Finally today I saw some children. Terrific little willing workers. The school has had the building that was blown away in the hurricane of 2004 rebuilt, so there is some more space. There is a nice library now. When the 2 volunteers arrived 3 weeks ago nothing had been unpacked since the hurricane. Yes, books and teaching materials were all still in damp boxes alongside boxes of brand new materials and books. They did the mammoth job of unpacking, sorting, discarding, arranging on the shelves thousands of books. Just a note to those who think they would like to donate school books, library books and teaching materials to "disadvantaged" countries..do your research first. Certainly St. John's School in Dominica does not need anymore school library books. The school is very well stocked with children's lit.
I am going to have a lot to say about the school system here. My present oberservation is that it is about 40 to 50 years behind the time.
Then, this afternoon I went over to C.A.L.L.S. and volunteered one afternoon a week (to start). Right away they set me up with a 15 year old girl from Haiti who speaks no English or French - only Creole - so I will see her for a couple of hours a week and try to teach her some basic English. I'll probably do more there. By the way, her lovely name is Lovely! ESL is becoming an issue, there are several Haitian children in St. John's who don't speak any English and who don't read and write in their own language.
I was astonished when I went into CALLS this afternoon to be recognized by the director and her assistant and welcomed like a family member! Great. This has happened several times and I am always knocked out!
I wish I could get some photos up on this page, but that'll have to wait until I get home.
More later.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Dominica
OK Gang - I give up, so I have to start my blog re D'ca from week 2. Be assured that many adventures were had in the first week .
For example, there is the lost luggage saga. The usual story of having a perfect flight down to Antigua, checking luggage through customs, getting on the airplane to Dominica, a 30 minute plane ride (prop plane) and arriving in Antigua sans luggage. I had put everything on, including my carry-on thinking that it was hot. I was tired and hungry, what could go wrong? I made it to D'ca, but the luggage didn't. I even saw it sitting on the tarmack waiting to get loaded back in Antigua. I soon discovered that it was everyone's luggage, not just mine, that got left behind. It would come the next day. NOT. So then for sure the very next day. Meanwhile the Island had run completely out of petrol, so everyone was reluctant to go the 1 hour trip to the airport. By now I had given up and decided to go shopping and spend my grocery money on necessities when my carry on turned up. The big one it seemed was still on Antigua. Anyway, it too finally arrived.
There was no petrol at all during Carnival, and boy were the rumours about why rife. There was a leak, the Guadalupians were hoarding, D'ca hadn't paid its bill...the Carnival goers were the most upset-and then Portsmouth ran out of bread. But that is all now over. Everyone has a full tank of gas and various buckets (with and without lids) have been filled and I hope stored safely. Bread will be in the stores tomorrow.
I haven't actually taught any children yet, as Carnival is a 3 day holiday and today is a PD day. I have met several, and reacquainted with one or two who remembered me from last time. I've been to the beach instead.
The carnival: I just don't know what to say: it has me stumped. Every second little shop has a mammoth bank of speakers that are turned up to maximum spewing out so called 'calypso' music. The entire town turns out on the street 'jumping' and 'chipping' (a kind of shuffle). For 2 solids days.
My accomodations are excellent. Large, clean, bright; however, I am being eaten by something at night and wake up with little horribly itchy red spots that I have scratched in my sleep and made worse.
Food is plentiful and expensive. People are friendly. Water is drinkable (but I don't). The most glaring thing is the complete lack of environmental awarness. No 3 Rs going on here!
I am also going to give a day to the local agency that trains young people in an upgrading, work skills, life skills program. Just up my alley.
Stay tuned.
For example, there is the lost luggage saga. The usual story of having a perfect flight down to Antigua, checking luggage through customs, getting on the airplane to Dominica, a 30 minute plane ride (prop plane) and arriving in Antigua sans luggage. I had put everything on, including my carry-on thinking that it was hot. I was tired and hungry, what could go wrong? I made it to D'ca, but the luggage didn't. I even saw it sitting on the tarmack waiting to get loaded back in Antigua. I soon discovered that it was everyone's luggage, not just mine, that got left behind. It would come the next day. NOT. So then for sure the very next day. Meanwhile the Island had run completely out of petrol, so everyone was reluctant to go the 1 hour trip to the airport. By now I had given up and decided to go shopping and spend my grocery money on necessities when my carry on turned up. The big one it seemed was still on Antigua. Anyway, it too finally arrived.
There was no petrol at all during Carnival, and boy were the rumours about why rife. There was a leak, the Guadalupians were hoarding, D'ca hadn't paid its bill...the Carnival goers were the most upset-and then Portsmouth ran out of bread. But that is all now over. Everyone has a full tank of gas and various buckets (with and without lids) have been filled and I hope stored safely. Bread will be in the stores tomorrow.
I haven't actually taught any children yet, as Carnival is a 3 day holiday and today is a PD day. I have met several, and reacquainted with one or two who remembered me from last time. I've been to the beach instead.
The carnival: I just don't know what to say: it has me stumped. Every second little shop has a mammoth bank of speakers that are turned up to maximum spewing out so called 'calypso' music. The entire town turns out on the street 'jumping' and 'chipping' (a kind of shuffle). For 2 solids days.
My accomodations are excellent. Large, clean, bright; however, I am being eaten by something at night and wake up with little horribly itchy red spots that I have scratched in my sleep and made worse.
Food is plentiful and expensive. People are friendly. Water is drinkable (but I don't). The most glaring thing is the complete lack of environmental awarness. No 3 Rs going on here!
