My apologies for not posting this sooner- However things have been a little crazy for us this past month. As most of you know Will and I decided to terminate our Peace Corps experience. We thought long and hard about this decision and for those of you who know us the most know what a difficult decision this was for us. We spent almost a month praying and talking about our situation and finally decided it would be the best for both of us to leave. If you ever want the full story we can always hook up for coffee or something and talk about it. With that decision being made a whirlwind of events followed:
1. Will was hired as the Agricultural Teacher at Meridian High School- he'll be teaching vocational agriculture classes to high school students (he of course couldn't be more excited). It is such a blessing for him to have a job in such hard economic times
2. We moved back to Idaho and began readjusting to life in the United States
3. Will's parents are being evicted from their home because the state of Idaho bought their house/property and will be building a freeway right over 35 years of Schumaker memories. Therefore they have 30 days to get out and find a new place to live- We have spent countless hours helping them pack, tear down barns, sheds, and fences.
4. We are finally getting around to seeing close family and friends. One of the hardest adjustments was being so overwhelmed with being home. I felt socially awkward, having missed out on the last 10 months I couldn't relate to the latest fads and material things nor to be honest did I really care :)
5. SO MUCH FOOD! We have eaten so many different things since being back I've been sick sick sick! I love all the options we have though and of course am grateful to have food
6. We've been living here, there, and everywhere. We of course are extremely grateful for everyone that has opened their home for us or offered for us to stay with them
7. We've been camping twice- once to Sumpter Oregon and again to Silver City Idaho- I LOVE AND MISSED THE GREAT OUTDOORS!
8. I have helped my grandma plant a flippin sweet garden. By the end of summer we'll be feasting on corn, onions, tomatoes, squash, watermelon, bell pepper, jalepeno's, potatos, radishes, lettuce, zuchinni, and artichokes.
This Jamaican experience has truly made us realize how grateful we are for all those small things in life. Together we grew closer to god, our family, and friends. We learned a lot about a develping country and wouldn't change any part of the experience. We can't wait to see all of you we've missed over the last year and of course are looking forward to a new chapter in our lives.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
My Husband is totally boss...
He's the cheese to my Easter Bun! If only I liked Bun and Cheese... However this is one Easter tradition that's huge in Jamaica. Everyone goes out and buys their Easter Bun and Cheese. Seen on the left is our Easter Bun and cheese- The bun is delicious by itself- It has raisins and is kind of like sweet spice bread. The cheese however is warm, processed, and has a weird smell (this of course is my opinion!) So together I'm not a fan of this Easter Bun and Cheese business!As some of you know we headed to good ol Powell Plaza for our Easter Festivities.
We got some much needed R&R. Went to the pool almost every day, hung out with the Hunters, talked with our families at home, ate a yummy Easter dinner, and colored Easter Eggs (which I'm quite proud of :) Of course we have brown eggs here and no Easter egg coloring kit. So we were forced to get creative. Jesse found some recipes for natural Easter egg colorings- We used blueberry juice, coffee, kool-aid, boiled carrot for orange color, and sadly did have to stoop to using green food coloring. However our eggs turned out pretty sweet.Finally we have some very pretty Easter Lily's growing at our host mother's house. They are beautiful so I thought I would share them with you all!
Hope you all had a Happy Easter- Love and Miss You!
Hope you all had a Happy Easter- Love and Miss You!Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Weird, Crazy, Funk......?
I didn't really know what to write these last couple weeks nor do I really know what to write now??! I will begin with some news that shook us the night before last. A friend that we work with on the Moringa project called us and said, "John Jay is missing have you heard from him or seen him?" I replied No and waited to hear of any more news. The following morning we received the phone call that he committed suicide.
