Letters + Sounds = Good Times

Ok, so I've been saying that I'd put up a few more pics as of late and now it's time to get to it.

Over the past few weeks, some of the village kids I work with on literacy have been helping create a few Scrabble boards. I really wanted to support the company and buy a few, but the number of boards I would need to keep the kids from fighting over them and high cost made it prohibitive. So we got some wood scraps donated from a local wood shop. A couple hours later after I cut it up with their saws and bought some sandpaper, we got to smoothing everything out. We marked up 500 little letter tiles and are putting grids on a few game boards. We have 2 games ready to play and 3 more under way. Scrabble is a great way for the kids who need help with phonics (yeah, there are quite few) and to help others expand their vocabulary through creative letter assembly.








I'm also very excited how our lil hand drumming group is coming together. Our village has wanted to see drumming and drama come back. Sadly, as previous posts detailed--we haven't had much support to get the steel pan back up and running. It is 'on hold' for now until resources can be allocated for it. The original idea was to use hand drummers as our back-up rhythm section. However, hand drumming seems to be a more likely start-up venture. Who knows, perhaps with hand drumming success down the road, we could fund our steel pan revival.

But for now, we have been working with a person from a nearby village. He is a vibrant member of a development and cultural group who remembers well fond memories of working with a volunteer that lived in his village of Rose Hall. Working together, he has agreed that his group would become a mentor organization to help foster drumming, drama, and dance activities here in Spring Village. He is a great drummer and comes here once a week to help us out. He brings drums for us to practice on and I've managed to get the Ministry of Education to order a few for our school.

As our group is nurtured into a performing arts organization--we are hoping to reinvest into the education of our community. In order to make our group a strong reality, I need to mobilize adults in Spring--a slow, but gradual process. I find we have several people who drummed or were part of a drama group in the past. Now, I will seek to overcome the obstacles they provide as reasons not to participate. We will grow. We have the history and new potential.

Oh yeah...following up from my last post...I don't know how, but the ninja dogs we have here managed to get into the box I was keeping that goat skin until it could be picked up. Some dog is very happy, or at least was.

I've always been into drumming, but have very bad musical rhythm. Maybe I will get it this time around.
Good things to follow.










Stay happy and well,
ciao tutti,
~your local wannabe jedi
~Shawn

Honoring that goat.

Became a laughable sight in the afternoon. Met a couple guys in the process of killing a goat this morning. In fact, the thing was tied up to a tree branch by its hind legs and they had cut the throat. It had stopped kicking around only moments before I got close. They were starting to remove the whole head when I got to conversation difference. Talk about new experiences.....

I asked them if they had plans for the skin and told them some of us want to make some hand drums. They said I could have it no problem. I got to collect it hanging over a tree branch when I got back from my village trek. So here I am walking around with a freshly skinned goat skin--fly central--on the end of a stick wondering what the F to do with this thing. Couple of the local guys told me to spread it out and cover the fatty side with ashes--took awhile to find those ashes. Got somebody who should be passing through tomorrow to pick it up and get prepped to make a drum head for us.

People were getting curious as to why a known vegetarian was wandering around with goat skin. Many keep trying to ask me for it--apparently making soup from the skin is rather enjoyable for them. If it wasn't for a drum effort I would have given it to them. However, I'm glad that if people here feel that an animal must die for them, the whole creature is being used somehow.


So as I started to say above, I'm getting involved with a drum group. I'm still working on getting our steel pan drums ready to play (still need proper playing sticks and stands), but getting a proper teacher is going to be hard. We were hoping to get a hand drum section to play as our rhythm section, but they might turn into a whole drum club hopefully. If I got to choose, I'd say I'm more of a hand drum fan too. ^_^ We have a great teacher who come from a nearby village and brings the drums: djembe, conga, and djun djun.

