We've got to keep on Moving....

First of all I need to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to WILLY! Well actually his Birthday was on December 4 but this was the earliest I could get something posted! I think, for the most part, he had a fabulous day! We were in Kingston taking care of “business” and decided to stay with our embassy friend Roger. He lives at Powell Plaza and has AC, hot water, internet, all the cable channels one can imagine, and a very comfy bed! It’s better than the way we were living in the U.S. (ahhh married housing at UI). For Will’s birthday we were able to eat at a fancy Italian restaurant- (uh yeah I said ITALIAN!) Will had pasta with smoked sausage and I had some yummy chicken alfredo with fettuccini…ahhh my mouth is watering just thinking about it! We shared this delightful experience with our favorite Tennessee”ians” We were also able to find some rainbow chip cake mix and frosting so Jesse and I baked a cake. At midnight we ate that yummy cake and Will opened his gifts!

(Josh really liked the CAKE!) -->

We returned to our site and decided that this slump we’re in needed to come to a screeching hault! This might sound easy however; admittedly this is the hardest thing Will or I have ever done…this Peace Corps business that is! We’ve decided that if our supervisor isn’t willing to work with us then we need to find our own things to do. On Friday I went to the 4-H office and was relieved to hear they needed my help. I will start working with them almost every Friday doing trainings for 4-H kids in agriculture, home economics, and the environment. On Monday we were pleasantly surprised with work…not real, tangible, Peace Corps, meeting goals work….but work! We went to a farmer’s house and helped him plant some onion seed. This leads me into my next lesson…..

Farming 101 Jamaica Style!

I watched the farmers take a machete and chop all the dead debris from the field. After doing so they raked it all into a pile, out of the field. Once finished they took their onion seed and scattered it about the field (I’m told there is a method to it). Once they spread the seed they got down on their hands and knees and used their machete to bury the seed. Carefully they would agitate the soil with their machete until they believed all the seed was covered. Once this tedious task was finished the farmers would take some guinea grass and cover all the soil.

Our job was to run a test plot and show them a more mechanized way to farm. A rotovator (commonly know to us as a rototiller) was purchased for this particular project along with a seed planter. A training session took place to show the farmers how to use the machinery and together we figured out how much time it took to till and plant 1/10 of an acre…I will go through later and do the math to figure out how long it will take to use this machinery on 1 acre. This will show farmers that by using the machinery they can cut their labor in half.

Other than that things are moving along…We’re really excited for Christmas but sad at the same time! We’re going to stay in Porti with Josh and Jesse which will be really fun however we’re going to miss everyone at home…especially the snow! I think it might be 85° here now….so cooling off! HAHA! Love you all!!!

P.S. This is the view from the top of Mandeville the mountain Northeast of us- therefore this is kind of an aerial view of where we live!

Finding the Words....

A couple weeks ago we traveled to Ocho Rios for Early Service Conference…a time to decompress and talk about the things we’ve been experiencing these past 4 months. On our way to Ocho we had quite an adventure. We reached a taxi stop in Albert Town and were told that we couldn’t go any further- the road was flooded up ahead! They told us to take a taxi back and find an alternate route. We had already been traveling for about 3 hours and didn’t really want to turn back. Thank goodness a taxi driver decided he would take us through the flooded water. They managed to cram us into a car including us 9 people in the car. Two men pushed us through waist high water for about a ¼ mile. I was laughing the entire time- I was sitting in the back of the hatchback car- Will was in the back seat with two other PCV’s Curt and Ryan. The car began to fill with water- by the time we were through the car had about 6 inches of water. They had us bail out of the car and began bucketing the water from the car. It gave me a good laugh for the day. The conference was frustrating mostly because Will and I don’t have a lot to share. We’ve had frustrations with our supervisor and finding work has been left up to us. It was inspiring though to hear that we’re not the only ones experiencing this. Another breakthrough was my husband becoming quite the singer. He decided that karaoke is his thing! He was singing some Myrle Haggerd- Okie from Muskogee and even sang- Ray Orbison- Crying Over You to me!

<-- thanks Josh and Jesse! I now have evidence!

