More photos...

I forgot a few things in my latest post. One thing that happened while my family was visiting was Carnival. It is not quite as crazy as the one in Brazil but there are still costumes, drinking and dancing. We watched it on TV. For Carnival in Choiseul they have different events. One of the events is the Queen Show to crown the Carnival Queen. I went to the show with my friend Ava, her mother, and Ava's boyfriend, Adrian. (The picture where I am sitting next to a girl with a guy behind us and I have on bright yellow earrings). The show was amazing and incredibly entertaining, the only problem was that it ran until 3:00AM! Yikes! Another exciting event was my host sisters wedding. In my first few posts I mentioned Jen. My sweet and friendly host sister. When I first arrived in Saint Lucia she and her boyfriend, Junior, had been together for a few months then on August 15th they got married!!! It was a great ceremony and reception and she was a gorgeous bride! I am sure I forgot a few other events but if I remember I will add them in. (The top picture is me with Panama City in the background. It is a beautiful place!)

A Few Photos...

Just Over a Year!

I am sitting with my computer hooked up to Wifi, drinking a cold coors light (the mountains are blue ;) ), the air condition keeping me cool, listening to some Bob Marley....no, I did not leave the Peace Corps to move home.. I am currently staying in Panama City. I have been here for one week. A lot has happened since my last post in June, let me try to catch everyone up. Sorry this will most likely be sporadic and random, but I guess it fits my personality...?

 The highlight of June was attending a soccer tournament. The Blackheart Tournament was held at the stadium in Vieux Fort and it went on a for a few weeks. Unfortunately Choiseul did not do very well and they did not make it through the playoffs. I knew a few players who were on teams who made it to the finals so that kept it interesting. School went into July so we had school the whole month of June. That kept me busy and out of trouble. I am sure other important events happened but I really cannot remember them now. :)

In July my family came to visit!!! It was great to have them here. They were able to meet a lot of my new friends and my friends were very excited to meet them. The family came for 2 weeks. The first week was spent in Choiseul. We crammed all 5 of us into my house. The first night was the worst because I only had one fan. Everyone woke up drenched in sweat and I think a few new bug bites. We spent the day in Vieux Fort at the beach and buying 2 new fans! I am excited because the fans were a necessity I have just been too cheap to buy them. And it would be impossible to transport them from Vieux Fort to Choiseul on a bus. Yes, we rented a car. The only instructions given to my dad, our amazing driver, were, "Stay to the left." In Saint Lucia we drive on the right side of the road. Who would have known! It was a little stressful at first, but after a few hours, dad was driving like a Lucian. The driving is still a touchy subject so I am going to say that dad did a great job and he was the only one of us who was willing to try. My family came everywhere in Choiseul and met as many people as I could introduce them to. But I still have friends asking me when they were never introduced to my family..? Why didn't I bring my family by their house to meet them? Phew!! Talk about stressful, I consider everyone in Choiseul my family, but there was no way we could meet everyone. We also did some fun activities outside of Choiseul. We toured both Soufriere and Vieux Fort on separate days. We went to beaches, waterfalls, and the sulphur springs. We also went zip-lining in Dennery. It was a first for everyone except me (I went earlier this year when Sarah was visiting). It was really exciting. By the end we had a ton of great photos and all of the 20 something guides became best friends with dad. It was a lot of fun. After the week of shuffling around the Southern part of the island, we stayed at a resort for some much needed R & R. We stayed at Almond Morgan Bay Resort in Gros Islet/Castries. It is an all-inclusive resort and it was great! We had some amazing meals and a pool and the ocean at our disposal. As far as the resort being all-inclusive that also meant that drinks were included. I think I speak for everyone in the family when I say that we have never had so many smoothies in our lives. We would have at least 5 or 6 fruit smoothies a day! And they were great!! The time flew by but it was very relaxing. It was great to have my family there! Another fun event in July was the BBQ for July 4th. Our Country Director, (read Peace Corps Boss Lady) Margo, hosted a huge BBQ at her house. We had amazing food. I might have been too greedy with the food because I had a belly ache from eating so much. It was great though! July 5th was Jessica's birthday so we had a little camping trip to celebrate. It was really fun, although the sleeping was slightly uncomfortable, it was a great experience. After my family left, Jessica went home a few days later. Unfortunately her time was up and she was done with Peace Corps. It was hard to say good bye but it is always exciting to hear about her new life back in the United States.