We hang out with a few local kids and learn how to play. I'm forming ideas on how we could try to learn from a group our teacher has in his own village and perhaps put on a joint performance. Since he also works with African roots dance and drama themes--we could learn that angle too and do a combination dance and drum show. I'm thinking with enough practice, we could be ready to do that in August. However, we need to get our own drums for practice and playing. If we do venture on a joint performance, I could probable find some funding sources via Peace Corps by demostrating the HIV/AIDS healthy lifestyles through our efforts. Part of the idea of a combined performance would be increase educational capacity and provide healthy lifestyles and messages through song and dance. While we'll keep our fingers crossed on the funding, I won't hold my breath--which is why I asked about the goat skin in the first place. : )

Stay happy and well,
ciao tutti
~your local wannabe jedi
~Shawn

Hanging along

Plans are underway for my visitor, Amy. ^_^ We have a rough touristy schedule mapped out. Had to drop a few things--like the Tobago Cays trip--because I will still be doing my regular 'work' duties to the fullest. She'll get a taste of being a volunteer instead of just relaxing the whole time--hey, it was her idea.

Talked with another volunteer earlier. Heard something that made sense--kind of a proverbial kick in my pants. Of course, I had already known and understood what was said, but sometimes just hearing it from somebody else makes all the difference. The conversation went something like this:

You know Shawn, the people here probably wouldn't have been anything different if we were not here. They would probably keep doing the same thing they are doing right now. So if try to do some 200 activities here during my 2 years and only 20 of them actually work out--that's still more than what would have probably happened without us here. Sure, by American standards that is a fairly low percent return and probably considered failing. But here, it's a success. That's what keeps us doing it.

Sometimes you come across music that really sets a moment--not necessarily how you feel, but just something that captures a fragment in time. The last one is a song I listen to regularly. It is one of those reality check songs--such a cheezy 80s sound, but holds a message that is still resonant today.


Josh Groban - You are Loved (Don't Give Up)
(He is amazing!)


Nightwish - The Islander
(Nightwish is actually one of my top bands--but Marco doesn't usually sing this much.)


Midnight Oil - Beds are Burning
(so cheezy....so true)

Stay happy and well
ciao tutti
~your local wannabe jedi
~Shawn

This is only a test...BBEEEEEPPPPP

Ever recall listening to the radio or watching t.v. and hearing that little broadcast test warning...."This is only a test..."? After those words you'd hear a screeching beep sound for several seconds?

Life here right now is stuck in that annoying screeching beep. I've been busting my tail here in my village. By now, I'd say that just about everybody knows about me if they haven't at least met me. I've spent countless hours hanging out talking to people--listening intently to their thoughts, their dreams, and their visions of the community past and future. I work in the fields, help bury the dead, and dance with them on the beach. I help their children learn to read, write up learning resources, seek out government networking opportunities, participate in local organizations, and try to fit into anything a 'Spring Man' might normally do within reason.

This has left me rather busy lately, but I don't mind. I've told many that I like to burn the midnight oil and grind myself to the edge--I've been like that at home and it usually got me the best results. Working long hours for good reasons seems perfectly natural to me and passes time nicely. However, what happens to the psyche when so much work and effort goes in and very little comes out?

Over and over, I have been trying to find different ways to address the concerns and wants of my villagers. Over and over I give them options and ways to work with them to overcome obstacles. I meet with community and youth department 'mobilizers', who are to help me in this quest. When the smoke clears from all the gears that have been overworking, what remains? I am there, typically sitting around waiting for people to show....that never do. I try so hard to get resources, people from outside willing to listen to them and help them with their ideas. They ask for structure and I strive to help put it in place. They ask to revive past clubs and I show them how it is possible. What's missing? They are. I can work to make it possible, but I can't do everything for them--nor should I.