The following week we returned to work revived and excited to try some new ways of communicating with our supervisor. On Monday we had a meeting with him. We had all of these great ideas- projects we could do within our organization and the parish. To make a long story short- we’re back at square one. We’ve even been told to do the work asked of us even though it doesn’t meet the goals of Peace Corps and then turn around and tell Peace Corps we’re doing what we’re supposed to be doing. That is not what we signed up for! I feel as though we’ve exhausted all of our resources and we still haven’t accomplished anything. We’re both mentally and physically exhausted running around in circles with our supervisor and our organization.

Living in a foreign country has had its fair share of frustrations and sometimes I just can’t find the words to describe what we’re going through on a daily basis. I mean we have internet access for the most part, we live in a nice house, we have a fan to keep us cool at night, and we’ve met a lot of wonderful people along the way. However there are times I could just pull my hair out! I understand this is all part of the experience therefore I won’t bore you with all the depressing things because I’ve come to realize that we signed up for Peace Corps. There will be bad days and really bad days. You will meet people who love the work you’re doing here and on the flip side you’ll meet people who could care less why you’re here or what you’re doing. There will be times when you’re rewarded and feel a sense of accomplishment but there will be times when you feel as though you’re useless and disposable. Don’t sweat the small stuff, love the journey you’re embarking on, let there be challenges and frustrations- they only make you stronger and build your character. Most of all have fun and take time for you!

Overall I think Will and I have decided to just let go and let Jamaica take what they want and need from us. Not for us to dictate what we give. Yet, we are also finding that you have to set boundaries and limitations to what you give, or else they will take everything you have and leave you frustrated, exhausted and longing to get away.

Thus, once again we struggle for balance and to find the courage to stay with it, because the rewards and satisfaction of knowing that you overcame a huge obstacle is what we have to remember.

As always we love and miss everyone! We really wanted to feast on some Thanksgiving turkey with our loved ones- as they say here- soon come! Love to All!

Wagawan en Jamaica?

One of my projects is to work at Holland Primary School on a school garden and environmental club project. This photo to the right is the group of fourth graders I work with, about 20 students. I work with grade 4, 5, and 6 totaling 60 students. This can be challenging in itself- 60 loud, crazy, but enthusiastic kids. The area we’re trying to start the garden still hasn’t been cleared. I’m quickly learning that if you want things done you have to do them yourself. Therefore- I’ve set a work day for the parents and children to come clear the garden. I’ve also written letters to the minister of state and 4-H asking for funding or supplies. Hopefully this will get the ball rolling.

This last weekend we went to Treasure Beach to work on the Moringa Project. The organization is bringing in a man from Africa who knows a lot about the project. He will give presentations to several organizations on island. This will hopefully give Moringa Farms the direction they need. They're looking at using the tree as an animal feed. Currently they’re running a study to document the nutritional value the plant has for animals. Will has been busily preparing for his visit with invitations, contact lists, and attending meetings. . Of course while in Treasure Beach we had to eat at Jack Sprats- the famous pizza place we commonly indulge in~ however almost every time we eat there it upsets our stomachs- this time was no different. We stayed the night with the woman who started the Moringa project in Jamaica- we played scrabble, ate yummy lamb sausage spaghetti, had wireless internet, took an early morning swim in the sea, and played with some absolutely adorable puppies.

There were 7 in total. I'm sure they were infested with heartworm and several other ailments but I couldn't keep my
hands off of them.

After a positive discussion with our supervisor about the inadequate amount of work, we came away feeling more confident about our two years of service. It has become clear that we must find the projects, funding, and expect to execute it on our own. Is this the goal of Peace Corps- I’m not sure- it is my understanding that we are supposed to hopefully work ourselves out of a job…work together with our agency to make a positive difference. That’s what we signed up for when we applied for Peace Corps. Often times we question our purpose here, I have come to realize that maybe it’s just our presence. There is a reason we received an invitation to serve in Jamaica- of all the places we could serve we were sent here and while it may not be crystal clear what our purpose is we have to be content with that fact (thanks Jesse).

After attending several meetings with fellow Jamaicans I have realized they aren’t looking for handouts- but they’ve come to expect it. At whose fault? Probably organizations that continually support them instead of expecting Jamaican’s to put their feet on the ground and become self sufficient. Some questions arise in these meetings about how things are going to be funded, who is going to take care of it and the attitude is that foreign agencies will do that. It’s an attitude that lacks gratitude but is consumed with anticipation from these foreign agencies. And if those agencies can’t or don’t follow through well then; “shame on you!” This at times can also be hard to swallow- as an american I have dollar signs written on my forehead.

