End of Week One Already!

Rain, rain go away; come again . . . . in nine weeks! Other than my very first day here, it has rained for at least a few hours every day. I suppose it’s a good break from the intense heat they were experiencing here two weeks ago, but my tan isn’t getting any better with all of these clouds in the way! Everyone keeps telling me it will be clear again in a few days so I can finally start my sightseeing and all of the outdoor fun offered on the island, so I hope they’re right. But anyway, back to why I’m really here . . .

Teaching in the Monchy Primary School is definitely going to take some getting used to, but I know that will come with time. Working with twenty-seven 5th graders would not be easy in the U.S., but what’s worse is here I can barely understand them when they’re yelling! Half the time, the students are speaking in the native Creole, and the rest of the time they’re all talking at once. Nonetheless, when the students are behaved and orderly, it’s a lot of fun to be with them. They have so much energy and are very eager to participate in class, but sometimes it just seems like a competition about who can yell the answer (even if it’s the wrong answer) the loudest. Although I am adjusting more and more every day, I need to keep praying that I have enough patience to last the nine weeks!

This week in mathematics class, we’ve been discussing money: how to express denominations in words as well as in figures; adding values of money; and finding change. One of the questions we asked the students on Wednesday was, “How many ways can you be given 25 cents?” I quickly figured out the ten combinations and then remembered that in St. Lucia, they have a two cent piece! This brings so many more possibilities!! (41 more to be exact) The students had fun with this activity and although none of them came up with all 51 combinations, they were getting the gist of the activity and could see there were a lot.

Every Thursday, the students have an hour of P.E. time where they get to let out a lot of energy and run around. It was fun watching the students learn the proper stretches, do some team building activities and then play tag. I will have to remember my “play clothes” next week so I can join in, too!

After school on Wednesday, it was a cooler afternoon (okay, maybe 70 degrees), so I decided to go for a run up the road. Soon enough, as I climbed higher and higher, I realized I could see more and more of the beautiful landscape surrounding the Cherubin’s house. The backdrop of green coconut trees and grassy mountainside was sprinkled with the small houses and the roads curved around like ribbon on a Christmas gift. Absolutely breathtaking (or maybe that feeling came from not running for awhile!). I know I will be running this path again, so next time I will be sure to bring my camera.

I’ve become more accustomed to daily life with the Cherubin’s. It’s fun and relaxing just sitting around talking with my new “sisters” because I continue to learn more and more about the culture here. I made my first trip to the mall and supermarket in Castries (the capital of St. Lucia) and was surprised to see how similar they were to home. There aren’t any American Eagle or Nike shoe stores, but the layout is pretty much the same. The prices shocked me at first, especially when I saw a $20 sticker on a bath mat, but I had to keep reminding myself to take at least 60% off each sticker price in order to compare it to American dollars. After figuring in the 2.67 conversion rate, things are actually relatively cheap here (i.e. $1.25 for a double scoop ice cream cone!). On the way home, I even got the chance to drive! I was nervous at first since everything was opposite, but I quickly got the hang of it and we all made it home safely.

This weekend, everyone on the island will celebrate Jounen Kweyol and I’m looking forward to taking part in the festivities. From what I understand, this day celebrates the heritage of St. Lucia and the development of their culture over time. There is dancing, singing, eating a lot of cultural foods and general fun throughout the island. I’ve already helped prepare some Golden Apple juice and I even have the cuts and blisters on my hands to prove it! The people here take so much pride in their culture and the food they prepare, so I can only imagine how exciting it will be when they dedicate a special day to celebrate!

We had a “pre-celebration” on Friday at school and it was an absolute blast! I will have to save the details for another post because there is just way too much to write about. As a sneak preview, though, my day consisted of using a cutlass to break the bones in raw meat from a lamb’s neck, learning how to play “Chinese skip” and “Silence” and eating so much food I won’t have to eat until Sunday (okay, that one’s not completely true, but I did stuff myself!).

As I said before, I’m learning new words in the native language every day. The other day, I learned that “Beth” in patois means “cow!” I think from now on, I will only introduce myself as “Elizabeth” . . .

My heart goes out to the students at Freedom High School back at home. I’m so sorry to hear the sad news about the car accident. You are all in my thoughts and prayers.