In August (which is not over quite yet) there were a few main events. I turned 23 years old on August 14th. It was a weird birthday because I was not at home. While the family was here we went out for my Birthday Dinner at Debbie's. It was great food, so I had to conjure up that memory on my real birthday. I spent the day with the Peace Corps Volunteer, Lilly, who lives in Anse-La-Raye. She brought her boyfriend, Mandel, and one of my good friends, Fire One, to one of the beaches near her house. It was beautiful and quite possible my favorite beach in Saint Lucia. Another exciting birthday surprise, my friend Fire One got my name shaved into the back of his head. I had mentioned it earlier in the week, sort of joking that I wanted him to do it for my birthday.. and he did! I got mad at him for spelling my name wrong but he did it on purpose because if he wrote it with an "I" then people would pronounce it wrong. Sort of like, Kell-Eye. It is hard to describe but one is example is that Rastafari is pronounced Rasta-far-eye. So he spelled it Kelly. Anyway, the was one of the most unique things anyone has ever done for me. That night I went out with my friend, Humbert and my Jason (the volunteer in Canaries) came over for a birthday drink. On Saturday the 15th I hosted a small BBQ at my house. It was fun and the food was really good. Some of my friends brought over their huge sound system. Similar to my family visiting, for days afterwards there were people asking my why I never invited them to my party. I tried to explain that it was just a little BBQ, nothing special. Apparently everyone in Choiseul heard the loud music coming from my porch and they wanted in on the fun. Next time I am going to have to be sure to invited everyone I see in the days before the party. 

Now, the reason why I am in Panama. A few weeks ago I was at my doctor's office in Castries and he noticed a lump in my throat. I had always thought that I was abnormal and I had an adams apple. I think I have had it for a few years but I cannot remember exactly. Apparently, it is not an Adams apple. It is a cyst on my thyroid. My doctor was very concerned and began running tests immediately. In Castries I had a chest x-ray, a thyroid ultrasound and a thyroid function test. Everything was ok but Peace Corps Washington (The big guys) decided to send me to Panama to get checked out more thoroughly. The Peace Corps term for going to a different country for medical attention is "Medevaced." (or "Medically Evacuated") I was told on Wednesday that I was going to be medevaced and I was on a plane to Panama City on Sunday morning. Today marks one week of me being here. I underwent a biopsy of my cyst last Tuesday (August 25th) and the biopsy showed that there are no malignant cells. Basically, the cyst/tumor is not cancerous. That is great news! I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow afternoon to discuss the next step. I might need surgery to remove the cyst because it is so large. I will find out soon... and add a little post tomorrow once I find out. Anyway, in the meantime I have been trying to enjoy Panama. I did the city/Canal tour and got to see a ship pass through the Panama Canal! Pretty sweet! Although it is a stressful situation I have been able to enjoy myself and look upon my trip as a little vacation. It has also taught me to appreciate each day, because I am not really sure when I will be returning to Saint Lucia. This is the longest I have been away from the island and I definitely miss it. Oh yeah, and the title of this post is because as of August 27th, 2009 I have been living in Saint Lucia for more than one year. Pretty crazy! I had a great first year and I have no doubt that this next year will be amazing! I love and miss everyone at home. I am planning to visit in December so hopefully we can all catch up a little!

Besos y Abrazos,

Kelli

A Day in my Life....

One of the sweetest things about being a Peace Corps Volunteer is that no day is the same. My schedule is constantly changing. But in an effort to provide a creative blog...I have decided to discuss an average day in my life. 