I was finally able to make the national dish of Jamaica (pictured on the left)- Ackee and Saltfish- I have to admit it tasted pretty darn good- maybe it's because Will and I prepared it- self gratification!

As always we love and miss you all! Thank you for all of your continued love and support we greatly appreciate all of it!

Daily Struggles

Throughout our time here in Jamaica I have tried to remain extremely positive despite some of the things that occur in our daily lives. However I wouldn’t be doing any of our readers justice if I was always happy and bubbly. Right? I mean we’re human beings and everything isn’t always hunky dory!

This presidential election has made us realize a lot about not only American people but the world as a whole. Will and I struggled immensely with this election primarily because we couldn’t support either candidate 100%. We went back and forth, back and forth, and it was even more complicated not being in the United States amongst all the commotion. We were left to evaluate our thoughts with fellow Jamaicans. This at times was extremely frustrating because they thought if it wasn’t cut and dry for us to vote for Obama then we were racist. This is obviously not the case for us- why would we surround ourselves in a country where we are clearly the minority if race was an issue. This was also daunting because people would also tell us that we should vote for him primarily because he’s a man of color-forget about the issues- Please lord tell me that after the election last night we can honestly say that we have moved past the issue of color and race! I would be lying if I said it wasn’t hard being white in Jamaica- let alone a woman- but that’s another issue in itself. We’re both excited to see what Barack Obama is going to do for the United States of America and bring change and hope to this ever-evolving world.

The daunting task of walking down the street! Pssst pssst pssst….(walk a little faster with your head down) pssst pssst pssst! Hey sexy, hey baby, hey pretty white lady, white girl you’re looking good….there is no respect for women and whilst you try to do your best ignoring it, there are times when I would just like to walk over and slap them silly!

Mosquitoes and now fleas have been attacking us on a daily basis- they don’t congregate in small numbers to take us on either- it’s a large army swarming and attacking us! I have been bit in places I never thought it was possible to have bug bites- I thought the butt was a bad place to be bit- well try your breasts- oh that’s even better- scratching your boobs!

Inconsistent bowel movements are almost a daily issue- it’s amazing how one minute you’ll be feeling fine and the next you’re running to a bathroom- whenever we go places we have to ask where the bathroom is- mostly because you never know when you’ll need it. We also carry toilet paper with us wherever we go. For some reason in most of the bathrooms there isn’t any- just imagine how it feels after sitting down on the toilet, having an inconsistent bowel movement, and then realizing your worst nightmare is true…NO TOILET PAPER!

Things for us started out great in our jobs- we were meeting a uol eap of new people and several projects were discussed however now we’re at a stand still. Our supervisor has now doubled the amount of people he’s supervising and taken on the role of the parish manager for 5 months- where do we fit in all of this- well we don’t really- we sit in the computer lab most days staring at the screen hoping some kind of work will come along! We suggest potential projects however the follow through is lacking and at times extremely frustrating.

The last thing that has made me really sad about Jamaica is the amount of men that cheat on their wives. I am an extremely naive person but there is no escaping the reality of it. For example there are men we know who are model citizens in their communities, god fearing family men, and what are they doing on the side- sleeping with another woman! For me the saddest part is the children- especially the little boys are taught that it’s acceptable so the vicious cycle continues.

I can’t tell you how much I have loved this experience thus far, how it continues to mold both Will and I into better, more accepting, open minded people. However I have to thank the lord everyday that we have our faith and each other to keep us grounded during this wonderful journey.

P.S. I know many of you read the last post and thought when I said we were going to Portland you were thinking Oregon- I hate to be a bearer of bad news but we won’t be there during Christmas- There is a parish in Jamaica called Portland- therefore that’s where we’ll be staying with our Peace Corps friends Josh and Jesse.

What's New?