Today I think I lost it for a moment outside our local rum shop. I'm not sure if it would qualify as 'blowing up', since I don't really lose my center. Yet, I made sure to get my point across--disappointed, ashamed, and willing to toss in the towel if things don't change. I was sore about an election that was supposed to happen last night for out community center. The management committee had ended its 2-year term and needed have new people put in place. I had spent a good deal of time drumming up support for this election, talking about it on the block, posters, and through group meetings. It seemed that turn-out would be nice....I didn't expect huge numbers, but a decent crowd would be nice. The meeting was set for 5pm, it wasn't until after 6-630 that we amassed a whopping 7 people. The community center is heart of the village and the villagers couldn't be bothered come out to support it, very sad. This is just one example of what happens here over and over and over. Eventually it wears on you. It doesn't help that the very family I lived with--and a few others here--seem to enjoy listening to all the work I try to do and immediately tell me, "It's ok Shawn. We really appreciate what you're trying to do. And once you leave people will say there was a guy named Shawn here--he was really nice. Although nothing else will stick, it never does. That's just how people are here."

I am supposed to have a community partner. In fact, I just finished filling out a trimester report for the Peace Corps. There were several questions regarding our community partners, what we've done and things of that nature. I was honest--I have a partner on paper, but could probably count on the number times I've met with him on my hands. Simply put, he doesn't seem interested in working with me--he just wants me to work for him at our library/internet cafe and gain local prestige of working with the Peace Corps. The report asked about activities we've been doing, but asked in such a way that we had to list them as they pertain to our objectives list. I left mine blank; I really expect to get a call on that one very soon. However, of everything I've been doing--I don't think any of it could qualify on those objective lists. I haven't even been able to get people together regularly enough to do anything NGO related.

So, we have a Peace Corps IST (in-service training) coming up this week. I plan on talking to my boss then, if not sooner, about my recent disappointments. There must be some changes made. He congratulated me during a recent visit for striving without a community partner and not giving up yet--but I'm rather close and maybe he didn't know how close. I need to review what I'm doing, what I can drop, and what I can change. Most of my activities are not things I would put on my 'like-to-do' list. Yet since I'm here for service to others, what I want isn't as important in the short-term time we are here. However, since that isn't working out--I will give this a little bit longer until I decide to shift things around and start doing things I want to do. Recycling/environmental work. Drumming culture activities. See if I can get some work within the ministry level. If some of those things don't work out and the community still isn't responding, then I would need to consider if this is really what I should be doing. The people and place is great; but I don't want a 2 year vacation/party and I don't want to feel ignored (or worse--used) for 2 years either.

Something is missing from this equation and I need to figure it out.
Soon that annoying test beep will stop and maybe I'll see things clearly at that time.

----------------------------------------------------

On a completely different note, I was looking for recipes for ripe plantains and came across http://www.all-creatures.org/recipes.html . It has some great lil treasures and I recommend it for those who want some creative fun in their diet. I made oatmeal & plantain bars the other day. Didn't have any apple juice and substituted pear juice; it was tasty.

I broke down and bought a pressure cooker earlier this month with our allowance. It has already been worth it--cooking chick peas in under an hour, although they stink. ^_^ Goes great with green peas, carrot, tomato, onions, garlic, and curry.


Stay happy and well
ciao tutti
~your local wannabe jedi
~Shawn

Busy lil bee

Hum....it's after midnight and I'm getting up nice and early--can we say dawn?
Not something I like to do, but I've got plenty of things to do lately.
Maybe I shouldn't be staying up so late, but I've got a few addictions as of late--namely Yahoo! Chat and Skype. Friends and family know they can find me online in the evenings and with them being 2 hours behind me--I tend to be up rather late these days.

Well, that and I tend to think more clearly in the evenings. I seem to brainstorm the best late at night. Spring is almost like a ghost town in the late night and a great time for a walk. Best of both worlds, just listening to the night sounds and feeling the cool sea winds rolling into the mountain valleys while the mind is reeling around 60mph.

Gives me time to think about all the little things I've gotten myself involved with here within the past few months. I never really put them all together until today.

