When I Grow Up

"Whatever we believe about ourselves and our ability comes true for us."

~Susan L. Taylor

Normally, I teach Language Arts, but I taught the Social Studies lesson for today. In light of Black History Month, I wanted to teach the students in my class about some of the African American heroes that have gone done in history for great things. We went to the computer lab to watch a video on Youtube.

The video was on Mae Jemison, George Washington Carver, Madam C.J. Walker, Dr. Daniel Hale Williams and Garret A. Morgan. I paused the video a lot to explain things about each person and what they did to contribute to society. When we got to Madam C.J. Walker and the hot comb, I explained to kids how it worked and how my grandma used to always straighten my hair in the morning before going to church. The video ended with Mae Jemison's quote: "I always knew I'd go to space."

Afterward, I talked to the students about the power of the tongue and how you can speak things into existence. I asked each one of them what they wanted to be when they grew up and that if they spoke it out loud and believed in themselves, that they could do it. When we went back into the classroom, I had them write down what they wanted to be. One of the girls in my class said she wanted to be a doctor, but changed it to a nurse and I told her that there are doctors who are women as well. After they wrote what they wanted to be, they had to write "I can do it!"

 

This lesson was important to me because I was able to share a part of my culture with my class and co-teacher. Also, I wanted them to know that just like these historical African American men and women, they could accomplish anything they wanted. It warmed my heart to hear them chant "I can do it!"

Nice Radio Station

Last Wednesday, I was invited to do an interview on Nice Radio Station, where 30 minutes is allotted to Peace Corps. The program was started by a volunteer named Tom over 20 years ago. 

The current hosts are fellow volunteers, Myranda and Ford. We talked about my life before Peace Corps and how my service has been so far while in St. Vincent. Down below is a recording of the 

radio show. I hope I'm able to go back by end of year to give an update about my service. You can listen to the radio show by clicking on the link below. 

https://soundcloud.com/brooklyn-dun/radio-interview 

Valentines Day

"All you need is love. But chocolate now and then doesn't hurt." ~Charles M. Schulz

On Valentine's Day, everyone came to school in red, pink and white. In my class, we did a chocolate exchange where the students came to school with chocolate bars and candy (spending up to $5) to give to a classmate. I wrapped some of them in construction paper and my co-teacher wrote their names on them. 

At break time, they did the exchange and we had them find who it was for. We had to help some of them though because they got the names confused if they started with the same letter. 

They were happy to receive the sweet treats and ate them during break time. One of my students received a big chocolate bar with fruit and nuts in it. She ate half and gave the other half to me accompanied by a hug, which put a huge smile on my face. I had never tried it before and it was really good. 

My co-teacher even got me a gift. A wine glass decorated with hearts on it and chocolate in the inside. 

Valentine's Day isn't the only day we should show love to each other, but it is nice to give something to someone and receive something from someone. The smiles on their faces was worth it. 

I hope everyone enjoyed their Valentine's Day!

Leeward Tour

 

I went on a tour with the other Peace Corps Volunteers here in St. Vincent to see the Leeward side of the island. The Leeward side is the west side of the island, the side where the Caribbean Sea is. Since I live on the Windward side (east side, where Atlantic Ocean is) I finally got to see the other side of the island. It is beyond beautiful.

Our first stop was Fort Charlotte. Our tour guide and local historian gave us the history between the Kalinagu people (indigenous people on the island) and the fight between France and Britain to gain control of it. Fort Charlotte was built in 1802 by the British to fight against the Kalinagu people on the island.

The Kalinagu people were warriors and put up a strong fight against Britain which is why it wasn't easy for them to colonize the island (although they eventually won in 1797). During slavery, escaped slaves found refuge on the island and mated with the Kalinagu people which is how they became known as Black Caribs.  France had a presence on the island, being tolerated more than the British, which is why there are communities named Chateaubelair and Petit Bordel on the Leeward side of the island.

