Just a Typical Week

I’m sitting on my bed writing in my journal. The window is open with the screen acting as protection from mosquitoes and other pesky creatures. It’s always ten degrees cooler in the bedroom. I can hear Karaoke in the distance with crickets singing, tree frogs whistling and dogs barking. There is gospel music coming from the Catholic Church.

The island breeze is a source of meditative relaxation. It fills my senses. It creates natural air conditioning during the warm evenings, not only cooling the air, but cleaning it as well. Things just smell nicer when the windows are open. The wind howls and groans as it wraps and winds itself around the village.

It’s a good time to reflect on the week. As usual it’s had highs and lows. The week began on Monday with a meeting in Castries. Some of the Peace Corps Volunteers conducted research on the island to find out what would motivate more Saint Lucian people to become volunteers in their communities. The meeting scheduled to report those findings. The email I received a few weeks ago said I could bring someone and I invited Angelina to attend.

Angelina picked me up and we drove to Castries. She was coming from work and I assumed she would be dressed up. She assumed I would be casual. We smiled as we realized I dressed up and she dressed down. We arrived at the hotel and I noticed food was being set up outside the conference room which is odd for Peace Corps. As volunteers and their community partners entered we introduced ourselves. Angelina knew a lot of the community partners, some of them were high ministry officials. I knew the volunteers and staff so it was fun for both of us to meet new people.

It was time for the meeting to start and we were asked to stand. The Saint Lucia National Anthem began playing and the Governor General was escorted in. Then the television cameras began rolling. I looked at Angelina and we both glanced at the jeans she was wearing. We both laughed. Neither of us knew this was such an “important” event. At least one of us was dressed properly.

I have spent the last few weeks putting a workshop together for Angelina’s school. She is the Principal at the Vieux Fort Special Needs Center. I spent the day with her and her staff on Wednesday. It was nice to meet her staff and get to know this special group of teachers who are focused on children with special needs. The workshop went well and now I have yet another workshop that can be tailored when requested by others.

Wednesday night I attended a board meeting with the village foundation. This is the organization that I’m attached to and deemed my primary assignment. The organization is dysfunctional and usually frustrating to be around. Wednesday night’s meeting didn’t surprise me – it was both dysfunctional and frustrating. Peace Corps asks that we give 60% of our time to our primary assignment and develop secondary sources of work for the other 40% of our time. I get much more enjoyment from my secondary activities.

I had business in Castries on Friday. I ran into the Community Development Officer for our district and she mentioned a few activities that were coming up where she thought I might want to get involved. I like Brenda and always have fun when I’m with her so I readily agreed to everything she asked me to do.

I ended my week with a day of rest on Saturday. I spent the day watching Kennedy’s funeral. It was a day down memory lane; the Kennedy years and history went on all day. More than the memories, it was inspirational to listen to the passion this generation of Kennedy’s had for public life. The messages I heard came at a time when I needed to hear it.