MANGROVES ON THE INDIAN RIVER

A FIELD TRIP WITH CALLS

CALLS is a training centre for youth at risk. It is a two year program giving them a lot of remedial academics, life skills, work experience and some training in agriculture and woodwork. There are about 35 students ages 15 to 20. I teach there one day a week.

Mrs. A, the teacher in charge of Crafts training, is leading the group on a field trip to the Carib model village, which is on the other side of the Island, some 40 or so miles away, and invited me to go with them. We were to leave at 8: 30AM on two buses. After much milling about on the street, much shuffling between buses, much shouting and calling we are all finally on the bus. The driver jumps of his bus out and runs across the street to get something from the store. The youngsters take this as a sign to also make a break for it. Have you seen those dog movies where someone opens the door in the pound and all the dogs come barreling out full speed?

9:15 and we are again all rounded up and on the bus; all 20 of us on a van meant to seat 14 people. It is rolling, and we are saying our prayers for a safe journey. The bus is bursting with a cacophony of Spanish, Dominican, Patois, and Mrs. A exhorting the students to behave, accompanied by the bus radio, several MP3 players, and boys hanging out the windows hailing their friends as we pass through Portsmouth. It is already 28 degrees C.

OK, off we go. I am in the seat directly behind the driver so I can't see out the window. My seat partner is a heavy young lady. The radio speaker is right beside me. Someone passes a flash drive up to the bus driver who plugges it into his system and BOOM! Throbbing rap music is passing through the speakers directly into my heart. As in this genre, the thumping bass predominates. It pounds in my heart forcing it to keep time and jars it from its comfortable seat in my chest. Meanwhile we are careening up and down mountain roads and around hairpin curves at top speed,

We rush through lush, verdant dark green valleys, past banana plantations, and through colourful hamlets. Magnificent ocean views suddenly appear around every S curve. The mountains rise around me, dramatic, powerful, and alive. By now we are on the Atlantic side so we see rolling surf and rocky shores. We stop to pick up several students along the way who are boisterously greeted. Once, we stopped to buy bread at a bakery, which Mrs. A refused to dole out in spite of the piteous pleading from the boys at the back of the bus.

I won’t even try to describe the hour spent at the Carib Village, except to say that not one of the students there was even pretending to be interested. They were way too busy taking posed photos with their cell phone cameras, running up and down the paths, listening to their MP3 players, and exchanging epithets with each other. From the Village we went to a roadside stand and everyone bought ‘jellies’ and coconuts to eat and drink. Jellies are young coconuts, the white insides are not hard, but jelly like. Mrs. A allowed the bread to be distributed. More rounding up of students…more noise…more chaos…off to another Carib site accompanied by even less interest than previously. Back on the bus, and we are on our way back to Portsmouth. But…the bus stops, the boys jump out and run up an alley and disappear. I ask the girl next to me why we have stopped. She blandly replies, “I don’t know.” Mrs. A in the front seat seems unconcerned. The boys return and jump on the bus. We pass a soccer field. The boys get the bus to stop and out they pile. Mrs. A announces that she will allow them ½ an hour. The girl beside me begins to whine, “I want to go home.” After a time the boys drift back, but we have lost the driver. He reappears, and we go again. Are we really going to go non-stop this time? No. We drive up a short mountain road and stop at a gorgeous sprawling building. I realize that this is the high school that many of the students had gone to. They get out of the bus. I am just too exhausted and hot to move off the bus.

I can see the buildings from where we are parked. The school is set high on a bluff overlooking the Atlantic and is a beautiful grouping of covered passageways, small structures, and gardens. It looks like a resort. This is North East Comprehensive Secondary School. I am impressed.

That’s the last stop. Most of us fall asleep for the rest of the trip home. We are back in Portsmouth by 3PM.

Carnival 2010

Carnival started last night, Saturday, February 14, and will go until midnight Tuesday, (Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, depending where you are). Here in Dominica we do not have the big, splashy Carnival shows and parades. To be sure, there is a parade in Roseau, and we do ‘jump up’. I have now experienced 3 Carnivals, and that’s plenty. Unfortunately, the Dominican Carnival of today is a big, sodden, loud , often violent, drunk. I stay home.