In no particular order of time/energy spent:

• Working (some lobbying in village) to get a community council together. Ideally it would have representation from each church, business, CBO, and other organizations here in Spring as well as be attended by interested individuals. We would be mapping out a community calendar, networking community resources, and striving to bring the community closer through a series of activities with team planning


• Assisting with the local tourism group--Cumberland Valley Eco-tourism Organization (although I reserve my opinions on the "eco" part of it). It is comprised of people from Spring (where am) and our neighbors--Gordon Yard and Coulls Hill. Once the construction finishes down by our beach, the tourism group will manage the site and promote the business opportunities. Crash course in business anyone? Guess that business major is about to kick in.


• After school lessons for primary and secondary school kids. Not as smooth as I'd like, but a valuable service in my opinion. Now I just have to start on the sustainable part.


• Maintaining the internet cafe--of which I'm also building an intrawebsite to host easy access to plenty of 'acquired' e-books....everything from automotive to physics to drawing to encyclopedias/maps (which we don't even have a full set in physical book form) in order to help supplement the physical library. It will also have e-training for the self-motivated with links to the internet on where to learn useful things. Right now, I am the only one working on this and it is taking up many hours of my time.


• Investigating new opportunities for cricket competitions and community volleyball games.


• Reviving the drama club activities. It hasn't been easy trying to get some of the old group members back around, but I'm working on it. Got supposedly a full support decree from the Ministry of Culture. They offered to hold training workshops-a great resource since I know NOTHING about theater.


• Trying to get our community center looking nice and set up with materials to run smoothly on a regular basis---things like toilet paper would be nice. There is a managing committee for the building and I'm trying to work closely with them.


• Creating 'scrabble-like' board games as a teachng tool for the language arts/reading program. I got the wood donated and used a saw to cut up the boards and tiles. Making about 5 games worth.


• Keeping the momentum of our steel pan revival alive. I've been getting asked what was going on with them since I haven't had them out yet. I' still waiting for a kind donation fomr Liz Mannette's Steel Pan Fashion of Trinidad and Tobago. She is sending the proper rubber to create our pan sticks. Still working on getting the stands to hold them up welded together.


• Getting a hand drumming (congo, djembe, and other African-like drums) together. I hope this will serve to be the backbone for our steel pan. I'm a big fan of hand drum and we've got a great teacher willing to help out for the love of drumming.


• Chewing on the recycling ideas. Got an email request from my APCD (boss) to investigate the potential for certain types of recycling. Not finding many positive results yet, but I'm not giving up yet either.


• Reading through an environmental education book that is in progress. I'd like to help connect environmental education into the classrooms. That is going to require some heavy networking and lobbying with the Ministry of Education, Teacher's Union, and many other stakeholders. Got a Peace Corps/Community Development meeting in the morning. You can be that will be a big topic for me on the agenda


• Still haven't gotten my lil home garden started yet....that is big on the to-do list, but always gets left behind for some reason. I'm just not home much during the daylight hours I suppose.


• Get geared up to start teaching computer classes. I had surveys out and it seems that I'll be starting with a weekly intro to computers course. Depending on who and when, I'll also be doing a series on the ICDL and office software. Eventually I also plan to hold workshops for adults focusing on parent/child computer activity, how to be responsible, and basic maintenance.


• Bi-weekly banana shipments. Getting rewarded with bananas and oranges is a wonderful thing.


• Keep trying to forge new resources and cement other ones through what I call handshake meetings at various government and industry departments and ministries every week when I go into town.


• I still help with the North Leeward Sports Association, but they really haven't had much going on lately.


• Study for personal knowledge--A+ cert, poli-sci and math stuff for grad school, languages--Italian and Spanish. Sadly, I haven't really gotten to anything on this section yet.

I could be missing a few things in there still, but you get the idea. ^_^

Yeah, the hardest part of the week is usually trying to find time to do laundry.
So it seems I am being a busy lil bee and it's time for a nap.

Stay happy and well
ciao tutti
~your local wannabe jedi
~Shawn