Will and I stayed with John J and his family a couple months ago while working on the Moringa project. Words can't express how shocked we are. Will and I talked about how great of a family they were. Sitting down for dinner together, talking about the day, attending football games, and working on homework together. It is something that is hard for both of us to understand and cope with. Such a loving family man gone in just the blink of an eye. Here is the link to an article in the paper... I just don't really know what else to say right now? http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/html/20090407T200000-0500_149064_OBS_MANCHESTER_MOURNS_PASSING_OF_LEADING_BUSINESSMAN.asp
Of course when it rains it pours...therefore more depressing news. I went to visit the school garden yesterday and was saddened to see that it wasn't doing so well. The kids planted some seeds in seed trays a few weeks back- but someone neglected to water them. Therefore as of right now we will not be planting cabbage or cucumbers in the garden. Also someone accidentally left the gate open and a cow decided to go in and munch on corn and lettuce. The kids and I weeded what is left of their garden and talked about taking better care of it- I also found out the kids didn't plant the peas nor are they taking care of them. The principal hired someone to do it. I was saddened and upset with this realization. I suppose this is to be expected when doing development work ;)
Will's crop estimate program is sort-of off the ground. He turned in the necessary program but later found out they already had a program that they had created years ago- This program however doesn't calculate the monthly and yearly totals or carry over the crop data from month to month- which leaves the extension officer to calculate that. The program Will developed does all of that. When they came to do the training on the "new" program it happened to be the old one. Our extension officers were frustrated because they had taken two steps forward only to take four steps back. I suppose this is to be expected when doing development work ;)
On a lighter note- Last weekend we were able to hit up Treasure Beach and get some much needed relaxation. We both have some major sunburns- and we even applied sun screen- the sun must have been brutal! We enjoyed some yummy pizza and took a breather from this weird, crazy, sad, past couple weeks we've been having.
Will and I stayed with John J and his family a couple months ago while working on the Moringa project. Words can't express how shocked we are. Will and I talked about how great of a family they were. Sitting down for dinner together, talking about the day, attending football games, and working on homework together. It is something that is hard for both of us to understand and cope with. Such a loving family man gone in just the blink of an eye. Here is the link to an article in the paper... I just don't really know what else to say right now? http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/html/20090407T200000-0500_149064_OBS_MANCHESTER_MOURNS_PASSING_OF_LEADING_BUSINESSMAN.asp
Of course when it rains it pours...therefore more depressing news. I went to visit the school garden yesterday and was saddened to see that it wasn't doing so well. The kids planted some seeds in seed trays a few weeks back- but someone neglected to water them. Therefore as of right now we will not be planting cabbage or cucumbers in the garden. Also someone accidentally left the gate open and a cow decided to go in and munch on corn and lettuce. The kids and I weeded what is left of their garden and talked about taking better care of it- I also found out the kids didn't plant the peas nor are they taking care of them. The principal hired someone to do it. I was saddened and upset with this realization. I suppose this is to be expected when doing development work ;)
Will's crop estimate program is sort-of off the ground. He turned in the necessary program but later found out they already had a program that they had created years ago- This program however doesn't calculate the monthly and yearly totals or carry over the crop data from month to month- which leaves the extension officer to calculate that. The program Will developed does all of that. When they came to do the training on the "new" program it happened to be the old one. Our extension officers were frustrated because they had taken two steps forward only to take four steps back. I suppose this is to be expected when doing development work ;)
On a lighter note- Last weekend we were able to hit up Treasure Beach and get some much needed relaxation. We both have some major sunburns- and we even applied sun screen- the sun must have been brutal! We enjoyed some yummy pizza and took a breather from this weird, crazy, sad, past couple weeks we've been having.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Five Events in One GIANT Post!
Holy moly what an eventful last two weeks! It began with a trip to Kingston to meet our friends Josh and Jesse for what appears to be Josh's Birth Month! I had a SPA meeting but Will and the Hunters went to tour the Red Stripe Factory. The tour was free but no samples of good ol Red Stripe. Here are a few pictures of the tour:
It is also important to mention that the Red Stripe Factory recently won an award for being Environmentally friendly- Will said it was extremely clean and that they're trying to find new ways to reuse some of their waste products- WAY TO GO RED STRIPE!
On that trip we were also able to pick up two packages- one from Nick and Joy along with our Christmas Present from Cisco and Kaui (We saw it was postmarked December 31- don't ask me why it took so long to get here!) what a nice surprise! We loved the shirts and pictures! A certain object in Nick and Joy's package brings me to my next story.
As all of our faithful readers know-
I now have a flippin sweet school garden at Holland Primary- last week I went back to see how the kids were doing and just to make sure they were taking care of the garden. To my amazement they are not only taking care of the garden but they also planted about 10 rows of black eyed peas! WHOA! I had some spare corn seeds along with some cucumber and cabbage seeds I wanted to put in seed trays so the kids started working on all that- Once we were finished I explained to the kids where I went to college in the states and that each school has a school mascot- I then proceeded to show them Joe Vandal (a gift from Nick and Joy) the kids absolutely loved him- I then told him that I would like to take a picture of them with Joe Vandal- for Joe Travels- of course the kids love having their picture taken. I thought this picture was especially funny, mostly because one little boy is holding his pitchfork while the other one next to Joe has this terrified look on his face (mostly because he's getting shoved out of the picture) and of course you have to love the guy in the back, just throwing his arms up in the air! Thank you Nick and Joy for sending that- everywhere Joe goes it seems like people love it!
