Final Reflection

I can’t believe that it’s over. I woke up at 1:00 p.m. today and looked around and it finally sunk in that I was home. Since everyone was asking questions today about how it was and what we did it really made me think back on everything. One thing that I’m really happy about is that I followed through with what I set out to do. When we were painting the school and making signs for the classrooms I made sure that I gave 100% effort. I loved meeting the kids and teaching them how to play duck duck goose. I also loved being able to give those kids school supplies to enhance their learning and education. Another thing I’m happy about is that I was able to get to know everyone much better than when we started. I’m especially glad that I got to know Alyson better because we actually are a lot alike and I didn’t think we would be. But I guess that’s what happens when you stay with people for a week. And if you remember from one of my first blogs I said that I wanted to go out of my comfort zone and I worked up the courage to do it. The first was when I went snorkeling. Since I have a huge fear of open water I really did not think that I would be able to go snorkeling. But thanks to Rondel walking me through it, I did it and I’m extremely happy I did. I was even comfortable enough to go again on the last day! The second thing I did that shocked me was parasailing. I absolutely hate heights and somehow I decided that I wanted to go parasailing. Maybe since it was such a last minute thing I didn’t think it through as much. Don’t get me wrong I pretty much hyperventilated the whole time but I’m glad that I went. And I will never go again : ). But because of this experience I know that I really grew as a person. I might have to even get my tattoo expanded. Now I should probably start saving up so that I can go next year and experience even more. I already miss the people, and the smells, and the beautiful scenery. So until next year
: ).

Day 8: Goin Home

Well since yesterday was a verryy long day I wasn’t able to write until today. Yesterday Alyson, Crystal, and I started out the day by going horseback riding. It was kind of a last minute thing and we wanted to get it in before we let at 3:00. We decided to go to Rhodes Plantation for our ride. They picked us up right from our hotel at 9:15 a.m. and we headed out. We had to stop at a couple places along the way to pick up more people too. One of them was from London so we got to listen to her accent which made my day right there. When we got to the plantation they gave us all helmets and started pairing us up with horses. They put me on a horse named Pratt, which reminded me of Spencer Pratt so I didn’t think it was going to be a great relationship.  We left the plantation and headed down a trail that covered a lot of land. We even got to go into the water and take pictures. After about an hour and 45 minutes, we got back to the plantation and were given the choice to swim with the horses in the water or leave and go back. We decided to leave so that we could have another chance to go snorkeling.  Once we returned to the hotel we realized no one wanted to go snorkeling so the three of us decided to go anyway.  Rondel took us out again and we spent about an hour swimming and snorkeling in the rough ocean water. Once we got back we had to finish up our packing and get everything ready for departure. We checked out of the resort at 3:00 and headed to Montego Bay for our flight at 8:00. We went through security and then went into the good part of the airport, the shopping center. We had about 2 hours to waste before we had to get on the plane so we all went our own ways and spent our last hours in the shops. We took off at 8:00 just like scheduled, unlike our first plane ride, and landed in Chicago around 11:00. After that we had the long car ride home and Austin was waiting to pick me up and take me home. I finally hopped into bed at about 4:30 a.m. and fell asleep instantly. It’s crazy to think just yesterday morning I was in Jamaica and I woke up this morning in Wisconsin.

Day7: Unfinished business

We started out today by eating so needless to say it was a pretty great day. After breakfast we went to the school we painted so that we could deliver them all of the school supplies we brought and the signs we made for them last night. The took them with open arms and they sang to us and we said our final goodbyes. I think I picked up a pen pal over here in Jamaica because the woman who owns the school has a daughter that is my age and is going for her degree in social work so it will be fun to have that connection back here. I'm even considering coming back next year so that I can see all of the wonderful people I met on this trip. After we were done at the school we went to the market. Now the market is a pretty hectic place just for the fact that everyone wants you to come into their shop so sometimes you have to be able to say no because you can only look at the sae things so many times. I did however get some very cool wood carvings and I think they will look awesome hanging at home as a reminder of all the things we did here in Jamaica. We also went to Times Square after the market which is basically a mall. One thing I found very interesting was that there we alot of Indians running the stores not Jamaicans. Tammy, Nicole, and I headed back to the hotel to meet up with the rest of the girls and somehow parasailing was brought up. Now remember I am terrified of heights. However, something told me that I had to go do this so I built up the courage and went. I wouldn't say I went peacefully and neither would Alyson because the whole time I was 600 ft. up in the air I was pretty much hyperventilating but towards the end I got more comfortable. I just had the image in my head that my rope was gunna snap and I was going to fall a very long way. But me and Alyson made it on the boat safely and then one of our crazy captains went up without a harness on! He used all of his upper body strength to keep him dangling on there for a couple minutes it was crazy. After parasailing we came back to the hotel and waited awhile for our supper and then ate our last meal which was kind of depressing. I am really going to miss that mac and cheese. But we leave tomorrow and have to be outta the hotel by three so me and two of the other girls are going to try to fit in horseback riding. I'll let you know tomorrow if that worked out. Well I have to pack so Goodnight!

