Keeping It Talawah!

'Mi likkle but mi a talawah' is my new favorite Jamaican proverb. I bet you can guess why- Talawah means powerful, strong, mighty...
On a related note, the national bird of Jamaica is (drumroll please) the HUMMINGBIRD. Small but mighty my friends, small but mighty.

So week two is beginning to breeze on by out here on the southern coast of this little country (the size of the state of CT incidentally). Training has been chock full of information from culture and language to safety and security and all that falls in between. The highlight of my days are always the first and last segments of the day: Culture and Language; Sector Rooms. Culture and language is just great because it offers me the hope that someday, maybe, I'll understand what the people around me are saying. Sector meetings at the end of the day focus on the responsibilities and expectations of the Green Initiative program. My sector leaders are fantastic- easygoing, knowledgeable and encouraging- and the subject matter is so applicable I can't help but be excited and attentive, even at the end of the day when we're sticky, hot and drained from previous activities. This being drained that I speak of comes in both physical and emotional/mental waves.

This past Friday I went to karaoke with my friend and his host dad. The event was at a ritzy hotel in Kingston and was unlike any karaoke I'd ever seen. White chairs were lined up along the side of a pool in the courtyard. The pool was spewing an elegant fountain from it's middle and lighted trees protected the chairs, which faced the stage at the front of the pool. I chose to sing Rolling in the Deep by Adele, even though I'd never actually sung the whole song. The night hadn't even begun yet when they called my name to sing and as I was caught unaware, my walk to the stage was long and awkward. As I walked they explained that this is the first time a newcomer has opened the night. OY.
I sang the song to the best of my abilities as the DJ interjected on the soundboard with bytes saying 'WOWEE' and ridiculous things like that... I've never been to a karaoke that actually reacts AS the person is singing. People clapped and smiled as I finished and the emcee grabbed the mic saying 'wow what a little girl with a big voice!' or something along those lines. The rest of the night carried some real talent- people obviously accustomed to performing and showing off... no one was actually BAD. Also, a man proposed to his girlfriend via song dedication and on the way home we ate jerk chicken that was handed to us from the grill on the curb through the window of the car. This is a common occurrence in Kingston and I suspect in the rest of Jamaica.

Saturday, Peggy took me to Coronation Market, an activity all host parents were expected to do so that we could learn to barter and negotiate the crowds. The market is huge and is located in Kingston, so it was also my first bus and taxi experience. The market is HUGE and spans from under a giant pavilion outwards, under crudely strung tarps that had me thankful I'm 5ft tall. Peggy was very selective about her prices and she could be because there were SO many people selling similar items. She also bought so much that we each carried a bag, and then had to share the weight of a third bag between us. It was a funny sight I can imagine and we were pretty tired by the time we returned home.

Sunday a few of us walked about a half hour down the road to Twin Sister's cave, two beautiful caves nearby nestled in a pit of Banyan trees and other flora. The caves were essentially the openings to brackish water tunnels and home to blue backed lobster, young talapia, bats, owls and crayfish as well as lots of anole-type lizards and birds. After, we went to the beach to celebrate a few volunteers' birthdays. It was so relaxing to lay out, swim and have a couple cold(ish) beers. Later that night I realized that I was burned to a crisp and currently am thanking karma that Peggy has a healthy sized aloe plant in her front yard.

Today I talked to Dan my program manager in an interview format so that he could better understand my goals and skills and personality to place me in my final location. I've been strongly identified as 'de baby' lately among Hellshire-folk, although those who speak to me eventually recognize the 'mighty' part. As I spoke about my ability to teach and lead, my preference for hands on work and my interest in music, his smile got wider and wider 'I can't say anything about placement, but I've got ideas for you' he said amidst a smile. I laughed and said I like to sing and jam out in my spare time and he smiled once again, this time proud of some little secret he had in his own head and gave me a high five. If he's not worried, I'm gonna stop worrying. His confidence translated immediately to me and I've felt good all day. While Hellshire has been a wonderful community to start my growth, I can't wait to leave for my hub training in the mountains this Sunday!

Wa'gwaan Mi Friends!