I also had another compost training with another woman's group. I won't go into too much detail- there were about 10 women there. It was a lot of fun to do another training with women interested in Agriculture.
We also attended 4-H achievement day for St. Elizabeth. We were supposed to be judges for various events however we managed to get lost on the list. At the last minute they asked me to help judge the Environment Challenge so it wasn't a complete wasted day. I have some pictures of the days events...There was a Ferris wheel (looked old dangerous and had a hand crank), a man with a mullet, a cheer leading performance and a display about water and the environment!
Finally this last weekend I went caving with the Jamaican Caving Organization. I was so excited to go but hurried to pack my stuff because I was running late- well I forgot to charge my camera battery! Grr.... However I had a blast. We went to Smoky Hole- the deepest cave in Jamaica at nearly 200 meters. We descended down about 50 meters (165 ft) since it was my first time caving with them and ascended back up. I went back the next day to do it again- what a rush and thrill- It was amazing, breathtaking, beautiful, and totally AWESOME! Andy Kolb- a PCV was there and took some pretty sweet pictures of me descending down, some of the group, and playing dominoes in a rum bar along with the aftermath of some flippin sweet caving bruises.
It is also important to mention that the Red Stripe Factory recently won an award for being Environmentally friendly- Will said it was extremely clean and that they're trying to find new ways to reuse some of their waste products- WAY TO GO RED STRIPE!
On that trip we were also able to pick up two packages- one from Nick and Joy along with our Christmas Present from Cisco and Kaui (We saw it was postmarked December 31- don't ask me why it took so long to get here!) what a nice surprise! We loved the shirts and pictures! A certain object in Nick and Joy's package brings me to my next story.
As all of our faithful readers know-
I now have a flippin sweet school garden at Holland Primary- last week I went back to see how the kids were doing and just to make sure they were taking care of the garden. To my amazement they are not only taking care of the garden but they also planted about 10 rows of black eyed peas! WHOA! I had some spare corn seeds along with some cucumber and cabbage seeds I wanted to put in seed trays so the kids started working on all that- Once we were finished I explained to the kids where I went to college in the states and that each school has a school mascot- I then proceeded to show them Joe Vandal (a gift from Nick and Joy) the kids absolutely loved him- I then told him that I would like to take a picture of them with Joe Vandal- for Joe Travels- of course the kids love having their picture taken. I thought this picture was especially funny, mostly because one little boy is holding his pitchfork while the other one next to Joe has this terrified look on his face (mostly because he's getting shoved out of the picture) and of course you have to love the guy in the back, just throwing his arms up in the air! Thank you Nick and Joy for sending that- everywhere Joe goes it seems like people love it!
I also had another compost training with another woman's group. I won't go into too much detail- there were about 10 women there. It was a lot of fun to do another training with women interested in Agriculture.
Finally this last weekend I went caving with the Jamaican Caving Organization. I was so excited to go but hurried to pack my stuff because I was running late- well I forgot to charge my camera battery! Grr.... However I had a blast. We went to Smoky Hole- the deepest cave in Jamaica at nearly 200 meters. We descended down about 50 meters (165 ft) since it was my first time caving with them and ascended back up. I went back the next day to do it again- what a rush and thrill- It was amazing, breathtaking, beautiful, and totally AWESOME! Andy Kolb- a PCV was there and took some pretty sweet pictures of me descending down, some of the group, and playing dominoes in a rum bar along with the aftermath of some flippin sweet caving bruises.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Progress....finally Progress
What can I say....things are falling into place! Is it real- boy I sure hope so! Last week was busy with little tasks here and there. As you read in the previous post I was able to give a talk to about 160 kids about Peace Day and my role as a Peace Corps Volunteer.
On Wednesday I was able to do my very first farmer training! It was great! This is something I had always kind of hoped I would be doing- working directly with farmers. I did two different trainings to farmers that grow hot peppers. The first was on Biological Pest Controls- how to control pests in a more natural way rather than using pesticides and other harmful chemicals. The second training was on why it's important to keep farm records. There were about 20 farmers at the training. It was at a hot pepper farm, very hands on, and the farmers were very interested in everything each presenter had to offer. What a GREAT DAY!