Day 6: Seaford Town and Tommy's Farm

So today we went about an hour and a half away from the hotel to a little town called Seaford Town. One of the reasons we went there was to tour the town. We started at an old church and journeyed to some of the oldest houses in Seaford Town that were over 100 years old. The interesting thing about Seaford town is that it was first settled by Germans. In 1835, a ship full of 532 Germans that were meant to be cheap laborers who were to replace the slaves when slavery was abolished. Of the 532 people that came over, 249 went to Seaford town. Before they came over they were promised land and houses built for them. They also expected to be payed weekly wages until they got on their feet. None of this happened. They arrived to 16 half finished houses and were not given any wages. After three years of harsh conditions about half of the population succumbed to tropical diseases and being overworked. But they cool thing is that you can still see the German influence on the town. For instance when we went to give school supplies to the children in the Seaford Town there were children that were more fair skinned with blonde hair and either blue or green eyes but they had the hair texture of a dark colored person. It was so weird. There was also a little girl who was dark skinned but had blue eyes! It's just crazy that traits would still be so very visible after so much time has past. Another thing that we went to Seaford for was to tour the technical college there. One thing that I found very interesting is that they have a program for housekeeping and like restaurant servers there. When we think of that back in the states it's pretty much an entry level position when you need a job and there's no education involved. The housekeeping students had the prettiest dresses on and i think that school uniforms should be utilized more in the states becasue they looked sharp that's for sure. Tammy, Nicole, and Lori supported their school by buying a few crafts the students had for sale. As part of our tour we had the hospitality and culinary students serve us lunch. And by lunch I mean way too much food that's for sure. After we were done at the school we left to go to a man named Tommy's farm. Tommy is originally from Switzerland but has been living in Jamaica for almost 15 years. It took us awhile to get to the farm because we were not given clear directions but by getting lost we experienced some of the scariest roads I have ever seen. Imagine being way up in the mountains, no guard rails, and on roads that are barely wide enough to fit two cars that often overlook cliffs or giant ravines. I was scared to death. Once we finally met Tommy we made about a fourth mile journey into the forest/ jungle whatever you prefer to call it. He showed us his little hut he lived in and then took us to an area where we all sat down. For the next couple hours, we learned about the different fruits Tommy grows and were able to taste almost every single one. My favorite things we tried were the giant lemons and the chocolate pudding tree. I personally did not think it tasted like chocolate pudding but it definitely had the texture of pudding. Tommy also told us about his way of life and his different beliefs about nutrition. It was very interesting to hear someone talk so passionately about the food he puts in his body. Once we were done with the farm we left and headed back to the hotel. Even though we were all very tired, we stayed up late making signs that had gotten ruined during the painting process of the school. Signs such as the letters of the alphabet and the days of the week. Now I'm soo tired I can barely function so I'm going to bed. Stay tuned for tomorrow's adventures.

Day 5: Royal Palm Reserve/ Boat Tour With Rondell/Snorkeling!

