We've officially entered rainy season. I came to this conclusion as I noticed the plethora of puddles, the greener landscape, the umbrella pushers on every major corner and, of course, the daily rain showers. I know, I should be a detective with this kind of deductive power. My umbrella is now with me everywhere I go and I am beginning to get a much better understanding of the Trini lifestyle. Things here move at a generally slow pace and time is a relative thing. During the dry season it is freakin hot, rarely are there even clouds in the sky to provide some relief. There is just no reason to move at a high pace with that kind of heat. Then the other half of the year is the rainy season, where there is some slight heat reduction but the sky will open up and dump sheets of water at any given time. The weather report may be able to tell you that it is more likely to shower in the morning than afternoon, but there are no further specifics. And it could look perfectly sunny and pleasant out, then boom, big clouds roll in dropping buckets of water and then they are gone, not 10 minutes later. If it starts raining, it is perfectly acceptable to duck into the nearest shop and wait it out, no matter what the delay will make you late for. So schedules are tough to keep, and while that would usually drive me nuts, the rain I got caught in today made me totally understand!
Other exciting things have been happening here in Trinidad...they just elected a new Prime Minister, and it was a women! The previous Prime Minister called a snap election about two and a half years before the scheduled election was due (so that would be like Obama saying hey why don't we do this election thing all over again, and you are going to vote in a month, and that is what happened). So the opposition joined forces, preaching change, and change happened. The first women Prime Minister...pretty cool. Elections here are like big parties, campaigns are punctuated by catching songs and rallies are held daily, complete with food, drinks and more music. I'm excited to see what this change will bring over the next few months...again, unlike the States, the new Prime Minister takes office THIS WEEK, no transition period, boom she's rolling!
My research is also starting to really move, I am conducting a survey tomorrow with the nursing department at my first facility and have a couple meetings with health big shots this week. I'm really excited that everything is picking up and can't wait to see how the surveys turn out and to start on my time studies. I'm a bit freaked out too though...I really have no idea what I'm doing in research and am definitely learning as I go, but ya gotta start somewhere!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Saturday, May 22, 2010
2 People, 1 Room, 7 Days
BRENTON CAME TO VISIT! Woohoo! Brenton left yesterday after a week long visit to Trinidad, now he is back to Davenport, IA to do a summer internship with the Core of Engineers. We had a great time during his visit, really embracing the idea of Trini time, spending most of the week just relaxing and hanging out. We did get to spend a couple days in Tobago, staying at a great little guest house in Bucco, right on the beach. Bucco is also the home of Sunday School, which is a big party every Sunday night with lots of food, drinks and pan. It was fun until I slipped and fell, cutting up my knee like crazy. I am blaming it on the slippery, rain-soaked pavement, but Brenton attributes at least some of it to the rum punches I had with dinner!
The highlight of Tobago was going snorkeling and fishing, although we both got a little motion sick in the boat! We got to see lots of colorful, little fish scurrying in and out of the coral, but I'm not so skilled at using the snorkeling masks. Fishing we caught 4 barracudas and we had 2 more get away...these 2 were on my line and while it is likely that I just didn't reel them in right, I'm going to pretend that they were really big, far too strong to be reeled in. We got to keep 2 of the fish (we don't know what happened to the other 2, they just disappeared!) and the guy who runs the guest house helped us make fish broth and BBQ fish, both delicious!
Throughout our days in Trinidad we watched lots of good bootleg movies...Trinidad is full of bootleg copies of brand new, just out in theatres movies. We did lots of cooking...I have missed Brenton's breakfasts, he makes such great eggs! We ate lots of great Trini food too...Brenton loved doubles but didn't like the coconut water so much! Our last day, we went golfing and had a really good time. Although I think my score was at least double his! We got pretty darn close in these last 7 days since we spent lots of time at my place, which has everything all in one little room...bathroom and all! Having to go to the bathroom in the same room all the time is real, true love!! The whole week was really wonderful!
On a side note...I went to Mayaro today with Christian, Susan and Christian's parents and here are a couple pictures from that. We found live sand dollars, which I had never seen alive before, so cool! The palm trees were amazing, there were so many, it was beautiful!
