Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Visitors
Saturday, February 25, 2012
togetherness
So in case you couldn’t guess, we spend a lot of time together. Well, duh. Right? We’re married. That’s part of the agreement. So let’s rephrase: Here in Peace Corps, we spend A LOT of time together. We live together in a very small space, in a small community and setting in which we don’t really go out after dark. We work together and have the same ‘office’. Although, during our time here, we have worked on developing projects that we work on individually, rather than together. Our social lives also seem to always include one another, as we have all the same friends, and mostly the same interests. We’re by far each other’s best friends in our community, as making genuine local friends is something that all Jamaica PCVs seem to struggle with, ourselves included.
Our average* day consists of:
-The first hour or two being within 10 ft from each other as we read and drink coffee, organizing our plans and work for the day. (At some point Matt might make breakfast while Julie sometimes reads to him, after which we’ll eat said breakfast together.)
-Come 8/9am we both, more or less, go our separate ways to work on different things. However, it would be unusual to not cross paths again before noon, as we both need to work in the library at the same time, we’re checking in/working on a mutual project, we need to hand off the keys, we’re both at home, etc.
-Come lunch we’re both usually at home grabbing a quick bite to eat, in which we’ll once again share our hastily-made grub with one another if he/she is around.
-The rest of the day until dinner is spent in much the same way as the morning. Maybe Julie’s teaching at the school, while right outside the school, Matt’s working on the Parade ground project. Maybe we’re filling out PC paperwork together, paperwork that seems to be piling up lately. Maybe we’re at the house, proofreading one another’s grant proposal or blogposts. Maybe we’re at the library, one working on organizing the books, while the other hunts for jobs for both us back home.
-Julie starts making dinner around 5, about the same time Matt craves his afternoon coffee. So both back to the house, Julie in the kitchen, and Matt swinging in the hammock, sipping on his hand-roasted brew.
-We eat dinner together at the table. Share what little we don’t know about each other’s day. Maybe we’ll go for a walk around the community to check on the progress of the Parade Grounds, or just to get out. Back home, we’ll play a few games of cards, maybe have a beer to go alongside. And right before retiring to our bedroom to watch an episode of Deadwood or The Wire, we’ll look at each other and say, “We spend A LOT of time together.”
We can proudly say that despite all this –and the fact that we’re both stubborn, strong-minded, independent people, we haven’t killed each other yet. In fact, we’re both still completely on board with the ‘till death do us part’ agreement. And we’re sure that one day, when we have a family, and a home, and jobs, and barely have a moment alone together, we’ll both reminisce about the days in PC (and the AK Bush) when we spent so much flippin time together. AND, one thing’s for sure, that if there’s one thing that we’ve done together, we’ve grown together. However, despite all this, we’re both looking forward to having a little more time apart in our next life. I don’t know, maybe 6 hrs/day would be nice?
*Our days can vary highly from one to the next.
Our average* day consists of:
-The first hour or two being within 10 ft from each other as we read and drink coffee, organizing our plans and work for the day. (At some point Matt might make breakfast while Julie sometimes reads to him, after which we’ll eat said breakfast together.)
-Come 8/9am we both, more or less, go our separate ways to work on different things. However, it would be unusual to not cross paths again before noon, as we both need to work in the library at the same time, we’re checking in/working on a mutual project, we need to hand off the keys, we’re both at home, etc.
-Come lunch we’re both usually at home grabbing a quick bite to eat, in which we’ll once again share our hastily-made grub with one another if he/she is around.
-The rest of the day until dinner is spent in much the same way as the morning. Maybe Julie’s teaching at the school, while right outside the school, Matt’s working on the Parade ground project. Maybe we’re filling out PC paperwork together, paperwork that seems to be piling up lately. Maybe we’re at the house, proofreading one another’s grant proposal or blogposts. Maybe we’re at the library, one working on organizing the books, while the other hunts for jobs for both us back home.
-Julie starts making dinner around 5, about the same time Matt craves his afternoon coffee. So both back to the house, Julie in the kitchen, and Matt swinging in the hammock, sipping on his hand-roasted brew.
-We eat dinner together at the table. Share what little we don’t know about each other’s day. Maybe we’ll go for a walk around the community to check on the progress of the Parade Grounds, or just to get out. Back home, we’ll play a few games of cards, maybe have a beer to go alongside. And right before retiring to our bedroom to watch an episode of Deadwood or The Wire, we’ll look at each other and say, “We spend A LOT of time together.”