Today was a very long day...in a good way. We were set to leave this morning a little later than planned but we made it work. We jumped on a boat that was set to pick us up from our hotel and drove a short way down the beach so we could meet up with Rondell, the captain of our riverboat tour. We met up with Rondell and headed walked a short distance to where his boat was. His glass bottom boat. Normally I would not allow myself to be put into water with something as dangerous sounding as a glass bottom boat but it was interesting to see the ocean from a different perspective. We headed up the river quite a ways and went to the Royal Palm Reserve which is pretty much a National Park type of thing. We had to walk about a mile down a dirt road but we made it somehow : ). Once we were there we were taken down wooden walkways around the park. We learned about the animal life that lived in the reserve and many of the plants. It was really cool being able to see such lush plant life in such a small area because it's very different from the hardwoods back home. At the reserve we were able to see a crocodile, or we attempted to see him but he wasn't so happy about that. We went back to the boat and all of the sudden a man started yelling to Rondell to stop so Rondell pulled up on the shore. At the time it seemed like a really bad idea just because almost all of us were very hungry and just wanted to get outta the boat. But a couple of us went ashore anyway and found out that the man, Norman Scarlett, was a coconut farmer and he was just going to show us around. We were all in flip flops so we couldn't go to far in all the brush but when we got to a tree he showed us how it was done. He took his maceti and started chopping down coconuts. After he was done they chopped off the tops and had us drink the water that is inside of the coconuts and it actually was not bad at all. It tasted just like water but there was an extra little zip to it. He also chopped one down that could be eaten because the insides of the ones with water are just hollow. So after that experience we came back to the hotel and had lunch. Our group split up after that and some people went snorkeling and some went shopping. I decided to go snorkeling. In one of my earlier posts I said that I wanted to defy one of my fears, well today was that day. I am afraid of the ocean and before we left I had told everyone that they would not get me to snorkel. I decided today that if I wanted to make the most of this experience I would have to snorkel. I have to say though that I was terrified the entire time I was in the water. Rondell and one of his crew members were nice enough to come in the water to make me a little more comfortable. Rondell took me in and helped me around and showed me a lot of plants and fish. I think my favorite one was the sea cucumber just because it is so weird looking. We swam around there for about 30 minutes and then hopped back on the boat to go back to the hotel. When we got back we all got ready and went out to eat at Cosmos where Nicole said there was excellent lobster. I decided to just get the fried fish but I was able to try the lobster and it was indeed amazing. I have fallen in love with some of the food here. There is some vegetable thing here that tastes a lot like coleslaw but it is so much better. I also have fallen in love with the bread because it's so rich and filling that you can eat it as a meal itself. Well I"m really tired now and we have to be outta here by 6 a.m. tomorrow to make it to the tech college in Seaford town. Until then : )

Day 4: Service Work

This morning we were supposed to be outta here by 8 o'clock a.m. Well...that didn't happen. It seems to be a trend for us to be late for everything but as the Jamaicans say, "No worries mon'" So that gets you a little side tracked. But we got to the school none the less and started working on the rest of the buildings we had to paint. I was unable to do any of the painting involving rollers because my allergies have been really bad down here and i had to wear my glasses so my eyes would stop burning so bad. We decided to finish painting on Sunday because the kids weren't there and it was much easier to work faster. After we were done painting everything the owner/teacher of the school made us a delicious lunch that consisted of fish and rice and peas (which are red beans not peas like we think of). We also were served a cup of carrot and beet juice which had a very distinct taste. We left the school and went back to the hotel because we were supposed to go on a boat ride with a man named Moses but the water has been really rough here so we couldn't go. Instead we chilled at the hotel for awhile some people went to the beach, well everyone except me, and then we decided to go to 23/7 which is a bar/ resteraunt just down the beach from us. We stayed there for while and talked to some of the locals. However since it was a pretty long day, we turned in for the night a little early so we could be ready for tomorrow. Now I'm ready for bed so i'll be prime for tomorrow. Goodnight!

Day 3: YS Falls and Appleton Rum Factory

Well this morning we were supposed to be ready to leave at 8:30 to head to YS Falls but due to the fact me and my roommates slept in til about quarter to 8 we didn't really get out on time. After everyone finally got all set to go we headed out for a hour and a half drive to the falls. We stopped at a bakery on the way and got the best bread I have ever tasted in my life! Once we got to the falls some of us went zip lining and the others went to lay on the rocks by the falls. I went and laid on the rocks. We had a really nice guide take us right next to the falls and take pictures for us. I also worked up the nerve to jump from about 15 or 20 feet up into the water after much deliberation.. but it was worth it. Once we left YS, we made our way to Appleton Rum Factory. It is just amazing to me that a business can be so successful that it can be open for 260 years! Our wonderful guide Hugh showed us the process of making rum and the equipment they use. We also got to taste the molasses they use in the rum...which was pretty disgusting but Tammy likes it. We learned that the longest amount of time they age rum for is 30 years and we went into a storage building where there were rums that were barreled in 1983! I just found it so interesting that rum is Jamaica's #1 export and is so popular here in the country. After we were done at the rum factory, we headed back home and went to a Jamaican supermarket. As Alyson pointed out, it is really weird being the minority and especially when you are being stared at for just shopping in a store. Once we made it home we went to a restaurant just down the beach from us and had supper with American food. Some of the girls aren't liking the Jamaican food so much so we took a break from it. After supper we came back to the hotel and now me and Lindsey are just chilling in our room waiting to get tired enough to fall asleep. We have to get up kind of early tomorrow to go back to the school and finish painting so we want a good nights sleep. Well til tomorrow then!