The highlight of Tobago was going snorkeling and fishing, although we both got a little motion sick in the boat! We got to see lots of colorful, little fish scurrying in and out of the coral, but I'm not so skilled at using the snorkeling masks. Fishing we caught 4 barracudas and we had 2 more get away...these 2 were on my line and while it is likely that I just didn't reel them in right, I'm going to pretend that they were really big, far too strong to be reeled in. We got to keep 2 of the fish (we don't know what happened to the other 2, they just disappeared!) and the guy who runs the guest house helped us make fish broth and BBQ fish, both delicious!
Throughout our days in Trinidad we watched lots of good bootleg movies...Trinidad is full of bootleg copies of brand new, just out in theatres movies. We did lots of cooking...I have missed Brenton's breakfasts, he makes such great eggs! We ate lots of great Trini food too...Brenton loved doubles but didn't like the coconut water so much! Our last day, we went golfing and had a really good time. Although I think my score was at least double his! We got pretty darn close in these last 7 days since we spent lots of time at my place, which has everything all in one little room...bathroom and all! Having to go to the bathroom in the same room all the time is real, true love!! The whole week was really wonderful!
On a side note...I went to Mayaro today with Christian, Susan and Christian's parents and here are a couple pictures from that. We found live sand dollars, which I had never seen alive before, so cool! The palm trees were amazing, there were so many, it was beautiful!
Friday, May 14, 2010
When it rains...it pours, or cancels flights
My eyes popped open and searched for the clock, 6:03, you've got to be kidding. This was a morning I could actually sleep in a little, but it seems my weeks of early alarms has eliminated my ability to wake up much past 6. I rolled over, hoping to get a few more minutes of shut eye when my phone started going off. I groped at my desk...remote, no, mouse, no, phone, wrong one. Finally my fingers found the source of the vibration, my US phone. Brenton, my boyfriend, should be leaving about now for the airport, starting his long day of traveling to Trinidad. I quickly realized that this was not good news as I focused on the word "cancelled." His 7am flight from Moline to Chicago had been cancelled, and he had prepared to hop in the car to drive the 3 hours to Chicago when he found out that all the flights from O'Hare would be cancelled or delayed due to a huge storm cell going through the city. Much of a delay in Chicago would cause him to miss his connection in Miami to Trinidad...so his entire flight schedule was postponed until the next day. (Luckily he had the trip insurance and they rescheduled everything for the next day as well as postponing his return flights a day for no charge).
Needless to say, I felt pretty much like I had been punched right in the stomach. I had begun the countdown for him to be here about a week ago, and now I had to reset it, add back that 24 hours. At least I had planned a distraction for the day, working on a Habitat for Humanity house, originally it was to keep myself busy since the day would be spent in anxious anticipation of his 10:05pm arrival. Now it would serve as a distraction for my disappointment and a means for working out the frustration. So I packed my lunch, grabbed my sunscreen, pocketed some taxi money and headed out the door. As my taxi pulled up to the Habitat House, I was a dollar short in my pocket money so I searched my bag for my wallet, and searched....and searched, and... Nope. No wallet. No money. This taxi driver was very nice and accepted my $3 instead of $4, but I was pretty sure the other 3 taxis I would need to take to get home wouldn't be so cool with a rain check on the fare. I had made friends with the builders and would be back next week, I could borrow and pay them back. It would be fine, it would be fine, I'll be ok, I'll be ok, this internal dialog was barely containing the welling panic.
Full blown panic came about 20 minutes later. I was sitting with the the father of the family the house was for and received a call that said the builders weren't coming today. The break down was imminent. Brenton wasn't coming, my distraction was pulled out from under me and I don't have a cent to my name to get home. I almost expected a rabies infected dog to come bite me, the sky to open up and let rain pour down and the chickens fluttering around the build site to come peck my left eye out. Luckily, just about the opposite happened. The father sat and talked to me for awhile, telling me about his story (which made me feel like a big overreacter, knowing what he had gone through in his life!)and he had a friend that would be able to take me home. He also gave me a bunch of mangos and some real-deal eggs...he pulled them straight out of a near by chicken's nest. This guy was a personal ray of sunshine.