Monday-

6:12 AM - Wake up and throw on shorts and a t-shirt. Call Jessica

6:30 AM - Begin my walk/jog from Choiseul to Piaye.

7:00 AM - Meet Jessica. We leave our houses at the same time and meet up in between. It is a nice plan so that we do not have to walk/jog the whole way alone.

7:30 AM - Get home and start getting ready for work. Eat some Cream of Wheat for breakfast. (Either that of oatmeal. I like to have easy breakfasts that fill me up. I tried Cream of Wheat for the first time a few weeks ago now I am addicted. Something about the taste and texture.. YUM!)

8:45 AM - Leave for work. Ideally leaving my house at 8:45 would get me to the office at 9:00. The only challenge is that everyone in the Village is very friendly and sometimes I am slowed down by conversations. After I leave my house I walk by a few of my friendly neighbors. Mr. Sigh lives a few houses down. He is a sweet, elderly man who is always sitting on his porch with his reading glasses and hat, listening to Jubois (a Patois morning show) on the radio. 

"Good morning Mr. Sigh," I say as I peek through the bushes to greet him while he sits on his front porch.

"Good morning darling. How are you?"

"I am good. How are you?"

"I am good. Thanks. Have a nice day."

"Thanks. You too."

I continue walking down my street, greeting random neighbors as they walk by. Then I get to the gap and take a left down the main road which takes me into the Village. Felicia's shop is on my right hand side and I am sure to peek in to say hello if she is around. Generally in the mornings our conversations consist of greetings and then she asks me if I am going to work and I say yes. She tells me to take care and I keep walking. I continued walking downhill until I reach the public bathrooms. I am sure to say hello to the woman who works there (I have greeted her hundreds of times but I do not know her name). Then I begin walking through the village. Greeting everyone who is randomly scattered through out the street. I also make a quick stop to say hello to my friend, Miss Lowen. She has a house in the Village and she is very old. I suspect that she is in her 80s or 90s. I do not know too much about her except that she has had a very rough life. But in spite of all of her hardships she is still the sweetest and most friendly woman ever! When she is on the porch I am always sure to stop by. Generally our conversation is as follows-

"Good morning Miss Lowen."

"Good morning darling/dou dou" (Dou dou is Patois for darling. Slightly ironic because it is pronounced do-do).

"How are you?"

"I am there,  not too bad. How are you?"

"I am good. Thanks."

"Are you on your way to work?"

"Yep, I am on my way."

"Okay, have a nice day."

"Thanks. You too! Take care."

A then I continue walking. It is sort of funny that I can write down our exact conversation, but I have had it so may times that I will never forget it. I continue walking. Greeting people with "Good Mornings." In the beginning it was pretty awkward but now everyone expects me to be super cheery and friendly so they all respond. I am not sure that the people in the Village know it, but having them respond to a simple "Good Morning" really makes my day. I have never felt like such a member of a community or surrounded by so many friendly faces. Some days I cannot help but think of how much I will miss Choiseul when I move back home. In bigger cities in St. Lucia such as Vieux Fort and Castries, they no longer greet each other. Obviously friends greet each other but in Choiseul it is considered good manners to greet everyone, especially strangers. I think it is part of the reason I feel so comfortable here. The longer I have been greeting random people, the more those random people have become my friends. Once I get past most of the big groups of people I walk by Kirk's house and fruit selling stand. On this particular day I stop to chat with Kirk. He gives me a banana to take with me and he talks about how life is rough. It is not tourist season so there are not many people to buy his fruit. Luckily he has started selling bananas and he thinks it will be able to hold him over until it is tourist season again. Usually he makes a joke or says something ridiculous so I walk away laughing or smiling. I greet more random people walking down the street then head up towards the Choiseul Police Station. I keep walking past the station to the bridge across the river. This is the spot where I sit and wait to hitch a ride up to the Education Office. In reality the office is only about a 15 minute walk from the bridge. I have accomplished the walk before but it involves a particularly lengthy hill and by the time I reach the top I am soo sweaty that I need a shower. These days I just wait at the bridge for a ride. I could take a bus the short distance but it would cost $1.50 EC (Approximately .60 cents US) but I cannot justify spending that much every day! So I stick out my hand with my finger pointing up the road and generally within 2 or 3 minutes I have a ride to work. Pretty sweet huh?