Service Day: The Beginning

So after a wonderful night sleep last night, I woke up at 7 a.m to the sound of Tammy's beautiful voice at our door. My roomies (Lori and Lindsey) and I got ready and headed off to breakfast which was awesome! They made the bacon just the way I like it, a little chewy drippin with grease. After our morning preperation we piled into Robert's van and headed to the school. I was a little nervous about how today was going to go but it ended up being better than I could ever have imagined. We arrived at Uppertop Lincoln Early Childhood Institution and were greeted with curious stares. The kids were sooo cute. Of course all it took was for Tammy to warm up the group, well both groups to be honest, and then it was like we were there the whole time. We played ring around the rosy along with some intense games of duck duck goose. I couldn't believe that the kids didn't know how to play duck duck goose! Me and Alyson were pros at teaching the game though so our group had it down pat in no time. Well except for the little boy Michael who spent about 10 minutes going around saying duck and not picking a goose ever. The kids especially enjoyed playing with our digital cameras. It was like being swarmed by an angry mob except they were adorable kids. I did especially enjoy a little boy named Omario. He was sooo polite and cute. I wanted to take him home but Nicole reminded me that it would be considered kidnapping so I gave up that dream due to the legal consequences. After playtime with the kids we began the work. We started to move stuff out of the room we planned on painting today and we were welcomed by some disgusting inhabitants, cockroaches. It made me sick to think that these kids played in the toys that these cockroaches inhabit. It was hard not to show emotion when one sprung out at you suddenly, but a couple of the kids in the room assured us they did not enjoy them either. We painted all morning and afternoon and accomplished alot. We decided we will finish the rest on Sunday when the kids aren't there so we can get a little more done and not have to worry about running them over. We will visit the school on Wednesday also to give the kids some school supplies (which are a hot commodity here in Jamaica) and toys. After our service work we came back to teh hotel and got ready for dinner at The Three Dives. I got to taste authentic jerk chicken from Jamaica and decided I should probably lay off the jerk sauce because it was HOTTT!!! After dinner was done, our wonderful driver Robert drove us home and I headed to bed and got to talk to Austin (my boyfriend) which made me feel better before I went to sleep. So now I'm completely wore out and babbling. Goodnight everyone I'm going to go cuddle with Lindsey now since we get to share a bed : ). I can't wait to share more of my adventures with you tomorrow!

First Day

Well today started out a little rough to say the least. We left Tammy's house at midnight like scheduled and made our way to Chicago. After a very cooolllddd bus ride, we unloaded and headed into the Ohare national airport. We were one of the first people in line and because we are such lucky people, ended up with probably the least thrilled attendant to help us get our boarding passes. We boarded at 5:30 a.m and sat on the plane in anticipation of take off. Well take off didn't happen for 3 hours! We almost got out at 6:30 like we were supposed to but it just so happens that there was maintenance problems so we left 2 hours later than expected. With that delay our whole day was pushed back a bit. Robert, our driver, picked us up from the airport and from there we went to the school we will be working at tomorrow. We went over what colors they wanted to paint the two rooms of the school. I couldn't believe that they have 50 kids that fit in those buildings! I'll have to put up pictures later so you can see. It was too late to get paint supplies when we were done so we checked into our hotel and ate an excellent dinner they prepared for us. Now I'm sittin by the beach writing my blog and realizing how wiped I am from the entire day. I think it's time for bed. Goodnight all

Today is THE Day!!!

So at midnight tonight, or tomorrow morning, however you look at life I guess, we will be leaving for Jamaica FINALLY! I'm pretty nervous just for the fact that my mom likes to tell me worse case scenarios. For example, "Well, there's been a lot of earthquakes and tsunami warnings lately. What if you're on a boat and there is a tsunami?" Yes I know this sounds very unrealistic but for someone who is paranoid about open water as it is, it sounds like it's going to happen tomorrow. But I've been trying to put my fear of, well pretty much everything, and focus on all the great things we'll be doing. I can't wait to meet the people and experience the culture. I also can't wait to do our community service. I've done community service before definitely not something of this magnitude. I love the feeling when you're done that you did something that just changed a person's day, week, maybe even life. One thing that I want to do is to experience something out of my comfort zone and go for it. I don't know if that means defying my fear of heights, the ocean,...giant bugs that must be from another planet. Well maybe not bugs, but definitely something else. Well I have to finish packing because my procrastination seems to have gotten the best of me.

Children and Violence

I decided to research a little bit about children that are subjected to violence in Jamaica. I was appalled by murder rates among children. According to http://www.unicef.org/jamaica/violence.html, over the past five years over 300 children have been murdered and the majority of that is boys. Another statistic the website showed was that in 2006, children and adolescents made up 78 percent of all sexual assaults and rape cases.
And to think that those are only the ones reported. I think it would be hard to live in a place that you would have to fear. Because of this violence many adolescent boys turn to gang behavior because people expect them to underachieve. Lastly, the website told of thousands of children living in residential care and over 200 that live in institutions where family care is not available. This absence of family makes them more vulnerable to violence and abuse. I know that the U.S is not perfect, however, this seems like a lot of high numbers for such a little country.