The rest of the day actually went really well. They took me home, there were 5 of us in the back seat...me, the father, a the driver's 6 year old daughter, wife and the wife was HOLDING their 7 week old baby. Dave, another fulbrighter, also had a bad morning, so we met for ice cream and a movie to lift our spirits. I also received a call from my mentor saying that the Ministry of Health had officially approved my project and forwarded their approval to the facilities I would be working with. This was actually a huge break through for my project, so I guess the day ended pretty well! And on a side note, I think the rainy season officially started today because it is POURING, if this rain delays Brenton's flight...
One of the stray dogs that hangs out at the build site...looks pretty vicious huh, ready to attack at any moment!
A rooster strutting around, we got the eggs in that hiding place to the right of the picture.
The build site the first day I arrived. They haven't poured the foundation yet, but it is looking a bit more ready for it now. I can't wait to see it finished, the family is so wonderful!
Needless to say, I felt pretty much like I had been punched right in the stomach. I had begun the countdown for him to be here about a week ago, and now I had to reset it, add back that 24 hours. At least I had planned a distraction for the day, working on a Habitat for Humanity house, originally it was to keep myself busy since the day would be spent in anxious anticipation of his 10:05pm arrival. Now it would serve as a distraction for my disappointment and a means for working out the frustration. So I packed my lunch, grabbed my sunscreen, pocketed some taxi money and headed out the door. As my taxi pulled up to the Habitat House, I was a dollar short in my pocket money so I searched my bag for my wallet, and searched....and searched, and... Nope. No wallet. No money. This taxi driver was very nice and accepted my $3 instead of $4, but I was pretty sure the other 3 taxis I would need to take to get home wouldn't be so cool with a rain check on the fare. I had made friends with the builders and would be back next week, I could borrow and pay them back. It would be fine, it would be fine, I'll be ok, I'll be ok, this internal dialog was barely containing the welling panic.
Full blown panic came about 20 minutes later. I was sitting with the the father of the family the house was for and received a call that said the builders weren't coming today. The break down was imminent. Brenton wasn't coming, my distraction was pulled out from under me and I don't have a cent to my name to get home. I almost expected a rabies infected dog to come bite me, the sky to open up and let rain pour down and the chickens fluttering around the build site to come peck my left eye out. Luckily, just about the opposite happened. The father sat and talked to me for awhile, telling me about his story (which made me feel like a big overreacter, knowing what he had gone through in his life!)and he had a friend that would be able to take me home. He also gave me a bunch of mangos and some real-deal eggs...he pulled them straight out of a near by chicken's nest. This guy was a personal ray of sunshine.
The rest of the day actually went really well. They took me home, there were 5 of us in the back seat...me, the father, a the driver's 6 year old daughter, wife and the wife was HOLDING their 7 week old baby. Dave, another fulbrighter, also had a bad morning, so we met for ice cream and a movie to lift our spirits. I also received a call from my mentor saying that the Ministry of Health had officially approved my project and forwarded their approval to the facilities I would be working with. This was actually a huge break through for my project, so I guess the day ended pretty well! And on a side note, I think the rainy season officially started today because it is POURING, if this rain delays Brenton's flight...
One of the stray dogs that hangs out at the build site...looks pretty vicious huh, ready to attack at any moment!
A rooster strutting around, we got the eggs in that hiding place to the right of the picture.
The build site the first day I arrived. They haven't poured the foundation yet, but it is looking a bit more ready for it now. I can't wait to see it finished, the family is so wonderful!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
45 Minutes and an Answered Prayer
I am taking a dance class. (Pause for laughter) No really, I am and I'm not that bad, I promise! It is a Latin/Ballroom class so right now we are learning the Rumba. There are 2 guys in the class and like 12 girls, so you can imagine how well that works out. One of the guys has to be about 17 years old and he is there with his mom/sister/aunt, I'm not sure which because I just can't picture many 17 year old guys attending a dance class with his mom and seeming so happy about it! Anyway, this has nothing do to with my story other than that it all began after dance class...