9:00 AM (more like 9:15 AM) - I get to work and say "Good morning" to everyone. I sit down at my desk near the office entrance. The wall was very boring at first but I have started decorating it with some family pictures and a few drawings from different kids. I get my lap-top plugged in and running and check to see if the internet is working. Generally the internet is out but if it is up I am quick to check my e-mail before it goes down. I pull out my notebook and check to see what I have to do for the day. I also consult my desk calendar to see if I have any meetings. I spend the morning working on random work and hanging out in the office.

12:30 PM - LUNCH TIME!!! I am always excited for lunch because I love to eat! I have a hard time figuring out what to bring. There is a restaurant down the street that a lot of the people in our office order food from. The menu usually consists of a "Chicken Meal." If I decide to splurge, I order a small Chicken Meal. $7 EC (or about $3 USD) It is DELICIOUS!! It consists of one piece of chicken, macaroni and cheese, salad, mixed veggies, dasheen, breadfruit, plantain and rice. YUM!! Unfortunately I do not splurge very often so usually I bring something from home. Today I have a hard-boiled egg, a turkey sandwich, and some leftover rice from last nights dinner. We all eat lunch together in the table next to the office kitchen. It is a time for gossiping and socializing. It is a great bonding time and everyone always shares their food so if you forget your lunch do not worry. I am usually offered different types of food and someone in always willing to share their juice. Sometimes I feel guilty because i never really bring extra food to share but I think everyone understands that I do not make much money.

1:30 PM - After lunch I usually have meetings or some other business to attend to. If there are no meetings for the afternoon then I usually leave the office around 3 or 3:30. 

?:?? PM - Whenever I leave... I walk home from the office. It usually takes about 30 minutes to get from the office to my house. I walk through the Village and greet most of the same people. If Miss Lowen is around, I stop to tell her I am heading home. I walk again past Felicia's shop, and by Mr. Sigh's house. Then I finally make it home. By the time I get to my house I am usually a sweat mess so I throw on a set of shorts and t-shirt.

5:00 PM - I am home from whatever I have been up to for the day. During the day I have most likely been planning what I will make for dinner so I am drooling for it by the time I get home. Usually there are a few kids from the neighborhood over at my house. You never know who will show up. The older kids come over to use my internet connection. Sometimes they use my computer or they bring their own and plug in to my modem. The younger kids come to watch the older kids or to play. Sometimes they color or play games with my soccer ball on the porch. we hang out for awhile. when they come over I always seem to realize how messy my living room is so I hurry to clean everything up and wash my dishes. After they have stayed for about an hour I realize that I need to start cooking my dinner.

6:45 PM - The sun sets (sometimes I am able to sit outside and enjoy it. In case you have not seen the view from my porch, watching the Sunset is witnessing the hands of God. It is soo beautiful that i will never get sick of it). Then it rapidly gets dark so I send all of the kids home before it is pitch black. Then I am able to finish my dinner, watch a little TV or read a book. I usually go to bed around 8 or 9 in order to get up at 6:15 AM the next morning.

That is just a typical day in my life but you never know what could happen to change it. After re-reading this little piece, something stood out to be. I do have programs and tasks I am working on and I pray that they will be successful, but they are not the things that I think of day-to-day. A little success with Girl Guides might make my day once but all of the amazing people I have met make everyday special. Mr. Sigh, Felicia, Miss Lowen and Kirk are just a few of the characters that make my days great and my time in St. Lucia truly special. They will probably never know how much they can brighten my day and I only hope that I have that affect on one person while I am here. 