We can proudly say that despite all this –and the fact that we’re both stubborn, strong-minded, independent people, we haven’t killed each other yet. In fact, we’re both still completely on board with the ‘till death do us part’ agreement. And we’re sure that one day, when we have a family, and a home, and jobs, and barely have a moment alone together, we’ll both reminisce about the days in PC (and the AK Bush) when we spent so much flippin time together. AND, one thing’s for sure, that if there’s one thing that we’ve done together, we’ve grown together. However, despite all this, we’re both looking forward to having a little more time apart in our next life. I don’t know, maybe 6 hrs/day would be nice?
*Our days can vary highly from one to the next.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Annnddd we're back.
We apologize for being MIA for the past couple weeks or so. They’ve been somewhat busy, as our schedule was booked for a month straight:
January 19th-25: Mom and Aunt Karla were here visiting
January 25-27: Our COS (Close of Service) Conference
January 26-30: JACOM board visiting Accompong
January 29-February 14: ECUADOR!!
Let us discuss the most recent of these events: ECUADOR!! Throughout our service we’ve been discussing how we would use our allotted leave days. I don’t know if this is a regular occurrence among other posts, but here in Jamaica, most PCVs spend hours and hours contemplating how they will spend their acquired leave days (2 days/month of service). For almost a year, we’ve been discussing the possibility of traveling to South America at the end of our service, a place both of us have never been but both wanted to visit. So after some research (i.e. which country we could fly to the cheapest), relentless persuasion of good friends (fellow PCVs who joined us), and reassessment of our budget (you only live once, right?), we decided on Ecuador.
Let us NOW brag about the good choices we made: Ecuador was fabulous. Our companions were wonderful. Our budget, only a little worse for the wear. We spent all of our time in the Andes/highlands, as most of us deeply miss the mountains, hiking, camping, and cool weather. We could go on and on about the great time we had, but we won’t bore you with details. Instead, here’s some pictures of our journey you can check out….
January 19th-25: Mom and Aunt Karla were here visiting
January 25-27: Our COS (Close of Service) Conference
January 26-30: JACOM board visiting Accompong
January 29-February 14: ECUADOR!!
Let us discuss the most recent of these events: ECUADOR!! Throughout our service we’ve been discussing how we would use our allotted leave days. I don’t know if this is a regular occurrence among other posts, but here in Jamaica, most PCVs spend hours and hours contemplating how they will spend their acquired leave days (2 days/month of service). For almost a year, we’ve been discussing the possibility of traveling to South America at the end of our service, a place both of us have never been but both wanted to visit. So after some research (i.e. which country we could fly to the cheapest), relentless persuasion of good friends (fellow PCVs who joined us), and reassessment of our budget (you only live once, right?), we decided on Ecuador.
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| the Crew |
Sunday, January 15, 2012
The Accompong Maroon Parade Ground and School Playfield
Having worked most recently as a professional commercial landscaper in Alaska during my last five summers before coming to the Peace Corps and Jamaica, the first thing that caught my (Matt's) eye after our first tour of our community, way back in May 2010, was the decrepit condition of the community ball field/ school recess area and playfield, otherwise known as the Accompong Maroon Parade Ground. The Parade Ground also has significant historical and cultural importance to the community.
This area is the only, flat, playable surface of any kind, anywhere in the community large enough to sustain an event or ballgame (here it is cricket, soccer and the annual January 6th Maroon Celebration that matter most). At 200’ x 100’ it is still barely large enough for even that… able to sustain only half-field 6-on-6 matches in soccer, and for cricket the boundaries must include all the downhill and rocky slopes along with bush and farmland.
As an identified need (by the community) the revitalization of the Parade Ground, in priority need, ranks only behind the improvement of local roads, the development of a reliable, potable water supply, and the creation of jobs and additional sources of income for the local population.
So… over the past year and a half, slowly, the idea for the project has evolved and developed, grant proposals have been written and submitted to many different organizations, and fingers have been crossed. The result… about $20,000 of the estimated need of $27,000 US has been raised through contributions from CHASE Fund (not Chase Bank) Jamaica, the Tourism Enhancement Fund, USAID and National Commercial Bank (NCB) Foundation. The official title of the project is the Revitalization of the Accompong Maroon Parade Ground.