All done Rumba-ing, I walked the half a block to the junction to get a taxi home. During the day there are about 6 taxis lined up with the drivers standing outside, wildly motioning you to pick their particular taxi. As it is now dusk, there are very few taxis waiting and a group of waiting home-goers, looking bored or anxious. I taxi would pull up and 8 people would swarm towards the idling vehicle, all wanting to know where this driver was going: short or up the valley. It was the pinnacle question, that one that would determine if you would frantically try to get into the car or if you would sadly saunter back to the curb. Finally get to your house, your dinner, your bed, or stand there, continue to wait, to hope that the next car would be your car.
I think the longest I've ever waited for a taxi was 10 minutes, and that might actually be a stretch. After 10 minutes tonight about 5 short drop taxis had come and gone, leaving a core group of valley goers, huddling together for support. Another taxi would pull up and a swarm of us would descend upon it, a couple would dash around the opposite side of the car to steal the seat behind the driver. This dance continues, back and forth, back and forth, never ending. Because you just never know when your car will arrive and you may lose your seat to someone just a little bit quicker, so you continue jumping on and off the curb, one eye on the driver and one on the person next to you, ready to push them out of the way.
20 minutes, 30 minutes, 40 minutes...nothing. All short drops and us valley-ers are getting might anxious and frustrated. The walk back to the curb has turned from sadness to pure anger. It was a stomp back. I actually offered a driver over twice the price of my seat to take a group to the valley, nothing! It is well past dusk now, full on darkness. I forgot my phone, so I am stuck here and I'm starting to get nervous. It is then that I begin fervently praying, please, please, please send me a way to get home. 5 minutes later my trusty driver, Steve, is driving down the street with one open seat in his car. He recognizes me on the curb, stops and waves at me. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
...if you past readers are wondering, the end of Tobago was great. I enjoyed some more beach time and had no more bug bites! I also got a lot of great research stuff done that I will now spend a good couple days trying to analyze. Here are some more pictures!
This is the house next door to where I stayed, where all those kids from the previous posts live. It just makes me sad for those sweet little kids.
I caught a fish! On Sunday I went fishing, and by catching a fish, I mean someone else did all the work and I reeled it in.
The fishing group...Anil, me, Andrew and Kirsi. Andrew is a volunteer at the clinic from Washington and about to go to Med school, Kirsi is his girlfriend, just here relaxing! Anil is a guy they met at a grocery store they go to who offered to take them fishing...only in Tobago!
This is a Manchineel tree, obviously, and you aren't allowed to touch it because it is highly poisonous. If you stand under it while it is raining, you will actually get burned. It used to be used as poison on arrow tips back in the days of the natives...thought it was kinda cool!
Rain clouds rolling in over the ocean. I missed getting caught in the downpour by about 45 seconds!
All done Rumba-ing, I walked the half a block to the junction to get a taxi home. During the day there are about 6 taxis lined up with the drivers standing outside, wildly motioning you to pick their particular taxi. As it is now dusk, there are very few taxis waiting and a group of waiting home-goers, looking bored or anxious. I taxi would pull up and 8 people would swarm towards the idling vehicle, all wanting to know where this driver was going: short or up the valley. It was the pinnacle question, that one that would determine if you would frantically try to get into the car or if you would sadly saunter back to the curb. Finally get to your house, your dinner, your bed, or stand there, continue to wait, to hope that the next car would be your car.
I think the longest I've ever waited for a taxi was 10 minutes, and that might actually be a stretch. After 10 minutes tonight about 5 short drop taxis had come and gone, leaving a core group of valley goers, huddling together for support. Another taxi would pull up and a swarm of us would descend upon it, a couple would dash around the opposite side of the car to steal the seat behind the driver. This dance continues, back and forth, back and forth, never ending. Because you just never know when your car will arrive and you may lose your seat to someone just a little bit quicker, so you continue jumping on and off the curb, one eye on the driver and one on the person next to you, ready to push them out of the way.