Still in St. Lucia

Hello Everyone!!

So I feel guilty that I have not updated my blog. I know a few of you hang off of my every word and I am sure you are going through shaky withdrawals because I have beeen neglecting you for so long! JUST JOKING! But seriously, I just wanted to let everyone know that I am still here and I am doing well. It is hard to update the blog with new experiences when I am finally comfortable enough here that I do not have many new experiences. Things are starting to become regular and therefore un-newsworthy.

Ok.. scratch that last part. I cannot believe I have not written in my blog since Sarah came to visit back in March! It has been awhile! It was great having Sarah here. She brought me treats from home and it was comforting to have the familiar with me in the flesh. We had a great time and I think she would support me when I say that she fell in love with St. Lucia. The two weeks she was here were jam packed with adventure. I am going to set up her trip as a list because we did sooo much! I might have to refer to our photos to remember everything--
Her first night we went to a club in Gros Islet
Second day we went to Klu's Chicken and a beach party in Laborie
We had a sunset picnic at the beach
Suntanning at many different beaches
The Dennery zip line through the rainforest
Gros Islet Street Fair (twice)
Anse-La-Raye Fish Fry
Sulphur Springs (during the day and at night)
Piton Falls (at night, much more exciting than during the day)
A hike across the rainforest and then an even longer hike to a waterfall afterwards
Many trips to "Pizza Hut" (Same name, but not what you are thinking)
An AMAZING dinner at Debbie's
A few more trips to Klu's (I think there 5 trips in 2 weeks. A new record)
Took a trip to a Kweyol history/museum place (including a local meal)
Went to Balenbouche Estate
Sarah assisted with the Piaye After School Program

PHEW... As you can tell we kept very busy!!

So Sarah's visit was fun and it was a little vacation for me too. Then it was back to work. The school year wraps up on July 3rd so I am trying to plan activities for this summer. I am going to be a co-leader of a Girl Guide Company (read Girl Scout Troop) at a Primary school in Choiseul. We have already had our first meeting and we are having a sleepover tonight! That has been keeping me busy the last few weeks. School has also been interesting because it there are wage disputes between the teachers and the Goverment. The teachers have been on strike for a few days this term and they have said that if they do not get paid their full wages on May 26th then they will strike again until they get paid. The strike is not only for teachers but for all civil servants so it could really slow down the country. We will have to wait until next week. This summer, besides my family visiting for 2 weeks (!!!!!!!!!!), I am planning a few different activities. I will be helping out the National Council of/for Persons with Disabilities with a summer camp for disabled children. A few days ago I started brainstorming ideas to start a Children's Reading program at the Choiseul Library. It is in very early stages (I have yet to meet with the Librarian) but I am really excited about the idea!!

Anyway, I hope it is evident through this post that I am thoroughly enjoying my time in St. Lucia. Every once in awhile I have to take a step back and pinch myself. I have been living here for 9 months!!! I love St. Lucia, especially Choiseul, and I am at a very happy place in my life. (There are always ups and downs but more positive than negative) I hope everyone is doing well at home. Congratulations to all of the new graduates and I hope everyone enjoys the warm weather I have been experiencing since last year! I love you all!!
Kelli


P.S. This post might seem like I am sickeningly happy. I will attribute that to the Nuggets winning last night's game. The series is tied 1-1 and they are coming back to Denver!!!! Get 'em!!!

My Peace Corps Top Ten

The Top Ten signs you are a Peace Corps Volunteer, in the Eastern Caribbean, EC 78, Currently living in Choiseul, St. Lucia....

10. Suddenly showering has become less of a priority and your hair does not get washed more than a few times a week. You consider a warm bucket bath more fulfilling than a cold shower.

9. Popcorn, Oatmeal, and water are three of your main food groups.

8. You randomly run into your Priest in your office and he kindly reminds you that he has not seen you for awhile.

7. At least once a day you are told you are beautiful. This is flattering at first until it happens when you have been sweating for an hour and your are wearing shorts and a t-shirt. You suddenly realize that everyone just says that and it has nothing to do with you. But you are still flattered every time you hear it. Or you are told... "I like to see you."