<-- Holland Primary School Kids
On Thursday- one of my small dreams came true- We finally did some planting at the primary school in Holland! I have three blisters on my hand which are very painful but totally worth it! Will also came to help and together we helped the kids prepare the ground, carry water, and plant callaloo, lettuce, and corn. I also have some cucumbers and cabbage to plant but we had to start those seeds in small trays.
It was inspiring to see so many kids out using the tools to prepare the ground, carry bucket after bucket of water, and get their hands muddy and dirty all in the name of FARMING! Of course it was a hard day because it was not the mechanized farming we're so used to. Instead we had to take a pitch fork, shovel, hoe, and pick to agitate and dig up the soil- oh the pain!
Will is setting up several Production and Marketing organizations with computers and will soon start doing trainings on basic computer skills. He will also train them how to keep accurate farm records on the computer. He has also been busily working with the head RADA office in Kingston to get his Crop Estimates program off the ground- hopefully next month there will be a system online that the entire island will be trained on- all courtesy of my amazing husband!
I need to take a deep breath.....okay! So as you can tell things are really starting to pick up for both of us! We're taking baby steps and being patient, understanding, and above all cooperative. I can't even put into words how much this experience has changed Will and I. We have grown so much as people together individually and in our marriage. I see Will becoming more confident in himself and the ways of Jamaican culture and I'm learning to not take everything so seriously- I can't change the world but by golly I can make a difference in a few peoples lives and I am content with that! We just have to sit back, take a deep breath, and learn to laugh at our mistakes and celebrate those small victories.
On Wednesday I was able to do my very first farmer training! It was great! This is something I had always kind of hoped I would be doing- working directly with farmers. I did two different trainings to farmers that grow hot peppers. The first was on Biological Pest Controls- how to control pests in a more natural way rather than using pesticides and other harmful chemicals. The second training was on why it's important to keep farm records. There were about 20 farmers at the training. It was at a hot pepper farm, very hands on, and the farmers were very interested in everything each presenter had to offer. What a GREAT DAY!
<-- Holland Primary School KidsOn Thursday- one of my small dreams came true- We finally did some planting at the primary school in Holland! I have three blisters on my hand which are very painful but totally worth it! Will also came to help and together we helped the kids prepare the ground, carry water, and plant callaloo, lettuce, and corn. I also have some cucumbers and cabbage to plant but we had to start those seeds in small trays.
It was inspiring to see so many kids out using the tools to prepare the ground, carry bucket after bucket of water, and get their hands muddy and dirty all in the name of FARMING! Of course it was a hard day because it was not the mechanized farming we're so used to. Instead we had to take a pitch fork, shovel, hoe, and pick to agitate and dig up the soil- oh the pain!Will is setting up several Production and Marketing organizations with computers and will soon start doing trainings on basic computer skills. He will also train them how to keep accurate farm records on the computer. He has also been busily working with the head RADA office in Kingston to get his Crop Estimates program off the ground- hopefully next month there will be a system online that the entire island will be trained on- all courtesy of my amazing husband!
I need to take a deep breath.....okay! So as you can tell things are really starting to pick up for both of us! We're taking baby steps and being patient, understanding, and above all cooperative. I can't even put into words how much this experience has changed Will and I. We have grown so much as people together individually and in our marriage. I see Will becoming more confident in himself and the ways of Jamaican culture and I'm learning to not take everything so seriously- I can't change the world but by golly I can make a difference in a few peoples lives and I am content with that! We just have to sit back, take a deep breath, and learn to laugh at our mistakes and celebrate those small victories.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Peace Day in JAMAICA!
Today Jamaica celebrates Peace Day! I was slightly unaware that schools would take such an active role in the day! I was in Beeston Springs working with some organic farmers and was asked to present to the Beeston Springs All Age School. They wanted me to talk about the meaning of Peace and what it's like being a Peace Corps Volunteer. It was exciting to talk to the youth and have them be so interested in what i'm doing in Jamaica.
It feels like Will and I are finally turning a corner- this could be the part of the roller coaster ride where we're slowly ticking up only to fall down again drastically however we're feeling pretty confident in ourselves lately. While people aren't banging down our door to recieve assistance and technical advice people are asking us to do trainings here and there and seem to be more and more interested in the things we can help them with.
In other news we have decided to move out of our current home. We found a small house in the same neighborhood that hopefully we'll be moving into by the end of the month. We're really excited to finally have our own little place to call home with our own kitchen, living room, bedroom, and bathroom. Pictures Soon Come!