Carnival, sometimes called ‘Mas: An abbreviated form of Masquerade, the French and Creole term for Carnival. Used as in the phrases: "Couwi Mas", "Run Mas", "Jouway Mas", and "Play Mas".


These are common costumes and still used in parades around Dominica. Masks, however, are banned, for obvious reasons.

SENSAY

Sensay Costume: A costume of West African origin worn at Carnival time in Dominica. It is made of frayed rope and other fibrous material such as pounded leaves of the agave, 'langue beff' (Furcraea tuberosa) that grows mainly on the west coast. The material is tied around the body in layers so that it cascades from the head to the feet. A mask is usually worn on the face and cow horns form the headpiece. Sensay costumes are also made of strips of paper, cloth, frayed plastic sacks and dry banana leaves 'pai fig'. They are similar to costumes used in West African tribal ceremonies. The word comes from the Twi language, senseh, which is a type of fowl with curled or ruffled feathers. The costume is named after its resemblance to the fowl, which also has special spiritual properties among the Twi people.

From http://www.lennoxhonychurch.com/heritage.cfm?Id=212

MOKO JUMBIE

is a derivation of the god "Moko", coming straight out of West African tradition. Moko is a “diviner” in the Congo language. The term "jumbie" or ghost was added by the freed slaves. It was believed that the height of the stilts was associated with the ability to foresee evil faster than ordinary men. The Moko Jumbie was felt to be a protector of the village.
This mas is well-known throughout the Caribbean. It is an authentic African masquerade mounted on sticks. The stilt walker plays on stilts 10 to 12 feet high. His costume consists of a brightly coloured skirt or pants, jacket and elaborate hat. He would dance through the streets all day, and collect money from people on the upper floors and balconies. His dance was similar to a jig, and he was often accompanied by a drum, flute and triangle.

MONTSERRAT

From the Washington Post February 12, 2010
Montserrat volcano shoots plume of ash 9 miles into sky, forces evacuation of village

By: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - A volcano on Montserrat shot ash some nine miles (15 kilometres) into the sky Thursday, one of its most dramatic events since a devastating 1997 eruption that drove away half the Caribbean island's population.

The partial collapse of the dome in the volcano's crater also unleashed flows of hot gas and rocks, triggering sirens for the evacuation of about 20 people from a nearby village.

Paul Cole, director of the Montserrat Volcano Observatory, said it appeared to be the most material ejected by the volcano in about four years. He estimated 10 per cent to 15 per cent of the hardened lava dome had collapsed.

"When we're looking at the lava dome now, there's a large scoop out of it that's missing," Cole said.

The dome has crumbled several times since the volcano became active in 1995, and Cole said it is possible activity will settle down as the dome builds itself up again. He said there is no immediate cause for concern about more dangerous eruptions.

The 1997 eruption killed 19 people and buried much of the island, including its former capital, Plymouth, which is now abandoned. Half the British territory's 12,000 inhabitants left.

for a map go here.

http://www.paradise-islands.org/CaribbeanMapLarge.jpg


Monserrat is a tiny island just east of Dominica. The prevailing winds are westerly, therefore, we, in Dominica are getting a rain of volcanic ash. It is everywhere and accumulating. The usually lush green vegetation is dusted with fine white dust. The sky is hazy. I can feel it on this keyboard as I type. By the time I got home from Portsmouth this morning my mouth and eyes were gritty. I can taste the sulphur. People with breathing problems will have trouble. The fine dust, combined with the usual dust and exhaust emissions can only make things worse.

RETURN

OK-So I'm back

The trip down was 100% uneventful, much to my delighted surprise. No problem at Immigration, no problem at Customs. USA airport security was slow, as predicted, but I had followed the rules about carry-on luggage so I was not held up. My stowed luggage was grossly overweight and I paid dearly for that.

By this week I will have all papers and letters in place and ready to apply for residency. This will NOT be permanent status -you need 5 years as a resident for that - but it will give me the freedom to come and go when I want, and to apply for a work permit should I want to. I expect this to be a huge, slow bureaucratic process, this being Dominica.

I am dragging my feet a little on the land purchase/house building dream. I feel I don't want or need to rush into anything so final and permanent. No, I am not having second thoughts. I just don't feel pushed or rushed as I did earlier. I don't know why. I also believe that in time the right opportunity will reveal itself. What a relief.