6. Even though your dog has passed away, your veterinarian gives you rides in order to hit on you. He says that if you move in with him (and his 2 daughters who are almost your age) then he will "take care of you."

5. You receive odd text messages from random men you have met. More than once I have received, "I love you" from people that I hardly know. There was also the text message about someone wetting their pants...but I won't get into that one."

4. You get to work everyday by hitching rides with strangers. It saves you $1.50 EC (The bus fare) and it is surprisingly reliable form of transportation.

3. Running and reading are daily activities, as well as illegally watching movies on the internet.

2. You wake up every morning to a view of the Caribbean Sea and Gros Piton and every night you can watch the sunset over the water and shower while looking out the window at Gros Piton.

1. You are frequently awakened by your cell phone alarm randomly going off in the middle of the night. Even though you set it for 6:30AM. If the cell phone does not wake you up it is the goats/sheep dry heaving/puking outside of your window. (This has happened at least 6 times in the past few weeks.)

One Small Risk

On this Friday afternoon I decided that my earlier post was far too upsetting. I have a tendency to tell all of my funny and entertaining stories to the people I speak with everyday and only the sad upsetting stories stay in my head. With that new revelation in mind I am going to write a quick post about a my past Saturday Night. I made a conscious effort on Saturday to avoid using electronics. (I had to use my cell phone because I was meeting a few volunteers to go to the beach) So, it is not completely possible to avoid technology but I stayed away from the internet and my cable television all day! I considered this a huge accomplishment. I woke up in the morning and had a nice cup of tea and oatmeal for breakfast. I cleaned my house because two volunteers were coming over to o to the beach near my house. I got ready for them to arrive (read- threw on my swim suit and a little sunscreen on my face) and sat in front of my fan reading until they arrived. The night before a began reading "A Plain Life." It is about a quaker man and a pilgrimage he took while discussing life lessons. It was a great book. Anyway, I read as much of the book as I could until my friends arrived. I also made some popcorn in the meantime so that we could have a snack at the beach. Once Jess and Eric arrived we walked the 5 minutes to the beach near my house. The spelling is questionable but it is pronounced Sab-wee-sha. That is how I spell it but I have also seen it Sabwisha, and a few other ways. Anyway, we had a lime at the beach for a few hours. We ate our popcorn, sun bathed, and bathed in the Caribbean sea. Eric and Jess had plans so they needed to get home by 2. We were fortunate that my friend, Jerry, happened to be driving by at the exact moment that we were beginning the trek home. The walk is only about 10 minutes, but it is up two steep hills and after the thrashing we took from the waves it would have been difficult. Jerry, always helping me out, drove us up to my driveway. My friends left and I continued to read for a few more hours. I was close to finishing my book but I desperately needed groceries. I walked into the village saying "Good afternoon" to mostly friends but also a few strangers. I walked down the main street to Kirk's fruit stand. Kirk is one of my best friends in the village. Although he is always in my business, as the "white lady" in town I have come to expect people asking me super personal questions without really knowing me. Anyway, him and I hang out at his fruit stand and share jokes and laughter. He is also a good source of gossip for what is happening in the village since he is sitting at his shop everyday! After I hung out with him for 10 or 20 minutes I went into the little grocery store next door. When I say little, I mean little! It is about the size of a gas station rest stop except there is no restaurant attached. There are 2 mains shop like this one in Choiseul Village and they explain why I generally shop for my groceries in Vieux Fort. Anyway, I by my groceries and head home. It is about 5:30 PM and the sun is beginning to set over the ocean. On my way home I run into my friend, Nico who is repainting the sign advertising his bar, "Headquarters." The bar shares its name with the main Peace Corps office so you can imagine how I play on the words when I am bored. 

My fellow volunteer Mary-Ellen calls-- "Hey Kelli, what are you doing?"