The project objectives are: 1) To construct two retaining walls, one is 175’ long and averages 6’ in height, the other is 225’ long and averages 8’ in height. The erection of these walls will allow the field to be significantly expanded in size. 2) To backfill these retaining walls with fill material up to the height of the rest of the Parade Ground. 3) To raise the level of the entire field and set the grade so that it drains properly (in its current state the field holds water and for all practical purposes is a small pond during the wet season). 4) To top the entire field with topsoil and plant it with grass (currently the field is very rocky and uneven with grass growing on about 70% of its surface. 5) To erect a chain-link fence around three sides of the field to prevent injury in the event of a fall over the edge of the retaining walls, which in some places are now over 20’ high, and to keep soccer and cricket balls from cascading down the slopes and into the bush when they are kicked or struck out of bounds.
As of today we are approximately 50% complete on the project, the retaining walls have been built and have been partially backfilled, the chain-link fence is in the beginning stages of being erected. The search for the additional funds needed to bring the project to completion continues. The hope is that by the end of our service here in May we will see the successful completion of this project for the community.
(pictures to come...)
This area is the only, flat, playable surface of any kind, anywhere in the community large enough to sustain an event or ballgame (here it is cricket, soccer and the annual January 6th Maroon Celebration that matter most). At 200’ x 100’ it is still barely large enough for even that… able to sustain only half-field 6-on-6 matches in soccer, and for cricket the boundaries must include all the downhill and rocky slopes along with bush and farmland.
As an identified need (by the community) the revitalization of the Parade Ground, in priority need, ranks only behind the improvement of local roads, the development of a reliable, potable water supply, and the creation of jobs and additional sources of income for the local population.
So… over the past year and a half, slowly, the idea for the project has evolved and developed, grant proposals have been written and submitted to many different organizations, and fingers have been crossed. The result… about $20,000 of the estimated need of $27,000 US has been raised through contributions from CHASE Fund (not Chase Bank) Jamaica, the Tourism Enhancement Fund, USAID and National Commercial Bank (NCB) Foundation. The official title of the project is the Revitalization of the Accompong Maroon Parade Ground.
The project objectives are: 1) To construct two retaining walls, one is 175’ long and averages 6’ in height, the other is 225’ long and averages 8’ in height. The erection of these walls will allow the field to be significantly expanded in size. 2) To backfill these retaining walls with fill material up to the height of the rest of the Parade Ground. 3) To raise the level of the entire field and set the grade so that it drains properly (in its current state the field holds water and for all practical purposes is a small pond during the wet season). 4) To top the entire field with topsoil and plant it with grass (currently the field is very rocky and uneven with grass growing on about 70% of its surface. 5) To erect a chain-link fence around three sides of the field to prevent injury in the event of a fall over the edge of the retaining walls, which in some places are now over 20’ high, and to keep soccer and cricket balls from cascading down the slopes and into the bush when they are kicked or struck out of bounds.
As of today we are approximately 50% complete on the project, the retaining walls have been built and have been partially backfilled, the chain-link fence is in the beginning stages of being erected. The search for the additional funds needed to bring the project to completion continues. The hope is that by the end of our service here in May we will see the successful completion of this project for the community.
(pictures to come...)
Sunday, January 8, 2012
January 6th
As referenced and discussed before, January 6th is a HUGE event in Accompong, as it marks the January 6th Maroon Celebration in which thousands of visitors venture to our little rural community to commemorate birthday of Maroon hero Cudjoe and the signing of the Peace Treaty. The celebration also acts as a homecoming of sorts for many Maroons who are living elsewhere in Jamaica and overseas. Last year, we spent most of January 6th busy, but this year we decided we were going to be tourists and do our best to enjoy Celebration without responsibility. And enjoy ourselves we did.
Highlights:
-Jerk pork.
-Having hundreds of visitors visit and sit under the shade of the Herbal Garden Hut that was re-constructed last year through our efforts and that of the AMJC.
-Checking out the four sound systems/dancehalls.
-Spending time with fellow PCVs.
-Drums that were made in last year’s Culture Camp being available and used.
-Meeting with the US Ambassador again.
-Experiencing our community and Jamaica in a way that most people will never get the chance.
P.S. The AMJC sold T-Shirts as a fundraiser and have many left over. If by chance any of you out there are interested in purchasing a shirt and supporting a grassroots organization made up of young adults who work towards the betterment of their community, please contact us. Shirts are $12 US.
Highlights:
-Jerk pork.
-Having hundreds of visitors visit and sit under the shade of the Herbal Garden Hut that was re-constructed last year through our efforts and that of the AMJC.
-Checking out the four sound systems/dancehalls.
-Spending time with fellow PCVs.
-Drums that were made in last year’s Culture Camp being available and used.
-Meeting with the US Ambassador again.
-Experiencing our community and Jamaica in a way that most people will never get the chance.
