A Break Through...

Today I did my weekly therapy/empowerment work with the Women. Today, like most Wednesdays what very well! I just truly love what I am doing there and I know the women can tell and so can I! After the group sessions, I meet with the women individual.

Today, one of the ladies and I were chatting, she is a very strong-willed individual that likes to stick to her ways, but I can tell her wheels are starting to turn in another direction! Anyways.. so she was speaking about how she was getting vexed during the day and was ready to explode. Then she thought, she thought about all of the items that we had discussed one on one, or have discussed in a group, and she changed her thinking. It click and she did not do the action but rather took a minute!!

WHOO-RAH!! Because you may not understand the full situation or may not realize how big this is but she CHANGED Her Thinking! It clicked and she allowed it to click and CHANGED!! It is AMAZING! I made sure to praise her for this development and how big this is!

Success for now!!!

Carnival 2010

This Saturday was the opening Parade for Carnival in Roseau! The actually dates for Carnival is Feb. 15-16 (Monday and Tuesday)! I will actually be off island for the event visiting my parents so I am trying to do as much 'Pre-Carnival" activities as possible.

It was an AMAZING parade filled with color, music, dancing, etc! Moments like these one can truly feel the vibe and amazing energy Dominica has! During the Parade there was numerous floats of local business, organizations, the Princess and Queens who are competing this year.

The history of Carnival dates back to when the Slave gained their Independence. Carnival always take place the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday! It is a time for individuals to 'Free Up' themselves, dress in costumes, dance in the streets from sun up to sun down and simply enjoy themselves!

Click HERE to see More Pictures!

Hugs!

Now Hugs are usually this amazing sense of joy and love. But the other day, hugs did not offer the same source of joy.

As I have mentioned numerous times when I go to the after school program, I get over taken by hugs and the other day... I was literally 'over taken by the hugs!' Sit back and enjoy the fun little story!

So as I was getting ready to leave I was in the court yard saying good bye to the students. They did not want me to leave/wanted to give me one last hug before I left. When one student gives me a hug all of the others join suit. This time as they were three deep giving me a hug... they started to push... I started to loss by balance.. and before I could say "STOP I am falling!" I had fallin and now I have a nice 'raspberry' on my knee.

Usually it is a joyous experience but this time it ended in a strapped knee and a little blood! :o)

- Please feel to laugh and smile it is humorous, only ME would get a fall getting a hug! -

Things I Love!

1. Austin’s Smile, him waving to me even as he is melting down, and his wonder and awe of the world around him
2. My Mom, Jennifer (Sister), and Calendars. You are wondering how all three are related well, my sister made me a Calendar with pictures of the family, Austin, etc and my mom gave me an agenda I can carry around with me. One of the many amazing things about the both of them is their attention to detail. As I was looking through the Calendar from Jennifer, I started noticing not only American Holidays but also Dominican Holidays. It almost made me cry (In a good way) and warmed my heart to see how she took the time to look up the Holidays put them on the Calendar and that she recognized how I am living in both worlds (kind of). Then my mother. I was sitting with a friend and he was telling me about things to do in Barbados and I was flipping through my Calendar and saw my Mother had wrote little messages on random days throughout the agenda. I cannot want for the time to come again when I see those messages, and I have a feeling I will need a little smile when the weeks come!
3. The little boy at the pizza place today that was simple striving for attention. I opened up a gateway for him by simply saying hello and before I knew it he was holding my hand and as I walked away he was like “Look Me!”
4. Having a filled house! I had some of the PCVs stay at my house; it is amazing to not be a lone!
5. Having the after school programme back in swing after the Holidays
6. Items falling into place for the volleyball tournament I am co-planning
7. The ability for me to see how I am gaining more patience, a stronger back bone, and a different character
8. Danny Cox’s CD
9. My Host Mom!
10. The Sunset, the stars, and every moment in between!
11. My Flip-flops
12. Finding PRETZEL!! My Withdrawals have been taken care of !
13. Less then a Month until the Family is re-united!
14. The women in my Therapy Group! They spark a fire of passion in me similar to the ladies I use to work with in the States. It is like I am alive again!

Tragedy

Tragedy is NEVER easy. News reports, pictures, stories on the internet ALL pull on the strings of the heart. The pictures may bring tears to your eyes, make you look away, or move you into action. I find tragedy is easier when an individual is removed from the situation. It is easier when one is not directly related, does not know anyone facing the hardship, or never been to the country it has affected. But still, even with those above facts, the news has the amazing ability to touch ones heart with pictures, stories, and interviews.

There was a massive (which is an understatement) tragedy in the Caribbean this week. One would have to be living without internet, television, or news reports to have not heard about it. I am speaking about the Earthquake in Haiti.