I am also going to give a day to the local agency that trains young people in an upgrading, work skills, life skills program. Just up my alley.
Stay tuned.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
The Sinns’ Post Christmas Post - as told by Alfie!
Hello
My name is Alfie. I am a West Highland Terrier. I came to live with the Sinns’ in September. At first I was lonely for all my brothers and sisters, but soon I saw that there was as much noise and hubbub and coming and going here as in the kennel where I was born .
One of the sources of activity is Samantha, after all she is 18. She is still trying to drag herself through high school but it seems to be a struggle. She’ll do it, but it will be on her timetable, not anybody else’s. Sam is living at ‘The Little House” which is a 2 room cottage just a short trot up the path.
Marian was just saying the other day how much she loved the studio she shared with her printmaking friend over the summer. That must have closed because she is doing her cards and artwork at home (again). Although, it seems to me that not too much of that has been going on lately as she is not at home a whole lot. She did make 200 greeting cards for the Christmas season to sell at craft fairs and galleries. That was fun! Scraps and bits of paper all over the place. Now she is knitting. Equally as much fun and mischief as I get her yarn all muddled up. I hear her talking about returning to Dominica mid February to mid March to do volunteer teaching at the school in Portsmouth.
Hans is a great guy. He calls me ALL-FEE! He is at his computer all day every day, but when he has to shovel snow or bring in the wood, he always calls me to help. I am happy to do this. Right now he is working on the conference taking place in Ottawa early February on “Women and Peace”. He is pleased with the way the project to professionalise peace work is progressing. I have heard him lament from time to time that his plan to bring basic literacy to Afghani women via the radio is not picking up steam. Even I have to wonder why. Seems like a no-brainer to me!
When we go to visit Anthony, Neary, Cecilia and Carolyn, and their little doggie, a mini-Dachund they call Pluto, I to go too and harass Pluto. They are all doing very well. Neary was in Cambodia for a few weeks with her parents for a wedding which she arranged, and which went off splendidly.
Nick came home for 10 days over Christmas. I overheard several conversations about his situation in Abbotsford B.C. with his landscape work, and making a life for himself there. He loves his work, he is happy to be the foreman and have his crew to develop. He spent a lot of good time with Samantha.
You can look for Samantha and Marian on Facebook. You can find Hans at civilianpeaceservice.com or hans1nn@xplornet.com
My name is Alfie. I am a West Highland Terrier. I came to live with the Sinns’ in September. At first I was lonely for all my brothers and sisters, but soon I saw that there was as much noise and hubbub and coming and going here as in the kennel where I was born .
One of the sources of activity is Samantha, after all she is 18. She is still trying to drag herself through high school but it seems to be a struggle. She’ll do it, but it will be on her timetable, not anybody else’s. Sam is living at ‘The Little House” which is a 2 room cottage just a short trot up the path.
Marian was just saying the other day how much she loved the studio she shared with her printmaking friend over the summer. That must have closed because she is doing her cards and artwork at home (again). Although, it seems to me that not too much of that has been going on lately as she is not at home a whole lot. She did make 200 greeting cards for the Christmas season to sell at craft fairs and galleries. That was fun! Scraps and bits of paper all over the place. Now she is knitting. Equally as much fun and mischief as I get her yarn all muddled up. I hear her talking about returning to Dominica mid February to mid March to do volunteer teaching at the school in Portsmouth.
Hans is a great guy. He calls me ALL-FEE! He is at his computer all day every day, but when he has to shovel snow or bring in the wood, he always calls me to help. I am happy to do this. Right now he is working on the conference taking place in Ottawa early February on “Women and Peace”. He is pleased with the way the project to professionalise peace work is progressing. I have heard him lament from time to time that his plan to bring basic literacy to Afghani women via the radio is not picking up steam. Even I have to wonder why. Seems like a no-brainer to me!
When we go to visit Anthony, Neary, Cecilia and Carolyn, and their little doggie, a mini-Dachund they call Pluto, I to go too and harass Pluto. They are all doing very well. Neary was in Cambodia for a few weeks with her parents for a wedding which she arranged, and which went off splendidly.
Nick came home for 10 days over Christmas. I overheard several conversations about his situation in Abbotsford B.C. with his landscape work, and making a life for himself there. He loves his work, he is happy to be the foreman and have his crew to develop. He spent a lot of good time with Samantha.
You can look for Samantha and Marian on Facebook. You can find Hans at civilianpeaceservice.com or hans1nn@xplornet.com
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Hallowell's Books
I have been reading Hallowell's 2 terrific books on ADD and they are great! The first is "Driven to Distraction", and the second is "Delivered From Distraction." I recommend them to anyone who suspects they may be ADD, anyone who lives with ADD - parents, siblings, mates. Hallowell describes the condition in very readable terms, gives insight into how it is manifest, some suggestions on how to handle its vagaries, but especially highlights the positive side of ADD. I'll write more on this later as I get further into it.
Meanwhile Christmas is bearing down relentlessly.
Alfie continues to be a pleasure and a delight!
Meanwhile Christmas is bearing down relentlessly.
Alfie continues to be a pleasure and a delight!
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Dominica
Just concluded a rental for a bed-sitting room with kitchen and bathroom in Portsmouth for mid February to mid March. I'm not sure what the facility will be like, quite basic I expect, but I don't really care. I am going back to Dominica! Sister Clare has been very helpful and encouraging. It feels like she really would like to have me back! It is a relief to have that decision made.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
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