P.S. The AMJC sold T-Shirts as a fundraiser and have many left over. If by chance any of you out there are interested in purchasing a shirt and supporting a grassroots organization made up of young adults who work towards the betterment of their community, please contact us. Shirts are $12 US.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
"Errands"
I was just realizing the other day that this word has been removed from our vocabulary here in PC. I was reminded of this when our last stipend deposit came a week later than usual…during the holidays…when we’re BROKE…and trust me, when you’re already living hand-to-mouth, BROKE means BROKE.
Come back in time with me, it’s Christmas Eve’s Eve. It’s already a couple days past when our stipend is usually deposited. On our way to meet up with other PCVs for the holidays, we stop at the ATM to get some much-needed cash. And yikes! Balance inquiry: Less than $1US. Meaning: no deposit yet. …(Don’t worry, we were able to improvise through Christmas.)
We’d check back again 5 days later, on our way back to our community. Besides, 5 days later would be the deadline for the latest our deposits are supposed to come. So when I (Julie) arrived in Santa- the last stop before Accompong- where we do all our grocery shopping, I couldn’t believe we STILL had not received our deposits. (Take “I couldn’t believe” with a grain of salt, because after living in the developing world for almost 2 years, you ‘can believe’ just about anything –especially when it comes to things like deadlines.) I bought what groceries I could, with what little money I had, knowing our cupboards at home were bare, and made my way back to site, texting PCJ staff about our deposits. And sure enough, as I was walking up to my doorstep back in Accompong at 11am, I received word from the PCJ office that stipends were scheduled to be available at 2pm, at the bank.
So, what does all this have to do with ‘errands’? Well, my friends, because back in the States, going to the ATM , doesn’t consist of a tiring journey that costs half of your daily paycheck -a journey that takes a minimum of 3 hrs, involves the discipline of not missing one of the two taxis that travel to Accompong, and the flexibility to be entirely on other’s timeframes.
I’m also reminded of this, when for the 4th time in a row, Matt forgets to get the tomato paste on the grocery list -no matter that there’s only a dozen things on the list to start with, TOMATO PASTE is underlined, capitalized, and starred. Or that I sent reminder texts….but that’s a story for a different time. Of course, this is infuriating, but what drives you to the edge of insanity, is that Matt can’t just say, “I’ll run back real quick and get it” (as he knows this would definitely be his best option). But there’s no “running back real quick” in our lives. There’s no “stopping-by.” And, there certainly, most definitely is no such thing as ‘errands’ -at least in the way we know them.
Come back in time with me, it’s Christmas Eve’s Eve. It’s already a couple days past when our stipend is usually deposited. On our way to meet up with other PCVs for the holidays, we stop at the ATM to get some much-needed cash. And yikes! Balance inquiry: Less than $1US. Meaning: no deposit yet. …(Don’t worry, we were able to improvise through Christmas.)
We’d check back again 5 days later, on our way back to our community. Besides, 5 days later would be the deadline for the latest our deposits are supposed to come. So when I (Julie) arrived in Santa- the last stop before Accompong- where we do all our grocery shopping, I couldn’t believe we STILL had not received our deposits. (Take “I couldn’t believe” with a grain of salt, because after living in the developing world for almost 2 years, you ‘can believe’ just about anything –especially when it comes to things like deadlines.) I bought what groceries I could, with what little money I had, knowing our cupboards at home were bare, and made my way back to site, texting PCJ staff about our deposits. And sure enough, as I was walking up to my doorstep back in Accompong at 11am, I received word from the PCJ office that stipends were scheduled to be available at 2pm, at the bank.
So, what does all this have to do with ‘errands’? Well, my friends, because back in the States, going to the ATM , doesn’t consist of a tiring journey that costs half of your daily paycheck -a journey that takes a minimum of 3 hrs, involves the discipline of not missing one of the two taxis that travel to Accompong, and the flexibility to be entirely on other’s timeframes.
I’m also reminded of this, when for the 4th time in a row, Matt forgets to get the tomato paste on the grocery list -no matter that there’s only a dozen things on the list to start with, TOMATO PASTE is underlined, capitalized, and starred. Or that I sent reminder texts….but that’s a story for a different time. Of course, this is infuriating, but what drives you to the edge of insanity, is that Matt can’t just say, “I’ll run back real quick and get it” (as he knows this would definitely be his best option). But there’s no “running back real quick” in our lives. There’s no “stopping-by.” And, there certainly, most definitely is no such thing as ‘errands’ -at least in the way we know them.
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