The Schumakers feel like kids again! We went to the zoo this week! It’s not a zoo that is ready for tourists but is almost finished and will soon be open for business. We had a lot of fun walking around looking at the animals- our tourist guide- a kitten! He was following us around playing with the animals, chasing butterflies, and meowing. He reminded me of LT- a sad moment- because I kind of miss the little guy- even though he was really obnoxious! While at the zoo we saw all kinds of animals- zebras, lions, crocodiles, raccoons, squirrels, monkeys, llamas, parrots, toucans, and the list goes on!


Work is going alright- we continue to struggle with the culture and finding our place in a country that is still fairly new to us- even though we’ve been here for 4 months now! Yesterday we walked to the store and on the walk back it started pouring rain- we were soaked to the bone- freezing cold- in JAMAICA! We finally found a vacant house to duck under until we thought the rain had passed- of course after walking a short distance it started pouring again! Go Figure! We walked home, changed into pajamas, and drank some hot tea.
We’re getting excited for Early Service Conference (which will be in Ochi Rios- in a fancy hotel) and Christmas- We’ve decided to go and spend some time with our friends Josh and Jesse- We’ll be staying in Portland with them and hopefully doing some touristy things!

Up and Running...for the time being!

Our internet crashed again…this has become the story of our life- however it’s up and running again- keep your fingers crossed that it works for at least the remainder of the week!

We have been keeping busy these last couple weeks. Last Monday we hosted the first ever environmental regional workshop- for the most part it was a success…I won’t get into how our supervisor somehow managed to squeak his way out of it because that would take me an entire blog entry to write! We have some new goals which are related to agriculture! We’re both really excited about this since we are working for RADA and a lot of the stuff we’ve been doing relates directly to farmers and agriculture.

We went to Mandeville to celebrate World Food Day- the food we were displaying was pumpkin, anything and everything made from pumpkin….sauce, chutney, jam, steamed pumpkin leaves, pudding, and the list goes on. I had no idea you could make all these things from pumpkin! While there Dr. the honorable Chris Tufton (the Minister of Agriculture) chatted with both Will and I- we haven’t seen him since being sworn in as PCV’s. St. Elizabeth is his parish and he has some projects that he thinks we can both work on.

We attended the Shrimp Festival in Middle Quarters on Sunday. RADA set up a booth to disseminate information and register farmers. It rained for a good portion of the day. We both ate lots and lots of shrimp… shrimp curry, shrimp punch, spicy shrimp dip, coconut shrimp, and shrimp chutney, I don’t think we’ll be craving shrimp anytime soon. While at the festival we began to take down our booth when who decides to show up….Dr. Tufton! Our supervisor saw him coming and frantically said- put the displays back out…the minister is coming! I started to laugh because I’ve never seen my supervisor get so worked up before. Dr. Tufton came over to our display and chatted with us. He told our supervisor not to take down the display- He said, “There might still be some farmers that have questions, you should stick around and answer their questions!” I was laughing the entire time- It was the first time our supervisor was whipped into shape, he reminded me of a dog with his tail between his legs! (The above picture is from Shrimp Festival - A cultural dance representing several apects of Jamaica)

Finally Monday was a holiday- Hero’s Day- Will and I went to Dunn’s River Falls in St. Mary- It’s quite the drive- took us about two and a half hours to get there. It probably would have taken longer if we had to take public transportation. I didn’t realize the place was such a tourist trap! The price to get into the Falls is $J300 which translates to about $4 U.S. The price for non-Jamaican residents $15 U.S. we explained that we were peace corps volunteers so they let us pay $J300. Once inside I was almost embarrassed to be white- Tourists were handing out money left and right – thank goodness we were with a group of Jamaicans! I came to realize why Jamaicans always try to get money from white people. When we got ready to hike the falls a group of tourists came up with a guide- they formed a line, held hands, and began climbing the falls as a group! Can you say LAME??? We were able to climb the falls independently without holding hands. We climbed the falls a couple times, ate the lunch we packed on the beach, enjoyed an iced cappuccino, and some cherry berry passion ice-cream. It was nice to have these luxuries while relaxing in such a beautiful place.

<---- Yeah that's an iced Cappucino!

This weekend we are going to Kingston for quarterlies. I applied to be on the SPA committee and was selected to be a member. I’m really excited I will have this opportunity especially since Jamaica is known for their SPA program. We’ll be attending meetings and hopefully get in some yummy coffee and American food! We’ll also cast our votes for the presidential election! I’m not going to elaborate on who we’re voting for and politics. My grandma always told me there are two things you should not discuss- politics and religion, therefore I will just say that we’re doing our American duty and voting for a presidential candidate!