 

In the photo below, the plaque reads:  "The Black Caribs were taken to Baliceaux and then Bequia (both are Grenadine islands). In 1797, they were put on British men of war, as shown, and exiled on Roatán Island in the bay of Honduras. Their descendants may now be found in many Central American countries."

Next stop was in Layou where we got to see the Layou Waterfront Project. It was done to keep the water from eroding the shoreline. Steps were built and layers of rocks were put down to keep the water at bay.  

Then we went to Mr. Cool's farm (Assistant Peace Corps Director). He gave us coconut water, tomatoes and lemons. When some of us wanted to eat the coconut jelly/flesh inside, he cut a spoon from the coconut shell for us to scoop it out.

Last stop was Richmond Vale Academy in Chateaubelair. It is a non-profit research and training institute with courses centered on poverty reduction, environmental conservation and climate change awareness. There are students from all over the world that go to this school. We got a tour of their greenhouses and got to pick starfruit (locally called 5 fingers), bananas, guava and moringa (good for tea).

  

 

They also gave us soursop and fruitcake served out of a coconut shell. 

Before we left, we got to meet their pigs. They were adorable! I ended up feeding them starfruit, banana peels and half of my moringa. 

I haven't seen everything that there is to see on the island, but I'll be sure to post all the places that I go. Next stop will be Vermont Trail hopefully within the next 2-3 weeks. 

Holiday in SVG: Nine Mornings, the Light Up, Xmas and Boxing Day

Nine mornings is a holiday celebrated in St. Vincent to celebrate the nine mornings before Christmas, starting on December 16 and ending on December 24. It starts early in the morning around 3am-4am and ends around 7am-8am. Festivities include live performances, singing and dancing. 

During slavery, slave owners would take their slaves and servants to church on Christmas Eve. However, the slaves and servants weren't allowed inside the church, so they found a way to entertain themselves by singing. This eventually became the celebration of Nine Mornings. 

The night before it began, a few friends and I went to a community called Point to see the holiday lights or the "light up." Point has won the best lights in it's region six years straight. It was really beautiful. There was a tank, an angel, a jet and people sitting at a dinner table. You can see a man pouring wine. 

 

 

The street performances were great as well. These two were my favorite.

 

I went to the capitol, Kingstown, for Nine Mornings the Friday before Christmas with a friend. There was a big crowd and the music was great. I really enjoyed the live band with the steel pans.

  

 

Christmas didn't exactly feel like Christmas. I think not having any snow played a huge factor in it because I'm used to seeing snowflakes falling from the sky in Illinois. That and I'm so far away from family, that I couldn't partake in making cookies or wearing footsie pajamas in front of the tree unwrapping gifts.

To get into the spirit, I made a tree out of cardboard box. I also used recycled toilet paper rolls and painted them to look like Rudolph, snowflakes, a Christmas tree and a penguin. I put paper at the bottom of them and filled it candy to give to neighbors and friends. Christmas Eve, I drank Egg Nog with a little rum and played games with friends.

Christmas felt like another day, but was still fun nonetheless because I invited friends over for food and exchanged gifts to a Christmas playlist. A personal favorite is "Santa Looking For A Wife." If you haven't heard it, listen to it. It'll be extremely hard to forget.

Another holiday in St. Vincent is Boxing Day, which is the day after Christmas on December 26. This holiday stems from masters or employers giving a Christmas box or present to their servants or employees the day after Christmas. Here in St. Vincent, it's a day to relax and spend time with family and friends.

I'm used to only having a White Christmas back in the US, but during this season, I was able to experience so much more and couldn't be more grateful. 

Climbing Soufriere

Two weeks ago, I climbed a mountain in St. Vincent called Soufriere with two other Peace Corps Volunteers and my neighbors. It's an experience that will be hard to forget. 