I first want to Thank everyone who has been concerned for my safety, I do want let you ALL know that I/Dominica is physically safe, but emotional, well that is a different story. I also want to inform all of you; it is a common miss-understanding of Dominica (which is where I live) and the Dominican Republic which shares a boundary with Haiti. Yes, Dominica is remotely close to Haiti but not as close as the Dominican Republic. See the map for a visual understand! It is VERY common for people to get the two mix-up and sometimes packages end in the Dominican Republic instead of Dominica.

Back to my Dominica and the Tragedy, there is a large Haitian population of immigrants in Dominica. The tragedy has touched home for many individuals in my community as they are unsure of the safety, well-being, or life of many of their family, friends, or country in general. The Tragedy has touched home for me as some of my students are Haitian and I know they are not aware of how their family is doing, a traveling priest on the island has lost family members and has not heard from some of his family members. Haiti is a poor country and may never rebuild after the earthquake as wiped out their country. For a long while, there will be individuals tirelessly looking for individual, medically assisting individual, passing out basic needs, and doing what they need to do get the people of Haiti back on their feet.

It is amazing and warms my heart to hear all of the Aid Haiti is getting, how the country has come together for a common good but this also saddens me because why does it have to take such a tragedy for the World to come together. [Stepping onto soapbox] The world should be able to come together for the common good when tragedy does not hit but lets be honest, tragedy hits every day, yes not to the exact of Haiti but there is hardship, struggles, and people dying because they do not have the basic need EVERY DAY! I am talking all throughout the world and in the United States of America. But you do not always see people coming together for that! Next time you pass someone on the street and they look hungry or thirsty and you have extra to give, then GIVE. Don’t think just GIVE! I am not suggestion money, but food! I am a woman that should take her own words of wisdom. [Stepping off her soap box]

In six months or a year or after that, let us NOT forget Haiti, they will still need assistance, people volunteering, and prayers.

Language Fun!

Well I have been meaning to do this for awhile but never got around to it to be honest. But today I am in the mood. In Dominica, the individuals speak English and also Creole. Creole is best described as a slang French. To be honest, I can say a few little things in Creole but to have a simple conversation I cannot do. It sad to say but the language is slowing not being passed onto the next generation. On the positive side, there are a number of village who speak A LOT of Creole, I would say that is the Number One Language the villagers will speak.

But even though everyone is speaking English, there are some words that are used a little differently then you may use them in Michigan! Laugh a little with me and enjoy the translation!

OK- Used for ANYTHING! Saying Hello, Acknowledging you hear someone but do not want to talk to them, a response use to answer “How are you”. I would say I say ‘OK’ about 20 times a day if I am in town!

Liming- Hanging out usually enjoying a drink

Jump Up- An outdoor concert that will go on until 4 or 5 the NEXT MORNING!

Free-Up- Similar to a lime but a little more intense. Usually music is involved but not as intense as a Jump Up.

To Free-Up or Relax Yourself- Very similar to a Lime. Just hanging out, enjoying people’s company. Taking your mind off stressors and just enjoying your self

Check your scene- You are at a Lime or a Jump Up and you are just seeing who is around what is going on.

Check yourself- You are getting out of line, making a scene, etc. Making a fool of yourself.

Noise or Making Noise- Getting into an argument with another individual.
Passin Me Straight- You sees someone in town, in the village, on the block and you do not greet them. In Dominican people are ALWAYS making a general greeting, you walk onto the bus you say a general Good Day, you go to the Shoppe you say something, so to not say something is extremely rude.

The Block- A gathering place in a village where there usually is a Rum Shoppe close by and a hand full of people

Top- Up- Putting more money on your phone

Ivy- Cool- Used very simple as OK! Can be used as a question or statement

You Understand- Don’t take it personally; the individual is just making sure we are all on the same page

You Ok, You Safe, You Ivy- All common ways someone may greet you

I Blessed, Everything Blessed- Common ways to answer the question of “You Ok!”

What is the scene?- What is going on tonight, what are you up to?

Come awhile- Come here now

Awhile- Any amount of time from at the exact moment to an hour from now

I there- Common way to answer, How are you?

True- Used ALL the time to show agreement and at the end of statements to make it a question

Nah- Used at the end of a sentence to make the sentence negative. Explain: ‘I am going on the block, Nah’ Translated- I am not going to the block

Slippers- Flip-Flops, rarely worn outside but worn in the home and at the workplace

Pear- An American Avocado

Cute Story!

Cute story of the week! On Thursday I went to my after-school program for the first time since Christmas. When I got there naturally I was greeted with hugs, hugs, and more hugs! Then one of the little ones dark brown eyes meet my eyes and he says, “Miss I have missed you!” It broke and warmed my heart at the same time. It was so simple and so genuine.