20 minutes, 30 minutes, 40 minutes...nothing. All short drops and us valley-ers are getting might anxious and frustrated. The walk back to the curb has turned from sadness to pure anger. It was a stomp back. I actually offered a driver over twice the price of my seat to take a group to the valley, nothing! It is well past dusk now, full on darkness. I forgot my phone, so I am stuck here and I'm starting to get nervous. It is then that I begin fervently praying, please, please, please send me a way to get home. 5 minutes later my trusty driver, Steve, is driving down the street with one open seat in his car. He recognizes me on the curb, stops and waves at me. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
...if you past readers are wondering, the end of Tobago was great. I enjoyed some more beach time and had no more bug bites! I also got a lot of great research stuff done that I will now spend a good couple days trying to analyze. Here are some more pictures!
This is the house next door to where I stayed, where all those kids from the previous posts live. It just makes me sad for those sweet little kids.
I caught a fish! On Sunday I went fishing, and by catching a fish, I mean someone else did all the work and I reeled it in.
The fishing group...Anil, me, Andrew and Kirsi. Andrew is a volunteer at the clinic from Washington and about to go to Med school, Kirsi is his girlfriend, just here relaxing! Anil is a guy they met at a grocery store they go to who offered to take them fishing...only in Tobago!
This is a Manchineel tree, obviously, and you aren't allowed to touch it because it is highly poisonous. If you stand under it while it is raining, you will actually get burned. It used to be used as poison on arrow tips back in the days of the natives...thought it was kinda cool!
Rain clouds rolling in over the ocean. I missed getting caught in the downpour by about 45 seconds!
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Bliss
I very rarely do things just because I want to. I don't like to stir the pot or cause conflict, so I very often am the indecisive one that is willing to go along with what the other person wants to do, despite what I want to do. And when it is just me, I do what I'm supposed to or eat what I'm supposed to (at least try to). Today was a different kind of day. Today I decided that I would throw caution to the wind and do exactly what I wanted to do all day...I would eat what I want, go where I want, do what I want. I guess this sounds a bit selfish, but try it...all day I asked the question, what do you really want to do right now? And I did it...
I did have some rules to abide by, as I was taking the bus to Charlottesville in Tobago, so I did have to follow the bus schedule. I started the day with a run on the beach near my new place (I have moved to a little guest house because the lady I was staying with had to go into Trinidad for the day...I'm quite enjoying my new place! I have a TV that isn't tuned into the religious channel, I've yet to even see a mosquito and the beach is mere moments away). Ready for the day, I was able to get a ride into town and attempted to patiently wait for the bus to arrive. The drive was...winding. And the bus was...practically broken. BUT, I made it to Charlottesville and started the trek to Pirate's Bay, which ended up being the most beautiful walk I've taken yet. Ever curve showed a new view of the ocean, each displaying a new shade of blue. First it was the aqua, pristine blue-green, then it was almost clear and you were able to see the coral beneath, and in the distance it was the darkest, deepest royal blue I'd ever seen.
Descending the 157 steps (yes I counted on the way back as my butt was killing me!)I found my way to the beach, which was only inhabited by 3 other people and a flock of sand pipers squawking and chasing each other back and forth. The water was of the clear blue kind, I could see all the way to the bottom. There were practically no waves and I floated around, basking in the sun light (which I am now paying for since I put sun screen everywhere but my thighs, which are now bright red). I read, I walked along the shore, it was pure bliss. I then went to a recommended restaurant and had shrimp and creole sauce, yum yum yum yum yum. Top it off with some homemade chocolate ice cream and you can't go wrong. Then I got the bill...it was about three times as much as I had expected to pay for it, but I'm trying not to dwell on that fact. My inherent cheapness creeped in when I saw the bill and I took out my wallet tentatively and wide-eyed. But I'm trying to learn that money isn't everything, and the bliss of this meal went a long way in furthering this lesson.
It started raining as I sat to eat on the covered deck and stopped as I was walking to catch the bus back, boy is that timing. Waiting for the bus as well were 5 or 6 elderly Tobago-ites that I know were speaking English only by the fact that I could understand every 10th word. The rest of the 9 were completely slurred together into one, long word. I think between the 5 of them, there might have only been 30 teeth. I've found this is pretty common here in Tobago, as are free roaming chickens and goats, strong Christian convictions and mango trees. I thought Trinidad had a lot of mango tress, but there are so many mangos here that I think there might be a law about the number of mangos each person must consume daily.
