The Cultural Connection

It’s official:  I've been in Grenada for a whole year and am rapidly approaching the half-way point of my service.  When I look back at the last year I cannot believe how much we accomplished, and how quickly the time went by.  Two years seem daunting at the start, but time flies once you identify your purpose.

I am thankful for my assignment and my community.  I love the village life and appreciate all of the support I've received from the community.  My students are really starting to progress, and seeing that change motivates me to continue to explore literacy in hopes of graduating them from the program.

Most importantly, I am thankful for the opportunity to explore culture in a way that I've never been able to before.  I knew before I started that I wanted to explore dance in whatever country Peace Corps sent me to, but I had no idea that I would get the opportunity to immerse myself to such a capacity.  Dancing and drumming classes have allowed me to form an understanding of what art and culture mean in Grenada.  Most movements and rhythms in Afro-Caribbean dance and drumming are so closely tied to life that it’s like your breathing through every beat.  The technique liberates while the music inspires.  

I am so excited to finally have enough of a grasp of the art to teach it in my dance classes.   These kids are extremely invested in creative exploration, continuously encouraging me to challenge them in ways they've never been before.  I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do together in the next year. 

Drumming at Jazz Night held every first Friday at the National Museum.

ps. Remember Grenada's Independence Day Celebrations from last year? This year, we performed during the festivities. So cool.

Living in a Topsy-Turvy World

Four weeks ago I boarded a plane filled to the brim with American medical students and their pets.  I suppose all of us had the same idea:  to go home for a well-deserved Christmas break.  For some of us, ie. me, this simple vacation turned into a total mental test.

It all started at the airport.  Being surrounded by fifty plus American twenty-something year olds after living in rural Grenada on a modest stipend does not help with culture shock.  I couldn’t believe that this was what I was going back to.  I can’t really describe a particular event that threw me over the edge.  Rather, it was the culmination of a three-hour waiting period filled with observing interactions that are so completely different from the Grenadian norm.

Fast-forward twenty-four hours, I get to take my first hot shower of the year! Except, my body no longer appreciates the heat.  For the entirety of those ten-minutes, and every shower afterwards, my skin crawled and creeped, very much confused by the cranked up temperature.  Whilst I still complain about my cold showers (Grenada gets rather chilly this time of year), my body appreciates the return of normalcy.

Living in a small-island developing nation sure twists your perspectives on the everyday life.  I am so thankful to have been able to go home and visit my family.  My Grenadian co-workers have told me I blossomed like a flower while I was gone and have returned refreshed.  I’m not so sure about the flower part, but I definitely feel a renewed sense of excitement.  I have all of my projects for the year planned out and have decided on what’s in store for me in 2014 when I complete my service. So, 2013, I’m ready for ya, let’s get started!

December in Grenada.

December in the States. Loved the snow!

Happy International Volunteers Day!

Here is a passage from one of my more frivolous reads:

“’Yes, but I’ve found most people harbor dreams of a more exciting vocation.  The one that’s too crazy to ever actually do.  The one that’s too hard, too much work, or just too ‘out there.’ The gas station attendant who dreams of being a rock star.  The accountant who wishes she’d taken art history classes instead of statistics.  People put their dreams off, either because they think it’s impossible, or because they’ll do it ‘someday.’’”

Don’t wait to make time for your dreams.  Just do it.  Follow your heart, and it’ll never lead you astray.

First and foremost, never undervalue what you have to offer.  Too many times I’ve heard people say that they don’t have the training, or the skills to be able to follow their dreams.  You have the passion, and that passion will evolve into the technical ability that will allow you to do the work that fulfills your desires. 

Did I think I could teach literacy to children with special needs? Never. But my dream was to serve abroad while learning about the realities of development.  By golly, I’m going to try my best to teach these kids that the gibberish symbols they see every second of their lives mean something.

Did I ever think that I would have the opportunity to teach dance and choreograph to my heart’s content? No. No. No. and No.  I was never the dancer.  I love dancing, but I don’t have the years of ballet that coincide with adult dance enthusiasts.  However, living in Grenada and continuing my exploration in movement has helped me realize that dance will always be a part of my life.