This is a short and sweet post- but with it being Peace Day I can't help but leave you all with a final thought! "If I have been of service, if I have glimpsed more of the nature and essence of ultimate good, if I am inspired to reach wider horizons of thought and action, if I am at peace with myself, it has been a successful day."Alex Noble
Peace!
It feels like Will and I are finally turning a corner- this could be the part of the roller coaster ride where we're slowly ticking up only to fall down again drastically however we're feeling pretty confident in ourselves lately. While people aren't banging down our door to recieve assistance and technical advice people are asking us to do trainings here and there and seem to be more and more interested in the things we can help them with.
In other news we have decided to move out of our current home. We found a small house in the same neighborhood that hopefully we'll be moving into by the end of the month. We're really excited to finally have our own little place to call home with our own kitchen, living room, bedroom, and bathroom. Pictures Soon Come!
This is a short and sweet post- but with it being Peace Day I can't help but leave you all with a final thought! "If I have been of service, if I have glimpsed more of the nature and essence of ultimate good, if I am inspired to reach wider horizons of thought and action, if I am at peace with myself, it has been a successful day."Alex Noble
Peace!
Monday, February 23, 2009
It's Official...We're MAC Snobs!
Actually we're not really however both of our computers kinda took a dive so we were forced to buy a new laptop...after a lot of research we decided to buy a MacBook! This thing is seriously amazing! The design and thought put into this machine is great. Every last detail was thought out and designed so well! Need I say more...I need to also comment on the last post we made...it was not in any way intended for you to feel sorry for us, the only reason we posted it was for you all to see some of the daily frustrations we have. Someday there will be a list of all the great things about Peace Corps so you can all continue to wait in "wide eyed anticipation!"
This past week was filled with extreme highs and lows...contemplating going home only to have immense feelings of satisfaction and gratefulness! This roller coaster ride is unlike anything Will or I has experienced- we're grateful for everything we've experienced thus far and look forward to the many more things god has in store for us- there truly is a reason for the path we've followed and a reason for being here even though we may not see the light at the end of the tunnel!
We had another great time in Kingston this last weekend. Not only did our friends Josh and Jesse bring us back our cool MAC they also came bearing several other gifts...starbucks, sweeties, underwear, socks, shirts, pants, slipper socks, balsamic vinegar, and cards! I love Christmas in February! We were also able to go see a movie for the first time since being in Jamaica. We got the boys to go see a chick flick with us..."He's just not that into you!" They played the national anthem before the movie and half way through we had intermission for drinks and snacks! It was one of those few moments were I felt like a normal human being once again!
On Saturday we were able to go to Black River and take a boat out to a place known as Peilcan Bar- it's out in the Carribbean Sea. It was not at all what I expected but was so much fun- soaking in some sun and relaxing after a long week!
As most of you know we'll be home to visit in July- I know this is a long ways away however everyone needs plenty of notice! We will be in Moscow for Erin and Michaels wedding and in Boise to visit with our family and friends- We look forward to seeing anyone and everyone that will be in the area! As always we love and miss you all- Thanks for all the great comments you continue to leave on our blog- We really appreciate it!
P.S. There are updated photos on our flickr link! Go check em out!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Why it's hard to be a Peace Corps Volunteer
*Being treated like you’re ignorant and incompetent
*Living in a fish bowl
*Being stood up over and over again
*Anything that goes wrong is always your fault
*Constantly feeling like you don’t belong no matter how integrated you are
*Setting aside your morals and values- they may not be culturally acceptable
*Being treated like a child
*It’s DAMN FRUSTRATING!
*Not feeling like you have accomplished anything
*No clear path or objective
*Being talked down upon
*Trying to explain your purpose and nobody really cares or wants to listen
*People begging you for money and wanting material things from you
*Not being able to feel safe and secure
*Thinking too much about what you’re doing wrong instead of what you might be doing right
*Being bored and trying to find new ways to pass the time
*Missing our families and friends
*Feeling like you are a nobody
*Lack of support
*Trying to find good, sustainable, and valuable work
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Ticks, Toads, and Roaches
These are just a few of the friendly creatures we've encountered this week. A toad found his way into our house- We kindly showed him the door back outside- not a huge deal. He was actually kinda cute! However the big story is the stupid roach that came inside- I told Will there was a roach on the wall so he went and got the bug spray and fly swatter (we have a routine figured out). Will hit the roach with his swatter and instead of it falling to the ground it flew onto my leg- Will started swatting my leg and spraying me with bug spray- of course I was screaming like a little sissy the entire time! At least we killed the nasty thing. The final creature came to us while we were out visiting some organic farmers. We managed to get into some ticks (uol eap a tick about 20-25)- well Will mostly- It made me quite happy because we could go home and well...I could check him for ticks!As for work we're starting to get some things going- however we're trying not to get our hopes up just yet. Will is still working very hard on the crop estimates program with the extension officers and the head office. He has a meeting in Kingston on Friday to hopefully get a program created on the web and train the entire island on it. He is also working on getting farmers connected by providing some computers to PMO (Production and Marketing Organizations) groups. This will help them keep better and more accurate farm records, connect them to current farm gate prices so they know when and what to grow, and a data bank of current production costs for all the crops that can be grown in Jamaica.
