The Island of National Holidays

It has just been a whirlwind of activity lately on the island, so I can finally sit down to write about it.

Last Thursday was National Heroes' Day in St. Kitts, so we all received a day of vacation. My host mom and sister, along with Cristie (the Anthropologist-turned-volunteer) went down to Frigate Bay and the Strip to spend a day on the beach. It was great, although the beach itself wasn't all that I expected. The Strip is a series of tiki hut-style bars and snackettes that line the beach for about a half mile, so I am told that it is a much more happening place in the evenings. However, it was quite good to get some sun and actually get into the ocean for the first time since arriving. My side of the island is a very rocky coastline, so swimming areas are scarce. There are no busses that go down to the tourist areas, so you have to either get a ride from someone or walk to the nicer beaches. Or, you can always hitchhike, but I will save that for braver days.

On Saturday our Assistant Peace Corps Director (APCD) took our training class on a field trip/cultural day at Brimstone Hill Fortress. It's known as the Gibraltar of the West Indies, and is quite an impressive structure at the top of a hill that overlooks one whole side of the island. You can also see the islands of St. Eustatius and Saba easily from the top.

THEN... this weekend was Independence Day in St. Kitts and Nevis. So, guess what? Another free day for vacation on Monday. We attended a military parade at Warner Park in the capitol Monday morning. Now, this isn't like a standard parade. It is essentially sitting in a cricket stadium and watching military drills being performed with the Prime Minister, Cabinet, and Governor General in attendance. It was pretty interesting, but thankfully rather brief. It was something to see though, and yet another opportunity to do something in the community.

Monday evening was the Governor General's Ball, which my host mom is invited to every year. It is strictly a tie and jacket affair, so I ended up borrowing a jacket from my host dad. And, since the jacket was black and I don't have a pair of black pants to match it, I ended up borrowing his pants as well. The event itself was attended by all members of the cabinet and the prime minister. I saw and spoke with several of the ministers, and even got a chance to shake the hand and speak with the Prime Minister Dr. Douglas himself.

The holidays were a fun time of the year, but I felt like they interfered with time I could have spent either at my school or at my worksite. I am getting acquainted with the island and community as a whole, but I need some time now to figure out my place within my work environment. I have been feeling a bit impatient lately to be cut loose, even though I am not entirely sure what I will be doing once that happens. Still getting myself to adjust to the laid back atmosphere of the island...

I have found a great running road in my neighborhood that goes out into the countryside towards the middle of the island. Of course, in St. Kitts, going towards the middle of the island automatically means having a steady incline. Being at the base of Mt. Liamiagua, Saddlers is no different. It is quite a workout, but I tell myself the run is only uphill half of the way. Going home is all downhill at least. Plus, about a mile up the road the view can't be beat. I can see all the way up the island to Dieppe Bay and St. Pauls. There is just something about running towards a dormant volcano.

Good news as well for people who keep telling me to post pictures. My mom has sent me a battery charger for my camera, so expect some pictures in a couple of weeks. Of course, I don't know how much justice a camera can do here. This is truly a place that has to be seen to be believed. But on that note, I think I am catching a cold, so it is time for me to get a little bit of sleep.

Natuuuuure... Goulet

Well then, I have finally made it to St. Kitts and have been here for exactly one week. It has been quite busy since my arrival, but I have been getting along pretty well since I've landed. My host family is fantastic and has been keeping me well-fed with the local cuisine. Some of the foods I have had include potfish, saltfish, dasheen, breadfruit, plantains, green banana, starfruit, guava, and plenty of chicken. A note on the potfish: this is usually fried with the head and eyes still attached, so I have never experienced a staring contest between myself and my food until now. It is delicious once you get passed the guilt trip the fish lays on you. My mom's name is Armel and I think knows everyone on the island. She is very friendly and does my laundry even when I insist I do it. Her husband is Heston, and he works on the sightseeing train that uses the old sugarcane tracks. He is very talkative and loves to go on walks and hikes. I'm hoping he'll take me up Mt. Liamiagua (which we live right under) and down to Black Rocks one of these days. They have a 13-year old daughter who attends the same school that I will be attached to for at least the next 6 months, so it is very nice to see a friendly face in the classrooms. 

Speaking of my school attachment, I am currently working at Saddlers Secondary, which is the newest school on the island. They are more or less a pilot school, focusing more on giving the students hands-on experience and less "chalk and talk," as they refer to it. The students have mandatory after-school programs to attend that I hope to become involved with as the weeks go by. During training each of us has to come up with a service learning project with a group of youth, and currently I am working out a small program to improve the aesthetics of the school. As it is a new school, a lot of the walls are bare and there are no flowers or trees nearby. I'm hoping a quick project will be for the students to design some posters with positive school-related themes. 

Yesterday I visited my work site for the first time, which is the Department of Sport. The offices are located at Wagner Park, which is a big complex with a cricket field, football pitch, netball and basketball courts, and tennis courts as well. I will be focusing on designing a website for the department (good luck, me) as well as helping out with their after-school programs. Their idea for me is to run some more fun and games-type activities, especially ones that increase coordination and overall fitness. I will repeat that - I will be running activities focused on coordination and fitness. So, a lanky 6'2" pasty white (transparent, even) guy who couldn't run a 10k will be in charge of these two areas. Oh, and designing a website. Time to get on my jazzercise and html classes, preferably at the same time.

The town that I live in is called Saddlers, which is almost on the opposite side of the island. I take "busses" to get to the capitol for training and my worksite. These busses are simply 15-passenger vans that travel at very high speeds on the winding and very pothole-friendly roads. Trust me, it only bothers you the first time. After you learn that it doesn't matter how tightly you shut your eyes that they will still scare the crap out of you, you tend to figure out why everybody is so religious. 

Things overall have been pretty exciting since arriving. I definitely have my work cut out for me, but I guess if it was going to be easy they wouldn't need us. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed, but it is in a good way. It is definitely something that I have missed feeling for a long time, a sense that there is real work to be done and I can't just idly sit by anymore.