I don’t mean to say that my life is an example of perfection.  Rather, I want to encourage you, especially you younger siblings, to reach for your dreams.  Even though they may seem impossible, or wrong, just go for it.   It’s scary.  Following my dreams into international development is one of the scariest things I’ve done, but every moment of my life is so extremely satisfying that I will never settle for some half-life that doesn’t engage my passion and curiosity.  I’m not thinking about what I wish I would have done, but am expanding my goals and reaching out to the seemingly impractical to see what I can make of my life.

 No one is ordinary, so don’t force yourself to fit in. Dream big, and live large because if you have the will you will find the way.

Arushi, Mihir, Aarya: This one’s for you.  Don't be afraid to defy gravity. (See you 10 days!)

Existence

I recently finished reading a monster of a book titled Shantaram.  It’s a fictional recollection of an escaped convict’s experiences as he attempts to build an anonymous life for himself in India.  Through the entire 900+ pages, he struggles to redefine his identity.  Prison and the events that prelude his arrest severed his human relationships.  When he arrives in India all he has is his own self.  He cannot identify through love, country, or achievement.  Through the novel he overcomes this isolation by realizing that the power to live, experience, and love comes from within.  Everything you do as you breathe and exist on this planet impacts other lives and situations and has the capacity to define who you are.  Your choices make you.

Recently, I've been reflecting on the idea of development work sponsored by the international community.  I believe in it, but sometimes I wonder about the effectiveness of outsiders attempting to influence change.  Every moment of our lives have the potential to either create positive or negative consequences, and quite honestly, we don’t know where the ball will drop.  Even the best intentions and proven techniques can be successfully implemented in one community, but fail miserably in another.  Life’s kinetic variables can change the smallest details and overturn the precious equilibrium we identify as normalcy. 

With that in mind, how do you work as a development worker?  You realize that your presence is equivalent to a scientific variable and live with a freedom that invites influence and idea.  Or, at least that’s what I’m attempting right now as this year comes to a close and a new one begins.  November might be too early for end of the year reflections, but my Peace Corps boat ended up in a storm this week and I’m trying not to drown.

The Ten-Month Reflection

Here is the truth, plain and simple: living abroad is one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done.  Disclaimer:  I love my life!

Many of you have requested details on my everyday routine.  Up until this time, that routine has not existed.  Even now, the everyday normalcy of an expected life evades me.  I’ve come to understand this uncertainty as a component of living abroad.  Things just seem to catch me off guard, take me for a spin, and drop me off at my doorstep with piles of processing to do.

This past year can easily divide into four parts:  pre-service training (PST), the freshly minted volunteer period, a whirlwind summer full of amazing experiences, and the productive period.  Of these four periods, PST and the freshly minted volunteer period where the most frustrating.  I started my service with a mind full of hopes and possibilities as I attempted to picture what my life as a volunteer in Grenada would be like.  For years I had dreamed about the Peace Corps and I knew I wanted to give back, experience a culture without being a tourist, and understand development work through personal experience.  These visions made it really difficult for me to understand my purpose in Grenada mainly because I had to wait for the dreams to manifest in reality.  Training was tough because I was stuck in a classroom all day, when all I wanted to do was experience and influence.  This notion stuck with through the three months after training when I’d become a real life volunteer with my very own apartment.

In those first three months of my service I constantly struggled with the unknown.  I had no idea what was expected of me or what I hoped to accomplish during my two year stint.  My primary worksite is a Roman Catholic primary school, where I work to meet their need for a literacy program to target the students severely under grade level.  My experience at home dealt with empowering at-risk teenagers, and NGO development; therefore you can conclude that tiny people scare the crap out of me.  I was a fish out of water fighting with myself for failing to understand my responsibility.  I wanted to help, but did not know how.  I tried to remain optimistic, but by the end of the school year I was ready for a break.

As the new school year began, I dug myself into the very same ditch.  How was I going to teach children with learning disabilities how to read?  What these last two months have taught me is that my whole approach to this experience has been severely flawed.  I’ve been struggling because I’ve been attempting to evaluate my success, and frankly that is not my priority right now.  My life isn’t about me.  My purpose is to act as pawn and design a program that will provide these children with the right encouragement and safe learning environment so that they can achieve their full potential.  Naturally, I am the type of person that gains personal satisfaction from achievements.  I set goals, meet them, and develop new ones to continue to endow my life story. 