Me--"Oh nothing, just grabbing a beer at Headquarters."

Mary-Ellen-- "You are in Castries?"

Me-- "No, the bar by my house."

Anyway, that little dialogue was much more entertaining in my head. Back to my story...Nico invited me to a party at Headquarters (hahah, get it?) later that night. Up to Saturday night, when I would go out at night in Choiseul I would always have a fellow whitey (read that as Peace Corps Volunteer) by my side so I did not feel so awkward. Being that none of my friends were in town I was nervous to go to the party. I went home, had a glass of wine, watched the sunset, finished my book and decided that without internet or television, I could either go to bed, or go out and take a small risk. I got dressed and went down to Headquarters. (I know that time it at least made you smile) Upon arrival I did not know anyone. If you want to quiet a party in St. Lucia, throw a random white girl into a small family party in Choiseul! I went to the bar and luckily Nico's mom recognized me and found Nico for me. Another interesting Saint Lucian cultural gem, since I came to bar and met up with Nico, everyone at the party assumed we were dating. They probably still assume that but if that is the case then they probably think I am dating half of the men in Choiseul. I hung out with Nico for awhile only to be told a few hours later that the party was the continuation of a wake held for Nico's deceased grandmother. I did not realize that I was crashing a funeral party but it was still fun. I got to know a few of my neighbors and I even saw a few people that already knew. By the end of the night I had 4 Pitons, a dozen great conversations, a few new friends and a few days later one of my neighbors sent me 15 sweet potatoes from her garden. I am still deciding what to do with them. Anyway, the moral of the story is, I put in a little effort to put myself out there and I had a great time. It was truly another day in Paradise! Although a lot of my blogs talk about big events, it is the day to day happenings that are leading me to fall in love with Choiseul. 

A quick little note. Recently I have been in to spirituality and self-help types of books. "A Plain Life" was a great book. My mom is sending me a copy of "The Shack." If anyone has any suggestions of other books like this please let me know!

Sending love from St. Lucia!!!

January 30th, 2009

Although it has been less than a month since my last entry I have some sad news. On Friday, January 9th my little pup decided to escape from my porch and play around in the street. He was struck by a car and what I saw from the aftermath leads me to assume that he died on impact so he did not suffer very much pain. My friends and family were there for support and I am amazed at how much I loved the little guy after only knowing him for a month and a half. Since it has been a few weeks, I am doing much better but I still miss him all the time. He was so cute and such a ball of energy. I do not think he can ever be replaced. St. Lucian's have an interesting view of dogs as nothing more than pets. Once the kids in my neighborhood found out about PJ they all asked when I was going to get another one. They think I should just replace him with a new puppy and get over it. For the next year at least I will not be getting another puppy. I will re-revaluate in a year or so but I do not think I can handle another one right now, and I don't want to try to replace little PJ. Anyway, on the happier topics.

I am trying to get into work now. While spending a lot of time in the Education Office I also spend my time doing crafts at a beautiful estate named Balenbouche. It was an old plantation, maintained for a few hundred years, it is breathtaking. I go every Tuesday to do crafts with a group of people who are from the National Council of/for Persons with Disabilities. I am also working with a nearby volunteer, Jessica, assisting with an after school program that she set up. She was able to secure a $10,000 grant to run the program!! I feel honored to help out with her project, not to mention, the children in the program are adorable. They are in 4th and 5th grade and even though they are loud and rowdy, they are all good, sweet kids. I say that because I work with them twice a week but if I was their teacher everyday I might be singing a different tune!! On Friday afternoons I assist with football training for the boys near my house. Then during the weekdays I attend meetings and I am involved with the Education Office. I do not have any concrete activities yet but hopefully soon I will start some of my own. I am hoping to begin working with the Primary Schools to start some after school programs such as Environmental Club, Health and Wellness Club, and Sports Clubs. The Girl Guides/Boy Scouts movement is beginning but it is a very slow process so hopefully by this time next year I can say that all of the school have these groups.