The weather has been balmy, cool for here, (i.e. @25 degrees C), very windy).

I have been to CALLS to schedule a teaching day, and went across the street to St.John's School. It was closed for yet another holiday. I'll give them half a day to start.

More later...

It’s been far too long, so much has happened, so much is yet to happen.

In early December, I returned to Brooke Valley for Christmas and New Year, to see friends and family, to put together the needed papers for an application for permanent residency in Dominica, and to collect some items that would make life easier in D/ca. I have everything together now, and I am ready to return to the Caribbean. My intention, as I have said, is to make a life there.

My time back here has helped to answer some questions, clarify some hopes and dreams and confirm some ideas. I know what I will miss. I know who I will miss. I know what I am leaving. I am sure that I am going back to D/ca with no romantic fantasies, but rather with some dreams that are possible to realize, and with much anticipation. I know what the trade-offs are. If, however, this whole venture falls apart, I know what the consequences are, and I am willing to risk it. I believe that the risk is small and absolutely worth it. I also know what the consequences are if I don’t go. Clearly, I cannot live in BV any longer.

I am entering this new life with no regrets. If I don’t go, I will regret it.

January 19, 2010 is my return date and I can hardly bear the wait….

November 3

Wednesday, November 3 2009

This last week has been one of festivals and celebrations. October was Creloe month, and it ended in a gala Creole extravaganza of music, dance, food,traditional dress and patois.

We then slide right into a 3 day celebration of 31 years of independence marked by speeches, speeches, speeches, each preceeded by lengthy, formal protocal laden introductions, followed by school marching bands." (see below for a little history taken from Lennox Honeychurch's excellent book, "The Dominican Story")

The next day was "Community Service Day". This is a national holiday in which everyone is expected to get out and clean up and repair their immediate community. Some communities have organized major projects that are supposed to beautify and improve public streets, roads, alleys, vacant lots, and sidewalks. Materials have been donated by local businesses. Labour is donated by the citizens, schools, town councils and environmental groups. Great idea!

p. 257: "The Independence Constitution took effect on 3 November, 1978, the 485th anniversary of the sighting of Dominica by Christopher Columbus. The Queen of the United Kingdom was represented by her sister, Princess Margaret, at the formal ceremony marking the transfer of the Constitution and the raising of the new flag based on a design by artist Allyn Bully of seven colours upon a forest green background.
Dominica was the only former British territory in the Caribbean to move immediately to full republican status. In an attempt to remove further complications over the similarity of names with the Spanish speaking Dominican Republic, the island assumed the formal nomenclature of The Commonwealth of Dominica."

Dominica Flag Description:
The flag of Dominica consists of a forest green base with three equal sized vertical stripes and three equal horizontal stripes crossing through the middle of it. The stripes go from left to right and from top to bottom. They are yellow, black and red in color. In the middle of the Dominican flag is a red circle with a Sisserou parrot facing the left side (hoist side). Circling the parrot are 10 green five pointed stars with yellow outlines.
Dominica Flag Meaning:
The ten green stars, which are the traditional symbol of hope, represent the ten parishes of Dominica. The Sisserou Parrot is the national bird of Dominica and symbolizes flight towards greater heights and fulfillment of aspirations. The Parrot also comes from the Dominica Coat of Arms, representing the official seal of the country. The Dominican flag's stripes form a cross representing the Trinity of God. The cross itself demonstrates belief in God. An official Dominican announcement also stated: "The yellow stripe represents the sunshine of our land, our main agricultural products: citrus and bananas and also a symbol of the Carib people, the first inhabitants of the Island. The white stripe represents the clarity of our rivers and waterfalls and the purity of aspiration of our people. The black stripe represents the rich black soil of our island on which our agriculture is based and also our African heritage. The general background of dark green symbolizes our rich verdant forests and the general lushness of the island."
Dominica Flag History:
The Dominican flag was adopted on November 3, 1978 when it gained independence from Britain. The Dominican flag was then modified in 1988, when yellow outlines were added to the stars and the white and black stripes changed positions with each other. In 1988 the parrot, which was originally facing to the right, was turned to face the left of the Dominican flag