I’ve realized that the Peace Corps assignment given to me by the local office challenges me in ways I never expected to be.  Therefore, to ease my sanity and continue on my path as a development worker, I’ve sought out new opportunities that cater to my skill set, give me that sense of achievement, and fulfill my desire to serve.  First, I’ve made it a personal goal of mine to expose the secondary schools in my area to arts education.  Specifically, I’ve started teaching two classes a week at an all-girls school attached to the St. Joseph’s Convent in Grenville.  It’s amazing!! These girls have so much raw talent, and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to challenge and support their growth as dancers.  Ultimately, I’m hoping to reach out to two more schools, and put on a recital before my time here is up.  I know my dad would be rolling his eyes asking me how important dance is.  Personally, I’ve gotten the opportunity to network with a couple of dance communities on Grenada and am currently part of an African-Modern company.  What I’ve learned through this personal experience is that everything happens in town, St. George’s.   There are virtually no opportunities to participate in dance if you live in the country.  Fortunately, this country bumpkin budgets wisely and can afford a trip down to town for company rehearsals.  If I had a dollar for every time a local parent/friend/acquaintance has asked me to teach a dance class for their daughter, I wouldn’t have to budget as strictly as I do now.  Dance and other art forms engage students and youth in ways that academia doesn’t.  Art does not counter academic intuition, but rather encourages it through the development of creativity and imagination, as well as personal and life skills.  Therefore, I as an artist strive to inspire these skills through teaching dance.

 Second, I’ve fallen into the perfect opportunity and start yet another secondary assignment with Grenada’s National Commission for UNESCO.  Currently, the branch of UNESCO is working on a Caribbean youth conference on Intangible Cultural Heritage.  Finally something that falls within both my educational and professional experience!  Having the opportunity to work for UNESCO coupled with my dance explorations gives me the satisfaction I need to persevere through teaching.

While reading this post you’ve probably deduced that I despise working at my school, which would in fact be a false conclusion.  I LOVE going to school now.  With my secondary projects satisfying my quest to be true to me, I’m game for exploring the unknown and have all the patience in the world to deal with my special students.  I love being surrounded by their innocence and energy and enjoy challenging them to strive for the best.  This is the productive period of my service, where all the stars have aligned and everything is going to plan!

That said I cannot wait to go home for a break!  So much has happened/is happening in my family right now and it’s tough being so far away, but I’m here for a reason and by golly I’ll fight tooth and nail to see it through.

 T-minus 44 days until I’m stateside, get ready to mange!! 

The Adventures of Phoebe & Shruti

I digress from my professional and personal reflection, but I promise it’s a good story.

What can I tell you about last night?  Well, it started off pretty good.  Made a whole tray of egg muffins, (a week’s worth of breakfast), skyped with my family, read a few pages from the GRE book and made egg-less chocolate chip cookie dough for dinner.  Pretty fantastic. The not so fantastic part: being locked out of my bedroom and bathroom for half the night.  

11 pm:  Muffins baked, family addressed, books read, cookie dough devoured, check, check, check, and check.  Bed time!

Feed the cat

Turn off all the lights.

Lock the doors

Alright, Tuesday, I’m ready for you!

Attempt to get into bedroom, no such luck.

The door’s locked?

How?

When?

WHY!

Plan A:  Key, must find the key.  Wait, what key? Okay, don’t have the key to the door.

Plan B:  Try the door to the guest bedroom.  Locked, no key. Okay.

Plan C:  Go outside, and open bedroom door on the veranda. Keys to said door locked in bedroom. Shit.

12 am:  call Megan (PCV) Help! Cultural dilemma! Landlady didn't give me all the keys to the doors! Grenadians go to sleep at 8 pm, do I call her and wake her up? YES! Forget the bed, you’re going to need the bathroom. Great, so much for being a mature adult responsible enough to have her own apartment.

…15 calls to landlady….still locked out. Okay, well, I have my computer, and the internet works.  Google will help me!

Search:  How to unlock bedroom door without key (Google’s awesome)

Research

Attempt to dig a butter knife into the door latch. Fail. Fail. Fail.

Call landlady. Success! She has the keys!

Thanks for coming over at 1 am! How did you do this!! I don’t know!  Help me fix it!