I am still trying to get my school garden up and running. A student at the school where I work was killed two weeks ago by a motor vehicle therefore the school and parents are grieving. He will be buried this Saturday, a very sad accident. My biggest project that I'm hoping to get off the ground is a community center in Malvern- a town in the Santa Cruz mountains. Currently there is a facility in place but it needs a new roof and doors along with toilets, sinks, and a refrigerator. It is my hope to work with the community to repair the center and then run a small business out of it. I would be working with women that need a source of income. I have identified a market for goats milk soap- therefore I will teach the women how to make the soap and provide them with an income every month. It is also my hope to add a small computer lab in the center along with space for meetings and other various events in the community. Finally I've also been helping out with 4-H. Right now they're doing an Environmental Challenge- so I have been working with a couple schools to help them complete their projects and of course learn more about the environment- this years theme: Water is Life, Protect and Preserve It!
The above picture is a field of sugar cane that we visited in Elam- a community not far from Santa Cruz- Pictured below from left to right :
--I find that by doing yoga not only do I feel more grounded but it helps keep me more sane!
--I made homemade pizza last night- It tasted so good- I know it doesn't look gourmet- Thanks Jesse for the crust recipe
--Will must have found some more ticks- maybe it's his way of telling me that he loves me!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
END OF THE MONTH!
We still don’t have power back at our office! Now it has been almost 4 weeks! I’m told it’s because RADA is a government organization and I need not explain the rest….so that is that :)
Yesterday Will and I had the pleasure of escorting some Cubans around St. Elizabeth. We had a lot of fun talking with them and showing them how farming is done in Jamaica. They will be helping Jamaica in the months to come with some technical advice on how to use better farming techniques. 
Their goal yesterday was to go around and see how things are currently being done! We took them to several farms that have irrigation, farms that don’t have irrigation, livestock operations, and one of five pumping stations in the lower part of St. Elizabeth. The best part of this entire experience…a gift from the Cubans…some FINE CIGARS! We were so excited to receive these and are looking forward to a special occasion where we can light them up! (i.e. maybe Josh Hunters B-Day???)
Today I had my very first compost training with the women’s group that I work with in Malvern! It was a lot of fun. I trained about 15 women. I’m looking forward to more things to come from this group. (pictured below is the training)
----Rent- this costs Will and I $14,000J which is $165 U.S Dollars
----Internet- $2,000J which is $23.50 per month
----Food- The grocery store can be really expensive! Usually with any given month Will and I spend about $18,000J or $212 US on food, toiletries, cleaning supplies, etc. We went to the market yesterday and purchased:
**Potato’s- $60J per pound or 70 cents US
**Cucumber- $70J per Pound or 82 cents US
**Carrot- $70J per pound or 82 cents US
**Escallion and Thyme- $50J a bundle or 58 cents US
**Garlic- 9 cloves for $60J or 70 cents US
**Tomato- $60J per pound or 70 cents US
**Bell Pepper- $150 per pound or $1.76 US (the price of peppers is up because the demand is so high and there is a shortage right now)
**We buy our meat from the Agriculture school which costs us about $3,000J per month or $36 US- we buy pork, chicken, and beef from them and it lasts us all month long.
----Transportation for the month-
**A trip to Kingston costs us: $400J or $4.70 US to ride the bus from Santa to Kingston (the bus has a capacity of 25 but we manage to fit about 43-45 people)
**Once in Kingston there are route taxis or Chartered taxis- we usually try to take a route taxi which can charge $50J-100J ($60 cents US- $1.20) the problem with these is you have to “small up “which means squeeze as many in as possible. Our personal best is 9 in a taxi including the driver.
These are all rough estimates but as you can see the money is gone just like that and the next month we start all over again!
Yesterday Will and I had the pleasure of escorting some Cubans around St. Elizabeth. We had a lot of fun talking with them and showing them how farming is done in Jamaica. They will be helping Jamaica in the months to come with some technical advice on how to use better farming techniques. 