<--- I ♥ my chacos!

P.S. I forgot to mention that mosquitos suck! They have reached an all time low! I was bit on the rear end by one! Does anyone have any idea how bad that sucks?? While riding the bus, sitting at work, or chatting with your supervisor and your butt itches so bad you can't concentrate on anything but that!

This is a typical Saturday- Handwashing Laundry

and praying that it doesn't rain :)

You want me to eat what....?

We finally have internet back!!!!! Things in Jamaica usually take a long time and that’s no exaggeration! We didn’t have internet for nearly 3 weeks plus our phone lines are still down! To me this is insanely crazy…people haven’t been able to get work done because the farmer registration system is all online- go figure! My apologies for not updating our blog sooner, it’s just been a little crazy and not being able to use internet at work has made it sometimes inconvenient. I keep forgetting that there are some things I want to discuss with my fellow readers. So here it goes:

The first week we were back in Santa Cruz after being sworn in we attended a church function. While there we indulged in something called Manish Water- (I’m not entirely sure that’s how you spell it) I had no idea what it was. When the woman handed it to us we could smell the hot steamy soup. It didn’t smell nice at all, in fact it stunk! It reminded me of when we raised goats and the bucks would smell of urine during breeding season. I tried to get past the stench and take a sip of the warm drink. Upon doing so I nearly barfed in my mouth! Will and I both decided we weren’t going to choke it down. We asked the nun sitting with us what was in this particular soup. She explained to us that it’s a delicacy in Jamaica- the contents include: the head, feet, and belly of a goat! No wonder it smelled like a stinky buck! The following day we once again indulged in some more soup…this time chicken feet soup! This wasn’t nearly as bad. It smelled nice and contained some wonderful vegetables. However it is extremely hard to get past the fact that there are indeed chicken feet floating in your soup (not little feet either). Will and I both ate two bowls of it. Not so bad! However I’m not sure how much more soup I can eat- it reminds me of lunch as a child- “Who wants Meatloaf Surprise??”

That same day we also met a nun…her name Sister Eva! She has been one of the sweetest ladies we’ve gotten to know. On Sundays when we see her at church she always asks how we’re doing and tries to give us something. She has given both Will and I a new pair of Crocs, rice crispy cereal, rice, beans, and peas (all in quantities to feed an army). We really appreciate her kind and genuine heart. Going to church brings me a lot of comfort. It’s nice being able to find one thing familiar to us in this unfamiliar place. Church here lasts slightly longer but I don’t really notice. Will and I are considering getting involved in the youth ministry where we would do some religious education with the kids. It’s saddening because several of them can’t even make the sign of the cross.

Some of the things we took for granted and miss:

1. Windy Roads + Potholes = Bumpy Ride (We’ve both miss a smooth, quiet ride in a car)
2. The seasons….It is sad to know the leaves are changing and fall is upon everyone there! It’s still hot here :)
3. Bug Free Houses! The mosquitos, cockroaches, lizards, etc. are everywhere and nearly impossible to keep out
4. Having our own car and being able to drive anywhere at anytime
5. Good Italian food and Starbucks! (this was a given)
6. Our friends and family!

However there are many things to love about living here!

1. Every week we go to the market and buy fresh produce- this is GREAT!
2. In our backyard we have lime, mango, cherry, coconut, avocado, and orange trees. In the morning I can pick an orange for breakfast and for dinner an avocado to have with dinner.
3. We have both lost weight- we’re not sure exactly how much- we found a scale for sale at a store in town and weighed ourselves- we’re guessing between 10-15 pounds each!
4. Our Supervisor! He’s our guardian angel and a truly genuine kind man! We both love working with him and the staff at RADA
5. The working pace…everything is so much slower- this is a nice change from our fast paced lives in America
6. The scenery- there is nothing like a sunset in Jamaica and there are some really nice beaches and I hate to say the word but “tourist” attractions

All of the pictures are from our lastest visit at Treasure Beach a little over a week ago: Enjoy

Meet myfriend Mr. JellyFish- "You Shall Be Mine And I Shall Call You Squishy"

Boat at Treasure Beach