Some time after Thanksgiving, I walked for over an hour with a friend and a neighbor in my community over a couple of steep hills. Half way through I wanted to throw up and give up, but my friend motivated me to keep going. I was really sore and went to bed early that night. If walking for over an hour was hard for me, how was I going to climb a mountain? I'm not in shape and I'm really not fit, but I've been working on it by working out almost every day. 

Early this month, a group of us walked to another community which was two hours there and back. We ended up getting rained on on our way back, but I was really proud of my self because I went most of the way without stopping or complaining. I made sure to stretch and do some yoga when I got home and went to bed early.

I was still nervous the day of the hike, but I wasn't going to back down. The first 30 minutes in and I wanted to chug water, but I couldn't because I would have run out too quick. Focusing on my breathing and going at a steady pace, I was able to get through the first mile.

We took a 20 minute break and kept on going. The hardest part was over, but it was still a struggle for me. My neighbor made a walking stick for me that really helped the next half up. When we got close to the top, there was an overwhelming feeling to just stop and give up. And the closer I got, the stronger that feeling became. I never really understood why that happens. I didn't give in to that feeling though. I was the last one to make it to the top, but I still made it. 

It was a sight to see.

     

We rested once we got to the top for an hour and then made our way back down. By then, I was halfway through my water and extremely dehydrated. I finished off my water after the first stop and then finished my friend's water by the time we got back down. I was sore and tired and fell asleep on a bench until our ride came. The entire climb up and down was about five hours.

Besides the scenery, I would have to say my favorite part was singing "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall" which I didn't sing all the way. I skipped like half of the numbers though because let's face it, that song can take FOREVER. We also recited a scene from Lion King when Zazu was singing for Scar. And I fell while singing Hakuna Matata. Everyone laughed, including myself.

      

 

 

I also made a lizard friend. When I tried to put him down, he would just climb up my arm, so he walked with me for about 20 minutes before jumping into a small puddle of water.

 

I remember two months ago telling someone that I wanted to hike Soufriere and was told that I was too fat to do it. I was discouraged, but I didn't let what that person said stop me. I climbed a mountain and I am very proud of myself. I now have no room for excuses for why I can't accomplish something. I mean, I, Brooke Jasmine Dunlap, hiked a mountain. A MOUNTAIN! I plan on doing it again in the next few months and will workout more so I can be in better shape for it next time. 

Thanksgiving in St. Vincent

Being a long way from home gets tough as the holidays start rolling in. Thanksgiving is one of my favorites because of all the food that I get to eat. The menu is usually as follows:

• turkey
• chicken
• ham 
• greens 
• baked Mac n cheese
• corn on the cob
• dressing (not a fan, but will eat with cranberry sauce)
• sweet potatoes (can be a pie, mashed or diced, casserole, etc)
• banana pudding
• peach cobbler
• corn bread

Even though I look forward to it each year, it's not the same since I'm in a different country. Thanksgiving is an American holiday and for me it has always meant spending time with family and talking about what you're thankful for. Sometimes, Thanksgiving is really the only time you get to see family, especially if they live in another city or state. 

 I wanted to celebrate it still, so I took a half day from school and cooked. I baked chicken, Mac n cheese and made sweet potatoes. Another Peace Corps Volunteer hosted the dinner and she made golden apple juice and a chocolate pie. I invited a friend and a few of our neighbors over. One of them brought sorrel (sah-rail) juice, which is a local juice. We ate and talked and also went around the room saying what we are thankful for. For me, I am thankful for life and how things turn out. If someone told me last year that I would be a teacher on an island, I wouldn't have believed them. 

I also made enough food to bring to school for the principal and teachers. They all loved it and were surprised by how I cooked the sweet potatoes. Here they just cook the sweet potatoes and yams and let the natural flavors and sweetness come out. However, I cut them up, added brown sugar, butter, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. 

Even though cooking for a lot of people was a lot of work and I didn't have everything on the menu that I wanted to make (I wasn't able to make a lot of things due to the time and resources that I had), 

I still got to celebrate Thanksgiving with the people I've come to love on this island. I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving as well!