Their goal yesterday was to go around and see how things are currently being done! We took them to several farms that have irrigation, farms that don’t have irrigation, livestock operations, and one of five pumping stations in the lower part of St. Elizabeth. The best part of this entire experience…a gift from the Cubans…some FINE CIGARS! We were so excited to receive these and are looking forward to a special occasion where we can light them up! (i.e. maybe Josh Hunters B-Day???)
Today I had my very first compost training with the women’s group that I work with in Malvern! It was a lot of fun. I trained about 15 women. I’m looking forward to more things to come from this group. (pictured below is the training)
----Rent- this costs Will and I $14,000J which is $165 U.S Dollars
----Internet- $2,000J which is $23.50 per month
----Food- The grocery store can be really expensive! Usually with any given month Will and I spend about $18,000J or $212 US on food, toiletries, cleaning supplies, etc. We went to the market yesterday and purchased:
**Potato’s- $60J per pound or 70 cents US
**Cucumber- $70J per Pound or 82 cents US
**Carrot- $70J per pound or 82 cents US
**Escallion and Thyme- $50J a bundle or 58 cents US
**Garlic- 9 cloves for $60J or 70 cents US
**Tomato- $60J per pound or 70 cents US
**Bell Pepper- $150 per pound or $1.76 US (the price of peppers is up because the demand is so high and there is a shortage right now)
**We buy our meat from the Agriculture school which costs us about $3,000J per month or $36 US- we buy pork, chicken, and beef from them and it lasts us all month long.
----Transportation for the month-
**A trip to Kingston costs us: $400J or $4.70 US to ride the bus from Santa to Kingston (the bus has a capacity of 25 but we manage to fit about 43-45 people)
**Once in Kingston there are route taxis or Chartered taxis- we usually try to take a route taxi which can charge $50J-100J ($60 cents US- $1.20) the problem with these is you have to “small up “which means squeeze as many in as possible. Our personal best is 9 in a taxi including the driver.
These are all rough estimates but as you can see the money is gone just like that and the next month we start all over again!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Extra Extra Read All About It....
This was the headline in the Observer- a Jamaican Newspaper! I just have to post this because in the midst of a global crisis this is what makes headlines! The article talks about prostitutes having to lower their prices because people can't afford to pay what they were previously charging...why you might ask...well the world is in a crisis. I might be the only one who finds this funny (not the fact that the world is in a crisis but the fact that prostitutes make the front page of a newspaper claiming they have to lower prices to make a living) so please forgive me if you don't find the humor in it!-- A little side note- Prostitution is ILLEGAL in Jamaica ;)Our office still doesn't have power...tomorrow marks two weeks! When they say things move slow in the Caribbean it's not a joke! They get to it when they get to it! That leaves Will and I going to four hour meetings-- yes I said it- 4 HOUR MEETINGS!!! Don't ask me why because I can't truly explain the rationale behind it. Am I integrated...well yes I would like to think so however there are some things I still don't understand and probably never will!
A short and sweet post- headed to Kingston tomorrow! Pizza Hut is calling our names....and some meetings too! Love you ALL!
Friday, January 16, 2009
Rats and Roaches....
After arriving home from our Christmas Holiday in Portland, we had an unpleasant and unexpected house warming gift. We went into the kitchen one morning to find a half eaten tomato and little doo doo everywhere. When Andrea was doing dishes she heard something moving around in a plastic bag on top of the cabinets. You could tell by how loud it was being that it was not a little lizard as may be expected. Andrea decided that she should wait until someone got out of the shower before she ventured back into the kitchen to see for sure what it was. When Ms. Brooks finally got out of the shower and came back into the kitchen, she asked Andrea why she was standing looking into the kitchen. Andrea told her that she heard something moving in the bag on top of the cabinet. At that point Ms. Brooks being the brave soul that she is climbed on top of a stool with a broom and began moving the bag around in an effort to get the little creature out of the bag. Next thing I knew, some one was screaming bloody murder. I quickly rinsed off, jumped out of the shower and went to see who had been shot. Too my surprise it was just Andrea and Ms. Brooks. They told me the entire story and said that the little or big rat according to them ran out of the bag and down the wall and out the window. They were shaking in their boots. Andrea had piddled herself and Ms. Brooks was on the ground in a fetal position. ---
Alright I (Andrea) had to take over this story because Will was getting a little out of hand…the "doo doo" as he puts it was getting a little too deep! So there was indeed a rat in our house and yes he was big, hairy, and nasty. We thought he went out the window but boy were we dead wrong. When we came home from work we found another half eaten tomato. Ms. Brooks put out some rat poison with peanut butter and we figured that night we would kill him. He ate the poison that night and survived! The next night we set a trap with a piece of cheese on it. The little bastard ate the cheese and managed to escape being caught. We found out he was in a bin on the back porch- we carefully took the bin outside and each grabbed a machete- when he came running out we would simply chop (kill) him with our machete’s. Easier said than done- the rat came flying out of the barrel and there I was chasing him through our back yard…the little shit escaped! I thought he would be smart enough to know that coming back into our house would be a bad idea…boy was I dead wrong…the next morning we woke up and found 3 half eaten tomato’s. We set the trap one last time- wrapped the cheese in plastic and tied it to the trap. Much to our surprise that night we caught him! I just hope he didn’t tell all of his friends about the great tomatoes in our house!