On my walk back to the guest house, I passed a cemetary and the headstones said "Sunrise" instead of birth and "Sunset" instead of death, and I thought that was the most beautiful way to describe life. And it makes me think that more of our life should be like my day...we always have things we have to do, things we are supposed to do and things we do do because of others instead of because of ourselves, but we should take more time to forget about the shoulds and have tos and take pleasure in the life that is around us. Beauty, joy and laughter are everywhere, just look!
My wonderful meal that was way too expensive but worth every penny!
These are the steps that I happily climbed down for the beach...and then drudged all the way back up!
One of the views from the walk to Pirate's Bay.
Some of the goats and chickens that roam around town...these are both taken in the middle of the largest town in Tobago, granted the largest town, which is half the population, is 20,000 people!
I did have some rules to abide by, as I was taking the bus to Charlottesville in Tobago, so I did have to follow the bus schedule. I started the day with a run on the beach near my new place (I have moved to a little guest house because the lady I was staying with had to go into Trinidad for the day...I'm quite enjoying my new place! I have a TV that isn't tuned into the religious channel, I've yet to even see a mosquito and the beach is mere moments away). Ready for the day, I was able to get a ride into town and attempted to patiently wait for the bus to arrive. The drive was...winding. And the bus was...practically broken. BUT, I made it to Charlottesville and started the trek to Pirate's Bay, which ended up being the most beautiful walk I've taken yet. Ever curve showed a new view of the ocean, each displaying a new shade of blue. First it was the aqua, pristine blue-green, then it was almost clear and you were able to see the coral beneath, and in the distance it was the darkest, deepest royal blue I'd ever seen.
Descending the 157 steps (yes I counted on the way back as my butt was killing me!)I found my way to the beach, which was only inhabited by 3 other people and a flock of sand pipers squawking and chasing each other back and forth. The water was of the clear blue kind, I could see all the way to the bottom. There were practically no waves and I floated around, basking in the sun light (which I am now paying for since I put sun screen everywhere but my thighs, which are now bright red). I read, I walked along the shore, it was pure bliss. I then went to a recommended restaurant and had shrimp and creole sauce, yum yum yum yum yum. Top it off with some homemade chocolate ice cream and you can't go wrong. Then I got the bill...it was about three times as much as I had expected to pay for it, but I'm trying not to dwell on that fact. My inherent cheapness creeped in when I saw the bill and I took out my wallet tentatively and wide-eyed. But I'm trying to learn that money isn't everything, and the bliss of this meal went a long way in furthering this lesson.
It started raining as I sat to eat on the covered deck and stopped as I was walking to catch the bus back, boy is that timing. Waiting for the bus as well were 5 or 6 elderly Tobago-ites that I know were speaking English only by the fact that I could understand every 10th word. The rest of the 9 were completely slurred together into one, long word. I think between the 5 of them, there might have only been 30 teeth. I've found this is pretty common here in Tobago, as are free roaming chickens and goats, strong Christian convictions and mango trees. I thought Trinidad had a lot of mango tress, but there are so many mangos here that I think there might be a law about the number of mangos each person must consume daily.
On my walk back to the guest house, I passed a cemetary and the headstones said "Sunrise" instead of birth and "Sunset" instead of death, and I thought that was the most beautiful way to describe life. And it makes me think that more of our life should be like my day...we always have things we have to do, things we are supposed to do and things we do do because of others instead of because of ourselves, but we should take more time to forget about the shoulds and have tos and take pleasure in the life that is around us. Beauty, joy and laughter are everywhere, just look!
My wonderful meal that was way too expensive but worth every penny!
These are the steps that I happily climbed down for the beach...and then drudged all the way back up!
One of the views from the walk to Pirate's Bay.
Some of the goats and chickens that roam around town...these are both taken in the middle of the largest town in Tobago, granted the largest town, which is half the population, is 20,000 people!
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