Huh?

Anyone who knows me would say, “the last place I will see Karen is behind a bar in Bartender’s school making a Long Island Iced Tea”. Will, here I am learning how to bartend! Who would have thought that during my time in Peace Corps I would have developed this skill! I wasn’t there long enough to get certified, but I do know how to make a killer Watermelon Chiller.

Resting and looking forward to another jam-packed day, we ordered in and sat on the balcony enjoying the incredible view. And, yes, there may have been some Watermelon Chillers involved.

Immigration

What must it have been like? To walk up to the tall doors and open them? When I came to Saint Lucia, I was alone but it isn’t the same. I was going home in two plus years. I had a job and purpose. What is it like for immigrants, like Kate my mother-in-law, to come to this land of opportunity? What kind of expectations do they bring? There is no ‘training’ to go through or someone to show you the ropes as you try to navigate through the doors and to a life in a new country and new culture.

Is there a contrast when they see the Statue of Liberty for the first time and five years later? Do they see the American Dream as a possibility or an illusion? There are so many questions. I wish I had taken the time to seek the answers when Kate was alive.

What is it like today, for new immigrants, possibly those from Saint Lucia coming to the United States? Since the beginning of Ellis Island, many laws have been enacted to protect immigrants from exploitation, however, quotas and 9/11 and the current depressed economy has also had an impact. I wonder what it is like to immigrate to the United States now.


We took the ferry to Ellis Island. We stood in the Great Hall, once used as the Registry Room and spoke to a Park Ranger and Historian. Imagine going through the quarantine and medical check process only to find one or two members of the family would be deported while others would find an open door.

Downstairs we looked at the exhibits depicting the people who came through those doors; the demographics, the luggage, the tired faces from days of steerage passage.


Looking at the exhibit and standing where so many first entered the United States has an impact.

Then I had a "huh?" moment: the “Barbie” exhibit. What? A Barbie Exhibit? I suppose there must have been a money exchange in there somewhere.

We sat on an outside bench watching the birds and giving our bodies a break from an incredibly awful snack that sounded like a good idea at the time. For anyone interested, I do not recommend putting big chunks of homemade Oreo Cookie Fudge on top of English Shortbread Cookies. And I certainly don't recommend that you eat the entire package of cookies. What were we thinking?

We took the ferry to see Liberty Island. What we found when we got there was that there is a four week wait to go into the statue where the museum is located. All we could do is walk around the parameter. We decided this was unacceptable and after a few minutes talking to the man who was taking tickets, the rope was lifted and we were inside.




The museum displayed the mold which was used to make her foot, and a replica of the foot and face were on display.

There were touching and emotional letters on display from those that immigrated and saw the statue for the first time.

By far, the most curious thing I saw was a poster of her. She points, saying “Make America a Better Place, Leave the Country”. It was so offensive – and then Janyn pointed out the tiny letters on the bottom left part of the poster: “Peace Corps Volunteer Campaign”. I'm still not sure how I feel about it.



We finished the day in New York City. We walked through the city and were just in time to see sunset on top of the Empire State Building.
Somehow we managed to talk the guy into giving us free 'radio guides'. We found them a little boring to use and gave them to others standing in line as we left. When we got to the elevator, the man who gave them to us asked for them back. Oops, we really should do a better job thinking things through. Dinner in Little Italy and a long walk through the city got us home by midnight.

A long, fun and tiring day, we were looking forward to a slower day in the morning; business first and then a most surprising activity!

New York

I am in Miami Airport. Anyone who knows me, understands this airport is my least favorite. (Reference The Secret of the Yellow Dots) Fortunately, my layover is only two hours and it takes an hour to get through customs and go through the ridiculous process of finding my luggage to re-check it to New York JFK, my final destination.

I have no watch and the Saint Lucia flip phone is packed away because there is little need for a non-working phone while I’m here in the United States. I can’t even pull it out to look cool. I look around for a snack to bring on the plane, but nothing is appealing. What time is it? Do I have time to stand in these insanely long lines?

I walk up to the first person I see with a watch and ask the time. She looks at me confused and says, “no English”. I reply, “Que hora es?” and she responds. It is only then I realize how ridiculous the situation is because I have no idea what she is saying in her reply.

It is July 4th and there are fireworks in the sky. It is a beautiful site landing in New York. After greeting my sister, Janyn, and gathering up my suitcase we proceeded to New Jersey. This is my first trip to New Jersey and New York. The George Washington Bridge is beautiful. It was close to midnight when we arrived at her condominium on the 23rd floor. Saint Lucia seemed like a long way away as we sat on the balcony and watched the fireworks for the next couple of hours.