There have been fun activities off and on. Currently I am excited for a party tonight at my office for a few birthdays. I will spend all of tomorrow cleaning my house because on Sunday I am hosting a Super Bowl Party. We are getting ribs!!! This is a huge deal since I have not had meat (besides chicken) for about 5 months. So I am very excited! Anyway, I have a things to get done at work so I will write soon, hopefully with happy news. I hope everyone is doing well. I miss and love you all!!!

Kelli

Some Holiday Photos

Happy 2009!!

AAAAHHHH!!! I cannot believe that it is already 2009. That means that in a year I will be coming home! (actually I return home in October 2010 but if one was only looking at the year then it would seem much faster) The holiday season has come and passed. Thankfully I survived, although there was a lot of homesickness in December I survived, thanks largely in part to my friends on the island and to my adorable pup, PJ. His fully name is PJ Sparkles and he is the love of my life! It was very difficult to raise him at first but things are slowly getting better. I spend more time at home in order to be with him and I can not spend nights away from home. Did I mention how adorable he is?? I do not really notice his growth since I am with him all the time but after looking at pictures from when I first got him I have realized the he is getting huge! Although he is difficult to train he is very smart. (I know everyone says that about their pets, and their children, but it is true) I have finally taught him to quit biting my toes but he still tries to chew on my fingers. He has taught me that dogs, like children, are best tog et when they are babies because they are soo cute you cannot get mad at them. Then, by the time they are old, you are already so in love with them that you put up with their craziness. That is just a little theory I have been working on but I definitely think it rings true. Anyway, he is a HUGE responsibility but I love him and I am very happy I made the decision to become a dog owner. 

   So the holidays in St. Lucia...Thanksgiving was delicious!! My favorite part was eating the fudge that Margo's sister brought. Margo is the Peace Corps director for the Eastern Caribbean. The food was amazing and it was shared with great company. The month of December was slow because it was more of a family style month in Choiseul. There was not much work to be done so I spent my time hanging out with friends and playing with PJ. On December 23rd we were all invited to a lunch at the house of the Peace Corps Warden, Bill Jackson. I am still unclear what a "Peace Corps Warden" does but he and his wife were incredibly nice to host us for a Christmas meal. The food was amazing!!! I ate 3 plates full or turkey, ham, stuffing and other scrumptious side dishes. Then on Christmas eve I went to midnight mass. It was supposed to begin at 11 PM. I arrived at 11:20 and mass finally began at 11:45. The service was nice but because of the heavy rain it was pretty empty. I still felt like I fulfilled my Catholic obligations by attending and it was a nice way to end 2008. On Christmas Day I spoke with my family over the internet and visited with a few of my friends from Choiseul. It was very laid back and I really missed home but surviving Christmas has made me stronger. 

New Years Eve was much different than Christmas. My friends Hallie and Jason, fellow Peace Corps volunteers, came to my house so we could celebrate together. Hallie did not feel well so Jason adn I went to the village to celebrate. We participated in a St. Lucian tradition known as a Jou ouve` (which is the Patois name for dawn or daybreak). Basically, you stay up until the sun rises. Jason and I had our fair share of Pitons (the beer brewed in St. Lucia) and we had a great time among my friends from Choiseul. It was surprising how many people I knew and it was nice to feel surrounded by friends to welcome in the New Year. Today is my first day back at work. I am excited to get back to work and I cannot wait to see what 2009 has in store! A few other highlights from break.... Visiting a few secluded beaches with the other volunteers. A hike across the rainforest from one side of the island to the other and back again. And attending an event at the field near my house called, "Square." On the last week of school in December I also went with a group of teachers from my school to climb Gros Piton which is a huge mountain in St. Lucia. The aforementioned beer is named after this mountain and Petit Piton the other in the mountain range. I have been keeping busy but still enjoying myself. I hope that everyone had a great holiday season and they are optimistic for 2009. I love and miss you all!!!

Kelli