No luck.  She doesn’t have the keys either. Attempt to break into my bedroom from the veranda. Banging arouses neighbor, Junior.

Junior: Shruti, what’s going on? Locked out. Great, do you need my help? YES! Bring your crowbar!

Continue to attempt to break into my bedroom from outside, no luck.

Alright, let’s go back inside.

Attempt to wrench inside door with crowbar.  No success.

Decided:  drill hole in wall to unlatch door. Okay, Junior, go get your tools.

Wait! I like that door! Don’t destroy it! Back to butter knife technique. Nudge. Nudge. Nudge. Click!

2 am:  Success!

Thank you Google.

Surreal Experiences

One of my favorite things about being a Peace Corps volunteer is that about eighty percent of my job depends on what I want to do.  Peace Corps assigns a primary worksite, for me this is the elementary school where I am starting a remedial reading program, but beyond that I have the freedom to do whatever I want.  As many of you know, giving me this much free time is a bad idea.  I’ve been a volunteer for a month and have already met the right people.  Let’s start the story telling!

The last four weeks have been extremely hectic.  Work has been pretty relaxed.  I’ve spent the last three weeks administering the GRS, Grenada Reading Screen, to recommended students.  The screen is a pretty cool test put together by former Peace Corps volunteers and Grenada’s Ministry of Education.  Essentially, it evaluates the student’s reading capacity based on oral vocabulary, auditory and visual discrimination, letter identification, phonemic awareness, reading comprehension, and writing.  Yeah, it’s a lot for the kids to take in, but it helps me decide which of the fifty recommended kids need the most attention.   Picking fifteen kids out of a pool of fifty makes me feel extremely guilty, I mean who am I decide which kids qualify?  But, the decisions have been made, and I officially started teaching! How crazy is that? Parents, watch out, this PCV is going to make your kids work, work, work!

Besides work, I’ve been lucky enough to meet the most wonderful woman on the island, and she’s keeping me busy.  When I first got my invitation to serve in Grenada, my dad went crazy researching, and was ecstatic to come on across this organization, http://www.indo-grenadian.org/, The Indo Grenadian Heritage Foundation.  Guess who’s serving on the board? Yup, wonderful woman friend!   She herself is a descendent of a Grenadian Indian and has made it her personal goal to preserve and promote Grenada’s Indian heritage.  One of her many projects on island include organizing an Indian classical dance classes in Manipuri, via the Indian Embassy in Trinidad & Tobago.  While the prevalence of these classes depends on the Trini calendar of events, the Grenadian women enjoy each and every class and are committed to learning the intricate technique.

In addition to taking these classes I’ve already had the opportunity to perform.  I still can’t believe how fast everything happened.  On 1 May 1857, the ship Maidstone landed in Irwing Bay, Grenada carrying the very first batch on Indian indentured servants.   These were the ancestors of the most the Indians living in Grenada today.  The Indo-Grenadian Heritage foundation annually celebrates their arrival and history.  This year they hosted a fundraiser lunch and performance and erected a plaque on the beach where the Maidstone landed.  What I didn’t realize when I agreed to put together a few pieces for this event was how official the event was.  We danced for the Prime Minister of Grenada, Grenada’s opposition leader, and the High Commissioner of India to Grenada, wowzers.  Furthermore, being surrounded by a population of Indian Grenadians was mind boggling.  I mean you could really see a mix of the cultures.  The traditional Indian culture manifested in the clothes and rituals, but the Grenadian was present in the names and society.  This group of people is definitely Grenadian, but they share the same history that I do.  We’re from the same people yet have culturally evolved in two distinct ways.  I love how much of an effort is being made to preserve the Indian ancestry and can’t wait to become a part of the endeavor.  I do have to say that I am grateful for the presence of Indian food and spices.  It has made transitioning a little bit easier because it’s like I’ve brought a little bit of home here with me.

Callaloo, Mango, & Lentils:  What I've been eating for the past month

Irwing Bay in Sauters, St. Patrick's, Grenada Where the Maidstone first landed bringing Indian indentured servants to Grenada

High Commissioner 

Prime Minister of Grenada Hr. Tillman Thomas

Sam, a fellow PCV recruited to perform & Debolina Paul, our Manipuri instructor  in front of the newly erected plaque