Will also found some roaches in the cupboard. It’s amazing because we’ve been here for almost 7 months and I am not as freaked out about them. He just sprayed them and that was that!
I would like to direct everyone to Grace’s final blog post. She was a Peace Corps Volunteer living about a block away from us. She left us the day before yesterday and I can’t quite put it as eloquently as she does so check it out at... http://iboughtapairofbirkenstocks.blogspot.com/ I just need her to know how much we will miss her! It was great getting to know her and having her bubbly personality around!
Lastly a big uop (thanks) to Gail and Luke for sending us a great care package with lots of bug spray and goodies we really appreciated it! Big uop to Lindsey and Brandon as well- they sent a nice package for Christmas too- more goodies! And the final Big uop goes out to my dad- he sent us a GREAT package with movies, popcorn, candy, and lotion! Finally I need to tell everyone thank you for sending us Christmas Cards: Michael and Erin, Grandma and Grandpa Hoobing, Grandma and Grandpa Farner, Annie and Steve, Jeannie and Terry Newlan, and Mario and Alice Reyes! We really appreciated them! Love to Everyone! We miss you all!
P.S. Will updated our photos on flickr so take a look- the link on the top right of the page labeled Schumaker Photos!
Alright I (Andrea) had to take over this story because Will was getting a little out of hand…the "doo doo" as he puts it was getting a little too deep! So there was indeed a rat in our house and yes he was big, hairy, and nasty. We thought he went out the window but boy were we dead wrong. When we came home from work we found another half eaten tomato. Ms. Brooks put out some rat poison with peanut butter and we figured that night we would kill him. He ate the poison that night and survived! The next night we set a trap with a piece of cheese on it. The little bastard ate the cheese and managed to escape being caught. We found out he was in a bin on the back porch- we carefully took the bin outside and each grabbed a machete- when he came running out we would simply chop (kill) him with our machete’s. Easier said than done- the rat came flying out of the barrel and there I was chasing him through our back yard…the little shit escaped! I thought he would be smart enough to know that coming back into our house would be a bad idea…boy was I dead wrong…the next morning we woke up and found 3 half eaten tomato’s. We set the trap one last time- wrapped the cheese in plastic and tied it to the trap. Much to our surprise that night we caught him! I just hope he didn’t tell all of his friends about the great tomatoes in our house!
Will also found some roaches in the cupboard. It’s amazing because we’ve been here for almost 7 months and I am not as freaked out about them. He just sprayed them and that was that!
I would like to direct everyone to Grace’s final blog post. She was a Peace Corps Volunteer living about a block away from us. She left us the day before yesterday and I can’t quite put it as eloquently as she does so check it out at... http://iboughtapairofbirkenstocks.blogspot.com/ I just need her to know how much we will miss her! It was great getting to know her and having her bubbly personality around!
Lastly a big uop (thanks) to Gail and Luke for sending us a great care package with lots of bug spray and goodies we really appreciated it! Big uop to Lindsey and Brandon as well- they sent a nice package for Christmas too- more goodies! And the final Big uop goes out to my dad- he sent us a GREAT package with movies, popcorn, candy, and lotion! Finally I need to tell everyone thank you for sending us Christmas Cards: Michael and Erin, Grandma and Grandpa Hoobing, Grandma and Grandpa Farner, Annie and Steve, Jeannie and Terry Newlan, and Mario and Alice Reyes! We really appreciated them! Love to Everyone! We miss you all!
P.S. Will updated our photos on flickr so take a look- the link on the top right of the page labeled Schumaker Photos!
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