Well I've been in Jamaica exactly 7 days and if I thought pre-departure was a whirlwind I was fooling myself. The first 3 days we spent in the capitol of Kingston at a hotel, where sleep was minimal and activity was frequent. A wonderful welcome ceremony greeted us at the Peace Corps office the evening we arrived- a day that we got a total of 3 hours of sleep at best, so we were all more closely resembling zombies.
Last Friday we headed to Hellshire in St.Catherine parish where we met our first homestay families. We met through a word matching game, I had a slip of paper that said 'peanut butter' on it, my 'jelly' I came to find, is a short older woman affectionately called Peggy. I thought it appropriate that she was wearing a purple floral shirt as she loosely resembled jelly.
Miss Peggy is a firecracker of a woman, who knows pretty much everyone in Hellshire proper. She cares for her 18 year old grandniece, who has already taught me a great deal about the younger culture as compared to Peggy's age bracket. She also sings wonderfully- we share a love of singing Adele. Upon hearing me sing, Miss Peggy told her entire church parish that I was to sing in church on Sunday. Which I did, along with a co-volunteer. We sang Amazing Grace so that the congregation could sing along and a lady of the church later told me she wished we'd sung a song no one knew so she could hear our voices. mwahaha my plan succeeded.
Hellshire is a coastal town, and a drier climate than most in Jamaica. Limestone, palm trees and cacti are predominant in the landscape, along with papaya, mango and other fruit trees. From the church where we have training class, you can see the town and the ocean beyond. The beach on weekends is covered in locals and tourists alike, shacks parallel the waterline selling seafood and beer while rasta and the like sell bagged shrimp, candies ('sweetie') souvenirs and of course, ganja. Yes this is illegal, and yes, the police are often quite nearby when this happens.
Houses are all generally open, doors are iron 'grilles' so that there is no need for a doorbell, one must simply yell the name of the person they need, and that person can hear from the back room: 'Wa'gwaan Miss Peggy!?' is a phrase often shouted by my peers as they search for me but also, they love my host mom.

Training has been exhausting, we just started language training. It's a lot of info to keep up on day by day and the paperwork is piling up but sector training offers promise of topics I can understand and provide some knowledge in. I still have a lot to know about Jamaica but for now I 'tank de lawd' for my outgoing personality in winning over the village ladies.

thats all for now my loves, until next time
<3

Unless

It's been a crazy coaster of emotion for this Miniature Muse over the past few days. Who am I kidding, it's been TWO YEARS since I decided that the Peace Corps would be my (albeit unpaved) path- this roller coaster is bumping and zigging and zagging towards the finish line. I hope.

I've been able to spend some time with my family this weekend, both nuclear and extended, and boy does that add to the ups and downs. Only family can emit tears of sadness and laughter simultaneously.

What has really prompted me to write today is the family outing we just returned from. My favorite book by Dr. Seuss, The Lorax, was recently turned into an animated movie which I was determined to see before I left the country. Amidst the last minute shopping, family dinners and re-re-re...repacking, my family accompanied me to see this film- a fantastically embellished version of the book, adding time and characters to the story. Overwhelmingly, the character who wanted trees the most was named Audrey... and of course everyone pronounced it exactly as I pronounce my given name (ahh-dree).

The movie itself was quite good, along the lines of Wal-e, feel good chills and giggles throughout. But as I sat there, watching the final musical number, wearing dopey 3D glasses and sitting between my dad and my sister, words came onto the screen- a quote from the good Doctor and the Once-ler himself:

'Unless someone cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.'

Que waterworks.

THIS is why I am leaving. THIS is why I am the person I am today. Not because of the words themselves -I honestly read the book for the first time in high school- but because I TRULY and DEEPLY care, a whole awful lot. And I have since I could look out a window and lay in the grass.

And so my friends, I pump the brake on this roller coaster.

I puff out my chest and I own myself.

I am heading into an unknown abyss on the CONVICTION that things must get better.

That people can live with respect and in harmony with the Earth that supports mankind as well as countless other living organisms that live their lives while ADDING TO OURS.

So I leave you with words from the cinematic Once-ler:

A seed...It's not about what it is. It's about what it can become.

Welcome!

Hello, Hello!

Welcome to my blog! Anything written before this was exactly as my blurb says, generally nonsensical creative thought.

NOW however, we have a focus, a purpose, a path to follow. This path will take me to the wonderful island of Jamaica, mon. I will be serving as a Green Initiative volunteer, which is an umbrella program for many, many possibilities that I have yet to unearth. Until then, this is what I know:

I will be leaving for staging in Atlanta, GA on 3/13 and arriving in Kingston, Jamaica on 3/14.

I will be training in technical, cultural, safety and language skills for the next 3 months, during which time I'll be learning with my program group and living with a host family.

On my birthday, May 18th 2012, I will be sworn in as an official Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV here on out).

Until then, I will be updating this blog, as well as my Facebook, which is linked to the photo above this post (ie: click on the photo grandparents). I have a dropbox account as well which can be accessed via my email: Adriana.beltrani@gmail.com. From dropbox you can send me documents and MUSIC which I can access from any internet source :)

Please send me e-mails and letters! (once I have an address) I can assure you that I will/do miss you ALL very much and any correspondence from you will brighten my day.

Peace, love and happiness to you all <3