"vendors selling roasted cashews that smell exponentially better than they taste, then I would be in trouble.

Hope you all are healthy and happy and I still miss everyone like crazy.

PAZ

Life without street signs

Still haven't moved into my place yet.

I guess I haven't mentioned much regarding this topic in the ol' blog. Basically we were all supposed to move into our own places on October 18th, but because my house is still being built, my move-in date was postponed. While I have grown to love my host mother and I feel comfortable living with her, I am still eager to move into my own space and actually get situated and settled in. I was told I would move in on October 23rd, and I am still not in my house. I hate to personify the unescapable American stereotype of impatience and insensitivity, BUT I REALLY WANT TO MOVE INTO MY OWN HOUSE. Imagine everyone else being in their own houses with the freedom to listen to music that is not gospel radio and have their own refridgerator and bathroom etc. etc. It brings me back to the days of Christmastime in Richardson, Texas (just kidding!..sort of.) I feel like the only one not participating in the joyous fun.
This 3-week long saga that may seem like a sneeze in comparison to the hardships many people have had to overcome is truly sucking the life out of me. I probably sound very dramatic, but this has been a deterioration that has transpired for almost three months now. I'm trying my very best to maintain optimistic, though. It's really all I have. It is my universal armor against anything that comes my way, and it has kept me sane since I got here. Even if I'm optimistic and I'm let down, I can respond to said let-down with optimism. An optimism sandwich with a half full glass of optimism. It's a brilliant cycle, but paradoxically it is one of the most difficult to commit to and feel natural doing so. I hate to get all Mary Poppins on you all with my life lesson on the treasurous potentials of optimism, but I was worried this blog was veering towards a complaining whine-fest, and I really dont want to do that to you.
So because my land lady said I could move in last night, I brought over all my stuff, went to church with the promise that my bed would be brought in by the time I got back, then returned to no bed. I am now back to living with my host mom with..none of my things. I stopped by the new house this morning to gather some things and I was greeted by a lizard who had made a home out of my suitcase. At least someone's moving in!

Love and paz,
Alisa

POST-ELECTION STUPOR

A new chapter has begun in the chronicles of American history that will uplift and invigorate the souls of those who for so long have imagined today’s reality as something to strive for tomorrow. We are now living in a completely new age. No longer are the progressive ideals of racial equality and egalitarianism an idealistic notion that is pressed upon an unready and unwilling society. The country has come together to popularly elect an African American family into the White House by an undeniable majority showing that we are indeed ready to step out of the shadows of America’s past.

In efforts to feel American on this monumental occasion, a few volunteers and I decided to get a room at the Marriott resort so that we could stay over and see the full election with no power outages to inhibit us. We were also invited by a member from the embassy in Barbados to sit with him and the Prime Minister during the broadcast of the election which was an offer we couldn’t pass up. We spent the day lavishing in the luxuries of a typical American vacationer..basking in the air conditioning, utilizing the fancy gym equipment, and asking housekeeping for extra shampoo that we could hoard like the crafty Peace Corps volunteers that we are. Not to mention the extra roll of toilet paper that one genius volunteer decided to take home.

We spent the beginning of the night stuffing ourselves to our most gluttonous limits with free sushi appetizers. We knew we wouldn’t be able to afford such a delicacy during our time here, so we were pretty much ensconced by that area of the room for the beginning of the election. But when we finally realized that Obama was elected President of the United States, our excitement overflowed the already acoustically primed lobby of the Marriott like it was New Years Eve in Times Square. Tourists, Kittitians, Marriott staff, and students from the local universities were all crowded around the projection screen blanketed by our shared exhilaration for this revolutionary moment.

We woke up the next morning feeling like it was Christmas Day and there were presents waiting for us, wrapped so neatly and with such great care, alluding to the precious gift that waits inside. Barack Obama is that shiny, new, and exciting gift that our country needs in a time of such apathy and disappointment. He swept this election away with dignity and poise, and he will be the Neosporin to the still open wounds caused by the Bush Administration.

After spending a full 24 hours at the Marriott, I felt like I was crawling out of my own skin. I needed to get back to St. Kitts. The air conditioning was unnaturally cold, the hotel facilities were uncomfortably sterile, and the boozed up vacationers who were trying to escape the stresses of their everyday lives were becoming too much for me to handle. After hearing a handful of karaoke songs being sung by drunken tourists, I decided it was time to go home. As the taxi brought me to my bus stop and I boarded the crowded bus with reggae playing so loudly the seats rattled, I felt myself sinking back into my newly formed element.

Driving into my village, I noticed that the thunderstorm had caused yet another power outage. It was completely pitch black at the bottom of the hill I have to walk up, aside from the occasional blinding flashes of lightening that felt like someone was flashing their headlights directly in front of my face. I was without flashlight or umbrella, until I saw a beam of light moving in front of me. It was one of my neighbors, Basil, who I had only spoken to a few times. He was sitting on his porch with some friends, and they all insisted that he walk me up to my house, and that it would be crazy for me to walk alone in the dark during a thunderstorm. Because we live in front of a mountain, the water was cascading down the hill like a waterfall, but Basil walked me all the way to my door.

The genuine hospitality that these people offer is something that I am becoming increasingly attached to and comforted by. We were even told by Peace Corps staff that in St. Kitts, the first person you call when you hear someone breaking into your house is your neighbor, because they will immediately run over and scare the intruder away. In the states, my immediate reaction would be to call the police, because they are the only people I know would really risk their lives for me, but not here in St. Kitts. The people here don’t embody the offensively cheesy stereotype of West Indians that is shown in rum or sunscreen commercials, but they are real when it comes to their emotions and moods. There is no need to be fake or equivocating with their feelings; pretending to be joyful and carefree when something may actually be weighing them down seems unnecessary to Kittitians. Because of this, the frequent bouts of friendliness, the “good mornings” people issue to everyone sitting on the bus, or the smiles strangers exchange on the streets, possess actual value and are completely and utterly real.

At the Marriott, where people are supposed to be vacationing and relieving themselves of the stresses they’ve acquired throughout the year, the number of those pure and genuine smiles were few and far between. I knew that they weren’t genuine because they weren’t contagious, and I didn’t feel my mood elevated like when I walk the streets of my village. Maybe I am being too judgmental, or maybe I was just there on the wrong day. Maybe I am just not compatible with the resort lifestyle. But after being in St. Kitts for over two months, I can safely say that I am full of love for this place, and for I am noticing myself feeling completely comfortable living on this treasure of an island.